Day 1. A sort-of start.

It has begun. Well, officially the detox starts Monday, but since Easter will interfere with my ability to follow this 21-day program through to the end, I am getting an early start.

Here's what has to happen for the next 3 weeks:

8 hours of sleep a day

lots of liquids

starting the day with hot water/lemon then fluids only for the first half of the day (veg/fruit/protein smoothies or juices)

The remaining meals/snacks must be gluten free, vegan, mainly organic, and no caffeine or alcohol or sugar

I am expected to do 21 classes in 21 days (but the gym encourages people to double up rather than doing 1 class every single day); but really, we just need to make sure to do 35 minutes of exercise per day, a mix of intense and restorative workouts.

I am supposed to meditate for 15 minutes a day, but I'll only get the meditation and all the other missing pieces on Monday.

I am keeping a journal of everything, but since it's my start day, here are my deets:

I have followed through on everything so far, weighing in this morning at 151.4. I have a baby shower from 1-4, so I will try to not gorge myself of non-detox thingies, but that is why this is a sort-of start. My real-deal start will be tomorrow. I did that "cunnilingi" class (it's actually called Kundalini Flow).

I got a meal plan so I don't have to stress about the cooking (doing this challenge was already a risk considering how busy the next months are likely to be), and everything they've made so far is SUPER SUPER tasty, mmmmmm. I don't think this part will be hard at all. I think the hardest part for me will be managing my schedule and social events, oh and motivating myself to workout.

Alrighty, off to get ready to head out to this baby shower.

a gentle start

Officially, the Best Shape of Your Life Challenge starts on March 31, with a 21-day detox, followed by I don't know what yet since I don't have all the details, then another 21-day detox two months later, then more I don't know what.

I found out (after paying) that during the 21-day parts, you're expected to do AT LEAST 1 class a day, which is kind of ridiculous with my schedule, but apparently my other activities (vball, running) will count, so that's a relief. I think you're bound to 3-4 classes a week for the rest of the program, which leaves me plenty of room for wedding-related appointments, and the classes are relaxing enough to help me unwind from what has been a hectic year at work.

The nice girl who registered me opened up my membership early (unlimited classes for 4 months starting March 31) to encourage me to get a head start. So I seized the opportunity and yesterday did something called "Kundalini Glow" yoga, which I mistakenly called something like "Kunnilingi Glow" hahaha! I think that sounds more appealing anyway ha! I am SO NOT INTO YOGA! It's really official. But whatever, I will do it for relaxation purposes, and if anyone tries to convince me it's an actual workout then they can save it for someone who hasn't already tried yoga about 100 times.

Today, though, I did pilates, and that is much more my speed. It's tough, yet also mellow, without all the religious speak involved in yoga. It's a workout, yet it is relaxing. They have other, more intense classes blended with boxing too.

Now, I am giving their uber healthy food a try (something called an Aztec Salad and a brownie) and so far the salad is great. I bought a food plan so they prepare all my lunches and dinners for the detox, and I make juices for breakfast at home with the juicer.

I am trying to ease my way into what will no doubt be a challenging 3 weeks, but so far it's feeling nice.

Alright, gotta gobble down this salad so I can go see my friend. Have a nice day!

I know, I know... same old story!

I am back. Who knows for how long this time. But I am back for now.

I had gotten to week 14 or something of my 21 km running program (on my own since Hairy had gotten injured), and ultimately decided I don't actually want to strive for that goal anymore, and even though I wanted to try running in the cold weather, than cold is DEFINITELY not for me. Nevertheless, I managed to run until it got down to about 5 degrees, so for that I am proud.

Since then, months have gone by, months of hectic work weeks, wedding planning which has mostly been fun, and other things. In January, after several successful weeks of going to the gym, I ultimately decided to stop working out, since the time I would spend on that was becoming a precious rarity I needed to be able to function at work. I also started missing Portuguese classes and volleyball on occasion, to make time for rest in between the other stuff. I also took up stress eating. Though I have always had issues with overindulgence, never was it tied to stress. In fact, in "down" periods of my life, I tend to eat less because I lose the excitement I glean from eating.

I had given up my lunchtime walks, exercise, and basically anything I enjoy apart from meeting friends for coffee, and would stuff my face at every turn. I had also decided to embrace my 10 lb weight gain and just be okay with it. I do think I still look good (not my skin, but in general), and my man loves the chub, like a lot, but I would have to expand my wedding dress... Now, after having decided to be okay with that, I have changed my mind. I realized that purely for the need to look elegant in my wedding dress, I would need to slim down just a bit. After the wedding it's no holds barred, but I really want to give myself a push to get out of this rut. The other important reason I want to get back in shape is to have the energy I used to have.

So yesterday I signed up for an auspiciously timed "transformation" challenge being held at a local gym. It's a place I have been before. I don't generally like the place because it's snooty, but some of their classes are excellent. Anyway, their program just happens to be the exact length I need (4 months, from March 22 to June 22). It involves 3-4 classes a week of my choosing, 2 detoxes (I will partake in them for the sake of the challenge), motivational meetings, weigh-ins and emails, 4 special classes and prizes. If I find the time, I will post about the experience, but with about 4 months to go until the wedding, I cannot make promises. In any case, I thought some of my readers who have struggled or still struggle with their eating/exercise/body image might want to see that you just have to keep getting back on that horse, no matter whether it's been 1 week off or 1 year... consistency and resiliency are the keys to success.