Jenn vs. Barre3 : Fall Challenge Kick Off!

Hello!

A new challenge, a new theme. I saw this picture and thought it represented this challenge so perfectly that I had to use it.

It reminds me of a quote I love. "Success is a staircase, not a doorway." Truer words were never spoken. This next 4 weeks will be another flight of stairs for us. I'd like to think it will be a pretty flight of stairs on a hiking trail in the woods on a perfectly crisp fall day. The kind of flight I don't even mind taking because I'm so excited to see where it leads. Aren't you?

I spent my summer devoted to barre3. I also lived life and did a lot of traveling and just participated in general summer shenanigans. Still, I'd say I was following the 80/20 rule. I ate whole foods and got my workouts in 80% of the time. I'm down 20 lbs since June with just 30 or so left to go. Just about 5 lbs a month which my Doctor tells me is wonderful. Of course I'd like to look like a supermodel overnight, but for me, this journey has been about building sustainable habits and a better way of life. Slowly and surely. I'm watching my little number shrink.

My summer was a flight of stairs. I'm on the landing and stepping on to the next flight. Too many stair analogies? I can never tell. Anyway, you get what I'm saying.

Usually when I'm about to start a "diet", I pig out a little the day (or a couple of days) before. This time I realized I had never really come off the diet... because it's not a diet... it's just how I eat now because I prefer to. Still though, feeling like I should have a last hurrah because it's what I've always done, I made pancakes for breakfast. They were GF and we used real maple syrup... so no huge stretch there... but I did have a big glass of POG. That was the cheat. I never drink straight fruit juice. SO sweet! I totally didn't like it. After breakfast, I helped myself to like 5 mini candy bars from the Halloween stash. By noon I felt completely dreadful. It's been so long since I've had that much sugar. My body revolted.

For dinner I made spaghetti and meat sauce... with spaghetti squash as noodles because that's just what spaghetti is now. My kids think it's the norm, so it's the norm. Ground turkey in the sauce. All healthy and yummy, save the big handful of cheese I threw in to make it nice and creamy. We had a salad and water. Realizing I had failed at "cheating", I had a nice big slice of this amazing soufflé from Papa Haydn. Again though, I think because I ate candy all day, I felt horrible.

We went to a wedding the day before out at Edgefield. I had a few glasses of wine to get that out of my system. I felt guilty though. One glass now and then is one thing, but 3 just messes with everything. I took a break for a little carousel horse under a tree... careful not to spill my wine of course.

In summary, I'm happy to begin the challenge today. I feel like I need a detox after yesterday! I have a total junk food hangover.

I got a couple of new workout shirts which I think will motivate me to get to class. I'm pretty sure an angel loses it's wings every time you buy something cute and then leave it in a drawer.

Truth be told, I don't feel like going to class today. I'm going anyway though. I have a noon with Lisa in Lake Oswego. A foundations to kick it all off. I'm most excited to put my sticker on the board. I plan to take at least one class a week in-studio (yes, just so I can get stickers... my inner child is a total teacher's pet) and the rest online.

What are your plans for the challenge?

Here we go!

xoxo,

Jenn

PS: A few more pics from our super fun fall weekend: