Alpha Reset

I am taking 5 days to do a juice fast called the Alpha Reset as outlined by Drew Canole.

I have 4 days off from school and thought this would be a good time to tackle this challenge.

Today is Day 3 of 5.

I'm feeling good...this juice fast (the second one I've done this year) feels easier than before.

I don't have a constant hunger or desire to eat whole food.

I guess I have a better mindset this time...who knows.

My awesome hubby is also juice fasting with me...which helps SO MUCH!

My favorite juice recipe is

4 leaves of Swiss Chard

1 cucumber

1 granny smith apple

1 lemon

1 generous knuckle of ginger

a few leaves of parsley

I just feel like I'm drinking a glass of fresh!

After this, I intend to complete a paleo challenge.

There are a few out there.  The two challenges I see most often are:

(1) The 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diane Sanfilippo

(2) The Whole 30 by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

I guess it doesn't really matter which one I follow as long as I follow a Paleo diet.

I want to ensure that I'm well prepared and have the mindset to be as successful with this challenge as I am with juicing.  I wonder what I should do?  I've tried these challenges before and end up in the candy dish at the office.  I see at my new school, there will be a lot of temptations around.  hmmmmm.

Keeping commitment to self...so important.

@GoStarGoHard

Learning New Habits

First of all:  Thanks to all my friends who are willing to read about this journey and be my encouragement/support system.  Your willingness to jump in and help is humbling.


So, as part of this fitness journey, I'm trying to learn new habits.
1.  Get rest (8 hours is the goal but 6 hours of sleep is usually the reality); resist hitting the snooze button and just get up
2.  Eating well (by eating well, I mean Paleo and I'm supplementing this with homemade vegetable/fruit juice...more veggies than fruit)
3.  Exercising (regular gym workouts with intensity and Crossfit on the weekends)
4.  Meditating (not easy since my brain tangential thoughts...hard to quiet all that riotous noise in my head).

I happened to read a blog that I like to follow called Zen Habits (#ZenHabits).
Today's posting talked about http://zenhabits.net/bank/ was creating compound habits (e.g., like compound investments.  Making small changes over time to lead to habits.  For example, to start waking up earlier, don't do it in a big chunk, start waking up earlier 5 minutes at a time and before you know it, you are waking up two hours earlier and not feeling the huge impact of the change).

EATING WELL
I think I'm changing gradually with the exception of food.
In a book that I read called, IT STARTS WITH FOOD, six pack abs are made in the kitchen (what you eat)...So, I'm trying their Whole 30 program and eating Paleo for 30 days.

Today is day 2 of my Paleo journey.
I had pot roast for breakfast (a homemade crockpot concoction that I made on Sunday and will eat off of most of this week), a pre-made Paleo lunch by PowerSupply (they deliver pre-made Paleo meals to Crossfit Gyms in the DC region (I go to #CrossfitManassas), and I'll have pot roast for dinner.  For snacks, I had two 16 oz vegetable juices that I made with my juicer at home last night. 
Biggest thing that I have noticed, I'm not having the crazy, grumbling stomach cravings that I usually do when I'm eating candy and other sweets during the day.


EXERCISING
Today's small add, I did assisted pull ups (112# assist).  For the tough mudder, I'm pretty sure I need to be able to schlep myself over things...I need to start improving that upper body strength now.  I'd like to be able to do 5 pull ups by April.  Do you think that's doable?


REST
Last night, was only 6 hours.
Will try better for tonight


MEDITATION
Will endeavour to meditate tonight as part of my bed time ritual. 
I'll commit to 3 minutes per night (a small change).

Wish me luck!

Tuesday - 12 Jun - Day 16

Birthday cake at work today.  UGH!
Need I say more?

**********

Good workout today.
100 Double Unders
50 push ups
40 kettlebell swings
30 air squats
20 pull ups (assisted)

really enjoyed this one.
Must go heavier on the kettle bell swings.  15# is too light.

*********
How do I feel?
Like ick!
I don't want anything to drink except water.
I should have had a bowl of air for dinner.

Received a new book in the mail today called "It starts with food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.
They are Robb Wolf proteges.  So I'm sure I'll read similar guidance but packaged differently.

Just ordered a magnesium supplement called Natural Calm.  Sounds like it will help me with getting better sleep.