I saw this quote on Pinterest, and I really love it! Are you working through some goals right now? Don’t quit!
If you have been keeping up with my 43-Day Challenge, then THANK YOU! For more information on what I’ve been doing, click here. I am still pressing on, and really enjoying some fantastic benefits!
You have probably noticed that I have not been blogging as much lately. In fact, I just took a look at my history, and I’ve only published one post in the last TWO WEEKS! This is probably the longest stretch I’ve gone since starting my website. So what has been keeping me so busy? Well, aside from the fact that I do work a full-time job and run a household, I’ve had a lot of extra projects to do with the goals I’ve set for these 43 days! Cooking through a cookbook is no joke… it takes extra time to prepare for the store, to shop, and to cook. The results are well worth it, but this endeavor has definitely taken a good amount of time! Also, I have done really well with my “go to bed early” goal! However, turning off the computer at 9:00 has really cut into my late-night blogging time.
So how about an update on how all this is going?
Big Goal #1: Clean Eating: We are still in the midst of our Whole30 (which I am extending through the end of July for a Whole43), and it is going really well! It always amazes me how my husband and I always improve our body composition within just a few weeks of starting a Whole30. We eat really clean most of the time, but just cutting out those occasional treats (frozen yogurt, corn chips, alcohol, etc… NO GLUTEN) makes such a huge difference. This experience, and reading through It Starts With Food, has persuaded me that those occasional treats should actually be less occasional.
Big Goal #2: Be Well Fed: As I mentioned above, I’m cooking through an AMAZING cookbook that is Whole30-approved (except for one dessert recipe). This has been so much fun! I’ve definitely made some dishes that I probably would not have tried if I hadn’t set this goal, and man, am I glad I did! I have a gigantic picture post coming up soon… highlighting my favorite recipes from Well Fed, etc. UPDATE: HERE IT IS!
Big Goal #3: Natural Skin Care/Oral Care: This has been a really cool experience. My goal has been to use the Oil Cleansing Method for facial skin care, throw out all my chemical-filled body products, take lots of epsom-salt baths, etc. I have to admit, the first time I tried the Oil Cleansing Method, I felt really crazy! I mean, really… I’ve always gone out of my way to find oil-free facial products, and here I was smearing 100% OIL all over my face. It was a little insane! But since then, my face has been unbelievably smooth, never itchy, and almost radiant! Except for a few blemishes that I believe were part of the detoxing process, I’ve also had an even-clearer-than-usual complexion.
Big Goal #4: Natural Hair Care: I recently did a post on the results of my natural hair care project, and I’m definitely still enjoying these benefits. I have started using 1/2 the amount of apple cider vinegar (1 TBS. instead of 2 TBS.), and this has really cut down on the vinegary smell that I so dislike!
Big Goal #5: Go to Bed: I have done much better with this goal than I expected. I usually detest going to bed early, but after the first week of these challenge, my body and mind decided that this might be a good idea after all! I’ve started feeling nice and sleepy around 9:00 when I turn off my computer, and then I take about an hour to wind down even more… and then falling asleep is easy! The best part this goal has been how I feel when I wake up. I can now wake up as early as 8:00 (I know that’s not really early, but it used to feel REALLY early to me!), and feel energized and ready to take on the day. Before this challenge, I would sleep until around 11 AM or so on my days off, but now I naturally wake up by 9:00, and this gives me two extra hours to enjoy my day!
Big Goal #6: Meaningful Workouts: This has been the one goal that I haven’t stuck to as much as I probably could. There have definitely been afternoons where I have just felt a little tired, and have taken opportunities to do other things rather than work out. But what amazes me is that I still look and feel better than I did before starting this Whole30, even without working out as much. Further proof that “it starts with food.”
Big Goal #7: Supplements: Not much to share in this area… I’m following through with all facets of this goal, and still experiencing great results!
Big Goal #8: Stress Less: This has been an amazing goal. You can read more about how I’ve maintained it here. One of the best ways for us to keep the stress levels low in our home is to make fewer plans on our weeknight evenings. In general, knowing that we don’t have any place to go most nights helps so much! We are home-bodies, so we look forward to just being home together. Other than that, I have really fallen in love with my herb/spice-filled neck-wrap. So relaxing and calming!
So there you go! I’m not done yet, but it’s going so well so far!
Have you been pursuing any of these goals with me? If so, let me know how you’re doing!