3 Days Left of First Challenge

Well, my sister-in-law (Katie's sister) is going to Ireland for 10 days.  Tonight, we were invited to dinner, for a little fair-well kind of thing.  It was really fun.  My brother-in-law works long hours and a lot of them, as a nurse, so for them to have time out for a dinner.. for us to get the invite, we took them up on the offer.  For me, it was more of a challenge.  Turned out great!

Typically, in the past, I felt like I had to get my money's-worth.  We'd hit a buffet or something along those lines.  If not a buffet, we'd hit someplace where we sat down since I am not too keen on the fast food scene. $70 would fly out the window in a hurry and usually I'd have my dinner and half of Katie's since she gets full so quickly.  But not tonight.  I was cautious that it was regular pasta, so I watched my portions.  No bread-sticks for me since it was a late dinner, thanks to the wait.  Of course, diet soda (over a month of no regular soda now).  Plus, we did a deal where you buy one and get an extra to take home.  Well, I have to tell you, on our way home, I had a big smile.  I actually asked my wife if she was proud of me.  I asked if she noticed how much dinner I had left on my plate still.  We did it!  We went to an establishment where I would've normally gorged myself.  Leaving no room for dessert, as they always ask.  We went, I ate, not as healthy as I'd like, but based on where I was, to where I am, I'll take it!  I'll take it over and over.  We're doing it with every day food.  I'm not strictly eating fish and certain veggies, or certain proteins over others.  I use what we have.  I watch the calories and what time of day I'm putting carbs into my body as well as my sugar intake.

It is so weird because I feel like I'm constantly eating. It almost makes me laugh.  But tonight, it could have been that I was in conversation with family, this and that, involved with the kiddos too, cracking jokes, etc... But I didn't feel like I was depriving myself.  I honestly felt like I had enough to eat.  I felt comfortable with the amount I ate, even the fact that I know there was sugar in there.  I was able to roughly calculate everything that I ate in the day to estimate that I could take a little more sugar.  Now, doing this once a week is not my plan.  I certainly do not want the first option for any celebrating, to do with food.  But you know what?  Sometimes you're invited places.  Sometimes you're going to celebrate or go to a fair-well.  It's part of life.  But you can't let it take over your life.  Otherwise, as my newest friend stated it, you're going to create your own nightmare.

So, in my title of this blog: 3 Days.  This marks the end of when I said I was starting my 28 day challenge.  In 3 days, starting tomorrow and ending on Monday, I will be done with that challenge.  I will not be done with my transformation. By a long shot.  I will take my measurements and post them.  They will be what they are.

I'm not going to beat myself up, but I know that I could do better.  As I stated a couple of days ago.  I'm challenging myself again to do another 28 days!  I love it.  I feel good about that decision.  I do feel like I could do better.  Tomorrow is work out day.  I will do as many push ups, squats and crunches as I can in the a.m. as well at the p.m.  If I get to 30 each time, then so be it.  If I push until muscle fatigue, but fall short of 30, it does not matter.  I know I am getting stronger.  I feel a little nervous about the workout though.  I've got a little nagging in my left side of my back.  I feel like I'm over-compensating for the little stumble I took on the ancient dinosaur treadmill at work yesterday. No rubber burns from the belt, but a little bit of a hyper-extended knee.  You may think, no big deal.  But if you weigh 180 lbs, I'd welcome you, any day, to put on a back pack of another 280 lbs to get you up to 460 lbs and then try and hyper-extend your knee.

But, we'll go out and be active and put in the effort.  We'll take action.  I understand there are some things that my weight and size are going to limit me on, since I'm still re-introducing my body to working out.  But when it comes to some things, I'm a littler perfectionist.  I like to make a certain number of free-throws.  I like a little bit of routine to working out.  There are some things I just like in order.  I know there are a bunch of things in life that don't happen the way you want them.  Heck, we all learn that lesson (hopefully), that it's not always how you want it.  I don't like the nagging in my back, nor the sore knee.  But it's there and I gotta deal with it.  I just can't sit her and do nothing though.  I've done that before.  Honestly, I've done it for a couple days during this 28 day challenge.  But I can't let history repeat itself.  I know I can do better.  I can't change them 2-3 days.  But I have tomorrow.  As well, I'll take our awesome dinner out with family and a challenge conquered as another stone to add to the foundation.

I do have to give a big BIG shout out and a couple words of gratitude to some old friends.  A couple of ladies from my early 20's reached out to me and said they'd like to give a gift, as a show of support along the journey.  They mailed me and my family a money order to go "shopping" online for a dinner table.  Yay!  If you ask me, online classifieds have a WAY bigger selection than any home furnishing store.  Plus I'd like a table with some character.  So, THANK YOU VERY MUCH Ang (Angela) and Danny (Danielle).  I am blessed because of your big hearts.  I hope to find the perfect table.  I know that Katie and I are wanting this journey to change a few things to benefit our children.  Eating at a dinner table, building structure and relationships with our kiddos is something we are both passionate about.  So, I will send the both of you pics when we get one.  We are in no position to turn down an offer like this.  Plus, since we've last seen each other, I've been humbled a couple of time.  We really do appreciate your kindness.  We could all learn something from your un-selfishness.

Good night everyone! 3 more days!!!!!