For the next 30+ days, I will be eating meat, vegetables, healthy fats, fruits and nuts. I will not be eating processed food, sugar, dairy, grains or legumes, and I won’t be consuming any alcohol.

I’ve done a few Whole30 challenges before, but this time I’m looking for something a little different. I lost touch with my Paleo choices last year and I would like to reconnect with what it means to feel healthy, vibrant, and in tune with my whole self.

If you’re doing a Whole30 or other challenge, if you are living/exploring the Paleo lifestyle, or if you are simply looking for some tasty recipes to add to your repertoire, be sure to leave a comment to let me know you’re out there! I am so glad you stopped by!

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Day 25 is done!

Quote of the Day: “Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Theresa

Bit by bit, little by little, the choices we make and the changes we put in place are what ultimately get us to our goal.

I work in a gym so we see a lot of new year’s resolutions in action at the beginning of the year. The other night, someone mentioned how crowded the gym was and how it wouldn’t last. I’ve heard this before, but I always answer in the same way. I love it. I love the crowds being there – even though it makes my job a little more challenging. That’s not the point. And the fact that some of those people will only be there for one week or three or two months…that doesn’t bother me either. I know that it took me years – and years and years – to have my exercise so well entrenched that it is a part of who I am. I know that I was once one of those new year’s resolutions that didn’t stick.

What I believe is important is all in the trying. So what if that person tries for a couple weeks and gets derailed? They tried. And I’d be willing to bet that they’ll be back again. We can’t predict when that will be, of course, but I always believe that at some point it will click for that person. They’ll realize that they need to be active forever because that’s how we are meant to be. We are meant to move and sweat in some way, in whatever way works for us, and sometimes it takes some time to figure that out.

If that means finding time to walk or discovering that you love yoga or to hike or to run, or if that means getting onto a basketball or volleyball team or in a cycling group or whatever – I hope that you discover what you love and then find a way to do it.

It’s the small things. Right now I’m pretty derailed due to scheduling and a few other challenges, but I’m doing what I can when I can and not getting too discouraged that sometimes that’s nothing. I know that the foundation is there and maybe tomorrow or maybe Thursday it will come together again for me.

The same goes for healthy eating choices. It’s not so much about the grand gesture, and on the flip-side, it’s not so much the wine in a recipe or the sugar in the BBQ sauce, but rather the small things we do most of the time. It’s about healthy breakfasts and energizing lunches and satisfying dinners with sugar and processed food to a minimum.

It’s about 10 minutes of meditating because I don’t have 20. It’s about breathing when I mess up and forgiving when I need it.

The little things. And love. Over and over it’s about love. Of self, of others, of health, of life, of pleasure, of rules and challenges, of spontaneity and creativity. Love.

Day 25 – The Details

4:30am – Black coffee

6:15am – 2 eggs, slaw, 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, 1/4 avocado, sauerkraut

12:15pm – Chicken Faux-tato salad

2:00pm – 2 clementines, macadamia nuts

5:00pm – Beef with pepperoncinis and roasted cauliflower

Food: I really wanted to make something from the list of slow cooker dishes that I posted on Facebook last night and I had the 2 ingredients for the pepperoncini beef. It totally worked! Tangy and meaty – and all I did was pour a jar of pepperoncinis that I had on hand over some beef that I had in the freezer. Stupid easy.

Mood: I have to admit, my mood, while fine, is not over the moon full of energy right now. When I interact with people it is, but when I’m on my own I’m a little more introspective. I’m not a brilliant multi-tasker. I can do it, and I can work quickly and efficiently, but it wears on me. It’s not my favorite way to go through life. I’ve been dreaming about taking some time, an afternoon or a day, to sit somewhere beautiful and just be when things calm down a bit.

Sleep: 6 hours. I went to bed late last night and morning came at the same time as usual. I was pretty sleepy in the afternoon.

Activity: Another hard day of nothing. This is normally my rest day, but I’m a little sad.

Focus – No food at the computer: I am so glad this is my focus right now! It’s really interesting. I’m not loving it, but I am respecting it.