Going out to eat...

Day 6!

For breakfast, I passed on the smoothie because I needed coffee this a.m. to energize me! A local company has brewed this coffee using some method that allows it to be served cold. The acidity is really low and the caffeine is high (which are both greatly appreciated by this character)! Check it out: Chameleon Coffee It's so flavorful that I only add some almond milk, no sweetener needed! I made scrambled eggs and enjoyed some gluten free bread courtesy of Udi's; some days I love that bread and other days, I'm just imagining it's a bagel or cinnamon swirl bread! I should have made a loaf of homemade bread before I gave up gluten, silly me!

For lunch, I ate that tasty pizza from last night, but again I was wanting more! Something about roasted garlic sauce just makes my mouth water! I caved and treated myself to a Mt. Dew because I knew my afternoon at work was going to be a long one! I never really had a snack today, which later resulted in me getting greasy tater tots from Sonic on the way to my cousin's soccer game!

Tonight's dinner was probably the hardest thus far...I knew that going out to eat and traveling would be the hardest when it came to eating.  After the game, we went to get dinner and the only options were chain restaurants, not my awesomely health-aware restaurants in Austin! Cracker Barrel won mainly because it didn't have a wait and we were all hungry.  This was definitely a challenge for me because I have a very special place in my stomach for their chicken and dumplings, and all of their gloriously bad-for-you sides.  I wanted to order my "usual" because that's how I am.  I go to a place and I get the same thing every time even when I want to be adventurous.  Don't get me wrong, my dinner was satisfying, but not nearly as delicious as those dumplings that were sitting across the table staring at me or those untouched biscuits calling my name! Unfortunately there are no pictures to post today because honestly fast food/chain restaurant food all looks the same...

I'm off to bed rather early for a Friday night! TOMORROW starts the second part of my journey! I am beginning another countdown, if you will...I am going to partake in a 60-day Bikram yoga challenge! Yes, Bikram yoga is that crazy hot yoga where you are in a room that is approximately 105 degrees with at least 40% humidity and, yes, you stay in there for 90 minutes! I am extremely excited about this challenge.  There is no way to sugarcoat this part of my next 60 days.  It is going to be everything that defines the word challenge:

chal·lenge

 [chal-inj] noun, verb, -lenged,-leng·ing, adjective

noun

1.

a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill,strength, etc.

2.

something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.

3.

a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.

4.

a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.

5.

difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

I have wanted to take on this challenge for the last 4 or 5 years but I have never felt that I was in the right place in my life, or that I had the strength, mentally, physically and emotionally, to complete this challenge.  But now I know I can succeed with this challenge...mainly because of the amazing support system I have, and how happy I am in my life! So here's to dripping puddles of sweat for the next 60 days, and suffering with a smile on my face! Thanks Kendra for the advice to "sweat, smile and BREATHE!" because those are all very important! And as Bikram has said himself: "Give me 30 days, I'll change your body.  Give me 60 days, I'll change your life."  Here's to changing my life for the better!

*P.S. Can't wait to look and feel amazing on the day that I get to marry my beautiful wife! 10 months to go!!*