Everything Starts at the Beginning

I got little sleep last night. I laid awake thinking about the last 5 simple words our CEO, Chris Ruggieri, sent me via email last night:

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I kept thinking about what a simple and yet engaging and exciting idea that is! We are all so excited in life because of what we work so hard to produce as the outcome. We strive to be the best we can because we can't wait for success to turn tables. 


Yet, reality is that it's the beginning and the middle that count the most. Sandra Bullock said it best in Hope Floats, "Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. And you need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning."


Today those 5 simple words are still fresh in my mind, lingering there. But today I'm more excited about the beginning. 


I'm excited about the ideas that are generated in the beginning, followed by the process of implementation in the middle and finally end up in pure success! (And if at first we don't succeed, we just re-invent until we get it right. But we appreciate, learn from and have a ton of fun doing it!)


And here's to great beginnings! CHEERS!

Boring

Day 79.

I find myself becoming somewhat boring when it comes to my food these days. I'm not sure I'm liking where this is going. With my boredom comes my hunger. With my hunger comes not enough energy to carry me through my harder workouts. It's the "food-domino-effect" that I'm struggling with.

I know in my head and in my heart that eating this way is making me feel better overall. But there are so many foods that are so good for us that I cannot have, but that would "spice" up my food-life so much. I would give almost anything to just have some of my Greek Yogurt. I could eat it with fruit, put it in a smoothie or cream it up to make it as a sauce or sour cream. How simple that sounds. And yet, how far away it seems for me.

I met with Leah last Friday night. She made me a great drink with her new Food Processor. I am in need of one of those. All she did was put carrots, cucumbers and pears in the processor and in no time I had a refreshing drink.

Refreshing. I am now striving to move beyond "boring" and into "refreshing."

I am into my 2nd series of the GI Micro's. This will be the last round of killing the parasites, yeast and/or any other harmful organisms in my stomach. I am confident that this is working.

I put up a quote at my desk at work. It says, "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." I need to remember this, even on the days when I'm bored!

My mouth was better than it was yesterday. Today it was only about a level 3/4. About 4pm my stomach started feeling bloated. I wanted to just skip out on my run tonight, BUT I am so focused on getting this training "right." So I did my hills. About an hour after the run, I felt "sick." I barely made it home. It was not pleasant. I feel that the past couple of days are from something this past weekend?

Here was my day:

Breakfast

• Rice & Shine + Unsweetened Rice Milk+ Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder
• 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 Fruit Fusion
  
• 1/2 c. coffee + stevia
  

Snack

• Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light, Flax, 1/2 banana, chlorella and Stevia

Lunch

• (Steamed) Carrots, squash, zuchinni, cucumber, spinach + garlic
  
• (tiny) Baby Organic Spinach
• Wild Salmon Burger
• Hot Water + lemon
  

Snack (Pre-workout)

• Fruit Fusion
• Pineapple, honeydew melon, cantaloupe
  

Dinner (Post-workout)

• (Steamed) Carrots, squash, zuchinni, cucumber, spinach + garlic
  
• (tiny) Baby Organic Spinach
  
• Fish oil + spirulina + 1 Tbsp flax a little sea salt
• 1/2 c. unsweetened appleasauce
• 1 Grapefruit

Detox Time

Day 67.

I think I will have to move forward with my all-out detox beginning on Sunday or Monday. Leah wants me to try it, since I'm doing most of it already. But there are a few things that will change. I realized I needed to do this today, when, I got bloated again. I felt a little bloated upon waking. Even though my stomach wasn't very "twisty" or turning and I was able to go to the bathroom one time, I got very bloated. It got bad around 4 or 5pm tonight. I look like I'm pregnant again! I drank a cup of Chocolate Smooth Move Tea, and I also took an Epsom Salt Bath. I'm hoping this helps.

One thing I'm concerned about is Protein. I wonder if I don't digest it properly. I took 4*HCL's with 2 of my meals today. I took all the other supplements as I'm supposed to. I wonder if my system, since it's not fully healed yet, has a really hard time working so hard with the protein? I do eat a lot of protein in the form of fish and lean meat. I don't remember ever being this bloated - if any bloat at all - when I detoxed a few years ago. That detox meant no meat. Leah believes in the term "Flexitarian." I LOVE THAT TERM! It means you can still have meat, but that you eat mostly vegetarian. She said that for my "detox," the only meat I can have is Organic. Basically, what that means to me is.....NO MEAT! Organic meat is so expensive!

If it wasn't for this stomach problem popping back up again, I would say I had an excellent day! My mouth was twitching again - yeah!! I am now even feeling a "pulling" sensation underneath my tongue on the left side. It sounds weird, but I know it's such a good thing. My mouth was about a 0/1 all day. I think a couple of times it was a 1/2. Overall, though, excellent again!

Today I will choose to be happy for the successes, rather than depress over the setbacks! Even if it's just one good thing a day, that's more than it was a few months ago at this time! H.O.P.E.


Here was my day:

Breakfast (Also post-workout - we worked out at 5am today!)

• Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light, Flax, and Stevia
• 1/2 Fruit Fusion Bar (Dried Apple and Cranberry)
• 1/2 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
• Coffee + Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light
• Sweet Apple Chicken Link
  

Snack

• Organic Apple
• Sweet Apple Chicken Link
  

Lunch

• Wild Salmon Burger
• Squash (steamed) + spinach (steamed) + garlic (steamed) + sea salt
• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• White Peach
  

Snack

• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• Organic Apple
  

Dinner

• Squash (steamed) + spinach (steamed) + garlic (steamed) + sea salt
• Fish oil + Spirulina
• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• Wild Salmon Burger
• Unsweetened Applesauce

Alright, bedtime for me. Up at 5am again tomorrow to workout!