A New Challenge!

Happy New Year!  It is the year 2012, can you believe it?!  I spent my New Year's Eve with friends.  First, a friend took us out for our annual New Year's Eve dinner.  The food was delicious but I was not feeling too well and my stomach was a little upset.  It is really embarrassing to be SO excited to eat at a restaurant and then when I arrive, my Crohn's acts up and I suddenly don't feel well.  I wanted to like the butternut squash soup but it was tasteless and I couldn't finish it.  Then I could only eat 1/2 of the crispy polenta with sauteed spinach and mushrooms.  I took the rest home and ate it tonight for dinner.   YUM!  Love me some leftovers.  Our friend insisted we order dessert so I made Brenda order what she wanted and then I ate one bite.  After dinner we went home and I took some medicine and a few hours later, I felt well enough to go to our neighbor's annual DANCE PARTY!  I didn't dance that much but once again I was drafted to teach the hustle.  Yes, you heard it right, the hustle.  Do the Hustle!  When I was younger, my step-mother taught me all the disco dances and for some reason  I remember the Hustle.  She also taught me the 50's and 60's dances: mashed potato, twist, etc.  We used to have dance contests in their little apartment. 

I digress.  At the dance party there was also this exercise where we all wrote down something that we wanted to say goodbye to in 2011 and then we threw it in the fire pit.  Then we wrote down something that we wanted for 2012.  Can you guess what I wanted to say goodbye to?  Boots.  Boots on my feet.  I have been wearing boots for 4 months this year.  Not horseback riding boots, cowboy boots or swanky Real Housewives type boots. But the horrible boots the doctor puts on your foot when you injure it.  The clunky, ugly boot that makes you walk funny.  I want to be boot free this year.  I am not asking too much, am I? 

At the party I did dance but I spent a lot of time sitting down because any time I tried to do anything more than sway, I almost tripped myself and I didn't want to fall down.  How embarrassing would that would be? 

This morning I woke up to my new Challenge.  I thought a challenge would keep me motivated.  I joined the Healthy January Challenge on the Food Network website.  They are also calling it the Healthy Every Week Challenge.  It is a month of healthy eating.  Now many of you will say, Adrienne you already eat very healthy.  I agree but I could always eat healthier.  I also equate healthy eating to healthy feeling.  I want to feel good this winter.

The first step is to Make a Goal.  I don't think I will make a weight goal because of my foot.  I find it hard to lose weight when I can't walk very far.  Most exercise is out of the question.  I can't limit my food intake because then I get migraines.  So I have to be careful what I eat.  My Goal will be to follow this plan for one month and be more careful what I eat.

The second step is to Get Support.  I have good support at home.  But I also feel that I have support with all of you.  When I know that I have to be accountable to folks, I am much better.

The Schedule for the Challenge:
Week 1: Eat Breakfast
Week 2: Eat More Whole Grains
Week3: Cook at Home
Week 4: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Week 5: Stay On Track


This morning I got up and made pancakes with apples slices.  Okay, maybe not a dietician's dream but it was a good tasting breakfast.  I usually eat such good breakfasts that I wanted to have a good hearty breakfast for New Year's Day. 

I am soaking beans tonight to make a vegetarian cassoulet.  I will let you know how it turns out.

If anyone else is interested in checking out the Healthy January Challenge, click on the picture above.  It seems fairly straightforward.  The site gives you recipes and ideas.  Let me know what you think about this challenge.