It's Fall!

Yes, it's official. I've spotted some red and orange foliage dotting the mountains by my home. The air is crisp and delicious, my fall decor is out, and I really have the itch to bake! What is it about fall that makes me want to hit the kitchen and whip up some peach cobbler, banana bread, or pumpkin cookies? Alas, I am less than a month out, and I need to stay strong. I've been struggling a bit lately. Mainly with nights and weekends. Nights, because I've been having digestive issues with meal 7 & tend to avoid it, replacing it with something more appealing, like a bowl of cereal w/ low-cal almond milk or fresh canteloupe from my garden and a handful of almonds. Weekends, because . . . well, it's the weekend. And I feel like I should be "off". Off from work. Off from housecleaning. Off from carpooling and volunteer work and homework battles. Off from the restrictive regimen that is my diet. I. Just. Need. A. Break. Who's feelin' me?

I figure it gives me the boost I need to conquer the week and hit it all hard again. But I'm not sure my trainer would agree. I rarely read message boards, because frankly, who has the time. But when I have, I've noticed that this is a huge debate among bodybuilders/trainers. To cheat or not to cheat? How often to cheat and when? Most people agree that a once-a-week cheat is imperative to shake up your system and keep it guessing, making it more responsive to your clean eating. Others say, no, never. One cheat, and you've messed the system up.

Personally, I need a cheat. Sometimes several. There's something about the monotony and the precision of this eating plan that leads me to moments of honest depression. Usually, I'm okay. I've always been blessed with emotional stability, levelheadedness, and a sense of humor. But when I get in those moments, it's rough. I need a chocolate chip. An almond. A lick of peanut butter.

So . . . my current stats aren't exactly hitting my goal #s. But I look in the mirror, and I'm pretty happy with my progress. I need to not stress so much about the numbers, but numbers are so measurable, so straightforward. Once this week I hit 120.8. I was pretty ecstatic. But this morning, I was 123.3, then an hour later 122.4. Stupid scale. What happened to 120.8?? I thought for sure by now, I'd be in the teens. Not happenin'.

And that's what I get for cheating . . .

me & trainer Jill w/ Zumba star
Camillo @ National Dance Day Utah
July 31, 2010

But never fear, for it is Sunday. And I just spent the weekend rehearsing for trainer Jill's Tight Body Boot Camp DVD series, of which I am a star, & she tortured me. 3 hours worth of nearly impossible strength workouts. P90X has nothing on her! (See photo of Jill on right). So as a reward to myself, I plan to eat a nice, normal healthy dinner with my family (which totally beats watching them eat while I chew my kale and turkey), then hit it hard the rest of this week. I am determined to make it the next 4 weeks!

Off to make dinner . . .