Challenge Wrap Up

Day 28 of 28

On The Streets Where I Live:

Parks and Recreation:

In The Garden:

I am a little worried for the bitty San Marzano tomato seedlings I put in the garden today, but the oppressive tick of the clock has me throwing caution to the wind…literally. Fingers crossed, these little sprouts survive the end of summer heat. This section of the plot is shaded for a vast majority of the beginning of the day, so there is high hopes for them…That is, if the pests and afternoon storms don’t take them out first.

On The Beach:

On The Plates:

To round out the 28 day gluten free, dairy free, no added sugar, real food challenge, I had some fried eggs on top of a lentil, beet, and chickpea salad with some greens from our local hydroponic farm, Atlantic Beach Urban Farms. Dinner was a quick cubed steak coconut wrap with some butternut squash, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and more of the yummy greens. So easy it reminds me of a song about Sunday mornings….

Simple Sunday meals are more normal for me than the big cooking projects that some people tackle over the weekend. On the road, Sunday is typically the longest and busiest day of the work week. My day begins at the theater at 9AM and usually doesn’t “end” until the show is completely packed back into the trucks which, depending on the venue, tends to be at around 4AM. I have gotten very good at bringing food for the duration of the “day”. While I still have a couple of months before I leave, the practice never hurts.

Cronometer:

There is a camp of the nutrition and wellness community that agrees that counting calories is a ridiculous endeavor and certainly not a way to live long term. For the most part, I am inclined to agree with them, but like so many other nutrition and lifestyle choices, it’s complicated and highly individualized. My personal take is that it helps to know some of the science and policy facts before you start doing it…
For example, your microbiome and a slew of other factors like stress, sleep, and previous dieting experiences will impact the number of calories that you process and how you, personally, process them, ie. burn or store. While it’s true that you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, calories in does not necessarily equal calories out. Even if the human body did act like a machine and not a complicated organism, nutrition labels can be as much as 20% inaccurate to begin with. When I look at it on paper, the reasons not to count calories far outweigh the reasons to count them.

So….Why Did I Post My Food Journals?

Here’s the complicated part…I still track AND I still encourage new clients to do it for at least a week. You have to have data to really know what works for you, your body, and your mindset. Tracking works for me, not necessarily because counting calories in an accurate science (it’s ABSOLUTELY not, in case that wasn’t clear), but because it forces me to be accountable for my decisions. I am more intentional about choosing to eat the right thing for my body, for the right reason.
It also allows me to look for patterns in how I feel versus what I consume. Tracking urges me to be super honest about it all. My food diaries are not about judgement and “good” foods versus “bad” foods, but rather, a way to gather data. Thanks for helping to keep me accountable during my four week challenge.

Garmin Says:

What a great way to wrap it up!!

Stay safe and moving, y’all!