Post-Prague October Clean Up Plan

In the wake of my incredibly fun, inspiring, magical, indulgent holiday in Prague, I need now to apply just enough discipline and good nutrition to my daily life.

My Mission:
To return to good health, decrease my body fat, and increase my fitness so I have the energy and confidence to do all the things I want to do. (And boy, oh, boy! I’m cookin’ up a caper or two!)

My Plan:
I’m finding a new balance. I don’t want to be a slug, but I don’t want to put myself in good health jail again, either. This plan is my attempt to work hard, but still leave plenty of wiggle room for fun and taking easy once in a while.

  • CrossFit class – Monday, Wednesday, Friday
  • Run or outdoor play – Saturday
  • Clean-as-a-whistle eating: no dairy, no grains, no caffeine, no sugar … or, to phrase it in a more positive way: meat/chicken/fish/eggs, fats (minimal nuts), vegetables, and an occasional piece of fruit
  • Eight hours of sleep per night

My Reward:
Aside from the return to the sleep of the righteous and the boundless energy that will result from this plan – and, yes, those are excellent rewards – I’ve decided to try something I’ve never done before: a present for myself if I see my plan through to the end. If I’m successful in my October clean-up, I get these boots as a reward.

Pretty kickass, right? They’re from Victoria’s Secret, and I love them to distraction. I wonder sometimes if I have truly terrible taste, but then I decide I don’t care. I like things with sparkles and doodads and rivets and such. There are worse character flaws.

So… today is October 1, day numero uno of the clean-up. How’s it going? I slept nine hours last night, and my headache is gone. I’m 100% sugar- and caffeine-free, and so far today I’ve eaten six servings of vegetables – all green! – cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, green pepper, and snap peas. I can feel my cells rejoicing already. (And my toes are tingling in anticipation of the new boots.)

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Comments

  • Chrissy (The New Me) says:

    I am so interested in this CrossFit stuff, but we don't have any gyms here in East Texas. I'm a runner, but I'm trying to get into more strength training, as last week I was too weak to turn the gas knob on my scooter. My boyfriend had to do it for me. This is unacceptable!

    Good luck with your October clean-up. I love a fresh start, and those boots look perfect!

  • Anonymous says:

    ADORE the boots! ~Karyn

  • Anonymous says:

    So I'm a crossfitter from wilington, NC. I have been following your blog for the last year on and off…but now I've created a shortcut on my desktop! I'm a mother of two, a vet, a former collegiate soccer player, FORMER marathon runner (I only ran 2) as for Chrissy I used to run all the time. I am crossfit converted and could not be happier. I still run some, but I can turn knobs, open jars, and lift heavy dogs onto exam tables. If you want to get started look at crossfit New River. they have no gym workouts posted that you can do at home. You'd be amazed what you can accomplish with pushups, air squats and pull ups. All of those things you can do at home! Melissa your website is awesome! I especially enjoy the recipes. I've been enjoying it way to long to not let you know.—–Maria (crossfitwilmington)

  • Trixie says:

    Hey Mel!
    I'm with you on this whole 3 days of Crossfit then Saturday being active. I'm so done with Crossfit burnout:) BTW: Looking forward to some new meals ideas, breakfast could use a shake up..any ideas??

  • kimberlyelise says:

    A mission, a plan and FIERCE FOOTWEAR as a reward! KICKASS is right!

  • chris mcpeake says:

    good luck with the plan and the training

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Chrissy –> As Maria from crossfit wilmington said (Thanks, Maria!), there are lots of great free workouts online… and you can use youtube and againfaster for video instruction if you're not sure about any of the moves. Grab a few friends and give it a try! I also have no/minimal equipment workouts under the label "backyard workout" — you can find the list of label on the right if you scroll down.

    Trixie –> I'll try to come up with a good breakfast idea. I'm sorry to tell you that I'm terribly boring with my breakfasts: sauteed veggies and protein most days. I have the gift/curse of being able to eat the same thing over and over… I just love to eat! 🙂

    Kimberlyelise –> Glad you like the boots. I'm SUPER excited about them.

    Chris –> Thank you! It's going to be tough, I think. But I'm gritting my teeth and ready to take it on.

  • Trixie says:

    That's okay, I'd still love pictures and your recipe,what kind of veggies etc:)

  • meghan says:

    Ah yes, WELCOME BACK. So happy to see your posts again. I like this idea. Love the positive association with being healthy and clean that isn't attached to "fitting in my skinny jeans!"

  • Lauren says:

    Oh I want to join you! After a birthday in September (which I celebrated for most of the month), it's time to rein my sugar intake and treats back in. Let's go!

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Yay, Lauren! Join me!

    I'm fighting the sugar monster right now. Just got a cup of decaffeinated English Breakfast tea to distract me until it's time for my afternoon snack: cucumbers, green peppers, and olives with a side of chicken sausage. People around me are eating Halloween candy and chocolate chip cookies, but I'm hanging tough.

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