I simply can not believe that tomorrow will make 30 days since I started my "diet". I've been using the whole30 list of foods as a guideline with the attitude, not asking what I can't have, but look at all of the things that I CAN have and working from there!!

This is truly exciting!! I haven't had processed food or dairy or ALCOHOL in THIRTY DAYS!!!!

I honestly questioned my ability to be able to complete this challenge in the beginning. I had fallen into somewhat of a rut. I wouldn't consider myself to be an alcoholic, but that's just what we do.. We go out and we drink on the weekends.

After making it a month without the usually wrecklessness, I honestly feel in control and a ton stronger!! I made the choice to do this, and I STUCK with it!!

I didn't plan for my thirty days to end on Superbowl weekend, but this is a traditional drinking weekend. I'm almost afraid to.

1. I don't want to mess up my hard work.
2. I don't really care about football.
3. It has felt pretty good not to waste an entire day(or more) feeling hellaciously hung over from the previous night's merry making.

I had wondered to myself in recent months, on a hungover day when all of this partying like a rockstar would stop. I guess maybe it has. And it didn't happen because it HAD to, thankfully. It happened because I was ready for it to.

I'm ready for moderation. My moderation will probably less moderate than others. Maybe once a month. Maybe less I'll choose to have a few drinks.

I no longer want drinks to define me, or decide my plans.

"Oh can't do that!! I'll be hungover!!"

No more. Or at least not every weekend!

Whew! Thank you fruits and veggies for helping me get my head nailed on straight!

I shopped the crap outta the Crabtree mall this week.

Unbelievable what I purchased for $19.90!!

Give me $20 and a few weeks to collect some Shopkick points, and I'll get some awesome deals!!

1. I got a six pack of under armour running socks FREE no shipping from amazon.com from free gift cards using app nana and app trailers!! Should arrive any day!! ($22 value)

2. I got these candles at Barnes and noble on Christmas clearance for $2 a pack! 6 candles in a pack!! Hello, Valentine's day!!

Holiday votives!

3. H and M tank top- using a $6 wrapp g card- paid $1.07!!!

Tank!

4. Old navy stuff! Paid $12.41!! Used a $25 shopkick card earned from walkins and scans!!

Jacket, too!!!

And I got ten bucks off a 25$ purchase!! So essentially, I spent $2.41!! For 5 shirts and a jacket!!

SO AWESOME!! Thanks shopkick!!!

I ALmOsT made my goal of 83.4 miles to be on track for 1000 miles for the year today, but not quite.

My back has had it. I got to 82.5. I have a routine worked out for next month where there won't be these eight mile days of walking catching up nonsense at the end of the month!!

Poor planning!!

I feel pretty bad ass for almost catching up! I'm also thankful the fleet feet group has a walking pace group because my body wouldn't have been able to run anymore tonight with all of the other activity from this week!!

I need to make it through tomorrow and Saturday and I'm going to take it easy on Sunday!!!!

Another lofty goal that I've always wanted to meet, but never quite made it to over the past few years is logging 1000 miles of walking and running. I'm pretty close to on track for the year. I'm breaking myself today to catch up to the 83.4 miles I need for January.. It's 4:02 pm and today I ran and walked 3.12 on the treadmill this am. I just walked 2.0 at the mall after tutoring and I'm still 4.1 short;( for the month. I wasn't sure if I was going to persue this goal this year or not, but I'm so close!! Plus, with all of the dog walks, and two days a week walking at the mall, it should be easy to tack some extra walking in there. I go to the run tonight at fleet feet... I'm going, I'm going!! It'll be a 3 miler. I'm going to have to walk.

I'm simply exhausted. Deep down I know I shouldn't be pushing myself this hard, but I really want to make things happen this time!! I'm going to drive on over to whole foods, walk around the shopping center, log a mile and do my three miles at 5:30 and not miss any days next month so I'm not killing myself at the end of the month like I am today! Plus, February is shorter! Now I know how those cops feel pulling all of those people over to meet their quota!!

Dedication and persistence will get me where I need to be!!!

I learned what a snatch is tonight- as if!!

I kind of like snatches! As if!

I think snatches are going to be quite a bit more challenging once I put some weight on that 35 pound bar, but for now, I'm focusing on getting my snatch in order!!

The WOD was:

3 rounds of supermans (15) - the regulars did back raises( I believe I could do these soon)

And 100 jump ropes or 50 double unders (I'm pretty ok at jump roping and think I'm capable of SOMEDAY being able to do double unders)

I finished in 5:02.

To be honest, the frickin warm up wears me out pretty good! I guess I'll get used to it with time.

I have to say, I am highly impressed with how well Crossfit RDU is run. Every one of the coaches is helpful and attentive. I never see them just hanging out or standing around. They are actively involved in helping. The clients are very helpful as well.

I just can't wait to master these weight lifting moves so I can start adding some weight and kicking my ass!

It feels good to be associated with good things!! Several times now, I've had people either asking me advice about running or sending me messages about a product or a recipe or a race- "Hey..I saw this, and thought of you.."

What a compliment to be associated with good healthy habits!! Wonder if it has anything to do with all of the runkeeper posts and food pictures I put up daily? LOL!! I currently turned off my runkeeper stats to give it a rest.

I think people are now aware of how awesome I think I am;) As for the food, I'll continue that for awhile at least!!

Come Saturday's post, there will be a ton 'o pics I already posted on Facebook to give a nice sampling of what I ate over
the past 30 days.

Hopefully, I can maintain the good girl binge for quite some time more until I get myself under control!!!

I'm not going to lie. I was pretty much fine for most of the time I've been doing this clean eating, but the past two nights have been killer!! After dinner, I've eaten extra food. Once again nothing bad, but I'm absolutely ravenous!! Tonight it was a boiled egg, a serving of macademias and some hot peppers and asparagus!!!

Could be so much worse, but... I'm assuming this isn't good for any extra weight loss on the scale;(

I'm trying to remain positive and keep telling myself I'm going to stay consistent. Walking and running 5.5 miles today burned a respectable amount of calories, so an extra nutritious mini meal isn't something to beat myself up over!!!

At least I didn't go off of the deep end and eat something really terrible.

Small victories!! I keep trying to envision what I'd like my end result to be. I suppose a reasonable end result for me would be in the neighborhood of -30 by May 16th. That's an average of 1.5 a week.

That may even be too lofty. I may need to readjust. I can just let the scale dictate!!!

Who knows!! I'm just going to keep on trying my best!!! It's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be!

As I write, I think about my potential audience and how embarrassing it would be to admit failure.

I don't want to have to cross that bridge!!!

I'm such an attention hog. I know it, and I don't even care.

I showed up at yet another commercial shoot this evening. I find it only fair since I spent six hours at the first one and didn't make it in;)

Steve from WRAL was very nice. I think I'll make the cut this time. There were fewer people and he put me right up front. I was the first one there. He probably felt bad for me...

Anyways. It's airing during the Super Bowl!! It'll be a few second clip about the WRAL morning show.

I'm absolutely tickled to death that it goes along with my mantra about picking up the napping and seizing the day!! And I didn't even know it!!

On another note, I walked/jogged about 5.5 miles today! Decent showing!! Going to have good mileage for the month!!!

You may see this stoopid face on WRAL Super Bowl Sunday!

Geez. I'm almost done with my official 30 day clean eating binge and tonight I've been hit with the hungry dragon. I'm going to have to attribute it to both running and crossfit today. That has to be it... I've been mostly fine otherwise!! But tonight after dinner, I managed to eat 5 pickled asparagus, 5 hot peppers, a slice of turkey deli meat, a 1/2 cup of ground chicken and marinara, a piece of fruit leather and 5 sweet potato chips.

In all reality, that's probably less than 250 calories and a far jaunt from what the old Allison would shovel into her mouth at this hour, so I'm not going to feel bad about it.

I was hungry. I ate something. And now I'm going to bed.

Tomorrow is a new day. I'm really excited to see what my final thirty day result is on Saturday. Don't be fooled. I've been on the scale numerous times in the past 30 days, and I know it's over ten pounds. But how much over is the question. I don't think it's water weight either all you haters!! LOL. I've been drinking a ton of water and been working out and been eating a lot!! It's been WHAT I've been eating that's doing the magic. I'm crossing my fingers for a 15-17 pound loss. Nature will not be on my side, come Friday however, so I gotta roll with the punches.

Must stay focused and not give up!!

Back on January 10, the day before I inquired about Crossfit RDU, I had a very special experience at Barnes and Noble.

I was sitting at a table on a Thursday afternoon, it was a rather blah day. I was tutoring Charles in writing, but I was distracted today. I noticed a napkin on the floor. I just kept looking at it, and knew I should pick it up, but was too damn lazy to anything about it.

Well, as I was thinking about this lone napkin on the floor, this little elderly man comes on his way to pick up his coffee and struggles to pick up that napkin. It was so much more difficult for him to bend over and pick up that napkin than it would've been for me to simply lean over out of my chair and do the same thing.

His one gesture has forever changed my perspective on how I have been conducting myself over the past few weeks. I keep reminding myself to, "pick up the napkin". It's my own little mantra...

I ended up writing a story about the man. I shared it with my student and then gave it to the man to keep. He was absolutely delighted with the story, and I made two new friends that day and found some new motivation and inspiration.

I haven't seen Fred and Helmut since that fateful Thursday afternoon, but I will be forever thankful for the lazy schmuck who left his or her napkin lying on the floor.

That napkin became a wonderful gift.

The story I wrote for Fred.

Fred.

Fred reading my story and being very appreciative!!!

Fred, the napkin and me.

Helmut, me and Fred.