Day One - 176 Day Real Food Challenge

"176 days? Well, that's certainly an odd number. Why'd you choose that?"

Good question! I'm glad you asked! In 176 days, I'll be having a milestone birthday. I've been trying to eat healthier lately, and I've been reading a lot of 30 day, 100 day, or (insert any month)-long healthy eating challenges. I wanted to do something more substantial in honor of this milestone.

Since I haven't really done an introduction blog, I'll give you some important details about me to put it all in perspective. One, I like to plan, but I don't really like to implement. Two, I get excited about stuff and then I lose interest. Three, eating healthy has always been a challenge for me, and so has losing weight.

I'm hoping this blog will keep me focused for the next seven months. And by then, eating healthier should be a habit, so help me Pete!

Here are the rules:

1. Any whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, beans or legumes are okay; highly processed foods are out.
2. I'm going to make my own whole wheat bread each week - I have a bread machine, so this is easy. I'm not quite ready to make my own pasta or tortillas, so they'll be store bought, whole wheat, and eaten infrequently.
3. Almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, etc. will replace cow milk. (Unless I can find it raw for less than $10 a gallon, anyway.)
4. I'll plan ahead and cook my own meals as much as possible, plan and make my own snacks, and eliminate fast foods. When I do eat out, I'll choose the best options.
5. Nut butters will just be nuts, no added sugar or oil.
6. Oils will be limited to olive, coconut, or sesame.
7. I'm looking at eggs, cheese, dairy, and meat/fish as an every now and then thing, so no official rule for them, other than to minimize usage and to eat them in the spirit of what I'm trying to do. To me, that means hot dogs and veggie sausage are out, but the occasional piece of fish or egg dish is in.

My goal here is to get in the habit of choosing real food, so it becomes second nature. I have a couple of big things coming up that I would typically throw all dietary considerations to the wind during. I'll focus on not doing this, which means that I need to keep my food choices simple, easy, and yummy. With a little planning and commitment, and using this blog to keep me honest, I can do this.

I'm not going to bore you with every detail of my menu. You're welcome! I will post the occasional update, pictures, and some recipes, perhaps. I promise to keep the posts short and sweet.

And with that, my bowl of applesauce, peanut butter and I bid you farewell. (This is what happens for dinner around here the day before grocery shopping.)