When an apple isn't enough

Whole Foods Market in St. Paul has opened up registration for their March Engine 2 28-day challenge. New this time will be a celebratory brunch and dessert feast (It is very obvious I am their target demographic because brunch and dessert are two of my favorite things!)  This challenge runs March 11 - April 7th. Wait, my birthday is April 2nd....during the challenge?! Oh, the humanity!

Yes, that's right, I am signing up to do another 28-days of no oil, no added salt plant-based eating. You might be wondering why I would subject myself to that. The answer quite simply is for my health. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but I think it takes a little more than that.  Even though I realized really great benefits while on the Engine 2 challenge in January, I have fallen off the band wagon a bit since. First, it was just a nibble of milk in a rasberry champagne chocolate bar on Valentine's Day, but soon it was a veggie and cheese pizza. I have the willpower of something with very low to zero will power of its own. I will say I suffered for that cheese pizza, 6 hours later, I feel a headache and rock in my stomach.

Case in point would be my exercise challenge. I've gone to the gym once in the past week and did some late night ab workouts or walked around Target or the neighborhood to approximate 30 minutes of exercise. The reality is my exercise challenge resolve is weak at best because I don't have the support and accountability that I had with my fiance and the Whole Foods Engine 2 Challenge weekly check ins. Today, I went to the gym and had a great workout. It's good to feel exercise sore rather than stiff from sitting around. I just have to remember that and repeat tomorrow.