Turkey day challenge

On Monday I wrote a post and threw down a challenge for myself (and for anyone else who wanted to join me!   The challenge was simple....it had four diffeeent facets and didn’t focus at all on calories...but allowed me to enjoy the holiday but still have restrictions in place.

1. Exercise

2. No bites licks or tastes while cooking (all food must be eaten off a plate..at the table)

3.  One plate/serving

4.  Picture of plate of food

So how did I do???

1.  Exercise 

I knew that I wanted to go for a run  since time wasn’t an issue....little did I know that it would be one of the coldest days of the year thus far!  It was in the mid 20’s!!!!  Brrrrrr.   But I went!!!

So how rosy my cheeck/face was...that’s a combo from exertion and coldness!!!

I was curious how I would feel!  I haven’t run in ages...but I’ve been faithfully getting on the stair thingy.  I managed to run the whole time (slowly).  And I managed it without too many aches...just the backs of my thighs!

One down...three to go!

2.  No bites, licks or tastes.   I though that this one would be easy....but it was really difficult!   ‘Hey Maryfran, taste the mashed potatoes to see if they need more salt’. ‘Does the stuffing have enough...’. Grrrrr.  So many questions...all relating to something needing a taste to check it before finishing it and calling the dish complete!    

I didn’t take a bite...I deferred and had mom taste it all.  

Victory

3. One serving/plate

This one also proved to be a bit more difficult.   I had a plate of food...(my roll laid beside the plate, I didn’t want it touching my food on the plate...lol). I ate it and then had to sit while everyone else ate...and the baked corn and stuffing were both beside me..two favorites!!!     Finally I DID cave and grabbed my small, previously unused appetizer plate and went and grabbed some raw veggies off the veggie platter to nibble on while every one else was stuffing their faces.  

So was that a victory or a failure???  I didn’t have another saw one serving  of anything.  I had a FIRST  serving of raw veggies.    I actually felt pretty good after our 1pm thanksgiving dinner.  Not stuffed or anything..but full and satisfied!

I did about two hours later have a piece of pumpkin pie when we served dessert.   And for dinner, I had some leftover corn and stuffing...I wasn’t really hungry!

4. Pictures

You can see my dinner roll. I had a small scoop of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, baked corn and  a stuffing.   Delicious!! 

I failed to get a picture of my veggies...but I had some crisp sweet bell peppers, carrots and broccoli.

I did get a picture of the pie. (With the crust that fell off)

My dinner...I failed to get the pictures...it was leftovers  (corn and stuffing...my favorites...carby but what I wanted! So I ate what I wanted and skipped what I didn’t!!)

So a partial victory...but at least I photographed the important meal!!!

Overall I feel as if I did really good! I put my food into myfitnesspal this morning and came up with 1778...a bit high,but I wasn’t aiming for perfection...I was aiming for under control indulgence! I feel like I achieved that!   As for the calories,  I thought I did much better than that (the pumpkin pie is what I’m blaming!!! Hahaha. Well yeah I guess it was the pumpkin pie...300 some calories!)   I’m ok with it.  Furthermore, it would have been much much worse had I not had these ‘rules’ in place!!! 

So now the big thing...my weight....it is looking a bit higher than yesterday morning...but right on target with what it was last Saturday. (official weigh in is  Saturday so I’ll know for sure then.) so as for right now it will probably be a maintain for the week.  My water consumption was in the toilet yesterday though ...so that’s skewing today’s results a bit I imagine.  

Sooooo...my thoughts on the challenge!  It certainly worked for me!!!  Had I not had a set plan that I was 100% determined to meet, I would have done much worse!  (MUCH worse!). My plan was NOT to stay within calories.  My plan was set in place to enjoy the holiday food but yet keep it under control. I feel as if it worked absolutely perfectly!  I will definitely be revisiting this challenge again  at Christmas for sure also in future years!  I will personally adjust it though.   The picture of my food did NOTHING for me...other than to make me stress because I was at the table with others and it was awkward....and then I stressed when I went back with my previously unused appetizer plate for the raw veggies....I was halfway through the veggies when I realized I hadn’t taken a picture...so more stressful than anything else.  But the rest of the rules...definite keepers!!!!