Fall Cleaning

Since it is the New Year for me, I figure I should start it on the right foot and clean out the junk left behind from the summer.  Even though I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to my diet, sometimes the scales tip a little too much in the wrong direction.  I had a wonderful summer, full of fun with family and friends.  Unfortunately, I also indulged a bit too much in this

and this

and this

and all of the other random summer fun foods that are wonderful when you are eating them, but aren't great as part of a regular diet.

My summer indulgences, while enjoyable and totally worth it, left me with a few extra pounds and feeling sluggish and bloated.  Since I need all the energy I can get to keep up with my unbelievably busy semester (full-time job, part-time teaching gig, finishing my thesis, taking a graduate education course for work, being a wife and mother, and all of the other daily obligations), I am going to work hard to get myself back on track.  I can't keep going feeling the way I have been feeling lately.

So, I am going to embark on another Clean Food Challenge.  I am planning to do it for a bit longer than a week because I really need more time to get my system back on track.  So, I'm going to do it from 9/6 (tomorrow) through 9/16.  I think ten days will be a good amount of time to get my system cleaned out.  Like last time, I'll report here on my progress.  I'm hoping I feel better at the end, but only time will tell.  I know one thing for sure, though.  It's time for a good fall cleaning.