Here's the deal: I have a list of excuses for my current state of being.  I feel gross and I'm ill.  (I don't remember the last time I felt like this...)

• I did pack meals for my first 3 days of travel, but I did not account for the unavailability of green vegetables.  (I'm spoiled where I live.  I couldn't even find a green veggies at the local market when I tried sneaking them in.  I started swearing to my husband when we found this out...poor husband.)
  
• 6 meals a day doesn't happen in every person's home plus when I eat rich foods, I don't crave another meal so soon.
  
• Our friend's famous homemade cinnamon rolls may have been served for breakfast and I probably didn't protest.
  
• I am a closet health eater.  (I'm afraid of other's judging my nit-"picky" eating so I ate what I was served.)
  
• This is the first time we've visited in 2 years, so I've been social drinking and seeing many people.  (Germ swapping, lol.)
  
• I didn't sleep much during my first 3 days of travel and we all know how vital sleep is to our health.
  

What I did do:

• When only turkey and carbs were served at Christmas dinner, I ate turkey and mashed rutabaga, not the potatoes, rolls, stuffing, and jello stuff.  This wasn't difficult for me at all, actually.  When there are so many delicious foods out there, why waste it on something you don't love?  So I waited to "waste it" on apple pie at home rather than the potatoes I don't care for, lol.  
  
• I overloaded vegetables when they were served.
  
• I drank my shakes for breakfast on the mornings that nothing was planned.
  
• I did functional workouts in the basement when we weren't busy.
  
• I drank a bunch of water.
  

I decided to go with the flow for my time here, which was my only important goal while visiting family.  I don't regret it AT ALL.  I may feel somewhat gross, but surprisingly, I don't hate myself and I don't think I've ruined myself either.  I was shocked that I wasn't an emotional wreck each morning I saw my, let's call it, less focused body.  I realized a few things since reaching my first competition body:

1. All this extra junk I'm consuming can go right towards the extra energy I need to kill it in my lifting routines.
   
2. I know exactly what it takes for me to feel right again...a few consistent days of eating well and working out when I finally make it home.
   
3. After this weird week, I REALLY crave green food and sweating out the nasties I've collected.  I WANT greens and I WANT exercise!  This realization was awesome!  It's not difficult to maintain the healthy lifestyle when it's what you want.  You really do train yourself into maintaining this habit like you did with the habit of brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
   

So I made a plan.  I made it the night of the day we celebrated Christmas with the immediate family while we were all cozied up on the couch watching a movie.  I wrote out my basement lower body routine and I decided that moment, I was done with holiday treats...no waiting until New Years...come on!  We've gone over this.  When I'm back in my routine, I feel good (not sick, bloated, "poisoned" or guilty) and I feel empowered for doing well.  Think this way!

Please please please don't use these last few days of December to "live it up" and load up on all the stuff you're not "allowed" in 2013.  Stop this way of thinking because you will not make a permanent change if you always think you're depriving yourself.  You probably will not make it past 2 weeks to the "new you".  Also, the new you doesn't happen over night.  My clean eating journey started almost 2 years ago and my journey to the competition stage took me 6 months of hard and consistent work!  So enjoy the journey because it's not easy.  Enjoy the struggles because you are so fortunate to have this "problem".  Really.  Last note, you cannot go back to eating how you used to after you've finished your goal, be it my challenge or your new diet.  We've discussed how starving yourself doesn't work as my BFF explained, but you really need to learn to fuel your body properly and know that a diet consisting of take out, processed junk, and fast food will never get you what you want.  It's all about eating clean and green!  Dad-in-law saw my dinner plate and said, "Whoa!  You eat a lot for a little person."  Looks like a lot when your plate is packed with green vegetables!  Pretend to love the things you think you hate now, and you WILL love it eventually.  Future you will wonder why you waited so long to figure this out!  ;-)

Since I'm encouraging all of you to join my 30 day challenge, I thought I should join in on the challenge as well.  Since the 30 day cleanse system is not appropriate for me, I've created my own version so we can all feel the struggles and the triumphs together.  

Here's what I'm doing:

1. 30 days of completely clean eats - this isn't exactly difficult for me now, but I'll add
   
2. 30 days of no clean desserts either - I have a sweet tooth, so here's where I'll feel the pain.
   
3. 30 days of 1 cup of coffee a day.  I usually drink 2-3 or so of black coffee every day.  I want to cut back.
   

It's time to focus!  FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS!