My April Goal: No Processed Food

I only have one goal this month:*

DON’T EAT ANY PROCESSED FOOD.
If it comes out of a bag, box or wrapper, it’s off limits.

It’s been a long time since I’ve shared much about diet or fitness… which means I haven’t been doing either very well. Because when you’re on a diet, it’s hard to keep quiet. You want other people to know the agony you’re going through. :)

January and February were very disciplined months for me and I felt really good. Looking back it’s a shame it was winter because my legs and arms were more toned then than they have been in years. I had just trained (and ran) a marathon, and was eating a very strict diet to determine any food allergies.

I almost wish the outcome of my fodmaps diet was a severe allergy to all bad foods. Perhaps that would give me incentive to avoid them all together, but seeing as my nutritionist lightly recommended I avoid high fructose corn syrup and gluten and everything else in moderation, I took her recommendation loosely. Between eating too many cadbury eggs and not running my normal 50 miles per week (which, by the way, was crazytown), it’s no surprise that I’ve gained a good 3 to 5 pounds in the past month. And to some of you 5 pounds is not a big deal, but to my 5’3″ frame, it feels like a lot and I am curbing these pounds before that number grows.

So that brings me to my month’s challenge! I am getting back on track by eliminating all processed foods. It’s not going cold turkey because if I want to have sweets, I still can, so long as I bake them from scratch. But no more jelly beans sitting in little dishes around the house or casually picking up caramel cremes in my office break room on my way back from the bathroom. I better not do any unwrapping or eating from a box this month.

I am not going to omit dining out altogether, especially since we will be celebrating our anniversary in a week, but I am going to try and make wise decisions when I do. I want all these pounds off by Memorial Day. More and sooner would be nice, but I’ll take maintaining where I was a month and a half ago fine for now.

As for my fitness goals… I’m not there yet. I am still doing yoga and running a few miles a week, and I dusted off my free-weights to help tone up my arms. But I’m not ready to create any specific fitness goals, and I kind of like it that way. That six-month marathon training really took a mental toll on me, and for now it’s nice just working out when I feel like it and not having the pressure of a schedule dictating me. But we will see how this month’s eating plan goes and see if I need to kick up my fitness up a notch.

There you go! My one and only goal this month.*
How are you doing on your new year resolutions?
Anyone else struggling with their weight?

If you have monthly goals and want to link up, feel free:

*PS – Actually, I have a lot of goals this month, but most of them have already been mentioned on my spring bucket list (celebrate our anniversary, spend every moment outside, etc.) and the others are basic monthlies (try a new restaurant, stay under budget, cook more, read a book, etc.).

(photo credit)