The #40daysNoBread Challenge

So, yeah...  I have been in my usual wintertime funk. I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and the short days and gloomy winter weather give me the blues and blahs.

Although I kept posting to Instagram several times a day and going to CrossFit twice a week, I have not been posting videos to YouTube or updating this blog.  I have been struggling to keep up with my home workouts and loading up on comfort foods and sugary indulgences.  According to my "fancy" scale, I have gained more than 10 pounds and 2% body fat since my January 1st weigh in!

I really wanted to kick my fat loss up a notch, so I upped my water and started drinking green smoothies in January.  But for some reason, I gained 7 pounds! I had a vacation mid February, and I did a good job of staying on track throughout my trip, but when I got back home, and back to reality, the SAD hit me like a tidal wave. Girl Scout cookies and bubble tea on the go, donuts and froyo for dinner, take out and Hulu in my pjs were the norm for 3 weeks straight. Then, of course, it all caught up to me and I got sick.

#40daysNoBread Challenge
So when my Crossfit gym announced that there would be a 40-day "No Bread" Challenge, I knew it would be the perfect thing to help me get back on track, break my sugar addiction and start feeling better again.  I put "no bread" in quotations because bread is actually only one of the items on the "Foods to Avoid" List, which also includes High Fructose Corn Syrup, White Potatoes, and Soybean Oil, among other things. (The link above includes all of the acceptable foods, foods to eat in moderation and foods to avoid.)

One of my favorite paleo memes.

How It Works: 

• Everyone starts off with 40 points.  Every serving of food from the "Foods to Avoid" List deducts a point.
• Everyone measures weight / inches / body fat at the gym on March 11th.
• Everyone does the same "No Bread Challenge WOD" on the first and last day of the challenge.

3 Ways to win:

• Have the most points left at the end of the challenge.
• Lose the most weight / inches / body fat.
• Have the most improved No Bread Challenge WOD score at the end of the challenge.

Pre Challenge WOD, Results and "Before" Shots

My Goals
The members of my gym are no joke.  They are serious.  I have not kidded myself into thinking I might win this challenge.  My personal goals are, well, just that: my personal goals.

• Do not use more than 40 points during the challenge. (One point per day average.)
• Log at least 10,000 calories burned during workouts. (Averages to about a 500-calorie burn every other day.)

I realize this is going to take dedication, preparation (meals and gym bag), hydration and rest.  But the days are longer, the sun is brighter and I'm feeling good.

Follow me on instagram to see my daily "No Bread" recap shots of workouts, meals and meal prep.  (Or just check the hashtag #40daysNoBread.) I will make an effort to post more often on YouTube and update this blog more regularly as well.

Til next time, do what you can to keep it fresh.

XO,
Fresh Foodie

freshfoodiefitness on youtube

gozosa1980 on instagram and twitter

- Eat Clean Meals

- Eat Clean Grocery Hauls

- Eat Clean Vegetarian Recipes

- Crossfit WODs

- Crossfit 101: Terminology for Newbies

- Monthly Challenges (current challenge: #40DaysNoBread)

... and more!