Day Two: Mariachi Bands

Oh, sweet mother! Who is running the jackhammer in my head?

Preparing for this challenge, I spent several weeks researching diets on the internet, finally settling on the South Beach diet. I purchased the book and spent several days digesting (no pun intended) the contents, reaching the conclusion that I can definitely do this. Limited carbs the first two weeks, but a focus on healthy, lean protein and vegetables, which really sets it apart from Atkins.

According to the book, one of the side effects of the diet is that you may experience mild headaches the first few days as your body cleanses itself. Mild headaches aren’t so bad; I’ve had plenty of them in my lifetime and survived, so this should be a cake walk, right?

My eyes popped open at 5:00am this morning, well ahead of the alarm. As I tried to focus on the clock to check the time, someone cued the mariachi band. No wine last night, so that wasn’t the cause.

I stumbled down the stairs and somehow found the coffee pot, which seemed to take forever to brew this morning. Finally, sweet morning nectar! A couple of cups of coffee with some Advil have me ready to face the day. Now, on to breakfast…. A couple of scrambled eggs and two pieces of Canadian bacon hit the spot.

What I thought was a cold turned to bronchitis. A quick trip to the urgent care facility confirmed this, and now that’s derailed the start of my workout. Talk about my worst nightmare come true… having to call my newly appointed personal trainer and tell him I won’t be there on the first day! Fortunately he’s understanding, at least so far. A couple of days on antibiotics and I should be good as new. We’re set to meet Friday afternoon.

In the meantime, I haven’t abandoned the diet. Lunch consisted of a grilled chicken salad with light Italian dressing. And water. Dinner roast beef and steamed green beans. And water. Lots of water.

I’m calling it an early night tonight in hopes of kicking the crud a bit faster. I’ll be praying the band doesn’t play on tomorrow morning.

I hope you’ve all had success today. Count every victory, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem to you. Remember, lots of little things add up to big things in the end. As my favorite ad director likes to tell me, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Good words to live by during this challenge.