Three weeks in: Leslie and Lara taking it all in stride!

Laura and Leslie have been sticking to their diet and changing their habits in terms of exercise. They have been at it for about 2 weeks now. Time for another chekc in to see how they’re doing. Tomorrow’s 28 Day challenge class will feature Yoga and a cooking segment from one of our in-store chefs. Even if you aren’t signed up for the 28 day challenge, the class is free and fun to attend. Let the ladies know how you think they’re doing!

You are 10 days in so far: any weight loss, any noticeable differences in the way you feel and your energy level?

LARA: I would say that my energy level is definitely higher than average. I’ve not been getting an afternoon slump, nor been yawning as much as I have in the past. I’m not sure about weight or anything, but I feel great, I feel strong.

LESLIE: I don’t know about actual weight loss, but I feel like my pants are a bit looser. Probably because I am drinking my weight in tea everyday and am losing water weight, but I’ll take it.

How is working out going? What are you doing?

LARA: I haven’t really changed up my work out routine since beginning this challenge. I continue to run and practice yoga. This week, I ran twice and practiced yoga three times. I wish I had run more but a killer cough and still coming off a running injury held me back (6-7 miles tomorrow!). As far as yoga though, I feel fantastic. I feel as though I’m pushing myself more and am able to go farther into poses than I have before.

LESLIE:  To be honest – this is the killer for me. I have a long list of excuses why i am bad at working out. And while they are all valid, they are still just excuses. That being said I have gotten out with my dogs more taking them for at least 45 minutes of walks every day (they are happy pups) and I have been doing my Jillian Michaels 30 days shred DVD at home 3 times a week or so (it is the worst 20 minutes of my life every time i do it.) I’m hoping to tag along with Lara to yoga a couple of times this week.

Are any of the cravings for forbidden foods waning at all?

LARA: Last week I mentioned three main vices, coffee, sweetener and alcohol. Surprisingly, I have become accustomed to drinking tea now, with no sweetener (or sometimes just a touch of honey). Something I like doing is walking to Starbucks during the afternoon at work, just to get my legs moving for a few minutes, and it was hard when I didn’t have a creamy three-shot soy cappuccino to look forward to, but happily, I have found my new Starbucks beverage, a chai tea (from the tea bag, not the mix) and a bit of honey. That leaves alcohol, lately I have found myself really wanting a glass of wine. I don’t want to drink a ton, just a nice glass of red wine after a busy day…maybe paired with a small piece of dark chocolate.

LESLIE: My sweet tooth is gone again which i appreciate. I still want a grilled cheese like its going out of style, but I’m managing:)

And what’s your favorite thing you’ve cooked this week?

LARA: This week I attempted to cook adzuki beans and brown rice…it did not go well as I burned a layer on the bottom of the pot. To make up for that, I made a tempeh scramble and (adapted) peanut butter and jelly balls. I tried to emulate the tofu scramble that was part of the demonstration last week, but I didn’t really crumble the tempeh, so it just stayed in cubes. I used onion, green pepper, mushroom and tomato, plus some cumin and a dash of curry powder, then topped it with avocado! For the pbj balls, I used almond butter, dates and a mix of raisins, dried cranberries and dried cherries, and put everything into the food processor. They don’t look appetizing, but they are rather tasty. So I feel as though I’ve made a sufficient comeback from the burning incident earlier in the week and will attempt cooking the beans again…hopefully I’ll have a story of success soon!

LESLIE: I made some pear sauce earlier this week (like apple sauce with pears). Its so easy that its silly not to – but i used super ripe pears so it was super super sweet – almost too sweet. Its been great for snacks and to stir a couple of spoons in to breakfast. Its something I tend to keep on hand all the time anyway – my favorite that I have made is pumpkin pie apple sauce, i may need to make a batch of that this weekend.