day 3ish

The challenge is going well. I am starting to consider the challenges this challenge insists.

No Dining Out: the challenge is to prepare our own meals, instead of buying them. If we weren't on a meal plan, this might be a little easier since we wouldn't be restricted to only vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. Otherwise, I could just buy some boxed frozen dinners, chips, and lunch meat, and make pretty easy meals out of that. We have already decided what will be for dinner for each night of the week, so planning is not too difficult. The biggest challenge about not dining out is overcoming laziness.

Being on a meal plan (ie restricted diet, but I don't like to refer to it with negative words) means that we are consuming about twice as many vegetables and fruits. And that's really good for us, so I am happy! But. Those fruits and veggies ain't gonna wash and chop themselves either. I spent about an hour and a half yesterday cleaning and preparing the vegetables. So now when I want a snack, I just need to reach for the bag of carrots or the container of cucumber slices. Salads will be quick and easy to prepare because the lettuce is already washed and torn. The time for all that cleaning would have to be spent at some point. If it hadn't been knocked out in one very long fell swoop, it may not have ever been done. I hate to say it, but laziness has triumphed in the past, and dinner came in a bag from the drive through window, and the veggies spoiled from the bitterness of rejection.

I think I will be able to meet all my goals this week. The meal plan is being followed, and I haven't gone out to eat. As long as I go get on the treadmill now, I'll have a perfect 3 for 3 day record of exercising every day. I'm feeling good!

Other reasons why I feel good today: Kara taught me how to drive a standard, and then we went to the store and back without stalling out even once!
and
I had an interview for a teaching job at a Christian boarding school at 1230. I only got the call at 11, so I wasn't really prepared. I don't know how it will turn out, but I am encouraged that I might get a teaching job eventually.