We’re already at day 10 of the level 10 challenge. I’ve only had 1 weigh in until now, but I did take my measurements: 2 cm down in the waist. I can already see the changes, even though normally they say you won’t get to see the progress on the outside before week 4.
The meal plan is still perfect. I already have more energy than before I started! At some days I noticed not having appetite and it was kind of hard to finish everything on the mealplan, but then I started doing a nightly workout after work and yeah – the appetite came back. So I guess I found the perfect balance.
Well, that’s what I can say about the journey until now. Day 10 is a different story. I went to visit my beloved family in Grenoble to spend my four day weekend with them. It is so good to finally see them again! They only live one and a half hour away and I haven’t spent a proper day with them since May. So it’s really good.
I knew I would have to let loose of my strict meal planning and I even planned my cheat meal/cheat day on Sunday. It started at breakfast. My uncle went to the boulanger for fresh bread and came back with some kind of pie, apparently it’s a recipe from Lyon. It was specially for me, so I took a small piece. In the afternoon the Italian parents of my uncle came to have lunch, which they do every weekend. It’s always huge.
To give you an image: they start with an apéro, drinks with snacks. Then it’s time to go ‘a table’, mémé (oma) always brings her pasta sauce, so it’s pasta with her sauce. After that, there were bowls of vegetables, potatoes, paella, the meat and sea banket from the paella and a pan of peas, especially made for me because I eat vegetarian. Then there was cheese, two very delicious cheeses from a fromagier in the region. Then fruit. Then coffee with cookies and a cake. After the fromage, I felt like a stuffed turkey and done eating and went to another room, I thought.
Mémé had some other thoughts. She brought a cake especially for the occasion, so when I came back downstairs she took me to the kitchen and made me cut a piece of the cake and watched me eat it. She was really pleased to see me enjoy her cake – and beware, if you reject the food of an Italian you might risk a serious vendetta.
After this I felt my body and stomach being upset after all the carbs and the lack of protein. I was so tired!
But there was a visit we had planned, to other elder Italians. La mami prepared well for the occasion, she baked a pie. A traditional pie here in France, made of puff pastry and filled with an almond stuffing. She offered me a big part, so I asked for a smaller one. So far so good, all the pastries accepted and conquered, no big fights nor disappointments. Even though they clearly preferred me having a bigger piece. Until she came in with another pie! She also made a tarte au fruits, with apricots, cherries and raisins. I took a slice that small that you almost couldn’t even see it. Unfortunately this turned out to be the best one of the day! The bottom was made with as little sugar as possible and the fruits were nice and light.
Back home I felt really tired and sluggish, both mentally and physically. It’s amazing how much damage sugar apparently can do to you, and that in only one day! It proves me once again that I was really doing a good job with my meal plan and I don’t want to ruin my energy level any more with crappy foods.
We just had dinner, a small plate of baked potatoes and carrots and a bit of paella without the animals. We finished with the same nice cheeses as during lunch.
I can tell you one thing at the end of this day: I feel like crap. I don’t feel satisfied, even though I probably had loads of calories. I feel very tired. I can’t think of doing a workout – even if it would be a light one. Tomorrow I’ll make sure to imply more protein and to eat less carbs, even though it could be a hard job here.
