[KittyKatFan]

I have been struggling all week with thoughts of nonstop eating. I haven't broken my diet and I continue to force myself to get up early to exercise. I feel a lot of stress, much of it related to work and taxes, but maybe it's also due to having been on a weight loss plan for nearly nine months. I don't want to lose my momentum, but I'm just feeling so blah and frustrated this week.

I can also tell I'm struggling because I am going to restaurant and fast food web sites to look at the menus. I developed that same inappropriate focus on food a few years ago when I lost my way and gained all my weight back. I would watch Food Channel nonstop and would go to the store and check out every cake and pastry in the bakery section. Sounds funny but it isn't.

I think I need some sort of challenge. A food or exercise challenge, but mainly a food challenge. Challenges motivate me and keep me engaged and focused. I have done things like eat vegetarian for a week, or eating fish every day for a week, or a different kind of vegetable every day. I really need to mix things up.

Do you have any ideas for challenges I could do? Thanks so much,

[Demosthenes]

Eat raw food for a week.

[TiffNeedsChange]

Eat soups for a week for 1-2the meals of the day

[KittyKatFan]

Wow, those are challenging ideas!

[LockItUp]

I'm just finishing day 4 of a 7 day challenge I'm doing. I feel amazing!!! I have been blogging about it if you want to read more in detail, but basically it goes like this:

Day 1: All veggies, preferably raw, aiming for 4 meals, but you can snack on as many as you'd like (no sweet potatoes or any other potatoes). Can use a little olive oil with balsamic vinegar if you want.

Days 2 - 4: Same, except you can have 20-25g of protein with 2 of the meals. That's like 3-4 eggs, 4 ounces chicken, can of tuna, tofu etc etc.

Days 5 - 7: Same except you can have 20-25 grams of protein with all 4 meals.

Drink 100 ounces of water all days.

It's meant to be just for a week of course, kind of a cleanse/detox kinda thing. I am so serious, I feel like a new woman already. And I typically claim I hate vegetables, but as each day goes by I am liking them more. After the 7 days you're supposed to just slowly reintroduce other foods, like fruit, some grains etc.

I know it's not for everyone, but darn it I'm excited about it because I feel SOOOO good. It's really hard to believe food makes THAT much of a difference!!!

[debigulating]

Go vegan for a week - I did this once for a month and it was pretty hard!! I easily lost weight too as the focus just has to be on veg/fruit.

I like the raw idea too. That one goes pretty hand-in-hand with vegan.