by Molly Daniels

With this being the fourth time I’ve Re-booted with iGnite, I knew what to expect, and I knew what would be easy for me and what I would crave more than ever throughout the 10 days: my Mexican food with black beans, rice, avocado, corn tortillas and chips! I know I can have everything I listed excluding the tortillas and chips, and I told myself Sunday night that I was going to be okay without going to Trudy’s (my favorite) for 10 days — this would be good for my system! I think I actually want it more now than I ever have because I know I can’t have it (it = chips). I haven’t caved…so far, so good! 😉

Snack time around 10am while working: almonds, rice crackers and hummus 😋

Day 2 was great for me.  I found that I had slightly less energy than I did on day 1 and struggled to make it through the 2pm slump. I took at quick 30-minute power nap before teaching my afternoon class and felt much better. SLEEP cures all!  On another hand, I already feel ‘clean’ from two days of focus — my organs, my stomach, my mind…everything feels great!

Enjoying my book before bed

I am really enjoying and appreciating the quiet time I’m having. Usually, when I’m finished with work and sit on the couch to relax before we get dinner started, I can spend several minutes mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, Words with Friends, and Snapchat and not even realize how much time has passed and been wasted. I note that I could have spent that quality time with my husband!! Because he is away for work this week, I am taking the time to read a new book my sister gave me two weeks ago. I love to read, but shamefully admit that I spend more time on social media. My sister asked me, “Will you be finished with the book by the time I come to Austin?“, and I can now say with certainty that I will be able to give the book back to her this weekend! My mind feels more at ease, and my eyes and brain thank me for not stimulating it with bright lights right before bed.

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with salsa and avocado and my apple cider vinegar

One aspect I am really trying to work on is getting more protein in my diet. I am a vegetarian (but I do eat fish and all seafood), and I do not enjoy cooking. My goal for myself for these 10 days and beyond is to spend time looking through recipes to find more creative ways to incorporate protein into my meals. It’s hard for me to do, but I will make it work! I did start the day off with two scrambled eggs, which satisfied my hunger when I woke up. I’ve learned I need to carve out more time for myself in the mornings in order to fit in my protein-packed breakfast rather than grabbing a bar and running!

Our Cardio Circuit workout

We’re AWESOME! Feeling good and happy after iGnite Cardio Circuit class at Rollingwood Park

Last week I didn’t get to fit much exercise in my schedule and noticed I was grumpy because of it. Being active is (obviously) a huge part of my life and not being able to spend time with the iGnite community in classes last week (outside of my own that I teach) made me sad! Knowing we are encouraged to exercise 4 days per week and spend time outside (and with friends!), I enjoyed a challenging and FUN class with Kathleen yesterday morning and 18 of my friends! It started my day on the right foot, I felt strong and proud and left with a smile on my face.

Day 3, here we come! We’ve got this!