Treat Week (AKA How NOT to Maintain your Weight Loss)

After completing our second round of 21 Day Fix, Robin & I took a week long break before starting 21 Day Fix Extreme yesterday.  I'm learning that the hardest part about this journey will not be the weight loss but the maintaining.  I only gained back 3 lbs. last week (most of which I think was salt-focused; I was already down 1.5 lbs today),  but I also gained a lot of perspective about how hard maintaining weight loss will be.  I drank beer, ate pasta, pizza, Taco Bell, Red Robin, and Thai food without abandon, and my only exercise was soccer. Autumn's dvds, my running plans, and my dog's leash all sat awaiting my laziness to end.  Thankfully it was only a week.

I now know that I need to start planning for maintenance long before I get to that point.  My hope is so stay a bit more controlled after this 21 day cycle, since I don't know what is next after this. I will definitely need a plan.

I also feel no guilt about last week.  It was a treat week.  I've worked really hard since July 5th, so I earned a week to do what I wanted.  Here are some delicious pictures to prove it.

 Cooking with my friend's dad, Terry Hagen (the owner of Bravo! Restaurant and Cafe)

 Chicken & Waffles at Arcadia Brewing Co. after soccer on Wednesday with a Jaw Jacker Pumpkin Ale (not pictured)

These pictures are both from Nonla, the new Vietnamese restaurant in Mattawan, Mi.

(As always, lots of the photo credit goes to my lovely wife, Robin)

More to come on 21 Day Fix Extreme after we complete our first week.  Yesterday was Plyo Fix Extreme - basically super intense leg day.

**Want to know more about 21 Day Fix or how to get connected with the program?  Let me know!  I can be reached at cristinababaris@gmail.com or through comments on the blog!**