Challenge Complete!

Wow, I can't believe I did it. And I really can't believe that I actually enjoyed the experience. As I have said so many times before, I learned so much from this experience and I want to share those things with you. Ah yes, it's time for another numbered list! So here are the things I learned/the benefits I experienced from the 10 day challenge:

1. Real food is filling- I hardly ever was hungry during the challenge and I ate so much less than I normally do. Looking back at the things I ate during the challenge, I realized that I used to eat double that and was still hungry multiple times a day.
2. Real food is delicious and so flexible- You can make almost anything with real ingredients and normally the food tastes much better than with the fake ingredients. Not once throughout the challenge did I think that what I was eating was disgusting, and I didn't get bored with my meal rotation system. I looked forward to eating the real food and didn't really think that I would before the challenge started.
3. You feel better when you eat better food- People kept asking me throughout the challenge if I felt better. The answer was always yes, but sometimes it was hard to explain. I wouldn't say that I had more energy, but I definitely felt healthier. You know, when you eat a really unhealthy meal and you feel kinda gross afterwords, well I realized that I had been feeling like that all of the time, but I didn't notice because I had nothing to compare it to. Not only did I feel healthier, but I am pleased to report that the challenge greatly reduced my stomach problems including the strange pain in my side!
4. Sweets and junk food should be seen as special-occasion food and should not be eaten everyday.- This challenge really changed the way I view food. Before the challenge, I would eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. So basically I was eating a lot of junk food. I don't think that I can/should cut out junk food completely, but I want to only eat it on certain occasions, not everyday.
5. I really do have time to make nutritious food for myself.- Because I am single and don't have any kids, when I get home from work I have as much time as I need to cook. Even though it takes a lot longer to cook a healthy meal than to heat up some non-real food in the oven or microwave, I have the time to do that. So I need to take advantage of that now, because in the future I might not have as much free time as I do now.
6. Throughout this experience I have felt more grown-up. When I got home from work, I pretty much had to start immediately doing something because there was a lot to do--cooking, doing dishes, food preparation for the next day, running, and blogging. I have definitely been less lazy for the past 10 days, and I think that's a good thing.
7. I really can make this into a lifestyle change- I definitely want to continue eating real food, but I will need to tweak some of the rules. I want to make sure that I am eating real, wholesome food that provides lots of nutrients. I want to buy items with as few ingredients as possible, stay away from processed foods, and buy more whole wheat items. I will not be able to buy only organic foods (they are so expensive).  I also will not necessarily stick to the 5 ingredient or less rule. (I do want to buy foods that I know what the ingredients are, but it is very hard to find some things with less than 5 ingredients.) And I won't always say no to junk food, but I also won't always say yes. During the challenge I always had to say no to processed food, and that did make me have a few cravings--cupcakes, pizza, and a big juicy hamburger. From now on I want to primarily eat whole foods, but know that it is ok to eat a cupcake or piece of pizza every now and then.
8. I lost 4 pounds! Even though the food I was eating was not always low in calories (granola, avocados, almonds), I still managed to lose some weight. And losing 4 pounds in 10 days is pretty good.

Wow, I am impressed with all of the things I learned in just 10 short days! Thanks for being on this journey with me. I have appreciated all of your support and encouragement!