24 Day Challenge # 2 winter 2016

I did my second 24 Day challenge mid January through the first week of February.  It definitely did not go as I had hoped or planned but it still taught me a lot about myself and how to best reach my weight loss goals. It also reminded me that I am only human and that I am going to mess up and eat crappy every once in a while.  My second 24 day challenge started off great.  By the end of the first day, I already felt a million times better and felt more energized.  I had lost 2.5 pounds between the first day of the challenge and the morning of the 3rd day of the challenge.  Unfortunately, two days into the max phase I went out for drinks and appetizers even though I knew better than to eat like crap on the 24 day challenge and had dessert at the end of the night.  I felt like shit that night and contemplated giving up on the challenge.  I decided to finish what I had started, regardless of messing up.  I did make myself healthy dinners, but at that point in the challenge I had felt defeated and let the fact that I had screwed up get to me.  At that point, I decided to live by the 80/20 rule (which is 80% clean eating and 20% cheat meals) for the rest of the challenge.  I ended up back at the weight I started at on day 1 of the 24 day challenge, but I noticed that my arms were a little more toned then the beginning.  I learned that it's okay to eat unhealthy every once in a while, but not to make a habit of it.  I also learned that even if I do slip up and make poor food choices one meal or one day, I can start over at the next meal and that I shouldn't give up on my weight loss goals just because I slipped up.