Yesterday I rode 70 miles on a bike I bought off Craigslist the day before. I've been up since 3:30 am to fly back to San Diego. I worked a full day and was asked to show up for a 10k run straight up Mount Soledad. I said yes and somehow I crushed it!
That push up that huge hill is what I did to surprise myself today. And I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
In the last 30 days, my outlook on my personal health and fitness has completely changed and here are some takeaways I would like to share:
1. Know your big goal.
What is it you are really trying to accomplish? Are you looking for more confidence when you walk into a boardroom? Do you want to know what your physical limits are in exercise or sports? Do you want to know what it feels like to be comfortable in your own skin? Do you just want to know if there is anything to this whole no gluten or no coffee thing? Have lively conversations at the dinner table? Inspire an office full of people to hold each other accountable?
Whatever it is, why on earth would you subject yourself to changing the habits that you’ve perfectly curated over the last several years or decades? That’s the goal you need to have in mind.
While it may be a bit cliche, taking some time to be fully honest with yourself on “why” you want to Clean Eat for what seems like an insane amount of time, will only help you remain strong throughout the program. Check out this Ted Talk with over 37 million views on discovering your why… https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
I found myself constantly thinking of my “why” each time I was confronted with a temptation. Check out this post to know more about my why.
Here were some real situations:
Thinking to myself, “OMG. Look at that cinnamon roll… Nobody will know… I mean, just one bite…Exactly! How could that one bite actually satisfy this craving?! Have you EVER eaten JUST ONE bite of a cinnamon roll?? Of course not! Don’t do it.”
“I totally want to have that drink (or five) right now to relax with and enjoy my friends… I mean, just one would be ok, right?… Just a sip or two… Nope! Let’s face it, no good decisions and only regret would come from breaking your challenge. Now start being the fun, sober one at this party and go dance!”
True stories.
2. Gain support from your social network.
Nothing screams accountability like sharing it with the world. *cough cough* It’s true. Trying to hide the fact that you are making dietary changes in your life will only make things nearly impossible.
When you politely decline a cocktail your friends know you would normally have taken, it won’t take much more cajoling before you give-in and take that sip. Same with cookies a co-worker brings to the office or the bread basket sitting in front of you at an Italian restaurant.
Instead, take to social media, send text messages and post something in the break room: "I am doing a 30-day clean eating challenge. Don't offer me cupcakes."
If you really think about it, you are building your willpower muscle and without repeated interactions where you successfully exercise that muscle, your chances of standing up for yourself-- and your goal-- are severely diminished. The greatest research on willpower suggests that it is something that you can train and strengthen, and it isn’t something you “run out of” or “don’t have enough of”. If you want to learn more about this topic, I suggest reading:
3. Nothing feels [or tastes] as good as accomplishing something you think is impossible.
You can follow up each of the scenarios from #1 with …” it’s not worth compromising my goal when I’ve already come this far…” Even if it’s only been one day.
Once you decide to respect you and your decisions, you feel empowered to stand up for yourself.
At least I did in some big ways and it really paid off.
30 Day Results...
3 pounds lost. A 1-2" decrease in chest, hips, waist & atk. 1/2-1" Increase in bicep, thigh, and calf.
I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to relax and just have one glass of wine or one bite of a cookie. I would rationalize that it’s ok to “be reasonable” and just make “one concession”. But knowing my personality and how I have shown up in those situations in the past— hint: it wouldn’t have been just one night of cheating or just one bite over the course of the 30 days— allowed me to refocus my attention on my larger goal and say no.
4. Everyone around you wants you to reach your goal.
You told your friends and posted about starting your Clean Eating Challenge on Facebook. You’ve talked about how you probably aren’t going to be able to do it and maybe even said you don’t know why you’re doing it (*guilty* BUT I did have a very clear why in the back of my head). In the end, it’s all for attention. Positive attention!
The pressure is there for you to succeed and the cool thing is: EVERYONE wants you to! That’s right: everyone wants you to feel better and be healthier!
The best thing about all of this is that as you make these choices for yourself, you inspire those around you to make similar changes. Or inspire them to start thinking about changes they can make in their own lives to step into their optimal health and wellness. As you raise your vibration and your awareness, your friends have to in order to keep up.
So just remember when you put together your big goal or your big why, it’s never just for you. It’s for everyone in your life. Do it for them too because they're watching.
5 . What limit?
I set out to see how optimizing my nutrition could optimize my performance... and well, I'm not there yet. It's amazing how setting out to do one thing has lead to another. It's snowballed and borders and limitations I thought were there, are suddenly gone. I'm recognizing the stories I have on repeat and how they absolutely are not serving me.
"I'm not fast enough. I'm not in shape enough. I'm too slow."
And each day in the last month, I've managed to push myself out of my comfort zone and to strive for something I didn't think I could do. I know this is just the beginning of something great.
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To learn more about this 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge, message me for more info! I’ve decided to stick with it and go into my second month. Not only has it been way more manageable than I ever could have imagined, it’s transformed the way I think and behave in really positive ways. I have boundless energy that seems impossible to maintain. My memory is better. And I’m completely in love with the way my body looks and feels. I’m so glad I chose to experiment with this program and can’t wait to share it with you!
*LoveLightHealth*
