The Challenge is ON
Yes, it’s September 1st and this marks the first day of our 21-Day Food Challenge. Get ready to throw out the junk! If you’re up for it and are serious about making some positive changes in your nutrition, your challenge details are below…
For this challenge – we’re aiming for ZERO cheats.
You want to set your goal high so that even if you don’t reach it, you’re still doing pretty well. Obviously there will be times when you’ll be tempted or when you’ll need to give in to what you want so that you don’t give up altogether and go binging. So, there are two things to keep in mind when you’re going to allow a “cheat”:
Follow the 90/10 rule – Try to “be good” 90% of the time and only allow yourself to “cheat” 10% of the time.
Dish out a consequence – If you are going to eat something that’s on the Do Not Eat list, make yourself go for an extra walk or jog or jump rope for 10-minutes later that day or the following day…something to help “undo” the cheat and hold yourself accountable for eating off the Do Not Eat List. This doesn’t mean that if you already workout for an hour a day you can do an hour’s worth of cheats each day. No, no, no! Any consequence for a cheat must be done in addition to your normal routine.
Okay, now for the details of your 21-Day Food Challenge. Here’s what’s off limits as well as some acceptable alternatives. For 21-Days you are to AVOID the items on the Do Not Eat List…
Do Not Eat List
Candy
Ice Cream
Chips
Cake
Cookies
Chocolate
Other “junk” food (brownies, Twinkies, other sweets, etc)
Soda/Pop
Juice
Ice Cream Shakes/Malts
Energy Drinks
Frappucinos
Coffee
Okay to Drink List
Water
Fruit Smoothies (with plain nonfat yogurt instead of ice cream)
Milk (preferable not “whole”)
100% Orange Juice
Green Tea
Sports Drinks if you’re working out/training/playing
Snack Alternatives you Can Eat
Fruits
Graham crackers (not smores!)
Wheat Thins
Cheerios (or other whole grain cereal)
Granola Bars
Baby Carrots or other veggies
If you’re like me, you’re looking at the Do Not Eat List going, “But some of those things are part of my DAILY diet! I need that.”
No you don’t! If you’ve been working out and aren’t seeing the results you want (or maybe not working out – just not happy with your current physical condition and not doing anything about it), then maybe what you need is a change the way you fuel your body. This, especially if you combine it together with Marc Dagenais’ tip of consuming something within 30 minutes of your workout, will make a difference!
***HOWEVER, if you have special health needs, then it’s definitely important to talk to your dr before changing your diet.***
That’s about it. Let’s get started! If you’re up for this challenge, leave a comment below and let us know you’re in. If you like, you can also share what you think will be the toughest part of the challenge. What’s your junk food/drink weakness?
candy photo credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeholmes/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
fruit dish photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/alasam/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
ok I’m in Stacie ! I’ve no idea what Graham Crackers are though, I hear about them in lots of recipes LOL so I’m wondering what my alternative is.. I suppose I’ll just pick some type of cracker !! I didn’t notice beer or wine on either of your lists !!
I am definitely in! I will do my best. My only concern is whether or not protein bars are acceptable (they are chocolate-flavored and I believe have some form of chocolate in them). I am a vegetarian and it’s difficult to get protein on the go. Nonetheless, I hope to improve my athletic performance by eating better.
Ok i’m in. I’m worried about my cereals and pop. I know it doesn’t say cereal but my cereals are the sugary ones.
Darina: good point about the alcohol. lol I was actually creating this list for softball players who aren’t legally allowed to drink alcohol, but for the parents, coaches, and fans that want to join the challenge, alcohol is definitely on the Do NOT Drink/Eat list.
Lauryn: You’re right, your sugary cereals should be limited as well. We try to eat only whole grain cereals!
Ruchu: your protein bars are fine! Do check the fat content though and choose bars with lower total and saturated fat.
im in 6 2 280
Well day three and still doing fine. The hardest thing so far has been not having that snack or soda while heading to field after work. Gotta go and get them Wheat Thins, and hows 100% apple juice?
Three day weekend and we are going camping. Now this is gonna be rough. No snacks, no soda, NO BEER! Sheesh. wish me luck.
I suppose apple juice is a better choice than other things. But sports drinks (like Powerade or Gatorade) are also fine. Vitamin water is okay too if you need a sweeter flavor. The idea is to DRINK as little calories as possible.
Yes, holidays are tough to work around, but this is basically the only holiday in this 21 days, so hopefully it’s not too bad. Plus, today I give you a little “leeway” for the holiday weekend – see new Challenge blog post.
hmmm… i’m gonna try this although you’re on day 4 already and i’ve already cheated 3 of the 4 days, lol. but since your uncle will be on a trip for 21 days it will be a good time for me to try it.
Question, is it okay to have a meal shake (chocolate flavored) its low in calories and I mix it with chocolate flavored almond milk? I sometimes have this after my early morning workout.