Monday, April 15, 2013

Help Yourself Succeed

When we're looking at 30-day challenges, they are often geared toward health.
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Here is where I take issue with 30 day challenges. People take these challenges that are unrealistic or aren't meant for the longterm. Then, after the 30 days are over, they just go back to what they were doing before. (That is, if they even made it through all 30 days.) Any progress they made disappears. One reason being: that there is no transition period to most of these "diets".

There's a reason why a 'Couch to 5K' program exists for running. Because no one can just jump off the couch and run a marathon.

What I eat now compared to what I used to eat is like night & day. However, I didn't just one day drop the donuts and pick up a celery stick. It was very gradual. I started by bringing my lunch to work. This meant that I naturally started eating less processed foods.
I switched from White bread, rice and pasta to whole wheat bread, rice and pasta. I was VERY resistant to this idea, but thought I'd give it a try. Now, I LOVE whole wheat!
Over time, I've integrated other things into my diet that I never thought I'd love.

Based on my experience, if you're starting from square one, look for something that can be your spring board into the rest of your life. There is no 30-day program that is tailored exactly to you and your lifestyle. I will constantly be tailoring my "meal plan" to me. Adding, subtracting & switching as my lifestyle changes.  

The point is, it's a process. Be patient with yourself. Set realistic goals. Give yourself a break.
Help yourself succeed.

There are definitely some good uses for a 30 day challenge. There are also some awesome ones out there. What do you think of 30 day challenges?

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