30 Day Health Challenge- Series

[stellabeam]

Hi Everyone,

Been out of touch for a while cos busy.
I wanted to share my 30 DAY HEALTH CHALLENGE SERIES which I am currently test driving. I decided on a series of smaller steps rather than do everything at once.

PHASE 1
30 DAYS: Eliminate cakes, biscuits, deserts, white flour, lollies and sweet drinks from my diet and replace them with healthy food.

I HAVE JUST COMPLETED THIS 30 DAYS AND I HAVE SO MUCH MORE ENERGY!!
I prepared everything I was going to eat and drink that day each morning, so when I am hungry i always have something healthy on hand, in a small eski.
On rising I have a big drink of water with lemon juice.
About half an hour later I have a green drink.
I blend up green leafy veges and add avocado and carrot and celery juice and herbs, or whatever yummy things I have.
In the eski I have several containers, I always have oats soaked in soya milk and 1 of nuts, 2 of steamed veges, and some fruit and protien


PHASE 2
30 DAYS: Exercise minimum an hour a day

I will need to get up at 5am to do this.
So my schedule is 5am food preparation for half an hour and be in the gym by 6am.
I used to be an early riser but found during Phaze 1 that my body went into detox and for the first couple of weeks I did not sleep well and had very low energy. So I respected that, but now I need to get moving again.
I am going do aerobic exercises in the morning. A mix of running and cycling and various machines in the gym.
I will work on strength and flexibility 4 evenings a week.

PHASE 3
30 DAYS: Meditation every day


So I will keep you updated and look forward to your comments!!

[arithhuh]

Way to go, Stellabeam!

Keep us updated.

[VacMan]

stellabeam,

Awesome job!! Congrats on the dedication and hard work for Phase 1!

Have you ever thought about keeping a "journal" to outline your success?

I started doing that not too long ago (you can check it out if you'd like at the link below. I'm a little more into lifting than you may be, but other people also have journals up with similar goals to yours.)

Log: Getting My Bulk On! - The Community for Excellence Forum

I find it really helps motivate me.

But seeing how well your phase 1 went, you might not need it.

Have fun! And I wish you nothing but success!

[stellabeam]

Thanks for the support people1 IT IS SO COOL to get it because my friends think that I have an extreme approach.
But I tell you the longer I keep away from food that looks ugly and robs the body of vital energy, the more I see that is extreme to eat that stuff on a regular basis! Fruit and veges just look so BEAUTIFUL, don't they?
VacMan, thanks for the journaling suggestion!! I guess this is a kind of a public journal and it is inspiring to get the feed back. I don't have time for much more than this right now! You have such a great body! Congratulations, I know it must have taken a lot of dedication and discipline to get it, and i totally admire you for that.
Perhaps I could post a photograph of my mid section (which would take a lot of courage because it is so pudgy), and then the results of my training will be apparent. But ooh could I be that humble??

[elastigirl]

I am very interested in the 30 days away from cakes and sweets and such.
I am making my day one on monday.

do you have a journal anywhere I could read up on?

many thankx

[stellabeam]

I am happy to have inspired someone, Elastigirl!! I don't have a journal, but I can tell you what helped.

1. I focused on forming the habits I would need to achieve it.
a} go to fruit markets every sunday to get delicious fresh produce for the week
b) Prepare food for the whole day each morning
c) Have a glass of lemon water as soon as I wake up
d) Have a green drink smoothie for breakfast

2. Don't go hungry. I ate five or six small meals a day instead of 3 big ones.

3. I cleaned out my home of sweet junky foods

4. I reprogram to dislike the sweet things that are bad for me. eg If I feel a desire for cake, I imagine what it will do to my precious digestive organs.

I am currently taking care of someone who has cancer bursting out of her skin in a vile smelly way. She has intense pain. Her diet is very high in cakes and biscuits and chocolate. I consciously link eating that stuff to the cancer, and it turns me completely off!! I also constantly admire the beauty of fresh friut and veges.

5. I noticed the times when I am vulnerable, and am finding ways to nuture myself at those times.
If someone I like puts me down and I do not stick up for myself, If I have a disappointment, if I don't get enough sleep...that is when I used to want it more. Tony Robbins CD on emotions helps me. (Get the Edge) Seeing negative emotions as "Calls for Action", working out the action I need to take and taking it.

After 2 weeks I hardly had any cravings and felt so relieved that this thing was not controlling me any more!!

So like Steve says, use your motivation and discipline to get the plane of the ground, then enjoy the flight. (Well he said something like that somewhere)

Good on you champion for taking the first steps to freedom

[dannyce]

What makes living a lifestyle like this worth it? How has it changed your body up to this point? I myself have always had a sweet tooth (although I do eat a good amount of vegetables) I wonder if I did something like this if I would get burnt out and give in to eating sweets and fried foods like I usually do. Congratulations on your progress!

[stellabeam]

Originally Posted by dannyce

What makes living a lifestyle like this worth it? How has it changed your body up to this point? I myself have always had a sweet tooth (although I do eat a good amount of vegetables) I wonder if I did something like this if I would get burnt out and give in to eating sweets and fried foods like I usually do.

Thanks for your comments dannyce.

I do not see this as a "lifestyle". I had eating habits before. I just changed them because I wanted the health and energy and vitality. I still eat out with friends. I do not eat sweets, but usually there is something I like on the menu.

Why is it worth it??

1.The energy!!
2.Self respect:-Being in control of what I put in to my body instead of being driven by addictions and cravings.
3.Self esteem increases as the changes in my body reflect the care I am giving it.
4.Happiness No more scary sugar induced mood swings
5.Better vision for longer Sugar is not good for eyes

There are many more documented health benefits from giving up sweet processed foods, which ultimately probably means a longer life.

My body has changed I have dropped a dress size. When I am down to my ideal BFI, I guess I will just eat more!!

I have given up sweet foods many times in the past. This time is different for a couple of reasons. The most important is that I am changing the way I think about sweets. I know if I think I am depriving myself, it will not work long term. (Tony Robbins) I am consciously changing my associations with sweet things from "yummy treats" to "discusting cancer forming kack".

This has been very effective so far. Recently I was out to dinner in a fancy restaurant. Everyone was sharing desert and I did not feel deprived at all. My only thought was "How do I get out of this gracefully?"
Once it would have been "I am so proud of myself for not having any" or " I am being so good".
Getting burnt out is irrelevant because I am not going to eat something that looks, smells and tastes disgusting.

So just give it a try for 30 days... what have you got to lose????

[dannyce]

You're right. That's probably one of the main things I always would say to myself. "Oh you're depriving yourself because you know how yummy that brownie is and you're not letting yourself enjoy life by eating it"...It's what my family tends to say as well haha . I guess I need to learn to change that attitude. I am doing more harm than good to my body if I give in to that ideaology. One thing that I would find hard is that I don't have a lot of say in what is around the house to eat. My family likes to eat sweets (but I have also discovered that if it is out of sight it is out of mind) They also prefer white bread to wheat. A lot of breakfast cereals have SO MUCH SUGAR. Do you think it's okay to eat white rice..er for this 30 program thing anyhow? Also, do you watch how much fruit you consume because that tends to have a lot of sugar in it? I have heard that one doesn't have to worry about that kind of sugar so much because it is in the fruit naturally.

Good luck! And thanks for the feedback!

[spaceistheplace]

Great. Now all you have to eliminate is soy and all grains, even whole grain. Once you do this another boost in energy will come about.

[stellabeam]

Do you think it's okay to eat white rice..er for this 30 program thing anyhow? Also, do you watch how much fruit you consume because that tends to have a lot of sugar in it?

Whatever you want, dannyce. I just chose a challenge that was acheivable for me to do while maintaining a heavy work load. If it is too much to do it all at once then commit to 30 days without sweet processed foods. During this time reprogram yourself every day, to prefer healthy foods. At the end of 30 days the next challenge could be to eliminate white rice (plus whatever) for 30 days.

Living with foods that you are in the process of elininating, around you, requires extra attention. I used to love chocolate spread. My friend had some in the pantry when I was giving up chocolate. I put it at eye level, so every time I opened the cupboard, it was right there. I would say and think "chocolate is mud" repeatedly while looking at it. A month later I was having a meltdown and someone offered me chocolate. Being vulnerable, I took a bite. It nearly made me sick, I had to spit it out.

I eat a littlle fruit. My diet is not perfect. I have not decided what perfect is but it feels like the steps I am taking are great. I am considering with 30 days without soy products to see how that feels.

spaceistheplace, I would love to hear more of how you came to give up soy and grains and how you feel. I was already considering a 30 day trial without them.

Thanks everyone

[onomotopeia]

Space is the place,
If you give up grains and soy, what do you have left to eat?
I'd be curious to see your dieting take as I find I cannot eat much and struggle with the cost/time needed to figure out a good meal plan weektoweek. It often veers toward fatty foods (coconut, nuts) or meat which is expensive since I keep kosher.

[stellabeam]

Hello Kindred Spirits,

On day 62 with no sweet foods, I ate 2 german cookies. The reason was, I was falling in love with the giver of the cookies and it was a romantic moment.

Since then (14 days ago) I have had no desire for further sweet foods, or side effects from this wayward moment.

This is the first time in my life I have been able to have only 2 cookies. In the past I would have eaten as many as I could at the time, and then binged for days, weeks, months or years.

What has been different is that I am reprogramming my thinking from thoughts like "I am being so good" to thoughts like " Those foods are unappetising, cancer causing, grose foods that disturb my sleep, weaken my emotional strength, damage my eyes and taste discusting".

Thanks for checking in on me

[stellabeam]

Originally Posted by stellabeam

PHASE 2
30 DAYS: Exercise minimum an hour a day

I will need to get up at 5am to do this.
So my schedule is 5am food preparation for half an hour and be in the gym by 6am.
I used to be an early riser but found during Phaze 1 that my body went into detox and for the first couple of weeks I did not sleep well and had very low energy. So I respected that, but now I need to get moving again.
I am going do aerobic exercises in the morning. A mix of running and cycling and various machines in the gym.
I will work on strength and flexibility 4 evenings a week.

Happy Happy New Year, Fabulous Forum Friends!!!

It's time to go for 30 DAY CHALLENGE PHASE 2!!

I have been exercising randomly on average about 5 hours a week, but have not moved officially to Phase 2, because a lot has been happening in my life..(moving house, work challenges etc). My body looks and feels heaps fitter already, and I want to step it up...

Now is the time!!

So Special Reader and World at Large......

To You I make my Promise Known.

For the Next 30 Days
No Matter What
I shall hereby
EXERCISE
My Body Devine,
In a health promoting manner for a minimum of an hour a day.
Further to this aerobic training, I will do Strength and Flexibility Training 4 Hours a week.

At the end of 30 Days,
I shall celebrate with a Beach Party.
At the above mentioned Beach Party I shall wear that Fabulous Retro Swim Suit I saw in the Groovy Shop. ( I will claim it as mine before Friday 4th January)

I joyously commit to this 30 day challenge, knowing that it will strengthen me emotionallly, mentally and physically. I rejoice in my increased self esteem. I celebrate the Faith I have, that I follow through on the promises I make to myself.

I hereby declare Trust in Myself.

Thank you dear reader, for being my witness.