Research shows that it takes 21 days for a habit to form. That doesn't sound like a large amount of time but ask anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking or has done the Daniel Fast (look it up its good for your mind, body and soul) or maybe they've tried to pick up a habit like reading or journaling.
It's not always easy to try something new and stick with it. That's why people love to joke about New Years resolutioners at the gym. They start off strong the first week of the year but by the end of January they're nowhere to be seen at the gym. I've promised myself time and time again over the last two months I would work on eating healthier. That's definitely not easy when you work in fast food full time like I do.
Forming any type of habit whether good or bad takes will power. So I wanted to challenge myself and my readers/followers to try something different. I want to challenge you for 21 days to not drink, eat, indulge in your go to snack, meal or beverage. That's gonna be a challenge for some of you. For some it may be really easy to say 'I won't drink soda for 21 days'. It sounds easy but give it about 3 days and your body will be craving that sweet beverage you love so much. If it's a beverage that you're giving up try replacing it with water. If it's a food try replacing it with a healthy option like fruit or veggies, maybe even nuts. If it's a snack that has your mouth watering every time you see it find a healthy alternative. In principle it sounds manageable but I don't want you to give up just anything; I want you to give up something hard, something you eat or drink everyday and don't even think about it because it's a habit.
I've had to think long and hard about what I'm going to cut out for the next 21 days. I've been back and forth on several things and I've got it narrowed down to a few. Of course I want to pick one because I don't want to overdo it and ultimately fail when I accidentally slip up. So it's best to stick with one thing. I've decided I'm going to cut out breads. I go to subway almost daily, I eat bread with my meals at work, croutons on my salads, etc. so giving up bread for the next 21 days is going to suck for me but I want to see how differently my body responds to cutting out bread. Sure they're are healthy breads out there but I'm just going to opt out completely.
So what will be your one thing you change for 21 days? In the grand scheme of things will you really miss it after the challenge is over? If not then you probably didn't need it anyway. If you did maybe you can adjust your diet to eat or drink less of whatever you choose. With the habit you're changing whether it's a food habit or an exercise/workout habit I want you to keep tabs by writing down or typing out how your day is going with said change in habit. That may sound cheesy and you may think a lot about how you'll be reminded that you've changed that one habit which will make your mind think you want it and then your body will crave the food or the drink or whatever until you get it again but really I feel like it can help you keep yourself accountable. Comment below on what you're going to be challenging yourself with or tweet, message, email me and let me know! I want to hear from you.
My suggestion would be to start when you wake up tomorrow but maybe you want to wait to start at the beginning of the weeks; which is fine but when Monday rolls around don't say "I'll start next week" because then you'll never want to start.
So are you ready for the April 21-Day Challenge?
I say bring it!!
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