Today is the last day of August, the last day before we begin the Whole Foods Challenge. Are you on board? Have you made a commitment? Have you already cleaned out your cupboards and convinced your family? Or are you waffling? (I'm not talking about those forbidden frozen Eggos!)
I have done quite a few challenges in my long years of dieting. I stuck with Atkins for over a year, if you can believe that. It was the Atkins diet that helped me kick my carbohydrate addiction. But I did get hooked on sugar-free chocolate products during that year, which I now know is not exactly the healthiest choice of snacks. Funny how we tend to bend the rules or try to wiggle around them. No sugar on this diet? Okay, I'll just chow down on some Splenda! Or chug some diet soda!
And I am not one of those people who hates the word "diet" as well as the concept. In fact, I get excited at the prospect of setting out on a new diet or a dietary challenge. I have high hopes for the changes I am going to see happening in my body, my mood, my energy level, every facet of my life. I know that we ARE what we eat, and food is about the most powerful tool we possess for making BIG changes in our bodies and our lives. You can exercise until you fall over from exhaustion but go home and eat a large meal and you have easily replaced every single calorie burned PLUS many more to boot. So diet is not a 4-letter word in my book. Diet is my friend!
As I have already mentioned, I've been detoxing all week, since Monday, in preparation for the challenge. I can't say I have been free of all cravings, but I have been very happy with the results I am already seeing on the scale and in the mirror. The first week of cleaning up the diet is always the best, the most productive, and the most rewarding in terms of numbers on the scale. It is easy to be psyched when the changes are obvious. It is tougher to stick with the program when the rewards are more subtle.
And that is one reason that I have created this challenge. So we all have a support system and a sense of community as we embark on our own personal healthy eating plan. I'm not really concerned about how you interpret the word "whole" or whether you decide to eat dairy or cut it out altogether. If you still want to eat pasta, go for it! Maybe you can test out a few whole grain versions this month. If you want to keep it totally positive, then don't even think about cutting out anything. Just add whole foods to your diet when and wherever possible.
Maybe some of the changes you make to your diet will actually stick. It takes about 30 days to create a new habit, and September just happens to be 30 days long. (Tricky, huh?)
So I do hope you will join the Whole Foods Challenge. I'm here to support you all month long as we ditch those refined and processed foods and substitute more healthy choices. LET'S GET WHOLE!
I have done quite a few challenges in my long years of dieting. I stuck with Atkins for over a year, if you can believe that. It was the Atkins diet that helped me kick my carbohydrate addiction. But I did get hooked on sugar-free chocolate products during that year, which I now know is not exactly the healthiest choice of snacks. Funny how we tend to bend the rules or try to wiggle around them. No sugar on this diet? Okay, I'll just chow down on some Splenda! Or chug some diet soda!
And I am not one of those people who hates the word "diet" as well as the concept. In fact, I get excited at the prospect of setting out on a new diet or a dietary challenge. I have high hopes for the changes I am going to see happening in my body, my mood, my energy level, every facet of my life. I know that we ARE what we eat, and food is about the most powerful tool we possess for making BIG changes in our bodies and our lives. You can exercise until you fall over from exhaustion but go home and eat a large meal and you have easily replaced every single calorie burned PLUS many more to boot. So diet is not a 4-letter word in my book. Diet is my friend!
As I have already mentioned, I've been detoxing all week, since Monday, in preparation for the challenge. I can't say I have been free of all cravings, but I have been very happy with the results I am already seeing on the scale and in the mirror. The first week of cleaning up the diet is always the best, the most productive, and the most rewarding in terms of numbers on the scale. It is easy to be psyched when the changes are obvious. It is tougher to stick with the program when the rewards are more subtle.
And that is one reason that I have created this challenge. So we all have a support system and a sense of community as we embark on our own personal healthy eating plan. I'm not really concerned about how you interpret the word "whole" or whether you decide to eat dairy or cut it out altogether. If you still want to eat pasta, go for it! Maybe you can test out a few whole grain versions this month. If you want to keep it totally positive, then don't even think about cutting out anything. Just add whole foods to your diet when and wherever possible.
Maybe some of the changes you make to your diet will actually stick. It takes about 30 days to create a new habit, and September just happens to be 30 days long. (Tricky, huh?)
So I do hope you will join the Whole Foods Challenge. I'm here to support you all month long as we ditch those refined and processed foods and substitute more healthy choices. LET'S GET WHOLE!
LOL. I read this as a "Whole Foods Market" challenge like it was a program promoted by the grocer. I was looking for a link. I didn't understand what kinds of food you were going to eat. It took a second read to realize that you mean what you said -- eating whole foods.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. Love those grains.