Uncategorized
Lessons Learned from the 28 Day Total Body Reset
I am a firm believer that there is no overall “one size fits all” way for everyone to eat. Yes, there are general guidelines about the type and quality of food that is best, when and when not to eat, how much to eat (or not to eat), but to think that each person can eat the exact same way as the next person and be healthy is pretty silly.
Think about it. We all have different bodies with different needs. Some have no issues with insulin, while others are dealing with diabetes. What about those people who work on their feet all day, moving all over and lifting heavy object compared to those who sit at a desk all day. Then we have people who work nights and others who work days.
These are just a few examples, but as you can see, there is no one way for every person to eat. As long as you are following the general guidelines and planning your meals and eating lifestyle in a way that works beneficially for your body, schedule and life – then you should be good.
I see this every time I do a challenge and, once again, I’ve seen it these past two weeks. What I want to pass along to all of you doing the reset with us – or who may do a challenge of any kind in the future – is that it’s okay if you have to adjust the plan to work for you. Isn’t that better than just not doing it?
Last week our schedule changed quite a bit and I had to move stuff around, eliminate a couple dishes and swap out some lunches for something else. I had no problem doing this and I didn’t feel guilty. I didn’t get off track and start eating foods I shouldn’t or start snacking all the night, but I had to adjust a lot of days to work with what was going on in life.
This is acceptable.
I’ve also found that by the time lunch rolls around, I’m not super hungry, so three of the days I just had yogurt. I wasn’t up for a full meal of leftovers from the night before. The past 14 days we have had smoothies for 13 of those days. Why? Because my kids love to start their day with them, so I wasn’t going to fuss to make them eat eggs or yogurt. We put those into other meals so they could still benefit from the nutrition from them. My husband is sticking pretty close to the breakfast plan since he eats his at work, but we do it differently at home. It’s all good! Thursday’s dinner got pushed to Sunday and we ate more leftovers than planned, but everything worked out. PLUS, I won’t have to do as much grocery shopping for this week since I had some meals that I didn’t make.
Score.
So, this 28 day plan has all 28 days planned out with meals and recipes. This is awesome. Most people need this type of direction and guide, but I don’t want anyone to every feel to tied down to the plan itself that it becomes a burden to you. This is when you just give up and we don’t want that.
Once the reset is over and you have to begin planning your own meals, you want to keep this in mind. Yes, make a plan that covers everything, but allow for those interruptions and don’t let it stress you out! If you don’t mind eating the same thing for breakfast 5 days in a row – do it – as long as it’s healthy :o) If you prefer to make the dinners for lunch instead and have a smaller dinner – then by all means, do it. Once you get into this mode – meal planning and eating becomes so much more enjoyable and less stressful. Any meal plan I put out is simply for a guideline – take it and make it work for you!
I’m still excited that my husband and I are still seeing results as we go through this challenge. It’s easy to get off track sometimes, especially during the holiday season, so to come back to our roots and start eating right again is always a good thing. We even bought a new scale that tells us (to the best of it’s ability) our weight, body fat percentage, hydration levels and bmi. Now I know they numbers are perfect, but they are pretty darn close, so it’s nice to have that info so we can remain accountable.
If you are finding it hard to stick to this reset or challenges in general, I would like to encourage you to find your “why”. This is so important for success in any area of life. When you know WHY you are doing something, it’s easier to stay focused and on track. If you don’t have a “why”, then it’s easy to throw your hands up and say “forget it!”
What is my why?
I have several, but my family is the biggest. I want to see my kids live healthy, so I must set the example. I want to see them grow, do great things, get married, have children and live a long life. I want to enjoy growing older with my husband, so we can watch all the stuff I just mentioned – together. I want to play with my kids while they are young – and not be too tired to have fun. I have a large vision in the area of business and I need to be healthy to accomplish those things. I want to travel – can’t do that when you’re sick all the time.
I have many whys in my life, but it all comes down to taking care of this one body that I have. I must be a good steward, as it will be the only chance I have.
I love life. I love living. I love people. I love making memories. I love vision for the future.
I hope you can day you feel the same.
Hopefully these simple lessons I’ve learned can help you in your own life. Believe me – it’s freeing when you take off all the “rules” you think you have to follow and just eat.
Have a great week! I hope these next 7 days will serve you well, that you continue to see results and that you are encouraged to continue on!
Live on Purpose!
xo Kari
