A Year End Resolution — End it better we started!
This month, I was asked to join a group of coaches for an “elimination” challenge group. Let me start out by saying I’m not doing some crazy diet or eliminating food groups from my meal plans.
Some folks are sensitive to certain foods and we had some real talk about learning how our bodies react to foods that don’t agree with us. As a coach, this was perfect for me because I am kind of lucky, in that I can eat pretty much any food. Being in this group would help me learn more about how others handle food issues. For me, I knew that I was eating too much SUGAR and it was causing issues with my energy levels, my waistline, and of course, my scale numbers. I also decided I would go the 30 days of the group without alcohol. No alcohol is not much of a challenge for me, except I knew I would have some holiday get togethers during the challenge. SUGAR, though – that’s a tough one!
Have you ever felt completely out of control?
At some point did you feel totally happy with where you were with your health and fitness, had a real handle on your nutrition and then slowly over time you start to lesson your focus and find yourself sliding into bad habits?? One day you look at yourself in the mirror and you are are like, “WHAT THE HECK DID LET HAPPEN???”
The pounds creep back up and the clothes are a little snugger — in your mind you tell yourself that it isn’t that bad. You are still working out every day, you are still drinking your superfood shake and eating mostly healthy, but you aren’t tracking all those “here and there” treats that have become as frequent as the healthy foods. We get older and it becomes easier and easier to blame our hormones, our busy schedule, and the fact that our bodies don’t respond the same way that they used to. In fact, that’s where I was when I got started with fitness and eating right. Now, here I was again! I’m even older now and my body has definitely been changing — “the change” is in my near future, I think! Of course, there are instances where hormones can play a role in results, but when I took a hard look at myself — when I really started digging down — it was actually mostly ME that was getting in the way of my results.
Perfect Timing!
It was like the stars aligned — I was feeling great after a recent round of a 3 week interval program where I totally nailed my nutrition all three weeks.I was feeling great and full of energy. Then, afterward, I wasn’t sure what to do next and felt myself start to slide off track with nutrition – a candy bar here, chips and salsa there. I could sense the stress of the holiday season approaching too – it was either get on track or put it off until the new year. Does that sound familiar?
Why do we do this to ourselves?! It makes no sense! We know how good our bodies feel when we eat healthy, but why don’t we do it consistently?? I so LOVE, LOVE, LOVE candy and cookies! They make me happy (when I’m eating them)! I do not like the guilty or puffy feelings that come later. It’s a never ending battle — and society doesn’t help either!
I was so excited to be invited to an EXCLUSIVE ELIMINATION group with some top coaches. Not only would I get the support I needed, I’d get to learn from all the other ladies. The deal was that we would go for 30 days and WE would do our OWN plan to get ourselves back on track. This group would help us go all the way back to where we started when we were first challengers — Here is our way to take back our life, get recommitted to what got us the results in the first place and end the excuses about time, hormones, age or that the plan just wasn’t working!
What is the Elimination Plan?
For the next 30 days we are committed to:
- Journaling every day how our food makes us feel, our energy level, and our workouts.
- Practicing self care and actually making sure we are getting enough sleep at night.
- Following 1 week of A Little Obsessed and then the 21 Day Fix Extreme to the T. Not just going through the motions but full out meal planning, prepping and crushing workouts.
- Replacing 1 meal a day with Shakeology
- Checking into the support group daily
- Participating in Sunday night calls with some super guest speakers to learn more about nutrition, intermittent fasting, mindset, long term lifestyle change tips and more.
- Starting and finishing the month and submitting our results!
I am not very good at some of those things that I agreed to. I am not a good journal-er and I am not good at getting enough sleep. I strive for 7 hours, usually get 6 and know that 5 or less is not gonna work for me! I will say that I was very careful to get to bed at a reasonable time and did get 6 or more every night but one. That’s a win!
The best thing so far is how SUPPORTED I feel!! I am totally loving the elimination plan support group. Over 100 women in group are sharing their food, recipes, daily accountability, tips and motivation. They are asking questions, they are posting every day and we are lifting each other up in so many amazing ways! I seriously look forward seeing the posts every morning to see what they are posting and sharing. It’s ACCOUNTABILITY – the KEY to success, if you ask me. We are stronger together!
Let’s go – the Fitness Plan
I knew that I am so ready for this! 30 days of elimination – no sugar and no alcohol! I have my workout calendar planned with the A Little Obsessed sneak peek and then 21 Day Fix Extreme! Going back to the basics because I want to feel my best and stay my best!
Nutrition Plan
Here is also a sample of what my meal plan looks like! I am not trying to lose much weight – but definitely want to build and tone muscle.
I have a few goals for this 30 days! Gotta have goals, right?! I will be happy at the end of this 30 days if….
- My face stops breaking out
- I maintain a positive daily attitude
- I kick my sugar cravings
I KNOW what a healthy balance is for me and I cannot keep going back and forth. I need a steady state with my nutrition and fitness. I am pretty much a clean eater. Sometimes, we just let life get the best of us, right?! We can get back on track! That I know for sure. I would love to hear from you. Do you relate to this? Do you currently struggle with this?? Click here to fill out my information form and we can chat!
As a group, we are reading this book too! Check it out –> The Goddess Revolution by Mel Wells.