21 Day Challenge

Due to the realization that I am going to have to be measured for a bridesmaid dress in the very near future propelled me into a new lifestyle – I am calling it a lifestyle change rather than a diet because the word “diet” implies that it comes with an end date. For several years, I have perpetually binged on fast food and veggies (as if eating vegetables would counteract the excessive amounts of fat, calories and chemicals in the over-processed cheeseburgers and fries I love so much). Sadly, the fact remains that lack of exercise, improper eating habits and the ability to justify eating poorly did nothing but leave me at the most I’ve ever weighed.

To look at me, I appear to be small, but that is only because I hide my body fat very well. While some girls my age gain weight in their stomach or arms, I am “lucky” enough to gain weight mainly in my thighs, I use quotation marks because though it might seem like a blessing, it is the reason I have been able to go this long without changing my eating habits. To be honest, I really hadn’t noticed how much my 20-something lifestyle was affecting my health until I started taking a critical view of my life. I thought that I was doing much better, eating wise, than I did in college, I don’t party every night or go on late night food runs. But sadly, in college, I walked everywhere, I never drove, I kept moving and active almost all day long. Because I have a job in the real world, I sit about 10 hours a day. Staying active, which I always took for granted, now becomes a conscious effort to maintain. That being said, the prospect of squeezing my thighs into a short, tight maid-of-honor dress was enough to kick me into a program to change my lifestyle and actually lose the weight and keep it off, through (mild) exercise, healthy eating and a much needed attitude adjustment.
My roommate mentioned this 21 day challenge from a place called “My Fit Foods”, it sounded expensive and the food wasn’t very delicious so I wasn’t interested. Then, I stepped on a scale for the first time in a few months…. I had gained about 10 pounds. How could that happen? I don’t feel heavier, I don’t think I look heavier, but sadly, the scale doesn’t lie. The challenge is supposed to wean you off of eating out, drinking caffeine and consuming alcohol, three of the biggest contributions to America’s staggering obesity rate. The plan includes five meals a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and two small snacks to keep you full between meals. Supplements and this cranberry, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar concoction, along with copious amounts of water, cleanse your body of toxins. After only a day and half, I feel significantly better, with more energy and a more critical realization of my eating habits, I think this challenge is already helping me change for the better. Stay tuned to hear about my progress, what I’ve learned, and how you can do it too!