I learned copious amounts throughout the process through experience. I will highlight just a few of those.
PLANNING: Sounds simple enough, but it's easy to slip up. I heard a quote that said "fail to plan - plan to fail." It's TRUE. Cook meals in advance. Pack snacks in case you get caught up at work, running errands, etc. Get up earlier to prepare meals and snacks for the day. Plan meal ideas so you can plan grocery lists. Plan grocery trips into your schedule. All this planning can keep you from making a poor decision out of convenience that you will regret later. I know whenever I tend to "cheat", it's because it's easier or because I'm unprepared with my own healthy option. So plan, plan, plan!
IT'S EASY: I actually learned how surprisingly easy it is to eat healthier and make better decisions. The best advice I think I've heard about shopping "clean" is to "shop the walls" at the grocery stores. All the junk, processed foods are typically in the aisles. So just stay out of them! (with exception of some items of course). There are many easy AND healthy choices. You just have to be looking for them. There are entire gluten free sections in everyday grocery stores now. It's becoming more and more convenient to shop clean - you just have to DO it.
TEAM: I never thought I'd be one that felt like I needed people around me to motivate me. But I was looking at it all wrong. I may not NEED it, but the support makes it easier and more enjoyable. It was so refreshing to see how people wanted me to succeed, which turns into motivation for yourself. I also enjoyed started to enjoy sharing my own meal ideas, workouts, etc to help others. Hearing of others' triumphs was rewarding, but hearing about their stumbles was important too. You will never be perfect, and sometimes it helps to know that no one is. I needed this, and I didn't even know it. So thank you to everyone who gave me a recipe, offered a word of encouragement, checked in on me during the 24 days, and read this blog any given day. YOU are a part of my team. :)
IT'S YOU: There's prob some random quote about it, but I'll give my personal opinion/belief. What you CAN do is 100% up to you. I spoke about this a lot on a prior post, but I'll reiterate that once you come to the realization that every choice you make affects YOU, it changes you. Every choice should be done for you and no one else. It is myself that I invested in - MY decisions. Don't consider it cheating or not cheating, choose the option you want. I know I reached a point that I didn't consider it cheating because I just didn't want it for myself. CRazY huh?! I consider myself a runner now. Not a great one, I'll add, but I run. AND enjoy it! I stopped letting my mind tell me when it thought it was time to quit, and I decided ahead of time how far I was going to go. ME.
In addition, I learned how to eat right: when to eat certain foods and when not to, what foods should be limited, which ones should not be cut at all despite my previous beliefs, how much of each food group at meals, etc. I learned that perfection is impossible. And after those times of weakness, I learned not to dwell. The next choice will be better. And the next better than the one before. I will never be the kind who says NO to fried mozzarella sticks or Mike N Ikes every time. And that's ok. Life's too short to pass them up all the time! But being better the next meal is ALWAYS an option. Reaching goals and making new ones is exciting and fun. You don't realize it until you do it, and then you want to make more and more to make yourself better and better. I encourage you to do something for yourself today and every day. And if this sounds like it's for you, TRY it. BE it. You can do it. And I'll be here the whole way. :)
I had great results/progress, so now my question to you is.. Can you 24?? :)
