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| Via whole30.com |
I woke up this morning with a strange sense of anticipation. A little over a month ago, I decided to do the Whole30 challenge, starting in September. I had thought about starting in August, but a new job and a vacation to the Pacific Northwest stopped me from doing something I wasn't prepared for.
There upsides and downsides to waiting. And there's a difference between waiting, and procrastinating.
I waited to do the Whole30 challenge because I knew that I wanted to enjoy my time in Seattle, not worrying about whether or not the Eggs Benedict I love so much were plan-approved. I didn't want the stress of a new job to interfere with my goal.
I wanted to tackle Whole30 with bright eyes and clear intentions, because I know it will be hard enough to give up goat cheese, sourdough bread, hazelnut macchiatos and Cokes as it is. I know that this plan requires dedication.
When I announced my decision to some friends a week ago, I was met with suspicion. "You're going to start this thing on Labor Day? No way - there's too much good stuff to eat. Why don't you wait until Tuesday?"
And there it is: the opportunity to procrastinate.
Waiting until the time is right to make a lifestyle change = good.
Putting off your decision because it's inconvenient = bad.
Waiting until the time is right to make a lifestyle change = good.
Putting off your decision because it's inconvenient = bad.
You know, I thought about it. I considered putting off Whole30 until Tuesday so I could eat burgers with a bun on them, and have multiple pieces of cheesecake, and then I read this on the Whole30 site:
It’s For Your Own Good
Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here).” This is for you.
- It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You’ve done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.
- Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip.” Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip.” You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.
- You never, ever, ever have to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no (or make your mom proud and say, “No, thank you”). Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your sister’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company picnic does not mean you have to eat anything. It’s always a choice, and we would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-two/
Talk about hitting you where it hurts. Look at me, not even started and already setting myself up to fail.
I made the decision to do Whole30. I waited until the right time, where I was in a position to succeed. But now, I would be failing if I procrastinated, so I'm charging forward. See below for my Day 1 recap.
Day 1
Breakfast: scrambled egg with roasted red peppers and black coffee
Late Lunch/Early Dinner: hatch chili sausage with mustard (approved ingredients), salad, water with lime
In the interest of full disclosure: I made a bad food decision yesterday as well, but not I'm not quitting. I may go an extra day at the end of the challenge to make up for my choice, but I'll make that decision as time progresses with the challenge.
In the interest of full disclosure: I made a bad food decision yesterday as well, but not I'm not quitting. I may go an extra day at the end of the challenge to make up for my choice, but I'll make that decision as time progresses with the challenge.
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