Fully Committing To Get The Big Payoff

12/12/2019

Hi Friends,

It's been a few weeks since I've
popped into your mailbox! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and have been enjoying the holiday season. I am enjoying the pre-holiday energy I've been feeling all around me, as 2019 winds down and we move into a new decade (OMG!).

Today I'd like to talk about the many benefits of fully committing to something. And to illustrate my point, I will share a truly eye opening experience I had in November when I joined a 21 day clean eating program lead by a fellow coach. Overall, it was an extremely valuable and enjoyable experience...it helped my digestive system AND my mindset in ways that will carry me through the holiday season and into the new year. And importantly, I saw the big difference between sort of committing and fully committing to a plan (in this case, the clean eating program).

Fully Committing To 21 Days Of Clean Eating

In November I decided to join a program designed to help participants eat clean in order to feel better in their bodies (less bloated, less insatiable hunger, increased energy, fewer cravings...you get the idea). I want to emphasize that this was not a weight loss program, It was a better health program. When you eat right for your body, your body rewards you in so many ways. The point of this program was to eat clean for 21 Days, meaning no sugar, dairy, gluten, soy or alcohol.

I believe that what you eat greatly affects how you feel and behave. And I considered myself a healthy eater before I did this program. I also believe that "healthy eating" occasionally includes eating and drinking things that may not be the best choice nutritionally, but provide positive benefits to an individual's overall well-being in other ways... to celebrate, to socialize, or even just to indulge in eating something delicious because it is delicious. Please note that the emphasis here is on occasionally. At that time, however, I noticed that these occasional digressions were happening a bit too often, and I was eating and drinking in a way that did not feel good in my body.

When I saw a table set up at my gym to encourage members to join a supervised on-line clean eating challenge, I decided to join. At that point, I considered it to be a personal challenge because:

I had never done this type of challenge for that many (21) days;
November was a busy month for me socially. Fortunately, there were a lot of celebrations on my calendar;
Truth be told, the idea of continuous shopping, prepping and cooking did not sound good to me at this time in my life.

Despite these concerns, I went for it, with the hope that doing so would help me feel better and keep me accountable. (For more on the many benefits of accountability, read my blog on that here.)

The Results

Let me cut to the chase and share the results of my 21 days of clean eating. Despite the fact that I was already a pretty healthy eater and maintain a mostly healthy lifestyle, I learned many valuable things about my body, my mindset and about making a full committment from doing this program.

Physically, I felt much better in my body overall. My digestion improved, and I was less bloated. I did a lot less mindless eating, had more energy and curbed my sugar cravings. I even got into cooking a lot more. Creating stir fries like the one pictured here...no problem!

The Bigger Benefit...My Mind Shift

To me, the more surprising things I learned from undertaking this challenge related to my mindset.

I gained confidence from completing something I perceived to be difficult, and seeing that I could follow through despite the challenge.
I realized that sometimes, what we perceive to be very difficult before we actually do it, can turn out to be far easier to do once we actually get started.
I got to take a closer look at what works for me and what doesn't. This is why I like the 21 day time frame. This type of self-discovery requires patience and sticking to a plan for some time.
This eating plan was really not that much different than how I typically eat. But when I did everything exactly as I was supposed to (committing fully), I saw real benefits to my body and mindset that I never experienced by being a "mostly" healthy eater on my own.

In Short, Sometimes We Need To Go
All Out To Get The Big Payoff!

Despite my initial hesitancy to do this challenge, I implemented the plan,
and to my surprise, it got easier each day. It really got me thinking
about undertaking any challenge. Here are some things to think about:

Maybe we automatically think a challenge will be harder than it is. In the case of my eating challenge, It didn't actually feel that difficult once I got rolling.
Maybe feeling good about what we are doing is a motivating factor to continue keeping our committment. I "cheated" far less than I imagined I would over the 21 day period, despite the many social gatherings I had. I didn't realize before the challenge that feeling good would actually be a factor that helped me continue moving ahead.
Maybe joy comes from more than just one thing in any given situation. I enjoyed all the events I attended during November because I danced, celebrated and connected with others, not because of the food I ate. Since our joy and happiness can come from many sources, maybe we underestimate how much we will experience from changing only one thing.
Maybe understanding our motivation can actually give us clarity when we make choices. I knew what to eat, what felt really good to my body, and how I wanted to feel. That clarity helped me make good decisions, and stick to my plan.
Maybe being kind to ourselves and open to the idea of not having to always be perfect, helps us to commit today, right now. I knew I'd allow myself to be more flexible with food choices at some point in the future. That made it easier to stay committed to my goal, at least for today.
Progress, not perfection, is the key to meeting our greatest challenges. We reach our biggest goals by taking one day at a time, doing the best we can. This one, I know for sure.

Committing Fully

It's a little ironic that I am writing about 'fully committing' in mid-December. My mantra at this time of year is usually more about relaxing the rules (eating and otherwise) during the holiday season. Your general well-being and feeling good at this time of year (and actually, always) has to do with many lifestyle decisions, not just the food we choose to eat, how much we exercise, etc. Spending time with those we love, acknowledging and appreciating the people and the blessings in our lives, relaxing and enjoying our days are all so important in creating our best health and a good life overall. During the holidays this is especially true.

So perhaps some time in the new year, committing fully to something may be an idea worth considering. Whether it's to an eating plan, a workout program, learning something new, or maybe a promise to spend more time doing something you love, experiment with sticking to it 100%. Because taking on something fully that points you in the direction of a goal or a dream, can be a real game changer. It could be the difference between a mediocre start to another year, or a year that launches you into your best decade ever.

I'd love to support you in meeting your goals in 2020, so send me an email and let me know how I can help you in the coming year. I can provide the system, stretch and accountability you need to get over some of the hurdles you are experiencing with respect to your health and life goals. Together, we can take one step at a time until you reach your dream.

I Wish You A Joyous Holiday Season
And a Happy, Healthy New Year!
Be Kind To Yourself As You Close Out 2019!

As always, if you want to learn more about the impact of your food and lifestyle choices, and how you can feel great in your body (without losing your mind), send me an email, or call me at
(201) 803-3257.

I'm also offering a free Discovery Call to discuss your health needs and how I can help you. Click here to schedule your free half-hour phone session with
no obligation.

Let's talk!

In Good Health,