Friday, January 04, 2008

30 days of commitment

So, I got an e-mail from my naturopath yesterday, with an offer to partake in a 30-day challenge.

First, my eyes glossed over. I always fail at these challenges. I put too much pressure on myself to be perfect; the instant I have a bad day, I give up. But then I started thinking about how I'm not going to hold myself to perfectionist standards anymore. How each day is a new day, and I'm going to try harder than the last. That, and she's giving away some pretty nifty prizes (like tea, and spa gift certificates) for the participants who notice the most change.;-)

So, I'm going to go for it. The best part is, I'm going to keep track of whether I meet all of the conditions each day - and if I miss a few here and there, it won't be a big deal. As long as in the grand scheme of things, I've made an effort overall. I think looking at my effort from a "most of the time" perspective as opposed to an "all or nothing" perspective will be very good for me. Because right now, if I fail on a given day, I only see that day....if that makes any sense.

Here are the challenge basics:

DIET:

  1. At least 2 servings of green vegetables daily (1 serving = 1/2 cup cooked veggie or 1 cup raw)

  2. One salad daily

  3. At least 1 serving of fruit each day

  4. Adequate protein intake daily: ideal amount is 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (for example, a 130 pound person needs: 130/2.2 = 59 grams of protein daily) - see following notes to calculate

  5. At least 25 grams of fibre daily - see attached chart to calculate (quick tip - add a serving of beans or legumes + 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds daily)

  6. No coffee - green tea is the best choice, up to 1 cup of black tea daily is allowed

  7. No fast food and nothing deep fried

  8. At least 6 glasses of water daily (includes herbal teas)

  9. No more than 3 alcoholic drinks per week

  10. No sugar intake. Some maple syrup and honey are allowed. Small amounts of sugar in sauces are permitted

  11. No food for 2 hours before bedtime

EXERCISE

  1. At least a 30 minute walk every day. Other cardio activities that count in the 30 minutes include: cycling, running swimming, cardio classes

  2. 10 minutes of stretching or yoga daily

REST AND RELAXATION

  1. A minimum of 10 minutes of relaxation exercise daily (includes deep breathing, guided imagery, yoga, meditation)

  2. At least 7 hours of sleep each night

VITAMINS

  1. Either a multivitamin of a Green's drink daily

  2. An omega 3 supplement every day - fish oil (1 teaspoon or 1500mg total omega 3's) or flax oil (2 tablespoons daily)


A fairly tall, order no? Well, I'm up to it. I'm making the exercise, rest and relaxation, and vitamins part mandatory. If I can hit 7-8 out of the "diet" criteria everyday, I'll be pleased.

Anyone in blogland is welcome to join me - there aren't going to be any formal check-in's - but moral support is always appreciated. So, feel free to make yourself a healthier person. 30 days of commitment is nothing, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing to lose (well, except some pounds!), and lots to gain. That, and they say that you have to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit. So maybe this 30-day challenge won't feel like much of an effort at the end of the month.

I've already started on a healthier path, but I'm going to start tracking tomorrow - January 5th. 30 days will take me to February 3rd - the day before I return to work after my maternity leave. I would love to go back feeling amazing - inside and out!

Woo hoo - I'm so excited!

9 comments:

Fatinah said...

that looks like a great challenge - I can't wait to cheer you on!!

Anne said...

Good for you, looks like a great challenge, you can do it!

Jen said...

Hmmm... I'm tempted to join you to pull me out of my baking rut...

Rachel said...

OK, no sugar, 7 hours of sleep, and 10 min of relaxation? Those will be my hardest. I have three kids under 3.5 yrs :)

But I think I'm going to give it a try. Like you, I am a perfectionist, but it's worth a try.

Chris H said...

30 days.... I am sure you can do it mate! And finishing maternity leave, wow are you looking forward to going back to work full time???

Kim said...

Okay - I'm printing these bad boys up and I'm going to give it a try. Some sound like just the push I need, and others....eh, well, I'll give it a fair shot!!

Good luck!!!!

pinknest said...

bravo! good luck with the challenge, it sounds excellent. and a spa treatment is a good enough motivator for me!

Martalu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Martalu said...

I love all those goals. Just do them one at a time. I have similar goals, and yesterday I got my first 100%! It takes a little while to get into the habit, but now they're just things that need to get done. And anything over 70% I consider respectable. I'm done with perfectionism too.

Kick some butt Sonya!