Let’s start with some great news! I’m hitting my stride. I feel awesome and I’m doing better and better. The reason? I’m starting fresh each day, not letting what happened in the past affect what I’m working on today. Each day I strive to be just a little better than the day before. I look at setbacks as a learning tool and not as a disaster. And I know I have 80 more chances to get better and better now. It really does work. The better I do, the more I feel the rewards of my efforts. I look forward to every day and every new chance to do better.
For those of you who don’t know, I started a 100 Day Challenge about 20 days ago. You’re all invited to join me. It’s a way to achieve your goals by creating new habits and shedding habits that aren’t working for you. You can read more about that in my previous blogs.
The 20 Day Update
Let’s get to my specifics. In the first 20 days, I lost 10 lbs. This is incredible considering that we had a trip to Florida, a little mini vacation. Even with that, I was able to get some decent weight loss and even better, I lost 2.5 inches around my waist so far. I’m really pleased with this number and I’m proud of myself for not giving up when I had a few missteps.
Let’s Talk about Food
You’ve probably heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen.” This is very true. And on top of that, since my goal is to eat a healthier diet overall, food is the major part of what I’m focusing on. I don’t have any issues working out. That part comes easy to me and always has. I love it. I also love food, all food! My issue is that I love a few things way more than others and over the past few years I’ve been having much more of those foods than, let’s say, the more healthy options. It’s definitely a case of, I know what I need to do and even how to do it. I just wasn’t. Starting this 100 Day Challenge and making it so public was my way of putting the right amount of pressure on myself to finally take action and achieve my goals.
What am I Eating?
I decided that I needed to clean up my diet in a big way. I resolved to not drink alcohol and eat a plant based, whole food diet with minimal processed foods and no junk. I’m a creature of habit. My meals are very much the same for breakfast and lunch. This has never been my issue. For breakfast I either have oatmeal (see my oatmeal recipe here), or I have a slice of sprouted sourdough toast with peanut butter (made with peanuts only) and a pile of blueberries on top, with a side of banana.
For lunch I have 2 slices of toast with 1/4 avocado, hummus, arugula, tomato, and balsamic vinegar, with some spices sprinkled on top. It’s the best open faced sandwich on the planet!
The issue has been dinner. I got into the habit of having a cocktail and a glass (or two) of wine. The was enjoyed with some processed snacks, like chips and guacamole, etc. Then, add a pizza or chinese takeout and you have just ruined anything good you may have done the whole rest of the day. This became a habit. It also included sitting down in front of the tv to eat dinner and not paying attention to what, or how much, I was eating. And the weight gain just kept adding up. This is the primary habit I’ve been working to change.
Here’s what I’m doing instead. I have a large glass of water, sparkling if I want to be fancy, while I’m preparing dinner and setting a proper table. Mike, my partner, and I sit down to eat, share our days with each other, and listen to some groove tunes playing in the background. It’s wonderful. I have a menu of 3 alternatives for dinner.
Option 1: Protein pasta (chic pea or red lentil), and marinara sauce (with the least amount of oil).
Option 2: Soup (plant protein based like black bean or split pea) and salad with chickpeas.
Option 3: Black Beans and Rice with Salsa
At the end of the day, these are really easy meals to make and I love the flavors and feel totally satisfied after. If I’m still hungry, I’ll have an apple or tangerine and some more water. I know that I need to eat between 1900 and 2100 calories per day to stay in a slight deficit and these meals add up to that for me. I have not been perfect. I’ve had a few days where I gave into my little devil side and have a cocktail and not great choices for dinner. But I didn’t throw it all out the window when that happened. I reflected on why it happened and put roadblocks in my way so it wouldn’t happen again. I made a deal with myself that I would have more water in the afternoon, especially as I felt the first pangs of hunger for dinner. I also have added the task of logging in the late afternoon. It’s a way to remind myself of my why and to keep my main goal forefront in my mind.
It’s Working!
Today’s Homework
Now that we’re 20 days in, I want you to again reevaluate your actions and your goals. After reviewing your log, decide if you are doing enough, or if you need to step up your game. If you’re like me and not perfect, decide what additional steps you can take to do better. It’s not a fail unless you stop trying. So don’t give up! Stick with me on this and let’s get our results together. Keep in mind how great it will feel to achieve your goals. Keep dreaming and thinking about what your life can be when you achieve your healthy fitness goals.
I want to know how you are doing, so please let me know in the comments.
Want more?
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and/or John Garey TV to watch my new video series. Here is Episode 3: John Garey 100 Day Challenge, Episode 3.
Follow me on instagram for daily posts about my journey, behind the scenes peeks, and more extras
Next Blog Post
It gets better, and better, and better! Let’s talk about how it feels to reward yourself for a job well done, not just at the end, but after every small victory. Celebrate the wins, big and small.
These are resources we’ve created for you and some of my favorite resources on goal setting.
100 Day Challenge Habit Checklist Planner and Questionnaire
100 Day Challenge Action Plan and Log Journal
Goal Setting Toolkit: Why Behavior Change Often Fails & How to Set the Right Goals for You
(I LOVE Mel Robbins, and this podcast is pure gold. Check it out to help you zero in on your goals for our 100 day challenge)
Goal Setting Tutorials on JGTV – I created a number of tutorials to help you better understand goal setting. Dive in.
See you next time. Keep going. We got this!
– John