In the past I have written New Year’s Goals more so than New Year’s Resolutions. It’s not that I am against resolutions, goals just sit better with me. Whether planning an assignment in school, an agenda for a meeting, a business or life plan, I have always looked at planning as a guideline open to revision. I set a goal, make a plan with activities to reach the goal. The activities and the end goal are adjusted as needed, redefined or scrapped altogether with a new goal in mind.
This year I have not had time yet to sit down and make goals or a plan for the year. It will happen, most likely later this month. I was intrigued by a message I received from a friend on Facebook. She was wondering if I was joining a 30 Day program she had seen, Danette May’s 30 Day Challenge. I responded that I had not seen the challenge but I have done a few of Danette’s workouts. I searched it up and took a look at the plan.
Like many plans you have seen on the internet (formerly called the World Wide Web), it includes 30 days of workouts, a meal plan, and recipes. By paying a small fee you have access to all of these direct to your email inbox. Additionally you have a private Facebook page, for you and the other several thousand women participating, as well as, several mentors there to moderate and motivate. Mainly I was looking for a new 30 day workout plan. I love the workouts I have been doing (21 Day Fix, Jillian’s workout DVD’s and Danette’s Ab Blaster), but I always look to change them up when possible. For my sanity and because I hear it is good for your body as well.
I decided to participate, signed up and paid the fee. Within minutes I had an email welcoming me to the program and inviting me to join the private Facebook page. I did. My excitement popped as I scrolled through a few of the posts. Many women were already posting they had chosen to begin before the initial start date of January 7th, due to work schedules and such. While that wasn’t the pin in my balloon, it did cause a hitch in my step. I scrolled a little more only to find complaints, whines, and quite honestly bitching and moaning.
Mind you, these were women on Day 1, 2 or 3 of the Detox, all of which are drinking a concoction they deem at times unbearable, while eating nothing else. If that wasn’t bad enough, their descriptions of needing to pee every few minutes due to the gallon of water they are taking in, would make anyone wonder how you can do this while working. As much as I wanted to sympathize (I say that because I imagine you expect me to), truthfully I was annoyed with their whining. What did you think when you read: Day 1 Drink 8 oz water with the juice of one half of a lemon, 1 tsp of organic apple cider vinegar and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Breakfast – Smoothie with plain Greek yogurt, spinach, water, berries and chia seeds. Lunch – Smoothie with Coconut water, lime juice, cucumber, pineapple and coconut oil. Follow that up with the apple cider vinegar (ACV) elixir in an hour. You get the idea.
It’s a 3-Day mostly liquid diet that is meant to purge your system! Not to mention you will NOT be drinking your morning latte (could have pulled out one of those never ending descriptions often used in movies or stand up comedy routines), nor are you grabbing a snack on the go from the Costco food court. I would expect a shock to my system for one, to spend a large amount of time in the bathroom, and low energy would make complete sense. The part causing me to second guess my plan to participate was the claims if not keeping some of the elixir down and the inability to find ingredients coupled with the time it was taking to make the smoothies 3 times a day. Now I know why some people just order juices delivered to their door (for much more money).
Thoughts of giving up before I had even begun swirled around in my brain. Then I pulled on my pants and sucked in my albeit not that large belly in order to button them, and determined I would do it! I like my clothes. I want them to fit. And I don’t want a muffin top. I quickly searched for 2 of the most difficult items it seemed for participants to find locally and ordered them on Amazon. Before I could change my mind I hit Place My Order for Cacao powder and nibs (I should add, I was sitting in my car, not even home yet from a strip away, and I had not as of yet read the entire program. I know, crazy!).
I have now printed out the 30 day program, placed the pages in a binder, reviewed and checked off the items I have in my cupboards (or are coming from Amazon tomorrow) and I am not prepared to make a grocery list for the remaining items. Reading through the 3 meals and 2 snacks a day my inner voice kept me going with plenty of encouragement, “You got this!”, “That doesn’t sound too bad”, “You have had a colonoscopy girl, this is going to be a piece of cake!”, and so on. Feeling pretty optimistic I headed downstairs binder in hand. It wasn’t until Tom asked what I was doing, that it dawned on me, “How was I going to do this while maintaining regular dinners for my family?”
Silence.
Hmmm……. the inner me stepped up to the plate again. “Hold on girl, you have plenty of frozen leftovers in the fridge. Tom is an easy going kind of guy who will eat pretty much anything you make (as long as it isn’t fish). And Michael, well he will eat a hot dog or grilled cheese every day if you let him.” I nodded in agreement and opened the freezer to take stock. Plenty of meals to last for the 3 days that I would be eating nothing more than ACV (apple cider vinegar) and smoothies. With a lighter step I walked over and checked out the meals for days 4 and on. I could say enhancing them a little for Tom while maintaining the integrity of the 30 Day Plan for me.
I think I can do this. I know I can try.
So, starting Monday I will be on a 3 Day Cleanse and hopefully will continue for the full 30 day program (with little or no alterations). I shared the idea with a few girlfriends who were over today for our annual Holiday gift exchange and happy hour. Kelly suggested I blog about it. Just know, I will give the good, the bad, and quite possibly, the shitty when it comes to the cleanse and the program.
Leave your questions in the comments. I’ll do my best to answer them, most likely in the next days blog post.
