You've officially begun the
TIGHT BODY 30 DAY CHALLENGE!
TIGHT BODY 30 DAY CHALLENGE!
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
Are you excited? Hesitant? Feeling vulnerable? Supercharged? Scared? A mixture of all?
STRESS AND COPING
As you go through the next 30 Days of the CHALLENGE, you will be required to carry on your life, as usual. This means you will have to deal with, and face many stressors along the way. Stressors are typically the people places, and things that SET YOU OFF, as in off your course of desires, and onto coping mechanisms, which previously have led you OFF course in regards to your health and fitness goals, as most people turn to food and beverage as the number one coping mechanism.
WHAT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND / KNOW TO KEEP IN MIND THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 30 DAYS!
When you're having stressful times, or any event or situation which throws you into a 'coping' situation, you MUST have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Many times people turn to food as a comfort. If this is the case for you, your assignment today is to find three new ways of coping, and three new ways to find comfort. I can almost guarantee you, you will have to come out of your comfort zone. I told you, each day would surely bring with it a 'test', just for you. Take charge. Believe in yourself, and conquer. You shall be all the stronger.
GROCERY STORES
Grocery stores are a great blessing, you just need to know the 'system', and work it to your advantage. As you already know, never shop when you're hungry. When you enter a grocery store, understand the store in and of itself is set up for MARKETING, NOT YOUR HEALTH! The manufactures and producers of these man-made concoctions could care less about your weight, your health, your family, your blood sugar, diabetes, cancer, or anything else. The ONLY thing that matters to them is THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR! Your dollar. So, please, spend wisely. Manufacturers of junk foods WANT us to eat more of their garbage, because they're competing with one another for our money, and loyalty. Some will even go so far as to add addictive substances to MAKE us want to keep coming back. They exploit people's weaknesses.
Think about how sugar laden, and salt laden these products are, and the health damaging effects derived from them. IT'S A FACT. Junk food is sold everywhere. Take inventory yourself, what do you see? What do you think about restaurants? What about portions at restaurants? Do you realize a 'typical' meal now consists of 1,500-2,000 calories? That's a whole days worth of calories for most people. Throw in a slice of innocent looking cheesecake and your looking at another 1,500-2,000 calories not to mention nearly 59 grams of fat alone in the cheesecake. That's about 3 days worth of fat, and it's a poor fat choice at that.
YOU'RE NOT MISSING OUT ON ANYTHING!
In fact, when you enter a store during the next 30 days, enter it on the defensive, as these so called 'foods' will steal your money AND your health, LOOK OUT! Be suspicious. Go in 'Armed and Ready', this means, have your grocery list in hand, and get only what's on your list, period. Being 'Ready', means being ready to say "No Thanks', if a sample person offers you a piece of their product. See it for what it is.
Sometimes I think there's as much politics going on with our local food supplies, as there is on Capitol Hill. Think about it. Television commercials show everyone having such a great time partaking, it's a joyous occasion, for everyone. Ditto movie theaters, magazine ads, vending machines, and corner stores. All targeting both children and adults alike. I think they'd have a different outcome if they were to show the flip side of such regular eating habits: Parents in doctors offices with their kids, treatment centers, and for good measure, throw in a handful of commercials showing arterial plaque on arteries, that would really juice business up, wouldn't it? All that garbage food ends up destroying vital body parts slowly but surely, which keeps doctors busy, pharmaceutical companies busy, surgeons busy, and many other institutions, alive and thriving, off of the 'Beast' that deceived us to begin with.
The CHALLENGE is an opportunity to make your weakness your strength. I promise you, as you stay committed day after day for 30 Days, you will be a much stronger person in every aspect of your life.
YOUR HARD WORK WILL PAY YOU BACK 100 FOLD
Great article Jill! I've always hated going grocery shopping. This is one of my stress triggers. I even get panic attacks in the parking lot before I go in. I think it's because I feel as though I am being set up for failure every time I go in. I feel like I am in a combat zone dodging incoming fire. Don't get me wrong I am pretty good at avoiding trash food but I sometimes feel I am being left out of the party if you know what I mean. I think you brought up a good point in your article that we need to understand that "the store in and of itself is set up for MARKETING, NOT OUR HEALTH!" Changing the way we think of grocery stores is a great step in the right direction. Next time I'm stressed in a grocery store I WILL be ready with my Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Thanks Jill!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Jacqueline. I know there are hundreds of people taking the CHALLENGE, however, it's not always easy to come forth with what bothers us. For some, it's easy to talk about their CHALLENGE, for others it's a private matter, and yet others consider their CHALLENGE outright embarrassing because they've struggled with it for many, many years. I'm so happy you're taking the 30 DAY CHALLENGE! Let's do this, shall we? Day 1 is going great! Be strong. Stay strong. You can't go wrong.
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