Seven Day Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge

After a holiday season filled with ridiculously rich food, less movement and more shopping and wrapping of gifts moms are ready for some downtime and are ignoring that bathroom scale like a stack of bills on a Friday night. Suddenly our skinny jeans are skinnier and our energy levels are super depleted because we have been doing it all at an alarming rate.

I am sharing my seven-day fix for post-holiday humdrum. I encourage you to join me for this Seven Day Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge. This is going to be the simplest thing in the world to jumpstart your new year.

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New Year’s Fit Health Resolutions Fails

So many times we make insane promises at the start of the new year. Losing weight, becoming a 10k runner, learning six languages, paying off 50k in debt and we have the best of intentions. And if you are someone who can magically focus on these huge goals then I take my hat off and give you a little bow.

For most of us, we need short-term mini-goals to meet big dreamy, fantastical goals. Our health is a very important, awesome, super, fantastical goal. And one that we really do not want to fail. Learning six languages sounds awesome but we can’t travel the world to use those languages if we are not in good health.

Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge

Part of feeling good is making better choices. The Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge is basically taking what we normally do and just making a better choice.  There are three elements that can bring about positive change and they are intertwined and work really well when all three are moving together. Fit, Food, and Fun!

Fit – Move More -Get Some Sleep

Fit- Fit can mean many things but for our challenge purposes it will be simplified.

1. Get Good Sleep for awesome energy.
2. Move More

Sleep allows us the positive energetic spirit we need to make great choices.  It also is a big booster to help motivate busy moms to move more.

Getting in more movement each day, in turn, helps us to sleep better at night. Pretty simple! Right?  Moving more helps reduce stress! Exercise helps reduce stress!  The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, concluded that physical activity can protect against feelings of distress, defend against symptoms of anxiety, guard against depressive symptoms and enhance psychological well-being.

One of the best ways to move more is to schedule exercise in your day! Another spot on is to make choices to take stairs, short brisk walks at lunchtime, and a calming walk in the evening after supper!

So we can take strides on our Seven Day Challenge by choosing to get good rest and move more!

 

Food- Whole Foods

Food- Food in our challenge should be whole foods, less processed foods or none at all! 

Nothing fancy, just simple meals.  Sample menu: Chicken Breast, Green Salad with a teaspoon of olive, and side of fresh berries!

Following simple guidelines from the Whole 30 is an awesome method but to keep it simple just choose healthier foods, the less processed the better each day.  The goal for the seven days is to make better choices than you would normally make.  Here is a simple example: Skip the bun on your burger and the cheese, just go with a meat patty and the veggies and skip those fries!

Drink Water – Find a pretty glass flask to keep water in to drink during the day at your desk. Yes have that cup of coffee in the morning if that makes you happy, but save yourself some sugar crashing from the soda fountain and the juice bar by drinking water instead of these high sugar drinks throughout the day.

But hey, Flavor up that water with an orange slice or some berries!

Fun – Happiness Helps Your Health

Positive emotions can help you feel better! So chose some positive activities that bring you joy and do them daily! A hot bath, talking with a good friend, writing all your great accomplishments of the day in a journal, or scheduling that much-needed pedicure!

Sometimes busy moms find it incredibly difficult to carve out some happy time! But remember, if you are healthier, you will have more energy to get things done. That time saved is ready for you to take on some happy minutes just for you.

Example: 5 minutes can buy you some awesome downtime to listen to some of your favorite music and maybe get up and show the kids that you can ‘bust a move’. They might roll their eyes at your “vintage dance skills” but that is okay. Smile moms! Take a moment and remember what it was like to not have a care in the world and just dance your socks off!

Seven Day Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge

So, this is the Seven Day Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge and it is oh, so simple!  Shhh, it is so simple that your friends and family might get super jealous of that rested shimmer in your eyes, the glow from making healthy choices, and the zip in your step for carving out some fun time!

Take that first step! Make one better choice right now.

What will it be?

1. An apple and NOT that doughnut.
2. A walk instead of couch potato time.
3. Working a crossword puzzle in the sunshine will sipping Green Tea!

Ahhhh. It feels awesome to make great choices!

 

Seven Day Fit, Food, and Fun Challenge Summary

Don’t Forget

• Fit- Get Good Sleep, Move More
• Food- Whole Food, Skip Process, Reduce Sugar or Eliminate – Choose water over juice and soda.
  Remember, the rule is to make better choices than we did the day before.
• Fun – Schedule in Some Fun Time!

 

 

(Remember, do what you can and check with your doctor before changing your diet and/or fitness plan) Read Our Disclosure