The 21 Day Challenge was originally posted by Katrina, from an EDiets forum. (Thanks, Katrina! ) This thread is based on that idea, but is more generic: YOU decide what behavior you want to focus on (you might want to follow WW or some variation, or may just want to commit to a certain amount of exercise -- whatever behavior you would like to make a habit) and commit to that for 21 Days. Then you might continue on for another block of the same, or you may want to add another behavior. The idea is that it tales 21 days to form a new habit. Sometimes it takes a lot of starts before you get through the first block of 21 days but if you persevere, you WILL make it. And it gets much easier as you go along, until - YES! - healthy behavior becomes a habit!

21 DAY CHALLENGE

1. Your 21 days must be CONSECUTIVE days! That is the whole point in forming new habits.

2. This works on the "honor" system...no one will monitor you...if you "mess-up", you are only cheating yourself by not beginning again! The importance behind this challenge is to have 21 consecutive days of self control!!

3. What do the numbers mean that you see by peoples' names?? They stand for DAY/POUNDS LOST/BLOCK. 1/0/1 is Day 1, 0 pounds lost, Block 1.

4. Once you have finished block #1 (the first 21 days) you will progress to block #2...

5. For each block, you should state your rules and follow them for 21 days... repeat this as many times as necessary until you are at your goal. Your rules may be as specific or vague as you want: for example, I've considered just at the end of each day, asking myself whether my behavior would lead to better health (and weightloss) and counting myself on track if it did. Or you can stipulate as many rules as you'd like - if you want to change your plan, simply start over with a new Day 1.


Good luck to you as you complete your journey! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It all starts with a single step... and following with a new one each day!!

Alrighty, then! Thanks for getting us started, Arabella!

My 21-day challenge:

1. Eat breakfast, before my 1pm lunch break.
2. Water!
3. Some form of intentional exercise every day.

May add to this, but that'll get me started.

I'm still pondering too, but I want to do calorie cycling. For example. keep the calories rather low for a few days, then cycle higher and repeat. Also, I need to add intensity to my workouts. At this point, I'm going for some weight loss to become leaner.

I'll be posting my food journal if that's okay. Anybody want to join me in doing that?

Coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
2 veg. 'sausage' patties
apple

Smoothie [soy milk, mocha whey protein, banana, flax seeds]

1 sprouted grain tortilla
1/2 cup scrambled egg sub w/ ff cheese
steamed brocolli
peach

4 tbsp. humuus w/ cucumber sticks

Big Salad [spring mix. vegs, veg. 'beef' strips, corn salsa]

peach
10 cherries

Water: 8 glasses
fruit/vegs: 11 servings
exercise: 25 min. upper body weights
1 mile AM walk in the park
CALORIES: 1255

Coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2
2 scrambled egg sub. w/ ff cheese
1 veg. 'sausage'
peach

soymilk w/ banana, choc. whey protein, flax

1 oz. almonds
peach

Big Salad [spring mix, vegs, soy 'beef' strips, salsa]

cherries [2 serv]
Sprouted grain tortilla w/ soy cheese, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, onion, mustard

1/2 cup decaf. coffee w/ ff 1/2 and 1/2

water: 9 glasses
fruit/ vegs: 9 servings
calories: 1300

exercise: 2 miles treadmill

One more thing----thanks for starting the new thread, Arabella. You're a peach!

I did post yesterday but it seems to have been lost. No matter - I was basically just promising to set a goal and come back.

I'm on a string of 3 good (not perfect) days. Hooray! However I am going to set ONLY one goal for the challenge. That's my fluids. I need to have a minimum of 64 oz and that will be my goal. I'd like to do more but that's the minimum. I'll be working on other things but want to accomplish one solid thing to encourage me. Water/fluids have been my sore spot lately (well, one of many) so that's my first target.

That's the good attitude re taxes, Arabella. So many things happen - we cannot get out of sorts (except for a minimum initial reaction) for a long time. I'm just waiting to hear on some things and will deal when I have to. Decided to take a different course of action on most recent annoyance - I think it will work out that way (fingers crossed). Started course of action on other problem, am waiting for reaction. Minimal chance it will fly but have possible next step thought out if it doesn't. Working on yet another step or two the next two days. Neither should be a big problem (famous last words).

Good luck with auditors, Wildfire. Know it's a testy time. Remember they do have people who love them too so they can't be all bad

Tai chi'd yesterday; out to dinner w/acquaintances last night. Today, pool. So should be my fourth straight day of satisfactory exercise.

Sun coming out after lots of early morning storms. To be hot, I hear. Good - lots of water will be easier.

Ta ta.

Oops, just noticed my yesterday post was on the OTHER thread. So the cyber deities were not after me.

Hey, count me in! I've been away from 3fc for a while and have truly missed it! Arabella was kind enough to lure me back and as I told her, it couldn't have been at a more opportune moment...I'm jumping on the WW bandwagon again, tonight, at my gym. Looking forward to getting back in the swing of things here. I see some familiar faces here. It's good to be back!

I will ponder and post my goals later...

Thanks again, Arabella!

I like this challenge. I just set a goal to loose 30 pounds by September 30th. I also like the idea of keeping up with a 21 day challenge.

My goals are:

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.
2. Do at least 30 minutes of some type of exercise a day.
3. Do my core/crunch workout everyday (I am an apple shape...)
4. Only have one sweet thing a day (I am already doing this)
5. Stay on my eating plan of 1200-1500 calories.

Here goes...

thanks for starting the challenge, arabella!

my 21 day challenge begins today!
-drink more water.
-continue with regular daily exercise program
-meditation daily
-continue with 1200-1400cals/day
-use my food journal daily