Chasing Joy With a Weight Loss & Healthy Eating Challenge

My “before” photos.

Guess who has two thumbs, writes a blog, and joined a weight loss & healthy eating challenge. That’s right this girl!

Today is day 1 of a July healthy eating & weight loss challenge that I joined via a Facebook group. The challenge is actually using the methods of the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody including the Shakeology. This is so not something I would normally do, LOL. However, I was inspired by my friend who show some awesome results for the month of June. So I decided to join her in July.

Okay guys so my weight has been an issue for me since I was about 11 or 12 years old. I think I was overweight even before that, but sixth grade was the first time I remember being made fun of about my weight and becoming very conscious of it. This is been an ongoing battle of the bulge. Needless to say I have tried many many many different diets. Some of them worked short term but thus far nothing has worked permanently.

A few years back I decided to stop dieting and to only try things that would help me to make permanent lifestyle changes that would lead to permanent results. So, that is how I am approaching this challenge.

The basic premise of this challenge is to begin making lifestyle changes by developing the habit of eating healthy foods, meal prepping, drinking lots of water, and exercising regularly over the next 21 days.

Hopefully you guys follow me on Instagram and Facebook. If you do then you know that I’m already pretty good at the regular exercise. I consistently go to the gym, go for a long walk outside, or workout at home on average 3 to 4 times per week for at least 30 minutes. So I’m pretty good in that area. Where I struggle is with my eating habits.

What I like about this challenge so far is that its focus is 80% diet and it 20% Fitness. Additionally the challenge requires us to be supportive of one another and to focus on changing our mentality. This is exactly what I need.

In the past when I’ve tried to change my diet I have been unsuccessful. I have been able to make short-term changes but not able to stick with them long term. I think this is because I have not yet got to the point where I changed my mentality. So I’m excited that this challenge also focuses on that.

I shared this on social media so I’ll share it here as well. In the spirit of honesty and transparency I have to tell you that I have struggled to stick with meal plans. In the past I have given in to cravings, struggled with portions, and then given up. With this challenge before we began the healthy eating, exercise, or meal prep parts we had to share with the group our why, meaning our reason for joining the challenge. We also had to share what excuses we have used in the past.

Answering these questions has been helpful for me. I used my answers to come up with a positive self-talk affirmation. I text the affirmation to myself everyday and read it out loud to help me stay focused. My hope is this positive self-talk will help me to stick to this plan where I have failed others. While I won’t share my affirmation because that’s personal for me I will share that part of my why is to go into my next frozen embryo transfer as healthy and at the healthiest weight I can.

So guys be ready to see more of my food and meal plans than you have seen me post before. I’ll be sharing them on my Instagram and Facebook and Twitter. I will also be updating here on the blog. I think I’m also going to develop some SMART goals to help me with this challenge as well so stay tuned for that and lots of food photos.

Getting to a healthy weight and being healthy to get pregnant and stay pregnant is definitely part of how I am Chasing Joy. I’m going to need you guys for support. Thanks in advance.