About two years back there was this program released that promised to change your life in 21 days. Maybe you have heard of it, maybe not... At that time I was in a bad place in my life, 200 pounds overweight, depressed, addicted to food, and mad at the world, and all I knew is I needed to do something. The infomercial and people online kept saying, "it's only 21 days," and "anyone can do it." So I did what any desperately overweight woman who has tried everything out there would do. I found a local coach I had know for years and ordered it. Guess what... like every other diet I went all out hard core and I FAILED within the first week and I was so mad because they made it look so easy!
So how did I end up losing 100 pounds if I failed? Well, I decided to strap on my boots and give this a real shot. I started researching diets and foods to avoid while trying to lose weight. I took the 21-day book and really sat down and read it. I educated myself. I started doing 30-minute workouts, 3-6 days a week. I started to use these little containers provided by this program, to measure my foods, but not "by the book." I cheated my way through it. I followed my bracket, but if I wanted white rice I had it and stuffed it into my little yellow cup. If I wanted chips, I did the same thing. If I am still hungry at the end of the day I eat another green, and sometimes even a red (veggies and protein). I just try my very hardest to make better choices and learn what the 21-day fix is really teaching people. How to control how much we are eating, what we eat matters, that being active is important, and that if you make better choices you will feel better.
I have never "officially" completed a 21-day challenge from beginning to end. I also am not saying this will be everyone's saving grace, but if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose cheating your way through learning may just be right for you. Not everyone can follow a strict food program. Food is my addiction and I had to learn to live with it. If I had just given up, if I had kept trying to follow the strict rules of a diet instead of listening to my body, I wouldn't be 100 pounds lighter, four months pregnant, and kicking my depression's butt into the ground.
