If there were a time to make a change, the time is NOW! You owe it to yourself to make your health and well being a priority this year. I’ve assembled a team of Toronto’s top experts to help you reach your goals.
The Experts
Natalie Roy a Yoga Teacher & Meditation Therapist shares with us a guided meditation exclusively available to the 21 Day Challenge participants for personal meditation practice. A powerful tool for getting to know yourself & the self you wish to become.
The ladies of The Living Kitchen Sarah Grossman and Tamara Green, Chief Nutritionist, Creative Chef and Green Gardeners “inspiring health, vitality and healing through conscientious eating & loving good food” share 11 Tips For Eating Well and Feeling Great.
Susan Hobson Principle Performance Coach at Elite: High Performance Coaching whose mission is to help clients “Envision, Execute & Elevate!” Shares with us the steps to creating your Personal Roadmap to Success
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The 21 day challenge is FREE to take part in and was presented the first day of the new Body Conditioning by Dancers session, the challenge runs from the 2nd week of the session January 16th to February 26th. 6 weeks in length – the first 3 weeks (21 Days of the Challenge) being the most crucial time in committing to change.
In the 8th week of the session results and the winners will be announced. With many great prizes up for grabs, including 2, 8 week sessions of BCBD classes, one on one sessions from each of the experts and 5, 1 week unlimited passes from Moksha Yoga Uptown.
The challenge participants will be journaling and video blogging about their experience right HERE. Feel free to leave your comments and words of encouragement. I hope that the challenge inspires you.
To my ladies taking part in the 21 Day Challenge: Thank you for accepting the challenge, I look forward to your transformation.
LET THE CHALLENGE BEGIN…
21 Day Challenge Week One – Do You Accept The Challenge?
Tags: 21 Day Challenge, 21 Day Fitness Challenge, Body Conditioning by Dancers, Elite: High Performance Coaching, Eva Redpath, fitness tips, free fitness challenge, Green Gardeners toronto, Lee Anne Galloway, lifestyles blog, meditation practice, Meditation Therapist toronto, Moksha Yoga Uptown, Motivational Life Coach, natalie roy, new years resolutions, nutrition tips, Principle Performance Coach, resolutions into lifestyle changes, Roadmap to Success, Sarah Grossman, Susan Hobson, Tamara Green, The Living Kitchen, toronto nutritionist, toronto personal trainer, toronto women's fitness, womens fitness challenge, womens fitness expert
Toronto Womens Fitness Weblog 
January 17, 2011 at 10:27 am |
I accept the challenge! As my twenties come to an end, my life isn’t where I thought it would be 10 years ago. Even 5 years ago. I’m going to use this platform to help change a few bad habits which will hopefully help to bring me to where I want to be in life.
Over the past couple years, I have found out I have dietary restrictions which had been causing extreme bloating and weight gain. For the most part I follow what I should be eating, but I still find myself cheating and not eating as healthy and balanced as I should. Two of my goals in this area are to stop eating (or being totally honest, bingeing on) chocolate bars, and the other is to eat full balanced meals that follow my restrictions. Once I get my weight under control and feel better about my body, I think I will be in a happier place and get back into dating.
I have very low self esteem and self confidence which definitely hinders my work life. I work in a field where I have to sell my services and have a hard time booking clients. I am great at what I do, I just find it hard to convey that to potential clients in a meeting. Feeling better about myself and gaining confidence will have a great impact on getting new clients! My third goal is part of the motivational portion of the challenge is to start thinking more positively.
Looking forward to the changes that will come over the next 6 weeks!
January 17, 2011 at 12:18 pm |
I accept the challenge! I hope to make a few important changes over the next 21 days and beyond. I would like to cut out sugar as much as possible as that is my BIGGEST vice! I would also like to take my measurements now and then check them again in about 2 weeks, etc. to see how I’m doing. I’ve never done this before and I feel that I will be inspired to be healthier once I have some numbers to work with. I don’t feel the need to lose too much weight or anything, but inches would be nice! I will also do my best to stay away from cream in my coffee and use skim milk instead! Small changes, but I know it will make a big difference for me. I am overall a pretty healthy person so I would like to start here and see what I can accomplish over the next 6 weeks, and then keep it going as best I can. As for exercise, I will continue with BCBD twice a week and try to squeeze in one more day a week…maybe Yoga. That’s it for now!
January 17, 2011 at 2:49 pm |
My goal is to make 2011 as healthy as possible through not only exercise and eating right but focusing on and succeeding in my personal goals in both pleasure and work.
I’d like to stick with the best choices for food instead of staggering between healthy weeks and unhealthy months. I will continue with BCBD, yoga and dance (jazz and/or ballet) all once a week while hopefully allowing time for stretching and movement everyday.
Like Lindsay, I would also like to think more positively, especially about myself since I’ve been dealing with heart-break from a long-term relationship ending recently. Hence, focusing on me & my wants & needs & not getting caught up in sadness and loneliness.
Nothing but goodness can come of this challenge, therefore I accept!
January 17, 2011 at 8:09 pm |
Hi Everyone! I am accepting the challenge! Thank you Eva for providing us a platform! There are a few things that I can definitely improve on in my health and fitness. Below are the changes I want to make:
-I have a really bad habit of eating sweets right before bed…. It’s horrible. This change for me will be huge in how I feel when I wake up in the morning. In order to do this, I am going to start planning my meals better so that I do not crave sweets, and do not go to bed feeling hungry.
-I also want to incorporate a few of the “Top 11 Tips” such as lemon water in the morning, eating more greens, and avoiding dairy.
I have a few questions for anyone who has already incorporated these aspects into their lives.
-I don’t always keep fresh lemons at home, but I always have a bottle of that lemon juice stuff. There is no sugar or anything in it, is that a good alternative to put into water?
-Any recommendations on a “green” powder? What is the best product and is this something I can mix into a protein shake? How do they taste…?
-And about avoiding dairy, I already do this for the most part by having Almond milk in my coffee and shakes, but I have not yet cut out yogurt. I enjoy plain yogurt daily with fruit and nuts, and I am not sure what alternative I should switch to in order to avoid dairy products. Also, should I cut out goat cheese as well? Anyone’s insight on this would be helpful.
I have a few fitness changes I’d like to make. I have noticed that my posture needs improvement so I am going to work on that. I also want to follow a more effective program outside of BCBD and keep up 4-5 challenging workouts per week.
I would also like to pay attention to the concept of Limiting Beliefs. I know that I focus more on the things I want to change about my body and health vs the changes I have made that make me feel great. Mentally, I think this will help me stay more positive on this journey.
All of these things, I think, will help me set the bar for myself and I’ll slowly make these permanent changes in my lifestyle. Looking forward to the journey!
January 18, 2011 at 5:10 pm |
to SG
I do the lemon water in the morning (although I actually do hot water with lemon and a bit of cayanne pepper), I find it is best to have fresh lemons. I usually buy 3 at a time as they last awhile and the stores will sometimes do 3 for a $1. I slice a little piece off each morning and keep the rest in a little ziplock. (there are also cute containers at Solutions storage if you prefer those to bags)
I used to take Greens +, it’s a fairly well known brand and available at most stores including Walmart and Shoppers. I liked the tangerine flavour. I just drank it with water.
for dairy – goats cheese has less lactose, so it’s generally easier to digest. warning, I tried goats milk yogurt last weekend and it was BAD!
hope those tips/suggestions help 🙂
January 20, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Thanks Lindsay!!! that helped for sure!
January 17, 2011 at 10:34 pm |
Hi! I’m on a real healthy living and fitness path in 2011 and I write about it on my blog http://www.thespringblog.com. Right now I’m really into fascial stretch therapy – it works in concert with my strength training program to make me feel better than ever! I’d love for you to check out my post about it at http://www.thespringblog.com/?p=666. The fascial stretch therapist at CrossFit Quantum is running a promotion through my site and people can get a big discount on sessions there – your readers might be interested to know more about it. Just wanted to pass the info on.
Your blog is really great, and I love how it builds a community of support for women who want to get strong and lead happier, healthier lives. We all need help making it happen, right!?
– Catherine at The Spring
January 17, 2011 at 11:49 pm |
I gladly yet nervously accept this 21 day challenge!!
I am going to push myself in three different areas: My mind, my body and my soul. I know that basically sums up who you are but let me further explain.
1) My mind:
my mind is like an energizer bunny, it NEVER stops and therefore I struglle with sleeping at night. Sometimes, my better would say, I need to SLOW down when I talk and just breathe. So for my mind I will challenge myself to sit quietly for at least 5 -15 minutes each evening before bed. ( this, for those that know me, is a serious hurdle, one which I am very fearful of) I thought at first i would go big or go home and start off with 15 minutes but have you ever times yourself in silence for 5 full minutes.. If you are a social butterfly like me… i CHALLENGE you to try it.. 5 minutes can seem like a lifetime… imagine 15 minutes… wish me luck.
2)My Body: Where do I begin??? I will be very honest with you and let you know I have cheated myself recently by becoming lazy in my workouts. A few cramps , great no exercise for me… or my hips are tight and therefore I dont push myself in the stretching portion of Evas class..I used to be a dancer and now I can barely touch my toes. My challenge for my body will be to take Yoga ( never have before) and to push myself in every single class. Its easy to convince myself I am ill or that work takes precedence but after reading this 21 day booklet you begin to realize that in the long run you are only hurting yourself. Work will always be there but if you dont take care of your body now, you may not.
3) last but not least, My Soul: I LOVE food and my weakness is sweets… not chocolate but candy… I am going to give myself one cheat day a week and allow myself something sweet. Now I am also someone who if I have not had a treat in a while I will binge so that tomorrow there is not a treat in sight to taunt me. Portion control with the treats will be an interesting challenge for me. I also will try harder to eat healthy with more salads as meals versus load up on Carbs.
I really want to push my entire body. I want to get back into shape, sleep soundly because I also find sleep deprivation makes you bloat, and just treat my body well.
I am excited and I hope that at least I will be able to commit to all three of my goals.
Warm regards,
Talia
January 18, 2011 at 12:13 am |
I accept the challenge! This year belongs to me and my goal is to live a healthy life style; mentally, emotionally and physically. The 21 Day Challenge booklet is quit informational (Thanks Eva and your fabulous group of ladies to putting this together) I have learned a lot from it. The challenging and hardest for me is the motivational sector, it is making the first step in believing that I am worth somebody. Being confidence! This past week I have been trying to look in the mirror and telling myself how smart and beautiful I am but it did not work because voices in my head denies and disagree.
Eating healthy is also another challenge for me because like everyone else I love to EAT and most of the time I don’t eat healthy enough or chew my food 20-30 times. But I have to give myself credit for drinking 3 – 4 glasses of water daily (yes, pat on the back :D)
The easiest task is working out. Well, first I joined BCBD and 2nd I am still dancing Hip Hop, contemporary and jazz.
This challenge road will be interesting and I know by taking baby steps at the beginning will lead me to a new live style of tomorrow. Yes, 2011 belongs to me!
January 18, 2011 at 10:19 am |
I accept the challenge!! I have convinced myself that I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle, however, after reading the 21 day challenge booklet, I know that there is a lot I can and need to improve on. I hope that by making small but significant and long term changes that I will increase my overall self confidence, increase my strength and be more blanaced in every aspect of my life. For the next 6 weeks (and hopefully even after), I will exercise for at least 30 minutes every day (even if its just dancing in my living room), I will eat my meals more slowly, I will try to incorporate protein into every meal and I will work on changing my negative thoughts about myself into positive affirmations. I am excited to see how I can challenge my body and mind during the next 6 weeks and get on track for making 2011 a year of positive change for myself.
January 18, 2011 at 4:53 pm |
I accept the challenge. In fact, I used the 21 day challenge as my excuse to eat badly during the break, so I pretty much have to! Kidding aside however, I think this is a perfect way to start 2011. Thank you Eva, for putting this together for us. Also, a big thank you to the team of experts for helping us along the way.
I didn’t make a new years resolution for this year. I’m continuing with my goal from 2010: To be physically and spiritually well. I’m going through a transitional period and I don’t want to get distracted by little resolutions when I have such a large goal that I’m working toward.
I hope that by doing the challenge I’ll bring some much needed structure into my life, and make healthier lifestyle choices that will last.
3 goals that I have are:
1. To drink more water- I’m drinking a 16 oz jar of water when I first wake up, and plan to drink this amount at least 3 times throughout the day. This is difficult for me as I’m NEVER thirsty. In fact, I can go for an entire day on 1 glass of water. But I know this is unhealthy. So I really hope to make drinking a ton of water something I do everyday- no matter how many times I have to pee!
2. To be more active- Other than BCBD I don’t do much. I’m very lazy, and an “indoor cat”. I’m going to make some changes to my daily life that will result in my being more active. For starters, I’m going to wear my wrist and ankle weights around the house everyday. There are 3 floors at my place and I plan to walk up and down the stairs as often as possible. Outside of the house I’m going to walk to the next bus stop if my bus is not there immediately. I’m also going to take the stairs instead of escalators and elevators. Finally, I’m going to do 30 minutes of wii fit 3 times a week. I think these are realistic goals and will make a difference in my fitness level as long as I remember to do them.
3. Make a daily schedule- I need some type of structure. I want to start formally planning my days, allotting specific activities to different time slots. I think this will help me combat my procrastination tendencies. This will probably be the hardest thing for me to stick to.
Finally, I want to put an end to self defeating behaviour. I tend to beat myself up if I don’t do something properly or I don’t get the intended result. I don’t like to be mean to myself so I simply stopped trying. (It took a year of introspective observations to admit this). I think I look for ways “out” before I get in too deep and potentially fail. Or I brush things aside when I should stand up for myself.
I’m going to stop doing this. I’ve already began taking steps in another direction. Today I negotiated the price of a job that was not done correctly- something I would have simply let go of in the past.
I have also decided to get back into entertainment, despite the fact I have little experience for somebody my age. I’m taking the necessary steps to make this happen and I’m anticipating a lot of rejection, but I’m ok with that and ready to make improvements in areas of weakness. Most importantly, i’m not going to simply say, “I don’t care” and give up.
I realize this is more that 3 things.
Good luck to everybody doing this challenge!
January 18, 2011 at 5:27 pm |
I accept the challenge! Thank you Eva and your amazing team of women for providing this.
My biggest motivation is the baby boy growing inside of me. Every step that I take, every bite of food I put in mouth, I think of how it will benefit him. Every kick I get from him – and they are quite the hefty kicks – is a reminder that the little things don’t matter. It is as though I have my own little Superman looking out for me 🙂
My goal for 2011 is to live a much healthier lifestyle – mentally, physically and emotionally. I want to be a better me for my baby boy.
At 6 (almost 7 months pregnant) I know that I have to be smart about my fitness regime. On top of BCBD, I made the decision to go ahead and do the second part of my Yoga teacher training. I had been undecided on whether I should just wait until after the baby is born, but I finally decided to go against what so many people are telling me – which is to just relax and take it easy – and finish it now. This way I will be that much further ahead in achieving my goal of making fitness my career. I will attend an additional 2-3 yoga classes a week, which I know will help inspire me in creating my own class. This is in addition to my walking to and from work daily. Once a week I want to continue my run training, so that post baby I can literally hit the ground running and get back into races.
I want to incorporate meditation on a daily basis. At the moment I work in an environment where I am surrounded by negative energy. It is quite common to hear people yelling at one another on a daily basis. I get slammed with a lot of work that I am good at, but don’t love. In the 2 years that I have worked here I have had an actual lunch break twice. Every day I eat my lunch at my desk while people constantly interrupt me. I want to be able to let all of the negative things that are said to me roll off my back. I also have a bad habit of worrying about things like “should I have said that?” or “are they mad at me?” Or even bigger than that, although I am married to the most amazing man on the planet, I worry “what if he just wakes up one day and wants something else?” I want to set aside time daily to quiet my mind, get rid of all the negative junk and reshape my thoughts into nothing but positivity.
2011 is going to be a good year. I never would have thought that getting pregnant would be the one thing to push me in the direction I want to go and start living the life I have always wanted. Thanks lil’ superman 🙂
Good luck to everyone!
January 18, 2011 at 5:43 pm |
I accept the challenge gleefully!
As not only a participant, but a teacher, it is so important that I show my support for this amazing initiative! I like to think I lead my classes, and my life by example. I am very careful with what and how I eat, how I take care of my body and my mind, and how I present myself to the world. I do however, like many, work…a lot..it is the nature of my profession, so I am going to WORK on…resting a little more. I get (almost) enough sleep, but I worry a lot, I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders, I clench my fists, I do not WORK at relaxing. I am going to attempt some meditation for the first time ever. I also have some specific health goals that I have already been achieving that I intend to continue on. I am very dedicated in terms of my body, I work out regularly 5-7 days a week, I will keep on track with that and will continue my above goals, and I have a few small “secret personal” goals that I have committed to myself to be successful at. I will be updating as I go! Good luck to everyone on the challenge!!!
January 19, 2011 at 2:58 pm |
I accept the 21 day challenge.
Last year my goal was to reduce my stress level, and so I broke up with my job and found a new one that respected my work/life balance and watched as my stress magically disappeared.
This year my goal is to get healthier, so when Eva presented the 21 day challenge I knew it was time to get crackin’.
As a former devotee to the church of junk food, I recognize that my past devotion while seemingly consequence free in my twenties has had a negative effect on my health and well being in my thirties.
I already am very active, walking a minimum of 2.5 miles a day and doing 30 minutes of strength training followed by at least 60 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week – but despite this my Achilles heel (aka Junk Food) always seems to negate all my hard work. On top of that I work in advertising and a large part of my job involves wining and dining clients, and wouldn’t you know it we get very few requests for dinners at Fresh or after work smoothies. I firmly believe it is beyond inhumane to try force oneself to enjoy a salad or steamed veggies while your companions dive into plates of hearty pasta or the city’s latest gourmet burger du jour; so I suppose my brain may need a refresher on the importance of restraint.
Also, I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but growing up in the ‘80’s has left me with an unnatural affinity for aspartame and as a result I am a (diet) coke addict. I have had a 2 a day habit for over 17 years, and anyone that knows me knows not to even try talking to me in the morning until I have a frosty can in my clutches. I know that it’s bad for me and that I need to make like the Olsen twins and “Cut it Out”, but I also know it’s going to be hard and I’m not looking forward to it.
And Yoga!…..Meditation! – yikes! I have been a firm and vocal non-believer in both for some time, so trying to find the love (or I would even say acceptance) is also going to be challenging, but I promise to try to keep a straight face and not roll my eyes. I suppose learning to do things at a slower pace might be good for me. Who knows, maybe I will learn to love it – I mean stranger things have happened right?
As a supplement to my already busy fitness regiment and the “teaspoon of medicine” to help the yoga go down, I have started to incorporate Pilates into my fitness routine a few times a week. I hope that this will start to get me interested in (or at least not loathing) yoga, plus I find Pilates allows me to zone out and stop my brain from sputtering about. I am hoping that this will help me get into the meditation groove, and out of the hectic, multitasking, always-on state of mind in which I currently reside.
To keep my motivation strong I will need to work on banishing my “limiting beliefs”, as I tend to be my own worst enemy/critic. After a year filled to the brim with negativity I am more than ready to start exterminate the “Gremlins”. 2011 is the year to Pimp my Resolve, and to start loving myself more by treating my body with the respect it deserves. This means silencing that nagging little voice that tells me I can’t do it or that I’m not good enough by reminding myself of all the amazing accomplishments I have already achieved and how they once too seemed impossible. Negative Nancy and bad News Betty are now both “Persona Non Grata” and have been removed from the V.I.P list to my life
And there it is in print, my lifestyle tweaks and works in progress as we begin the 21 day challenge, out there for the whole webiverse to see. Here’s to hoping this will keep me accountable and help me reach my goal of a Healthier 2011. Now let’s get this party started!
V.
January 20, 2011 at 12:04 pm |
HI I just wanted to make a suggestion that may help with the challenge you are facing in trying to eat healthy while dining with clients:
Eat before you get to the restaurant.
I like Stoufers Lean Cuisine when I need a hassle free tasty non fattening meal.
Most of the dishes have between 300-400 calories, which is great for a dinner. Shoppers drug mart puts them on special like once a month at $1.99. A great thing about these is that can taylor your meal to the genre of restaurant you are going to (not steak houses unfortunately)
Or cook something if that’s more your thing…
It’s really hard sticking to a diet plan at a restaurant. If your stomach is partially full stomach, the salad or steamed veggies might not be as offensive.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
January 19, 2011 at 3:10 pm |
I accept the challenge! I have been thinking long and hard about what goals I want to set out for myself during the next six weeks. I think I’ve finally decided on a few things.
1) No more coffee.
I really do love coffee. I love the taste, the culture surrounding it. I love coffee shops… But I also know that I feel better when I don’t have coffee. I know it plays with my mood and doesn’t actually help my fatigue. I also feel like I kind of depend on it to help me productive during the day but I don’t like having it as a crutch. Plus, all that extra sugar… and extra cost! It does add up in a lot of negative ways, so that’s it. I’d like to say no caffeine at all but I do think I might go for a green tea every now and then.
2) More water.
I need to drink more water. I always say I need to but don’t. The worst is probably when I’m at work as I can go through 8 hours and not drink a thing. So, my goal is to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
3) Meditation.
I want to do the guided meditation once a week throughout the challenge. We did a bit of meditation at school and I had mixed feelings about it… So I want to give it another go. Plus, any time I take to just slow down would be good!
4) Eating slower/More chewing!
I eat extremely fast. I always finish my meal faster than everyone I eat with… I definitely need to chew my food more and just take the time to really enjoy the food I’m eating.
5) Lemon water every morning.
I used to do this every day but stopped for whatever reason. So, it’s time to get going with it again.
Okay, so there are my 5 goals. I’m looking forward to seeing how the next 6 weeks go!
January 19, 2011 at 4:17 pm |
I accept the challenge! I am going to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to make a couple lifestyle changes that I have always wanted to incorporate into my life. I plan on using these 21 days to minimize my sugar (mainly chocolate!) intake and plan my meals in advance. My biggest fault is laziness and not taking the time to plan out my meals throughout the day, instead, I end up spending more money and making the wrong choices when in a rush to find something to eat during my busy days. I have recently decided to give up coffee, and replace this habbit with green or white tea. I plan on keeping this habit up and ensuring to consume caffine and alcohol in moderation!
Along with these changes, I am attending Eva’s class 3 times a week this session and attending at least one yoga class a week as well! I am excited for the challenge and looking forward to seeing the results! 🙂
January 19, 2011 at 7:04 pm |
I accept this 21 day challenge!
1) I would like to cook at home much more often and prepare meals that are healthy AND great tasting.
2) I will also drink “better fluids”….less “juice” (which, in some cases is better than pop, in many, I know it is just as bad for sugar content)….more water (much more water!)….and I’d like to find a tea that I like to aid in digestion, and drink that regularly too.
3) Learn to meditate effectively. My mind is as noisy as the next girls! I’d love to see if it’s even possible for me to quiet it down enough to let a single though develop from start to finish. I get lots of great ideas, but am usually on to the next one before the first one is done….then I “forget” half of them and am cruely left with that “feeling” that I had a great idea but can’t remember what it was.
4) Learn to practice Yoga. Partly a continuation of the previous goal, but also for the physical benefits of it….strength and increased flexibility.
5) I have sme changes to make personally and professionally so I’d like to really figure out how NOT to sabotage myself. That, I’m already good at, so I’d like to try something new. 🙂
So, that’s it for me….looking forward to taking advantage of this amazing opportunity to learn from the great line up of experts in this challenge!
P.S. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway….I REALLY want to get all the way through this session’s Push-Up track! That is ALWAYS a goal! lol!
January 20, 2011 at 12:51 am |
I accept the challenge!
The challenge that I have given myself is to add a healthy protean into every breakfast. Often, I wind up not eating enough protean and the result is a rotten attitude. I started the challenge on Thursday morning, and I have eaten eggs every morning since. Overall, I feel like I have more energy and focus. I am going to attempt to mix up my protean sources as the 21 days continue.
I am also going to add an hour of yoga every day into my schedule. Right now I am practicing about 2 times a week, and I can’t wait to see what will happen when I add to that.
Well, I had my first BCBD class of the New Year tonight, and I can already feel the beginnings of a painful tomorrow 🙂
January 20, 2011 at 7:44 pm |
I accept the challenge!
I for one want to thank Eva for offering this amazing opportunity!
The Challenge that I’m am taking on, is to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Generally, I am a healthy eater, but my goal is to implement consistency.
Here are my steps I will be taking:
1) Drink more water (Carry a bottle around with me everywhere I go)
2) Take my Vitamins (Take my vitamins twice a day)
3) Practice Yoga once a week- This will also help to minimize my stress and to help me focus on myself)
4) Taking the time to exercise 3 times a week( I want to feel and look great!)
5) No binging on chocolate:) -I will try to not eat any chocolate for these 21 days!
Wish me luck!
🙂
January 20, 2011 at 8:27 pm |
I accept the challenge!
Thank you experts for taking the time and effort to contribute. I read the booklet from cover to cover and know that this will be an invaluable resource for me during the next 6 weeks and onwards.
This past fall, I fell out of my routine of having supplements, having breakfast at home and bringing bagged lunches to work. I felt exhausted all the time (even though I had just come back from vacation) and indulged in treats (chips, chocolate, cake) regularly. I’d like to take this opportunity to get back on track and develop some new habits.
After outlining my goals – they were all over the place; I decided to organize it by category and used Coach Susan’s “Personal Roadmap to Success”.
My main goals will be:
Nutrition:
1) Get back to eating breakfast at home and having snacks so that I avoid the dizzy spells, over eating and sugar cravings.
2) Having enough water during the day and making sure to spread it throughout the day
3) Cooking most of my own meals and packing my lunch and snacks
4) Making note if I’m gravitating towards a certain food because of an emotional reason.
Fitness:
1) Incorporate daily abdominal exercises into my routine. I’m starting off with 3 sets of 12 reps of an activity and hope to increase it as I progress throughout the challenge.
Mind:
1) Incorporating meditation as part of the challenge, it is something I’ve always wanted to try but didn’t really know how to begin.
2) Working on discovering and confronting my limiting beliefs.
It’s been very exciting reading everyone’s posts – Good luck on your goals!
January 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm |
I accept the 21 Day Challenge.
I am very excited to start devoting time to living actively and healthy. Most people I meet think I take really good care of myself and my body. That in fact is not the case. I am very active but only at times my job and career encourages me to be. I do not eat well. I am the worst cook in the world and therefore I eat out A LOT. (I almost burnt down the kitchen the last time I tried to cook chicken- it’s a true story.) I am also a SUCKER for sweet treats and candy that I give myself as a reward for every single thing that I do well. For example, if I finish a paper or an exam I will get a big hot chocolate and a brownie as a reward for doing it. BAD!! Not good at all. So my goals are as follows;
1)The major change I want to incorporate is keeping a daily journal similar to the outline that is at the back of the booklet. I am really going to challenge myself to rate each day. I am finally going to start holding myself accountable for all those bad habits I have instilled in myself.
2)Watch what I am eating and make sure I am drinking the right amount of water. I want to add protein to every meal. I am also going to drink water when I wake up. AND eat breakfast! I never ever eat breakfast in the morning.
3)I am going to add a minimum of 20 min of exercise to my daily routine. On days where I only have school projects due or I have a day filled with classes, exercise takes a backseat. I think that adding these 20 minutes will help me to focus on my schoolwork more as well as help me release some stress from being so insanely busy.
So far…
So I have started with rating my days… They are really on the low side. I tried to make a balanced trail mix as a snack- I ate all the chocolate chips in the damn thing. Note to self; do not add chocolate of any kind.
I am drinking lemon water when I wake up. So much better than just a regular glass of water! I love citrus.
I still have to add exercise. My body has been tired and sore after doing a show and learning class but I need to hop back on the bandwagon.
Love all the comments already. Can’t wait to see where this challenge takes each and every one of you lovely, inspiring and talented ladies!
January 21, 2011 at 4:41 pm |
I accept the challenge!
The experts’ advice and input has been very timely and helpful.
After the holidays, I’ve haven’t been able to consistently get back to good eating habits and a regular workout routine.
So goal number one will be to have one cheat day rather than SEVEN! Similar to Eva’s January MMM video, I also like the idea of having a handful of, for example chips, in order to determine serving size.
I have been pursuing (and determined to do so) a full time career as an actor for a while. With all the naysayers and skeptics surrounding me on a regular basis, it’s been an upward battle. This past week, while working with my coaches, it’s been a realization that ultimately, it has been my own limiting beliefs that have held me back in conjunction with giving too much of my energy to others including those whose opinion should not be given that much weight/power in my life. Additionally, I’ve also become aware that I tend to hold my breath when under stressful situations, when I’m unsure, self-conscious, hold back, etc. When I exercise (especially cardio), sleeping (right when I wake up), singing, or laughing my breath is free. My own thoughts have been hindering my breathing!
I want to work on my mindset and limiting beliefs being one of I AM AND CAN rather than “this is why I can’t or I can’t because….”. That I’m strong, powerful now and am ready now for these opportunities. Where would I be if I truly believe this! (I googled Byron Katie and there’s a lot of interesting exercises online for those of your interested). It’s interesting (and true) that other people who know us see so much more potential in us than we do ourselves at times and alternatively, we see so much greatness in others than we do ourselves.
I can meditate minimum 30 min every night, write in a journal to record my thoughts/observations and congratulate myself/body throughout the day for accomplishments, even as simple breathing.
I’m happy to see so many of us participating.
It’s very encouraging and motivating for me to be in such good company 🙂
January 21, 2011 at 5:45 pm |
I tried doing the meditation today and found it difficult to stop thinking about my to do list and focus on listening to the words and picture what she was saying. I tried this mid-afternoon so I’m going to try it at a different time of the day but I’m wondering if anyone else has tried it and been successful. Does anyone have suggestions on being able to better complete the meditation?
January 28, 2011 at 1:47 pm |
Hi Karleigh,
Time of day is kind of trial and error. I find before bed works for me (but not too late), some ppl like morning meditation. Keep trying though and make it part of your day! 🙂 I’m just starting out myself. Are you signing up for Natalie’s workshops in Feb?
Ok so this is how i’m trying to do it:
I find breathing deeply…allowing your lungs to expand (feel your ribs and back expand) and let your lower abs gently push the air out. As for the mind racing, just accept it. If you fight it, it’ll just be a losing battle. I usually accept the thoughts and let them pass. And celebrate and congratulate (not lecture) yourself when you do get those quiet moments 🙂
hope that helps! 🙂
January 21, 2011 at 6:50 pm |
Well, today I had banana bread for breakfast, so I made a protean shake to have on the side. Yum!!! And, today was a beautiful day to practice. Mom and I opened all the windows, and before I knew it I had been stretching for 2 hours! I think she knew, but she didn’t tell me. Sneaky sneaky! =)
I agree Sabrina! It’s great to see how many people are devoted to change!
January 22, 2011 at 1:02 am |
I courageously accept this challenge!
I took part in BCBD’s 2010 21-day challenge and was able to accomplish my goal of not being able to run at all (without cramping and heaving)… to being able to run a 16km race in July. After that big race though, I lost motivation, went on vacation (a lot of over indulgence happened while I was away)… and before you know it Christmas rolls around, and all the healthy lifestyle habits I picked up earlier on in the year became a distant memory. I’m not a big fan of numbers like weight and inches, but it doesn’t feel great when your clothes begin to feel a bit snug and tight… My major weakness is the white stuff (you know what I’m talkin’ bout… the white sugar and white flour goodies… pastries, breads, etc)… I definitely feel the effects of these foods on my body… leaving me feel lethargic, less energetic, bloated and lazy… and craving more… a vicious cycle.
So I’d like to refocus my goal this time around to re-implement the healthy habits I had at the beginning of 2010. But this time, make sure these habits are sustainable… last time I think I was over obsessing about certain things and lost steam after I accomplished my big race. My goal is to be able to come to a place where I can treat myself sometimes without letting these goodies (cheese, bread, sweets) take control… to find a healthy relationship with these types of foods… (Hopefully, by finding this balance, the results will be that my clothes will fit nicely again… and, I want to FEEL great for my cousin’s wedding in June).
So, some of the steps I decided to take:
1) Limit caffeine intake by rotating green tea and coffee every other day (initially I was going to eliminate coffee all together and substitute green tea… but I figured I should take baby steps… my first “green tea” day was rough… I was cranky all morning… but I conquered the day… it’s getting easier as the week progresses… hopefully I will be able to wean myself off coffee for good by reducing my “coffee days” over the next few weeks.
2) Cut out dairy/white/refined/simple carbs for 21-days (hopefully this will stop the sugar cravings and help with controlling my portions)
3) Fit in 1 extra day of cardio or an activity that gets my heart rate up (ex. Running, skating, speed walking) aside from 2 classes a week of BCBD.
Good luck everyone! All the best!
January 22, 2011 at 4:22 am |
I accept the challenge!!!
I’m very excited to start this journey toward living a healthy lifestyle but I’m scared that I won’t be able to maintain the momentum to reach my goals. My skepticism comes from the fact that I have been holding onto a pair of pants for a few years now in hopes that I will be able to fit into them again. As you have probably guessed, I still don’t fit into those pants. At this rate, my pants will likely be out of style by the time I can fit into them again, if ever. I discovered a very cruel reality as I got older. I realized that my body is not as forgiving as it used to be. I’m not able to eat what I want when I want without having to suffer the consequences (i.e. weight gain, feeling sluggish and horrible). I used to look in the mirror and think “you look pretty damn good”, now I look in the mirror and think “Yikes, do I need to save up for liposuction”. I’m very grateful that Eva and her team of experts have developed this 21 Day Challenge. I’m hoping that this will get me back on track to fitting into those pants and feeling like a million bucks 🙂
I have used Coach Susan’s “Personal Roadmap to Success” as a framework for outlining my goals. I will allow myself two cheat days per week, keep a log of what I eat and take measurements weekly.
Outcome Goal Statement:
1. Lose fat and gain lean muscle mass so I can feel sexier and more confident. Participant in more physical activity during the week and instill better sleeping habits so that I have more energy during the day in order to be more productive and effective at work. Overall, look and feel healthier and happier.
Week One Fitness Process Goals:
1. Participate in Eva’s BCBD classes twice a week
2. Attend another fitness class at least twice a week
Week One Nutrition Process Goals:
1. Eat protein at every meal
2. Eat dark greens every day
3. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
4. Drink lemon water at least three times a week
Week One Mind Process Goal:
1. Identify one of my limiting beliefs and start to work on crushing it.
2. Incorporate meditation at least once a week.
Ladies – I wish you all the best on your journey to reaching your goals. Fingers crossed that this 21 Day Challenge will get me one step closer to fitting into those pants 🙂
January 22, 2011 at 12:43 pm |
So, eating protean every morning is getting more difficult for me. As a solution, I am going to mix it up tomorrow. I am going to buy some soy breakfast sausages. I’ve had them before, and they’re really good. Oh, and this morning I had oatmeal and a protean shake. Yum!
As for the yoga challenge, I am going to a yoga class tonight at 7. Going to a yoga class at 7 on a Saturday night is not something I would normally do without the challenge. It’s going to be an interesting crowd too, because it’s yoga to candle light and live music. I’m really looking forward to the practice!
Ps. Does anyone else find that the focus on changing a couple of things has filtered out to other areas? Hmmmmm… Who would have thought that conscious living is effective? 😉
January 28, 2011 at 1:51 pm |
Yes, I agree. There’s been a shift for me too especially with the rephrasing of my belief system. Commitment and consistency is key though.
January 23, 2011 at 6:55 pm |
I accept the challenge!
Overall, I have ambitious life goals, but I’ve realised that I need to live a healthier lifestyle to achieve them. One of the main challenges for me is stress. I’ve discovered a large part of that is caused to two things: not getting enough rest, and being too plugged in. I also think I create more stress by being hard on myself when I do something I shouldn’t be, or slack off. Signing up for BCBD was the first part of a challenge I set for myself way back last summer. I’m proud to say I’m sticking with it, and am looking forward to incorporating some more changes into my lifestyle. By putting these down on paper, I’m committing myself to:
– have a glass of water with lemon every morning (started doing this already and I must say I love it).
– make sure to take my vitamins every day (I have slacked off recently)
– eat breakfast every day.
– drink more water during the day (having a desk job, I sometimes forget this one)
– meditate once a week: my mother has incorporated this into her lifestyle and I know how much of a difference it can make.
– get more in touch with what my limiting beliefs are and eliminate them (this probably will result in adding a couple more goals to the list)
– on top of my BCBD class, I’d like to add 2 more fitness sessions to my weekly schedule.
– UNPLUG for an hour everyday: no screens, no phones, no ipods.
– go to bed earlier: one of my biggest vices is being on my computer and stretching out the time I actually get to sleep. I’m going to try and give myself a computer curfew of 11. (I know this is going to be one of the hardest part of the challenge).
– reduce my use of the snooze button to 15 minutes – I’ve developed a bad habit of not making myself get up on time. I sincerely believe that focusing on getting my day going will energize me.
I believe the goals I’ve set will help living a more balanced and calm life, and be ready to attack all the things I’d like to achieve. Some of these are small, but all together I’m confident they will make a big difference. Thank you for putting us up to the challenge Eva: it’s great to know that a whole bunch of us ladies will be working together! All the best, C.
January 26, 2011 at 1:44 am |
Hi everyone!! 🙂
So, I have been out of Eva’s class for about six months now(wow!), since I moved to LA, but I still get the monthly updates and when I heard it was time for the 21-Day Challenge again, it got me to thinking. I did the challenge last year and had really great results from it that I managed to maintain for quite awhile. Since I moved out here I’ve really been missing the structure that I had in Toronto as well as the support group I had around me there. I am slowly making friends here and feeling more settled but I still have a lot of days where I am lonely and really miss my friends and family who are so far away. On days like this, I eat. When I do something good and want to reward myself, I eat. When I’m bored, I eat. When I feel bad for myself, I eat. You see the pattern. Food is one of my greatest loves in the world and I also happen to have an extremely large appetite and I loooove carbs. Mmmm….carbs….
Anyway….
I’ve gotten into a good exercise routine here although I’m still really missing BCBD, there’s just nothing like it! However even though I am exercising a lot, I am not seeing a lot of results and I know for a fact it is because of my diet.
I felt very comfortable and in-control in my life in Toronto and I don’t yet out here which is difficult. Plus, it’s much easier to get disheartened without my regular support system around me. I know that accepting this challenge and taking control of my eating and health habits will really help me to feel better about myself and my situation here.
SO, even though I am 4000km away and not currently taking class with you, I’ve decided to do the challenge on my own here. I started yesterday and so far so good. I’m journaling every day nd keeping track of my progress. I came online today and read all of your journal entries and it made me feel even better about doing it, there’s so much positivity!! I’m going to keep reading all of the updates so that I feel like I’m doing it with you all lol. Such a dork….
Best of luck to all of you lovely ladies, I miss taking class with you!! And Eva, thanks for continuing to keep me in the loop and for being such a positive and encouraging role model even while I’m on the other side of the continent! You are amazing.
All the best!
Marlee 🙂
January 27, 2011 at 9:07 pm |
Hi Marlee!
I’m so glad you’re doing the challenge with us! You’ve always been the person that has helped me through challenges I have faced in my life. SO… This is a huge challenge- I’m having trouble sticking to writing in my journal- and I know you kept a journal last year and you were very good at it. Any suggestions? Also, I’m wondering if you could be my ’email’ accountability partner. That way we can keep in touch and help each other out. What do you think?
Wishing you all the best with the challenge!!!
January 26, 2011 at 12:11 pm |
hi Everyone,
I’m not participating in this challenge, but I just read through all the comments and it sounds like everyone is off to a great start!! I will be back in class this summer, after my little prince or princess is here and I can’t wait!! I look forward to the next challenge Eva gives us!! Keep it up ladies!!
January 28, 2011 at 2:27 pm |
Ok, so this week has been a bit of a challenge. Similar to Marlee (hi! we miss you 🙂 I’ve been turning to my beloved cookie and chips when I get stressed or am procrastinating or have to stay up really late and want to stay awake. Does anyone have a healthy remedy for that? Actors spend a lot of late nights with their scripts 🙂 So, I had 5 cheat days this week instead of 1. That’s progress (yeah!) from where I was over the holidays, it’s not yet where I would like to be…so onwards and upwards! 🙂
As for the limiting beliefs, i’ve kept a regular journal now for 2 weeks. I write in the morning before starting my day. It’s been really helpful in putting my thoughts, feelings, revelations and ideas somewhere.
I haven’t reminded myself regularly of new belief system so that’s what i’d like to work on this week. I have been regularly meditating and reenergizing myself every night for 2 weeks. I haven’t kept a min of 30 min. I tried too late in the evening and was just too tired or it brought up a lot of thoughts/feelings I didn’t want to deal with so I backed off. But I stayed on those feelings last night and made some progress/revelations! 🙂
Agreed, it’s really motivating and inspiring reading everyone’s posts. Keep up the great work ladies! 🙂
January 30, 2011 at 11:58 am |
Before I get started on my goals and results of week 2 – I wanted to comment on the progress of my week 1 goals.
Week One Fitness Process Goal result – successful. I was able to participate in four fitness classes during the week. Plus, I opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator at work and at home.
Week One Nutrition Process Goal result – no successful. I was able to only meet two of the four. Drinking 8 glasses of water and drinking lemon in my water seems to be a challenge for me.
Week One Mind Process Goal result – not successful. I completely dropped the ball on incorporating meditation during week one. I think it’s because I’ve never done it before and I’m skeptical of how effective it will be…having to think about nothing but your own breathing during meditation will be a challenge for me.
I have carried forward all the goals I wasn’t able to meet in week one and have made them my focus for week two.
Week Two Fitness Process Goals:
1. Participate in Eva’s BCBD classes twice a week
2. Attend another fitness class at least twice a week
Week Two Nutrition Process Goals:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Week Two Mind Process Goal:
1. Incorporate meditation at least once a week.
Results of week two will be posted shortly…but I will say, week two has been very very hard…
January 30, 2011 at 7:39 pm |
Oki, so I had a somewhat successful this week.
In terms of my nutrition I was good all the way until friday when my roomates brought home chocolate covered almonds… and then Saturday night we had a party to celebrate my sister’s engagement party and I wasn’t so good there. Therefore, I can say that I wasn’t successful at resisting my cravings.
In terms of fitness, I did not do any Yoga or reach my three workout objective. I worked out twice and did the meditation once.
This week I will reach for 4 workouts and 2 meditations. I will try to only have 2 cheat meals/snacks.
Wish me luck!:)
February 4, 2011 at 5:24 pm |
Ok, so week 3 started off slow but is really shaping up.
I’ve been really commmitted to meditation and journalling. It’s been really helpful in reviewing daily accomplishments and giving me a time to congratulate myself. It also allows me to put to paper things i’d like to change and work towards. I actually have been sleeping better too and feel less stressed!
The snacking has tapered off given that i’ve changed my mindset on how I view eating chips/cookies. It tastes so good though but i know it robs me of my energy. I get a short kick and then I feel really tired. It kind of helps when i remind myself that. I usually snack in the evenings when I’m procratinating or bored or in front of the tv (and I usually have scene prep to do). So when I’m searching for that pick me up, I think twice before grabbing that cookie.
So for week 4, I want to do a minimum of 3 hours everyday for scene/voice work. And similar to Christina, I’m allowing myself 2 snacks/meals!
Onwards and upwards 🙂
February 25, 2011 at 6:07 pm |
The past couple of weeks have been interesting…there have been some definite shifts…especially in my beliefs and what is important. I’ve not only been eating cleaner but feeling better about myself and my career. I feel renewed. I also did a reiki and craniosacral session yesterday which was profound (it’s a mouthful but the experience is worth it). Dany Lyne was the practitioner and she did a phenomenal job. If anyone is interested please check her out at http://www.unleashyourpotential.net
I’ve continued journalling/meditation daily consistently and i’m starting to realize the art of not forcing an experience during meditation but accepting whatever happens. This has flowed into my regular life and life in general, is clearer.
I have enjoyed the 2 snack days too….an extra treat day has made the difference!
Next up, see what else shifts in my belief system and see if I can get in an extra workout a week (especially before the fundraiser on Sunday!)
Keep up the great work ladies! 🙂