After witnessing the success of the 21-Day Revolution group in November, I decided I would attempt mine on my own during December.

Recent weeks of eating a fair amount of sugary foods was starting to take its toll physically and mentally so I knew I needed to kick the habit and start my re-fresh ASAP!

On Sunday 9th December, I selected my items to give up: alcohol, takeaways, chocolate, sweets, cakes and biscuits. Some may say eradicating these food items and alcohol at such a time (Christmas), is slightly mad however for me to give this 100%, it was the only way!

So the burning question….how did it go?!

Days 1-7 - Challenging!

Monday 10th December arrived and I was READY!! I pre-planned my meals for the day and prepared my snacks in advance so I did not have to worry about anything else in the cupboard. Having loved ones who was still eating the foods I had chosen to give up was something I hadn’t really factored in to my positivity plan, however overall, it was a good day and I got to bed time happy that I had stuck to the plan.

Days 2-7 were very testing and the positivity from Day 1 dwindled as the week progressed. Each day I craved what I had taken away and I noticed early on, I was feeling sluggish, headaches and a little moody (my poor husband and work colleagues!!). These symptoms did subside towards the end of the week and I believe them to be like “withdrawal symptoms” (I was eating quite a large quantity of sugary foods before I started!). The other thing I noticed was how doing it on my own was proving harder than I imagined. With no friends or family taking on the 21-Days with me, I had no one to share my wobbles with….. plus the temptations from the other food cupboard where my husband’s sugary snacks were kept was difficult!

Week 1 Conclusion - Tough and lonely but proud to have achieved the first 7 days!

Days 8-14 - Change of Mindset

Monday 17th December was a new week! Food preparation was my focus for the second week to ensure I had enough of the healthier meals and snacks ready because in the past, chocolate bars on the go/in the car would have been the norm. I also had a few Christmas social events in the diary so alcohol and the 3-course meals would be testing scenarios over the next 7 days.

To start the week with a positive mindset, I managed to speak with some of the November 21-Day group at the gym who gave me reassurance they felt their first week was a struggle but assured me it should get easier…. and so it did!

Tuesday-Thursday seemed to go fairly smoothly. I stuck with Tonic or Tap Water during the socials and only ate a main meal when out for dinner. My mentality became more positive and I had a stronger belief I could complete the 21-Days without buckling. Batch cooking meals also helped with a busy work week when it came to troublesome “what to have” for lunches.

Friday (Day 11) I thought would be a testing day…. Food Shopping Day!! Now I could have just completed my food order online to avoid the confectionery/cake aisles however there was only one way to face this challenge….. HEAD ON! I took a shopping list with me and literally got what was written down. I also ate my breakfast before venturing out as I know from experience…shopping when hungry never tends to end well! Day 11 became a successful day!

The weekend passed uneventful with food and alcohol not testing me so things were looking good heading into the final week…. There was just one more thing I wanted to achieve during the 21-Days…Exercise

Week 2 Conclusion - Felt happier. Seemed to have regained control of healthier eating again.

Days 15-21 - Exercise….and Christmas

The testing week… Christmas! Having time off potentially could have been a negative as more time on my hands to just “eat” plus the fact Christmas can also involve a lot of sweet foods and alcohol. The only way I could combat this possible negativity was to keep reminding myself of the original goal and to fill the extra “free time” because I knew if I kept busy I wouldn't sit and eat. This is where I spent the time wisely and picked up exercise. With the exception of the odd workout in weeks 1 & 2, I knew I personally wouldn't have been able to focus on it all at the same time. So week 3 was all about drawing up an exercise plan which would be sustainable for future weeks.

The week ended unscathed (no sugary foods or alcohol), my 21-Days were over and 2019 was soon to begin!

Week 3 Conclusion - Success!

In Summary

In my opinion, the 21-Day revolution definitely helps to kick bad food/drinking habits. For me, I can head into 2019 back in control. I believe I have the power to resist temptations now without losing the mentality of choice. If I choose to have a chocolate, alcohol or cake, I am in control now; I feel it no longer controls me, my thoughts and my actions.

 

My 5 top tips to surviving the 21-Day Revolution

1. Plan / Prepare your meals and snacks in advance. Always carry a healthy snack with you to avoid those emergency hunger moments.

2. Try non-alcoholic drinks or tonic water if you are cutting out alcohol. These will help especially when out on social events.

3. Have a support network around you. If possible, try not to take on the challenge by yourself however if you do, just having family and friends supporting your revolution will help.

4. Exercise. Not only does exercise generally improve mental wellbeing, it will also support your new, healthier lifestyle. If your new to exercise, anything is better than nothing so start off small (for example 21 minutes each day) and increase as your fitness level improves.

5. Take photos / measurements and/or have health marker tests (like cholesterol) at the beginning and again at the end as these will help keep your focus. 21-Days may not be long enough to see physical/majors health changes however it is possible so it is best to record from the start.