Beach Body Ready?
At Performance Institute we would rather you focus on how you feel rather than how you look. If you don’t FEEL good in your skin and are motivated for a summer shape up, I challenge you to tackle one of the following Nutrition Challenges and you’ll not only feel better in time for summer, but you’ll also very well likely look leaner as well.
Nutrition Challenge # 1 – 800 g Challenge
Based on the challenge created by EC Synkowski, your goal is to eat 800 g by weight of veggies and fruits of your choice every day. Other than that, there are no restrictions. How much is 800g? 800g equates to roughly 6 cups or fistfuls/day. An ideal strategy that works for most people would be to enjoy 1 fruit at breakfast, 1 cup/fistful of veggies at your lunch and 2 cups/fists of veggies at dinner and then have 1 each fruit and veggie for any random 2 snacks during the day.
If 800g seems like a lot or you’re not already consistently hitting 6 cups/fistfuls of veggies plus fruits a day, stick with the guidelines above. Check out the lower part of the page from the 800 g Challenge to review which foods count towards your daily 800g.
If this challenge seems “easy” to you and ONLY you’re ALREADY consistently eating 6 cups/fistfuls of veggies plus fruits/day, then consider the level two 800 g challenge. For the Level two 800g challenge of your 6 cups/fistfuls only 2-3 a day can be fruits. Also, in level 2, potatoes, corn, and lentils (while highly encouraged as a great way to build satiety and fuel your energy) don’t count towards your 800g.
With either challenge, you can weigh your food on a food scale, but it’s NOT necessary, because we’d like these habits to stick with you in a non-obsessive way for life!!
Nutrition Challenge #2 Dry till July 1 (Only 3 weeks not 4;)
Yep, you guessed it, the second option is to challenge yourself to go dry for the approximately 3 weeks prior to the July long weekend (longer if you like!!!)
Here’s why you’ll feel better after 3 weeks of going without alcohol.
Improved mental health: Alcohol, despite seeming like a mood elevator, is a depressant that negatively affects mental health, exacerbating low moods and energy levels. Taking a break from alcohol allows your brain to stabilize, improving clarity and mental health management.
Improved hydration and skin: As a diuretic, alcohol causes frequent fluid loss, leading to dehydration. This can result in dry skin with decreased elasticity, sunken looking eyes, cracked lips, and impaired concentration and energy. Quitting alcohol helps restore hydration, revitalizing your skin and boosting alertness.
Better Sleep: Although alcohol may help you to fall asleep quicker, the quality of your post booze sleep is compromised, causing you to wake up feeling unrested and possibly “foggy.”
Fat loss: Alcohol is high in calories, plus it reduces inhibitions leading to increased snacking and poor food choices which can lead to weight gain. If you’re replacing your usual drinks with non- or low-calorie beverages, it’s likely you’ll notice weight loss and a reduction in waist size within a month.
Bigger bank account: Regular alcohol consumption can be costly. By eliminating alcohol, you can save a significant amount of money over time.
Smarter choices come BBQ season: After you’ve successfully gone 3 weeks without alcohol, you’ll have a new story to tell yourself. You CAN enjoy life without alcohol, and you don’t NEED alcohol to go to a social event. It doesn’t mean you won’t drink come long weekends or other events, but often the trickle-down effect of a month going dry = less drinking at each event you attend and at least considering the option NOT to drink at every event.
If you’re motivated to choose one of these nutrition challenges, get some support and recruit a workout buddy, partner, colleague, or friend to do the challenge with you. Make yourself doubly accountable and tell your PI trainer(s) and Admin which challenge you’re opting for. At the end of your challenge, let us post your awesome accomplishment on our bright spots board!