DAY 21: How Is Your Progress? Challenge It is now time to think about just how much progress you ve made. You ve been at this thing for 3 long weeks do you feel you ve made progress? Why or why not? Solution Progress and success is subjective, but there are some telltale signs you should start to be seeing. Are your moods more even? Are you thinking clearer, faster? Are you craving donuts/chips/whatever-it-may-be less and less? If your answer to any or all of these questions is a resounding yes! then you are making progress! If you are frustrated with your weight loss goals remember, it s only been 3 weeks! And what really matters is long-term fat loss. This is obtained by sticking to the habits we ve already been doing. Sometimes it just takes a little more time than we might like but that doesn t mean it s impossible! Journal For today s journal entry, jot down your thoughts about your progress thus far. How are you doing? On a scale of 1-100, what number would you give yourself? Are you a perfectionist, or are you more lax with yourself? Are you still craving things? Stress How were your stress levels today? Are you remembering to let go of the little things? Often we stress ourselves out for no good reason. Remember to take deep breaths and relax! Sleep How much sleep did you get last night? Was it enough? Remember to meditate for at least 10 minutes during the evening to help you wind down and prioritize thoughtfully. 176
Try This Instead of watching television this evening, read a funny book, or do a crossword puzzle. Remember: food is not a reward, a way to cure boredom, or a friend. It is only fuel! You ve made great progress so far keep it up! Did You Know? People who set goals are more successful. Further Reading: New Year, New You: Tackling Your New Years Resolutions Don t wait for next year s resolution time to make changes. Make the changes today and if new problems come up, tackle them head on. Start by sitting down and making a plan that you can stick to and that shows your priorities. While taking one step at a time, you also need to be aware of what your next steps are. This organized and structured way of thinking can help you stay on task and achieve your goals. The mere idea of having a plan is helpful. Thought For The Day Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. -Henry David Thoreau 177
DAY 21: FOOD BREAKFAST Banana Flour And Raspberry Muffins Ingredients (makes 12-14 muffins) 1 2/3 cups banana flour 2 large bananas, mashed 4 eggs 1 cup coconut milk 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 6 scoops protein powder (optional) Pinch of sea salt 1 cup raspberries Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place muffin cups into a muffin tray. Or, use a nonstick muffin tray. 2. Place all of the ingredients except for the raspberries into a large mixing bowl and combine well, using electric beaters. Fold in the raspberries then spoon the mixture into the muffin tray. 3. Place into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the muffins are fully cooked. Serve warm and enjoy! 178
DAY 21: FOOD LUNCH Quick And Easy Swiss Steak Ingredients (serves 8) 2 lb. steak or stewing beef Steak spices 1 can each, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce 9 oz. mushrooms, sliced 1 green pepper sliced into rings 1 large onion sliced into rings Salt and pepper to taste 4 cups spinach 8 cups strawberries Directions 1. Pour a little tomato sauce into the bottom of your Crock-Pot or baking dish. Season the meat with steak spice and lay on top of the sauce. 2. Add the mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and the rest of the sauce. Cover and cook on low (around 250 degrees) for about four hours. 3. Serve with the spinach and strawberries, and enjoy! 179
DAY 21: FOOD DINNER Spicy Shrimp Dinner Ingredients (serves 2) 1/2 lb shrimp 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp red pepper flakes 2 cups kale 2 potatoes Directions 1. Poke holes in the potatoes and cook for 8 minutes in microwave, rotating once halfway through. Meanwhile, cook shrimp over medium heat, greasing the pan with coconut oil. 2. Once cooked, remove from pan, and sprinkle olive oil and red pepper flakes over the shrimp. Sprinkle remaining olive oil over kale and potatoes, and enjoy! Note: Be sure to pay attention to portion sizes and serving recommendations. Some recipes included in this program make multiple servings. There s also no need to finish a full serving if you re no longer hungry. If your body is telling you it s full - listen to it! 180
DAY 21: EXERCISE Strength Training Skill Level: Beginner This workout should be performed wherever it s comfortable. Add in breaks or scale the exercises down to your level of difficulty. This can be done easily by lowering the number of reps. Remember: There is no shame in this. As always, remember to stretch before ANY type of activity, and pace yourself. Workout 1. Stretch for 5 minutes (arms, legs, neck, and shoulders). 2. Perform 3 chin-ups, 5 push-ups, and 10 air squats. Rest for 1 minute. Then perform the exercises again. Stop after 5 rounds. 3. Perform 10 seconds of mountain climbers, followed by 10 jumping jacks, and 5 pushups. Rest for 1 minute. Then perform again. Stop after 3 rounds. 4. Now you are going to perform 10 jumping jacks, 1 pull-up, and 3 lunges. Rest for 1 minute. Then perform the exercises again. Stop after 5 rounds. 5. Cool down by walking for 5 minutes. Skill Level: Intermediate Perform the beginner s workout, but up your repetitions to 6 chin-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 air squats, 20 seconds of mountain climbers, 30 jumping jacks, 30 push-ups, 30 jumping jacks, 3 pull-ups and 5 lunges, per round. Skill Level: Advanced Perform the beginner s workout, but up your repetitions to 12 chin-ups, 25 push-ups, 50 air squats, 30 seconds of mountain climbers, 50 jumping jacks, 50 push-ups, 50 jumping jacks, 5 pull-ups and 10 lunges, per round. 181