Trish and I have participated in at least five different diet or lifestyle challenges:

• 30-day vegetarian (self-imposed as an experiment)
• Whole Life
• Paleo
• 21-day sugar detox
• 21-day elimination (admittedly, I only did 10 days)

Some of these have resulted in long-term changes, others have helped us learn what works for us and what we are not willing to give up.

Upsides

Challenges tend to be short (4 – 6 weeks), so it does not require much motivation to try some changes and see what a difference you can make. You also know you can go back to normal after the challenge. so doing something different is achievable.

There is often a competition component that provides extra motivation. When it is not a competition, there are other people participating that can help support you.

Downsides

Leading up to the challenge, people sometimes eat or behave even worse knowing they will soon “deprive” themselves. (Probably not the best idea.)

During a challenge, people sometimes skip meals or eat too little in a day because there was not enough challenge-acceptable food. Someone close to me tends to be a bit more obsessive about following the rules, which prompted me to tell her, “You are one challenge away from an eating disorder.” A bit of an exaggeration, but it makes the point that you can take things too far.

Lessons

Remember the challenge is temporary and that it is intended to teach you something or help you transition to healthier choices.

Eat normally before the challenge; resist the urge to binge to get rid of all the “bad” food.

Plan ahead so you have enough food available and know that the restaurants you visit have food that you can eat. If they don’t, go somewhere else or accept that you are doing the best you can.

Pay attention to how you feel during the challenge. When did you feel best? What was easy to avoid and which healthy options did you enjoy most? At the end of the challenge, identify 1 to 3 healthy things that you want to continue. Some examples:

• Eat some whole foods at every meal
• Walk 10,000 steps per day
• Sleep 8 hours per night

What have you learned from the challenges you have done?