This is the roundup for the 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge held in Jan 2015 where we work on improving our diet and fitness for 14 days. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone!! :D This is the final post for our Healthy Living Challenge, where we round up our thoughts/feelings about the challenge, share feedback, and say our goodbyes as we move forward! :D
All Challenge Tasks
- Announcement and signup page: Join 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge!
- Day 0: Create Your 14-Day Healthy Living Plan | Comments
- Day 1: Drink 8 Glasses of Water | Comments
- Day 2: Eat 5 Servings of Fruits & Vegetables | Comments
- Day 3: Create Your Calorie List | Comments
- Day 4: Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure | Comments
- Day 5: Create Your Ideal Meal Plan | Comments
- Day 6: Follow Your Ideal Meal Plan! | Comments
- Day 7: Review & Set Your Plan for Week 2! | Comments
- Day 8: Get a Great Workout! | Comments
- Day 9: Identify Your Healthy Living Pitfalls | Comments
- Day 10: Meditate | Comments
- Day 11: Identify Your Food Struggles | Comments
- Day 12: Practice Conscious Eating | Comments
- Day 13: Start Your Healthy Living Guidebook | Comments
- Day 14: Review & Your Best Health Ahead | Comments
My Day 14 in Pictures
Before that, let me quickly share a recap of my Day 14 in pictures, since I’ve been doing that for Days 1 to 13:
First meal of the day: Rice salad and banana before a coaching call! Had a terrific coaching call with one of my clients today and so excited about what’s next for her and her business (incidentally she’s starting a coaching and blog business as well).
Dinner: Same wholemeal pasta as yesterday, made by myself! ^_^ With mushroom sauce, chickpeas, and bacon bits.
Snack: Apple and guava soup (same as Day 13’s) with wholemeal bread and grapes. Very tasty.
My third exercise for week 3! Morning jog of 2.62km at 8:07 min / km, burning 175 calories.
Homemade salad: Lettuce, tofu, chickpeas, home-made croutons, bacon bits, and cheese (Also later had a wholemeal bread with peanut butter, not in picture)
In total I had two salads on Day 14! That’s great! I guess my first salad of the day really counts as my salad for Day 13, since I fell asleep earlier than planned.
Reviewing my 14HLC goals, they are
- Exercise at least three times a week – Check!
- Cut out deep fried / oily food from my diet – Check!
- Eat salads more regularly, ideally once a day if I can – Check!
Check out other participants’ amazing food logs and progress updates in Day 14’s comments section!
My Reflections from Being in the Challenge
So this is it! After two weeks of healthy living, posting pictures and updates of our meals/exercises every day, and doing the daily tasks, the Healthy Living Challenge has finally come to an end.
For me, it has been a very eventful journey. Before the challenge started, my eating habits have been fairly good, as I’ve already been working on healthy eating since 2007. With this challenge, my plan was to take things up a notch by cutting out fried/oily food (for those of you in Singapore, think typical hawker food and a lot of the traditional Chinese/Malay/Indian food here, not to mention fries and chips), exercise three times a week, and eat a salad more regularly, ideally once a day if possible.
It has been a blast. I’m excited and proud to share that I’ve met all my targets, and in the process busted the previous barriers that were preventing me from adhering to my plan. :D An overview sheet of my previous barriers and how I’ve effectively busted them during the 14HLC, below.
My previous barriers:
- Goal #1: Cut out fried/oily food. Previously, I would have some oily/fried food every day or every other day, even if I were eating healthily the whole day. Two reasons:
- My environment simply doesn’t cater to healthy living. The default food in my neighborhood (or in most shopping malls in Singapore really) tends to be fried/oily food.
- I wasn’t eating sufficient calories on my usual healthy meals. This was why I would sometimes eat oily/fried food because it was a fast way to load up my calories and meet my TDEE for the day! This was an AHA for me doing Day 3 and 4’s tasks, which I’ve shared here.
- My husband eats not-so-healthy food, but this doesn’t bother me at all. He’s free to eat whatever he likes; I encourage to eat healthily for his own good but his eating doesn’t bother or affect me in my own diet/living plans. The only times I feel like eating his food (say fries, fried rice, chips, refined noodles) is when my TDEE is not met for the day / I did not eat sufficiently, which leads back to reason #2 as opposed to it being anything to do with him. So it’s more to do with me than him.
- Goal #2: Exercise three times a week
- For the few months leading up to 2015 I wasn’t exercising much if at all, mainly due to my husband’s knee injury which I shared in Day 12’s post). There’s the expectation that we should exercise together since we’ve been exercising together all this while, so when he got his injury, I subconsciously felt that I shouldn’t exercise too, which was a self-limiting thought.
- The other reason was simply being busy with work and hence putting off my workouts. When done a few times, it subsequently becomes a habit to skip exercises.
- Goal #3: Eat salads more regularly
- The nearest salad bar to my home is 40 minutes away (one way; so almost 1.5 hours both ways). Hence, I couldn’t eat salads as often as I wanted, especially during busy times.
- I tried making salads myself before; couldn’t sustain the habit to do it every day. (Considering the frequent need to replenish the food and go grocery shopping since vegetables go bad quite quickly.)
My solutions that have busted the barriers:
- Goal #1: Cut out fried/oily food.
- Realize that in opting for a healthier diet than most people in the society, I naturally need to take actions atypical from most people. This means pre-planning for my meals, identifying the places that sell healthier food, and making an effort to get my food for those places. Also, being ready to cook sometimes will help address situations when my house is out of food.
- Stock up on healthy food. I’ve been doing this throughout the challenge. Now, I always stock up two days’ worth of healthy food, namely fruits, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
- Ensure I consume sufficient calories to match my TDEE on my healthy meals. This includes including healthy calorie-dense foods like avocado (I’m planning to get this in my next grocery trip) and eating small meals more frequently.
- Goal #2: Exercise three times a week.
- Realize that I can exercise by myself and there’s no need to feel bad about that. I’ve been doing this with no problem since the challenge sarted. The funny thing is that, my husband actually accompanies to my jogs anyway! He just sits there and listens to his podcast while waiting for me to finish my run! ^_^*
- Scheduling my jogs into my calendar so they don’t get missed. I have a three-times-a-weekly exercise appointment with myself. For my jogs, I make a point to run at least 2.4 km. By keeping my jogs no more than 30 minutes long, it’s easy for me to just wear my gear and go downstairs and run, then come back and shower (time boxing).
- Listening to podcasts while I jog, which gives me more reason to jog. Previously I did feel that jogging, especially doing it too often, was a waste of time. But by listening to podcasts (which I always want to listen to anyway, but don’t have the time to do so), I’m effectively combining two things that I want to do into one session. Perfect! :D
- Goal #3: Eat healthy fiber more regularly
- Going grocery shopping every Friday to get my fruits/vegetable supplies. I do this every Friday with my husband. And we recently realized there’s a 24 h supermarket 10 minutes away from our home, so it’s the perfect place for nighttime shopping!
My plan moving forward
My plan moving forward are these guidelines:
- Good proportion of macro-nutrients: Carb, Protein, Fat
- Adequate amount of water
- No fried/oily food (once a week okay)
- Exercise 2-3 times/week
- Buy a week’s worth of food to ensure sufficient healthy food at all times
I’ll be refining this as I go along, but it reflects the things I’ve been doing before and want to continue, as well as new guidelines I created for myself while doing the challenge.
I think my biggest realization from this challenge is that the more you want something that’s not orthodox, the more effort you have to make (initially) to make it happen. It’s the same for anything, really — if you want an out-of-the-world life partner whom you’re head-over-heels in love with, then you’ve to spend more time (and effort) in your search for your soulmate. This means not settling, working on yourself, and working on attracting your soulmate into your life. If you want a terrific career/business that you love, this means spending the time/effort to make this career/business happen, and this isn’t going to happen overnight either. Likewise, if you want a pristine diet that’s healthy and reflective of your personal needs and beliefs, and if society / your environment doesn’t support this at the moment, then you’ve to make the effort to make this lifestyle happen.
Realizing this has helped me to manage my expectations and hence seamlessly ease into my healthy living plans. Before 14HLC, I often felt disgruntled about how difficult it is to get healthy. However, now I know that it’s simply because my diet and lifestyle of choice is one that’s not typical of most people and the society, and that’s why my environment doesn’t support it. If I want to make my version of healthy living happen, I’ve to put in my due effort to make it happen. And that’s what I’ve been doing in the past two weeks of the challenge, and what I’ll continue to do moving ahead.
The great thing is that like every new habit, the bulk of the work is done at the beginning to transit to the new habit. When the roots have been cleared and new structures are created, the new habit then becomes an automatic reflex action, while the old habit becomes a thing of the past.
Thank You to All of You!!!!
At this point I want to sincerely thank all of you who have taken part in this challenge, whether by reading, by taking action in your lives, or by actively commenting and replying to the other participants in the daily threads.
fufu/anonima, Bette/Swann, Maryna, Miss Elf, Lina, VickiB, AvocadoRulz, Maria, Glenn, Educate Yourself, Susan, Kristine, Ken, JadePenguin, Moonsparkle, Calae, and everyone else who has been a part of this challenge, thank you. Regardless of how many posts or how frequently you posted, all your posts made a difference for me and I’m sure for the others passively following and reading the challenge as well. Thank you.
I want to especially thank those of you who actively participated by taking pictures of your meals, sharing updates on your diet / exercise / daily task posts in the daily posts, and responding to the other participants. Really, thank you. This challenge would have never been the same without your active sharing each day; your words and pictures make the challenge come to life. Like I mentioned on Day 6, a challenge without any engagement quickly becomes an empty challenge, and it’s very difficult for me to write subsequent tasks in a meaningful manner because I’ve no idea how you’re progressing. (If it isn’t obvious, I adapt every course and challenge to match participants’ consciousness and progress, even if it’s one I’ve done before.) You guys made all the difference for me. So, thank you!
Fufu posted a comment in Week 2 that really warmed my heart. Basically, she’s underweight and has always been wanting to gain weight her whole life to no avail (and this I’m aware of as she has consistently mentioned about this issue in her other comments on PE and in PE forums. Apparently, Day 4’s task on TDEE made all the difference for her in busting this life-long issue as she finally learned about the number of calories she should consume to hit her target weight. See her comment to me on Day 10:
… to let you know I weighed myself yesterday at the doctor and I’m super happy and felt like sharing this excitement with you! ^_^ I was 88.8 when I started this challenge. Currently I’m 90.2!! This is only the second time in my life that I’ve reached 90! I’m so happy to see result and this motivates me as I know I’m going in the right direction. :)
Congratulations fufu, I’ve already said this to you but I’m SO, SO happy for you!!! :D I’ve heard you mention so many times about wanting to gain weight but not able to, and to finally be able to do that now, because you were part of the challenge, is just amazing to me!
Maryna (one of the challenge participants who has been posting absolutely inspirational meal photos) posted this very inspirational comment in her Day 14 reflection:
I noticed that before the challenge I thought the main obstacle for me to live a healthy life was LACK OF CONTROL, now I know it was LACK OF INSPIRATION. I kept eating the same healthy foods every day for half a year (at least) and was so bored with their taste that I could not make myself eat them.
During these 2 weeks, I brought back to my diets products I haven’t been eating for a long time. Today I am eating coconut for the first time in 2014 and 2015. When my diet is more diverse, I do not need to control and make myself eat healthy stuff. I enjoy it, and this is what I should do. I do not need to do the same intense workout every time, I can do something different (even if it is not that intense) and enjoy the freshness of the new experience I get.
I say, “WORD Maryna!!!” If your diet / exercise regime is boring you, then perhaps it’s simply time to change things up, just like what Maryna did for herself in 14HLC! When there’s a lack of inspiration, it’s not about waiting for inspiration to strike; it’s about CREATING that inspiration OURSELVES!
And here’s a very inspiring chart review by Miss Elf, based on the 14-Day Healthy Living Plan template I provided on Day 0:
Miss Elf’s Healthy Living Plan
Miss Elf says of her 14HLC results, which I find amazing:
I ate very very little chocolate in the last 14 days. :) I am capable of eating one chocolate or one box of chocolate cookies a day. In the last 14 days I did not have cravings for sugar and there was no need to resist chocolate since there was no need to eat it. It was effortless. I ate lots of fruits. I went on lunch out during work and ate in peace. I drank lots of water.
[Exercise-wise,] I was organizing my activities in the spirit of the challenge; when I did not have my bicycle, I did not go by bus to work, but I combined walking and bicycling with a borrowed bike. I practiced yoga at home. [Celes: Wow, kudos Miss Elf!!!!]
I also did 13 of 14 challenge tasks (92.8 %); I missed day 8. This is the first time I really stuck to a challenge almost 100% and did the tasks although I (falsely) thought they would not be beneficial.
[I learned that] I should be more specific with taking-a-walk goal — I should set an hour when will I go. Statistics in % gives me better insight into my performance (more objective and realistic), that way I can see how every single day is important. My motivation [during the challenge] was the printed 14-day healthy living plan, the printed meal planner, scheduling and keeping track, and commenting and sharing my results.
Whoever you are, and whatever you’ve gained (no pun intended, fufu!) from the challenge, I want to thank you for being a part of the 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge. It has been my joy conducting this challenge, posting the daily tasks, supporting you guys, and working on my healthy living goals in the progress, and I hope this challenge has helped in one way or another in your healthy living goals.
Once again, thank you. :)
Now, as we wrap up the challenge, let’s move to today’s roundup task!
Today’s Task: Roundup of the 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge
Post a comment answering the following:
- How has the Healthy Living Challenge been for you? (Have you found it helpful in cultivating new healthy-living habits, in ?)
- What are the biggest things you’ve gained and learned for yourself from 14HLC?
- What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for you? Why?
- What would you like to see at PE moving forward?
Challenge Overview
For convenience, I have listed all challenge tasks and posts in an overview page. Visit here: Healthy Living Challenge Overview, Jan 2015
Moving Forward
If you’ve found the 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge useful, then you should most definitely check out Live a Better Life in 30 Days and Be a Better Me in 30 Days. The former is my 30-day program to transform your life while the latter is my 30-day program to become the highest version of you. Both are premium programs at PE that have transformed the lives of many around the world, and continue to do today. The tasks are timeless and can be done again and again (recommended once every six months to a year).
In the meantime, I look forward to connect with you further on PE. :) Subscribe to the free PE newsletter if you haven’t already!
What’s Coming Up Next at PE: New Soulmate Course! (Attention Singles!!) ♥
Coming up on PE, I’ll be conducting an all-new soulmate course (a PE premium course) next month, February. I’m SUPER excited about this one guys as helping others find love has been a topic I’ve been passionate for a LONG time, being someone who was single for almost all my life and took a while to finally find my one. In fact, this was a course that I wanted to launch last year February but didn’t since I was busy with many other things, but this year, it’s definitely coming to PE.
For those of you singles, and you’re serious about finding love, stay tuned for this course. I’ll be posting details nearer to the launch.
Also next up, I’ll be working on creating video content. Your support will be crucial to making these videos happen, so do watch them and post a comment if you like more videos! First one is now up! Watch: How To Deal With Backstabbers
Share Your Comments!
- Post your roundup in today’s comment section
- Make your necessary replies to other participants in the other days’ threads
- Bid your farewells to the other participants!
(For those of you still working through the challenge, keep going! I won’t be closing the comments thread for the challenge tasks so you’re still free to post your responses, though note that the comments won’t be moderated.)
(Image: Women running)
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I have not been a regular follower of your posts but lately i am contemplating to try them out on a serious note.I do not know how it will turn out but hope for best.Anyways,I just wanted to ask you something that comes to my mind time and again.EVERYONE faces difficulties with themselves in one way or the other.What kind of difficulties do you face with yourself at this point of your life? I have no doubt you are capable of dealing with them but i would really like to know the nature of difficulties you face,if any
Hi Sheikh, thanks for your question! The difficulties change over time as I progress in my life journey, all of which I sort of document on PE in real time. Whenever I address a major block, I usually write about it. Over the years, I’ve written many of my issues that I’ve worked through:
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/disappointment/
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/heartbreak/
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/beauty/
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/femininity/
https://personalexcellence.co/blog/body-image/
At the moment there aren’t any real “difficulties” to speak of, but more of day-to-day little challenges (part and parcel of growth, and which are fun to work through) like working on my latest course (Soulmate Journey) with my participants to help them unravel their blocks to love and attract their highest love, building PE while maintaining strong connections with loved ones and keeping in touch with friends, and working on bringing my business to the next level. Expanding my platform and building new content are always top to-dos on my list and there’s always a new level after the other, so there are always new “blocks” and “challenges” to uncover/address in this area.
Thank u for your reply….Hope everything turns up like u want it…..
Oh. I missed this challenge. I hope there will be more soon. I need to update my email account.
Thanks Celes and everyone for your inspiration!
I’ve have put recurring calendar appointments on actionable items from the Healthy Living Challenge. Eg are the exercise sessions, meditation sessions, fruits-shopping, and conscious eating. I have also set health as my #1 goal in 2015 for better health and made a conscious choice to focus on long-term health benefits versus short-mid term career goals. Looking forward to a healthier 2015!
Thank you Ken, for setting health as your #1 goal in 2015. Just hearing you say that is inspiring and encourages me too! I’m looking at everything I eat and drink and asking myself, ‘Is this the best choice for me to eat/drink?’ All the best to you!
ROUND-UP: REFLECTION, FEEDBACK, & MOVING FORWARD
How Has The Healthy Living Challenge Been For Me and What Have I Learned?
Just BEING here, participating day after day for these 14 days is a miracle in and of itself! Why?
I know how challenging these PE Challenges can be, and I know that I quickly tap into just what is possible for me to learn and grow and improve, and that takes a personal commitment and real effort for me to get real and authentic with myself and be willing to share that with others. I’ve already written so much in my posts on this 14-day HLC, putting my heart and soul into all of it, holding nothing back. I plan to reread everything I have written in my posts, as well as others’ contributions. I have also enjoyed all of our continuing conversations, and I have replied to others, sometimes more than once, on other days’ threads, so that is all a special blessing for which I am truly grateful.
BTW, on PE up until this HLC, I have posted as Bette, and on this HLC I posted as Swann, which reverted to Bette when I finally was able to register. I am fine with being called either name, but I have been Swann for years now.
(Swann comes from my Grandma Swannanoa’a name (Cherokee-based), and I adopted it to honor her and my ancestors and lineage as well as the transcendental image and meaning of a swan. A swan is in this world, floating on the water, peddling its legs under the water, but swan is also not just of the world, for it can lift off and fly in the sky of heaven at any moment!)
Pardon my digression about my name, but it does have a special meaning to me,so I decided to include that meaning in these ‘closing comments.’
In all that we all have shared, there is SO much that is so helpful and uplifting and encouraging to me.
I just have to go further in my willingness to fully commit to be FULLY TRUE in DOING what is
IN MY BEST INTEREST. And if I falter from what I need to be doing to reach a goal, I need to LOVE MYSELF through it, see what is most helpful for me to keep heading toward my goals, and KEEP GOING!
Lack of patience and tolerance with myself in the past has resulted in critical self-loathing, so I have learned to give myself some slack along with the tough love. Discipline isn’t about deprivation; it’s about learning.
And perfectionism is self-defeating judgmentalism. Being gentle with myself is another WISE CHOICE I can gift myself with.
In this HLC, I’ve made progress with my willingness to look at my life in an objective, more realistic way. Old habits and patterns include tendencies to avoid, to procrastinate, and disconnect with my body, all of which are unhealthy for me. So being here for this challenge, and staying here for each day of the 14 days, doing whatever I could to keep up with the tasks and interacting with other participants, is quite significant for me. I agree that knowing what to do and then actually DOING it can often be worlds apart! I embrace the DOING along with the KNOWING!
I’ve had some ‘aha’s’…. like cultivating my GOOD HABITS can affect my core beliefs in a positive way. As I actually do things for myself that are good and loving, I am behaving my way to success and growing a better self-image. Which is a very big deal for me. I pretty much know what to do, but as said before, DOING it is the real challenge. Really believing that I DESERVE to be healthy and live my best life! NOT doing what I need to do for myself is really self-sabotage. Crucial for me was going to the next level with ‘CONSCIOUS EATING.’ Make a list and follow it. I am amazed at all the awarenesses that have surfaced more clearly while on this 14-Day HLC!
Knowing I am moving in the right direction is the best feeling!
I have been both blown away as well as inspired by others’ posting their photos and charts as well as sharing such thorough work for each days’ tasks. So many times when I started to share what I have discovered in doing a task, it felt like I have hardy ANYthing to say. Isn’t that funny? I write so much, right?!! So I continue to learn that my willingness to share my thoughts and feelings and experience, strength, and hope, gets me started and then the words flow freely from a deep wellspring. So too it follows that my willingness to follow the right food plan sets in motion just the right environment in my body and mind to drop the unneeded burden of excess weight off of my body! Yay! Another ‘AHA’!
The biggest things that have helped me come as small, simple things. Drink my water. Get good rest and sleep. Eat smaller, healthy portions of fresh and unprocessed food that I have readily available and prepared. Always read all labels of packaged foods. (Preservatives, GMO’s, chemicals=bad stuff!, artificial sweeteners=highly toxic!) Know my calories and my TDEE. Keep a food diary. Eat mindfully. Celebrate myself with good foods and loving, supportive people who really care about me. Meditate. Read and view positive things. Avoid harmful and negative stuff! ASK FOR HELP when I need it (Very difficult for me to do!) And give thanks for everything!
Which brings me to my gratitude for this challenge, dear, beautiful Celes, and for everyone who participated and especially those with whom we exchanged conversations. That is always very special. And the caring behind the words, the positive energy propels forward and magnifies anything that is helpful and kind.
In moving forward, I would be into participating in a ‘Favorites’ or ‘Cream of the Crop’ or Inspirational ‘Reveal’ where favorites or that which has been inspiring in any area of life be shared. And just why that particular book or film or activity, sport or pasttime is a favorite? An inspiration could be a healing modality that assisted one’s health challenge, or it could be great websites. Or quotes. Or music. Or artists. Or museums or galleries or places where certain things are celebrated or known for. Or places traveled to that were SO beautiful or sacred spots/power points that were so moving. Retreats or seminars or courses that meant a lot. Anything or one who has been important, memorable, particularly influential. Like what were the real life game-changers and why?. Brings to mind a ‘Bucket List’ type mentality in some ways, but it is more of our best sharing of things of this world, but also what have been our best life lessons either directly or indirectly from what deeply influenced us from what others have shared. It could also be our best, real life dreams and how we could actualize them, and it could be about a dream we recall when we were asleep or daydreaming and why it is significant. It’s not just ‘The Best Of’ but it is HOW?/WHY? it has made that singular impression. That is the introspective, dig deep and share part of the ‘challenge.’ It’s like we are bequeathing the best part of what we’ve learned/experienced to each other. Treasures! We’re ‘inheriting ‘treasures’ from one another, learning and inspiring one another.
That took awhile to try to verbalize, Celes…..Did my best to convey the idea!
BTW, I was looking for the favorite movies/ books/songs/places lists I thought I remembered were on PE…I found the quotes list…Where are the other ones? Am I imagining I saw such lists on PE?
Congrats to everyone’s successes and best to you all on your healthy living journey. And dear fufu, you can have as much of my excess weight as you want, lol!…Seriously, though, if you can gain desired weight in a healthy fashion, and you HAVE!, I too can drop weight in a healthy fashion, and I have as well!
To anyone who has a special heath concern or injury that is healing, or has an area that need special attention, may healing be full and complete and may we all fare very well indeed!
From the beautiful island of Puerto RIco, Isla del Encanto!
See you under the moon where we all can see the stars!
May we ALL be our best selves and live our best lives!
A fond farewell!
With ease and grace,
Swann
Celes…It is just SO AWESOME all the articles and challenges, etc you have written on PE, and I am going to refer back to them to tap into what they have to offer me at this point in my journey. Just sayin’…A BIG CONTINUING THANK YOU!!! AND A GINORMOUS HUG!
Hey Bette! No you didn’t imagine them; they are in the sidebar of most pages on PE. For example on this very page, simply scroll up and you’ll see a sidebar with the “Most Popular Posts” header. The links to the articles on most meaningful movies, most inspirational songs, and so on are all there. And there’s always the articles section — https://personalexcellence.co/articles/ — that lists all the classic articles, and you can do a simple control+F search for your desired keyword.
Bette, I just want to thank you personally for your active participation every day, your engagement with the members, and your support to everyone. You’re a shining light in our community. I always feel that every time you post, it’s like this bright aura/halo around your words. You are beautiful and I just want you to know that!
And I’m always super excited to have you on board in any challenge on PE. You are very welcome to join the PE forums @ https://personalexcellence.co/forums/, where the regulars hang out. There are journaling forums of different topics and many members have journals that document their progress in their own goals. Health, life, academia, etc.
Heartwarming to hear your words, Celes. Words coming from you are so sincere and thoughtfully chosen. I just LOVE the image of the halo/bright aura around my words, for I truly feel that I am wide open to my Highest Self/Spirit inspiring me, filling me, and expressing Itself through me as I write. I appreciate so much what you have to say to me personally, as well as what you say to others, for you are such an advocate as well as a shining example of personal excellence. What you have to say and share is always valuable to me, and I learn a lot on PE and from you and your experience. I give a lot of thought to what I contribute, which gives so much to myself in many ways, and I am glad and it is a bonus when there is sharing- a flowing conversation with others – that affords further meaning, motivation and inspiration to the thoughts that we post.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and for reminding me about the journaling forums and where those most meaningful lists are. What is uplifting is always helpful and great to have handy, as well as things to do and think about that are positive and moving forward. The challenges you offer are very special opportunities to interact with each other as well as reminders of how we can continue to challenge ourselves in our daily lives. Of course I just love the excellent, timely, and thorough articles you have written. Much love always, Celes!
Thank you Celes for conducting this challenge and thanks to everyone who actively participated!
I am suprised by the fact that so many people signed up, but than there was only a few of us who actively participated. What happens from the day when someone signs up to the day when task 1 starts. Fear of change, being in comfort zone, not enough time, not willing to take some effort, passivity, laziness, changing one’s mind, apathy, resignation, more important stuff to do, lack of determination, lack of persistence, … and similar excuses. And I am suprised that I am not OK with that kind of attitude and behavior (not the attitude in relation to PE, but attitude towards one’s self). People are too often willing to do something only when the motivators from outside are strong enough (illness, high payment, kick in the ass, …), so they are just being re-active instead of pro-active.
1. How has the Healthy Living Challenge been for me? (Have I found it helpful in cultivating new healthy-living habits?)
Although I already live healthy I found it helpful, because it gave me a chance to think again through my healthy living habits. And it helped me to start cultivating new habits – like drinking more water and eating more fruits.
2. What are the biggest things I’ve gained and learned for myself from 14HLC?
I am taking better care of my body. If I spent 2 minutes everyday on reflecting how my day went there are much bigger chances that I will stay on track. If I think something is not beneficial for me, I might be wrong – I at least have to try it first and than speak out of my experience (not from my assumptions and memory, past experiences). I made a foundation for countinuing with my new healthy living habits.
3. What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for me? Why?
All tasks were helpful because it has been well explained why they are good for our health. Also questions at the end of the task were very helpful because they helped me reflect and search for the right answers.
The most helpful task for me was in day 13 because it was kind of a round up and I commited to myself to continue with healthy living and guidebook will be a great help.
But also other tasks were beneficial for me: with doing the tasks and answering the questions I considered what I really want in the health area of my life.
Hi Miss Elf, I find your reflection so insightful! I totally agree on the importance of self-reflection, and it’s really a big rock activity that helps us to stay on track in our goals. I just conducted a workshop yesterday on how to achieve your new year’s resolution and it’s the exact same thing that I mentioned to the attendees — the importance of a self-review every week is understated.
You did so tremendously well in the challenge, and also same for the Passive Income Course that just wrapped up yesterday!!! :) I want to let you know that I’ve been SUPER impressed by just how you’ve grown and reflected in the tasks from both HLC and the PI course, and I truly feel your authenticity, your energy, and your commitment to your own growth and goals. You’ve made a difference for me being part of these two courses. :) *hugs*
On people not taking action / commenting, yeah it’s a little unfortunate unfortunately. I’ve found that to be a normality with other challenges too. In the past I would invest a lot of effort to get people going and push everyone to participate, but over the years, having ran so many courses now and workshops, I’ve found that it simply wasn’t the best use of my time and I best just focus on areas where I can create the most impact (including supporting the ones who do actively engage, like you!). I’m just super thankful for participants like you who’ve been here every step of the way and giving your all for the challenge, hence inspiring others to do the same. Thank you! :)
Oooooo, thank you, I am touched by your warm words! *sending hugs*
Awww!! Thank you so much Celes! :”) I smiled so much reading this. I read it last night but I was so sleepy I couldn’t type a proper comment so I left it for after breakfast today but so much stuff kept coming up interrupting me! 0-0 but here I am at last! :D It’s true that this challenge made all of the difference for me, especially that day’s task. It made me realize so much and birthed in me a curiosity to go into deeper research which led me to discover what I had to eat, the # of each good group I needed each day to balance out the diet and even the hours of physical activity and the type of exercises I needed and didn’t need. I thank you and the members of PE (especially Swann) who helped and encouraged me throughout this lil journey which doesn’t end here. This is just the start.
The challenge already ended and yet today I woke up and in automatic mode as part of my normal routine without any mental extra effort I choosed the healthier options I had been using up till now. I feel like when I first found PE. We learn things, we grow as people and then it’s hard to go back to the old routine as the new one is already a habit. :)
How has the Healthy Living Challenge been for you? (Have you found it helpful in cultivating new healthy-living habits, in ?)
Yes, yes and yes! The habit of mindfully thinking and planning my meal before eating it. I’m naturally more conscious of my choices without any extra effort and that’s what I was after. Exercising and weights have become a new hobbie and it doesnt feel like a chore. This two things will in time help me gain more weight than I already have. :)
What are the biggest things you’ve gained and learned for yourself from 14HLC?
That I can achieve many things with knowledge, a will and trying. We never know unless we try. Remember how I commented when I signed up that I didn’t think I’d gain any weight at the end yet, I did! The best thing I got from this challenge yet. :)
What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for you? Why?
The ones that had to do with calorie, meals and TDEE.
What would you like to see at PE moving forward?
More challenges whenever possible and articles and stuff. :)
See you around Celes and PE members!!! Best way to start 2015! (Oh! And before I forget. My gilrfriend also did get something from this Challenge. She’s exercising regularly again ^_^)
By the way, this is that ‘thing’ I said I would share on the day we made the health journal but somehow forgot. My shopping list. :)
You know what fufu, it has been the exact same thing for me. This week I’m staying with my parents (I’m back visiting them and staying for a week), and one of the common things I used to eat in this neighborhood is this vegetarian burger at this fast food chain. I used to eat it because it’s vegetarian (so few vegetarian options in SG actually) and it’s okay-priced. The burger is way better than McChicken or whatever I’m sure, but the patty is fried which goes against my personal desires to cut out fried/oily food. So I haven’t even had any desire to get it; I just head to Subway to get a veggie patty, go to QQ Rice to get the rice roll I was posting about during 14HLC, or buy a brown rice meal at the food court!
Oh sweet!!! :D Help me to congratulate her; that’s amazing!!
Yes and you WILL continue to gain weight gradually to the point where you achieve your ideal weight, as you continue with the plan you’ve set for yourself during 14HLC! :D 100, it’s coming to you sooner than later, and in a healthy way to boot! :D
‘and in automatic mode as part of my normal routine without any mental extra effort I choosed the healthier options’
Awesome! fufu… and the best going forward to both you and your girlfriend!
I love that you are ‘ mindfully thinking and planning my meal before eating it… naturally more conscious of my
choices without any extra effort.’
That is just what I need to do more of in my meal-planning. And then have the will to follow through!
‘That I can achieve many things with knowledge, a will and trying. We never know unless we try. Remember…’
Thanx, fufu…
I copied the above sentence and am putting it in many places so I can readily see it and be encouraged.
I put a lot of thought into this challenge. I didn’t write in detail about my meals or activities but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t working on things! The biggest realizations that came out of this are:
1. I already know what to do; I just don’t do it.
2. The obstacles to doing healthy things are not necessarily what I thought they were.
I may come back to add more.
‘I already know what to do; I just don’t do it.’
Thank you for this straight-forward and honest statement, Vicki….I surely do relate to it, and it has turned my attention to my choices in life.
Do I really want to NOT do what I already know what to do?
Can I/will I be more of an advocate for myself, treating myself more like I am really my best friend?
What would celebrating myself on a daily basis look like, feel like. BE like?
Anyway, THANKS…Your sentence helped me to go deeper.
How has the challenge been for you?
For me, I don’t prefer to focus on foods, meals plans, or exercise plans. I prefer to focus on peace of mind, spirituality, and contentment, because I find that when I am calm and connected to my purpose, I naturally eat better without as much effort. I use inspiration rather than motivation. I see motivation as a stick waiting to hit me for being bad, or not doing enough. I see inspiration as something that makes me want to do certain things naturally, and I don’t have to try.
What are the biggest things you’ve gained and learned for yourself from 14HLC?
For me, the biggest gains were to realize that even a partial effort is beneficial, and that I don’t have to do it perfectly to get benefit. I don’t have to feel guilty for not completing every task.
What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for you? Why?
For me, the most useful tasks were to identify healthy living challenges and food pitfalls, because this type of a focus always brings to mind a solution that could be implemented.
What would you like to see at PE moving forward?
I would like to see more of a focus on inspiration, and various places and ways a person can tap into inspiration. Also, methods for overcoming challenges of various types would be helpful.
I also realized that also a partial effort in beneficial. Any effort is more beneficial than no effort at all :) My desicions are often based on how I see and expect the final outcome (will or will not be beneficial for me, will I be able to give 100% effort, …). Now I realize that it is OK to go with a flow, not knowing or expecting what the final outcome will be.
Inspiration is really something that naturally flows and when we feel inspired everything feels effortless. Sometimes I have it and sometimes I do not, the same goes for motivation. I think motivation helps me beeing more inspired. I see motivation and inspiration as two complementary forces. Maybe inspiration comes from the spirit and motivation comes from the mind. So taking care for body, mind and spirit is a winning combination :)
I like what you said about inspiration. I see inspiration as something transcending; something that regards the bigger picture. Motivation is more narrow and focused on a specific task. It certainly helps motivation to take a step back and remind yourself what you’re really doing this for :)
1. How has the Healthy Living Challenge been for you? (Have you found it helpful in cultivating new healthy-living habits, in ?)
The challenge was a needed motivator for me. I noticed that I got stuck with being bored with the healthy lifestyle I had and started to fall off track, letting in some unhealthy options and eating more then intended. Now my plate is much greener and nicer, but I will even more effort to ensure I eat a salad every second day.
2. What are the biggest things you’ve gained and learned for yourself from 14HLC?
I learned (or reinforced for myself) such things:
1. I need diversity in healthy foods in order not to succumb to unhealthy ones.
2. All in life is interconnected: I need to address the level of stress in my life, as well as the amount of sleep I get, and how great and eventful every day is, so that eating does not become a source of new impression and positive feelings. I am currently checking the 6-part series on emotional eating here on PE and feel that working through this helps me a whole lot.
3. Taking pictures of your meals is a great idea :) I put all that I intend to eat in front of myself and take a picture. No more second helpings or extra food I don’t need.
4. Staying motivated through communication with other participants is great. There are always like minders out there, what I need is to reach out and share my insights. Thanks a lot for all the participants of the challenge for leaving their comments and commenting on my updates!
5. I need a food diary. I started a one on paper for logging my meals, as well as enjoy using TwoGrand Android app, which reminds me an Instagram for people interested in healthy nutrition. There I post the pictures of my meals for every day, track my water intake, weight and exercise and set my personal goals. People can follow each other and get additional motivation from likes and comments. Design of the app is 5 star, so I enjoy using it for visually tracking my meals and timing for them.
3. What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for you? Why?
It was identifying pitfalls and food struggles. I’ve read a lot about common pitfalls and ways to avoid them, but never analyzed the ones that act out in my life. Seeing what triggers stress eating for me personally was a very important thing. Now I know the “danger zone” and can be on watchout on those bad days.
4. What would you like to see at PE moving forward?
I feel I need to read many things that are already out here. I’ve read some, but should definitely revise them and work on my personal issues in comments (then I really get myself work on the tasks, not just reading).
I would like to have something like a Healthy Sleep challenge, but if you don’t have problems with that, you, probably, wouldn’t do that. I’ve read the articles on sleep on PE, but still there is something that keeps me from going to bed in time. I should dig dipper into the root cause of that.
In general, I would be happy to participate in more challenges, as this is a great way to really work on the issues that were procrastinated/not addressed for a long time.
Thanks to Celes and all the participants for letting this challenge happen! It was great and made a huge difference for me !
Congratulations on your progress, Maryna :) It is so nice to be among like minded people that support each other, create a safe environment and participate.
I wish you all the best in cultivating your new healthy living habits. Enjoy :)
1. How has the Healthy Living Challenge been for you? (Have you found it helpful in cultivating new healthy-living habits, in ?)
I really enjoyed the challenge and also found it extremely helpful. Mainly because it helped me realise a few important things (see points 2. and 3.) and helped me solidify some habits I have been working on (drinking more water, eating 5-a-day fruits and vegetables, meditating).
2. What are the biggest things you’ve gained and learned for yourself from 14HLC?
My biggest realisation from the challenge is that my everyday actions haven’t been corresponding to my life-long priorities. As long as I can remember, I have been prioritising my values as follows: 1. health and 2. relationships and 3. work. However, when it came to decisions about what to focus on on a daily basis, I would always spend the vast majority of my time and energy on work, then fit in my relationships and only the last left-over energy was given to exercise and cooking a healthy meal. No surprise that this has been leaving me quite unhappy at times. From now on, I want to spend my best energy on health and relationships and only about 50% :) of energy on work. I assume this will leave me much happier in the long-term!
3. What has/have been the most helpful task(s) for you? Why?
I’d say that it was the calculation of the TDEE because I realised that although I have an overall healthy diet, I am still consuming more calories on most days than I need!
4. What would you like to see at PE moving forward?
I would LOVE to see more challenges like this one. It is so motivating and encouraging seeing all of us try to work on something together! Thank you for your guidance and hard work, Celestine! Much love.
I wish you all the best with balancing health, relationships and work :) I am just reading a book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from S. V. Covey and in one chapter he says exactly what you have realized: people in their everyday life do not act according to their values and priorities. That why it is important to know what our values are and have them always in our mind and base our everyday desicions on them. Our values are something that is really foundamental and we should live by them every day.
Thank you for your kind words, Miss Elf!
You are totally right. It can be difficult to keep those values in mind when facing the everyday challenges while having already built up our rituals/habits around prioritising the wrong things! :)
For example, I would have normally stayed at work one extra hour to finish everything – and I was going to do so! – when I realised I was doing this again so I stopped myself and instead finished earlier and went home to make myself a healthy dinner :)
More power to us! :)
I’ve missed the last couple days of the challenge because of my exams. My whole daily schedule has been turned upside down because I spend most of my time either studying or at the university. I’ve managed to eat a bit more regularly though during those last few days, but I still have a long way to go before eating regularly and only as a source of nourishment for my body, not of pleasure for my mind. Still exercising regularly and drinking lots of water. Didn’t continue meditating though. This challenge got me into exercising more rigorously and learning about strength training. However, I do have considerably more work to do regarding my eating.
Although I haven’t interacted a lot with the other participants (as opposed to how I interacted during other challenges at PE), I do wish everyone good luck in their health journey and to achieve the body and the health they’ve always dreamed of!
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