10 weeks from today I turn 40.
Theoretically,I thought the "40 year old" milestone wouldn’t be a big deal – after all my father is the author of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. My family generally follows the trend that aging means more wisdom. (Thats right, I can convince myself to feel good about those first wrinkles around my eyes!)
There are several challenges that I struggle with, and there is no time like the next 10 weeks to face them head on. Because, if I don’t, at some deep level I will have disappointed myself – I thought I would have overcome them before 40.
Its time to transition to a healthier lifestyle – from what I eat on a daily basis to regular exercise and meditation.
Here are my challenges:
1. Addiction to Sugar
2. Eat my stress away (with sugar)
3. Exercise sporadically
4. Give up
These lead to not feeling good about how I feel physically, and in turn, create more stress and guilt in my life. Its the extra weight, the sluggishness, feeling tired. Frankly, I am sick of the cycle and my own excuses.
My Commitment
For the next ten weeks, my intent is to create a 10 Week Plan (healthier eating/regular exercise) and stick with it.
In going public with this, I am dealing with #4 challenge. If I give up, I will be held accountable by this community.
My intents are to:
1. Deal with my sugar addiction – and not eat a cupcake or chocolate chip cookie every day.
2. Meditate and use mindfulness techniques when I revert back to taking out my stress with food.
3. Exercise at least 4 times a week.
4. Plan my daily meals so that I am eating consciously.
5. Choose healthy foods for each meal.
Want to Join Me?
When I posted this intent, I was so excited to see several people say they will join me. I cannot thank you enough — you are motivating me!
Here is what I think we should do:
1. Tell us why you are joining The 10 Week Plan in a blog post (tag it "10 Week Plan" in the tagging window). In this post, tell us your personal challenges, and your intents for the next 10 weeks.
2. Join the 10 Week Plan group on the Healthy Living Groups page. I will check in every few days to share my personal challenges and successes. Would love to hear yours, and then lets support each other.
3. Blog once a week about how the experience is going. (Tag these 10 Week Plan).
4. Post a daily personal intent related to living more healthy. (Lets tag these #healthyliving)
Intent Voice, Holly Perkins will be mentoring me over the next ten weeks and has offered to share her wisdom with the group.
We will make sure we inform people on the 10 Week Plan Group page when something new is posted.
Post a comment below if you are joining so that I know whose blogs and intents to follow! (I know some people posted on the original intent, but would be great if you could comment here as well).
This should be a motivating (and challenging) journey together. What a great birthday present you are giving me through this support. Thank you!
Thank you Dear Mallika!
Perfect timing for me to join you in such commitment!
Generally, everything you've described is valid for me too. Moreover, having a birthday just one day before you, makes this plan 10 weeks from today till it. I had this in mind since a very long time, because I found myself struggling with 'how to deal with stress' without compulsive eating or 'adding more' to my sugar addiction.
I am really happy to join you and the other beautiful ladies in this plan, starting from today!
Looking forward to supporting each other!
Thank you!
#10 Week Plan I wish I had read this first before I started posting in the Healthy Living Group. I am happy to see we have the same desire for accountability. Doing the 30 days of posting about breaking my habit and knowing I had supporters really made the difference in making me successful, so I knew I had to join this challenge.
I have always remembered a TV show many, many years ago that compared weight loss groups/diets and found the most sucessful one of all was simply a local group where the people got together once a week and read aloud the food diary/calories they ate that week. Nothing else, no comments, no congratulations, just simply being accountable. Perhaps this could be called 'mindful'?
I have always eaten pretty healthy, I just eat too much. But I have neglected the mind/body connection and today developed what I call My Peace, and acronym for Meditation, Yoga, Pounds, Calories, Exercise. I will record these activities daily without focusing on a specific goal. I will simply begin focusing on myself as healthy and how I can improve today over yesterday.
I am also looking forward to doing this and supporting each other in this community. Thanks Mallika!
stick with it! i've been (by necessity) eating strictly medicinally (okay, the occasional bag of chips and half pound of jalebi aside), meditating and incorporating vigorous aerobic and anaerobic exercise in my daily routine for ten years now, and i'm healthier and look better and younger now than i did 15 years ago. i wish you and your co-intenters on this lots of dtermination energy.
I am coming to this group to help me "stick" to my forever&always goal of becoming healthier. I am 57 and found that even though I am health conscious person, things are getting harder to control- like blood sugar issues, blood pressure, and weight control. All these have been maintained easily without medication– that control is getting harder. So, i need to buckle down and "really" make it a life style. As Mallika has made the site of Intent.com a way to be accountable…so shall it be for my new HealthyLiving for ever starting point.
Mallika's comments about her challenges— are mine too!
This is so cool! I definitely need to kick my own butt to not slack off going to the gym so much. Looking forward to seeing everybody else's 10 week healthy living plan of action!
Great! It's a perfect intent and these issues apply to me as well, especially craving for sweets. I am in! It's spring and fresh greens are becoming more available, which makes it easier to stick to healthy eating. Joining for a common goal definitely gives more endurance and allows to achieve better results!
I am joining.. but it is actually a continuation of my ongoing healthy weeks. And my intent is to continue not only for the next 10, but maybe 100000000000 weeks? Hehe…It has been like a year and a half that I train regularly in the gym. From last december I also started to be more strict with food, eating naturally colored food, which looks beautiful and tastes good, fruits, veggies, fish, risotto and sometime pasta, integral bread, integral cornflakes, low calories milk and yoghurt, brown organic sugar in my morning coffee, and maybe once a week a small desert but again with fewer calories. Together with that I have my two litters of water per day, starting from early morning with two glasses then continuing through the day with the bottle by my pc. My skin is getting better and I feel lighter. Before I was going to the gym four times, now that I lost the unnecessary kilos I go three times there and twice to Yoga. On sundays sometimes I go and run in the forest when I have time.. and life just keeps getting better. It might seem like a too tough discipline in the start, but it can become quite enjoyable actually. Personally I do not support drastic food changes, like deciding to have coffee with no sugar or never eat a piece of cake anymore in life. These drastic changes can bring the contrary effect, making you crave a lot more for sugar. What I would insist in fact is sticking to physical exercise. Stick to that and never miss a session, boring I know, but useful. And the moment you start to have the first results, you also control your food cravings better. So I join you in this because it is fun to be together in the same spirit of positive change. And by the way, I agree with your family's philosophy, and i would add that if we can be older, wiser, with a better feel and look for ourselves would be quite a life achievement. Let's all do it, let's all shine
Mallika, I am in for sure!
I will be turning 26 on August 7th & I will share my own journey on intent toward a balanced mind, body, & soul. I pretty much have same cravings of sugar, chocolate cookies & all…lol. This should be very interesting
My problem, like most others, is to stay disciplined with the routine. I guess, I will post everything on my blog & let everyone inspire me
Love,
Chandresh
Ten weeks from now I turn 45. I join & support you in your intent. my challenges are sporadic exercise, a love of sweets & lack of mindful eating. Therefore my plan is to engage in mindful eating, keep a food journal and exercise at least 3 times per week.
I am so so excited about this! Thank you everyone for joining… I had a crazy day, but had a major success. After an usually stressful day, nstead of going to get a chocolate chip cookie at 4pm (which I usually do), I went to Whole Foods and bought Sesame Tofu for a snack. SO unlike me, but I have to admit I thought about the accountability after writing my blog and everyone joining that motivated me.
I am supporting your creative approach to tackle the issue.
Mohan
I'm on this as of last week and I'm happy to join in and support you.
I’m on this as of last week and I’m happy to join in and support you.
Blessings!