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Taking control of your life and realizing that losing the pounds isn't the most important thing.

1/27/2017

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Have you ever felt that you don’t have much control of your life?  Maybe you work a job that you don’t particularly enjoy, or feel that each passing day brings old age quicker and there’s nothing you can do about it.  There’s even a chance you started out this New Year with the same exercise program or diet plan that you tried last year and the year before, making you realize you’re stuck in a “Groundhog Day” situation with your health.  I think we all get the feeling of being a hamster on a wheel in our lives and might wonder if it will ever change.

Last year at this time, I faced that issue, the knowledge that each day would be the same as the last in my health.  The pattern was set for the decade previously, I would try something for a while, showed some results, would get bored with it, slip up a bit, and then end up in the same place I was previously.  It made me ponder doing something entirely different than I had attempted before, in an effort to shake up my life and prove that I could change old habits and routines.

I gave up sugar and flour for a one-month experiment just to see if I could take control of part of my life, while living in a situation filled with factors I couldn’t control.  If you think about it, what we eat is one area that we completely control.  Last I checked, no one was sneaking around and shoving sweets down our throat or knocking us unconscious to stuff us full of bread.  What we consume is one of the few areas in life that gives us all the power, but most of the time we use that power to hurt ourselves rather than help.  Over the course of a month, I diligently focused on going through the challenge with no slipups and I came out a changed man.

This is where you’re thinking, “What could be so life changing?  There’s lots of programs out there that last a month and they get you to lose 10-15 pounds.  Why would I go through the trouble of giving up all the food I love just for some weight loss?”

Well, to be completely honest with you, I realized that giving up sugar and flour for a month ended up having nothing to do with weight loss.  Sure, you’ll lose weight during the month, but I consider that minor physical change one of the least important parts of doing the challenge.  Wait!  Please hear me out and don’t stop reading now, I’m about to get to the good stuff.

I know this might be tough for you to swallow, especially since a majority of you who read my book and follow my blog are trying to losing a few pounds.  I understand where you’re coming from and I also know there’s quite a few other things you can do for a month or two that will give you the weight loss results you want.  But let’s be honest that you’ve traveled a distance on the weight loss hamster wheel in your life and if you’d been successful in the past, then you likely wouldn’t be reading these words right now.  You need something to really shake up how you look at and how you approach food in general, and that’s what you’ll get with the challenge.

Let me summarize the two most important aspects of my experience of going without sugar and flour for you, and you be the judge on how they would affect your life.

1.        The longer you do the challenge, the more your brain is rewired to not need those foods that have the biggest negative impact on your health.  Since I started the challenge to now, I’ve realized that I look at food completely differently than I have at any other point in my life.  The emotional component I used to feel has been severed to a point that temptation isn’t a huge issue any longer and food doesn’t beckon me like the old days.  Take a moment and imagine your life right now if you rarely felt cravings that you couldn’t easily control, or a favorite food you can pass on without much thought.  The only unfortunate thing for me is that it is impossible to explain this feeling to others who haven’t gone without sugar and flour for a prolonged period of time, but trust me that it will be amazing.

2.       The second key to this experience is your ability to prove to yourself and others that you can complete the one-month challenge by taking control of what you eat.  I will agree with you that it will be difficult at times, but it will also have positive effects on your self-confidence, esteem, and desire to take on even more challenges.  Before you begin the challenge, you might have some doubts about your ability to go without these foods you have known all your life, but it is possible with the right plan and some determination.  You quickly realize that you have total control over the food in your life, so it just comes down to willpower and proving to yourself that you are capable of doing anything for a month.  Every bit of lack of control and frustration in the world around you, can help you stay focused on your goal so you can show the world what you’re made of.  Once you realize your ability, you start to understand what you can accomplish going forward.

These two areas not just changed me for the month I did the no sugar & no flour challenge, but for the months after and all the way today.  Almost a full year has passed and I still find myself amazed at my accomplishment and desire to keep going to see how far it takes me.  Sure I’ve lost weight, (quite a bit in fact), but I often hesitate to speak about that part of the experience.  Instead I like to focus on my change in mindset and determination to keep pushing myself mentally, physically, and emotionally to the next milestone in life.

I know that you can experience the same thing.  It just starts with a month.
All the best!
John Graham
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Tired Toddler vs. Sugar Slug - They affect your brain the same way

1/21/2017

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Hello Everyone!

In my book, The One-Month No Sugar & No Flour Challenge, I discuss how your brain will react as you go through the first two weeks of the one-month challenge.
  As you start the process of giving up sugar and flour, you have to keep in mind that all of your life you’ve been eating the sweet deliciousness of sugar and your brain would rather you didn’t stop anytime soon.  In the book, I use the example of a slimy sugar slug that rests on your brain and tries to punish you for starving it.  After going through the detoxification process again recently I thought of another analogy for you.

As a parent, there’s nothing worse than fighting a battle with a tired toddler that refuses to accept the fact that they are tired.  They become whiny, combative, obnoxious, and downright mean.  It can be a frustrating experience as a parent, and at times you might feel like just giving in and trying to make the toddler happy, even though it might not be the best thing for you.

When you begin going without sugar and flour, your brain is much like that toddler as it begins ramping up to have a final tantrum.  The first few days, your brain might be distracted a bit with all the other food you’re eating, but it also has an idea that something isn’t the same.  After that point, your brain becomes like a whiny toddler, letting you know that it isn’t happy by giving you a dull headache and “jabbing” you when you see the treats it’s desperately missing.  Depending on your routines with sugar before starting, the effects can be minor to downright uncomfortable. 

As the next few days pass, you get some full blown tantrums from your brain.  Moments when you might question your sanity around the food you used to eat.  Grocery store aisles might call out to you, or the candy lane at the gas station might be too tempting to even look at.  As you continue to eat healthy, the tantrums may cause you to feel like you aren’t satisfied and you might find yourself foraging around your cupboards, looking for something you crave.  At this point, your rational brain needs to do everything it can to help you through it.  (And having a solid food plan really helps.  See previous blogs!)

Finally, somewhere between day 10 and 14, the day of the big blowup happens.  This is the final tantrum you will likely experience and the “tired toddler” sugar-addicted part of your brain will pull out all the stops to make you suffer.  On that day, it seems like nothing you eat will satisfy your hunger.  Every time you turn around, you feel like you need something to eat, even though you might have just eaten something.  If you’re bored at home, then plan for a day of constantly checking cabinets and wondering what it will take to make you feel satisfied.

The good news here is on that day, you are getting the last of it, so just be strong.  Much like that final big tantrum a toddler will throw, expending the last of their energy before falling asleep, your brain will accept that no sugar is coming its way.  If you stay the course, then things become easier from that point forward.  In fact, even though it may be difficult to believe, living without sugar and flour actually becomes easier the longer you do it.  This is completely different than other programs I attempted in the past where the temptation on day one was the same as it was on day forty.

I look forward to hearing about your success story of overcoming your “Sugar Slug” or “tired toddler” brain issues.  Send me your thoughts to FIGIDPress@Gmail.com.
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All the best!
John Graham
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Meal Planning...yeah, it's pretty important.

1/17/2017

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Hello Everyone!

I’m not coming up with a completely new concept here, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to you that planning your meals in advance is vitally important to your success in the challenge.  We live in a food culture that preys upon the person who doesn’t have a plan, loses track of time, and just needs to “grab something quick”.  Unfortunately, pretty much all of your “quick” options are either overly processed or filled with sugar and flour. 

Even if you aren’t a planner, I strongly recommend you sit down and map out your meals and snacks for the week.  Then take that information and incorporate it into your grocery shopping list so you have a focused approach to buying groceries.  This will allow you to get in and then get out of the store quick so you aren’t wandering in the land of temptation.

Below are a few suggestions to help you get started on your planning process.

• Stack the deck in your favor the first two weeks.
As you go through your list of foods that fit with the challenge and you enjoy, make a sub list of your favorite foods and the dishes they can be made into.  While you don’t want to rely on any one food too heavily during the challenge, you can still stack the deck in your favor with dishes you most enjoy and are willing to cook.  Put those meals into the rotation during the first two weeks and then integrate more variety during the remainder of the month.

• Plan for interruptions in your schedule. (Have an emergency backup plan)
Our lives are busy and it would be unrealistic to create a meal plan without taking into account potential interruptions during your day.  If you think you might be running late on a particular day, then have two potential meals on your list for dinner.  One that you can create with ample prep time and the other if you only have a few minutes because the meeting went long or traffic was bad.  If you don’t feel like having two options, then at least have a snack plan ready so you can eat some fruit or cold veggies while taking the time to prep your meal.  This will help take the edge off of the hunger and allow you to focus more on the meal you’re making.

I’ve found that temptation is a powerful thing and if you don’t create a backup plan for meals, then you might come home after a frustrating day, look at a pile of ingredients you have to whip up, and decide that you’d rather just eat a quick processed meal instead.  We all have challenges that make us want to “throw it all away” for just one meal, but with the proper plan and backup, you can avoid the pangs of regret from giving up after one small setback.

To be even more secure with your backup plan, find an option or two at your favorite restaurant that you can take advantage of at a moment’s notice.   Start looking at menus now for food choices that don’t involve flour and sugar and make a mental note of them.  If things get really rough and you’re running way behind, then swing by the restaurant or call for takeout.

• The Crockpot is your friend.
Trust me when I tell you that there are hundreds of crock pot meal recipes available in this world featuring your favorite foods in the challenge.  If you haven’t cooked with a crockpot yet in your life, let me just say that it is so simple that I can even do it, which is saying a lot.  In fact, since going through the challenge last year, I can tell you that there are a variety of ways to cook everything, so don’t feel like you can only cook your food through one method.  Mix it up a bit.

• Precook and store main dishes.
I’ve had people tell me that one of their biggest challenges is having to cook single portions just for them because they live alone.  The amount of prep for one meal just doesn’t seem worth all the effort, and I have to completely agree with them.  I want to recommend looking at the option of cooking for leftovers or making freezer meals that you can pull out whenever needed.

Another great method is recycling your dinners into lunches the next day, but shaking them up a bit.  We might cook up a seasoned pork tenderloin for dinner and serve with vegetables, but then I might just slice the leftover tenderloin and put it on a salad for lunch the next day.  This makes it so I don’t feel like I’m having dinner leftovers for lunch because it’s changed just enough, and I also don’t feel like I’m eating the same old salad day after day.
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Use the form available at the bottom of this blog to help you begin mapping out your meals for the week.  Feel free to create your own if you’d like, the key is that you use something.  I also recommend you keep your lists from week-to-week as an inventory of foods you've made.  Go the extra step and make notes on your sheet after having your meal and rate how much you enjoyed it and the prep time or difficulty.

Thanks for reading!
​John Graham
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Click on the link below for your meal planning worksheet PDF.

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My year after giving up flour and sugar.

1/12/2017

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Hello everyone.

People have asked me why they should go through the trouble of giving up sugar and flour, when there are so many other ways you can lose a few pounds instead.
  My initial response typically lets them know that giving up sugar and flour does have weight loss side effects, but there are many other benefits people just don’t think about.  Then I try to recap my experience below, which is coming up on its year anniversary.

In February of 2016 I put together a plan to eliminate sugar, flour, and processed foods from my diet for an entire month.  As March approached, even though it was my choice to do it, I still felt like a prisoner facing death row and actually made a list of my final meals before I started.  There were restaurants I felt I had to eat at one last time, desserts I wanted to say goodbye to, and drinks I thought I needed to enjoy once again before I started the month of March.  It’s pretty silly now that I look back on it, but I have no doubt that other people in their current preparation process might be feeling the same way.  My advice to you is that you don’t overdo your “last meals” since it might make things harder for you when you go cold turkey.

I started on March 1st and was completely focused on not wavering from my objective.  Yes, it was tough at times, but my intent was to show myself that I was better than food cravings and treats that I “wanted” versus “needed”.  When March ended, (and yes, I was counting the days), I realized that going without sugar and flour had such a profound effect on my health, mind, and body that I didn’t want to stop.  I decided to approach it week by week after that and see how long I could last.  Well, I made it through a couple additional months and the results were getting better with each passing day.  Clothing sizes were dropped quickly, my energy level was up and consistent, and my self-image was great.

I think it was around June that I decided to eat my first flour and sugar on a special occasion and while it was an enjoyable experience, it made me realize quickly that those foods didn’t have the emotional power over me like they used to.  In fact, after enjoying my meal out, I went back to no sugar and flour the next day, quickly moving on.  This mindset change was completely different than other “diets” I had tried in the past where I typically fell off the wagon, into a barrel of chocolate, which then rolled into a valley of candy.  I found that severing the emotion bond I had with food was the biggest change I ever experienced.

As the summer months progressed, I continued going without flour and sugar for a majority of the time.  Yes, I still indulged at special events and picnics, but I found myself having no interest in the sweets that I used to gorge myself on in the old days.  For me, indulging meant I might have a hamburger or some pizza, while still not being tempted by plates of cookies at a picnic.  A little flour took the place of the “lot of sugar” I used to enjoy, and trust me when I say that I used to “enjoy” sugar in the old days, especially at picnics where I could graze through the desserts without people realizing the quantity I was putting away.

When fall arrived, I found my weight loss results slowing down a bit, simply because I started to rely too much on the higher glycemic fruits, vegetables, and sauces for my weekly meals, while cutting back on the amount of exercise I was doing.  While plateauing is never a fun experience in a healthy lifestyle, something interesting did happen.  As the weather grew colder, my desire for sweets didn’t grow.  My mind was still able to override any sugary “wants” I had, looking at everything from a new point a view.  The wagon was still rolling and I was riding along just fine.

In October I realized something amazing.  For the first time in over a decade, I didn’t “need” to eat those tasty candy corn pumpkins that show up in piles at the grocery store.  Every year prior had me craving around three or four bags during October, which I would snack on throughout the month.  You might crave your Pumpkin Spice in the fall, but I was always a Mallocreme Pumpkin guy, that’s just the way I’ve always been.  This time, as I would go to the grocery store, I would look at the pumpkin bags and my mind would try to recall why I always needed them so much, but I no longer understood why.  The same thing hit me about Halloween candy in general, I just didn’t see the point in it any longer.  This initially struck me as odd because as an overweight guy with a sweet tooth, Halloween was typically my favorite time.  I went that month without eating any candy and I didn’t suffer or feel like I was giving anything up.

As fall continued I found myself eating flour more often, but still didn’t feel the pull of sweets like I used to.  It had to be a pretty special treat or occasion for me to eat a really unhealthy dessert because my mind still tried to recall why I loved it so much.  As we moved into December, the opportunities for special occasion snacking increased and while I didn’t fall off the wagon completely, I will admit that I was dragged behind it for a few weeks.  Interestingly, the more I ate, day after day, gave me a constant feeling like I was physically dragged behind a wagon too, especially since I could so clearly recall how good I felt every day just a month or so before.

January has arrived and I begin my prep for tackling the month of February completely without sugar and flour again.  My hope is to experience the month along with others this time so I can compare my journey to theirs.  Strangely enough, a few of days ago I decided my prep for February was to just give up sugar and flour early and I did it without much thought.  Unlike my first time, there was no fanfare or “last meals” I had to have, but just a quick decision that from January 6th on, I wouldn’t be eating those things.  This has helped reinforce the idea in my brain that my emotional ties to food have pretty much disappeared.

If I had to summarize going without sugar and flour for you based on my experience this past year, I would simply say that it gives you an idea of what your body is like without all of the garbage and chemicals.  Sure there are lots of programs and prepackaged foods out there that you can spend hundreds of dollars on, but they don’t allow you to experience what your body is like once you get everything out of your system.  I don’t want you to feel like you’re signing up to go without sugar and flour for the rest of your life because that isn’t my intent with these blogs, the book, and by talking about it.  I just want you to feel after one month what life is like without all of the interference, and then make a decision for yourself.  I know the dramatic effect it had on my life and I was one of the most sugar and flour addicted people I knew of, so you should have no problem.
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Thank you for taking this journey with me.
John Graham
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The SUGAR SUMMIT!  The most powerful tool of the challenge.

1/10/2017

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Hello everyone.  Welcome to today's blog.

The sugar summit is one of the most important aspects of your preplanning for your month without sugar and flour.  Sure, you may be determined to go without sugar and flour for a month, but odds are that other people in your life might be skeptical of the whole idea.  For me, it was my children, who made it very clear from the first mention of my experiment, that going without sugar and flour would be classified as child abuse. 

I can’t say that I blame them for thinking that way and I can’t blame any of your friends or family for thinking you might have lost your mind too, especially since our culture has a foundation built on sugar.  The key here isn’t to sway them over to your thinking and have them join you, instead, the Sugar Summit is an opportunity for all of you to determine the best means of support for your success.  In the end, it’s just for a month, so you can explain that their lives won’t be altered forever, so they should be a little open minded.

Now, before you stop reading because you don’t have kids, or you are a single person who doesn’t hang out with other people, I promise you will still need the Summit paperwork to some degree.  You might use it as a tool at work to help explain what you are doing and maybe get them on board with some fruit to go along with the boxes of donuts every so often.  Possibly you can sit down with your friends who you go out with and explain that certain late night eating establishments might need to be skipped for a month so you can find more options.  Maybe even bring the paper to a book club or quilting group you attend regularly and help them understand that offering you sugary snacks during the month would not be the best thing.

This form is easy to complete and is built to help everyone understand the foods that can be readily available through the month, which ones should be minimized, and which ones would be best not to have around, especially the first couple of weeks when temptation is at its highest point.  Feel free to print multiple copies for all the different groups in your life.

Worksheet Overview:  (The worksheet is broken into three separate parts for your convenience.)

·         Foods that fit in the program: 
These are fruits, vegetables, and meats or cheeses that everyone in your summit group enjoys.  Assure them that these will be readily available for all to snack on, which should lessen the blow of having to give some things up later on in the meeting.

·         Foods that don’t fit in the program, but you don’t like:
 
The key here is to identify things that would never tempt you in a moment of weakness.  If you think a particular cracker or chip is repulsive, but your coworker loves them, then encourage them to have those in their desk drawer instead of something you love.  If a family member has to have cereal every morning, then seek out one they like and you don’t.  No chance of a late night craving there.

·         Foods that don’t fit with the program and you like:
Unfortunately, the foods on this list have to be phased out during the initial portion of the program implementation due to their tempting nature.  Are your family and friends going to be a little disappointed that will have to go a couple of weeks without waving your favorite foods under your nose?  Probably because it’s their favorite food too, but it’s more than likely they will support you since it’s just temporary.  They should also understand that just because you are following the no sugar/no flour program, it doesn’t mean you’ll be following them around all day judging them for eating a roll, cookie, or drinking a soda.
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**Secret note:  You might find that after you phase out some of the foods from your home, your family members will get used to not having them around and you will actually make them a little healthier in this process.  My youngest son is obsessed with natural applesauce as a treat, something we never really stocked regularly because we always bought crackers or chips for him to snack on. 
 
Download the sheet at the bottom of this blog and schedule your “Sugar Summit” today with your family, friends, and coworkers.
All the best!
John Graham

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Click below to download the Sugar Summit worksheet.

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This is not a diet!  So feel free to talk yourself up.

1/6/2017

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I’ve been overweight for most of my life and I couldn’t start to count how many times I let people know that I was starting a diet.  I used that phrase as a way to help buffer me from the temptation I might encounter when out with friends or at work, but I still never enjoyed saying it.  To me, I always felt like I was broadcasting something I didn’t like about myself to the world.  I’m overweight, I’m not happy with myself, and I need a diet.  This made everything more about the food I wasn’t supposed to eat and while folks were encouraging in the beginning, most didn’t know what to say or do when I began slipping off the wagon, sneaking the very food I swore never to eat again.  The issue for me is that the word “diet” doesn’t really speak to an ending timeframe since it usually involves a weight goal that might take months or even years, so people never know when you’re finished.  Needless to say that I don’t like the word “diet” very much.

When I started my month of no sugar and no flour last March, I specifically called it an experiment instead of a diet because it fit that criteria more.  The experiment was if I could go without sugar and flour for one-month, which summed up my goals and a timeframe.  This also made the experiment more of a test of willpower and showing that I was stronger than my food cravings, (even if it was for just a month).  From the beginning, the word experiment empowered me to talk with others about what I was doing because I didn’t feel like I was broadcasting my weight issue when I spoke about it.  I also found that people became more interested and encouraging about an experiment instead of a diet.  I might be the only who ever felt this way, but it seemed that when I told people in the past I was on a diet, they would typically ask me what I was doing and after I answered, I could almost see their brain working on how long they felt I would last.

Sure with a month-long experiment you’ll still get some people who will say you’re crazy, but they won’t be able to calculate how long you’ll last.   I actually encouraged my friends to take bets on how long I would last since I was such a sugar and flour addict.  Any timeframe that gave me actually motivated me more to exceed their expectations.  You’ll find that as you share your experiment with others, many will marvel at your ability to do it and will encourage you even more.  My greatest response from folks was after just a couple of weeks when people I knew mentioned that I was motivating them to make a change in their lives. 

So make the commitment now to call it a challenge or an experiment, but don’t call it a diet.  If someone starts asking you about your diet, then nicely correct them and explain what it really is.  You’re not doing some lose weight quick diet that will bring the pounds back a month later, you’re testing your resolve, willpower, and trying to discover what your life can be like without all the sugar, flour, and chemicals that you’ve been ingesting since you were 1.

Here’s your homework from this blog.  If you’re committed to make this one month change, then tell people about what you will be doing.  Tell your friends, your family, or that random person in line with you at the post office.  Simply say the words, “Starting February 1st I will be going without sugar and flour for an entire month.” and see what happens from there.  If you’re super shy, that’s fine, but still tell someone.  If you don’t have the nerve to tell anyone yet, then tell me if it gets you started.  Fill out the short form below and I’ll see it and be rooting for you.

When I began, I committed to doing a daily blog about what I ate and what I felt through my experiment.  I also committed that I wouldn’t be afraid to let people know what I was trying to accomplish.  These two things were important for my personal success, so I’m recommending you do something similar if possible. 

​As a special incentive to get you in the sharing mood, I am looking for people who aren't afraid to share their experience completing the no sugar and no flour challenge for a month.  In exchange for your updates and thoughts, I will be happy to send you a copy of the special workbook/recipe book that is currently under construction and should be finished in March.  You'll be the proud owner of a signed early edition!  Fill out the form below and click that button so we can talk about what that looks like.

​All the best!

John Graham
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What will I eat for a month?  I can't think of anything without Sugar and Flour.

1/4/2017

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Whenever I told people that I was going without flour and sugar, the first response I would hear was, “What do you eat?  I wouldn’t survive a day doing that.”  Much like those folks, my mind in the beginning couldn’t comprehend all of the options without sugar and flour because over the years I had been programmed to think that processed food was a daily staple in my diet.  Over the first few weeks, and a little exploring of grocery store areas I didn’t typically go through, I quickly realized how many options I really had.

Now I want to remind you that I’m incredibly picky when it comes to food, especially the healthy ones, so I never feel qualified in telling you what your exact balance of daily foods should be.  I am a strong believer in having some sort of balance though, especially with the Glycemic Index, so you don’t rely too much on “healthy” foods that might work against you.  (White potatoes are my favorite example of this since they fit the single ingredient criteria, but are high in starch and get processed by your body very quickly.)  Plus, if you avoid relying on your favorites too much, then you might find some fruits, vegetables, meats, etc that you like just as much, giving you more variety down the road.

The attached worksheet for this blog lists areas you may find foods in a grocery store that fit with the challenge, so print one off to work on at home and start listing out your favorite things in the blocks.  Don’t panic if you can’t think of many options in one area, they will come to you over time.  Give yourself around fifteen minutes to list everything and then keep the sheet handy as things will pop in your head over the coming day or two.

After you’ve completed the first list, then put it somewhere safe and print out another copy.  You’ll use that second copy to take with you on a quick field trip to the grocery store.   Walk those areas and then the aisles, looking for options that fit into the criteria.  Again, for this challenge, you are focusing on things in their single ingredient form as much as possible.  There are certain arguments you will find yourself making at the grocery store to justify foods that may still fit the criteria, but aren’t the best choices.  Here’s a couple:

“I should really buy a bag of corn chips, they’re made with corn so that should work right?” 

Yes and no.  While the ingredient list may match, the processing of those ingredients to make a chip also makes your body process it faster.  Plus, I can’t recall ever sticking to a suggested portion of chips once I started on the bag, so the amount of calories consumed might work against you too.  Try to avoid these during your month.

“I’m going to load up on yogurt because that’s healthy right?” 

I will be the first to admit that I consider dairy a gray area in the realm of no sugar, since lactose in my mind isn’t the same as the processed or artificial sugars.  I also need to admit that I don’t eat a lot of yogurt, so I haven’t done a lot of research on which ones are better.  I’m guessing, the more plain a yogurt is, the better it might be, but I’m not an expert.  I can say that most of the ones you mix with things in the packages often contain flour and sugar in the mixer portion.  Just read the ingredients and determine what’s best for you and the challenge.  I wouldn’t imagine that you’ll make yogurt your main meal item anyway, so use the balance approach like everything else.

We likely could do this question and answer portion all day long and still wouldn’t cover everything out there to eat in the world.  In the end, just ask yourself if something is in its original state or not, and if that answer is no, then ask yourself if it will kill you to go a month without it.    I have some more examples and thoughts in my book, so refer back to those chapters for more help.

Bonus tip:  While it’s a little bit more work on your field trip day, I suggest making a note of the prices at your local store for the items you are listing.  This will give you an idea of your grocery bill once you start doing your weekly meal planning.  On my first exploratory trip to the grocery I took around 2 hours and didn’t buy anything, I just walked around recording food and prices.  I did get some strange looks from the workers there while I was doing it, and then my wife did question my sanity when I arrived home, but it set me up nicely to plan the coming weeks.
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All the best!
John Graham
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Click below for today's worksheet.  I've made it printer-friendly.

food_choices_worksheet.pdf
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Still recovering from New Year's Eve?  Now is the perfect time for Step One.

1/1/2017

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I hope your New Year celebrating was safe, fun, and you are now recovering nicely.  The calendar has now ticked over to 2017 and it’s time to attack the New Year with the vigor it deserves, but while we do that, let’s complete the first exercise of the No Sugar / No Flour prep process.
 
Step one of your prepwork begins with taking personal inventory of your current state.  This is something I wish I had done before starting my challenge last March, so I am making it a point to do it this time around with you.
 
Here’s why we’re doing this.  I want you to have a detailed record of how you are feeling before you start this challenge, so don’t hold anything back.  Don’t panic, you won’t be asked to share this with anyone, just lock it away for your challenge month.  You see, I know that many of the things you list down will show improvement during this month-long experiment, and I want you to be able to look back on this list and determine if the old version of you is worth going back to.  You’ll have a choice to make at the end of the month, whether you want to go back to how you were on the list or continue to knock things off of the list as you move forward with your life.
 
In my case, the changes I felt were so profound, that I didn’t need a list to remind me of my constant aches and pains, acid reflux, feet swelling, and digestion issues.  As time went on, I realized there were other things that I had forgotten about, like just being able to get in and out of my car more comfortably, or being able to keep my balance while tying my shoes.   I was so focused on the couple of big things that improved, that I didn’t notice all the small things that were getting better at the same time.  In the end though, it is everything combined that will help you make an informed decision on how you’ll go forward after the challenge has ended.
 
How to fill out the worksheet.
You’ll find the PDF attached to this blog, so click on it to download and print.
  Give it some thought for a day or two, but get it done so we can work on the next thing shortly.  Don’t worry about writing entire sentences or statements, just get down enough to know what you were thinking.
 
The PHYSICALLY circle is for how your body feels right now.  Do you have a particular ache or pain?  Are your joints stiff?  Acid Reflux?  Constant Headaches?  Digestive issues?  Skin conditions?  Or anything else that you physically feel regularly.

The EMOTIONALLY circle is there for your mental state.  How do you feel about your body at this moment?  What do you see when you look in the mirror?  How do you perceive yourself?  What is your mood like typically? 

THINGS I WISH I COULD DO is there for the basic things you feel your body or current health is keeping you from.  This could be a simple thing like tying your shoes without getting out of breath, (don’t laugh because that was me in February 2016), or being able to go for a walk around the block without feeling like you pulled a muscle.  This isn’t the place for super lofty goals, like run a marathon or become a UFC fighter, save those goals for another sheet in the future.  This is the place to write something smaller and more personal, like being able to comfortably fit on the toilet seat or be able to get up from a seated position without someone having to pull you up.  They may seem silly to you, but again, you’re not sharing this with anyone but yourself.  Take some time to print this today and keep it close so you can fill it out in the next two days.

ALSO.....

You’re reading this because you want to make a healthy change in your life, which I think is great.  While we are prepping this month for the next month to live without sugar and flour, you can still be moving in a healthy direction right now.  As we move through this month of prep, make the effort to eat healthier food.  Work some exercise into your routine whenever possible just to get used to the movement.  If you feel you are “addicted” to something sugary or full of flour, then work on weening yourself off of it during this time, so it isn’t so shocking to your system when February begins.  Please don’t just wait until January 31st because you “haven’t started the challenge yet”.  You started down this road at 12:01AM January 1st, so keep your feet moving. 
 
In fact, today would be a good day to step on the scale for one last time and get your starting weight.  I’m not a fan of weighing yourself all the time and believe that once every two weeks is plenty, so get your weight, write it on your worksheet, and put the scale away.  We’ll write down our weight right before February starts, so let’s see what we can do for ourselves before then.
 
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at FIGIDPress@Gmail.com.  You can also post a comment or send a message through the Facebook page:  ONE MONTH NO SUGAR & NO FLOUR CHALLENGE.  As I've said before, I consider myself an average person who is experiencing the same challenges and thoughts that you are right now.  I will be completing the same steps as you as we go through the next two months, so if you want me to share my prepwork or more personal thoughts with you, then send me a note.  Since some of the work will be a tad personal, I won't be sharing everything online for the world to see, but if it helps you achieve your goals, then I can send it your way.  This will be an exciting journey and we’re on our way!
 
John Graham
 
 

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Click below for PDF of worksheet.

my_personal_inventory.pdf
File Size: 114 kb
File Type: pdf
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Want more detail about the challenge?  Click the book cover now.

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    John Graham operates FIGID Press and works closely with new creators to help them realize their goals.

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