Around week three of going without sugar and flour, you brain and body encounter a different phenomenon than what you might be used to.  I call it the "What the heck" stage.  You see, up to that point, your old feelings, habits, and food cravings are lingering about, maybe keeping you from making the healthy change easily.  After a few weeks, that starts to disappear and in its place you start having these mental exchanges.

​"Looks like I have a little time on my hands, wonder what I should do?  What the heck, I think I'll go to the gym for a while."

"I'm starting to get a little hungry, what should I eat?  What the heck, I'm going to grab some fruit."

​"Man, I sure am thirsty.  What the heck, I'll grab some water and be just fine."

​These exchanges look entirely different from our previous lives, when the answers may have been sit and watch a show, eat a candy bar, or grab a soda.  It's amazing how three weeks can change your outlook, but it can.  I'm hoping you're close to the point of asking yourself this question:

​"How can I finally make a positive impact on my health and see what I'm capable of?  What the heck, I'm going to give up sugar and flour for a month and see what happens."

I know you can do it.
All the best!
​John Graham

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing one of those 100 day challenges.  You know the ones I’m talking about, you see them as viral videos on Facebook, etc.  Basically someone does some healthy activity or specific exercise for 100 days and they record themselves doing it every day.  The video is then spliced together so you can see their progress over that time and you usually find yourself impressed or motivated, so you share the video and tag it with a “check this out”.
 
The problem with thinking about doing something like this is that it seems like a long time so you begin to map out everything that would keep you from being successful.  For me, the questions ranged from when I would do the activity, how would I record it, what happens if I get sick, and what if it interferes with other activities I have planned during the next three months.  There’s a lot of variables, so in the end, most people, such as myself, feel it’s too much and never even start.  Maybe this describes you too?
 
This morning though, I found myself asking why couldn’t I just do it for a month?  Or even 50 days instead of 100?  Was there some sort of rule out there that if I didn’t post something that encompassed 100 total days, then people would shame me?  Well, maybe my video wouldn’t go viral because the results wouldn’t smack you across the face at the end, so folks would just give me a, “good for that guy and his month of hard work”.  This entire thought process gave me the realization about myself and so many others that I’ve spoken with about my One Month No Sugar and No Flour Challenge.
 
People often tell me that they couldn’t give up sugar and flour for a month because there’s a special event coming up, like a holiday or birthday.  It’s like this holiday at the end of the month is causing them to not even think about starting, giving them their ultimate excuse.  Other excuses are peppered in, such as they couldn’t live without either sugar or flour for a month or they have family members that would hold them back.
 
After my epiphany today, I have to wonder what’s keeping people from doing just two weeks without sugar and flour, or even one week?  Do they think that if they approached me and told me they only completed two weeks instead of a month, I would push them into the dirt and call them worthless for not doing the whole month?  Do I think the 100 day challenge police will arrest me if I only made it 75 days?  I’m pretty sure no one is going to mock me for only going one month recording my healthy activity and I promise that if someone posted on the Facebook page that they did just a week without no sugar and no flour, I would still congratulate them and be proud.
 
Ask yourself at this moment, what’s keeping you from starting something healthy today?  Are you doing a great job of talking yourself out of it because it seems like too much work?  Are you setting too lofty a goal, like planning for a marathon next month when you haven’t ran in years and then find yourself frustrated and give up?  Are you focusing on the 50 pounds you have to lose and find yourself constantly thinking of the time it will take because it doesn’t melt away with the first trip to the gym?  What if you just set a small goal and celebrated that? 
 
If you want to impress me, then go five days without sugar and flour.  I’m pretty sure you could do anything for five days and I’ve realized that you begin feeling something positive after that time.  Maybe it won’t change your life, but if you make it that amount of time, then you know you did it.  The next time it comes up and someone tells you they couldn’t last two days, then you could tell them they can do at least five days because you did.  Your second attempt might give you eight days or ten and you’ll realize that you can do that too.  Feel free to post all attempts to the Facebook page or email me directly and I will celebrate the crap out of your success with you, no matter how big or small you think it is.
 
Feel free to read through this entire blog or buy the book.  Do the challenge for a month and be amazed, or do it for shorter and see what happens.  I can promise you that you won’t regret any decision that helps you become healthier and realize your potential.
 
All the best!
John Graham