I thought I’d do a mid-year update on my fandabidozi and let you know what I’ve been working on personally this year. As I recounted in an earlier blog, I realized I needed to snap out of a Covid induced funk by taking on a few challenges. One of these challenges includes replying “Fandabidozi” whenever asked “How are you?” That has actually been the hardest challenge because I keep forgetting! Here’s the update on my latest fitness, health and clutter clearing challenges as part of my fandabidozi year of challenges.
The 90 Day WILDFIT Challenge
On January 10th I started the 90 Day WILDFIT Challenge. As part of this, I worked with a small group and a UK based coach, Amanda Morris, who fearlessly led the way through our many ups and downs. I shed over 20 pounds effortlessly over the course of the program. To my amazement, I managed to do my first-ever fast for three days in a row without experiencing any serious hunger. I’ve tried the 5-2 Diet where you eat about 500 calories on a “fasting” day, twice a week. However, I found it incredibly hard to do and was grumpy and hungry. I have learned that it is much easier to fast if your body has been filled with an abundance of healthy nutrition and hydration. The WILDFIT program does exactly that.
Previously, when fasting, I felt irritable, weak, and dizzy. As a result, I needed to lie down most of the day. Totally impractical for a working mother of two. However, once I filled my body with the right nutrition and was fully hydrated, fasting was a piece of cake. It is actually easier to eat nothing at all than to have 500 calories and wake up your appetite. Who knew? I’ve tried countless diets and none of them were as simple and effective as WILDFIT. This is because WILDFIT isn’t a diet; it’s a lifestyle.
The word ‘diet’ has been hijacked by the dieting industry to mean temporarily restricting your calorie intake to obtain a short-term goal. So, when you come off the ‘diet’ you go back to the way you were eating before. But really, the word ‘diet’ describes the food that you eat.
The best diet is the natural human diet. Every living being on the planet has its own natural diet, including humans. The problem is that the average human has massively veered off the natural human diet. Hence, we have an abundance of people with lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, inflammation and cancer.
The entire first two weeks of the WILDFIT program are all about getting into the right mindset. Without it, no change in behavior will be effective. My criteria for a workable plan is never being hungry and not counting calories or points or weighing food. Also, I need something that works with family meals. Thankfully, WILDFIT ticks all these boxes and works! What’s more, after the 90-day challenge ended, I didn’t gain the weight back.
I am now in Amanda’s support group. And I will be using the support to shed another 10 pounds to reach my ideal weight. In addition, I will work on eating super healthy foods, as that is what it is really all about. I discovered that when your body is full of nourishing healthy foods, you aren’t hungry. Simple as that.
30-Day Decluttering Challenge
Next up in my fandabidozi year of challenges is the 30-Day Decluttering Challenge. This entails getting rid of one item on day 1, two items on day 2, three items on day 3, and so on. A little bit into the challenge, I got a suggestion that it would work better to do it in reverse. That is, get rid of 30 items on day 1, 29 items on day 2 and work down to one item on the last day.
Why would reversing this work better? Because I lost enthusiasm for the project midway through it. Also because I tend to clear out in batches and didn’t bother counting how much stuff I collected. I’d guesstimate that I donated over 100 items. This is far short of the goal but still acceptable progress. I might take this up again with more rigor later in the year when we tackle the loft.
Sea Swimming Challenge
My last part of my fandabidozi year of challenges is the Burgh Island Swim in July (this blog was written in June 2022). I prepared for this challenge during Covid by doing cold water sea swimming. As a result, come July, the sea will feel warm compared to how it feels in February. The swim around Burgh Island is beautiful. Also, it’s a lot of fun because a few friends joined in the challenge. Preparing for it also got my husband back into the sea after a long hiatus. I highly recommend sea or lake swimming, as it is so invigorating! Nothing works better to clear a foggy brain in a flash. And, as a side benefit, immersing yourself in cold water is a great immunity boost.
What I’ve learned doing all these challenges is that I’m hopeless on my own. However, I am great in a group when it comes to any task, goal, or project. I’m an extrovert, so I really prefer doing things with others. Research shows that changing diet and exercise habits can be the most difficult of all to change. So, I invested up front and got the support of a coach and a group. I’d never go in the icy cold sea on my own, but with friends, it is fun!
Challenges really work to liven you up and add fun and interest to your life. Also, they can make even really hard goals, like losing weight, ever so much easier. If you are motivated by others, then join a group (or start one) and you’ll be much more likely to succeed.
Hope the rest of your year is full of fandabidozi fun!
