Here's What Happened When I Did a 30-Day Reset!
At the top of the year, my boyfriend’s family and I decided to do a 30-day health challenge and I’m so happy I agreed to it!
Post-Workout Selfie fTW! Love HOw Aerobics Makes Me feel!
Keep reading for my favorite step aerobics workouts!
Not only did I need a major change after devouring all the sweets in my line of vision over the holiday season, but after the 2021 that I had, I needed a serious reset. So many things happened last year that caused me to throw any sense of good habits out the door. I was stressed, a bit depressed, eating my feelings, and foregoing gym sessions for Netflix binges. My vices were carbs, sweets, and completely neglecting my body’s health. I gained more weight than I’d care to admit in 2021, and needless to say, 2022 needed to be different.
So, when my boyfriend’s, brother’s fiance proposed that the entire family start the year off with a customized 30-Day challenge, I was in!
Sidenote: You’ll notice that I won’t use the terms “30-day detox” or “30-day cleanse,” because this isn’t some diet fad I participated in. It wasn’t an incredibly restrictive diet where I counted calories of every little thing I ate and shamed myself for not being thin. This 30-Day reset or 30-day challenge was the first step toward a lifestyle of healthy habits and overall good health.
Continuing on, let’s get into the terms of this challenge. As I mentioned, this was a customized challenge that we completed as a family. While we did this together, we each set our own goals that aligned with our overall health goals. As a unit, we all decided to remove alcohol consumption during the duration of the challenge, as a baseline for everyone’s overall health. Then, we each chose habits we wanted to break or habits we’d like to create. Many of us removed baked goods and added sugars from our daily consumption, and increased our exercise or produce intake!
For me, I challenged myself to cut out candies & baked goods, as well as bread and pasta. I have always been a sucker for sour gummy worms and a good baguette, but I’ve noticed that those are probably two of the worst things for my body to digest! Last year, I was also noticing that when I ate certain flour-based foods, I would have massive stomach pains. So, I figured that cutting those out might be a good way to show me whether or not I have a sensitivity towards them! Spoiler alert, I do!
Subtle differences I have noticed in my face from December 2021 (right) and February 2022 (Left).
In addition to breaking bad eating habits, I also wanted to form good habits! So, I downloaded this really helpful app called, Done, and set up daily and weekly habits for me to track. In relation to health and wellness, I set a goal to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, in order to increase my activity levels. Having this app to literally check something off as I complete it was like having a little bit of extra motivation I needed to keep going!
Getting started was a bit tough, as any lifestyle change is, but after the first few days, I felt good! It was also really nice to be making these changes alongside people I trust, and especially alongside my boyfriend. Arjuna had many of the same goals as I did, and we were in it together! We even participated in the other’s goals in solidarity with each other and held each other accountable! There were so many times I was feeling bummed or he was feeling bummed about progress, but in those moments, we gave each other pep talks and encouraged each other to keep going strong!
Surprisingly, my biggest challenge during this 30-day reset wasn’t staying away from sweets or pasta (though, that was no walk in the park either), but rather it was constantly comparing myself to the progress of others, more specifically, my boyfriend. I feel like everyone knows that male and female bodies are just different. We carry weight differently and we lose weight differently. Our bodies are built with different purposes, and there is no clearer time to notice these differences than when you’re on a health kick with a partner of the opposite sex.
Watching Arjuna’s weight drop right off from comparable increased exercise and better eating habits, while my body was being stubborn wasn’t easy. Don’t get me wrong, I was incredibly proud and supportive of his journey! I just was frustrated at points that my journey was way slower. In those times, his pep talks helped a lot but also realized that all bodies are different and my journey isn’t the same as his. It’s not like I wasn’t making any progress, because I was. And that’s what I focused on. I stopped comparing myself to him (and to anyone else for that matter) and just focused on myself. I keep repeating to myself, “your biggest competition is yourself,” and that helped me stay focused and motivated.
On that note, I wanted to share with you what happened to my body and what I noticed in myself during and at the end of this 30-Day Challenge.
High-Intensity, Mixed Cardio Workouts are my new bestie.
I learned that I have gluten sensitivity. So, apparently, not everyone wakes up with stomach pains every morning?? This was news to me because as soon as I cut gluten-filled food from my diet, I noticed I don’t wake up in pain anymore!
My skin is thriving! I already knew that when I eat sugar, it goes straight to my face, and this challenge was no different. When I stopped eating sugar, I noticed my face didn’t feel as bloated and my skin was super clear!
My credit card thanked me! Do you know what’s crazy? How much money you spend when you eat lots of pasta and sugars and dine out! Since we were trying to eat healthier, Arjuna and I started going out less and cooking at home more. We also started meal planning and doing a lot of shopping at our local farmer’s market on Sundays. Not only were we saving money, but the money we were spending went to local merchants!
I lost 10 pounds! I know it’s not always about what’s on the scale that matters, but I do actually want to lose weight in the process of being healthier this year, and seeing this progress made me feel good about myself and the hard work I have been putting in. I worked really hard to lose those 10 pounds and there’s no shame in feeling proud of that!
I LOVE Step Aerobics! While increasing my activity, I wanted to try out new workouts in hopes that I could find something I connected with. And fortunately, early on I re-discovered the 80s & 90s classic, step aerobics! There are two women who post full-length step board workouts on YouTube and I have been watching and following religiously. The first channel is Bowflex Barbie Fit TV and the other is CDornerFitness. I highly recommend their videos if you’re looking for a fun, calorie-burning, home workout!
Well, that does it! Those are my major takeaways from my 30-Day Reset! Though the challenge is over, I plan on continuing on to continue my health journey. Wish me luck, and I will keep you updated! Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!