Join the Reynolds family to see how they finished the Take Charge 10 challenge, how they feel about it, and what changes they plan to keep.

Day 8 you don't drink caffeine 6 hours before bed. This, again, helps reduce caloric beverages in the afternoon & dinner, but it also helps improve your sleep. Good sleep helps bolster healthy living. 

One way the Reynolds family was able to prepare for a gathering that normally might involve alcohol & food was they prepared the food and ensured it was healthy--but still tasty. They simply didn't drink alcohol for the gathering, and though it would have been nice they continued to feel good and it wasn't as big of a deal as they had expected. 

 

One thing Matt identified was that gamifying things--working to achieve macros & calories & sticking with goals using MyFitnessPal--really helped motivate him to stay on track. 

On day 9, you heed to balance your meals, so no all carbohydrate meals especially. For many, an all carbohydrate meal will lead to a big spike in insulin and they'll ultimately feel hangry soon thereafter and look for more food. Trying get a little bit of everything--fruit & nuts or cheese, for example--really helps. 

For the Reynolds, this wasn't a hard day but a day to really solidify those habits they had already developed.

For the final day, you have to know everything you're eating and not eat outside the home. The Reynolds family partook in some Cox wings & BBQ sauce--Cox Sauce, get you some--and really enjoyed it.

Overall, everyone was feeling better and though there were certain things they looked forward to, they largely wanted to continue the habits and success they created with the challenge. They also didn't feel deprived, so they didn't go and have a 3000 calorie meal, like they might have after a typical "diet" in the past, but rather went out to a diner and eat reasonably but some foods that they hadn't had over the past 10 days. 

Ultimately, this is about sustainable nutrition habits to achieve your health goals. If you follow a diet that you couldn't keep up with long-term, you need to think about why you're following that diet. While there are certain circumstances where this may make sense, most people can just follow the basics of nutrition, not feel so deprived, and reach their goals.

For Rachel and their daughters, they mostly missed sugar. For Matt, he craved a bit more fat. 

They're glad they did it, and glad they did it together. They felt more conscious, more intentional about food, but without neuroticism or morality. 

Join us for the Take Charge 10 nutrition challenge. If you missed the kick off on March 22, no problem, you can do this anytime you want.