80 Day Obsession - My Experience (Phase 2)

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit.

I think it takes a bit longer than that, at least for me... But it's now the end of Phase 2 of 80 Day Obsession, and I'm no longer stressing about how to meal prep, will I get my workout in, or getting enough sleep.

It just happens, because now it's routine.

Don't get me wrong, it still takes effort!! There are some nights that I don't want to meal prep or pack my lunch bag for the next day, and there are some mornings that I'd rather sleep longer. But I just do it. I've made it my priority, and I also know that if I miss one of these key steps, I'll be out of my routine for that day, and off track for the rest of the 80 days.

So I JUST KEEP GOING.

A few things I'm discovering:
1. You have to keep the focus. You can't let skipping a meal, or missing a container happen, because nutrition is so important, and yet 8 weeks in to something and you start to think "what does one missed container hurt?"  But once you think that, then it gets easier to miss a second and a third container... or allow 2 Blue containers (CHEESE) a day, instead of sticking with the plan. So, no - it's not OK. Eat that container. Drink that water. Be consistent.

2. I'm not as tired... but I definitely feel a difference if I get just 30 minutes less sleep a night. For example, sometimes I get lost in a book, and before I know it, it's 10pm (usually lights out is 9:15). While I'm able to get up the next morning with no problem, I definitely have less energy. SO GET YOUR SLEEP, people.

3. I was feeling pretty strong after completing Phase 1 workouts. Then we started Phase 2, which is a all new moves... and I felt uncoordinated, like I wasn't pushing hard enough, and so sore (and tired!).  Even though it's all 80 Day Obsession, Phase 1 is distinct from Phase 2 (and Phase 3). So be kind to yourself, push as hard as you can... but know that week 1 is tough, no matter what Phase, and that you will get better and stronger.  As Autumn frequently says, if you are not challenging yourself, you are not changing yourself. Embrace it.

4. I start seeing food as colors. As in, I need a Red, Yellow, Green, and Orange for this meal.  Which means I've started to get more comfortable with the nutrition, and so I ventured out of the house and out to a restaurant... and I found that it was pretty easy to find something on the menu that would fit my meal plan.  Sometimes I had to order an extra side salad.  Sometimes I had to ask for the cook to not use oil or salt.  And sometimes I ate the meal, and then went straight home to add the blue or orange or purple container that remained for that meal.  But it got easier as I kept practicing.

5. Others in my challenge group had drastic results - double digit inches lost, double digit pounds lost. I lost 3 pounds and 5 inches in the first two phases, and that can be frustrating if you compare yourself to others who have bigger losses... but my journey is not their journey. And I still lost 3 pounds and 5 inches!  If I hadn't started this program, I would have been at 0 or positive. Progress is progress, regardless of how small or big it is. 

The only frustration that I found was I initially felt that I had to perfect or I wasn't doing the program.  Sometimes, all a restaurant has is white bread and white pasta, or fried sweet potatoes. And you can easily think "Man, this program is not letting me live life!", or... you can change your mindset and say "I choose to eat the way my body needs me to eat." While one white bread won't hurt you, don't allow it to happen when you have better choices. Only allow it to happen when you don't have a choice, which means you are staying on the program better and minor variances won't knock you off track.

Don't get me wrong... sometimes I just wanted to eat that plate of fettucine alfredo and all the bread.  But I also remember how I felt the last time I did that... icky, buttery, greasy, bloated, and down right awful. Turns out, my body likes it when I eat healthy, so over time, it gets easier to make the choices that make me feel better.

I know why I'm doing this, and if I want different results, then I need to do something different.  As Autumn said at the beginning, it's not easy, it's going to be hard, but it will be worth it. I am starting to see results, and I am so much stronger than I was when I started this. So that keeps me going, and pushing, and doing hard things.

80 Day Obsession - My Experience (Phase 1)

The past few weeks, I've been treating myself like I am an athlete, even though I'm just a lowly office worker who likes to dabble in fitness. Why? Because I AM an athlete. I workout. I run. I am strong. So why shouldn't I take as much care with myself as an Olympic athlete would?

I didn't come to this realization - it happened over the course of the past few weeks as I've been trying a new exercise and nutrition program called 80 Day Obsession. Created by Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese, 80 Day Obsession sounds, well, obsessive.  But it's really just 80 days of workouts over a 91 day period, with a huge emphasis on the nutrients you are fueling your body with... which kinda makes you hyper-focused (obsessed?) with following the program. From the workouts, to making sure you're eating the right foods, to meal prepping, to eating every 2-3 hours... it takes effort. And plus, you're putting your body through strenuous 45-60 minute long workouts, so you need recovery time, aka plenty of sleep. Not gonna lie, it feels like my life revolves around work, sleep, eat, and working out...
But I love it.  AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE GAME CHANGER. If you are like me and love to workout and sweat, but haven't really paid that much attention to what you are eating except to try to eat healthy, this program is for you, because it tells you what to eat and when, but with plenty of customization so you eat foods you like. It's NOT a diet. You are NEVER hungry. And yet, you see results!!  Because the secret is that you need to fuel your body to lose weight. It's the opposite of what we've been taught our whole lives about eating less to lose weight! It's a mind shifting game changer.

I've been working out to Autumn Calabrese since she emerged on the Beachbody stage with 21 Day Fix and Portion Control over four years ago.  I've completed 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Masters Hammer & Chisel, as well as other programs from other amazing Super Trainers such as Insanity, T25, Shift Shop, etc... and I kinda sorta followed the nutrition guidelines, but not really.  And of course, I wondered why I didn't get better results.

Enter 80 Day Obsession. Autumn promised it would be hard, and that it wouldn't be easy.  But that it would be worth it.

And it is hard. It isn't easy.  But IT IS WORTH IT.

But this is my retrospective view now that Phase 1 is complete - the first 3 weeks were a huge adjustment. I was constantly tired, I felt almost like I had the flu, I was stuffed with food and wondered why I was eating so much... My results weren't amazing. I didn't lose weight, I barely lost inches. But I felt the change internally... and so I continued to trust in the process.  It's not 30 day obsession, it's 80 days. So I just kept going. I can't wait to see what happens by the end of the program!

Also... because of how amazing I feel, and the mindset 180 I've felt since starting, I feel the need to share with EVERYONE. I want to spread the awesomeness that is this program, and to invite you to join me. I want to help others feel this amazing. I will be documenting my experience, tips and tricks, and results, and sharing them with you all with the hopes that you will join me for a Round Two later this year!

Here is a cool video about why some of my fellow challengers are doing 80 Day Obsession. Click here to learn more about 80 Day Obsession, and STAY TUNED for more details on how you can join me and others in April or May for Round 2! More details coming :)