Day 1

Day 1 : 100 days of healthy

Over the last couple of months, I have witnessed a bunch of my friends doing the "100 days of happy" challenge over facebook, twitter and instagram.

I've decided to do 100 days of something else and differently. My struggle has always been with my body.  When it comes to body image, body confidence and being healthy, I have always struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

March 2011. I decided to do something about it. It was very much needed as my obesity was becoming a barrier to daily activities. I took a gym membership, got a personnal trainer and a fool-proof diet and shed away. The whole process lasted 8 weeks. Results arose as I managed to lose 35 pounds. While I am proud of my accomplishment, the diet did not transform into a lifestyle change.

3 years later, I gained about 10 pounds back and I sometimes eat Mcdonalds instead of dinner. However, I can't say that all this was for nothing. I gained confidence with my body image and a lot of willpower. It is with that confidence and willpower that I have decided to do a 100 days of healthy. Rules are pretty simple.

1. Fast food shall not be part of my eating routine. While fast food are made from real food (no argument there), it is usually cooked with a lot of grease, drenched in salt and not always with the freshest ingredients. Most of the times, it is also high in calories.
2. Portion control and calorie counting are not your enemies. While I am a believer that one should eat if they are hungry, I strongly think that the portions served nowdays are huge and a contributing factor of the obesity polemic. Portion control comes in pretty handy to fight over consumption while calorie counting helps realize  what variety of food helps satiate one.
3. Exercice is mandatory. One needs to get out there and get moving. Run with your dog, play tennis with your friend, join an amateur sports team or get a gym membership. Do whatever suits your taste and just move!
4. Plan, plan plan! The same way businesses have business plans, you need to have a life plan :) Schedule your training sessions, plan your weekly meal plans, plan your indulgence as well!  Planning treats such as massages, a shopping spree or an evening with the  besties! For my case, I chose to not plan foodie treats for this challenge to help curb my sweet tooth.
5. Numbers can lie. There isn't one perfect way to measure your accomplishments. If  the scale isn't showing you a difference but you just ran your first 5k without stopping, F*ck the scale then! This does not mean to completely throw the scale or measuring out of the window. It just means to not obsess over it.
6. Lastly, this is not a diet. It is a lifestyle makeover. This means that it has to be sustainable in the long run, like marriage :)

At the end of all this, I am looking to gain more confidence, a healthier body and spirit and overall, a excellent lifestyle. I also hope to inspire other people to do the same :)