Group Challenge - Are You Ready?

Does your plate always look like this? Mine doesn't either.

Even with a Masters in Nutrition, I have to admit my diet isn't always perfect. There are weeks when I don't exercise enough. There are days when the donut shop calls my name. There are even moments when I just.need.a.cupcake! Even though I can name a million reasons why eating healthy and staying active are good for my health, why are there times when I let things slide?

It just goes to show that eating healthy isn't just about head knowledge. It's about putting that knowledge into practice everyday. And THAT is no easy task. Certainly, there are times when eating indulgent foods and getting less activity is okay. Taking a brief break can even be good for your health. Keyword: brief.

Let's be real - you know and I know that sometimes those "little" indulgences add up over the course of the day/week/month and become (gasp) our lifestyle. So let's make a healthy choice together. Better yet, let's make it a challenge - teamwork is just more fun.

Here's the plan: first, pick one thing you can do to improve your diet or lifestyle this week. One little thing. Doesn't have to be big, but it does have to challenge you. Next, post your goal for the week in the comments. Yes, post it! It's about accountability, my friends. The final step is to let me know how it went via a comment in next weeks Motivation Monday. This is a very important step, so don't skip it. Follow through - you can do it!

Make sure your goal is do-able. Something that challenges you but also something you can practically do. Here are a few examples:

This week I will ____________________

1. Swap my evening sweet treat for a piece of fruit
2. Eat veggies with lunch, dinner and a snack
3. Make your grains 100% whole grain for at least 2 meals per day
4. Drink at least 2 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk each day
5. Increase your cardio by 10 minutes on 2 workout days
6. Swap a take-out meal for a home-cooked one

How about it? Are you up for the challenge? If none of these seem challenging enough for you, then pick something else that would be. I'm definitely going with #1 since my normal 1 piece of dark chocolate has in the last few weeks become two or three pieces. Not cool Tiff, not cool.

Dear dark chocolate, sure you can be healthy in small amounts but I need less of you in my life.

Now it's your turn. What's your challenge this week?