20 Pound/$500 Challenge

  • No soft drinks. No energy drinks. No juice. No alcohol. I don’t really drink these anyway, calorie packed with little benefit.
  • Max 4 tablespoons creamer per day. This stuff is super sneaky, and I know I drink way more than I think I do. I’ll have to keep a measuring spoon around when I get a cup of coffee. This will take some self-control
  • Lots of water. I like water, so this should be fine, but I’ll probably have to drink more to keep my mind off other food
  • No eating at my desk, couch, etc. Keep it at the dining room table. Mindless eating is a bad habit, this should help me to not accidentally snack too much
  • No fast food. Also not a big problem since I started working from home, but sometimes people bring me food
  • No unmeasured cereals. This might sound weird, but cereals, especially granolas, are dense and what I usually pour is probably twice the serving size. Need to keep an eye on that sneaky stuff
  • No packaged snacks. This is a little arbitrary. If I’m going to have a snack, I think it should at least be home-made. Avoid the easy oft-unsatisfactory store bought junk
  • Exercise: Okay, this is a huge one. I need at least a half-hour of walking or better every day. I was running regularly till the treadmill gave out. Need to hit the road or get a new treadmill. I think I’m also going to move/dismantle the cheat chair I use at my standing desk.

For now, that seems like a good list. Once I win, I need to level out to a less restrictive maintainable healthy lifestyle. Hardcore diets often backfire, so I need a plan for “reentry” after I win. I won’t take that $500 and head to a buffet, after all, I’m going to need some new clothes 🙂

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