In the thick of it.
For those who are doing the Paleo Challenge, that’s where we are right now.
I find being “in the thick of it” can be a blessing or a curse.
For several of you it’s a blessing because most of the “rules” of the challenge don’t feel like rules anymore –but have now become  your routine, or habits. You have seen significant benefits and have staved off the junk food long enough that it no longer has the hold on you it once had. You are focused and too invested to turn back now and surrender what you have put this much effort in attaining. Good for you.
You also have earned the hard-core dogmatic will that most vegetarians enjoy. I admire real vegans and vegetarians for this. They don’t eat meat. End of story. They aren’t vegans when its easy or convenient, or on weekdays. They are non-meat eaters every single day, month and year round (including weekends, on vacation, and their birthday). I bet you feel pretty awesome to have this kind of discipline this time of year. It will pay off big time.
For some of you, “the thick of it” isn’t quite the smooth sail you may have hoped it’d be. It’s hard work. Almost 4 weeks in and you’re wary. The excitement of a new challenge has lost its luster and what you’re left with is, well… the same hard work. I know you have received many of the benefits the challenge promised but you’re bored easily and they just started making holiday cookies.
You may have cheated on the diet a little or maybe cheated a lot. Well this “thick of it” is the real gut check time. It hasn’t even been 30 days and you’re not sure you can make it. Are you throwing in the towel? Have you lost the fiery edge? Maybe.
If you are struggling you just need to ask yourself why you signed up in the first place. There was a reason why YOU paid $50 to do this. Only YOU know the *Why*.
You may have discovered that your *Why* just isn’t worth it. Your desire for sugar cookies and a caramel frap may be stronger than your desire to get whatever you hoped to get out of the challenge. If so, than so be it. You had an okay run.
You just didn’t want it that bad.
But if you’re screwing up constantly because you can’t seem to control yourself or stick to anything you may just need to get your head right. It may be self-sabotage.
Someone told me once:
You will never consistently do anything that is inconsistent with how YOU see YOURSELF.
This blew my mind because it made a ton of sense in the area of weight-loss (and every other area). All my life I’ve seen people lose weight; 20, 30, 50 pounds. Yay you got skinny for summer, or your wedding, or to impress your Ex! Hip hip hooray!
Then I’d watch them put the weight back on and often times more to boot. Why???
Self Sabotage. Sure they got skinny but in their heads they were still fat. They didn’t *believe* they were healthy or truly deserving.
Maybe they were called fat too many times in school and they just can’t shake that belief.  What they saw in the mirror after they lost weight, was inconsistent with what they believed about themselves so they promptly corrected that by going on a 2 month Jack in the box bender.
I’m not trying to play psychologist here by any means. Im not qualified for that, but I’m telling you what I have observed over and over again and this is a very real thing and it doesn’t only affect those who are overweight. Most people have body issues because they either had a shit-head boyfriend/girlfriend, or critical insecure friends, or condemning parents. It can be one of a million things and that crap has potential to hold someone back and knock them off the wagon everytime they try to do something positive.
I’ve had clients in the past who refused to get past it and nothing ever really changed. This is very similar to the post I did a while ago about weight-loss and burning clothes.  The people who lost the weight permanently are the ones who were able leave behind their limiting beliefs and make the positive changes the new foundation.
So, what I’m saying is if this self-sabotage thing sounds like it may apply to you (and it may not at all!), take a long look and realize what is holding you back and leave it behind.
And then, there are others who just need to suck it up a little. We only got 22 days left. Remember YOU wanted this.
Watch these for a little inspiration:
Not Afraid to Die on a Treadmill
Fight For The Inches
How Bad Do You Want It?
WOD:
10 Rounds
10 Toes To Bar
5 Front Squat #185
150 m Sprint
*1 Minute rest between rounds