31 Days

By: Ryan, on January 1, 2009

Rather than making a resolution with a fixed goal this year I’ve decided to try and alter my lifestyle a tiny bit. Rather than calling it a resolution I’m going to call it a challenge. The challenge is to continue my normal exercise routine (300+ miles on the bikes per month) while drastically altering my eating habits. It’s a pretty straightforward but requires some careful planning and more than anything else, no laziness. So there’s basic dos and don’ts:

Don’t:

Eat any processed foods. Anything that had to have chemicals added, anything that went through a factory, anything containing unnatural ingredients.

Eat dairy. None.

Eat any non-whole grains.

Drink alcohol. This is the core of the challenge. I drink a fair bit and particularly late at night. It’s part of my lifestyle and one of the main social aspects of living in Dallas.

Do:

Eat organic lean protein. Anything like chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef (unprocessed) that is organic and free of steroids, growth hormones, etc.

Eat a lot more fruits and vegetables. Fiber not only cleanses your system but helps you to absorb protein and other nutrients more efficiently.

Continue to have a consistent exercise regime. I can’t always ride as much as I have over the holidays. But two distance rides on the weekend and shorter rides during the week combined with runs should be ample.

Ride to work. It’s only 3 miles, so there’s no excuse not to.

Luckily I’ll have a partner in crime for this. My friend John is committing to something very similar for the month so I have some backup if I have a moment of weakness.

Shoved in: Life, health