“My health started declining during the pandemic from being home all the time. I was stressed out and not taking care of myself. My friend Stephanie found out what a hard time I was having and suggested we do this challenge together.”
It’s not surprising this pandemic has taken a mental health toll on a lot of us. For Lucy, she would snack whenever she was bored and only eat one big meal at the end of the day. It wasn’t uncommon for her to eat an entire bag of chips in one sitting and her weight was an all-time high.
Going into the challenge, she thought she would have cheat days, but she surprised herself with how well she would be able to stick to this challenge. Early in the challenge, her dad popped open a really nice 5-year-old wine and she was able to say no. Daily exercise has become the norm rather than the exception.
Congratulations to Lucy for taking ownership over her health and making a positive difference in her life! If you’d like to feel better in your own skin, stay tuned for our Fall Challenge!
Q&A with Lucy
What does a day in your life look like before and after our challenge?
“Before the challenge, I wouldn’t eat any meals all day and then order a large pizza. The challenge got me eating a good breakfast, lunch and dinner consistently. I started doing an hour of physical activity every day in two half-hour workouts, one over lunch and the second in the evening.
Having the consistency of exercising, going for longer bike rides, swimming and boxing really helped. Now my focus is on keeping up the routine and guidelines established in the challenge. Ever since the challenge ended, I’ve only had one sweet treat, no alcohol and I still exercise everyday.
I’m definitely feeling a lot better about my body. I can feel my muscles getting stronger. My cardio endurance has increased and I don’t get winded as quickly anymore. Conscious, regular eating has cut down the cravings I get so I don’t eat just because I’m bored anymore.”
What helped the most about doing the 28 Brighter Days Challenge?
“I’m a pretty competitive person, so the daily check-ins and point system helped hold me accountable. You can see in the Facebook group how everyone else is doing and that’s a huge motivating factor for me.
The community has been great, everyone is so positive and always commenting supportive things. People will share recipes and personal milestones, it was really welcoming. I also found the mini-challenges a lot of fun!”
Is there anything else about your experience you want to share?
“I definitely surprised myself with how much I was able to resist temptations. It’s been a positive four weeks and I’m working on maintaining this routine.
I think this challenge is a great way to test your limits and prove to yourself you’re capable of doing it. For sure I look forward to the Fall Challenge!”
If Lucy’s friend Stephanie never invited her to do this challenge, she might still be stuck in a rut! Thank god for amazing friends. If you’ve got a friend you’d like to do this challenge with, sign up for updates here!
Here’s Lucy with Stephanie, and more of her highlights from the 28 Brighter Days challenge:
We look forward to seeing more delicious food photos and amazing transformations in our next challenge!
