“I was actually not planning to join this challenge because I was traveling! But that was exactly when I needed the most help. I don’t make the best choices when I travel and this challenge has helped me make better ones.”
Right off the bat, Debdatta knew she couldn’t be 100% invested in our 28 Brighter Days Challenge. After all, she’d be on the road to Banff and Jasper. But even on vacation with her husband and a 4-year-old, she was able to plan out more of her meals, make healthier choices and lose 1” off her waist.
During her trip, she stayed in places with a kitchenette so she could make breakfast to meet the challenge guidelines. For her, that set the tone for the day. Instead of eating unhealthy snacks like chips or cracks, she had chia and quinoa-based snacks ready.
Even when she did eat out, she chose foods that would help her meet her macros. Of course, there were times when she ate out for her husband and son. The important thing is that Debdatta found ways around her family’s schedule to make healthy choices.
Now coming out of the challenge, she’s gotten the basics of a healthy day down to habit. She drinks almost 12 glasses of water a day, takes supplements, sleeps 7-8 hours and works out.
Q&A
What does a day in your life look like before and after our 28 Brighter Days Challenge?
“I have a busy life as a mom that works full time. That makes food prep a challenge sometimes, especially on days where I don’t have energy. I travel a lot for work before COVID, and even during the challenge I was on vacation.
While I was traveling, it was especially difficult to hit my protein goals. But because I was doing the challenge, I got more help finding ways around it. Fortunately, I found a plant-based protein shake (I’m lactose intolerant ) and coach Zeynep told me about individual portions that are easy to carry on the road.
When I reached Banff, I was able to go grocery shopping and make healthy choices. I cut veggies, peanut butter, and bread as breakfast and snack prep. A healthy, heavy breakfast and healthy munching snacks shaped my day a lot better.”
What helped the most about doing the 28 Brighter Days challenge?
“My water intake, sleep and supplements have improved a lot because of the daily check-ins and the point system. They might seem like the easiest things to do, but those were the things I struggled with before. Without that extra push of checking in everyday to stay hydrated, I’d forget about it. Now that I've built the habit, I drink almost 12 glasses a water a day.
I also asked a lot of questions and got great answers for them. Since I’m gluten and dairy intolerant, I’m always tweaking recipes. Stephanie the dietitian is really helpful with that.”
Is there anything else about your experience you want to share?
“I wasn’t expecting it to be easy. I expected not to meet my macros but because of the challenge I did. I thought it would be so difficult but I got the help I needed to meet them.”
Congratulations to Debdatta for winning our Sharing is Caring award! Throughout the 28 Days, she took a lot of initiative sharing her journey and asking thoughtful questions that benefits everybody! Here are some of the highlights below:
Stay tuned for our Fall Challenge here!
