I and Zuzka are a “weird” couple. We come back home from our 9-5 jobs and dive into study, instead of drinking beer and having fun like our colleagues. Actually, we don’t know our colleagues at the beer-o-level, because instead of drinking beer we do what? Study.
When she swiped right on the Tinder last September, she wouldn’t guess she will end up in German self-development camp:-] She’s now adapted quite well and is writing her’s own blog https://zuzabudinska.com/. High five for her.
Yey, he’s said yes to movie night!
One day, we’ve got a bit tired from our “college-student” lifestyle and decided to watch something on youtube. There is a big TV in our apartment which is connected, so there was a time to try it on.
So we’ve found a movie called What The Health. It’s about how processed foods make us feel like shit and how beneficial is to become a vegan.
To jump from normal to vegan in one day is a blueprint for failure. Therefore, I’ve decided to take small steps.
“Let’s take a one-month veggie challenge Zuzka! Starting tomorrow.” Our “movie night” turned to another challenge. Bummer!
Our one-month veggie challenge defined: Eat vegetarian food only, for one month straight. That evaluate the results and decide whether to extend it, redefine it, or cancel it.
Why only vegetarian, not vegan?
How can you climb K2 in the Himalayas, when you are not able to walk up the Matterhorn?
How can you become a Sugar-free, Gluten-free mighty rabbit, when you can’t even stop eating cookies?
It’s vital to have a big dream, but you won’t reach the big dream without many small steps.
When your big dream is to be healthy, you can’t simply jump from eating Big Mac with XXL fries and coke every day to a plant-based diet.
Therefore, you need to create many small challenges to do so. So you will sadly have to get XL fries only:-]
Then, you will have to start moving more, eating less unhealthy shit and more veggies. Later, you’ll stop drinking coke and replace it with pure water.
Afterwards, you will learn some new healthy recipes, and so on…
Do rather many small steps, than jump high and land on your face.
Now, what will happen if you’d trashed all your unhealthy food, and start with a plant-based diet in one day only?
First, you won’t know what to cook.
Second, you’ll spend two hours in a grocery store, leaving with a bag of apples, two cucumbers, walnuts and a bag of rice.
Third, your food will taste like shit.
Fourth, you will end up blowed-up and hungry, because your body won’t know how to process this type of food.
Fifth, you will end up on the Grand Big Mac with XXL fries, coke and a triple-chocolate muffin.
Sixth, your confidence in taking another challenge will be gone. You’ll think your mind is weak and you never be healthy.
Plant-based diet over.
Why one-month vegetarian only?
To prevent failure.
Did you ever take a challenge that turned out unnecessary or unreasonable?
Or did you think that you will feel the results, but nothing changed?
We decided to test the results of the vegetarian diet, not to get pet-friendly status.
One month is long enough to feel the difference, but not too long if it becomes too limiting to our lifestyles.
When you are riding your bike all day in the woods and stop in a German hut because you are starving, the only vegetarian option in the menu would be a salad from 3 ingredients: lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. Sometimes not even that. Does it mean I need to ride with 4 food containers full of home-prepared food? Really?
I am setting smart goals. The smart goals are actionable, with well-defined steps and for a limited time. Once the goal is accomplished, I can decide whether we extend it, redefine it or cancel it.
The most important take away will be that I’ve succeeded, I’ve built momentum to take another challenge and my self-confidence soars.
Isn’t that what we all want?
What do you think will happen? Will we extend it, redefine it, or cancel it?
During our One-month veggie challenge, we are already eating sugar-free: https://defeatyourlimits.com/2-months-without-added-sugar/
