Aaron This does not necessarily mean a ‘detox’ program. However, a detox can be a great way to kick off a year-long transformation. The jury is still out on how effective detox programs are, or if they work as advertised. But as long as it isn’t based on shaky science or unsafe practices, like a 7-day fast, it could be a great way to get your mindset wrapped around making significant changes to your health. Consider it a ‘trial run’ for tuning your mindset into healthier choices.
The Process
Empower yourself by setting a date to start your transformation. Choose a date that aligns with your schedule and is most likely to set you up for success. Mark your calendar, share your commitment with everyone you know, and use social media to hold yourself accountable. This is your journey, and you’re taking the first step towards a healthier you. You’ve got this!
Next, you will take inventory of all the things you have been eating, and all of the things still in your house that have not been eaten yet, and categorize them according to whether they are healthy. Think about carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, and read labels looking for sugar content, fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and saturated fats. Things like chips and fried snacks will be less likely to help you achieve your fitness goals. A Google search is all it takes if you’re unsure whether a food is healthy.
Most people know guilty pleasures are unhealthy, but they do it anyway. Guilty pleasures are those indulgent foods or treats that we know are not the best for our health, but we enjoy them occasionally. Good news is that you DON’T have to throw out all the goodies, although the fewer of them you have available, the better off you’ll be.
But for now, be aware of what you have and how it might fit into your plan. This is why the transformation is a year; changing deeply ingrained habits in 30-60 days is tough. It may take that long to unwind the habits alone, let alone make new ones. So take it easy on yourself, and don’t think a Gestapo-style kitchen cabinet rebuild is necessary. It’s not yet anyway.
The next part of the detoxification process is the tricky part. I mentioned selecting a date at the beginning of this article because the physical detox phase is the time between when you make that date and when you start your transformation. It is the first part of your transformation, giving you the best chance at starting the journey on a sound footing.
Best case scenario: completely cut off all the ‘bad’ foods during this period. Yes, I did say you didn’t have to throw all your junk food away. But I never said to continue eating them either. You can eat through what you purchased later; I am sure a lot of it will last a long time, thanks to preservatives.
The worst case scenario: Eat as cleanly as possible during this period, even if you occasionally cheat or progressively eat less unhelpful foods. If you have some Doritos, it probably won’t kill you, but do your best not to if you can help it.
The Point of Detoxification
- Feeling cravings helps you get in touch with those mechanisms, so you can later notice them as a red flag that you might be missing something from your diet.
- Rids your body as best as possible of any toxins and excess food byproducts that might still be lurking around.
- Reset your mind to learn to follow a program even before it starts, ‘extra credit’ if you will.
- Learn a bit about your eating habits by making it more front and center of your attention than usual.
- It makes room in your system to put healthy food you need for energy to start your transformation off strong.
- Makes it less likely that unhelpful habit-based eating will continue into your transformation.
That said, you still should eat a full day’s worth of food, and don’t feel like you have to track calories. Eating during the detoxification period gives your body enough of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) to provide you with energy to exercise, and the building blocks to repair the body. Having plenty of each of the macronutrients is key. Eat as healthy as you can, a salad a day, maybe…can throw some veggies and ham and/or eggs if you want; also beef, chicken, rice, eggs, oatmeal, potatoes, and vegetables are all great choices.
Whether you decide to do a physical detox or not is up to you. You will still have a whole year to reach all of your goals, and you have complete control of how you want it to go. We are here for you no matter what. Just remember that you will get precisely what you put into it. Biology doesn’t work based on hope or personal beliefs that someone deserves good health. It only works as it is programmed to do, so the better we can follow a program that works FOR our biology, the better results we will see.
During the physical detox, do your best to get 7-9 hours of sleep. Whatever works best for you is fine, as long as you wake up rested and with energy, somewhere in this range. Also, try to go to sleep and wake up when you will be most productive; some people might always be on that schedule, and some may need to work at it. But sleep is really one of (if not THE) most important things to get right during your transformation.
I would be remiss not to mention that there is a mental detox that also takes place during this period. Your mind must get used to making different types of decisions, it must be able to be resilient to unpleasant feelings, and it really must learn how to visualize well. Visualizing what you want your health in all its glory to look like, and think about it all the time.
Have a clear picture of what you will look like, feel like, and even act like for those times when stress becomes too much. Have something to do to get your mind off of negative thoughts. Those times of stress are very potent de-energizers and can take down the strongest of us all. They can and will happen, and you need to be prepared. It’s important to realize that they do not last forever.
How My Personal Detox Went
Okay, for my first personal post on this blog, my detox period was 3 days. To back things up, I am displaced right now; my mother-in-law broke her leg, and I have been at her house for the last two and a half months, and during this time, I have been eating like I was on vacation. Almost every day, I have been eating doughnuts, cookies, ice cream, and candy…seriously. I’ve been eating good food too, but meals have been sporadic as my sleep schedule was also off.
I was also experiencing a bit of tooth pain recently, and I have been taking quite a bit of ibuprofen and hydrocodone to help with that. The problem is that ibuprofen is contraindicated with another medicine I take, and taking both stresses the kidneys, and opioids are, well addictive and move toxins through the liver.
So during my 3 days, I stopped all the sweets, which was a bummer for real, stopped the pain pills, and the ibuprofen, and honestly, I wasn’t feeling that great. My muscles and joints were achy, and I had severe sugar cravings, especially for baked goods. My sleep was intermittent, and I also had issues with temperature control; I had a hoodie that I always had available to take off and put back on.
My bathroom breaks became an issue…I had diarrhea one minute, and near constipation the next. Either way, I was on the can a lot. I stayed pretty hungry, though, and I managed to find good food to eat, and I ate to get full, which kept the cravings at bay. I drank a lot of water and took some supplements (I will review those in another post).
I did not do much exercise other than I did some treadmill work for an hour the night before the date of my transformation began. My main focus was on clearing out my body. Honestly, the detox is simple…don’t put in any more toxic substances, and the liver pretty much does it all. Amazing!
That’s how my physical detox went. Most probably won’t deal with as much of the stuff I did. I also had medicine that was leaving my system, which perhaps contributed to the bad feelings. But I am prepared now to begin my challenge, and that’s the critical part. I did it!
Final Thoughts
So, I urge you to consider the physical detox. It is an essential step in the process, and it starts teaching you immediately to put in the work. Transformation is NOT easy. It’s HARD! I have done it more than once, so I know. Professionals (especially those of my age) do not always spend their entire lives keeping their bodies in contest-ready condition, as I do. It is necessary to do these transformations occasionally; it keeps our knowledge and wisdom relevant.
So when I say it’s difficult, you can trust my words. Sometimes things get emotional, exercise is uncomfortable, and doesn’t feel good much of the time. Ever hear of the runner’s high? The feeling is caused by endorphins, chemicals that act as pain relievers, so even your body knows it is stressful. But it’s necessary because:
“Your body is only going to change up to what it feels you need for what you are currently doing.“
To make the changes you want, you have to show your body that you need something else, and then you start doing that to show your body that it needs to change. And it is a demanding customer; it does not want to change. A changing body is perceived as vulnerable, it doesn’t like that. It always wants to have a steadfast constitution. You really have to overstep your bounds to get that change to occur. If you can’t spend a few days ridding your diet of a few snacks, eat some good food, and get some good sleep, you’ll have a tough time moving through the phases of a transformation.
People who don’t take this crucial first step often start a transformation program, dreading it, are resistant to making any changes, and have an overall negative mindset starting out. Do you think someone with an attitude like that will accomplish their goals?
How good would it feel to have a solid win before you start? Would that set you up to get started with an excited spirit?
The question now is: how bad do you want to change?
