2 Things Challenge – April 2018 |

If you’ve tried big, sweeping changes and found them overwhelming, or if you’ve tried a system with strict rules where one single misstep is seen as a complete failure, you might find the 2 Things Challenge refreshing. And doable. And hope-giving.

The 2 Things Challenge

Here’s what it is:

Change two things for 20 days. That’s all!
One of the things will be about what you eat, and the other will be about why you eat. (I wrote recently about why you need to change both if you want weight loss to be permanent. If you missed that post, read it here.)
You choose the things! You’re not living by someone else’s rules. Choose what’s most important, or easiest, or makes you feel the most positive about tackling.

The point isn’t to lose x pounds in 20 days. The point is to start somewhere, focus on what you can do, enjoy a small victory, and see where you want to go from there.

The point is to focus on what I CAN do, enjoy a small victory, and see where I want to go from there. #2thingschallenge

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Want to join? Here’s what you do:

Choose your two things. (There’s a list of ideas below.)
Declare publicly that you’re doing this. The accountability helps you follow through, and you might inspire a friend to join you — which will help boost your success! You can just post a comment wherever you hang out online, or grab one of the images from this post and share on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Include the hashtag #2thingschallenge, so we can find each other. 🙂
Write it on your calendar. Studies show that this one simple act doubles your chances of success!
Get regular encouragement. Optional but recommended — follow me on Instagram or Facebook. I’ll be posting encouraging comments and easy food ideas in both places during the official days of this round.

This round starts on April 2 and goes to April 22, 2018. Of course, you can start anytime you like. Start early, jump in late: nobody’s taking names or rapping knuckles! And give yourself grace. On this challenge, one slip-up is not busting you back down to the bottom of the chutes and ladders.

Important to know:

You’re aiming for things that are within your control.

You know the problem with a weight loss goal? You can work towards it, but you can’t really control whether you hit it or not. Especially under a certain deadline. But if you make a habit or an action your goal — and if it’s something realistic — then you have a much better chance of success. You might not make it perfectly, but you will do it better than you did last month, and that totally counts as progress!

Need some ideas?

Suggested items for your “2 things”:

Thing 1: What you eat (Remember: just choose one)

Switch from pop to soda water (cold turkey, or taper off — you choose).
Switch from sugar to stevia (cold turkey, or taper off — you choose).
Quit anything made with flour, and/or gluten.
Eat protein with your breakfast.
If you’re a big salad eater, switch to homemade salad dressing (search this site; you’ll find lots of easy, yummy options).
Cut carbs in half.
Replace cereal or granola with a whole food alternative.
Replace fast food with homemade, or revise your order. Skip the bun, skip the breading. Make sure you have protein, veggies, and if possible, a healthy fat.
Replace three meals out a week with three homemade meals.
Give up that one thing you know causes you problems.

Find more options and details in my e-book, Small Steps to Big Change. Free when you sign up for my email list.

Thing 2: Why you eat

For emotional eating: Privately journal about what you’re feeling before and while you eat. If you hate writing, try recording voice or video. But keep it private. You don’t need the noise of the internet here. The goal here is not to shame yourself about what or why you’re eating. It’s to help you connect the two and learn from it — whether that causes any immediate changes or not. (If you don’t think you can do this without shaming yourself, kindly choose a different thing. Like the next one…)
Stuck in a cycle of beating yourself up: Work on giving yourself grace. Try to notice when you’re having a self-critical rant in your head, then stop the tape, and speak to yourself the way you would to your best friend. Rename”failures” as “lessons learned.” Replace “I’ll never change” with “I’m learning to change; it may take a while, and that’s okay.”
For stress management: Eliminate or pause what you can. Delegate or postpone some duties, maybe. Meeting friends for pizza a problem? Ask them to meet at a different place, or plan a walking date. Good friends want to help. If your friends don’t, maybe you need to beg off for a few weeks, saying you’re really busy this month. (You are: busy working on a healthier you.)
To cheer you up: find alternatives – funny movies, time with friends, play with a dog.
Boredom or loneliness: Seek challenge and/or community — call or text a friend to take a walk together, take a free adult class, host a weekly game night with family or friends.
Physical fatigue: Take steps to improve your sleep.
Wanting something sweet after a meal. Brush your teeth or chew gum.
Weary heart or soul: Work on finding a daily soul care practice that helps you, such as prayer, meditation, writing in a gratitude journal, or ten minutes of uplifting music and intentional rest.
Know you have depression or anxiety? Take steps to seek professional help.
Not sure what’s going on under the surface? Try “morning pages.” Google it, or see the book The Writing Diet for more info.