A New 5-Day Challenge

"Life's challenges aren't supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Johnson Reagon

This summer we've been working with Drew on his swimming skills. Like many kids, he's not a fan of putting his face in the water. A few weeks ago I devised a series of challenges that were designed to help him accomplish some new swimming goals. 

The first was to simply hold his nose and put his head under water. The second was to hold his nose while I pushed him down so that he sat on the bottom of the shallow part of the pool. He gradually progressed all the way to Challenge #11, which was to swim the width of the pool with his face underwater. 

Drew responds to "Challenges" really well. If I were to ask him to stick his head underwater, he'd say no. Put it in "Challenge" form, though, and his little ears perk up and all of a sudden it's a big deal. He's excited to accomplish the goal.

When he swam the width of the pool underwater, you couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He knew he'd accomplished something big. He had met the challenge.

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This week I issued a new challenge to my Beachbody customers. It's a 5-day Shakeology/Clean Eating/Exercise challenge designed to show you just how far you can come in as little as 5 days. 

Here is what the challenge entails:

• Challenge dates are August 1-5, 2011
• For $30, I will provide you with 5 packets of Shakeology.
• I will provide a meal plan and recipes - you must purchase and fix food for yourself. Each day will consist of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner.
• You must work out for at least 30 minutes per day during the challenge.
• You will log your food and exercise into myfitnesspal.com and send me your log nightly.
• Measurements and weight taken at the beginning and end of the challenge will determine the "winner". Prize is to be determined.

There are several reasons why I would like people to complete this challenge.

• To allow people to sample Shakeology for five days. I understand that it's an expensive product and people might not be ready to buy a whole month's worth.
• To show how clean eating can be both simple and delicious. 
• To demonstrate how daily exercise impacts your body both physically and mentally.

I will set up a private Facebook group for challenge participants to share tips and encouragement with each other. 

Send me a message by Monday, June 18 if you'd like to participate in the challenge. I think five days of clean eating and exercise is an attainable goal that could be a springboard to more permanent changes in your fitness. 

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Strength