Sixty something days into my carnivore journey I came across a new challenge – enter #carnivore75hard. I like a good challenge, be that fitness or nutrition. 30 days “sprints” can be a good way to reset, re-calibrate, and get back on track if you’ve fallen of the wagon or just want to re-up your motivation.
I’m also inherently skeptical of anything trendy – movies, music, politics, etc… However, a few things stood out to me about this challenge that I couldn’t resist.
First, it’s much longer than your run of the mill 4 week / 30 day challenge. You, or at least I, can bite my lip and grind through a month of just about anything. 75 days, you’re really going to have to invest. You’re going to encounter road blocks, setbacks, and a much wider variety of challenge in 75 days than you will in 30. You’re also much further down the road of building sustainable habits. E.g. rather than rebound after 30 days of white-knuckling it, your establishing a routine that “just becomes part of life.”
Second, said habits aren’t just about physical wellness. Those identified (below) will benefit your life in virtually every way. Your physical heath and fitness will improve. Your peer and social relationships will improve. Your mood, metabolism, and sleep will improve.
So, what do I have to do? For the next 75 days, on each day you’ll do the following:
- Eat only meat, organs, eggs, salt, and water.
- Spend 30 minutes exercising, 15 of which must be in the sun.
- Write down 3 things you’re grateful for.
- Fast for at least 16 hours (can include while you’re sleeping).
- Give someone a genuine compliment (in person).
- during quarantine times, I’ve allowed myself to substitute this with “call someone on the phone, just to talk (with no time limit)” or “call (not text) someone tell them I was thinking of or am grateful for them.”
The complete “course” (linked above) actually provides pretty good wrap around support from a behavioral science perspective. For instance, prior to beginning ask yourself:
- What is my “why”? What do I want to get out of this process, specifically? Is my motivation sufficient or superficial? How serious am I about this?
- Plan for problems. What are you going to do when you get cravings? How are you going to navigate social events (you’ll encounter more in 75 days than 30!)? Don’t let inconvenience turn into an excuse that leads to failure.
- Where / who do you want to be? Where do you want to get to / achieve / accomplish in the next 1 year? How about 5 years. 10 years?
That’s all great stuff! Stay tuned for updates on my process. Of course, feel free to comment your responses to the above.
Stoic Thought for the Day:
Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must ~ Goethe
Daily Gratitude:
- Stability
- My home
- Time in the sun