Are you one that likes challenges? Or one that may not take on any challenges for the fear of failing?

If I am to be completly honest, I am in the second boat, it is the fear of failing that makes me run the other way.  However, not this time.  For I now know, there is no such thing as failure, there is only feedback. But I now, believe this to be true.

I woke one morning at 4am (my best brain time :-D ) and had this wonderful idea of only drinking water for 7 days.  For some of you this thought would be, “sweet that is so easy”.  And this is what I thought, initially, and then the other thoughts set in – its winter I like to drink my hot chocolate, I have a dinner party on Friday night I won’t be able to enjoy myself, I can’t have my coffee in the morning to get me going or the glass of wine at night to relax me.  Hhhhmmm.

But why, would I want to do this? What was my motivation?

Personally, I was feeling slow, tired and lethargic.  My hair was, to be honest just horrid and my face looked dry with increasing deepness to the wrinkles.  Yep feeling and looking like absolute shit? Oh I could make up excuses for this, but whats the point, I am only making excuses to one person, me. So I wanted to do something just for me, to make me feel and look better.

The second point that struck me, was persistance or in my case lack of persistance.  This is not a strong behabourial trait of mine , therefore seven days of only water was like a life sentence for me. So could I in fact, complete this challenge?

The start of the challenge.

At the beginning I did decide on 2 rules – 1) to drink only water, 2) for a hot drink I could have lemon and honey. 

It would have been so easy to give up that first morning so that I could have had my 7am coffee (especially since I had been awake since 4am).  By 10.30am, I thought I was crazy and deluded, and just so wanted to have a coffee.  I had to do something, I was only hours into this challenge and had days to go.  So I told everybody around me what I was doing.  This was one of the best things I could have done – I had support.  This was a lifesaver, they stopped asking me if I wanted tea, coffee, wine etc and encouraged me with my challenge. Even at the dinner party, it was sssooo easy to have water, as everyone knew what I was doing .

The middle of the challenge.

I realised part way through, that my fluid intake was habitual - 7am coffee, 10am coffee, lunchtime coffee/water, dinnertime wine and just before bed a big fat creamy hot chocolate.  So I only felt like these items at this time of the day, it was what my body had come to expect, I had grooved this pattern.  And at times of increased stress, I would revert back to these offerings.   Interesting. 

Once I identified that these were now only behavourial traits it was easy to have a glass of water or a hot lemon and honey drink.  I now looked forward to these beverages.

The end of the challenge.

Today is 8 days since I started the challenge.  I feel fantastic, I feel energised, my hair looks shinier and my face – to me I don’t have the rings under my eyes and my wrinkles do not look so deep. My thoughts are clear and crisp.  And my wee is clear!  I still had water and hot lemon and honey all morning.  I had my first mocha (purchased) just before lunch time – I did enjoy it, but I savoured and tasted every mouthful. I think this will be a once a week treat.

What about night time, with freedom now to consume what I like?  To be honest I feel so fresh, hydrated and fantastic, I only want to continue feeding me great stuff – am I not my best investment?

We did have the Russell Birdman Movie Premier, and with such an auspicious occasion I had a glass of Pinot Gris and water.  But once again, I really tasted the crispness of the wine and savoured each and every mouthful.  It was a treat for a great occasion.

 

The learnings for me in the last 7 days have been phenomenal.  What will be your learnings?  Go ahead, challenge yourself.  And when you do please leave comments below on your experience.

Nateele

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