Today is the day you log your Weekly Challenge Points. If you were able to do it all week – give yourself two points and keep drinking your water even though the challenge has ended!
What is this Cheat Meal?
Now, let’s talk about that cheat meal that is part of the program this week. You can choose to have a cheat meal – one meal during the week where you aren’t restricted by the challenge rules. You can still claim your three points for that day –and go on your merry way. I want you to do a few things for me though before you have it —
- Think about what you are going to do. Be Present in the moment and ask yourself is it worth it?
- Enjoy it once you decide it’s the ticket. Don’t be bogged down by guilt or regret. Life is about enjoying the moments!
- Notice how you feel after – may be right away or the next day. I am talking about the physical aspects and the mental. Are you feeling bloated, heavy, or sluggish? Do you lack focus and concentration? Are you seeing that infamous “wheat belly”? I want you to take note of the effects sugar, gluten and whatever else you partake in has on you. It’s not to teach you to never eat it – it’s to help you recognize how it affects you, so you can be aware and make decisions based on knowledge.
The Sleep Challenge Has Begun
Why am I asking you to get some sleep? As you can see from the awesome graphic above (thank you Julien Smith), not getting enough sleep has drawbacks that go way beyond feeling sleepy or spending too much at Starbucks. From increased weight to risk of disease and early death, not getting enough sleep has deeper implications than lack of productivity or mood swings. Most people do not sleep enough. Unless you are one of the few “short sleepers” out there (people who actually, truly only need 5-6 hours of sleep per night), an optimal night’s sleep is somewhere in the range of 7-9 hours.
Some of the ways that you can help to ensure deeper and better sleep is to follow some simple recommendations of sleep specialists and get your sleep “hygiene” in order:
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“This bed is just right.” Keep your room and bed comfortable and inviting — cool, with enough blankets to stay warm.
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Do I need to spell it out? Make the bed off-limits to anything other then bed-sanctioned activities — you know what these are. There are only 2, sleep is one, and the other doesn’t primarily involve TV or a book.
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Lights out! Make your room as dark as humanly possible. Heavy drapes, no light from digital clocks, sleep masks. Whatever it takes to eliminate all light from the room — primarily blue light (the light from your computer screen is blue).
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Soundproof your sleep. Anything that produces white noise (fan, air purifier, white noise machine) will help to drown out ambient sounds that could wake you.
Actions to take:
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Have a sleep routine — bedtime at the same time every night. Train your system that it is winding down.
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Get sunlight during the day, and make sure to exercise — just not right before bed, especially strenuous exercise within a few hours of bed.
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Avoid spicy foods or caffeine within several hours of bed. Same goes for alcohol or nicotine — they may feel like they help you fall asleep, but the quality of your sleep will be poor.
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Only take naps if you are not getting a full night’s sleep — otherwise they may make falling asleep harder.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some of the recommendations from a sleep study done found that 4 simple rules helped insomniacs (yes, they were all senior citizens, but you can give it a try too) improve their sleep patterns: 1) Stay in bed less (sleep time + 30 minutes, but no less than 6 hours), 2) get up at the same time each day, 3) do not go to bed unless you are tired, and 4) do not stay in bed if you can’t fall asleep.
All other things being equal, better sleep, better life; more sleep, more life. Who would really want to argue with it? Now, many people find it difficult with the demands of family and work actually to get that much sleep. Just think, however, how many things you have taken on in this challenge that were “impossible” up until now. All major changes take place in increments, so don’t feel like you have to master this tomorrow, but being open to that there actually is a solution for you will have you on the lookout for it. If there is no answer, you’ll never find it.
