Healthy Explorations & 6-Week Mindless Eating Challenge

Do you struggle with moving out of your comfort zone?

I sure do, most of the time.

But hidden behind my walls of fear and insecurity is the heart of an explorer, who ventures out from behind them and her comfort zone, every now and again.

I first connected with this side of myself, as a 10-year-old who insisted on taking a YMCA sponsored trip from my little town in Connecticut to Washington, DC during spring break. My best friend at my side.

Memories from that trip are still a highlight of my life.

When I give myself permission to move beyond the confines of my current life, I’m alway better for it. But it takes tons of effort to get me to move beyond my comfort zone. Sometimes I’m pushed by external forces, like a baby bird from her nest.

Other times I coax myself along. That’s where tiny steps and self-talk come in…

“Just try it.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Think of it as a game or experiment!”

Allowing myself to “play” at something or “conduct a little experiment” just to “see what happens” is my most effective method of venturing into uncharted territory.

It frees me from the fear of failure that can keep me stuck and allows me the freedom to move on to something else when I’ve had enough.

I’m still working to fully embrace the concept that: Trying + Failing = Learning!

Here on Simple Nourished Living, some of my “healthy explorations” have included:

183 Days of Weight Watchers Friendly Slow Cooking. This was supposed to be a year-long project but I gave myself permission to stop at the half-way mark.

JuiceFest 2014 – A month long experiment with juicing.

Intermittent Fasting and Skipping Breakfast – As someone who was raised to believe that beginning the day with breakfast was non-negotiable, this felt both reckless and defiant for a “good girl” like me.

My most successful experiment to date occurred during the summer of 2010, when I read and implemented what I learned from the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink.

It was the tipping point that led to achieving the peace with food I’d been seeking while maintaining the Weight Watchers goal weight I’d set back in my late 20s.

6-Week Mindless Eating Challenge

Now seven years later, as I prepare to head back to the scene of this healthy exploration (Land O’ Lakes, WI), I thought it would be fun to create a 6-week Mindless Eating Challenge to help others experience what I discovered.

For this challenge, we will all read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (affiliate link) and share our awarenesses and experiences. Every week, for six weeks – from July 10 to August 14 – we’ll read two chapters a week and share what we learn.

I’ll kick things off every Monday with a post, which will provide participants a place to comment with their discoveries, if they’d like.

It seems like a perfect summer project: A virtual book club, but with homework 🙂

To be most effective, this challenge is best undertaken in a low key “let’s just see what we discover” manner. No pressure. No way to fail.

But it does provide a bit of accountability if you find it helpful in propelling you into action.

All you need to do to take part is buy the book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (affiliate link), by Brian Wansink  (or borrow it from your library).

I’ll post a basic outline for this challenge next week!

Sound good?

P.S. If you want some support eating better and losing weight this summer, my 28-Day Smart Start Weight Loss Challenge may be just what you’re looking for! Many of the tips and suggestions are based on what I learned by applying Dr. Wansink’s Mindless Eating concepts.

This has been a wonderful challenge. Thank you for all of the support and encouragement. I have definitely made some positive changes that I plan to continue! ~ Bronwyn