I recently took on our provincial Welfare Challenge to raise awareness. A tough week, it had the side benefit of providing some valuable lessons in caloric restriction.

Safety First

Note that what I ate (caloric restriction to only about 1/3 of my normal intake) is NOT recommended or considered healthy — but I did glean some valuable insights for those on diets.

The Most Important Thing

Your “why” must be crystal clear. (Again, there’s no way I would have done this drastic of a caloric cut for any other reason, and it is not recommended.) Use whatever pop psychology approach you want — or accept my challenge below, and cut your own eating by the equivalent amount — but make sure you have something rock-solid before you start.

This Will Help

Remember, it’s important to do your own research and experiment with what works best for you. Here are the things got me through the week:

– prioritize protein over carbs. Sorry, animals and people who love them, but the majority of people I’ve worked with respond best to actual animal protein better than they do to dairy, nuts, grains, or legumes… in short, the “Paleo” approach. Adequate intake of fresh produce will usually help you meet mineral and electrolyte requiments, but again, make sure to do your own research on this.

– hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

– appreciate every single bite you put in your mouth, and truly savour it.

– cut out eating at restaurants; in addition to costing more money, there is no way to control what’s really on your plate.

– remember: you may be hungry, but you’re not starving. If you have any weight to lose, you have a significant source of energy to burn.

– snacks needs to be replaced with something else; I chose to focus on my breathing.

– be ready to scale back activity as required while prioritizing the food aspect.

The Second Most Important Thing

Yes, it’s going to be hard…Suck it up, buttercup! And good luck.

My Challenge to You

The experience affected me profoundly, and as a result, I’m now donating the monthly equivalent of 10% of my personal food expenditures to our local food bank. I challenge you to do the same.