After another “unprecedented” year that ends in holiday splurges, who needs a reset? I’ve had several people reach out with their hands raised high saying they need a jumpstart on their goals as we (literally) roll out of the holidays and into a new year! My hand is raised high, too.
Sugar is fun and delicious, but as you know there can be too much of a good thing! It’s not only addicting, it can wreak havoc on your health and your goals! If you feel like your sugar consumption is a little out of hand, join us for this 30 Day sugar detox challenge from Jan 2-31st!
What is the Sugar Detox Challenge?
For thirty days you will limit the amount of sugar you eat each day. You’ll set some goals around what this looks like for you, add in some workout goals, and keep track of your progress. You’ll get accountability along the way and a potential prize at the end!
Here we’ll cover
- the how and why of detoxing sugar
- what goals you’ll be setting
- how we hold you accountable (and what a habit chart is)
- what prizes are involved
- and finally, how to join in on the fun!
How to do a Sugar Detox
You will choose between eliminating all sugars (added sugars and naturally occurring sugars, like in fruit) or eliminating all added sugars (avoiding sweets and reading labels to make sure products don’t have sneaky sugars in them). Both will include eliminating sugar substitutes, like stevia for example, as well.
What you choose is completely up to you! You’ll add it to your habit chart (more on that later) and keep track of your daily victories.
Why Should You do a Sugar Detox?
Sugar is an addictive substance, and the more you consume the less your own brain produces its own natural feel-good hormones.
An increase in sugar consumption is linked with mental health problems, like anxiety, depression, and attention and memory issues.
A high sugar intake is linked with Type II Diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, potential changes to breast tissue, encourages aging, and of course, increases your waistline.
There’s more that sugar does to your body, which you can read about here, but chances are this isn’t news to you. Your sugar intake has probably crept up, despite you wanting to do better, and your willpower isn’t enough to get it back into healthy levels. This is why the new year is the perfect time to jumpstart your health and fitness goals with this Sugar Detox Challenge!
Benefits include thinking more clearly, losing weight (a recent study showed weight loss between 5-20 lbs from a month-long sugar detox!), a better blood sugar profile, and guess what– fruit will start tasting like candy!
The Fit Tutor’s 30 Day Sugar Detox Challenge
The dates: Sunday January 2 – Monday January 31st, 2022
This challenge will include 3 personalized goals!
- Removing sugar! In whatever way you choose, as mentioned above.
- Adding in a healthy nutrition goal. This is called a “positive goal” because you’re adding in a good behavior.
Examples include: adding in meal planning, adding in protein or 2 servings of veggies at every meal, adding in calorie counting or portion control, adding in 8 glasses of water a day – hopefully you get the idea! You can choose one of your own because this is YOUR challenge! - Add in a movement goal! Ideally, this looks like adding in some of The Fit Tutor’s strength workouts each week, but again, this is up to you! It could be walking, stretching, starting a couch to 5K program, etc. If you choose one of my workout programs, let me suggest the Power20 programs or the Dirty 30 because they are each 4 weeks long! If you need guidance, shoot me an email!
Finally, you’ll keep track of all of your goals and daily progress on your habit chart.
Did You Say Accountability and Prizes?!
Each day you check off the habits you successfully completed, and at the end of the week you’ll share your overall progress with either myself or (preferably) our Fit Tutor Facebook Accountability group! We’ll cheer you on, rain or shine, and share sugar detox tips and recipes throughout the 30 days. This specific group is for women only, but all genders will get personal accountability* if they sign up!
*(To level set, I’m literally about to pop and my baby is due 12/29, so personal accountability looks like an end-of-week check-in email where I’ll look over your habit chart and progress and respond. It will not look like one-on-one coaching this time around!)
Let’s talk more about prizes!
The dream is that you set goals that are challenging but not impossible, and at the end of each week you’ll have a 90% adherence/success rate to your goals. For each week you achieve 90% or higher, your name goes into the drawing for a cash prize! If you have a bad week at one point but end up with an overall adherence rate of 90% or above, you’ll also be entered to win! The more success you have, the more entries you’ll get!
You’ll also place a wager on your success, and if you succeed you’ll get your money back!
To start, you’ll send me (cash app, venmo, apple pay) what you choose to wager (minimum $20). At the end of the month, if you’ve met your goals with at least 90% adherence overall for the 30 days, you’ll get your money back! If you are below 90% adherence for the whole 30 days, this money will go towards the cash prize money. This is a bet I can get behind!
How to Create Your Habit Chart!
Friends, I’m a broken record about habit charts! They are the key to a successful fitness challenge – or any goal for that matter! You can’t just set a goal to “eat less sugar.” You have to map out your path to get there. What unhealthy eating habits did you pick up this year that caused you to gain weight? Where are your biggest sugary temptations? What’s in your way of exercising?
Find out what your hinderances are and make a plan for success.
Here are the Basics for your Habit Chart
- Write the days of the week on the top and your habits down the side.
- Make boxes so you can check them off when you crush each habit!
- Track your adherence = divide how many checks you earned by how many possible. You want a 90+ success rate to really move towards your goals!
If you have a per-meal goal, like “no added sugars at breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” adjust your chart accordingly. If you want to limit your intake of something (example: only eat fruit on days you workout) you’ll need to factor that in for your total number of checks possible.
Habit Chart Example
I can see how this might be a bit confusing if you’ve never done one! Here’s my old habit chart for a previous Sugar Detox Challenge:
On the lefthand side you see my habits, and then across are the days of the week. Most of my habits are tracked every day, but not all, like making a meal plan (only 1 possible) or working out (only 5 possible)!
I will add up how many possible checks I could earn (30), and then at the end of each week I will divide how many I earned by how many possible. It’s actually really simple once you try it!
Here’s a blank one you can use to get started
Click the link above for a habit chart and click “file” & “make a copy” to use it as your own!
If you want to deep dive a bit more into this, I wrote a post about habit charts. Shocking, I know.
Are You Ready to Join the Sugar Detox Challenge? Here’s How
This is for Fit Tutor members, so if you’re not a member, sign up today! The cost is $50 for a lifetime membership. It includes workout programs, several meal plans, a nutrition course, and a workout creator!
If you’re already a member, or after you sign up, send me your wager and either email me or post your habit chart in the Fit Tutor Accountability group! To guide you, answer these questions as you create your goals:
- Do you want to give up all sugars or just sweets/added sugars? (you can mix and match, like cold-turkey for a week and then add in 1-2 servings of fruit for example)
- Do you prefer to keep track of that per meal or per day?
- What is your positive nutrition goal for the challenge? Make sure you add it to your habit chart.
- What workouts do you want to include? Be specific: how many days a week? how long will they be?
- What do you anticipate being a struggle as you give up sugar? What strategies can you put in place to help? (Like, enlisting a co-worker to help you avoid the vending machine, not buying the sweet treats your kids typically eat, prepping healthy food to make it easy to grab, etc)
- If you’re not already working out consistently, what can you set up to help you get into a routine? (Examples could be setting your workout clothes out the night before, prepping some meals ahead of time so you can workout before dinner, no social media until you’ve completed your workout, etc)
You don’t need to share your answers with anyone, but you’re welcome to if you need some help brainstorming! I’m happy to help with goals and habit charts as needed (and as possible, with impending due date ahead)!! These should guide you as you make this challenge doable but still work to eliminate sugar!
Let’s Go!
So, sign up today, send me your wager, and let’s get planning for Sunday January 2nd! You’ll get recipe ideas, tips for breaking your sugar addiction, help reading food labels, and companionship along the journey! (If you want to start this earlier, NO ONE is stopping you! Do it! Seize the day, my friend and just let me know your specific 30 days so we can keep you entered in for the overall prize!)
You deserve to feel more energetic, have better skin, lose weight and feel lighter and stronger, and to not struggle with brain fog! Giving up sugar with a crew of women who will be right alongside you cheering you on, is what you need to look and feel the way you want!
Let’s go, sister! And since challenges are more fun with friends, invite one to join you!
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