For a list of weeks completed, click here.
The first rule of the Cardboard Box Diet? It’s not a diet.
It’s a small, healthy lifestyle community.
Over the years, the word “diet” has been given a bad rap. We’re not doing that. We’re not eating lo-cal, non-fat, cardboard crap. Here’s the definition of “diet” we’re going by:
Most of us have a cardboard box. Whether it’s your wedding dress, your favorite pair of jeans, or, in my case, half my wardrobe stuffed into a cardboard box in the bottom of my closet, we all have something we wish we could squeeze into again. If you have an attainable goal, why not use it as inspiration for a healthier lifestyle?
The Cardboard Box Diet Vow:
- I will not eat anything that tastes like cardboard. This diet is about healthier choices, portion control, and splurging on occasion. If I want to have a cupcake with a friend, I need to be able to do that. I also need to be able to have pizza for dinner sometimes. But the healthy meals/choices need to far outweigh (no pun intended) the “bad” ones. I also want to teach myself new ways to prepare food, and that a meal doesn’t have to be covered in cheese and gravy to be delicious.
- I will not set unattainable goals for myself. I will not force myself back down to my lowest weight. I will develop a healthy lifestyle, eat right and exercise, and let my body do the rest.
- I am doing this to be healthy, not to be skinny. Even though the skinny photo and the box of clothes is my inspiration, I’m doing this to FEEL good, not just to look good. I want to work out with my husband. I want to one day be able to chase my kids around the yard. I want to have more energy. If I don’t develop these habits now, that won’t happen, and I’ll keep gaining, slowly but surely.
- I will avoid anything on Pinterest labeled “Thinspiration” or involving a photo of Miley Cyrus’ recent weight loss. Guys. She’s 19 and a celebrity. She’s supposed to look like that. We’re real women; we’re not. Again, it goes back to unrealistic expectations of yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t count your ribs. Cherish a healthy body, one that enables you to do so many things, rather than a perfect body.
Every Thursday, we’ll be completing this set of answers (it will be the same set every week, unless we add to them as time goes on). It will be a great way to hold each other accountable and keep ourselves on track.
Weekly Survey:
- Weigh-in: This can be your actual weight, or how many pounds up or down you are. I will not be posting my actual weight — for now, anyway — because I think people get too caught up into numbers and saying “You don’t need to lose weight! You’re only XXX pounds!” Every body is different. I know I’m carrying extra weight right now, regardless of what the charts say. So share whatever you’re comfortable with posting.
- Exercise completed: This is a place to journal all the exercise you completed this week. I know that, personally, if I have to log something, I’m more likely to do it. Hopefully the thought of having to type “completed NO EXERCISE THIS WEEK” will be a swift kick in the butt to go for a run or to the gym.
- Splurge/Guilty Pleasure: Let’s face it. We’re going to screw up. Let’s get it off our chests, shall we? Plus, the Cardboard Box Diet is all about the occasional treat. Just don’t wind up in your closet, licking the bottom of a half-gallon of Rocky Road, mmkay? Not that that’s ever happened to me. Ahem.
- Success story: Did you lose a pound? Fit into a dress? Chose a big yummy salad instead of the greasy cheeseburger that was calling your name? Hooray!
- Recipe(s): What were some of your favorite meals/recipes this week? Share with us so we can make/eat them too!
- Photo: This can be a photo of anything. Something inspirational, a self-portrait, a meal. I will probably be doing lots of instagram photos. You’ve been warned.
If you don’t have a blog, leave your answers in the comments! Also, we’ll be using the Twitter/Instagram hashtag #cbdiet, if you want to join in there.
The apps I’ll be using to track my calories and exercise are MyFitnessPal and MapMyRUN. My MFP profile is here, and you can read my food diary here. Here are links to my Instagram and Twitter, where I’ll post daily updates.
Let’s do this! Cardboard boxes everywhere, we’re coming for you.
What’s in your Cardboard Box?
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