Each week during the 10 Pound Challenge, I’ll outline 5 different mini-challenges. Your job is to choose 1-2 of them to fully commit to for the week, and you may choose to continue that practice for the remainder of the challenge. You may wish to do more than 2 of the challenges, and you are welcome to do so, but be sure to fully commit to 1 or 2 so that you don’t get overwhelmed too quickly. You’ll select your challenge in the weekly check in, but I provide a bit more explanation for each of them here.

1. Eat Meals on Salad Plates for Portion Control.

Let’s face it: dinner plates are huge, yet we fill them up anyway, eating far more food than we actually need. Portion control is one of the most efficient ways to lose weight, and using a salad plate for your meals is an effective way to reduce your food intake. Bonus: use smaller glasses and bowls too!

2. No Fast Food. 

We know fast food is bad, but many of us still indulge it in out of habit, poor planning, or cravings. Whether you get fast food once a week or nearly every day, make a vow this week to avoid it. Plan out your meals, pack a lunch, cook at home, and keep healthy snacks in your vehicle. If you’re in a pinch and need food on the go, stop at a grocery store and pickup some real food! This may be tricky for long-haul drivers that aren’t used to cooking in the truck, but truck stops almost always have a convenience section with fresh sandwiches, cut up produce, yogurt, hummus, and more.

3. Drink at least 8 cups of water daily

This one was actually a request from a couple of different challengers! We all know we should be drinking plenty of water, but we often need the reminder to do so. Aim for at least 8 cups (2 litres), but you may find you function best with closer to 10 or even 12, especially if you exercise a lot or work in a hot environment, so pick your target amount and do your best to reach it this week! If you have some lemon, berries, or cucumber available, add them to the water for a little flavour and nutrition boost!

4. Try a different vegetable.

For some, this will mean trying something that they’ve sworn off since childhood, such as broccoli or Brussels sprouts. For others, it means buying those exotic looking veggies in the store and learning how to prepare them. Some of my favourites that you may not have tried are jicama, celery root, parsnips, or even Jerusalem artichokes. We want to get you out of your comfort zone and enjoying more vegetables, so have fun with this one!

5. Take the stairs all week!  

You know you SHOULD take the stairs more often, but do you actually follow through? Every chance you have this week, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. If you want an additional challenge, spend some extra time on the stairs just to get a workout in. Whether you do one flight or twenty, your heart rate will be boosted and legs will be challenged!