Why I am doing the 28 Day Challenge

The other day I had someone ask me "why use the Wilderness Athlete 28 Day Challenge instead of something more sustainable?"  My answer, this works for me.  I have tried various meal plans, I have done the weekly food prep, I tried a ton of different things, but nothing has worked for me over the long haul like this program.  For those that don't know, my meal plan consists of a Wilderness Athlete Meal Replacement Shake twice a day, breakfast and lunch, two healthy snacks and a sensible dinner.  Following this plan, plus my workouts, I have dropped 8 pounds, 2-3% body fat and 5 inches over the last 3 weeks....... I'd say that is working for me.  On top of this, my runs have improved and I'm definitely gaining back some strength.

To explain a little more on why this plan, versus the typical meal prep, works for me, it comes down to personal preference and time.  Most days I don't have time to cook breakfast, but I can drink a shake on my way in to work.  Unlike most people, I don't have a set lunch time, or any actual "lunch time", but I can always find time to drink a shake.  Another issue is I hate reheating food, and without regular access to a microwave, reheating my lunches doesn't work for me and it's tough to eat a salad as you're driving.  I also hate eating the same things over and over again..........all of you that eat chicken, rice and a vegetable every day, several times a day, more power to you!!  I'm not really sure why I can drink two shakes a day, 7 days a week, and not eat chicken and rice everyday, but I can't.

Don't get me wrong, we do prep and plan, all of the nuts and jerky I eat as snacks are pre-measured and are grab and go.  Obviously the shake mix is measured out a head of time, so it's grab and go as well.  The morning prep usually consists of cutting up some fruit, berries or vegetables, throwing some deli meat into a bag or spooning some nut butter or cottage cheese into a container.  As far as dinner goes, with the exception of Logan, we all eat the same thing, so this is helping all of us eat a little healthier.

Overall, I think it all boils down to what works for the individual person and what doesn't.  The owner of the gym we go to happens to be a nutritionist.  When she has talked about helping my wife with her nutrition, the first step is to track what you eat and what works and then make changes to really dial in what works instead of making drastic changes that may or may not work.  That's what I've done, I've taken what works for me and really dialed it in and I'm seeing the results I want.