Overall Keys to a

Successful Competition

HAVE A GOAL: whether it’s to lose weight, gain strength, make lifestyle changes or to adapt
anything else that matters to you. Having a goal will help you find strength at the times when you
are tempted.
IT’S ONLY 1 POINT: sometimes you may find it unavoidable to have that bag of chips or hamburger.
You’re only losing one point on that day. Don’t let that derail you. See this program through and
you will find that your health will change for the better.
BE PERSISTENT: be consistent. Some of these things are difficult to do, but as your body
changes, you will begin to feel amazing and you will also begin to discover that healthy food tastes
amazing - and once you liberate yourself from the fat and suger in foods, you will begin to enjoy your
new diet.
TAKE THE LONG VIEW: another key to success is being able to see that although your grocery
bill may go up, you will save money on eating out, take out, alcohol and delivery. Not only that,
but the savings on medication and medical treatment for treating health related illnesses is also
notable.
START SOMEWHERE: keep a log. Weigh yourself. Use your age and height and weight to
determine a rough idea of how many calories you burn in a day. Thanks to the internet, tracking your
caloric intake is easier than ever. You can also track the amount of calories you burn. By keeping a
log, goals can be achieved easier than ever. You just have to start.
TEAM UP: superheroes do it all the “team” and it totally works out perfectly. Just look at Superman
and Batman and how well they get along. Involve your friends and family. Let them know what
you’re doing and enlist their moral support. It can help you get through tough times. This challenge
will also involve support groups. The whole point of these groups is for us to help each other through
the tough times and celebrate the good times.

LOSE WEIGHT - GAIN CHARACTER WITH THE LCC

 Helpful Tips
for Each Category
TIPS FOR EATING HEALTHY/ QUALITY MEALS:
First Things FIRST: Remind yourself that you are Liberating
yourself from refined foods, processed meats as well as excess fat
and sugar. A change in perspective can have dramatic effects. You
are not sacrificing anything by avoiding deep fried foods, refined or
processed ingredients and salty, fatty sugary snacks. You are giving
your body a break; an opportunity to rediscover health. Healthy
food is delicious - you just have to give yourself a chance to rediscover
it. A lot of people think that they are sacrificing something when they
avoid pop, drive-thrus, chips and chocolate bars. That is simply not
true. You are giving up nothing! Here is an experiment you can try before you start the challenge. Go ahead and
buy those “comfort” foods you like so much. Eat them/drink them. Pay attention to how you feel during and then
after you have finished eating them. You will quickly notice that the enjoyment you get from eating those foods last
only as long as you are consuming them. As soon as you’re done, you want more. Not only that, but once you’ve
indulged in eating more, you are left only with regret, indigestion and excess weight. Do you really want that? Is this
really something that you are sacrificing by giving up? You may think you are rewarding yourself with bad food. You
are not. Change your perspective, and watch the pounds melt away.

New Habits Start Somewhere: Get into a habit of switching out the bad for the good. There are a lot of healthy
foods that taste great. You just need to give them a chance. One day at a time!!!

Make your House a Junk Food FREE Zone: Stock up on healthy food and get rid of junk food. If it has to stay in
the house, put it out of sight or in hard to reach places. Moderate your exposure to “danger” foods. Avoid anything
with high Glucose-Fructose Corn Syrup.

Set a Deadline for Eating at Night: Our willpower is typically strong in the morning, and weakens gradually
throughout the day. This is why late night snacking is so common and such a problem. Late at night, your willpower
is at its lowest point. Set a time limit for eating. If you typically get up in the morning, establish a deadline of 8 or
9 pm for eating. This means that you cannot eat anything after that deadline. It will only take a few days to adjust.
Trust me when i say that this is very effective if you stick to it.

Small Changes Can Add Up To Big Results: This is about the process of reducing portion sizes of unhealthy
fats and sugars. A good example is changing out a large double/double at Tim Hortons for a medium with milk
and stevia. You’ll be saving yourself 264 calories a day. If you’re drinking more than that, just do the math. Save 70
calories by not putting butter on your bread with your jam. (Refer to the “Eat This not That” for a list of foods to eat,
and foods to avoid.) When you eat out, ask your server for healthy alternative options and smaller portions.

Plan Your Week: Plan your meals in advance and buy groceries regularly. Having planned meals will take care of
unplanned snacking and unhealthy quick fixes (like drive-thrus).

Take Advantage Of The Internet: We live in the information age. There are A LOT of healthy recipes available
online - try some out.
 Helpful Tips
for Each Category
TIPS FOR DRINKING ENOUGH WATER:
Start early: Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning before
anything else. It’s a good time to take your vitamins as well!

Drink water with every meal or snack: Try to drink a glass of water
before you eat, it’ll lessen your feelings of hunger.

Bring water with you everywhere you go. Stock up on reusable

containers, scope out water sources at work or on the go. Be prepared
for the day.

Keep hydrated during your workouts. The more you work out, the more you’ll need to stay hydrated. Always
bring water with you to your workout, or on outdoor activities.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE EXERCISING:

Have a Plan: What’s your goal? Do you want to lose weight? Improve your cardio? Go into the gym knowing what
you want to do.

Warm Up - Then Stretch: Do some brisk walking to warm your muscles up. Stretching will go better if your
muscles are warm and mobile.

Sweat isn’t a bad thing. The best way to improve is to get your heart rate going. The best way to get your heart
rate going is to exert yourself. But be smart about it - set a good pace and keep it.

Life is a marathon: pace yourself accordingly. Get your exercise daily. Don’t try to overdo it in the beginning in
an effort to make up for lost time. Don’t try to work out for 3 hours one day because you missed a week. The body
doesn’t work that way. Be patient, be consistent. Your body will adjust as time goes by.
TIPS FOR DAILY DEVOTIONALS AND/ OR MEDITATION.

Make time: Starting can be challenging, but the first thing you need to do is set aside time for yourself. You need at
least 20 minutes by yourself or with a partner. It’s important that you shut away all distractions and, if necessary, ask
others in your family to give you that time to yourself.

Find Purpose: There are a wide variety of devotionals out there: online, in book form or even audio. Find one that
interests you or challenges you and stick with it. Like anything else, it’s an experience that requires consistency and
commitment. The benefits will speak for themselves.

Relax and Breathe: Todays modern world is fast paced; meditation should take you in the opposite direction. Shut
out all noise and distractions, play soothing music and focus on breathing. Find a comfortable position - either sitting
or lying on the floor. Do not do relaxation on a bed - you may fall asleep. Take long, slow deep breaths. Inhale and
exhale slowly. Focus on relaxing all the muscles in the body. Quiet the mind and enjoy yourself. This is time that is
essential. Initially, it may seem that you are missing out on “the world” by taking this time for yourself, but you are
not - you are restoring strength and energy.
 Helpful Tips
for Each Category
TIPS FOR GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP:
Support your body’s natural rhythms: Try to go to sleep and get up
at the same time every day. Avoid Sleeping in. Nap instead. Be smart
about napping (set a time limit). Fight after-dinner drowsiness.
Control Your Exposure to Light: Daytime: Expose yourself to
bright sunlight in the morning. Spend more time outside during
daylight. Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as
possible. Nighttime: Avoid bright screens within 2 hours of bedtime.
Say no to late night television. Be smart about nighttime reading.
When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.
Wind Down and Clear your Head: If you can’t stop yourself from worrying, especially about things outside your
control, you need to learn how to manage your thoughts. For example, you can learn to evaluate your worries to
see if they’re truly realistic and replace irrational fears with more productive thoughts. Even counting sheep is more
productive than worrying at bedtime.
Relaxation Techniques: Deep Breathing. Close your eyes, and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each
breath even deeper than the last. Count to 10.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely
relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of your head. Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your
eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or
activity makes you feel.
Bedtime toolbox: Create a toolbox of relaxing bedtime rituals to help you unwind before sleep: Read a book or
mag by a soft light; Take a warm bath; Listen to soft music; Do some easy stretches; Wind down with a favourite
hobby; Listen to books on tape; Make simple preparations for the next day; Dim the lights in the hours leading up
to bed.

TIPS TO AVOID JUNK FOOD FOR SNACKS.

Plan Your Week: This suggestion is the same as the meal category: If you get groceries regularly based on a plan,
you can go into every day knowing what you’ll eat. This will help eliminate unhealthy snacking.
Know Your Weaknesses: Everyone has a special kind of food that they like for snacks. Find healthy alternatives
that satisfy your sweet or salty craving. There are plenty of healthy options out there to try. Once you’ve liberated
yourself from chips, chocolate bars, ice cream and candy, you’ll find that things like fruit, yogurt and cereal can be
incredible.
One Day at a Time: You’ll hear this one from me a lot. It’s impossible to expect anyone to go without the foods
they crave for 56 days. But it’s highly possible to get through today. That’s all you have to do. Get through today.
Tomorrow is another day and it’s going to be a great one.
It’s Ok. You’re Human: If you can’t resist, if you feel like you have to have that chocolate bar - do me one favour:
Wait 20 minutes…Still want it? Ok, go ahead - It’s only one point. Start fresh the next day. However, just bear in
mind; other people didn’t eat it. They’re getting ahead of you in the competition. Are you going to let them do
that?