Been feeling like a sloth lately? Tired, without even working? Do you feel that your energy levels have gone down and you aren’t as lively as before? If yes, you’ve been an item on the fast food menu for far too long. However, no need to worry. Just like every Gotham needs a Batman — your unhealthy lifestyle needs the 21 day no junk food challenge!
Not everyone is lucky enough to eat home-cooked meals thrice a day, which is largely an ignored blessing. As the world and life has gotten faster, so has our food. Albeit, we are lucky enough to be a living in the 21st century where information is on our fingertips and there is a cure for almost everything.
The 21 day no junk food challenge is the modern day implementation of ‘survival of the fittest’ — if you’re looking to shed all those extra pounds you’ve been gaining from eating those delicious burgers, pizzas and other goodies, this is exactly what you need. About time the world gets to see the real you (which actually means you battling your desires).
Here’s what the challenge is about! Presenting the no junk food challenge rules:
No Junk Food Challenge Rules
1. No Chocolate Or Chips
You are no longer allowed to munch on those scrumptious bars and rustling crisp packs you once survived on.
Giving up already? Take a look in the mirror, just before you decide on whether you don’t want to give this challenge a try (we know living without chocolate is a buzzkill). If you really want a strong viewpoint on why not to eat chocolate, well.. you might want to know how they make it.
2. No Fast Food
Time to delete all the fast food apps from your smartphone, no more drive-thru for you.
Even with Nicki Minaj’s popular bun-culture taking the world by storm, remember, fast food makes you grow from all angles. Saying no to fast food might be the toughest part of the challenge but it is something you HAVE to do. Even though the fast food makes your life easier, since it is… fast, fast food advantages and disadvantages vary, with the disadvantages of fast food winning in all forms.
3. No Cakes, Pastries, Doughnuts or Muffins
For the next 21 days, your mouth is not an oven and it will say no to all bakery items.
No more Dunkin, no more Krispy and Nuffin’ to go with your morning Latte. Dough is really not good for you.
4. No Candy
Floss the candy out of your life, you’re a grownup who has responsibilities.
Your sweet-tooth needs to wait. At least for 21 days so that the no junk food challenge can show you why the world is going berserk over it.
5. No White Bread, Biscuits Or Cookies
Brown is your new favorite color. Brown is the way to fat loss.
Forget they ever invented white bread or the world’s first baker made cookies and biscuits.
Learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of fast food here.
Once you’ve said no to the famous 5 listed above, you’re bound to need healthy alternatives to junk food.
The Rectification – Healthy Alternatives To Junk food
1. Fruits — as they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
2. High-Protein food — the key here is NO oil. Grilled or baked is the way to go.
3. Vegetables — the greens will keep nutrition flowing through your body.
4. Cottage Cheese — if you can’t survive without cheese, even the dairies have alternatives.
5. Brown bread — use the browns as much as you can, even with your salads.
The points stated above should be the way to go for how to not eat junk food.
No Junk Food Challenge Results: How your body benefits from the tough fight with your desires!
In the starting 2 weeks, everything should run smooth for you. If by the third week, you feel low on energy or your hunger pans aren’t going away, resort to eating more fruits. The weight-loss you’ll end up with by the time the challenge reaches its 21st day should keep you motivated to literally never eat junk food again. Once you learn to control your cravings, you’ll be on the path to a healthier lifestyle for the rest of your days (which will only increase after giving up on junk food).
So, we think it’s safe to say, the no junk food challenge is exactly what you need if you’re young and feeling lethargic, subdued, low on energy or lazy. Don’t just think about the present, there’s a long, healthy life waiting for you!
The 21 Day No Junk Food Challenge FAQs
- What are some other health benefits of the no junkfood challenge?
The most noticeable benefit of the no junk food challenge is instant weight loss. With a reduction in junk food consumption, caloric intake is also minimized. This means dropping extra pounds quickly.
But apart from helping people lose weight, the no junk food challenge also offers other benefits. Perhaps the most important among these is forming good eating habits.
After spending about three weeks without junk food, the body no longer craves it. This means that people can now eat healthy, nutrient dense foods that actually offer real nutrition and not just empty calories.
At the same time, the no junk food challenge also provides enough important nutrients to support a healthy brain, heart, bones and muscles. In fact, all other body systems like the digestive and circulatory systems are supported.
With improved nutrition, people experience reduced health risks. As the intake of saturated fats, sugars and preservatives reduces, health improves. The risk of developing conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease also minimizes.
And last, but not least, the no junk food challenge also helps improve energy levels. There is well-known association between eating junk food and decreased energy. Following a high-fat diet can make people lazy. It can also affect their metabolism, making them hungrier sooner.
With junk food elimination, the hunger and lethargy also disappear, improving energy levels.
So to improve health, lose weight or even maintain a healthy weight, the no junk food challenge is a good option to consider.
- What Are Empty Calories?
Empty calories are found in foods that have calories but offer no nutrition. This means that even though these foods supply calories and some energy, it isn’t nutritionally balanced.
Empty calorie foods can easily cause weight gain, especially if a person eats too much of them. This usually means that calorie intake is greater than expenditure. In this way, the calories consumed are not used and they result in extra weight gain.
Most of the foods containing empty calories are highly processed foods. These foods contain a lot of sugar and fats but very little nutritional value. Some examples can include ice cream, cakes, cookies, pastries and other desserts. Sodas and sweetened fruit drinks are also empty calorie foods.
These foods taste good but do not keep you full. As a result, people tend to eat more. Many of these foods are also considered convenient, but come at a cost to an individual’s health. Most of them are also addictive and hard to give up. As such many people don’t realize how many empty calories they consume on a daily basis.
Having too many empty calorie foods is definitely not the best thing for optimal health. Other than creating health concerns, foods with empty calories only add to the waistline.
- What Are Some Tips To Be Successful At The No Junk Food Challenge?
While it may seem easy to make a list of junk foods to avoid, following the plan is not always easy. So, while avoiding junk foods, you also need to know how to replace them properly.
This means finding healthy replacements for the foods that you will no longer eat. For example, instead of eating white bread, opt for its brown counterpart. Or try some yogurt in place of ice cream. Finding such healthy alternatives on the no junk food challenge can ensure that important nutrients are replenished properly.
Another tip for success is to learn how to prepare home cooked meals. Many restaurants and food joints serve calorie dense foods. A lot of these options also include processed varieties. To minimize this effect, it is best to make meals at home.
When food is cooked at home, you have the choice of opting for healthy ingredients only. You can leave out foods that are filled with additives and preservatives and use nutrient dense options.
People who think that the no junk food challenge will be difficult to follow, can join discussion forums. These forums can provide online support and connect dieters with others. People can share their experiences with others and find ways to stay on track.
Along with sharing experiences with others, individuals can also keep a journal for their own reference. They can write about their own daily struggles and experiences. A journal is also a good tool for recording goals, failures and the strategies to succeed. When obstacles do occur in the no junk food challenge, reviewing the journal can help figure out strategies that work. It is also an easy reference to sort out bad eating habits from the good.
- What If I Run Low On Energy On The 21 Day No Junk Food Challenge?
Most people report feeling good during the first two weeks of the no junk food challenge. But some complain of feeling weak during the third.
The right way to deal with this problem is to increase intake of the right foods. When low on energy, try to eat more fruits to curb the hunger. Fruits not only supply some natural sugars for instant energy but also yield fiber.
Fiber naturally fills up the stomach and curbs cravings. It also keeps the digestive system healthy and working properly. Plus, a lot of fruits have fewer calories and abundant nutrients.
- How Is The No Junk Food ChallengeDifferent From Other Diets?
The biggest point in favor of the no junk food challenge is its simplicity. Unlike other programs, the no junk food challenge does not involve drastic eating changes. Instead the focus is on eating regular meals with nutrient dense ingredients but skipping empty calorie foods.
Other dieting programs also stress on counting calories which can make it very confusing for people. It can also be very distressing. But when following the no junk food challenge, people do not have to focus on calorie count.
Since the only foods allowed are nutrient dense, the need to eat excessively is diminished. The challenge offers simple eating habits with effective, long term results.