OK y’all… remember THIS pic??
Maybe you weren’t there that day, but it sparked over 100 comments and a lot of accusations that it was photoshopped. Well, I actually KNOW this girl. Her name is Bo Shin and we’ve been friends for 3 years. I know she has no agenda or reason to photoshop this pic, but I figured, “What the hell, why don’t I (and all of us) just try this ourselves?” (you can see her interview where I ask if this is photoshopped?)
I personally used to use Splenda a TON>>>> like, I’d steal it from Starbucks (or wherever) to use at home because I didn’t want to pay for my habit (TRUE CONFESSION… SHAME)
Anywho…. I am known on occasion to order a 4 splenda non-fat latte and have also gotten into the bad habit of drinking crystal lights or a diet soda here and there because “Hey! Look Ma! No Calories!!”
OK OK this pic did it for me… I am going to STOP. Cold Turkey. Even SUGAR. I did it last year with gum, so I can do it again.. at least for a month, for the sake of an experiment. I took a pic this morning (sighhhh) and I encourage all of you to do the same! I WILL be interviewing Bo later this week, so keep an eye out for that. We’ll see what she did instead of Splenda, how much she usually used, and all the juicy details (mayyyybe she did photoshop?)
THE SECOND PART OF THE CHALLENGE
I’m not letting y’all off the hook without some exercise too! This month we’re going to work on sprints… RUN AS FAST AS THE WIND for 30 sec. on…. rest until you’re ready again, and repeat 5 times a day, 5 days a week.
Track your speed and progress throughout the month too!!
***Modification– for those who are unable to run, you can “sprint” on a bicycle, handcycle or elliptical too… just pedal “all out” for the same 30 seconds
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF H.I.I.T or “BURST TRAINING”
I cannot WAIT to see who takes part in both of these challenges… no doubt, the top one is going to be hard for me, but I’m telling myself “Don’t be a b!tch” 
Leave a comment if you’re on board!
Comments
comments
I’m on board for this one!
Yes… I’m with this challenge. I’m soooo guilty of using three splenda’s in my coffee at Starbucks
I need an alternative.
girl! I use 4! and I used to use at least 2 in my oatmeal at breakfast and I’m sure one or two SOMEWHERE else! LOL AND chew a pack of gum a day!
These days I don’t have that much.
As far as alternatives go, I will have an interview with an expert on what the best alternative is. Personally at this moment, I’m going to give it up cold turkey.
If you want for now, maybe start cutting down to 2 packets?
I started that way awhile back and now have black coffee every once in awhile… just a thought;)
I’ll have some better answers for you soon!
As soon as I saw the pic last month I gave it up fld turkey(so hard)! I used to use it on my oatmeal Dailey, in my coffee,tea, on fruit…. It was a problem. So tomorrow I take the after pictures. As “TMI” as this may be constipation is no loner an issue since giving it up and I’ve lost 4 pou ds without changing anything else !
wow! Jessica thats awesome!! I used to be the same way! I haven’t used as much lately, but I still have been doing the 4 splenda latte thing, and rock stars.. eek
I am up for the HIIT’s. I do that at the moment. It’s awesome. Also, what about organic stevia as sweetener??
If you want to use organic stevia as a sweetener that is up to you, for myself I’m going to give it all up…. for now. I will be doing an interview with Bo and then also an expert to find out what is the best replacement.. so hang on for a few days! good stuff coming!!
I have wanted to do this for a long time, but I am a gum and Crystal Light addict!!!! I got off soda and switched to CL. I am afraid I won’t be able to give up those 2 things!!! Any substitutes, I need flavor in my water so I will drink it and something to keep my mouth busy so I won’t snack!!
Any suggestions appreciated!!
Tracy– I can’t tell you what to do.. I would suggest giving up ONE of them. Then you won’t freak out.
I personally decided that chewing a pack of gum a day couldn’t be healthy, so last July I just stopped cold turkey. I THOUGHT that I chewed gum to keep me from wanting food or something sweet… well turns out, I was never really hungry I was just craving… MORE GUM!!!
It was CRAZY how BAD I wanted it.. like I seriously kept looking in my purse hoping to find extra pieces. It took probably 10 whole days before I didn’t think about it anymore, and honestly, now, I don’t miss it. I’ve had less than a pack in a year (which is HUGE since it used to be a pack a day) and I’m NOT hungry all the time like I thought I would be. Its crazy!
So, my suggestion is to try JUST that one for now
Chew on a toothpick, punch the wall and vent on here when you want a piece.. you can scream at me for making you do this and I’ll just tell you….. Don’t Be a B!tch .. hahaha
Yes… tough love. THats what I’m here for;)
Great idea!!! And thank you for the insight on the gum. I have even started swallowing my gum and then getting another piece. Gross and bad for me I know! I will start with that and see if I can cut down my crystal light to only once or twice a day. And I am in for the sprints!!!
I need the tough love!!!! haha
Also, you can try flavoring your water with legit fruit 😉 or my sister sells those hokey essential oils, but the fruity ones in water, are actually pretty good.
If I may interject an idea – something I started doing recently to flavor water without using anything artificial. I fill a whole pitcher with water and slice various citrus fruits (my favorite is oranges – I thinly slice about 1/2 an orange for a large pitcher). Store it in the fridge. It really does flavor the water nicely! Lemons and Limes are always great options too! Good luck! I am doing this challenge as well! I have even used pkts of sweetener in plain water just to make it sweet!
thanks! thats such a great idea!
I slice cucumbers into a pitcher with water, too. Yum!
Beware of Crystal Light and many of your sugar free drinks, they add A LOT of Citric Acid and other acids to help with flavor and these will EAT at your teeth….learned the hard way.
I use Liquid Stevia to flavor my drinks. It comes in many flavors and I like Vanilla Cream or Chocolate in my coffee. One or two droppers full are like 5 calories, low glycemic and adds flavor and sweetness. I will also use the Fruit Punch, Root Beer, English Toffee, Grape or Valencia Orange to flavor my water. Usually one dropper full into a 12 or 16 oz bottle of water is perfect for me. They have Lemon Drop also, could be a substitute for your Crystal Lights. Experiment a little and see if you enjoy it. I know the 2 oz bottles of Liquid Stevia run $9-$12 each, but you use sooo little at a time that they last me a month or more easily.
Good Luck with your life changes.
thanks for the tips Joann!
Not a splenda addict but I will do the sprints! Bring on the sweat!!
sweet! and glad to hear you don’t have that terrible habit!
Im in! I’m not a huge Splendia person, I am a huge sugar person!!!! I will eat a box of candy almost everyday because I have room in my calories!!! I know how bad it is for me!!!! I just have to let it go!
haha just give it up for a month, you can always have it back later 😉
I’m excited to do this challenge esp. since I’ve been trying to cut out sugar/sweetners for weeks now. I do have some off days though. Also I woke up this morning and decided to do HIIT cardio :o)
awesome! I’m nervous, but I NEED to do it, so, taking pics will help me stay on track
i’m all over this! let’s get ‘er ! i will miss my rockstars, though…
oh girl! I used to have those ALL. THE. TIME… luckily, being broke stopped that one! LOL
I’m on the sprint train!!!!!
Awesome challenge!!!! Totally sharing this with our Bicep Betties for this month! This is a great challenge with a good lesson to. Thanks!
thanks Rachel! I can’t wait to post the interviews with Bo and also another expert to talk about the best substitute and what the fake sugars do.. keep an eye out! Love you girls!
Totally ready for it!!! its going to be a huge challenge giving up my sugar though!!!
oh tell me about it! I’ve told myself to do it before, the only reason I think I might stick to it this time is that I have you all to answer to!!
I’m all over this. Not a lot of artificial sweeter use in my house, so it’s real sugar I’m trying to cut out. Bring on the challenge!
I was having reactions from splenda, I finally quit cold turkey and forced myself to use stevia, pure stevia not the garbage mixed with some other additive. Trader Joe’s carry a pure form of it which I occasionally purchase or the sweet leaf brand. It’s expensive but super concentrated and can be found in liquid form also in about a dozen different flavors like chocolate and vanilla that are great for baking. It’s made from a plant leaf, totally natural and of course calorie free. I’ve seen it in almost every health food store and of course on amazon.
Ugh lately I have fallen in love with Sprite Zero
I’m in!
oooh girl. I KNOW! I hate diet coke.. but SPrite 0… uhmm yeah
I am all over this. I have a HUGE sugar addiction and I know that it’s probably the biggest thing that is really holding back my weight loss
awesome! we’ll be here to support and commiserate!
I’m in!
This is an awesome challenge. I don’t use a lot of Splenda but, I’m interested to see if cutting out the 3 packets I use in my only coffee of the day will make a difference. I often feel bloated in the mornings and I wonder if that’s been the culprit. Honestly, the sprinting is going to be my challenge but it’s just what I need right now to get me back on my game after finishing up a lengthy vacation:) Going to start this today!!!
awesome!! hey 3 packets may or may not make any difference, but worth a test right? and sprints.. yeahhhh those will be great!
Do the sprints have to be through out the day or can they all be in my daily gym trip?
So doing this.
I would do them all at once actually, so your gym trip would be perfect
After seeing that picture and some internal debate, I decided to give all artificial sweeteners up for a week. I wanted to see if I could do it, and to see if it made any difference at all in the way I looked or felt. I lost 3 pounds in one week! I quit alternating coffee and tea every other morning and just drank tea with lemon. I quit all Diet Coke, my favorite drink in the world, and only drank water with fresh mint and lemon. Those were the only changes I made and, Wow, amazing! Thanks for sharing this info with everyone!
I love your lemon in your tea and water idea, did you add anything to your coffee?
I’m in for the challenge: alternating run sprints and bike sprints depending on what my regular workout for the day is.
Splenda…I admit to being a user. I’m not sure I can quit cold turkey but I am commiting to cutting down. I was using agave nectar for a while then heard THAT wasn’t all that healthy either.
I usually just use stevia in the raw or ideal… looking forward to what the interview entails
And i’m ALL about some sprints!!!
I have been weening myself off Splenda and other artificial sweetners. It is so hard, especially the Diet Coke addiction I had going on. So, right now to sweeten my green tea or other tea is Liquid Stevia drops. Just a few drops in my tea and I’m all good. Not sure if using Stevia will hinder my progress?
I’m going to take on this challenge, and it will be a huge one for me. Love the splenda in my coffee, tea and such. I am really looking forward to your interview with Bo, would love to see what she did instead. Thanks for all this great inspiration and information! I love it!
Now…I am pretty naive when it comes to photoshop…and I really do believe in cutting back on both sugar and/or unnatural sweetners…BUT…I don’t think cutting these out would change the shape of your skull…lol! Is it my imagination or has her head shrunk along with her body??
I will be looking forward to finding out if this is a true picture or not…
That being said, I am up for this challenge! Whether my head shrinks or not….
haha well, I haven’t talked to her yet and I couldn’t tell about the head part, but it was pointed out.
I figured, what the hell, I’ll do my own damn experiment!
So the 6 sprints @ 30 seconds each, 5x per week right?
oops nevermind I got the video to play
haha yeah 5 sprints at 30 seconds, 5 days 😉
I’ve had a Monster Zero a day habit for the last two years (new job made me get up WAY earlier than I was used to), sometimes even 2 a day when I need an afternoon pickup too. That is my only source of artificial sweetner so I’m in. 30 days, no Monsters…I can do this!
oh wow! girl thats gonna be a good one!! maybe put the money from your monsters in a jar and buy yourself some new shoes at the end of the month! (or buy a monster at the end.. LOL)
hey, even if you slip up, just do your best this month, I’m gonna give it my all.. cold turkey is the only way for me to go! Hahaha check in and vent here or on the FB wall if you need to, there will be others to support ya!
I agree! Cold Turkey is definitely the only way to go! I love the Sweaty Betties support group
So is this giving up all sugar..even stevia or other natural sugars like in fruit? Just wondering because I would really like to do this too!
I’m personally giving up all added sugars and even stevia, but I will still have fruit.
It is really up to you how far you would like to take this experiment;)
okay! Let’s do it! I will have to start tomorrow bc I had agave nector in my coffee..but this is just the challenge I needed! Excited to see how i feel!
I needed this today. I’m so glad to find out I’m not the only person who thinks that my sweet tooth is a problem. I found that diet pop gave me tendonitis, and now I’m finding that my once in a while Crystal Lite is getting to be more often again. I will still keep my fruits, but even with making a wedding cake for the end of the month, will fight the cake batter monster and use this challenge to clean up my diet. Fight for yourself Ladies!
yes, I’m keeping fruits too.. but good call– “FIGHT FOR YOURSELF”
Aaaah I’m totally in but terrified! I love treats…. shit.
bahahahaa I know!!
I totally saw this picture and since then I’ve given up Splenda (except for when I’m getting coffee on the go)! My question is, is Truvia an acceptable substitute?! I’ve heard yes because it is a natural sweetener. I was wondering what you thought!?
I’m going to leave the Truvia question to Michelle, the expert I will be interviewing.
Personally, I’m not doing any kind of sweetener for the first week or two anyway.
Ok, Danny-J, I’m off Stevia (never had the splenda habit) for the month of August! What WILL I put in my oatmeal instead????? I’ve been doing interval sprints for the past 3 weeks 3x a week on the treadmill, so I will up it to 5x week – not sure how I can do it 5x a day, tho…..suggestions for those of us working full time in an office? Love the challenges – love the results!
mmm… skip oatmeal and have yams or fruit for breakfast instead?
(I wouldn’t eat non sweetened oatmeal)
ohhhhhh… no no no! Not 5 times a day!.. well, you’ll do 5 sprints for 30 secs ONCE a day ,5 days a week
which means, if you only rest for 30 sec. between sprints, it will take you a MIN of 5 minutes!
it shouldn’t take much time out of your day at all!
oh geez I need to read with understanding! lol! I’ll have yams or fruit – I ran out of oatmeal this morning anyway!
Try bananasand fruit instead. Like a super ripe banana. Cook it with the oatmeal, or frozen fruit and lemon!
I made it though the July challenge (my first one) so I’m going to do August as well. No suger will be very HARD!!
Day 2 of no added sugars/sweeteners. My coffee tastes just fine without it and I’ll just eliminate sweet tea from my diet all together because I can’t drink it without sweetener. I do love my flavored water but again, it’s no big deal. I don’t care if the picture is photo shopped. I don’t know what she would get out of doing such a thing. The point is, you threw down a challenge and I’m accepting. Not gonna be a b!tch!
Good luck everyone!
I’ve been on board with the no Splenda for over a month with awesome results similar to Bo’s!!
Cannot wait to do the sprints- I’m in!!!
I will join you! I did the sprints yesterday! I can’t use any artificial sweeteners anyway even Stevia so that part will be easy for me but cutting out sugar….wow…okay…that will definitely be challenge but I am in!
I want to do this challenge, but the video you posted about the burst training says not to do these sprints on consecutive days because it will defeat the purpose ? Thoughts ?
hey Dawn! good question! well, in general, I don’t suggest doing more than 3x a week…. BUT two things– if you only do this 3x a week I’d suggest doing 10-20 mins.
this is a challenge– to do more… BUT we’re also only doing 5 sets of 30 secs OR 2.5 mins. its really not much to defeat the purpose… and it will give people a good start to get stronger and more conditioned
I thought for sure my “Ideal” didn’t have sucrolose… WRONG! I am taking the challenge by cutting out artificial sweeteners! I took pictures and am pretty much already doing the challenge by running 3+ times a week with sprints included. I am using small amounts- like a teaspoon- of brown sugar in my coffee and on top of my grapefruit. Anddd, we are heading on a week long vacation tonight so I know I might have a couple of treats;) But, like I said- no artificial. If I am going to use any sugar I will use brown or if nothing else- real sugar.
My husband and I have recently stuck to our eating plan after not being able to in SO long. I created an inspiration board and put it on our fridge, which has seemed to help. Eating is wonderful, and have have worked out every day this week- as usual. But since getting on track and supporting each other my husband wants to run like every day. Don’t get me wrong, I love to run, but he wants to do sprinting in every.single.run. Like HIIT every time.
So… my question is- what would you recommend as far as running goes to not only lose weight, but keep the muscle we have?
Running to lose weight and keep muscle, stick to sprints, BUT you don’t have to do HIIT every single time. Its good to mix it up and do some steady pace longer runs (but you need not go longer than 45 mins)
Great job to you both on sticking to some great habits!
This makes me wonder if this is my problem. Lately I have tried EVERYTHING with full effort and NOTHING is working. I thought it was my antidepressants, but with the help of my doc I came off of those, but now, med free, I am having an even harder time. I do think that this might be my problem. I definitely have a sweet tooth and I think I’ve really amped up the artificial sweeteners to try and make it through. Those pics are very eye opening!
I am hopping on late with this one, but the sweetener thing is sooooo necessary. Ahh. Can’t wait for the results though!
love it! I had to “re-start” yesterday, so no biggie, just do it!
In fact, with all the money I save from not buying gum or sweetener, I am going ot buy myself something nice.
love it! I’m thinking the same from my starbucks with 4 splenda!
I eat what I consider very clean but I have 1 major vice … sugar free amps!!! yes , I said it and I so need this challenge !! Thanks
I use Xylitol, its a natural sweetener. What do u think of that?!
I just started zero sugar today…I’m dying! Going to do the sprints when the sun goes down. Woot!
Look’s the same to me, just sucking in on the picture to the right.
Wow!! I am just now reading the responses to my challenge and I am so glad that so many of you guys are doing this. Like Danny says, I have absolutely no intentions of giving false information to anyone. I truly do love helping others achieve their goals. I always wonder how beneficial it would have been in my past years if I knew the things that I do now about nutrition. Good luck to everyone!
I am a full blown splenda addict, and also a pastry chef. I’ve always justified my splenda use by saying I eat enough sugar at wok so I shouldn’t have it elsewhere. You’ve inspired me to try and give it up, but I think it will have to be gradual…