This 30-day no sugar no caffeine walking challenge might just be what you need to start a healthy lifestyle and to sustain it. I know, at first sticking to these healthy habits may sound like a lot, but I promise you, within a week you will feel more alive, fit and healthy than right now.
Well, that’s at least how I felt when I did this sugar-free challenge back in May/June this year.
And if it wasn’t for traveling to Italy and Croatia in June, I probably would’ve kept going till this very day and would be already a stick who doesn’t eat chocolate or drink coffee. Which is the goal, right? Before someone decides to let me know how toxic I am, relax, it’s a joke. But really I do wish I would’ve stayed away from the caffeine and the sugar. They’re seriously addictive and hard to get off of once you start. So don’t!
Also, seriously, if you’re looking to lose the one or the other pound in the process in a sustainable way, this no sugar no caffeine walking challenge is the way to do it. I know walking sounds too easy, too simple, it definitely did for me and I underestimated its benefits. I always wanted to go for the big things – HIIT, lifting weights and so on. But walking works. Sometimes we need to commit to something simple. Something easy, like walking outside for an hour and a half every day.
I personally lost around 6 pounds during the 30 days, which may not sound like a TON, but considering that I wasn’t starving, counting calories and was just living life, it’s a great result. It’s amazing actually. More than that, I got into a better shape than I did while going to the gym at the beginning of the year.
The 30-Day No Sugar No Caffeine Walking Challenge
So here’s what the whole No Sugar, No Caffeine Walking challenge is about:
- Eat raw vegetables and/or fruit with every meal – at least 7 servings a day and make sure 1/2 of those are raw greens or cruciferous vegetables. These foods will help nourish your skin, your brain, your good gut bacteria, EVERYTHING.
- Take a walk for at least an hour outside. So I was aiming for at least 10,000 steps a day and I found the best way to do so was going out for a long walk in the park in the morning. I also sometimes did one in the evening after dinner to help with digestion. I’m happy to say, I’ve more or less kept this habit for the last few months and it’s my favorite thing to do. So much better than going to the gym and honestly, less costly money- and time-wise.
- Skip coffee and sugar. And fake food that won’t contribute a thing to your body. So no crackers, no lentil or chickpea chips or whatever kind of new “healthy foods” in sheep’s clothing. And yes, that also means – no chocolate and no coffee in the morning. Hold that tear.
- Drink enough water and get enough sleep! I didn’t particularly track these habits, but they’re necessary for a truly healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Workouts (optional)
For me, I also added 2-3 weekly 30-minute full-body at-home workouts with a kettlebell (because that’s the only weights I had). When it comes to what exactly, I highly recommend Heather Robertson’s or Caroline Girvan’s workout videos for this. These workouts added to me feeling overall stronger and helped reduce the pain in my neck and lower back, which is something I’ve been struggling with for years.
So if you’re looking to tone up and build more muscle, definitely add a few sessions of resistance training to the 30-day no sugar no caffeine walking challenge too. Pilates or barre also count if that’s all you can do at the moment.
A Sample Day Of Eating
So here’s a typical day of what I ate during the 30 days. You don’t need to copy what I did, this is rather to give you some ideas. You can modify this any way you wish. It is what worked for me though. I felt great and super satisfied during those thirty days and I was basically following my cravings. And to my pleasant surprise, the cravings became healthier and healthier as the days went by and I stuck to the 30-day sugar-free challenge. So, here’s what was on the menu.
Before Breakfast
So every day almost first thing in the morning I’d go for an hour long walk in the park. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Depending on how much time I’d have and sometimes I’d be lucky enough to catch the sunrise.
Then I’d get home, get ready and start working. I work for myself, so I work from home, which is very practical and sad at the same time. Don’t cry for me though. You can do that after you see what I had for breakfast.
Late Breakfast
Then later in the day around 10-11am, I’d have breakfast (I’m not super hungry when I wake up). And I’d usually make a 24-ounce / about 750ml of green smoothie. And I always use the hypernourishing recipe from Dr. Goldner, you can find some ideas here. These smoothies are filling and will help provide essential nutrients to improve your metabolism, gut and skin health and to prevent disease. I’ve been doing them for a while now, off and on and I feel amazing when I keep up with this habit.
My smoothies weren’t actually super sweet or thick, as I don’t like bananas in them. So I’d use frozen berries like strawberries or blueberries, cherries or some mango, then spinach or kale for the greens, 3-4 tbsp of flaxseed and then cover it all with water to about halfway or two thirds and blend. Was it the most delicious thing in the world? Maybe not, but it’s refreshing, energizing and it helped me stay focused while I was working on the computer.
Often, when I’m really hungry, after the smoothie I’d blend some tomatoes with basil and garlic, make some eggs and serve these with oat-based bread.
This is about 3-4 hours before my other big meal (which was a salad).
2nd main meal
Then for late lunch/dinner I’d have a large lettuce- or cabbage-based salad with yogurt garlic sauce and some sort of a protein.
As I wasn’t very well prepared the first few days I’d just buy rotisserie chicken from the store and use that in the salad. Sometimes I’d also use hummus, rice and make some meatballs, falafels or fish to go along with my salad.
Dessert? Snacks?
Because I always needed something sweet, I’d also have some sheep’s yogurt with fruit and nuts (usually peanuts or pecans). I used to not like yogurt at all, but then I discovered sheep’s yogurt in Greece a few years ago and it’s my favorite base for dessert or breakfast now.
Whenever I’d need a snack I’d also have some pistachios, because I love them.
The Walking
And throughout all of this, I’d make the 10,000 steps. I’d do the majority in the morning and then try to stay active throughout the day.
I was doing 10,000 steps until it became my baseline and then I’d start doing more and more each day and week.
I’m telling you, I used to get such bad lower back pain from just standing up to cook and wash the dishes. For 3-4 years now. But after I pushed through during the first and second week of the challenge, I haven’t had any pain at all. I feel like my muscles had atrophied and walking the 10,000+ steps every day woke them up from the dead and strengthened them.
Meal Ideas
So these are some of the meals I loved during the 30-day no sugar no caffeine walking challenge. I don’t really have specific recipes for everything, but I will link to similar recipes that I’ve made wherever I can.
My breakfast: Big green smoothie with 2-3 cups of spinach, 3 tbsp flaxseed and cherries.
Banana Oat Pancakes. A few times I also made these banana oatmeal pancakes, but honestly, they made me feel sleepy and hungrier later in the day, so I didn’t make them often. And I don’t recommend making them every day. Whenever you want something on the sweeter side – go for it, but otherwise stick to the yogurt or chia pudding.
Late Breakfast/Lunch (3-4 times a week). That would be some
- oatmeal bread with eggs and tomato sauce (blend tomatoes with basil, salt, garlic and olive oil)
- OR a bake similar to these feta oatmeal muffins with added flaxseeds and some vegetables or tomato sauce on the side
Big Salad with protein. I did a cabbage- or lettuce-based salad and had some garlic sauce to go along with it. SO good. My favorite part of the day. Here are some recipes you can try:
or
Chicken with rice and asparagus. Here’s a similar recipe, add some steamed/stir-fried broccoli or asparagus, or salad on the side. Add some extra yogurt garlic sauce too.
My favorite dessert: Sheep’s yogurt with fruit you like and some nuts or nut butter.
When Traveling/ Eating Out
When I was traveling and eating out in June I’d go for falafel bowls with salad, Thai curries or Korean food.
I was in Austria and the traditional food there isn’t super healthy. It’s good, but not exactly light. So I’d go for Mediterranean, Thai or Korean food instead.
I’d also buy vegetables like lettuce, peppers, cherry tomatoes and arugula for picnics/lunch. I’d make lettuce wraps with cheese, avocado, peppers, tomatoes and arugula. Super light and tasty. I didn’t have the smoothies while on the go, so these vegetable-based meals were super important for me.
Challenge Tips
The biggest surprise for me was how little I missed both sugar and caffeine. And from the start. I had struggled with quitting coffee more than sugar in the past, because I tend to ugly overdo it. One coffee a day was not enough. I had to have more in the afternoon and was always wondering why I’m super drained and tired.
Well, coffee actually does that in the long run. Duh, it drains the batteries because it kicks the nutrients and water out of your body. It also, and this is really evil, is linked to vitamin D deficiencies. So now that I think about it, it doesn’t surprise me at all that drinking too much coffee makes me tired.
Sub coffee with walking and water. I actually discovered that I had put “having coffee” on my to-do list for the day. In the past, I tried making tea to replace the coffee habit, but it never worked. However, starting my mornings with a walk and some water seemed to be the cure for my coffee addiction. Try this trick – instead of coffee, go out for a 40-minute walk in the morning. Get some water too. Infuse if needed. You probably won’t need any caffeine after that walk.
Sub sugar with yogurt with berries or if dairy-free – chia pudding and fruit. This was the easiest change for me! I always crave something sweet after lunch or dinner. Some yogurt with fruit kept me happy!
Be prepared. And/or be flexible. The meals I made during the 30-day no sugar no caffeine walking challenge were super easy to prep and took no more than 15 minutes.
- Smoothie – 10 mins
- Salad – 15 mins
- Yogurt with berries – 5 minutes.
However, there were some things I did prepare ahead of time like meatballs/the oat bread. Others I bought already cooked like grilled fish or the rotisserie chicken. So do what you have to do. Maybe you need to make some salmon or chicken ahead of time, or hummus. Do what you can, so that you don’t have to spend too much time in the kitchen.
Keep going! Honestly, after the first few days I didn’t feel like doing the 10,000 steps or the smoothies anymore. I was just not in the mood. But on those days I pushed through and the consistency felt SO much more rewarding than “the break” would have been, physically and mentally! So stay on the challenge, even when you don’t really feel like it in the moment.
Benefits Of The Challenge
Overall I love this challenge and I’m currently in the process of starting it again after I get organized, coming back from a long work-related trip. I was in a funk before the 30-day challenge, but as the days kept going, I started wanting to do more things and became more courageous, active, and motivated. So here are some other benefits that I experienced and you might experience as well:
- Lose weight, get leaner
- Have more energy
- Feel overall healthier, more alive and focused
- Get the nutrients you need (sugar and coffee are nutrient thieves)
- Reduce bloating
- Improve gut microbiome, heart health and brain health
- Increase your creativity and become calmer (walking in nature has done wonders for me!)
- Be more alert
- Develop and grow your self-discipline
- Strengthen belief in yourself/ gain confidence
- Reduce pain – for me it was in my back, neck and shoulders
- No acid reflux – sugar and coffee are the biggest triggers here for me. Once I eliminated them I had 0 complaints.
Final Words
I really hope this inspires you to start your own 30-day no sugar no caffeine and walking challenge and honestly to not stop after the 30 days.
This challenge was the first thing that worked for me after years and years of trying to re-commit myself to a fully healthy lifestyle. Before that I’d always eat healthy, but then also drink a ton of coffee, have sweets and spend a lot of time at my desk ignoring something as basic as walking because it was too simple.
So don’t underestimate the basics, they make a huge difference. Make it simple, make it easy and do it.