Rory Freedman
that many among us in the human race are sleepwalking through life. Friends, family members, the masses—it’s incredibly common and incredibly sad. And if you look at yourself, you may notice that you too are among the living dead. You may be tempted to ask, “How did this happen? How long has it been going on for? How did I get here?”
Who cares? Life is short! Don’t waste another second in no-man’s land! That Kris’s book landed in your lap is no coincidence—it is actually a miracle. It’s a miracle because it’s the key to the rest of your life, which starts NOW!
There are few things you can do to impact your life more powerfully, profoundly, and permanently than changing your diet. Every morsel of food that enters your mouth has a direct impact on your body, mind, and spirit. I learned this firsthand when I changed my own diet in 1994. Not only did my body change, but I felt happier, healthier, and more positive then ever before. Something shifted inside me that I never expected or even thought to look for. But there it was. Changing my diet changed my world and completely changed who I was. And it only improved from there. (My best-selling book, Skinny Bitch, was born from that change, btw.) Today, I credit everything good in my life to this dietary shift and cannot imagine who I would be had I not seen the light that fateful day. And now, today is your day. That you have all this empowering, compelling information directly from Crazy, Sexy Kris Carr, Unicorn Goddess, is truly a blessing. Do not squander it, mortal! You too can be a unicorn. All you need to do is take the first step. Get excited. Pee a little. This is huge! YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS ABOUT TO BE AMAZING.
First order of business: Create a reasonable, yet challenging, goal for yourself with regards to your new eating plan. It can be as basic as “no soda” or as advanced as “totally vegan.” You decide what you’re up for and what you can handle. But definitely stretch yourself a little beyond your comfort zone. When you figure out what you’re gonna do, then figure out the when. Set a date in the next few weeks, and commit to trying twentyone days with this new lifestyle. Be smart about when you start—birthdays and holidays aren’t the easiest times to change your ways. And be conscientious of the language you use when staking your new dietary claims. Keep it positive and productive. For example: “I’m going to treat my temple to water instead of toxic soda for the next twenty-one days,” as opposed to, “I have to give up soda for a month … how am I gonna live?”
Phase two: Enlist a friend. There is nothing better than having support and camaraderie when tackling a goal. In mid-October 2009, I decided to go until Thanksgiving without eating any sugar. Six weeks with no dessert. FRESH HELL. (I’m allowed to use negative language since I already conquered my goal. I make the rules.) The first thing I did was recruit two friends to do it with me. And within a few days of starting the cleanse, I recruited three more. While we griped, groaned, and suffered, we did it all together. Three weeks in, one friend hit an emotional bottom and tried to bail out. But we were all there to lean on and he finished successfully with the rest of us. When it was all said and done, two from our sugar-free group felt so amazing, they stuck with it even after the cleanse was over. So choose at least one friend (but hopefully a few) who you know will be up for the challenge, will support you when you’re down, and who won’t let you quit on yourself.
Mach three: Get prepared. Clear all the crap out of your kitchen, stock your fridge and pantry with the right foods, and map out an eating plan to get you through the month. (Kris shows you how.) Have fun with it. Check out new cookbooks, go online for recipes, plan potlucks with friends. You can eat well and enjoy food. And you should!
Final phase: The pinky promise. With enrolled friend, look in each other’s eyes and shake pinkies to seal the deal. State out loud what your intentions are and your start and stop dates—to yourselves, to each other, to the Universe. This is real. This is a binding contract between you and your friend, you and the Universe, and most important, you and yourself. This is the beautiful, exciting, and exhilarating place where the rubber meets the road. This is where magic truly and really happens. This is where you actually CHANGE your LIFE!
Rory Freedman is a vegan and animal rights activist and coauthor of the best-seller Skinny Bitch.