Finally!!!!! That was my first reaction to completing this course.
I honestly have to say that this has been a journey. It took waaaaay longer than it technically could have, but that is more a reflection of my ability to be disciplined daily and build the habits that are prescribed by Thrive.
For anyone reading this and getting started: Don't forget to check in daily!!! That was the most difficult part for me. Life can be very busy. Remembering to check in and actually complete the tasks daily starting off was a real challenge. Beyond that, saying no to sub-optimal foods, especially when friends, co-workers, or family wanted to go eat out was hard. The hardest part for me was eventually realizing that it is very difficult to impossible to eat at restaurants and strictly adhere to thrive. I am not saying there are not healthy options out there, but I felt like most meals came with something in them that I shouldn't or couldn't eat or there was something missing. Either that, or I would find myself eating more food afterwards that I prepared myself to ensure that I am getting the macro nutrients that I need.
Before starting the program I had already made some progress in trying to cut out things that I knew were bad for me like sugar and corn syrup. I was also eating more vegetables and thinking about portion sizes. However, once I really got into Thrive I was forced to face my own reality. Thrive was a mirror for how much progress I had actually made and how much I needed to improve. Facing reality was a really hard, especially when you know that missing one task in a day means not getting to progress to the next week or missing a task during the week.
I believe this method works if you commit to it and take it with a grain of salt. I can see how some people would not like the fact that they cannot progress or see the entire program if they do not follow it in steps as prescribe, even though they have paid for it. Honestly, I don't think it would be as effective if you could see all the steps or got to cheat a little. Getting excited about having a new task and the feeling of progress after a weeks worth of consistent performance of the daily tasks really got me motivated to try harder. It's that feeling of progression, that sense of accomplishment that kept me wanting to log in daily and do the assignments. Plus, I did see results.
All in all this is a great program, the journey was months of failure and eventual habit based success that I am proud of. For the new year - since it is December 31st - I want to commit to taking this program to the next level along with the gymnastic courses. Bring on level two!