21-day fitness challenge: How to lose weight or break a habit in three weeks

You would feel lighter within two days of starting a 21-day challenge

Little efforts go a long way. Human behaviour is a function of learned habits, and as per neurological studies, it has been identified that it takes 21 days of repeated performance to make or break a habit. This theory has been tossed around, more so lately, for years, but the idea was likely brought up first in the late 1950s by a plastic surgeon named Dr Maxwell Maltz in his book, Psycho-Cybernetics. Maltz discovered that his patients needed three weeks of time to get used to the changes he would make to their bodies.

The rules are simple

“These 21-day challenges are usually a mix of a balanced diet, physical activities, and behavioural changes, because good health is always holistic. It means being both physically and mentally fit,” says INFS-certified nutrition and fitness coach, Shriyam Srivastava.

Scientific studies show that 21 days is a sufficient time period for new neural networks to take shape, hence, helping us build habits in various aspects. Srivastava believes that to turn it into a success, the challenges need to be uncomplicated and achievable in the first place. “Health experts need to keep in mind not to give challenges which are too difficult to achieve in the first go, because that would only demotivate a person even further. Give simple, achievable targets to kickstart the transformation process.”

Potential benefits 

Inculcating good habits, breaking the pattern of an unhealthy lifestyle, and giving you a push to continue with a healthy, holistic living are the key benefits of the 21-day routines.  Gurugram-based clinical nutritionist Parul Malhotra breaks the chart of benefits into three different tiers. “Firstly, a 21-day challenge gives you a charged-up boost to stay motivated in achieving short-term fitness goals. Secondly, continuous action-driven targets ensure the body starts to show results. And lastly, these challenges ensure one starts developing new habits, necessary to maintain short-term goals and further achieve long-term ones in future,” confirms Malhotra, who is also the founder of Diet Expression, a health and fitness services platform, and has been in the health industry for 14 years.

Delhi-based dietitian and founder of Nutr, Lakshita Jain agrees, “You would feel lighter within two days of starting a 21-day challenge. People experiencing gastric issues would see immediate results. Your routine will begin to improve within a week’s time; the skin will start to glow. You will be more active at work and sleep better at night. You will be an entirely different person in a week. Just imagine what a 21-day challenge would do!”

Are 21 days all it takes?

These challenges certainly show results but there’s more to it. They are effective only when they actually turn into habits. For instance, if you manage to avoid junk, oily, processed food for 21 days but start binging on them on the 22nd day, your body will gradually go back to being your older self. Or if you stop meditating or doing yoga after the challenge is over, your stress will find its way back.

“The key is to continue doing whatever you started doing. It is human behaviour to like challenges. It is an exciting way to start following a habit, and gives you the initial push that you need. The 21-day challenges can definitely be successful given that you don’t take them as punishments. A positive mindset does matter,” Srivastava explains.

Jain believes that the process is gradual with persistent efforts. “Yes, you would notice immediate benefits. But long-term results are only noticeable if you adhere to at least 50 per cent of the routine from a 21-day challenge.”