The 2012 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Begins Now
If you want to lose weight, gain muscle, reduce stress, increase energy or just generally look and feel healthier you’ve come to the right place. Oh, and you can win lots of cool Primal gear, too. That’s right, it’s the annual Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge!
Before we get to all the details, let’s kick things off with a simple contest. Share this blog post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or by email by using one of the icons at the bottom of this post AND leave a comment in the comment board below that finishes this sentence: “My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is…”. (Example: “My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to completely eliminate grains from my diet, and to lose 5 lbs of body fat.”) That’s it! Help spread the word about this year’s challenge and publicly commit to achieving your own health goals, and you’ll be entered to win a $200 gift certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com.
This contest ends at midnight (PDT) tonight, Sep. 10. A winner will be selected at random and everyone around the world is eligible.
Now, on to the challenge details…
What Is the 21-Day Challenge and Who Is It For?
What’s the challenge? To get Primal, of course! I hold this 21-Day Challenge every year to encourage Primal beginners to give this way of eating, moving and living a try because I know it works, I know how empowering it is, and I know it changes lives.
I also do it to motivate those that have been dabbling with the Primal lifestyle for a while, but haven’t fully committed or still have some room for improvement (myself included!), to go all in and resolve to finally tackle whatever it is they want to address in their lives.
There’s something here for Primal veterans, too. It’s a good idea to revisit the basics from time to time. And hey, the chance to win free stuff isn’t half bad either.
The actual challenge itself is pretty straightforward. The details can be found in the image below. I recommend downloading the 21-Day Challenge flyer here, and clicking on the links to learn more about each of the topics. (And maybe print a few copies to hand out to friends!)
No sign-up required. Anyone can participate. Just commit to the challenge, and check back every day for motivation and guidance. Articles over the next two weeks will be about taking steps to align your lifestyle with the Primal Blueprint. The third and final week of the challenge will be entirely comprised of reader-created content. That’s right, MDA readers (you!) will be running the show. Stay tuned.
Above and beyond the challenge as outlined below, I encourage you to make your own personal challenges. Whether it’s eliminating or adding a certain food to your diet, losing weight, playing more often, getting better sleep, or anything else, customize your goals to fit your needs and commit to 21 days starting now.
Why 21 Days?
You may have noticed that this year’s challenge is a departure from the 30 day format of previous challenges. Why? After many years of training clients and interacting with hundreds of thousands of Mark’s Daily Apple readers, my team and I have found that 21 days is the sweet spot for eliminating old habits and replacing them with new ones. It’s long enough to make legitimate progress toward reversing years of adverse lifestyle habits, long enough for most people to get past the low carb flu (if you experience it at all), and long enough to give the Primal Blueprint a fair shake, but not so long as to be seen as a daunting undertaking. In other words, anyone, including you, can give this a go for three measly weeks, and in that time you are bound to see results. If you have weight to lose, it’s reasonable to expect a reduction of three to seven pounds of excess body fat during this period, and to continue at that rate safely until you reach your ideal body composition.
I’m confident that you can transform your life in just 21 days with the Primal Blueprint. So confident that I wrote an entire book about it…
The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation
This 21-day Challenge perfectly complements The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation. The Total Body Transformation is all about making Primal living easy – distilling the philosophy of The Primal Blueprint (detailed in the 2009 hardcover volume) into 8 Key Concepts, 5 Action Items, and a lively 21-Day Challenge of daily endeavors in the areas of Diet, Exercise, and Lifestyle – with corresponding journal exercises. You’ll be shown exactly what to do and when to do it – eliminating any guesswork – to get and stay Primal for life.
If you can spare an hour a day for just 21 days, I guarantee that you will reprogram your genes and transform your life with this guidebook.
Order a copy today to enhance this year’s challenge, and for added guidance and direction.
The 21-Day Challenge Contests
The main challenge itself isn’t competitive, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some friendly contests along they way!
Over the course of the next three weeks Mark’s Daily Apple and sponsors will be giving away thousands of dollars in prizes.
Here are some rules and answers to FAQ:
- There will be new contests every day for the first two weeks (through Sep. 23) of the 21-Day Challenge, so check back daily!
- All contest prizes relate in some way to the Primal lifestyle. You won’t find any miracle weight loss pills, tummy crunching sling-a-ma-doo-dads, or whole wheat health blast jazzer snackers.
- Some contests will require a bit of leg work while others will require something as simple as commenting on a blog post.
- There is no limit to how many contests you can participate in.
- The duration of any one contest depends on the nature of the contest. Some will last a couple weeks (to give you time to complete the contest task) while others will be as short as one day. All deadlines are Pacific Standard Time.
- Contest prizes will be awarded either by a random drawing, by reader voting/polling or by an executive decision (who I think should win!).
- Some prizes will only be available to United States residents. If you live outside the U.S. and win a prize that can’t be shipped internationally an alternate prize of equal value will be awarded.
- I’m not being paid by any company for being featured in a 21-Day Challenge contest.
To track all the contests visit the 2012 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge Contest Page for daily updates.
New to the Primal Blueprint and Mark’s Daily Apple?
If you are new to the Primal Blueprint and Mark’s Daily Apple and don’t know where to begin, here are some resources to get you started:
1. Not sure what it means to “Go Primal”? Check out these articles for the basics:
- The Definitive Guide to the Primal Blueprint
- The Definitive Guide to the Primal Eating Plan
- How to Succeed with the Primal Blueprint
2. The Primal Blueprint 101 Page
3. The Forum – I highly encourage you to use the forum during the challenge. In it you can start a “Primal Challenge Journal” to publicly state your goals and track your progress. Create a journal to receive positive feedback, advice and help along the way from the Mark’s Daily Apple community.
4. The Books
5. What to eat? – Primal Blueprint Recipes on MDA, The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals
6. The Newsletter – Sign up on this page to get 6 free eBooks, a 7-day course on the fundamentals of lifelong health, and more.
7. Have a question? – Contact Me
Tell your friends and family about the challenge so they can get Primal too! And don’t forget. Click the icons below to share this post, and leave a comment telling the world what you are committing to do over the next 21 days, for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com.
Subscribe to the Mark’s Daily Apple Newsletter for Free eBooks, Weekly Challenge Updates and More!
Posted By: Mark Sisson
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to broaden the list of primal approved foods I prepare. I’ll be breaking out Steve’s cookbook and getting more creative with my meals. I seem to be eating the same things over and over again and I know I can do better for me and my family.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day challenge is to regain a healthy balance in my life…
My primal 21 day challenge is to eliminate the bad habits that have recently crept in and give it 100%!!!!
1. Write my food diary without fail
2. Commit to the exercise
3. Be happy !!!!
I need some motivation sprintwise. It just won’t fit in my really tight weekly routine: logistics of two kids and 6 hours of work daily. Of course sleep is a week point, too, but I don’t see the solution right now.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to stick to the eating plan, lose 7kg and get back to under 80kg
I have needed a push to fit the body weight exercises and play into my day. That’s my goal…
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to build strength and increase energy levels.
I’ve been going primal with Mark’s 21-day plan for the past 3 months. I’ve lost 40 pounds and feel great. Some of my menacing health issues have been alleviated as well. I’m 98% grain-free (the occasional cookie throws me off). These comments help keep me motivated. With 2 kids, I wish I had more time to dedicate to the workouts.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is going 100% ancestral on foods, elimiating dairy (grains and legumes are already history), eating more vegetables, and getting more play and low-activity (walking) in my week.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to lose the grains, try some calisthenics and burn off 5kg of body fat
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to reset myself again. I did my first 30-day challenge last September and a couple others in the past year with amazing results. But the last couple months things have gotten ugly again . My new goal is to go at least 3 days without any fruit at all so that I can finally be rid of my sugar addiction.
my primal blueprint 21-say challenge is to get my fitness plans back on track ahead of a trip of a lifetime to mexico on 13th october!
Well, an occasion to go for it again! i started in feb this year for two months, lost six kgs and gave it a halt even though i was feeling great. I live in italy and ii find it difficult to find the ingredients to shop, cook and arrange different meals in order to please everybody at home ..recently went pretty primal again and lost another two kgs even though i nibble on pasta and pizza leftovers for the sake of not throwing anything away… But i really enjoy being primal and will try to be it as much as possible….
I need to sleep more and start lifting heavy things!
My 21 day challenge is to lose 3kg and get my energy levels up
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to start sprinting and to play more!
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to help a friend of mine discover how fantastic this way of life is. I’ve never been happy about my weight and way of eating and it really is no effort at all once you commit.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is, first of all, stop eating when I’m not hungry anymore. That really is the hardest thing for me to do……. real food is really good! Cutting out the carbs, eating enough good fat and protein, no processed foods, no added sugar, no chemicals in my food that was really easy. But if I want to lose weight (about 7 kgs) , I’ll have to stop eating too much.
Next is, I’m going to do myself and my dog a favor, and go for walks more often. Lots of walks (with little runs in between) possible where I live, so getting up and out and walk/run!
Maybe most difficult of all, please don’t laugh too hard, being able to do 1 pull up…..
My goal is to start a primal way of life. This means to clean up my diet (!!!), to get off my ass and walk outside (!!!), stop overeating at meals (!!!) and see positive changes on my skin (!!!!!!!!). I also want to loose at least 2 kg of weight inside of given time frame.
My challenge? Get RIPPED! No sugar, no junk.
I’m grain free most of the time.
but I need to try and go Primal – so let’s go
i am a runner (preparing for the marathon next year) and started off with crossfit (or crossfit based workouts).
i am 34, mom of 3yo. lost 20kg over the last year only by cutting the grains (i eat occasionally some dark homemade bread)
now i want to lose the rest of excess fat and be fit for me, for my son and my husband.
I have a tremendous support from my younger brother who is grain, starch free for a year now so I know I can make it
)
My goal is to lose an inch on my waist. I’ve been more llike 60/40 recently with eating and not lifting enough. Those are the two main things I’m going to work on. This couldn’t have come at a better time. Coming off a summer in New Hampshire, it’s time to get back into a regular practice.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to move about more, and some of it outside – do what Mark suggests, some of his stretches etc to aid mobility. I’m already losing weight with Zoe Harcombe’s excellent “diet” (think more eating for life than diet!) I just need to get more toned and flexible. I can lift but can’t do the aprinting due too bad knee, but hey, every bit will help!!
Go you guys & your goals! My goal is to give up cheese… I’ve been off grains for 1.5 months now, but ‘reward’ myself for that by eating cheese.. my Achilles heel… it’s coming up to summer in NZ, & I’d really like to shift the last few kgs, so this is an awesome time for a 21 day challenge to kick start better habits!
Just came across this site last week,I live in Nigeria,Africa and most of our meals are grain based so this will be a tough. One to follow through on but my Goal is to cut out Sugar/8o% grains from my meals n lose my belly fat that has refused to shift ground.
Perfect! I had just wanted to challenge myself to follow your 21-day Total Body Trasformation guide when I got your e-mail! Really perfect timing for me!
My challenge will be simply to get rid of the excess sugar. I have been mostly grain free for almost a year now, but ice cream during the summer really got to me. So there: I’m gonna get rid of the sugar!
My 21 day challenge will be to give up processed foods, grains and sugars. I struggle to find quick and easy things to eat and too often rely on takeaways – so I will tackle that especially
My Primal Blueprint 21 day challenge is to lose 10 pounds and to avoid alcohol.
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to increase energy and look and feel healthier
My Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge is to go 100% sugar free and lift heavy things twice a week. I’m in!