11 posts tagged “challenge”
Round 2 starts on Monday, May 12th....so you have a couple of days left to join up! Sunday is the very last day to request to join.
All the info is here.
Don't miss out!!! :)
Right after Christmas and up through the spring months are when most people get serious about a workout program or just getting out and active. Why? For summer, of course. ( I hate saying bikini season....but ya....it's usually all about that dreaded bathing suit season....!!)
For those who have been participating in the Vox Fitness Challenge: round one, we have been working for the past 12 weeks and got some mo going. We challenged ourselves to get up and get moving for 12 weeks and we made it! woot! :)
Now, for some of us, we want to keep going and are going to keep going with the Vox Fitness Challenge: round two! And we would like to invite more people to join us!!!
The tentative start date for round two is Monday, May 5th.....but we may move that official start date to Monday, May 12th.
The Vox Fitness Challenge is a 12 week challenge for anyone who wants to get in shape and wants some virtual workout buddies. This is also for anyone on a current program who wants some virtual workout buddies. There is no set curriculum or program that anyone has to follow as far as diet and exercise....and there is not set fitness level of the group. (we are all over the place!) What you do as far as diet and exercise is totally up to you...as along as it encompasses health and wellness.
The point of the challenge group is really two-fold:
1. To challenge people to try and stay on a course of being active and healthy for 12 weeks.....and see if you can surprise yourself with what you can accomplish if you stay the course. For most people in round one, just staying the course for 12 weeks was the biggest source of pride. Even if you aren't working out big, just staying consistent is huge and is also a huge step towards having future successes since most people cannot stay consistent...and lack of consistency is the biggest cause of people not getting in shape.
2. To have a place of support where you can have people cheer you on and lift you up.....because you don't have to do all this alone!
The only real stipulations of the 12 week group challenge are:
1. You report in your opening stats (see more info here)
2. You report in your ending stats (see more info here)
3. You report in with an update a minimum of once a week.
* It is here that some people had some challenges because they forgot or got busy. This is a stipulation not meant to hem anyone in or to be too stringent. But if you are joining because you want support in your workout journey, then checking in once a week shouldn't be too much to ask? As well, when you don't check in regularly, then its easy to have "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome and totally fall off the wagon...which is what we want to help you not to do. The point here is to have an active, supportive group....not just a group with a big membership where no one posts or is there offering support to each other.
4. You are positive and non-judgemental towards your fellow group members (bonus points if you add fun to the group! :))
5. You "sign" a commitment contract, to yourself, for the 12 week challenge
So, if your interest is peaked, please read up on the challenge via the links provided at the top. If you have any questions, please let me know! And after you read up and you are game to sign up for round two, please definitely let me know asap! :)
(p.s. all round one participants please make sure to let me know if you plan to participate in round two, if you have not done so already! thanks! :))
The 12 week Vox Fitness Challenge is wrapping up it's 12th and final week! Congratulations to everyone who participated! woot! :)
Much speculation has surrounded the topic about what is next and many people have expressed interest in doing another 12 week challenge to keep the momentum going! I think this is a grande idea!
Sooooooo, we are going to be starting another 12 week challenge on Monday, May 5th.
This time around, things will be the same as the original deal.....but with a couple of changes.
The new and improved Vox Fitness Challenge (read carefully!):
1. This challenge is open to everyone on Vox, regardless of whether or not you participated in round one. If you are a current participant of the round one challenge, please let me know if you plan on continuing or not.
Please don't feel obligated to continue on or join up. The challenge is totally voluntary for those who are seriously interested in taking it on.
2. On May 5th, you must report your starting point stat for one or all of the following:
- weight
- % body fat
- body measurements (thigh, hips, waist, chest, bicep)
- clothing size
3. Your first post should include, in addition to your starting stat(s), a little about yourself, what you plan on doing for the challenge, and what you hope to accomplish.
4. What you do for the challenge is pretty much up to each individual as we all have different goals, abilities, and desires. Just as long as your plan of action revolves around activity (exercise), health, and wellness. Starving yourself and/or using strange diets is really not a long term plan for success.
The first challenge was a big mix of different people doing different things and everyone was starting out from somewhere different. Don't feel shy because you may not be exercising or doing anything now. The whole point of the challenge is to just start!!! :) And if you are just starting, perhaps try picking up Bob Greene's Best Life Diet. It's a great way to get started, gradually, for long term health and wellness. Bob's vision is to get everyone making lifestyle changes that last a lifetime.
5. At the end of the 12 weeks, you must report in your ending stat(s) as per above.
6. You must post a minimum of once a week to the Vox Fitness Challenge group with a report of how things are going. It doesn't have to be long or verbose.....just a simple update is fine. The whole point of the group is support....so a quickie once a week should not be a challenge even for the busy people. Don't join the group if you don't plan on participating.
7. Please follow the links above and read all the info that was posted for the first challenge. The same things apply for the second challenge and I don't feel like posting it a second time. Please take the time and read up.
8. Everyone who participates in round 2 must "sign" a commitment contract for the challenge. This is a commitment mainly to yourself that you still stay commited for the 12 weeks. The one thing that was highlighted in the first challenge was just staying the course, for 12 weeks, seemed to the hardest challenge. And if you want to move forward in getting in shape, staying the course is what needs to happen!
So, read up, think about it, and let me know if you are seriously interested in joining the second challenge. If you are not part of round one, you will not be able to view the group as its a private group. I will be inviting and adding all the new people, for round two, once round one is finished and wrapped up.
If you are seriously interested or have any questions, please let me know via a comment below or via PM.
Good health, love, and blessings,
Dee
I know you guys already know this and this isn't news.
Working out and getting in shape is hard enough.....but with nature throwing in that monthly whammy for women, guys, you should not be complaining much about how hard your workouts are. Try having extra muscle cramping, bloating, fatigue, and sometimes nausea for about 1.5 weeks out of EVERY month on top of all the other stuff. (for some women this can be 2 weeks...which would make it occuring 50% of the time) As well, the sudden loss of iron also means we have less energy during this time, regardless of how well we can try to "gut" it out.
The muscle cramping is the worst. I don't know how bad other women get it but I get bad cramps that extend beyond my abdomen to include all the way down my legs, especially my thighs (front and back). And for the record, guys, if you have ever played Squash and ended up with "squash-butt"....that is the closest thing I can equate for you as to how it feels to have monthly cramps, although cramps can be much worse. (and if you have ever had "squash-butt", you know that ain't fun)
Getting the motivation to get up off your ass to workout is hard most some days.....but is just torture during those 1.5-2 weeks per month when you would rather just stay curled up under the covers in an advil-induced stupor.
I have forced myself, the last 2 days, to get up and out for some treks to get some exercise and burn some calories. It just sucks because I don't have the same energy that I normally do and my muscles are extra tight and sore.
Today, I was going to go for a trek across the bridge and up the hill to the bookstore (need something new to read) but I am not sure now. From the trek, I would burn around 600 calories....but I just might just forgo that and just go down to the gym to stretch, do a few weights, and just whine a lot. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions......
This past week I worked out for the first time, in a long while, with my start on February 4th for the 12 week Vox Fitness Challenge. (I also worked out for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th time, too!)
As I posted to the Fitness Challenge Group, I am taking baby steps forward due to my bad back....so this first week, on the Challenge, was nothing major but just getting back walking on the treadmill. Just being careful with myself is my plan for the first week or 2...because its not worth straining my back and then getting sidelined.
And I remember as I worked out on my first day (Tuesday), I was thinking that the extra activity would earn me some extra calories in the eating department. Wrong.
As those in the Fitness Challenge Group are aware, I am using the My Food Diary website to track my eating habits and my activity so I can track my consumed calories vs burned calories. I have used this site before and its great to be able to plug in all the food I ate (and how much) and what activities I did (and for how long)....and have the site do all the calculations automatically. I can track calories consumed, calories burned, have my food broken down by fats, carbs, proteins, sugars, nutrients, and also keep track of my body's progress. It also keeps a running tally each day and lets me know how many calories I have left, that day, if I want to keep on track for losing 1 pound a week (which is healthy). All this for $9 a month! I found it helpful, when I used this a few years aog, to be able to get a better feel for making sure I am not consuming more calories than I am burning....and that I am keeping certain things to a minimim like saturated fats and sodium.
The basic concept of weight loss is to burn more calories than we consume. If we burn around the same as we consume, or we just stick with the basic caloric needs of our body (there is a basic caloric requirement) we maintain our weight. If we consume more calories than we burn...then over time, we will gain weight. Each person's caloric needs are different and what that is, for you, depends on your basal metablic rate (metabolism)...which is dependent on your age, gender, size, genes, muscle mass, and activity level. We all need to intake a minimum amount of calories just to survive as different parts, of our bodies, like our brain, need to be fed a minimum caloric intake so that our body runs efficiently. (that's why we get light headed when we are really hungry)
Sidenote: If our bodies do not receive enough calories then our body "rations" the calories received to different parts of our body based on priority sequencing, just like the Starship Enterprise when it gets blasted too hard and eventually goes down to just enough power to maintain life support but no other functions. Without enough calories, our bodies cannot run at peak efficiency and that it why our body, in this state, will also start stockpiling up some things if it can - things it would normally burn or flush out. When there are not enough calories to go around, the last thing your body is doing is fat burning as its in survival mode. That is why starving yourself is not the way to lose weight. Not getting enough calories, including, yes, enough fat, over a long period of time will actually start causing damage to your vital organs. Just as taking in way too many calories and fat is bad for your health, so is not taking in enough. This is also another reason why the 6 mini-meals a day way of eating is so good for your body to work at peak efficiency. Anyhoo...I think I am digressing from what I started this post to be about...LOL....
As I am teaching myself, with My Food Diary, to eat more within my caloric needs, I am starting to look at this all a totally different way. I have also been enlightened to things I had made myself blind to.
Remember that first thought I had on my first day of working out? The one that I thought I would be getting to eat more because I was working out and burning more calories than usual?
aha moment #1
Eating healthy does not always equal eating for weight loss.
No, I am not suggesting that unhealthy eating supports weight loss better....but simply eating healthy things does not guarantee weight loss. Take me, for example:
I do not eat crap and prefer real food over processed foods.
I avoid wheat and eat whole grains.
I eat a maximum of 2 slices of bread per day. (either Coarse Rye or Ezekiel)
I don't consume much dairy (I avoid cow dairy but I do eat some goat dairy items.)
I eat a lot of "organic".
I love eating fish.
I love eating meat.
I sometimes eat tofu.
I don't use much fat/oil in my cooking...and if I do, I use a little olive oil or butter.
I rarely ever eat greasy, fried food.
I avoid refined sugar and rarely drink soda pop.
I eat fruit and vegetables every day.
I occasionally eat starchy carbs. (rarely potatoes...usually rice)
I rarely eat fast food or junk food.
I don't smoke.
I don't drink much alcohol.
I rarely drink coffee.
I drink 2.5 - 4 litres of water every day.
BUT when I started charting my eating habits on My Food Diary, I discovered that I was eating WAY, WAY over my limit for calories....and I was still hungry some days (without even working out)!!! My jaw dropped when I realized what I had been doing. I had fooled myself into thinking that simply eating healthy is enough.
Luckily all I had to do was get creative with some tweaking and strategizing.
aha moment #2
Eating within your caloric range is just like a math challenge or a jigsaw puzzle. You have to put together the pieces so they fit and/or add up correctly.
Tracking calories consumed vs calories burned ends up making my eating decisions more like a math challenge....which I have to admit can be a pain but also kind of fun. I like getting creative in the kitchen and with having developed dairy/wheat allergies, I am already used to reworking recipes. My Food Dairy takes all my guess work out so I can see what works and what doesn't work. Its like a math problem or even a jigsaw puzzle. I am always on the prowl: How can I put together healthy, tasty meals that fill me up and are also within my caloric allowance so I can lose weight? Sometimes its easy......and sometimes I need to get creative depending on if I am bored with the usual or want something new and/or different.
I know that counting calories gets a bad rap....and can be considered anal for a lot of people. But if you are habitually eating too many calories that don't provide you with enough substance which can sometimes leave you feeling hungry.....then you have to relearn how to feed yourself so that you are getting filled up with the right amount of calories. The math of it sucks and it can be easy, with a bad attitude, to think counting calories takes the enjoyment out of eating....but I think that if we are looking to lose weight, we have already acknowledged that the "party" has gone awry!!
Counting calories is not sacrifice...nor is it being exiled to the land of celery sticks and tasteless meals.
What is needed are different ways of looking at this.
1. Changing eating habits is about a lifestyle change vs a limited time diet.
The focus should be on discovering ways to eat better....but with variety and taste so you can change the way you live your life from this point forward and not just have this be something you endure for a period of time. A lifestyle change will only stick long term if you can find ways to make it enjoyable. And a lifestyle change is what is needed to maintain your body after you finally find youself at the body size/shape/weight you desire. Yo-yo-ing is what happens when eating habits are changed just long enough to lose the weight.....but then regular eating habits resume after the weight is lost. Its the old eating habits that got you into trouble in the first place....so going back to those eating habits will only get you back in trouble!
Doing what you have always done....will always give you what you always have gotten!
2. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Remember....the defintion of insanity is doing the same things over and over again but expecting different results.
3. Everything in moderation
Too often we feel that, to lose weight, we have to cut certain things out, wave bye-bye, and never to eat them again. Such things are not necessarily true.
In the book, French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano talks about how North Americans haven't learned the art of balance. Mireille goes on to say that you can eat the things you love but you must learn not to make the exceptions the rule. Treats are ok....but not for everyday.....because then its not a treat. A treat should be special.......and should be enjoyed not snarfled down quickly. I learned a lot, in this book, about adopting the right attitude.
Mireille also talks about having variety on our plates and for our meals. She cannot understand the North American way of eating with just one or 2 items for a meal because that is one of the easiest ways to overeat. If you eat one or 2 items, you will, no doubt, in order to fill up, eat a lot of one or both of those items. A good example of this is pasta. How often, as North Americans, do we eat a big dish of pasta for our meal? I think I finally have a better grasp of why so many French meals involve many courses of small food servings......it's for taste and variety. Our mouths get bored with just one taste....which is why after a big bowl of pasta we may be full...but our mouths crave something more.
Pasta gets a bad rap, in North America, because its high calorie, high glucemic, and high in carbs.....all bad for weight loss! Pasta is only bad if you laden it with heavy sauces and/or eat huge bowls of it! The key is moderation. Pasta is great and ok to eat....but as a small side-dish so you get the taste but not a massive amount of calories. I did this the other day with fresh gnocchi which I tossed with pesto and served along-side some lemon-garlic broiled cod and a whole bunch of veggies. That was a 468 (believe it or not!) calorie meal (for my portion....hubby's was more because he is bigger!) that left me feeling quite satisfied and like I had eaten decadently (due to the pesto sauced gnocchi).
The key is learning to portion properly and to eat a variety of things to fill you up.
Ok...
Now while I said pasta is not bad and that we don't necessarily have to give up certain foods in own diet, I know for me, there is still one thing that I love.....that I am not able to eat right now because its just too high in calories.....and that is my favourite macaroni & cheese! (and this is already a rework of a classic....but still high calorically....and so nummilicious!!)
But I don't have to mourn it forever.
aha moment #3
If you want to eat higher caloric food/meals.....then earn it by burning more calories daily.
This is like realizing you are short on cash and going to get some more money....but this is easier because its easier to burn more calories daily than it is to sometimes come up with the cash.
I have to admit that I was surprised, when I logged my first workout to My Food Diary, on Tuesday to discover that I had not burned a whole lot of calories in my 55 minutes briskly walking on the treadmill. I had only burned 212 calories. And it was a sad moment, indeed, when I realized that with my regular eating habits I was eating way too many calories......even if I calculated in the 212 I burned!!! Zoiks!!
On Wednesday, I logged in my second workout and discovered that even though I had worked a little harder, I still hadn't burned many more calories, much to my disappointment. I realized that this was going to take some time to build up to as I build up my fitness level and my muscle mass. (Slasher usually burns at least 700-800 calories just on the elliptical....but then again, he is going mach 12! LOL!) Later on Wednesday, I went out on a little walking trek to the public market and a couple of other places to get a bunch of groceries and things we needed. Altogether it probably took me around about an hour. When I got home, I logged my trek on My Food Dairy (its great because it has stuff like this as options because walking and hauling groceries burns calories!). I factored in the time it took to walk to different places, the steepness of the terrain (some up and down parts around here) and also the load I was hauling back from the stores (resistance training!)......and was pleased to discover that I had burned, on my trek, about the same amount of calories that I had burned on the treadmill that morning! By going out and doing something normal, I had doubled my calories burned that day! In total, I burned almost 500 calories that day! Yay for me!
On Thursday, I took a page from Wednesday and I went for another walking trek which earned me more calories...and for a second day, I burned close to 500 calories in one day!
And on Sunday, I did not work out in the gym. I had worked out for 5 days straight and my legs were feeling a bit tired so I decided to take a day off from the going down to the gym. As it was a nice day and as we needed some groceries (especially more fruit and veggies)...and that hubby wanted to break in his new runners AND test out his new Nike +, we decided to walk over the bridge to the public market, do our shopping, then walk back and go to the grocery store for the few items that we can't get at the market. We were gone 2 hours and according to his Nike + we walked 6 km (not including walking around the market and the grocery store as he turned off the Nike + while we were shopping). I figured I burned over 600 calories......for going to the market! (LOL...I burned more on my "day off" than I did the days I officially went to the gym!) And that certainly helped me burn off that yummy donair I ate at the market..LOL! :) After the market trek, we had a yummy dinner and I still had calories to spare!
You might be surprised if you open your eyes and see little ways each day that you can burn more calories. Taking the stairs is always the common one. Finding ways to burn more calories, through regular activities, is not hard and is a great option, to remember, if you are feeling forlorn about your food choices! :)
aha moment #4
I can so make this work!
This is for the Fitness Challenge Group:
Since most of us are posting our updates to appear only on the Group pages, there are a 2 things to make note of that you may or may not know.
1. If someone is your Vox neighbour, their Group-only posts will not appear in your neighbourhood updates section/list or RSS feed. The reason for that is these posts do not appear on your neighbour's blog page. You have to check the Group pages to see if they have posted. * If you use RSS feed, you can set up a feed for the Group and you will then get Group updates appearing in your RSS Feed.
2. Group posts appear in order of when they were last udpated and not in order of posting date/time. This is unlike our neighbourhood updates list in which our neighbours posts appear chronologically. Whenever someone updates their post that appears in a Group......that post jumps to the top of the line in that Group. This is good to know so that you don't miss Group posts because you don't look beyond a post you have already read.
I think most of you probably know this stuff but I know there are some new people who this may be news to and its always good to know! :)
February 4th, the official start day of the Vox Fitness Challenge, is almost here so I wanted to make sure that everyone, in the Group, is on the same page. There might still be some 11th hour additions to the Group but I think, for the most part, we have most everyone on board who is going to take part in this.
Privacy:
As I have already stated, this Group will be going private on February 4th which means that, once we go private, no one will be able to view the Group pages, and what goes on inside the Group, except members of the Group. I want everyone to feel comfortable to share and not feel on public display to those people not involved in the challenge.
If you do want to share your own updates and posts, about the Challenge, with your neighbourhood or the public, that is ok and totally fine as you have the option to make your own posts viewable on your own blog. But if you only want to share your updates with the Group, that privacy will be in place.
If you do not know how to make a post totally private to just the Group, there are 2 ways to post that result in the same thing:
1. The easist way to post to just the Group is to go the Fitness Challenge Group main page and on the upper right corner you hit "post to group". Hitting that will open up a "create" window that will have all the right settings, already set, for the post to be viewable by just the Group and to allow comments in just the Group. You will be able to see the post from your own blog page, but it will be viewable, on your blog, to only you.
2. To post to just the Group, you can also start from your own blog. Hit "create" and write your post. The settings you need to adjust to are "viewable by only you", copy to Vox Fitness Challenge Group, comments in Groups enabled (ticked).
And one more thing, all posts to the Group must have "comments to group" enabled. Vox automatically defaults posts to be enabled so there shouldn't be an issues about remembering that.
Posting updates:
You can update the Group as much as you want as long as its a minimum of once a week.
I know that some people may want to touch base more often or even daily, which is something I am going to try to do, and that is ok. Do what you feel is best for you that helps you and works for you. For me, its about creating the healthy habits and having to do a small post daily will be something that is going to help me. Your needs may be different....so just go with whatever works for you.
Your first post:
Your first post, on February 4th, should have your starting stat(s). You must post ONE (or more, if you want) of the following:
- weight
- % body fat
- clothing size
- measurements (waist, thigh, chest, upper arm)
[ *optionally, if you want to lend context to you stat(s), you might want to let us know your age and height. Don't worry, this part is not a requirement and is completely up to you. As is posting a "before" picture, which is also optional.]
Additionally, I would really like everyone to "introduce" themselves to the Group. Not everyone here knows everyone else and so it would be great to have you tell us a little bit about yourself (maybe including some history, background?), why you are part of this challenge, what your basic action plans are for the challenge, your fitness/weight loss goal (if you have one) etc. It doesn't have to be big but just something to let everyone know a little of what you are all about.
No judging or negative
Everyone is in a different place and coming from different places. Some of us are looking to make some big changes.....and some of us are looking to make small change. Some of have lots of time to commit.....and some of us don't have much time to commit. Some of us have a small amount to lose....and some of us have a great deal more. Some of us are already working out.....some of us haven't worked out in a long time. But we are all here together as workout partners through the next 12 weeks.......and the purpose is to be encouraging and non-judgemental. So please be nice to each other, everyone!
I don't want to see anyone putting anyone else down or getting snarky or getting all judgemental or critical of someone else and/or their actions. If you can't think of anything nice or positive to say, then say nothing.
I also don't want anyone taking their opinions and views....and shoving it down the throat of someone else. Feel free to share your knowledge and experience, but remember that everyone here is a grown adult with the option of making their own decisions. If you think they are making a huge mistake.....weigh the situation, be positive, share your alternate viewpoint with "have your considered....", or "in my experience, this works....or doesn't work..... and here is why...." or things equally positive......and let them read, consider, and decide on their own what they want to do. And if they don't want to go with what you are saying, just be cool about it.......even if you feel very strongly that you are right. And even if you are right, sometimes people need to learn things the hard way and have to go down the wrong path for a while before they come back and consider your information at a later date. And sometimes, what works for one, does not work for another.
EDIT: And remember....if someone is not asking for help/assistance, resist the urge to critique or offer your 2 cents on how you would do their program better. The job here is to be encouraging....and if someone wants our help, they will ask. If they don't ask.....just be encouraging with respect to their updates. (* I know I can be a little bad with this....so I am going to work on this, too!! :))
On the flip-side of shoving views, I also want everyone to remember that while we are all trying to be encouraging and positive, please try and give people the benefit of the doubt if you aren't sure about something they say to you. I know when I am feeling frustrated and bitchy, I can be a bit sensitive....and I know I am not the only one. I know we are all going to do our best to be encouraging to each other, but we all have to make sure that we are prepared to receive in an open and positive manner. A positive attitude goes a long way in both sides of an exchange.
And since I said no negative, I know that people will ask about whining and bitching. Whining and bitching are totally fine as sometimes things can get frustrating and you just gotta vent.......but don't be constantly whining and bitching because that is just annoying, demotivating, and creates an atmosphere of negative. No pity parties that last longer than 5 minutes.
Guard your thoughts, for they determine your words.
Guard your words, for they determine your actions.
Guard your actions, for they determine your habits.
Guard your habits, for they determine your character.
Guard your characer, for it determines your destiny.
Sharing:
I encourage everyone to share information, knowledge, and past experience with the Group. Patricia has already started this off with sharing an article. I think its great to pass on and pass around information with everyone here. I believe there are so many great resources out there and will be doing on separate post on some of the great resources that I use and have used. Please feel free to share any of yours as we go along these 12 weeks!
The only thing that I ask is that there be no spamming posts to the Group. If it is not relevant to the Challenge, fitness, health, wellness, weight loss, working out......then please do not post/copy it to the Group. Thank you!
Staying the course and motivation:
Part of the reason that we are all here is to help each other stay the course. In fact, its a huge part of the reason we are all here. As I mentioned previously, statistics show that people who have workout partners will stay consisitent more often that others who go it alone.
Bear in mind that while you may be all excited about this coming out of the gate, that soon wears off. Its the middle part of any program where everything seem to drag itself out like we are walking in peanut butter. Be aware that this is when its easy to slow down, get bogged down....be tempted to skip things.....or maybe even stop. That is what this Group is here for......so can pull each other up when some of us seem to be sagging. You may even find yourself in a rut....which is why its good to mix things up so pay attention to what others are doing and find some new ideas to keep things fresh for yourself so you don't get bored and unmotivated.
We are all here to uplift each other...but please don't let that turn into dragging all the way through. If you aren't motivated, then you need to do things that help you stay motivated.
Some things that have helped me in the past were:
1. Posting a program calendar.
Print out some 8.5 x 11 size calendar pages that correspond to the duration of the 12 weeks of the Challenge. (the Microsoft website has a download section which as some simple ones)
Highlight or outline the days of the challenge so its clear, visually.
Plan your workouts ahead of time. If you are super organized, you might even plan your whole 12 weeks ahead of time. If you can't do that, then plan a week in advance so you are well organized.
Post the pages some place you will see them most of the time.
Cross off each day when each day is done.
I found this a great help to be organized, always fit in my workouts, always have it right in my face to keep me on track, and to keep a visual of how far along I am and how far to go. Planning ahead also helps your day dictate your attitude rather than your attitude dictate your day. If we waited until we FELT like doing things, nothing would every get done. If you have a tendency to procrastinate and/or be lazy (I am guilty of both) then this program calendar is a really good idea!
2. Keep an eating journal
I have done this 2 ways, as a journal of what I ate or ticking off from a list of things I am supposed to be eating. It all depends on what you want to change or what your eating plan is. For some people, this is something they aren't that concerned about or want to be that anal about or they already got this one down.
A lot of trainers and dieticians recommend keeping an eating journal to give yourself a visual accounting of what you eat so you know what you need to change. A lot of time we don't pay attention to what we put in our mouth so keeping an eating journal for a while is great to help you see where you need to make some changes. That is one purpose of a journal.
Another purpose of keeping an eating journal is to just to keep track so we know how many glasses of water we drank each day, how many servings of vegetables, etc.....because sometimes its easy to fool ourselves that we are eating properly. We are busy and sometimes the days and weeks merge.....and its easy to lose track of what we ate and when. If you have an eating plan, then journalling your eating is a good way to help yourself develop the habits for that plan and stay on track.
Sometimes when we want to change our habits, we really don't have a barometer of how we are doing...and quite honestly the last thing I want to do is spend all my time obsesing about counting calories! I know that the very basic concept of weight loss is to burn more calories than we consume. But how do we know that we are doing that and how do we develop that knowledge/skill? Some of us are already very good with eating habits and have a good idea. But some of us have no clue! To teach myself a few years, before I went and lost a lot of weight, I used the My Food Diary website. For $9 a month, you plug in everything you eat, drink, and what you do for exercise......and it does all the calculations for you. It lets you know how many calories you are consuming and how many you are burning. It breaks down what you are eating by fat, carbs, and different nutrients so you can see. It tells you to drink more water if you aren't drinking enough. If this is an area you are interested in and getting better about, and you can afford the $9 a month, then check out the website for more info. It really helped me and I am thinking of using it again for this Challenge.
Whether you journal or not, I would recommend having a plan of some sort. In my experience, it makes a difference to have a tangible plan.
3. Give yourself carrots or coal
Depending on whether you are positively or negatively motivated, its always good to dangle concrete motivation in front of yourself.
If you are negatively motivated, meaning that the loss of something motivates your more than gaining something, then make some deals with yourself. For example, if you don't do something, there will be a consequence like removing something you like for a period of time. I am not suggesting hurting yourself or being a masochist or being too harsh on yourself for missing one workout. A friend of mine used to give up going to Starbucks if he missed some of his goals for a certain period of time.....and he loved, LOVED going to Starbucks. Make it about giving up something you like for a certain period of time...that the pain of loss is more than the pain of doing what you need to do. You can make it something weekly, monthly, or even one for the whole 12 weeks period.
If you are positively motivated, meaning that the gaining of something motivates you past the pain of what you need to do, then create some carrots for yourself. It can be little ones weekly, or monthly, or something for completing the whole 12 weeks. One time, I motivated myself with a pretty pair of shoes. If you need little carrots along the way, maybe little treats....that are not food-related.......weekly and/or monthly......will keep you going along.
And please don't think its a character flaw to need/want little carrots or coal along the way. These things are for weak moments, not weak people,.....and quite honestly, if I need to bribe myself to do what needs to be done then the end justifies the means! If it works, then I don't argue with it. Its better than beating myself up and quitting....and getting depressed about not being able to get in shape and lose weight. We are all human....so allow yourself to be just that.
WE CAN ALL DO THIS!!!!
The Vox Fitness Challenge starts this Monday, February 4th, at which point the Group will be going private.
If you do want to join the Challenge, then please make sure to get yourself on board BEFORE the 4th. This means that today and tomorrow (Sunday) are the last chances to join.
cheers~
Dee
Some of you, who are my neighbours, may have gotten a Group invite from me yesterday for a new Vox Group that I created: The Vox Fitness Challenge.
Inspiration:
I was inspired by Marie's post about how her hubby has started a 12 week fitness challenge at work and how she has jumped on the bandwagon....and plans on kicking her hubby's ass!
I have done 12 week fitness sprints before and since I have been procrastinating about getting my ass back in shape, this seemed like a really good idea to make a commitment to. And since I thought it was a good idea, I wondered how many other people would think it was a good idea, too,.........which from all the comments that Marie received, I knew there would be some in the same boat as me.
Doing something about getting in shape:
Getting in shape is something that takes slow and steady effort. It requires change and creating/maintaining some good habits. Motivation and staying on track is hard for most people as it is.....but even harder for a lot of people because they go the route alone. Statistics show that the people who work out with other people or have a workout/training buddy will stay more regular with their program than those who go it alone. It helps to have someone else to be accountable to other than yourself.
I know if its just me, I can fluff certain things off if I don't feel like it....but if I am accountable to report into someone else, I am more motivated not to look like a lame-ass during those time of weakness. Plus, its more fun to have "partners-in-crime" to be able to share with and encourage/support each other. Its important to have people to pull you up during the low times and people to hi-five during the high times. Its encouraging to know that your partner(s) are going through a lot of the same challenges you are. It really helps to know you aren't suffering alone.
Why a 12 week challenge?
It takes 22 days to create habit and usually takes 3-4 months for a regular fitness program to show some real results. A 12 week commitment is usually what you see for a lot of boot camps and programs you see in a lot of books.
I have done Oprah's boot camp, which is 12 weeks long, and you can get amazing results from that.....but it was not easy to maintain. Boot camps are great but can be a bit extreme for some....and require a big time commitment. A program is only as good as long as you are doing it and able to keep it up. This is why the how part of the challenge is totally up to you. I will be sharing different things from my knowledge and experience base....as I know will others, so if you need any ideas or advice, I know that there will be a lot of people there to share and help. And if we need more help/advice than that, I know more trainers than I can shake a stick at....and my hubby has a degree in kinesciology.
The challenge:
The challenge is totally voluntary and only if you really want to. I know its not for everyone and that is ok. I set it up for me and for anyone else who is up for such a thing. I already have a few neighbours who have signed up and also a couple of non-neighbours PM'ing to join.
If you want to join and you didn't get an invite, please PM me or comment on this...and I will send you one. I want to create a close, safe, non-judgemental environment for everyone on the challenge to share...so the Group will be going private as of February 4th, which is the start day of the challenge.
Non-judgemental:
We are all in different states of shapes, weights, and fitness levels. I don't think it matters where someone is coming from...it matters that you have a destination in mind..in view....and you are moving there. Slow and steady is the best. As long as you are moving, you will get there eventually...and that is the point.
Long term health and wellness should always be the long term vision.....and getting in shape helps that vision.
"But, I am really squeamish about sharing stats":
Yes, I am, too! But as I said in the Group description, you only have to report in, to the Group, a minimum of ONE stat at the start and then again at the end. It can be weight, measurements, clothing size, or % fat.
The reason I asked for stats is that this really creates an attitude that "I am serious about this" and a close environment/relationship with everyone in the Group. Some people like to share and some people don't......but when we all share, we are all on equal footing with each other and all feel together on this.
I know that some people will not join just because of this stipulation....and that is ok! No one will think less of you. Joining the challenge is a personal decision that you have to feel confident about....and only you can make that decision.
I want people in this Group who have the attitude of: enough is enough....let's kick some ass!!! :p
Be a Queen.
Dare to be different.
Be the kind of woman who, in the face of adversity, will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge.
Take it on!
Be a truth seeker and rule your domain, whatever it is - your home, your office, your family - with a loving heart.
Be a Queen.
Be tender.
Continue to give birth to new ideas and rejoice in your womanhood.
My prayer is that we will stop wasting time being mundane and mediocre.
We are daughters of God - here to teach the world how to love.
It doesn't matter what you've been through, where you come from, who your parents are - nor your social or economic status.
None of that matters.
What matters is how you choose to love, how you choose to express that love through your work, through your family, through what you have to give to the world....
Be a Queen.
Own your power and glory.
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