Hang In There!!

First week everyone worked hard and did well. Week two is always hard. I hit the wall this weekend and ate way too much stuff! Your body really starts to notice that you aren't eating as much. Last week it didn't care (so much) but this week it thinks you are starving it. Now comes the first Holiday test Halloween. All of that candy is going to be tempting. Remember our goal is not to torture ourselves but to help develop healthier habits. Is it ok to eat a piece or two of candy? Heck ya! Just don't eat the whole bag. Be realistic and decide before hand how much you can have on Halloween night and then stick to your decision.
Good Luck!

This has been a crazy week.  it started off okay and I began thinking that 10 pounds is too little of a goal. however, after a week and a grand total of one pound weight loss, I guess my goal is realistic.  if I can lose two more pounds by the end of week 3 then I will be on track.  I found that the more I exercised the less I lost...weird.  oh well, back to work this week.  back to a regular schedule.

Better late than never

Hi, my name is. Chelsea (hello Chelsea) I am trying to overcome some hard habits I have developed over the years and I am using this weight and wellness challenge for my motivation to improve. Since I hold so many of the women in this challenge in such high regard, I can not think of better support to surround myself as I try to make lifestyle changes. So I submitted my goals to Erika before actually weighing myself and I just guessed. Well I found out that I had a little to optimistic number in my head. So here is my revised goals based off of accurate numbers. On October 18th I weighed in at 168. My weight goal for this challenge is to get back down to 150.  My wellness goal for this challenge will be harder to measure but, I want to feel an overall satisfaction with who I am, this includes how I look, the things I do, the words I speak, the service I give, having positive thoughts. I know that as I make small yet meaningful choices I will improve on these things.
First three weeks:
Weight: lose 7 lbs
Wellness: go to bed before 11pm five nights a week and be up by 6 am at least four times a week.
Second three weeks: lose 5 lbs
Wellness: write in personal journal three times a week.
Third three weeks: lose 3 lbs
Wellness: keep to a menu five days a week
Fourth three week: lose 3 lbs
Wellness: run a 10 k in 54 minutes!

There it is down on a blog and you all know my weaknesses and now it is my job to make them strengths.

My Check-in

I have to be accountable to you guys so here is my check in: I am down 3 1/2 lbs so I am on track with my weight. I logged all of the food I ate. In fact there was many times I resisted eating because I was too lazy to log it in my phone.

Still waiting to hear from a few of you.....

Heart rate monitor update

I am LOVING my new heart rate monitor. It helps motive me to keep up on my food log because my calories burned are more accurate. But I wanted to share the most important thing I have learned so far from using the heart rate monitor.......calories burned can really fluctuate and machines aren't always right.

First my week using it for Body Pump:  last Thursday burned 426 calories
                                                                        Tuesday burned 389 calories
                                                                        Wed.  burned 329 calories
                                                               (today) Thursday burned 230 calories
So as you can see the amount of calories varied (I am sure to several factors).

Second: The cardio machines at the gym can read my heart rate monitor. I still use the phone app and compare. Sometimes the machine and the app are the same but I have had machines that show I have burned up to 100 more calories then my heart rate monitor. So I always opt to error on the side of caution and take the lower number. So just beware.

Check in TOMORROW!!

Being accountable for your wellness.

Remember you need to be accountable for your wellness goals. For example....

Food log: take pictures of you food logs and email or text them to me
Writing in a Journal: tell me which days you wrote
Water drinking: a record of how much water you drank each day
Earlier bedtime: write down what time you went to bed each night
Meal plans: send me copies or tell me which days you stayed with the plan and how it went

First check in is this Friday. You can check in with me through email or text. Or you can share your results with everyone on the blog.

My goals

I have slipped back into some very bad habits and put on a about 7 pounds from the weight I lost last year. I am excited to get back into being healthy.

First 3week goals
Loose 6 pounds
No snacking after 7:30 pm.

Second round
Loose 6 pounds
I want to like running. I am going to start running for 20 minutes 3 times a week.

Third round
Loose 4 pounds
Reduce the amounts of processed foods I eat by half. This not only includes chips and packaged snacks, but white flour, white rice, and excess sugar.

Fourth round
Loose 4 pounds
Wellness goal yet to be determined

I really need some help to stay motivated. At the end I want all my money back to buy some cute new smaller jeans.

Alisa Grover.

Result

Two big parties this weekend with lots of fabulous food. I tried to calculate what I ate in my food log after both parties the best I could. I went over my calorie count for both days. However, I am counting it as a big success. I was much more aware of the food choices that I made. I ate what I wanted but kept the portions down and didn't over indulge. And I never felt "stuffed". So I feel like I passed the first big test....so bring on the holidays!

First Weekend = First Big Trial

One of the reasons that I wanted to do this challenge was due to my lack of will power. I really like to eat....again why I have belly rolls. I really believe all things in moderation but I don't always practice it. Last night we got chocolate chip cookies from some friends. I ate one last night and then I ate one this afternoon. I think that was pretty good. Normally I would eat 5-6 of them especially because they were good cookies.

This is the beginning of the holiday season and there is going to be a lot of food and a lot of temptations. We are going to a dinner party tonight and have a Halloween party on Saturday. That is a lot of food. My first big trial. Am I going to be able to resist all of the temptations this holiday season? NO! And I am not going to try. I am going to give my self permission to enjoy the yummy food that comes around this time of year. Because if I don't.....I will get grumpy.....I will get resentful....and then I will give in and binge. So moderation is my motto this year.  We will see how it works this weekend. Wish me luck!  

No Guts=No Glory

I've been a little nervous about committing myself to making these goals public, because I often just feel like I'd rather take a nap than do anything else. But I think that some accountability is exactly what I need if I want to achieve my goals. These next 12 weeks are going to pass in exactly the same amount of time whether I work toward my goal or not. I'd rather reach the end of those 12 weeks feeling stronger and healthier. My fitness goal of running 5 kilometers in under 30 minutes is something I've never done before, so that really excites me.

12-Week Goals

1. Lose 18 pounds.
2. Run 5k in under 30 minutes.

Steps to Success

1. Keep a food journal, at least Monday through Friday. Keep to a 1500 calorie diet.
2. Exercise 5 times a week with at least 3 days of weight training.
3. Report on my progress each Friday on this blog.

Month 1

1. Lose 6 lbs.
2. At the end of week 4, be running 2 intervals of 3/4 a mile at 6 mph with a 1/4 mile jog after each.

Month 2

1. Lose 6 lbs.
2. At the end of week 8, be running 2.5 miles at 6 mph.

Month 3

1. Lose 6 lbs.
2. At the end of week 12, run 3.1 miles in under 30 minutes.

I'll see you guys Friday! Good luck!

We start tomorrow!

Today is the day that I need to know if you want to participate. Either post your goals or email them to me. Make sure there is a way to track your wellness goals. Tomorrow morning you need to email me you weight (which will remain private). Then in three weeks you will need to provide me with your weight and how you tracked your wellness goals.

I am so excited!

I work out a lot. On most days, I spend at least two hours at the gym. So why do I still have belly rolls? Because I know how to cheat. Usually my workouts are less than stellar but I give myself credit for the hard core workout I should be doing. In other words, I trick myself into believing I am burning way more calories than I actually am. Then I eat whatever I want. This strategy used to work just fine when I was in my twenties and even early thirties. Now my metabolism is slowing down and I end up with belly rolls and tight jeans. I need a new strategy to keep me in check. The old days of cutting back a little and quickly losing 5 lbs are long gone.

So my first step was purchasing a new heart rate monitor. I am so excited to use it. I bought a Polar H7 and it just came today. I chose the H7 because it will sync with the Polar Loop that I ordered. I will use the heart rate monitor during my workouts to give me a more accurate estimate of the calories I am burning. The Polar Loop is worn all day to calculate the calories I burn during the rest of the day. Of course these both work with different apps and training programs that will help me become more efficient in my workouts.

You're more than just a number

"You're more than just a number. In an effort to eat right and move more, it's often easy to get caught up in a flurry of data. You dutifully examine calorie counts and fat grams on food labels and stalk the bathroom scale for validation that your good behavior is paying off. Every sweat session gets chronicled on your GPS watch, heart rate monitor or smartphone so you can tally your successes in miles traveled, calories torched and time spent. Yes, these numbers help you keep your eyes on the prize, but they shouldn't become a measure of our self-worth. " Betty S. Wong, Editor in Chief, Fitness Magazine.

I know this is true but sometimes it's hard to remember. So much emphasis is put on our appearance by the world AND ourselves. So as you are thinking about your goals think about why you are doing this.....Hopefully it is not to just be skinnier.

If you don't want to post your goals just send them in an email to me erikawillsey@aol.com

All goals and money due by Thursday night 9 pm.

Thanks!
Erika

Let's Do This!

I'm so excited to get started with this challenge.  I just need the motivation and the accountability to actually stick with my goals.  Plus, writing down goals just helps you accomplish them.  Here's my long term plan (although I reserve the right to change the ones farther down!).

First 3 weeks:

• Weight: Lose 3 lbs
• Wellness: Plan out all my meals and snacks for the day (and hopefully stick to the plan!)

Second 3 weeks:

• Weight: Lose 2 lbs
• Wellness:  Eat at least 4 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit everyday

Third 3 weeks:

• Weight: Maintain weight (I will reevaluate this as it's closer)
• Wellness: Drink at least 64 oz of water daily

Fourth 3 weeks:

• Weight: Maintain weight
• Wellness: No eating after 7pm on weeknights (weekend parties excluded!)

 There you have it- I will be paying in $40 so I can earn back $10 every assessment.  I will have narrow down my wish list for what I will buy with my 40 bucks when I get all of it back! :)

Good luck to everyone!
Kristy                      

Goals- Erika

It is up to each person whether or not they wish to post their goals. I hope you do....it keeps you motivated and accountable. It also helps motivate others. Here are mine....

Oct 18-Nov 7.   Weight: lose 6 lbs
                           Wellness: keep accurate food log
Nov 8-Nov 28   Weight: lose 6 lbs
                           Wellness: keep accurate food log and do plank challenge
Nov 29-Dec 19  Weight: lose 4 lbs
                            Wellness: keep accurate food log and do sister-in-law's boot camp homework
Dec 20-Jan 10.   Weight: lose 4 lbs
                             Wellness: keep accurate food log and drink 70 oz of water a day.

I am going to try and post encouragements and ideas each day. Thanks! Erika

Welcome

Hello everyone!

Somehow over the summer, my jeans shrank and aren’t fitting so well again so it’s challenge time! Kristy Hill and I came up with a different way to hold this competition. So here are the parameters.

First: You are competing against yourself. If you choose to participate, you will contribute money. The specific amount is up to you (we are suggesting at least $30). The competition lasts 12 weeks and is divided into four three-week assessments. If you have met your goals at the end of those three weeks, you will earn back ¼ of your money (each time). The idea here is that the more money you contribute, the more committed you will be to completing your goals. As an example, maybe there is some item you have been dying for (kindle, ipod, shoes, purse, etc.) so you would contribute the amount of the item and then work to earn it. In the end, you will have “earned” the money to reward yourself with the purchase. Any money left over will be donated to Friends of Scouting.

Second: This is a weight and wellness challenge.  For each three week block, you will make one weight goal and one wellness goal.  Both goals must be met for you to earn your money back. You will report your progress to me every Friday, but at the end of the three weeks it will be determine if you have met your goal. Weight goals need to be met 100% and wellness goals 90%. Here are some examples of acceptable goals:    

Weight: lose a specific number of pounds (over the three weeks) or maintain current weight                      (for those that don't want to lose weight but want to increase their wellness)

Wellness: consuming a specific number of ounces of water each day, eating a specific amount of protein/carbs/sugar per day, keeping a food log, walking a specific number distance each day, exercising for a specific length of time each week, etc…

You need to be realistic and specific with your goals. Also make sure you have a way to show me how you have accomplished that goal. Be accountable!

Let’s get started! The challenge starts on October 18^th and ends on January 10^th.  Yes, right through the holidays (that’s the point)!  Money and goals are due by the 17^th. So start planning your goals and how much money you will “earn” back through your hard work and dedication.