Challenges for Week 1

You can earn a point for each challenge that you complete this week.  There are 5 challenges, so 5 possible bonus points for the week.

1. Get a friend active, too.  Do at least one workout with a friend, your kids, your spouse, or co-worker this week.  Not only will it make you more likely to follow through, but you'll be helping someone else be active as well, and you'll probably have more fun doing it.

2. Try a fruit or vegetable that you haven't before (or at least not in a long time).  Branching out will not only get you different vitamin/mineral combinations than usual, it might help you find a new favorite food!

3. Have a meatless day.  See this article for some of the benefits of reducing your meat intake.

4. Make a list of goals for yourself for the new year.  They can be big or small, fitness-related or not.  Try to make them quantifiable (measurable) and realistic.  But also stretch yourself.  Sometimes it helps to break up a big goal into several smaller, achievable goals.  Those small goals can add up to help you reach your biggest goals.

5. Spend time nurturing your spirit.  Whether it's attending church, meditating, doing yoga, or something else that brings you  peace, make time this week to center yourself.  Spend at the very least an hour (at one time or in small chunks of time).

Have a great week, friends!

Weigh-in Day

So, I was just looking at the Google doc, and it's set up to start logging tomorrow, on Sunday.  But today is the start day just the same. :)  So, make sure you weigh in and record your starting weight in the tracking sheet.  Once you enter the weight number and hit enter, it will show up as semi-colons, so no one can see your weight displayed.  But as you enter it in future weigh ins, you'll just see the percentage of change displayed.  So, start recording points tomorrow, weigh-in today, drink lots of water, and have a great week!

A Few Things

The Fitness Challenge starts this Saturday, December 29th.  We'll have a kick-off meeting Saturday morning at 10:00am at my house for anyone who would like to come and have an official weigh-in and start to the challenge.  You don't have to come and can just weigh yourself at home and send me your numbers if you live too far away or already have plans for that morning.

If you haven't been added to the Google document where we keep track of points, it's because I don't have an email address for you so that I can invite you.  Will you please email me at sjs2 (at) byu (dot) net and I'll send you an invitation?  And spread the word to anyone you know that might want to participate!

Some people have expressed interest in having a cash prize for the winner(s).  I don't want money to be a deterrent,  though, so I don't want to have a mandatory fee to participate.  If you'd like to donate some money (maybe $5?) toward a prize fund, you can do that.  I'll keep whatever money is donated and use it to give prizes at the end.  If no one donates, you might get some awesome homemade prizes made by the Jones children. :)  Either way, I hope that everyone feels welcome and encouraged to be part of the challenge.

I hope you are all enjoying your holidays and are looking forward to a good push toward healthy habits soon!  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Shauna

Ready or Not

Here we go!  It's time for another fitness challenge, friends.  Tiffany put me in charge, so I'm going to change things up a bit.  If you want to protest, feel free.  I feel strongly that the focus be on fitness and health, not a number on the scale.  I want this process to instill healthy habits that will last beyond the 12 weeks of the challenge.  I want you to feel better about your body and your relationship with food.  That is why we will continue to have weigh ins, but you won't get points for losing pounds.  I believe in weighing in.  I think it's good to have accountability and consistent self-checks.   If you lose weight along the way, that's just a bonus to your new healthy lifestyle.  So, that being said, you get points for doing things that build healthy habits: drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, exercising for at least 30 minutes a day (with a possible extra point for a full hour of exercise), eating at least 5 servings of fruits or vegetables a day, and following a sensible diet of your choice.  Sensible, friends.  Not crazy.  If you want to count calories, that's fine.  If you want to follow a certain diet plan, that's fine.  But it has to be something that is maintainable for the long haul.  We're looking for changes that are sustainable, and that means eating real food and real amounts of it.  If you'd like help finding a diet that works for you, I'd be happy to help you.  Additionally, I'd love for you to post recipes here, struggles, successes, encouragement, etc.  There maybe be challenges from time to time that will give the opportunity for extra points.  So stay tuned.