Spring has Sprung....Take the April Challenge!

[lynnzop[$]]

Continuing with our H&F Hall of Fame, let's open up the floor for an April Challenge.

The EA Challenge is to get in at least 20 minutes of your favorite form of exercise at least 3 times a week.

Your personal challenge is your own decision. Make it reasonable, make it measureable, but make it a challenge!

Post your log in this here thread (I'll stick it to the top and take March down) and keep track of your progress!

Have fun, and remember, BABY STEPS are the best measure of success.

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

My personal challenge is to get to 140 lbs by the end of the month. WW Tuesday weigh in's are to be my measurement.

EA Challenge - 3x/20 min/week
4/1 30 minutes, 1.50 miles (no foolin!)
4/2
4/3 1 hour horseback riding
4/4 1.5 hours bowling
4/5
4/6
4/7

4/8 45 minute run/walk 2.6 miles Tuesday weigh in 145 lbs
4/9
4/10 10 minute walk .5 miles
4/11 1 hour mucking stalls, 45minute walk 2.6 miles
4/12
4/13 40 minute walk/run in 20mph wind! 2.5 miles
4/14

4/15 2.6 miles, 45 minutes Tuesday weigh in 144 lbs
4/16 2.6 miles, 45 minutes
4/17
4/18
4/19 3.0 miles, 45 minutes
4/20
4/21 1.0 miles 30 minutes

4/22 1.5 hours mucking stalls and grooming Tuesday weigh in 143 lbs
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26 2.0 miles 30 minutes
4/27
4/28 2 hours mucking stalls

4/29 1.5 hours playing baseball Tuesday weigh in 144
4/30 20 minutes mucking and grooming, 30 minutes run

Edited to say Y'all don't have to give up your weigh if you don't want to. I'd easier give up my weight than my age.

I have another incentive...at work they started a Walking Club and you post your miles/week. I'm just a wee bit competitive, so I'll be wanting to have more than my co-workers...those weinees.

[quasar]

My goal is to reach 280 by the end of the month. I thought about shooting for a 10 pound loss, but I have an out of town wedding that I've decided to let myself enjoy and possibly some other travel so 10 pounds seems perhaps a bit much to shoot for.

I'll also participate in the group challenge and up it by a day as part of my personal challenge - I'd like to exercise at least four times per week.

Starting weight: 287

4/1 30 minute walk in am, 45 min walk in evening
4/2 2 hour walk
4/3
4/4
4/5 25 minute walk (blisters are now well padded and thus not adverse to short excursions)
4/6
4/7 weight 283, 20 minute walk in am

4/8
4/9 30 minute walk
4/10
4/11
4/12 30 min walk
4/13 1 hour swim
4/14 1.5 hour walk

4/15 30 minute walk
4/16 20 minute walk
4/17
4/18
4/19 40 minute walk
4/20 20 minute walk
4/21 284lbs

4/22
4/23 45 min walk, 30 min walk
4/24
4/25 20 minute walk
4/26 60 minute walk
4/27 45 minute walk
4/28

4/29 60 minute swim, 40 minute walk, 50 minute walk
4/30

I was getting confused so I went back to 1-7, 8-14, etc.

Janice

[theworm[$]]

I'll take the EA challenge and set my own goals as well.

I'm comfortable with the weight that I'm at, so I'm leaving weight out of it (other than hoping that I maintain rather than gain).

I didn't make my exercise goal last month, and maybe 5 days was too much, so this month my goal is to do 45 minutes of exercise 4 days a week. I also want to try for a better balance in my exercise to include jogging, walking, sit ups, stretching and toning, and more upper body work. In addition, I want to keep my goal of drinking 6 or more waters a day and making good food choices.


EA Challenge - 3x/20 min/week
4/1
4/2 - jogged 45 minutes/4 miles
4/3 - jogged 35 minutes/3 miles, 10 minutes of ab work
4/4
4/5 - jogged 3.25 miles and did a few sets of sit ups.
4/6 - 20 minutes of abs and lower body work
4/7 - 30 minutes of abs and lower body work

4/8 - 30 minutes of abs and lower body work
4/9 - 45 minute power walking tape w/weights, 15 minutes abs
4/10 - 45 minute power walking tape w/ weights
4/11
4/12 - jogged 2.5 miles - walked a mile - jogged another mile
4/13 - 30 minutes of abs and arms
4/14

4/15
4/16 - morning jog 2.5 miles/25 minutes, afternoon jog 2 miles/20 minutes
4/18
4/19 - don't know if it counts as real exercise, but I took a 40 minute walk with a very cute baby today.
4/20 - 45 minute aerobic walking tape w/ weights
4/21 - jogged 3.5 miles/40 minutes (w/ warm up and cool down, I'm counting that as 45 minutes of exercise) also 30 minutes of abs and lower body


4/22 - squeezed in a 2 mile walk in high heels.
4/23 - 3.25 mile jog, 10 minutes abs, 10 minute legs
4/24 - 1.5 mile run, 20 minutes abs, 10 minutes legs
4/25
4/26
4/27 - 3 mile jog, 15 minutes lower body work
4/28 - 45 minute aerobic walking tape w/ weights

4/29
4/30 - 1.5 miles/15 minutes on the treadmill. 5 minutes of abs, 20 minutes of legs

[murasaki]

I want to continue on with my unmet goal from last month and lose two more pounds. It doesn't seem like a lot, but considering it took me over five weeks to lose the first two... I am also trying to increase my water consumption from 32 oz a day to around 60 oz.

EA Challenge
4/1 - 45 min resistance bands; 40 min walk (2.3 miles); 60oz
4/2 - 32 min run; 66oz
4/3 - 45 min resistance bands; 64oz
4/4 - 21 min walk; 72oz
4/5 - 64oz
4/6 - 66oz
4/7 - 22 min run, 2 min cool down (2.75 miles); 64oz

4/8 - 1 hr resistance bands; 64oz
4/9 - 64oz
4/10 - 1 hr resistance bands; 70oz
4/11 - 28 min run; 64oz
4/12 - 64oz
4/13 - 64oz
4/14 - 32 min run (4 miles); 68oz

4/15 - 1 hr resistance bands; 74oz
4/16 - 24 min run (3 miles); 76oz
4/17 - 1 hr resistance bands; 72oz
4/18 - 32 min run (4 miles); 64oz
4/19 - 64oz
4/20 - 1 hr resistance bands; 68oz
4/21 - 22 min run (2.75 miles); 72oz

4/22 - 1 hr resistance bands; 72oz
4/23 - 20 min walk; 64oz
4/24 - 64oz; rest before physical fitness test
4/25 - 64oz; rest before physical fitness test
4/26 - 1 hr Army Physical Fitness Test; 64oz
4/27 - 68oz; recovery
4/28 - 27min walk; 64oz

4/29 - 1 hr resistance bands; 68oz
4/30 - 22 min run; 64oz

--naomi

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

OK, I'll try. I want to lose the 9.5lbs that keep me from my goal weight and I want to work out 20 min 3x/week. Right now I work out about 15 minutes one day a week. I plan to do more but then don't when the scheduled time comes around



EA Challenge - 3x/20 min/week
4/1
4/2
4/3
4/4
4/5
4/6 exercised
4/7 exercised

4/8
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12
4/13
4/14

4/15
4/16
4/18
4/19
4/20
4/21

4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26
4/27
4/28

4/29
4/30

[drmomentum[$]]

Okay, I am going to take the April Challenge.

I'm not going to log my daily activity, specifically, because I seem to have a problem keeping up with the log. Excercising is not a problem because I am well-motivated. 3 times a week is no problem for me. I'll post weekly what my activity was in that week.

What I need to be motivated on is my weight loss.

I did lose 5 lbs (according to the scale this morning) which was 1 under my goal for March.

I'm going to set the sights a little lower this month.

My target weight is "anything under 170 lbs according to my scale."

-JP

[AuntieEmma[$]]

Personal challenge: Eat more damn fresh fruit!!! I'm setting the goal, this time, as fresh fruit every day. Because the purpose of this is to establish new habits for myself (eating and shopping) to the point where the habits become automatic, I'm going to count any quantity of fruit eaten -- and I do mean any, even one single solitary grape -- as meeting the goal. It's the dailiness, not the quantity, that I'm after now.

(Also freshly-made smoothies count, but I'm not going to count bottled juice, because that habit is already established, and the fresh fruit is supposed to be in addition to that.)

Exercise goal: Walk, most days. Stretch (video, class, or any of the various short stretch or yoga routines I do), more days than not. Maybe continue with the Feldenkrais stuff I started, which I found interesting (get audio tape set on that from library??) Do some crunches once in a while (too scary to actually put that down as a specific goal!!)

Notation: W = walk about a mile-and-a-half; W + = walk more than that. S = my own improvised stretch routine (i.e. no video) with maybe a little bit of toning excercises too. Y = similar, but more of a formal yoga routine. Stretch tape = Tamilee's Beginner's Stretch for Flexibility video.

4/1 W+ / strawberry
4/2 W
4/3 W / S / grapes
4/4 W+ / stretch tape / grapes
4/5 W / Y / grapes
4/6 W / S / grapes
4/7 W + / S / grapes

4/8 W+ / Avocado. Also focaccio with blueberries and apples (Yum!!! But can I really count this? I'm supposed to be eating "fresh fruit." Well -- it was fresh from the bakery. Heh -- I think I found the secret to eating more fruit.)
4/9 W / S / Went to Farmers' Market (yay!) and bought some yummy Fuji apples. Ate one.
4/10 W / Lilias Yoga Workout video / smoothie; avocado
4/11 S / apple
4/12 W / S
4/13 W / S
4/14 S

4/15 Lilias Yoga video / apple; avocado
4/16 W / stretch tape
4/18 W+ / S / strawberries
4/19 W+ / S / apple
4/20 stretch tape
4/21 Tae-Bo video
4/22 W / avocado

4/23 W / Tae Bo tape / stretch tape / apple
4/24 --
4/25 W / Tae Bo tape/ Y / blackberries
4/26 W+ / blackberries, strawberries
4/27 W+ / stretch tape
4/28 strawberries
4/29 W+ / S

4/30 W / S / strawberries

[jenninca]

I am definitely in. I'm sticking with a goal similar to last month's. Last month I wanted five pounds off and got none. This month I'm going with four pounds off.

Current weight: 136
Goal weight: 132

Also doing the EA goal - exercise at least 20 minutes, 3 days a week.

4/1 - Tap class, 1 hr 5 min.
4/2
4/3 - Tap class, 1 hr
4/4
4/5 - Walk 20 min.

4/6
4/7 - Weigh in - 136
4/8 - Tap class, 1 hr 5 min.
4/9 - Walk, 1 hr 20 min.
4/10
4/11
4/12 - Walk, 30 min.

4/13
4/14 - Weigh in - 134 (down 2!)
4/15 - Tap class, 1 hr 5 min.
4/16
4/17 - Tap class, 1 hr
4/18
4/19 - Tap "master class," 1 hr 50 min.

4/20
4/21 - Weigh in - 135 , Tap class, 1 hr 10 min.
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26

4/27
4/28
4/29
4/30

[owling]

My personal challenge: to do both the EA challenge exercise (walking or exercise bike) and yoga. (I'm starting out at 15 minutes at a time for the exercise bike, though, since I'm in such pathetic shape.)

The exercise bike has a heart rate monitor, too, so part of my goal includes keeping my heart rate up in the happy target zone for aerobic exercise.

I'm also trying to eat more fruit & yogurt, but I think I'll make that a general goal rather than something I log.

EA Challenge - 3x/20 min/week
4/1
4/2 15 min. yoga; 15 min. exercise bike (3.5 miles+); 15 min. yoga
4/3
4/4 10 min. yoga; 20 min. exercise bike (4.8 miles); 20 min. yoga
4/5
4/6
4/7 20 min. yoga; 21 min. exercise bike (5.2 miles); 15 min. yoga

4/8
4/9
4/10 20 min. yoga; 22 min. exercise bike (5.2 miles); 20 min. yoga
4/11
4/12 25 min. walk; 25 min. walk
4/13
4/14 25 min. walk; 25 min. walk

4/15 25 min. walk; 25 min. walk
4/16
4/17
4/18 25 min. yoga
4/19 45 min. yard work
4/20 45 min. yard work; 1 hour yard work
4/21 1 hour yard work

4/22
4/23
4/24 20 min. yoga; 23 min. exercise bike (6.2 miles); 15 min. yoga
4/25 1 hour yard work; 1 hour yard work
4/26
4/27 1 hour yard work
4/28 1 hour 15 min. yard work; 30 min. yard work

4/29 1 hour 20 min. yard work; 45 min. yard work
4/30 1 hour yard work; 45 min. yard work

Although I would like to lose some weight, things are still too hectic & stressful here for an actual diet. And while I'm hoping exercise will be enough to reduce things a little, I think I don't want to set a specific goal. I'll be happy if I can just keep my weight from going up again until we can get back to dieting.

4/4: There's nothing like doing a forward bend and having a cat jump up on your back and lie down.
4/7: ...Except maybe touching your toes & having a cat come along and chew on your hair!

The "yard work" consists of digging up sod so we can plant a garden, so I figure that counts as exercise. The trick has been to get exercise and get the garden dug without setting off my tendonitis problems. I've had a little soreness in my fingers, but of the kind that gets better when I stretch them out, not worse. I'm trying to switch off hands frequently when I'm doing hand-intensive stuff, and I've been remembering to stretch out my fingers a lot. I've mostly been using my feet to dig with the garden fork rather than my hands. I'm keeping a close eye on my hands, and if I think they're starting to hurt in a bad way I'll back off. Meanwhile, I think I have larger muscles in my forearms now than I've had since I first developed the tendonitis problems (not that this is saying much!).

4/27: Extra notes about auxilliary goals: I have succeeded in keeping my heart rate up while using the exercdise bike. I find the heart rate monitor also helps to remind me to slow down when it ups the resistance on me. And I've done much better about fruit and yogurt--I've switched most of my lunches to a thing of yogurt plus a banana. Unfortunately I have gained some weight, but I think I have kept it from spiraling out of control. Another month and things should be calm enough that we can start dieting again.

[lynnzop[$]]

Bump! Some of us are better than others at logging our exercise Don't forget!!!

Go team!!!!

Lynn

[jenninca]

Oops! Off to update!

[lynnzop[$]]

Woo Hoo! Looks like we are doing great on the EA challenge! (Note to self: get certificates out to the March Challenge winners :whap: )

Keep it up folks!

[murasaki]

One more day!

--naomi

[lynnzop[$]]

Well, how'd we do?

I did fine on the EA challenge, in fact, we all seem to have done so fine that we need to up that challenge!

Personal goal not met. Another month, another effort to take off those pesky pounds!

Post your results, as well as your ideas for a May Challenge...do we need to up the EA goal?

Lynn

[murasaki]

I met the EA challenge and the personal challenge. I exercised more than three times each week, lost two pounds (as of this morning's weigh-in) and drank 60+oz of water every day.

I think we need to leave the EA goal up to individuals to modify. For example, I would not change the amount of time, but I exercise more frequently than 3 times a week. Others might only exercise three times a week, but do so for an hour or longer.

--naomi

[theworm[$]]

I'm with you Lynn. Met the EA challenge. Fell short on the personal challenge. I'm revved up for the May Challenge though!

[owling]

I met the EA challenge and then some, thanks to taking up gardening. It'll get harder once I've finished digging up sod!

Met my goal to eat more fruit and yogurt--multiple lunches each week have consisted of a thing of yogurt and a banana.

Met my goal to keep my heart rate up while using the exercise bike.

And met my goal to get back into doing yoga. While I'd like to do it more often than once a week, that's a comfortable minimum.

I didn't set a specific goal regarding weight, so the fact that I gained a few pounds didn't kill me there, although it doesn't make me happy. I'm hoping at least a little of it is muscle from all these muscles I'm not used to using.

I think that's it...

[AuntieEmma[$]]

I kind of tricked myself into meeting my nutrition goal. Last month, I set the goal of eating fresh fruit 3 times a week, and I hardly ate any. This month, I changed the goal to fresh fruit every single day, and ended up eating it about 4 times a week. Yay!

Exercise -- I only had vague goals and ended up doing about what I've been doing for the past year anyway. Did get a Tae Bo video out of the library for a week, though, and did that a few times. It was very aerobic, and I felt great after doing it. Reminded me that I probably should be doing aerobic exercise on a regular basis (I don't count my walking as aerobics, because except when I'm going uphill, which I do as little as possible considering that sometimes it's unavoidable, I don't even feel it.) Not sure if I'm ready to set aerobics as an actual goal yet, but soon.

[quasar]

I met the EA challenge. I honestly don't know about the personal challenge because I was away from a scale at the end of the month, but I suspect I didn't make it. I did get the extra day of exercise in.

Janice