30 day challenge

I’ve gotten a little too comfortable being sedentary lately.  Sure I got back on the workout wagon recently, but like always, I get distracted and workouts fall by the wayside.

My eating has also been horrible.  So bad that I can count the number of meals I eat at home during the week…on one hand.   Yikes.  That is no bueno!  So, I thought a 30 day challenge might help me get back on track. *the image below is just for the image, I’m not following that 30 day challenge. My challenge is outlined underneath.*

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30 days of moving :: Instead of aiming for 3-4 workouts a week, I want to be doing something everyday. Walking, running, weight training, dancing, rock climbing, yoga…anything goes! At least 30 min of fitness a day!

30 days of tracking my calories :: This one is harder than the first. It’s just a pain in the buttocks to weigh your food, look up calories and input them. But, I know that it works to keep me accountable and it’s a great tool for seeing how much you’re actually eating. I’m going to give myself up to 4 freebie days. That is approximately 1 each week. I don’t want to use them, but this isn’t my first rodeo.  I know that it’s hard to keep track of calories and sometimes you eat something that you have no idea what calories are in it.

30 days of more water, less caffeine :: I have been drinking far too little water lately. I rely mostly on coffee in the a.m. and then unsweet tea with water coming in last. My goal is to get at least 60 oz of water a day.

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I want to challenge myself, but I want to be realistic too.  I know I won’t eat at home every meal, but I’m shooting for at least 3-4 dinners a week at home and less breakfast trips to Panera (their roasted tomato & feta souffle is SO delicious!).  I’m not really going to berate myself too much if I don’t stick to this as long as I can count my calories and stay around goal, I’ll call it a win.

I’m starting tomorrow (no time like the present!), October 28th.  Which as it so happens, is exactly 31 days before Thanksgiving so I can get through my 30 days and then eat my little heart out the next day.  It couldn’t have lined up any more perfect for my little OCD/perfectionist mind!

I desperately NEED some accountability, which I’m hoping to get just by blogging about it, but I’d also love to have some company during this 30 days!  Either in spirit, or by sending me a message or leaving a comment and letting me know you are joining.  Even if you start late, you can still join in!

*We all have different things we need to work on.  This is my personal 30 day challenge.  Joining me doesn’t mean you have to follow my same challenge.  You can choose only part of what I’m doing or completely make up your own!  Doesn’t matter what you follow for 30 days, we can still be each others accountability partner!  🙂

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Tools to keep me on track…

myfitnesspal :: an online tool and also a mobile app to track calories.  If you haven’t used this site, I highly recommend it. Makes counting calories a little less painful.

lift :: an iphone app and online community to track how many days in a row that you work out and offer support in reaching your goals

Waterlogged or Plant Nanny :: iphone apps that helps you track your water intake.  Waterlogged is a clean/simple design and it’s free in the app store, but if you’re looking for a cute/whimsical way to keep track of your water, Plant Nanny ($.99) may be the way to go.

Polar HR monitor & Polar Beat app :: I love seeing how many calories I’m burning.  Nothing like instant gratification!  If you don’t have an iphone, there are many other Polar HR monitors that work with their watches to keep track of your calories burned.

C25K & Sign up for a race :: I started the Couch-to-5k challenge again when I got back on my workout wagon, but since I need some accountability to keep me on my C25K schedule I am going to sign up for a 5k or 10k (depending on how far out the race is and what the local race schedule looks like).

Meal/Workout planning :: I’m not a huge fan of planning, but I know that when I schedule something, I usually get it done. So, much to my dismay, I’m going to plan my workouts for the week on Sunday and plan at least a few days of dinners.  Of course, I know that I won’t always be able to stick with the plan and sometimes I’ll have to improvise, but at least I’ll have an idea of what I’m doing most of the time and I can schedule the rest of my day with fitness included instead of my workouts being an afterthought.  I plan on using something similar to this to schedule my workouts/dinners.  Simple is best.  I just need something to write what’s for diner and what my workout is going to be.

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Hmm.  I think that’s all the apps/tools I’ll be using, but I’ll add to the list if I think of more.  Sorry that they are mostly iphone apps.  I’m an iphone user so those are the apps I use, but I’m sure there are similar ones on other platforms.

Comments

  1. Jo says:

    i already track calories but its not regular. i did it for long enough that i can estimate reasonably now, but i also care less about staying exactly on a certain number. i’ll gladly join you in drinking more water! i think i’m doing a terrible job at it so far, and i know drinking more water can only do good things for my skin and hair and overall health. i’ll be sure to check in next time you update about this project so now we’re accountable to each other. great idea!

    • Welcome Jo! I’m happy to have another accountability partner! Counting calories most definitely sucks. Thanks for checking in! 🙂

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