It does not matter if you have gained ... maintained ... or lost in the past. Put that behind you.
Today is a NEW BEGINNING ... a new challenge... a new chance to work at improving your way of life. So everyone needs to wipe your slate clean. Throw away any guilt you may be carrying. Cast away any doubts. It is time to START ANEW !!!!
Today... January 1st 2005.... step on the scale,write down your weight and start at where you are.... as of today.
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GOAL
Our goal of this event is to estabalish new, healthy and weight loss behavior...While having a little fun.
For some of us this is a CHALLENGE.
We don't like the pressure of a contest, but we do want to challenge ourselves so we can improve our results.
For others of us this is a CONTEST.
We enjoy a little competition and it gives us that little extra push to do MORE.
We not only are competeing against others... we are competeing against our former selves.
Then for some of us this is merely a TOOL.
A tool to use to discipline ourselves. A tool to improve our behavior. A tool to change our bad habits.
We don't have to analyze which aspect we are doing this for.
We just want to utilize it.
--------------------------------------------------- There are 4 main parts to this competition.
FOOD
We need to first "define" what our food plan is.
You may choose any food plan of your choice or make up your own.
It is our goal to have a safe and sane plan of eating.
REMEMBER....What we eat is as important as what we don't eat.
After you have determined your food plan ... record it on the first page of your new journal.
Then each day record your success at following your plan .... either the naughty for no ...or NICE for yes.
WATER
In almost every book, article, or diet .... WATER is an important part of weight loss SUCCESS. We are to drink a minimum of 64 oz of water per day.
Again... each day you record your water goal success on Santa's checklist.
EXERCISE
Exercise is not only good for your weight loss efforts... it is also good for your physical, mental and spiritual health too. Our goal is to exercise a minimum of 20 minutes per day.
Hopefully your exercise program will include both strength training and aerobic. For some of us... it is just getting off the couch and moving.
But the choice of exercise is up to you. Some of us may have to start with 2 sessions of 10 minutes each.
Don't forget the FUN exercises too. Swimming, bowling, dancing, biking, golf, horseback riding, walking the dogs to name only a few.
Once again...NO...you do not get to count "making whoopee". It is FUN.... great exercise.... and good for the heart.... but it does NOT count toward your minimum 20 minutes.... Sorry.
Be sure to mark your snowflake or drip list for exercise.
Last but not least is to JOURNAL.
We already have recorded our food plan on page one.
And we are recording what we eat each day... and HOW MUCH we eat too.
We are keeping track of our water intake.
BUT... we all know how many of us eat to stuff feelings... or to celebrate feelings ... AND WE EAT WHEN WE ARE STRESSED !!!!! Winter is a prime time for depression or boredom eating. Overeating is as much a MIND GAME as a food problem. A weight loss attempt that does not deal with our emotions is like a three legged stool with only two legs. It is doomed to fall.
So ... we need to write about our feelings.
It can be as simple as MAD / GLAD / SAD. ?? ...or STRESSED ????
It can be as detailed as you want/need.
The important thing is to WRITE it out.
Maybe write out a gratitude list each day.
Okay... to summarize... we are keeping track of our ACTIONS.
The first step of action we want to do today is weigh ourselves.
Then we want to record it in our new JOURNAL..
Write out our game plan concerning our food and our exercise.
We then follow that game plan.
We need to drink plenty of water.
And we need to WRITE about our day.
That pretty much sums it up.
We are "learning" a new way of life here.
We are "learning" a new way to eat.... and a new way to live....
a new way to deal with Christmas.
Our old ways DID NOT WORK.
Okay ladies...
Let's take this opportunity to CHANGE the things we did in the past.
Let's DO what needs to be done.
Let's WANT IT bad enough to take the ACTION needed to succeed.
So, give yourself a snowflake for each of the four actions you do each day. Give yourself a drip for each that you don't accomplish. You'll have to track your own this month.
Bonus:
2 points for losing the full 2 pounds on our first 2x2 challenge (begins 1/3/05 and ends on 1/17/05)
2 points if you made a contract with yourself for 2005. You don't have to do it on the thread or make it public.
2 points if, at the end of January, you can say to yourself that you have remained committed to your contract and have actively worked to fulfilling your contract for the whole month.
2 points if have tried something that you haven't tried before. A new, harder exercise? A new healthier food? Something that your weight was holding you back? This one is about setting the bar higher for yourself and going for it. You have all month to earn this one.
2Cute - I hope you don't mind that I copied from your Christmas challenge. Its just that you have put too much work into the challenges to let us off the hook for a whole month.
I hope I didn't step on any toes.
If anyone has ideas for bonus points, just jump right in. I was toying with giving bonus points for those who were living by their contract at the end of January (or even knew where it was!!) but didn't know how to word it.
{{{ HUGS }}} Terri ... thank you soooo much. !!!! You did NOT step on my toes at all. I TRULY appreciate you helping me out. I felt sooo bad that I was letting people down... but I just couldn't get it done. THANK YOU !!! THANK YOU !!! THANK YOU !!!!!
You did GREAT !!! The snowflakes idea is GREAT !!!
My theme was going to be based on Snowmen.
Snowflakes and snowmen go hand in hand.
You're on a roll... keep it going.
And again... thank you.
Oh yeah... count me in.
PS ... I got a huge laugh from the "drip"
I dont know how well it would work, but 2cute have you ever thought about just making one "image" of the snowflake/snowmen/whatever theme on your computer.. then uploading it and allowing whoever wants to participate just to print out the image?
I think it would save you a lot of time (and money?) and if someone doesn't have a working printer - they could just open it in Paint or something and edit it in there
Just a thought! I dont know how well it'd work but oh well :P
in fact, I just caught up on why its all being delayed
if everyone wants, I can see what I can do to create the "challenge image" if its needed.. I'm an "artist" so I'm sure I could whip up something.. just all let me know. I know the challenges have helped me to realize my failures and successes and keep a check on myself - so if its beneficial to others I'm willing to do what I can.
Please count me in on this challenge also i did not do so good with the christmas one but i am determined to lose now and get back on track ............
cd i think you have a wonderful idea i was thinking the same thing ........
Okay, today is Day One for me!!! I've had an OP breakfast and have lunches and snacks packed. On the way to the health club to exercise, and my new journal is all ready to be written in!!!
Cd ... you are welcome to go ahead with the January Challlenge.
I know your way is probably the best way... I am just not computer literate enough to know how. :duh:
I am reserving the Feb challenge for me .... I have one planned themed around the Spring Fling to encourage everyone to attend.
January Snowflake Challenge
