Okay, gang, I'm shamelessly ripping off 2Cute's February Challenge--AND I'm making you do most of the work. But the February road trip was a lot of fun, don't you think? And we're getting so far into March, it's really time to start.
So here's what I'm thinking: You choose your own trip. It could be the U.S., as in the February challenge, to pick up as many members of 300+ as you can. Or you could just drive cross country, trying to visit all the states, drive around Europe, wherever you like. If you want to fly, you'll have to use BONUS points (see below).
So the first thing you need is a MAP. I'll do a separate posting with some links to places you could find a MAP... or just grab one you've already got.
Then you need a way to record the steps in your journey. In the February challenge, 2Cute was wonderful enough to send us little car stickers. If you can find them, those are fun. Or you could draw little cars. Or just use plain white-dot stickers. Or whatever you like. The point is, you earn up to four "cars" daily:
1 for following your defined eating plan (NO CHEATING)
1 for drinking at least 64 oz. of water
1 for exercising at least 20 minutes
1 for journalling your food/exercise/emotions
Each week (Sun-Sat), you can also earn bonus cars:
1 for reading a chapter of a diet/nutrition/fitness book
1 for posting on one of the 300+ threads daily
You can also earn bonus cars for:
2 cars for losing your 2 pounds for the 2x2 ending March 14
2 cars for losing your 2 pounds for the 2x2 ending March 28
2 cars for weighing less on March 31 than you do on March 6
At the beginning of the journey, you should tell us all where you plan to go, and then keep us updated over the course of the trip. For those who can show us their maps, please do: everyone enjoys seeing your progress.
Here begins the shameless ripping off....
It does not matter if you gained...maintained... or lost weight in the past. Put that behind you.
Today is a
NEW BEGINNING .. a new challenge ... a new chance to improve 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 !!!!
By Sunday, March 6 .... step on the scale
:
write down your weight
and start at where you are....
as of today.
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GOAL
Our goal for this event is to establish 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.
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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
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.
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.
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 !!!!!
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....
Our old ways DID NOT WORK.
Okay ladies...
Let's take this opportunity to
CHANGEany mistakes of the past.
Let's
DO what needs to be done.
Let's WANT IT bad enough to take the
ACTION needed to succeed.
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Good Luck my fellow travelers.
Angela (with Shameless Ripoffs from 2Cute)