*~* Easter Challenge: Spring Into Motion *~*
 

Welcome to the third challenge for 2004! Whether you are a returning Challenge Chickie, or new to the group, welcome!
:encore:

Spring is here, believe it or not, and we're moving into warmer weather...time to "Spring Into Motion" and kick up the exercise. The weather is improving- it's time for outdoor walks, bike rides, playing with the kids and pets. Or indoors, avoiding the April Showers and getting ready for summer and shorts weather.

Whatver your program, whatever your fitness level, you can participate.
Post your goal for the month of April, and join us for support and encouragement. Anyone is welcome to join us- please, make yourself at home.

This Challenge thread is being set up as a place where we can all come to share our progress, our struggles, our triumphs, and to cheer on those who are committed to a healthier lifestyle, and to just talk!

Let the challenge begin!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Want a cool Easter Challenge Avatar? Click here!

Thank you Jennifer
 

I am so excited to be doing this this month. I can't wait to get my goals and approaches down on paper (that's the way we do it in the medical field...gotta have a way to get to that goal!)

So I will be thinking about that and will post tomorrow sometime!

Don't let anyone fool you...into thinking you are anything less than what your potential is!!

All right! We're up & running!
 

Okay! Whew! Now that everything's up & running & a little housekeeping is done, I can call it a night. In the morning, I'll be posting my goals, as I get them in order- food, water, and exercise.

I did measure tonight, but I am going to re-do the biggies in the morning so I can calculate the total loss for the last challenge, and get a starting point for this one.

Morning agenda: get up too early, potty, weigh, check measurements, then 1 mile WATP, no matter what. Tazer me if I check in & haven't done it- seriously!

See everyone in the morning! :D

YIPPEE!

:cp:


A challenge. I am so glad I joined a few days ago and can start this challenge with everyone.

Here are my goals:

1. Each week do the following:
2. Work out 5 times a week
3. Increase my time on the treadmill every week
4. Loose 10 pounds (maybe more!)
5. Be healthier!

:goodscale

Hooray!
 

I've only been here a couple of days (lurking around in the journal area) but I was happy to see there is a challenge I can start tomorrow. I need motivation big time, and I love this site. I can't wait to get started. I'm in!

Now...do I need to post measurements or weight or what? I'm not sure how this works...

Update from Spring Fling Challenge
 

Hi chickies...I did my measurements this morning and although there wasn't a HUGE loss, I did lose about 7 inches total! That's a great thing! I also am down 6.5 lbs from Feb 21. Now, that's 6.5 lbs that I am NOT gonna see again! Yipee! Total weight loss since January is 9.5 lb.s I'm gonna get that .5 lbs off in the next week or so here! I swear!!!

Morning exercise already: bike 30 minutes

Gotta get ready for work, so I will check in later today with my goals for this challenge!

Have a great day all!

Good Morning, Chickies!
 

Good Morning! It's a brand new month, and I'm excited about the new challenge, and a new start- time to kick it into high gear now. :smug:

Welcome, Sylvia and Beckifer! It's great to see some new faces! You'll find an incredible group of women here- they never cease to amaze me!

Sylvia, your goals look great! Very acheivable!

Beckifer, I suggest taking measurements & weighing today, so that you have a start point for the challenge. There will be awards for pounds lost, inches off, meeting goals. Then, pick a few things to work on for the month. Whether it's sticking to your food plan, increasing exercise, getting your water in- it can be anything that you need to work on. I'll be listing my goals in a few minutes

Julie- 7 inches is great! See, you were building muscle with all that exercise, so you lost fat but built up your lean muscle. Excellent! :) I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.

I'll be back in a few with my goals!

My Easter Challenge Goals
 

My Goals....

Food:
*Stay on plan
*Only deviance will be 1 work lunch 4/7 and 2 dinners out with hubby

Water:
*96 oz water before I leave work each day

Exercise:
*Every work day morning- 1 mile WATP or 30 minutes on the bike
*Afternoon exercise- Upper body, lower body, or bike as scheduled
*Weekends: 10 miles on the bike, minimum

I'm printing this up to keep at my desk, and on the fridge, and on my nighttable- to keep me focused & motivated. Got my first 24oz of water that I'm sipping now... :coffee:

Time to hit the journals, post my measurements, and get to work- at least for a little while. Have a great day, chickies!

Ok, count me in too
 

It's April one and I'm joining the challenge. I am new on my diet and not sure how to set it but here goes.

1. Exercise by walking on my treadmill Mon - Sat 20 Minutes
2 Increase by 5 min till it reachs 30 min
3. Walk minimum of 15 on Sunday
4. Drink my 8 glasses of Water daily
5. Lose at least 8 lbs by 1 May
6. Do my reading and research into emotional eating
7. Find at least 1 additional exercise to add to overall exercise plan, and do it a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 15 minutes.


Okay gang, I've copied this to my word program and will print it out and watch go over it each day. I just happened to measure myself today for the first time, so I didn't add that in, but will see what changes/losses in a month.

Good luck to all and keep at it.

Magmouth

Hi! I am Cindi, SAHM to 7 children ranging from 18mos to 18y and also an In Home Childcare Provider. I just joined the site last weekend and am excited about this challenge. I have T2 Diabetes and am working hard to get my blood sugar levels under control in a hurry, so this is perfect timing for me, as exercise is the key to making that happen.

I am not following any particular plan, kinda winging it for now by eating less sugar, less carbs and generally just much more healthy than I have been in recent months.

My goals are:

3 balanced meals and 2 snacks daily

64 oz of water to start, then need to increase.

Exercise daily, even just 15 minutes is better than none. Heck, for me, 5 is a much needed improvement :o

Take daily meds DAILY!!!!

Get enough sleep, I need it and I deserve it!!

15 minutes minimum of "Me Time" daily. I have spent so much time taking care of everone else that I have neglected myself for far too long. Stress also elevates blood sugar, so this might help.

As you can see, I have lots to work on, but I can do it with a little help from my friends. I AM WORTH IT!

Thanks for the motivation!!Looking forward to getting to know you all better!!
Cindi

HW 235/CW 220.5/GW150 short term...199!! :D :lol:

Hi Magnolia Cindi! Welcome! Glad to have you both on board with us!

Your goals look really good- great idea to build up the excercise, especially if you're just starting out.

Magnolia- as far as the emotional eating, have you checked out the Skinny Daily Post? Here's a link to it- http://www.skinnydaily.com. There are some great journal exercises geared to figuring out your triggers. I've only know about that site since January, but I can get lost reading through the archives.

Cindi, I'd kill for 15 minutes of me time! :D With 7 kids, I'm surprised you have 15 seconds to yourself! Anytime you need to steal a few minutes away, we're here!

Ok, really getting to work now! I'll catch everyone later! ;)

Hello Chicks and Peeps (and all you Jelly Beans as well)
 

:flow1: Mostly checking to see if my new avatar is working. I had to make it really small to fit. I'm excited about a new challenge as well. I'm trying to shake things up a bit and do things differently. I'm hoping Spring will spring up some weight loss (and maybe that new job I've been hunting). Mary in WV

Just wanted to let y'all know I'm in. I'll think about what my goals for the month should be tonight and check back in tomorrow.

Good luck and work hard!

Count me in Ladies!!!!!!!
 

[FONT=Tahoma][COLOR=Blue][SIZE=4]
Well, I'm just starting this thing --- again. For 12 days I have been eating healthy (except for Sonic once & McD once)... Drinking water was added after 7 days, and now I suppose it's time for the exercise... I'm gonna start out by walking, but may end up joining the gym. I used to love the machine that you stood on & put your leg over this bar & pulled down, working the glutte's... I'm tired of all the dimples on my butt! :dizzy:
I haven't lost nay pounds yet, but I have hope, and Iknow if I keep doing what I'm doing, I will. I did before, just this way, well, with exercise. Gotta do that.

My goals for the month will be:
- Stay OP with food - Approx 1200 calories per day, low fat
- Stay OP with H20 - Approx 1.5 - 2 L per day
AND:
- START exercise, regardless of what it is, 15 min. at least per day
- STOP weighing every day!
- Lose 3 pounds by Easter, 4/11/04

Okay, here's hoping y'all! Hoping I can stay upbeat and trust my Higher Power for help when I can't do it alone!
I think He works through others, so that's this board for me right now! Thanks all for being here, look forward to this month!!!!!!!!!
Stefanie :tread:

Sign me up!
 

I am really excited to run across this challenge. It is just what I needed! I am ready to get serious and down to business! :drill:

My goals for the upcoming weeks are as follows:
1.) Drink lots of water!
~This is so hard for me! I know I need to do it, so it's first on my list!
2.) Exercise at least three times a week.
~I have all the latest DVD's...all still in plastic. I need to break them out
and use them! :strong:
3.) Eat well and healthy...
~I am a compulsive eater so I really need to control my emotions and
stress so I don't overeat. THIS IS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO
DO! :moo:

I will support everyone along the way! I know we can do this together! It is nice to have this support system here! :angel:

Thanks!

P.S. Is there a particular day to post progress reports?

I'm In...
 

:flow1: :sunny: :dancer: :flow1: :sunny:
I am IN!!!
:cb:
I joined this site this weekend and have met a buddy, we chat daily, I also have been posting on stay at home mom's thread. I'll join this one too.
I'm a stay at home mom of 3. 5y, almost 3y and 16m. I homeschool. I've lost 3 pounds already this week. I don't follow a plan, I just make better, healthier choices. I'm a sugaraholic and a snacker. :cookie: :m:

My goals for April:
Lose 5 lbs. by Easter :chockiss:
Start and keep an exercise regimen for at least 5 days a week :tread:
Start and keep my better eating choices :hungry:
drink at least 8 glasses of water a day :spin:
To lose a total of 15 lbs. by the end of April :goodscale

SW/CW/1GW/2GW
210/207/145/125

YEAH!!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU AND CHECK IN OFTEN!!! WTG!!! :goodluck: :goodluck:

Hey, I lost 50 lbs in one week!!!! j/k April fools and all that but really.

I'm new here and I am serious about loosing weight and getting in shape.
I goal this month is to be able to go shopping on 4/30/04 and get a new pair of jeans that are smaller than the ones I got now..

One thing that seams to be working for me is to drink a large glass of water or ice tea no suger first thing in the morning and not eat anything until I have been to work for at least 1/2 hr. at which time I usually like to have some home made low or no carb soup tomato based, but today I stooped low and had Campbells chicken gumbo at 150 cals. two hours later I like to have a large cup of hot green tea with lemon.
Lunch time I like to have a whole wheat tortilla with whatever filling,
like yesterday it was a little left over steak sliced thin with low fat sour cream and salsa and salad greens with green salad on the side with low fat Italian dressing and 1/2 avacado.
two hrs later I have my apple and some water through out the day.
I also sip on some low salt V8 I keep in the refrigerator.
When I get home from work I'm not starving and I feel like I have lots of energy to do all that massave pile of house work and cooking...
I do walk a lot and try to walk fast enough and far enough to get my heart rate up..

so have your fingers crossed for me so I can get those new jeans... ok?
you know I have my fingers crossed for you I really do.. :cool:

new to this
 

I am new to this, but I really like it. I have been writing in the journal area. It really helps me stay motivated.
Goals for April:
1. Exercise 20 times for the month.
2. Lose 5 pounds.
3. Save WW Flex points each weeks.
4. Be kind to myself each day.

:cb: IM IN :D :strong:

My goals...
1. Dring more water every day. :cp:
2. Join the Gym, and take the 4 mile walk with mike every sunday:) :tread:
3. Loose 10 lbs :goodscale:

WE CAN DO IT :cheer: :cheer: :cb: :cb:

I learned today when i :goodscale: i dont look at if i lost anything im just :cb: :D when i dont gain my weight back. And if i Loose... :cb: :flow1:

Sorry i just learned about the ;) and im havin fun. Well i go to WW tonight wish me luck:)

:cb::cp::cb:

Hey!! Of course, I'm in. *G*

Kinda in a hurry to go work out right now (or finish, anyway...), but here's my basic goals.

Workout goals:

Bike for 20 min, 4x/week.
Stepper (with increased resistance, which I JUST discovered!) at least 3x/week w/ weights.
At the VERY MINIMUM, 500 situps per day.
4 1-mile walks per week, MINIMUM!! (Starting next week, because daylight savings is sunday)

Food goals:

Drink my darn water!! (that's at least 70 oz/day)
Take my vitamins! EVERY DAY!

Here's my other goals:

ST: 235
CW: 161
GW: 125 (I'm 5'1")

Starting Size: 22
CS: 13/14/15 (depending...)
GS: 9/10

Time I need to reach my goal: By July 1, 2004. My best friend is getting married on the 23rd of July and I need to be there, by then, no excuses!! (All the rest of her bridesmaids are a size 0, 2, 4, and 8. I don't wanna be a 15 then!)

A li'l background info on me, for those of ya who don't know me. :) Welcome to the challenge, first!! We always need more awesome chickies in these!!! :D
I'm 21, 5'1", and I'm a transcriptionist.

My goal for this challenge, in specific, is to drop from a size 13/14 to a size 11/12, or, if I am superJess, a size 10!! (that would be a dream, my friends!)

Hope everybody is having a wonderful day!! We can do it!! Yay for us!! :D

500 situps, how do you do that? I get 80 and i cant go further....:cb:

500 situps... Sigh
 

I have GOT to start exercising y'all........... Gonna start walking after work today. Might walk to the tanning salon? Or not. I thought I'd use my ME time for walking but I really like to go home & :comp: while I :coffee: -------- Oh, I do'nt know.... All I know is if I don't get MOVING I'm not gonna start losing. 12 days & no loss yet....... :yikes:

Stef

don't worry Stef, you will start to loose. maybe it just takes time to get into new habits and you can adjust your diet as the days go by until you do start to see results, the walking is a good idea..
I park a long way from where I work so I am at least getting two 10 min walks a day and then when I walk at lunch it works out to be 20 more min, and that is helpful. also I found a restroom in my work area that is farther away then the other one and it is up a long flight of stairs so I do that rest room now.
but every little thing helps right?

Wow!!! What a Turnout!
 

Wow, Wow, Wow! What a great turnout! It's so nice to see all these new faces in addition to the returning chickes from the Spring Fling Challenge.
:cheer:
Welcome to the group, Stefanie, Myrtle, Crystal, Partytime, Mksme123, and Oreo! Make yourself at home- you're now part of an incredible group of women- Yeah, I'm a little biased, but they really are great! We're happy to have you all aboard! :encore:

Welcome back to Mary, 2sw33t, and LucyKittyJess! Glad to see you return. I also hear from NorthernClipper- she'll be joining us when she can, but please, just send good thoughts her way.
:grouphug:

If I miss you, I promise, it's because I took notes in a hurry & well...I'm lucky I can read my own writing right now! I wanted to get in here once before the day was over- starting this at 3:30- who knows how long this will take :dizzy:

Mary- hope that the job situation shakes itself into place for you, and that this is your month. Rock on, Turtle woman. And I love that avatar- what a fine portrait, my friend!

2sw33t- Are you settled into your new place yet? Is unpacking considered cardio? ;) Looking forward to seeing your goals.

Stefanie- Welcome! Goals look real good, but I know I'd be hung up on the weighing one. :lol: I can get a little obsessed with that- I want to see some kind of change, even if it's a 10th of a pound on the digital scale. I'm nuts- I'll admit it. (That's not a bad thing, right??) And you're so right about getting moving- I put 2.2 pounds on in on by eating right-everything was right on target-just didn't exercise for about 10 days. I know this month, I can't slack, even for a weekend!

Myrtle- Welcome! We really never had a set day to announce losses- since we're all following different plans,and have different weigh in days, etc, I say, if you have a loss, post it & flaunt it anytime! :D We've got awards to give out for pounds lost, or inches lost (since the scale isn't always our best friend, right ladies?) At the end of the month, we'll recap our losses and successes, and celebrate. Which DVDs are you using?

Crystal- Welcome! I feel your pain with the snacking & sugary things. If I touch one cookie, it may as well be the entire bag. Chocolate chip are bad, but then, I can hear the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies 3 houses over calling to me. ;) What types of exercise are you planning?

Partytime- Welcome! New Jeans shopping is always a great reward. Anything you're doing besides your food plan? LOL @ 50 pound loss- even if my butt fell off, it wouldn't be 50 pounds. ;)

Mksme123- Welcome! I especially like goal #4- something I know I can forget to do waaay too often. :) Excellent mindset, chickie!

Oreo17- Welcome! You made me smile with all those dancing bananas- I swear, they look like they are doing aerobics. :lol: And I agree, even no loss is better than a gain- holding steady means we're on the right track, at least. Which gym are you looking into?

LucyKitty- you are going to have abs of titanium by the end of this month. Holy poop, girl! Oh, to be young and flexible again. 1 size should be very doable, especially with all that activity. I'm tired just thinking about all those situps. Now I need a nap.

I think that's everyone...and it's 4pm now...gotta go refill this glass of water, hit the ladies room, and return some phone calls. Have a great one, ladies!

^^^UHHH Jennifer,,, read my post again and I said j/k april fools day on the 50 lb loss.. sorry about that, I like to joke for april fools day.
but really I had lost 10 so far and that has been a struggle from the end of October and to now. But I am trying harder than ever and so I am going to get those new jeans and probably new :o underware..
thanks for the nice welcome, I look forward to the challange and exchanging ideas with all you nice ladies... :^:

Partytime, that's ok- I was kidding you back, chickie. Good to have you here!

I am up for the Easter Challenge
 

I need all the challenges I can , to make sure I stay on track

PS how do you get the picture under your name? This is new to me!

Oreo - I used to do 'em for fun... I know, I'm crazy. :D It comes from months and months of work! You'll get up there, just keep workin' at it!!

Stef - If you aren't accustomed to working out every day, then you won't have the motivation right away. :) It's a really lame thing, but to get that motivation, you hafta kick your butt into gear and start working out. After a few days, you look forward to it!! :D Also, try working out a little bit in the morning, right after you get up. That gives me a lot of energy to deal with the day. You'll get there!!

Okay, so I'm at 300 situps now (after my 20 min on the bike) and eating my lunch. I'm done with just over 50 oz of water -- WOOHOO!! I snuck in some cyrstal light with lunch, and since it's got no sugar and is mostly water, I consider it water. :P

It is so beautiful today!! Sunny, warm, and they just cut the grass, so it smells awesome, too. Argh!! And I have 5 tapes to do?! They'll never get done at this rate. *G*

I can't believe how many new chickies have signed up for this challenge!!! WTG, you guys!! I'm totally proud of you all!

you just go into your user cp top left, and go in and set your avatar..
its just that easy... :p

I called all the local places. I decided on my parents gym. They have a pool and classes and all teh stuff. Plus ive been there 5 different memberships before lol. AND i learned since im taking ONE college class i get 50 % off. SO 25 dollars a month and 30 joining. I was like way cool. So im going to go in the mornings with my mom:)

Thanks for teh support and i go to class and WW tonight will check in again later..:)

Have had 6 glasses of water, this is getting easy... lol i try not to think about it...

Thanks Partytime!!!
 

I now have my easter frock on!!!

My April Goals
 

I love this idea - thanks Jennifer! Ok, here's my goals:

1. Stay on SBD
2. Cardio 4-6 times each week
3. Weights 3 times each week
4. Increase (and make it habit) drinking water
5. Lose at least 6% body fat (I'll be happy with a skinnier tummy)

I can't go by weight, I get to caught up in the scale, so if I ignore it and just go for the body fat I can do this.

Good luck everybody!

What about me??????
 

:wave:
Hey...did you forget about your ole pal, Jules??? C'mon chickie! I'm your #1 fan...did ya forget??? :lol:

Still working on my goals! Sigh! I'll get them on here eventually, but for now...

SW: 181.5
CW: 172
Challenge Goal Weight: 165...that's 8 lbs., right?
Ultimate Stellar Goal Weight: 130

Will finish reading all these posts and then check back in!

Angel, is that your doggie? Cute pic!

Lil Daughter.. Mom2 is here!
 

Jen~ I have decided to join. I don't have as many Dr appointments now and hopefully can spend more time on the PC. Sooooo................................
My measurements for April 1st:
WEIGHT 173
NECK 15
SHOULDERS 43.75
BUST 45
WAIST 42.5
HIPS 44.5
UP. ARM 12.5
FOREARM 10
THIGH 19.75
CALF 13.5
I wanted to post them so I have them handy. Now for my goals :dizzy:
!-D pedals 5x's a week
2-Do the yoga 2x's a week
3-Keep the water level more even
4-Keep my food journal up to date
5-Keep my written journal up to date
6-Do my cards
7-Read my Ralph Marston with the music ON and use the time for meditation
I was doing all this and more so I should be able to get this under my belt and keep it there!! :lol:
Good luck to us all and thanks Jen for the Challenge ideas!!!

Ok, calories for today are now up a little bit. My bad tooth (need a root canal, someday when I have the money to get one...) is giving me ANOTHER migraine, so I'm taking a narcotic painkiller, and that means I have to eat something with it. I'm gonna do 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream, because it calms my tummy and makes the nausea go away. So... that ups me to just over 1500 cals for the day, but that's ok. Could be worse. I could have baked a cake and eaten half of it. :lol:

Anyway... I know I post a lot, but if I write it down, then I'm being honest to myself. If I end up being dishonest with myself, what's that going to get me? A whole lot of nothing is what!!

Other than that, my longest tape today was an interpreter tape, which is my FAVORITE tape to type! I just hit play, and type every few seconds. :D They're longer, but they get me the same amount of pages in half the work!! I am so lazy. :lol: Anyway... hope you guys havin an awesome day!!

Angel: awww CUTE!! :D
Julie: Darn right you're joining this one!! Since we have basically the same goal, I just discovered, you had better be joining if I am!! :D Besides that, if you weren't here, who would bring out that tazer!? :)

Not my doggie
 

But I sure thought it was a great picture to motivate me thru the easter challenge...it reminds me of me if I was a dog..just a little wacked!

I have a huge Black Great Dane Lab Mix...perfect combination it appears..we adopted him!

Hi from Lucia...count me in!
 

Goals! Finally!
 

I reviewed my goals from the last challenge and found that I didn't reach all of them, but I did work hard at it and did manage to meet some of them. I need to continue to realize that this is a LIFETIME change and I didn't learn these habits overnight (thus goal #1). I didn't have a weight goal last time because I found that the first challenge I did and I just got discouraged when I couldn't meet it. This time around, I have a better idea of what my body is able (willing?) to do with this weight and what it takes to get there! These have been invaluable lessons and I would have never learned them if I hadn't participated in the last two challenges. They have really kept me motivated!

I have finally sat down and written out my goals and will revise/update as needed throughout this challenge! They are as follows!
Goals (or things to do) for the Easter-Spring into Motion Challenge:

1.Remember to be gentle with myself daily/hourly, allowing for my human side but also remembering why it is that I am making sacrifices: lose weight & get healthy & fit! (Hiking!)
2.Plan weekly menus (generally)
3.Exercise daily in the morning-30 minutes; twice on Saturday or Sunday.
4.Drink 64-80 oz. Water daily
5.Spend 2-3 nights after work outdoors with daughter
6.Ultimate weight goal for this challenge (end of April?): to be in the 160’s and stay there!

I'm so happy to see MEL here!!! YEA! :dancer: :cp: :flow2: OK, that's enough...don't want your head to swell! :lol:

It is great to see so many NEW faces and some of the old ones, too! What a great group we have got going this time around. I am counting on lots of inspiring/motivational words encouragement from all of you and promise I will give it back, too!! All the way to the end!!
:bravo: :cb: :dancer: :twirly: :cheer:

Here's to a great start with this challenge... :cheers:

LOL...Lucy, you are too funny! Where is Lisa??? You know she has used that tazer more than me...and usually ON me! Jennifer just threatens it...she's such a pushover!! ;) I only bring that thing out when absolutely necessary!
Catch you in the morning!