Does anyone want to have a six week challenge? Let's see how much weight we can lose in 6 weeks?

I'll join....sort of. I'll pledge to stay on plan and exercise a minimum of 5X a week. That's my goal for the year. I went knowingly into the abyss for Christmas and I am NOT hopping on the scales to see how much damage was done, so I won't have a starting weight to put down. For Christmas and on vaca and visiting with my family, it was worth it to me to go off and even if I gained a few pounds, it was just a blip on the radar and I am adjusting already. I think I would've really been bummed out not to do the traditional holiday food thing.

Now back on track and hoping to be at 175 by July 1. That reallys isn't very much weight, but i am focusing again on the process of eating well and exercising often so that when I am wickedly busy over the summer and this coming fall I have better habits and can make good choices.

Today is my new Day 1 and I am on plan. I made a 3 week menu and grocery list before I left for holiday so it would be easy to come home and get started. We are trying to use less car gas and expanding on something we did last spring...so will be walking to the grocery store in a little while to get some cans of veg for Robert. it takes care of two things at once, getting out to buy food and also doing exercise...it is uphill the whole way there! When the weather is good, we can ride our bicycles like we did last spring.

Barb

Hi there, count me in! But mine will be an exercise challenge, being I'm at GOALIO, Are you A-ok with that & me being here?

6 weeks will be a good START to getting back my PIPES! I'm saddened my PIPES have deflated somewhat, due to lack of weightlifting as I have been nursing an injury for many many months! Grrrrr.... injuries SUCK! : But I am now healed, yeah! TODAY is my official GREEN light to pick up my favorite hobby (weightlifting) once again & my plan is to ease back into lifting HEAVY again by mid YEAR without injuries.. With 6 weeks till VD day, I'd love to start transforming my PIPES & getting my GUNS back to where they were prior to my injury. The past several months I've been focusing on lower body & I'm happier with my new lower body strength. As of TODAY, I'm also back doing 100 push-ups a day which adds definition!
http://hundredpushups.com/

Day 1: ACCOMPLISHED!
weightlifting 1/2 hr (just starting out with 2- 10 lbers, I don't want to lift too heavy, too fast.... so I'm easing into it!)
100 push up
1 hr treadmill on incline

~Wendalyn, age 43

Wendalyn, I am jealous. I think ;-) I know one of these days I should start doing some kind of toning stuff, but 100 pushups sounds like it might as well be a million. How did you get started? I have a history of a bulging disc in my lower back, so I worry about doing strength/toning/core stuff incorrectly and re-injuring myself. And I can't imagine going to the gym...EVER!

Barb

Hi Barb,
Start slowly, I have a bulging disc in my neck, so I can relate. Maybe try doing 5 pushups, then continue to add a few more a day. I started at 25 several years back, worked up to 50, now I can crank the 100, they are not super easy, but I getter done. I used to do pushups in highschool, cough cough 26 years ago.... Maybe start out doing the girly style on your knees if your back is messed up.

I'm an exercise freak, I love the adrenalin rush, I sweat it out at my home gym, where I mix things up from kickboxing, treadmill, exercise bike, glider, weights, etc. so I never get bored. IMHO, exercise is KEY to building a fit & fabulous bod & it does your body and soul good! I honestly still feel like I am 18 & I've been told I don't even look 30! I certainly don't act my age either!

Best of luck on your Goals!

You ladies are AWESOME! This challenge could be anything that you'd like it to be....diet, exercise, getting more veggies in, drinking more water....WHATEVER you want it to be..make it your own.

My goals:

Start lifting...(Wendalyn I may need your help on this one!)
Lose ten lbs. by Valentines Day and enjoy Feb 15 hard core because that is my BIRTHDAY!
Eat clean again!

I'm a fitness instructor that has fallen off the wagon. It is so hard to stand in front of 40 people every day that you know are sizing you up. I give a great group X class, so my confidence isn't lacking there...but I'd like to walk the walk. Here I am helping people get healthy when I can't even do it myself....

I want to put one of those signature thingies on the bottom, how do you do that?

Hey Zumbachica,
I taker you like to get your zumba on? Thats pretty kewl you teach X rated fitness, go teach! j/k ha ha... It's sorta ironic how people in the fitness field have their own lil issues, I know some who are bulimic, binge eaters, etc. that are in the fitness field. Too much perfectionism on themselves I suppose, whatcha think?
I believe to get a ticker like we have, you gotta earn it girl! Naw seriousl girl, I think there is a rule that you have to have 30 posts before you are able to get one, so start being a chatty cathy & start chit chatting/posting more, being you only have 23 posts!!!!! Then you can make & personalize your ticker or fitness goal or whatever you want. I am sure your feature will be enabled when you get your 30 posts or shortly thereafter... Here's a linkage for ya... http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet/weight-tracker/ .
Best of luck to you & I'm sure with squeaky clean eating & lifting, those 10 lbs will be HISTORY by VD day & your Birthday!

Zumba-the ticker is in the "User CP" at the top of the page, on the left hand side. You have to be a memeber for I think 20 days and also have at least 20 posts...or something like that. If I remember, you won't have the ticker option until you meet the minimums and then it will magically show up for you to add your information...under that CP category.

Wendalyn-I think maybe I could do 5 girl pushups. I will try it tomorrow before my walk and see what happens. I might get stuck at 5 for life 8-)

arb

Gee whiz, I hope I can earn my ticker...LOL....

Wendalyn: I used to teach different Group X formats but have found I like Zumba the best, and it pays the most so that is what I"m doing. I'm also very good at it Still, even with all that I have my issues. Being in the fitness industry puts extra pressure on ME, I can't speak for all instructors. I feel like i need to walk the walk. Lately I see a lot of overweight instructors, that has become acceptable and they claim students can Identify with them more..I"m not sure how I feel about that. Would you go to a dentist with rotten teeth? I wouldn't. But this is a controversial subject and I don't want to turn this thread into that...this about us reaching our goals.

I weighed in this morning and I"m the heaviest that I've ever been in a YEAR...Oh my goodness.....how did that happen? So quickly! Mentally I wasn't there and it shows now physically. 2010 was an awful year for me. I lost someone very special to me (my Dad who was also my best friend) and he died in an awful way. I am so looking forward to a better year.

Time to get my day going. So happy Christmas and NY's are OVER......back to routine for my whole family starting tomorrow. When that alarm clock goes off at 5:30am I had better get my game on.

Have a great day Challengers!

Zumbachica, I'm in! Joined the one on the calorie counters, since that's the plan I follow, but I'm also a 40-something. But I am not brave enough to get on the scale yet - give you loads of credit for that! Waiting 2 weeks(started back on plan yesterday, very cliche)to weigh in. I know I'm up at least 5 from my low of 130, and probably more like 7-8. My goals for V-Day:

1) Continue to go to the gym 5-6X/week(I did keep up the exercise over the holidays, other than when I was sick).
2) Write down all food.
3) Aim for 1200-1500 calories/day
4) Get at least 10 minutes activity/day at my job(office)
5) Visit 3fc daily, and post at least 5X/day!
6) Hope to be under 135 by V-Day(would love 130, but trying to be realistic, esp. not knowing my exact weight now)

Good luck, everyone!

Zumba - My birthday is the 13th!! So I am with you!!

I would like a lose a modest 5lbs, and stay on my current workout plan

Hey Barb,
How'd the 5 girly ones go for ya? Not too difficult I hope? Tomorrow 6, right?

Hey zumbachicka, sorry for your loss, yeah emotions get the best of us & it is soooooooo easy to turn to food for comfort! Its tuff, but I try my damdest to sit with my feelings & work out my anger, stress, sadness, boredom,whatever emotion I am feeling really, but I know it's sometimes easier to fall head first into a bag of chips or chocolate or icecream or whatever your food of choice may be, but it really solves NOTHING! When stress hits, a good ole workout leaves me feeling much much better mentally and physically. Now that you saw the digits, you know you have some work to do! No worries, 2011 is going to be your year!
Eeps on the acceptance of being more like the clients in the fitness field? Wowser, for realz? I dunno, to me that's a lil wackadoo but 'nuff said on that! Weight gain happens to many, the fitness people are not exempt from weight gain..

Welcome natamars, best of luck to ya!

Dcapulet, wow birthday twins on board? Hope you guys get in a good 'spankin for your birthday! Best of luck to ya on your goals.

As for me, Day 2 workouts are DONE! I can tell I haven't used my upper body in awhile for this am I was a bit sore, but atleast I know the muscles ARE still there, so that is a GOOD thing! Here's to getting the PIPES back to resurface again!

Hope you all have a great eating & workout day!

Wendalyn-I didn't do the 5 girly ones yet. I just got back from a 3-mile hike in the COLD WIND. Thankfully it was only a head wind on the way back! Ate my ham and pita taco, drinking a cup of Lady Grey's Garden tea and then gotta do some work for a little bit. I WILL tackle those pushups before the end of the day, though! I promise!

Barb

Dcapulet: Wow, another Feb bday..LET"S DO THIS!!!!

Wendalyn: Can you be "fit" and be overweight? This is a subject that many have discussed until blue in the face. I have met heavy zumba instructors that can dance circles around me, but at the end of the day they still have a high body fat percentage. Is this healthy?

Making a beef/cabbage casserole and my does my h ouse smell good right now!!!! Will not be eating bread, rice or pasta this week.....and NO SUGAR.

Natamars..do not feel like you need to get on that scale. We can gauge our progress in many different ways. AT this point I would just like to get back into my clothes!!!!!