Monday, January 5, 2009

My Fitness Challenge

My virtual friend, Monica, and I are on a mission.

We've decided to support, motivate, cajole, encourage and keep on each other this year to make ourselves more fit and healthy. Sometimes it's hard to motivate yourself, and if your family is like mine, sometimes they just doesn't "get it" and do all they can to make you happy instead of making you fit and fabulous!

In order to support this effort, I've implemented a few changes I'm hoping to stick with:

1. Eat breakfast every morning
2. Take a 2oz shot of MonaVie every morning and before dinner every evening
3. Walk for one hour every day (or do the stairs - all 3 floors - for 1/2 hour every day)
4. I've joined the Body + Soul Challenge
5. I've joined SparkPeople and the January Boot Camp

The iPod is updated with a ton of upbeat songs, it's been charged and I've hidden the ear buds so that I can find them when I need them. I've got some dumbbells; a balance ball; resistance bands and the recumbent bicycle and elliptical trainer have been dusted and plugged in!

Oh, and I threw out the scale. Why? Because the scale won't make me feel good - ever. I took a piece of ribbon and used it to measure around my belly. Yes, just my belly. I didn't even use numbers to measure, just the length. Each week, I will use that same piece of ribbon and see if I've increased or decreased in size. I'm hoping at the end of the year to have quite a bit of excess ribbon!

I'm all set. Here we go!

7 comments:

thekreativelife said...

You GO girl! I'm so proud of you both! Although I don't have a weight goal to lose this year, I'll be joining you both in the name of just becoming healthier this year. I've been SO out of shape and I desparately need more energy to keep up with my little ones. So here we go!

I'll be thinking about both of you as I do my morning jumping jacks. (I swear two minutes of straight jumping jacks is borderline suicide.)

Donna said...

Good on you both .. wishing you all the best with it. What a great idea with the ribbon! Mind if I pinch that idea because the scales are just sooo depressing!

Sherry said...

Oh, wow Lee! I really like the ribbon idea. I already went and got everything weighed and measured at Curves, but I did not look (except the weight. =[ couldn't miss that) and I am not going to weigh or measure again until next month. You can do it! Glad you have a support system with you. =]

jillconyers said...

Your plan is awesome Lee! You're off to a good start.

I love your weights photo. I took a "weights" photo at the gym for one of my 2009 goals (strength train 3x/week) but it didn't turn out as nice as yours. Oh well I'm using it anyway for my 2009 goal mini :)

Char said...

Count me in as a supporter and a participant!!
I am definately hijacking the ribbon idea!

We can do it!

Noelia said...

I'm doing a little bit of catching up on my fave blogs :)
That's great that you're aiming for a healthier you in 2009! I'm in the same boat so I totally get what you're talking about. Let's support each other! We can do it!

Jayne said...

Good for you! That is what it should be about being healthy! Glad you are taking the steps toward it and I will be right there with you!