Welcome to our 30-Day Fitness Challenge for March! I had so much fun keeping up with several of you last month, and I’m looking forward to some new participants joining up with us!
If you’d like to read more about what the 30 Day Challenge is, you can check out our first one here. The main idea is to have some accountability in the exercise/fitness part of life. I’ve set a goal to exercise 4-5 times per week, and I invite you to join me! You don’t have to set the same goal as me — I’m just offering it as an idea!
On that note, let’s talk a little bit about goal-setting. I’m wondering — what is it that you want to achieve over the next 30 days? Lose weight? Eat healthier? Run a 5K? Maintain your weight?
I’m asking you to set a goal — and then carve out a path for achieving that goal!
For instance, my goal this month is to lose 5 lbs (stinky holiday weight)!
Here are my steps for getting there:
- Record my food intake in a daily journal. Aim for 1600 calories per day.
- Aerobic exercise 4-5 times per week. Strength-training 3 times per week.
- Sign-up for stickK (more about that below).
Now, after you have a goal — and you’ve made a plan to get there, you need motivation to keep going when things are tough. Intrinsic motivation is great, but sometimes life gets in the way — and you need some extrinsic motivation!
Here are a few motivators you might consider:
1) Run a race
Signing up and declaring to the world that you are going to run (or walk) a certain race can certainly motivate you. Signing up is key. It’s easy to talk — but you need to do it!! It can be even more motivating to run a race to raise funds or in memory of someone. That is certainly one of the top reasons I ran my first 1/2 marathon!
2) Enlist some friends.
I can’t say this has worked perfectly for me (since I have a tendency to skip early morning work-outs — sorry, Sarah and Ashlee), but it can definitely be motivating to work-out with friends at the gym or socialize with friends at an exercise class!
3) Check-out stickK.
How about you set a goal — and if you don’t meet it, you have to give money to a charity? It might not be too motivating if it is a charity you like, but I bet it would be motivating if it is a charity you dislike!!
I’m all for positive rewards and motivation, but sometimes a negative outcome can push you more! For instance, I’ve set up a contract on stickK. If I don’t meet my goal, I am donating $50 to a certain organization (that shall remain nameless). I absolutely despise this organization — it goes against everything I believe, so I can guarantee you that I will do everything in my power to make sure I don’t give a single cent to them!
4) Join our 30-Day Fitness Challenge!
It’s easy! Just leave me a comment below about your goal for the month. Each week, I’ll email you to see how you’re doing. I’ll share my progress — and you can share yours! I’ll have a little prize to give away at the end, too!
Okay sign me up……why was that so hard to type out, lol. My goal is to journal what I eat, and to do some type of exercise (even if it is 10 minutes) 3 times a week.
Because accountability is hard!!! Journaling is the best thing to help you lose the most amount of weight — because we don’t really think we eat as many calories as we do! I’m excited to see your progress!
Okay sign me up……why was that so hard to type out, lol. My goal is to journal what I eat, and to do some type of exercise (even if it is 10 minutes) 3 times a week.
Because accountability is hard!!! Journaling is the best thing to help you lose the most amount of weight — because we don’t really think we eat as many calories as we do! I’m excited to see your progress!
Sign me up!! I need to lose 10 lbs by staying under 1200 calories a day and excerising. I keep track of my calories on http://www.myfitnesspal.com, user name obowers if you want to add me. I plan to excerise by walking/jogging at least 4-5 times a week as well as do other cardio and strength training.
Don’t try to lose it too quickly, girl!! You still need to have some energy — especially if you have little ones!
Sign me up!! I need to lose 10 lbs by staying under 1200 calories a day and excerising. I keep track of my calories on http://www.myfitnesspal.com, user name obowers if you want to add me. I plan to excerise by walking/jogging at least 4-5 times a week as well as do other cardio and strength training.
Don’t try to lose it too quickly, girl!! You still need to have some energy — especially if you have little ones!
My goals are to:
1) follow the training program for a half marathon. Johnstons, May 1, Wichita, Ks. I am signed up
2) Enjoy exercise without burn out or injury. Walk when I need to.
3) Do one fun 5K this month. I am thinking the St. patty’s day in Wichita Mar 15 with my friend Heather. Join us if you would like. The more the merrier.
Awesome, Amy! I saw that 5k — it looks like fun! Where is the 1/2 at? I’m not familiar with it, I guess!
My goals are to:
1) follow the training program for a half marathon. Johnstons, May 1, Wichita, Ks. I am signed up
2) Enjoy exercise without burn out or injury. Walk when I need to.
3) Do one fun 5K this month. I am thinking the St. patty’s day in Wichita Mar 15 with my friend Heather. Join us if you would like. The more the merrier.
Awesome, Amy! I saw that 5k — it looks like fun! Where is the 1/2 at? I’m not familiar with it, I guess!
1) My goal is to get to where I can run 5k, I currently walk 5k, but I would love to get to where I can run it. I will be following a plan that will get me there in about 9 weeks.
2) Enjoy my mostly raw/whole foods diet, while on the road all week instead of fast food/restaurants. This means traveling with my blender and buying groceries and storing them in my tiny hotel fridge.
These goals are only really difficult because I am in a hotel and traveling every week all week. I will have to refrain from working all night like I typically do so I can be motivated to get up in the morning.
Hi, Tara! Are you using the couch to 5k plan? Are you at the same hotel or does it change?
Kudos to you for bringing your blender and food along — that would be challenging — but I’m sure you get tired of fast food in a hurry!
Yes, I am doing the couch to 5k plan. I have never been much of a runner… in fact, I have always hated running, but it is just something that I have recently decided I would like to do.
I typically stay at a hotel for a week then go somewhere else the next week. I am very tired of eating out. Some cities I am OK in because they have some healthy restaurants, but lately I am in small town Alabama with only fast food or soul food.
I was doing really well on a diet last year, but kinda gave it up when we moved to Denver, and I successfully put on my “Consultant 15” (kinda like freshman 15, but what consultants do that start this job). Now I am trying to reverse that and finish the healthy lifestyle change I started before.
1) My goal is to get to where I can run 5k, I currently walk 5k, but I would love to get to where I can run it. I will be following a plan that will get me there in about 9 weeks.
2) Enjoy my mostly raw/whole foods diet, while on the road all week instead of fast food/restaurants. This means traveling with my blender and buying groceries and storing them in my tiny hotel fridge.
These goals are only really difficult because I am in a hotel and traveling every week all week. I will have to refrain from working all night like I typically do so I can be motivated to get up in the morning.
Hi, Tara! Are you using the couch to 5k plan? Are you at the same hotel or does it change?
Kudos to you for bringing your blender and food along — that would be challenging — but I’m sure you get tired of fast food in a hurry!
Yes, I am doing the couch to 5k plan. I have never been much of a runner… in fact, I have always hated running, but it is just something that I have recently decided I would like to do.
I typically stay at a hotel for a week then go somewhere else the next week. I am very tired of eating out. Some cities I am OK in because they have some healthy restaurants, but lately I am in small town Alabama with only fast food or soul food.
I was doing really well on a diet last year, but kinda gave it up when we moved to Denver, and I successfully put on my “Consultant 15” (kinda like freshman 15, but what consultants do that start this job). Now I am trying to reverse that and finish the healthy lifestyle change I started before.