This is Day 2 of the 21-Day Fitness Challenge held in Feb 2012. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hello and welcome to Day 2 (Feb 4) of the 21-Day Fitness Challenge! ;)
Sign Up First!
If you have not signed up yet, today is your last day to sign up (Update Feb 6: Sign ups are now closed). Head over to the announcement post, sign up there, do your pre-work (Day 0’s task), and get started on your fitness regime! It’s okay even if you’re starting 1 or 2 days late – simply join us on our latest day and go from there. In the long run, these 1-2 days don’t make any difference – but the successful cultivation of the habit to exercise will.
For the 255 of you who have officially signed up (refer to: official participants list), let’s get rolling now! ;)
Review of Day 1
Thank you to all of you who have posted your progress for Day 1! Looks like everyone is off to a great start, and I’m so proud of you. :D Keep up your momentum as you proceed to Day 2 today.
For those who have not posted your progress, do join us in the comments section whenever you are ready. :) If you missed your exercise for whatever reason, simply learn from it, share your lessons with the group via posting in the comments area for the day, and move on to the next day. (Remember the 21DFC Pledge you did in Day 0? “I shall report my progress on PE daily be it rain or shine … I shall not beat myself up if I were to miss my exercises – but instead learn what got me offtrack and not let it happen again.“)
Remember that no one is here to judge or berate anyone. No one is here to compete or see who exercised the most. This is simply about increasing the level of physical activity in our life, so we become healthier, fitter, and stronger. We do this not as self-punishment, but because we love ourselves and we treasure ourselves. And what better way to express our self-love than to become fitter, so our physical bodies can last longer. What better way than to improve our physique, so we achieve the ideal look we desire.
By the way, even though I don’t reply to all comments (it’s really not possible for me to do that and still have time to do other things in my life), I do make a point to read them. Also, I encourage all of you to read the other participants’ progress too, and interact freely with each other. Encourage each other, give kudos to those who have completed their physical activities for the day, and help anyone who may need help. We’re all doing this as one big community! :)
Last but not least, for those who have not read this yet, please do: 8 Tips To Succeed in 21DFC. Apply all those 8 tips – they will be essential for success in the 3 weeks ahead!
With that said, let’s kick off Day 2 now, shall we? ;)
My 21DFC Progress, Day 2
After the 5.5km run/jog and swimming 20 continuous laps (without goggles) yesterday morning (read my Day 1’s progress), I started feeling a bit woozy in the evening. I had a weird throbbing headache and my vision was somewhat blurry. I reckon it was probably one of my neck muscles that was strained from swimming with my head above water, and turned in early for the night.
On the early morning of Day 2, I woke up, and my body was SORE. SORE with a capital S-O-R-E. That wasn’t a surprise at all, considering I have not exercised in a while, and I did 2 exercise sessions in a day! But hey, the soreness to me is a good thing, because it meant my body is now becoming stronger, my muscles are being built, and my fats are rolling their way off my body!
Not only was my body sore, my headache was still there too. And I had a slight fever as well.
So what did I do? Did I go back into bed? Nooooo. Normally I would have snuggled under my covers, using these as convenient excuses not to exercise. I would have told myself a myriad of things, including: “My body is tired; it needs its rest.” “I worked so hard yesterday – I really should rest today.” “I should not push myself too hard or I might become sick/die.” “I still have 21 days to go, so I should go slow.”
But seriously, these were nothing more than the byproducts of not exercising after a long while. Rather than not exercise in the face of them, they were more indicators that I should be exercising more often now. Also, the human physical body may have limits, but these are not the limits. I was far, far from even touching the limits of the human body. Historic, world-class athletes of the past would be snorting and rolling about in their graves if someone even remotely suggested that idea to them.
Think Roger Bannister who broke the 4 minute a mile record in 1954, or Wilma Rudolph, who won 3 gold Olympic Medals in the 1960 Olympics – with a sprained ankle. Or about a million other athletes or regular people who have undergone grueling trainings of their own. What I did yesterday was paltry in comparison to the workouts others do on a daily basis.
So I got up, walked to my usual jogging route, and gave myself the option to brisk walk (vs. jog/run) as my physical activity for today. But I decided I felt like jogging/running still, and completed 3.6km (2.2 miles) at the end of it – again, without stopping to walk. A big yay for a personal victory! :D And interestingly, the headache subsided while I was jogging, and was gone at the end of it. (Go figure.)
Riding on yesterday’s momentum, I decided to go swim again today, after my morning jog. Believe it or not – after I got my stuff together, got dressed, and went to the washroom before heading out for my swim, I realized my period just started. *facepalms*
What does that mean? No swimming for today. But does it mean no exercising? Nope. (By now, you should be getting the drill that it’s really about mind over matter, and as long as the intention to exercise is there, there’s seriously nothing that can stop you.)
After some thought, I decided to go to the gym as the alternate choice.
Not the gym that I go to, but looks somewhat similar. I guess most gyms look the same anyway? o_O
Normally I would have taken the bus, but today I decided to walk instead. Hey, every little bit counts, right? ;) (By the way, I didn’t mention this at the start, but as of today, I’ll be taking the stairs over the elevator. I’ll be doing this for the rest of 21DFC, and probably integrating it as a habit from thereon. (I stay on the 5th floor.))
To be honest, part of my inspiration came from my friend Armen (from LA). He does some form of physical activity almost every day, and is 100% in shape and fit as a fiddle.
His ‘secret’? He opts for physical activity whenever he has the chance. When we met up while I was in Los Angeles, we went hiking, under his recommendation (we could have just met at a cafe and ate, or caught a movie, but hiking allowed us to socialize, workout, and enjoy nature’s beauty – all at the same time). Every Tuesdays and Thursdays, he plays basketball with a group of folks he barely knows. He goes hiking/trekking whenever he can. He’s just constantly on the move when he can, over sitting on his butt and letting it grow.
The important thing to take away from 21DFC is that it’s not just about increasing physical activity – it’s about integrating it into our lives.
So anyway, my walk to the gym turned out to be about 30 minutes (yay for movement!), after which I worked out continuously for 45 minutes in the gym via a series of machines (elliptical machine, stationary bike and indoor rower). And that marked my second and last exercise session for Day 2!
Oh, while I was at the community center (where the gym was), I signed up for the kickboxing class on Wednesday. They already started their first class 2 days ago so I missed that, but I’ll be joining in next Wednesday onwards. And the trainer is one of my favorites too – I went for his classes before and he’s always cracking jokes and taunting the students (in a good-natured way), hence making the classes more fun. Here’s to more variety in my exercise sessions! :D
That’s it for my Day 2 – Stay tuned for Day 3 tomorrow! ;)
How About YOUR Day 2? Share Your Progress!
How did YOUR 21DFC Day 2 go? Did you get to complete your scheduled activity? Did you achieve any personal victories? Did something unexpected crop up, which made you learn some valuable personal lessons?
Regardless of how your day went, I want to hear it all. 21DFC is not about sharing ‘flawless’ fitness progress, but about sharing everything our journey towards a healthier, fitter life – obstacles and all. Post your day’s journal in the comments section! If you have any images to share, simply upload them to Photo Bucket or Imgur first, then include the link(s) in your reply.
In your comment, feel free to share the following:
- What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
- If you didn’t get to do any physical activity, why? And what can you do about it such that the same thing doesn’t happen again?
- What physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
Check out other participants’ responses and join in the discussions!
Looking forward to Day 3 tomorrow! ;)
(Images: Exercising, Sunrise over the horizon)
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On day two, I headed out to the slopes around 10am for a full day of skiing, right through 4pm. I let myself ease into it, but then I pushed myself a bit. I felt really good, and I wasn’t too sore after — which was good considering I had two days of skiing left ahead of me!
On 4th Feb, I went on 20 minutes brisk walk.
Day 2
Hi all, sorry I’m playing catch up. This is a retrospective post! All will explain itself over today, tomorrow.
Anyways, bit of a right off day 2 was. I ate and drank well all day. However, the snow came down. Shouldnt have impacted but we had some family over who then didn’t want to travel so stayed over. So I played host for the remained of the day and missed my exercise slot – infant ended up drinking wine and eating nibbles so it went completely the other way.
Hope everyone is ok.
Ian
On Day 2 (Feb. 4th), we were moving an hour away to a new city and into our new apartment. We were basically going from 6:30am to 7pm. I was exhausted by about 5pm but just kept pushing myself because we had to finish. It was a lot of work, a lot of walking (up and down stairs as well) and a lot of heavy lifting. But we got it all done!
I remember those days! Whew! Moving is challenging!
Welcome to your new apartment and to your new city!
Happy settling in, Kimberly!
Bette
Thanks Bette! :D
Day two went well!
Very stiff from the gym work in Day one, but grinning through the pain!
Today was 1 hr walk the dog, run up & down a stair set of 25 twice, and did some push ups, and planks.
Tomorrow …….hoping to get out for a paddle in my kayak :)
I did one hour of walking today. I hit the nature trail and walked my dog. Great fun!!
What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
Day2 was just arm strengthening workout. Not a good start, have to get my ass into gear.
Day 2 was not the best. I didn’t get to go swimming because I had to spend 11 hours at school working. I did try to be more active during my breaks by taking long walks and running at random intervals. I don’t really count the walks but I probably got in about 10 solid minutes of running (which is quite a feat for me). I’m really going to try to get in the pool for day 3.
Any activity outside your norm is positive movement in the right direction, Kristen, so pat yourself on the back as having accomplished a good job, & keep working in the coming days. You can do it!!! :)
On day 2 my aerobic session was cancelled. So I was worried a little that how I will do my exercise for that day as I have committed to my self that monday to saturday aerobics and on sunday yoga.
so I left early from my job and joined another batch of aerobics for a day.
I felt great as i completed my exercise.
Wow, that is some serious commitment, Komal, to leave work early & join a new group. Great job! Makes me happy to be part of such an inspired group. :)
Day 2
Today I did some basic yoga for 10-20 minutes. I focused on my back and legs today. I feel very good about doing this, despite the lack of floor space I have at the moment. My body felt VERY good after doing this. Sometimes I forgot how nice it is to just move.
I surely do relate to getting in touch with how great my body feels after doing physical activity, Elizabeth. I am learning how to remember “how nice it is to just move.” Well spoken! Now, with this 21DFC, the activity itself is the reminder for my body. I look forward to my body remembering all on its own how good it feels to move and be active and workout, every day enjoying SOMEthing that is keeping me active and fit and happy. :D
Thanks for being on this challenge with me, and for your post! :hug:
Bette
1.What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
For the very first time, I tried the hour long belly dancing class that is offered free once a month at the library. I have thought of doing it before but always talk myself out of it because of fear of looking silly. It was quite a workout, and I enjoyed it. I could definitely imagine doing this again, now that I know I won’t look silly or feel stupid.
In the evening, two of my sons went with me for an evening walk, which made it so my total steps for the day were over 11,000 steps.
That sounds AWEsome, Laurina! I have an interest in belly dancing too. I bet it is fun! Glad you got past the looking silly or feeling stupid part…would love to hear how you get on with future belly dancing classes.
They offer a free bellydancing class once a month at the main library, so I shall try to make it to the next one in March. I also enjoy the free ballroom dance lessons at the library once a month.
Okay, so Day 2 wasn’t so bad. I did the same bhangra workout as before, and because my body was so sore from yesterday, and I hadn’t had a full meal, I only did the workout for probably like 20 minutes.
I know, really bad on my part… :(
I feel like I should’ve done more, but got so lazy because it was a Saturday. But on Sunday, I have a lot planned!
Hi Taban! I was wondering if you can tell me about bhangra… I’ve seen a few people mention it but I have no idea what it is? Will you share with me what kind of activity this is?
By the way… “only 20 minutes” is meeting the minimum requirement, so you should just pat yourself on the back for having jumped in & got something done… then move on & try more tomorrow if you’re so inclined. I know I’m impressed at each person who puts in their time, & then takes the further effort to report back.
So… good job, Taban! :)
Day 2 went better than I thought it would for me. The rain cleared up so I did a 30 min “couch to 5k” jogging/running where I alternated between 1 min running and 1.5 mins walking. I also got the balance board for my wii fit, so I was able to do a lot of yoga and balance games with my kids. I’m not as sore or tired as I thought I’d be this morning, which is great! I’m going to take the day off jogging/walking today since I’m very very new at it, and work out with the wii instead.
Hey Marsha, sounds like you’re doing great! Keep up the super work :)
Day 2:Thank God, Improvement!
In day 2, my dad and I went for a walk too just like day 1…. *but* our speed has increased from 2mph to 3mph :dance: This speed is not fast but all I’m happy about is the improvement!
Normally I wouldn’t have the will power to go out and walk 2 days in a row (would make up a silly excuse instead) but this group challenge gave me the motivation needed :)
A 50% improvement is nothing to be sniffed at :) Keep up the good work!
Day 2
Surpassed my daily minimum target of 4km, stomach clenches and floor exercises with a 5.9km walk.
It started snowing while I was out. I love snow, yay! Next time I will wear tights AND leggings as my legs were pretty cold afterwards :) Quick check-in from me as I’m about to go out for a walk in the snow before it melts!
5.9km walk – Wee!!! Awesome work, zingfairy!!! :clap: Where are you from? I was in US for 3 months and had hoped to see snow while I was there (I’ve seen it before but wanted to see it again), but unfortunately there was no snow during my stay.
Thanks Celes! I’m based in London, where if we’re lucky we might get snow for a couple of days once a year. I hope you get to see snow on your next winter trip :)
There were quite a few people out and running in the snow this morning with trainers, thermal leggings and woolly hats – I was impressed with their dedication!
Oh my goodness, running in the snow, no way! You’re a hero, zingfairy! My very-healthy 18-yr-old son goes running daily in all kinds of weather — you people are crazy awesome, LOL! Good for you — such an inspiration for me to quit whining. :)
What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
walked for 15-20 minutes
Any reflections for today?
did not push myself. barely made it out of house. glad i did something.
What physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
45 minutes at gym
Great job on your 15-20 minutes walk stuart! ;)
Today was strength training. I did circuits utilizing free weights and body weight exercises. I really pushed myself this time and used heavier weights so I was exhausted by the time I was done. Total workout time: 2 hrs.
Reflection for the day: Fitness is as much mental as it is physical. Mentally we create blocks that we can’t or won’t be able to accomplish something. When you free your mind then your body is capable of pushing much harder than you ever thought. I didn’t think I would be able to use the heavier weight on some of the exercises. When I pushed myself to try, I found my body can handle much more than I think it can.
Tomorrow I hope to get in a run outside. It was raining here today so hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow. If it is lightly raining then I will run in the rain. If it’s a downpour then I will either run on my treadmill at home or crosstrain (pilates or yoga dvd).
Hey Nadias, I totally second what you said about it being as much as mental as it is physical. In fact for my case, it is actually more mental than physical – when I put myself in the right mindset for a workout in the past couple of days, whatever aches/pains/sores/etc (signs which people normally attribute to physical weary) didn’t stop me from running that extra mile.
I did a couple of sessions of physical therapy stretches and some yoga, and I walked. The movement was good for me as I had stiff muscles at the beginning of the day. Sometimes it also helps with pain but today the pain did not improve, and I ended up taking a long nap. I only did a few trips up and down the stairs.
Reflection for the day: I want to find ways to stay active even when regular activity hurts. The stretches felt good. Walking was painful, and the stairs were worse. In this challenge, there is the flexibility of doing what you can rather than feeling like you have to, which makes it more likely that I will stick with it.
Tomorrow I plan to continue with the stretches, to do a bit of yoga and some Shiva Nata. I will also walk, and see how that feels. If I can do so, I will either take a longer walk or do some aerobic activity.
The link in today’s email took me to the announcement post for “Live a Healthier Life in 21 Days” Challenge for Jan 2011!
Hey VickiB … If walking and climbing the stairs hurts you, then could it not hurt if you worked out your upper body muscles instead of the lower body muscles? Like lifting dumbbells ? Or do our bodies not work that way.. I’m not the expert in these matters!
It’s commendable that you are making the effort to exercise despite the pain :clap: I find in it motivation even for myself, thank you for sharing :hug:
Today I DID the exercises with bands and some others too. I was looking forward to working my muscles and building their strength. Making a commitment really tells me that increasing my fitness and strength is important to me, and saying I will do something also makes it more likely that I will keep sticking to it. Coming here an posting is also a big part of my commitment, so here I am. It all works together. II can definitely feel effects from my swim in the river last Friday. Muscle soreness is a sign that I have worked my muscles, and I am, in fact, in the process of getting stronger, YAY! Tomorrow i will swim in the ocean, and also do exercises in the water. Stay tuned…
Bette
I agree, Bette, the commitment to posting progress makes me feel more inclined to get the work done as well. Accountability is working wonders for me! :)
I am really glad you signed up too, Madhu!
Congrats on going to the gym and exercising for 45 minutes!!! :clap:
Hope to hear more progress from you as the days continue in this awesome 21DFC!
I am very glad I signed up too! :D
Really helps me to keep consistent with the physical activity and the daily posting/reading posts helps me so much as well!
Bette
I am so on board with the keeping in touch and accountability factor “working wonders,” as you have so aptly put, Andi! Love feeling the energy of us all working on this challenge/mindset together. It really helps aLOT!
Love hearing about your progress!
Bette
Sorry, Andi, not sure how that post to Madhu got in there, but I’ll be more careful next time! :shy: Bette
What exercise?
Did yoga exercises for 15 minutes – repeated two sets that I have just learned. Practiced balance for 5 minutes – SLOWLY making progress there. Did floor breathing for 15 minutes with my legs elevated. Later int he day as I was sewing, I dropped my whole box of pins on the floor. As I was groaning about having to pick them up, I just bent my legs and started picking them up. I realized I was in a basic yoga stretch for the legs and continued with picking up the pins. Normally this would have been a huge chore, but I recognized the posture as a yoga posture and just went with the stretch. Very different for me.
Reflections?
So much of aerobics I tried YEARS ago seems to be yoga moves, without the practice in breathing and stretching. I was always panting a few minutes into aerobics, and I really came to hate it. I recognize some of the stretches from those classes, but I can ease into them, do the breathing correctly, and really feel the stretch. The biggest benefit so far for me has been the decrease in appetite without obsessing about it – something that would make me nuts. ;)
What exercise/physical activity did you do, and for how long?
For Day 2, my brother and I used the stairs in our apartment building where we live for our exercise. We decided to run up 7 flights of stairs, walk down the hallway as our rest, then run or descend as quickly as possible down the stairs on the other side, walk across at the bottom and start the cycle over again. The climbing part was definitely the most challenging, and my brother wasn’t really trying that hard, but we still did the exercise and did some work. We did it for 20 minutes.
Any reflections for today?
My reflections are that I need to put more individual effort into the exercise and let my brother worry more about his end of it.
What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
We are going to do the same exercise I did on Day 1, 1 minute run/1 minute walk intervals for 20 minutes.
I did the same workout today that I did yesterday(www.cardiocoach.com) and felt much better today, had much more energy, worked harder and even did the stretching exercises at the end of the workout!!! :D
Day 2 – got up this a.m. and went to Jesse Schein’s yoga class.
This afternoon went for a walk on the beach for about an hour.
-Ed
Day 2 – For the first time in my life I actually wanted to excercise so I could report my progress. I went to the gym and excercised for 45 minutes. So glad I signed up for this challenge.
Good for you, Madhu! That’s the benefit of this challenge — there are others doing the same challenge who support you and want to hear how you’re doing with it. I’ll be looking for your progress reports.
Madhu,
Scroll down a few posts and you’ll see a reply I wrote to you…Sorry, don’t know how that happened, but I’ll be more careful next time! Bette
Day two of the 21-Day Exercise Challenge started out not so hot insofar as activity, but decent with regard to family time. It’s Saturday. And my husband had the day off, which doesn’t typically happen. I like my husband. So I did a whole lot of nothing all day, enjoying his company while he did a whole lot of nothing with me. We spent time with our little one & played games and watched movies. It was a fabulous day. But I didn’t get in a workout. Truth be told, I thought of it all day with dread. I do not like exercise. It is not as fun as Parcheesi or the Muppets.
In the late evening my husband and I went to H&R Block to have our taxes prepared. That was fun too, in an odd way, because the sense of accomplishment at marking a very important task off our list excites us. We feel like grownups when we take care of those adult-like responsible tasks in a timely manner. And we’re getting a decent refund! woo-hoo. But still no exercise. I enjoy budgeting, personal finance, and tax preparation more than exercise. What is wrong with me? I have some serious dread going on here. One reason, I think, is that I am very seriously overweight. Like, over 200 pounds. So even losing a few isn’t going to make me jolly, except in the Santa kind of way. poop.
But I started feeling guilty because I knew I absolutely HAD to report back. I mean, skipping out already? It’s just day two! What loser gives up after one workout? Not it! Not it! Don’t pick me! So I got on the treadmill at 8pm. I intended to replicate yesterday’s mostly-walk / slightly jog / want-to-die activity. Yeah, I lasted five, count ’em, FIVE minutes before my calves cramped up and I had to stop. I sat on the couch and cried while my husband shot people on the Xbox. Completely unfair! I have to work entirely too hard to make this thing happen! Boo! I cry foul!
Still had to report in though. So I logged in and started reading comments to catch up on how everyone else was fairing. And I started feeling really crappy about giving up. Then I read Celes’ spiel on how her day went. Of particular interest:
“the soreness to me is a good thing, because it meant my body is now becoming stronger, my muscles are being built, and my fats are rolling their way off my body!”
” these were nothing more than the byproducts of not exercising after a long while. Rather than not exercise in the face of them, they were more indicators that I should be exercising more often now. ”
Now I feel really terrible about stopping after only five minutes. Yeah, Celes is obviously in way better shape than I am, and is no where near my size, but the words ring true all the same. She’s right. I’m supposed to be feeling pain. My legs are getting stronger, so of course they are going to hurt. DUH! And further, it’s my own fault for not working out in so long. Celes, you’re right — I should ABSOLUTELY be exercising more often now! This got my hyped back up and I decided that I was going to at least do some push-ups and sit-ups. So I’m gonna get on those as soon as I finish up this report.
One more thing though. The BIG thing. After reading all this, the stuff that truly got to me were the comments others left about my attitude. I seriously owe a big THANK YOU to Brenda and zingfairy because these two fabulous human beings took time to personally say kind things to me. And that makes me want to get back on the treadmill, sore calves and all. So I’m going to!
Not sure how tomorrow will go, but I know now that I will not give up quite as easily. If nothing else, this challenge has worked as much on my mind, early on, as I hope it will eventually work for my body. I know I will climb back up the hill and keep going, even if it means just walking at a slow pace. Because that is more than I was doing last week. And because maybe these words will encourage someone else not to give up. And because I want to be healthy. And because now I have the mindset to keep going.
Andi — it made me smile when I read that you like your husband. I like mine too!
Please don’t beat yourself up over stopping. Your legs were cramping! That is not the same thing as having sore muscles. You might need some stretching and massage for that.
You could also do other activities; it doesn’t have to be just the treadmill! Maybe some of the activities that other people post about will give you ideas for what you could do.
Also remember that you didn’t get out of shape in a few days and it will take more than a few days to get back into shape. Anything you do for your health will be better than not doing them.
VickiB,
Thanks so much for your encouragement — I did manage to do some stretching & then push-ups & sit-ups, & hopped back on the treadmill for another 15 minutes. No jogging this time, just walking, but without having to report in I would never have gotten back into motion at all. The treadmill is the LEAST antagonistic of activities for me so for now I’m going to stick with that, but I do plan to add some yoga into my routine as well since I have some DVDs that have gained quite a bit of dust over the years, LOL! More stretching, definitely — you got that right for sure!!! Today will not be as bad, I think. My husband actually hopped on the treadmill today just because we were standing there next to it talking, & on a lark he just pressed start & began walking. So without pestering him to join in, I may have gained an in-house partner. *sweet* And you’re right, doing anything, no matter how small, is better than not doing anything at all! :)
Andi, don’t beat yourself up. Kudos to you for trying and doing your very best! You listened to your body and that is just as important.
Last year I weighed close to 200 lbs and now I am 139 lbs. I understand completely where you are at this point. Believe me when I say that slow and steady wins the race. Just do what you can do everyday. If you can only do 5 min then just do 5 min and aim for 7 min tomorrow. Everyday will get easier and when you start seeing changes, you will WANT to go get on that treadmill. I never thought there would be a day that I would actually look forward to working out. :D
Set small goals for yourself such as lose 5lbs this month, walk 15 min, etc… This makes it much easier to handle and tackle than thinking about the big goal such as losing 50 lbs or running a 5K. Hang in there (remember to also watch your diet), and don’t get frustrated. There will be times it will feel like you are spinning your wheels but you have to keep at it to break through and move to the next level. If it helps when I think I can’t push any harder or go any further I remember something I was told: when your body aches from a workout it’s your muscles growing. The last reps (or last push) are the hardest and sometimes most painful but the most important. This is your body to getting stronger.
You can do it! Believe me if I can do then anyone can. :dance:
Nadias, good job on losing so much weight! That is very encouraging — I’m not giving up yet, as a matter of fact this group has been so good for keeping me motivated, & checking back in for reports & to follow-up on comments makes me want to stay on the wagon. I know I can do this, but it means so much that others are there with me, & have already been down the same path. Thanks! :)
Hey Andi!
I enjoyed your post, and thanks for being on board for this challenge and wanting to be healthy! It has taken me a verrry long time to get the mindset of being really and truly healthy beyond the better health that goes along with dropping excess weight. I have dropped aLOT of excess weight in the recent past, weight for the most past I have kept off. Still have a ways to go, but I am goin’ for the whole health and fitness picture this time, whatever it takes! No more diet mentality. I am all about consistency and enjoying my healthiest and fittest best life ever!
I had a very active swim today, and boy are my muscles sore! But that means I’m getting stronger, and I am going for stronger! I am looking forward to getting stronger in my fitness, so the active, enthusiastic side of me is winning over the side that is lazy-like and procrastinating, YAY! Finally, a ray of hope that I am on a whole new level of healing.
The best to you for your health and fitness goals, Andi, I too think that encouraging each other is a good thing…a wonderful thing!!!
SO let’s do this, shall we??!!?!!!
How’s it going today for you?
Bette
Hi Bette! I feel like I have gained some awesome new friends — you guys are all so kind & supportive. I feel badly when I write long posts because it’s like I’m trying to monopolize a conversation or something… I’m a closet novelist so I have a difficult time cutting my wordage down to the nitty-gritty. It’s good to know someone doesn’t find me a horrific bore, LOL!
I posted my workout for today in Day Three’s thread, but to sum it up, I mostly did stretching & worked on flexibility & attempted to do a back-bend cuz it feels good & mostly cuz I just want to, haha! It all counts as “FITNESS” since it’s 20 minutes of activity I would never have even thought about without this challenge. I’m so grateful for this community — Celes has terrific readers & I already can’t wait to jump on her next challenge — see how I just assumed I’m going to finish this one out? *nice*
Hope you got a jump on your workout today — not sure what time zone you’re in, but as a write this it is Sunday evening, well later than evening as it’s almost midnight. I wonder what time it is for you?
A little late to check in today, because I had my exercise at night, near to midnight. At my father’s friend’s house, it’s huge (3 stories + basement) so we ran around. Not much, but there wasn’t much time after completing all my homework, coming back late, etc. ;)
-What exercise/physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
Today was an easy day, at work we had a dude come in and help us with activities for the kids. We ran around doing light running exercises for about half an hour. Nice and easy. :)
Any reflections for today?
Watching what I eat today since today was a light day. Keeping mostly protein and veggies in me so I don’t bloat myself up.
What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
I’m looking like a run around the block. Again, easy day because Monday will be a LONG workout. Hence, I’d like to save up my energy. :)
Day 2. Another beautiful day, a rare day of Sunshine. I walked another 1 mile today. I focused more on eating:
1. I made sure to drink 96 oz. of water.
2. NO soda – I’d given it up 2 years ago and in the last few months had allowed to sneak back in and today I recommitted to giving it up again.
3. Pure Protein (low fat – no carbs) . I focused on sticking to my diet of pure protein, low fat & no carbs. I have lost almost 7 lbs since January 1st now.
4. No Negative thoughts. I resumed my daily ritual of focusing on a positive affirmation and not listening to myself when I get negative. I tell myself: Progress, not Perfection.
I hope everyone had a great day.
:mrgreen:
Great affirmation, Nancy: “Progress, not Perfection.” :idea: I’m going to add that one to my arsenal of workout-thoughts during this challenge. Thanks!
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