So, after filling in our May menu of healthy food choices and stocking the cupboards and fridge, we came up with a fitness plan for the month too:
30-45 minutes walking/jogging/biking 5-6 times/week
20-25 minutes strength training 2 times/week
Simple. Doable. Necessary. And, the best part is that we're doing these things together.
It's already paying off, too. Last night we spent time in the fitness room of our condominium complex doing our individual workouts but just the fact that we were there together made time really fly by. I'm sure lots of you have experienced this before, too....getting fit with a friend is just much more enjoyable!
The other very important part for me is journaling this journey. I picked up the 90 Day Fitness Journal you see above, and I love the simplicity of it. Each day has a spread of two pages; on the left you track your food and on the right you track your fitness work. I've long been a journal-writer, so this simple task is a natural addition and gives me something to look back on to evaluate my progress. The journal also has helpful info, i.e. exercise chart showing calorie burn for different exercises and nutritional data for many common foods. Its also spiral bound which I absolutely LOVE.
So, I wanna ask, do you have a friend or partner that you work out with? Are you accountable to each other?
And, second do you have a plan that is written down with specific and measurable goals that you're reaching for? Are you tracking? A fitness journal is a friend too! :)
It all sounds so simple, so straight forward that I think we often overlook the value of these things. To demonstrate my support of your fitness goals and how important I believe having these two fitness friends are, I am giving away a copy of the 90-Day Fitness Journal to one lucky person!
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post describing how working out with a friend or tracking your progress has catapulted you forward toward your goals OR how you believe these two fitness friends would/could help you. Be creative and interesting; the winner will be chosen based on those two criteria.
The fine print:
Giveaway runs for three days only, May 3-5, 2010 and all comments must be posted to this post by 9pm CST 5/5/10. Winner will be announced on the blog and Twitter on Thursday morning, May 6, 2010, so be sure to check back! Winner will have until midnight 5/10/10 to claim the prize (which is accomplished by supplying your shipping address, email and daytime phone number), or another winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is open only to US addresses. 90-Day Fitness Journal will be mailed directly from Amazon within 10 days to one winner. I am receiving no compensation from the author of this journal nor has she given me a free journal to give you; I am purchasing the journal on your behalf because it's a great little tool, and I'd love to share it with you!
To our friends in fitness!
Cheryl
I just started a May Rules with the girls at church. They all work out together, but included me in this. So we came up with our own set of rules. Then we share them, and keep everyone updated on our status. I choose to not eat white flour (at all) and sugar besides fruit. :o) I also have to document what I have eaten each day. Each of us made our own list of doable and measureable rules. I am so glad to be back in the game. I am ready to lose some more weight and get healthier!
ReplyDeleteHeidi Munson
My husband works out with me too! We are so lucky:) Now if only I could get mine to eat healthier!
ReplyDeleteWorking out with a friend saves me on a weekly basis. After a long day at work, it gets me to the gym, when I don't want to get out of bed in the morning, it gets me there knowing someone is waiting for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, tracking what I do keeps me honest. Right now I track it on my Gmail calendar, but I used to write it down, and that was great and always at my finger tips.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is Winston Churchill's famous line, "Never, never, never give up" from a 1941 graduation speech he gave at a boys' school. In keeping with that sentiment, I continue my struggle against the tyrannical scale. Despite having lost many a "Battle of the Bulge" I envision ultimate victory in the "War on Weight." Some day. It WILL happen. I know it will.
ReplyDeleteTo help hold myself accountable -- and possibly even encourage other fellow "weight warriors" -- I started a blog (http://FindingFitAtFifty.blogspot.com).
So far... well, all progress is good progress, but I just haven't made as much of it as I had expected to by this point. I'm trying to keep it as simple and uncomplicated as possible, but recently I've been thinking that keeping a daily record of what I eat and the activities I perform might reveal the areas where I need to make adjustments. I also just started physical therapy to correct problems with my left knee - one thing that greatly impedes my ability to exercise as much as I need to. I would like to record my daily at-home knee exercises and document the progress that I make in getting it back in butt-kicking condition.
My husband and I have loved being workout partners, despite our different preferences -- I like aerobics classes and he likes treadmills -- but just being in the gym at the same time is good, knowing the other one is sweating it out, too! He has already achieved his weight loss goals, but works hard to maintain the loss and stay fit. Even though I can't keep up with him in the gym right now, due to the knee problem, we still work together to help each other stay committed to healthy eating. If just one of us shows some willpower, it's enough to keep us both from straying down the path of decadent eating.
Thanks so much for offering this journal to one of us lucky followers -- it's a very thoughtful thing to do!
Journaling is what gave me the kick in the butt to get healthier...without it, I would have NEVER lost as much weight as I have/continue to lose any weight. I had to learn about food before learning to eat correctly, it's a building block, and journaling calories and what I ate taught me that.
ReplyDeleteI've been having a few setbacks, busy weeks, finals, stress, self doubt, and I've found that turning back to journaling is what is helping me get back on track. Even if I feel like I'm not doing my all, I can look at my journal and see..HEY, YOU DID GREAT TODAY,LADY! haha :)