April Challenge!
grandmothercharlie
Posts: 1,356 Member
Anyone joining me? Since I did so horribly in March, my goal is simply to get back on track and stay there. No scale numbers for me this month. Just:
1. Cardio at least 6 days a week!
2. Tai Chi twice!
3. Keep stress managed!
4. Log every day!
5. Stick near 1200 calories a day!
As before, give us your goals here and look for a weekly update thread on Tuesdays!
1. Cardio at least 6 days a week!
2. Tai Chi twice!
3. Keep stress managed!
4. Log every day!
5. Stick near 1200 calories a day!
As before, give us your goals here and look for a weekly update thread on Tuesdays!
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Replies
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Thank you, Charlie. Here goes.
1. stick to 300 minutes a week of exercise but it doesn't have to be toning.
2. take rest days.
3. not let the unexpected send me throwing a cursing hissy fit, as that just adds to the stress of coping with unexpected. Although it does burn a lot of calories.
4. will cook onions thoroughly enough to not get a belly ache.
5. continue to achieve 10000 step per day goal.0 -
YAY I'm all for it! I'm also very happy that you ladies are starting it up!!
1. Eat 5 or 6 fruits and vegetables/day
2. Exercise at least 30min/day
3. Start each day with a prayer before my head is off the pillow.
4. Not beat myself up if "mess up"
Looking forward to having a GREAT APRIL !
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I'm in!
Exercise minimum of 30 min five days a week
Do not do any stress or emotional eating
Try hard to stay under on calories and do not eat exercise calories
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60 mins./ 5 days a week of Fitness classes or DVDs if weather is bad. Snow in forecast for tomorrow.
Up my average daily steps goal from 12000 to 13000 for each week.
Observe one rest day and still maintain the daily steps goal average.
Here is to all of us for setting and committing to our goals this month.
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I'm in!
1) walk twice a day, a minimum of 6,000 steps
2) lower my carb intake
3) stick to my 1200 calories a day
4) not kill anyone I work with
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@retirehappy: Do you think if we reach our goals we could get Leonardo to toast us in person? Now there's incentive!0
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Maybe a kiss on the cheek too I am sticking to my challenge!!!
Took a 30 min. walk @ lunch !!0 -
Ok, was chatting with one of my instructors at the rec center. She suggested I not up my steps again this month. She is aware of the classes I am taking and my situation in general. I plan to hire her as a personal trainer when I get down into the 150s range, hopefully in a few more weeks
. I believe I will take her advice about the steps and body flex, so modifying my challenge to this:
60 mins./ 5 days a week of Fitness classes or DVDs if weather is bad. Snow in forecast for tomorrow.
Keep my average daily steps goal at 12000.
Observe one rest day and still maintain the daily steps goal average.
Go to Body Flex 2x a week, on non-consecutive days, to add strength.0 -
Great goals for all of us. I know we are going to make April a fantastic month!
P.S. What kinds of tools do you use for tracking steps? I use Runkeeper on my phone when I'm out and about, but nothing on a regular basis. Because I'm so close to goal, I'm not sure its necessary, but might be worth a try if not too expensive.0 -
Hi Ladies!!
I have been bad
I have been eating way way too much and have even eaten off Paleo. Not good for weight or stomach 
Here are my goals:
1. I will eat Paleo plan 100%. Keep portions healthy
2. Will not eat because of stress or emotions
3. Start building steps to reach 10,000
4. Weight on 4/30 = 222.2 (this will push me but I want this!!)
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And thanks for doing this for us!!0
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Great goals for all of us. I know we are going to make April a fantastic month!
P.S. What kinds of tools do you use for tracking steps? I use Runkeeper on my phone when I'm out and about, but nothing on a regular basis. Because I'm so close to goal, I'm not sure its necessary, but might be worth a try if not too expensive.
Before I got a Fitbit, I used Map My Walk, but it is similar to Runkeeper in that you start the work out and finish it. It tells you distance, steps, uses GPS to map out the route and you can pull them up again to use the routes again, etc. If you use a heart rate monitor it interfaces with that as well. Effects phone battery useage.
If all you want to do is count your steps, a good pedometer will do that. Omron is the best one I found, and one model has software & usb cable so you can download the info to your computer.
To me, the Fitbit has been worth every penny. Not the cheapest option but it does so much to keep me motivated, I can't image not having one now.
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Great goals for all of us. I know we are going to make April a fantastic month!
P.S. What kinds of tools do you use for tracking steps? I use Runkeeper on my phone when I'm out and about, but nothing on a regular basis. Because I'm so close to goal, I'm not sure its necessary, but might be worth a try if not too expensive.
I use a mobile app called "Pacer". It is free and uploads your steps with calories burned to MFP. I compared it to another step tracker and it was quite accurate.
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Good Morning to Everyone,
I joined Spark People just so I could get the Spark Tracker. The site is informative however it is VERY LARGE with members and material. I do much better tracking and being accountable with MFP.
The reason I ordered the Spark Tracker is the $, I can not afford a Fit Bit. With my husband out of work we account for the use of every penny.
I put it on for the first time today while working, so I will see how "good" it is.
If not great then I wasted $30.00 that I could have saved towards a Fit Bit
Have a wonderful day!! 0 -
@gramanana: I use a fitbit Charge, but it is a lot more than just a step tracker. I link MapMyWalk for outside, but it doesn't track steps.
Grama, I first used an Omron pedometer that I clipped to my waistband every morning. It had some nice features. No programs for computers, apps, or links to MFP or anything like that, but if you just want to track steps and walks and even calories burned, it is all you really need. You could even measure a cardio walk and tell calories burned, etc. It was very accurate. Like with a fitbit though, you need to measure your stride for the greatest accuracy! I have the Omron HJ-321 and it was only $17. You can easily find it on-line or even probably at some sporting goods stores.0 -
Thanks ladies for all the suggestions. I'll look around and see what's affordable for me. Since neither of us is working, money is tight.0
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grandmothercharlie wrote: »@gramanana: I use a fitbit Charge, but it is a lot more than just a step tracker. I link MapMyWalk for outside, but it doesn't track steps.
Grama, I first used an Omron pedometer that I clipped to my waistband every morning. It had some nice features. No programs for computers, apps, or links to MFP or anything like that, but if you just want to track steps and walks and even calories burned, it is all you really need. You could even measure a cardio walk and tell calories burned, etc. It was very accurate. Like with a fitbit though, you need to measure your stride for the greatest accuracy! I have the Omron HJ-321 and it was only $17. You can easily find it on-line or even probably at some sporting goods stores.
The iphone version of Map My Walk does show steps. I wish the programmers would get more consistent. My Kindle's MFP is still without community feature. I have complained to both Amazon (they said it is because of MFP programmers) and MFP, but I'd be surprised if it gets corrected any time soon.
Omron makes very good products, we own a blood pressure cuff that connects to the PC as well. Any of their products would be nice ones.0 -
Nice that MMW for iphone counts steps, but for step counting we tend to count ALL steps in a day anyway. MMW doesn't work inside for me. So a pedometer or tracker is better for me.
I've talked about the following before, but it is good to repeat for the newbies:
When MFP or pedometers, trackers, etc. figure how many miles you walk, they base it on the number of steps you take. 2000 = 1 mile (this is based on the average stride). So, most good trackers or pedometers will ask for the length of your stride to give you a determination of distance.
MFP also bases calories burned on a 2000 step formula. Me, my stride is 10" shorter than the "average" stride so I burn more calories in a physical mile. However, I burn the same calories as someone really tall at 2000 steps. So when figuring miles per hour and how fast you walked for MFP, how long did it take you to walk 2000 steps?
30 minutes=2 MPH.; 25 minutes=2.5 MPH.; 20 minutes=3 MPH; a little over 17 minutes=3.5; and 15 minutes=4 MPH.; 13 minutes, 20 seconds=4.5 MPH; and 12 minutes=5 MPH.
The idea of moderate, brisk, etc. is not something most people can determine accurately without counting steps. When I was just starting and could only do 2000 steps in 30 minutes (2 MPG) it seemed much "brisker" to me than 2000 steps in 15 minutes (4 MPG) feels now. I have on occasion done 4.5 MPG, but I am almost jogging.
I see so many people who aren't tracking really straining to take long strides on the indoor track because they want to hurry to make that 10 laps or 1-mile walk as fast as they can. If it were me, I would have such painful shin splints. I avoid the shin splints and knee pain by taking a comfortable step for the length of my stubby, little legs. Keeping my knees always slightly bent (rather than extending), my step mostly under me, and behind me. It takes some getting used to, but you will walk faster, longer, and no shin or knee pain! After all, it is the number and speed of the steps, not the physical distance that counts!
Now, I think, MapMyWalk which I use outside for android doesn't base it on steps, but GPS distance, but it does count for hills, so I tend to use it for my outside walks although my calorie burn is probably about 1/3 higher than it is giving me. Don't know how MMW on the iphone figures it since it does count steps, but unless it also asks for stride length, I assume it is based on distance not steps.
This probably didn't belong here, but it was appropos to the conversation that started, so maybe someone is interested!0 -
I'm keeping the challenge I tried last month, eat lunch or something I can call lunch, every day. I tried and managed to make it most days.
I also want to do at least 30 minutes of yard work or housework depending on the weather, five days a week. I know I already have one day a week set, since Sunday is bathroom cleaning day. I only need to make sure I do something on four other days.0 -
I am just reporting in to tell you that the scale is moving downward!! Yipeee0
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rebamae: congratulations!
OK ladies, I've read all your advice about step trackers and decided it isn't for me. The basic problem with them is that I'm not taking real steps when I'm in the house; some are longer and others are shorter, nothing even. I use RunKeeper on my phone when we are out and about to track distance and calories and that will have to do. I found a online treadmill calorie counter that works well for me. I've learned that most treadmills calculations are geared for people weighing 150 and higher and since I'm nowhere near that, I found a calculator that I can put in my weight, time, distance or weight, time, and speed, and the website does the rest. I believe it is more accurate than MFP calculations because it takes into account more than just how long you walked. The site is called Treadmill Calculator, 42.195km.com.0 -
Rebamae, glad you are seeing the reward for your hard work.
Gramanana, glad you found a tracker that works. The accountability is really what matters the most. And you have so little left to get rid of, you have to tweak for your special needs. I know you can make it to your goal this time. We are here to cheer you on to the finish line.
Hope everyone is progressing nicely.
Have a wonderful Easter. Eat real eggs not the crappy chocolate ones they sell at the check out counters!!!0 -
how did everyone fare over Easter? Most of our family was away for Easter, so no big dinner to cook - which saved me a lot of calories. Scale stayed the same, neither up or down, which i will consider a win!0
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Easter was just the 2 of us, so no big deal.
I have been watching my calories this month and so far have lost a whole pound.0 -
We went out to a buffet with in laws rather than celebrating at home. Quite a change and challenge.
Tried to enter every morsel honestly. Weighed this morning to see if there was any effect, as it seems eating out perhaps brings more sodium in than what I use in cooking. Went up a smidge, but we'll see next Sunday.
We had a lovely Easter. Missed our daughters, though.0 -
Since I made such poor choices while working on Easter, I decided to wait and weigh in on Wednesday! Hoping I may lose at least .5 lb.0
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I'm a little late checking in, but I'm here.....March was rough, but Spring is here and time to set new goals.
1. Stay positive
2. Pack for the move and don't let it overwhelm me
3. Remind myself it is not treating myself good to over eat. Find other rewards0 -
Go to April Challenge: April 7 Check-In to post your updates!0
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