Holiday Motivation- Pump It Up!

MoStacy

I’m realistic, losing between Thanksgiving and Christmas is going to be “hella” hard. I need to at least maintain. Keeping the body moving seems to be the antidote to holiday eating mayhem. How about exercising at least 25 days in the next 31 (Nov. 23 - Dec.23). That gives you one day off each week. Let me know what your game plan is; we can motivate each other.

Good luck!

BMcC9

Hi. You have a good plan. How's it going?

I have some suggestions for you - there seems to be a strong Workout-every-day-in-november thread going that is making noises about continuing into December.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10704347/workout-every-day-in-november/p2

I have only silently looked on on them - seem to be good at supporting each other, but new on the scene and I don't know what will happen there in December. I am 60 on the outside, but much younger on the inside ... my daily exercise is a Wii game called "Walk It Out"

The two groups I belong to are: Ultimate Accountability Challenge (UAC) and Fat2Fit. Both are very broad age / goals groups and longstanding with monthly openings.

Look up November Ultimate Accountability Challenge (for the practice) and then join the December Challenge if you like it. The FAQ section explains it all. it is OK to not make the criteria for the "winner's circle" by the end of the month, not even the moderator manages to do that - you are never "out of the challenge", you just keep practicing the accountability.

For a more "mutual support group" atmosphere, check out "Fat2Fit", which will be opening December registrations very soon. You could ask to on be Team WaistAway, which is my team, but they are all good.

Send me a PM if you like, but just so you know, I can't open any Friend Requests for some reason, so MPF PM is a better option.

I'll check back here and maybe we will end up being our own mutual support group. I happen to be starting a new Tour (iteration) of my exergame tomorrow ....

What's your go-to exercise of choice?

BMcC9

Nov 23 - Dec 23 Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31

Are we mentioning time or type or exercise calories burned? or just Yes / Not Today ?

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes
Nov 24: Yes
Nov 25:
Nov 26:
Nov 27:
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

BMcC9

Nov 23 - Dec 23 Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

Are we mentioning time or type or exercise calories burned? or just Yes / Not Today ?

Count to date: 3 out of 25

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes
Nov 24: Yes
Nov 25: Yes
Nov 26:
Nov 27:
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

BMcC9

Here's hoping others will join me. Please introduce yourself, and let me know what kind of exercise you would like motivation / encouragement / support for.

I am well entrenched in daily cardio (avg 30 to 45 minutes per session on a wii exergame called "Walk It Out" using a mini-trampoline to up the pace without the impact)

However, I DO need to get into almost-daily body-weight strengthening now that I am getting closer to Ultimate Goal Maintenance Zone - probably arriving in January or February. I have no idea what my body fat ratio is, just that my upper body strength has ALWAYS been very much weaker than my legs / endurance (no big surprise, as I have been "dancing" one way or another for pretty well my entire life)

and my middle is saggy-baggy now that there is much less fat between the skin and the muscles / internal organs.

I don't know what strengthening / toning exercises exactly yet, apart from them being done at home (no gym membership anticipated at this time) but probably something like push ups or planks or tricep dips or suchlike to start. I have a hard time getting into and STAYING with this kind of activity so any personal "works for me" sites, routines, or mental strategies you could suggest would be appreciated.

MoStacy

BMcC9, sorry for late reply. Traveling during the holiday... yes, I will be listing the type of exercise. If it is ok, I am going to copy your “calendar”. I have found some great exercise routines on Pinterest, based on what you want to focus on. Currently, since the weather has turned, I have been doing a lot of walking and cardio/strength training in the gym. Will probably add swimming to the mix in January.

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 24: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 25: Yes, 40min cardio, 30 min strength training
Nov 26:
Nov 27:
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

BMcC9

I'll go back and add what I did when I do my next update. Now if I can just remember my Pintrest signin ........

KABO931

Hey there! I was JUST talking to one of my friends about doing something similar! I'm a not behind (today is 11/26), but I'm aiming for 25 workouts (30 min or more) by 12/25.

BMcC9

WELCOME! Feel free to quote / copy my "what I did today" date list, or just the Count to Date portion. We'd love to know what you are doing, but it is optional. Let us know how best to support / hold you accountable. If you want to give more of an intro, that is also OPTIONAL. Whatever you are more comfortable with.

MoStacy

Welcome knaidysh814! Tell your friends to join us. No worries about starting late, we’re all about support.
Speaking of which:

I gained 4lbs since last Wednesday. AAARRRRGGGGG!! Darn you carbs, pizza and wine! I am definitely amping up the activity. I didn’t even enjoy it (well except for the wine). My stomach was mad at me all weekend.

BMcC9

I gained 4lbs since last Wednesday. AAARRRRGGGGG!! Darn you carbs, pizza and wine! I am definitely amping up the activity. I didn’t even enjoy it (well except for the wine). My stomach was mad at me all weekend.

What do you want / need to hear from us? Is this a semi-regular occurrence or actually rare for you these days? (I have a reason for asking - later entry from me will be depending on your answer)

If there was high sodium involved, drink lots of water for the next few days to help flush it out of your system.

I have a feeling that it is more like "just not out of the intestines yet" rather than you ACTUALLY eating 4 x 3500 above-metabolic-maintenance calories in less than a week. Fat just isn't created THAT FAST.

So long as you don't let that number on the scale become an excuse for "Why am I even trying?!?!" after so much long-term progress you have already made!

I wanna know what the number on the scale is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! (After your workouts have processed the temporary bottleneck) - I know this thread is not going to be about tracking / reporting on weight per se, but I want to be able to point back to this later and say "SEEE ?! Progress isn't linear, it is over-all trending!"

BMcC9

Notice my icon .... you know the sarcastic saying "Yeah, riiiight .... like that's gonna happen ... when pigs fly!"

Well guess what? They ARE flying! In formation, even!

marsim520

I’m in people I’m two days behind started 11/25 but will definitely try to do 30 by 12/23. Great idea MoStacy 🏃🏼‍♀️👟

BMcC9

WELCOME, @marsim520 ! Feel free to quote / copy my "what I did today" date list, or just the Count to Date portion. We'd love to know what you are doing, but it is optional. Let us know how best to support / hold you accountable. If you want to give more of an intro, that is also OPTIONAL. Whatever you are more comfortable with.

BMcC9

Nov 23 - Dec 23 Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

Count to date: 4 out of 25

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes - 36 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 24: Yes - 42 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (finishing up last day of my exergame tour)
Nov 25: Yes - 53 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 23 minutes up-up-down-down-ing on my step bench (*first day of a new "tour" in my Wii Walk It Out exergame - always hard to stop on Day 1!*)
Nov 26: Yes - 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 27:
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

=========

Do you notice a trend here? LOL cardio is no problem; as I mention in my intro, I need to work up a plan to include (and the nerve to report something in the body-weight strengthening / toning category. I am shying away from something like the "Monthly Push-Up challenge" thread because I can barely do 3-5 bent knee pushups at the moment, and many are aiming for multiple hundreds in the month (if not in one day!)

BMcC9

Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

Count to date: 5 out of 25

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes - 36 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 24: Yes - 42 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (finishing up last day of my exergame tour)
Nov 25: Yes - 53 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 23 minutes up-up-down-down-ing on my step bench (*first day of a new "tour" in my Wii Walk It Out exergame - always hard to stop on Day 1!*)
Nov 26: Yes - 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 27: Yes - 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:
et al
=========

MoStacy

Welcome Marsim520! Ok, I’m going to rock the rest of this challenge...


Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 24: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 25: Yes, 40min cardio, 30 min strength training
Nov 26: Off
Nov 27: Off
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:
Dec 02:
Dec 03:
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Dec 05:
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BMcC9

Mornin', @MoStacy ! And YaY, YOU! for the attitude!

Does your strength training include squats?

Everybody, keep doin' whatever KEEPS you doin'!

I made a (personal) breakthrough this morning by doing 5 bent-knee pushups and 15 windowsill tricep dips. If you check my intro above, anything non-cardio exergame (or dancing) is a-typical for me.

But I now have a baseline, and if these don't show up on a regular basis, I expect you, my team mates, to CALL ME ON IT! Say "@BMcC9! How are those pushups and tricep dips going? "

marsim520

11/25 30 mins cardio, arm routine
11/26 30 mins cardio, abs
11/27 30 mins cardio and stretched

I feeeeel like I’m not doing enough but I HATE working out lol I like to go hiking and swimming but since it’s snowy that’s not really happening.
Is there anything you guys do that you really enjoy?

rainykatie

Hey all- I hope I'm not too late to join you. I don't plan to be really strict about my food in between the holidays but I LOVE the idea of trying to make sure I keep movin. That should, in theory, help me avoid too much weight gain. I also love the idea of keeping track here, because lists are my thing. I like checking off each day. So yeah- I'm in! 25 days of exercise in between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. I'll start with what I've done so far. Unfortunately I have noticed somehow I've already had 2 days off so now I am really going to have to get in high mode to be successful!

Done to date: 3/25 days

Nov 23: Off (food coma!)
Nov 24: Yes, horseback riding 90 mins and hiking (I walk up all the steep hills)
Nov 25: Yes, yoga 30 min
Nov 26: Yes, gym- treadmill 30 min and strength training 20 min
Nov 27: Off
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

BMcC9

marsim520 wrote: »

11/25 30 mins cardio, arm routine
11/26 30 mins cardio, abs
11/27 30 mins cardio and stretched

I feeeeel like I’m not doing enough but I HATE working out lol I like to go hiking and swimming but since it’s snowy that’s not really happening.
Is there anything you guys do that you really enjoy?

I love my Wii Walk It Out exergame. I can do it at home no matter what the weather outside (humidity OR wind-chill!) It's always Late Spring on Rhythm Island - cherry trees and tulip fields in full bloom (once I earn enough points to unlock them) - people in shorts throwing a frizbee back and forth etc. And if you check my other Profile Photos, you will see a map of Rhythm Island.

I am not much of one for "working out" (in the weights and calisthenics sense) either. But so long as you end up in a calorie deficit most of the time, progress WILL happen ... speaks the lady who has taken 18 months to shed 36 pounds and is taking a "this is a lifestyle change" approach rather than a "get to GW and then it's over" mindset.

On the other hand, having totally avoided the weights and calisthenics aspect till now also means lack of tone. Don't know if I am sorta-kinda "skinny-fat" relatively speaking or not, but it's possible.

If you have a way to do cardio at home (elliptical or stationary bike or even just jogging on the spot) where you can see a youtube video playing (we have a laptop hooked up to our tv in the living room) you can search "virtual jogging trails" or "treadmill virtual workouts" and pull up allllll kinds of 1st person unrolling trails (as if someone is holding a camera as they jog) so you can at least get the illusion of hiking. If you have a cardio machine at home you could even set it for random intensity changes to simulate the varied terrain of a hike.

rainykatie wrote: »

Hey all- I hope I'm not too late to join you. I don't plan to be really strict about my food in between the holidays but I LOVE the idea of trying to make sure I keep movin. That should, in theory, help me avoid too much weight gain. I also love the idea of keeping track here, because lists are my thing. I like checking off each day. So yeah- I'm in! 25 days of exercise in between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. I'll start with what I've done so far. Unfortunately I have noticed somehow I've already had 2 days off so now I am really going to have to get in high mode to be successful!

Done to date: 3/25 days

Nov 23: Off (food coma!)
Nov 24: Yes, horseback riding 90 mins and hiking (I walk up all the steep hills)
Nov 25: Yes, yoga 30 min
Nov 26: Yes, gym- treadmill 30 min and strength training 20 min
Nov 27: Off
Nov 28:
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:

Never too late! And while you don't HAVE to be super-strict with yourself food-wise, it's still a good idea to (honestly!) log if you can so that you realize if you are OD-ing on sugar, and try to add in exercise calories.

Maybe change your MFP goal to "maintain current weight" for the month, which will give you more calories to work with, then don't eat back ALL your exercise calories?

In terms of keeping moving, just keep on making and keeping appointments with yourself to do whatever you enjoy doing! One day at a time. What kinds of activity(ies) do YOU THREE really enjoy?

BMcC9

Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

Count to date: 6 out of 25

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes - 36 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 24: Yes - 42 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (finishing up last day of my exergame tour)
Nov 25: Yes - 53 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 23 minutes up-up-down-down-ing on my step bench (*first day of a new "tour" in my Wii Walk It Out exergame - always hard to stop on Day 1!*)
Nov 26: Yes - 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 27: Yes - 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 28: Yes - 47 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 5 bent-knee push ups and 15 tricep dips.
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:
et al
=========

MontaukGirl1973

OMG! I need to join a gym! This is my main problem! I have become a "Couch Potato!" I need to MOVE!

MoStacy

Hi All!
Marsim520 - I’m with you, it is more difficult during the winter, I’d rather be outside. BMcC9 had some GREAT suggestions. The gym helps me, plan on swimming indoors starting in Jan.

BMcC9 - I, unfortunately, have to be careful on the squats. I have been concentrating on free weights, weight machines focusing on arms, legs, abs. I do like the circuits that I found on Pinterest. I agree with the “lifestyle” approach as opposed to the sprint. I have lost 60 lbs in the last 11months, but things have slowed down dramatically in the last couple of months. I just appreciate MFP peeps like you, because it helps me stay on track.

RainyKatie- WELCOME! Hope this thread helps. Soooo jealous of the horse riding.

MoStacy

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 24: Yes, walk 5k
Nov 25: Yes, 40min cardio, 30 min strength training
Nov 26: Off
Nov 27: Off
Nov 28: 40 min cardio (treadmill, elliptical), 30 min strength training
Nov 29:
Nov 30:

Dec 01:
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BMcC9

MontaukGirl1973 wrote: »

OMG! I need to join a gym! This is my main problem! I have become a "Couch Potato!" I need to MOVE!

Hi, and welcome @MontaukGirl1973 !

Tell us how you LIKED to move in the past (dance to the oldies on the radio while no one is watching; walk the dog in the fresh air; biked everywhere as a child; the idea of checking off a progress chart and seeing those gold stars .... )

What factors led you to couch potato land / encourage you to stay there?

Tell us what your current physical and/or external roadblocks are (bad knees; old shoulder injury: HATE leaving air-conditioning / central heating when the weather isn't perfect; chasing after kids; DON"T WANT to give up my fave TV shows to make time for driving to from gym; busy social butterfly schedule .... making things up here - only you know you ... and details NOT required )

Maybe we can suggest alternatives to try while you are picking the best gym for you. This challenge is about exercise / activity of ALL kinds,

By all means, join a gym if that is your thing (doesn't happen to be mine at this time) But don't forget that there are other alternatives too.

BMcC9

As an example from me, jogging on my mini-trampoline happens at home in front of the tv while playing my Wii walking exergame (I don't notice the time passing). `~30 to 45 minutes, usually between when I get home and supper is ready (DH (retired) cooks supper most weeknights)

I also sometimes "walk-while-I-watch" to get cardio time in while NOT missing a fave show.

BMcC9

MY vision of best way to do squats? in context of line dancing LOL

BMcC9

I increased my push-ups by 20% in one day (did SIX this morning) and only 6 tricep dips.

Thinking back, it is VERY likely that on Day 1, I was also hinging at the hips (which would explain the shocking-to-me high number completed), and not sufficiently isolating the effort / centre of movement into the elbows / shoulders.

BMcC9

MoStacy wrote: »

...
I agree with the “lifestyle” approach as opposed to the sprint. I have lost 60 lbs in the last 11months, but things have slowed down dramatically in the last couple of months. I just appreciate MFP peeps like you, because it helps me stay on track.

Three questions which MIGHT help target the cause of the dramatic slow-down in weight-loss. All of the following are factors that can very easily be overlooked in how MFP works ... and keep in mind that weight-loss will never be 100% linear ....

Assuming no injuries / major illness / change-in-medication-and-side-effects factors ....

1) when was the last time you did the "MFP guided calorie goal" setup with your NOW-current weight? Or are your assigned Food Diary calorie input macros still at "60 pounds ago"? I got caught by this back in July. You may be faithfully eating at the Food Diary suggested calorie intake level, never over, but that level is no longer reflective of you current metabolic needs now that there is less of you. Mine have dropped over time from 1360 when I started in April, to 1300 in mid-summer, and is now at 1270

2) how much (% wise) of your exercise calories do you eat back / what does your Net Calorie intake tend to be? This caused my plateau through all of September. I was burning more, and not eating enough back (because my body mass had shrunk, non-exercise calorie needs were lower, yet tooo big a deficit caused my system to assume "there's a famine out there" and actually hord what it received instead of burning it. Once I dropped my daily steps from 12000 / day or more (doing my exergame for more than an hour or an hour and a half a day at the same speed I do now) to ~6000 steps / ~45 minutes most days, I started shedding ~3 pounds / month again. No change in eating between Sept and Oct-Nov except for drinking more water.

3) If neither of the above apply, how accurate is your current tracking? Have you started under-estimating what you actually eat / over-estimating what you actually burn in exercise? The calorie burn per minute of jogging (for example) DROPS as you move less bulk through space over the same amount of time. On the other hand, you can probably now move the smaller-you farther through space in the same amount of time, and keep moving it for a longer time now (jogging both faster and farther that you could at first).

You have done an AMAZING job in less than a calendar year. Do some thinking about what has recently changed in your regular routine / what worked for you in the past and could be re-added, and ALSO what worked in the past but that you have moved beyond and could now adapt / switch up to fit the new lighter, fitter you and lifestyle.

And people, PLEASE tell me if I am overdoing the suggestions here! (maybe it's because I am both "The Olde One" here judging by the pictures (I turned 60 two months ago), and also a Research Librarian temperament - someone who wants to put the information you need in front of you, then let you take what you need from it to suit your individual variables.)

BMcC9

BMcC9 wrote: »

Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

Count to date: 7 out of 25

Done to date:
Nov 23: Yes - 36 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 24: Yes - 42 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (finishing up last day of my exergame tour)
Nov 25: Yes - 53 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 23 minutes up-up-down-down-ing on my step bench (*first day of a new "tour" in my Wii Walk It Out exergame - always hard to stop on Day 1!*)
Nov 26: Yes - 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 27: Yes - 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
Nov 28: Yes - 47 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 5 bent-knee push ups and 15 tricep dips (done wrong - realized after the fact and have since reviewed How-To video)
Nov 29: Yes - 44 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline PLUS 6 push-ups and 6 tricep dips (done correctly) X 2 (am & pm)
Nov 30:

Dec 01:
et al
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