Turn your knowledge into Power Challenge

kimberlyrenee

Okay another mile behind me today. . . . . feeling good :bigsmile:

Veronica, I can wait to hear all about the midnight sun run next year.

LauraLLee

Excellent job Kimberly!

DorothyNorrington

I will be spending today (and probably many days in the future) moving furniture, packing boxes, and lots of other movement in order to get a new classroom set up. I was transferred to a new school this year and as a 2nd year teacher I don't have much stuff, plus I am a bit of a minimalist. If I don't use it, I don't need it. However, the room I am moving into has been used as a classroom/storage room for 20+ years. It is so full of stuff that it is ridiculous. It is stacked tall and deep, and every horizontal surface is covered!

So, after this long explanation, I was wondering what everyone thought about logging the calories burned (using my HRM of course) for this. I never log cleaning, cooking, etc. but this is out of the ordinary for me. Plus, I am worried about getting my regularly scheduled workout in as well.

LauraLLee

I will be spending today (and probably many days in the future) moving furniture, packing boxes, and lots of other movement in order to get a new classroom set up. I was transferred to a new school this year and as a 2nd year teacher I don't have much stuff, plus I am a bit of a minimalist. If I don't use it, I don't need it. However, the room I am moving into has been used as a classroom/storage room for 20+ years. It is so full of stuff that it is ridiculous. It is stacked tall and deep, and every horizontal surface is covered!

So, after this long explanation, I was wondering what everyone thought about logging the calories burned (using my HRM of course) for this. I never log cleaning, cooking, etc. but this is out of the ordinary for me. Plus, I am worried about getting my regularly scheduled workout in as well.

I would log those calories. It is not a regular thing that you are doing, and moving boxes and stuff is hard work. Have fun setting up your new classroom!

vallejos6

I agree,I would log it as well and definitely keep a good supply of motrin on hand, bet your muscles will be yelling at you!

~~Veronica

LauraLLee

Great job Veronica!

LauraLLee

Veronica, so what is your puppies name?

LauraLLee

Friday 1.12 mile
Saturday 2 hours
Sunday 1.25mile
Monday ##
Tuesday 1.25 mile
Wednesday
Thrusday

vallejos6

Our little girl is named Sookie. She's a year and a half old and completely spoiled rotten. We lost our 14 year old Mini Schnauzer this past Feb., so she's the only dog (although our cat THINKS she's a dog- comes when called, drinks out of the toilet, begs for food.. she's ridiculous, LOL). Sookie is definitely not a practical choice for our area. She HATES cold weather and cries when she has to go out to do her business once it gets below zero. And, we have to watch her like a hawk out there because we have a very large owl that lives in our area and I'm sure he'd love to have a 9 pound dachshund snack!

There is another mini dachshund who looks JUST like her around the corner, but is about 3 times as round. My 16 year old calls him a Bratshund, haha. Sookie is a little anorexic. It takes her forever to eat her food. I think she's convinced she's gonna get a nice human food treat, but not sure where she gets that idea as we never feed her our food.

kimberlyrenee

I also agree, Dorothy. Log your calories burned from moving all the boxes. That is hard work. Be careful . . . . work safely . . . . bend at the knees.

Veronica, Sookie is adorable! My brother has a dachshund. She is mean as can be. She will not let you get close to by brother. This little tiny dog protecting a big ole guy . . . . too funny ~ well funny until the pooch attempts to take me out. I have to tell my brother to put the visious little monster in another room while I'm there.

I walked another mile today. I also drank 10 glasses of water.....usually I can barely choke down 6 cups. Truthfully I probably would have stopped at 8, but I missed counted and didn't realize I drank 10 until I logged the last time. :laugh:

Meeting up with a friend tomorrow to work out, so hopefully tomorrow I can walk another mile.

You are all doing outstanding!

DorothyNorrington

Kimberly,

I had to laugh about your work safely statement. The classroom I am moving into had these horrible paper cubbies that are about 6 feet tall and then they are stacked on a cupboard that is about 4 feet high. Well, I wanted them out of there because realistically, who can reach up 10 feet to get papers, especially when I work with K-2 grade.

Being the independent person I am, I problem solved and stacked a chair on the cupboard, then dictionaries on top of that to stand on so I could reach to get the papers out. I thought the custodian was going to have a heart attack when he walked in and saw me standing there. I agree, not my most brilliant moment, but it needed to be done.

So now, I am banned from climbing on anything higher than a single student chair on the floor. Ha Ha!

idahogirl71

My mile is in for the week + some but I did not monitor or measure all of it so not sure how much additional I walked. The additional was not planned so I did not have my HRM with me. I feel great today. Went on a 5 hr fishing adventure with my hubby and burned lots of calories (our fishing trips include walking, hiking, and fishing. We are not just get of the car and step onto the dock kind of fisherman, No adventure, no fishing . No luck catching anything but burned a fair amount of calories for the day and my hubby landed in the lake....was comical though he was not happy about it so I didn't laugh (out loud). Anyway, felling good and burning calories in many ways this week/month.

DorothyNorrington

Idahogirl,

Great job on your power challenge this week! Your fishing trip sounds like a blast. I don't enjoy fishing per se, but my hubby and son love it. I am content to join them with a good book. I do enjoy being in the outdoors though, I am packing up the trailer for camping this weekend so we will be headed out as well.

vallejos6

Idahogirl, good job on getting your walking in. The fishing sounds like fun!

I got more miles in last night..2.6 miles jogging, plus .3 warm-up/cooldown walk

Have a great day ya'll! Let's see if I can go shopping today and not pick up more fresh fruit, it all looks so good right now I just keep ending up in that section. We definitely have enough fruit and I need to finish what I have!

~~Veronica

DorothyNorrington

Veronica,

I know what you mean about all the fresh fruit right now. I just bought a pineapple, strawberries, mango, and raspberries to clean and cut up together for a fresh fruit bowl to take up with us camping this weekend. Hopefully it will help me stay away from the Double Stuff Oreos that is a staple for everyone else!

idahogirl71

This week's NSV -- actually happened yesterday after my fishing trip. My grandmother, though she tries to encourage me on this journey, is also my biggest weakness and downfall. When I am with her we always go out to eat and she knows I LOVE fast food. Normally I will eat fries because those are my absolute favorite food. We went to Wendy's yesterday and though she sat and ate fries and a milk shake (also my fave combo....love to dip the fries in the shake), I had a side salad with low-fat dressing and a diet coke. My entire "snack" was 40 calories. she kept offering me fries, but I remained strong and resisted. I am very proud of that accomplishment even though later in the day I ate two cookies. I know the cookies were way fewer in calories than any of my fave foods at Wendy's would have been :drinker:

DorothyNorrington

I had a side salad with low-fat dressing and a diet coke. My entire "snack" was 40 calories. she kept offering me fries, but I remained strong and resisted.

I love it! Congrats on your "sweet success". Wishing you many more of the same!

LauraLLee

. I am very proud of that accomplishment

You should be proud, that is awesome!

LauraLLee

My NSV, I am noticing a change in my face and my arms. Pretty excited about that!
:laugh:

kristiedavis1

You guys are doing so great and I love keeping up with everybody. Here's my NSV for this week: I only work a few days a week right now as I am in grad school and really need my master's to get a good job. I was off last week and when I went back on yesterday not one, not two, but three differnt people made comments about my losing weight. So why is this an NSV for me? In the past I have been known to duck and run when people make comments, positive or negative, about my weight. Not this time. I stood there and accepted them all. I know I am nowhere near my goal, but I am working hard and making progress.

Walking Challenge:
Friday - .5 miles
Saturday - .5 miles
Monday - .5 miles
Tuesday - .6 miles
Thursday - .5 miles

ab_shutterbug

Okay, I'm in. However, I'm not thrilled that apparently I am neither a pear nor an apple shape, bur rather like a banana. My goal will be to look more like an hour glass.

Neck - 14"
Bust ' 39"
Waist - 39"
Hips - 42"
Thigh - 22"

Forgot to measure arms.

Goal to lost 1 # per week, so 7 lbs by the end of this challenge. That will put me into the next decade, which would be SO exciting.
I also need to drink more water, so try to 5 glasses a day instead of 4.

LauraLLee

Week 2 Weight-loss goals: 10 tips for success
Well-planned weight-loss goals can help you convert your thoughts into action. Here's how to create successful weight-loss goals.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Weight-loss goals can mean the difference between success and failure. Realistic, well-planned weight-loss goals keep you focused and motivated. They provide a plan for change as you think about and transition into your healthy lifestyle.
But not all weight-loss goals are helpful. Unrealistic and overly aggressive weight-loss goals — for example, losing 10 pounds each week or fitting into your high school jeans from 20 years back — can undermine your efforts. They're difficult, if not impossible, to meet. And if your weight-loss goals are beyond reach, you're more likely to feel frustrated and discouraged and give up on your dieting plans.
10 weight-loss tips
It's OK to dream big. Just use these 10 tips for creating weight-loss goals that will help you achieve your big dreams.
1. Personalize your goals. Set goals that are within your capabilities and that take into account your limitations. Also, consider your personal fitness level, health concerns, available time and motivation. Tailoring your expectations to your personal situation helps you set achievable goals.
2. Aim for realistic weight loss. Healthy weight loss usually occurs slowly and steadily. In general, plan to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week (0.5 to 1 kilogram) — even if your initial weight loss is a little faster in the first week or two. To do this, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day. Also, don't expect to lose more of your body weight than is realistic. For instance, set a goal of losing 10 percent of your current weight, rather than 30 percent.
3. Focus on the process. Make most of your goals process goals, rather than outcome goals. "Exercise regularly" is an example of a process goal, while "weigh 145 pounds" is an example of an outcome goal. It's changing your processes — your daily behaviors and habits — that's key to weight loss, not necessarily focusing on a specific number on the scale. Just make sure that your process goals are specific, measurable and realistic, too.
4. Think short term and long term. Short-term goals keep you engaged on a daily basis, but long-term goals motivate you over the long haul. Your short-term goals can become stepping stones to reaching long-term goals. Because healthy, permanent weight loss can be a long process, your goals need to be feasible for the long term.
5. Write it down. When planning your goals, write down everything and go through all the details. When and where will you do it? How will you fit a walk into your schedule? What do you need to get started? What snacks can you cut out each day? Then track your progress to see if you're meeting your goals.
6. Pick a date. Timing is crucial, often making the difference between success and failure. Choose a definite start date for your weight-loss program and don't put that date off for anything. Be sure to account for life circumstances that might hamper your efforts, such as work or school demands, vacations or relationship problems. You may need to resolve some issues before starting.
7. Start small. It's helpful to plan a series of small goals that build on each other instead of one big, all-encompassing goal. Remember that you're in this for the long haul. Anything you undertake too intensely or too vigorously will quickly become uncomfortable, and you're more likely to give it up.
8. Plan for setbacks. Setbacks are a natural part of behavior change. Everyone who successfully makes changes in his or her life has experienced setbacks. Identifying potential roadblocks — a big holiday meal or office party, for example — and brainstorming specific strategies to overcome them can help you stay on course or get back on course.
9. Evaluate your progress. Review your goals each week. Were you able to successfully meet your goals last week? Think about what worked and what didn't. Make plans for how you will reach your goals both today and during the course of the week.
10. Reassess and adjust your goals as needed. Be willing to change your goals as you make progress in your weight-loss plan. If you started small, you might be ready to take on larger challenges. Or, you might find that you need to adjust your goals to better fit your new lifestyle. If you find that you have to make frequent adjustments downward or constantly scale back, you may not be setting realistic weight-loss goals in the first place — head back to tip No. 1.

LauraLLee

Week 2
Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories
Find out how metabolism affects weight, the truth behind slow metabolism, and how to burn more calories.
By Mayo Clinic staff
You've probably heard people blame their weight on a slow metabolism, but what does that mean? And is metabolism really the culprit? Is it possible to rev up your metabolism to burn more calories?
While it's true that metabolism is linked to weight, it may not be in the way you expect. In fact, contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. Although your metabolism influences your body's basic energy needs, it's your food and beverage intake and your physical activity that ultimately determine how much you weigh.
Metabolism: Converting food into energy
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.
The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — what you might call metabolism. Several factors determine your individual basal metabolic rate:
• Your body size and composition. The bodies of people who are larger or have more muscle burn up more calories, even at rest.
• Your sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight, burning more calories.
• Your age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning.
Energy needs for your body's basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren't easily changed. Your basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60 to 75 percent of the calories you burn every day.
In addition to your basal metabolic rate, two other factors determine how many calories your body burns each day:
• Food processing (thermogenesis). Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories. This accounts for about 10 percent of the calories used each day. For the most part, your body's energy requirement to process food stays relatively steady and isn't easily changed.
• Physical activity. Physical activity and exercise — such as playing tennis, walking to the store, chasing after the dog and any other movement — account for the rest of the calories your body burns up each day.
Metabolism and weight
It may be tempting to blame your metabolism for weight gain. But because metabolism is a natural process, your body generally balances it to meet your individual needs. That's why if you try so-called starvation diets, your body compensates by slowing down these bodily processes and conserving calories for survival. Only in rare cases do you get excessive weight gain from a medical problem that slows metabolism, such as Cushing's syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Unfortunately, weight gain is most commonly the result of eating more calories than you burn. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or both.
Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories
A closer look at physical activity and metabolism
While you don't have much control over the speed of your metabolism, you can control how many calories you burn through your level of physical activity. The more active you are the more calories you burn. In fact, some people who are said to have a fast metabolism are probably just more active — and maybe more fidgety — than are others.
You can burn more calories with:
• Regular aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise includes activities such as walking, bicycling and swimming. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to increase your activity even more. If you can't set aside time for a longer workout, try 10-minute chunks of activity throughout the day. Remember, the more active you are, the greater the benefits.
• Strength training. Strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, are important because they help counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.
• Lifestyle activities. Any extra movement helps burn calories. Look for ways to walk and move around a few minutes more each day than the day before. Taking the stairs more often and parking farther away at the store are simple ways to burn more calories. Even activities such as gardening, washing your car and housework burn calories and contribute to weight loss.
No magic bullet
Don't look to dietary supplements for help in burning calories or weight loss. Products that claim to speed up your metabolism are often more hype than help, and some may cause undesirable or even dangerous side effects. Dietary supplement manufacturers aren't required by the Food and Drug Administration to prove that their products are safe or effective, so view these products with caution and skepticism and always let your doctors know about any supplements you take.
There's no magical way to lose weight. It comes down to exercise and diet. Take in fewer calories than you burn, and you lose weight. But if you're worried about your metabolism or you can't seem to lose excess weight despite diet and exercise, talk to your doctor.

LauraLLee

Knowledge challenge week 2

Use Link and take metabolism quiz and share your experience.
Share a tip or two that you know about weight loss.
Make sure you write your NSV for week.

Power Challenge. Beginners exercisers: Walk at least one mile during the week and do 30 Jumping jacks a day.
If you cant do jumping jacks do half jacks. Of course if this is too easy for you up the numbers!
And Make sure you track your progress for the week.
Intermediate exercisers: Walk 7.5 Miles and do 4 sets of 25 Jumping jacks everyday.
Advanced exercisers: Run or Jog10 miles and do 200 jumping jacks a day.



(on a side note if this is too easy or needs to be tweeked in anyway let me know so I can gauge what everyone can do)

LauraLLee

Weigh in Friday!
I dont need your measurements today! We will look at them next week.

I will post a chart Saturday with our results! I can't wait to see our results! :happy:

emccand

oops I forgot to do last weeks questions lol sorry about that! my weigh in for this week is 237.6, i gained like 3 lbs back and then lost it again thru the week, and am 2 ounces less then last week, im hoping this week i do much better!

DorothyNorrington

Hey everyone!

Here are my week one results. I am pleased with them, but still need to get out of my comfort zone more in the physical activity area. I met the walking challenge, but really would like to have had even more in there in addition to the water aerobics, and moving/cleaning activities.

Weight: 260.5 (last Friday was 263.0 due to TOM)

Power Challenge: (Met Goal)
Friday: -
Saturday: -
Sunday: .7
Monday: 1.0
Tuesday: -
Wednesday: -
Thursday: -

Total: 1.7

NSV: While packing the trailer for camping, I was able to do it myself. Usually I wait for Ray to help because he can lift the heavy stuff, crawl around on the ground to remove stabilizer jacks, and make several trips up and down the stairs to pack it. I would stay in one spot (either up or down) so I could avoid the stairs. Not this time...I worked up a sweat!

Here are my thoughts on my personal goals. 1) Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I was able to do this 1 day. The remaining days I averaged 4-6 glasses. Still need to work on this. 2) Log at least 6 days. I logged everything consistently for 4 of the 7 days. It's a habit I need to create and make a priority! 3) Increase movement more. As mentioned above, I met the power challenge, but really need to amp it up. I want it to be something that I can maintain as a lifestyle, so 2 hours a day is not going to work for me, however, I CAN increase the intensity and the variety of methods I use to get in the movement. I also am going to try to incorporate more natural movement in my day, by parking farther away, etc.

I can't wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

vallejos6

Ok, I weighed in this a.m. at 154.8, so an overall GAIN of .2 pounds. I'm not surprised as this hasn't been a great week, next week should be better.

This week I got in 5.1 miles of jogging and .6 miles of walking, and overall 3 days of exercise. My goal was 4 days, so I need to pick it up this week. My weight lifting went well. No increases of weight, but I did add 2 extra reps on my triceps dips. This week my goal is to up my reps to 2 sets of 10 (I'm currently doing 2 sets of 8) as I feel a few of my exercises are starting to get easier.

I'm gonna shoot for the Intermediate exercisers goals this week. 7.5 miles should be just about what I jog. I will add the jumping jacks and I think (for me) I'm gonna add push-ups as well (let's say 20 a day). I haven't been doing many push-ups since I completed the Insanity program and they really do wonderful things for the arms, chest and shoulders!

I'm really lucky in that my job helps me to get in lots of incidental movement. For the summer, I've been working in the summer school, which has quite a few "opportunities" for sprinting across the playground to catch runners, pushing swings, and singing/dancing in our activities. My regular job during the school year requires me to go out to every recess, chase my little guy around the playground, or mostly help him to play soccer (and jump in front of any ball heading for his head as he can't see them quickly enough to avoid them). I also have to do PE class with him twice a week. It's a really fun job and I'm always happy I don't have to sit at a desk all day!

Dorothy, great job on your weight loss this week. I know you wanted to do more activity, but I think you did quite a lot with the class room cleaning/moving. Have a great weekend camping!

~~Veronica

McHeather

Welk, my week one wasn't as good as it could have been. I think I'm still 162 - that's what my moms scale says - after I ate breakfast. I've let myself indulge in treats way more than I would have if I were at home. I'm getting my excersice here though - we did the Particiwalk yesterday - 2 km walk. We swam the day before and will again today. I'm going to be home by Monday and can really focus more on myself and this challenge. We're on our way out to to do some shopping - that must count for a calorie burn! I'll catch up on the challengequestions later. Great job everyone else and keep it up!

idahogirl71

I am at 323.8 today which is down 2 pounds from last week, but is 2 pounds heavier than yesterday. The only thing I can figure for the 2 pound gain is that I did not eat enough calories yesterday and I only drank 72 oz of water rather than my normal 96. I am way swollen today in the feet and fingers so this must be why.