CHALLENGE: A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

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CocoFire
CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
in Motivation and Support
A December To Remember Fitness and Goodwill Challenge
Be good to yourself and change the world!

I've never done a challenge before, so I hope I'm going about this right. I decided that it's time for me to recommit and get back on the ball. I've lost 53 pounds in 6 months, but have been floundering for the past several weeks. I decided a great way to do this was to do a challenge!


I made a calendar to track your progress.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vGegJibimOMjBlMzU1MDUtNjljOS00Y2FlLTlhYWItOTMxNGQwMTJlYjhm&hl=en&authkey=CMau-ys

Keep track for each day:
1. If you met your calorie goal. Do this in whatever way makes sense to you for whatever your personal goals are.
2. If you exercised. Again, it's up to you to define what your own exercise goals are and if you met them. (My goal is to sweat, if I worked up a sweat I count it!)
3. Goodwill toward men (and women and children!) I love it when I see people doing good with the good that they do... and I want to be one of those people! I got this idea from a Pay It Forward event on December 1st. I thought it'd be great to pay it forward as many days as possible for the entire month. (And maybe for all of 2011!) Random acts of kindness, generosity, gratitude, and caring-- big or small-- all count!

For every level you reach, you can reward yourself by taking a moment to honor your achievement and decorating your tree (on the calendar I made.)


Feel free to share your progress, inspiration, frustration, acts of kindness, transformation, self-discovery, and pictures of your trees here!

Replies

  • Jourdan_Rystrom
    Jourdan_Rystrom Posts: 176 Member
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    This is an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL idea! I love the calendar! Definitely taking part :)

    Thank you! Good luck with your challenge!

    - jourdan
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    What a great idea! I am not sure I understand how the tree thing works, but I love the idea.
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    Thanks! I'm excited to get started! I think I'll head out and share some goodwill right now to get warmed up!
  • hungrymarathongirl
    hungrymarathongirl Posts: 444 Member
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    This is brilliant! Thank you for posting this. I am definitely going to use this.
  • chelekaz
    chelekaz Posts: 871 Member
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    love it! love it! doing it. thanks for sharing with all of us!
  • hotpickles
    hotpickles Posts: 639 Member
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    Thanks for sharing this, I'm in!

    L.
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    I clarified the "rules" a bit on the Calendar file. Hopefully the directions give better guidance for the challenge. Just visit the link again if you need to download the current version of the calendar.

    I'm so excited to get a jump start on the fuzzy holiday feelings by spreading cheer and getting seriously active! I have to do something to keep myself warm! It's getting cold here in Nevada!

    https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vGegJibimOMjBlMzU1MDUtNjljOS00Y2FlLTlhYWItOTMxNGQwMTJlYjhm&hl=en&authkey=CMau-ys
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    Thanks for jumping in with me hotpickles! Thank you everyone for joining in the fun!
  • lilady952
    lilady952 Posts: 10 Member
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    :):happy: sounds like fun
  • bkrbabe57
    bkrbabe57 Posts: 395 Member
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    This looks like fun. I'm in:smooched:
  • amy0776
    amy0776 Posts: 25
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    What an awesome idea!! Love it! I'm in too!! :)
  • JLYNNFL01
    JLYNNFL01 Posts: 20 Member
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    I'm in too. Looks like the little extra accountability I need.

    Jenny
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    OK! It's almost time!

    Get your calendars printed out, invite all your friends to join in, get your goodwill ideas ready, and get ready to SWEAT!

    I'm shooting for 31 days of life changing fun. I look forward to hearing your stories of hard work and giving to anyone you encounter along the way!

    TO LIFE!
  • bkrbabe57
    bkrbabe57 Posts: 395 Member
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    Well here we are 5 days into the challenge, how is everyone doing? All i can say for me is Thank goodness the challenge includes random acts of kindness or I wouldn't have any stars.

    Dec 1 I gave a small bottle of rum to a customer I hadn't seen in months. (cost 1.25)
    Dec 2 Bought beer for fiance
    Dec 3 Drove to fiance's in a snow storm, filled car with gas, bought groceries, made homemade soup so when he went into work at 3:00am he could drive my car (which is safer then his) and when he came back he would not only have a hot breakfast but he would have hotsoup when he came in from digging out the farm from a 7" snow storm.
    Dec 4 Drove my dad to his Christmas lunch ( this was over an hour away and don't forget we had a snow storm last night) and then drove him to visit an old friend he hadn't seen since dad got cancer last year.Gone all day.

    I will have to get a move on and start an exercise program in place. Hope it is going well for everyone else and a special thanks for Sofadia for starting this challenge.

    Peggy
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    Peggy-
    Very nice! Driving in snow storms is really scary. I've done it once-- and I'm terrified to do it now!
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    Week 1: Update!!!
    It's been a busy, busy week. I'm happy to have time to update! I hope everyone's week is full of good fun, sweat, and great food!

    Day 1
    On the first day of the challenge I got up at 5am to get to the gym and start with some good energy. I walked and jogged before heading to work for the day. I shared some cute little lady apples with my permaculture group.

    Day 2
    I met my exercise goal by kicking butt with my Industrial Strength video. I have never made it all the way through the video before, I'm so proud of myself. I also spent some time practicing with my new hoop and hoopnotica video. So fun!

    Day 3
    Today I joined the local food coop. This is my goodwill toward the earth! I'm trying to buy more locally and it's been a real challenge. I also picked up some fresh local veggies for the week. I met my calorie and exercise goals for the day too!

    5235864143_969067c4fe_m.jpg

    Day 4
    Today I met someone who goes by the name "Blueboy." He is homeless and is trying to get to Tulsa, OK for the holidays to see a daughter that he hasn't seen for 21 years. I felt moved by him because he reminds me of someone in my life that I want to come home someday. I gave him as much as I could afford to. I hope he finds his way home. I also shared some locally baked sweets with my permaculture group during our Seed Saving work bee. I didn't meet my calorie goal but I did hoop! (Darn those sweets!)

    5236456808_463616e539_m.jpg

    Day 5
    I call today "Share Your Spares." I packed up some items that I've had sitting around my apartment that I don't use. I put them out in a common area of the apartment complex I live in for people to take. I dropped them off before I left to go grocery shopping, and by the time I got back, they were gone. That made me smile.

    5236456632_b8574b0681_m.jpg

    5235915009_3e38d440f9_m.jpg
  • CocoFire
    CocoFire Posts: 53 Member
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    If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.
    -Buddha
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    I still don't understand the tree thing, but I worked out 6 of the last 7 days for a total of 315 minutes (which exceeded my weekly goal of 300 minutes). I stayed under my calorie goal every day and drank at least 12 (usually 16) cups of water daily.
    As far as giving back...
    My co-worker's daughter, who just turned 16, has been very ill all year with terrible stroke-like and Parkinson's-like symptoms (unable to walk or talk at times, uncontrollable shakes/twitches). Well, none of the tests they'd done over the past several months showed anything until last week, when they finally figured out that she has Celiac disease, and a very bad case of it (I don't understand the test, but normal would be under 7 and she was 71!).
    Well, this weekend I made some healthy gluten free banana muffins and healthy gluten free blueberry muffins. I brought them to my co-worker today and also gave her the recipes for those muffins as well as a few other gluten free muffins (her daughter loves muffins).
  • ItsSonia
    ItsSonia Posts: 20
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    So I finally gathered up all my stars. And I must say, thank goodness for good deeds! haha, because I cannot seem to get to the gym! I have 14 so far.

    The first day of the challenge, I managed to stay under my calorie goal. I shared our family evening meal with some of the neighborhood boys. I took in my 16 year old brother this year, and along with one teenager along comes two to four more, and I would never have the heart to turn them away at meal times. So you will see this good deed frequently throughout the challenge =)
  • ItsSonia
    ItsSonia Posts: 20
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    Oops, I messed up the last post.

    Dec 1 - stayed under calorie goal
    shared evening meal with some of the neighborhood kids
    Dec 2 - stayed under calorie goal
    offered car rides to the neighborhood kids who needed rides home
    Dec 3 - stayed under calorie goal
    drove my grandmother around town so she could pay her bills and grocery shop
    Dec 4 - Stayed under calorie goal, but barely!!!
    Yay the weekend, that means kids! Shared evening meal with the kids
    Dec 5 - Stayed under calorie goal
    Donated money to feed the homeless while shopping for my own groceries
    Dec 6 - Went hiking up in the hills right outside of my town
    and yes! I stayed under my calorie goal!
    Good deed? yes, I didn't give the car who cut me off the burd! just kidding, no good deeds for today.
    Dec 7 - eh
    Dec 8 - Stayed under calorie goal
    let someone who was standing behind me with fewer items in the checkout line cut ahead of me =)
    Dec 9 - =(
    Dec 10- bleh
    Dec 11- just a really busy week, no star =(
    Dec 12: managed to stay under my calorie goal
    gave a generous gratuity tip to my hostess after lunch =)
    Dec 13- stayed under calorie goal
    AND EXERCISED!!
    Dec 14- stayed under calorie goal
    driving home that night, I saw a woman walking w/2 bags of groceries. I offered a ride and SHE ACCEPTED!
    Dec 15- stayed under calorie goal
    had a cart groceries so asked the person behind me with only a few items to cut before me in checkout
    Dec 16- Christmas party, gift exchange!!! although I didn't stay under my calorie goal, OR EXERCISED! gosh
    Dec 17- Stayed under my calorie goal
    Volunteered for my son's 1st grade class for his overwhelmed teacher =)
    Dec 18- Stayed under calorie goal
    Saw a young lady and an infant at waiting for a ride at wally world at night! so I offered her one, but she declined =(
    Dec 19- And yesterday, yes I did manage to stay under my calorie goal. And also baked some fresh cookies to share with a small get together at my son's teachers house. Oh! and I exercised!

    What an excellent challenge. Every day i look for opportunities to do good deeds! I will continue my good deeds after the challenge is over, and hopefully do my best for the other two parts of the challenge too =)

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