Thursday, April 04, 2013

My Spring Fling Challenge!

So, I'm making myself a challenge, and I'm inviting you all to join in! :)

I never thought of myself as a quitter, but I am. In so many areas of my life I push forward, no matter what. But I have found two areas in my life where I do not do this.

I am a quitter at chores.
I am a quitter at exercise.

I am, and even if I get done the amount expected of me in my chores by the Duke, I still don't come close to where I know it needs to be. If he says clean the living room, I'll do a quick tidy some days, knowing that is okay with him. Me, I see the dusting I left undone, the pile of papers on the desk that should have been sorted, the three bags of knitting I should have put away. He'll see that I swept, tidied, put the pillows in order on the sofas, folded up the blankets and put them over the backs of the sofa. But I know I should fully do the job.  I am working at this, and getting better. :)

But exercise? I'm so much worse. I'm feeling sick, I skip it. I'm tired, I skip it. I feel down, I skip it. I have a headache, I skip it. I'm busy, I skip it. So, as you can see, basically if the sun is out, or not, I skip it. I'm breathing or not, I skip it. :( I am SOOOO bad at exercising. I used to be really good. I'd walk two hours a day regardless of anything else. Since losing my son, no. I hate exercising. I need to change.

So, I'm giving myself a challenge after talking with Willie tonight. (Thank you, Willie!)

So I told her about needing to exercise, about how bad I am at getting motivated, and she told me about a program she'd done where you let other people know about your goal. So, I'm stating my goal here. We also tossed ideas around on how to stay motivated, and I'll share those too. :)

Calling this My Spring Fling Challenge

My Goal will be to get serious about exercising and I will have a set goal of weight to lose.

1. It will last for 10 weeks starting this Monday.
2. I will have certain exercise goals each week to accomplish - aiming for five goals a week
3. The Duke wants me to have a chart to keep track of my progress
-Willie suggested I ask for stickers if I have to have a chart, he agreed! hehehe
4. The Duke will give me a reward if I accomplish my tasks each week, his choice of reward
5. Each Monday I have to put down what my goal for exercise and weight loss is at the end of the ten weeks, and tell you all how far I've come in meeting both, and be honest if I've cheated, or missed any exercise days. I am holding myself accountable to myself, to the Duke, and to all of you! :)
- The Duke will also punish me if I cheat. I was going to get him to punish me on weeks I don't lose weight, but he did not think that was fair. So it'll be for days I cheat or don't exercise.

I want to invite anyone out there that has been meaning to meet a goal in their lives to join me. We can all have our own "My Spring Fling Challenge" or just "Spring Fling Challenge", and have ten weeks to meet it. This also gives you the weekend to think over how to execute this goal. It can be for exercise or weight loss like me, or it can be for something else in your life you are struggling to over come. We as a community can be here behind you to help you meet it, to support you, and cheer you on.

I'd really love to have anyone that wishes to join me in this to let me know. :) I'd love to be supporting you as you support me. Or I hope you'll help support me. ;) So if you want to join, I can't wait to see what you write about on Monday. Please invite any and all DD blog friends to join along. :)

We can do this, and I can't wait to do it with you all. :)

So, starting on Monday I'll tell you the exact goals I have to lose weight and exercise, and then I'll write every Monday to tell you how far I've come. I hope you'll all help cheer me on when it gets tough. Yep, I'm that selfish. :) But honest, I'd love your support. Truly.

23 comments:

  1. I would love to do this... but I need to think of how I'll organize exactly what I want to group together as far as things done.

    Great idea!!

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    1. If you're able to join in, it'd be great to have someone else. :) And I can't take credit, I thank Willie for this. :) She really helped me talk things through, and helped with ideas. :)

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  2. I'm going on vacation inten days so my goals will be modest but I'll see what I can come up with by Monday.
    Bea

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    1. Oh, it's always so hard to do a challenge when on vacation. I will totally understand if you chose not to, or wait until you get back to start. :) Thank you for writing and thinking about it. I was so nervous to suggest others join me.

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    2. er, I mean ask others to join me.

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  3. Um, again, I feel I should state, I just told you about GOOBs ( Get of our butts) challenge. The fact that the anonymous, public shame motivated me more than anything.

    But the stickers I can take credit for!!! Yay me! I am interested in the rewards...er that is to say what Duke comes up with for the rewards ( sidenote to Duke from fellow exercise hater, knock the rewards out of the park the first few weeks, okay every week. And NO a gift certificate to Blondie's Paddles is NOT a reward!!!)

    I love to walk, and the weather is getting better. Two hours huh? I guess if I went East and you West, we still wouldn't meet up? Oh well there goes that motivation. I give up :)

    love willie

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    1. Maybe if we tried bicycling instead? We might make it... after a few days! LOL Yeah, there goes the motivation. lol

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  4. Hey Esmay

    What a brilliant idea. Oh I would love to join. Well I'm not allowed to lose any weight, but I think I'll join in the exercise side of things. Actually I think I'll involve my dogs lol
    Let me see what I can sort out ;)

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    1. Oh, doggies getting their own Spring Fling Challenge, I LIKE IT. :)

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  5. This is a great idea Es May and a great goal. I will certainly cheer you on! hmm, I'll have to give some thought to this.

    Hugs,
    Roz

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    1. It is okay if you're not able to join. :) I don't want anyone to feel they have to, just offering to let them join if they can and want to. :) I would LOVE to have your cheering as I struggle through. ;)

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  6. Let me ponder on this hmmmmmm

    Bob

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    1. OH, I never thought about a guy joining, this could be fun! Or you could give one to your wife. ;) Don't tell her it was my idea though! I don't want her hating me. lol

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  7. This looks great EsMay. I've got months to think about it though :P
    I will start something for Autumn, I desperately need the exercise thing done. Mainly quad strength so I can get back on my snowboard this year :) I will see if H will write me up a circuit I can do :)

    Callie

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    1. LOL I sometimes forget about that. LOL How about it be your Autumn Fling Challenge? ;) That's awesome that you snowboard... I never did, sounds like fun. :)

      That is my idea, to create a challenge for myself that goes up each week. eek! What have I gotten myself into! lol

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  8. Interesting timing. I have health issues that I am supposed to do this whole stretch routine that I really don't like to do lol. It isn't overly hard but sometimes it leaves me a bit sore so I don't bother with it. Well I've been in more pain lately and Tm has been suggesting I start stretching. I think this would be a good opportunity to get on track with it by participating in this spring challenge :)

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    1. Welcome aboard! :) I am so excited to have you join us. :) I have to do some stretches and toning for physio, I'm done the program, but am still supposed to do the work... you have reminded me I need to put that into my exercises so I remember to do them regularly. Thank you. :) :) I hope that doing this challenge will help us both out, and that Tm can be proud of your progress. :) {{{HUGS}}}

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  9. Lord yes, I need to be motivated....I have weight that needs to be gone. The stores are starting to put bathing suit out on display.....how dare they??!

    Something to think about....if you start to exercise don't look the scale as much. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat....so if you want to have a more accurate view of your success....take your measurements before you start....or go off of how your clothes are fitting.....okay off of my fitness soapbox!

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    1. That is a good idea, Lucy. :) I'll do that as well as looking at my weight. ;)

      I know, it's so not fair to have the bathing suits out yet! lol

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  10. This is a wonder idea, I'm in with you Es May!

    I agree with Lucy Lou, measurements are a good thing to do. I like to take pictures in a bathing suit too, that way I can really see the difference in the end. It won't be a picture I show anyone but maybe after 10 weeks, I might feel comfortable on beach.

    I'll come up with a plan by Monday.

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    1. I plan to put up my plan tonight on here along with some others that I found online in case they'll help people out. :) And I'm glad to have you along for the ride. :) I'm getting more and more motiviated just by the response. :)

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  11. This looks so great Es May! I have to say that I love this idea of a spring challenge and I have an idea for what I'd like to do. I have to think about it a little more, but it has to do with cleaning out and organizing the basement. Not that it is a jungle down there or anything, but it is stuff from raising four kids and the last 25 years that end up down there. A few years ago I started to tackle it in an overly organized way, and something sad happened during that time that had nothing to do with what i was doing, and I had to stop. Now every time I go do some, i think of it and I don't last long. Sounds sort of silly, but its true. I go down there all the time to manage dogs or get food out of our other fridge or look for something but as far as organizing over days, I just can't seem to stay down and get it done! So I think it is time to get over it! :). And I know that Rob is big on assigning me spring cleaning chores so that fits right in to his plans!

    As for all of you exercise people, I don't know if this is a help or not but there is an amazing program that is called couch to 5K that I started 3 years ago I think! I was definitely not an athletic type, in fact I couldn't stand gym or sports in school. A friend of ours posted that he was doing it and both Rob and I ended up doing it at that time. Check it out because it is very gradual and very rewarding and only about 3x a week for 20-30 minutes by the end. And you will become a runner. I would say to be sure that you can do it medically. And buy some GOOD running shoes to take care of your feet. But I have to say that it was so easy and now I have been training for a 1/2 marathon. Well- I was until I was in the hospital recently. But now I am starting again. So I will give you the link and also tell you that there are great apps for your phone to listen to while you do it! Also, the message boards at this site are wonderful for info.
    http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/
    Great idea Es May! Hugs!

    <3 Katie

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    1. The Couch to 5k is actually one of the workouts I'm going to do! :) I have bad ankles, so running on uneven ground is out for me, and I don't have a treadmill, so I talked it over with the physiotherapist once, and she said jogging on the spot is a bit different, but still very beneficial, and would be good for me. So that's how i'll be doing it, and then trying to get to my friend's once a week to try her treadmill. :)

      I think tackling your basement is a great idea. You can even do it in stages since it's hard to be down there. Like, just five minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day for a few days and work up from there? Maybe you could even have a good movie playing, or happy music, open windows, whatever would help you out down there?

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Please feel free to leave any comments, but I do ask you to be kind. We go into this with eyes wide open after months of prayer, and a peace in our hearts that this is the right choice before God for our marriage. I am open to questions from those who wonder why we made this choice, but I would ask for no personal attacks. Thank you. :)

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