Bring On the Next Challenge!

We had such a great time with our challenge group last month that we have decided to stay together and change up our challenge for a new month. I think I made a couple too many goals last month so this month I am going to keep it a little more simple

So here are my goals to Get My Gobbler in Gear....again I made a chart for the fridge.  I am sure to see it every day - several times :)

1. Plank/Push Up Challenge - Our group is following a plan that will build to a 5 minute plank and 40 push-ups  by the end of the month (see below).  However, I am modifying these goals because I could not even do Day 1 (15 push-ups and 20 second plank). 

Attempting to lower myself to the floor...

 And the collapse....no push-up :(

I believe it is important to set realistic goals that will challenge you, but you still have hope of achieving. That said, my goal by the end of the month is 10 consecutive push-ups and 1 minute plank.  This may change as I see how I progress. I feel like this will be a legitimate challenge for me since I currently have zero upper body strength. However, if I find that I am progressing better than I thought on my push-up or plank goals, I promise I will re-evaluate and adjust it accordingly. They call it a "challenge" for a reason, right?

This is the original challenge. Let's see how close I come.
 

2. Walk 75 miles -  I am upping my mileage from last month (60 miles) because I really want to push myself to be consistent in my morning walking routine. I have to get up at 4:45 a.m. if I want to go with my husband. If you are trying to get in a morning workout routine I think now would be to a good time to give it go. Hopefully, with the time change it will be a bit easier to get up early. 


3. Don't let November become an eating free-for-all - So many opportunities to splurge with birthdays, holidays, etc. I will have some splurges, but I need to balance those with some structure.  This whole "journey" would have been scrapped on Day 3 if I couldn't eat the things I want. Of course, I can't eat all the things, everyday, but I can enjoy them in moderation.  From an eating perspective the next couple months are going to be tough for me. My plan is to be very aware of what I am actually eating.  And if I start to eat something and I am not enjoying, stop eating and pitch it. I would rather "waste" a piece of cake than have to burn off something I didn't even enjoy. And I would rather "waste" a little money on individual servings bags of chips because I know I can stop with one little bag, but not with "approximately 14 chips" out of a big bag (and I am pretty sure they don't mean try to find the 14 biggest chips in the bag).


Now a less quantifiable goal...
4. Focus on positive things about myself - it is so easy to see areas where we fail (or perceive failure).  Obviously, this whole journey will be much bigger than what we eat and how much we exercise. We have to make emotional/behavioral changes. We had a good discussion in our challenge group about this subject. One thing I am a bit embarrassed by is the way I hear myself talk to/about myself.  I would NEVER accept a "friend" talking to me that way!!  I am not 100% sure of my strategy to achieve this goal. I will do my best to share as I go along.

Again, I am excited to start a new adventure and I love the accountability of our group.  I can't wait to see my results at the end of the month.  Even if I don't lose anything in November I will be proud of myself for working hard to improve my overall fitness.  It is definitely time to "get my gobbler in gear!"