What are you going to do for YOU this week? - Challenge

Taking a little different approach this week. I still want to hear what you are going to do for yourself this week but I also have a challenge for you. I challenge you to step up your game this week. I can't take credit for this idea, the Stanley Cup challenge gave me the idea, but I figure only a small percentage of people are hockey fans - Sorry Deb!).

I challenge you to step up your game this week by increasing your exercise by 10% across the board! If you do 4 sets of some exercise, do 1 more rep each set or if you are really feeling randy, do one more set. If you run for 30 minutes, run for 33 or if you are really feeling randy add 5 to 10 minutes. If you exercise 3 days a week, add one day to your week.

I also challenge you to add one new exercise to your routine!

Oh and I am starting a new thread every day DID YOU DO YOUR SQUATS TODAY?

So Lets hear it!

I spent the weekend in Nashville on a mini vacation where I gained 1.5 lbs. So this week I am eating very strictly low carb.

I am increasing my exercise routine by 20%.

I am going to focus on reducing inflammation and cortisol per Dr. Oz's recommendation. BTW I have heard the same thing from Dr. Weil who I believe is a bit more credible when it comes to overall health. Dr. Weil recommends Turmeric tea for reducing inflammation.

Someone is perky this morning!  haha, I love it.  I need the extra pep in my step as well.  My goal this week is to do like you say and add time to my running or add an extra day of exercise.  I hate working out on Saturday mornings but my husband goes to kickboxing every Saturday morning and I want to be doing that as well.

I also want to run at the gym in work more and on my lunch break.  I haven't been wanting to go on my lunch break because I have to shower and then my hair and makeup is messed up blah blah vain-girl-here blah blah but I'm going to start doing it.  I can bring a hair dryer and my makeup case for touch ups :)

I hate squats, so no, I didn't do them today lol  But I do them when I go to kickboxing, I swear.

Perky? No. Trying to motivate myself? Yes.

SQUATS! Nobody likes 'em but they are simply the best overall exercise you can possibly do.

As for running, how about just walking so you don't break a sweat? Its better for fat burn anyway. On a separate note, my flight got in late yesterday and I had like 10 minutes to get from my gate to my connection in Atlanta in another terminal. I would not even ever have attempted this when I was fat. I RAN. I ran from gate A3 (at the end) to B27. I ran up like 3 flights of escalator steps too. I  made my flight and I only broke a small sweat. Not sure that was relevant but thought it was a nice anecdote.

Lol I appreciate the motivation, Keith.  You're an inspiration to me that I can pick myself up after a screw up (not saying you screwed up but you know what I mean).

I knowwwwww (whining) about the squats.  My thighs are the trouble area on my body and I KNOW that squats and lunges will work best on those pups but I just hate them.  I also lose my balance very easily and have fallen flat on my butt in the middle of the gym while doing squats and lunges.  I don't really care, I actually laugh at myself when I do it but I thought that was a nice little anecdote too :)

Does your gym have a Smith machine? try doing them on a Smith machine, the kind that the bar just moves up and down. My gym has two one like that and one that goes a couple directions. The one that just goes up and down you can hold on to the bar so you can stabilize yourself at least until you get used to them. The stronger you make those muscles the more stabile you will be when you do them without a machine.

If you don't have a Smith machine see if they have some TRX straps. Just hold on to the straps when you do the squats, don't use your arms to stand up though, just use them to give you some stability. You will get there in no time. Oh you can do squats holding on to a door frame too, you don't need to do them in the gym. You can do them getting up and down from the couch!

And for the record I did screw up a little bit this weekend, but nothing I won't have squared away by tomorrow though.

Good one about the stepping up our games!

I will increase my jogging to .7 miles at one time and my overall run/walk to 1.7 miles (did 1.5 over the weekend) for my cardio/weights days.  I will also add in an extra set of reps for my weights.  On my strictly cardio days I will either walk or swim for an additional 5 minutes before or after my workouts.

NO SHOPPING THIS WEEK lol. I still have a few outfits in my closet with tags on them (wearing a pair of 16 trousers in work today that look fabu!).  So I will sprinkle in some of my new clothes to perk up my week!

I will be in bed by 11:00 every night this week.  I was up until 12:30 last night...not necessary!

I did squats yesterday....does that count lol?!

Every Squat Counts!

I am up for the challenge!! 

I planning on doing upper body today... but I will add 15 squats between exercises.

I will add 5 mins on to my cardio this week.  Going from 30 to 35 mins.

I am so proud of myself.  I have constantly gotten set back on my goals for surgery because of family health issues. Dad is now in rehab and doing well.  He asked me when I was coming this week.  (he's 1 hour away).  I said, look, you are doing great. It's time for me to focus on myself this week so I can lose the weight to have surgery.  You have no idea how hard that was and he accepted my actions!

Not only that but is talking about using the gym when he gets home.  I offered to come work out with him and he said he would like that.  HUGE!  REALLY HUGE!!

It's going to be a GREAT WEEK!.

Don't mix muscle groups at the same time, do your squats later. Better to use your energy to get through your workout, then later tonight knock out 4 sets of 15 after you are rested.