I , Cara, am commited (or should be ) to making more active choices everyday for the next 8 weeks and to report here with my progress, and/or stumbles, for support and encouragement.

Goals for this week:
Get up 1/2 hour earlier to do morning exercise.
Go to Curves 5x a week.
Continue with the family weekend ACTIVE-ity.
Drink more water. (I work on the 2nd floor. Potty's on the 1st. The more I drink the more times I climb those stairs )

Extra Credit

1. I feel more energetic and able to "survive" the day. I don't feel like I am going to collapse every evening.
2. My moods are more even. I can tolerate so much more. Things don't seem to bother me so much.
3. Exercise gives me some time to think,reflect and focus. A woman at my Curves last week said I looked almost "Animalistic" the way I dive right into the machines. I told her that I like to achieve my "Zen" state while doing the reps. I get so many more done in that 30 seconds.

*I have had a special moment recently that has reaffirmed my new WOL and I'd like to share with everyone.

I am a new member at Curves, last week one of the more senior members told me that I encouraged her. I was kind of shocked, but smiled and told her "THANKS!". I didn't realize that "I" was helping someone else, simply being there. I just finished reading the book, "The 5 people you meet in Heaven", and its true. We are all a part of everyone elses story.

So anywhoo... Thanks to everyone for simply being here. You have no idea how many times you have all encouraged me.

Thanks for the welcome, Monika. I'm excited to see what this program can do for me. In just 9 days I've lost 3 inches off my waist.

Thanks for the welcome Monika. You aren't the first to call me the queen of flax. I do love it as an Omega3, a fiber and a low carb baking sub. If your good I'll give you the chocolate pudding flax recipe.
The dressing is very easy I baked all the ingrediants, the onion, celery and herbs in the muffins and then just crumpled them up and soaked them with some turkey broth and baked it in the oven like regular dressing. It comes out sort of like corn pudding if you use a lot of broth or like a giant stuffing muffin if you don't use very much.

Marieshops wow a kindergarten teacher. Thanks for the great job you are doing educating our future. I'm sure you get lots of exercise chasing them around all day and can plan an exercise session as part of your daily curriculum. Then you'd have all those exercise buddies to motivate you too.

Yesterday I "curved", today I DECORATED THE HOUSE for Christmas! And, yes, it's an aerobic workout! Took 1.5 hours, and lots of trips up and down the stairs, plus the bending and lifting (and I didn't have to bring up the boxes from under the house, even...). Hey, just setting up the manger scene (also known as "O Booming Metropolis of Bethlehem"--it takes up a full 18 gallon storage box [and the pieces max out at 5" tall!]) can be considered a workout.

Tomorrow's going to be difficult--I have a field trip for the entire day, then a Site Council meeting, THEN a sectional for our Christmas Concert. Not sure where Curves will fit in.

Jude

Hi Monica, the following is what I actually accomplished this week on the great adventure of the Third TDC Fitness Challenge.
-----------------------------------------------------

Friday: walk 2.1 miles before breakfast. workout with weights.

Saturday: walk 3.4 miles before breakfast, slow pace, plenty of stops for rest. I love to walk but think I'm too heavy for the extended walks because my right knee started to get a twinge in it and my feet were sore for a few days.

Sunday: walk 2.1 miles before breakfast. workout with weights. walk 1.35 miles in the evening.

Monday: walk 2.1 miles before breakfast.

Tuesday: walk 2.1 miles before breakfast. workout with weights. walk 1.35 miles in the evening.

Wednesday: walk 2.1 miles before breakfast.

Thursday: Day off

-----------------------------------------------------
Weight Workout - 20 reps, light weights.

The goal of my workout is to tone the muscles and burn stored glycogen to enhance getting rid of fat. I have no desire to increase muscle size and/or strength at this time, I will simply be satisfied with working with what I currently have.

DB preacher curls x6
DB side laterals x6
DB front laterals x6
DB rows x4
lat pull downs x4
DB bench press x7
tri push downs x4
DB tri ext x4
-----------------------------------------------------

EXTRA CREDIT

This week I noticed how much better I feel about myself because I'm exercising consistently. I know I have muscle somewhere underneath all that fat even though others cannot see it. I know that I am doing the right thing because there is no argument that consistent exercise is essential to a long term weight loss solution.

-----------------------------------------------------

Next week's goal is to keep going, stay consistent and not injure myself.

Wow Marty

I feel so lazy now that I have read your post!
Kelly

Hi everyone:

I missed getting my goals posted for this first week.
I don't know what I am going to do, but exercise as much as I can. I found out a week and half ago that I am expecting my second child. Woo hoo, what a surprize!!!

Anyway, I am carrying on pretty much as usual, walking and doing back exercises, until meeting with the midwife. I am considered high risk, so I might have to make modifications in the future to my exercises.

I am setting goals to take my vitamins and drink my water.

This week I have met my goals in all areas. I walked 50 minutes 4x, took all my vits, drank lots of water, and did my back exercises.

Benefits of Exercise:
~feeling stronger
~feeling of accomplishment
~destressing

I hope everyone is doing great.

OK, AntiM, and all the other fine folks participating in this opportunity to get ourselves healthier...I made the 1st week of this to the letter.

Am feeling some pains in my bad leg from either the bad stuff being purged from the body from my 21 Days of Christmas gift to myself or from the fact that as part of the purge program I no longer take pain killers...so will only say I will do my best to get as much lower body stuff in as possible. It may be all aerobic rider and my evening walk may be shortened...but I will still get it all done!

I am taking my supplements without fail; doing my exercise as stated; and eating the cleanest food program I have ever eaten in my life. I will not weigh again til the 22nd (or the 25th? Still debating that in my mind!)...but figure that the increased health I am receiving is worth whatever minor pains I go thru to get there!

Have a great week all!

Alien abduction clause being invoked this week due to horrendous work schedule Didnt' meet my exercise goals this week, but stayed cheat free in terms of the WOE. Am expecting the aliens to be departing soon and hope to begin anew on the exercise challenge over the weekend and next week. Congrats to all of you who did a great job on the exercise challenge this week.

Week One Starting Weight: 389.6
Week Two Starting Weight: 380.4
Pounds Lost: 9.2 lbs

Week 2 Goals

• Friday - Monday + Friday == BFL Weight Training
• Saturday + Tuesday + Wednesday + Thursday == BFL Cardio HIIT
• Lose 3 lbs
• Do not kick myself if I cannot exercise first thing in the morning, but make sure that it gets done that day

MisterE glad you survived that awful caffeine withdrawl and all the fish you don't enjoy eating.

So running around the house counts as exercise. i'll have to remember that. Wonder how muchfitday will give me for that.

I did all my planned workouts and stayed true to WOE.
I did fail to meet the keeping safe clause. I walked off the side of the treadmill while watching the football game. That was a scary moment but all that upper body work I've been doing came to the recue as I grabbed the hand rails , held myself upright and walked back on the moving treadmill. My hammie on the leg that went over the edge was a little tight and sore and I bruised the palm of my hand , but since the next day was an off day I survived just fine and had no trouble doing the HIIT or cardio the rest of the week. I will make sure from now on the treadmill is directly in front of the treadmill so I won't have my head turned while treadmilling.

Hey! I am all moved and I really want to take this challenge seriously... I am starting from zero at this time and dont know how to do my current workout with these darned hardwood floors! lol

My goal for today will be to take my daughter for a walk while my son is in school... I will be gone all day tomorrow then Sunday I will put more effort and thought into my goals!

My favorite exercise is my Body by Jake Total Trainer. I have had it for 10+ years...since they first came out. It is sturdy and supports my weight and it gives me a terrific upper body workout.