45 replies to this topic

[AnthroChad]

Hello to everyone participating in our 30 day Fitness Challenge starting February 15th, 2012!

This forum will be for posting your daily check-ins and progress as you go through the 30 days. Please join us at the end of the challenge on March 15th for a Twitter party to tell us about your experience using the hashtag #evernotelife.

Full details of the challenge is here: http://blog.evernote...ness-challenge/

I look forward to seeing your success!

[gbarry]

Posting up my example challenge note. I'm toying with the idea of tracking how much liquid I'm consuming as part of the challenge.

My challenge has a few adjustments, which may or may not disqualify me from completion:

• Trading coffee for pushups - I needs my fix, so as "payment" for breaking the rule slightly I'm adding 100 pushups to the daily routine.
• Additional "run" column. Starting back in November I've been upping the frequency and length of weekly runs. Added a column to track.
• Started recording Monday, even though it begins today, so the beer and wine happened outside of the challenge time frame. This is crucial

Link is here: http://www.evernote....73d8c54b3ca0a17

[BurgersNFries]

82 situps down...18 more to go...

(situps down?)

[Sammiep]

Started out drinking water and doing the 100 sit-up + 30 push (just added bonus for myself) - It's harder then I thought. Drinking only water was something not able to do, because normally I drink alot of milk and thee. So I'm narrowing it al down to less of that and more water. Sit-up every morning 50 and every evening 50 + 15 push-ups. Holding on and hoping to lose 20kg lost 11 from januari.

- Sammiep Netherlands.

[AlineB]

I did my situps just fine yesterday!
Not drinking only water, though... In Brazil we get fresh juice anytime and that's my only consumption of fruits . So I am giving up soda... Wish me luck!

[GrumpyMonkey]

Started out drinking water and doing the 100 sit-up + 30 push (just added bonus for myself) - It's harder then I thought. Drinking only water was something not able to do, because normally I drink alot of milk and thee. So I'm narrowing it al down to less of that and more water. Sit-up every morning 50 and every evening 50 + 15 push-ups. Holding on and hoping to lose 20kg lost 11 from januari.

- Sammiep Netherlands.

20kgs! wow. that is an exciting goal.

my challenge is going ok so far. i am doing all four.
1. 100 situps got done with the torso rotation machine at the gym this morning. i might add some regular situps tonight as well. why not?
2. 100 stairs. yesterday i did 100 floors (that works out to something like 1600 steps i think) with the stairmaster, but that takes nearly twenty minutes, and i don't have much time in the mornings, so i am in a conundrum. i only did 40 floors this morning, and i'll see if i have time tonight to do the other 60.
3. to be honest, with the exception of coffee (2 cups), tea (4 cups), and orange juice (one cup), i was already drinking lots of water (no soda, alcohol, etc.). so, i am just trying to increase my water consumption, while decreasing the coffee and tea. the coffee buys me a spot in the coffee shop, so i think i have to keep doing at least one a day
4. no sugar is a little more difficult, but substituting grapes, apples, and bananas for snacks is making it easier.

[farringtonpam]

40 situps in the morn and 40 in the eve - no problem. My neck is hurting though - anyone else experiencing this?

[BurgersNFries]

I'm not a professional but IME, if your neck is sore from situps, you're doing them wrong. Be sure to tuck your chin to your chest. I'm sure Anthro/Chad will have more accurate information.

And if this is a new habit, yes, many people will have sore muscles. For me, it will be my abs. They aren't too sore, but I started on 2/14. So two days of situps & I can feel it. If you get too sore, you should take a day or two off.

[Andra]

Check in - Day 1 - 75% successful (drank wine at a dinner out)

Am focussing on feeling the success not the fail. Afterall, I ran up the stairs 7 times. It took me two sessions, so there is an obvious improvement area in my future! And I do have a slightly tight glow in my leg muscles today, so I'm feeling virtuously fitter.

[gbarry]

Check in - Day 1 - 75% successful (drank wine at a dinner out)

Am focussing on feeling the success not the fail. Afterall, I ran up the stairs 7 times. It took me two sessions, so there is an obvious improvement area in my future! And I do have a slightly tight glow in my leg muscles today, so I'm feeling virtuously fitter.

I think it's more about the 30 days for me and the accumulation. 100 of anything isn't *that* much for a day. But if you consider, at the end of a month, you've done 3000 of something, it's highly likely that's more than you've done in an entire year in the past. And if it becomes a habit, well then...all the better, no?

[farringtonpam]

Thanks BurgersNFries - yes, this is new for me. After I posted I did look it up and I see that I should be engaging my ab muscles vs using my neck - dummy me, but I guess I have to start somewhere! As far as tucking my chin, I have read that I should focus on where the wall meets the ceiling so that my neck is in line with my spine...

At any rate, on to day 3 tomorrow

[AnthroChad]

Thanks BurgersNFries - yes, this is new for me. After I posted I did look it up and I see that I should be engaging my ab muscles vs using my neck - dummy me, but I guess I have to start somewhere! As far as tucking my chin, I have read that I should focus on where the wall meets the ceiling so that my neck is in line with my spine...

At any rate, on to day 3 tomorrow

I've answered a bunch of questions in the 30 Day Fitness Challenge - Questions forum, including the neck one. It's likely weak neck muscles that aren't used to the movement. The key is not overdoing it, whether it's a sore neck, sore butt or sore abs. Be smart and listen to your body.

[Sammiep]

Today again a good day - hard on doing the sit ups, just finding the time but it works.

Also made a small Evernote just to keep track for myself. Doing it with the things I eat and my weight so hope this wil help me. Nice to see other people are doing there best also

http://www.evernote....a9bd654ab21463f

[BurgersNFries]

Got my 100 situps in yesterday.. Not part of the official challenge but rather my own is drinking eight, 8 oz glasses of water a day. (I don't want to give up my coffee or tea!) And, I'm noting the daily steps from my Fitbit.

https://www.evernote...78c5bc0a09ca565

[Welmoed]

Did 25 sit-ups this morning, right after waking up. Water and tea all day, no other drinks. And just did the other 25 sit-ups of my total of 50 a day. I was tempted to skip them now, and add them to tomorrow's number, but decided that that wouldn't be a good start of the challenge. Once you start doing stuff like that.... ;-)

All in all: well done me! :-)

[gbarry]

Got my 100 situps in yesterday.. Not part of the official challenge but rather my own is drinking eight, 8 oz glasses of water a day. (I don't want to give up my coffee or tea!) And, I'm noting the daily steps from my Fitbit.

https://www.evernote...78c5bc0a09ca565

I like your note style. I have much to learn.

[BurgersNFries]

I like your note style.

Thank you. I was going for easy.

[YaRRm]

So far so good. Situps are the most difficult part, as I do them in one go. Water only was not so easy first two days due to a strong coffee addiction . Stairs going good as well as no sugar - no problem with those two at all.

http://www.evernote....8a0ffb801aab429

[AnthroChad]

How is everyone doing? Survive the first weekend? Those tend to be the most challenging part of a 30 day challenge, especially on the nutrition front.

[Sammiep]

How is everyone doing? Survive the first weekend? Those tend to be the most challenging part of a 30 day challenge, especially on the nutrition front.

This weekend + monday was really hard to keep up with the water / just in general it's really hard to only drink water. The exercise is going fine, I split them up in segments of 50 morning 50 before to go to bed. Only in the evening it's harder to get motivated to do them. Thought multiple times that I wanted to quit.
Also I'm eating my normal diet wich I should lose like 1,5kg a week, at least the last 1 1/2 month it was the case. Now i'm gaining wheight instead of losing. Can it be something to do with the exercise, or do I have to adjust my diet?

Link to evernote: http://www.evernote....a9bd654ab21463f