fit4good

Fit4Good - Spring 2011

staceymonk — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:30:47 -0400

Fit4Good is a quest to change the world by changing ourselves. The six-week competition challenges participants to get fit for a cause.

DATES: April 4 - May 16, 2011

THE CHALLENGE: During this round, Fit4Good will offer 2 options - you may select one or both:

CHALLENGE OTHERS: In order to participate, each person will contribute $100. At the end of the competition, the sum of all contributions collected (less applicable PayPal fees) will be awarded to the charity selected by the participant with the greatest percentage weight loss as of EOD May 16, 2011.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF: In order to participate, each person will contribute $100, and will set an independent fitness goal. If you meet your goal, your entry fee will be awarded to your selected cause. If you don’t meet your goal, your entry fee will be forfeited & awarded to the charity selected by the winner of the weight loss competition. Sample fitness goals might be:

Bench press XX pounds by 5/16/11.

Jog 10km without stopping by 5/16/11.

Take at least 1 yoga/cardio/spinning class per week from 4/4/11 - 5/16/11.

Lose 10 pounds by 5/16/11.

Lose 2 inches around my waist by 5/16/11.

Eat homecooked meals 6 days per week from 4/4/11 - 5/16/11.

You may participate in both challenges for $200.

GET STARTED: To join the effort, complete these two simple steps by April 4, 2011.

Submit this simple entry form.
Submit your $100 or $200 cause commitment using the PayPal widget below.

WEEKLY UPDATES: Participants must complete weekly weigh-ins & record data in a form that will be delivered weekly via email. Weigh-ins are scheduled for 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9 & 5/16 and a leaderboard will be posted the day following each weigh-in. (No actual weights will be published online - only % body weight lost for each participant.)

ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION: Upon receipt of your registration form & $100 cause commitment, you will be invited to join our top-secret Facebook group where we can talk smack, keep in touch & offer one another support and encouragement. You may also submit posts to be published on the fit4good blog throughout the competition. It may be as simple as an inspirational quote, a photo of you working up a sweat or anything you’d like to share with other participants. Just click the “Submit” link at http://www.fit4good.org.

BACKGROUND: Fit4Good is totally informal and voluntary, and is not affiliated with any nonprofit, corporation or formal organization. It was first launched in June 2010. During the first month, 8 participants lost a total of 46.4 pounds or 2.2% of our combined weight. The winner of our first round, now “loser emeritus”, Betsy Decillis (@decillis on Twitter) lost 7.3% of her body weight in one month & was able to contribute $800 to her chosen charity, the Cat Welfare Association of Columbus, OH. Our second round was held during January of 2011. During our second round, 7 participants lost a total of 64 pounds in 6 weeks, a total of 3.7% of our combined weight. The winner of that round, Sanjay Patel (@sanjspatel on Twitter), lost 6.88% of his body weight and was able to contribute $700 to his chosen charity, Epic Change.

QUESTIONS? Leave a comment here, tweet @StaceyMonk or send an email to staceybmonk@gmail.com

yesterday, i said i’d jog. today, i did. not far, not fast. ...

staceymonk — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:13:09 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

yesterday, i said i’d jog. today, i did. not far, not fast. but i did. here’s the embarrassing footage as proof. so there ;) actually, okay, this was posed before we left, but after we took this, i went jogging/walking for 30 minutes and came back all sweaty and gross. maybe i’ll post the after too…

Fit4Good Leaderboard - 1-31-10

staceymonk — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:56:10 -0500

Based on your input, we’ve decided to extend this competition until the end of February (2/28) and we’ll still award the prizes per the original rules (50% to the charity designated by the biggest loser and 50% to the charity designated by the competitor voted most inspirational.) Of course, you can vote for the biggest loser as most inspirational, so one person could still win the whole $700 for their cause ;)Without further ado, here’s this week’s leaderboard:

Sanjay Patel - 4.26% (Epic Change)
Carrie Kerpen - 3.84% (Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, New York)
Josh Opinion - 3.17% (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)

(% weight loss was determined by start weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY start weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

Together, we’ve lost 42.6 pounds so far - 2.46% of our combined body weight - since January 3rd. Go us!!

Again, the race is far from won - with another month to go until our final weigh-in, it’s anybody’s game!!!

Fit4Good Leaderboard - 1-24-10

staceymonk — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:55:44 -0500

Together, we’ve lost 38.5 pounds so far - 2.23% of our combined body weight - since January 3rd. I’d call that a HUGE win!!!

Here’s our top 3 for the week of January 17 - January 24:

Sanjay Patel - 3.83% (Epic Change)
Stacey Monk - 2.67% (Epic Change)
Katie Talbot - 2.63% (Epic Change)

(% weight loss was determined by start weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY start weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

Go Epic Change!!

But the race is far from won - 3 remaining competitors are each under .5% behind the leaders at this point - it’s anybody’s game.

I’m posting a quick vote in the below to see how you’d like to award our ~$700 prize & whether you’d like to extend the competition a bit - I know it’s keeping me motivated. Make sure you vote today or tomorrow to let us know. We’d like to make sure we honor everyone’s input.

Next (& Final??) weigh-in: Monday, January 31

Fit4Good Leaderboard - 1-17-11

staceymonk — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:33:00 -0500

For those who have been waiting with bated breath, sorry for the delay!

As of Monday, 1/17/11, the seven of us have lost 1.38% of our combined body weight, a total of 23.9 pounds.

Sanjay Patel - 2.37% (Epic Change)
Josh Opinion - 2.35% (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Katie Talbot - 2.02% (Epic Change)

The field is still wide open ;) And I’m comin’ on strong…

All I ask is that someone, please, for the love of all that’s holy, knock Sanjay off the top spot next week…I gotta live with him ;)

Fit4Good Leaderboard - 1-10-11

staceymonk — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:51:00 -0500

After Jen’s post, it seems insignificant, really, to even post this. She’s right - we are so much more than what these numbers represent. They could never measure us. Not really.

So let’s just call them one of a million indications that we’re treating ourselves a bit better, that we’re dancing and playing more often. Let them be one of a million reasons we have to celebrate who we’re becoming.

Yesterday, when I weighed in, I was admittedly disappointed. It wasn’t “enough” in the scheme of things, a tiny fraction of the more than 100 pounds I’ve yet to lose. I totally discounted what I had done - that I had given up soda, eaten well, exercised 4 times, went on a long hike, drank plenty of water, and lost nearly 2% of my body weight.

These numbers capture only a tiny fraction of all that we’ve accomplished - the immense & immeasurable shifts of spirit, the food choices we made that made our bodies feel better, the dancing we did, and so much the scale could never reflect.

To those of you who had a great week - congrats!!! To those of you whose accomplishments couldn’t be reflected by the scale, celebrate anyway. To those stymied by vacations, stubborn plateaus and business trips, no worries - we’ve only just begun…

Together, the seven of us have already lost 19.2 pounds - over 1% of our total combined weight!! (1.11% to be exact, even without a few of us reporting.)

THAT’S AMAZING!!!!

Here’s our top 3 for the week of January 3 - January 10:

Sanjay Patel - 2.11% (Epic Change)
Joshua Opinion - 1.72% (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Stacey Monk - 1.61% (Epic Change)

(% weight loss was determined by start weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY start weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

Next weigh-in: Monday, January 17

Why We are Enough and Saying Fuck to Numbers

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:02:06 -0500

Okay, guys! I have been silent over here (eating marshmallows with nutella smeared on top to appease my anxiety on several fronts, I kid you not) but I MUST pipe in at this juncture to offer this rant on why numbers on a scale are no indication of personal magnificence.

Our value as human beings cannot be measured. Period.

Pick your poison. Academic degrees. Number of Facebook friends. Dollars in the bank. Numbers on a scale. None of it can determine our worth. Our worth was determined on the day the Universe granted us the gift of being alive and hard coded us for love and belonging.

Nothing can take that away our basic human right to those things. Nothing. There is no more, no less, no add on, no plug in, no loss, no gain, that can diminish our worth. We are. We simply are. And we really are enough.

Of course, when I look at the scale, it is really hard to NOT notice that today i weigh exactly five pounds more than I did when I was nine months pregnant with my first child. And trust me, there is no baby in there. Sadly.

If I let those numbers mean anything but numbers, then the barage is immediate. I suck. I am undisciplined. I let myself go. And then I get hit with the big guns…no wonder my husband never wanted to have sex with me. No wonder I got nothing goin on in the somethin somethin department.

You can only imagine how great this feels! And how productive!

No, try as I might, there are no real connections between numbers and value, try as I might to connect the dots. People who love you, love you. People who do not, do not. There is nothing any of us can do to kill love or worthiness. It is our birthright. Our work is not to earn it, but to claim it.

And to dance in it.

And to shake it around. Like a Polaroid Picture.

Because this is the only shot we have at loving and belonging to our own dear selves. Of being our own kindest allies. You know what I mean? If I am going to be in a fight, let it be for the privilege and peace of loving my own damn self, cellulite and all.

So, Stacey Monk and my dear comrads here, I double dog dare you to dance it off, whatever that number is on the scale. Fuck that number! It cannot determine our value. We will not let it hang like a noose around our necks. We will not let it run us around like our mothers, or our unkind fathers or those crappy girls in high school who never had to take deep breaths before someone was going to see them naked.

I will do my dance for you in my pudgy petite black dress cloaked glory if needed to brighten anyones day. Say the Word.

Because it is so not fair for dear people like us to be working so hard to be fit FOR GOOD for christsake to feel like shit for trying.

Can I get an amen? I think you are beautiful, Stacey Monk and I am talking about your ass, sister, not your glorious insides for a change.

Big love to all,

jen lemen (highest weight ever, not that anyone is counting)

So it begins. Again.

staceymonk — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:43:54 -0500

Taken November 1, 2007. Just 3 short years ago.

The girl with the ponytail in front of the class? That’s me. Teaching a Zumba class.

In the original post that included this photo, I reflected that I was “the former 290 pound heavyweight”.

3 years later, I’m back to that former girl. Only a bit bigger.

I’m ashamed, sure. Sad too. I miss the booty shaker from this photo. Her verve. Her courage. Her beauty. Her total abandon.

But today, I’m more eager than ashamed. Excited that she might yet again emerge from somewhere within me to make an appearance.

Because, more than I want to be thin, I want to be unafraid. To dance. To be heard. To be seen.

Why are you getting fit4good? Is there a photo somewhere - of a place, a person, of you - that will inspire your journey?

Fit4Good - January 2011

staceymonk — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 04:55:00 -0500

Fit4Good is a quest to change the world by changing ourselves. The month-long competition challenges participants to get fit for a cause.

DATES: January 3 - January 31, 2011

CAUSE COMMITMENT: In order to participate, each person will contribute $100. At the end of the competition, the sum of all contributions collected (less applicable PayPal fees) will be divided evenly between two causes - the first cause to be named by the participant with the greatest percentage weight loss as of EOD January 31, 2011, the second cause to be named by the participant voted most inspirational and encouraging by other fit4good participants.

GET STARTED: To join the effort, complete these two simple steps by January 3, 2011.

1) Submit this simple entry form.

2) Submit your $100 cause commitment using the PayPal widget below.

WEEKLY UPDATES: Participants must complete weekly weigh-ins & record data in a form that will be delivered weekly via email. Weigh-ins are scheduled for 1/10, 1/17, 1/24 & 1/31, and a leaderboard will be posted the day following each weigh-in. (No actual weights will be published online - only % body weight lost for each participant.)

QUESTIONS? Leave a comment here, tweet @StaceyMonk or send an email to staceybmonk@gmail.com

The Finish Line is Almost Here!

staceymonk — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:12:00 -0400

I was truly honored that Stacey gave me the role of cheerleader for this last week of our challenge. Being able to be your cheerleader means a lot to me and I will try to do my best to live up to it.

That being said, I’ve been racking my brain for how to best motivate you guys to cross that finish line and I think I’ve come up with a great solution. I’m going to tweet out challenges for you guys every day and you can tweet back with the hashtag when you’ve completed it. These are just going to be simple challenges that should help you on your journey.

So here is your first mission: Tell us one good thing you are going to do for your body today and then let us know when you’ve completed it!

Good luck guys and PLEASE let me know if you need any additional help or support!

Week 2 Results: It's official. Betsy rocks.

staceymonk — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:26:00 -0400

This week, we lost a total of 7.7 pounds, even with one participant unable to report - which means in two weeks, we’ve lost a total of at least 26.4 pounds & over 1.27% of our combined body weight!!

Again, to those of you who had a great week - congrats!!! To those of you who are struggling, please ask for help from anyone on the team if you need it. I did, and it’s meant I’ve reignited my exercise routine thanks to the woman who once again tops our leaderboard, Betsy Decillis.

This is a game we can all win by losing…I’m definitely more than willing to be a helpful exercise nudge, a provider of yummy healthy recipes, or a reminder that you’re already beautiful inside and out and deserve to feel great about yourself and live a long, healthy, joyful life. I can also remind you, if you’ve forgotten like I had, that even if you dread it, or have convinced yourself you can’t, it really is fun to move.

We’re still only halfway through this competition, and the field is wide open…

Here’s our Here’s our top 3 losers for the week of June 8 - June 14:

Betsy Decillis - 1.21% (Cat Welfare Association of Columbus, OH)
Ehren Foss - 1.14% (CASA of Travis County)
Sanjay Patel - 1.13% (Epic Change)

(% weight loss was determined by 6/8 weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY 6/8 weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

Here’s our cumulative leaderboard, which will be used to award the $800 pot at the end of this competition on July 1:

Betsy Decillis - 4.17% (Cat Welfare Association of Columbus, OH)
Sanjay Patel - 2.45% (Epic Change)
Stacey Monk - 2.28% (Epic Change)

(% weight loss was determined by start weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY start weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

Ehren, you’re literally .03% off the cumulative list. So it’s basically a dead heat between you and me. Sanjay, don’t think for a second you’re safe in second. Ehren & I are on the hunt.

Betsy, you rock. But don’t get cocky yet. We’re comin’ on strong ;)

Next weigh-in: Tuesday, June 22

Why I am Doing This (from @jopinion)

staceymonk — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:36:00 -0400

I always think that opportunities are everywhere, you just have to look for them and more importantly act on them. That’s how I felt about #fit4good.

Not sure about everybody else in the competition, but I didn’t know anyone when I saw @StaceyMonk post the challenge. I just saw this opportunity to join some excellent people for an amazing cause.

I’ve learned that when I do something greater than myself there is always more incentive for me to follow through. I went through a period where I focused on my health and was going to the gym 4-5 days a week for a while and then lost it all.

When I saw these people putting a stake in the ground for the good of others and to benefit themselves, it was obvious to me it was a win/win situation.

It’s been an awesome experience so far connecting with some strangers to do some good. But I can’t really call them strangers anymore because we are connected by the common thread of changing others by changing ourselves.

Look forward to see what happens as we get to the half way mark!

-@jopinion

The Fruits of Kindness

staceymonk — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:56:00 -0400

To Betsy, maybe the quick 6:30am wake-up call she made to me this morning seemed like nothing.

But here’s what it meant to me:

It meant I dragged all 300 pounds of me out to the park and exercised for the first time in months. (I can’t believe I’m admitting how much I weigh out loud, nor how little I exercise. We’ll credit Betsy for that too.)

It meant I remembered that my body isn’t too fat to move.

It meant I caught a blue jay & a squirrel fighting over a peanut and I giggled.

It meant I went to the grocery store, then went home and made a really good breakfast for my whole family - and made breakfast burritos to last for the rest of the week.

It meant I bothered to calculate that each burrito has 337 calories, 20 grams of protein & 10 grams of fiber. I ate 1/2 of a super-delicious perfectly-ripe mango too.

It meant I delivered my own dose of kindness to 3 friends before I even left the house.

It meant I got to play in the sunshine before many people were even awake.

It meant I listened to great music that made me happy. And terrible music that made me happy too. (btw: The Middle by Jimmy Eat World is a great workout song. So is Lose Yourself by Eminem. even if they’re a bit dated.)

It meant I occasionally sang a stanza out loud while I was jogging - because my body wanted to sing. And I really didn’t care what anyone else thought. After all, I’d gotten out of bed. To exercise.

It meant I jogged .43 miles without stopping, and it only took 5 minutes.

It meant I walked, recovered, and jogged .43 miles again. The second time, it took 7 minutes. I’m not sure if I was that much slower, or if I didn’t time myself correctly on one of the go-rounds.

It meant, all in all, that I jogged a mile, and walked a mile. Farther than I would have ever thought I could go.

It meant I woke Sanjay up to go with me, and he jogged too - almost 3 miles. His first time back in months.

It meant, in part, that Tori woke up too. Even though she’s across the country. If I can do it, she can too. And vice versa.

It meant I knew that today would be better than yesterday.

It meant, today I feel good about myself. And I’m in a super good mood.

It all began with a small act of kindness from someone I’ve never even met.

And I’m so, so grateful.

If anyone wants to wake me up at 6:30am tomorrow, have at it. You never know what you might inspire.

415.630.0631

Do you need some pep talks??

staceymonk — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:55:00 -0400

(This post is by our current leader, Betsy, @decillis on Twitter. I’ve -me, Stacey! - asked her to call me at 6:30 on Monday to start my own jog/walk habit. Let’s see if it works! I’ve set up & emailed each of you a Google Doc here where you can add your phone # if you’d like to keep it off the interwebs. I’m not shy though - you can call me anytime at 415.630.0631.)

When I was at my skinniest, I had the greatest situation in the world. I went to the gym twice a day for 45 minute workouts and had a gym buddy. The biggest problem we had was that our first weekday workout was a 5:30 am workout. Neither of us were morning people and were both known for turning our alarm clocks off and going back to sleep. We made a deal. Every weekday morning at 5, one of us would call the other. Getting that phone call and knowing that the other person was going to be at the gym at 5:30 am motivated the other one to wake up and get her butt there too.

Here is my offer to you: Do you need a motivational phone call? Or maybe just a motivational tweet? I’m here for you. You can email me what you need and I’ll do my best to do it for you. My email is decillis80(at)gmail.com.

I’m already doing this for one of my friends: the lovely @pagetx. Our agreement works something like this: We both have RunKeeper profiles set up and keep tabs on each other’s progress. This allows us to cheer or make the other person feel guilty as needed. We just started this this past week and I have already cheered @pagetx onto completely the mileage necessary to do a 5k. She is working on getting the 10k mileage done by Sunday. The guilt I’ve put on her has been epic. :)

So once again, I’d be happy to give you the same epic guilty trip. Just let me know what would work best for you!

Week 1 Results: 18.7 Pounds Down!?!

staceymonk — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:16:00 -0400

Guess what folks?!? Together, the eight of us have already lost 18.7 pounds - nearly 1% of our total combined weight!! (.9% to be exact…)

THAT’S AMAZING!!!!

To those of you who had a great week - congrats!!! To those of you stymied by house guests, vacations, stubborn plateaus and business trips, no worries - we’ve only just begun…

Here’s our top 3 for the week of June 1 - June 7:

Betsy Decillis - 3.00% (Cat Welfare Association of Columbus, OH)
Stacey Monk - 2.02% (Epic Change)
Kathleen Talbot - 1.42% (Epic Change)

(% weight loss was determined by start weight MINUS current weight DIVIDED BY start weight…rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent.)

That’s right, gentlemen. The ladies are at the top of the list. Hear us roar ;)

Next weigh-in: Tuesday, June 15

It's on like Donkey Kong!

staceymonk — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:17:00 -0400

(This post is by Sanjay, @sanjspatel on Twitter.)

With the first week of Fit4Good ended, I have to fess up. I’ve been travelling and spending time with my family back east over the past week which means I’ve been eating (inhaling) lots of delectable, home-cooked indian food lathered in ghee and deep fried in oil. Indian men don’t do diets, especially when mom is hovering over your plate to make sure it’s constantly replenished.

Nonetheless, I managed to scrape off a few pounds thanks to some wrestling around on the basketball court with my nephews. It was this physical activity that let me know how out of shape I had become. I was short of breath after only a few minutes on the basketball court, granted it was scorching hot outside, but I used to be a gym rat who would play basketball for hours at a time only a few years ago. For me, this challenge is the beginning of getting back into shape and more importantly, managing my diet so that I can offset diabetes which runs in my family.

I’ve been telling myself for the past 3 years that I would get back into shape, but I never made it a priority.

I officially begin my training regimen today.

I wish you all the best.

(As Betsy wrote previously, good luck to my fellow challengers. You’re going to need it. ;)

Mental Stumbling Blocks

staceymonk — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:33:00 -0400

(This post is by Betsy, @decillis on Twitter.)

Thursday was a bad day for me. I hit my first mental stumbling block. It was the first day that I was supposed to up my mileage, but I went into the run thinking, “I can’t do this. I just can’t do this.” Do you know where that thinking got me? Not even halfway through my run.

I wallowed in that failure. I hated myself for having failed and didn’t want to go out and risk failing again. Unfortunately something had to snap me out of it. For a normal person, that might be the race I have to run next week. For me, it had to be the threat of losing my baby, Cesare the Kitten.

I got up this morning and put my running gear on. I checked the weather by opening up my front door and seeing how it felt. It was going to be a mild and windy day. That meant I could eat a little first and wait around while I digest. And maybe, I was trying to come up with a reason not to run.

About an hour later, I got up. My front door was wide open and Cesare the Kitten was nowhere to be found. I freaked and ran to the door. Cesare was sitting in our bushes with a big smile on his face. After getting over the hyperventilating and giving him lots of love, I got my sneakers on and ran.

It wasn’t the prettiest run in the world but I did what I failed to do on Thursday: I got through those three miles. Now, I’m more prepared to face that next stumbling block with more mental toughness.

So what have been your stumbling blocks, mental or otherwise?

What's motivating you to get #Fit4Good?

staceymonk — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:43:00 -0400

(This post is by Stacey Monk, @StaceyMonk on Twitter.)

I’ve been consumed for the last few years with my work at Epic Change. Consumed. And I haven’t focused on taking care of myself at all. Ask anyone who loves me. They’re appalled. While they’re excited about all the good we’ve done, they’re also concerned, saddened I think, because they know it’s come at a huge personal cost. It’s certainly been more than just the weight, but that alone is significant. If you can imagine, I’ve gained over 100 pounds since I started in September 2007. Close to 120.

Love does funny things to a person. And I truly love Mama Lucy, and so many of the children who attend her school. I left my job in September 2007, and really haven’t looked up until now. And I wouldn’t change a second of it. Over 400 children are there now - 7 new classrooms, a school bus to take them safely to & from, a technology lab, a library. Trust me, this investment in the potential of this remarkable community has been more than worth the blood, sweat & tears I’ve shed. So much more.

But I’m realizing I’d be even more effective in amplifying their voices and visibility if I weren’t so ashamed to be seen and heard myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do it. I’ll stand up in front of a crowd & tell our story. But I cry myself to sleep the night before, afraid that I’ll be judged before I even begin to speak.

Even more importantly, I want to live to see the kids we’ve invested in grow up, to see the world they’ll create - and hopefully have my own children too. I’m 36 now. I want a baby so badly I literally envision myself absconding with someone else’s. Well, maybe not literally, but seriously, lock up your children if I come to visit. I can’t be held accountable.

I’m also realizing that I’m part of this story. I want to be around to help write the rest - and I want to honor the girl inside me who made some of this possible. She deserves to be treated with the same love, honor and respect I try my best to show to the other people I love.

Fit4Good is a tiny step in a new direction.

I’m hoping I’ll be even more motivated to take care of myself when, by doing so, I’m also investing in other people I love. Maybe it’s a mental trick, of sorts, but I’m hoping it works until I realize fully (and I am, I promise) that I am a good enough reason to take care of me.

What cause have you chosen…and why does it motivate you to get #fit4good?

Phase 2

staceymonk — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:10:00 -0400

(This post is by my college roomie & dear friend Katie Talbot.)

Hey folks!

So, I’m hoping that our challenge gives me the push that I need to make those changes that I’ve been putting off: what I eat and drink. I joined a gym on February 15th of this year, and have been pretty good about keeping to a workout schedule. I really enjoy the water aerobics class (about 3 times a week), and sometimes lead personal sessions with my friend. However, my body is pretty used to that, so I know that I need to add some other exercises as well. I also use the equipment and machines in the gym 3 times a week.

Now…the food is my next challenge to overcome. I’ve been sort of trying to make better choices and eat smaller portions, but that doesn’t always happen. I guess I was trying to convince myself to get used to the exercise portion first, and the food will follow. It hasn’t yet. So, I hope that this month helps.

My weight loss goal for this month is to lose 10 - 15 pounds. I’ve lost 23 since I joined the gym, but still have 70 to lose (maybe more) to reach what I think my goal weight should be.

Best of luck to all of my fellow competitors. THANK YOU Stacey for organizing this program and sending me an invitation. :-) I think we helped each other put some of this weight on, so we might as well help each other take it off!

Day 1 for Tracy

staceymonk — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:10:00 -0400

(This post is by Tracy Pell, @tracy1314 on Twitter.)

So, in an effort to be on again with the exercise the day before we started this I took a bike ride around White Rock Lake on Monday morning. It takes me an 1.15 or so to get around and it is 9 miles. So I thought that was a great kick-off. Yesterday I did about 1/2 of my pre-recorded hip-hop work out (15 minutes) and then just got too tired. The problem with working out at home or in the gym. On a walk or a bike ride I can’t just quit. I have to keep going or I won’t get home! So either I find some stick-to-itivness or I am gonna have to get up early and start riding. I ate really well. No breakfast tho. But salad for lunch and dinner. (yummy salad with stuff I like in it, so I didn’t feel like I was being punished!) As a treat I got good bread and a small glass of wine. Still stayed in my calorie goal for the day. So yay!