Raine

Final Report Here's what I posted in my challenge thread... Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5) - DONE! By the final week I was able to get to 100 lbs and do the reps I wanted. Exercise - increase cardio by adding jumping rope to the routine (at least 10 minutes twice a week) - PARTIAL. I increased cardio with more time on the heavy back instead of adding a jumping rope routine. (I also increased core exercising with an added ab routine.) Food - stick to Paleo for the full six weeks - DONE! And still going strong. I would say I'm 85% Paleo and that works for me. Life Goal - clear out my closet and donate unwanted clothes - PARTIAL. I didn't clear out the entire closet, but I did manage to get through some of my clothes. I'm continuing to do this one since I'm going down in size and need to toss the old stuff anyway. I've got two bags for donation so far. Main Quest: Lose weight, gain muscle (& strength) and fit into a size 16. - ON MY WAY! I seldom step on the scale but each time I do the number is lower. And I'm noticing muscle definition where I didn't have any before. Overall, I give myself a B on this challenge. I may not have completely met all goals, but I got pretty far and incorporated things I didn't even intend. Things are looking good.

Final Report OK, so I didn't exactly keep up with the weekly reports this time around. But I did keep up with the challenge. Here's how I fared. Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5) - DONE! By the final week I was able to get to 100 lbs and do the reps I wanted. Exercise - increase cardio by adding jumping rope to the routine (at least 10 minutes twice a week) - PARTIAL. I increased cardio with more time on the heavy back instead of adding a jumping rope routine. (I also increased core exercising with an added ab routine.) Food - stick to Paleo for the full six weeks - DONE! And still going strong. I would say I'm 85% Paleo and that works for me. Life Goal - clear out my closet and donate unwanted clothes - PARTIAL. I didn't clear out the entire closet, but I did manage to get through some of my clothes. I'm continuing to do this one since I'm going down in size and need to toss the old stuff anyway. I've got two bags for donation so far. Main Quest: Lose weight, gain muscle (& strength) and fit into a size 16. - ON MY WAY! I seldom step on the scale but each time I do the number is lower. And I'm noticing muscle definition where I didn't have any before. Overall, I give myself a B on this challenge. I may not have completely met all goals, but I got pretty far and incorporated things I didn't even intend. Things are looking good.

Weekly Update I'm still at 90 for the bench press, but I think I might at least try 100 by the end of week two.I have not yet added the jump rope routine.Still doing well with Paleo. I even experimented with my own recipe for banana nut "bread" using coconut flour. I think it'll be a great snack once I tweak the recipe a bit (going to add some raisins or dried fruit next time for sure).No movement on closet cleaning yet. I did, however, find a pair of pants in my closet that were a size smaller than I've been wearing so I tried them on... and they fit! One size down makes me a happy camper!

Main Quest: Lose weight, gain muscle (& strength) and fit into a size 16. Obviously diet and exercise are key. At the moment I work out 5 days a week, can bench 90 lbs and work the heavy bag for 20 minutes. For diet, I've been eating Paleo for a week so far. Here are my goals for this challenge to help me accomplish my Main Quest: Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5) Exercise - increase cardio by adding jumping rope to the routine (at least 10 minutes twice a week) Food - stick to Paleo for the full six weeks And because I like having the life goals of the earlier challenges, I'm adding one here too. Life Goal - clear out my closet and donate unwanted clothes

Well, this challenge comes to an end without complete success. I am still doing well with the workouts and did accomplish a couple of goals. But life definitely got in the way this time around when it came to planning things and finding time. I think it was primarily because of the time of year - during the course of this challenge there was an anniversary, my birthday and an extended visit from family. Anyway, here's where I ended up: Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5) - FAIL (but still working toward it)Exercise - walk at least 60 minutes per week - FAIL; I got some extra walking in, but not up to 60 minutesFood - do an intermittent fast one day a week - DONE; I worked up to this and was able to do it for the final two weeks of the challengeLife Goal - replace a toilet (seems basic, but I'm not much of a home repair chick) - DONEIf giving a grade, I suppose it's a C- this time around. But I'm not about to give up on any of it. I have noticed positive changes in my body and I definitely want more. Plus I already have a goal or two in mind for next time around.

Okay, so I've been lax in posting updates this time around. Things aren't going quite as well with regular workouts - we have a lot going on because of an impending family visit and there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. I haven't stopped working out, but I've only been able to get in 2 or 3 a week so far. I did, however, complete my life goal! Amazingly, hubby and I managed to replace the toilet in one of our bathrooms without flooding the house or causing any bodily injuries. And I have to say that the previous few weeks of working out and upping the weight I can lift was a big help in (relatively) easily lugging the new toilet upstairs. I have not yet managed a fast. My difficulty here is I want to do this on a weekday. I have motion sickness issues if I'm in a vehicle for more than 20 minutes on an empty stomach and my commute (by bus) is almost an hour. So I'm working on weaning myself off of breakfast one day a week.

Well, my first challenge went reasonably well so I'm here to try another. I think a couple of my goals last time were a bit too general, so I'm going to be more specific this time around. And now that I've got a workout schedule I'm sticking to, I can have more goals within the workout itself. For exercise, here's where I'm starting from this time around: working out 5 days a week; bench 80 lbs; legs 65 lbs; heavy bag 20 minutes. Here are my goals for this round: Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5)Exercise - walk at least 60 minutes per week Food - do an intermittent fast one day a weekLife Goal - replace a toilet (seems basic, but I'm not much of a home repair chick)For grades, if I manage all of this by week 6, it's an A. Any goal I haven't attained will drop a half or full grade based on whether there is partial completion.

I should probably close the loop here before the next challenge begins. Overall, I'd give myself a C+. Here's how I did on my goals: workout 5 times a week for increasingly longer periods of time - DONE and still goinggo for 30 minute walks 3 times a week - FAIL; there was such crap weather around here the past few weeks that I couldn't get a decent walk most daysdo a better job of watching what I eat (paying particular attention to cutting sugars and fats) - DONE and still goingdo a complete de-clutter of the two main problem rooms in my house - ALMOST; this one is more a matter of making time for itI've dropped a few pounds, am up to 65 lbs for leg lifts and have managed some bench press reps at 80 lbs. Overall I'm feeling better, less tired, a bit more energetic... and I actually miss working out if I have to shift my schedule around!

I can't believe that it's already week 6 of this challenge! Working out 5 days a week is still going strong. And I'm even considering pulling my long neglected bike out and giving it a go sometime.

I'm doing a strength and cardio mix. I have a weight bench and free weights, so I get leg work, bench press, lifts, curls. And on the heavy bag I do a kickboxing mix. I've also been working in some time with the jump rope and doing push ups as well. Trying to not focus too much on one thing.

End of week 4 / beginning of week 5 Things are going well. I'm sort of amazed that it's already week 5. I've been sticking to 5 days of working out every week, increasing the time and weight. I think I'll actually have to invest in a couple of heavier plates so I can keep increasing what I can lift and bench. Been using my rice maker a lot and going really light on salt, fats and any sauces or dressings on things. It seems like as I work out I crave healthier foods, which I think is pretty awesome. The decluttering is still in progress. Hoping to get more of a chunk of it taken care of this week.

End of week 3 I'm feeling pretty good. I stepped on the scale (which I try to not do very often) and the number was a few digits lower than the last time, so that's good. And I find that I'm actually looking forward to working out every night. Weight is up on the strength portion and time has increased on heavy bag. Bought some things to do make ahead healthy meals for home and brown bagging at work. I'm also considering trying out intermittent fasting.

Hi all! I'm in Akron. Trying out my first challenge here.

Beginning of week 3 I've switched it up on the strength training and jacked up the weight with fewer reps. I definitely felt the difference after tonight's workout.

End of week 2 Succeeded in working out 5 days again. Increased weight and reps on a couple of exercises and added a couple of new ones as well. Increased time on heavy bag and I feel like I'm starting to punch with more force. No walks again, but temps are increasing this week and I'm planning lunchtime walks to get out of the office. Cooked at home more often this past week instead of going for the convenience of fast food. Also took unsalted nuts to work so I wouldn't be tempted by the vending machine if I felt the urge to munch mid-afternoon. More cleanup underway: sorted through two boxes of miscellaneousness, putting things in their proper place and throwing the boxes in the recycle bin.

Good point about the sugars and fats. I'm not one to counts grams and things (I realize I probably should), but considering the only way to really stick to something is to change habits, that's how I'm handling it. I tend to cook with margarine or oil, so I'm cutting how much I use (somewhat measurable by how often I won't need to buy them). And hubby and I both like sweets, so I'm starting by cutting back on sugary desserts or treats and keeping more fruits and sugar-free options in the house. I've noticed in the past that if I stay away from processed sugars for a couple weeks I start to lose the taste for them, so I'm working on phasing them out instead of attempting cold turkey.

End of week 1 I did manage to work out for 5 days. I even increased the weight and reps for the strength training, and upped my time on the heavy bag. Didn't get in any good walks though... weather really wasn't encouraging. Did an ok job with food... was conscious about sugars and fats, and cut down on both. And I did find some time for a little clean up; threw some things out and gave a couple things away.

Hi all! I'm new around here and this will be my first challenge. Luckily, I've got hubby as a training partner and he's doing the challenge too (he's a monk). So where am I starting from? I'm about 70 pounds overweight and not very active (though not a couch potato). I don't mind working out, but I find I can't always stick to it. I can bench a 40 lb barbell 20 times, do 100 leg lifts at 30 lbs and go about 15 minutes on the heavy bag (punching and kicking). I'm a brisk walker, but don't often go on walks just for the sake of walking. Goals: workout 5 times a week for increasingly longer periods of timego for 30 minute walks 3 times a weekdo a better job of watching what I eat (paying particular attention to cutting sugars and fats)do a complete de-clutter of the two main problem rooms in my house I know the challenge already began a couple days ago, but I have so far managed to workout for 2 days this week.