I'm taking the challenge. Will you?

Ashlee over at A Step in the Right Direction has proposed a challenge.  A great challenge to encourage activity and get your booty moving.  The challenge is to log 150 miles in 15 weeks.  You can get your miles in by running, walking, jogging...anything that gets you moving!

The obvious break down of the challenge is to do 10 miles a week.  All in all though, it is completely up to you as to how many miles you do each week.

Head over to Ashlee's post to read more, grab the button, and join the challenge!

Weekly Goals

*I started this post yesterday, but didn't get a chance to finish it until today.  Enjoy*

I am back from my camping trip.  It was so much fun, and so relaxing, that it was extremely difficult to get my butt out of bed for work today!  Not only did I not want to get back into work mode, but my body was also still tired from all the hiking, walking, and bike riding I did.  Here's a few pictures from the trip.

My mom's dog, Toby, rocking his adorable fleece coat.

Our hike to Treasure Cave and Sentinel Ridge.

Molly-Beast exhausted after above hike.

View of the conjecture of the Wisconsin & Mississippi Ridge.

Skittles-Beast workin' it like a J.Crew model.

The pumpkins my step-dad and I carved. 

Big Sand Cave

As for my goals last week, I did fairly well.  I unfortunately ended up only losing 1.1 pounds.  On Wednesday I was down 1.3, but put a couple tenths back on due my camping diet.  A lot of exercise is not going to accomplish anything if you're not eating well.  

I did great with drinking plenty of water, and I exercised everyday.  I may have only gone for a walk one day, but it was still activity!

This week, I have two goals.  One of them is something I have attempted before, but have yet to accomplish.  I want to burn some mad calories!!  I am already a week into my Diet Bet, and a tiny bit behind schedule so I need to bump it up a notch.  My goal is to burn a total of 3500 calories.  

My second goal is to track everything I eat.  I just cannot get back into the swing of tracking!  If I don't track, my mind acts as if I didn't eat like a cow, but my body and scale show the true results!  When I don't track I binge.  When I binge I gain weight.  When I gain weight I get bummed.  The easy solution?  Just track!

I hope everyone had a great start to their week! 

NSV & Camping

Happy Thursday!  I have today and tomorrow off of work because I'm going camping!

Yes, camping.  In October.  In Wisconsin.

Luckily, we'll have really nice weather. My family takes this camping trip to Wyalusing State Park every year, and there has been years when it has snowed!  The temperatures are supposed to be in the 60's & 70's during the day and low 40's at night this time. Perfect camping weather!

Overlooking the Mississippi River on one of the hiking trails

This is our last big camping trip of the year, and it is a blast. We carve pumpkins and have them lit up at night on our site.  We go to the wonderful apple orchards in Gays Mills.  We hike until we cannot hike anymore (Which means LOTS & LOTS of activity).  We commandeer a group pavilion to have a big fire in the stone fireplace, and eat chili.  The Badgers usually have a big game so we all wear our UW Wisconsin gear and listen to the game on the radio.  And, we celebrate my Aunt and Uncle's birthdays.

So. Much. Fun!  

On to linking up with the lovely KTJ for some Non-Scale Victories.

After months of chaos at work, slacking off, and putting on unwanted weight, I am finally developing a routine in my life again!  It feels so good!

On Monday, I set 3 goals, and I am rocking all 3. Hard.  I have worked out everyday so far.  I have been drinking so much water that I have to pee constantly.  And, I have already lost 1.3 of my 2lb goal! 

I feel so upbeat, happy, and high on life that I have no idea why I broke up with my active lifestyle for basically 3 months, and chose to feel sluggish and like crap?!?!

Well, I believe I have bombarded everyone with enough exclamation points to last for the rest of the week, so I am off to pack for camping. 

Finish your week healthy, and have a great weekend!!!!!     

Wednesday Weigh-In

Finally!  I have a positive weigh-in!!  
I just did my official weigh-in for my very first Diet Bet on Monday morning so I will now be weighing in twice a week for the next four weeks.  This will help keep me conscious of my progress.  
On Monday, I weighed in at 173.5, and this morning I am now at 172.3. Wooohooo!
So, that's what happens when I stop eating like a cow, start eating wholesome foods, and get off my lazy ass.  Who would have thunk it!?!  
Happy weigh-in, everyone!

Diet Bet

Hello, hello, hello!

Per my recent usual M.O., I have been sucking at blogging, and at being healthy.  It’s really not ok, but I am just going to tell myself it is so I can get over it, and get on with it.

To hopefully jump-start my motivation, and get my booty in gear, I joined Jess and Ash’s Diet Bet.  It started today, and there is still time to join!  It is only $20 to join, and the pot is already up to $440!  If you not familiar with Diet Bets, click here for the info.

A quick run-down is that you pay your “bet” that you will lose a certain percentage of weight, in a certain amount of time.  In this case, I paid $20, and the bet I’m working towards is to lose 4% of my weight in 4 weeks.  Anyone that reaches this goal splits the overall all pot.  If everyone in the bet accomplished the goal, you basically get your money back.  If only one person does, they get all the money. Et cetera. 

The timing of this Diet Bet is awesome because it’s BEFORE the holidays.  Holidays are so full of temptation, and regardless of how hard we try, sometimes we put weight on.  Why not try to drop some weight before the holidays, and jump-start your healthy lifestyle so you have more will power during the holiday season?! 

In order to officially join a Diet Bet, you need to submit a full length body photo, and scale weight photo.  I always had intentions of putting up progress photos on my blog, but never got around to it.  Now that I HAD to take a full  body photo, I finally will be adding photos to my Weigh-Ins and Progress page.

Without further ado, here are my official starting Diet Bet photos!

(I can not get this bad boy to flip around,  uggghhh!)

And now, it's time for some goals.

1.  Lose 2lbs.

 I need to lose at least 1.7lbs a weeks to win my Diet Bet. I might as well aim a little higher and shoot for 2lb this week.

2.  8 glasses of water a day. 

3.  Get in some sort of activity Every. Single. Day.

I don't care if it is just going for a walk! I need to get moving!