Tools for the Challenge

Thanks for joining the Fit for Christmas Challenge!  If you're new and don't know what the Fit for Christmas Challenge is, click on over here to read all about it.  I hope you'll commit to this journey, too!

My Favorite "Diet" Tool
Anytime I've had success dieting, it's been through counting calories not some fad diet.  If nothing else, it helps give a more realistic picture in my head of how bad some foods actually are.  Counting calories, however, can get complicated and, of course, there's math involved.  The best tool I've found and used very successfully is a website called www.myfitnesspal.com.  It's also available as an app here.

When you sign up for it, you can set up and customize your fitness goals.  Not only does it show you how many calories you have to eat each day to reach your goal, it also has a huge database of foods and exercises that you can use to log your calories in and out.  It makes the counting very easy.  The foods are even specific by brand, so you can get an accurate count without memorizing the food label.  It's a great way to keep yourself accountable for what you've eaten and to keep yourself from overeating in a day. 

Another Reason Why...

Another big "why" for me right now is diabetes.  In both of my last two pregnancies, I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  That gives me a much greater risk of developing regular diabetes in the next few years.  One big way I can help prevent that is by losing weight.  As part of my diet this time around, I'll be loosely following a diabetic meal plan.  All in all, it's a good way for anyone to eat, as it helps keep blood sugar levels steady and provides a good balance between carbohydrates and proteins in meals.  If you're looking for more structure in your dieting, this may be very helpful for you.

Here are a few good links about diabetes meal plans:

This one has several sample meal ideas, as well as guidelines on portion sizes to help with planning.

This one is a 1500 calorie diabetic meal.

This one is an 1800 calorie meal plan.

There are lots of other meal planning resources out there.  Do an internet search and find one that works for you!

Today's Action Steps
-If you've already committed to the Challenge, head on over and sign up for www.myfitnesspal.com.  Use the next 11 days before the Challenge begins to get used to it.  Start logging your food and exercise now to get an idea of what your "normal" eating habits are like.
-Share the Fit for Christmas Challenge with your friends and family.  The more people you have doing this with you, the easier it will be for you to succeed!

The Fit for Christmas Challenge

Are you ready to lose weight but just haven't found the motivation to do it?  Now's the time!  I'm gearing up for a change and I hope you'll join me in the process.  That's why I'm blogging--to get others to join me.  It's always easier when you're not doing it alone and I'm hoping to use this blog as a way to motivate myself and those reading, as well as to have some accountability beyond the four walls of my own home.  I'll be blogging about my own experiences, success stories from others, motivational tips and advice from others, as well as a weekly weigh-in.  Nothing to get you motivated better than weighing in for the world, right?

So, what's the Fit for Christmas Challenge?

The Fit for Christmas Challenge is a challenge designed to get you started toward your own personal weight-loss goals.  The Challenge begins Monday, August 4th and ends Christmas Day.  That gives us 20 weeks and 3 days to focus on our own goals.  Here's how you can be part of the Fit for Christmas Challenge:

1) Choose your goal and then comment on this post to commit to joining the challenge.  My personal goal is to lose 40 pounds by then.  For me, that's less than 2 pounds per week.  Very achievable--nothing totally unrealistic.  

2) Use the next week and a half to prepare.  Get yourself motivated, get a buddy to join the challenge with you, start stocking your pantry with healthy food choices (which probably means getting rid of some unhealthy ones!), and make a plan for how you're going to accomplish your goals.  

3) Subscribe to the blog and be sure to keep reading the blog for more ideas on how to stay motivated and to hear how others are doing.  I'd love for you to share your own successes and weekly progress alongside mine.  

4) Mark your calendar for August 4th!  

Why the Fit for Christmas Challenge?

For me, I'm ready to get back to a healthier weight.  After I delivered my second baby in August of 2011, I lost over 50 pounds.  I hit a weight I hadn't seen in years and I felt great.  Life happened, however, and I gained back over half of that.  Not long after, I got pregnant with baby #3.  On August 4th, the baby will be 6 months old--time to get healthy!  It takes a lot of energy to keep up with my three kids, my house work and all the things I'm involved in at church.  Losing weight will not only help me feel better about myself, but it will also help give me back some energy that I've lost.  

In the next few days, I'll post more of my why and how, as well as some ideas for success!  

Today's Action Steps:

I invite you to join me on this adventure.  If you're ready for a change, now is the time!  If you're ready to commit to the Fit for Christmas Challenge, comment with your goal and share your "why" with us.  If you commit, I strongly encourage you to share this post and your commitment with others.  Together, we can do this!