Tuesday 30 October 2012

The November 30/30 Challenge - Prepare To Prepare!




Well, it is only two more days until the 'kickoff' of the November challenge, and I thought I would provide you with some ideas about how best to prepare.

Mostly, it can be a battle of the mind to get yourself started, especially if you haven't exercised for a while, or if you're forcing yourself to do this for health reasons, but you don't really want to.

Personally, I'm feeling quite pumped about it!

I have wanted to get back into exercising for so long, so it feels good to be actually doing something about it. Also having the other 'challengers' doing it alongside me to help keep me motivated, is a real plus! So thank you to those joining in.

(Haven't signed up yet? Don't worry, there's still time! Go here to see the details!)

I have already talked about making an appointment with yourself in your diary or dayplanner, so make sure you do that. It makes it much easier to stick to something when it is written down, because you can hold it and read it, rather than it just being an idea in your head. It also makes it a bit harder NOT to do it, as you have to actually cross it out, or see it all day in your diary not done. If it's just a thought in your head, one 'poof' and it's gone! You get the picture?

Here are some other ways to mentally prepare yourself:

* Make sure your workout clothes are clean and ready to wear. You've got two days to get them washed and dried if they need to be.

* Get yourself some supportive, comfortable shoes that are appropriate for the activity you are going to be doing, (if you haven't already). You don't want to do yourself an injury, just as you've got started. The same goes for a good sports bra.

* I'm not in the habit of telling people to leave things lying around the house and not where they belong, but perhaps just for the next couple of days, leave your prepared workout clothes out where you will regularly see them. That way, every time you do see them, you will be reminded of what you're about to do.

* Make yourself up a motivating playlist. There's nothing better than exercising to music that makes you feel good. It helps you to add that little bit of extra effort that you wouldn't necessarily have put in, if you weren't imagining yourself up on stage belting out a tune with Pink. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, Rachel from Redcliffe Style has some great ideas. To view her latest playlists, click here and here.

* Make sure your Ipod, MP3 player, phone or whatever you're using is fully charged! There is nothing more frustrating than starting out on a workout and having your motivating music stop a few minutes later. Also, if you are going to be using your DVD player for doing DVD workouts, make sure it is working.

* Know ahead of time, what activity you are going to do. This won't be an issue if you are going to be just walking for the thirty days, but if you are going to be cross training, make sure you have a schedule.

* Workout with a friend! It is much harder to cancel when someone else is relying on you!

* Once the challenge has started, put on your workout gear first thing in the morning. Of course, if you have to go to work, or a meeting/appointment, you won't be able to, but if you are taking kids to school/kinder/daycare before running errands and doing normal housewifey stuff, then you can do all of those things in your exercise clothes. That way, you're ready to get stuck into it as soon as you can. It will also be a constant reminder that you still need to do it for the day.

* Have the endgame in sight. Keep reminding yourself of your reasons for doing the challenge and what you want to achieve out of it, whether it be improved health and fitness, weight loss or being a good role model for your family.

*****

Hopefully, the things I've mentioned will help you to prepare and get your mind around starting on November 1st.

Don't forget to join my Facebook page, or you'll miss all the daily updates during the challenge. The link is over to the right.

And don't forget to share this with friends and family! The more people that join in, the merrier!




Tracey




Linking up with Jess for IBOT







Friday 26 October 2012

Getting Life in Balance, And A Challenge!





During the process of finding more balance in my life, one of the major issues I'm having with myself is not finding the time to exercise. Earlier in the year, I worked so hard to lose a heap of weight, and start to regain some fitness, and since then it has all gone out the window.

What with illness, lack of time and losing focus, I haven't exercised in months.

And it feels like it. I feel....well....blah!

You know what I mean?

It's not about weight for me any more, as since I took sugar out of my diet back in May, my weight has stayed at a level I'm happy with. But I hate my lack of fitness.

I want to be able to run around with my boys, and our dogs, and not feel like I'm suffocating.

I want to be able to rush through my day, without feeling like I'm dragging my feet, or that I've left my energy supply back at the supermarket.

I want the return of my motivation to get things done, instead of just being dead tired all the time.

I want a strong, fit, healthy body.

And I know I'm not alone!

I hear the same story everywhere.

From school and kinder mums, and Facebook friends, to even strangers on the street, the common complaint I'm hearing is "I want to exercise but....." and the excuses roll on from there.

And I'm the Queen of excuses! Here's some of mine:

"I'll start on Monday...."

"It's too cold/wet/hot/late/early...."

"I'm too tired...."

"I can't be bothered...."

"There's too much I have to do today...."

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Recognise any of those? If you're anything like me, chances are you do. Come on, admit it!

So seeing as I know I'm not the only one, I have decided to put together a challenge for all of us who say we "really want to exercise, but...!"

If you really do want to exercise, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is (so to speak)!

Enter...(drumroll please!)...

The November 30/30 Challenge!

The challenge is, to do thirty minutes of activity every day, for the thirty days of November.

Thirty minutes is nothing, right?

When you think of it, as there are a massive fourteen hundred and forty minutes in every twenty four hours, a mere thirty minutes is just sooo do-able! AND, you can do any activity you choose, as long as it gets your heart rate up a bit! We are aiming for a bit of fitness here, after all. So whether your thing is walking, cycling or swimming (to name a few), this challenge caters to everyone!

I have set the thirty minute minimum, to help those who are struggling, (that includes me), with getting started. But if you can do more than thirty minutes and are motivated to do so, then go for it!

If you already do regular exercise, you can still take part in the challenge, as you can help to motivate the rest of us! Please?

Once the challenge is over, you might decide to stop, but the hope is that you will start to see some positive changes within yourself, and will want to continue. Maybe not everyday, but at least three times a week. That's what I'm hoping for myself, anyway.

A way to help get your mind in the exercising mentality, is to make an appointment with yourself. Block out thirty minutes in your diary, calendar or dayplanner, at a time of the day that suits you, and stick to it. Actually writing it down, can help you to make sure to stick to it!

So what do you think? Are you game?

This is how will it work.

* The challenge will run from 12.00AM November 1st, 2012 to 11.59PM November 30th, 2012.

* You may choose any sporting activity you like, but it must get your heart rate up, and be continued for at least thirty minutes.

* Make sure you join my Facebook page, as that is where I'll be posting daily updates, tips and photos. That is also where you can comment, to tell me and everyone else, what you've done for the day.

* I would love you to take photos while doing your activity and share them on my Facebook page! If you're uploading them to Twitter or Instagram, use the hashtag #bacnov3030challenge, so we can all see how you're going!

* Please comment below if you are planning on taking part in the challenge, so I can get an idea of how many people are going to join in. Obviously I'm hoping I won't be the only one! :)

Come on. Let's do this together!

Share this with your friends and family, as the more people that join in the better! There must be heaps of people out there that are struggling on their own, like us, but together we can motivate each other! It really helps to know that there are other people doing it too, and I know this from experience! (A big hello to the 'Shredders' girls...you know who you are)  ;)

So. Are you in?






I'm flogging my blog over at With Some Grace.






Tuesday 23 October 2012

A Promise Is A Promise.




A big hello to everyone!

It feels great to be back, and have the cogs turning again! My mind has been running flat out with ideas for a couple of weeks now, and I've found it very difficult to turn it off! Even to the point of sleep deprivation, but that's a story for another time.

My bloggy break was just what the doctor ordered. I was feeling really weighed down, and overwhelmed, and the littlest thing threatened to send my world crumbling around me. My last post explains more about this, and the support I got from everyone was wonderful. So thank you!

Anyway, I took some time to get my life back in balance and I'm feeling much better for it.

I continued with the 20 Day Challenge from The Organised Housewife that I was doing, although I still haven't finished. It's a bit annoying really, as I was on such a roll! And feeling so motivated about it. But I had promised my youngest that I would redecorate his bedroom on these most recent school holidays, and well, a promise is a promise!

So that is what I spent the last half of the holidays doing. Unfortunately it is also not finished, but at least the hard work for me is done, and by that I mean the painting! God blimy! I don't know what made me think that I didn't mind painting, but I have since discovered that I HATE IT!! The ceiling especially! Ugh! My neck and shoulders ache just thinking about it!

I'm looking forward to the end result, however. Master 5 has always been a huge Thomas the Tank fan, and when we asked him what he wanted for his room, he just said "Thomas!" So that's what he's getting.
I have painted the ceiling white, and the walls a pale blue. We bought a Thomas wallpaper mural online from the UK, and my father-in-law will shortly be putting that up for us, as I'm too chicken! (Too scared of wrecking it!)

In the meantime, I have bought some new red curtains, and red lamp and am looking for a red pendant light that I like. I don't want a lot of furniture in his room, so I'm looking a just a couple of key pieces that have lots of storage. It might take a while for me to find exactly what I'm looking for, but hopefully it won't be too long til it's finished.

Here are some photos of the fresh new look, as incomplete as it is.

I forgot to take a before photo, so this is the room after we'd moved everything (but the bed) out, but before painting.

Getting ready. So much preparation involved!



The new paint job.

As you can see, a lot more still to do, but we'll get there.

And I can't wait to show you the finished product! 

But more on that later :)





Linking up with the fabulously made up Jess and Team IBOT





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...