Change of Plans and Alternate Challenges

I was going over the list with Trent a few weeks ago, and he actually talked me into switching two months around.  The reason is that I have the fruits and vegetables challenge in May, but if we wait until later in the summer we can get lots of good stuff at the local farmers markets.  Good idea, Trent!  I ended up swapping May and September, since I think the timing on June-August is still pretty good.

Here is the new order for my challenge.

January - Water

February - Exercise

March - No soda (and continue the exercise challenge)

April - No more than one alcoholic drink a day

May - Floss every day

June - Minimize your trash

July - Don't watch any television all month

August - Don't drive alone in your car to work

September - 5 servings of fruits and vegetables

October - Eat one of the 14 top "superfoods"

November - No fast food

December - Write down something you are grateful for

On a related note, I know that many people have used this as a template for their own 30 days challenge.  That's great!  This is my list.  I encourage everybody to make their own if this doesn't quite meet their goals.  Please take some time to let us know what your list looks like.  It may give others some ideas.

Oh, by the way, we got a head start on the June challenge.  We picked up a compost bin a few weeks ago.  If you live in Portland, you can get one at Metro Paint on Swan Island for only $35.  We've already eliminated one bag of garbage from our weekly collection!  Now if we could just get the boys potty-trained...

Jason

March Challenge - No Soda

OK.  This one is pretty simple.  No soda for the month of March, and that includes diet soda.  I shouldn't even have to explain why on this one.  Although I really don't drink that much of it, I'd prefer not to drink it at all.  My work instituted a free beverage program several months ago, and I'd say that certainly contributed to me drinking more soda again.  Anyway, for those of you who don't drink it anyway, I encourage you to pick something different for yourself.  For all you Catholics out there, since it's lent, I imagine you're probably doing something anyway.

No soda should also be fairly easy if you're still drinking enough water.

Good luck!

Jason

Tough week for exercise

Wow, it's been a tough week for exercise.  Up until this, the final week, I'd say I've been meeting the stated goals, but just barely.  Even the week the kids were sick I managed to walk to lunch several times and get my 30 minutes in.  This week, however, I had noon meetings EVERY DAY!  These people are crazy!  And, I had personal commitments every night, so working out after the boys went to bed wasn't an option this week.  I realized that in order to really get the exercise to become a habit, I need to make a schedule that I can stick to rather than counting on being able to just fit it in.  So far I only have one day in, and I actually went Thursday to Thursday without exercising.  That's pathetic.  However, since I set the exercise bar relatively low, I can still meet the goal this week if I work out the next two days.

Although the goals will technically be met for this challenge, I'm not really satisfied with the results.  I'm going to roll this one over into the next month for myself .  After all, since I started drinking more water, it's a lot easier to avoid having a soda anyway.

How's everybody else doing?

Jason

Movement

I had a visit to my chiropractor today. She has been very supportive of the 30 Days Challenge. She helped me come up with some of the challenges, and she has gone as far as including it in her monthly news letter to her patients. This month she had quite a long news letter about exercise, and the key point was movement. Basically, we've evolved into a society that doesn't move much compared to what are bodies are designed to do. Where kids used to play outside, they now play video games. Where people used to make a living with their bodies, they now sit in a cubicle. There seems to be some correlation between this and many of the health issues we're seeing today, from obesity to stress to heart disease...even to dementia.

Exercising doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym and slogging it out on a stairmaster. It can be much simpler than that. Go for a long walk at lunch. From my workplace, there are several places that are a 15 minute walk. I can walk there, eat lunch, and get back to work in an hour. Wallah! I've gotten my 30 minutes of exercise and stayed within my hour for lunch! There are other simple things to do that can increase movement, and therefore increase exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away from the front door and get a few extra steps in. Do some simple exercises and stretches while watching television. That's what this month is all about. Get us all out moving!

On silly thing I noticed I was doing was after working out at the gym, I would drive across the street for lunch. What? On a side note, this gym is in the suburbs and has a strip mall across the street. If I had been downtown, I wouldn't have even considered driving that short a distance. Now I walk it.

Also, strength training doesn't necessarily mean lifting weights. Do some pushups. Work on some core exercises. There are a lot of things you can do without hitting the gym (although that is good, too!).

Anyway, please root for me to be successful this month. I'm rooting for you!

Jason

Life Gets in the Way

Well, between the Super Bowl, sick kids, and the in-laws in town, I'm off to a rousing non-start on February's exercise challenge.  At least I'm still drinking water!

Jason