A snippet on my health background: Yes, I have my Master’s in Health, but when it comes down to living the perfect healthy lifestyle, I’m far from it! I go through phases where I’m super motivated, and then I’ll go months without doing a thing. I’ll be honest with you, since I’ve been in Korea, I haven’t made a consistent effort to be healthy, especially with what I eat. Well, that lasted over three months, and that was three months too long…
Several weeks ago, my sister Chelsie approached me with a new fitness challenge. My first thoughts were…. Oh boy, what is it this time? But, as she started explaining her idea, the wheels in my head started turning… this is actually brilliant!
I love being healthy and staying fit, but I often have a hard time motivating myself! This challenge was just what I needed.
It’s really simple–it works on a points system. Find 5 (or however many you want) small things you can do on a daily basis to improve your fitness. Each time you complete an item, you get a point (if you don’t get it done, no worries.. you always have tomorrow!). This will give you a maximum of 5 points a day, or 35 points a week.
- Set a “points goal” and work your way toward that goal.
- Tip: Have a nice little reward waiting for you at the end of your goal.
- After you achieve your goal, be sure to set another one!
Want to take it a step further? Ask a friend to join you, and race to see who can get to their goal first (accountability works wonders)!
Here’s what I’m doing for my daily points…
- 1 Point: Exercise–either a core or cardio workout.
- 1 Point: Omit refined sugar from my diet
- 1 Point: Log in all of my calories into MyFitnessPal.
- 1 Point: Drink (water!) at least half my body weight in ounces.
- 1 Point: Eat at least 2 servings of fresh fruits/veggies (this is a minimum!)
My goal is 150 points, and I’m racing my sister to the finish line! Once we reach 150, we are going to reward ourselves with a new swimsuit!
How am I doing? The first week was a little rough… I accidentally ate sugar 3 times, I was too lazy to log my calories for a few days, and I missed a few workouts. I came up with 25 points for my first week. My sister beat me pretty bad, so I upped my game. I scored perfectly the week after (35 points)! I came in three points short last week (32 points).
Now this is a simple plan, and if you’re in the position I was in a few weeks ago where you just needed a little push, this might be for you. If you haven’t been really health conscious lately, I suggest starting off slow and manageable. The routine I set up for myself was perfect for me, but it might not be for you. You may need something more challenging, or something easier. Just customize it to fit what your fitness goals are.
My dear sister-in-law, Candace, has joined us! ~5/14/2013
What do you think? Are you in?
The English Travelers 