Weigh Day (week fifty-four)

This week…sigh…this week has been rough.  I am finding, though, that inspiration/motivation lies everywhere…and sometimes in the least expected places.  I will even be passing along some inspiration/motivation for all of you, so read it through, pretty please.

After yesterday’s melt down over being 5+ pounds over my lowest weigh in, Denise and I sat down to create a new plan.  That starts tomorrow, and I cannot wait.  This morning gave me a little relief (if I am being honest) because the scale reflected a loss.  A pretty substantial loss (for one day), too.  I am still up for the week, but not over 5 pounds – like I feared.

201.2

That is one pound up from last week, and two pounds up from my lowest weigh in.  I would be lying if I said I was okay with that.  I am not anywhere *near* okay with weight gain.  I know it could be muscle.  I know it could be water.  I know it could be a million things *other* than fat.  It still bothers me…terribly.  It keeps me up at night (and, yes, I am aware that lack of sleep can also be a contributing factor here).

Hopefully with my new plan in action, I will shed that 2 pounds (again) by the end of this week.  That would help me feel better…and sleep better…going forward.

As for inspiration/motivation…

I joined Grumpy’s challenge (as I mentioned yesterday), and I hope some of you will take it on as well.  I was also approached by SlimKicker.  Honestly, I had never heard of them, but I was excited to check them out.  They take weight loss and add some fun twists to it (because we all know, it is not always fun).  They offer weight loss/diet challenges (some created by other users, and some sponsored by SlimKicker) to keep your life interesting.

Signing up with them is free.  You enter some initial (general) information, and they provide you with some recommended nutrition goals. They based the recommendations on what I currently weigh, what I want to weigh, how active I am, etc.

These were my recommendations:

Once you have joined, you can log food, exercise, find groups to join (for extra support), and join challenges to earn points.  You can even create your own challenges!  Additionally, they have other helpful tools to use, such as their Calorie Calculator.

Here is a screen shot of my main page:

The navigation is pretty straight forward, and it has a clean layout to keep everything organized.  I think I would enjoy tracking with SlimKicker more than LoseIt! (which I rarely ever use, honestly).  I know you can earn badges and such with them, but challenging other people…that I can dig!  There is nothing quite like competition to keep you motivated, right?

Right now SlimKicker is on the hunt for new, fun, creative ideas for sponsored challenges.  They want your help.  So, if you have a fun or creative idea for a weight loss or diet challenge, please feel free to post it in the comments below.  Each comment will be entered into a drawing to win this:

SlimKicker will choose the winner one week from today.  Exciting, right?!  So, get those wheels turning and share some of your best ideas for weight loss or diet challenges!

-Erica

Can I Get A Drum Roll, Please…

(Just imagine it in your head for me…) 

I wanted to announce the winner of the fancy new pedometer I offered earlier this week.  I hope the winner enjoys the new toy…and plans to share in the joys of 10,000 steps per day with me often…

Andie is the winner! Congrats, Love!  I will need you to e-mail me at addictblog@aol.com with your address information so that I can send it your way.

Thanks so much to those who entered, and I hope to be able to offer other great fitness gadgets to you in the future.  🙂

-Erica

Walking…It’s Healthy

Walking is such a simple thing to do…nearly everyone can do it and there is really no “wrong way” to do it.  No experience necessary.  There have been countless articles on the benefits of walking, and I have come across many blog posts documenting the same thing.  Walking is plain old good for you.  Apparently, there is some research showing 10,000 steps is the “ultimate walking goal” for each day.

I can say with confidence (not that I am proud of it, but I know it is true) I rarely, if ever, meet 10,000 steps during the course of one day.  I am busy most days, but busy often means sitting in my office chair or with my daughter doing schoolwork.  Housework also factors into my “busy,” but I am not racking up steps while stationary at the sink washing dishes or folding laundry.

So, while I have not really adopted any resolutions, per se, I have decided that I am going to start striving for those 10,000 steps per day.  I know it will be a challenge…especially on non-gym days (which is three out of seven), but I am up for the challenge.  A while back I began a challenge…and then pooped out before I finished.  Of course, I am not proud of that either, but I found I was working so hard at the gym (with Denise’s help) that I was often too sore to add things on my “recovery” days (non-gym days).  Walking; however, is something else entirely…something that will {should} not cause soreness.

Now…just how will I count all those steps during my day?  A fancy new toy, of course.  I am usually not really into gadgets and whatnot, but how else am I going to figure out steps each day, right?

This pedometer is (apparently) pretty awesome.  Here is an excerpt about it:

With 2D Smart Sensor technology and large buttons for easy navigation, the Omron HJ-203PK GoSmart pocket pedometer with activity tracker logs good athletic behavior in a slim and discreet device. Users clip the tiny step counter onto clothes, toss it in a bag, or attach it to an unassuming Olympian. The device faithfully chronicles up to seven days of distances travelled, as well as calorie- and fat-burning progress, and the activity tracker mode keeps workout data separate from everyday marathons.

Its features include:

• Pedometer and activity tracker has large buttons for easy navigation while crowd surfing
• Comes with clip and strap
• Logs steps, distance, and calories and fat burned
• 2D Smart Sensor technology for accurate measurement
• Long-lasting lithium battery
• Stores up to seven days of workouts

Does that not sound so cool?!  I cannot wait to get my hands on that baby…or, I guess, get that baby on my hip would be more appropriate.  And what better way to start a new challenge than to have a friend doing it with you, right?  So, I bought two…one for me and one for you (one of you, anyway).  Am I awesome or what?

To have a shot at winning the pedometer all you have to do is subscribe to my blog and leave a comment here about your current walking habits.  Do you already strive for 10,000 steps each day?  Do you incorporate walking into your exercise habits regularly?  Do you choose walking over methods of travel (such as stairs vs. elevator/escalator or even parking farther away from the entrance of work/store)?

I will be closing the drawing on Sunday, January 8th at 5:00 PM Eastern.  The winner (chosen via Random.org) will be announced in my weigh in post that evening.  Good luck!

-Erica