For those of you who are starting out, these are some pointers that I used to help me stay motivated along the way. You can draw this up on a piece of paper or make a fancy spreadsheet, but since your success is due to the choice that YOU made, I think it's time to break out those glitter pens, colored pencils, or changeable markers. Make this sheet all about you!
I have created what I'm calling the: 100 DAY PALEO CHALLENGE
If you're working out already two or three days a week, that's great, but it's time to UP what you're doing. (It's a challenge!) Use your resources! If you have weights or a gym with machines, use them! My first time through this I worked out four days a week, constantly challenging what I could do the week before. With this stair stepping I was able to achieve incredible results. So can you! If you use a treadmill for your warm up, keep an eye on your time and distance. Can you knock some time off that mile or two, or maybe increase your distance? Keep challenging yourself every week.
(As you can see, my goal is my costume for Dragon Con 2014!)
Here is your progress sheet for your measurements: It goes from day 1 to day 100. Every 30-35 days you will re-take your measurements to watch your progress. When I took my second set of measurements after starting... my jaw dropped. I kept fiddling with the tape measure around my thigh, thinking, "Am I measuring this wrong?" No matter what I did to measure my thigh, I couldn't find anything close. This works!
If you are not sure where to take these measurements, you want to measure around the widest point. For further clarification you can search for how to take tailored measurements on yourself - or get a spouse or friend to give you a hand.
**ATTN all, ESPECIALLY MEN:** When you measure your waist, measure around where you belly button is. Men tend to wear their pants below their stomachs in the front, with the pants a little higher in the back. This measurement may not be your current pant size. That's okay, but use this measurement, not your pant size.
At the bottom of your sheet you will put your initial weight down, and then weigh in every two weeks (except for the last weigh in which is 16 days instead of 14). Don't step on the scale everyday - women tend to want to do that - but weight can fluctuate a pound or two in a day. Weighing every two weeks is a good tempo.
When you weigh in - and I cannot stress this enough - ALWAYS use the SAME scale. I use the one in the girls locker room at the gym, and I always weigh in before my workout. Different scales can vary up to a few pounds in either direction (20 pounds barely phases a guy - but 2 pounds can be a big deal to a girl). Because of that you want to use the same scale (in the same location) every time for an accurate account. The closer you get to your goal, the fewer pounds you may lose between weigh-ins. By using the same scale you get credit for every lost pound you have earned!
By some means or another, take two pictures of yourself (or get the help of a spouse or a friend). One straight on, the other from the side. Don't wear baggy clothing. Wear a top and bottom that fits. If you want to wear a swimsuit - go for it - but if you only feel comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, that's okay! Now print out or develop these two photos and place them in an envelope. Calculate the date 100 days from now and write that date on the envelope after the words, "Open on: xx-xx-xx". In 100 days take the same two pictures and compare them side by side. You will already see the difference in your measurements and by the numbers on the scale, so why are you doing this?
Your friends will see the changes in you over this time, but you see yourself several times a day. While you may notice the differences, you will not see how drastic the changes are until you put these pictures side by side. This is so you can see all around the progress you have made. This is a time for celebration. Look at you!
If you are starting New Year's Day 2014 (It's here already??), your 100 day mark will be April 10, 2014.
Note: If you save $5.00 a week during this challenge, you will have enough money to go buy a brand new dress or pair of pants in your new size! Alternatively, you could go get a new hairstyle or have a day at the spa!
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