Burn Baby Burn

B2B W12: 250/250, -*****, 10 stairs

Today I ran around the track FOUR times!!! I did one whole and two 1 1/2 laps. I tried to do 2 in a row, but I'm not ready...YET :-D

I feel like Christmas. I've been itching to reveal, no unveil, no present, oooh, so excited....I've been itching to unveil - yes, that sounds right - the next challenge.

The next challenge is called Burn Baby Burn. The purpose of the challenge is to kick my metabolism into high gear. I want my body to be an efficient fat burning machine. To that end, I'm kicking up my cardio intensity and adding strength training to the routine.

The Challenge will run from April 6th to July 5th. It's going to get me through Memorial and Independence day holidays. I'm looking forward to that. Memorial day I'm usually in Miami with family. This year DBF and I are contemplating a cruise. It's going to be fun:-)

Burn Baby Burn Challenge

• Exercise 3900 minutes (includes strength training)
  
• Complete 35 30-minute strength training workouts
  
• Increase running to 10 track laps
  
• Eat on plan every day

Eating on plan means I:

• Eat within my points
  
• Drink at least 48 oz of water
  
• Eat at least 6 servings of fruit and vegetables

I'm going to take the stairs as much as possible. I'll be accruing them during this challenge for use in the next challenge.

Everyone is free to join. Let me know in the comments if you're game so we can keep in touch and cheer each other on.

The next challenge you ask?

Yes, I'm already thinking about the 3rd quarter challenge. That challenge is going to be dedicated to eating optimally, if I don't accidentally do it during this one:-) I'm thinking that I'm going to use the stairs accrued during Burn Baby Burn for a Stairs to Starch program in Heading to the Beach (South Beach, that is).

Why don't I do that now you ask?

Well, I want to win. I already have enough changes going on in this challenge. I'm upping my exercise goal from 3300 minutes to 3900 minutes. I'm introducing strength training. And I'm starting the running program early. I think that's enough.

Food is going to require concentrated effort to move from healthy choices to optimal eating. Right now, I'm comfortable with my food. I am upping the fruit and veggie intake from 5 to 6, but I do that now anyway. I am still changing my food lexicon and the way I view food. I'm still consciously choosing healthy, wholesome foods. I would like, during this challenge, for that choice to be unconscious. In other words, I want the healthy choices habit installed completely before I start letting go of the training wheels.

The Heading to the Beach challenge will be a precursor to taking off the tracking training wheels. I've said all along that I want to develop a healthy lifestyle. This year is about transitioning to that. It's all about making healthy choices and being active. The weight will melt of as a result of making healthy choices and being active. I'm thinking beyond that point. I have no intention of tracking every morsel I eat or obsessing over what food I'm eating for the rest of my life.

Being healthy will become like driving a car for me. Sure I pay attention to signals and sounds when I'm driving, but I can also talk on the phone, listen to the radio, or speak to a passenger (sometimes all at the same time) while driving because driving itself is an installed habit.

The Next Challenge

B2B W11: 185/250, ****, 9 stairs

My veggie of the week is cherry tomatoes, actually I think they're grape tomatoes. They're great. I'm having them for my mid-afternoon snack instead of baby carrots. Very tasty:-)

In other news, I ran around the track 3 times again today. YAY!

I'm thinking about the next challenge. The minute challenge is 3900 over 13 weeks or 5 1-hour workouts per week. Originally, I was going to do Body for Life, but the program doesn't thrill me. It's just too complicated. I think the challenge is going to be to be able to run around the track 10 times in a workout and do 35 30-minute strength training workouts. The 3900 minute goal will stand, but it's a given. Also a given, is staying on plan with my food which has been excellent lately.

The objective of this challenge was to inculcate the habits of eating healthy and moving. I'm very pleased with the results. I still convince myself to get out of bed and to the gym some mornings, but I motivate myself with the feeling that I know I would have when I'm done, energized and invigorated. I'm choosing tasty, healthy food. Better than that, I am actually beginning to see healthy foods as filling. That's huge because I feel satisfied.

The purpose of the next challenge is to turn my body into an energetic, smoldering, efficient fat burning machine. By the end of the challenge, I want to feel highly energized and vital. I want to be able to keep up with my niece and nephew (right now just looking at them exhausts me). I'll be adding strength training to the routine, and I'm going to up my intensity on my cardio.

Best of all, I'm going to have some serious FUN!!!

Back to the Cattle Line

I went back to Weight Watchers yesterday. Now I know why I didn't want to keep going. It's the cattle line. Ironically, this is also the most useful part of the WW experience to me. It's having to step up to that scale every week. For that privilege, I'm paying a little less than $40 a month. I get other benefits like the nifty e-Tools. I love their site. I'm a site whore though, so it's not saying much.

I got back from my 10-day holiday vacation in Miami and Trinidad. I had every delicacy that I missed over the nine years. I hate being so cliche about kicking off a health program at the beginning of the new year, but I wasn't going to kid myself.

Since I started on Saturday I'll have to move the challenge dates. The name of the first 13-week challenge is Back 2 Basics, or B2B. To recap, the challenge is to complete 3300 minutes of exercise, stay on plan every day, and take the stairs if it's 1 flight. So far so good. I've done 45 minutes and I was on plan yesterday.

The Plan

4 13-Week Challenges

15,000 Total Exercise Minutes
Weekly Reward: Hair or pedicure

1st 13-Week Challenge (01/05/09 - 04/05/09)

• 3300 Exercise Minutes (cardio)
  
• On plan every day
  
• If it's one flight, take the stairs

2nd 13-Week Challenge (04/06/09 - 07/05/09)

• 3900 Exercise Minutes (cardio and strength)
  
• On plan every day
  
• If it's one flight, take the stairs
  
• Body for Life strength training routine 3 times a week
  

3rd 13-Week Challenge (07/06/09 - 10/04/09)

• 3900 Exercise Minutes (cardio and strength)
  
• On plan every day
  
• If it's one flight, take the stairs
  
• Body for Life strength training routine 3 times a week
• Complete phases 2, 3, and 4 of the 28 week 5K running plan
  

4th 13-Week Challenge (10/05/09 - 01/03/09)

• 3900 Exercise Minutes (cardio, strength, and flexibility)
  
• On plan every day
  
• If it's one flight, take the stairs
  
• Strength Training 2 times a week
• Complete phases 5, 6, and 7 of the 28 week 5K running plan
• Do a yoga or pilates class once a week
  

On plan means I:

• Eat within points
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and/or vegatables
  
• Drink 48 oz of water
  
• Take multivitamin
  
• Consume no sugar, no white rice, no potato (except sweet), and no white flour
  

As a result of the 2009 year of the body, I would like to:

• Lose at least 50lbs
  
• Wear 38DD or smaller bra
  
• Be able to shop at regular stores
  
• Run a 5K
  
• Hold the camel pose for 30 seconds