Anything Goes August Step Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

Jaunty July is coming to an end and it is time to start a new step challenge.  @Jotex suggested calling this one Anything Goes August as in the great Cole Porter song. 

Anything Goes?  Like July it’s hot in the Northern hemisphere, but this month we also begin to lament the end of summer and rush to cram in vacations and finish summer projects we should have started in June.  With all that it is easy to forget to take care of yourself so now is your chance to write down your step and a few other goals for the month.  Then you can report in every few days to keep yourself honest.  And in the spirit of Anything Goes, maybe add a few taps to your basic step goals.

General monthly instructions are below, but this month I’m adding a picture scavenger hunt:  

Take your phone or other camera on your walks look for, snap, and post three pics or more of the following: 1 - some sort of Danger or Warning sign or image like “falling rocks” or “slippery when wet,” the odder the better; 2 - a posted map of something like a downtown walking map, or a park trail map; and 3 a movie or theatre marquee.  Just post here as you find them and add a line or internet link about what you are posting.   (Thanks @Ennay for the pic)     

inspiration :                                                    

   
How It Works:

The primary purpose of these monthly challenges is to keep track of your daily step goals for the month; though many of us track other things as well, like body weight exercises, sleep, trips to the gym, logging food, etc. This is not a competition to see who can do the most of whatever, instead it is a challenge to measure your consistency. So whether you do 1k, 5k, 10k or even 40k steps a day, this is measuring how many days out of the monthly total you can hit your goal.

Some might have a constant goal of 10k steps every single day and others might have a variable goal throughout the week, (and some might even plan days off!) for example.
Monday -> Friday = 10k steps a day
Sat & Sun = “6k steps a day,” or “not tracking”

Regardless of how you structure your daily goals, the only thing that matters for the monthly challenge is whether or not you reach what you set out to do.

Suggested Posting Format.       
1) Post either your constant or variable step goal.
2) Keep track of the # of daily goals achieved out of the monthly minimum and or monthly total

Although you certainly don’t have to post daily, you’ll likely stay closer to what you set out to do by updating the thread several times/week

Injury Notice
If you injure yourself during the month and need to scale back due to the injury, then all you have to do is adjust your goal for that period. If you normally do 10k steps a day but pull a hamstring and decide to do minimal walking (2k steps a day), then all you have to do is change your goal.

[Baltoscott]

@MichieFromPA @CatLover74 @Dexterity @SunsetRunner

Welcome to the thread and welcome to Fitbit and the forums if you are really brand new around here.  In order to update your progress through the month you can reply to any post.  Sometimes it is easiest to find your last post in the tread and cut and paste and update into your response.  

I see some great goals, but if it turns out you've over committed a bit, drop one or two and carry on with the rest.  This is especially true if you are trying to implement big lifestyle changes.  I always have some small wins built into my daily goals so I know I'll get started doing something right every day.  For example, I've got a 362-day streak going with my "one pushup/day" goal, which I started last year when I took over hosting this monthly challenge.  

[WendyB]

Welcome to all the newbies! Great to have you here!

@MichieFromPA @CatLover74 @Dexterity @SuzyZhen

[Homefrontgirl]

Hey there,

I'm new and wonder if I can join this challenge.  Would love the motivation and support!

August Goals

8,000 steps per day 0/31

1,000 calorie deficit per day 0/31

Lose 5 pounds 0/5

Scavenger Hunt pics 0/3

Here goes! Or Anything Goes!

Beth

[MichieFromPA]

Thanks a bunch!


Miche'l'e
The true measure of a person's character is how they treat the least among us...
??

[Jotex]

My goals for

Anything Goes August

10,000 steps —15/31 days (up from 8,000 in July)

15,000 steps — 10/31 days 

20,000 steps — 2/31 days (NEW challenge for me; my highest day count so far has been 18,000 steps)

Strength training — 15/31 days 

3 (or more) Scavenger Hunt Photos (as directed)

@Baltoscott — is an InstaPot like a Crock Pot (aka Slow Cooker)? 

For anyone who doesn’t know the song here’s a link (guaranteed to set your feet to dancing!): https://youtu.be/qo6lPifGnGA

[SunsetRunner]

My August goals - it's 5:00 pm on August 1 and I probably won't do too much more today, so here goes:

1. Take 5,000 steps a day every day of the week - Goal met: 5955 steps today so far.

2. Two GPS tracked walks each week, each of at least 2 km. I did a couple of shorter walks today, but I won't count those. (The longest was 1.1 km Just looked at the map and it was probably closer to 2 km. The GPS must have lost the connection half way through).

3. 3 scavenger pictures: One danger or warning sign, one map or similar, and one of something else, maybe a wildlife road sign or better yet some wildlife. (We don't have a picture/movie theatre in town, so I'll have to skip the marquee.

The only sign apart from street signs on today's walk 🙂

[CatLover74]

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@CatLover74 wrote:

I'm in if there's room for a complete n00b.  Let's see if I'm doing this right.

Goals for August

10,000 steps a day on at least 20 days of the month.

1 walk per week along the foreshore of my local beach (should be fun in an Australian winter).

At least 7 hours sleep on at least 15 days of the month.

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures.

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10,000 steps a day on at least 20 days of the month - 1/20 (passed 19,000 today so far).

1 walk per week along the foreshore of my local beach - 1 done.

At least 7 hours sleep on at least 15 days of the month - 0/15 (missed last night by about half an hour).

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month - 1/15.

Scavenger hunt pictures - 3/3.

Warning sign.Theatre marquee.Map.

[Baltoscott]

Welcome @Homefrontgirl.  Glad to have you along.  

@Jotex — an instapot is electric and combines the idea of a pressure cooker. a slow cooker and a steamer with a bunch of set em and leave programs you might see on a microwave.  So far I’ve made chickpeas and black beans from dry to perfect in less than an hour without soaking.  Jane has gotten more creative with recipes including a 12 egg quiche over the weekend - no crust.

@CatLover74 — Nice. All three pics on the first day!

[Baltoscott]

Welcome @Homefrontgirl.  Glad to have you along.  

@Jotex — an instapot is electric and combines the idea of a pressure cooker. a slow cooker and a steamer with a bunch of ‘set em and leave’ programs you might see on a microwave.  So far I’ve focused on the pressure cooker end of things and made chickpeas, and black beans from dry to perfect in less than an hour without soaking, and a wheat berry salad. I really like that I don’t have to watch it after I start it.  Jane has gotten more creative with recipes including12 egg no crust quiche over the weekend.

[NellyG]

Welcome to all the noobs! The more the merrier.

@CatLover74  Wow - pictures done already! I didnt even think about them today 🤣

@SunsetRunner  where are you? I am in Australia and usually the first to post as we are a day ahead of the US and start our day well ahead of Europe. You beat me to it! 😊

1 August

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   1/20         

Swim 2x per week                                         -/1         -/9                 

Dance 6 hours a week                                  -/6         -/26    

One Interval walk or bike ride per week     -/1         -/4

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                 -/3

[Jotex]

Anything Goes August

15 x 10,000 steps —0/15 days

10 x 15,000 steps — 1/10 days 

2 x 20,000 steps — 0/2 days

15 x Strength training — 1/15 days 

3 (or more) Scavenger Hunt Photos (as directed) — 0/3

Had to get an early start today as we are invited to dinner this evening to celebrate Swiss National Day (similar to US 4th July). If we end up going for a walk with our friends and I increase count to 20,000 steps and/or see good fodder for scavenger photos, I’ll update. :switzerland:🎉🥂

[Jotex]

I'd also like to welcome all the newbies. And some of you are already posting pics -- wow!  I do have one question: what's a noob? 😄

Thanks for for the low-down on the instapot @Baltoscott. Sounds great -- wonder if we can get them in Switzerland... 

[Baltoscott]

This is the Instapot I got @Jotex.  (It was $30 cheaper on Amazon's "Prime day" sale).

[GershonSurge]

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@Jotex wrote:

I'd also like to welcome all the newbies. And some of you are already posting pics -- wow!  I do have one question: what's a noob? 😄

Thanks for for the low-down on the instapot @Baltoscott. Sounds great -- wonder if we can get them in Switzerland... 

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https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Noob

[lavabelle]

I have gotten 2/3 of my scavenger hunt picture 🙂

My Favorite place to walk near my homeDanger! Salmon...:)

[Baltoscott]

@lavabelle -- Danger Salmon, or maybe "Danger, Bear Attractant!"

[lavabelle]

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@Baltoscott wrote:

@lavabelle -- Danger Salmon, or maybe "Danger, Bear Attractant!"

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OMG! I never thought of that....

In the last 20 years I've been walking these woods, we only ever had a bear one of the years...A little black bear...that was about 10 years ago I think...

[Baltoscott]

August 1

Use Instapot 4 time	0/4
15K steps/day	1/31
1 pushup/day	1/31
13 weight-lifting days	1/7
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	0/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	0/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs	0

Nice gym workout this morning.  So that's good.  And I've gotten my steps done early.  But missed my first opportunity to hit my pitifully low 6 hour sleep goal by an hour: 4 hr 57 min.  Zzzz ...

PSA for the Noobs.  Some of us report weight goals in this multi-year weekly weigh-in thread.  Whether you decide to do that or not, there are some inspiring stories there. Since I'm in a cutting phase right now, I've added that goal to my chart here as well.  

[lavabelle]

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 But missed my first opportunity to hit my pitifully low 6 hour sleep goal by an hour: 4 hr 57 min.  Zzzz ...

I can't imagine having a sleep goal...I sleep 7-9 hours a day...if I don't...I'll literally fall asleep driving...therefore getting my sleep...lol. How do you function?...looks like you've been sleep deprived for months, or are you one of those people who functions on less sleep...if you are, I envy you 🙂

[WendyB]

Steps: Goal right now is 6000 Done
Boxing 31 days: 1/31
Bike 31 days: 1/31 Actually did twice 🙂
Weights 14 days: 1/31

Lose 3 Pounds 0/3

250 Steps per hour 1/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 1/3

If I dont make my 250 I will revise but I plan on it

This isn't a warning sign but its one of my faves

Here is my warning sign