Contrary February — Step Challenge and REVISED Resolutions

[Baltoscott]

So how did January go?  Are you still holding strong on those New Year’s resolutions?  Or have you completely forgotten about that?  🙂

Well, Contrary February is here. And rather than quit those lofty January goals altogether, how about the contrary approach of just dialing things back a bit? Instead of 6 days a week at the gym, commit to putting on your workout shoes for 3 mornings and walking a couple of miles, followed by some body weight exercises (you can still go to the gym, but if you’ve been missing, change the commitment somehow — less often, switch from morning to evening or vice versa — so it is easier to meet). Whatever it was you committed to in January, if you were not successful, try doing half as much of it in February and see how that goes. (Of course, if you hit your goals in January, YAY YOU! Now keep practicing the goals you want as lifetime habits, and increase effort or time a bit).                                                     

   
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

Picture Scavenger Hunt — 3 pictures

The theme of the photo scavenger hunt for Contrary February is to find the ‘odd duck;’ something out of place; someone oddly dressed; something a little ridiculous; or just unexpected.

Where's Jayhawk?

Posting

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]

Here are my goals for Contrary February
      
-Do one new thing to build my cooking habit (Complete Samin Nosrat’s book, "Salt Fat Acid Heat").

-15K steps/day
-1 pushup/day (I always do more, but this goal gets me into position!)

-1 pull-up/day (bringing this back after a six-month hiatus due to tendonitis)
-12 weight-lifting days

-post 3 scavenger hunt pictures

-Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month

[WendyB]

Goals for Contrary February

Same old same old

Steps: Goal 13,000 28 days: 0/28
Boxing 28 days: 0/28
Bike 3 times 28 days: 0/28
Weights DVD 16 days: 0/16
Stomach Youtube 28 days : 0/28
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 28 days: 0/28
250 Steps per hour 28 days : 0/28
Post Scavenger hunt photos: 0/3

[CatLover74]

I haven't been around here for ages, so now I have to figure out how to start again.

Contrary February Goals

5,000 steps on 10 days a month  -  -/10.

10,000 steps on 10 days a month  -  -/10.

1 beach walk per week  -  -/4.

Eat 1 piece of fruit per day  -  -/28.

10 wall pushups on 20 days a month  -  -/20.

7 hours sleep on 20 days a month  -  -/20.

[Sergiu37]

I decided to join this next month as well, my first full month with my fitbit. January went pretty well and want to keep the pace with exercise, but also improve my sleeping time.

My goals using my fitbit

7300 steps 25 days/28 

Exercise 20/28 - either long fast walks or threadmill gym or home training or football 

Sleep at least 6 hours 20/28

Sleep at least 7 hours 10/28

[Autumn43]

My goals for February-

minimum 10,000 steps: -/28

15,000 steps: -/5

Pushups: -/28

Drink 1.5 litre of water: -/28

Photo scavenger hunt: -/3

[GSaldiveri]

Going to try this one!

Goals:

20k steps/day - 0/28

64+ oz water each day - 0/28

3 days/week @ 30(+) minutes on the glider - 0/4

Lose 3 pounds - 0/3

[benvegi]

February goals: decided to up my step and floor count this month, though I'm over the 18k step count I may cut back a bit. 

Steps 18,000 per day, 25+ floors p/day, 8+ miles p/day

2 sets of 12 reps of dumbbell curls, triceps, shoulder shrugs, and chest flys, 3 times a week. Increasing weights used and adding more stretches/yoga. 

Three or more pics of each scavenger hunt topic. 

Check in at least 2x a week.

[SunsetRunner]

Contrary February Goals-    Day 10

So I thought my water bottle was a 32 oz turns out I don't know how to add, it was only 24 oz. LOL I thought I had met my goal of drinking water for 2 days but was short, so removed and will be starting from scratch on my water consumption goal.   

Thank you "Baltoscott" for posting this challenge.  It is keeping me motivated.  I even made a soup with broccoli, cauliflower, red, green and yellow peppers to get my vegetables in! 

I missed the January challenge but going to give February a shot.  My goals for February are:

10k = 22/25 step days

20k = 0/1 step day

2060/2019 kettle bell swings with 10lb weight (will up weight each month)

64 oz water 0/15 days

post 1 scavanger pic 

8/4 Eat a vegetable once a week (sad but true that will be an improvement)

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for the invite to the February challenge @Baltoscott! {And thanks for your congrats on my Japan badge. I was pretty psyched about it!}

I'll obviously be joining this month, too, but am still mulling over my goals. For tonight I'm just lurking and reading what everyone else is doing. 😇

[NellyG]

Im away at the moment at my sister's place in New Zealand so wont be starting until I get back, but goals will be much the same as January.

10,000 steps a day for 20 days               

4 days over 15,000 steps                       

1 day over 20,000 steps     

Swim 2x per week (when I'm home)  - 5                                                          

Dance prac 6 hours a week (when Im home) - 18       

5 bike rides or interval walks per month                        

3 Scavenger Hunt pics         

Edited to adjust goals - I didnt calculate how many days I'd miss being away accurately!                                             

[Miss_Primrose]

Hi, I would like to join for February if I may. I am unfamiliar with forum posting too but here goes:

February step goal: 10,000 steps for 20 days

                                   5,000 steps for 8 day

logging all my food intake: every day

Eating vegetables : every day

Eating fruit: every day

eliminating breads and pasta: -/20 days

bike riding 30 miles =/5

cardio 60 min: -/20 days

weight lifting 60 min: =/8 days

[CatLover74]

Contrary February 1

5,000 steps on 10 days a month  -  1/10.

10,000 steps on 10 days a month  -  -/10.

1 beach walk per week  -  -/4.

Eat 1 piece of fruit per day  -  1/28.

10 wall pushups on 20 days a month  -  1/20.

7 hours sleep on 20 days a month  -  1/20.

[NellyG]

1 February

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

4 days over 15,000 steps         -/4              

1 day over 20,000 steps           -/1

Swim 2x per week (when I'm home)  - 6          -/6                                                

Dance prac 6 hours a week (when Im home) - 18       -/18

6 bike rides or interval walks per month            -/6            

3 Scavenger Hunt pics           -/3  

[SunsetRunner]

Contrary February Goals

12,000 steps: 18 days

20,000 steps: 2 days

1-min (or longer) Modified Plank: 15 days
Training w/weights: 15 days
40 jumping jacks: 20 days
Line Dance: 4 days

IF5/2 (stay under +/- 600 cal): 6 days

Eat a piece of fruit: 20 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics: 3 pics

Only slightly adapted from January. I made it to 20,000 steps one day in January, so I'm going for 2x this month. Here goes!

[Peggy_H]

I love this challenge!  I'm in for February!

My Goals:

7,000+ Steps a day - every day!

Maintain my 61# weight loss!

Today was my target date for quitting smoking, so NO SMOKING for February!

I LOVE the photo challenge - will participate in that as well.

Looking forward to this...talk soon!

[HoosierDaddy73]

Goals:

10k steps/day - 0/28

30 Active Minutes - 0/28

5 days/week Exercise - 0/20

64+ oz water each day - 0/28

Lose 3 pounds - 0/3

Good luck everyone! 

[SunsetRunner]

Contrary February - Day 1

12,000 steps: 1/18 days

20,000 steps: 2 days

1-min (or longer) Modified Plank: 1/15 days
Training w/weights: 15 days
40 jumping jacks: 1/20 days
Line Dance: 4 days

IF5/2 (stay under +/- 600 cal): 6 days

Eat a piece of fruit: 1/20 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics: 3 pics

[Baltoscott]

Contrary February Day 1

15K steps/day		1/28
1 pushup/day		1/28
12 weight-lifting days		1/12
post scavenger pics		_/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month		_/12
1 pull-up/day		1/28
Complete Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Day 1 is done.  

So I already had a copy of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat before I decided to make completing it a goal this month, but in looking for a link about it to post here, I see that it is also a NetFlix series. So I’ll be checking that out too.

[WendyB]

Contrary February      Day 1

Steps: Goal 13,000 28 days: 1/28
Boxing 28 days: 1/28
Bike 3 times 28 days: 1/28
Weights DVD 16 days: 1/16
Stomach Youtube 28 days : 1/28
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 28 days: 1/28
250 Steps per hour 28 days : 1/28
Post Scavenger hunt photos: 0/3