Dancing December

[Baltoscott]

Dancing December Step Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

Here we are — the last month of decade, holiday food everywhere you look, all sorts of social obligations so .... why not recommit to your minimum daily fitness/eating goals, just to make sure you don’t lose the baseline you’ll aim to beat next month when you plan out 2020? 

General monthly instructions are below, including the monthly picture scavenger hunt.                       

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

This month look for and post pictures at least 3 outdoor holiday displays or holiday costumes while out and about.

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.

[SunsetRunner]

@NellyG - oh, I know how ‘bad’ it is... hence it is ‘adding fuel to the fire’ of my dilemma! On the other hand, one ‘could’ argue that the gluten-freeness (?!) of the tortilla compensates for the Nutella. 😂

Do you make your own? I’d love to have the recipe. 

[NellyG]

@SunsetRunner 🤣 I dont think it works that way!

This is the one I use.  I have high cholesterol so need to cut saturated fat (nutella is very high in that appart from being very high in calories)

Nutella

3 cups raw hazelnuts, skins removed (I buy them without skins)

1tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt (it really adds to the flavour)

1 bar of dark chocolate

Toast Hazelnuts in a moderate oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Using a good high speed blender or a food processor, process the nuts untill they form a nut butter 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Wjen the hazelnut butter is smooth and creamy, add tje salt, vanilla amd melted chocolate and blend until well mixed. Check the flavour and add more salt or vanilla if needed. If it doesnt taste sweet enough, add some maple syrup, fine sugar or stevia to taste.

Transfer to a clean jar and store at room temperature. It will keep for 2 or 3 weeks.

It isnt quite a smooth as bought nutella but tastes lovely, with virtually no saturated fat (depending on the chocolate you use) and MUCH lower in calories, depending on any sweetener you add. Ill be interested to hear what you think of it!

20 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                   16/20

12 days over 12,000                                                      14/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             11/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               4/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           4/6                                                 

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      4/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     3/3

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks a million for sharing the recipe @NellyG! It looks great, so I’ll give it a whirl. Will let you know when I do. 😊

[SteppingBooks]

Dancing December 18:

15.5k Steps/Day:  09/31

600 Caloric Deficiency: 13/31

10 Squats/Day: 19/31

IF 3 Days/Week: 03/4 weeks

Yoga: --/4

Weights*: 01/6

*Exchange: I've exchanged two weights this month for the two days of ice chopping/scraping/moving.

@NellyG It's true! 🤣 I'm very much feeling that right now.  

[SunsetRunner]

Dancing December - Day 20
8,000 steps: 7/10 days
10,000+ steps: 10/10 days
15,000+ steps: 1/1 day
Exercises & weights: 12/12 days
40 Jumping Jacks: 12/15 days
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 12/15 days
Scavenger Hunt Pics: 7/3 pics
Lose weight (1.4 kg) {currently 64.6}: 0/1.4kg

[Julia_G]

I’ve been a bit of a lazy poster, but here’s my progress:

10k steps per day: 17/22

(but bonus, 6 days > 15

Gym workouts 4/6

Alcohol free 9/15 (that’s a definite slip - hope to do better in January!)

Lose 2 lbs: still .4 lbs up from 1 December, but the the good news is trend weight is finally in the right direction.  That won’t last this last week of the year, however...  

And here’s a pic of the Oxford Sunday Market:

 

[Julia_G]

Sorry the pic is so bad.  Fitbit just endlessly refused to post my picture until I made it ridiculously small...

[SunsetRunner]

Nice to hear from you, and your pic looks just fine @Julia_G. The Oxford market looks great!

[Baltoscott]

Dancing December Day 20

15K steps/day		20/31
10 pushup + shoulder extension /day		20/31
15 weight-lifting days		9/15
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 17 days or more during the month		6/17
3 pull-up + 1min bar-hang /day		20/31
20 Alcohol-Free days		13/20
Lose 2 lbs (Starting (11/1) at 163.7 lbs)	12/15	161.9

[NellyG]

21 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                   17/20

12 days over 12,000                                                      15/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             12/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               5/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           4/6                                                 

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      5/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     3/3

[Baltoscott]

Dancing December Day 20

15K steps/day		21/31
10 pushup + shoulder extension /day		21/31
15 weight-lifting days		9/15
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 17 days or more during the month		7/17
3 pull-up + 1min bar-hang /day		21/31
20 Alcohol-Free days		13/20
Lose 2 lbs (Starting (11/1) at 163.7 lbs)	12/15	161.9

[WendyB]

Dancing December Day 21

Steps: Goal 10000: 21/31

Boxing: 21/31

Bike 3 times : 21/31

Weights DVD 18 Days: 11/31

Wall Push Up/Counter push ups: 21/31

Leg Exercises: 21/31

250 Steps per hour : 21/31

Log food daily : 21/31

Scavenger Hunt Photos : 6/3

@SunsetRunnerI have never even had Nutella before

@NellyGYour recipe for it looks good. But it looks like I might have a problem with it 😂 Like having to much so I will stay away 🤣

[SunsetRunner]

Dancing December - Day 21
8,000 steps: 8/10 days
10,000+ steps: 10/10 days
15,000+ steps: 1/1 day
Exercises & weights: 12/12 days
40 Jumping Jacks: 12/15 days
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 13/15 days
Scavenger Hunt Pics: 7/3 pics
Lose weight (1.4 kg) {currently 64.6}: 0/1.4kg

[NellyG]

@WendyBVery wise!

[WendyB]

We went to a brewery last weekend and they were doing a paint nite. So I had to do it at home

Snowman in a bottle

[SunsetRunner]

Love your snowman in a bottle, @WendyB ! Great job! And you and @NellyG are right about the Nutella. It can become addictive (but at least it's a legal substance 😂)!  

[NellyG]

22 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                   18/20

12 days over 12,000                                                      16/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             13/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               5/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           4/6                                                 

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      5/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     3/3

[Baltoscott]

Dancing December Day 22

15K steps/day		22/31
10 pushup + shoulder extension /day		22/31
15 weight-lifting days		9/15
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 17 days or more during the month		8/17
3 pull-up + 1min bar-hang /day		22/31
20 Alcohol-Free days		14/20
Lose 2 lbs (Starting (11/1) at 163.7 lbs)	12/22	161.9

One more scavenger hunt pic...

Fun, huh?

[WendyB]

@Baltoscott  wow look at all those flamingo's. Its cute!

[WendyB]

Dancing December Day 22

Steps: Goal 10000: 22/31

Boxing: 22/31

Bike 3 times : 22/31

Weights DVD 18 Days: 12/31

Wall Push Up/Counter push ups: 22/31

Leg Exercises: 22/31

250 Steps per hour : 22/31

Log food daily : 22/31

Scavenger Hunt Photos : 6/3