FINALLY! December 2020 Step Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

FINALLY!!!

It is the last month of the 2020 — FINALLY!  What a year! Of course, it is the year that we shut down the world for a pandemic, had mask wars, and ramped up the drama in US politics, but also … Australia was on fire, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit the royal family, Kobe Bryant died, the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy; Tiger King! Murder Hornets! BLM! the west coast of the US was on fire; Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) died; RBG died; hurricane, hurricane, hurricane … and, and, and ...

And yet, it is also a typical December — holiday food is everywhere you look and even with social distancing there are all kinds of social events and changes to daily routines.  So now is the time to refocus a bit.  Recommit to your minimum daily fitness/eating goals and re-establish the baseline you’ll aim to beat next month when you plan out 2021.

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 while out and about (the one below wouldn't count because it is indoors, but post your indoor holiday pics anyway).

I'm waiting right here until Christmas Morning

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]

Finally December! Day 15

16K steps/day		15/31
1 pushup + shoulder extension /day		15/31
13 weight-lifting days		8/13
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6:15 hours + 20 days or more during the month		9/20
1 pull-up		15/31
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days		15/31
Lose 2 lbs. Start 167.7 lbs (Dec. 1)	12/13	166.9
Eat 4 plates (no snacks) of food 21 days out of the month (new)		13/21

Welcome @BeckysGirls -- just go ahead and set some goals for yourself for the rest of the month and tell us how you're doing.

[SteppingBooks]

FINALLY! December 15:

12K/Day: 02/20

750 Cal/Day: 09/25

20 Squats/Day: 03/16

16:8 IF/Day: 09/25

Yoga/Week: --/4

Stretching: 04/31

Weights 2/week: 2/8

Water Goal: --/20

Lose 3 pounds: --/3

Photo Scavenger: 01/03

# of Steps: 141,903/300,000

Big snow storm expected today!  9-16" of heavy snow is the prediction.   Guess I am going to have quite the workout.  I won't be able to keep up with keeping the driveway clear, but certainly going to try as a way to get my steps in. 😁

[NellyG]

17 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                      12/20

20 days over 12,000                                         11/20                

14 days over 15,000 steps                               7/14

4 day over 20,000 steps                                     3/4           

Knee exercises 20 days  (goal modified)     13/20

20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance, gym)    16/20

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                       4/3

[San12]

@SteppingBooks    December 15, 16

                                steps: 2,905

                                steps: 5,742

[SteppingBooks]

FINALLY! December 16:

12K/Day: 02/20

750 Cal/Day: 09/25

20 Squats/Day: 03/16

16:8 IF/Day: 09/25

Yoga/Week: --/4

Stretching: 04/31

Weights 2/week: 2/8

Water Goal: --/20

Lose 3 pounds: --/3

Photo Scavenger: 01/03

# of Steps: 150,926/300,000

We got dumped on with snow; I'm shoveling snow that's a good 2-3 feet deep.  I may have photos later.  I got a small section done; now to finish the other 340 feet of my driveway... Plus side is the extra steps.

[Baltoscott]

Finally December! Day 16

16K steps/day		16/31
1 pushup + shoulder extension /day		16/31
13 weight-lifting days		9/13
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6:15 hours + 20 days or more during the month		9/20
1 pull-up		16/31
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days		16/31
Lose 2 lbs. Start 167.7 lbs (Dec. 1)	12/13	166.9
Eat 4 plates (no snacks) of food 21 days out of the month (new)		14/21

@SteppingBooks -- Baltimore got some of that too.  Snow in the morning on Wednesday, turning to sleet rain in the evening and then back to snow overnight.  It was an icy mess when I got up this morning. I've cleared the walks and salted.  One of the few positive things about the pandemic is that since my whole building in DC has been on telework since last March the issue of whether it would or would not be open for the snowstorm never came up.  Because I'm an early commuter -- train leaves at 6:15 am -- and because DC weather is a bit different than Baltimore weather, I've found myself on the train a few times in the past getting the 7:00 am email blast that the office is closed!

[Jotex]

FINALLY! December 2020 - Day 15, 16, 17

5,000+ steps: 5/5 days

6,000+ steps:  9/15 days

8,000+ steps:  2/5 days

Knee Exercises from physiotherapy: 12/15 days

Lose 1 kilo before (U.S.) Christmas:  +2/1 kg 😢

Eat 1 piece of fruit: 14/15 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics:  7/3 pics

I’m jealous of your weight loss @San12! Happy for you, though! 👏👏

Welcome @BeckysGirls!

It sounds like some of y’all have had more snow than where we live in Switzerland (though eastern regions had tons!). 
Here are a few pics from our little town.

 

 

 

 

[SteppingBooks]

FINALLY! December 17:

12K/Day: 03/20

750 Cal/Day: 10/25

20 Squats/Day: 03/16

16:8 IF/Day: 10/25

Yoga/Week: --/4

Stretching: 04/31

Weights 2/week: 2/8

Water Goal: --/20

Lose 3 pounds: --/3

Photo Scavenger: 01/03

# of Steps: 164,908/300,000

Definitely will be a light day for me.  We got over 40" of snow between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.  Today I feel every hour I spent shoveling it.  Happy Friday!

@Baltoscott Icy mess isn't fun either.  We actually beat all previous records for snow fall.  At one point, it was 5" an hour falling.  That's awful to already be on route to work only to find out it's closed.  Since we've been doing mostly work from home, the state said all nonessentials should work from home.  Three years ago, the snow was so bad, we got two days paid by the state instead of using our own time to cover the two days that roads were closed. 

[NellyG]

19 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                      14/20

20 days over 12,000                                         13/20                

14 days over 15,000 steps                               9/14

4 day over 20,000 steps                                     3/4           

Knee exercises 20 days  (goal modified)     15/20

20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance, gym)    17/20

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                       4/3

[Jotex]

FINALLY! December 2020 - Day 18+19

5,000+ steps: 5/5 days

6,000+ steps:  11/15 days

8,000+ steps:  2/5 days

Knee Exercises from physiotherapy: 13/15 days

Lose 1 kilo before (U.S.) Christmas:  +.6/1 kg 😢

Eat 1 piece of fruit: 15/15 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics:  7/3 pics

[NellyG]

20 December 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                      15/20

20 days over 12,000                                         14/20                

14 days over 15,000 steps                               10/14

4 day over 20,000 steps                                     4/4           

Knee exercises 20 days  (goal modified)     16/20

20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance, gym)    17/20

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                       4/3

[SunsetRunner]

Doing pretty well. It’s really motivating to do this at Christmas time. 

[Jotex]

FINALLY! December 2020 - Day 20

5,000+ steps: 5/5 days

6,000+ steps:  12/15 days

8,000+ steps:  2/5 days

Knee Exercises from physiotherapy: 14/15 days

Lose 1 kilo before (U.S.) Christmas:  +.6/1 kg

Eat 1 piece of fruit: 16/15 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics:  7/3 pics

I felt it was at long last time (despite the anxious urging of my physiotherapist to not rush things), to get back on my Bellicon trampoline and do my 15-minute program. Then I got on the treadmill for 10 minutes. There were a few exercises on the Bellicon I couldn’t do (yet), and my speed on the treadmill is much slower. But my muscles now feel much more relaxed and I am looking forward to today’s little work out. Baby steps, but moving a little quicker than before. 

[NellyG]

21 December 

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

20 days over 12,000                                         15/20                

14 days over 15,000 steps                               11/14

4 day over 20,000 steps                                     4/4           

Knee exercises 20 days  (goal modified)     17/20

20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance, gym)    18/20

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                       4/3

A couple of pics from my walk this evening (non scavenger hunt ones!)

 

 

 And this is Rudolph. I bought him at work today (I work in an Op Shop) for 50c. He is so cute! 

[San12]

@Jotex 

December: 17, 18,19, 20

Steps: 2,810

steps: 4,920  floors:3

steps: 3,424  floors: 2

steps:3,545   floors: 2

I also want to add a photo of some of my favorites.

These little guys are about 35 years old. They belonged to my Mom

These little guys are about 35 years old they belonged to my Mom

[SteppingBooks]

FINALLY! December 18-20:

12K/Day: 03/20

750 Cal/Day: 12/25

20 Squats/Day: 04/16

16:8 IF/Day: 12/25

Yoga/Week: --/4

Stretching: 04/31

Weights 2/week: 2/8

Water Goal: --/20

Lose 3 pounds: --/3

Photo Scavenger: 01/03

# of Steps: 182,740/300,000

[Jotex]

FINALLY! December 2020 - Day 21

5,000+ steps: 5/5 days

6,000+ steps:  13/15 days

8,000+ steps:  2/5 days

Knee Exercises from physiotherapy: 14/15 days

Lose 1 kilo before (U.S.) Christmas:  +.6/1 kg

Eat 1 piece of fruit: 16/15 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics:  7/3 pics

[Ennay]

Hello!  

It has been a couple years since I have posted I think.  Good to see so many of the same faces.  I started using my fitbit regularly again 11/15

I decided last year that working from home/SAHM wasn't working for me and I needed to get out of the house and started a new job in January.  Been working from home since March.  I have fantastic timing!  The job, should I ever get to go to it again is in walking distance which was awesome at least 3 days a week - sometimes I needed to get home too early to do that.  I've also noticed that AT work I used about 3-5000 more steps than working at home. 

I will probably try to check in more in 2021 😛  Lots of things happened and lots of injuries and I am trying to get back in it to ramp up to a goal of 4 million steps in 2021. All of my goals are set with kindness to myself as I had a tendency in the past to push where I should have rested.  Will ramp my daily minimum until it seems reasonable. 

My goal for December was  :
Week 1 (11/30-12/6) 10,200 per day  -6/7  high 14542, low 3516 - sick.   Average 10584
Week 2 (12/7-12/13) 10,300 per day - 6/7  high 12374  low 5340 - just a miss.  Average 10135 - 

Week 3 (12/14-12/20) 10,400 per day - 7/7 high 13635, low 10,724 - possibly assisted by prednisone energy - Average 11910

Week 4 (12/21-12/27) 10,500 per day - 
Week 5 (12/28-1/03) 10,600 per day - 

I never remember to take my phone for the scavenger hunts but this morning I detoured my walk to capture this - it is so big it spills into the neighbors yard on either side. 

[stoughjr]

Week 3 update: 😀 🌲🌲🌲

12,000 steps per day: 21/21
3 sets of 5 exercises every other day: 9/11
1 hr of exercise each day: 21/21
6.5 hr sleep each day: 16/21
Log meals & water daily: 21/21
3 pictures: 2/3

[Baltoscott]

Finally December! Day 21

16K steps/day		21/31
1 pushup + shoulder extension /day		21/31
13 weight-lifting days		12/13
post 3 scavenger pics		3/3
Sleep 6:15 hours + 20 days or more during the month		12/20
1 pull-up		21/31
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days		19/31
Lose 2 lbs. Start 167.7 lbs (Dec. 1)	12/20	166.7
Eat 4 plates (no snacks) of food 21 days out of the month (new)		17/21

From a few days ago. Missed a couple of days on the unicycle just after the storm, but I still got out on the "snow bike" and kept up with my steps despite the ice -- but it's good to have studs ...

good tractionbike tire studs -- looking through the front rack