MAYhem Monthly Step Challenge--MAYbe it's time to step it up and get a little crazy with your goals

[Baltoscott]

So April was a reset month, a restart of the January goals you dropped in February ;-).  For the MAYhem challenge this month, get a little creative; sure, get your steps — always gotta do that — but add some floors, or do a 5K, or post a pic of something 2 or 3 miles away from your couch! You get the idea, it’s MAYhem!!

   
How It Works:

The primary purpose of these monthly challenges has been 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 and that will give the rest of us incentive to update our own progress.

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.

[NellyG]

10 May

Steps 10,000 per day                                       9/20

High step day over 20,000                              1 👍

Swim twice per week                                       2/2     4/8

Fitbit Coach or bike ride - one per week      1/1      2/4    

Dance 6 hours per week                                 2/6     6/24

Unusual photo of my three cats. Usually cant get them in one picture!

[GershonSurge]

I don't think it would be productive to discuss water weight as everyone has different experiences. I find daily adjustments work. For those with different systems, they may not. 

I made a huge paradigm shift. I'm no longer interested in how many steps I get. I'm more interested in how much productive work I can get done. As an example, this morning, I went to the supermarket early so I could park close. I also organized my shopping by aisle so I spent less time in the store. Result? Fewer calories burned at the store; more calories to burn moving rocks. Probably fewer steps overall.

I'm starting to increase my allowable calories by only three a day or about 100 a month. This sounds small, but over time, the progress will add up. This slow progress is to meet my cost constraint for food.

A tip I thought of this morning:

When I'm losing weight, I just earn my calories as I burn them and don't eat after about 6 p.m. That deficit is enough to lose a little weight. I've had trouble gaining weight because I can never figure out how to distribute the calories during the day. Today, I didn't log my first breakfast (I'll add it tonight or in the morning) and I eat calories as I earn them. This meant a third breakfast this morning. 🙂

[rylohnes]

Good morning, Good morning, Good morning!!!! Remeber, whats worth the prize is always worth the fight!!

Thirsty Thursday!

So far:

87000 steps/wk - 58061 - On track for 87000

15000+ steps/ day - 7/8

[Ennay]

14K steps yesterday and 1 1/2 hours of tackling the weeds. Not bad for having a mental slump and doing nothing until 1 pm.

I was already behind on the garden and then couldnt get out at all when my mom was here to even water so my garden is not doing so well this year.  I was hoping to get my tomato starts in this weekend but it isnt ready.  Memorial day weekend is a good weekend to plant here so I still have time.  I hopefully will at least get my carrots that should have been planted a month ago in. We have another tournament the weekend after this one so time is getting tight.

@Baltoscottbut it's a cute sleep disruption?  Honestly one of my biggest "NO"s to getting a dog when the family begged was my sleep issues.  I've been very lucky that this dog likes to sleep.

[Baltoscott]

May 10

-15K steps/day for all 31 days.     10/31
-1 pushup/day for all 31 days       10/31
-13 weight-lifting days:                   5/13

- 50 floors or more for 20 days:      8/20

-Sleep 6+ hours 12 days:               2/12 

-sign up for or do one organized event:   The sign up part of this goal is accomplished.  Wife and I will do the DC Bike Ride on May 19.

[Jotex]

May 10

10,000 steps a day average - 9/31

15,000 steps a day x 5 - 3/5

Didn’t meet the daily 10,000 step challenge Tue or Wed, but could make up for one of them today and meet my 15,000 step goal. Whoop!

Sorry I couldn’t join you on your kick a** Wed challenge, @rylohnes. Two days I had meetings and/or was working outside on gardening (no steps for pulling up plants, etc...). 

@NellyG - beautiful cats! 

@Ennay - about the garden, I know how you feel. You can do it!

@Baltoscott - sorry about lost Zzzzzs, but agree the dogs looks like such a good ‘friend’, I’m sure he (she?) is worth it!

@GershonSurge - Thanks for the excel table. I could do it, but at the moment I’d rather be outside than at my computer. Some rainy day... maybe. I am intrigued, though, about your 3rd breakfast!!! Can I ask what one can eat for breakfast 3 times on a strict budget (real question)? 

[GershonSurge]

@Jotex,

Thanks for asking.

FIRST BREAKFAST	calories	cost
Steel-cut oatmeal	221	$0.21
banana	96	$       0.19
SECOND BREAKFAST
Whole wheat pancake	180	$0.08
pineapple	21	$0.03
THIRD BREAKFAST
bagel	250	$0.50
Peanut Butter	255	$0.28
Total	1023	$       1.29
Cost/2500 calories		$       3.15

[A_Lurker]

---

@A_Lurker wrote:

1) 10,000 steps each day

2) some other form of exercise (rowing, elliptical, strength training... may include gardening)

3) 7h sleep average each week

4) checking in each day

---

1) 9/31

2) 3 (rowing), 3 (elliptical), 3 (resistance)

3) week 1 (6hr31m), week 2 (so far) 7hr 49m

4) 8/31

I'm so impressed with the sleep this week.  Not so much that I'm getting a decent amount, but that it's coming in a single sleep time.  I've been hovering around 6.5 hours average lately, but getting 10 or 11 sleep cycles to do that.  That kind of sleep pattern just makes it feel like I'm not sleeping.  This week I've accomplished more, but only Sunday did I have a nap.  I need to be up early tomorrow so I'm going to try and get to bed early (or earlier than normal).

(this is yesterday's post, which I swear I did post on... thank goodness for saved drafts)

[A_Lurker]

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@A_Lurker wrote:

1) 10,000 steps each day

2) some other form of exercise (rowing, elliptical, strength training... may include gardening)

3) 7h sleep average each week

4) checking in each day

---

1) 10/31

2) 4 (rowing), 3 (elliptical), 3 (resistance)

3) week 1 (6hr31m), week 2 (so far) 7hr 37m

4) 9/31

Not sure what happened last night, but tonight I'm going to make a point to look at my post. Even with my early morning today I was just shy of 7 hours. Tomorrow, even though I have things to do, I don't have to get up super early so I'm thinking this week might end up over the 7 hours.

[GershonSurge]

 

Lots of extra meals today. 

[NellyG]

11 May  Looking like I wont make my dance practice goals this month as my dance partner has a knee injury and practicing on my own gets a bit old after an hour and a half or so! See how we go. ☺

Steps 10,000 per day                                       10/20

High step day over 20,000                              1 👍

Swim twice per week                                       2/2     4/8

Fitbit Coach or bike ride - one per week      1/1      2/4    

Dance 6 hours per week                                4/6      8/24

[Ennay]

15K yesterday.  another day having a hard time getting going in the morning.  Ended up walking at night to meet friends for a drink and walking home.  Had 3 near skunk encounters on the walk home which yes, is the biggest risk of walking at night here. (seriously, I dont need a posse or pepper spray as suggested to me when I joked about the dangers of skunk attack on a different forum) 

Been slacking on the weights, although I am sore from gardening, so maybe that is ok.

 @Baltoscott I dont know why I didnt look at trendweight sooner.  I never read past the bluetooth part.  Now that I know it links to fitbit directly, its definitely easier than importing it myself.

[A_Lurker]

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@A_Lurker wrote:

1) 10,000 steps each day

2) some other form of exercise (rowing, elliptical, strength training... may include gardening)

3) 7h sleep average each week

4) checking in each day

---

1) 11/31

2) 4 (rowing), 4 (elliptical), 3 (resistance)

3) week 1 (6hr31m), week 2 (so far) 7hr 17m

4) 10/31

I may have jinxed myself last night. I ended up with only 5-1/2 hours sleep. I know I seem to be really focusing on sleep but I really notice a difference in my day to day energy levels. I had someone coming over for drinks in the late afternoon and I had to drag myself around doing a few chores and just nipped out to do the shopping in time. I'm off to bed now to see if I can ensure a decent amount of sleep tonight as I have lots of work around the house to do tomorrow.

[Baltoscott]

May 11

-15K steps/day for all 31 days. 11/31
-1 pushup/day for all 31 days 11/31
-13 weight-lifting days: 6/13
- 50 floors or more for 20 days: 8/20
-Sleep 6+ hours 12 days: 2/12
-sign up for and do one organized event: 1/2

Road trip to Eastern Shore and camping tomorrow.

[cyfyguy]

My first post!  My two goals are a bit orthogonal:  Goal 1 is "a quarter of a tank of gas a week". I've been doing this for about a month and it has done wonders for both my fitness and motivation!  I work from home so this is completely do-able.  I walk to the gym.  I only read books that I walked to the library to check out.  I only see movies that I walked to the theater to enjoy, etc.  My second goal (which at first blush SOUNDS silly...but it works!) is to abide by what I'm calling "The Long Way 'Round" rule:  The floor plan of my home here in Colorado is circular- entry, hallway, family room, breakfast nook, kitchen, dining room, living room...entry.  Whenever I want to visit another room, I take the longer route, and then pass through the room and take another lap before stopping.  It drives my family nuts but piles on the steps!

Be Well,

-Cy

[Jotex]

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

@Jotex,

Thanks for asking.

FIRST BREAKFAST	calories	cost
Steel-cut oatmeal	221	$0.21
banana	96	$       0.19
SECOND BREAKFAST
Whole wheat pancake	180	$0.08
pineapple	21	$0.03
THIRD BREAKFAST
bagel	250	$0.50
Peanut Butter	255	$0.28
Total	1023	$       1.29
Cost/2500 calories		$       3.15

---

Thanks @GershonSurge for the low-down! Great table you set up, too. May have to go in my computer after all to design something similar! 

[Jotex]

April 11

Didn’t make my 10,000 daily goal by 1,500 steps yesterday. 😯 Spent half a day with hubby at radiology/oncology discussing his upcoming treatments. 🤭 Then spent hours running around trying to find golden flaxseeds to make two types of raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free crackers. Came home, prepared everything and got them started in the dehydrator. Fixed a small supper and was just putting my feet up when a family friend dropped by. Was just too tired to go on my treadmill at 10 pm. Will try to make it up today.

[NellyG]

That sounds quite a day @Jotex. No wonder you didnt make the steps. I hope your husbands treatment goes well.

[Jotex]

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@NellyG wrote:

That sounds quite a day @Jotex. No wonder you didnt make the steps. I hope your husbands treatment goes well.

---

Yes ma’em. It was intense at times, but very good. Cooking and gardening (terrace pots, that is) are my fav ways to de-stress. Thanks a lot for your good wishes for Peter @NellyG. We are optimistic. 

[GershonSurge]

I managed to gain back 0.6 lbs by eating a ton of food. Today, it's going to be harder. I've already eaten 2,077 calories. If I'm inert the rest of the day, I'll burn 2,333 calories. It's more likely I'll burn close to 3,000 calories today, so I'm planning to eat 3,500 calories while still spending less than $5.00 a day. I'll have to lean towards the starch solution.

Here is what I've done so far:

	Calories	cost
Starch, legumes, nuts	1738	$1.29
Veg	16	$0.23
Fruit	269	$0.92
Total	2023	$2.44

My total cost for the day should be $4.22.