OctoberFEST — Step Challenge and Photo Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

I love October!  The heat of summer is mostly gone, and the icy cold of winter isn’t quite here yet.  It is a GREAT time to get outside and move around.  Plus at least two good festive events — German Beer/bratwurst/sauerkraut — Halloween!

How It Works

The primary purpose of these monthly challenges is to encourage you to set and hit 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 this month is … seasonal changes (a tree or flower or storefront at the beginning of the month, and again at the end); Halloween decorations/costumes, trick or treaters; German OctoberFEST related. 

From a Fitbit photo challenge 4 years ago (5K in costume)Vienna, Austria, Halloween 2014

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.

[WendyB]

Great Pics @Jotex 

[WendyB]

October Fest Day 13

Steps: Goal 10,000: 13/31

Boxing 31 days: 13/31

Bike 3 times 31 days: 13/31

Weights DVD 17 days: 5/17

Stomach YouTube 31 days : 13/31

Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: 13/31

Leg Exercises 31 days: 13/31

250 Steps per hour 30 days: 13/31

Log food daily 31 days: 13/31

Scavenger Hunt Photos 3: 3/3

[WendyB]

Awesome Pic @Jotex 

[Joy2019]

Oct 13

Didn't weigh myself today. 25k steps and a long day out with the children. My temper is very short though. I think the time of the month is looming. It's going to be a hard week!

10k steps - 13/31 days

18/6 fasts - 13/31 days

15k+steps - 9/15 days

30 minutes HIIT - 12/31 days

500 calories deficit - 12/20 days

Weight training - 6/15 days

[shawnkp]

Week 2 was productive. 

My step goal is 6k or 1 mile per day:

• 10/7- Monday:6,434 steps/ 2.72 miles
• 10/8- Tuesday: 7,367 steps/ 3.12 miles
• 10/9- Wednesday: 6,071 steps/ 2.57miles
• 10/10- Thursday: 6,128 steps/ 2.59 miles
• 10/11- Friday: 6,481 steps/ 2.74 miles
• 10/12- Saturday: 6,094 steps/ 2.58 miles

My water intake is a work in progress:

• 10/7- Monday:20 oz
• 10/8- Tuesday: 42 oz
• 10/9- Wednesday: 16 oz
• 10/10- Thursday: 40 oz
• 10/11- Friday: 30 oz
• 10/12- Saturday: 16 oz

Trying to hit 10 wall/counter push-ups per day:

• 10/7- Monday: 10
• 10/8- Tuesday: 10
• 10/9- Wednesday: 10
• 10/10 -Thursday: 10
• 10/11- Friday 10
• 10/12- Saturday 0

SCAVENGER HUNT: 

Our bi-polar Houston weather is in full force! We call this time of year "False Fall"....LOL

Oh, and guess who won last night?

[shawnkp]

@Jotex 

Hope you had a fantastic birthday!

Great photos by the way! 😀

[NellyG]

14 October 

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                   13/20

12 days over 12,000                                                      11/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             5/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               1/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           4/8              

Dance prac 4+ hours a week                                         13/20

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      3/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     4/3  1st pictures

[Jotex]

OctoberFEST Goals - Day 14

8,000 steps: 5/10 days

10,000+ steps: 5/15 days
Exercises & weights: 9/25 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics: 5/3 pics

Glad you liked the pics @WendyB and @shawnkp. And thanks for the update on the ‘Stros @shawnkp. Do you think they’ll make the World Series this year?

[WendyB]

OctoberFEST Day 14

Steps: Goal 10,000: 14/31

Boxing 31 days: 14/31

Bike 3 times 31 days: 14/31

Weights DVD 17 days: 6/17

Stomach YouTube 31 days : 14/31

Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: 14/31

Leg Exercises 31 days: 14/31

250 Steps per hour 30 days: 14/31

Log food daily 31 days: 14/31

Scavenger Hunt Photos 3: 3/3

[Joy2019]

Oct 14

It gets worse! I didn't fast at all today. I ate from morning till 6pm. Sigh...managed to just about keep from not seriously exceeding my calorie intake for the day. Back at it and will ensure I keep at 500 calories or less till the end of the week and start OMAD again.

I did go to the gym though and walked 10k steps.

10k steps - 13/31 days

18/6 fasts - 13/31 days

15k+steps - 9/15 days

30 minutes HIIT - 13/31 days

500 calories deficit - 12/20 days

Weight training - 7/15 days

[SteppingBooks]

OctoberFEST Day 10:

15.5K Steps/Day: 05/31

2K(or less) Calorie Intake:  07/31

Yoga: --/5

Weights: --/10

OctoberFEST Day 11-14:

15.5K Steps/Day: 05/31

2K(or less) Calorie Intake:  07/31

Yoga: --/5

Weights: --/10

Long weekends are such a killer for steps.  However I did find some seasonal scarecrows.  The local park has a creative scarecrow competition.  

[NellyG]

15 October 

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

12 days over 12,000                                                      12/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             6/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               1/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           5/8              

Dance prac 4+ hours a week                                         15/20

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      3/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     4/3  1st pictures

[Baltoscott]

---

@Joy2019 wrote:

Oct 14

.... I ate from morning till 6pm. ...

---

Hey @Joy2019. 

When I do OMAD that's pretty much my eating window too.  🙂

Seriously, though, we are all different and what works for some won't work of others. Of the regulars in this group, I think @Jotex tries to do OMAD or some type of limited fasting occasionally.  I've never really tried it.  I do, however, try to manage my calories by limiting them to scheduled meals (4x a day).  Giving myself permission to eat more often than that usually results in unplanned snacks and I start to lose focus on how much I'm eating.

@SteppingBooks - scarecrow competition is a neat idea.  

[Jotex]

Yes, @Joy2019 , as @Baltoscott mentioned, I am (most of the time, when I'm very good) on IF, aka Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern where you switch between periods of eating and fasting. You are still able to eat a normal amount of food but just in a smaller time frame, which is called your 'eating window.' It is a healthy way towards your weight loss.

So, I stop eating at 8 pm (more or less) and don't eat again until Noon the next day. I make a tiny exception by adding a little bit of lactose free milk to my coffee in the morning. Alternatively, one can eat normally 5 days a week, and on the other 2 days restrict calories to 500 calories. The second option is more of a challenge because you have to eat low-calorie foods or else feel weak and like you're being starved to death. In any case, I limit my calories on my usual IF program just because that's better for my metabolism, which is (I think) linked to my age (now 65).

Good luck whatever you choose to do. 

[Jotex]

OctoberFEST Goals - Day 15

8,000 steps: 5/10 days

10,000+ steps: 6/15 days
Exercises & weights: 10/25 days

Scavenger Hunt Pics: 5/3 pics

[WendyB]

OctoberFEST Day 15

Steps: Goal 10,000: 15/31

Boxing 31 days: 15/31

Bike 3 times 31 days: 15/31

Weights DVD 17 days: 6/17

Stomach YouTube 31 days : 15/31

Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: 15/31

Leg Exercises 31 days: 15/31

250 Steps per hour 30 days: 15/31

Log food daily 31 days: 15/31

Scavenger Hunt Photos 3: 3/3

@SteppingBooks  What a great idea for a scarecrow competition!

[Jotex]

Thanks for the update on the Houston Astros @shawnkp ! Rooting for them to win again today! Go ‘Stros!!!

[Joy2019]

Oct 15

@Baltoscott , @Jotex  - 😍

Yeah I mainly do IF and have to stick to a very small eating window (2pm to 6pm) if I want to restrict my calories and keep on top of it. To be fair, it's the first time in almost 9 months that I've had a full day eating window haha. It wasn't too bad. In total, I ate about 1600 calories and my daily goal is 1370 with no exercise so I pretty much evened out on Monday.

As I have this surgery looming and will need to roll over the dates till next year if I don't hit a healthy BMI, I've started OMAD and I'm pretty much sticking to it. Add PMS and it all unravels haha

Back on track now though - day 3 of OMAD this week. I don't do cheat days - too much temptation!

10k steps - 14/31 days

18/6 fasts - 14/31 days

15k+steps - 10/15 days

30 minutes HIIT - 14/31 days

500 calories deficit - 13/20 days

Weight training - 7/15 days

Got to the gym with 5 mins to spare for a body pump class and it was packed full. I just respected myself and drove to work!

Lesson learned is to stick to a 5am gym time. 9am is everyone else time haha

[NellyG]

16 October 

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

12 days over 12,000                                                      13/12

6 days over 15,000 steps                                             7/6          

2 days over 20,000 steps                                               2/2

Swim 2x per week                                                           5/8              

Dance prac 4+ hours a week                                         15/20

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                      4/6              

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                                     4/3  1st pictures

[SteppingBooks]

OctoberFEST Day 15:

15.5K Steps/Day: 06/31

2K(or less) Calorie Intake:  07/31

Yoga: --/5

Weights: --/10

@WendyB @Baltoscott  It really is a great idea!  Not that any of the crows at the park are scared of it.  Really, they need something to scare the geese.  Most of the scarecrows were decorated by local organizations, so the majority have some kind of sign or slogan promoting them.  But it's still fun.  One year they had one dressed as a cop.  

@Joy2019  I'm in awe of and floored by anyone who can OMAD for any length of time (AKA more than one day).  Part of mine is I am tempted too often by little snack things; grapes, cheese, coffee (that's a snack right? lol).  But I also find that if I go too long, my sugar level drops and I run into issues that way.  I'm not hypo-hypoglycemic, but my body does produce faulty insulin.   I count calories instead; and need to get back to prioritizing protein over carb.