Topiary January 2019 -- Step Challenge and Resolutions

[Baltoscott]

Welcome to 2019!!

It is a new year, and time to get another monthly challenge underway.  It is also an opportunity to try out some resolutions ,,, a diet or exercise change, less drinking or smoking, going to bed earlier, learn a new skill … But in this case, commit for just a month and see how it goes.  You can do anything for a month, and if it still makes sense on January 31, try it again for another month in February. Or adapt it 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. That is where the monthly resolution component comes in. Try adding one new good habit and reducing one bad habit for the month.  For the good habit, maybe you'll cook at home more (I'm taking an on-line cooking class for the month).  As to your bad habit, remember it is only for a month.  And it doesn't even have to be all or nothing.  Instead of NO PIZZA for a month, maybe you'll cut your consumption in half.  (Only two Fridays instead of every Friday, for example).  I will be doing a mostly dry January and then go back to my normal dry every other day lifestyle.

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 idea of a monthly picture scavenger hunt started last summer as a way to get people outside to show off where they live. We’ve done oldest buildings, funny street or business signs, sewer covers, holiday decorations, theatre marquees,  animals ….

The theme this month?  It is in the title — Topiary. 

Peace, man ...

That’s gonna be hard for some folks, but go find three pics if you can.

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 Topiary January
      
-Complete Darya Rose’s on-line cooking class at Foodist Kitchen

-Dry (mostly) January.  28 days or more.

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

-post 3 scavenger hunt pictures

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

[MarciM]

Thank you @Baltoscott for keeping us motivated! 

[Jotex]

@Baltoscott -- ditto what @MarciM wrote. Your foodist 30-day cooking course looks interesting. Enjoy!  More later.

[benvegi]

For January I will stick to my "old" goals even though I exceeded them in December. 

Here they are:

Steps 15,000 per day

20+ floors per day I cut my floors back because sometimes the weather or working in the yard keeps me from getting lots of floors.

7+ miles per day

2 sets of 12 reps of dumbbell curls, triceps, shoulder shrugs, and chest flys, 3 times a week.

Three or more pics of each scavenger hunt topic. 

Check in at least 2x a week.

 Topiary! In the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest!  Perhaps I can find a natural formation of some sort.

weights 3x a week

check in 2x a week

[WendyB]

Kept getting timed out. Didn't show it posted but did.

Duplicate

[WendyB]

same as always

Steps: Goal 13000 31 days:  /31
Boxing 31 days: 8/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: /31
Weights DVD 17 days: /31
Stomach Youtube 31 days : /31
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: /31
250 Steps per hour 31 days : /31
Post Scavenger hunt photos: /3

[Autumn43]

It's my first challenge, so I'll try to achieve just a couple of goals.

10,000 steps: /26

Plank: /26

Drink 1 litre of water: /26

Photo scavenger hunt: /3

[NellyG]

Topiary! Crikey could be difficult! I'm going to be in New Zealand forma week visiting my sister, so I have no idea how my step count will go then. She hasnt been all that well so it could be a sedentary week, so goals will be lower because of that.

My goals

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                                 

4 days over 15,000 steps per month                                

1 day over 20,000 steps                                                                  

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

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

6 bike rides or interval walks per month   

At least 3 scavenger huntnpics               

[Baltoscott]

@Jotex.  I think I’m going to like the cooking course.  Once you start a new lesson becomes available every day for 30 days.  I didn’t really want to start until I get back from travel next week but I’ll have 12 days accumulated by then.  So I’ve stared reading them already and I’m thinking about how I’ll implement some new cooking related habits.

[arbie3]

10000+ steps every day 

eat 4 serving of veggies every day

eatting less junk 

eatting more fruits veggies

work on mental wellness 

lose a pound a week

go to the gym  once a week 

swimming once a week

[HoosierDaddy73]

Ready to go. Also shooting to be more consistent in monitoring / posting to these threads, as I think it will help my motivation. Here are my goals:

• 10,000 steps for 31 days
• 9 Active Hours a day for 31 days
• 50 Running Miles in January
• 3 Scavenger Hunt Photos
• Lose 4 pounds

[Jotex]

My Topiary January Goals

12,000 steps - 20 days

1-min (or longer) Modified Plank - 15 days
Training w/weights - 15 days
40 jumping jacks - 15 days
Line Dance - 6 days

IF 5/2 (stay under +/- 600 cal 2x/wk) - 8 days

Eat a piece of fruit - 25 days

Topiary Scavenger Hunt - 3 pics

Most goals are the same or similar to last month's except this month:  

1) I'm increasing my daily step count goal by 2,000.

2) Bringing back the modified (for me) plank.

3) Adding a piece of fruit to my daily diet. More is allowed, of course, except on intermittent fasting (IF) days. 

[NellyG]

1 January 2019  Happy New Year to everyone

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

4 days over 15,000 steps per month                              1/4                           

1 day over 20,000 steps                                                    1/1                          

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

At least 3 scavenger huntnpics                                        -/3

[LisefromCanada]

Thanks for this challenge @Baltoscott

I'm not changing my monthly goals too much.  They work for me:

Over 10,000 steps 25 days this month

"New" - Over 15,000 steps 5 days this month

Minimum 5,000 steps daily

15 minutes Calisthenics 20 days this month

Calorie intake at least 500 calories less than calories burned for 25 days

Swim/aquafit class for 45 minutes 10 times this month

10 floors daily

Lose 4 pounds this month

3 scavenger hunt posts

[Jotex]

Topiary January - Day 1

12,000 steps - 1/20 days

1-min (or longer) Modified Plank - 1/15 days
Training w/weights - 1/15 days
40 jumping jacks - 1/15 days
Line Dance - 0/6 days

IF5/2 (stay under +/- 600 cal 2x/wk) - 0/8 days

Eat a piece of fruit - 1/25 days

Topiary Scavenger Hunt - 0/3 pics

[WendyB]

Topiary January Day 1

Steps: Goal 13000 31 days:  1/31
Boxing 31 days: 1/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: 1/31
Weights DVD 17 days: 0/31
Stomach Youtube 31 days : 1/31
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days:1 /31
250 Steps per hour 31 days :1 /31
Post Scavenger hunt photos: 0/3

Happy New Years to all!

[Ennay]

Hi again!  Seriously have to figure out what is going on with me but....trying again.  Last year I was doing so well and I just. Stopped.  There is something psychological happening, that I am dancing around but need to just push past.  Last year I lost ~33 lbs, paused, gained maybe 4 back.  Then in the last 2 months gained 25 ish back.  Just exploded.  I have 6 weeks left of free ww and then I have to make some decisions.

January goals

10000K  x 23

Post here  x 23 

Food recording 31 days. 

Weigh 27

[WendyB]

Welcome back @Ennay You can do it! We are here routing for you!

[Baltoscott]

Topiary January Day 1

15K steps/day		1/31
1 pushup/day		1/31
15 weight-lifting days		0/15
post scavenger pics		0/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month		0/12
Complete Foodistkitchen cooking class		1/30
Dry January (mostly)		0/31

Spent New Year’s visiting my cousin outside Las Vegas.  Pic below is from a state park North West of the city called Ring of Fire. Beautiful sandstone rock formations.  

Valley of Fire State Park - Nevada