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.

[Jotex]

Topiary January - Day 6

12,000 steps - 5/20 days

1-min (or longer) Modified Plank - 4/15 days
Training w/weights - 4/15 days
40 jumping jacks - 5/15 days
Line Dance - 0/6 days

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

Eat a piece of fruit - 6/25 days

Topiary Scavenger Hunt - 0/3 pics

[WendyB]

Topiary January Day 6

Steps: Goal 13000 31 days: 6/31
Boxing 31 days: 6/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: 6/31
Weights DVD 17 days: 3/31
Stomach Youtube 31 days : 6/31
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: 6 /31
250 Steps per hour 31 days : 6 /31
Post Scavenger hunt photos: 0/3

@benvegiWow that's a lot of rain!

[Baltoscott]

Topiary January Day 6

15K steps/day		5/31
1 pushup/day		6/31
15 weight-lifting days		1/15
post scavenger pics		2/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month		3/12
Complete Foodistkitchen cooking class		6/30
Dry January (mostly)		2/31

Back in the gym today for the first time this month.  A bit more crowded than last month :-).  Everyone seems sooo intense!

[LisefromCanada]

Topiary January 6 results:

Over 10,000 steps 25 days this month - 5/25

"New" - Over 15,000 steps 5 days this month - 1/5

Minimum 5,000 steps daily - 6/31

15 minutes Calisthenics 20 days this month - 3/20

Calorie intake at least 500 calories less than calories burned for 25 days - 6/25

Swim/aquafit class for 45 minutes 10 times this month - 5/10

10 floors daily - 6/31

Lose 4 pounds this month - 0/4 lbs

3 Topiary scavenger hunt posts -  1/3

[WendyB]

@Baltoscott when I was going to the gym I always hated January. So many people than a month later they were gone. 😂🤣

I'm sure this is why I quit. But I'm thinking I really need to go back. Really need to ponder this

I love the weight machines. hummmm

[NellyG]

7 January

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                       7/20                                          

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

1 day over 20,000 steps                                                    2/1                          

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

Dance prac 6 hours a week (when Im home) - 18       5/18  

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                         2/6

At least 3 scavenger hunt pics                                          -/3

[Ennay]

Saturday 8397
Sunday 10008 - yes I did stand by my bed marching until it went off

Through Jan 6
10000K  4/23

Post here  5/23

Food recording 6/31

Weigh 5/27

 
Saturday was as expected - didn't quite make it.  Took the teens to a community youth production of Les Mis and was blown away.  There were some production gaps, but the vocals were astonishing. Really as good as anything I have seen at any level.

The teens stayed up way too late and I thought yesterday would be a miss as I slept after they all went home.  But rehearsal used a lot so I sucked it up and marched out the last 1500 after.

Which brought me to the realization that I am going to have to take my watch off for rehearsal and performances starting next week - have to decide if I am adjusting my goal or going to try to get it in before 6 pm.  7000 would be conservative, I have never used less than 4000 at a run through I dont think.  But I also tend to eat more during these late weeks so ...

@BaltoscottI used to avoid the gym for the first month of the year until the resolutioners went away.

[WendyB]

Topiary January Day 7

Steps: Goal 13000 31 days: 7/31
Boxing 31 days: 7/31
Bike 3 times 31 days: 7/31
Weights DVD 17 days: 4/31
Stomach Youtube 31 days : 7/31
Wall Push Up/Counter push ups 31 days: 7/31
250 Steps per hour 31 days : 7 /31
Post Scavenger hunt photos: 0/3

[Jotex]

Sorry to say it's been a full day meeting up with friends for 3 Kings Day cake and coffee, then daughter and grandson here for lunch and the afternoon. Now I feel queasy, so can't get in the rest of my steps for today. I did eat ½ piece of fruit, though. 😇

Regarding gym memberships, @Baltoscott and @WendyB, I joined a gym a couple of years ago (in January, of course!)  that claimed I would lose at least 3 kilos in 3 months. That sounded fair enough. However, despite my diligence, I gained weight, and gained even more after doing their seminar on a proper diet (extra cost). It wasn't until I started doing the keto diet in August, and working out at home, that I started losing weight. Oh, and after I got my first fitbit (September 2017). Walking has helped tremendously. I cancelled my gym membership as soon as it was up and never went back.

My take on it is: everybody has to find what works for them and that they can stick with. I am now a proud owner of the fitbit Charge 3 with a purple sport band. It's the little things in life that count. 😊

[WendyB]

@Jotex I totally agree every one needs to do what works for them.

This is why I can't decide to go back to the gym as I like my routine now. 

[Jotex]

@WendyB I know exactly what you mean. You mentioned the weight machines. I do think working with weights has a lot of benefits; so I bought several pairs of hand weights and a kettle ball, and try to work out with weights at least 3x a week. 

[WendyB]

@Jotex I have the same at home and do weights 4 times a week. I should pull out my Kettle bell DVD again as it was a really good workout. 

[Baltoscott]

Topiary January Day 7

15K steps/day		6/31
1 pushup/day		7/31
15 weight-lifting days		2/15
post scavenger pics		2/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month		3/12
Complete Foodistkitchen cooking class		7/30
Dry January (mostly)		4/31

Drank a little bit while traveling Jan 1, 2, and 3; but dry since then (even skipping beer during the college football championship, which is a big deal for me).  Well, half-time is over, back to the game.

[Mel9]

Well the respiratory junk wasn’t done for me apparently. I’ve been coughing and wheezing all day with some laryngitis this morning. So, today is already my second day this month of not getting 6,000 steps. However, I got lots of sleep!  I’m hoping to be feeling mostly better in the morning.

Our son is home from college for winter break and is going back on Friday. I’d really like to feel up to at least one more family game night!  

Status update for 1/7/19:

6,000 steps a day on 28 days:  5/28

10,000 steps a day on 5 days: 1/5

Water intake of 64 ounces a day every day: 7/31

Get 7+ hours of sleep on 20 nights: 4/20

Post 3 scavenger hunt photos: 0/3

Check in & log status on 20 days: 5/20

[Mel9]

@Jotex And @WendyB-

im interested to know what weightlifting routine do you do at home?  I bought a couple of low weights to carry on my walks. What do you guys do? 

[WendyB]

@Mel9   I use different DVDs If you want to know which ones let me know.

But you can check Youtube there are several workouts there to get you going

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weights

[Jotex]

@Mel9 -- similar to what @WendyB wrote, I have some exercises I saw on youtube, or learned in physical therapy to strengthen back muscles, that I follow. I have a good floor mat and do a lot with weights while flat on my back. With my two heaviest dumbbells I bend over and lift simultaneously like a barbell. One exercise I do with the kettlebell is, I hold it on one side and go down sideways as far as I can, back up, and then repeat. Then I switch hands. 

Here's a youtube video with some of the exercises I do (or a variation). https://youtu.be/dLN8UPYdcHc

[Baltoscott]

---

@Mel9 wrote:

@Baltoscott - I see that you do 5k races, is that true?  I’ve **rather spontaneously ** signed up for a 5k in about 3 weeks. Any training tips?  I’m walking it with my daughter but still don’t want to finish last. Should I start walking 5k every day right away? Or work up to it 5k over a few days? Any insight would be appreciated.  Thanks!

---

@Mel9 — I’m a little slow to respond so I’m guessing you’ve already started training.  The good news is that since a 5K is around 6000 steps you already do that most days already.  So it is definitely doable.  And there will be a lot of walkers just like you so let the runners do their thing and don’t worry about them.

My training suggestion for this 5K would be to focus on a smaller chunks throughout the day as you work up to the race distance - say 1 or 2k - in the morning, same after lunch and again around dinner.  If the route is posted you might consider a dry run over the next couple of weekends with your daughter (talking to her will make it seem to go by faster).  Or go on your own and put in some headphones, listen to music, podcasts or audible and just go for it.

During the 5K itself, start out with your daughter, but if she’s turns out to be faster than you, encourage her to find her own pace (if she wants) and focus on following someone who is moving just a little bit quicker than you after you get to about 2K.  “Chasing” someone like that will help you keep your pace up.

[NellyG]

8 January

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                                       8/20                                          

4 days over 15,000 steps per month                              5/4                           

1 day over 20,000 steps                                                    2/1                          

Swim 2x per week (when I'm home)  - 6                        3/6                                          

Dance prac 6 hours a week (when Im home) - 18       7.5/18  

6 bike rides or interval walks per month                         2/6

At least 3 scavenger hunt pics                                          1/3

Im counting this as a Scavenger Hunt topiary! The round dots are clipped anyway. They are the closest I have seen to topiary since I have been looking!

[benvegi]

ary goals:

Steps 15,000 per day

20+ floors p/day

7+ miles p/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

12/6 steps 26,049, floors 39, miles 12.12  continuing my 4 mile walks with Jake

12/7 steps 24,519, floors 33, miles 11.62

weather note: on Saturday it was 69 and sunny, Sunday 71 sunny!  Cooler today but sunny.

@Jotex  congrats on your Charge 3. If you changed from the Charge 2 what is the main difference between them?  I've been thinking about upgrading from the C2 but don't see much difference on the web site.

weights 4/12

check in 2/8