Today is day 1 of my 38 Day Challenge (I will be using the hashtag #38DayChallenge on Instagram if anyone wants to join me)!
So let’s get into what this challenge is, why I chose 38 days, etc etc etc.
Why 38 days? I wanted to create and do a challenge for the month of March, but I really wanted to get this started, so I am doing the whole month of March plus the days left in February which all adds up to 38 days. I wish there was a really cool and creative reason for the 38… but, uh… yea, there isn’t.
Why am I doing a challenge? I have been doing pretty well with my weight loss endeavor, but I like having little challenges. They keep me motivated, they keep me focused, and I like the competitive side of “Can I complete all of these tasks?” I like competing with myself and it’s just helpful to have it all mapped out. I also love charts and graphs and I created one to fill in everyday if I complete it.
What is the 38 Day Challenge? My challenge is going to consist of 5 things to complete everyday for the 38 days. Now, there isn’t a consequence if I don’t do any of the tasks, but I really, really want to succeed at this. I want to see what results I can see in 38 days. I want to see what positive habits I can create in 38 days. And I honestly want the confidence boost of being successful. My five tasks for each day are to drink a gallon of water, exercise, walk, count calories, and blog.
-Gallon of water: Pretty self explanatory. I am currently on Day 37 of drinking a gallon a day, so I don’t find this to be too far out of reach. I would be very, very proud if I could continue this for another 38 days.
-Exercise: My exercise schedule is full of a few different things. I love weightlifting and will continue to focus on that, but I do not lift weights everyday. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will be lifting (upper body Monday, lower body Tuesday, and my hardest workout on Friday doing full body). Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday I do some sort of fun cardio. I like kickboxing, dance workouts… just anything that gets my heart rate up that I also have fun doing. Saturday is my active rest day where I either do yoga or some very intensive stretching.
-Walking: I definitely need to be getting more steps in. I get some in chasing my son around, but I definitely need more. The bulk of my weight loss a few years ago was from simply walking. I just got a treadmill on Sunday (yay!) and I think that will help a lot. I want to walk outside, too, but there are days that a certain 18 month old is a complete crazy person and screams during our walk like I am kidnapping him and people come outside and stare at me. I would like the police to not get called on me… so having a treadmill during those very fun times will be a great help. I will walk 30-60 minutes a day at minimum- whether that is outside or on the treadmill.
-Count Calories: This is a trigger warning if counting calories triggers you. Please skip this part. I do not want to make anyone feel like they need to count calories and restrict food or anything of the sort. This is what works for ME, so please think nothing more of it than that. I believe what works best for my body is a calorie deficit. I do not restrict any types of foods. Anything is available to eat, as long as it fits in my calorie budget. I also know there may be some occasions when I will be eating above my calorie window and that is okay. What is important is that no matter what the total number is, that I track it. The goal is to stay in my window, but as long as I am tracking everything. I am wanting to really ramp up my accountability. I also use MyFitnessPal to track if anyone is interested.
-Blog: Another fairly self explanatory one. I will blog everyday for the 38 days with this post being blog #1 of the 38! I am sure some of them will be boring, haha, but I will try my best!
Like I mentioned, I made a little chart to color in each day for each task. I also weighed and did my measurements today just for the data. The goal is obviously weight loss, but more than that it is about being consistent. I deserve to give myself consistency and to really have my body where I want it to be.
I’m excited and I am ready to kick ass at this challenge. If anyone wants to join me or create their own challenge or anything, I would love it! Then once I finish this in March I will come up with something to do in April.
Here’s to 38 days!