12-Week Shape Up! Week 2

If you missed Week 1 and would like to join in, check out Goodbyes, WLS, Baseline, and the 12-Week Shape-Up. Week 1's challenge is at the bottom of the blog post.

Week 1 is in the books. Congratulations! Now it's time to weigh-in, both in regards to your weight, and in regards to how you did with your weekly challenge. As a reminder when measuring your weight, try to do it at the same time every Monday, in the same clothes, and before breakfast if possible.

How did you do?

12-Week Shape Up! Week 1 Weigh-In:

• Weight: 312
• Previous Weight: 320
• Weekly Loss: 8
• Total Loss: 8
• Weekly Challenge Success and Challenges
• Successes: I had a revised goal of 11,620 calories per week (Note: My original goal was 14,000 calories a week, but I revised it based on the MyFitnessPal recommendation of 1660 calories a day), and I met my goal with room to spare at 10,015 calories, an average of 1430 a day.
• Challenges: On Sunday, I had a terrible migraine and wanted to just grab McDonald's instead of cook. I gave myself some time before leaving to really think about it, and when I got up, I went in the kitchen to cook a wonderful meal instead of zooming up to McDonald's. I'm still fighting urges, but winning them so far!

Week 1 is always exciting, but it's also the first week you subject your body to positive changes. Your body doesn't like that. Your body will fight back. To keep up with good progress* during Week 2, this week's challenge will be adding in movement.

12-Week Shape Up! Week 2 Challenge: Get moving. Aim for an activity you know you enjoy and can physically do, and do it at least three times a week. 

No, competition eating is not what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of cardio. My own Week 2 challenge is walking after dinner every day. I may only be able to walk for 10 minutes at first before back pain sends me home, but as I lose more weight and as I get stronger, that number will organically increase.

There are a couple of ways to pursue this challenge:

1. Give yourself a goal time, distance, or # of steps (if you have a pedometer). If you often find yourself giving up before you've put in a full effort, then setting a goal like one of these could help push you.
2. Don't give yourself a time, instead, commit to moving (walking, running, biking, etc.) as long as you can manage. As you get stronger, the distance or pace you can manage will increase. This is a good method if you are the kind of person who looks at the time/distance/steps and goes "Nailed it, time to go home" when you could have gone longer.

The mantra for this week is to get out the door.

That's the hardest part, getting out the door. So get out there and move!

*"Good progress" = any loss, whether it be a half-pound, or ten. Loss is loss, whether it's slow or fast.

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Please speak to your doctor before beginning this or any stage of the 12-Week Shape Up!