Freedom Challenge Final Results & Summer Diet Buddies Goals

The Battery - Charleston, South Carolina

May, 2010

We took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Charleston in very early May taking advantage of a highly unusual cool snap.  We took our bicycles and rode for hours on end during the four days we were there.  I cannot wait for the weather to break to we can begin riding again.  It rarely gets so hot that we are unable to ride at all in the summer.  This summer has just been an exception. We traditionally find a Rails to Trails path to conquer during Mr. B's four day fall break in October.  I need to get started planning that and am open to suggestions!  

I have loved being a part of the Freedom Challenge for the past four weeks and am so grateful to Deb for sponsoring it.  Striving for goals has been motivating, but the new friends I have found far surpasses that.  Now if my powers of persuasion can just get Kenna (Deb's granddaughter) to pick my name for the prize........I'd really like to have one of those books that's part of the package.  

Here are my results for the week:

1) Walking is my form of exercise. Since 2006, I have worn a pedometer, kept a log and averaged 10,000 steps per week. I'd like to increase that goal to 12,000 steps per week.  Done!  Although I didn't get 12,000 steps every day, the average over seven days was 12, 368. 

2) I want to begin planning menus in advance. I will plan menus three days this week and increase it by one day each week, so that by the end of the challenge, I'll be planning a week in advance.  I believe this goal will probably be my most beneficial because I did it faithfully, found a time each week to work on menus and feel as if it might have become a habit.

3) Along with goal #2, I will find and try at least one new recipe each week and post a picture of it on my blog. Eliminated this goal a couple of weeks ago.

4) July 30th is my birthday. I will eat nothing with white sugar in it until that day (and maybe not then). I am happy to say that I met this goal totally.  Ate no white sugar last week including my birthday. 

5) This is a "just for fun" goal since you asked that our goals be unrelated to weight loss.  I'd like to weigh 155 or less by my birthday. This is my 55th birthday (EEK!!) and I think it would be cool to be at or below 155 on my 55th birthday. I'm already very close, so this should be a easy no-brainer  I was sweating this one, but did reach 155 on July 29th.

Thanks again, Deb!

Here are last week's results and this week's goals for Diet Buddy Daily's challenge:

1)  As close to 1200 calories per day as I can get.  Got off track on Sunday.  Other than that, was within 100 calories of 1200 all week. 

 

2)  No white sugar or white flour.   Done - passed with flying colors!

3)  No food or drink after 6 p.m.   Done

4)  Lose at least one pound per week during challenge. Done

5)  Send a card or note of encouragement to at least one friend or relative who I know is struggling to lose weight.  Done

I joined this challenge late and only had a partial week to meet these goals, so I'm going to keep the same ones for next week except to add that I will send at least TWO notes of encouragement.  One to someone struggling to lose weight and the other to someone I know that needs encouraging for any reason.  

Yesterday's birthday lunch didn't go well from an eating standpoint, but could have been a lot worse.  This morning's birthday breakfast went much better.  These two scenarios raised some questions for me about "normal" eating which I'm also hearing from many of you, so think I'll save that for tomorrow's post.

 

Birthday's over, "awesome" August has arrived, autumn is just around the corner!