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I am a pretty competitive person by nature. I love board games, card games, mind games (j/k on that one), I played competitive sports when I was in high school (basketball and softball) and have taken part in several beauty “challenges” in the past couple of years. I seriously love a good challenge! Now that it’s officially October (seriously, where did this year go??) I have decided to take part in a few fitness/motivational challenges, hence the name of this post, Challenge Yo’Self!!
I have always wanted to do a fitness type challenge but haven’t felt like I was really at a place where I could until now. With the help of Profile by Sanford I have lost 20 lbs in the past 4.5 weeks which brings my total weight lost from my highest weight last year to 4o lbs. What is this madness?? I haven never lost this much weight in my life. The last time I weighted what I do now I was graduating from Respiratory Therapy school 10 years ago. Let that sink in for a minute…TEN YEARS AGO.
May 2017 – September 2018
And yea, one day when I get really brave I will tell you the exact numbers…highest weight, what I weighed in each photo, etc but I’m not there yet. One day…
So needless to say I’m feeling myself and I’m pretty motivated to keep going and I am pretty committed. I have always said that you make time for what you really want to do and I really want to do this. I still have quite a few pounds to lose but they don’t seem so impossible anymore. So how am I going to challenge myself?? Let me tell you.
One thing I have found a passion for recently is yoga. I found Yoga by Adriene’s YouTube channel and she has tons of videos for beginners, advanced learners and everyone in between! I did a few of her “basics” classes and now I’m ready to get serious about it. I love how I feel after yoga, it is such a great stretch which is so important if you aren’t used to moving around a lot and it leaves me so sore!! LOL!! I started her 30 Days of Yoga Challenge last night and felt so good after! I really want to keep it up and complete the challenge in 30 days so fingers crossed!!!
Along with yoga everyday I am still going to be going to the gym/park when I can to get some cardio and strength training in. I think the longest 30 Days of Yoga video I saw was 34 minutes and most were 20 minutes or under so that totally leaves time for something else too!
One way I am going to keep myself motivated to complete this challenge (and more!!!) is with Rachel Hollis’s #Last90Days Challenge! This challenge is all about finishing the year out (the last 90 days) with the same intentions that you had on the first 30 days after the New Year. Basically just being super intentional on taking care of yourself and crushing your goals this last quarter of the year as you were the first 30 days and for me that goal is self care in the form of eating right and moving my body with the intention of losing weight and feeling better about myself.
Because let’s be real here for a second. How many of you started out January 1st eating right, working out, etc and then fell off the wagon and never looked back? Yeah…that was me for several years.
So this year I am changing it up and I am NOT going to get bogged by holidays and overindulging and gaining tons of weight only to have more to lose in the New Year. This year I am switching up and am going to take the #Last90Days challenge and be super intentional about taking care of myself and then starting 2019 in a much better frame of mind than I have in the past.
Want to join me (and Rachel Hollis and millions of other women)?? Click here to get yourself all signed up!! Let’s do this!!
PS- I have in no way, shape or form been compensated for this post!! I am doing these challenges and talking about them here simply because I want to!!
Have you challenged yourself lately??
When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone??
I did a plank challenge a couple of months ago. Which resulted into me incorporating planking into my daily workout.
I’m competitive too and I almost spit my tea out when I read mind games! I needed a good laugh this morning. CONGRATS on your weight loss! You are such an inspiration! I, too, vowed to get back in shape a few months ago. I’ve packed on a few pounds with all the food blogging and tasting. I need to check out these challenges. I haven’t missed a day working out in 3 months and I can really tell the difference in my body. Yay for ending the year strong and in control!
Anything that motivates us is worth taking on. Sounds like you are very motivated and are achieving your weight loss goals. Good for you, cheering you on.
This is awesome, Ricci! I am excited to hear about your journey. And, by the way, the “real” numbers don’t matter. You have taken charge of your health, that is what is important!
You are doing so awesome! And good luck with your challenge. I basically just stick to jogging daily and that’s my challenge since I hate to do it. Sometimes I have to build myself up to go.
I recently took some beginner yoga classes and I really liked them. It is great to know you are losing so much weight and I hope my daily workouts give as much results.
Congratulations on your weight-loss! It is so exciting when you can see those pounds come off and everything Is looser. I need to and yoga to my exercise routine because I know it will help me tone my muscles along with getting healthier.
That mind game comment cracked me up. Unfortunately, I’ve gained a bunch of weight this year and need to get it off. I need to sign up for this challenge. Hopefully that will give me the motivation I need.
Totally starting this yoga series and the #90DayChallenge PUMPED!!!
It sounds like you have a good strategy in place for the holiday season. That’s a good way to approach the end of the year instead of gaining and losing in large amounts. Thanks for sharing this!
I have been looking for a Fitness Challenge to join and since I haven’t found one but since it is the first of Oct. I think I will just start my own so I can lose the weight I need to lose so I can become healthier.
You can do it! You already look fabulous. Sounds like a great program, keep us posted! I need to get into a workout routine myself.
Keep it up! You’ll start seeing results. This sounds like a great program too. I’m going to look into it!
I’m also doing the #Last90Days challenge. My post about it is going up tomorrow (yeah, I’m a bit slow).
You’re killing it on your health and fitness girl. Way to go!!!
I have been absent with my work outs and even going on my yoga session since I became a lot more busy at work. I love the idea of the challenge and I guess this would be a great start to be back in shape.
I was giggling reading about yoga. I have been encouraging my husband to do it with me but he just laughed at me then but now he is finally doing it.
You inspired me with this post, my goal this year is to stay fit and be healthy as well. A little bit harder now that the weather change. The cold makes me more tired and going outside is not pleasant at times. But I know I have to push my self weather I am inside or outside home.
It is necessary to challenge oneself especially when it comes to fitness. Setting up smaller achievable goals is always great. Yoga is a great way to fine-tune your fitness.
I did a yoga video yesterday. It was only 25 minutes which seemed pretty perfect. I will definitely check this series out.
So glad October is here! The weather is great to get outside and be active too!
I need to get more physically active myself. The weather helps!
Felicidades and Congrats!! Not only is the weightloss worth congratulating, but your new mindset to follow through for a healthier you and New Year is too. BB knows you can do it, and after losing 40 lbs, nice that you now know it too. BB2U