It is time to challenge myself! And I am going to challenge you too! This is a 10 week challenge that will be easy to follow and will open the doors to amazing success and progress in our health and fitness journeys! So join me and lets do this!
Back in 2021 I embarked upon a 12 week plan. It was a simple plan that I did right about the same time of the year. I was 12 weeks away from eloping with Jason (one of the best kept secrets I have ever had) and I wanted to be in good shape for our vacation (which was when we actually tied the knot.....you can read about that experience here) . I started a 12 week plan that focused on 5-10 minutes of strength training, a burst of cardio, eating within my plan and drinking my water. (You can read about my 12 week challenge and plan here.) I followed it and I had some success with it. (I lost 12 pounds).
It was super easy to follow! The strength training portion I was able to do on my 15 minute break from work! Yes, it was that quick! (notice I didn't see the workout was easy.....push ups are hard for me and surprisingly the wall sits would have my legs shake). It seemed perfect for me at the time. Not a huge time commitment but a promise for some positive progress.
So here I am 3 years (almost to the day) later and I have gained some weight. And I am not happy with the weight gain. Not happy at all! I know that I need to so something to get this weight off! I need a challenge! I thought about quite a few things. Should I do the 75 hard? Should I do zumba? Running? A healthy wage challenge? What? I was ready to pull the trigger on a 75 hard and was actually looking at times and time frame and realized that I didn't have 75 days until vacation. (For some reason I like the idea of a challenge before vacation). Once I brought the concept of vacation into the mix I realized that i have 10 weeks until vacation! So a 10 week challenge was born in my mind. I also knew that I would need a posse of peeps with me as accountability partners! So while I am calling this my 10 week challenge, I am also referring to it as the August through September Challenge! (that way there is a day or two to gather some peeps to join me!) So whatever it is to you, 10 weeks or two months.....join me! Help me. Help yourself. And lets see what results we can get!
So what does this challenge entail? Not a whole lot!
1. Follow a healthy plan for eating (if that is WW, calorie counting, intuitive eating or whatever you do.....just follow it). For me, that is currently counting calories and keeping my calories in my desired range with one 'vacation' day each week. You may call it a cheat day, but I think cheat is a negative word...so I have vacation days! It doesn't matter what plan you follow, just follow it!
2 Drink water! 64 ounces a day!
3. Complete 20 minutes of cardio 5 times a week. Once again, it doesn't matter what you do. If you like zumba, go for it! Are you a runner? Then get out there and run. Bikes? Yes that works too! I will probably do a combination of things, zumba step aerobics and maybe, just maybe a bit of running. (I seriously do miss running). 20 minutes is the minimum. If you have the time and the energy and the gumption feel free to do 30 minutes..or 40..or 60. Whatever your heart desires. Just get the bare minimum of 20 minutes!
4. Strength training. I have a plan worked up. This is the plan that you can do in 5-10 minutes each day. Simple and easy to follow! 5 times a week!
The plan is set up with two rest days. So you will only do the strength stuff 5 days a week. If you want to do your cardio the same 5 days that is fine, but I do highly recommend giving your body a rest here and there!
I will be posting on my youtube channel also about this challenge. I will also be posting daily on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BelievinginMaryFran/ I would like to invite you go join me there so that we can encourage each other. (Even if you don't join me on this challenge, feel free to join so that I can encourage you and you can help inspire me!)
Nothing left to it but to do it! Lets see what we can accomplish in 10 weeks. I would LOVE to see 20 pounds gone.....2 pounds a week. But any loss during this time will be a victory! Even better though, 12 weeks of cardio and these strength exercises and I will be STRONGER! That will be a great win! So lets do it!!!!
