Welcome to January, April Bandits! It's a New Year, can you believe it? Let's think back to April and compare it to how we feel now. WOW, dieting and exercise really pays off. Then just think about how we'll all feel in April 2007. Woohoo! This is OUR YEAR to make goal! We've made it through the holidays and it's time to bust a move. We can do it!

We're upping our challenge for the month in duration. I think we've decided to hold steady on the number of sessions. Our ultimate goal is 20 sessions a month for 45 minutes each session, and we'll get there by April. For now, here's January's challenge:

(1) Complete 17 or more exercise sessions (counting only one session per day, if you're the type to do more!);

(2) To count, each session must be at least 40 minutes in duration (two 20 min sessions in one day still counts); and

(3) Set a goal (whether in lbs/kilos or NSV) for your upcoming bandiversary and share with the group, if you wish.

We can do it! Speaking of, I'm off to the gym....

Glad u did that workout, did she work you hard? Bet you felt good afterwards! Wow, to talk about a fitness competition, maybe you are going to be her next star, I sometimes read those training magazines and those girls work out so much and eat so little and so cleanly.

Well it is my last day in Japan, heading home in 6 hours, but have a 18 hour work day in front of me......is a holiday weekend at home so that is good, I think I might be going on another date this weekend (with same guy)!!

Wish me luck!

XX Amourette:D

JULIE that is awesome news, we are all so happy for your success! EVA: GREAT JOB!!! BETTY: I don't run either! AMOURETTE: I hope your date goes well!

40 mins. workout this morning. It's getting bitter cold here, I won't be going out tomorrow..possibly -5 here on the Island.

JULIE: I am in total AWE. It is an almost reverent feeling! You just continue to amaze everyone. There is no turning back now. You will NEVER be MO again!! That is a part of your life that is a memory. The experience will give you compassion, and will be an inspiration to others. But it is OVER!

FRIENDS: Aren't we blessed to have chosen this path? I feel that my life has turned from grief and desperation to wonder and gratitude.

60 mins run/power walk on treadmill!! Another day's exercise completed!

FRIENDS: Aren't we blessed to have chosen this path? I feel that my life has turned from grief and desperation to wonder and gratitude.

I feel exactly the same way, Boo. Exactly. And the best is yet to come.

I got my hour in on the elliptical tonight. It's been really hard to stick to that being in the middle of a move, but I WILL do it every day, even when it's not convenient.

The weirdest thing happened. I have this friend Carrie at work who is a tiny little thing. She's very athletic and works out with a trainer at the nicest gym in town. (My gym is nice, but hers is in a different class -- Denzel works out there, for example). Anyway, apparently she was talking to her trainer about me because she's doing the 4M race with me next weekend. He got all excited and decided he wants to train me for free! Now, I already have a trainer, but this guy specializes in training runners, so I really think I could learn something major from him. He's going to leave me some free passes to the "celebrity" gym too. Now, you know, I'm going to fall in love with it and join there too (which would be my third gym membership -- absurd!). Funny.

I guess that's all my news for today.

Oh yes, I wanted to talk about next month's challenge. Any opinions? My goal is for the group to get to 20 sessions of 45 minutes by April and hold steady from there. So we have 3 months to increase our time by 5 minutes and our sessions by 3. Do you think we should leave the time alone but up the session by 1, to 18 (since it's a short month), then in March up it to 20, then in April increase the time from 40 to 45? That's what I'm thinking, but I'd love to hear from the rest of you....

Take care,

that is fantastic, there is no way you are not taking him up on the offer I hope..........what is, or who I should say, hehe is at the celebrity gym , what is it? Man, you could be our first marathoner at this rate.

Also what do you do while you are on the epiliptical (sp?) trainer, do you listen to music or tv????

YOu go girl!!!!:clap2: :clap2:

that is fantastic, there is no way you are not taking him up on the offer I hope..........what is, or who I should say, hehe is at the celebrity gym , what is it? Man, you could be our first marathoner at this rate.

Also what do you do while you are on the epiliptical (sp?) trainer, do you listen to music or tv????

YOu go girl!!!!:clap2: :clap2:

I'm "secretly" planning to run the NYC marathon in November 2008. That's a long way away, but it's why I'm doing the training runs in 2007 -- to have the option.

THe "celebrity" gym here is an Equinox. For $800/year, you can leave your dirty workout clothes in your locker and they'll wash them for you every day so you don't even have to bring clothes with you. Now $800 is an absurd price, but you see what I mean. Also, they do a "summary" of the NY Times for their clients -- everything important in the paper all in a 2 page xerox. That's my kind of service!

On the elliptical I rotate between TV and music. I listen to music during the commercials, or sometimes the whole time and I just watch (but not listen to) the TV.

Great news about your new training opportunity, Julie! Your commitment to your running goals is truly inspirational.

Regarding the Challenges for February, March, and April: I find the commitment to the number of days much more challenging than the time per session. Once I get motivated to exercise, it hardly makes a difference whether it's 40 or 45 minutes. For that reason alone, I would like to take the number of days in increments of 1. That is, 18 days in February, 19 days in March, 20 days in April. And then to celebrate our joint one-year bandiversary, we can make April extra special by increasing from 40 to 45 minutes.

I know, I know, I've already exceeded January's Challenge, but I had a rough time in December due to holiday-related stuff and missed the goal by one day.

April 2006 Bandits January Challenge: 21 days of exercise completed

I TOTALLY echo Bluehill. Because I only run every other day, it is harder for me to meet the session requirements. I do the elliptical or other activities on the other days, or I just work hard on chores, etc. Some workouts aren't cardio, so I don't count them (like walking). I will have to start counting walking or activity that I don't feel is really a workout for me. If we get sick, I don't want us to feel like we failed, either. The time commitment is not a problem.

WHAT IF we have an ELITE" level? We could keep the minimum requirement the same to "pass", but then an "Elite" status or "???" for the month. Something to reach for, instead of deeming anyone a failure. I wouldn't want to see anyone drop off because they couldn't keep up.

Just an idea! I'll go along with the majority.

ELLIPTICAL: Last year I had this goal to read the entire Bible. So everytime I went to the gym, I brought my bible and the latest, mindless People or Us magazine. I would hop on the machine and debate which I should read first. Guess what I picked? The stupid gossip over Jessica Simpson and "Who wore it best?" won out every time. Flipping those pages would eat up at least 30 minutes. Then I felt completely materialistic and selfish and ready to fulfill my obligation and commitment to read scriptures. It worked! I easily got my hour in AND I completed my reading goal!

This year I watch CNN or the cooking channel.

Okay, here it is...

A week ago, a teenager was out walking his dog and hollered to me as I ran. I was on the total opposite side of the street in the whole black scarf, super-wide headband, etc. Well, I saw him tonight and told him I had a very important question to ask.

Me: "How did you know it was me the other night?"

Boy: "I'm really good at recognizing the way people walk."

Me: "But I was running, in the dark, and in black!!"

Boy: "You have a distinctive run. I'm near-sighted and I still knew it was you."

Me: "You're making me think that I run like 'Phoebe' on 'Friends'!"

Boy: "Well... it's not THAT wierd." (Smiled, nodded his head, and we both laughed)

So there it is...at least I run in the dark!

Julie: I pay almost 800 dollars per year in my gym and we have pool,jacuzzi,sauna and some classes, but not that kind of service you are talking about.we cant even have our own locker, you have to take everything back home when you leave,if you want to use their towel you have to pay,and Im not even talking about not getting bottled water for free.I wish Czech republic was as far with customer service as the USA.oh and our salaries are much much lower than yours like 800dollars per month so this is really expensive gym. I just want that service you guys have!!:-))

Hi Everyone,

Today is my happy day. There was a blizzard last night, so it is beautiful and white this morning.

Well... I wieghed in this morning (I was up a lb last week).

I am so happy to be down three lbs this week. I think my next goal is ... of course onderland.

Julie- wow what a training option!!! Good for you and I don't know how you manage to do it all and move at the same time.

Boo and Bluehill - I agree about the challenge. I would like to increase the number but not the intensity. That suits me better.

Eficka... you live in the Czech Republic? I am planning a trip this summer and hoping to go to Prague or the area for a week or so (with hubby and 2 kids). Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

Dawn

April 4, 2006

Montreal

358/ 204/179

Met the exercise challenge!!!!

Hey DAWN yep Im Czech:-)

Prague is amazing an sooo beutiful. I guess you want to see everything:-)) do you want to stay in a hotel and up to what price I might be able to negotiate a good price in one hotel in the centre, but its Mercure I think its 4* And of course if you have time I would be happpy to meet you:-) great web site is www.pis.cz (prague info service)

Julie: I pay almost 800 dollars per year in my gym and we have pool,jacuzzi,sauna and some classes, but not that kind of service you are talking about.we cant even have our own locker, you have to take everything back home when you leave,if you want to use their towel you have to pay,and Im not even talking about not getting bottled water for free.I wish Czech republic was as far with customer service as the USA.oh and our salaries are much much lower than yours like 800dollars per month so this is really expensive gym. I just want that service you guys have!!:-))

Eficka,

All this time, I thought you were Greek. I have no idea where that came from! No wonder you are a beauty. Czech women are the most beautiful in the world, in my opinion. I have visited your country three times (I used to live in Paris and it was a lovely overnight train ride, so I did it often).

Just in case my post wasn't clear, the $800 is for the laundry only. The gym itself costs about $2,000/year (that does include towels), and to have a locker where you can leave things overnight costs an additional $500/year. So if you want the laundry, in total, you pay about $3300/year. My gym, with locker (but no fancy laundry service) is about $1500/year and is about 70% as nice as the fancy gym.

Regarding next month's challenge:

Does anyone vote to keep it the same, meaning 17 workouts? Have we found our groove? If so, that's totally ok -- whatever we think is best for the group -- I want this to work long term. Plus, anyone who wants to do more can set a personal goal for the month on top of the group goal (a version of Boo's suggestion).

Shhhhh......be very, very quiet......my scale actually moved, and I don't want it to realize it!!! It is only a pound, but, it had not moved at all...up or down even half a pound in over a month! Well a few fluctuations, but repeatedly in the AM at my usual weigh in, there is sat 208.5......this morning the 8 was a 7!!!!

I am fine with keeping our challenge where we sit. I have managed to exceed it this month, but that is kind of a mental boost! Although unlike Boo---and I may have totally been messing up my count, but I count my walking.

It is hard to fit more days into the month that is a fact!!! And this coming month is a short one anyway.... I too find it hard to whittle out time to go work out, with babysitting for my DGD, it is hard, I either find someone to keep her, or find a way of "exercising" that includes her. Which is why we do our marathon walks. It has made a big difference in my exercise commitment this month with my DH and I begining to lift weights. We do not lift over a long enough period of time for them to be counted, but I know I am doing it---which helps my frame of mind! Plus a friend on another challenge has challenged us all to at least walk some each day---we are logging how much each of us walk...and she is going to total it, out of simple curiosity. But it keeps me doing something. I always try to err on the side of not counting a day, if my time is not long enough...and sometimes, there is just no way to get the extra 5-10 minutes I need for it to count. As has been pointed out tho, it is encouraging just knowing I was moving, and it is making a difference! Even if it is one stinking pound at a time!!!

I don't think I am ready for a fill, I think my body was just adjusting or something. I cannot eat a lot, and when I eat, I remain full for several hours....if anything I need to tweak what I am eating, but I have been concentrating more on nutritional balance as opposed to losing. On the plus side, I have fully convinced myself that when the glorious day comes that I achieve goal weight, I can eat a healthy comfortable diet, and maintain without issue. That thought worried me---and I have proven I can do that!!!

Just a thought, maybe you runners can add a side challenge---each of you take a week, and challenge the others to "keep up". Keep it realistic, both running, and time wise, but change it up....and it would help you to work towards your marathon goals. And the rest of us can cheer you on!!!

Time to go and stoke the fire---it feels chilly!!!

Have a great Friday---the weekend is upon us!!!wooohooo

Kat