12 Week Health Challenge: Week 1

I have decided to do a 12 Week Health Challenge to get myself into better shape. I am following along and getting tips from the ALL YOU Health Challenge and today is the first day of Week 1 of their challenge. They send out weekly emails and have a blog with additional tips and chat. They also have lots of information on the Health & Fitness section of their website. Although I am following along with the ALL YOU Challenge I am doing my own thing and this is my personal journey and will include things that do not come from the ALL YOU Health Challenge.

Day 1 Monday May 21

This is my action plan for the tips that ALL YOU provided for this week’s goal to Increase my Energy.

Get a head-to-toe checkup.

I just got a check up in March and have another scheduled for October. I take a multi-vitamin on Tues. &Thurs.

Seek out some sunshine.

I like to open up the windows and doors first thing in the morning when it is nice out to let the sunshine in and feel a nice breeze. I enjoy looking out the door into my yard and hearing the birds chirping and seeing the squirrels running around as I let out the dogs each morning. I plan to seek out more sunshine by doing my devotions on my front porch in the mornings, reading outside on the swing in the backyard in the afternoons, and gardening in the evenings.

Work in a walk.

I have been disappointed with myself because I have gained back some weight over the winter months by slacking on my eating habits and not being as consistent with my fitness routine. I plan to get back on track and in shape over the next 12 weeks I am at 140 lbs and I would like to lose 10lbs. It’s not so much the weight that bothers me it is that I know where it can lead me if I let my habits slip and don’t take care of myself after working so hard to lose 60 lbs. in 2010 I can’t let that happen. My weakness is desserts so I am going to have to tame my sweet tooth with lower calorie options most days.

This weekend I worked in my garden for 8 hours with my family so I am tired and sore this morning. I am going to taking it easy today because tomorrow I will be doing lots of manual labor at Community Care Day of Union County.

My fitness routine is an exercise DVD every morning Mon.-Fri. for 30 min-1 hour, lift weights for 15 min. most evenings, and have a yoga class on Monday Nights. I am a walker/runner so I enjoy getting out each evening April-November to do 3-4 miles with my hubby 5 days a week. My hubby and I want to do P90X again this summer in our garage so we cleared the space for that a couple weeks ago but have yet to start. If we do P90X I will stop doing my exercise DVD in the morning until it gets cold outside in November. I am hoping to start a Zumba Class that meets on Tues. & Thurs. in the next couple weeks but am still working on rounding up some buddies to go with me.

This week I plan to get myself back to my fitness routine and cut out the junk that I have been eating.

Energy Level. On a scale of 1-10

My energy level right now is a 3 and I feel like going back to bed for a nap if only I was the kind of person who could I would. I am more of a go to bed and get up on schedule person and can’t sleep in or take naps.