Attacking Flabby Arms – 30-Day Push-Up Challenge

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30-day push up challenge,

My push-up schedule. I’ll end on this calendar’s Day 25. This way I can time each challenge with the beginning of the month.

Since plank position, followed by push-ups, is the bane of my existence, I chose push-ups as my next 30-Day Fitness Challenge. If yoga taught me one thing, it’s I need to build upper body strength.

Plus I’ll rid myself of flabby arm syndrome. Push-ups help build the triceps and deltoids. Building up those muscles helps eliminate that loose skin look causing all that unnecessary jiggling.

So I don’t get those worried phone calls from family (you know who you are!), I’m easing my way into the challenge. How? By doing the sissified version. So instead of starting at 15 push-ups on day one, I start with 3.

Also, I’m cutting the challenge short.

Sacré bleu?

I want to change the cycle so I’m always starting a new challenge on the first of the month. So push-ups it is until October 30. The next challenge begins on November 1.

Oh, and I am counting the push-ups during yoga towards my daily total.

 

Fighting The Belly Fat: 30-Day Sit Up Challenge

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The 30-Day Situp Challenge: Because losing 113 lbs. to get to my goal weight isn't enough of a challenge!

The 30-Day Situp Challenge: Because losing 113 lbs. to get to my goal weight isn’t enough of a challenge!

I’ve decided to do fitness challenges each month. I’m not able to target specific areas of my body for weight loss, but I can pick areas to tone.

Also, I worry about sagging skin. I’m in my 40s, so I know as I get older, my skin loses its elasticity.  Slow weight loss and toning my muscles can help with my skin snapping back.

So this month, it’s the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge. It’s the area of my body where have the most jiggling and the source of major health issues – my big, fat belly!

I know that belly fat brings with it serious health risks – diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Belly fat doesn’t just jiggle around. It churns out hormones and inflammatory junk. Abdominal fat breaks down easily into fatty acids, flowing into the liver and muscles. When they go to the liver, they trigger a chain reaction – increasing bad cholesterol and insulin resistance. When your hit insulin resistance, you gain even more weight. Blood sugars go out of whack. Fats and clots get into the bloodstream.

It’s not a pretty picture!

The nice thing about the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge, it’s just one exercise. The bad thing about the 30-Day Sit Up Challenge, I have to do sit ups.

Right now I can do 20 sit ups. That increases to 35 by the end of the week.  At the end of the month, 140 sit ups.

The belly fat battle is one I intend to win!

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Taking The No Alcohol 30-Day Challenge

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Taking the No Alcohol 21 Day Fitness Challenge. I better lose a ton after this!

Taking the No Alcohol 30 Day Fitness Challenge. I better lose a ton after this! Photo courtesy of Carlos Porto and freedigitalphotos.net

Since I’ve hit a plateau I decided to do a no alcohol challenge. I’m starting on August 1 – just to make it easier to track. Plus it gives me time to get rid of the bottle of white wine in my kitchen.

Not that I drink heavily, but I saw my alcohol intake go way up in July. I hit a crescendo last week with the celebration of Mr. Dottotrot’s e-book release.  Up until this month’s festivities, I limited my alcohol intake to twice a month. And no more than 2 drinks on those days.

This should jump-start my weight loss. After all, alcohol is mostly sugar. And sugar is a very bad carb.