Fall 5% Challenge begins!

Happy Fall Y’all! The Fall Challenge begins today, and it really crept up on me this time! I mean, the Summer Challenge ended yesterday...right? Actually, it ended 5-ish weeks ago and I “participated” in the In Between Challenge...with every hope of losing another 6 pounds. Well...that didn’t happen. I found myself splurging quite a bit...enjoying forbidden foods and drinks, and not tracking every day. Luckily, I continued my exercise routine...walking daily, but I fell off of strength training. So my weight hovered around where I left off 5 weeks ago. Would you say I maintained? I’ve never maintained before, so I don’t know.

So...since the challenge is officially underway, I will officially kick myself in my (now slimmer) derrière and get with the program! This week we are to record our exercise minutes (that’s a given every week), water intake, and at least one healthy snack. Did you know that a healthy snack is less than 200 calories? Anything over 200 calories is considered a meal! I never really looked at it that way! So I’m glad we’re tracking healthy snacks this week!

Is anyone affected by the shorter days? All summer long I was hopping outside at 7am to get my walk in before it got too hot (gotta love hot, humid, coastal Carolina summers!). September hit and suddenly I found that I wasn’t getting out so early...which meant I wasn’t walking before breakfast (like I normally do)...which meant I wasn’t motivated to walk after breakfast...which meant I wasn’t tracking exercise and consequently nutrition...which meant I witnessed huge fluctuations in my weight! Sorry for the run-on sentence. Anyway...

The lightbulb finally turned on and I realized it was the shorter days! It’s still dark outside at 7am, and the weather has turned noticeably cooler. So I’ve not been motivated to get out and walk, wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Duh! That’s easily fixed, right? Time to put on my big girl pants and just do it! But I need to shop for some pants that fit since I’ve lost 50 pounds...ugh!

Today I am participating in the Race For the Ta Ta’s...a 5k run/walk. My sweet DIL asked if I wanted to do it with her a few weeks ago and of course I agreed! She is 36 years old and underwent a double mastectomy a year ago...how can I refuse? She’s so brave and has been through so much! And how fitting is it that the race is on the first day of the Fall Challenge?

So here’s to the Fall Challenge! Let the games begin!