July Goals

Beautiful sandy beaches.. Here I come!

It’s nearly the first of July. For the past week, I’ve been working out the details for my July challenge, and I think I’ve got it.

We booked our reservations for camping last night, so there’s no going back. I either work hard, and look better in a swim suit, or I slack and have to deal with wishing I could hide in the sand instead of enjoying the surf. This isn’t a crash diet, or an attempt to lose 30 pounds in a month. I’m not even focusing on losing weight. It’d be nice, but that’s not my goal.

I want to tone and slim. I want to gain some definition in my arms and shoulders, tighten my thighs, and shed a few inches from my waist and hips. I finally have time to exercise, so that will be the main focus of this challenge. I’ll also be focusing on eating healthier, but that’s a side point. I already eat fairly healthy anyhow, and I usually keep within my calorie recommendations.

July Challenge:

First Phase (July 1-16)

• 350 calories burned daily
• 10 minutes of strength training
• 30 minutes of hooping daily
• 15,000 steps/week (7.5 miles)
• 3 bottles of water daily (Each bottle is 27 oz.)
• No Soda

Second Phase (July 17-31)

• 450 calories burned daily
• 20 minutes of strength training
• 45 minutes of hooping daily
• 20,000 steps/week (10 miles)
• 4 Bottles of water daily
• No Soda

The second half of the month is going to be a bit more of a challenge. Also, I’ll be blogging once a week to keep myself accountable for the work.

I don’t want to worry about my weight or the progress I’m making during the month. I’m taking all of my measurements on Thursday (the 30th), and then asking my husband to hide the scale and measuring tape. On August first, I’ll get them back and check my progress. I’ll also be posting before and after pictures.

I don’t want to fail. I love the ocean, and I don’t want to spoil it by feeling self conscious. I know that 30 days isn’t long enough to work miracles, but it’s long enough to make a difference. It’s long enough to tighten and tone. And it’s long enough to make a regularly active lifestyle (in a scheduled exercise sense) more of a habit.

As a side note, I love the idea of monthly challenges. If this works out, I might pick a new challenge for August.

Tagged as: healthy living, In the Life, weight loss