The challenge you've all been waiting for!!

Hmm... well.. we are less than 2 weeks away from our next weigh in and I KNOW that many of you keep expecting that I'm going to post an exercise challenge. I've been trying to figure out the best way to do one because to be perfectly honest... we are all incredibly different when it comes to this. BEFORE I post this challenge I want to say this....

EXERCISE IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO EAT BADLY!!!!

You see... I have this issue with exercise and weight loss. I think it's an absolutely necessary and integral part of weight loss. I also run into people ALL THE TIME who use it as an excuse to eat whatever they want and then wonder WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT?!?!?! Exercise is amazing for a zillion different reasons.. it prevents practically every disease on the frickin' planet. The health benefits are ENDLESS!! BUT if you think that exercise alone is going to shed the lbs for you.. you couldn't be farther from reality!! Aerobic (cardio) exercise burns fat. Resistance exercise builds muscle tissue which burns fat more efficiently. These are EXCELLENT reasons WHY exercise is necessary as you work towards your weight loss goals. HOWEVER... you must burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight.

SO... your challenge for the week??

Exercise for AT LEAST 30 minutes AT LEAST 5 times this week.

Make sure that during that time you get at least 1.5 hours of cardio in... (this means your heart rate should be 65%-85% of your MAX HEART RATE!! ) * If you already do this then pick a certain amount of minutes LONGER to exercise. Here is a fantastic secret to keep in mind when you are trying to decide what to do. The best cardio exercise is:

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WHATEVER YOU ENJOY DOING!!! That's right... why force yourself onto a treadmill if you get a great cardio workout on the bike AND enjoy yourself!?!? Really truly.. find what cardio you enjoy the most and go for it!!

Another thing to keep in mind is that for the most part walking does NOT provide an adequate increase in heart rate (for most of us). If you are walking for your cardio... pick up the pace, do some hills, add some jogging... get UNCOMFORTABLE!!!

I can't wait to here how this week goes for all of you!! Good luck and get ready for the challenge from HELL next week! ;o)

[* To calculate MAX HEART RATE subtract your age from 220. Then calculate the percentage by multiplying that number by .65 or .85.. here's' MY example. 220-29=191 65% of 191 is 191x.65=124 85% of 191=162. So I would want my heart rate to be between 124 and 162. ]