Shredheads

October Challenge - 30 Day Shred Style

Holy cow, September is nearly over!  How is everyone doing on their September challenge?

Okay, enough small talk.  Let's get to it. For October, we're doing two challenges.

30 Day Shred Challenge (sign up)
For our first challenge, we're going back to our roots.  That's right, it's an old fashioned 30 Day Shred challenge.  Eat right (hopefully) and Shred regularly in October, and get in shape. We'll post results along the way.  Not only will the winner(s) get bragging rights, we're also trying to wrangle up some spiffy prizes.  That's right, I said spiffy.  I'm bringing it back.

So have your scale and measuring tape ready at the beginning of the challenge, and take before pictures!  You don't have to show them, but you'll be glad you have them.  And we're a nice group if you want to post them to our Flickr pool.

Running Challenge (sign up)
For our second challenge, we want to support the Shredheads who are beginning to run (or who have already begun).  The weather is perfect (most places) to sign up for a race (5K or longer) in late October or November.  If you haven't started running yet, it's a great time to begin a Couch to 5K training program.  If you're already running, try signing up for something a little longer than your comfort zone.  I just ran my first 10K and it was amazing (read about it in my next post).  And as an added bonus, a race is a great chance to meet other Shredheads near you!

If you want to participate, SIGN UP HERE for one or both challenges.  We'd love to have you along for the ride, and please, please blog and tweet about your experiences.  The more people contribute, the more we all get out of this!

-Bill

I'm planning to do both a 5K and 10K in November, and will be Shredding regularly in October.  Anybody want to join me?

Making up for missed workouts

I had good intentions when I packed my workout clothes for my overnight stay in NYC this week. Aside from that night, I've been riding the train up and back every day, most nights not getting home until 1am. And with the baby waking to nurse and the kids getting up at 6:30am, I'm not getting much sleep.

So when the opportunity to sleep in my own bed past 8am presented itself, I took it. And that meant I didn't run.

The 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep were magical.

But in doing so, I didn't run on my make-up day either. I figured 4 hours of sleep and a long run wasn't a good way to start another 15 hour + day.

While I work through that guilt and prepare to get back in gear when I get home (countdown to the half-marathon people!), I've been making sure to compensate for missing workouts in other ways.

Here are some great ways to help offset things if you find yourself not able to workout or do the 30 Day Shred for a few days:

1. Eat less

Cut your calories. You're not burning as much so don't eat as much. I know that sounds simple, but it helps.

2. Eat better

Make better eating choices. Eat more chicken and fish - stay away from the red meats. Avoid sauces an dcondiments, and eat much earlier in the day. Munch on healthy snacks and skip the desserts or other treats that you might have eaten when you were working out more.

3. Eat earlier

Load up during the day - with good foods of course. Don't skimp on your breakfast and finish your eating maybe one hour earlier than you usually do.

4. Drink lots of water

You should be doing this anyway, but it will certainly help keep your body hydrated. Plus, it can curtail your eating.

5. Walk or Take the Stairs

If you're in a place where you have the option of walking rather than taking a cab or subway, then do it. Count your steps (10,000 + is good) and take the stairs.

6. Find other ways to be active

Take a walk with your kids, put some music on and dance, play chase or tag around the house or outside. I often sit and watch my kids play or try to get some work done, but on days where I've not been able to workout, I try to get my heartrate up right with them.

7. Lose the alcohol

Yeah, it's no fun if you enjoy a drink or 14, but alcohol = calories. Drink some sparkling water with lime, or get a virgin drink (watch the sugar on those, though). If you want a drink, find a low calorie beer.

What are some other ways that you can help you stay on your weight loss program even when you're not able to get a good workout in?