Accountability. The Presidential Fitness Challenge

If you’ve been following along, either here or at Facebook, you will know that I have just embarked–along with a few hundred of my closest ketogenic friends–on a journey to wellness between now and December 31 of this year.

Through holidays and drudgery, mini-maintenance periods (stalls) and backsliding, we pledge to stick together for the next four months, to do our best, and to be even more fabulous in 20123 (typo but I’m keeping it because it makes me laugh) than we are now.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand; not just because the ‘powers that be’ want to push exercise for its own sake, but because looking marvelous goes hand in hand with weight loss. Exercise helps enhance mood, encourages sleep, and promotes muscle toning, too. You might even discover your newest favorite activity if you give it a chance.

Did you know:  It takes 8 calories to maintain a pound of muscle and 2 calories to maintain a pound of fat per day.

I don’t want a debate about whether exercise is a waste of energy, or whether it makes one more hungry, or that cardio stinks and resistance training is bad (or vice versa). That’s not the point of this post.

I do want to push you to make the effort to do a little bit every day–or even three-five times per week. Whether you are mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or walking around the block, I want you to consider how moving more will help you reach your fitness goals.

Whether you keep a journal, write on a calendar, or give yourself a shiny gold star for everyday you make the effort to do something wonderful for yourself physically, the important thing is to do it and keep track. Exercise journals, especially when kept alongside food journals (even if not on the same site) allow you extra data points about your journey. It’s also fun to see how far you’ve come over the weeks.

How do you log your fitness efforts? There are some wonderful options out there like My Fitness Pal and FitDay.

I have set up a new account for myself at the Presidential Fitness Challenge site, but I’d been a member there since about 2006, logging my exercise.

Whether I do housework, mow the lawn, partake in alpine walking (uphill hiking on the treadmill), or jog in the pool, there are literally dozens of activities to choose from to accrue points towards really neat awards and certificates! The Presidential Fitness site takes into account weight and activity duration, along with the intensity, and awards points for my efforts.

Did you know: It takes 21 days to make a habit.

I have been a fan of this site for years, and I can state that, without a doubt, this site has been a motivating factor for me to celebrate my efforts, no matter how small they might seem. They all add up.

Does this sound like something you want to try? (I say give it a go for a couple of weeks and see what you think if you aren’t logging your exercise no, or if you’re looking for a new, fun, way to do it.)

You can sign up for your own Presidential Fitness Challenge account here. 
It’s really easy! I had an account set up in literally 2 minutes. I actually was up to a silver medal years ago, but I stopped logging in and I’m now starting over since the site changed over in January. We’re all at square one!

You can sign up and become a part of our private Presidential Fitness Challenge Exercise Group here.
(If you can’t find our private group, input this number: 941629) You don’t have to join the private fitness group, but you’re welcome to, even if you’re not a part of the Mid-Year Resolution Challenge! I don’t plan to use the place as a chat board; it’ll be a place to keep track of your hard work. And because it’s private, it’s all about our family.

Make sure to bookmark exercise logging sites for easy, daily use, and don’t forget to log in. It’s too easy to forget if you get a few days out.

This is not a contest to see who wins the most points, but it’s a fun way to keep track of how others are doing and might even motivate us to do even more! Exercise is a social event, and it’s more fun when you’re rewarded with points towards your own Presidential medals, certificates or stickers (optional in their shop).

No matter how you journal your activity, it’s a neat way to celebrate the new you. I already logged my pool activities and incline tread milling (I allotted myself the highest level, 5, to match up with what my treadmill showed I did for my weight). More on why I walk on an incline.

How do you plan to log your activity for this challenge?