Missouri Board Fitness/50 Challenge - Introduction

Hello Missouri Board, First, I'd like to introduce myself...on the OH Boards I'm known as "Cards Fan" and I'm a 19-month (Lap RNY) Post Op hailing from Springfield, MO. You can typically find me hanging out on the Men's Board, but I am a daily reader of the Missouri Board and an occasional poster. I wanted to let you know about an activity we've been participating in on the Men's Board since April. It's my goal to begin getting other OH Boards involved and share in the success of this challenge. So, why not include the great state of Missouri in the first group of states added to the challenge? Curious? Are you still with me? Why doesn't he just get to the point? The challenge (The Cards Fan 50 Mile Challenge) originally started out in April as a walking challenge...this was simply a way for us on the Men's Board to encourage ANYONE to get up and get moving with one of the most basic and effective forms of exercise - walking. It's a FANTASTIC way to hold ourselves and each other accountable to our goals...afterall, we're all in this together, right? 50 miles of walking in a month...a little over 1.5 miles daily to help maximize and/or maintain weight loss. The 50 Mile Challenge has been a resounding success and what we found is that not only did we get people up and walking, they were getting involved in other physical fitness activities or sports as well. Because of the wide variety of exercise the Men were posting about, I've introduced a new name for the month of November...it's now: THE FITNESS/50 CHALLENGE! So what's with the name change? Why do we call it the Fitness/50 Challenge now? It's not limited to walking! Walk, run, lift weights, spinning, eliptical trainers, stationary bikes, swimming, pilates, yoga, tae kwon do, treadmills...it's all good!!! We want you to do what you enjoy doing and what you're capable of doing. If you're walking, running or biking, don't let the 50 miles intimidate you...if your capability is 10, 15 or 20 miles over the course of the month, that's GREAT! It's whatever each individual is capable of...we encourage setting reasonable and achievable goals - goals that will help you attain a higher level of physical fitness so you can make the most out of your weight loss journey. So it's up to you! This is not a competition vs. others on the board - it's a competition against yourself! No pressure! What we've seen happen on the Men's Board is nothing short of amazing! We've witnessed is folks not only walking 50 miles...we've seen some log as many as 150-175 miles in a month, some bike 300, 400 and even 500 miles. Some choose to swim hundreds of laps, while others lift thousands of pounds of weights! So if walking is not your passion - there's countless other forms of exercise to participate in the challenge! It's your choice! How do you get started? It's simple! Choose your favorite form/s of exercise. Set a goal for yourself, put a plan in-place and execute it. We'll be there to cheer you on, motivate you, give you a friendly kick in the pants if necessary to help you achieve your goals. Each week you can report in on the Missouri Board to let everyone know how you're doing vs. the goal you set for yourself. So what do you think? Anyone up to the challenge??? With the holidays approaching, what better time than the present to make or renew a commitment to exercise? It doesn't matter if your non-op, pre-op or post-op, everyone is welcome to participate in this challenge. If we have any takers, the first official checkpoint for the month of November will be on Monday, 11/6! So what do ya say? STEP OFF THE SIDELINES AND GET IN THE GAME! Cards Fan Springfield, MO **PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT MY PROFILE**

That sound great, include me in. I just started getting off my butt and exercising and I lost 3 lbs in 2 days. It amazed me, lol Kathleen

Count me in! I do water aerobics, weight lifting and some walking.