Working Out - Rock On Challenge

In a few weeks, Mike and I will be going to this huge rock festival in Ohio called Rock on the Range (ROTR).  This will be our 5th time going (had to miss last year due to our wedding - finances and time off work didn't allow us to go :(  ).  I was hoping to be down back closer to the weight I was when we went two years ago, but so far this year I haven't been as committed as I could be. With ROTR only a few weeks away I knew I needed something to get me motivated.

You know what motivates me?  To- do lists. I freakin LOVE to-do lists. Something about crossing items off when I complete them brings me a great sense of accomplishment and happiness. So I designed a to-do list for my workout goals which I titled, Rock On Challenge.  Get it? Because we are going to a rock concert?

Oh, okay you got it.  Good. I formed the list into a calendar so I can keep track of the days as we get closer to Rock on the Range. Each time I complete one of the tasks, I X it out.

So what's on the list?

MWF - Cardio, Legs and Abs: I know the best way to lose weight and to have a healthy body is to do both cardio and strength training, so in addition to cardio I'm doing Legs and Abs on M, W, F.  Your leg muscles are your biggest muscles and the more muscle you gain, the more energy (fat) they need to sustain themselves. Abs are my weakest muscle.  For those reasons these get three days a week.

T & TH - Cardio, Arms and Yoga:  My arms are probably one part of my body that I'm decently happy with, so they only get two days.  I'm adding in a 20 minute yoga work out to help strengthen my core.  I know yoga is really, really good for you, especially to help strengthen muscles.  At my new job I share multiple desk chairs with multiple employees, so it's hard to adjust them to the right spot for me and it's causing a bit of back pain. I'm hoping yoga will help. I'm using a free app called Simply Yoga.

M-F - Met calorie goal: I'm back on MyFitnessPal.  I'm tracking everything I eat M-F.  I'm not tracking on the weekends, because I'm hoping to not burn myself out. My goal is to be under or met my calorie goal on any of my tracking days.

M-F - Extras: I'm giving myself X's in extras for anything I do outside of what's listed above that helps me towards my goal of getting back to a healthier weight.  Examples include getting up from my desk chair and walking once an hour for the whole day, taking a walk on my break, turning down a bakery item or other junk food, parking farther away in a store parking lot. If I do multiples in a day, I get multiple X's! And that makes me happy :)

Weekends:  I have no set plans for the weekends.  This is for a few reasons.  1. To keep me from burning out. 2. Weekends around here around crazy so it's harder to plan for all these items. 3. To keep it a bit more flexible.  Maybe I am super booked and only had time for a 10 minute workout - on the weekends that's good. 4. Having a rest day.  Mike's and my life is always. crazy. busy. so having a day to chill out is definitely needed for our mental health.

This week I'm rocking out my to-do list and it makes me so very happy!  I'm hoping to feel my clothes fitting better soon!

What do you do to keep yourself motivated?