I'll start the fauxtato challenge with MAggie's great introduction. I couldn't hope to improve on it!

Welcome, fellow couch fauxtatoes, to the "July 2005 Couch Fauxtato Activity Challenge" !


Not usually into challenges? Don't want to tie yourself to a particular weight or size result? Intimidated by more traditional Exercise Forums? Do you, perhaps, have a treadmill that has clothes hanging on it? ... hmmm? But are you, perhaps, willing to contemplate a modest expenditure of activity with a short term commitment?


Then this is the place for you!

You decide what your challenge is, since you know yourself best. It could be taking the stairs at work, so many times per week, or if you're in the right climate, going for a walk at lunch time. No challenge is too small or too odd! Then we'll check in every so often and compare notes.

Start to tone up for summer! Define your own challenge! Try it for a month!


*****LISTEN, FELLOW SLUGS AND SLOTHS, THIS IS IMPORTANT. A TRUE COUCH FAUXTATO CANNOT JUST LAUNCH HIM OR HERSELF OFF THE COUCH AND INTO AN INTENSIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM! Now, I realize that, for most of us, there's little chance of that. We are often also great procrastinators and most of us will take our sweet time dusting off tapes and/or looking for long burried exercise equipment, and will be adjusting our activity to whatever feels ok, especially to begin with. However, GET CLEARED, MEDICALLY, FOR WHATEVER CHALLENGE YOU ARE PLANNING FOR YOURSELF! Then proceed in a rational manner. Work into it slowly!*****

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Rob, I would do without a car all summer and into the fall if I didn't have to take Xadner to the autism center twice a week starting in a couple weeks. It's been a blessing in disguise.

This morning I walked all the way to work again. It was nice though I almost caught the bus after dropping Xander at daycare. My legs are tired with all teh walking this week btu I worked through it in my mind and got myself moving.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Rob and Maggie - yep, Larry the Cable Guy - he OWNS bucking bulls! LOL! He hawks stuff on PBR - official shirts and caps dontcha know, which say "Git 'Er Done" all over them! LOL!

Noel, good for you on all that walking! Too bad you'll NEED a car. They're a nuisance sometimes.

I walked a little over two and a half miles yesterday, but lazed out of doing any elliptical or stretchy bands. I have a feeling the exercise will suffer this weekend too, seeing as to how it's DH's bday, he's taken today off, and DSS (dear stepson) is due in sometime today and staying til Tuesday. Maybe I can at least talk DH into a walk by the water!

Happy Friday, everyone, and happy 4th of July - remember our troops!

Char

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Noel - A car is unfortunately a necessity for most people. Except in NYC where a car is a liability. If you've never dealt with alternate side of the street parking you don't know what h*ll is. How far is work from your home?

Charski - 2 1/2 miles sounds like a good exercise day to me.

I slugged out completely yesterday. This weather is too hot, too humid for outdoor walking. I'll be house sitting for the next week and will get a lot more exercise there than at my house. It's a 3 story house with a dog and 5 cats and I seem to always be on the wrong floor for what I need to do next. Then there's the old I hate Rob's knees Hill where I'll be walking 2 dogs at least once day. Then there will be a couple additional walks for each dog separately. I should get in enough activity without one of my longish walks.

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I'm a little over a mile and a half to the office taking the route that I do. The daycare is right on the way. It's a nice walk for the morning.

Today I decided to walk to the store. I was going to go tomorrow but I needed some things so I figured I should just go. It's not too far from me, about 1/2 mile, so 1 round trip. I was dragging on the way home though. I've done a lot more exercise than I've been doing the last fwe months and today I felt it.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Noel - That's is a good deal of walking for you. When I was around 300 a mile was as much as I dared to do at first. but by the time I was 260 or so I was up to as much as 5 or more miles.

Yesterday I walked 5 1/2 miles and then another mile on that #$%&^ hill. Then another mile (same hilly place) this morning.

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Hey TATERS!! I've been TRYING to get into C's but not succeeding too much. I finally got in there this last week on Friday and Sat. morning. I am hoping to get in there before work 3 days next week and of course, they are closed on Monday, so I'll shoot for T, TH and Sat.

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Hi BArb - Nice to hear from you!

Just the dog walking yesterday but ended up with my pedometer registering over 4 miles walked. I think half of them - up stairs.

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Rob, I am looking forward to walking 5 miles some day...wanting to not being stranded somewhere and forced to. Since I have been so very fat for so very long my body is ok with the mile or two mile and a half walks. I know I can be better but I am a fit fat person, I know I can be 100X healthier and have 1000X stronger heart when I get down to a heatlhier weight but thank God I have not been plagued with the may health problems I could have. I feel like I've been granted a reprive so far in life and that if I don't take care of this now all the sudden everything will come crashing down around me

I did get out and do some walking yesterday. It was less than a mile but far better than Sunday where I vegged all day.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Noel - You'll get there!

I've been pretty busy house sitting and haven't had much time to get on the computer. But between the dog walking and cat calling (5 indoor outdoor cats) and the 3 story house I walk 4 to 5 miles day. Yesterday i took the dogs to Tanglewood Park and we did a mile. Sebastian, the golden retriever I'm watching, has gained a lot of weight since neutering so I didn't want to push him too hard in the horribly high humidity. Even sophie who is used to 7 mile walks was having a hard time. Me too. Oh and I wore my pedometer all day yesterday and last night when I changed into sleep pants I transferred the pedometer to them. Between bedtime and morning I "walked" .17 miles.

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:silly: You crack me up, Rob!

I walked the one mile trip to the store and back. The big thing was on the way back I had $357 worth of groceries that included a lot of very heavy and very expensive pediasure. I am guessing that my cart weighed around...well who knows but I know it was at least as heavy as me. When I would push it over a driveway it would roll down the driveway to the street then I would have to work it back up. That never happened before I had Xander when I would walk there all the time. I was beat and my arms very tired when I reached home but then of course I had to carry up Xander and then 30 bags of groceries. But my home is full of food and I can just make little trips now. Which is far easier with the big stroller with the basket. At least I got in some upper body work.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Noel - Glad you liked it. That shopping trip must count for several days activity.

I walked 4.25 miles at the lake and 2 one mile walks down IHRKH. supposed to pur down rain today so I may have to skip. I'll have to see.

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Shopping had to at least count for two days because I did nothing then yesterday...ok I should have but didn't feel like it gosh darn it.

I've been looking for the floaty thing to take Xander in the pool. But the only one I found has a weight limit of 25 pounds and Xander weighs 30. It's perfect except for that, the exact design I had in mind. I even thought about getting it anyhow. It's not like I would let go of him in the water. Anyhow, if I don't get something soon the summer will disappear and I will have not gone swimming as I should. I think I will go back to the store and buy the floaty with the 25 pound limit. That will give me exercise tonight at least, walking to the store.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

LOL, Rob. The night-time mileage is a sign of good hydration, I'll bet. I imagine I'd get the same.

Noel, since you're such an attentive mom, I know you'd be constantly monitoring Xander in his floaty thing. It might serve to make him "learn" being in the water - having to "work at it" so to speak.

I'm lurking here, even if I'm not posting much.

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Noel - You might be able to find something more suitable online. If you can get one that will support say 30 to 50 pounds, you might be able to use it next year.

Maggie- LOL - yes, that and my tossing and turning! Glad you're lurking.

Just a mile and a half yesterday and I was lucky to get that in. Rained all afternoon and evening with tornados sighted just 15 miles north of me. High winds blew hundreds of trees down in the area. My neighborhood was spared that.

Noel - check out this link - flotation device

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