I was reading a Self magazine and it mentioned that they are starting a challenge online called the 2008 SELF Challenge! I was immediately interested because I really want to work out and get in better shape this summer. This challenge is so practical because there are so many resources on the website. SELF.com describes challenging workouts, healthy meal ideas, has exciting mp3 downloads, forums and discussion boards, and tracks your progress. Before I started I entered all of my information: height, weight, age, measurements, etc. When the challenge is complete, I will be able to see my progress. I have been working with this challenge for a week now and it’s still exciting to write in my food diary and my workout log. It really motivates me to not snack throughout the day on empty calories becauseI know that I will have to write it in my food diary and it will unnecessarily shoot up my caloric intake. The challenge has encouraged me to eat healthier, such as special K cereal with sliced strawberries and bananas for breakfast, a chicken caesar salad in a whole wheat pita for lunch, fruit or yogurt for a snack, and grilled chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner. I’ve come to realize that food can be delicious and low in calories. I’ve also been more encouraged to exercise throughout the day. I’ve been walking in the morning with my mom, sister, and niece and it’s been a really great way to start the day. I’ve also been doing some strength exercises that Self.com has showed me. It’s fun to add each work out to my log and see how many calories I burned (it calculates it for you!). Basically, if you are looking for an encouraging medium to help kick-start a new healthy lifestyle, you should definitely check out www.self.com.
Also, I added a SELF Tip of the day on my sidebar. It updates each day with practical hints for a healthy lifestyle! 