30 Day Nutritional Challenge STARTS JAN 1, all welcome!

What you need to do, and you can keep this private, is weigh yourself first thing in the morning on Jan 1st and measure the following:

Waist, hip, upper arm, neck, upper thigh, knee and calf and buttox, Oh and chest ( bust and then also ribs) and keep this for your own records.
After 15 days we will measure again!

I am picking one thing to START eliminating tomorrow, what is your thing?

Pick ONE:

SUGAR

COFFEE

WHITE CARBS

ALCOHOL

DAIRY

WHEAT

GRAINS

SOFT DRINKS

comment below on what your choice is and we will get started tomorrow.

Please give me your name ( or a name you want to use ) and your city.

I am going to start with eliminating DAIRY and since I already don't drink soft drinks, that will also be on the list by default. I will be posting tips on just how to go about this along the way with tips from some experts in the field. So stay tuned. Again, I encourage you to send me photos of your meals or anything that helps you get through the challenge. Tell a friend what you are doing and you will have accountability. You will not regret it once you get to day 30 and feel so much better for your effort.

The plan is to be off ALL OF THE ABOVE by the end of the challenge and that is my choice, you can pick the pace that you would like to go at and add each thing as you go, one step at a time. I have done this before so I know I can do it, and I know you can too.

This photo below should be motivation enough for you to know what you DON'T want to be in the new year.

INVITE YOUR FREINDS TO JOIN WITH YOU, the more the merrier!

To let me know you are joining, please email me at:

info@melonyteague.com

LET's GO!

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Happy New Year

2012 is History and 2013 is about to arrive. 

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May your festivities be filled with joy and fun. 

And whatever you do, stay safe.

If you have given up on New Year's resolutions, this one is for you. If you have developed a negative attitude towards New Year's resolutions this one is for you too. Whether this is a result of your own failure to stick with the program or whether it is out of annoyance for the increased traffic of new year's resolution's at the gym who only last till February and you are tired of watching all of them slack off as soon as life happens this one is for you.

I want to talk about sustainable effort, whether it be nutritional or fitness related, our intentions alone do not make us succeed. If that were true then we would not need new year's resolutions at all. It is the very fact that we fail and deep down in our hearts want to "give it another try" that we deem the first day of a brand new year that chance to start again. There is nothing wrong with that, but what can we do to ensure the best chance of success this year?

5 Tips for the NEW YEAR

• Choose something that you NEED, not WANT.

You may want a supermodel body and a swimsuit ready midsection by spring, but is that really what you NEED?

• Choose sustainable goals, realistic ones will make it past the initial motivation into the habitual stage. 

If you have never run in your entire life don't think you will run a 5km within 4 weeks, it is just not a realistic goal. At the same time, don't underestimate yourself. If you are afraid of 10 pound dumbbells let me just tell you, you CAN life heavier weights than you think, particularly if you are a woman. (I have it on good authority that men tend to OVER estimate how much weight they can lift...wonder why that is? It was a MAN, (Igor Klibanov from Fitness Solutions Plus) who told me this!)  Motivation to start will get you so far, but if you have chosen an unrealistic goal, chances are you will become discouraged and give up. On the other hand if you are progressing well you will be motivated to carry on, even when you have to bring in some self discipline to keep it going.

• Don't underestimate the power of HABIT. 

Once you start with your goal, it only takes a few weeks before it has become a habit and the effort needed to "just do it" is reduced substantially. Remember the thought of doing something uncomfortable or unpleasant is ALWAYS worse than the actual event. So don't let FEAR stop you from forming good habits this year that will carry you through more than just the "New Year's Resolution" stage

• Pick yourself us, dust yourself off and start again

Your journey is not going to be perfect, so get over the idea that you will have 100 % success. There will be days where life happens, or you feel under the weather or unforeseen circumstances get in the way of your goals. Take a deep breath, keep a positive attitude and start again the next day. Just because you slipped up once, or something prevented you from fulfilling your goal ONCE or twice, does NOT mean you must throw in the towel and give up. Look at how far you have come! Further than if you had not have started at all, so take life as it comes, do the best you can and if you stumble, just get back up and start again! Each day is a new day, take that gift for what it is and don't dwell on past failures. Just don't give up, you deserve to give yourself the best chance, not the perfect chance, just the best you can give.

• Be ACCOUNTABLE to someone.

If you want to increase your chances of success, find someone who will walk/run/swim or whatever with you. Whether it is someone you call on the phone, or have as an online support, you need someone who you can be accountable to. I know that in the past 30 Day Challenges, some days the only thing that got participants through was the thought of having to admit that they DID NOT DO what they had committed to do, so they pushed themselves to get their goal accomplished. Who wants to admit defeat? If you have someone alongside you, you can support and encourage one another and motivate one another when you need it. There is nothing like some healthy competition between friends.


ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR 2013, May your choices, one by one, bring you closer to being good to yourself, loving others better and fulfilling your dreams.

Best Wishes,

Melony Teague

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
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Celebrate with us!

Happy Anniversary to me, and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 

Fitnesstraniningforlifeandadventures.

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This BLOG is one year old!

It all started a year ago when I started training with Igor Klibanov to ready me for a trip to Siberia in winter. You can read about it here. 
There was no waiting for "new year" to start on the nutrition plan and there was no waiting for after New Year to hit the gym. With only 8 weeks before the trip, I had no time to waste.

Some of the highlights of this year have been:
A New look at my morning coffee,  and I set foot in the gym for the first time in years, with a little bit of fear and trepidation. I started a nutritional program that brought me freedom from binging and sugar addiction. We discussed sleep and it's effect on you. In February we talked about surviving Valentine's day without damaging your healthy eating habit. We had some interesting "before and after" shots. Along the way we learned about Labels on foods and to identify hidden sugars and carbs. I went on my trip to Russia and saw Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral (Moscow) and walked 11km across Lake Baikal in Siberia.

Moscow 2012 Christ the Savior Cathedral.

 Exploring how to have burgers without the bun was a load of fun! For me the biggest relevation was the effect sugar has on me, and I discovered that I was just like these rats. ARE YOU A RAT? Click here to find out. On my birthday I had a sugar free cake, and it was delicious! (more like an ice- cream cake without the ice cream) Then I discovered smoothies and came up a few recipes of my own! This one was one of my favourites : Black Cherry and Swiss Chard Smoothie and we discussed the merits of mint.
Oodles of noodles in a tutorial on how to make zucchini noodles. The flour and sugar free brownies were a hit. We discussed the flinch effect and and the sugar cycle. I posted my thoughts while sitting on a park bench. October saw many recipes with pumpkin including a pumpkin spice Latte. Then I introduced Spelt to my diet and came up with this delicious french toast.
When it got too chilly for icy smoothies, I came up with a post workout alternative! POWER PUDDING!

November saw a great result in the TOP 25 Blogs competition. Thanks again for all your support!
To follow up with this we had a 30 Day Challenge which got us moving, accountable and 15 ladies participated from all over the world.

So we come to the end of a year and it has been quite a journey. No I do not eat perfectly all the time, I am not a health freak, I just like to make the best choices I can for my health and happiness. Yes I sometimes stumble and eat things that are not the best for me, but I no longer lose control because I now know about the chemistry processes that go on in my body and how they effect my metabolism. Prevention is a good weapon against the fight against unhealthy habits and if you see imperfect eating as just a little slip and put it behind you and move on, learning from your experiences then you can get over the  "I have messed up, I might as well eat badly for the rest of the say and start again tomorrow" mentality.   I have learnt not to fall for that one anymore! Make your choices one at a time! You don't win them all, but you certainly don't have to give up just because you slip up once. Be compassionate to yourself, we are in it for the long haul, it is about a lifestyle that is sustainable.

As we get to the end of the year this is my wish for you:

May you have a wonderful start to the New Year.

Christmas Fruit Tree! 

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Gluten Free Banana Bread

Due to Popular Demand I am posting the Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake recipe that I make.

GLUTEN FREE BANANA BREAD

Banana Snack Cake perfect for an after school or lunchbox treat.

 

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This recipe is adapted from the original recipe from the "Close up on Cakes" book published by Rizzoli New York, Edited by Suzie Smith.  Since I avoid wheat as much as I can I have made a version that does that, and if Buckwheat and Coconut flour are Gluten free, then I guess that makes this Gluten free. It is not sugar free unless you use Coconut Palm sugar and Stevia. To make this a nut-free snack be sure to use sunflower seeds instead of the ground almonds.

Ingredients:

Makes one loaf

 125 g Cream Cheese
1/4 cup /125 g Butter, at room temperature
Either:
 1 cup Coconut Palm sugar
OR
3/4 cup brown sugar plus 1/4 scant cup powdered Stevia
2 Large Eggs ( I did not have eggs this time so used flax seed "egg")
2 -3 Ripe bananas, mashed
2 Cups Gluten Free Flour (You can either use a store bought mix, or what I used was 1 cup coconut flour and 1 cup buckwheat flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds (If you are not worried about it being a nut-free snack you can use ground almonds, but sunflower seeds are cheaper and you can grind them in your coffee grinder.)

I do not ice the cake but the original recipe calls for Cream cheese icing , but I omit that.

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter your loaf pan.
2. Measure all the dry ingredients (including ground sunflower seeds or ground almonds) and set aside in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the cream cheese, butter and "sugar" until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.
4. Add the eggs one at a time or flax seed.
5. Stir in the mashed bananas and add the dry ingredients.
6. Spoon into your loaf pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, approx 55 - 60 minutes.
7. Cool on wire rack and try not to eat all of it before it cools! 

I serve it warm slathered with butter, and tuck a slice in to the lunches.


What is your favourite after school or lunchbox snack?

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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The countdown in on- 30 Day Challenge is over and done with, wow~!

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30 Day Challenge, Last 3 days! 

CONGRATULATIONS!

We did it!

If you want to know more about how this 30 Day Challenge came about click here. 

  I found the transition into fall a little challenging this year. The urge to hibernate on rainy cold damp days was overwhelming sometimes. I had lost some of the momentum that I had in the summer where I ran three times a week. I know from experience that all it takes is a little motivation and a LOT of blackmail and then I am back rolling along as I did before. A co-worker posted on her facebook page that she was battling to fit her daily exercise in and was feeling "blah" and wanted a change. Having a fitness partner and someone to be accountable to, is something that really works when it comes to sticking with a program. Knowing that we would have a better chance of success if we tackled this problem together, I issued her a challenge..and here we are at the end of the Challenge and I am delighted with the results. Not only have 15 of us (one wanted to remain anonymous) finished our challenge, but we have stood by each other every step of the way. One dear participant had a lupus flare up so really had a hard time with that. If you know anything about Lupus you will know what a challenge living with this auto-immune disease is.  No, the 30 Day Challenge was not always easy, some sustained injuries, or experiences sickness or circumstances beyond their control but for the most part each participant did what they could to be accountable to one another and to do their 15 minutes a day. Most participants now consider their 15 minutes a day as a habit now and feel like something is missing if they do not do their bit. Now they want to stick with it and add something more. That makes me so happy, we are all "unstuck" and that was the purpose of the challenge. Congratulations to all the participants!

Thank you to Crystal for sending in this one!

Day 28: Monday, Dec 10, 2012

 

• Mel - Dumbbell Lateral Raises; Alternating Dumbbell Biceps Curls and Mel- Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions. - Toronto. Ontario, Canada
   
• Mallory -Still not back in the game - YET! - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal -15 minutes of walking, that was it - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna - 15 minutes walking to the physio and 15 mins exercise given to me by the physio.

• Lis -25 mins Yoga (Spring Wind Series) and 9 min Bootcamp Core Workout (SP video) - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 45 mins strength training chest & triceps, 3 sets of crunches & 30 mins treadmill. Total of 75 mins - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - "I did Jillian Michaels 30 day shred for 30 mins. I also shoveled the walk and walked 30 mins in the cold, and 1 walk at work for 15 mins" - Urem, UT

• Tanya -Stationary Cycling- NYC

• Lily - walking.

• Jill - Walked the dog - Toronto

• Tofodil- 30 min walk plus 20 min yoga

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith - dealing with a family crisis right now - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila- "Apart from walking from sofa to fridge to bathroom to sofa, I walked (hobbled) 30 minutes to the Mall for antibiotics, painkillers, drop off for repair the spectacles that got damaged in ER. Judging by the amount of sweat produced, this was a workout of note." -  Cape Town, South Africa 

Day 29: Tuesday, Dec 11th, 2012

 

• Mel - "I did my core exercises! still sore from the leg workout! Remind me NEVER to do squats with weights again before I have done them without weights for a week or two! ouch! hehe!" - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Still not feeling well....but she was a good cheer leader.  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal -15 minutes walk  - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna -30 minute walk.

• Lis -25 minutes yoga and 7 min leg shaping workout video- San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 50 mins strength training legs & 30 mins treadmill  - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - "I did Pop Pilates Cardio Melt down for about 20 mins ( its HIIT training so its hard to maintain over a long period)" - Urem, UT

• Tanya - "35 min abs class that was insane, and insanely good." - NYC

• Lily - Walking

• Jill - Walked the dog - Toronto

• Tofodil- 5km run

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith -dealing with Family Crisis - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila -30minute walk today-  Cape Town, South Africa 

Day 30: Dec 12 - We did it!

 

 

• Mel -Dumbbell Chest Press, Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curls and Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions.( see above)  - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Still not well, poor thing!- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal -" I did it. Would have liked a bigger finish but I managed 15 min of walking so I'm ok with that. Most importantly I haven't lost the desire to keep working out. Thanks for starting this challenge." - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna -Physio exercises

• Lis -"These 30 days have flown by and I loved the challenge of exercising every day. The challenge may be over but I'm going to stick to at least 6 days a week, holidays or not. Day 30: 25 mins Yoga (Exalted Warrior Series) and 8 min Upper Body Sculpt (SP New You Bootcamp video)" - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 20 mins walking (2 sessions of 10 mins ea at work - stressful day) & 3 sets of tricep dips. - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - Canyon Ranch 20 minute ST and cool-down, so that is completed for exercise today. - Urem, UT

• Tanya - 45 mins at gym split between weights and elliptical - NYC, U.S.A.

• Lily - 20 minutes so far today (walking), "Congrats to ALL PARTICIPANTS and way to go for those who finished, too!"

• Jill - Walked the dog - Toronto

• Tofodil- Day  30 Done !Today I did 20 min yoga plus 30 min walking the dog!

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith -Dealing with family crisis - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila -  "Can't believe 30 days flew by so quickly! Walked 1mile round trip to gym - met instructor and a gym buddy so we had breakfast together."  Cape Town, South Africa 

  Here are some final comments from some of the participants:

Lis wrote: This was a great challenge and having to "report in" every day kept me on track and made me want to do extra."

Ishi expressed thanks for helping her get through the season, cold and dark morning and evening times was getting in the way of her runs. She wrote: "I have developed the habit of checking in with you! Now what? I did get up and do Canyon Ranch 20 minute ST and cool-down, so that is completed for exercise today. I don't know if I will have time to get any of my typical walks in except for my nightly dog walk. I haven't been running at all because of the cold dark mornings. I really need to invest in a treadmill or change up my schedule so I can run in safety. I really miss the way I feel after my runs. Thanks for helping me through this part of the holiday season. I guess you are my accountability partner now, haha! "

Tafidol wrote: "Loved this 30-day challenge ~ you are an inspiration ~ great job putting this together & keeping everyone motivated."

Goanna sustained a knee injury half way through the challenge and she concluded with this: " Boy, didn't those 30 days go fast.My knee is improving with the help of my physio and I aim
to be more active over the holidays."

Tanya wrote this:  The 30 Day Challenge..."got me moving, and then moving more
* made me realise that 15 mins is doable and not much time, so can be fit in and therefore, that its totally possible to do it everyday. Not only is it better to do that than nothing, it's also highly likely it'll result in more
* built a habit I plan to continue
* have lost some weight and inches!
* it really helps to have someone holding you accountable in a way." 

So as we approach this holiday season, I hope that you too will find just 15 minutes a day to add some activity and exercise to your day. Your party dress will thank you.
  

 I will continue with my new habit of exercise EVERY DAY! How about you?

www.melonyteague.com 
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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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30 Day Challenge - The last week is here.

30 Day Challenge New Rule: You are allowed ONE rest day. Use it wisely! 

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Bonus addition today is an instructional video from my favourite trainer, Igor Klibanov.

I can't emphasis the importance of good form when you do weight training, or any exercise for that matter. This is a good reminder for our 30 Day Challenge participants.

By Igor Klibanov
torontofitnessonline

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO DEMO

Day 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 of the 30 Day Challenge

Day 22, Tuesday Dec 4th, 2012

• Mel - 5 core strengthening exercises "....I can feel that those side bends with the 10 pound weights are getting steadier and easier and I have more flexibility, tonight I threw in a plank just for fun = 21 minutes." - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Is still recovering from Sinus infection, hopes to be back soon - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal - 15 minutes dance workout. - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna -recovering from knee injury

• Lis -25 mins Yoga (Sun Wind sequence)- San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 25 mins treadmill 3.5 mph/10% incline. "I almost didn't do it. Felt better after."
  - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - Did 25 mins on the mini trampoline and walked the dogs for 15 mins - Urem, UT

• Tanya -body aches and exhaustion - NYC

• Lily -Walking

• Jill - Walked the dog and the husband - Toronto

• Tofodil- 15 minutes of exercise done.

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith - 40 minute dance workout - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila - 60 Minutes Aqua Aerobics with resistance equipment; Extra walk to recycle bins with bags of papers- Cape Town, South Africa 

 

Day 23, Wednesday, Dec 5th, 2012

• Mel - "No swimming today, had a massive headache all day that got worse as the day went along! I thought that it was because I needed to eat, but that did not seem to help much, so I think it is bath and early to bed. I did force myself to do 15 minutes strength exercises, 2 arm exercises and 1 calf raises."   - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Sinus infection - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal - 15 min dancing. Not heavy duty but I kept moving. - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna -resting knee

• Lis - 25 mins Yoga (Seated Twist Sequence) and 5 min Butt Firming Workout (SP video)- "The other day we took a short stroll on the beach - not really a workout, more meditative, so I didn't log the minutes."- San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 30 mins treadmill 3.5 mph - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - 1.24 hrs of walking. - Urem, UT

• Tanya - Sick  - NYC

• Lily -Walking

• Jill -walking the dog - Toronto

• Tofodil-  Core workout = 30 min

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith - 20 min aerobics - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila -Aqua Aerobics and BodyWorx studio class - 60 minutes each
  30 minutes garden work - trimming /dead-heading bushes - Cape Town, South Africa

Day 24, Thursday, Dec 6th, 2012

• Mel -2 sets of side bends with dumbbells; "Well Lis did some, so I figured I should too) and about an hour of heavy cleaning, scrubbing walls, floor, kitchen cabinets etc. Carrying boxes up and down stairs, and then tonight I did some more side bends and some planks."  - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Sinus infection - still recovering but: "I walked for 20 minutes in the cold.. LOL (it wasn't 100 percent intentional, but I did it anyways so it counts so there." - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal - 15 min walking. "In circles. In the house. At least I got it done." - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna -walking; in recovery from twisted knee.

• Lis -25 min Yoga (Coming Home sequence), 8 min Upper Body Sculpt (New You Bootcamp SP video) and 5 mins dumbbell side bends (2 sets of 15 each side) - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 60 mins Zumba. Just what the spirit needed. - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - walking the dog  - Urem, UT

• Tanya - Going up and down stairs - NYC

• Lily -walking

• Jill - walking the dog- Toronto

• Tofodil- Kelly Coffee-Meyer's NYC Body Sculpting Workout = 60 min

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith -Started an exercise class tonight called Bounce Fit. 60 minutes of cardio and resistance exercises using a yoga ball. - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila - "I ended up hauling furniture around for most of the day and scrubbing, cleaning, decluttering and probably would have had more rest if I'd gone to gym." - Cape Town, South Africa 

Day 25, Friday, Dec 7th, 2012

• Mel -

  Alternating Dumbbell Biceps Curls
  Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
  Dumbbell Chest Press
  Dumbbell Crunches for 20 minutes total.

    - Toronto. Ontario, Canada 

• Mallory - still not feeling well  - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal -  15 walking, well more like slipping but close enough  - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna - walking

• Lis - Sea Kayaking - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K -25 mins treadmill - Detroit, MI

• Ishii -I did 30 min of my jogging on my mini tramp.  - Urem, UT

• Tanya - 50 Min Gym- NYC

• Lily - Walking

• Jill - walking- Toronto

• Tofodil- 30 min walk with the dog.

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith - Family Emergency - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila -60 minutes Aqua Aerobics; 60 minutes BodyWorx - Cape Town, South Africa 

Day 26, Sat, Dec 8th, 2012

• Mel -  Hip Flexor; Side bends; seated knee lifts; dumbbell side bends ( see above) for 20 min - Toronto. Ontario, Canada 
• Mallory -  - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Crystal -15 minutes walking again and a few weights.   - Regina SK Canada.
• Goanna - 15 minute walk and the physio exercises.
• Lis -25 mins Yoga (Swan Sequence) - San Carlos, Mexico.
• K -50 mins strength training legs - Detroit, MI
• Ishii - finished a combined dog walk and short run with hubby for a total of 1 hr of exercise.  - Urem, UT
• Tanya - 30 minutes walk - NYC
• Lily -Got one hour of leisurely walking
• Jill - - Toronto
• Tofodil- 60 min Peak 10 Cardio Strength
• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.
• Lilith -Family Emergency - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.
• Sheila -5 minutes gardening - move the hosepipe and a couple of garden chairs. Take some dead branches to the garbage bag on the pool fence - oops, slipped into pool - gashed knee - 2 minutes trying to haul myself out of 21C water - 5 minutes removing wet clothing - oh that looks too serious for band aid - find dry clothes and call neighbour for ride to ER - hop to car and into ER - hop to get treatment, hop again for Xray, and back to neighbour's car. Hop to get ice pack and breakfast (all this started at 7a.m.) hop to remote control on sofa - rest ice elevate for 3 days - 5 stitches and Tetanus shot - Cape Town, South Africa

Day 27, Sunday, Dec 9th, 2012

• Mel - Lower body workout, 3 main exercises, 2 sets of 15 for each one! Calf raises with dumbbells ( 20 pounds in total); Forward lunges (One with dumbbells and one without) - "These almost did me in!"
  Wide leg squat with 10 pound dumbbell! - Toronto. Ontario, Canada
• Mallory - Almost back - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Crystal - 15 minutes walking and doing chores - Regina SK Canada.
• Goanna -REst day - coffee received!
• Lis -25 mins Yoga (Third Eye Sequence) 9 min Thigh Toning Workout (SP New You Bootcamp) "The yoga was planks and side planks, up and down dogs and swans in the main part of the session - hard on my wrists but I know I am getting stronger because I can do them without needing to put a knee to the floor for extra support - progress!"
  - San Carlos, Mexico.
• K - 45 mins strength training, 30 mins treadmill, 3 sets of 12 push ups - Detroit, MI
• Ishii - 3 sets of push ups. "Walking the critters for 30 mins and getting in those pushups". - Urem, UT
• Tanya -15 min Abs workout - NYC
• Lily - 30" of rebounding today
• Jill - walking - Toronto
• Tofodil- 30 min of treadmill
• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.
• Lilith -Family emergency - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.
• Sheila -Official rest day - Rest Ice Elevate - thought I might hobble over to the Mall but that's probably not the best idea I've had - maybe I'll do some sit-ups when I reach for the remote, my Kindle and my BB - Cape Town, South Africa

  The end of the Challenge is coming up fast and I for one will be sad when it is over, I will continue with my new habit of exercise EVERY DAY! How about you?

www.melonyteague.com 
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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Day 19, 20 and 21

Cape Town , South Africa, Neighborhood walk

Day 19, 20 and 21 came and went and I am starting to get a little sad that in less than 10 days time the 30 Day Challenge will be over. I am not the only one feeling this way, other participants have expressed the same thing. 

Day 19

• Mel -Upper body strength training 20 min. ( Bicep curls, triceps raises, chest press and one arm rows)All of them with 10 lbs except for triceps exercises, which were 5 pound dumbbells. "This at 9:30pm! I really need to get my workout in earlier!" - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Recovering still - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal -15 min strength, weights and 10 min walking- Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna - Twisted knee - Doing a great job cheering us on.

• Lis - 25 mins yoga (Heart Opening sequence) and 6 min Hips, Glutes & Thighs Workout (SP video)- San Carlos, Mexico.

• K -40 mins strength training back & biceps - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - "I just got back from walking the mall for a little over 2 hrs and before that we walked the dogs for 15 mins."  - Urem, UT

• Tanya -50 minutes at the Gym - NYC

• Lily - Dealing with health issues, taking a hiatus for a few days.

• Jill -Walking  - Toronto

• Tofodil- 15 minutes done

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith -25 minute walk   - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila - 60minutes each FuseBall and Boxing with 24s HIIT  - Cape Town, South Africa 

Day 20

• Mel - 4 core exercises, including those side bends with 10 pound dumbbells! - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Recovering still - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal - DAY OF REST - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna - Twisted knee - Doing a great job cheering us on.

• Lis - 25 mins Yoga (Triangle series) and 7 min New You Bootcamp Leg Shaping Workout (SP video) - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K -50 mins strength training legs - Detroit, MI

• Ishii - "I got in a quick dog walk for 15 mins"  - Urem, UT

• Tanya - 25 minutes brisk walk- NYC

• Lily - Day of recovery

• Jill - Walking - Toronto

• Tofodil- 15 minutes done 

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith -15 min walk in the snow.  - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila - "There was a howling gale in Cape Town again - but it's changed direction. For several days a cruise ship couldn't get out of the harbour and trucks were overturned near the Huguenot Tunnel between Paarl and Worcester." Just over 3.5miles neighborhood walk,( SEE PICTURE ABOVE) - Cape Town, South Africa

Day 21

• Mel - "I did 2 sets of crunches, 2 sets each of 4 different upper body exercises.
  I did the crunches and chest press almost under the Christmas tree! lol
  late at night again, but I did it!" - Toronto. Ontario, Canada

• Mallory - Recovering still, but she will be back soon! - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Crystal - Managed 15 minutes of walking (in the ice and snow!) and ended off with some squats.  - Regina SK Canada.

• Goanna - Twisted knee -"All I managed today was the
  15 minutes walking to work and the countless stairs."

• Lis -25 mins Yoga (Warrior Series) - San Carlos, Mexico.

• K - 40 mins strength training shoulders & abs:) - Detroit, MI

• Ishii -Jillian ripped in 30! and a few 15 min walks too!  - Urem, UT

• Tanya - 35 minutes brisk walk- NYC

• Lily -20 minutes walking (on break at work)

• Jill - Walked the dog- Toronto

• Tofodil- 15 minutes done.

• Bella - No Data - Ottawa, ON Canada.

• Lilith - 15 min walk - James Bay Region of Northern Quebec.

• Sheila - "I cancelled my Pilates class (headache), did 60minutes BodyWorx and 30 minutes lunges, squats, stretches in the garden - weeding, hauling planters around."
    - Cape Town, South Africa

On day 22 and the realization that we are nearing the last week of the challenge brings two emotions. Undoubtedly there is a sense of accomplishment and pride that we have come this far, but on the other had there is a sense of sadness that this challenge will be over in almost a week's time. It has become part of what we do and the fun part is seeing what everyone else has done, cheering each other on and being accountable. 

 A walk on the beach, San Carlos - Mexico

www.melonyteague.com 
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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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