A few months ago I came across a Twitter campaign that was focused on taking down some negative billboards in Atlanta that tried to shame parents into getting their kids to slim down. One of the most vocal leaders of this campaign was Bookieboo. Turns out that Bookieboo also happens to be the founder of an online community of moms called Mamavation™. Mamavation™ is an obesity prevention campaign for families.
One of the campaigns Mamavation™ runs is called a 2 Week Fitness Challenge. You sign up for the challenge, choose a beginner or advanced workout, then report daily to the moderator your progress.
I had already gotten bored with what I was doing (Wii Fit) and needed something else to keep me going so I signed up. My goal was to lose at least 2lbs. I thought it would be an easy target.
Well, my 2 weeks are up, and don’t you want to know if I met my goal? The answer is no, I didn’t. I actually gained a pound.
And I’m perfectly fine with that because what I really gained was strength and stamina (and in the process lost 4 inches!) – something I hadn’t been counting on.
I went with the beginner workout because I knew I was so weak physically. The workouts consisted of squats, lunges, calf raises, crunches, planks, burpees, pushups and arm exercises, with a goal of 10,000 steps daily for cardio. I thought those were easy. I can handle this. Well, I did the first set of exercises prior to the official start of the 2 week challenge and I couldn’t walk for three days because I was so sore. That should give you some idea of how weak I really am.
What I loved about the 2 week challenge:
- The circuits were designed to be short in duration (ideal for busy moms)
- There wasn’t any fancy equipment involved
What I hated about the 2 week challenge:
- Exercising 6 days a week (yuck!)
- Burpees
Biggest Accomplishment: planking for 30 seconds.
Those of you who know what a Burpee is are probably laughing, nodding your head in agreement. I will admit – the burpees did get easier throughout the challenge but that did not make me like them more.
I’ve gotten so much accomplished around the house these past 2 weeks because I felt strong enough to complete them. Prior to doing the 2 week challenge, I would have thought that cleaning out the garage would have meant I would be wiped out the entire day. I managed to not only clean out the garage, but also mowed the lawn – all in one day. I’ve done extra cleaning around the house. I’ve been able to keep up with the normal cleaning. I dug five holes and planted hostas all by myself.
And the best part – I had gone shopping at the start of the challenge for a new outfit for a baby shower. The pants were a little snug but I thought losing just a few pounds would do the trick. The day of the shower when I put those pants on they felt PERFECT. And that feeling is better than any number on the scale. 
So if you’re interested, sign up at Mamavation’s forums and stay on top of the news. Maybe I’ll see you around in the next 2 week challenge – this time doing the advanced workout.
2 Week Challenge Results
Weight Lost: +1lb.
Inches Lost: 4.0″ (whoo-hoo!)
Congrats Lisa, that’s awesome!!