Package challenge: Shop only on the outside aisles of the grocery stores (don't go in the interior!) and try not to buy any food with excess packaging.

It's a cool challenge. Healthy foods tend to have little to no packaging. Save your body, save the environment.

TV Challenge: Instead of turning on the TV after dinner, go out for a walk.

No sitting on weekends challenge: I work all week out of an office chair. So on weekends, I try to not sit for more than a few minutes at a time.

I know that "insane" feeling. I walk 3km every lunch. On days when it is not raining or too hot I go outside, on the off days I walk the entire mall next door. But in either location the security guards and shop keepers see an odd looking big white dude (which REALLy stands out in a crowd here, let me tell ya...) trekking past them. Every weekday. Without fail. People look at me like I am completely mad and go out of their way to not be where I am walking.....

I like that though. I have no problems being the center of attention. I can already hear them now muttering to each other, "wow, he is not fat anymore" or "is he smaller now?" Chinese people seem starved for entertainment and I am happy to give them an eyefull. Every now and then for fun I will stop and flex some muscles or dance a little jig in the middle of the mall just to give them their moneys worth..... Wait a minute!!! They aren't paying me!!!

Ah well.....

sirant

Hey wow, I heard that somehwhere before too about grocery stores. The meat, veggies, fruits, dairy and bakery are always located on the outside of the store. Period. It is simply how they design them. The inner isles are where they always put all the "optional" and non essential items, like pre-packaged and processed foods (the money makers). Can't remember where I heard it, but the speaker was saying you can save yourself 1000's of dollars a year and be 10 times healthier by never leaving the outer ring in the grocery store. I didn't think about the packaging, but that makes sense too.

I have a TV challenge myself. I parked my spin bike right in front of the tv. The wife wasn't too keen on it at first, but she is VERY impressed indeed with the new bod that is emerging from her fitter by the day man, so she is more than willing to suffer the discomfort. My rule to myself is if I am going to watch a movie or TV show, 1/2 of the total time of the show, (minimum!) must be spent on the bike. Thank god I didnt have that rule when I watched the 3 extended versions of the lord of the rings trilogy back to back....

Now what I REALLY would like to do is get a setup like they had at a science fair back home when I was a kid. They hooked an exercise bike up to a generator and a TV to that same generator. You want to watch TV, fine, start pedaling sucker!!! If every television were like that I suspect obesity would be no where near the problem in north america it is now!



sirant

Now that is a great idea!!! Pop in a few double features and you would be fit in no time!!! Not to mention the power you would need for dvd lol

The challenges are interesting. I have never heard about the edges of the store concept!! hmmmmmm...

see now I love those little 100 calorie packs- my newest favorite is the carmel/chocolate chex packs. They make me feel like I am eating sweets but it is all measured and acceptable in my diet

Go to your nearest big neighborhood grocery store and take a tour around the outside. I did. And now, especially since most places also have bulk goods of pasta, rice and dry foods, you will see it is the same. All the necessities on the outside. After hearing that I started paying attention to it, and come to think of it, wow, yep, it even holds true here in China. It must just be the standard grocery chain model....

I still look in the center isles anyways..... Thats where the import stuff is!

sirant

It's amazing what starts happening when you stop buying the over-packaged center-aisle crap. You start to realize - you were paying for the pretty boxes and plenty of plastic!
No more hamburger helper for this chick.
The exception being... I go in for cereal and pasta. But one could avoid that as well by buying in bulk at a co-op or health food store. I'm not there yet... I'm kind of far from the closest Whole Foods - and I think they are kind of overpriced for what you are really getting (pretty, organic-looking packaging!)

» Plan out my meals for the week and hit the grocery store Sunday evenings

» Park further away from my destination (imagine the moans that I get from my passengers.. hehe)

» Take the stairs

» Eat my meals, especially dinner using the smallest plate I have in the cupboard

Sounds like my town. Some motorists and cyclists, at times are both guilty though.. Neither of them obey any of the signs.

Sometimes I find myself going to the pantry for food even if I'm not hungry I open the fridge... Every time I do that I shut it and Go take my dogs for a walk. So Instead If eating something I'll go get walked by my dogs (and yes They walk me lol)

I always park out in the middle of nowhere when I go to the store so I have to walk a ways to get there.

And This summer I bought my swimsuit early and I bought it 2 sizes smaller when I am now..and I hang it on the door where I see it every morning.. Thats My motorvation when I wake up everyday and go to the gym!

I know this thread is a couple months old but I like everyone's posts! I went to the store a couple days ago and by the time I had picked up everything on my list, I realized I'd done two things: 1) It took literally no more than 40 minutes so I had completed grocery shopping QUICKLY & 2) I had walked around every aisle, I was even able to grab my english muffins and bread on a perimeter shelf. That made me really happy. As in it's another one of those good things that just happens when you adapt to a healthy diet and lifestyle in general.

I also park farther away. I cut my cable off (more for monetary reasons haha) but I love it that I don't spend time sitting in front of the tv anymore. I rent movies occasionally so that I can enjoy a little escapism sometimes. ummm what else? My apartment is cleaner, I just feel more motivated, I am always eyeing stuff that I can do, and before I go to bed each night I run through my place and fix, straighten, dust, take out garbage, run the dishwasher, etc. so that I have a clean house in the morning. I'll think of other stuff later but I think it's interesting to hear about all of the different stuff everyone does.

I try to have some sort of physical exercise 6 out of 7 days a week. Once in a while it may only end up being 10 minutes or so, but I always try to do *something*. I actually enjoy exercising early in the morning before work now. It wakes me up and gets me energized for the day.

At work I take the stairs unless I'm carrying stuff or with other people. Since I work on the fourth floor of a large office building, that's 3 flights of stairs once or twice a day.

Food planning is great - shopping once a week I end up saving a LOT of money because I could rarely get out of the supermarket for less than $20.00, and I would go most nights. `Oh, while I'm buying dinner I might as well get some snacks'. Argh. So, now I shop Sunday nights, buy enough food for the week, and ban myself from going to the supermarket the rest of the week.

I usually hit the store once a week to stock up. Mostly all clean foods. No junk. If it is not in your house you won't eat it, right? Well that's not always so easy with roommates who eat whatever... I don't mind. It just helps me keep my willpower strong and exercise some self control

I usually have a day every few days where I will take an hour or two and cook up a bunch of food and then package into my collection of tupperware, for easy access and quick meals. Works great, should have started doing it years ago. I try to eat mini meals every 2-3 hrs. I'm here to tell you it works very well if you can stick to it.

For my gym routine, I always blast my ipod when I'm running. It helps me relax and have some fun running at the same time.

-Sam

Wow, great thread.

The only extra I do is mow the lawn weekly instead of twice a week. Lawn looks nicer, and I feel better once I get back inside and cool off.