Week 25: The New 3500 Challenge!

If you have been keeping up with my blog, you know that I try to burn 3500 calories in cardiovascular exercise (mainly elliptical) each week. 3500 calories equals 1 pound of fat and I wanted to lose my baby weight and maintain my weight loss. This challenge has definitely helped me accomplish this!

This past winter I was pretty good at getting my 3500 calories in each week. This summer has been a different story. I find myself getting to the gym fewer days so I can enjoy other activities in the nice weather. And I've been OK with not meeting my goal for that reason, since I know summer won't last very long and I have been maintaining my weight loss. Other weeks I haven't met my goal due to myself or Nora being sick - those days are inevitable and you just have to go with the flow of your week.

Another side goal that I wanted to meet when I started this challenge back in January was to drink 8 cups of water each day. I am terrible when it comes to drinking water! I was dehydrated most of my pregnancy and recently I have been suffering from bad headaches - thinking from dehydration again. This isn't good! I am finding that I need some extra motivation to get my water in each day!

Due to having a difficult time meeting my 3500 calories recently and not having the motivation to drink 8 cups of water each day, I have decided to update my 3500 challenge to include water intake. Here is how it works:

Goal Each Week: Burn 3500 calories

How To Reach Goal: 

1. Burn Calories during Cardiovascular Exercises (Elliptical, Walking, Running, Biking, etc)

2. Drinking 8 cups of water in 1 day = 100 calories

This means, If I drink 8 cups of water each day for 7 days I can count 700 calories towards my 3500 goal, making it easier to reach my 3500 goal. This means I still have to burn 400 calories each day of the week (or 560 calories 5 days each week or 700 calories 4 days each week).

If with my water intake I "burn" more than 3500 calories, GREAT! And that would probably be my goal in the long run, once drinking 8 cups daily is a habit.

RULE: 8 cups equals 100 calories - is all or nothing. If I drink 6 cups of water one day I don't get any calories towards my goal. I have to get 8 cups or I don't get to count the extra 100 calories towards my goal.

RULE: Cups of water do not carry from one day to the next. I can't drink 4 cups one day and 4 cups another and count that as 8 cups. Each day my water count starts over. I either reach 8 cups or I don't (I either get 100 calories or I don't).

Try this updated 3500 challenge with me with week. Maybe you are really good about your water intake and this will make the challenge easier or more attainable. Or maybe you are just as bad about your water intake as me and this will motivate you too! Either way, try it and post your progress with me.

Once I get my workout and 8 cups in today I will comment on my progress!