Introducing the 12-Week Sprint to the Finish
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![12-Week Sprint 2[10]](https://weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/12-Week-Sprint-210-248x300.jpg)
I’ve been at this weight-loss thing for a year and a half now. This time last year, I was closing in quickly on my mid-point goal of losing 52 pounds by the premiere of Eclipse.
I not only met my goal, but exceeded it by three pounds. After that, the rate of my weight-loss came to a screeching halt. My original goal weight date was Thanksgiving, November 2010. Then it was by my birthday (coming up in June). Then, I said I wanted to reach my goal by the time I run my first half-marathon in November of this year.
I’m tired of fooling around. If I’m honest with myself and you, my efforts have not been what they were when I first started the journey.
Sure, I’ve been running a lot and I have maintained my new eating habits, but I have totally fallen off the strength-training wagon and I rarely have a two-workout day anymore (I was doing that at least twice a week before).
After talking to Brian this weekend, I decided I’m just ready to “get ‘er done.” I’m ready to be at my goal weight and get on with the business of maintaining and now seems like the perfect time to just get it done. It’s summer, we’ve finished school for the year, fresh fruits and produce are plentiful, the grill is begging to be used, and I’ve got more time available to devote to working out.
I’m going to “get ‘er done” and I invite you to join me.
Now, you may or may not be closing in on your ultimate weight-loss goal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t set up a short-term goal that you’d like to work toward over the next 12 weeks. I’ve got 21 pounds to lose (and I’m hoping it’s officially only 20 after this week’s weigh in) and I think I can safely and successfully do that in 12 weeks if I work hard and stay focused. That’s just slightly over 1.5 pounds a week.
I’m giving myself this week to acclimate myself to our new schedule before I jump in with both feet since our first week off of school is traditionally rather chaotic, so that gives you a week to decide on your goal and your plan of action if you want to join me.
What I plan to do is post my 12-Week Sprint to the Finish goals and results each Monday. Since we’re all in different places as far as where we are on our weight-loss journey, our fitness likes/dislikes, and ability levels, I’m going to let you decide what your goals and challenges are each week. If you want to use mine as a jumping-off point, please feel free to do so, but I encourage you to set your own goals and methods of reaching those goals.
I’m thinking that I’ll also post my food log both to keep myself accountable and with the hopes that it might help you. So, basically, I’ll be posting my food and fitness log, along with some thoughts on how it’s going for me each week I hope you’ll join in my posting about it on your blog or leaving your results in the comments.
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In order to get myself back on track with weight-training – which I love, so I’m not sure why I ever got off-track – I’m going to be using this 12-week weight-training plan from Fitblogger. It includes a printable workout log and a 12-week plan with links to videos that show you exactly how the workouts are done. I’ll probably be doing some modifications since some of the moves require gym equipment that I don’t have, but I’ll be basing my weight workout on that plan.
My running training plan comes from Runner’s World. They have a really cool “smart coach” tool that lets you put in your running details in order to come up with a personalized training plan. I’ve done one plan for my upcoming 10K and another one for my 1/2 marathon.
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What I really love about the tool is that it really does come up with a personalized plan. My running buddy and I each printed 10K training plans and hers is quite different from mine, based on the information that we supplied about our running habits.
So, anyway, those are two possible resources for you, if you’d like to join me on my 12-Week Sprint to the Finish. Let’s get this thing done!
Who’s going to join me?
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
I am going to join you! My name is Jill. I am at the tail end of an injury so I have been off my feet for 16 weeks. I will be starting with small fitness goals (really small), but I am planning on signing up for my first half marathon next summer. I had gained weight from being off my feet for so long, so lately my goals have all been about losing weight. I am about 7-10 pounds away from my goal weight, but I struggle with my eating-so though the number of pounds I need to lose is small-it seems very far away for me. Thank you for posting this and inviting me to share this with you! I think it will help keep me motivated when things are hard. Support is such an integral part of this journey! I look forward to sharing the journey with you!!!
Hi Kris, I've been reading your blog here as well as your hs blog for a while now (I'm a lame lurking reader – sorry!) and am so inspired by all of your efforts to lose weight. Yours is my favorite weight loss type blog, partly because you are so real about all that you do and what is going on with your journey. I also have kids who are similar ages to yours (14, 11, 8, and a 4 yo on the end) and homeschool so I relate to your busy life in genera.l I've been trying to lose weight for awhile now – lost 30 pounds from my original which I'm very proud of, but now have been stalled for a long time (several months) within the same 5 pounds and still have at least 20 more that I want/need to lose. I've found that I'm great at maintaining! But I've been frustrated at times when I do feel as though I'm doing what I need to, however, in truth, I too have eased up from my original "get 'er done" mentality. Yes, it's time to get back to really working on it! School is pretty much done for us, and while we're going into the very busy swim team season, I should be able to make time to exercise more and make the effort to watch my intake more carefully. I may try to get myself to do 2 workouts a day… any suggestions on how to motivate myself to do that when all I want to do in the evenings is veg? Anyway, I'm in this with you and going to try to lose that same 20 pounds. I'm looking forward to seeing your goals and working out my own. Looking forward to this – thanks for the motivation!
First of all, great job on the 30 pounds! That's awesome. I'm so excited that you'll be joining me on this push to the finish. It's frustrating to get so close, then stall out…especially when you admit that part of it may be your own fault for not staying focused, though I do fully believe that it gets harder to lose weight the closer you get to your goal.
When I was doing two-a-day workouts, the second workout was typically on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings — while I was watching The Biggest Loser and American Idol. That's how I would motivate myself. I'd get on the treadmill and tell myself it didn't have to be a hard workout, I just had to be moving for an hour while I watched my favorite show. Nine times out of ten, I'd get started and wind up thinking, "Well, I'm here, so I might as well get in a good workout."
That's my suggestion – Find something that you can do while you watch a favorite show. If that doesn't work, maybe you could take your dogs (if you have them) for a walk or your kids to a playground. Then, they can help you stay motivated because there's something fun in it for them.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for joining me, Jill! You're right – support is a vital part of this journey, so I'm glad that we'll be able to keep each other motivated this summer. I'm sorry for your injury, but glad to hear that you're ready and able to get moving again. (The thought of injury right now terrifies me.) I'm training for my first half-marathon in November, so I share your excitement there. If you don't have a training plan, I'd encourage you to visit the Runner's World link that I shared. I went on my first 5 mile long run last night (and ran the whole thing without stopping!). As I went out for my run, I was thinking how glad I was to have my training plan, rather than just fumbling along with my newbie knowledge of running.
could mine be 12 week beginning. i am 63, morbidly obese and will have to go slowly with the exercise part, do you have archives of your journey? would love to read them .
I'm in my friend.
I've been going strong for the last month and down about 7lbs, but my goal is 25 by the end of summer. Totally do-able for me, if I hold myself to it!
Hi Kris. I am a homeschool mom of 5 and have been on my weight loss journey for 1 1/2 years. I joined Sure Slim and did awesome as long as I was a member. I lost 67 pounds but when I left the program I fell off the bandwagon. I have tried again and again to get back on but really need the accountability. When I saw this on my facebook page I thought maybe this is just what I need. My goal is to lose 30 pounds. Ev
Absolutely, it could, Willie! You can find the archives button on the right sidebar of my blog under the FitBlogger button. I know you can do it!
My thoughts about my own goal exactly! It is a completely reasonable, healthy goal. It just requires work, focus and commitment. We can do it!
I did the same thing when I did WW. I lost 40 lbs., stalled out, got off the program and gained it all back, plus some. I found that I had to find the way to make weight-loss work for me. I think accountability plays a huge role and I'm happy to provide some for you. You can do it! Do or do not, there is no try. 😉
HI!
I am so happy I found your blog! You are such an inspiration.
I am a homeschool mom of 5. I feel like I have been losing and gaining the same 5 pounds for years. Every time I get motivated to be more healthy, the motivation only lasts a couple of weeks (if that). I am nervous to commit to this 12 week challenge, but I KNOW I need to!
I have actually lost 13 pounds and want to keep going. I need to lose 67 more.My goal for the next 12 weeks is 20 right along with you.
Let's do it!
Yay, Sandy! Let's get it done!
I am on the fence about joining. Maybe I will do so offline. Every time I join something or make a public stand, I don't end up doing it. It soulds crazy but doing it quietly seems to work better for me at least at the beginning.
I am a little like Christine in that I lost 30ish pounds last year and then have just maintained within 5 pounds. I would like to get down another 15 or so pounds. I have not weighed myself recently and I need to get back to working out and eating much less sugar.
A few times this past month, I have thought about just getting to it and so your post may be just what I need. I need to think about what my goals are and will be.
Blessings to you,
Amy @ MissionalMama
If you decide that the quiet approach works best for you, be sure to let us know how you did at the end. Good luck!
I am joining you because I am sick of being overweight. I want to lose 55lbs. Not in 12 weeks but total. 🙂 So my goal is to lose 20lbs in 12 weeks. I recently ordered a new strength training video and I am walking almost 2 miles in 30 min. I KNOW I can do this, but I just need to want this badly enough. I tell myself I do but my actions do not back that up. I can so relate to what you said about just getting it done. My everyday life is affected by this weight in such a negative way and I am tired of it. I just want to live as a healthy mom.
I bet it will be such a great boost to your weight-loss to get that first 20 lbs. off. You'll be amazed at how great you feel! I'm so glad you'll be joining me these next 12 weeks.
I'll join you too! I have followed both this and your HS blog for about 6 mths now. I'm a homeschool mom of 4 (2 at home HSing).
I *was* doing quite well in my journey, lost 32lbs from my heaviest point, but have recently stalled and even gone back up. I took a 2 week break of not tracking anything and basically not getting off my butt. I need to change that. I have medical issues (deformed bones in my knees and nerve problems in my back) that make my exercise slower moving than most, but I know that exercising will also *help* with my medical issues.
My current mini-goal is still 9.2lbs away for July 19th. I think I'll make it 15lbs for this 12 wk goal. Hopefully I'll surprise myself and do more than the 15! My goal weight is 150lbs which I'm still over 25lbs from.
Great, Sandra! I'm glad you're joining in. I have loved reading all the comments today. It's so exciting and inspiring seeing so many of you committing to reaching your goals and getting healthier!
I will join in. I've been losing and gaining the same 2-3 pounds for about a month, and I need to just dig in and get on with it.
I will be joining you! I am training for my first half marathon on October 8th. I am going from sitting on the couch on May 4th and now I'm in the middle of the Couch to 5K program. My husband and I will be running a 5K on the 4th of July (my first, his second or 3rd), we will be doing a 10K in August and then finishing up the summer and early fall training for the 1/2. On May 4th I started hating every minute of running and sometime last week I found out what people talk about when they mention a runners high. Monday I started pushing myself and even ran more than the C25K said. @40b3560ff0e60806ec973d2e9c825dfb Right now since my kids are pretty young (9 & 6) they ride their bikes while I run during the day.
Congratulations on training for your first 1/2 marathon! It's so exciting. I know what you mean about hating running at first. I never dreamed it would become something that I would love.