It’s Alive… ALIVE!!!

Ok, so it's been a little quiet around here lately. I wanted to drop in and update y'all on some points of interest 'round these parts. 

First, I am going to be working on fixing my RSS feed because something has gone awry.  It doesn't update smoothly like it should, so not everyone is getting the awesomeness posted by my partners in crime around here. If you happen to see multiple updates in your feed reader or duplicate posts, please forgive -- I'm just trying to fix whatever the issue is. As soon as I know it's working as it should, I'll post and/or update Twitter and we can all do a happy dance.  (Those burn calories, right?)

Second, I'm making a move in the next few weeks to Las Vegas!  It may seem strange to go from San Diego, America's Finest City to Las Vegas, Sin City -- but somewhat appropros. I'm looking forward to having a proper house (no more apartment living!) and taking in some old school Vegas. And, despite the horror of the desert heat in Summer, the rest of the year it's quite nice and I plan on getting some exercise people watching on the Strip.  Once I've gotten settled up there, I'll be back to get my exercise ball rolling again and my posting will be more frequent.

Third, I've got big plans for this site!  I'm working on creating an official Put Down the Donut Community, complete with social networking style profiles and fun ways you can integrate your fitness blog/twitter/dailyburn/fitbit/WeightWatchers... whatever with this site. You'll be able to make friends, favorite posts, post on your friends' "Wall" and update your status. I'm super excited about it and I hope to get it online by January 2011 -- just in time for our inevitable New Year's resolutions.

I hope y'all are still trying to stick to the 3x a Week Challenge -- I've totally sucked at it, but not for lack of desire. Just lack of time!  Between work , travel for the move, packing, the flu and some minor injury, I've had a hard time making comittments to my fitness... and honestly, to my eating regime, either.  I've not gone crazy, but I haven't been as diligent about counting points as I could be. I'm hoping to really get back on track once my move is complete. Until then, all I can do is try my best and try not to go nuts.

I appreciate everyone who is reading... I'm sure we all do... so thanks for sticking with us!

Introducing The 3x a Week Challenge

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time building new healthy habits, especially when I've fallen off the wagon. You do great for a while, then it's really, really hard to climb back on.  You do well a day or two and then ice cream happens or beer or you skip the gym and next thing you know you're up to your elbows in Popcornopolis, wondering what happened to your youth.

Kathy started going to a Spin class recently.  Admittedly, I thought she might not like it -- she's always been a walking sorta gal, but she totally did!  Then she made a commitment to make it to spin class 3x a week (after purchasing a padded seat cover!  VERY important!)... and she DID it.  Now, for gym bunnies this might not seem all that big of a deal, but I was impressed. Spin is hard -- or uh, at least I'm guessing it's hard. It looks hard. People sweat a lot.

So, yeah, ok, I've never done it.  But I've thought about it... In fact, there are a lot of different things I've wanted to try and/or stick to, but sometimes you need a little inspiration... like Kathy. 

After talking about it, Kathy and I decided we should make this 3x a week commitment an on-going, weekly challenge to share with you fine folks. So here we go!

The 3x a Week Challenge

Purpose:

• To build healthy habits by starting out with a managable commitment of 3x a week.
• To bring variety into your workouts/lifestyles/regimes by creating the opportunity to try something new.
• To participate in a group activity, which helps us stay accountable.

Requirements (this is easy!):

1. Pick a healthy habit you'd like to try to build (spin class, yoga practice, meditation, cooking healthy meals, taking your vitamins, drinking water, cardio -- whatever you need to work on or want to try).
2. Commit to doing it 3x a week for one week. That's it. If you pick something like underwater hula clogging class and it sucks -- well, you've only committed to 3x a week. By the end of the 3rd class, you've given it a fair shake and can decide if you want to return or re-up for a different habit the next week.
3. Share your commitment by leaving a comment here (or in any 3x-a-week post.) with your chosen healthy habit and/or tweet your accomplishments daily or weekly or whenever by using #3xweek so we can all follow along.

That's it!  3x week for a week.  It doesn't matter what days, as long as it's 3 of them. The next week you can change it up or keep going with your existing habit or even piggyback habits (i.e., week 1, try spinning 3x a week, week 2, try spinning and cooking healthy meals 3x a week, etc.).  It's entirely up to you what you choose and how you work it -- all you have to do is commit to 3x a week, be it one habit or five.

I'm excited about this!  Kathy's newfound love of spinning has inspired me to try some new things and reminds me that 3x a week is not going to kill me. Chances are if you start with 3x a week (like M-W-F),  you'll fill in the 'off-days' with your habit over time.  If I vow to take my vitamins, which I'm notorious for forgetting, 3x a week -- it's likely I'll take them daily.  But we all have to start somewhere, so whatever your healthy habit is going to be, 3x a week gives you chance a success -- and we're all about celebrating successes, even the smaller ones.  Eat healthy Monday, but bollocks it up Tuesday? That's ok!  You still have 2 more times to eat healthy -- and that's a success!

3x a week. Can you commit?  Join us!  (and don't forget to hashtag your tweets with #3xweek!)

Lose for Good and Save a Buck!

As most of you know, I'm a Weight Watcher. Ok, so I'm more of a semi-practicing Weight Watcher. It's kind of like a Catholic who only goes to church on major holidays. But I'm really trying hard to find a work-life balance amidst the chaos that is my life right now (which is a bit of lingo I'm not a big fan of, but it exists whether or not I like the term) and want to recommit myself to being more diligent about my Points and activity.  I could be losing weight at a much more effective rate and I think I may have found the kick in the pants to do so.

Each year, Weight Watchers sponsors an event called Lose for Good to help fight world hunger. If you join Weight Watchers or are already a member, the pounds you lose from September 5th through October 23rd will help generate up to $1 million to feed children and families dealing with hunger, both around the world and here in the United States. There are various ways to help, in addition to pounds lost, including redemption of coupons and participation in social media.  Here is how the contributions will be tallied, per the fine print on their website.

We Love Free Press!

I was just informed by a Put Down the Donut reader that we were mentioned in the March issue of Lifetime Magazine!!

I had received an email from them a few months back, asking if we'd still be writing in February or March and I replied yes, but I thought we'd maybe hear back from them again.

I'm going to rush right out and pick up a copy so I can see for myself! Eeeee!

We're like, sorta almost like not quite but we'll pretend famous!

All the more reason to keep this place going and keep putting down the donut.

Thanks, all!