JULY SLIMMING MINIS OPEN, but we're moving it to a new thread soon.

This challenge was originally started to be for folks under 5'4", but it evolved to be an all-comers challenge. So welcome, and I hope you enjoy participating!

Here are the guidelines:

• Email me your starting weight.
• 2 points each for every 8 ounces of water. Plain or bottle (No flavors)
• 3 points for each 15 minutes of workout time. This is structured workouts - as in you went for a walk with the intention of it being exercise - and there are no points for anything other than 15 minute intervals.
• 1 point if you complete a physical challenge.
• 1 point if you complete a personal challenge.
• Send your weight at the end of the month.
• Person with the most points wins.

Note: 1 point bonus if you suggest a challenge! You can suggest a challenge by posting it in the thread or by messaging me and I'll post it. Challenges can be completed at any time during the month - just tell me which one you did after you do it. Just give your challenge a title and give a brief description of how to complete it, and you're good to go (and you get an extra point!) For example: "I would like to challenge everyone to do 10 pushups today." would be a physical challenge. "I would like everyone to do 5 minutes of quiet reflection/meditation" would be a personal challenge."

Please send your information to me via private message daily or every other day in the following format:
3x 8 oz of water
45 minutes of treadmill
completed side bend challenge

If you go out of town please let me know ahead of time, and then when you get back please send me your points broken down by dates.

I usually update points every day in the morning, but sometimes I take the weekend off - I'll let you know if I do.

Post or message me if you have any questions.

Good luck everyone!

The Contenders - JUNE - FINAL POINTS

augette - 775

findingmeagain2009 - 1633 - congrats!

kyashiis - 707

moonduster - 1278

nev2179 - 154

solemnleaf - 412

spacedreamer01 - 361

Physical Challenges - we'll keep the same from April if y'all want...

Change It Up! - Try a workout you've never done before (1 point per new activity tried)

Strength Training - One point for at least 15 minutes of strength training - this will also get you 3 regular exercise points!

Crunches - As many sets of 25 as you can (max 1 point per day)

Pushups - As many sets of 25 as you can (max 1 point per day)

Plank - Hold the plank position for 20-30 seconds (1 point per day)

squats - with your weight centered over the middles of your feet, squat down and stand back up again. Keep your knees centered over your toes and your back straight. Repeat as many times as you can - try it in sets of 10-25 (max 1 point per day)

jumping jacks - one, two! one, two! try a few sets of jumping jacks (max 1 point per day)

zany workout! - one point per day for the most odd, creative workout you can think of

Positive Challenges

5-a-day - eat the recommended 5 fruits/veg a day (recurring)

Go Outside - enjoy the great outdoor

Litter Busters - Pick up a piece of trash when you go outside

Eat Breakfast - The most important meal of the day!

Reading - get one point per day for picking up the book you've been meaning to read (p.s. I'd love to hear what it is, as I work for a Library =)

Finish a Book - back by popular demand - one point for every book you finish

8 a Day H2O - You will receive one extra point per day if your water totals 8 x 8 oz or more.

Straight A Students - log in your food and get an A for the day, and you get a point

Set a Goal - one point for setting a total points goal for the month

Meet Your Goal

Get Some Sleep - get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night

Stay Under Your Personal Maintenance Calorie Level

Log Your Food By Midnight

Zany Workouts

This is where I'll be posting your creative/crazy workouts, if you'd like

Kneading Bread

Car Racing (I'm not going to count this in my exercise total, but it was a nice isometric core stabilization workout!)

wrestling my tiller!

trimming sheep feet (awesome)

making balloon animals

Welcome to March everyone!

Congrats to augette for winning February (although you're all winners ;)

Oh and augette - thanks for asking. The house search is going ok - still no official word and there are two other competing offers on the place =(

So - flash poll - would you all like to continue the challenge in March - with a clean slate?

Fine by me!

Sounds good to me!

This challenge has helped me to work off another 4 lbs this month!

OMG!  i didn't know you did this anymore!  LOL  ok, i didn't even read anything yet, but i'm in.  :D

hopefully, some of my friends will join...

Woo Hoo! Welcome back, snowfence!

So I've posted a new physical challenge: Change It Up!

Last night I was at my gym and tried a cardio kickboxing class for the first time. Wow! It was intense - I'm sore in places I haven't worked out in a long time, like between my shoulder blades. It was great, and made me think of how it's good to change it up sometimes. So my challenge to you all is to change it up - try a workout you've never done before.

i can't wait to start earning points again.  this is gonna be hard & fun all at the same time. 

you really played a great role in shaping me up & thanks!

WooHoo!  oh yeah, i'm really fired up about this!  :D

hey, do you think we can add a challenge for doing sets of 25 crunches & one for doing sets of 25 wall pushups (or regular ones if you are able to do them.  hehe)  ?

Sure thing!

So that's phsycial challenges:

Crunches: Do as many sets of 25 crunches as you can (one point per day, not for how many you can do, to be fair)

Pushups: Do as many sets of 25 pushups (regular or modified) as you can - max one point per day. Try different modifications to find what you're comfortable with - I do mine on the bathroom sink, my mom does hers against the wall - or you can get creative and do them with a noodle in a pool - float on your belly and push the noodle down in the water!

Hi Spacedreamer

Encouraged by snowfence (whom I admire so much), I would like to join the Slimming Minis Challenge.  I know even getting one point will be hard work for me, but I'm in if you will have me.

I'm at 68 kilos (149.6 lbs) and just under 5 foot. 

I've discovered that challenging myself (even with such poor performance as mine) is one of the keys to getting myself into a state of peak health.

My first goal is to get at least one point a day and then build up steam to more points a day.

kyashii

Fantastic! Welcome kayashiis! That's a great attitude- challenging yourself is definitely a key to achieving your goals.

Also - for those of your joining us, if you haven't done so already please either message me with your starting weight or post it in the thread (for those brave souls among us).

So that I can keep accountable to all of you..

My starting weight is 124. That's right around my goal weight, so I'm doing this challenge just to increase my fitness and health level so that I can be accountable for my water and exercise.

thanks for joining, kathy!  :D  omg!  that is so cool!  i know you are really busy, but this really isn't that hard.  just drink your water & eat them fruits & veggies & you pretty much have it made.  hehe

maybe suggest a challenge?  :D

Well, well...we're a small group this month, but MIGHTY, right?  Good luck, everyone!

Bobbie

Hi!  If Snowfence is getting in this late, I'll get in too!  My starting weight is 149. 

Do we lose points for bad eating? (Like the Reese's cups I just ate for breakfast?)

Alice

Hey there! Welcome, Alice! You definitely don't lose points for bad eating - just drink more water to counteract that Reese's cup! (those are my favorite - yum!)

hey alice!  i'm so glad you made it here!  :D  geez...  i only have 2 points.  LOL  i gotta send in my info!

I've got an idea for a challenge, well ok so it's one I'd suggested last month but still...  Today it finally warmed up and with Daylight Savings time starting Sunday we will all soon have more daylight in the evenings so my challenge is to go outside and spend 15 minutes (or more) exercising outdoors. 

I'm trying to start back walking in the evenings and so far I've taken 2 walks this week  - YAY! My goal is to work up to doing the Couch to 5 K this spring and to run my first 5K (or at least run part of it) in May.

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees. I can hardly wait to go out to the park and hike some trails with my kids.

Welcome to our newcomers!

thanks augette!  that's a great idea.  we could all use some fresh air daily.  i hope it doesn't rain or anything.  i can't wait to get out there & walk again!  :D  now i have the motivation to do it.  i'll get a point!

i think i met you here before.  do you remember me?  i was in here last year.

good luck with your couch to 5k!

ooh fun - I was wondering if you ladies wanted to do the get outside challenge again.

augette - good luck on beginning your 5k training. I love 5K races - they're a fun, manageable distance (compared to the half marathon I'm training for in September :p)

Lucky guys.  I can't buy Reese cups (maybe that is good).  I make a mixture of ricotta cheese, peanut butter and sweetener with a dash of cinnamon to get an approximation of that flavor.  It's delicious and not so many calories.

I'm shooting for exercise points, food points AND water points today.  So, maybe a stirfry with a lot of veggies would be good for dinner.

that sounds good, kathy.  :D  i already sent my points in for today because i've been slacking.  i just had an apple though!  lol  oh well...  and i'm drinking more water.  i'm out of pop.

i'm gonna shape up & start doing all this stuff.  it's not that much yet anyway.  i've been lazy & not eating good, but i'm done now.  yep.  done.  it's back to behaving.

i can't wait to get some good fruit.  the apples & oranges suck this season.  well, and just about everything else does, too.