Kickin' the Phat!

At PNP we have eight week challenges where the girls get new workout schedules. This last challenge was the Fast and Furious Challenge. For the first time we divided into teams. Each team had a moderator as the leader and they were responsible for answering questions, motivating, and starting daily chat threads. The team members had to journal their journey, encourage their fellow PNP team members, and keep track of their own progress.

I'll be honest, I started the team format because it happened to fall right after Logan was diagnosed with Autism. I needed a way to get the girls doing some self-monitoring on this challenge as I settled into life. Holy Crap! It was the best idea I ever had even if it was born from being overwhelmed. We had more people finish a challenge than ever before, more success, SO MANY FRIENDSHIPS bloom, and just a whole new spirit of support blossom. We've always been a site where people feel more like they are at "home" than "online". This challenge just took the coziness to whole new level.

This week we're going to feature the wrap-ups of our teams. As they turn in reports I'll blog them. After all teams have a feature, I'll declare the winner.

You need to read the incredible things each person accomplished or learned through the challenge. It's refreshing to see people recognize things OTHER THAN just weight. These girls found things out about themselves that you just don't hear enough about anymore. Too many diets and such rely on just numbers. When will the "diet" world realize we have to learn about ourselves, how to live a lifestyle, and find a way to do this that makes us a better person...not just a thinner person? Don't get me wrong, I expect them working hard and eating right. But I also expect them learning how to exercise and why they need to eat right. It's not enough to just know what to do to fix things right now.

Our next challenge started TODAY and it's called Rammin' and Freakin' Jammin. We've got four options for this exercise schedule and teams are stoked, watching my new Youtube videos, and doing new cardio challenges, too. If you are a PNP girl, it's not too late to join. Get in this week!!! If you haven't joined PNP, NOW IS THE TIME because team challenges are where you learn a lot and get some detailed advice.

Now, Kickin' the Phat's Wrap Up!
 

8 weeks ago we couldn't say.....

• That 4 of us are packing for Phat Camp
• That 2 of us ran the Country Music ½ Marathon
• That we've lost 22 inches
• That we've lost 15.4 lbs

Individual Accomplishments
After the Phit-n-Phat "Fast-n-Furious" challenge I can say...

• That my body fat is now 20.7% (Trish)
• That I will LIVE in a 2-piece bathing suit this summer (Trish)
• That I can do pushups on my toes (Cara and Becca)
• That I will wear sleeveless shirts this summer( Cara)
• That I am wearing a smaller size (Cara, Becca and Angela)
• That I've had a lot of emotional growth -learning to be able to push myself in new areas (Becca)
• That I'm seeing my muscles starting to "pop" (Becca, Trish, Kate)
• That some shirts are fitting in large instead of x-large (Becca)
• That I went down a cup and size in my bra (from 40DD to 38D) (Becca)
• That I have more stamina and energy (Becca)
• That I am eating healthier and cleaner (Becca)
• That I have way more self confidence (Becca)
• That I journaled every day unless it was my MB day. (Angela)
• That I exercised at least 5x each week-very rarely did something interrupt my scheduled workouts. (Angela)
• That I consistently journaled to my team. (Angela, Paula)
• That I can work out even harder than I thought I could (Kate)
• That being on a team makes things a lot more fun! (Kate)
• That I've stopped blaming the environment I'm in for any of my choices (ie, I'm out for work so it's okay to eat a burrito is not the right attitude) (Kate)
• That I have proven to myself that, unlike every time I have dieted or exercised in the past, it's not temporary. I may have taken a mental break from diet and exercise during May, but I still had pretty good eating habits, and I have jumped right back in now that things have settled down in the rest of my life. That's quite different for me! So I think something is starting to really click in my subconscious, which is certainly an accomplishment, even if I wasn't on the program all the time. (Autumn)
• That I am getting better at weekly prep. (Paula)
• That I've worked pretty hard on ditching the "all or nothing" mentality. (Paula)

General Comments on the Challenge:

I was thinking about that this weekend when I was driving to see my mom (lots of time to think in the car!)-- I have exercised a lot in the past, but never consistently for more than 2-3 months.  This is really a lifestyle change and the support and motivation PNP has given me have been a huge part of that.  I got up early this weekend at my mom's house to do cardio-- and I hate getting up early!  But I knew I needed that workout in preparation for PC.