April Fitness Challenge: Spring and Output vs Intake

April Fitness Challenge
02 Apr

Last Updated on May 22, 2023 by Michael Brockbank

So the March Fitness Challenge for myself backfired. I don’t think I maintained any part of it throughout the entire month. This means that some of the April Fitness Challenge is going to repeat of what I wanted to do last month. Will I be able to maintain it this time?

It’s hard to say. I usually start the month off strong and then decline over time. Usually my declines are based in the same problems I’ve always had – midnight snacking and lack of movement for two or three days of the week.

However, I am still confident I can meet at least some of my goals for being more fit by the time I go to my youngest son’s graduation.

My April Fitness Challenge

I have just under two months left. And although I am lighter than I was last year, I want to be smaller still. This morning I weighed in at 231…which means I gained three pounds over the past two weeks.

And in reality, I should put an asterisk next to the weight. I kind of pigged out over the weekend as it was Easter and haven’t made my daily constitutional, if you know what I mean.

When all is said and done, I want to be close to the 215 mark by the end of this month. Which means my April Fitness Challenge is going to be a bit more intense if I want to lose the weight.

But when you think about it, 15 pounds in a month isn’t really all that difficult to shed. As long as you have motivation to do so, it may take nothing more than watching the intake.

Let’s Get Some Points, Breaking Records

Physical ActivityOne of the things I wanted to do last month was start reaching for the upper ranks in Exercise.com in terms of points. Unfortunately, cardio doesn’t really give you all that much even if you work yourself into a complete sweaty mess.

This means I need to start adding things to the workout in the morning, such as curls and perhaps some lying leg raises. After all, it’s my midsection that needs the most attention at the moment.

Everything above my nipples is starting to take shape quite nicely.

Because I am stretching my available time as it is, I’ll have to cut down on some of the morning cardio. Instead of 35 to 40 minutes, I’ll push for about 20 minutes or so and add some body-weight work.

It’s been a long time since I set a new personal record. How about I work on that this month?

For this April Fitness Challenge, I’ll start training throughout the month to break my push-up record as well as bicycling. This means I need to get my bike up and running as I need to surpass 3.91 miles.

Burning Half a Pound Per Day

changing habitsCardio is still the best way to lose fat. But to burn off about a half a pound per day, I need to absolutely stick to my Net 600 Calorie diet. This delivers enough food to keep me going while relying on stored fats for physical activity.

If you don’t know what a “Net 600 Calorie” diet is, it’s when I keep myself in the green using MyFitnessPal according to a 600 calorie goal every day. These calories are offset by the amount of physical activity I do as recorded through my Fitbit.

The reason I say, “net” is because of the adjustments. There will be days when I’ll actually eat closer to 1500 calories worth of food thanks to the amount of physical activity.

The more you move, the more you can eat.

The last time I studied this process, I was able to burn just under a half a pound every day and weighed nearly four pounds less the next week.

For this April Fitness Challenge, I will do my best to maintain the Net 600 Calorie diet. It’s going to be exceptionally difficult thanks to the amount of chocolate I have on hand from Easter.

However, I am pretty good when it comes to portioning out snacks.

More Outdoor Activities

Taking 20,000 StepsIt’s April, which means it’ll start getting warmer here in Colorado. It’s time to get the bike mobile, which is part of breaking my personal records anyway. After all, this website is called “Crossing Colorado” for a reason.

Time to start taking a closer look at bike trails and paths in this beautiful state.

I don’t simply want to ride my bike every day, though. It’s time to get back to regular walks and finding some outdoor sports to be a part of, even while trying to save up to travel half-way across the country for graduations.

Perhaps I need to spend more time at things like the park, the golf driving range or perhaps doing some gardening. Speaking of which, we picked up a lot of seeds and gardening goodies over the weekend. Nothing is better than using fresh veggies in cooking.

This April Fitness Challenge will include more “outdoorsy” type stuff. I need to try an unplug myself from the computer more often and get out. Which is going to be a bit difficult given how I work, play and now stream live games from my desk from 8am to about 9pm several days of the week.

On the upside, I often get done with work early…which means I can at least get outside for 20 to 30 minutes in between sets.

Changing the Stream Time

Twitch StreamOne of my biggest failings is handling snacks after dinner. It’s usually what contributes to maintaining weight, even though the beginning of the day is right on course. However, I am trying a new schedule for the live stream on Twitch, which means I will be on camera during the times I snack the most.

I guess this is kind of like shaming myself into not snacking. I don’t like eating in front of people, and this prevents me from doing just that. Since I go to bed at 10pm, this gives me an hour to wind down and perhaps finish reading my mom’s book.

The truth is, I tend to not think about food or snacking when I keep myself occupied at night. If I stay busy, it’s not in mind to pick up a few peanut butter cups or cookies. That’s because I am one of those “boredom eaters.”

Much like how a toddler will complain about being hungry even though they’re not.

It’s all about keeping active. For the April Fitness Challenge, I am maintaining my Twitch stream from 6pm to 9pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Which means my caloric intake for those days should be lower.

Time is Running Out!

I need to lose as much as I can by the last week of May. This is when I’m heading out to Utah. If I can maintain myself and stick to my monthly goals, I will be lighter than I’ve been since I was in my teens. I am getting closer, and I am more excited about slimming down than I’ve ever been.

I am confident this April Fitness Challenge will yield some positive results.

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