Kosama's 8-Week Body Transformation Challenge

For the past few months, I’ve known that some things about my eating habits needed to be re-vamped. I’ve been using MyFitnessPal regularly, and have been concentrating on getting in enough calories (without each too many), but I’ve yet to see the scale dip back down to my happy weight. Since about August, when I put on those few extra pounds, I’ve kind of been sailing along, thinking that they’ll come off. They’ll come off eventually, I told myself. Just keep doing what you’re doing.

But recently, I was reminded of Albert Einstein’s advice:

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Finally, I’ve realized it’s time to be honest with myself.

I wrote more about this on Monday when I posted about my decision not to try any restrictive clean eating or carb-cutting diets. Instead, I will be practicing mindful eating: thinking about nutrients, trying to get a handle on boredom eating, and appreciating the food that I choose to put in my body. I’m hoping to turn around the feelings of guilt I sometimes (unhealthfully!) associate with food.

This craving for a change happened to coincide perfectly with a Kosama event. During my classes, I’ve been encouraging members to enroll for the next 8-Week Body Transformation Challenge. The idea is that participants set a goal, then work hard during those eight weeks to achieve their goal, holding each other accountable for great workouts and healthy nutrition along the way. While I was giving my schpiel at the end of a K-Strong class on Thursday, a lightbulb went on in my head. Hey! I thought. Why don’t I do the challenge too?

Like I’ve mentioned before, I don’t have much weight to lose. But I know my body and know that I’m happier and healthier a few pounds lighter. Plus, this would give me the motivation to kickstart some changes in my diet (the noun–not the verb).

So, I had my preliminary assessment done and I set my goal. Instead of a weight goal, I’m going to be focusing on body fat. My body fat on Friday was 21.8%. This puts me in the healthy range for women (21-24%, according to ACE Fitness). My goal for the next 8 weeks is to lose 3% body fat, which would put me at 18.8% and in the athletic range (14-20%).

Wish me luck (and stick around to read!) while I try to combat TWO challenges–one of the mind, and one of the body.

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