2012 is drawing to a close!  It’s time for my annual contest where YOU guess how many exercise sessions I completed this year.  The winner will receive a set of Catalyst products, including workbooks and CD audio classes worth more than $500, to illuminate your permanent weight loss journey!

For anyone who’s new to this blog, I’m a proponent of non-diet, permanent weight loss through true lifestyle change.

Diets are temporary ways to eat with endless mind games and emphasize willpower.   True lifestyle change addresses the deeper need for food and lasts forever.  My twenty-year struggle taught me to deal with the deeper needs in life, so those deeper needs don’t sabotage healthy efforts.

My Approach to Exercise or Activity

I don’t use fancy apps to track my exercise and I’ve lost over 90 pounds without counting a calorie.  I know a calorie is not a calorie when it comes to fuel for the body.  If you don’t understand the calorie game, get my audio class called “The Hard Cold Truth About Permanent Weight Loss” NOW!)

Here’s my “foolproof” recording method:

Yep, that’s 12 sheets of paper, calendar style, for 2013!  It works because the physical act of recording, with a pen, is magical in terms of claiming your work.  And you never have to worry about losing it via a computer problem.  I have years of these calendars.  It’s an instant reference when I need to remember how far I’ve come, or what I was doing that year I lost 20 lbs., or whatever.

I’ve lost over 90 lbs. and my weight loss will be sustained for 13 years on March 13, 2013!

Although I once hated exercise and had a million excuses, I now consider it akin to brushing my teeth.  I wouldn’t consider NOT doing it.

I have also learned a key Catalyst principle, which is the body adjusts to what you give it, so amping up exercise just to lose weight means having to exercise at that level forever.   That leads to injury or burnout!  Since my aim is long-term, sustained weight loss, I exercise in a way I can maintain forever.

My Personal Exercise Rules

Minimum Activity Level = 30 minutes walking is the minimum amount of activity to qualify as an activity session.

Two-A-Days:  If I record two sessions in one day, it means they are at least four hours apart.

Housework:  I only count housework as a workout if it’s three  hours total, and I don’t like housework.  Therefore, I rarely do it for three hours!

Shoveling Snow:  I live in Wisconsin, so shoveling snow happens.  I may make note of it on my activity log, but I don’t count it as an exercise session.  It’s just a bonus in my life!

Full Disclosure

2009’s totals were: 346 exercise days and 19 non-activity days.

2010’s totals were: 351 exercise days and 14 non-activity days.

2011’s totals were: 417 exercise days and 9 non-activity days.

What do you think my numbers for 2013 are?

Contest Rules

1.  Post your guess and any comments here under “comments.”

2.  Friend us at the Facebook page “AmericasWeightLossCatalyst” and post your guess there.

Voila!  You’re entered!

3.  Tweet, retweet or share “AmericasWeightLossCatalyst” on Facebook – every time you tweet or share, you gain a point towards winning the second place prize (worth $100)!

Walking the Talk

Contests are fun.  And it’s my chosen mission to spread the word about permanent weight loss.  But, this is also about walking my talk and being honest and transparent.  My march to permanent change is constantly in progress.  If you are “in progress” too, join me in 2013!