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Friday, May 31, 2013

Getting Fit: Instagram Photo a Day and My Fitness Pal

I'm so excited that other bloggers, Instagrammers, teachers and TpT sellers are as excited as I am to get fit this summer! Together I think we've created a fun and motivating course of action: 

1. An Instagram "Photo A Day" challenge {more details below}
2. My Fitness Pal app and web site {more detail below} 

Instagram Challenge: I've participated in a PAD (photo a day) challenge before, and it was super fun. All you do is post a picture along a certain theme or prompt every day and add a hashtag so people can see who's participating. {Ours is #PADfitness} Not only are you thinking about the topic, you're spreading the word to friends about how you're staying healthy and they can join in! Plus, Instagram is just fun. {My addiction detailed here and here.} Without further ado ... the challenge! Feel free to copy this image and post it yourself, and while I'm going to try and post every day, don't feel like you HAVE to do so. Jump in any time. :) 


My Fitness Pal: As I mentioned here, MFP is an awesome tool that you can use online or as an app on your phone. You plug in your height, weight and activity level, then pick whether you want to lose, maintain or gain {HAHA} weight. It tells you how many calories you should net each day. That "net" is a great word, because it means that if you exercise and plug it in, MFP will take it away from your total eaten calories and you get to eat MOREEEEEE. {Is that horrible? It's honestly a very motivating factor for me. More working out = more brownies and I can SEE it on my phone!!}


From the iPhone app - this is what your diary looks like.  At the top you can see that it adds your calories from food and subtracts calories from working out. I didn't really eat a sausage patty for lunch, but the pasta sauce had sausage in it and I couldn't figure out how to key that in, so I just roughly estimated, lol. 
This is what it looks like on the online site when you add your food. 




This is what it looks like on the online site when you log your exercise... or not, as was the case today. :)  

Plus, it's an awesome way to check about how much fat, trans fats, vitamins, carbs, etc. that you're consuming each day and try to get more of the "good" stuff in. It even has a place to add in the amount of water you're drinking. It really is an overall fitness app, not just for losing weight. 

This is a really cool feature that lets you see how you're doing in terms of nutrition, not JUST calories - I think I ate eggs for dinner that day so my cholesterol is high and I ate a TON of protein {not typical}. I also ate a lot of sugars {VERY typical}. 

The other cool part about it is that you "follow" each other and can see when someone works out or if they come in under their calorie goal. No worries, it doesn't say how much you weigh or what exactly you eat, it just posts when you burn calories or when you come in under your net goal. Then you can comment on others' status and cheer them on, or get motivated to go workout yourself! 

This is what it looks like when you're adding friends on the online site. 

This is what your "newsfeed" looks like on the iPhone app. Ms. Price (kindergator) is WORKING IT!! #soproud

The online tool has a TON of cool options for reports, community boards and other things, but I'm more likely to check my phone. :) 

SO if you want to follow me or anyone else, check this post, or find me on Instagram or My Fitness Pal {ashleybbz in both places}.  Can't wait to "see" y'all and get FIT! 




16 comments:

  1. I love the PAD idea!! Do you have to start at number one on the list or do you start anywhere? And when does the challenge start officially?

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  2. Yay glad to have you! It officially starts June 1, and then every number correlates to one day in June. :) Post every day or when you think about it!!

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  3. This sounds like fun! I definitely want to participate. Makes me feel a little guilty about the cupcake I just ate before my dinner....At least I'm running a 10k tomorrow. It evens out right?

    Amy
    Eclectic Educating

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    1. Hahahah Amy- you are a running queen! You enjoy those cupcakes, girl!

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  4. My email is selorza2@hotmail.com and my user name is elorza. I hope that i am doing this right. :)

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  5. Just might try it if I can get it all figured out. Great idea!

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  6. This is so cute! Gonna do this with you! Glad we located each other through instagram. I teach 2nd too :) Love your blog- happy to be a new follower!
    Tracey
    The Teacher’s Chair

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  7. I love this idea! I have added your as a friend on My Fitness Pal (sk1m086) and am looking forward to connecting up to lose weight!!

    Rae
    Mindful Rambles

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    Replies
    1. UPDATE: I've also posted about this fun challenge here if you want to check it out!

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  8. Yay! I'm doing this today...headed to yoga in about 20 minutes so I'll join in on the fun :)
    Thanks for the great idea!
    Elizabeth
    Kickin’ it in Kindergarten

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  9. I will join in!! I have used My Fitness Pal on and off for a couple years and I have been bound and determined to finish it out and get to my goal this summer. This group would be great to help me get there! My username is HeatherM2012. As for Instagram, I am not on there yet, but I will try to get on sometime soon and join in that part of it also. I could really use the encouragement on MFP. Like I said, I may not hit it real hard this week, but will the next. I will try to start getting back into it this week though.

    Thank you for doing this!

    Heather Salsman
    Teaching Through Turbulence
    teachingthroughturbulence@gmail.com

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  10. Ok I'm late to the party but I am joining in. My Instagram user name is mrs_pauley. I don't use MFP because I am currently doing weight watchers. I have also started a 30 day AB challenge and 30 day squat challenge. I will look hot in my swimsuit over Fourth of July. :)

    Thanks for hosting this fun idea!!
    Amanda
    Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten

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  11. Yay! I'm doing this today...headed to yoga in about 20 minutes so I'll join in on the fun Thanks for the great idea!

    Fitness Club in Panchkula

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  12. Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post.
    Prissammenligning

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  13. You have some really great posts and I feel I would be a good asset.
    24 Hour Fitness Monthly Memberships

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