Dare to Do Week 4: The Final Circuit

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 Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Dare to Do 30 Day Challenge! Are you feeling more fit and making better food choices? How about living the organized lifestyle and keeping on track with a new 2017 budget? If the answer is yes—great work, that’s impressive! It can be difficult to make significant lifestyle changes in thirty days, but count it a success if you have discovered tools, tricks, and strategies you can use to gradually chip away at your goals. Or maybe this challenge is just what you needed to see that it is possible!

This week we focus on circuit training, eating out, organizing our garage and car, and sticking to our budgets and saving plans. Our UW experts are back with videos and answers to questions about how to stay on track towards our goals.

FITNESS

Week 4 Focus: Circuit training

Our fitness expert, Ian Weinberg, is Chief Motivational Officer of IanFitness, a part of The Whole U discount network. For the last 10 years, Ian has made it his personal mission to help people finally get the results they’re looking for.

 

How often should I do this circuit training plan each week?

Three times a week is a great start!

When will I start reaping results?

After the first session you’ll burn tons of calories, speed up your metabolism, and be on your way to burning fat and building muscle.

How could I incorporate this workout if I belong to a gym?

Add this in once or twice a week to mix it up. You can even add dumbbells or medicine balls to the exercises.

Can this workout replace any cardio workouts?

Yes!

NUTRITION

Week 4 Focus: Eating out (and still enjoying it)

Our nutrition expert, Ben Atkinson, works in Harborview’s Medical Center’s Nutrition and Foodservice department where he manages a talented group of outpatient dietitians, oversees the department’s technology program, and supports worksite wellness activities in retail food areas.

What are some things to watch out for or avoid on menus?

Appetizers, drinks, and dessert all add up. Restaurant meals often contain enough calories for a whole day. Get meal additions, like sauces, gravies, dressing, cheeses, on the side, that way you can control how much goes on your food.

What are the top three habits we should develop when eating out?

Focus on the social time, less on the food. You’re likely going out with friends or family. Enjoy your time with them more than the food. Drink or eat something healthful before going. I wouldn’t go to a dinner without eating lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. This way you’ll be much less tempted to order something you otherwise wouldn’t. Consider sharing a plate. I do this with my kids and wife often. Plus, you’ll save some money, which you can then use to buy Italian disco records for me, for example.

What about alcoholic drinks? Are some better than others? Or should alcohol be cut out?

While I professionally can’t recommend alcohol, people often have a drink when they go out. I just ask people to remember that drinks contain calories that don’t provide much, if any health benefit at all. 12 ounces of beer is equal to 1-2 slices of bread, think of it that way and take it into account. If you know you’ll be going out should you plan your other meals accordingly (i.e. have a lighter lunch if going out to dinner or eat lighter during the week if going out during the weekend). I would eat as normally as possible. I would not go out to dinner on an empty stomach. Definitely have lunch! Also, if you’re feeling like you need a ‘break’ or ‘cheat day’, you’re probably going about your eating plan wrong. It would be a good time to talk with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, doctor, or other healthcare provider.

ORGANIZATION

Week 4 Focus: Organizing the garage and car

Our organizing expert, Kammie Lisenby, is the CEO of The Organizing Experts, also part of The Whole U discount network. Her ethos is that it shouldn’t take years, months, or even weeks to get your life organized.

How do I even begin de-cluttering my garage?

With shelving and clear bins! This is the best way to keep items accessible and to know where everything is. Separate items by large categories into the clear bins, and you can stack them on shelves, give them a temporary label and you’ll be able see where everything is.
What is your answer to some common excuses we tend to use when we don’t want to donate or throw away things we no longer use?

My philosophy is to allow a person to come to their own decision by asking the right questions. If they want it, it has a home, and it is of significance to them it’s a keeper!

  • I might need it someday – Rent or borrow!
  • I paid a lot of money for that – List it for sale online!
  • I could make a lot of money selling that – it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. How much of your time will it take to find the right buyer? Is it worth it? If so, contact an appraiser.
  • I’m emotionally attached to that – Ask yourself why? Would a picture suffice?

What are some tips to permanently de-clutter my car?

Keep a bag for garbage and empty or toss when you stop at the next gas station. Keep a basket to put anything you bring in the car into to avoid things piling up on seats or floor.

I got my office/house/car de-cluttered. How do I keep the clutter from coming back? How to get the rest of the family on board with staying organized?

When things come in, things must go out. Having a basket in the car to collect items that come in makes it easy to take the basket in the house and empty. Having systems like this in place makes it easier to get the family on board.

FINANCES – The focus of week four is sticking to your budget!

Our financial expert, Doug Stucki, is a Fidelity director and retirement planner who has more than 16 years with the organization.

How do you stick to the budget and plan?

The best way to know if you are sticking to your budget is to continue to track your spending and then compare that to the budget you built. Use the Savings & Spending checkup on NetBenefits to see how your actual savings and spending numbers measure up to the guidelines we’ve covered.

Got more questions or want more tips? Join Doug for a free finance workshop in Seattle or Tacoma.


Team Dare to Do — enjoy this week and add these news tips and areas of focus to the previous three weeks of information. Today, ask yourself a few questions. Did I strive to be 1% better each day? Did I make my Mondays successful? Did I track my progress? Did I surround myself with five others with a similar goal? If you said yes to all of them, congratulations! If you said no to some, keep on trying! Striving for health in fitness, nutrition, organization, and finances is a journey. Together we will continue to support one another at the University and The Whole U will continue to offer more activities and events that help you reach your goals!