I exercised for ten minute (almost) every day for 30 days. My goal was to lose three pounds and tone my abs and arms. As a mom of three in her 40s I wasn’t sure what to expect, but boy did I get more than I bargained for! I created a printable to color in each day and see my progress that I’m sharing as well.

A little back story. In 2020 I gained almost 20 pounds. I lost most of it in 2021 and 2022 by walking and monitoring what I was eating. You can read the post 3 things I did to lose 17 pounds here. But now it’s time to take it a step further.

The goal of this challenge is to, yes, lose those last pesky pounds that find their way back so easily, but mostly to focus on muscle tone and creating a habit of moving my body daily. I don’t want this to be a habit that I dread, I also want to enjoy it, to look forward to it. I think that will happen with time as I get stronger and feel those wonderful bursts of endorphins.

 I am not a medical doctor or professional. Be sure to contact your doctor with questions or concerns about a new exercise regime.

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30-day challenge printable

I thought it would be helpful to have a visual of my goal and see my progress, so I made this printable that you could really use for any 30-day challenge. Color in each day until you achieve your goal! You don’t have to start on the first of the month — just get started now!

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1 week

I’ve made it a week! Honestly, it was pretty rough. The first day I couldn’t even do the full 10-minute video I had chosen and did ab work the last two minutes. And aside from the first two days when my goal was still fresh, I didn’t want to do it! But I have some motivation now. I lost two pounds and I’m even starting to feel a little stronger. My muscles have been slightly sore every day so I’m hoping to see results in the coming week!

There is satisfaction in keeping a promise to yourself. We often stick to our promises when we make them to other people, but we ought to keep them to ourselves as well.

Oh if you want to see the before and after photos, you’ll have to watch the YouTube video. I don’t know why having it in photo form seems more embarrassing!

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2 weeks

This week was easier — physically and mentally. The reason I wanted to commit to every day instead of 2 or three times a week with more intense workouts was to create a habit. Because if I skip two days, I’m more likely to skip three!

Saturday afternoons I’ve started trying to take the kids out of the house for some kind of active adventure. This week we went to a park we don’t often visit, found a new part of a trail that led to a bridge, saw a snake and even did the outdoor gym equipment! I didn’t do a specific routine or video but my watch said I was up to almost 30 minutes of exercise that day.

I like that this Saturday routine is not only getting the kids out of the house and into nature, but also promoting an active lifestyle for the whole family.

I did skip day 12, which was a Sunday for me, because my muscles were twitching and I read that could be muscle fiber fatigue or lack or electrolyte imbalance. I decided to listen to my body. Rest was best that day. We went for an easy walk instead.

I can’t say that I was hyped to work out every day, but I did start to look forward to that endorphin rush and satisfaction of completion. That is definitely a step in the right direction. I don’t think I look much different, but I definitely feel a little stronger as I do the workouts, able to handle more. As for weight, I might have lost just a little, but it’s hard to tell with a woman’s body with all the fluctuation, isn’t it?

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3 weeks

With two weeks under my belt, working on week three was the game-changer on two levels. One level was developing a habit instead of hit or miss workouts. And I believe habits and consistency is where the change happens.

I missed day 17 because I had things lined up the whole day until 9 at night with grocery shopping, doctor appointment, the kids had a movie night at their school.

I think this is normally where I would start to trail off and where my progress would end until I started to try again in a couple months. But seeing my progress on paper and committing to this video/post pushed me through. So today I did 20 minutes to make up for it. I don’t think that’s how calorie deficit and muscle toning work, but it made me feel committed.

The second thing I noticed in week three were the physical changes that finally started to come. I’m not sore now every day and I’m able to complete the full 10 minute workout. My arm and leg definition has improved as well. It’s hard to see much difference in my stubborn abs though.

I’ve decided it’s ok to modify a couple things here and there — mainly when there are a lot of sets with lunges or plank position. I try to do most of them, but I don’t want to stress old knee and carpel tunnel injuries. I either do jumping jacks or pushups on the wall instead.

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4 weeks

I made it to a month of working out! My stomach and arms have noticeably slimmed down and my legs definitely feel more toned. I lost a couple pounds. I’m not done yet! But I am headed in the right direction.

I think the real makeover here was my mind though! I’m getting used to working out every day. I know now it doesn’t take that long and the results are worth it. I look forward to the endorphins as well as feeling good that I’m taking care of my body for the future.

I liked this challenge so much, in fact, that I’m going to do it again! I’m excited what progress days 31-60 will bring!

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Favorite 10-minute workout videos

Here are the YouTube videos that kept me coming back:

• 10 minute full body – Allblanc TV
• 10 minute standing abs + HIIT – MadFit
• 10 minute full body sweat sesh – MadFit

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Diet

As far as my diet was concerned, I didn’t really change anything because I’ve been eating fairly well the last couple of months. I don’t follow a certain diet, but I do eat in moderation. There’s gluten and dairy and wine here and there, but I’ve been able to cut out 99 percent of sugary treats. I will say that I did think twice about what I was putting in my body this month because I didn’t want to sabotage my hard work!

Typical daily diet

Breakfast: cup of coffee with splash of oat milk and teaspoon of monk fruit sugar (zero calories)
I don’t eat until pretty late in the day because I’m not usually hungry in the morning, but if I am, I eat! I like Grape Nuts, oatmeal, yogurt with fruit or eggs.

Lunch (10:30/11 am): leftovers from last night’s dinner
I eat until I am full and satisfied so that I won’t do too much snacking in the afternoon.

Snack (2 pm): I usually eat a handful of almond crackers or nuts or piece of fruit — or all of the above if I’m hungry.

Dinner (5:30 pm): I try to do something of good nutritious value and then add in something “fun” to try to ward off the kids’ grumbling. For example, tonight I’m making salmon in the air fryer, sautéed broccoli with garlic salt and adding in mac and cheese to make the plate sort of more approachable for them. They are willing to try most things though. But I have one kid who doesn’t like tacos and one who doesn’t like chili. I told them that’s not an option, haha!

Some of our favorite family dinners are:

• Ramen stir fry
• Enchilada skillet
• Eggs, bacon and fruit
• Banza chickpea pizza and Caesar salad
• Easy chicken fried rice
• I call tacos “nachos” and use chips instead of shells, use all the normal toppings and for some crazy reason the kids like them better!

And that’s about it! I kind of eat a lot at dinner, so I’m usually full enough until bed. But there’s alway the exception when I eat half the bag of spicy BBQ kettle chips. It’s just more important that we make good decisions more often than bad ones, right?

I have also found that if I eat after 7 pm I’m more likely to wake up in the night. I saw a doctor say once that if you wake up at night it’s almost always a gut problem. I do find that to be the case with me, but who knows!

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I happy with the results, but feel like this is just the start. I’m going to commit to the next 30 days as well, but skipping Sunday workouts as that day is to rest mentally and physically, and enjoy time as a family!

The last two years has taught me that at almost 44 years old this is not something I’ll just be able to maintain. It’s something I’ll have to keep working toward. Metabolism is starting to slow and muscle mass is more difficult to gain now. I don’t want to continue to struggle, I want to begin to thrive. I want to love exercise and make it part of my everyday life. I don’t want to have to keep a goal sheet each month, I want it to be a habit that I look forward to! And this challenge has pushed me in that direction.

You can watch the video below to see the before and after. I’ll see you next time when I complete 60 days!

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