Hello Shrinkers!! We have a brand new weight loss challenge starting on June 1st and we want you and your BFF and spouse and cousin and sister and grandma and brother and mother to join us! Seriously. Come one, come all.

If you’re new to the Sisterhood, we have these fun little weight loss challenges periodically and they are not only a BLAST, but your butt will shrink a little too. One of our mottos around here is ‘losing weight isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to suck!’ Hanging out with us will make it fun!

For more information on the challenge and how it works, click on over to our Current Challenge page and bone up.

This challenge has been dubbed June Tune-Up. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve hit the part of the year where my New Year’s resolutions are so far in the past I don’t even remember if I really made them, and summer is knocking on my door, but I’m not quite ready to step out yet. I am in need of a serious Tune-Up both mentally and physically!

If you’re not about weight loss, or you want to include some awesome physical activity into your day, Melissa is putting together a fantastic fitness challenge for the month of June (see our past challenges here), so you’ll be able to Tune-Up and Tone-Up with the Sisterhood. And, if you head on over to the Kitchen, the Shrinking Kitchen that is, we’ll help you Menu Plan Your Butt Off with fresh, healthy menu plans with printable grocery lists each and every Sunday. It’s like a one-stop shop for all you’re health and fitness needs. Yeah, we’re pretty awesome like that….always looking out for you!

Here’s what you need to know:

1. This challenge will last 3o days – A great way to kick off the summer with a fast paced challenge!
2. It’s team challenge, meaning you’ll partner up with someone to form a team (two people to a team please). You will compete against other teams for the title of Biggest Shrinkers.
3. You are in charge of getting a team mate. Your partner can be anyone, and no, neither one of you has to blog to participate. Ask you neighbor, your significant other, your mother, or your son, or even your online BFF. Anything goes.
4. You’ll need a kick-ass name for your team, so start thinking now!
5. The challenge starts on June 1st, which is a Friday, but we’ll check-in every Wednesday after that, as usual. So the first Weigh-in will be recorded on June 1st, and the next will be Wednesday, June 6th, with the challenge ending on Sunday, June 30th.
6. You will check in as a team – with your combined weight (a+b=check-in weight) – each Wednesday (did I mention Wednesdays? Yeah, we have a check-in post each Wednesday!). That means there will be only one person filling out the check-in form for your team.

Finale? Really?! Where has the time gone? I might be having a minor panic attack when I think about the fact that May is already half over and the kids are going to be done with school in two weeks.

We have been Springing into Action for the past several weeks. Remember back on Day One when we discussed our Action Plans?

Analyze your goals – decide what you want to accomplish over the next 6 weeks.
Commit to a plan – how are you going to achieve your goals? Put it on the calendar!
Track your progress – Journal, journal, journal. Whether it’s on your blog or on paper.
Inspire yourself and others – Supporting other people will inspire you to do your best.
Overcome your fears – Face them head on, and realize you’re strong and can do anything.
Never give up – Enough said. Quitting is not an option.

Did you stick with your plan? Have you seen success and reached your goal? Tell us about it in the comments below or by blogging and leaving a link to your post!

We have been busy kicking-ass in April and building mad muscles in May! Are you enjoying the monthly workouts? Are there certain areas you would like to see targeted in upcoming workouts?

Stay tuned for a new, fresh challenge coming your way June 1st! Details coming soon!

Keep checking in every Wednesday! We love to stay in the loop with our readers!

Where in the heck did this challenge go? It is week 5 which means that there is only one week left. One week left to finish strong. Are you going to do it?

How did you do with the Kick Ass April workouts? I am here to tell you that those workouts really did kick my ass. I missed some days in this challenge. I needed the rest, I think. It was totally hard. Are you in for the new challenge. I am excited about Mad Muscle May. These are all exercises that I know I can do. It’s going to be a good month.

I hope you got signed up for Run the ‘Hood 2012 Virtual 5K/10K Race to Remember before the cut off. It is going to be another great day of racing, just like the last one. Unfortunately for me, it turned out to be a bad day for the people I walked with last time. It’s just me for this race, but I’m okay with that.

It’s time to get on the scale and see what you did (or didn’t do) this week. Blog about the results and leave your link in the comment section. If you don’t blog, just leave your results in the comments. Visit some of the people in the comments and give them some weight loss and fitness love. That’s why we are all here, right? Remember to finish strong and we’ll see you for the results next week.

Guys! There’s only two weeks left in the challenge!

It’s time to sit down, take a look at your goals, and see what you have left to do. How are you doing with your eating? Is your tracking going ok? Do you need to ramp up the exercise a little? Make it happen, friends. Two weeks is plenty of time to make some changes and see things happen.

But first, how’d this week go? Go forth and blog, link up, and comment away folks. It’s time to share.

Have you been keeping with up our Fitness Challenge? I bet your butt is looking gooooooood. Only a few days left. Stick with it! You’re almost there!!

Sadly, registration for the Run the ‘Hood Virtual 5k/10k is officially CLOSED! If you were able to register, WOOHOO!! Congratulations! If you haven’t started training already, time to get your newly sculpted back side in gear.

If you weren’t able to register, don’t let that stop you. You won’t be able to collect the swag, but there’s nothing stopping you from getting out there and doing something amazing for yourself.

That’s it, folks! Have an amazing day!

Do you remember being a kid in school and your gym teacher telling you about the President’s Council on Physical Fitness award? I remember thinking that would be cool, but I was never motivated enough to actually go for it.

I am facing the prospect of vacationing for more than half of the month of July. I admit that I am downright giddy at the prospect. I am also thinking that I really need to kick the exercise and weight loss efforts up a notch or two in anticipation of a vacation. I have been thinking about it for a week now. I had a few things in mind and then I found something that really peeked my interest.

Did you know that there is a President’s Challenge Program for big kids like us too? I had no idea. Absolutely anybody can join. The President’s Challenge is for everyone: fitness beginners, weekend warriors, athletes, physical education teachers and kids. They take staying active beyond the school gym and into everyday life. Needless to say, I am now an active participant.

I have chosen to go for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). To quote the website, here’s what it is…..The PALA challenge is easy to fit into your busy schedule. Adults, your physical activity goal is 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Children and teens 6-17, your goal is 1 hour of activity a day. (But you’re young—you can do it!)

To get started with your healthy eating goals, all you have to do is select one goal to focus on your first week. (There are eight goals to choose from.) Each week you will add one new healthy eating goal while maintaining your goal(s) from the week(s) before.

Meet your physical activity and healthy eating goals for six out of eight weeks, and you’ll earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. If you become hooked on feeling great (and that’s a side effect of regular physical activity and healthy eating), set higher goals and move up to the points-based Presidential Champions challenge. You earn points for your PALA physical activities too, so you’ll get credit for them in Presidential Champions.

I am only on day 3 of this challenge, but I am loving it. I’m excited at the end of the day to log the exercise I’ve done. I can even log my steps from my Fitbit. I have great confidence that this is going to help me with my extra efforts for that vacation body.

Now, it’s your turn. Who wants to join me? I can’t wait for this first eight weeks to be done. I will be the big dork who actually orders the award. I will put it by all my 5k and half marathon medals. I worked hard to earn those too. They all have a place of honor and this award will too. Like I said, who’s going to join me?

Good morning, everyone!  Are you still going strong, faltering, racing to the finish?

Take a look at the ACTION plan you came up with the very first day of the challenge – have you been following it?

Analyze your goals – decide what you want to accomplish over the next 6 weeks.
Commit to a plan – how are you going to achieve your goals? Put it on the calendar!
Track your progress – Journal, journal, journal. Whether it’s on your blog or on paper.
Inspire yourself and others – Supporting other people will inspire you to do your best.
Overcome your fears – Face them head on, and realize you’re strong and can do anything.
Never give up – Enough said. Quitting is not an option.

FITNESS CHALLENGE

#kickassApril. Are you participating?  I love doing squats (see>>>strong runner legs) however, burpees can officially suck it.  Why are they so hard?! But if it doesn’t kill me, then it will only make me stronger, right?!

RUN THE ‘HOOD VIRTUAL 5K/10K LAST CHANCE DISCOUNT

We are excited to be hosting our 4th Run The ‘Hood Virtual 5K & 10K on May 28, 2012- woot woot. It’s a great way to break into running, or if you’re already a runner, a nice way to collect another race medal (because we know how runners are <—-medal hoarders)! Registered participants will score a race t-shirt, swag bag, and finishers medal.  You can find more information on our Race Central page, or simply click below to be whisked away to registration. Registration closes Friday- that means you MUST be registered by then, April 20th. Enter LASTCHANCE in the box when checking out and you will get a special discount off your registration!

LASTLY…..

Go weigh-in (if you are a weigh-er) and let us know how your weight loss is going (or not, in my case). Blog about it, comment it, give a shout out here and there.

See you on the other side!

Good morning, ladies and gents! We are a few weeks into our newest fitness and weight loss challenge here at the Sisterhood, and hopefully you are still going strong! Remember that ACTION plan you came up with the very first day of the challenge? Have you been following it?

Analyze your goals – decide what you want to accomplish over the next 6 weeks.
Commit to a plan – how are you going to achieve your goals? Put it on the calendar!
Track your progress – Journal, journal, journal. Whether it’s on your blog or on paper.
Inspire yourself and others – Supporting other people will inspire you to do your best.
Overcome your fears – Face them head on, and realize you’re strong and can do anything.
Never give up – Enough said. Quitting is not an option.

ONE OF OUR WRITERS NEEDS YOU.

Christie O. received some news last week… the kind of news that you hope none of your friends and loved ones ever receive. She is writing about “The Cansuh” over at Average Moms Wear Capes and could use your support on this new journey she has found herself on. We love you so much, Christie. Kick some cancer ass, m’kay?

FITNESS CHALLENGE

#kickassApril. Is it kicking your ass yet? Because, ohmygoodness. I despise burpees and wall-sits. THEY ARE HARD. I may or may not cuss the ENTIRE TIME I am doing them. Well, modified cussing because my 12-year-old daughter is doing the workouts with me at night. What would you like to see for next month’s workout? Arms? Cardio? Suggestions welcome!

RUN THE ‘HOOD VIRTUAL 5K/10K LAST CHANCE DISCOUNT

We are excited to be hosting our 4th Run The ‘Hood Virtual 5K & 10K on May 28, 2012. It’s a great way to break into running, or if you’re already a runner, a nice way to collect another race medal (because we know how runners are <—-medal hoarders)! Registered participants will score a race t-shirt, swag bag, and finishers medal! You can find more information on our Race Central page, or simply click below to be whisked away to registration. You must registered by April 20th -that’s NEXT WEEK! Special discount for you: Enter LASTCHANCE in the box when checking out and you will get 5% off your registration!

AND THEN…

Phew. Got all that? You didn’t think I would forget about weighing in, did you? Not so much. If you are a shrinker, GO! Get on that scale!

Everyone, go blog! Leave a link down in the comments, then hop around and visit your fellow challengers. Leave a comment on their blogs. It will make them smile. Really.

Is it just me or did the first week of this challenge fly by? Maybe it’s because I was super busy or because I’m just getting older. It just seems like the older I get, the faster time goes. Whatever the reason, I can’t believe it is time for our first weigh in.

We have so much going on at the Sisterhood right now….

1. Did you do your motivation board? It’s not too late, if you didn’t. Get your board done and post your link here. While you are there. check out some of the other boards.

2. Are you all signed up for “Run the Hood”? I had so much fun when we did the last one. I think there were ten of us on my team. Get some of your family and friends togther and make your own course. It really is fun, I promise. Go sign up here.

3. Are you doing “52 Small Changes / One Year to a Happier Healthier You” with Christy? We are on week 14 and learning how to keep it clean and green. Come check it out here, if you haven’t yet.

Okay, here comes the fun part! Jump on that scale. It’s time to weigh in. Because I am writing this on Tuesday night, I can’t even tell you how I did. You can find out though when I put my link in the comment section. You can do the same thing. Good luck all. Can’t wait to read your posts.

Remember on Wedensday when we checked in and I challenged you to create a motivation board? Well it’s time to link up! Your motivation board could be a poster or cork board on the back of your bathroom door, on the side of your fridge with magnets, or even a Pinterest board! It’s up to you! Link up a photo you’ve posted on your blog or Facebook, or even over  at the ‘hood, or you can link up with the direct link to your Pinterest motivation board.

If you missed it, please go back and catch up! We’ll wait for you, I promise.

For those of you who link up today by midnight PDT, we aregiving away an Amazon gift card for $20too one random winner!

WELCOME to the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans! If you’re new around these parts, we are so happy you’re here! You can get more acquainted with the Sisterhood by snooping around the Start Here page.

Spring In2 Action is our newest online, community-based NO FAIL weight-loss and fitness challenge! Seriously, and there’s no ‘magic’ pills or ‘cleanses’ involved!

Over the next 6 weeks, if you follow our ACTION plan, you will see results. Real results that you can feel good about, results that will stick because you are not just losing weight, but changing yourself from the inside out.

Analyze your goals – decide what you want to accomplish over the next 6 weeks.
Commit to a plan – how are you going to achieve your goals? Put it on the calendar!
Track your progress – Journal, journal, journal. Whether it’s on your blog or on paper.
Inspire yourself and others – Supporting other people will inspire you to do your best.
Overcome your fears – Face them head on, and realize you’re strong and can do anything.
Never give up – Enough said. Quitting is not an option.

FITNESS CHALLENGE

This is a weight-loss AND fitness challenge, and Melissa has put together a kick-ass fitness challenge for April. Literally. We’re challenging you to join in our Kick-Ass April Challenge where you’ll work your tail off daily with….well, I don’t want to scare you, so you can find more information about Kick-Ass April right here.

MOTIVATION

Who doesn’t need a little extra motivation, right? Well, this week we are giving away a $20 Amazon Giftcard to one lucky winner! To win, we want you to take the A in Action by the horns. Analyze your goals this week. Visualize where you want to be in 6 weeks……6 months. Create a Motivation Board – it could be a cork board you hang on the back of your bedroom door, or it could be a virtual board where you pin stuff on Pinterest. Either way, we want you to go and pin things that motivate you. Get creative!

On Saturday, we’ll have a separate Spring In2 Action post for you to leave your comment with a link to your motivation board. It can be a link to a blog post, a tweeted photo, your Facebook wall where you have a picture posted, or your Pintest Motivation board. And if you are on Pinterest, please be sure to pin our Spring In2 Action badge up there! Same with Twitter and Facebook! Share! We’d hate for you to keep all this awesomeness to yourself. You can also grab a badge to sport on your blog.

****You must leave your link by Saturday, March 31, 2012 at midnight PT. One lucky participant will be chosen via random.org and announced on the same post on Sunday!****

RUN THE ‘HOOD VIRTUAL 5K

We are excited to be hosting our 4th Run The ‘Hood Virtual 5K & 10K on May 28, 2012. It’s a great way to break into running, or if you’re already a runner, a nice way to collect another race medal (because we know how runners are <—-medal hoarders)! Registered participants will score a race t-shirt, swag bag, and finishers medal! You can find more information on our Race Central page, or simply click below to be whisked away to registration. You must registered by April 20th!

MENU PLAN YOUR BUTT OFF

Remember how I told you this challenge was a one-stop shop for guaranteed weight loss? Well, we’ve got you covered on the menu planning as well! Head on over to our Shrinking Kitchen and check out delicious, healthy recipes posted daily – all from the Sisterhood test kitchen. AND, every Sunday we post a full week’s worth of meals complete with a printable grocery shopping list. Slap your mama, it’s true!

READY, SET, GO!

So let’s get down to the fun part!! Go jump on your scales (okay, don’t really jump)! Peer down at that number and then kiss it goodbye. Yes, blow it a kiss goodbye because you will never see that number again! Grab a marker and write it on your mirror and then X it out. Throw it a going a away party where you only drink water and eat baby carrots! Celebrate the fact that you’re here and you’re ready to Spring In2 Action!

Now that you’ve bid farewell to that number, go blog about it. Blog about your goals for this challenge, your starting weight, your hopes and dreams! If you blog, come and share the link to your post in the comments section below. Be sure to click on over to some other Sisters’ sites and show your support!

Disclosure: We at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC are not a medical doctors, personal trainers, or nutritionists. Before starting any new weight loss or fitness regimen, please see your doctor and make sure you’re physically capable.