this might be helpful.

For seph and meredith and anyone else: Click here to see how to burn 500 calories in one workout.

P.S. I've also decided that I am going to take my measurements/stats (probably tomorrow) and then NOT weigh or measure myself again until the 30 days are up.

Sure, why not?

I'll give it a go. Let's do this thing! On January 2nd, of course.

I'm going to need to think about what exactly I am going to do to burn the 500. 500 is a lot, as I'm used to burning around 350-400 on my elliptical. And...day after day...the elliptical is going to start getting incredibly boring. School starts back up next week, so I'm going to need to be organized and creative with my workout plans. Must brainstorm.

I like taking Sundays off, and I'm very anxious to see what kind of results I'll get from this.

I guess I'll post all of my "before" stats when you do, Cass. If I have to.

after some thought...

I've come to these conclusions:

• This whole thing is going to start on January 2nd, not the first, because I am going to a New Year's Eve party hosted by two Brits and there's bound to be alcohol consumption galore. Working out the day after New Year's Eve? Not a good idea.
  
• Meredith is going to do this with me (I think). She'll be posting on here, too...I think. Anyone else want to join in the madness? I'll make you an author. Come on, it'll be fun.
  
• I am going to take Sundays off. This experiment will then cover 34 calendar days, but will include 30 days of exercise. I figure a girl's gonna need a break every now and then.
  

That's all for now! Happy New Year!

put on your lab coats.

So, I'm not making a New Year's resolution because I think they're stupid and they never work out.

I am, instead, going to conduct an experiment, a research study if you will, on the effects of burning 500 calories a day for 30 days straight. What will it do?

I'm going to find out.

Beginning January 1, 2009, I will commit myself to burning 500 calories each and every day in some form of exercise. My handy-dandy calorie-counting watch will be my reliability.

I don't plan on altering my eating habits too much, as they tend to be moderately healthy in the first place. I just want to see, quite simply, what burning an extra 15,000 calories a month will do to this 26-year-old, slightly overweight, currently sedentary body.

I will have the ugly "before" figures, measurements, and stats posted sometime between now and January 1st. I will also write a daily post of my activities, my successes, and my woes.

Sound crazy? It probably is. But if grad school taught me anything, it's that one will do anything in the name of research.

500 a day for 30 days. Can she do it?! We're gonna find out!