Soooo…remember when I said I was going to participate in the Whittle My Middle II challenge?
Well, as you can tell from my Whittle My Middle tab at the top of my page, I was not so successful in executing this goal of working out my abdominals 5 days a week for 5 minutes at a time.
In actuality, I didn’t work out my abs any more than I usually do in a given month. Oops!
I’ve been thinking about why I did not follow through on my January plans, and I’ve decided it boils down to something very simple. I just wasn’t committed. Things I really care about, I make time for.
Plus, I’m not so sure why I thought I should work my abs 5 days a week. I have nowhere near a six-pack, but I do have some super strong abs. Case in point: I can easily hold a plank for over 2 minutes.
While abdominal strength comes quite naturally to me, arm strength does not! I’ve come a long way by consistently strength training, but I am still really weak when it comes to doing pushups and pull-ups.
I have no hope for a future where a pull-up is possible, but pushups are something that I’ve always wanted to work on. I can do countless pushups on my knees, but I’m practically incapable of doing them on my toes.
[source]
So, when Katie @ Legally Fit to Wed suggested a pushup challenge, I signed right up! The challenge is very easy. Head on over to one hundred pushups and read about the program.
Its straightforward. Initially, do a test to see how many consecutive pushups you can do. (I can do ONE. Sad, I know.) Then the website gives you a daily workout plan that helps increase your pushup abilities.
So, the Pushup Challenge has officially replaced Whittle My Middle! Let’s hope I can stick with this one. If you’re interested in joining in the challenge, swing by Katie’s blog and let her know. 
***
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Stoneyfield sent me some coupons so I could sample some Oikos products. I had a blast sampling the different flavors. Of the flavors I tried (plain, vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, and honey), plain was by far my favorite. I loved it! The tangy taste and thick texture was out-of-this-world good.
*Note: I thought that the other flavors of Oikos were decent. A bit too sugary for my taste though. I probably wouldn’t buy them again. However, I would buy the plain in a heartbeat!
I used plain Oikos as a breakfast bar accompaniment.
I made an avocado/Greek yogurt/garlic spread.
And I ate it for dessert.
The Good:
The nutrition stats for the plain Greek yogurt are amazing!
1 cup contains-
130 calories
0 grams fat
9 grams sugar
23 grams protein
plus a slew of vitamins and minerals
The Bad:
Unfortunately, a great product comes at a great price. A pint of Oikos Greek yogurt (a 2 cup serving) sells for about $3.99 at my local grocery store. Whoa! That is a stretch for my graduate student budget.
Fortunately, after my first Oikos purchase, my grocery store gave me a $1 off coupon at the check out. Each time I’ve bought more yogurt, a new Stonyfield/Oikos coupon has printed out with my receipt. The Stonyfield website also offers coupons if you sign up here.
The Bottom Line:
Whenever I can find a good deal, I will be snatching up some plain Oikos!
Thanks for the coupons, Stonyfield!
***
I’m signing off for the night!
Random question: How many consecutive pushups can you do?
love the challenge!!
doing 20 consecutive *real* push ups was actually one of my goals for the new year =) and so far, i’m already at TEN!! i can’t believe it, haha. i also could only do them on my knees. i think what helped was doing other forms of strength training on my arms – like with free weights. once i built some muscle, i was more able to do the real push ups. just a thought! good luck =)
I can do…0 pushups! Good luck
maybe ill try the challenge! Ive been wanting to try oikos but my grocery store doesnt carry it yet!
I knowwww….Greek yogurt comes with a serious price tag!! But, it’s worth it. I love the stuff! I am a huge fan of the honey…it’s by far my favorite. I need to sweeten the plain up, otherwise it just tastes like a thick sour cream to me :-/
I think I can do about 30 push-ups (modified) and 3-4 (real push-ups)…100 sounds like a LOT!!!
Hey. Thanks for the coupon link! Right now, I can do about 50 consecutive push ups (real push ups). I am on the beginning of week 4 of the 100 pushup program, so I am doing around 120 – 160 pushups a day within 5 sets. When I started I could do 21 real pushups, so I’m a column 3 girl. It’s really effective! I’m starting to see some nice tone. And the best part will be at the end of the program when I challenge my boyfriend to a pushup competition, drop down, and then leave his ass in the dust! That’s been some really good motivation, besides just wanting to better myself. Good Luck. I’m sure you will do great!
Are those mint chocolate chips on your yogurt?!? I’ve never seen those!
Good luck on the pushup challenge! Can’t wait to read along
Apparently the arm strength is not necessarily genetic:) I can do 40 push ups, real ones. Go sister!
None! I cannot do a full pushup. I even have a hard time doing them on my knees. I need to work out some muscles that aren’t being worked out, I guess.
I think some of the flavored yogurts are too sweet too. I do like vanilla though.
What a great challenge Lily!
I can maybe (on a good day) crank out 3 push-ups but only 1 of which is somewhat close to “proper form” according to my bulging bicep-ed brother:)
I can do at least 20 I think. How’s about we trade, my arms for your abs?
very awesome challenge. I think I could do 10-15 push- ups in all honesty. i could 20 if there was a small break. haha. Id love to build up though. Sounds like fun! I love greek yogurt. How good is it, right?! Your yogurt and avocado spread looks amazing girl. I hope you have a great day!
I’m exactly like you- ab work comes so easily but whenever I work my arms I feel like they’re going to fall off! I’ve gotten better though, I think I can do 30 consecutive push-ups
I can do 5…my weak body was once strong.
Glad you enjoyed the yogurt! I know it’s a bit pricy but my grocery store now carries greek yogurt made by “brown cow” and it’s like a dollar cheaper WITHOUT the coupon and the lid offers a buy 2 get one free coupon!!!
You can hold a plank for two minutes?! That’s intense! Pretty soon you will be banging out 20 pushups
Don’t you just love greek yogurt? There are so many ways to eat it! For Superbowl Sunday, I got a container of plain chobani and mixed in a packet of ranch seasoning to make a healthier veggie dips. My friends thought it tasted even better than the store bought stuff! Your dessert picture looks so tasty.
As for pushups, I can prob do about 15 now with good form. I want to get to 30! Thanks for posting about the challenge
Boy push-ups….um…10! I totally suck!! haha!
love greek yog! i have one just about everyday! I always snag so many because chobani always goes on sale 10/10 dollars!
on another note WHAT are those chocolate chips on your yog?!?! green and black!? they look awesome!
push ups? if we are talking no knees then I think i can do about I can do about 15 or 17 consecutive and I work on this ALL the time!! my goal is to do no assisted pull up!
you asked about the kombucha dangers…I did a little researcha nd to be honest there was no written research that showed that it caused more harm than good. In my opinon, I think it is ok in moderation. You do have to be careful because it is a bacteria that is put through a fermentation process, just like beer or wine. If you were to drink it and exeprience any uneasyness or upset stomach I would say stop, but in modertion and the fact that it is ok with my stomach, I do enjoy it!
dark chocolate and mint chips! SO GOOD. Especially with plain Oikos!
I can probably do like 3 pushups. My arms are so weak!
I tried greek yogurt for the first time ever this morning! I was proud of myself! But it is pricey.
I do enjoy Oikos but like you said it is expensive
I don’t do pushups..
I LOVE your enthusiasm for the plugs.. too funny. And the PLAIN (bleh) greek yogurt for that matter. I really only like it as a sour cream replacement in my chili or on my potatoes but certainly not with those lovely looking chocolate and mint chips.
I also bombed the whittle my middle challenge and unfortunately I have NO ab muscles so I could have benefited greatly. Good luck on your pushup challenge. I think I can do about 5.
Gelareh, this response cracked me up! What do you mean you don’t do pushups?
I’ve been working on my “real” pushups and I can now do about 25 in a row! Of course, the last few aren’t too pretty…
I’ve never tried Oikos, but I’m curious as to how it compares to Fage Greek Yogurt, which is the only yogurt I buy.
What do you think? Did you like it better than Fage?
[...] Anyone doing the 100 Pushup Challenge? I busted out 10 this morning! Pretty much amazing, considering two weeks ago I could do a total [...]
Can someone actually post some useful info please? All I see is “I just stared the program and can do X amount of push-ups.” Or “Yeah I can do X amount of push-ups.” etc. To be honest with you, no one cares how many you can do. And good for you if you started the program but again, no one cares that did. This is supposed to be a “Push-up Challenge” review. For those of you who are doing it, can you post your results as you go? Post your initial test results, some progress results and the final test results? Thanks!
[...] and it’s quite tasty. At $2.50 the price is a bit outlandish though. And I thought Oikos was expensive! Also, before trying this grapefruit flavor, be mindful that it tastes quite a [...]