sugarwaffle

Hey all, sorry I didn't end up following through on this challenge so much. I hope you are all doing well . I've made a lot of changes recently that I have let get in the way, so I'll have to start up again on the next challenge. I'm still on track with my weight loss goals, so I am not very worried! I've started snowboarding recently and it's super fun! On a side note, I subscribed to this thread and all of the team members' and I never get updates for them for some reason :\.

Update: So, my plans did not work out so well last week due to the whole moving deal, as predicted by Jeloc/Adam. I did not have nearly the time I'd expected and my priorities weren't in the right place. Basically, last week was a wash BUT I am going to continue on anyway because it's fun and I need to state stuff like this stuff publicly to make myself stay on track. Goal 1 Progress: I really didn't do so badly last week with this goal. I didn't stop to quantify what I ate, but I also didn't feel guilty about my eating. Goal 2 Progress: 0% although I didn't miss my circuit training so I still got in exercise for the week Goal 3 Progress: 0% my spotter backed out and I am not sure how to deal with this when it comes to weight training. Goal 4 Progress: 0% Blargh.

How did I never think of lining the tin with bacon? :\ Mind blown.

Adam and Jeloc, I am just packing right now, I've been at it for about 3/4 hours and almost done . I move on Sunday sometime in the afternoon I guess. I have let my goals fall by the wayside actually, so I am going to have to make them up over the next three days which is going to be tough, I think I can do it actually. Here's my plan: Thursday: 30 minutes voice, 30 minutes skating/swimming, first day at the Y with weights Friday: 30 minutes voice, 30 minutes skating/swimming, circuit training (light on weight/high cardio) Saturday: 30 minutes voice, 30 minutes skating/swimming, second day at the Y with weights I don't think it will be too hard on my body but I am going to have to eat more healthy food to make up for it I guess! Progress: Goal 1 Progress: This one is tough...1 peanut butter cookie (< 100 calories) last night, 1 large brownie tonight (? calories) + mini eggs (< 200 calories) and the more stressed or tired I am at night the more likely I am to cave because they're there and I don't have to think about it. Blah. I still don't feel like I've been too bad in this regard so I am not feeling terrible. Goal 2 Progress: Wasn't able to space out the skating/swimming this week. Based on my swimming on Saturday, I would really like to work on technique, that breathing stuff is hard. I might also be going snowboarding on Saturday, so looking forward to that. Goal 3 Progress: I feel almost guilty that they cut down the membership fee from $56/month to $16/month for me because I look poor on paper. Woo! Going Thursday and Saturday for sure. Goal 4 Progress: Had to miss my voice lesson Monday night due to a friend emergency. I can still get this done easily in the next 3 days.

I'm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada which you've already read likely .

Hey team, I hope you don't mind but my friend developed this site and is looking for people to contribute/use it and I thought you might be interested: www.rippedrecipes.com He's put a lot of work into making it useful, so check it out .

Update: Goal 1 Progress: I feel like I am doing really well on the eating sweets moderately. I had 1/2 cup ice cream and a couple more cookies but I didn't go insane at all. Good news, I have actually found a place to live not with my sister and her husband and so this won't be as much of a problem anymore. It's downtown and also within walking distance of the gym and everything else, so my life is soon going to get a hell of a lot easier. Yay! I am going to save 60 hours per month almost just because I won't be commuting 3 hours per day. Goal 2 Progress: I went skating for an hour yesterday and brought a friend along for the bonus. Then I went swimming at the Y for half an hour. Did about 1.5 hours worth of walking. I think I've fulfilled that goal fairly well this week, but I would prefer to space it out more this coming week. Goal 3 Progress: Applied for aid to get my membership cost cut down, luckily I was a poor student last year so my income tax return is really low. I am nervous about starting lifting, I persuaded my friend to come and spot me when I go this week. Goal 4 Progress: Practicing voice tonight and recording it, going to try to do a song well enough that I am willing to post it for others to listen to... Other News: Went to swing lessons last night, it was a blast! I am definitely going every week once I move downtown. So excited.

Goal 1 Progress: So I've already failed on that front as of Wednesday for this week. I ate... more than 2 small peanut butter cookies. I couldn't stop. Yesterday was good though because yet again I didn't go home! No sugary snacks beyond one coconut-flavoured Jelly Belly. I've really tried to focus on not punishing myself if I eat something bad and just continuing on with healthy eating habits afterwards. Conclusion: avoid my home if I don't want to eat horrible things. Goal 2 Progress: It got warmer the day after I created my goal. No skating outside. I am going to make up for it by going to an arena tomorrow and doing an hour of skating and then an additional form of exercise at the Y for another 30 minutes. After this week, I'll substitute in walking, jogging, swimming, or some other form of cardio for skating if I can't do it because the ice has melted. Goal 3 Progress: I applied for a free day pass for the Y and haven't heard anything back yet. I want to go tomorrow so I have to call them today to check. My friend suggested that I show them my income tax return to get a reduced rate (because I was a poor student last year ) but I feel almost guilty about it, have any of you ever done this? I started reading the powerlifting forums but I still have no idea how to start. So I have to get on that tonight. Goal 4 Progress: Got in 30 minutes of voice practice on Wednesday night at least, recorded myself and the microphone makes it sound so clear ! Will practice again tonight and tomorrow.

Sorry all, I've been busy recently! AdamAllen: I am the same way on the cycle of deprivation <> overindulgence and my drink intake is only at <= 3 small/medium drinks per day (with less than a tbsp agave). I think I might be ok. As for my family members, they just taunt me with the food and tell me not to eat it if I don't want to, which is super difficult when it's sitting on the counter. My entire family has eating issues and I am the only one who actually tries to control mine anymore, I am actually concerned for their health :\. MasterOfCows: I am learning classical/opera, I am a soprano. Right now working on Caro Mio Ben and other Italian songs. Voice lessons are expensive, so you have to be pretty committed to do it. Jeloc: ...I would be down for trying that! I really need to follow my own thread, I have been paying attention to all of yours via email and not my own.

Hi again team. Nice post Jeloc! In other news, my sister just made 5 dozen cookies apparently, I don't want to go home. This is going to hurt.

Goal 1 Progress: Did not go home last night and therefore did not eat sugary snacks. My meals yesterday consisted of egg-white omelette with fresh veggies, cooked chicken breasts and frozen mediterranean veggies, apples, vanilla fruit and yogurt parfait, and a chicken burger with bun (a little too much protein, but pretty good). My straight sugar intake consisted of the tbsp of hot chocolate I put in my coffee. Question: I was wondering if I should include the sugar/agave nectar I put in my hot beverages in my sweet snack category? Revision: I really want to make the calories for each snack 300 because I like to buy the small cups of chocolate peanut butter Haagen-Dazs (310 calories) but I don't actually think that's reasonable :\. Goal 2 Progress: None - I will have to skate for the next 3 nights probably, this one is looking like it might be more difficult. Goal 3 Progress: I checked out the local YMCA this morning and it's about $56/month and I get 4 personal training sessions for $175. The whole facility has been renovated recently and it's really close to where I work so I think I might go there. Getting a free day pass so I can check it out Friday/Saturday morning and then make my decision based on that. I'll have to start reading powerlifting information more in depth so I can figure out how to get started because I am not sure if I can afford the $175 right away. Goal 4 Progress: Bought a Blue Yeti microphone for my voice lessons ($119) ! I am now much more excited to start practicing so I can actually hear what I sound like (the Mac's built-in microphone is awful) I will have to make sure I put in practice time for the next 3 nights. I might start posting some videos of my singing (the stuff that isn't completely terrible). I am still ecstatic about this whole thing, yay! RLRP Points Goal 1: +3 CON Goal 2: +3 DEX +2 STA Goal 3: +3 STR +2 DEX Goal 4: +2 CHA Character and Points Halfling Adventurer Level 1 STR - 2 DEX - 3 STA - 3 CON - 3 WIS - 3 CHA - 1

I understand what you're saying about that. What do you think of this? Goal 1 (revised) : 2 "reasonable" servings of any of the following sugary snack items per week (cookies, cake, rice krispie squares, chocolate/bars, ice cream, beverages etc ). All other snacks must be deemed healthy, basically meaning not containing processed/refined ingredients (which is what I eat normally anyway). Would adding something like weight, calories, or fat content for the snack be a good idea in order to define reasonable?

Hi Team! I am excited to get started and get to know you all . My biggest challenges will be finding time to do everything I want to do (I need to make a schedule tonight) and avoiding looking in the cupboards where my sister and her husband keep their delicious food (I wonder if they'll care if I put pictures on their cupboards to remind myself not to go in them?).

I had this moment last night where I was mowing down on rice krispie squares that "I" had made with a friend and realized that I needed some help to be held somewhat accountable for my actions. I hope I am not too late to join the challenge. I haven't had a chance to read everything on here but I figured I should jump in asap. Hi, my name is Emily! Background: I am 27 years old. I'm 5'4, 155lbs, and ~28% bf. I am a software engineer at a small company in Ottawa, ON so I sit on my butt most of the day. At the moment I am going to circuit training with my co-workers 3 days out of the week and really enjoying that, I've already noticed some great improvements (I can do full push-ups now!). I enjoy the social aspects of it also. I recently read the article on Staci's transformation (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/) and became inspired by that. I've always wanted to focus on becoming stronger and more cut and not just on being skinny but I haven't really had any direction and lack people in my life with similar interests. I don't want to do this alone, and so I am here. My biggest problem with becoming more fit and healthy is the eating part because I absolutely love exercising. I've always been super active but I've also always loved to bake cookies, breads, and cheesecakes etc. I eat really well during the day at work, but when I get home I cannot resist eating terrible sugary food after 8 or 9pm. I live with my sister and her husband who eat exactly everything that I shouldn't and so I end up stealing their horribly-delicious-but-terrible-for-me snack foods that I would never buy for myself. Goal 1: Only eat one snack item (1 serving size) of food, not purchased and prepared by myself, at home each week. (Not sure of a better way to make this measurable, if you have any ideas please let me know) ( Since it's really really cold here at the moment and there's an outdoor skating rink around the block from my house. Goal 2: Go skating for 30 minutes, 3 times per week. Bonus: Get one person to go skating with me at least 1 time per week. In terms of moving forward with working out, I am going to look for a gym where I can get into powerlifting as the gym I am at currently does not support this type of activity (luckily my boss pays for most of that membership). Goal 3: Get a gym membership at a place that has free weights within this current week and then start attending said gym at least 2 times per week for the next 5 weeks. I take voice lessons once a week and attend choir but I rarely make time to practice. Goal 4: Practice singing for 30 minutes, 3 times per week I need to read more on the real life role playing stuff so I will update my goals with those later tonight.