Jo2926

Day 2 - pretty good. Water and Fruit - TICK (play group with baby, and we have bread and fruit for snack so had lots of different tiny pieces of fruit!) Evening meal - huge cottage pie with loads of veg, including mashed carrot and swede on top instead of potatoes and a generous portion in the freezer for next week. Also, meditation and journal on track.

And we're off! I'm off to a flying start (GO ME!). First day - Ate a banana on my porridge for breakfast. Double win in that its the first time in weeks I've eaten something resembling breakfast (rather than random handfuls of rubbish! After lunch we went out for a walk - about half hour to the shops, wandered around, was given a free pumpkin, came home. Made sausage and mushroom bake thing with brown rice for tea. And got a small portion in the freezer. Should have been a big portion, but it was yummy so both me and hubby had a big portion for our teas :-) Drank water throughout the day and filled in my journal before bed :-) Pretty pleased with that

I used to do a lot of batch cooking - a full day once a month, but since baby I just don't have the time. So maybe this gradual step will help :-)

I love your third quest - especially when I got to the twist about the treadmill. I know you can do this - and I'll be cheering you on the whole way :-)

WOW - what a challenge. Love how you have set it out. I was really liking the sound of the though mudder too, until I heard the word electrocution!! I'd love to be that bad ass, but may have to wait until the baby is a little bit older!

Hi Sylvaa - thanks for your words. I guess I am being harsh on myself, but was just really shocked to see how much I've put on since she was born. It brought home to me how much I'm not eating properly. I might do as you suggest - but another idea I had today was to cook one "proper" meal every week, and put a portion or 2 in the freezer for the week after. So next week I'll be able to then have two proper meals. And so on. Hopefully with changes to the food then I might stand a chance of losing/maintaing. The thought going through my mind at the moment is - unless I change something how am I ever going to loose?! This week I was contemplating a large cottage pie - with loads of veg and lentils. And maybe swede/carrot mash instead of potatoes.

Hi Smyrnian I'm trying to eat fruit and veg everyday to get some nutrients - I'm breast feeding and failing to look after myself at all. I focus entirely on baby and then grab rubbish for myself. Its an amalgamation of 2 goals I had last time which worked really well for me, so want to consolidate them. i totally agree about number 2 - but can't think of anything better at the moment :-(

Who am I? - Jo, aged 35, 8 month old baby, in worst shape of my life! What am I trying to do? - Lose weight and get fit. I have regained all the weight I lost whilst pregnant (yes you read that correctly!) and would like to start moving back down the clothes sizes before I return to work. I also want to set a good example for my daughter. ​What are my goals for this challenge? I'm not quite mentally or physically ready to jump headlong into full clean eating and exercises. I also just do not have time. I'm full time pumping to feed baby (30 mins 8 times a day) and the rest of the time I'm looking after baby and trying to maintain a house. So its baby steps for now. Quest 1 - Keep Adding the Good Stuff (4 CON 1 WIS) Building on my success of last challenge I will drink 2l of water each day, and have some fresh fruit or veg. These were goals from last challenge and I want to keep them up. Quest 2 - Feed the Mummy (And the Freezer) (1 DEX, 2 CON 1STA) My goal here is to eat more nutritious food, more often. The more good I eat the less opportunity there is for the bad. But time is not on my side and I often get too overwhelmed to eat properly. Poor excuse - but the truth! So, for the duration of the challenge I will aim to: 1) Cook and eat one 'proper' meal per week (i.e. some sort of meat with veg) 2) Make more than I need so at least one portion goes in the freezer for next week 3) Eat one meal out of the freezer each week 4) Have the ingredients in the house for husband to make one proper meal per week. This should mean I have at least 3 good evening meals a week - a massive improvement! I'm awarding some dexterity points here - fitting it in will mean some nimble footwork around the baby and my feeding schedule which is intense, some constitution - bound to help my health, and some Stamina - because I'll need to push through and cook when I really really really want to snooze!! Quest 3 - Keep on Moving (3 STA 2 STR) I will do some kind of exercise 3 times a week - it can be anything at all as long as its actual exercise for 20mins or more. I will mainly do the bodyweight workout and walking I think - but may get inspired!! Side Life Quest (1 WIS) Meditate or fill in my journal everyday Quest 2 seems the least specific - so I may decide to amend this as we get into the challenge, as I'm not really sure how I will lose this weight! I just cannot think of the right goal, which is one I know that I am emotionally and physically ready to commit to. All ideas welcome!! So here goes!! Edited - to make goal 2 better :-)

So final tally and grades: Quest 1 - Hydration (Grade A awarded 2CON) Drink at least 2l of water a day. I nailed this one everyday - and feel much better for it too. The last week has been harder as out of my routine, so ended up having to drink a full glass at a time during the evening rather than a small amount every hour during the day. So when I get home I need to get back into the routine and keep this one going. Quest 2 - Nourishment (Grade A - awarded 2 CON) Eat at least one portion of fresh fruit and veg everyday Again I've managed this - some days have been hard and I've had to force myself to eat a banana or something simple, but other days I've even managed green smoothies again (used to love these before I got pregnant). Quest 3 - Get Moving (Grade C+ awarded 2 STA) Go for a walk of some kind at least 3 times a week This one did not do well! I managed a couple of times a week, but not great walks, sometimes just to the shops. This last week whilst I've been on holiday has been great, walking almost everyday for over an hour. This is the kind of thing I had in mind for the whole challenge. But its not a complete failure so I'm going to give myself a C+ and 2 of the 3 points allocated. Side Life Quest (Grade B awarded 0.5 WIS) Tidy the house a little everyday. Just a few minutes to chip away at the grime! I actually did really well on this until I went on holiday! The house is certainly getting more organised. So I'm going to give myself a B. And only penalise myself for not planning properly this side quest LOL. I'll award 0.5 of the point. So there we have it. First challenge back complete. Could have been better but I'm ready for the next one - and hoping to interact a bit more. I felt odd starting half way with this one, so being in from the start should be better. Focus for next task will def be exercise and eating so gearing up now :-)

Time for another update - water and fruit and veg going well. The walking is about the same (although I managed a 3 hour walk in the forest yesterday). The house cleaning is not happening as I'm on holiday so not possible to tidy - really should have thought that one through. I don't feel like I've achieved an awful lot this challenge but at least my mindset is changing for the better. Hopefully I'll be more involved with the next challenge

I hadn't thought about indoor walking - again might look at that for next time. Seems like cheating to change now as I really had envisioned getting out in the fresh air with baby! But next time I can be more realistic

This weeks review - still all going great except the walking. Finding it so hard to fit in. I have to pump milk every 2.5 hours, so it has to fit in between these windows. And its just not fitting in. I'm regretting this as a goal and wishing I had said just some exercise 3 times a week - as I'm starting to think that the body weight workout might work better for me and easier to fit in. Something to think about for the next challenge perhaps. In the meantime I will try really hard this next week to get in 3 walks - my parents are coming for the week and not sure if this will make it easier or harder!!

So I've been terrible at updating, but doing really well - especially with goal 1 and 2. Hit them everyday. Struggling with walk, twice a week only, its just hard to get timing right between pumping/baby sleeping/weather and feeling like it! Going to keep trying though

Thats all we can do isn't it?

So first day, and good start! Water bottle has been dug out of the cupboard and drank half at every pump (I am feeding baby exclusively through pumped milk). A walk with the baby on the beach at sunset and fruit for snack time for us both. I even managed to fold some nappies and clean the kitchen up a bit. The first days are always easiest though!!

So, been away from the rebellion for quite some time - having a baby and generally loosing any semblance of fitness I had! I'm back, midway through a challenge, but going to throw myself in head first. I'm keeping my goals simple, and whilst they look easy since having the baby I've stopped looking after myself completely. Quest 1 - Hydration (2CON) Drink at least 2l of water a day. Quest 2 - Nourishment (2 CON) Eat at least one portion of fresh fruit and veg everyday Quest 3 - Get Moving (3 STA) Go for a walk of some kind at least 3 times a week Side Life Quest (1 WIS) Tidy the house a little everyday. Just a few minutes to chip away at the grime! With only 3.5 weeks left I'm going to allow myself a possible 8 of the usual 15 stat points. I've added them in brackets. So, here I go!

Hi everyone! I'm still here and still going strong....ish Spent some time in hospital over the weekend, nothing too serious but have to see a neurologist because of loss of feeling in my right side. Its probably connected with me M.E. but they have to rule other things out, so taking it easy on the exercise. Still doing workouts, but only pushing it about 65%. Glad everyone seems to be doing well. Week 2 now - so maybe time for a mini challenge??

OH NO. On the jerky - gutting. Great job with the workout when you wanted to play with the new OS - I dare not download it. I hear its different and I don't like change!!

Not going well? Thats true - its going EPIC. I am amazed at how much will power you have shown. You are do so well. I'm with darkfoxx though and my head is exploded on your behalf at the stupidity of this company and the incompetence of your credit card firm.

"I'm also sardonic, foul-mouthed, and occasionally hilarious." Thats the best description ever. I'd love to be that cool!

Good to hear everyone's story. Knowing why we are here I think makes it easier to focus on the changes we want and to motivate each other better - GREAT IDEA! Me. I'm 33, married and no kids (but desperately trying. In fact I almost put it down as a goal LOL). I work in an office, stressful job, long hours, and have signed a million confidentiality clauses to never be allowed to speak of the evil place. Heath wise I have M.E. which means my body does not always do as I ask it to, and I suffer from extreme fatigue and pain most of the time. Eating right and exercise help though, and I am extremely stubborn so often push through the pain and sometimes make myself ill-er. In my spare time I'm into new age type stuff, and I teach workshops in stuff like meditation, herbal craft, sacred dance, and bushcraft and the like. Which makes my difficulty with my daily meditation goal very ironic.... I came to nerd fitness because I found everyone here so normal, and cool, and supportive. All the other web sites I looked at seemed very judegmental and I love that here, as long as you try your best, you can be one of the cool kids. Ultimate fitness goal is to make it into the man section of the gym - but thats some way away yet! And thats me......

Well the doms are easing a little - but still wince a little everytime I sit down! Decided I wasn't up to the gym yet, but wanted to do some exercise to get the muscles moving again, so I did 2 rounds of a modified body weight workout. (I couldn't do a full squat but I went down as far as I could without needing to scream and I replaced the jumping jacks with 10 kettlebell swings). Again it made me realise how much I need to do to get back where I was - I struggled with a 15 second plank, and the push ups on my knees were challenging. Stretching - done 5 mins after the workout, and going to do some more later. Going to do some research now on stretching routines for mobility to see what would be best to do. Food - not too good today, made a few poor choices, but stuck away from the banned items so technically I get a tick. Got my water in too, and plenty of fruit and veg. Meditation challenge - just not happening. But trying not to stress. I'll try and start that at the weekend.

The cravings will pass I'm sure. When I gave up sugar it was hell for a week, then fine. And after a month the thought of it made me sick. Hang on in there!

They are very cool! I'm sure they'll love em

Another excellent day! RAWR!! (Is there a history to the RAWRing?!)