girljen

Guess I should introduce myself, since this is the Colorado thread... I'm Jen, born and raised in Aurora, lived in Jeffco for a while, worked in Boulder, now back in Aurora. Anyone else from my part of town? BTW, all you Thornton types, you should go to Rock'n & Jam'n (http://climbthebest.com/) and climb. It's super fun. In fact, I should go back there, too!

The dog's a female. She's about to go warm up with that red-caped dude's 1RM, too. I like my version of this image. Also, Deadlift in a Dress. I will make it happen.

(me, before) When I was a teenager, I discovered Earthbound. I immediately gravitated toward Paula, the small, weak girl who smacks enemies with a frying pan. Hey, I thought, I'm a small, weak girl too! And I don't know how to use a frying pan for its intended purpose either! But now I'm older. The day after this challenge ends, I'll be 32. I am wiser; I'm learning how to correctly use a frying pan and what sorts of deliciousness to fry in there. I'm also a little bit stronger. Much to my surprise and delight, I've discovered that I love lifting. I love feeling my body get strong, and I love the sense of accomplishment (and amusement) that comes from lifting something that I couldn't lift before. (me, currently) My Main Quest is to bench, squat, and deadlift 100 lbs. How? 1. Lift weights 3x/week. STR +3, STA +1 2. Figure out what the hell I'm doing. WIS +2, DEX +1 Right now, my programming consists of bench, squat, and deadlift, every other day, with sporadic recordkeeping (oops). I'm sure there's a better way. So, I will find it, and I will stick to it. Like I said, I don't know what I'm doing, so I'll find someone who does (Mark Rippetoe? Our very own Steve? A trainer?) and acquire some programming. I give myself until the end of Week 1 to find a program. 3. Eat all the powerups. CON +3, CHA +2, STR +1 I will eat whole, fresh foods. I will enjoy AT LEAST seven paleo meals per week, UP TO one sweet treet per week, and UP TO four alcoholic beverages per week, with a max of two per day. My Side Quest is this: I will crochet 30 granny squares per week. CHA +1, WIS +1 This blanket will be a Christmas present for my boyfriend. It consists of 361 granny squares. 30 squares per week will mean I get to 361 in late October, which will give me plenty of time for assembly and finishing. This challenge is heavily weighted toward what I eat. I'm only making a few small changes (2 fewer sweet treats per week and 4 fewer alcoholic beverages per week, plus an extra couple paleo meals), but they're important and I want to stick to them. My motivation is simple: I want to be strong. I want the mental toughness that comes from repetition, from pushing on after the motivation has gone. I want the physical toughness that comes from lifting heavy things and eating savory things. (me in the future, being all conscientious in spite of the fact that I'm putting up huge weight, because getting in shape isn't a one-time thing)

Here, I have a cat on a quest that you can borrow until you can stock up on memes:

Dude, you are hilarious! (also, good luck and stuff, and being able to type by sight is one of the best life hax ever)

I benched the bar...not just once, but 3 sets of 5. 15 TIMES!! This is HUGE in my world. I've never been able to bench the bar before! I remember getting laughed at in high school gym class...all the other girls could bench the bar, even the smaller and thinner ones. I also remember getting laughed at just a couple months ago at the rec center when I still couldn't bench the bar. :facepalm: So, I started bench presses with light dumbbells, then went to heavier dumbbells, then little 30lb. barbells, then little 40lb. barbells...and now, I can bench press the bar and it's amazing! This tells me that I really can get stronger, that just because I've been a weakling all my life doesn't mean I have to stay that way.

I've been there! It's an amazing feeling to feel your body get stronger, isn't it? GO FOR THREE!!

YES. But instead of running from my problems, I pick them up and put them down again to show my mastery.

Hooray! The longer you go, the easier it will get.

I save compliments. I have a journal on my computer. Whenever I get a compliment, I write it down (or copy/paste if it's from email). That way, when I'm not being kind to myself, I can read back and see things like "Nina said I'm a wonderful mom" and "Joe said that he loves working with me" and "Sue said I'm an amazing friend."

Oh. Hell. Yes. Bask in that awesomeness.

Whatever works, dude!! I remember my first time getting a tattoo. I got it just after my 18th birthday, on a dare, from my mom. (!!!!!) It's a teeny tiny yellow bird holding a little purple flower. I need to get it touched up, come to think of it.

Jim Henson. I'd thank him for Sesame Street. I'd compliment him for making the original Muppet Show, too...but as someone who was once a kid and once had a little kid (who is sadly outgrowing Sesame Street now), I'd like to show my gratitude.

OMFG. My daughter is six years old. She's in the 88th percentile for height and 91st percentile for weight, which means she's the size of an average eight-year-old. WHERE THE HELL ARE THE PLAY CLOTHES, SRSLY! Girl clothes are so impractical! I shop for my daughter's clothes when she's not there, so I can sneak over to the boys' section and get some decent shorts instead of skirts, and muscle shirts instead of spaghetti strap tanks. The kid has talked to me about body image a few times. She asks if I want to lose weight (nope), if I want a bikini body ("Any body with a bikini on it is a bikini body!"), and if I want to get rid of my stretch marks (no, I am indifferent to them).

Goal #1: Track all food intake This worked much better for me when I was younger and less frazzled. Still, I did it, and it pushed me toward mindfulness of what I eat. A: All days filled out B: 1-7 days missed C: 8-14 days missed F: More than 14 days missed CON 1.5, CHA .75* * What I eat affects how my skin looks...better food, and yes my skin is clearer! Goal #2: Complete the Beginner Bodyweight Circuit, as written, 3 times in a row OMG I DID IT!!! /,,/ ROCK It was way harder than I thought AND THEN I DID IT ANYWAY A: Exceed this goal by adding more reps/weight B: Meet this goal C: Stick to the plan but do not meet the goal F: Do not stick to plan STR 2.25, STA 2.25, DEX .75 Goal #3: Spend at least 20 minutes per day cleaning house, at least 5 days a week My house looks markedly different. My living room is huge. I didn't know that! LOL I always have clean dishes and clean laundry. A: Meet the time goal and see marked improvement in the appearance of my home B: Meet the time goal C: Miss 1-6 days F: Miss more than 6 days WIS 3, CHA 2

I'm finishing strong!! I completed three Beginner Bodyweight Circuits as written--that's one goal knocked out of the park! Honestly, that's the one I didn't think I'd be able to do. I've been tracking my food. It's not easy, it's tedious and it's not as good of motivation as it was when I was younger. This tells me I'll have to come up with a new way to keep myself mindful of what I eat. I've met my cleaning goals. My house looks markedly different, both from all that furniture moving, and from the 20 min. of picking up I now do every day. Now I'm thinking ahead. I know I want to lift more. I want to become a Warrior. Lifting is fun. Thank you, Succulents!

Go for a hike! Or even just a walk! Grab a camera, a bottle of water, and a dog if you have one. Find a trailhead or a greenbelt or an awesome neighborhood and walk. Take pictures if you see cool things. Change your route if you don't see cool things. And then, when you get back, download an internet blocker and start throwing down some words.

Yes! There's an older gentleman (70s, maybe?) at my gym who comes in and lifts every once in a while. He's usually leaving right as I'm coming in, so I see him stretching and cooling down...and then walking outta there *LIKE A BOSS* instead of shuffling or wobbling like so many people his age do due to poor health.

Bwahahahahahaha!! I love it!! And direrael, I get it. Sometimes the most annoying thing to hear is a conversation I didn't get a chance to back out of.