puddletheduck

I've made some updates to my goals and grading system (in my first post of this thread), for the purposes of realism and incentive. I won't be allowing myself any further adjustments, though!

Thanks for the great advice Well I've been travelling and busy dog-sitting the past week so I've not had time to post, but my challenge has actually gone very well. My PT friend has given me a new way of planning my calories that works WITH my inconsistency instead of against it. Basically, I have high-calorie days (2000) on training days, low (1700) the day after and medium (1800) on any other day. So far (since Monday 29th) I've stuck to it 100%. It suits me to have variety rather than endlessly eating the same number of calories. Plus it's supposed to be a more effective way of eating anyway in terms of dropping fat, and I already feel a lot happier and a little slimmer I will undoubtedly fall off the wagon again at some point (hopefully temporarily), but this seems a more realistic approach for me than aiming for one strict calorie limit every day. I'm starting on that marathon Teros mentioned by planning the next 2 months in advance and being stricter about not taking on too much work or life in general, so I don't get overwhelmed and turn to cake/pastry/cheese.

Going is the main thing. Even if you don't stay long, you've gone and done what you can. Sometimes you might click into it and do more than you expected, other times you might just do a bit. But, like you said, at least you'll have gone. I can empathise with the over-thinking thing. I guess it depends what you're overthinking, but maybe concentrating on focusing on one day at a time will help? Congrats for avoiding junk food when things felt tough!

Thanks! I've got very cross with myself and have used this as a big opportunity to refocus. Thanks

That must be hard relying on other people to eat right, but it sounds like you're doing well and making some good plans!

This workout sounds amazing and sooooooooooooo much fun!! Consider it vanished. The world can cope without the occasional Thursday Plus, what's eaten is forgotten - it can't be changed - so there's no point dwelling on it.

Well done on your second week! Sounds a good, solid week, and well done for working around giving blood

Well this week has been a total disaster. I have been eating like a total idiot - some very stupid binges - and I've failed to stick to all of my quests. I haven't been to the gym all week, one time because of a genuine mix-up about a class, but really I should have done something else seeing as I couldn't do the class. My hip issue has been discouraging, but I still could have carried on working around it. The good thing is that I have learnt something important: that I really, really need to plan better, stop trying to do too much, take on less work, and actively make time to plan and prepare healthy food. I think I am too much of an optimist and assume I'll be able to deal with obstacles with only a vague plan, and then when I start to go off the rails I bury my head in the sand (or the pizza). So, as things stand, my tallies are: Calories: 7/14 days Gym sessions: 4/8 days 10 portions of fruit and veg: 7/14 days If I am perfect from now until the end of the challenge, I can still get a C grade overall. This week I had friends visit basically all week interspersed with an insane work deadline (when I was already drained from working hard long term), which is what I allowed to derail me. For the rest of the challenge, I will have other potential derailments, including quite a bit of travelling (which can be a problem as I get tempted to snack while I drive). I KNOW I can be controlled and sensible and not allow the travelling etc to derail me. I just need to be more planned and measured in the rest of my life and not allow work or anything else to overwhelm me. The good thing is that I'm freelance and, after 2 months of needing to work extremely hard, I can dial things back a bit for the rest of the year. So, summary: have been an idiot. Will attempt to stop being an idiot and have a decent rest of challenge.

Greetings, guru warriors. Just saying hi, as I'm doing my first challenge so currently in the Level 1 forum. However, I'm already looking forward to joining your guild for the next challenge! I lift heavy and eat pretty much constantly (5-6 small meals a day) so I'm hoping I'll feel right at home here I've been lifting for about 16 months and I'm currently 3 weeks into a 15-week programme aiming to increase my 3RMs. Currently stuck on week 3 as I have a minor hip injury so I can't squat (noooooooo what is life without squats?!!) but I'm seeing progress already, and I'm substituting leg press until my hip heals, in the hope of not losing leg strength. I have an amazing ex-PT friend who introduced me to lifting heavy and designs my programmes for me. When I started lifting last year, I effectively had a free PT and spotter 100% of the time, so I was able to make progress fast. I'm now two counties away from that friend so I lift on my own and can't safely go so heavy, but I'm still pushing myself hard If everything goes to plan, by the end of my programme I should have increased my 3RMs from 56 to 80kg for squats, 35.5 to 41.5kg for bench and 40.5 to 49kg for barbell rows. For context, I weigh just over 70kg. I struggle badly with consistency. When I'm working hard and eating right, I do both pretty damn well, but then I'll fall off the wagon for a week or a month and lose ground. My major goal at the moment is just to get more consistent so the hard work I do actually shows!!! Right, enough typing. Time for meal #4 of the day.

I like that you've been realistic about your goals and set your weight loss goal at a level you feel is realistic I agree with you that snacking can be a minefield. I've pretty much given up on fixed meals now and tend to eat 5-6 small meals a day. Result: I'm never hungry and my metabolism is happy. But that's just what works for me Good luck and enjoy your challenge!

Woot! Go you! It's so empowering when your brain starts to want not to eat healthy things. And also makes the process much easier, as (at least for me) when I feel like I'm fighting my brain all the time it gets exhausting. Keep it up!

Go you eating ALL THE THINGS!! Gaining the freedom to JUST DAMN EAT is so liberating! And I'm totally with you on the wanting muscles to show more. I was doing tricep pull-downs at the gym today and noticed a hint of a muscle I've never seen before. So excited!! I also on occasion discover new veins and get excited about them too Oh yes absolutely - even when I was vegan I would always make sure I had protein with my meals. It's so filling - I don't know how people get through the day without it! I get attacks of simmering rage (massive childish sulks for hours on end in which all my brain can focus on is plotting the violent downfall of everyone I dislike and the world in general) if I don't feel satisfied by what I've eaten, and good-quality protein is such an easy way to get that feeling without going crazy with calories!

I love that badass feeling! Today at the gym I asked a guy if he was using a bar someone set up for rows* and he laughed and said no and he probably couldn't even lift it. Then he said "But you're probably going to show me how, now, aren't you!" Erm... no... we worked out there was about 70kg on it, so I said I could do about half that. But it was nice he seemed to have noticed that I lift heavy and seemed impressed I'm definitely with you on the sweat-feel-good thing... I'm very suspicious of any workout that hasn't made me sweat... it somehow doesn't seem like it can have done any good! Probably why I don't get on well with things like pilates, though they'd probably do me a lot of good. * And then abandoned without putting away - HATE it when people do that, especially in my gym, as it's small so if it looks like someone's using something and you don't know if/when they're coming back, there's often no backup equipment to use Thank you! They were tough days. Intensive, detailed, fiddly editing all day and evening with breaks only for gym, eating and maintaining a vaguely decent level of hygiene At one point I'd run out of saucepans (and I don't have a microwave) so I was heating milk in a saucepan as I didn't have time to wash up The bonus, though, is that as I'm freelance I can now award myself four days off, which I'm super-excited about as I also have a good friend coming to stay Still on a roll with this challenge - full marks so far! And my hip is showing signs of getting very slowly better now abstaining from squats.

I used to work as a children's bookseller and I sometimes work out in this tshirt that was sent by the publisher for marketing the Series of Unfortunate Events books (Lemony Snickett). It gets me some odd looks sometimes

OMG I've just had to look up muggle quidditch on Wikipedia - do you really play on little brooms like in the picture? That's so awesome! Your weekly goals sound great - sensible and healthy and some good habits Don't beat yourself up though if you don't manage 1-3 pull ups within this challenge (apologies if I'm misunderstanding and that's not actually your goal). I don't mean to be discouraging at all - doing a pull up is a brilliant thing to aim for! - but if you currently can't begin to lift yourself it might take you a bit longer (possibly a lot longer) than 6 weeks to get your first full pull up. But you can certainly do plenty of groundwork in the six weeks, and I should think the bodyweight workout will help to train the muscles you need for pull ups. Like I say, I REALLY don't want to be discouraging It's a brilliant goal, just don't be disappointed or down on yourself if it takes longer than 6 weeks Good luck and have fun with your challenge!

I'm near Glastonbury Exciting to know there are other NFers out there in reality!

Subbing because I haven't seen the word "cheesemonger" in years and it made my day Also huge respect for you for starting to tackle your depression issues, and for starting this challenge amidst ups and downs in your life. I'm just coming to the end of the process of getting divorced and, at least for me, focusing on improving myself physically and mentally through things like this challenge has been powerful in terms of healing, moving on and looking forward positively to what comes next in life. Good luck and enjoy the challenge!

I don't envy people who work nights - that must indeed make establishing a healthy routine hard! But it sounds like you have a great attitude, and planning ahead will definitely be your friend I do strength training too, though at the moment I can't squat as a result of a hip niggle (grrrrrrrr - I don't like it when I can't squat!). I'm doing a 15-week programme aiming to increase my 3-rep maximums. Are you following a particular programme? Hope you do really well on your challenge! Good luck!

Another successful day on day 3 Under my calorie goal, insanely hard spinning class at the end of which I was dripping sweat all over everything (yuck but also somehow very satisfying!!), and I ate all my veggies. Quite chuffed with myself for sticking to my quests these past few days, as I've had some crazy deadlines that have made me have to work 36 hours in 3 days. Without this challenge and the encouragement on the forums I think I'd have struggled more.

That salad sounds gorgeous! And yes I absolutely agree salads can be delicious I'll rephrase what I originally said - I think I meant more like "down with the stereotypically feminine attitude towards salad" - if that makes sense! For example, where someone eats a token salad of about 150 calories with zero protein, thinking it's a healthy meal, because they feel they should or because they're afraid to be seen guzzling down piles of calories (even if they've worked hard physically and need those calories).

I like this rationale. Down with feminine salads and up with staking our claim to get sweaty and dirty hiking all day and then reward ourselves with burgers and beer

Embrace the maths! Spreadsheets FTW Sounds a good system. Will you give yourself rewards for certain percentages or would that be a little too much hedonism?!

Haha It's a long way off but maybe one day! I'm currently doing a 3-day-a-week, 15-week programme my PT friend designed for me. It's based around squats, bench, rows and endless lunges, with some triceps, biceps and military presses thrown in. The idea is to increase my 3RMs of the major exercises. So I started at a 3RM of 56kg for squats and by the end I should be doing a 3RM of 70kg (around bodyweight for me). Bench should progress from a 3RM of 35.5kg to 41.5kg and rows from 40.5kg to 49kg (I know those bitty numbers sound odd - I'm using ankle weights to achieve the precise numbers). It's a hard programme but showing results already (I'm in week 3, though currently in a "holding pattern" as a result of my hip injury). I'm excited to see the differences in my physique by the end!

Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable? Yes. I have deliberately started with something relatively small and that I know I can achieve (I achieved it earlier this year and then lost it again). Do your 3 quests all build towards your main quest in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Do your quests have sub-quests or is it just one thing to focus on? Yup: sensible food, exercise and veggies will help to get inches off my belly! Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them? I don't think I need to scale them down (though I could if I needed to). The idea is to establish a baseline that's realistic so I haven't gone crazy with setting the bar too high. Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them? Yes. A points system. How are you grading your goals? Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)? Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€? Again, points system, and my rewards are specifically tied in to the points system. What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? I'm already injured but I've managed to alter my programme so I can maintain strength in my legs while my hip heals. If something more disastrous happens, I'll be sensible and adjust my quests accordingly. Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge? What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those? Yup. I have a three-day pass to drink alcohol with a friend, if I so desire Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? No, they all work well together. Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set? If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them? They're all things I was sort-of doing anyway, so the time commitment is realistic. Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? Multiple habits, but they're all basics so I don't think I'm spreading myself too thin. And they lead towards my main quest.