Jence11

Wow, two weeks flew by! Oddly enough, I have found Goal #1 to be the easiest to meet, when I thought it would be the hardest. As predicted, eating wheat-free at home = no big deal. Big gold star for me when it comes to grocery shopping. Eating outside my home... that's another story. I ordered a delicious chicken salad at a restaurant the other day. The only thing that made it not perfect was the pizza my friend was eating. Oh, I wanted that pizza. But I didn't have any! I also went to a ballgame. All I wanted was a hot dog. Normally, I don't want hot dogs, but come on! I'm at a ball game! My willpower proved to be quite strong. Again, I chose the chicken salad. Who knew they offered chicken salad at the ballpark? My only wheat cheat in two weeks: I had homemade waffles yesterday. My friend's mom made them. I couldn't say no! Well, I probably could have... but my willpower dissolved. Dissolved like sugar. Like syrup. Like syrupy, fluffy waffles.... So, in two weeks, just one red circle for me! (Not too shabby though - that's what, a B+?). As for my pull-ups: Goal #2 is still going well. I'm glad I'm basing success on effort not results. I stand under that pull-up bar, and I heave and I pull, and.... nothing. Still! HOWEVER, in my mind, I seem to have modified this goal. Without making a conscious decision, I have turnedmy focus to my push-ups. I usually just do the girly off-the-knees ones, but I decided to just MAN UP and conquer them once and for all. I can now do six, off-the-toes, very low/good form push-ups in a row! I want to keep adding to this number. I feel this strength can do nothing but help with my eventual pull-ups goal. And finally, Goal #3 which I thought would be a piece of cake, is turning out the be the biggest challenge! I am dealing with a hip injury that started a week before this challenge. Back then, I thought the injury would fade. Turns out, it's a persistent little beast. So I've actually had to force myself to NOT go to the gym as often as I normally do. HOWEVER, when I am in the gym, it's a focus on rehabilitating the leg and then a good upper-body workout. Again, all good gains for those eventual pull-ups. Because of my injury, I think I'll have to scrap goal #3 or give myself a C. I have been going three times a week. Darn! Even by scrapping Goal #3, I do feel I have a lot to focus on with the first two goals. And there were a lot of HOWEVERs in there - clearly, I'm trying to justify some things that I shouldn't be. So, some work to do! But I'm not afraid of a little work. Are you??

I'm starting out strong; I hope to finish strong! Day 1: It's early yet, but it looks like it's going to be a successful day. Goal 1: My 100% wheat-free meals and snacks for the day are already planned and prepared and sitting in the fridge waiting for me. Now all I have to do is eat only that. If I'm struck by a wheaty craving, well, there's nothing in the house! So I should be able to overcome that. Plus it's Day 1, so I have this extra suge of enthusiasm and willpower! I don't see today being a challenge. Very happy I decided to prepare all my food last night! I'll have to keep in mind that meal planning and pre-prep will be an important step in helping me stay on track. Goal 2: I chose not to do my negative pull-ups today, but I did get in a good arm workout before heading to work this morning. I should pick my three days and commit to them now! OK, here goes: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Bam. Goal 3: Hit the gym today already! And I'll definitely be there Wednesday, Friday. So, I just need two more days. How convenient that I've chosen Tuesday and Thursday to do pull-ups. If my schedule doesn't explode on me this week, this one is doable! It really is amazing how motivated you can be at the beginning of a challenge. Let's keep the momentum going for all six weeks!

I like your first goal! Time management plays a big part in meeting our goals. Gotta keep on top of that!

Great idea for your reward; I hope you will be wearing your new tank in six weeks!

Me, in a nutshell: 27, female, 5'10", just under 150 lbs (I don't really know; maybe I should weigh myself!), and excited to try my first NF six-week challenge with these three goals! Goal 1: Go wheat-free Hello, I’m Jence11 and I’m a wheat-aholic. Going wheat-free is just one step towards a bigger goal: the flat belly. I don’t expect to go cold turkey, but I am going to be as strict as possible. To accomplish my wheat-free goal, I plan to: Write 100% wheat-free grocery lists, and stick to them! If it’s not in the kitchen, I won’t eat it. The true temptations will come when I eat outside my own house.Write down everything I eat. Every day, I will circle any sneaky wheat items in red. (I’m a writer, so seeing something circled in red pen will be an effective reinforcement tool!) Grading: A=no wheat, B=1 wheat serving per week, C= 2 wheat servings per week, D=3 wheat servings per week, F=4+ wheat servings per week Goal 2: Do a pull-up Yes, that’s pull-up, singular. I just want to be able to do one real pull-up! One! Here’s how I plan to accomplish that: Negative pull-ups, three sets of five reps, at least three times a week. I doubt that’s enough to get me to completing one pull-up in six weeks, but I’m prepared to turn this into a 12-week challenge. (Becoming lighter will probably also help me get my chin over that bar. I hope that will be a pleasant side effect of the wheat-free diet). I will grade based on my effort rather than my results (since I really don’t know what timeframe I can expect from this workout routine): A=neg. pull-ups 3 times a week, B= 2 times a week, C=1 time a week, F=0 times a week Goal 3: Hit the gym x5 For the next six weeks, I will consistently go to the gym five times a week. With few exceptions, I am already there Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I will need to manage my time so that these four days continue to be part of my routine, and then I need to plan and commit to just one more gym visit per week. Even if all I do is a light warm-up, my negative pull-ups, and some foam rolling and stretching, I will be happy. The goal is simply to get in the door and then get just a little bit sweaty. Grading: A=5 times a week, B=4 times a week, C=3 times a week, F=2 times a week I appreciate the feedback from newbies and veterans alike! Remember: we can do anything for six weeks, right?!