ZTree3

so, life did its thing and i am very much way off track. have kind of gone in the opposite direction of where i was heading fitness and weight wise. so i'm here again with a lot of flesh sitting on me and i don't know where to start. i am essentially staying with family until i can find a place of my own so i don't really have refrigerator space to keep fresh foods. i know getting back to a healthy space is more about diet than movement, but i don't know what to do if most food is to be eaten out. ideas and suggestions for where to start on this journey back into health? i'm also down in california again which means trying to acclimate to the heat once again. feeling swollen and uncomfortable. but i want to keep on this journey and i don't want these things to stop me. i just don't know where to start. i'm hoping to join the academy in the summer, but in the meantime, simple things to get me going again? also, just some awesome support would be good. thanks!

see?! i'm that person that spends all her time reading about stuff! it's so hard for me to actually get up and do it! my background is creative writing so there's been lots of reading and lots of writing and i often think that if i read about it, or wrote about it, then i'm done, i did it! you know? it's so frustrating! (still going to check out those links, though. ) and thanks for the warm welcome! that was awesome!

totally late to the challenge. my dad was staying with me for a couple of weeks and then the man i'll be spending the rest of my life with came up to visit for a week. so, yeah, definitely lost track of time. hope you guys will still have me! ZTree3 38 (am i really the oldest person here?!) single (at the moment) homeschooling mom of 11 and a half year old boy, and freelance editor/writer gaining strength and stamina, losing weight, building long lasting healthy habits my weapon of choice? diet and what jerem said, time. i need to schedule my meals and times to move this body through yoga, dance, and parkour. and i'm just beginning to learn about parkour so if anyone has anything to offer, i'd love to hear it. currently using the beginner's guide on here. glad to be back! changes are coming!

someone came back into my life after 12 years and it's been incredible. amazing how life works! i also wanted to add that the one thing i've gotten from this 6-week challenge is drinking water. so much of my anxiety, i believe, has been due to a certain amount of dehydration. because this stuff is definitely a magical elixir. and i put up post-it notes around the house reminding me to move my body. i put down a few exercises on each so i can stop what i'm doing and do 50 jumping jacks or 15 squats or whatever. now to put up the post-it notes reminding myself to work on my art!

i am so behind. BUT, i have a decent reason. also, i found out how to lose weight! fall in love! how did i not jump on this diet craze years ago?! so i've been caught up in all this lovesickness and not able to eat or sleep and have been able to lose a few pounds! which, i know will come back if i don't take care of things. like eating and sleeping. but i do appreciate having this little bit of a jumpstart. it's also been really great to be a witness to how much my body HATES eating late. i'm not bloated all the time now! like i said, definitely using this time to recalibrate my diet and exercise. will be going through everyone's posts a little later and catching up with the challenges. don't give up on me, guys!!!

thanks, jerem. i guess it's time to admit that i really do need those reminders. everywhere! heck, even just doing some squats while brushing teeth. and, congrats, emmevee! that's huge. high-five!

i am totally sucking at this challenge. though, i've been drinking more water than i used to. so i suppose it's not a total loss. but i can't get my food together and i'm not moving my body as often as i want. feel like i have so much on my plate right now and when i'm not worrying about finding a job or paying bills, i'm lost in internet-land. plus, i homeschool so i've been focusing a lot on that lately. any suggestions for how to get things moving? i was thinking of literally putting up a big piece of paper with a few exercises on them so i can't miss it. so i can't forget. also, i started feeling like i was obsessing with what i ate and how often i did some form of exercise. anyone else feel like that? like they get burned out from paying so much attention to it all? i want it to be a seamless part of my life and maybe that happens after you've been thinking about it so much? ideas?

Easy: 1) 50 jumping jacks and at least 30 second plank every day 2) 75oz of water every day 3)listen to a motivational video every morning 4)5 things i’m grateful for every day 5)tap for money Medium: 1) exercise from schedule that i set up 2) 2 blog posts a week - Tuesday and Saturday 3)read for at least 30 minutes a day 4) eat from menu 5)work on short stories for at least 30 minutes every day Hard: 1)Get across monkey bars easily 2)do something every day that moves me forward to an abundant financial life 3)work on getting over fear of flying 4)bike ride 2x a week 5)make plans for traveling to those places i’ve been wanting to go and my breakthrough: i started my blog. i've been wanting to start one for so many years and i finally did it. only 2 posts up so far, but it's there and it calls to me and it feels good to be writing again.

mission statement: I honor and respect myself by listening to the truths that I am learning and by responding in a kind and loving manner. I seek out creative challenges so that my spirit can stretch and learn. I am capable of finding solutions to my challenges whether by my own means or by asking for help. I am brave and face my fears and challenges with a curious mind and a confident heart. I am surrounded by amazing people who love and care for me and allow me the privilege to love and care for them. and my breakthrough for last week was: i had been putting this stuff off for so long or feeling shame or overwhelmed about it all so this is a huge deal for me. I finally set up goals that i know i can achieve. i thought i had been doing that before but with the way my brain is right now, i kept failing. i thought that if i scaled it down it would be more failure. but now that i feel like i can actually do the things i set out to do, it will be that much easier to push myself further. also, i figured out a weekly menu. i'm implementing it this week so i'll see how it turns out. now to figure out this next challenge!

Here! And so happy to see everyone else! Will get mini-challenge in by the end of the day.

awesome! see you there!

anyone know when the next challenge is?

YES, you need to watch it! so great and fun and inspiring. Best part is that everyone is there to cheer each other on. You're happy when then next person gets through. Man, I've got to build a kickass obstacle course! I'll be back! (in her best schwarzenegger accent) I'm looking forward to continuing on with this process. I didn't complete even half of what i set out to do this challenge, but i did so much more than i was doing! even just being aware of what i was and wasn't doing was a huge step in the direction i want to be in. thanks, again, everyone for the support and fun and encouragement. i'll be looking for all of you next round!

i'm so happy to see that this group will still be around. i think i was aiming for a little too much right now. my big problem is depression and anxiety. those two can keep me crippled for days. and seemingly come out of the blue. wish i had a chef! that would make it easier. i might not have finished what i wanted to, but i'm so much closer to knowing what i'm about and what i need. which is always a good thing. looking forward to hanging with you guys the next go around. and Jerem, you've been an awesome leader. thanks for all the encouragement!

this was my first challenge where i actually participated in a team and posted how i was doing. i haven't done as well as i had hoped, but i did a lot better than i have in the past. so that's pretty awesome. i went about 6 days without sugar and then broke down and had some chocolate chips last night and a piece of cake tonight. it was nice, though, to feel somewhat in control of it. i was aware of my body and why i was eating it. it's definitely there to help with stress. however, i can see that i don't need as much as i've usually had in the past. the little bit that i had, recognizing why i was eating it, understanding what it was doing to my body, and then just enjoying the hell out of it was really helpful. it's my goal to continue eating my sweets this way. being present! also, i can totally do box jumps! like, a lot at a time! didn't realize i could. even though i'm 30 pounds away from where i'd like to be, apparently i'm still really strong, flexible, and athletic. plus, i have ridiculous balance! now to keep losing the weight! thanks, guys, for being here. this team rocks! hope to continue getting to know you guys through the following challenges.

i challenged my 11-year-old son to a week without sugar. hoo boy, i think he's having an easier go at it than me. But, i've been able to really see how much i turn to food when i'm feeling anything! so that's been good. of course, he told his grandma that when this week is up he's going to eat a lot of sugar. oy. i've been watching american ninja warrior. how come no one told me about this show?! i remember there were other shows like it before, but this is so much fun to watch and such great inspiration. that's how i want to get in shape. by playing! so, i've been searching out videos and ideas for how to train for something like this. i have no desire to be on the show, but a lot of desire to be that strong. i've found some really cool videos and have been doing little things here and there. still have yet to get a dang schedule down. i realized that i have no idea how to schedule my day. will be slowly working on that tongiht. future me: i'll be 43 and strong! having been active for the last five years and eating foods that serve my body well, i'm free of disease and able to keep up with the younguns! i can lift my bodyweight easily and i'm dancing again. i don't complain about being fat and tired because i'm moving my body and sleeping well. i've also completed at least one collection of short stories and at least one novel. my mobile bookstore is loved by all in the community and i've been getting a lot of press about it because it's an awesome place to meet up with folks, find local art, and read great literature. my zine that gives voice to the voiceless is running strong and i've been able to help a lot of people get out of their depression and move in the direction of happy and fulfilled lives. oh, and the small publishing company i have is happily publishing a few books a year. my partner and i travel and leave art in random places. my son comes along with us (he'll be 16!) because he's homeschooled and when we're not traveling he's busy with his own business that he's started while attending classes in the fields that interest him. also, he doesn't yell at me! i realize this is a bit vague in the health and fitness area. i'm going to work on it some more tonight so that i can come up with some reachable goals. or at least look more into what it all looks like for me. but it was really fun to see the business part come into focus. i didn't realize until i started writing that those were the things that i've been really wanting. so, very cool on this mini-challenge!

played a few games of badminton and volleyball with family today. running and hitting felt awesome! going to make my lists this weekend so i can feel better about moving forward.

yeah, i realize that i need to write things down. i wake up and i have a few things that i do regularly, but then it's just this floaty space of "what do we do now?" i NEED to make a menu and grocery list. and somehow make it simple. like super duper simple. being a single parent can be so dang stressful at times! i want it all perfect right now! so, lists for: menus groceries detailed workouts detailed writing exercises detailed homeschooling schedule (but simple and easy because it's summer!) that's what i want. whew. just writing that list down makes me feel better. and i like writing down that scene of seeing our future selves. going to try that one. i love that you included sleeping better. i sleep ok but my dreams are super intense and real and leave me exhausted. been like that since i was a child. not sure how to get around that one. perhaps changing my sleep cycle?

haven't been on in awhile and need to do a check in. last week started off good but then spiraled into a weird depressed, doesn't matter pit of darkness. i was able to do some of what i had wanted but by the end of the week and the weekend, i was eating cake and cupcakes and any kind of sugar that i could get a hold of. and not moving my body! so, i' sitting here feeling like i failed. again. BUT, i don't want to stay in that and continue down the spiral. tonight i will do some push ups and pull ups and squats and leg lifts. and jump on some steps. and write. do any of you have a "system" that you follow to keep you on track? i homeschool my son and it's just me and him. i'm working on getting us into a more structured routine but it's tough. how do you guys keep on track with your workouts and eating and whatnot? any suggestions?

i've been doing great with the sun salutations. and i've been surprising myself with the parkour exercises. jumping up on stairs and running around! my body WANTS to move fast and explode into jumps. it's not necessarily doing it the way i want it to, but it's certainly on its way there! now if i could just get this diet thing under control!!

i gotta say, reading your lists made me feel a little teary. weird, no? i guess we get so used to the negative and people not feeling good about themselves that it's really awesome to see people loving on themselves. i think about my son who is 11 and if he felt about himself the way i sometimes think about myself, i'd be devastated. so, i read your lists as a mom and it made me happy. i want to hug all of you! (ok, i can see that i'm starting to sound like that cat lady from youtube from a few years ago. ) my list: 1) i can easily see the good in people and situations 2) i'm creative 3) i'm witty 4) i'm a good writer 5) i give great hugs! 6) i continue to check my side of the street so that i can be the best mom i can 7) more than 13 years of sobriety and still going strong! 8) i'm a good dancer 9) i'm good weird as opposed to creepy weird. though, i can be that too! *but still in a good way!* 10) i'm passionate and curious! (does that count as two?) thanks, jerem, for this. and, again, thanks, everyone, for sharing. vulnerability to others and to ourselves can be extremely difficult, but it's the only way to really connect--with others and ourselves.

yes! so much great advice and support. not sure why i've been trying to do this alone for so long! i've started using my fitness pal and it is helping immensely! whenever i want to eat something i get to think, like Eos, do i want to write this down? and it also helps me to think about what i could be eating instead that would actually fill me up. it's also been a great way to see how i use food as an emotional outlet. all the little bits here and there add up and now i get to find other things to do to feel the feelings instead of hiding them. thanks so much, ladies, for the suggestion. i'm going to sit down this weekend and think of the things i really like to eat and see how i can make it fit into my budget, calorie count, and time. i've already started feeling better just by not eating as much. as for the son...working on that one. he did say he wants to help make the enchiladas. so, that's a start.

this group is rad! and rad is a great word to use. so many awesome things going on. getting laundry done AND put away. seriously. no small feat. i usually get it done. and folded. and it's still on the floor. also, Emmevee, where are the pictures of the golden escalator. totally sounds like something i'd be into. i'm going to go do some writing because that's the thing i've been trying to break through. Jerem reminded me about it on another post. ooh, also, other ladies had suggested using the my fitness pal app. logged my food today. yeah, not doing as well as i thought i was. but i am continuing with the parkour training from here. i can jump on one step and i'm moving up to two. PLUS, i can pull myself up like an inch when doing a pull up. from just being able to hang there to pulling myself up a bit, HECK YEAH! ok, off to write. high-five to all of you!

thanks for checking in. been doing my sun salutations every morning. feeling strong. though, i'm feeling some odd nerve pain in my right arm and not sure if i'm doing something wrong and pinching some nerves. i've been doing sun salutations for a few years now and never felt this so a little concerned. BUT, i'm still doing them. feeling strong. haven't been dancing much. i usually just do some basic ballet barre work or dance around to whatever music i put on. i guess from the outside looking in it probably looks like crazy modern interpretive stuff. basically however my body wants to respond to the music is what i'll do. but i've been doing the parkour beginner's training on here and really enjoying that. can't do any pull ups yet but i'm already pulling myself up closer just a tiny bit. weird how that little amount gets me all excited. i'm very used to all or nothing living so doing it slowly is new for me. but it's working. i'm not getting burned out and i'm not getting disappointed. i like seeing the progression. even if it's small. on the other days i've been doing some heavy bag workout or taking a walk. need to set up an obstacle course soon. the writing is what i haven't been doing! that, more than anything, is what i need to be doing. so, thanks for the reminder. i write short stories mostly. and some really bad poetry that i dont' tend to share. going to write before bed. not ideal, but at least i can say i did it today. and, Artemis, very cool on you being homeschooled. any advice for this mama? my son is 11 and doesn't seem to be interested in anything anymore. except youtube videos and video games. also, he seems to hate me teaching him. i don't think he believes that i actually know some things that he doesn't. hoo boy, puberty is fun!! and, thanks, Jerem for checking up. really appreciate it.

thanks so much for recommending my fitness pal! apparently i already had an account. had no idea. oops. but, got it going and logged my food for today. very easy to see now why i'm not losing weight. so, now another question for you ladies. how are you determining what is best for you to eat? i thought i was doing better, but clearly i'm not. and i mistakenly said that i didn't want to do paleo because i wouldn't be able to eat carbs. thanks, Latniss, for that reminder. i do often forget that it's not just breads. but, i do want to continue eating breads because i know for me, at this time, it's something i'm going to keep eating. BUT, i definitely want to bring it down several notches. my sob story: i'm a single mom who homeschools an 11-year-old boy who eats A LOT! we don't have a ton of money and it's very easy for me to get squirrely and need to make something to eat that's fast and tasty. he's not a huge a veggie eater though i've been working on this. i want to make a weekly menu and i want to make whole foods but time isn't always available for that. can you guys recommend some basic, easy to make foods? i'm serious about getting healthy again and i don't want to keep blaming my age. very much appreciate you guys offering your support and suggestions. and really excited for my fitness pal!