mevre

really glad to see you haven't fallen off the face of the earth, bezland. and even more glad to see that you're consistently working towards your goals! wonderful, wonderufl. keep up the good work, kid! we're almost half way there!!

FrankieNZ, please do keep us posted! it'll be interesting to hear what your experience with it is compared to other people's. especially since, judging from the two pages of this thread, every woman and every cycle is very different and reacts very differently to the various tips and tricks being suggested.

i was considering getting an IUD for a while, but i'm too chicken...

spezzy, i will most def start trying yoga. i can imagine how all that stretching could help keep things nice and relaxed. in fact, i think that's why running has been the most helpful thing for me; something in the prolonged stretching of a long couple laps around the block. so maybe instead of my nightly jogs i can start doing nightly yoga... you know, that actually sounds really lovely! thanks for the tip! it never would have occurred to me otherwise. do you think a routine that focuses on flexibility would work? or would another emphasis be better?

i'm glad to say that this month was almost pain-free. i've been doing a whole30 [or, rather, a whole42] for the six week challenge, so i think the initial change to eating paleo maybe shocked my body a little bit, but once it got all settled into the whole30 it got a lot better. i guess we'll see what happens next month... it's like opening a gift from that weird distance relative everyone seems to have - it's guaranteed to be shitty, but can sometimes be somewhat pleasantly surprising.

3) Yeah, W30 is tough.  My dad brought home carnitas taquitos.  I almost him him.  WHY WHY WHY would you buy my FAV food when you know I can't eat it????? Grrrrrr

hah i know what you mean. my dad left two boxes of Girl Scout cookies on my front steps the other day. what the heck dad?!

bahaha oh dear. meatheads ruin everything. don't let 'em get ya down! kudos on another good day, and here's to another one!

PartyCannon, i'm in love with your glittery stars. haha as silly as it sounds, i think i would be more motivated if i had some for myself. hmm there may be a trip to OfficeMax in my future...
anyway, your challenge is looking great so far! this is wonderful!! and i'm glad the whole30 isn't killing you haha. i'm doing a whole30 [actually a whole42] as well, and it's getting pretty upsetting right about now. but we will press on! we will live to see another day of good eats and good workouts! [and of sparkly stars!]

i agree with Polaris, flexibility is the name of the game. it's better to be realistic and make adjustments as needed than to get discouraged about not being able to fulfill your original goals.
i'm glad things are looking up for you! keep up the good work this week, we're already 1/6 of the way done!!

well, week two is off to a great start! good eats, good workout, good all around. but the constant thinking about food i can't have and the sleepiness are getting a little old... oh well, it'll wear off soon.
gonna take the pup for a walk in a few and then have a little jog [on the treadmill] once it gets dark. and then some herbal tea and maybe a good book.   man, i've got it made.

sh20! i was wondering what happened to you! haha glad to have you back.   
that's exactly the kind of attitude you need! keep that up, and you'll blow through this week no problem.

well, here we are in week 2 already. here is my week 1 in review.

 

1. from Bowerstone to Oakvale - jog 4 times each week

check! sometimes this took the form of a long walk, but i spent at least a half hour four times this week moving around, and that's what i was after. the jogs actually turned out to be really nice! i'd jump on the treadmill and play A Prairie Home Companion on my phone and jog/run for around 30 minutes and then stretch while listening to APHC, too. it made my evenings incredibly peaceful and also productive.

2. war hammer-wielder - lift for a half hour 3-4 times each week
check! this goal has kind of evolved [or maybe devolved?] from where i started it. at first, i thought i wanted to do something from Starting Strength for this challenge, but i decided on like day 2 that i'm really enjoying the bodyweight circuit that i've been doing, and that i'd like to stick with a workout routine for more than a few weeks for once. but i did the bodyweight workout 3 times this week, plus my HIIT on the alternate 3 days. so yes, i'd say this was a success.

3. no more choc-o-rats! - whole42
another check! i've been snacking a bit and i had more fruit than i probably should have last night, but everything that i've put into my body [with the exception of that 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce with added sugar. ridiculous.] has been whole42 compliant. starting in week two, i'm really going to crack down on my snacking. it's just hard some days when i'm running around with friends to be able to plan when i'll be able to have my next meal. sometimes my meal 2 will get so far pushed back that it sort of bleeds into meal 3, and i always get hungry before bed [but that's because i'm staying up too late...] anyway, i know what i have to do, now i just have to really work at it in week 2.

life quest: straight shooter - practicing with my bow at least 2 times each week

aaaaaaand check!   this was a lot of fun! haha i spent a lot longer than i thought i would out there practicing my aim.

so, the week went really well for me. yay! haha now we've just got 5 more of those to go. which sounds like a lot to me, but considering how fast this one went... it'll be September before we know it. now, i think it'd be fun to share with you all this week's favorite tunes that kept me going through it all.
for jogging [before i started listening to APHC]: It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy by Passion Pit. i also listened to this song frequently during my warmup jog before doing HIIT and the bodyweight circuit. it's almost exactly 5 minutes long, so i know that once the song ends, the warmup is done. how handy is that!
for lifting/doing the bodyweight circuit: Crown on the Ground by Sleigh Bells. when i'm lifting, the music i'm listening to has to make me feel like a badass, and this song fits the bill perfectly. it sounds like something from a grungy underground show at a dive bar, which is fitting, since the band's genre is "noise rock." it is noisy stuff, indeed! and i can't get enough of it.
for HIIT: Get Some by Lykke Li. [this one actually has a music video!] it's got a nice tempo and is fun enough that i'm dancing around between sets.
for stretching/cooldown: Magpie to the Morning by Neko Case. a beautiful song with a nice slow and mellow melody. perfect for winding down after a workout.

and there ya have it! the first week of my first 6 week challenge in a nutshell. i'm looking forward to this next week, and i hope it goes as well as the first one!
did everyone else have a good week 1 as well? are you all excited for week 2, or maybe a little nervous? maybe tired of the challenge already? share your thoughts here!

my week has pretty much been a breeze as well. aside from the temptation of non-whole42 foods [more annoying than anything] i think i'm doing really well. i'm loving the food that i've discovered and i'm still enjoying my exercises as well.
i too will post a more detailed account of the week on my personal thread tomorrow. and i'm in the same boat as minionLove - would just like to see all of our accountibilibuddies holler! [no specific attention needed for me...yet.]

the rebellion!

yeah superjenni, i don't use it that often either, and that's the problem i have - if i already have fish sauce that i don't use, why would i buy more to be sitting around in the fridge?

Paleoish, i'm so glad those recipes are a hit with you and your family! and also very glad to hear that your challenge is still going well.   

i've actually been having sort of a hard time lately, day dreaming about eating Thai noodles and milk shakes. i think the only reason i want to have them so much is because i know i can't! ugh, so frustrating. but i haven't slipped up yet, so i've got a good feeling about the remaining 36 (!!!) days.

ever onward, my fellow rebels!

use a slow cooker if you've got it! there are SO MANY recipes out there for slow cooker meals. i've also been a veggie-roasting fiend over here for the past couple of days. i cannot get enough of it! it takes a little while [about 30 minutes] but i cut up some peeled carrots, onion, and sweet potato, drizzle it with melted bacon lard [this sounds disgustingly decadent, but it's all from local, healthy pigs, and Dallas and Melissa Hartwig told me to!] and stick the whole thing on a pan and in the oven @425 for 30 minutes, taking out and stirring things up a bit and rotating the pan every 10 minutes.
meatballs and mini meat patties are easy to cook up and reheat, though they aren't quite as tasty after the second heating.
soups can be made en masse and frozen in single serving containers.
boiled eggs can be done up in all kinds of fancy ways [like with an avocado and a little bit of lime for an egg salad sort of thing on a lettuce leaf instead of bread] and same goes for tuna. [the tuna is a little harder though, because it's hard to find high-quality wild-caught tuna in cans for cheap.]
pretty much all of my meal-time inspiration comes from Nom Nom Paleo. girl has got some crazy good stuff on her website.
good luck on your journey to the mystical isles of the grocery store! and keep up the good work!

alright, another wonderful day of whole30 eats. meal 1 was an awesome Thai omelet, but i used a fish sauce that had added sugar...which i know is a whole30 no-no. it was only 1/2 teaspoon, and the sugar was the last ingredient on the label, so i don't feel too bad about it but maybe i should. i dunno, what do you guys think?
had an awesome bodyweight workout in the morning [3 citcuits, and i added 5 seconds to my plank each time around!] and an equally awesome, though much more relaxing, jog/walk [a nice leisurely 2 miles in 30 minutes].
phew! time for a nice cup of herbal tea and an episode of something on Netflix. [maybe a re-watch of Adventure Time? eh? oh, or Bob's Burgers!]
did everyone else have as wonderful of a day as i did?

heh heh, found this and thought of you, my whole42 buddy. i'm guessing the reactions we're having aren't as bad since we were pretty much eating paleo before we started the 6 week challenge. still funny though. i was unreasonably grumpy yesterday, and today i'm exhausted, so maybe i'm a day or two ahead of the curve!

http://whole9life.com/2013/01/whole30-timeline/

*phew!* just finished my HIIT for the day, feeling like a boss. RAWRRRR I AM INVINCIBLE!!!

there are lots of slow cooker meals out there [stews and the like]. if you have a crock pot or slow cooker, it'd be easy to put some of that in a to-go container and heat it up at work. also, simple roast veggies are easy to pack up and reheat. meatballs or small mini patties are also an option, though they don't taste as good reheated after the initial cooking. you can also make up a batch of boiled eggs to take along with you in case your work doesn't have them. soups are another great option, especially paired with the salad bar you have at your disposal.
here are some of my favorite recipes: this is a great resource of recipes, here is one of the many slow cooker recipes she has, and i made these last night. [they were super tasty!]
good luck going back to work!

i don't have twitter either, but my email is schroeder_bear@hotmail.com

welp, i didn't work out yesterday.    i had long-standing plans to go to the Shakespeare Festival, and my poor time management made it impossible to do both. i know it's not a big deal - yesterday can just count as my rest day and i'll workout on Saturday instead - but it's still frustrating and throws my entire week for a loop. oh well. i guess if it had to happen, i'm glad it was in the first week of the challenge when i've still got all this motivation. i had another 100% whole42-approved day of eating yesterday and so far today, so that's good at least.
as soon as i post this, i'm gonna go workout and keep up the good fight!
for the rebellion!

well i started a whole30 [actually a whole42] yesterday for the 6 week challenge, so we'll see what this next round is like.

JessFit, i think i'll see how this next month goes and decide from there if i need medical attention or not. of course, i probably need a checkup anyhow...

that's interesting about the dairy, sheltiechick, especially since i think i'm starting to notice a correlation between my dairy consumption and the likelihood of having mild [but still very uncomfortable and annoying] UTI symptoms.

Katinka, i'm totally with you on the tea thing. i'm a big fan of herbs in general and i love using herbal remedies to ease uncomfortable situations - from burns to colds to cramps. ginger definitely helps calm things down for me too. plus i just generally love its taste. ginger candy is my favorite, and whenever i go out to sushi i always eat the fresh ginger slices as a sort of appetizer. haha all my friends think i'm crazy for the second one since none of them care for the stuff, but that's ok with me, since it means they give me theirs. 

your grading looks great, Paleoish, and it looks like you're doing a great job! yay, i'm so glad our team is doing so well so far! go CareBears!

Day 2

 

Back from my bodyweight circuit... completed 2 curcuits! yay!! but with modifications, push ups with knees, and planks only 10sec's! hoping to improve this day by day, week by week.

 

Sweating loads, shower then get on with Mordor challenge. lol.. aiming for 5miles, done 1mile so far today.

 

I feel like doing a war cry

yes! kick ass!! i'm waiting for my breakfast to settle and then i'll be off to do my bodyweight circuit. hoping i'll feel like doing a war cry when i'm done with mine, too!

as far as your grading goes, i think halving it for the last 2 weeks should be fine. otherwise, it looks great! keep up the good work!

Paleoish, if you want something a bit more breakfast-y for meal 1, i made a sweet potato hash this morning and it was to die for. [here is the recipe i followed, but it's such a basic food that i think you could pretty much make it any way you want and it will taste divine.]

hahaha bezland, i've never heard the 6 P's before! brilliant, i will have to remember them for later.

minionLove, i'm so sorry to hear about your loss. but i'm glad to hear you didn't let it stop you from doing what you know you need to do to be healthy and take care of yourself. 

i think just being accountable is the best thing that we can do. like for me, i know that if i don't post here for several days [unless i specifically said that i would be gone for those days] i would love it if you all could start getting on my case and making sure i'm still on track. and i agree with minionLove about the cooking and training questions being dealt with as they come up. i also think that as long as we're all looking out for one another, everything will end up just peachy.

first day was great for me, i did everything i was supposed to, didn't eat anything i'm not supposed to, the whole ball of wax. it was actually a lot easier than i thought it would be, so right now i'm sort of feeling like "...that's it?" [i know that by this time next week i'll probably be having a MUCH harder time, but i'm ok with the ease for now.] i'm feeling ready for tomorrow!

bezland, i'm keeping your ass accountable. [unless you don't want me to. in which case, please feel free to tell me to get lost or die in a fire or whatever.] how did your first day of the challenge go?

thanks cavemom, that's great to know!

welp, first day down, and i'd say it was a success! 3 out of 3 meals tasted great and were 100% whole30-compliant, and i even got my workout in. woohoo! but i was surprised to notice how often i thought of having a piece of chocolate or a spoonful of ice cream. [these weren't strong urges, just very persistent.]

how did the first day go for everyone else? Paleoish, how's the whole42 starting for you?

dang Paleoish, you're so on top of the game! i put together a list of 3 meals a day for a full week [which was unreasonably hard] and now i'm thinking "well sheesh, i hope i have all the groceries i need..." i'm the picture of unpreparedness over here.

PartyCannon, you totally got this. you're gonna take these next 6 weeks by storm, and i have a feeling that you'll amaze yourself with what you accomplish. i'm glad you found a system that works for you, and i'm glad to be of help by telling you that i'll be checking in on your progress as often as i can.   

ok. dudes, ladydudes, readers one and all - it's officially been day 1 of the 6 week challenge for a few hours now [what am i still doing up??] so let the games begin! cannot wait to rock the next month and a half with all you crazy kids! for the rebellion!!!