Artemisia

Day 4 (Thursday): -Workout: 60 minutes on the elliptical; 8km. 8km in 60 minutes is my personal best. Today was a little tough because I am so sore from yesterday's circuit training and spin classes! Just one more day tomorrow and it's the weekend, yay! -Eating Healthy: Still doing well. Still tracking. Dinner is nothing fancy tonight, just chicken quesadillas with homemade guacamole. -Alcohol: 11 days. -Life Goal (studying Japanese): I studied for quite awhile today. I set my goals really high for this one, to the point that I'm not sure if it's going to be realistic... but, I am feeling very motivated, so we'll see! I can only retain so much information at a time!

Wow, you have a really exciting year coming up! Those are major life events... graduating Uni, a new job, marriage and a new house! I just wanted to wish you good luck; it looks like you're off to a great start!

Hey, I just wanted to share an idea for a new class. I've noticed that classes like Zumba, Barre, Salsa, and Bokwa, etc. are becoming really popular and it made me think about which class that would fall into. I, personally, am not really into dancing, but given that so many others are maybe there would be enough support for a whole new class? The "Dancer" class is pretty common in games, so it would be an easy fit. Just passing along the thought...

Awesome! Keep up the good work! Are you following any kind of guided meditation or just taking the time to stop and quiet your mind for a few minutes?

Thanks, redrambles, you too! Day 3 (Wednesday): -Workout: 30 minute Circuit Training class and 30 minute spin class. These classes always kick my butt! I've only gone a few times, but I can tell I have improved since the first day. It used to be really hard for me to run, even just in the warm up, but it's getting a little easier. I have to keep remembering to compare myself to myself and not to the other people in the class. -Eating Healthy: So far so good, I've been tracking my food and eating healthy. Tonight's dinner will be Chicken with Leeks and Sun-dried tomatoes. -Alcohol: 10 days -Life Goal (studying Japanese): I got a lot of studying in today and I made a study schedule. I have 12 weeks before we go to Japan. Before next Monday (when I start the schedule) my goal is: 1) Know all the Grade 1 and 2 Kanji meanings and at least the most common reading. 2) Reach at least lesson 100 in japanesepod101 3) "Plant" all word bank vocabulary. Every Week Thereafter: 1) 10 Kanji per day M-Sa; Cummulative review each Sunday 2) 10 lessons per day M-F 3) Keep up with/"water" Word Bank when necessary

Thanks for the support! Day 2 (Tuesday): -Workout: 30 minutes stair climber, 30 minutes elliptical. -Eating Healthy: Still doing well. I've been tracking the past couple days. Dinner tonight was Carne Bistec with Onions and Tomatos. It turned out ok. Not as good as the Cilantro Lime Shrimp yesterday! -Alcohol: 9 days -Life Goal: I reviewed again today for quite some time; knocked out about 20 beginner lessons. Tomorrow I want to make a concrete study plan with specific goals and time frames. Overall, just an average day. I'm just getting back into the routine of going to the gym since I was sick for about 2 weeks. Tomorrow should be a more productive day as I have circuit training and spin classes. I also want to sit down and make a game plan for my studying.

Nice start! I completely understand your apprehension about the gym. I could go to the gym at any time of day, yet I wake myself up at 7:00 to get there when it opens just because there are less people. I think it's just a matter of doing it even if we feel uncomfortable. I like that in your first post you qualified, "even if there are other people in the weight room and I'm terrified." Keep it up and try for an A tomorrow!

I just wanted to say good luck on your goals! It's great that you've already cut back your alcohol intake (one of my goals) and have improved your eating habits. Which goal do you think will be the most challenging?

Much better! It can be challenging to keep up with workouts on holiday, but if you plan what you are going to do before you go, you're much more likely to succeed. Two weeks ago my husband and I went on a short weekend trip and it would have been easy to just skip a workout. Instead, we made a little extra room in our suitcases for our running shoes and workout clothes and we got up early one day for a jog. It made me feel really good that even on holiday I had the willpower to keep working on my goals, besides, it's supposed to be a lifestyle change, and breaks/holidays are a part of life. Good luck on your goals, I hope your first day is going well!

Nice start! Keep it up!

First of all, congratulations on losing the first 25 pounds! That's wonderful! Keep working on your goals, I have no doubt that you will get to 190 by the New Year!

I love your Zelda theme! Do you have a way that you are going to track your goals? Especially for the 3rd one, how are you going to judge whether or not you succeed or not? Maybe something like "no more than x number of sweets per week"? Just something to think about! Good luck with your goals, I'll be looking for an update!

Day 1 (Monday): -Workout: Elliptical for 60 min;7.5km Off to a good start. I have been at home with a bad cold for over a week and today was my first day back at the gym. I almost gave in to the temptation to cut my workout short, but instead I just took the intensity down and continued on for the whole hour. It felt good to get back to working out since it had been 2 weeks already! -Eating Healthy: So far, I'm on track. I'm making Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Garlic Roasted Cauliflower for dinner. -Alcohol: 8th day of no drinks -Life Goal: I got a lot of review work done on Japanese. I am planning to look over each (over 200!) beginner lessons to make sure I still remember all the core concepts and vocabulary. I did about 30 today. I would love to be done with all Beginner lessons by the 1st of October.

I love your quest and theme too! I have a whole storyline in my head for my "quest" too. I might write it down and post it eventually, but I might just keep it as something for myself. It might seems a little tacky, but it's a nice little aide to help me visualize my goals and the path to get there, and that's all that matters. I wouldn't worry too much that your goals are a little vague in the beginning. You may want to re-evaluate at the halfway point and make them a little more specific but for now I think they are just fine. The first few weeks go ahead and try a variety of classes and see what you like. Once you find what works for you, you will be in a better position to say "do yoga x times per week and spin class x times" or "do x number of squats" or "run x number of minutes/miles." As for the food stuff, it's a great first step to cut out processed and "junk" food. I also highly recommend tracking your food with something like myfitnesspal when you are first starting just so you learn where your starting point is and how many calories are actually in the different foods you eat. But, you may want to leave this for a future challenge if you don't feel ready for it yet. If you have any questions on nutrition or healthy eating, I have come a long way in shifting my eating habits and I'd be happy to give you my tips and/or opinions, so feel free to ask me anything. But, it looks like you're off to a wonderful start! Good luck! PS: Your LOTR theme is great, but I also love your Nausicaa profile pic!

These are wonderful goals! Great job on not smoking for 2 months! I don't think your goals look like a cop-out at all. It's good to build a solid foundation first. I tend to feel really motivated in the beginning and am great for a week or two but then, because my goals are too extreme, I end up getting frustrated and quit early. So, I think what you have set for yourself is a smart start. Besides, you can always do more than your goals if you have a little bit of extra motivation one week. Good luck! I'll be looking forward to your update, so make sure to check in!