MudPhuddled

Nordstrom is your best bet as far as department stores go because they carry more sized than Macy's, etc. I also found this video helpful (NSFW).

Hang in there! I had to back off exercise this challenge (compared to last time) because I realized I needed at least two rest days between strength training work-outs. My form was suffering, meaning that I really wasn't benefiting. I'm also taking a step back and doing some remedial exercises to address some of the weaknesses I discovered last time. My body just isn't ready for squats yet. After your leg heals, maybe your doctor can show you some exercises that will strengthen the area and prevent re-injury? I am feeling the time change, too. *yawn*

How does everyone handle unexpected schedule changes? I'm a biologist, so I'm often stuck on campus late because an experiment didn't work the way I planned earlier in the day. (Or my thesis adviser asks me to do another experiment in my "free time.") We don't have a save button! If I know I will be working late, I bring dinner with me, but sometimes it sneaks up on me.

Walking while traveling totally counts as exercise! Especially if you are carrying a bunch of luggage. Hope the job interview goes well. Keep us posted.

This recipe sounds delicious. How well did the cornstarch work to thicken it? And exactly when did you add it? Good luck this week. I hope you can figure out what's going on with your knee.

Week 2 has been a struggle, especially in the food department. I had a late meeting on Tuesday, which I had on my calendar for later in the week, so I didn't bring dinner with me. I ended up getting chipotle (salad with chicken, lettuce, guac, and pico). This was after having a small birthday treat for a coworker earlier in the day, which I had planned on being my outside food for the week. I also had part of a a belated fat Tuesday treat on Wednesday. To top it off, had a really stressful day on Friday, so I ordered in sushi instead of cooking. Bleh! I don't think I did too much damage to my body or my wallet, but I am certainly not on the road to establishing better habits. On a happier note, I seem to be sticking with my exercise and sleep goals. I had a hard time getting through my strength training workout today, but I did walk several miles yesterday with 25 lbs of groceries on my back, which I think wore out my legs.

*hugs* Hang in there. Saying goodbye to an animal is rough.

Stopping by to subscribe. I love your life quest of getting your lit review done with time to spare.

Personally, I can't bring the junky snack foods into the house. Somehow I can keep the stuff out of my grocery cart, but once it makes it way home, it disappears way too quickly. I also keep a little snack sized baggie of almonds with me at all times along with a couple of pieces of fruit that can tolerate been lugged around in my backpack all day (i.e. apples and oranges).

It's all about creating strength and stability in the posterior chain/back. If you search on amazon, you will find the book. Thanks! I think next quest I will have to wear a sleeveless shirt. Definitely not ready for a bathing suit yet. Thanks. I'm still learning how to take care of myself while dealing with the craziness of grad school. Great idea! It's still tights weather here.

Welcome! Exercise was pretty non-existent for me during the first few years of graduate school, and I think the ubiquitous free food did't help much either. I've finally learned just to turn it down unless I can find something that's just meat and veg. We can still cheer for you, too! Congrats on finishing. Cell Biology/Medicine.

I can't seem to access the spread sheet to sign us up. Anyone have better luck?

WooHoo for getting back on the wagon! It's a lot easier to sit on your butt than to pick yourself up and brush yourself off. Giving up processed foods is a great first step. After I went without them for a month or so, they stopped being appealing. It's amazing how good real food tastes once you get all the junk out of your system.

I really like the "do something new" part of your challenge, so I think I will include it in mine next time. I joined a few fitness related meet-up groups, but I haven't made myself go yet. I'm also impressed that you are integrating this challenge with finishing up grad school. I'm glad there's light at the end of the tunnel for you! Good luck!

Glad to see you again! I hope your knees start feeling better. What exactly is a kneehab squat?

Made it through day one. Substituted wall sits and chair squats for the squatting part of BBY today.

Welcome! I hope everyone rocked day one. Thank goodness I cooked for the week on Sunday. There's no way I could have fit in cooking a healthy dinner and my workout.

Hi! Are there any other graduate students out there? Have you eaten one too many pieces of free pizza? Sick of sitting in front of your computer all day only to go home and do more of the same? Have you developed a "thesis belly" or "dissertation butt?" Let's start a team for people who understand how hectic graduate student life can be. Let's keep each other on the right track.

Hello fellow adventurers! I’m excited to be doing my second challenge here on NF. During the last challenge, I learned that six-week blocks are great for establishing new habits. Pretty much anything is doable for six weeks, and by the end of the block, it becomes automatic! Main Quest (Ongoing): Achieve and maintain a healthy weight (<145lbs/25 BMI points) by making sustainable lifestyle changes. Mini-goals: 1. Exercise: I noticed last challenge that my back would start getting tired about halfway through a workout. This challenge, I will be emphasizing therapeutic exercises and will be using the book Foundation Training. I will also use the Strong Knees DVD that I bought a few years ago, which is still in the plastic, as my knees also seemed to be a trouble spot last challenge. For strength training, I will continue with Body by You but will modify the squatting exercises until my knees are stronger. Foundation Training 3 days per week. Body by You 2 days per week. Long cardio 1 day per week (>1hr), i.e. move slowly. Interval Cardio 1 day per week (20 mins). Grading: 90% A 80%B 70%C 2. Sleep: My circadian rhythm is totally out of whack! Luckily I have a flexible job right now because I am working in a laboratory. However, soon I will start working in the hospital again, and rolling in at 10 AM isn’t going to cut it. I will eventually need to get to work by 5:00 AM (or earlier!). This challenge I will try to get in the habit of getting up by Get by 7:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM on weekends. I hope I can keep rolling this back by half an hour each challenge. Grading: Average Up by <7:00 A, 7:20 B, 7:40 C (+1 hr on weekends) 3. Diet: I have been really diligent with diet lately, but it’s easy to get back in the habit of enjoying a treat “just this once†and having it turn into several times a week. During this challenge I will eat food prepared outside the home no more than once per week. Grading: <6x A, 7-10x B, 11-15x C, >16x F What counts: eating out, free food on campus, treats brought in by coworkers. Life Quest: Self-esteem. 1. Wear a skirt one day during the challenge. I think the back of my knees look funny, and I need to get over this! 2. Go on a date. My motivation: I feel so much better about myself now that I have been taking care of my body. Week 1: 2-24-14 Up at 7:00 AM, no outside food, BBY, 20 min walking aerobics with intervals, >40 oz H2O. 2-25-14 Up at 6:50 AM, no outside food, foundation training, strong knees DVD, >40 oz H20. 2-26-14 Up at 6:55 AM, cooked dinner with a friend at her place, planned rest day, did not track water 2-27-14 Up at 6:20 AM, no outside food, foundation training + knee exercises, did not track water 2-28-14 Up at 6:55 AM, sushi for dinner, foundation training + knee exercises + BBY upper body only, did not track water 3-01-14 Up at 8:00 AM, no outside food, 2 hour walk while running errands (long cardio), did not track water 3-02-14 Up at 8:00 AM, no outside food, foundation training Week 2: 3-03-14 Up at 6:50 AM, no outside food, foundation training/knee exercises 3-04-14 Up at 7:00 AM, cake-pop, chipotle, unplanned rest day 3-05-14 Up at 7:00 AM, 1/2 donut,BBY, interval cardio workout 3-06-14 Up at 6:45 AM, no outside food, foundation training, knee exercises 3-07-14 Up at 6:45 AM, sushi, foundation training, knee exercises 3-08-14 Up at 8:00 AM, no outside food, long walk with 25 lbs of groceries 3-09-14 Up at 8:00 AM, no outside food, BBY

Woo! I passed with a B. I hope everyone else is doing well.

I'm going to give myself a pass for this challenge. I met most of my goals until running into some health problems during the last few weeks, but I am slowly getting back in the saddle. This challenge for me was about establishing habits, which I think I did fairly well.

Thanks for checking up on me. I had the flu last week, so my totals from week five are pretty much nothing. I managed to get through most everything this week despite having some medication related joint pain and swelling.

Back to level one squats until my knee feels stronger. I could do let me ins with my knees bent 90 degrees, though. We'll see how stairs go...

No DOMS today, but I managed to strain my knee while out walking in the ice and snow yesterday, so I had to forgo squats (and stairs ). I like your idea of only leveling up one exercise at a time. Even though I couldn't do squats today and had to do let me ins with only slightly bent knees, I leveled up to a warrior bending exercise. These really make me realize how tight my hamstrings are!

Just now saw this thread. Made it to the halfway point!