SweetJane

Week 3 re-cap: Hit all my workouts. Feeling great about running lately. Not so great about stronglifts. I have no upper body strength and am not progressing much on anything but the squats. Eating was fairly good. Only over calories twice. This week is not going well so far. Went to the beach yesterday and got super sunburnt to the point I didn't run last night or lift today because my back is so red and sore. Hoping to do both tomorrow on my day off to make up for it. I am actually really annoyed and restless now when I can't work out. and obviously I ate over these two days because I didn't get to burn any calories Need to re-focus, remember what I am doing, get back on track. etc. etc.

Thanks! But I am not sure it's true. Maybe it's better to accept I am bound to be a little chubby my whole life no matter how good of shape I am in. Just went for a run. Decided on a new goal. To keep up a fitness routine going all year. I always get really into fitness/healthy eating and keep it up maybe 3-4 months then fall of the wagon and forget about it and eat garbage and stop working out. So this year I started running and lifting again in February and have been doing it pretty consistently since (so 4 months so far) I want to be able to say next February that I kept it up all year. I am not sure if I will ever be able to get my eating under control/lose weight but the exercise part is definitely doable.

Week 2 recap: Missed one stronglifts workout. It is much harder to motivate myself to get up early and go to the gym then to motivate myself to go running at night after work. Ate over twice. Frustrated by total lack of weight loss. I only seem to lose weight when I eat drastically under my calorie goals. I wrote down all of my workouts for the month of June on my calendar, and except for that one missed weight workout I have checked off everything so far, and still, my body looks no different. It really is all about food and it's shitty that a few days of eating over means no weight lost for the month. It is also 100x easier to stick to exercise stuff than diet stuff. Not sure why that is.

A few times that week it was more like 400-600 over. Week one re-cap: Nailed all of my workouts. Progressing on weights, I feel like a new born baby giraffe half the time I walk now. Getting my runs in despite the sore legs. I ate over 3 days, but I am not obsessed with that anymore so whatever. I think I will use this month of June to get all of my fitness stuff in order then in July I will focus more on the diet.

Already I think I am going to have to throw my "eating at a deficit 6 days a week" thing out the window. It is just not happening at the same time as trying to lift heavier weight. So I think my real goal #3 is more like: Experiment with my calorie needs for cardio and weight days and try to figure out what foods I actually need to feel good on both while still trying to eat 80% healthy food. Don't be too obsessed with calories and use this as a time for learning, so that by the next 6 week challenge I can focus on loosing weight/eating at a deficit again if I want to.

So far I have hit all my workouts but have eaten a little over both days. In my defense the first day my aunts were in town and took us out to a fancy and delicious steakhouse, and the second day I went over to visit a friend whose mother just passed away and brought pizza because I thought that would be easy and convenient for her (plus I had leftover steak). I am trying to not feel TOO bad about eating over by 100-200 calories and telling myself that is how I am going to build muscle. Trying to focus more on that than weight loss, although I honestly feel like I still need to lose 15-20lbs of fat still.

Main Quest Still want to lose 15 pounds, but now I also want to get strong and lift heavier weights. To achieve this, I have three specific goals: Stronglifts 5X5 three times a week, according to the training plan. This is my first time using the weight part of the gym so it is a little intimidating, I have been doing strength training 3X a week at home since February but it is all either body weight or with 15lb dumbbells, so I am excited to try out heavier weights and see if I get good results. A – Completed all 18 workouts B – Skipped 1-3 workouts C – Skipped 4-6 workouts D – Skipped 7-9 workouts F – Skipped more than 9 workouts Running 3X a week according to a simple plan I made myself. One 3 mile run a week. One faster 2 mile run, and one longer run that increases by 5 minutes each week (I just ran 40 minutes tonight for my long run, so by the end of the program I should be up to running an hour and ten minutes!) A – Completed all 18 runs B – Skipped 1-3 runs C – Skipped 4-6 runs D – Skipped 7-9 runs F – Skipped more than 9 runs Tracking my food daily and staying within my calorie range at least 6 days a week. Trying to eat 80% whole, unprocessed foods and trying to eat high fat and protein with relatively low carbs. A – Tracked every day and stayed within my goals! B – Missed tracking or ate over goal 1-3 days C – Missed tracking or ate over goal 3-6 days D – Missed tracking or ate over goal 6-9 days F – Missed tracking or ate over goal more than 9 days

So I ended up getting B's in the fitness and eating categories, but still think I did damn well. Only messing up 4 times over the course of 6 weeks is still great. Already planning for the next challenge. Want to get into heavier weights, make up my own running plan, and eat cleaner. Very excited for this summer.

I just wrote a long week five wrap-up then my computer deleted it... ugh. Anyway.. Missed one workout, so that's three in total (my excuse, giant fire in the desert that made going for a hike seem like not-such-a-great-idea, although I could have just gone to the gym, I just wasn't feeling it). Realized since this is the last week of my second challenge I have been working out and tracking calories for at least 3 months, and haven't made much progress weight-loss wise since the first month.

So this week is the opposite, not hungry at all and hitting my calorie goals or below everyday, but not as motivated to work out. Why can I never be 100x in both? hmmm.. I still haven't missed any workouts, just delayed them a little, and I opted out of going swimming and went for a hike instead (my plan technically just says cross training) because I really wasn't feeling chlorine or the gym or any of that. Still haven't fixed my bike so I will probably go on another hike as my second cross training too. Just feeling lazy this week in general. I did better on the test then I expected, but I need to study a few things and take it again in order to not have to take a math class, so I was really hoping that stress would be gone from my life, but nope. I also decided last week to pay for this first year back at school out of my pocket instead of taking out loans (I have to do a year of Graduate Special classes in order to apply for the Master's program I want, which makes me a non-degree student that year, which means I get no funding and have to take out private loans or pay out of pocket) and now the thought of how broke I will be for a year is depressing me a little. My job isn't so good that paying like $6,500 out of pocket for school isn't a big deal. But I did pay $6,000 for a car this past year with the same job, so it's obviously possible. Just gotta budget better/never eat out or do anything fun. Excited about not having to take a class this summer though! (that was the original plan) so I will instead spend it working out, enjoying the sun, studying for the GRE and being super cheap.

awesome! congrats!

On the bright side, rocked all of my workouts for the week perfectly. I even got a flat tire on my bike I didn't have the time to fix so I went and did the cycling machine at the gym which was super boring. But I did it. It feels nice being in good shape and being able to run more than at any other point in my life, even if I am still chubby. I am finally going to take that math test on Thursday, so if I pass it I can stop stressing about that and spend my free time doing things I actually find interesting, if not I get another few weeks of stressing and worrying. We shall see. Re-did the practice test and did pretty well, so if all of the questions are EXACTLY LIKE THAT I will do great. haha. Oh on wait my free time will instead be spent studying for the GRE. I should be able to do fine on the math part after all of this studying, but I still need to prepare for the verbal section.

Just read the 21 day challenge stuff. Good luck with the "getting 15 minutes of sunlight a day" one in Bellingham! Other than that it all sounds do-able. Good luck! If you like it/it works out I might give it a try for my next challenge.

So this week is going pretty poorly food-wise. I had my cheat day and ate over two other days. I am just super hungry all the time. I am not making any progress in weight loss or inches lost for the past month or two, despite keeping strictly to my workouts and before this week strictly to my calorie goals, so that is annoying. I think I may look into starting an actual "diet". In the sense of having foods I should and shouldn't eat ie; no sugary sweets (I usually have at least one or two a day and just fit it in my calories), less wheat and carb heavy foods, more servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Its just I tend to get obsessive with that kind of thing and would prefer to just carry on the way I am eating, maybe I will continue calorie counting and wait to see if I get any results by my weigh in this month and if not I will go back to the drawing board.

Followed my plan perfectly on week three. Got all my workouts in, ate within calories 6 days and had one cheat day. Studied a bunch of math too. Hoping this week will go just as well. It's only Monday and I have already went swimming and running. I feel like I am just talking to myself here but that's ok, it is nice to have all of this written down somewhere. I don't think this website is as social as I would like it to be though/I am using it incorrectly as a social medium.

Week two update (a little late): I ate over one extra day, missed my bike ride, and missed one run. Not gonna beat myself up over it though because I couldn't do anything Monday and Tuesday because I was still in California, and I couldn't do anything Friday because I was at the hospital all day. So it would have been miraculous if I did manage to get all of my workouts in that week in only 4 days. This week is much better. It is Friday and all I have left is one weight session and one run. Doing well studying for the math test, I had a friend from work who tutors math on the side come over and help me study last night and now feel a lot better about it. My weight this morning was 164, so I guess my body just loses weight in the weirdest way possible. Like no change for 5 weeks and then bam I am down a few pounds. Just have to remember if I stick to my calories the weight will eventually come off. I took my measurement too, I meant to last month and even wrote down a spot for them but totally forgot to actually measure. As of now I am 37-31-42.5. When I was skinnier my stats were 37-28-38 so I am trying to get back to around that. So only a few inches to lose here and there to fit comfortably into my old pants again.

My time was 34.13. My goal was less than 33 minutes, so I was pretty close. Now I can do better on the next one. Still a little depressed. I am definitely going to miss a workout this week, can't tell if it will be a run or biking. Depends on which one I really don't want to do when I get home at 10:30 tonight. Today was also my weigh-in day and I was up to 169 (I was 167 this time last month) slightly depressed but I know it's probably just from all of the salt in that KFC I had a few nights ago and it will probably go down. Today I am working on not stressing out about the math thing or about my mom. Trying to keep a positive attitude that I will pass the math test and my mom will improve (the later is harder because I know statistically she only has a 5% chance of being alive in a year, so it is almost insane to just assume she will get better, but that is the only way to still function through this thing).

Today was such a terrible day. May as well rant about it here. It is my day off and I had planned on studying a lot of math, riding my bike for 45 minutes and finally relaxing. Instead my mom woke me up at 8 in the morning telling me she had a 103.9 degree fever. My mom has pancreatic cancer and is undergoing chemo therapy, so having a fever that high is a medical emergency and means an ER visit. So I spent the next 9 hours of my life sitting in the ER with her then getting her prescription when they finally let her go (thank god, last time we had to do this she was admitted and stayed for 6 days). So I was depressed and anxious the whole day and instead of coming home and riding my bike I came home and my roommate asked if I wanted to go to KFC to which I said "obviously" and then ate a bunch and I mean a bunch of bad fried food. And then ice cream. I also studied enough math to feel completely helpless about ever passing this test (I am studying for the GRE but I also need to do well enough on a math placement test to take a chemistry class I need for NO REASON or I have to take a few math classes before I can even apply to graduate school. This whole situation is also making me insanely anxious as I suck at math and have always done poorly at it and don't want to end up wasting a year just to take math classes and chemistry when it literally has nothing to do with the degree I am pursuing, I wanted to be in graduate school for a degree in a lucrative field before my mom passes away and I am afraid that might not happen if I don't do well enough on this test). Tomorrow I have my first 5k and I went from being excited about it to a little depressed because my mom was planning on coming to watch but now doesn't feel well enough so I will literally be there by myself. My life just seems shitty and depressing lately and I feel like I am fooling myself trying to care about fitness/losing weight as a distraction from everything else and it's not working because of the sheer crapiness of the rest of my life. Hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling much better and the 5k goes well. I will report back afterwards.

First week re-cap: Good start despite being out of town and in the woods for a few days. Kept up with all the exercising, studied a lot, and ate within calories 6/7 days, as planned. I couldn't actually track online while camping but I kept a mental tally which I think was pretty accurate and tested a day or two when I came back. Just got back home and need to do weights, running, and math studying before bedtime. I forgot how stressful my life is right now after not having to deal with it for a few days. oh well.

Are you in Bellingham? Or is the Ski to Sea an event other places too? I went to school at Western. Good luck on the event! I had friends who participated but I was never that in shape in college.

I was on the swim team back in high school and for years it was the only cardio I enjoyed/was good at. Haven't done it in years but finally have access to a pool for lap swimming again and am very excited about it. I'm sure if you practiced you would get it down. I have no rhythm either and can't dance or anything, but the breathing in swimming isn't too bad.

Just finished weights and swimming. On to math studying.

Good first day. Ate within my calories and ran for half an hour. Also drank plenty of water and studied at least an hour for math. Schedule for the rest of the week: Tuesday - swim and weights Wednesday - bike and run Thursday - wake up early for weights before work Friday- drive to bay area to visit old roommates Saturday-Sunday-Monday - 3 day backpacking trip in the Redwoods with old roommates (at some point me and one of the old roommates is going to go for a run, a little nervous about that since she is training for a marathon and much faster, but it should be good motivation) I just realized I actually don't have time to lift weights 3x this week because of the camping trip, but I think I am going to be satisfied with carrying a heavy backpack the whole time and not stress out about it. I am more concerned about keeping on track diet-wise. I took a trip to Vegas between my first challenge and this one and ate so out of calories it was crazy.

Hey Terra! Great goals. I love that you have already found ways to work around your busy schedule and make time for exercise, and that you are bringing your family into it too.

This is my first post here, you can check out my first 6-week challenge in the Level 1 thread here - http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/44308-my-first-challenge/ Main Quest I would like to lose 25 pounds and feel awesome and confident about my body. I want to do this through calorie counting and fitness. To achieve this, I have three specific goals: Fitness! I am making things a little more difficult for myself. Last challenge I started a running routine and a weight lifting routine (3x a week each), this time I am going to add in one day of mandatory swimming and one day of mandatory bike riding (though I am always free to do more!) I will loosely be following this novice 10k training plan by Hal Higdon, but adjusting for my work schedule - http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10-K-Training-Guide-Novice-Program A – Completed all workouts B – Skipped 1-5 workouts C – Skipped 5-10 workouts D – Skipped 10-15 workouts F – Skipped more than 15 workouts Tracking my food daily and staying within my calorie range at least 6 days a week. A – Tracked every day and stayed within my goals! B – Missed tracking or ate over goal 1-3 days C – Missed tracking or ate over goal 3-6 days D – Missed tracking or ate over goal 6-9 days F – Missed tracking or ate over goal more than 9 days Drinking two liters of water a day! I realized that I feel way better when I am hydrated and am much more likely to eat poorly/not exercise if I have not had enough water. So I am going to try to finish my 1L water bottle at least twice a day. I wont grade this one because I am not meticulous enough to keep track, but I am going for 6 days a week. Motivation: I miss feeling great about my body and what it can do. I was overweight my entire life and at a healthy/attractive weight maybe 2 years of it and I vastly preferred being at the healthy weight. Trying to get back there. Oh.. Also. I have a 5k on the 27th of this month, I want to sign up for a 10k sometime this summer, and I am doing a sprint Tri in August! Don't know how I forgot to add all of that in. That's why I added in swimming/biking to my goals, and why I am following a 10k plan. And Life Side Quest: Study for the GRE at least a few hours a week! Seriously!