juudar

It went okay. I got to visit family for a few days so my exercise dropped right out, but I tried to watch what I was eating and did pretty good ... considering my options, anyway, haha. BUT I've been keeping up with my running. Haven't missed a day since starting the challenge. In fact, this past weekend I got to participate in The Color Run! The most psychotically positive thing I've ever done--it was so much fun! We clocked in at about 35 minutes. I got to bike 6 miles after not biking for years on Monday. It was actually a lot of fun. But! In spite of my spottiness--and a lack of movement in the scale--the changes continue to happen: - My natural waist is dropping as I lose. It's nipping in just below my ribcage now. That's new. - I got to try on and some size L dresses in Forever 21 last week. They fit! Well! Unfortunately they were waaaay too short. -TMI but my boobs are a whole size smaller. I seem to be losing from the outside in. It would appear that the last thing to go will be my darn hips. 8| 21-day Fixing has been spotty. I've been letting life get in the way a lot. But not tonight! ... except. I'm gonna wait 'til like 9 or 10 to workout. The sun is ridiculously draining. Some sketches from this morning. I've been babying myself lately and trying to put off doing work for the novel. Gonna drag myself kicking and screaming back to photoshop now. Feeling quite weak today. Gonna focus on hydrating and staying out of the sun and hope for improvement in like two or three hours. Will workout and update everyone again when that happens. Thanks for your support, guys! Sorry I haven't really been around. Hope everyone's doing well.

Yeeah! Frozen bananas are the bomb! When I'm jonesing for sweets and not off the wagon and sprawled on the ground, I blend together a frozen banana, almond butter, cocoa powder, and some almond milk. ;w; It's the best! You sound like you're on top of it. A good warm up and cool down routine will make or break everything you do in between.

Thanks so much, everyone! I really appreciate all of your supportive comments. Zoodles sound like an acceptable way to consume the otherwise dubious zucchini, 18ck. I will have to give them a try. Sans finger-dicing. 06/21/14 Running! #1 was busy with theater stuff. I ran solo. Hit a good stride about halfway through and held until the end. GPS is still really dysfunctional during this route, but I calibrated at the end. Distance Ran: 5.05 mi Average Pace: 12'15"/mi Total Time: 1:01:53 Paleo-ing! Maybe 60%? Didn't record it. I just know I wasn't as on top of it as usual. 21-day Fixing! Dirty 30 maybe too soon after running, but it got done! Drawing Hung out with friends instead. 06/22/14 I got a few comments on looking different from people at church. It was an oddly positive day. Running! Off. Paleo-ing! Off on account of bridal shower. I had some really sugary stuff I don't normally have, like a cupcake and chocolate. But I tried the paleo spaghetti later in the evening and it didn't turn out half bad. Definitely gonna be using spaghetti squash more in the future. 40% 21-day Fixing! Yoga Fix. Drawing X on account of bridal shower and time with friends. 06/23/14 Today sucked. A lot. Not even gonna fake it. Didn't get enough sleep--didn't get enough anything. Running! No #1 again today, no backup plan either. Forgot to track. Didn't even want to track. Walked almost half of it. 3.15 miles or so. Paleo-ing! Eeeh on account of rushing out of the house without a proper breakfast and having access to leftover bridal shower goodies. It's a wonder what a difference starting my day without proper protein makes. My mood is all over the place. 40% 21-day Fixing! Total Body Cardio Fix. Coming off the run didn't make it any easier. Drawing Probably the only solace I'm gonna have today. Planning on clocking an hour or so with Self-control keeping me on-task and tucking myself in early. -- I feel psychologically crushed. My body's okay and it'll bounce back from the sugar, but my brain feels like it's a bunch of cotton. I was hesitating to draw the connection before, but the sudden and inexplicable crash over the past few days when I've been doing pretty well is all the proof I need: I'm pretty sure refined sugar needs to take a prompt and permanent exit. No more cupcakes at bridal showers. ... Can't be too sad! There's plenty of alternatives. This is an adventure in its own right. Think of all the things I get to try now. Coming here to read all of your supportive comments really helps, especially just looking at Teros' board. I'll make it through tonight and rock the socks off tomorrow.

Aha! Proof I haven't been slacking! (Lack of scenery WIPs notwithstanding ...) Allow me to announce that I am working on a picture book. On purpose. The Cracked Egg, as it's being called currently, is about the trials and tribulations of a sensitive young girl who is overwhelmed by this big, bright world. The screenshot is of a few WIPs: part A of a multipart series of character paintings for a project I'm calling Opal, a VERY LATE commission that I've redone so many times I've lost count, and part B of the Opal character paintings.

I just caught up on your thread today. Love your goals and you have chosen some interesting hobbies! We have similar motivations for getting fit. Sorry about your elbow! >: Hope it heals super fast for you.

Welcome to the Rebellion, friend! Remember: small, sustainable steps are a great way to achieve big goals. What's your starting point for #2? As for drinking water--I heard you, dude. It was the hardest thing to learn. I started carrying a 32 oz nalgene bottle and making sure I emptied it at least 2 times a day. Now I feel naked without it. Are you cutting out certain kinds of beverages or just working on drinking more water right now?

Simple, straightforward. I like it! Something in my DNA abhors structure, so I abandoned C25K soon after trying it and started doing my own thing, but it's a solid program. x) How does it feel? Keep up the good work, yo!

It's been a fantastic week, guys! 06/19/14 Running! #1 and I decided to chill out and enjoy the sun. Intervals and ditzing around talking about things. Distance Ran: 3.19 Miles Average Pace: 13'10"/Mile Total Time: 42'02" Paleo-ing! 100% and holding! Gonna focus on cutting back on fruit and nuts a little. Which means ... finding more vegetables I enjoy ... that will actually take effort to cook. Aye me. 21-day Fixing! Roommates joined me with special guest #1. Pilates. #1 very nearly died and it was amusing. Drawing X 06/20/14 Running! Off day. Took a nice walk, though. Paleo-ing! I ran a test this morning: just a breakfast scone. It didn't even taste that good--it was really dry and stuck to the roof of my mouth. Digestive results pending, but not looking positive. It would appear my body no longer enjoys bread. Victory? Sort of? Gonna get back on track for my dinner and not do that ever again. 21-day Fixing! Cardio Fix! My favorite one! I could do this fix every day and enjoy it every freaking day! Can't wait 'til doubles in the final week. The roommates joined me again. They had significantly less fun. Drawing Gonna work on some scenery after a quick warmup, and then I'll be putting a little bit of work into some digital paintings. -- I shifted the 21-day Fix down a few days. It's working and I'm getting stronger--after cheating myself out of half a week of the program in the beginning. I also don't want to cheat my roommates out now that they're joining me, and they'll only do what I do at the moment. May as well get my money's worth out of the program. I'll be getting done with the fix on the 4th of July and jump right into a bodyweight program. I don't know how to go about it, but I want to focus on building upper body strength when that point comes. That first pullup ain't gonna do itself. Just bought myself a week to find a good program. Any suggestions?

Yay! I love your running goals. And your everything. It sounds like you're doing great and you bounced back from the sick like a pro. Keep up the great work. I'm keeping an eye on you.

Thank you so very much, same to you! It's all about baby steps. When #1 and I started, I couldn't even run for a minute straight. Having a partner really helps. That way you can yell at them when you want to stop. Encouraging things! Like, "you're not dead yet!" and "if you stop you will be!" Thanks so much! I'd seen Nom Nom Paleo, but The Clothes Make the Girl is a new one. I'll definitely be taking a look. x) Thanks so much! I see running's a big part of your challenge, too. The Nerd Diet is covered in detail in the Academy. They essentially split the shift to Paleo into 10 bite-size pieces. 5 is no bread, followed quickly by 6 kicking pretty much anything that's not rice and quinoa. Thanks and same to you! Thank you so much! I'm not too crazy in the kitchen, but when steamed vegetables get boring, I'll definitely be turning to something like NNP. If anything, energy's been increasing lately? Spaghetti squash is on my list, yo! Thank you for letting me know. I'm a pretty quiet person, myself. It's good to know there's always people willing to answer any questions that might come up. -- Thanks, everyone, for all of your supportive messages. Reading all of them this morning was wonderful. x) -- 06/18/14 Running! #1 and I met up and decided to focus on endurance today. Most consistent pace yet without any stops to walk (sans warmup and cooldown ofc). That 35-minutes-or-less race time seems well within my grasp. Distance Ran: 3.21 Mi Average Pace: 12'15"/Mi Total Time: 39'21" Paleoing! My new favorite breakfast is sweet potato hash, turkey bacon, and eggs. A snack a little later consisted of a green apple and almond butter and a banana. Gonna eat ALL OF THE VEGGIES AND PROTEIN now. ... planning on cooking some chicken and tossing some steamfresh veggies in the microwave. Nothing too complicated tonight. 21-day Fixing! Lower Fix completed! Tomorrow's run is gonna suck ... My roommates have caught whatever's in the water. Two have started doing the Fix workouts with me. Now if only I could get them to run without making something chase them. Drawing! Does a 4-hour brainstorming session with the novelist count? I think it counts. He's given me homework. My notebook is filled with unintelligible scribbling. Whee.

Thank you! I was thinking of trying that Paleo Shepherds Pie that was posted the other day. Or some paleo spaghetti. Thank you so much! I'll take a peek over there.

Yaaaay thank you so much for the support! My diet sorta ... yoyo'd. I all but treated myself as a science experiment to see how certain things or eating habits affected my body, haha. But it was probably 50-60% clean. These past few days haven't been giving me any problems, but I'll bring the inevitable craving strike here. Here's to keeping on keeping on. -- Personal bests all around today! This morning, I weighed myself. Last checked in at 202 lbs when the challenge started. 199.5 lbs. My fellow Nerds and nerdettes, I am below 200 lbs for the first time in what has probably been at least 8 years. It's a great day to be alive. Paleo-ing! Have actually beem hovering at a pretty clean level 7. Let's see if this holds. I haven't been documenting my food, but I had a huge breakfast of turkey bacon, over easy eggs, sweet potato hash, and a grapefruit this morning. Have munched on a few almonds since then, but nothing else. Friends were over last night. They brought with them many yummy things, like texas toast and spaghetti. I stared longingly at the spaghetti, thinking of how it tasted. One friend noticed. "Have some," he insisted. I took a deep breath and shook my head, "I ca--I don't eat that stuff anymore. No processed grains or anything like that." "What? When did this start?" "Pretty recently." "So like, no spaghetti noodles or anything like that?" "Mm-mm." "Why?" "Grain makes my tummy unhappy and I feel sluggish when I eat them. So I don't. I feel ten thousand times better now." He left it at that, and I didn't eat a single thing that wasn't my green apples and almond butter that night. Running! Ran on Saturday (06/14/14)! Best solo 5k yet: Distance Ran: 3.21 mi Average Pace: 11'23"/mi Total Time: 36'34" Ran yesterday (06/16/14). It was my first day having #1 back. He hadn't run at all while he was away last week, so when I proposed we extend the run, he agreed, adding "I need to have my butt kicked." We picked a 5-mile loop, thinking we wouldn't--couldn't--run the whole thing. Oh how little we knew of what momentum can do to a person. #1 and I completed our 5-mile loop in a little more than an hour. We ran for the last 2.5 miles without stopping, save a short cooldown at the end. My stats are wonked because the GPS inexplicably sucked, but here's the trustworthy bits: Distance Ran: 5.05 mi Average Pace: 12'28"/mi Total Time: 01:03:01 21-day Fixing! I've all but abandoned the nutrition plan, since I'm falling within its boundaries anyway, give or take some veggies. The exercises have been spotty, but once I post this, I'm headed to do a warm-up jog and the Upper Fix. I practice my craft! Drawing's been going well these past few days. A lot of what I've been working on I have to keep under wraps. My main focus is working closely with a friend who has recently written a novel, and would like illustrations to supplement.

Thanks, man! Slaughtered a few chickens today. Hey! Thanks so much for the support--I've--um--been admiring you Assassins from afar. I'm totally keeping an eye on your challenge, too. You put a whole new definition to "beast," dude! -- Checking in. Fell off the paleo wagon and ate HOLY BREAD TODAY, BATMAN. 06/13/14 Paleo-ing! Breakfast: coffee with a splash of creamer and 2 stevia raw packets and a berry scone. Lunch: work ordered in! Spinach salad that had cheese and dressing. The salad also came with bread. Snack: there were baked goods just laying around the office, insulting my total lack of willpower. )x Dinner: Level 5 all around! Brown rice, sautee'd mushrooms and sweet peppers with a little feta, and some ground turkey. I'm way over my greens for the Fix, but I think double duty might even it out, what with the Fixing and the running. Speaking of running! Running! Distance Ran: 3.14 miles Avg Pace: 12' 36"/mile Total Time: 39'35" PR broken! Longest distance ran without stopping to walk: 1.3 miles. So, still about as slow as continental drift, but my endurance is improving! 21-day Fixing! Cardio Fix completed! I'm soaked and pretty sure I smell like Gaston on bath day but--I can't do full a burpee just yet, but--heaven help me--I think--I think--they might be--fun? Illustrative efforts for the day pending--knocked some wips out earlier for a personal project. x)

Woo! Packed lunches! Working out! No gluten! Hope your challenge is still off to a great start, man. Great goals. I envy you your option to swim.

That you're back for more says a lot about your perseverance. Keep working hard! Looking great so far. x) Running is definitely a process. You're building a super strong foundation right now, which is fantastic. I like your goal about getting through the Bible. Do you have a plan or calendar that you're following?

I love your thread format. Very creative. You seem to be doing really well so far. Looking forward to your progress.

You look like you're off to a great start, Crar! Keep up the great work! x) ... Sweet potato crisps sounds like a fantastic idea. I might have to try that.

That's so exciting, Elastigirl! Congratulations!

Rome wasn't built in a day and my body took 22 whole years to get this, way, SO I'm gonna call this my Chicken-slaying Challenge, lovingly so for the grinding that one often has to do at the top of most video games. (Or that I do, anyway.) AKA Mind-Body Sync Challenge. Just some fundamentals and foundation-building. I've been prepping for this challenge! The past few months have been a quest in learning how to eat well, love myself, and be active regularly. My SMART goals are based off of habits I've already been keeping: clean diet, running regularly, and doing some form of training. The hardest part of this challenge will be completely eliminating certain food groups and sticking to a training schedule. STATS Name: Julie Age: 22 Height: 5'5" Starting Weight: 202 MAIN GOAL: I will be a happy, healthy, strong 130-40 pounds. That's pretty nebulous. How can I get there? 1. I will go 80% Paleo. (CON) I feel comfortable starting at level 5 of the Nerd Diet and will proceed from there to level 8 at a sustainable pace. I'm having difficulty coming up with a way to gauge this at the moment besides a points system based on "ate when hungry" and "limited dairy to post-workout" etc. 2. I will run 3-4 times a week, first in preparation for a 5k on July 12th, then just because yay running. (STA) I've already conditioned myself for 3 times a week and am adding the fourth run starting this week. I have one regular running buddy--a gentleman herein referred to as #1. Others occasionally join us. Grading this one is simple. I get 1/4 (.25) every time I complete my run, for 1 point per week. 6/6 is an A, 5/6 is an A-, 4/6 is B, etc. Current Personal Record: 3.14 miles in 36:02 (11:07/mi average). Longest distance without stopping to walk is just over a mile. 3. I will do the 21-day Fix/I will bodyweight train at least 3x a week. (STR) For the first three weeks of this challenge, I will be doing a program called the 21-day Fix with a friend (which is essentially a both-feet-in total reset of the body and habits). It consists of one 30-minute workout a day, seven days a week, with two "active rest days," and a nutrition plan that's supposed to reconfigure how you think about food. I'm deeply skeptical of this program, but I'm doing it with a friend and leaving room for surprises. Once that's complete, I'll switch to bodyweight training 3-4 times a week. ... I don't know how to grade this one, either. -- Cool, so, there's my how. What's my why? I've always been the slowpoke. The last one to finish a race, anything, you name it. I've never really been great at sports because 1) I've never been in shape a day in my life, and 2) I seem to lack what I've assumed is a deeply repressed primal bloodlust required to play competitive sports ... well, uh, competitively. I've got a wicked case of always-picked-last syndrome. "No? Don't want me on your dodgeball team? That's cool, no problem, I'll just sit in the bleachers and draw." This defeatist attitude has gotten me in quite a few really bad ruts, emotionally and physically. "I don't look attractive in those jeans? Okay, I'll just sit over here and eat what I want because it doesn't matter anyway." I have a pair of size 12 shorts hanging on my doorknob. It's been literal years since I've worn anything that goes above the knee without leggings, and even longer since I've fit into a size 12. I'm not expecting to by the end of the challenge, but there's a hike I want to take at the end of the summer (mid-August), and I'd like to be able to wear them. But more than anything I want the energy and ability to keep up with the ones I love better. And I know a healthy, fit lifestyle will go a long way to having that. LIFE GOAL I am an aspiring illustrator slash visual development artist .... with the crappiest work ethic in the world. Either I'm sobbing in a corner after pooling 10 hours straight of my life into something, or I'm screwing around on the internet instead of studying. SO! I work hard at my craft for at least three hours a day, five to six days a week. (WIS) Starting out with at least a half an hour with Pixel Lovely every day, adding half an hour every week. I don't have a cap on how long I can spend drawing, but I must at least do the minimum five to six days a week. Additionally, 3 weeks in, I'll start adding study focuses ... that I have not fully decided on yet, but I'm definitely gonna spend some quality time attempting to not suck at environment-building. There's various and many projects already underway for me. ... Long story short, I'll be posting a lot of art ... and pictures of art. Mostly on my instagram (juudar!). At least 5 days nets me an A for the week. 4 is a B, 3 is a C, 2 is a D, and 1 is an F. F's are unacceptable. Autofail Life Quest for even one F. The idea is that if I want this to be my fulltime job, I have to work at it like it is. So ... um ... yeah. Words and ... stuff. It's almost 12 AM here. LET'S KILL SOME CHICKENS. ----- WEEK 1 is ... going really badly in terms of nutrition, honestly, but I'm getting back on the wagon tomorrow! #1 is absent this week, so I've been doing my runs solo. Sadface. My run on Monday was a fabulous 12min/mile jaunt of 3.3 miles. I also did the Monday Routine for the 21-day Fix. I planned out a couple of really important commissions I've been putting off. Logged maybe four hours before calling it quits. Tuesday was met with incapacitating soreness from the previous day's Fix. I wound up not doing the Fix that day, because it was suddenly 2am after a three-hour stint of drawing. Wednesday, nutrition went pretty well. My run was wrought with pain from Monday's Fix and turned into a defeated walk halfway through. No Fix and no drawing. Today, I got the whole blessed house to myself for several hours. So, I did what any self-respecting introvert would do: vegged out and read a whole book and ate poorly--although I did resist the temptation of Taco Bell later in the evening. It was Flat Abs Fix today, which I completed. No drawing, but I've bulleted out some specific things to work on tomorrow. Realizing how pathetic my upper body is. Hopefully I'll have gotten some strength by the end of this Fix. OK WOW I'm done talking now hi guys thank you for reading if you read all that HAVE GOOD CHALLENGES ALL OF YOU. (I'll probably edit this fifty zillion times tomorrow.)

It's so good to have you with us, Fia. I look forward to seeing you around the forums.

Hey, Ashleigh! x) Julie, here. I'm in AK, so I'm not sure if I'll work, but I'm 22 with an interest in movies and video games! ... mostly because picking apart the stories is super fun. I also have about 70 lbs to lose! Lemme know! Getting around this whole country barrier thing shouldn't be too hard.

Lookin' good, Guzzi. :3

Great ideas, man! I've been looking for creative ways to get a chocolate fix without sugar. Frozen bananas rock. Then again, I would subsist entirely off fruit if I could, so ...

Yep, that's me! I'm totally onboard for more hyperanalytic friends. Well, my goals--endgames and goalposts alike--are really specific. Orienting them in the context of a 6-week challenge has been interesting. It's sort of like writing a book. I think my big one this time is going to be a continuation of the past few months: building and maintaining sustainable healthy habits plus improving overall strength. Thanks for the welcome! What about you? Any clue what you're gonna tackle? :')

Freakin' amazing drive is right. I have occasion to regularly go between Anchorage and Soldotna. Gorgeous. x) It can be really pretty in the winter, but the massive number of cold-related hazards sucked the fun out of it for me. ): But hey winter sports!