SpiralGalaxy

Week 3, Tuesday. 3 sets of 2 exercises = +5 points = 88 total. Calories and alcohol went out the window thanks to a milestone celebration after work. No regrets.

Funny how it's so much easier to exercise when I'm stuck in my cube all day instead of running all over the lab! Week 3, Monday: 1169 cal, 2 alcohol, 4 sets of 2 exercises = +12 pts = 83 total. Book #1 unlocked! Also, despite starting this challenge poorly, *something* is working: had my lightest weigh-in yet this morning at 121.6 lbs. Started the year at about 132.6!

Sprinting is almost certainly not going to happen for me this week, but I do have a recipe for over roasted vegetables--including beets and turnips!--that has been lurking in my not-yet-tried recipe folder for quite a long time. Yoshi to the rescue!

Sorry I couldn't finish this one guys--life happened this weekend. Let me see what I can do for Week 3!

Closing out Week 2, with 0 additional points. Things just kind of went to heck this weekend. Still, I think I can knock out a solid week before Thanksgiving. Things haven't gotten off to a good start, but there are still books to be earned!

Week 2, Thursday: 1509 cal, 2 alcohol, 0 exercise = +2 points = 71 total

Still stuck in the lab, still not feeling great. Hoping for things to get back to normal next week. Scheduled a Dr apt for next week, since this isn't normal for me. Week 2 Monday:1669 cal, 2 alcohol, 1 exercise = +4 pts Tuesday: 1573 cal, 2 alcohol, 2 exercise = +7 pts Wednesday: 1464 cal, 2 alcohol, 0 exercise = +4 pts = 69 points total. Getting closer!

Whew, I've never started off a challenge this badly. I'm feeling better today: woke up on time, braved the cold weather for a walk, even got some meditation in. And I'm realizing that something's not quite right, so I actually made a Dr. apt, which I'd been meaning to do for the last three months. So I think I'm moving in the right direction. Week 1 final: Friday: 1386 calories, more alcohol, less exercise = 5 points Saturday: 1671 cal, more alcohol, less exercise = 0 points Sunday: 1345 cal, more alcohol, less exercise = 5 points. Total = 54 points so far. I think my biggest problem is remembering to do the exercise when I'm at home. Sometimes I can knock them out in my cubicle at work, but last week I was in the lab most of the time so it didn't get done. I think I can do some improvement this week, especially since I'm going to try for the crawling mini-challenge!

As tempted as I am to re-submit my Acorn Squash recipe because it also had apples in it (don't worry Stars! I know better!) I'm feeling better this week and looking forward to getting some crawling done!

1 Tbsp olive oil 1 acorn squash, halved & seeded1 apple, diced2 Tbsp diced celery2 Tbsp water2 tsp minced onion2 tsp butter, cubed1 tsp maple syrup1 pinch ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Place squash, cut-side down, on baking sheet. Combine apple, celery, water, onion, and butter in a small baking dish; cover with aluminum foil. Bake squash and apple mixture in the preheated oven until squash and apple are tender, about 45 minutes. Fill squash halves with apple mixture; drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon. I love this recipe! One of my favorites for autumn. Sweet but not too sweet, and nicely filling. I served a California Gewurztraminer wine with it, and it went well. Other reviews: (Gadget and Widget are 4 years old and 18 months old respectively, those are their internet nicknames) G&W: Pretty much spurned it. Gadget had "one bite" so that he could have crackers instead. Widget skipped the whole meal. Husband: Really likes this recipe, but was thinking that every food review needs the word "piquant" in it somewhere and we got into a debate about what "piquant" actually means. Turns out it really should refer to something hot-spicy, no matter how foodies use it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Week 1, Thursday. Working some long weeks here. Still: 1358 cal, 2 glasses of wine, 3 sets incline pushups and 3 sets 1 leg rows = +12 points = 44 total. Halfway to book 1, which will likely be a Bill Bryson book that I shockingly don't own yet.

Thanks, I think I'm finally on the mend--went to bed at about 8:30 last night, but don't feel quite so achy this morning. Week 1, Wednesday: 1022 calories, no alcohol, no exercise: +10 points = 32 pts total.

Sick, sick, sick, sick, bleargh. Also: couldn't take today or yesterday off work. arghlefarglebarg Week One, Tuesday: 1274 cal, no alcohol, but no exercise. 10 pts = 22 pts total. Suzaqu: I got Volumes 1 - 4 of the "WisCon Chronicles," essays by people associated with the feminist sf convention WisCon. They have a lot to do with feminism and intersectionality and how that operates in the sphere of sf literature. Other phenomenal essay collections might be Evaporating Genre by Gary Wolfe, Starboard Wine or Jewel Hinged Jaw by Samuel R. Delany, and What Makes this Book So Great by Jo Walton (mostly book reviews, but very insightful ones). For what I'm excited about this year? I'm gearing up for a big thing about Neal Stephenson, so I've been reading Reamde and Seveneves. (I think I liked his earlier stuff better.) One of my 100% favorites from last year, on the same level as Ancillary Justice but totally different subgenre, is Elysium by Jennifer Brissett. And the Hugo winner from this summer, Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, is really really good.

Week One, Monday: Not quite perfect. I'm recovering from a weird feeling sick/having a migraine thing that's been messing with me. At the end of the day I flat ran out of willpower. But: 1263 calories (5), one glass of mead (2), and 3 sets of hanging rows and 3 sets of bridges (5), and I start off with 12 points. Off to the races!

Thanks everyone! Re: pants size. I started the year at 132 lbs and size 8 post-pregnancy pants. And I hadn't really tried any of my old size 6 jeans until just last week, even as the size 8s were getting looser and looser. So at the end of last challenge when I went from 126 to 122, I went looking for old jeans and found my old size 4s that I couldn't bear to get rid of. I figured I'd try them on just-to-see, and they fit perfectly. Woohoo! Re: books. I knew I was going to get multiple books from a series, so I didn't put my order in until the end of the challenge. I don't actually have them yet! They're all non-fiction essay collections about science fiction literature, so a little obscure. ;-) As a book reviewer I usually get all the fiction books I need for free--more than I can read. So non-fiction books are my reward treats!

Hello Blue Team! For challenge #1, I'm torn between jumping and cooking--I've got a really great acorn squash recipe that I just love. And I've been fighting off a lingering migraine headache, so I should probably stick to cooking. Who else is around?

Welcome to zeroh13 and erosan! These mini-challenges are seriously my favorite part of the whole 6 Week Challenge structure. Super Marios Bros 2 may still be the only video game I've played to completion, although I later came close with Morrowind. I imprinted on a Nintendo64 system when I was about 7. Can't wait for this challenge to start!

Congrats on finishing another challenge, and good luck with the move! Let us know when you land safe and sound on the East Coast!

In my last challenge, I finally found a motivation that *totally* worked for me: a points system where I could earn books for doing things right (instead of a negative system where I'd lose points for doing things wrong). I dropped four pounds, earned four books, and dropped two pants sizes--total win! So I'm going to keep the same basic principle and add a couple of tweaks. Food: +5 points if I'm under 1400 calories, +2 points if I'm under 1550. Alcohol: +5 points for now alcohol, +2 points for 2 drinks or less. Exercise: +5 points if I do 3 sets each of 2 different bodyweight exercises. +2 points for 3 sets of one exercise. Maximum 15 points per day. Because I've added more ways to get points, it will take 75 points to earn a book. Ideally I'll earn a book a week, but even the four books I earned last challenge got the job done. Looking forward to starting the challenge!

Wow, congratulations to everyone and especially the Dwarves--hard fought! And SUPER THANKS as always to Stars for putting this all together. These minis make my challenges soooooo much more fun!!!

Week 6 Saturday: 1380 calories = 5 points = 201 points! Book #4 achieved! Wrap up: I'm really happy with the way this challenge went. Positive reinforcement made it way easier to stick with, and I dropped 4 pounds. Even better: I just tried on a pair of size 4 pre-pregnancy jeans and they fit! OMG, I was hoping to get from size 8 back to size 6, I never imagined I'd be able to get back into my favorite size 4 pants. So happy! I'm going to do a slightly tweaked version of this for my next challenge, try to get an exercise component back in place, and see if I can get back below 120 lbs. W00t!

Week 6, Thursday, 1799 cal Week 6 Friday, 2059 cal Yeep! Getting down to the wire! A light lunch and dinner today should see me through.

Week 6, Wednesday Another squeaker: 1449 calories = 3 pts, 196 total. So close! Tomorrow is an off night, though.

Week 6, Tuesday: 1543 calories just squeaks under the limit; 3 more points = 193. Arrrrrgh work stress. Although the calorie offset doesn't include whatever I burned shivering in my really cold-feeling cubicle and lab.

Glad you're feeling well again Trewest! We'll knock this out in no time.