JackieTarr

Greetings, Druids! I'm glad to have found you. (<- And to have found this Saturn smiley.) I hope to get to know a few more people during this challenge, and to post more often. Main Quest: Integrate healthy habits into daily routine. Goal #1: "Wild Mountain Thyme" Do 30+ minutes of physical activity, 3+ times per week. In my previous challenge, this was all yoga. I’m broadening it because it’s spring now, and I live in the Northeast! There are beautiful nature trails, state parks, and preserves nearby that I want to savor during the warmer months. My plan is to do yoga twice a week, and take at least one brisk walk in the woods. Goal #2: "Fountain of Life" Drink at least 20 oz of water each day. I’m carrying this goal over from the previous challenge. I’ve been doing well with it, but still need the reminder, especially on the weekend. Goal #3: "Solar Powered" Wake up 1.5 hours before work every morning. Still working on this… I was too ambitious in the last challenge, and just ended up feeling defeated. An hour and a half gives me enough time to comfortably get to work, feeling put-together and all that. Side Quest: "Apprentice Harper" Write something (anything) in my journal every day. I kept a journal in high school, and loved it! I wrote poetry, and jokes, and notes in foreign alphabets... For some reason, I stopped doing it in college because it felt silly - like I had nothing worthwhile to write about. Now that I'm out of school entirely, staring the rest of my life in the face, I feel an urgency to preserve the thoughts and feelings I have now - not because they're impressive, but because they'll change.

Thanks, Bekah! I don't know why it's so hard to drink water either!! Just habits, probably. I'm used to everything I drink being strongly flavored so it's hard to crave water the way I crave other things. But listening more closely to what my body wants is helping. I highly recommend the Manduka! It's a sturdy piece of equipment, and it's performing great for me so far! I did a 45 minute yoga video today (Empower Your Boundaries) that really challenged me. It felt great! I had to improvise the strap and block, though, haha. A rolled-up-and-rubber-banded towel worked alright as a block!

Week 2.5 Update Man... Last week, I learned the hard way that posting updates on here really keeps me focused on my goals. Work was nuts last week (registration opened for the Summer Camp I manage), and I took my work home with me a lot. So, I'll give a quick synopsis and then hop back on the wagon. Goal #1: Did less yoga than I wanted to, but at least I went to my usual weekly class. I'm liking this instructor more and more! Goal #2: Most days, I met my water-drinking goals. Some days, I convinced myself that more caffeine would be better, but it never was. Goal #3: I'm starting to think 7:00 every morning is too ambitious. Maybe I should loosen my goal, like "wake up between 7 and 7:30"? I'm finding that with this all-or-nothing 7:00 goal, I just end up beating myself up about failing. Side Quest: Sent a letter (in character) to my old performance group! They're putting on a Renaissance Faire next Saturday, so my partner and I sent them a goofy, encouraging note.

Showshoeing is so much fun!! I moved to the Northeast just last year, and this winter was the first time I'd ever gone snowshoeing. Get it while it's good, Wolf!!

Welcome back, Heather! We all fall away sometimes, but you have some serious fight in you. It's good to have you back. Way to go on this!! I had to battle my own soda addiction right out of college. It's a tough one, but changing your self-image ("I'm just not a Soda Drinker now.") is really helpful. As a member of your accountabilibuddy thread, I suggest you PM me an address so I can mail you a medal. More Nice Things: 6. You believe in yourself enough to chase down the wagon and jump back on. 7. You've had a positive impact on your roommate if she's stopped drinking soda as well!

Thanks so much for posting, Wolf. This was a tough week, and it helps a lot to have some support here. I'M SO GLAD SOMEONE GETS THIS. So far, I've found the dragon analogy most helpful in terms of body image, rather than motivation. The biggest problem I have when thinking about my body is that doing things for it (working out, drinking water, etc.) always felt like another chore that I wasn't doing enough of. Now, I think of it more like caring for a partner. And the telepathy thing helps me remember to listen. I did! Just yesterday, I decided on the Manduka ProLite. It feels great (although it needs some breaking-in), and moreover, it has a lifetime warranty that covers wear from general use! That's what sold me in the end. I'm very happy with it so far. Thank you, thank you! It's not meaningless, and the suggestions are welcome. It really helps to read this from someone else on a similar journey. I hope your challenge is going well, Wolf! Just one more week!

I'm glad to hear it's going well! Just a week and a half left! You should take up the Messenger quest if you have energy to spare! It feels so rewarding to send a nice note to someone. The trick is buying plenty of cards/stamps in advance. Postcards are cheaper to send than envelopes, fyi.

Okay, here's my own stuff... 1. I'm afraid to talk to real-life people about my fitness challenge, because I've never had a fit and active lifestyle before and I feel like I'm faking it. 2. I feel dumb whenever I talk about my new habits, like I'm pretending to be someone else, and I'll just abandon it all a month from now. So, I've avoided posting anything about it to Facebook, and I don't even like to exercise at home with my husband in the room. There's this little voice in my head that says I'm just faking it, and I tend to assume other people are going to say the same thing. 3. I've started telling just a few people, who don't know me that well in the first place. A former classmate from college is now a bodybuilder, so I told her about the challenge, and she was really excited and supportive! Nerd Fitness has been wonderful so far in helping me track and keep my goals. I'm a total people-person, but the anonymity on here is kind of nice. It keeps me focused on the challenge at hand.

I highly recommend online yoga! This video is great for beginners (which was me, three months ago), and is a reasonable length. The key is to listen to your body - only take it as far as it wants to go.

This group sounds great! Mind if I join? Chaos, I feel you there. I moved away from home last year for my job, and making new friends is so difficult, especially as an adult. Heather's suggestion about MeetUp is a great one! I found a Spanish conversation group on there, and ended up meeting some cool people that way. Going the first time was terrifying, but it turned out everyone else felt just as awkward as I did.

Nice challenge! I love the website Budget Bytes, so I'm sending you all there. Last night, I made Roasted Cabbage Wedges. The recipe calls for lite caesar dressing, but I only had balsamic vinaigrette, so I used that. OH MY HEAVENS. This recipe is incredible, and incredibly simple! I can think of no better way to eat a quarter-head of cabbage in one sitting. Two main things turned my diet (and budget!) around: - Learning to love cabbage. - Learning to cook dry beans. Happy Week 5, everyone!

How's it going, Muse?

Welcome aboard! "No fast food" is a worthy cause, and a tough one to master. If you ever need easy/cheap/healthy recipes, feel free to hit me up!

So cool, Smallz! How long have you been fencing? It's way tougher than it looks, and takes so much control! Your small muscles must be/will be masterful. As a fellow Elf, don't worry too much about seeing your ribcage, as that may always be the case. Building bulk/muscle is a great goal, though! Just keep building habits that make you feel mighty!

Day 4 (Thursday) Goal #1: No yoga today. Goal #2: Drank 20+ oz water. Goal #3: Woke up around 7:30! Not my goal, but early enough to eat breakfast at home like a human being, instead of in the car. Side Quest: Used some extra time in the morning (still a weird concept!!) to write and send a postcard to one of our closest friends, and former neighbor, back home. It felt amazing, and I managed to not be a perfectionist about the length and phrasing of the message. Day 5 (Friday) Goal #1: No yoga today. Goal #2: Drank 20+ oz water. Goal #3: Woke up at 7:10ish. Not bad! Day 6 (Saturday) Goal #1: No yoga today. Goal #2: Busy day at work! Drank 20+ oz water and resisted too much coffee. Goal #3: Woke up an hour late. >.< Wanted to do yoga in the morning to start the day well, but ended up disappointed in myself all day instead. Day 7 (Sunday) Goal #1: Went to a yoga class in the morning. The studio's founder was in town, and she led a class as a special event! Goal #2: Drank 20+ oz water, happily. Goal #3: Woke up at 7:20ish. Not bad, got to 8:30 yoga class with plenty of time to spare. Gear Upgrade: Decided to invest in a much better yoga mat. I had been using this $30 Gaiam mat that I got at Target, and I was fighting a lot to keep myself steady, especially when my hands started to sweat. Target let me return it, no questions asked, and gave me the balance on a gift card! My studio sells higher-quality mats, and they said I could test them out in class on Wednesday. I'm trying to choose between the Jade Harmony and the Manduka ProLite. If anyone has used these, I'd love to hear your experience with them! Any Druids around?

Classes are really expensive here, too. I'm so grateful for the work-trade arrangement - it's the only way I can afford a class every week. (Otherwise, it would be just home practice for me, and a class every month or so!) The Iyengar-style class is going really well so far. The teacher likes to remind us that a good practice is "a little bit of joy, and a little bit of pain". For me, the pain usually happens in class, and the joy is delayed until later, when I can feel the work that I did and be proud that I persevered!

Thanks for the explanation, Wolf! I watched some Strala videos, and they are unique, for sure. That level of movement and fluidity is a challenge all its own! It takes so much control and, as you said, bodily awareness. Beautiful! I started out in vinyasa classes, but recently switched to a style closer to Iyengar. (The reason I switched was that I got the opportunity to take this new class for free/work-trade every week, so I jumped at it. ) Iyengar is great for me as I build physical strength, but in my home practice, I go back to vinyasa to calm the mind. Your quote is lovely, by the way. Keep at it, little by little!

Keep it up, Sherlock! It's really tough to log everything you eat, but you seem to really be sticking with it! In case you're interested, this is my favorite recipe right now. It's absolutely delicious (this coming from a cheese-and-carb-loving carnivore), dirt cheap, and so easy to make. Once a month, my husband and I make a huge batch on Sunday and eat it all week! Ooh, what do you do for work? Also, if it seems motivating, I'm sure we'd all be happy to see your drawing and coloring (even scribbles!) on here.

Welcome to the challenge! I joined late, too. Ana Forrest is a superhero. I haven't heard of Strala - what's the focus of that practice?

Day 2 (Tuesday) Goal #1: Did 30-minute yoga session (Rise and Shine) before work. Goal #2: Drank 20+ oz water. ...And then some whiskey. But I got the water so we're good. Goal #3: Hit snooze a couple of times, but woke up a mere 17 minutes after I intended to, so, progress! Day 3 (Wednesday) Goal #1: Went to my yoga Work-Trade class. This instructor is definitely going to challenge me, in a good way! Goal #2: Drank 20+ oz water, grudgingly. Had a second cup of coffee before the water bottle, so it felt more like a chore. :\ Goal #3: FAILED SO HARD. Turned off the alarm, went back to sleep, got up at 8 instead of 7, and felt crummy about it all day. Thanks for the support, guys. Tomorrow will be a great day!

First Full Day Update: Tried to go to a yoga class this evening, but it filled up before I got there. Hung out at the studio anyway, because afterward I had work training. I've made a Work-Trade agreement with the studio where basically, if I help tidy up before and after class, I can take that class for free! I had to commit to a class per week, so it'll help with my budget and my challenge. When I got home, I did 30 minutes of yoga, using the Strengthen and Lengthen video on Do Yoga With Me. Not quite as satisfying as a class, but it worked! I drank my 20 oz water and then some, and woke up whenever because it's still my weekend (Sun-Mon). Tomorrow's when the real challenge starts!

I hope your challenge is going well! Yoga helps me get into a happy headspace, too. Take care of yourself - you deserve it.

Hi! Thanks for your note on my challenge! I love the way you've allocated points alongside your goals - the NF points thing kind of threw me, but I might adopt your system. Best of luck with all of this - you can do it! Feel free to check in with me if you need encouragement!