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What if you went to sleep tonight and woke up tomorrow on the first day of 7th grade? My friend saw this in a Tumblr post and asked me a few months ago, and after percolating for a few weeks I ended up freaking out and thinking I was wasting my life and spent an entire weekend cleaning my room (which REALLY NEEDED TO HAPPEN) and trying to orgainze myself but I haven't been really motivated to do much more than that. I was thinking about it again today and after really just cleaning my room again I don't know what else to do. Anyway, I would probably do these: Dress better Have better taste in music Eat better and possibly not have to go through my entire adolescence as a blubber nugget Keep up with practicing and learning guitar, don't just expect to be instantly good at it Chill out a little about gym class volleyball, actually stop embarrassing myself in gym class in general Get an after-school job Keep up better with schoolwork Go to college to be a dietician, or something where I can do scientific studies about health, instead of marketing like I did Talk to more people and make myself more available to hang outObviously most of these are impossible because I'm not going to wake up on the first day of 7th grade out of nowhere, but I CAN do things like continue to eat well and exercise, re-learn guitar... I just graduated college a year and a half ago, so I'm not sure if another degree is in my near future. There are ways I can change my career without getting it, I'm going to have to try them out. So far all I have is a clean room and a list of things I want to learn. I just kind of wanted to share where my head is at right now, maybe share this question and see if anyone will be hit by the same sort of crisis that I was. (when I asked my brother, who is in 10th grade, the question, he just shuddered and said he'd be constantly, overwhelmingly annoyed with everything)

Sorry I didn't mean to disappear, I've just been taking all the suggestions and eating more like how I feel and not worrying too much about it but then I didn't have a whole lot of data to post I've eaten mostly well I think, but I haven't had a chance to step on a scale but I look pretty good so I'm not freaking out I stopped doing the ABWW because it was just taking FOREVER and I didn't want to take an hour and a half to work out all the time, so I started doing this 4 minute Tabata circuit which is cool and takes a lot more out of you than you really think it will. I have finally accepted that I need to join a real gym with real weights, and I will check out a few as soon as I get back from Cali (I'm leaving tomorrow night AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!)

I needed to hear this, thanks. Honestly I was just going balls to the wall for this challenge because I wanted to look good for my trip, and then I was going to back off and let things happen without freaking out, stop tracking every single little detail. Initially I just really wanted to impress this guy that I went to college with and I know that's a really shitty thing to want to get in shape for and I'm never going to have him anyway, but it escalated from there when I started thinking I might actually make it there and it would be the first weight loss goal I ever actually achieve by the deadline, so I got a little obsessed and disappointed and it's been kind of a cycle of that for the past couple weeks. I still have 2 weeks until I leave, and theoretically I can still do this, but I really do need to relax a little. I'm going to keep tracking and finish out the challenge, but adjust my priorities and expectations so I don't lose my mind. And maybe I'll take the next challenge off, or make it about something life-goal related instead of just fitness-related.

Not as good this week Totally let myself go at restaurants twice over the weekend, once with friends and once with family, and I don't really know how to track it because we all shared dishes both times. And on Wednesday I blew my carb count on an apple and peanut butter after a really late workout instead of a proper dinner, but I was still under 100 carbs for the day. That being said, I'm reasonably sure I got enough protein over the weekend, and I've worked out twice this week and I'll do my third today after I get my hair cut. And I've been completely on track the rest of the week. I did my check in this morning, and I'm up 1.4 pounds. I definitely haven't worked hard enough to build muscle. But after doing a LOT of math and taking this way too far, I think I would have needed to eat 9,580 calories in two meals in order to gain the weight I gained. And I'm not an expert but I'm REALLY PRETTY SURE THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. Maybe I could have stayed the same, but something freaking weird is going on. Clearly calories in/calories out is NOT how this crap works, not that we really needed to be told that again right? (I think some of it is water weight - the app I use to get myself to drink water totally broke down on me last week and I probably drank half to a quarter as much water as I'm supposed to. I reinstalled the app though, so maybe that will make the difference.) So: Gained 1.4 pounds21% body fat+1 inches on hips+.5 inches on armsKinda feel like ugh all over.

Week 2: Missed my protein 2 days because when I don't have to go into work and I break routine I pretty much don't eat??? Not like "I'm not hungry so I won't eat" but like "I could eat but I have no idea what to eat so I won't". I should work on this.Had a crazy carb-binge last Saturday because my best friend came over and we were Paleo baking. I have absolutely NO REGRETS.Got all 3 workouts in this week, and I didn't even have to do an emergency rescheduled one today!I realized it's gotten to the point where working out isn't a chore anymore, it's a hobby. The idea of missing my workout makes me more anxious than the idea of actually doing the work! AND I started feeling like I didn't want to just sit around on my days off, so I started doing this super-simple yoga video and I love it! Not very "anti-fragile", I know, and I'll have to level up to something with actual poses soon, but I REALLY LIKE YOGA AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS but I'm also worried about it competing with other fitness-related activities I want to do - I know I need to keep doing strength training (even if I just have to keep steady while I focus on other things) but I also want to take up running again as soon as this damn snow melts a little (I hate treadmills don't even suggest it) and I want to learn some sort of fighting skills (how can I save the world if I can't throw a punch, right?). And there's also weekend-type things like hiking that my friends and I want to do together. I guess I'll keep doing what feels good and figure out how to juggle it all later - fighting stuff isn't even close to coming into the picture yet. So checking in with measurements: lost 0.6 pounds this week, down to 118.8 NEW LOW WEIGHT HELL YEAHLost half an inch off my hips!20% BODYFAT ACCORDING TO THIS CALCULATOR. WHILE ROUNDING UP FOR MY WEIGHT. Also today is my birthday so I'm not 100% sure how this is going to play out, but if there's cake I'm eating it! ... now I need to figure out breakfast.

So this week (or 5 days but whatever) Kept my carbs under 75 every day except for Tuesday, because it was my dad's birthday and I ate cake and regretted not a single bite (I was still under 100 that day even then)Protein intake was at least in the high 90's every day, and sometimes upwards of 110I've done 2 circuits this week and I'll be doing my third today, hopefully soon.Now here's the part where I can freak out: I just got off the scale and it said 119.6. When I first started losing weight 3 and a half years ago I said I wanted to get down to 120. Now I'm under that and still going! I'm somewhere between 21-22% body fat from the Navy calculator, after being in a plateau for the last 4 weeks at 23%Chris-Tien asked if I was eating enough to build muscle, and I guess the answer is no? But I'm still just trying to lose enough fat to take me down to 18%, then I'll work on gaining muscle to get me the rest of the way to 15. This might be the first time I'm mentioning it, but yeah 15 is my Level 20.

Last challenge I did pretty well with building basic habits, but my weight pretty much stayed the same and I didn't change my BF% as much as I would have liked. This challenge is all about close monitoring and building habits with a more minute focus. Here's the goals: LIMIT CARBS TO 75 GRAMS: I generally do pretty good eating under 100 since I stopped eating grains for the last challenge, this is just fine-tuning itGET ENOUGH PROTEIN: I need a minimum of 75 grams of protein a day but honestly I think sometimes I'm lucky to make it to 40. I know this isn't doing me any favors, body comp wise.Basically I'm saying I'm going to stop eating fruit and yogurt in the mornings and start eating more eggs. These two goals should work nicely in tandem. STRENGTH TRAIN 3X PER WEEK: continuation of last challenge, and the one I had to battle myself about the mostMy scoring will be based on the percentage of days that I do what I'm supposed to do. I'm going to use MyFitnessPal to log everything I eat (just hope it doesn't drive me up a wall when I can't find the exact thing! I'm also going to measure my weight and body composition, because I'm still trying to get down to 18% BF by the end of this challenge :nightmare: :nightmare: Are you ready? Alright fellas, let's goooooooooooo!

This weekend was Katsucon and so I'm just grading the end of the challenge now: Only got 1 workout in this weekCaved and ate grains one meal because I ordered out not realizing the dish was battered and was too lazy to pick off all the breadingREALLY TOTALLY BOMBED ON THE NO DESSERT THING HOLY CRAP I DON'T EVEN WANT TO SAY IT So results: Gained a pound and a halfI haven't checked my BF% yet, I'm just giving myself some time to recover from Katsu honestly. AND NOW FOR THE FINAL GRADING OF THE CHALLENGE: NO GRAINS: 98% - ASTRENGTH TRAINING: 14/17 - BNO DESSERT: 21 - FAND FOR THE RESULTS 3% BF lostNet weight gain of 1.6 poundsI do feel stronger, and I'm seeing improvements in my armsGuys I have a 25 inch waist that's unrealMoved from the Beginner to Advanced body circuit I think overall I'd give myself a C, because I prioritized my challenges as grains, workouts, desserts and that's what I got for results. I jumped into this challenge a little late so I really only stated my goals that I had been working on since November. I'm going to use this week between challenges to track and log my food calories, workouts, and other habits so that I can do the next challenge with a better game plan more in line with what I need to do to get the results I want. Also I'm going to be joining the next challenge as an assassin!

So this week: Worked out Sunday, moved my Tuesday workout to Wednesday because of a doctor's appointment, and pushed yesterday's workout to today because of random stomach cramps. As long as I do the workout today it's all good though.I think I'm finally back in the "habit" of not eating grains, because I passed up macaroni and cheese (one of my black hole foods) yesterday for lunch without even thinking about it. I haven't had any grains since this challenge started, my longest ever streak!Still not doing too good with the whole "no dessert" thing. I think the goal was too vague to begin with. Anyway I've had something sweet at the end of the day 3 times this week.Not officially one of my goals but I downloaded an app called Plant Nanny to make myself drink more water and in the two days since I've been really well-hydrated.Results: I lost 1.2 pounds??? I'm tied for my lowest ever weight??? which was at the end of the first week of this thing????My measurements have all stayed the sameBody fat is the same 23%I must have just lost some water weight UPDATE: DID MY WORKOUT TODAY, MADE ALL 3 THIS WEEK!

Sorry for the late post. I did all my measurements on Saturday I just didn't put them up. 2 out of 3 workouts doneno grainsI was a total chocolate fiend this week oopsResults: Half inch loss on my waist - and now I have a 25-inch waist what the hell?? I remember happy-crying when I got to 29!Half inch loss on my neck - which is only noteworthy in that that's the first time I've seen that change this whole challenge23% Body Fat according to the Navy Calculator, again probably rounding issues have kept it the sameWeight is the exact sameAlso, I moved on to the Advanced circuit for the first time on Sunday, and I'm going to need to make it harder on my legs but my arms and chest are still really sore 2 days later, this is going to be awesome!

Definitely getting an A for this week: No grains3 workouts - and I upgraded to 5 rounds of the circuit and I'm pretty confident that I won't want to die when I try the advanced circuit in 2 weeks!Ate dessert twice... which means if I still want an A in this part I'm out of desserts for the rest of the challenge. I'm not sure if that's going to make it easier or harder for me.But all of this leads to: Losing half an inch off my waist and now that's the smallest measurement I've ever taken, AND I'm bloating this week for girl reasonsI think I lost another half an inch from my hips, but I can't remember what last week's measurement was. Should have written that down somewhere, oops!Lost 0.2 pounds, again despite suspected bloating23% BODY FAT, according to the calculator... which I know is rounding down for a lot of my measurements, but I'll take it. I do think that I'm starting to plateau a bit... and by that I mean there's got to be something I'm not doing right. I think I should focus even more on eating vegetables, and start packing my own lunches instead of buying salads from Trader Joe's all the time. That way I can pack some carrots and celery and hummus as a snack. I should really just look at the composition of my meals in general, because they tend to be very isolated: greek yogurt for breakfast, salad for lunch, some sort of meat with sauteed veggies for dinner, sometimes with sweet potato. If I pack my own lunch I can balance this out a bit more, and add some veggie snacks instead of the sack of almonds I keep in my desk, or buying a Larabar.

Week in review: NO GRAINS ALL WEEK, THAT MAKES IT AN 11 DAY STRETCH! WORKED OUT SUNDAY, TUESDAY, AND THURSDAY, and I might do it again today to swap out tomorrow's workout for a run ATE COOKIES 3 TIMES THIS WEEK, and even though they didn't have flour in them I know I gotta lay off Weight: 122.6 lbs, +1.4 from last week, but I LOST an inch off my hips and all my other measurements stayed the same According to the Navy, I'm still at 24% BF... I'm thinking it's a rounding issue and I really need to sink the money into a caliper. Also, I booked the hotel room for the California trip!

Yesterday gets a special post: I woke up at 3 am and couldn't fall back asleep until right before my alarm went off at 6, so instead of hitting snooze I actually got up and cooked some eggs for breakfast, and even packed some chicken, sweet potatoes, and a salad for lunch. Went to work, got swamped in training for 8 hours, felt like I was going to pass out, and didn't get to eat my lunch until 4pm because I felt too sick to actually eat. Came home, DID MY GODDAMN WORKOUT FOR ALL 4 ROUNDS EVEN THOUGH I FELT LIKE QUITTING THE ENTIRE TIME AND HAD, IMO, A DECENT REASON TO DO SO. BEAT IT ALL OUT OF ME LIKE A BOSS. Ate a bowl of fruit, berries, and walnuts for dinner, DIDN'T EVEN WANT ANY OF THE ALMOND COOKIES I MADE OVER THE WEEKEND EVEN THOUGH I TOLD MYSELF I COULD HAVE ONE. Finally passed the fuck out at 9pm. I AM AN UNSTOPPABLE MACHINE, HEAR ME ROAR!

I know it hasn't been a full week but I do my check-ins on Saturdays so I'm going to keep doing that. Weight: 121.2 lbs, which is a) the lowest I've ever been and down 2.8 pounds since I last weighed in 2 weeks agoBody Fat: plugging my measurements into the Navy calculator has be at 25% BF, so down 1% from... I think it was Monday.I've done 3 strength workouts this week, and the one I did yesterday I went from doing 3 cycles to 4!No grains since Monday, which makes this a 5-day streak and the longest streak I've had in a month!I'm going to do progress shots next week, but I don't plan on actually posting them. I took some before photos in September and on the 15th of every month since, but I haven't had the guts to actually go and compare them.

I want everyone to know that I just booked my ticket for the flight to California on April 1, and it's literally the farthest from home I've ever been and I'm actually really scared, BUT I'M GOING TO DO IT!