Mythical

No, no, I already have a workout program, nutrition plan, etc. in that regard nothing has changed since the last time I was here. I'm having trouble building habit, that's all. I guess I'm looking for some other people's thoughts on my way of going about it.

Bear with me, I was never much of a nerd, and I may be about to start attempting to talk nerdy (I won't, if I can help it) Please be nice if I use the wrong words. .....also if it's complete nonsense. It's highly likely I will embarrass myself here again. Years ago, it was my job to create eBay listings, and later on spam emails (I'm so so sorry.) Both, I had to learn to code all by myself because those employers were too cheap to pay for the software and subscriptions that would allow them to edit templates for themselves, and also in the case of the spam emails stay within the law (I feel I want to say...I had no say in who they were sent to, when, or how many times.....I just put the info in and made them look nice. And spelled correctly. And it wasn't any type of pharmaceutical.....and I thought I was applying for a proper job.....and.....yeah...young and stupid and all that) Anyway, I don't do that anymore and got into a job where I don't have to break the law but I do have to work all sorts of weird and wonderful shift "patterns" and am constantly surrounded by food. Its not ideal but it'll have to do for now. It IS causing some problems with my healthy lifestyle though. I have no routine to lean on, so I'm finding it difficult to create habits and as a result, I've got fat, lost a lot of strength and endurance, and am no longer happy in my body. I'm ashamed of how I've let all the hard work I did and all the support I received fade away to nothing. I've also forgotten most of whatever coding I ever learned. I'm wondering if there's a way to use what I learned to create a sort of code for my day....like on: workout; eat: protein shake. Or if: shift<4hours then: hit the gym. I'm sort of going round in circles with it, and I know I'm perfectly capable of going to the library and re learning all the rubbish over forgotten.....I guess I'm hoping for ...I dunno....someone else's experience with it? Tips? Approval? absolution????? Any help?

I work at an amazing restaurant where staff meals are provided and any left over buffet food is left for the staff at the end of the night, we have an awesome staff snack zone, AND we're allowed soft drinks from the bar any time we need one. PLUS I'm a Guide leader (like Girl Scouts) and we have biscuits and cordial available for the Guides all the time during the meeting. I'm also prone to overeating at home, if there's any good food there. What stops me from overeating is to remind myself that this stuff is not limited - there will be more roast potatoes available on my next shift, there will be more biscuits out next week, there will be more snacks in the snack zone tomorrow. I don't NEED to shovel them all into my face right now.

I'm setting my mini challenge feats here - I don't have a cool character so no need to gum up the main thread with my dross. Endurance: Swim/bike/run the equivalent of an olympic distance triathlon at home. 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run. Strength: Speed: Combat: Healing: Try a Yoga class.

Thanks, Linsanity. As usual I'm late with this too. I still need to refine my goals somewhat and set some rewards.

I don't have a name, I don't have a story, I just have a lot of work to do! Although I didn't score as well as I had hoped on my last challenge, I did set some habits which, still being rather deliate, I'll need to cultivate and take with me. So my challenges here may not be so different. This six week cycle will see my first days of college since I left education ten years ago, of working part time, and the subsequent drop in pay, it'll see a trip to Ireland, planning to take a troop of girlguides on a sleepover, an overnight bike ride of over 100 miles, my first self-made gym plan, the start of the new season of Dr. Who, plus some running, cycling, lifting, and lots of horse riding. I have a hell of a challenge ahead of me! So... in keeping with my last challenge I'm aiming to be strong, heathy, agile and reliable. STRONG Once again aiming for four gym visits per week, each with an increase in weight on the day's "big lift" EXCEPT on deload week, where I'll increase reps. Starting points: Deadlift: 87.5kg Military Press: 30kg Bench: 47.5kg (or 57.5 with a spot) Squat: 65kg Goal: Deadlift: 100kg Military Press: 40kg Bench: 57.5kg without a spot (carefully - because I have no gym mates to spot me) Squat: 77.5kg HEALTHY I want to cut down on the amount of refined sugar I eat, so I'm setting my macros to allow for this, and I'll track them on MFP. Training day %: P:38; C:36; F:26 Rest day %: P:45; C:13; F:42 (Long bike ride days will count as training days since I might be on the bike for six or eight hours. If all I do is Run, it doesn't count as a training day day) AGILE One run and one long bike ride per week. RELIABLE I've got the "be on time for work" thing under control for now, I think. I'm terrible for things like doing my homework and as I'm going back to college, "doing my homework" is about to become a big part of my life! I'm going to have to work out some sort of system to ensure I get my homework done, all my paperwork for guides completed and still have time to go to the gym. I suspect this quest will take some refinement.

I do enjoy running too. Cycling is a different experience for me. I've been out and about with my friends over the weekend, exploring some local lanes. We found some amazing, smooth, swooping, low traffic downhill lanes, saw Concorde at Manchester airport and a miniature Statue of Liberty someone had erected on a clock tower in their garden. These types of rides are not about speed, but about finding new lanes, good coffee, good cake and excellent company. (whether this pic works for anyone but me remains to be seen!) Wa're planning a multi-day ride with the club early next year and in the not-so-distant future, I'm getting quite excited about this ride: https://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/bike-rides/manchester-to-blackpool-night-ride I'm not raising sponsorship, just doing it for the experience of riding the country lanes at night with a load of like-minded people. Has anyone else been out over the weekend?

I'm not sure wether I'm being a bit of a scrooge here, but my first thought was $40 to go for a run....on my own...to find my own route...no marshalls, no first aiders, no water stations, no start line, no finish line, no timing, no event village, no goofy fitness instructor in a tutu (actually, that might be one thing it's got going for it)....it's not great value so....no thanks.

OOH, ME!! I'm mainly a utility cyclist and ride a touring bike, I like to think I do a bit of touring but I haven't actually been on a multi-day ride for years. Other than commuting and shopping, I mostly potter around with my cycling club, either on the Dawes touring bike, or on my road bike. I also have a MTB but I'm not a fan of the mud/bike combo. I'd rather run when it comes to mud. What do you ride, FlyNavy? I'll add a vote for a cycling subforum!

Monday: Bench day - my last session with my trainer Q1: 9 points. It was going great until my boyfriend brought me cake. Which I may or may not have asked him to bring me. Q2: 25% - 57.5kg bench press. Frustratingly close to my goal of 60kg - but I'll have to go backwards with this one for a while as I don't have a spot anymore. Q3: no extras Q4: Bank Holiday Monday so no work but I DID get to the gym on time.....just. 20% Tuesday: Q1: 11 points - the DAY was great. I started in the evening wanting snacks while I was watching TV, telling myself it's just a habit I need to break. Finally caved around 10pm, and had some cherry twizzlers. Q2: Diddly squats. Q3: No extras Q4: 20% Wenesday: Squats Q1: ZERO. Q2: Also ended up not going to the gym. Q3: And didn't do bog all else, either. Q4: 20% Thursday: Today will be National Cycle to Work day - I'm planning to cycle the whole way TO work, maybe back, I'm not sure. I've pledged 30 miles. Q1: Zero. Just decided not to face it today. I'll have the day off. Q2: Planned not to go to the gym today. Q3: But I did cycle my 30 miles...and then some. No points for cycling though. Q4: 20% Friday: Q1: BIG FAT ZERO - after the starbucks it all went pear shaped. Q2: Again, didn't go to the gym Q3: And didn't do any extra Q4: 20% Saturday: Race for Life Pretty Muddy. Q1: Didn't track anything today so zero Q2: No gym planned Q3: but I cycled 48 miles and ran a 5k obstacle course Q4: no points available, but I was on time for my race! Sunday: Zero on all counts The week's Totals Q1: 20% Q2: 25% Q3: 33% Q4: 100% A pretty rubish week on all accounts.

Monday: Bench day. Q1: 13. My planned weekly treat was today. And then there was another kinder egg incident. No sweets though 'cause I was off work. Q2: 25% Bench press day. Up to 52.5kg now. My goal is 60 but my last session with my trainer is next Monday - after that I don't have a spot so I'll have to go backwards a bit. Q3: 30% - I added three sets of assisted pull ups, two sets of modified push ups and three attempts at using the TRX machine as monkey bars. It hurts my hands but it's fun. Q4: I'm calling it 20% - I had a scheduled day off work today but I arrived everywhere I was supposed to on time. Today, my fellow runners and I spent the afternoon clearing out and securing the old college building. Funny to believe I was once a student there and I'm about to be again. Since the infection took hold, learning has been so far away from all of our minds. We've been so focused on survival that no one has thought about moving forward in a while. Tuesday: Q1: 14. I didn't quite hit my macros, due to not having the right food in the house, BUT no un-scheduled treats today! Q2: no points available - rest day. Q3: None Q4: 20% Wenesday: Q1: 9. my day in work was great, but my planned evening meal was replaced by a curry and onion bahjis - A friend's restaurant opening I had forgotten about. Still, it was good curry! Q2: Squat day today. Thought I'd try working out in the morning for a change. I was hungry all day but it's nice that the gym is quiet at 6am. Q3: nope Q4: 20% Thursday: Q1: 9 again. No humbugs but there were a few treats after work again. Q2: Couldn't be bothered today. I'll go tomorrow instead Q3: nope Q4: 20% Friday: Q1: Didn't track it. Can't remember. 0 Q2: Intended to workout in the morning but got up late, so started a bodyweight workout. Managed two rounds of the ABBW, plus two sets of bupees. Decided it wasn't enough so went to the gym in the evening too for Military Press day. Nailed that also AND added some assisted pull ups Q3: I'm counting the ABBW and extra pulls ups for 30% Q4: 20% Saturday: Q1: Great! Another 14 point day! Q2: Deadlift day in the morning - 90kg which is 5kg up on previously.. but only for three and a half reps. Just couldn't complete that last rep. Q3: Rode in the afternoon and persuaded my PT from the gym to come up and have a go too (payback!!) Calling that 30% because there was a bit of running and I walked quite a long way. Walking is probably the best I can do on this ankle! Q4: not available today Sunday: Decided I needed a day completely off from the world today - Didn't plan or track anything - didn't even leave the house. Stayed within my calorie goal but wasn't necessarily healthy. No points available today. No points needed. The week's Totals Q1: 59 Q2: 100% Q3: 60% Q4: 100%

I have moved the sweets - they get moved back. I have asked my co-workers to move the sweets - the will not. I had offered to buy all future sweets, if they're kept somewhere I can't get them - the sweets go where the sweets have always gone. When the pack is empty, someone produces another one. I've even put the sweets back in a co-workers backpack. I've kept fruit, protein bites, sugar free sweets, bottles of water on my desk to distract me from the sweets - but they disappear faster than the sweets and THEN I have to start resisting the sweets. Setting myself rules doesn't work - if I could set myself a rule and stick to it, I would set myself a rule that I don't eat sweets. I don't need them, I don't LIKE most of them, I don't want them and I don't like the effect they have on my body. I especially don't like mint humbugs - which is what's usually on offer - but because there's an open packed of them on the workbench not three feet away from me and everyone is eating sweets all day, I can't resist eating them too. I've even tried putting sweets in my meal plan - my trainer and I decided haribos count as a "fast acting carbohydrate" and I can have 50g after a workout. Even that doesn't work. I don't feel as though I have the control to resist them. I'm at the point where I'm looking for another job because I just can't be around the sweets!

Does anyone else have this problem? My co workers insist on having a bag of sweets on the workbench in our shop. This was fine when I had my own studio. Getting a sweet meant traipsing down the corridor, up the stairs, across the shop and then back again. I could resist them then. Even forget about them. Now my 'studio' has been moved upstairs, right next to the sweets. As soon as one packet is finished, another appears. I've asked nicely if the sweets can be kept elsewhere, I've offered to buy all future sweets if they hide them from me, I've tried moving them, I've tried resisting with brute force, just having one and telling myself "I don't eat that crap". Nothing works. The best I can do is resist them until mid afternoon - by then my willpower is all gone. Even my trainer can't think of a solution...perhaps someone here has one?

Week 3 Monday: I have some lifting scheduled for today. Q1: 13. There was an incident with a Kinder egg which impacted my score. It had a minion in it! Q2: 25% Military Press day Q3: 10% - I snuck some extra press ups in after my workout. Q4: 20% Tuesday: Rest day Q1: Big fat zero. My workmates were taunting me with the sweets today, so obviously I ate loads, then lost my temper with myself and had junk food for lunch. Q2: None today - rested my sore ankle Q3: none Q4: 20% - but only just! Wednesday: DEADLIFT DAY! Q1: 9 points. A few hunbugs but everything else was great. Q2: 25% Deadlifts - my favourite of all the days Q3: none Q4: 20% Thursday: Bench Q1: 12 points. Finally caved in to the humbugs at 5.30. Try again tomorrow. Q2: 25% I'm quite enjoying bench press days too at the moment. Q3: I'll give myself 10% for today - I tried a short run after my workout. When I say short I mean SHORT - about a minute. I'll see how my ankle is in the morning. Q4: 20% - can I motivate myself to get a full house this week?? Friday: Today will be a rest day 'cause my friend and I are going to watch the filming of Ninja Warrior UK! Q1: 0 points. The day was good, well planned and I even had a chicken salad at the burger place where my friend and I went for a burger. But there were THAT many sweets today I didn't even count. Q2: None for today - I need SOME days off! Q3: Again none. Apart from being inspired by Ninja Warrior I did no agility stuff at all. BUT my ankle is feeling good today so all systems go for my run and ride tomorow! Q4: 20% for a full house! Saturday: Squats. Plus, if m ankle is up to it I'll ride and may try a short run. Q1: 14 points - Today was MAD busy - no chance to even think about breaking my plan! Q2: 25% - Smashed my PB on squats! Q3: Nope - My trainer practically begged me not to run on that ankle, especially as I have race for life in two weeks! Q4: No punctuality points today but I was on time for both the gym and my riding lesson. Sunday: Long bike ride - looks like it'll be a very hilly ride up to rivington and anglezarke. I DO love hills! Q1: 14 points as today isn't tracked. Q2: nope Q3: nope Q4: nope The week's Totals Q1: 62 points. Better than I thought but still lots of improvement to make Q2: 100% - well I do love the gym! Q3: 10% hmm.... Must do better. See me. Q4: 100%

It's not a success story yet, but definitely a story of something unexpected happening when I summoned my 20 seconds.... I'm late for work all the time. Unfortunately, it boils down to the fact that I can't face it and I don't want to be there. It has been suggested in the past that I suffer with anxiety, but everyone at work agrees that conditions there at the moment are especially difficult. Anyway, I don't want to go through the whole verbal warning, written warning, written warning, written warning, waiting for the boss to summon the courage and you're out rigmorole. So I've been thinking to myself for some time that there are other jobs out there - better ones, or even worse ones closer to home that would leave me better off, more relaxed and happier, but i really want to go back to college and re-train. I took a deep breath and said "It's because the job I do means nothing to anyone and it's come to mean nothing to me. I feel trapped here - I don't want to be here but I can't quit." I expected them to say that they couldn't keep me on if I didn't want to be there, and I better get myself to the job centre. Instead what followed was a conversation about what I wanted to do instead and how they can offer me the support to get there. That's amazing - I actually WANT to show up to work on time, now!) I've spent a few days researching my options and talking to my partner and although I was discouraged from this career path at school, actually, the first steps are a lot easier to take than I thought. I enrol at college later this month to start a two year, part time access course which, if I'm clever enough, should lead my studying for a BSc in Physiotherapy.