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Rangerly deed of the month:  Tent camping through a gigantic thunderstorm.  This is the first time I've been out in such tricky weather, but my staking job was top notch, and everything inside my tent stayed dry.  I did have a surprise critter visit me under my pillow.  Luckily, he was in a den under the pillow, the tent floor, AND the tarp.  A tiny little mouse was scratching around close to my ear and kept me up in the night while it rained.  It took rangerly nerves to stay calm!

Hikes:

The trail is blooming!

Memory Lake with the boy scouts.

Spring Camporee with a BSA troop of girls.

1. Stretch streak:  My streak was broken this weekend on my camping trip.  130 days.

I don't regret the break - there was just no room to get this to work on my backpacking air mattress, and the terrain was newly mown meadow.  The benefits of camping outweigh the unfortunate re-set of my stretch streak.

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: 

After some soul searching, I decided to get rid of this goal.  I am back on track enough to stop worrying about this all-or-nothing goal.   Obsessing over things I CAN'T have is not the greatest strategy in the world.
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

I made a few modifications to the following recipe and added some market-fresh snow peas.  Yummy!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27547052/cilantro-lime-chicken-and-rice-bowl-recipe/

4.  Healthy Wager:  Somehow I caved in to a spur-of the moment junk email to make a healthy wager for weight loss.  Now I'm on the hook to eat better to avoid losing money (and also to win money...but not-losing is the motivating factor).   My bet is a one-year challenge to lose 26 pounds by April 2, 2024.  Honestly, I haven't been tracking it carefully because I've been traveling the last two weekends.  I hope to check in tomorrow to record progress in the App.  Tracking in MFP shows that I'm down 9 pounds, but that's mostly because I track MFP first thing in the morning without drinking a bunch of water and wearing lots of clothes.  Even so, I think I'm off to a decent start.

Checking in after an emotional roller coaster of a month.

Hikes:

My husband is my hiking buddy navigating rock scrambles on the Appalachian Trail.

The first of the Marsh Marigolds of the year on a local path.

Not technically a hike, but baby chicks bring me so much joy. I have to share!

1. Stretch streak: 104 days.

Mini Goal:  I added butterfly and v-sit stretches.

I'm proud that I stuck with this through good and bad days.

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: Miserable failure.

I blame emotional the roller coaster.  Much drama with my son (teenager!) spilled over into canceling a trip that I was really looking forward to.  In my brain, I know that I need to make adult decisions, but that doesn't mean that I've learned to make them gracefully.  I am definitely prone to feel empty inside and eat my feelings.

I'm going to start tracking this goal again, and today is day one.  Life outlook looks better this week for the whole family.  My alternative to snacking is usually to go outside.  Nicer weather is going to help with that.
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

This recipe was perfect for Spring.  Delicious!  I even added some home-grown lettuce.  My leaf lettuce is still under grow lights in the basement, but it was big enough to harvest the first leaves.  It will keep growing back to cut for even more recipes in the weeks to come.

https://playswellwithbutter.com/spring-grain-bowl-farro-asparagus-peas/

I'm sending you some good vibes for the caffeine detox.  Anyone who can do this is a super hero in my world!  

Enjoy your time with the kids, and give my regards to Mrs. ReturnOfTheDad.  Her homemade charro beans dinner look delicious.

16 hours ago, XBlackWidowX said:

 

Great pics!  Hiking is awesome, I am also planning some hikes soon. Spring is coming soon, so it'll be a great to start it actively.

 

Congratulations with the push-ups! It's a big win!

Spring is the best!  Happy hiking.

Hey.  Just sayin' hi since I'm hanging out a little on the battle log board.

Hope your work and medical stuff work out because Spanish, reading, and chess goals sound like so much more fun!  I'm hooked on Spanish Duolingo myself, and I work with kids in a library where I'm hoping to start a chess club over the summer.  I'm glad I found you!

Anyways, good luck with those new meds and responsibilities at work.

Checking in slow and steady.

A few more section hikes along the Appalachian Trail:

https://i.imgur.com/wLz4N3q.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Tug4W4y.jpg

1. Stretch streak: 64 days.

Bonus - I did my first toe pushups in many months!  Most of the pushups I do are modified, knee pushups.

Mini Goal:  I added chair and frog-ish poses to stretches a few weeks back

Mini Goal:  I added yoga lunge poses this week
 

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: 100% Yay Me!
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

This recipe is from the same site as last month, but it uses Miso Sesame Dressing instead of Peanut Butter.  Loved it!

https://www.thehealthymaven.com/quinoa-veggie-bowls/

Not sure how healthy this was because of the frying, but totally delicious and mostly veggies:

https://domesticsuperhero.com/bang-bang-shrimp-rice-bowls-bonefish-grill-copycat/

Is it January again?  I’m back. 
 

Here are a couple holiday hikes. 

My new philosophy is to start a new mini goal every few weeks.  Back in December I realized that if I could make my Duolingo streak a habit (210 days!) I could do it for fitness, too. 
 

1. Stretch streak. I printed a one page, full-year calendar and I circle the days I do my nightly stretching. I’m up to a 34 day streak!
 

2. Avoid the cheese touch. I’ve stopped eating cheese in snacks. It is my kryptonite. I don’t need that kind of comfort when I am stress eating or even eating because I have legit hunger cues.   I have met this goal 100% so far. 
 

3. Bring on the bowls!  This is a new goal for me.  I like to eat grain bowls as a healthier choice in restaurants. I’m going to make a mystery bowl for dinner at home once a month in 2023. The first was peanut butter. Yum! https://www.thehealthymaven.com/the-ultimate-buddha-bowl/

A goal for the new year has been to find helpful yoga videos on youtube.   Ultimately, I want to regain mobility in my bad knee. Two functional motions I’ve lost are going down stairs confidently and getting up from sitting on the floor gracefully. 

I found and love The Yoga Room videos, especially a level one video for flexibility in the lower body. Every time I complete the 12 minute workout or do my traditional before-bed stretching routing, I color a piece of this mandala. After one week, I’m off to a great start. 

Must be time for another fresh start.   Happy New Year!

So, before I try to move forward yet again, here's a wrap-up since...March?  Wow.  So little accountability since last Spring.  Anyways, when no other healthy habit sticks, I still make it outside to hike at least once a month.  Here are some good memories to set a positive tone for a new year.

April - Wildflowers in a local park with a beautiful nature trail.

May - Walking the trails near an airbnb with my sweetie.

June - Spot with memories on the Appalachian trail.  The stairs used to go over the fence and into the field.

July - Many, many steps taken at scout camp.  Getting around was a hike every day!  Here was my happy spot, dipping my toes in the creek as often as I could during a very hot week.

August - Balance Rock near Raystown Lake.  Kayaking was active fun this summer, too, and a lakeside cabin was an amazing place for a family trip.

September - Evening hike along the lake.

October - Back to the lake for an afternoon with a graceful gray heron.

November - Boy scout hike straight up to a scenic overlook in State College.

December - Today.  Crossing the creek on a warm afternoon.

March hike and community service at the local Boy Scout camp.

Challenge Roundup (past 6 weeks):

Eating: Log food in MFP.  Fruits and veggies get logged on paper and are "free" in MFP.

YES.  Did this every day with one small modification.  The paper was redundant, so I stopped logging food on paper.

Bedtime stretch and strength 6 nights a week.  Just do this.  Log on my updated paper form.  Shoot for the usual routine plus 3 "other" strength exercises throughout the week.

SOMETIMES.  Averaged 4 nights a week with the usual routine.  "Other" strength exercises were rare except for squats which are now part of my routine.

Step goal: 10k a day 5 times a week.  This is my normal goal but more accountability than the "do your best" vagueness of the past.

YES.  Averaged 5.5 times a week.  The fitbit "streak" notification is addicting.  I like to be rewarded with the little star, and once I get 4 days in a row I feel more motivated to keep the streak going.  Mind games!

Cardio goal:  10 minutes a day 3 times a week:   Use fitbit to determine "cardio" minutes.  Get them with a fast walk or on the elliptical.

KINDA.  Average 74 minutes of cardio per week which would be over twice my goal.  BUT I only hit the 10 minute goal 10 times over 6 weeks.  A few days of outdoor work boosted the whole month of cardio.

Veggie goal:  Try a two new veggie recipes.  I'll repeat some of the veggies I liked from last challenge and add two more recipes this time around.

NOPE.  I still eat veggies, but not really the new ones.

Tweaking my goals for the next challenge period

Eating: Log food in MFP.  Fruits and veggies get logged on paper and are "free" in MFP.
Bedtime stretch and strength 6 nights a week.  Just do this.  Log on my updated paper form.  Shoot for the usual routine plus 3 "other" strength exercises throughout the week.
Step goal: 10k a day 5 times a week.  This is my normal goal but more accountability than the "do your best" vagueness of the past.
Cardio goal:  10 minutes a day 3 times a week:   Use fitbit to determine "cardio" minutes.  Get them with a fast walk or on the elliptical.

Veggie goal:  Try a two new veggie recipes.  I'll repeat some of the veggies I liked from last challenge and add two more recipes this time around.

Your rainbow veggie chart is awesome!

CHEESE!  I love cheese.  Like you said...on everything!

You have a great way of breaking foods down into the automatic vs variety categories.  It makes it easier to see patterns and find ways to tweak what you eat.  

Snowy February hike in a new park with an unexpected mossy waterfall at the end.

Challenge wrap up.  Yeah, these challenge dates are pretty fluid for me.  But, I had a great week-and-a-half to make up for the last crummy week.

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  12/12 for the food journal.  Veggies are a good habit.  Bonus: I started logging food again in MFP.  

Bedtime stretch/strength.  12/12.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  12/12. 

Cardio twice a week.  Elliptical 5 days.  I've been using this to hit my 10K steps because the weather has been yucky for outdoor walking.  It helps to do 15 minute session on the elliptical, then 10 minute of normal steps around the house, and then another 5-10 minutes on the elliptical.  Spring can't come fast enough.

New veggie dish of the week.  Loved the turnip dish I mentioned last time.  My newest veggie adventure was roasted asparagus.

Pretty bleak week for me. Happy surprise to realize we are on five week challenges these days. I have another week to make up for this last one!

Dug out the last of the beets from my garden to make Roasted Beet & Fennel With Orange Vinaigrette  Leftovers were amazing the next day eaten cold like a salad. 
 

Still need to make Roasted Turnips with Brown Miso Butter.  All the fixings are in the fridge. 

Your outdoor adventures look amazing.   Look at you doing what you said you’d do! (I stole that from one of your updates and I love the way you said it.). Have a great week!

I have been out for the past few weekends for some good outdoor movement.  Yesterday was fun because it was just me, flat paths, and a letterboxing adventure.  Here's a photo of one of the creeks, but it doesn't give justice the beauty of the space.

Weekly checkin:

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  6/7.  Felt pretty good about eating this week.

Bedtime stretch/strength.  6/7 this week.  Again, made me feel pretty good.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  5/7 for the week.  Funny how that seemed dismal last week, but ok this time.

Cardio twice a week.  Yes!.

New veggie dish of the week.  I wanted to love the mustard vinaigrette, but the dish was better without it:  https://www.walderwellness.com/garlic-sauteed-green-beans-dijon-vinaigrette/

One of the things I like about these forums is that we talk about both ups and downs.  So many places online or IRL we only hear about the good that everyone else is doing all the time.  No wonder we never measure up!

So, when we hear "people" saying that exercise makes them feel better, I think that's just a small part of the story.

Hmmm.  I have experience with knee pain, but not with TENS.  Thanks for the heads up.  I will ask my doctor about it the next time my arthritis flares up enough to land me at the doctor's office.  Hope it continued to help you!

Weekly check in.  Not feeling great about the week, but some good things happened.  I may have bitten off one too many things when I signed up for the mini challenge.  I miss my story time kids since covid, and I could not resist Sesame Street!

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  5/7 for the food journal.  Ate the fruits/veggies most days...but rebelled a couple days.  I blame the stress of being addicted to the news, but that's just an excuse, not a reason.  Much room for improvement!

Bedtime stretch/strength.  4/7 this week.  This is pretty terrible because I THOUGHT this was a good habbit.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  5/7 for the week.  And yes, these missed days correspond to the days I missed my eating goals, too.

Cardio twice a week.  One day elliptical, and I'm going to count one day of hiking.  My fitbit marked 138 minutes of active time, and I guess that counts?  Fitbit was a Christmas gift, so I'm still figuring it out.

New veggie dish of the week.  Loved this one:  Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower  .  I often roast veggies, but not usually one at a time.  Loved the crispy aspect of adding parm.

3 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

pretty! And yay for being strong enough for the icy rock scramble!

It sure was pretty!  The sun came out at the perfect part of the day.

1 hour ago, Keladris said:

Dropping in to say hi as a fellow ranger!

I approve of 'small goals are smart'. I've made huge improvements to my health from just doing small achievable things. 

Love the hiking photos. I can't wait to get out in the great outdoors (i.e. leave the city) again. Currently, we're not supposed to leave Montreal which is a 'red zone' for COVID. For now, my trips to the park down the block will have to do. Good luck with the goals!

Hello back at you!  The outdoors has been a real refuge for me during this whole covid mess.  I'm glad you have a park down the block to give you a taste of fresh air while you hunker down for a bit.  Welcome to the Ranger den for your first challenge!

Nice smart goals.  I love the idea of ballet workouts and horse riding.

Hope you are getting better sleep by now. I don’t know if what you described is “normal” but I’ve noticed various sleeping pains as I age. Not fun!

I like Grover. 

Rangerly deed of the day:  January hike with an icy rock scramble at the top!

Hawk Rock

Eagle’s Edge Overlook