Undestructable!

So I've completed the first week of my first 6-week challenge, and I scored a solid A across the board. None of it was particularly difficult, and I often found myself thinking about how much better I felt and wondering how I let so much slip and why I didn't just do more. Completing my challenge tasks didn't take me away from doing something else important or fun. It just meant I spent less time doing things that are mindless, pointless, and meaningless. I think I'm only going to post on this thread a couple of times a week rather than daily. It was cumbersome to say the same thing over and over. So I'll outline my plan for the week and check in with progress and realizations as it seems relevant but not less often than weekly. So plan for this week: BBWW: Tu, Fri Walk 30 minutes: Daily Dietary changes: Daily Scrub bathroom: Mon Vacuum: Tue, Fri Clean up kitchen: Nightly

Week 1 Roundup Main Quest 1. BBWW 2/2 = 100%, A 2. Walking 6/6 = 100%, A 3. Diet 7/7 = 100%, A Life Quest 1. Vacuum 2/2 = 100%, A 2. Kitchen/Dishes 7/7 = 100%, A 3. Scrub bathroom 1/1 = 100%, A So a great week! I'm wondering if I'm just really motivated or if I didn't set up a challenging enough challenge. With the exception of the hard line on sugar, all my challenge goals are things I did routinely back when I felt more in control of my life. For now I'm just going to follow the course I set for this challenge, although I may consider kicking it up a notch in a couple of weeks if it continues to be easy. Re: Sugar--I went to TWO kids' birthday parties this weekend (lucky me ), and I did not eat any cake. I didn't even want any.

Mine went great! I did everything I set out to do. I'm not sure if that means I'm really motivated or if I'm not challenging myself enough in this challenge. Regardless, I feel good, better than I have for a few years.

I did cartwheels today. For the first time in about a quarter of a century. My toddler was amazed, and so was I! My current 6-week challenge is about breaking bad habits, acting on my priorities, putting aside my excuses, and reawakening. Oh yeah, and beginning to get physically fit again. Today it dawned on me the next step of my life/body rehabilitation needs to be working on flexibility--mental and physical. I have a lot of mental roadblocks I've built for myself. I find myself thinking, "I can't <period>," rather than "I can't... yet" or "Why not?" I'm starting to create a mental Epic Life Quest list, but it's been so long since I've thought about having dreams, I'm having a hard time opening up my mind to it.

I have more "Favorites" than I would be able to knit in my lifetime. It's kind of ridiculous. It's a general 15-in-15 for HaldeCraft and String Theory Colorworks. The only restrictions are that the projects have to be begun and completed this calendar year and have to be at least 50g of fiber. I only knit and crochet, but others are spinning and weaving as well. I got distracted by other interests, so I've only completed 6 projects so far. Most of my friends spin, and TDF always makes me want to learn. Have fun with it! Do it! They're a great project for experimentation and expression, and they're useful!

When you've had some time to play with it, please post how you like the Fitbit. I'm intrigued by them but don't know if one would suit me. Have fun with the walk to Mordor challenge! I think that's such a cool goal!

Thanks! We do indeed have similar hobbies and similar goals! I'm actually trying to balance doing this fitness challenge with a 15-in-15 over on Ravelry that I've been slacking on.

I had a big personal win last night. I have an anxiety disorder, and yesterday evening I had a panic attack. After I tamed it a bit, I was left with the stress that brought it on. Now, in the not too distant past, I would have then fallen into a cycle of stress-eating--generally high fat, high sugar junk--and feeling bad about it, which continues the stress cycle. Last night I held it together. I gazed wistfully at a container of cookies, then put on my walking shoes and gathered the family to walk with me to run a couple of errands. I know we're only on day 3, but I heart this challenge so much! It was a big help to motivate myself not to fall off the not-eating-crap bandwagon. I'm already thinking about what to tackle in the next one! I'm thinking maybe cartwheels and back walkovers, which I haven't done since I was about 15, or maybe a real, on-toes push up.

Today Movement: Walked to/from grocery store with family, ~20 min there, FOREVER to walk back because the 2 1/2 year old insisted on pushing his sister in the stroller the whole way home Vacuumed whole house with the toy patrol and furniture moving that comes with itEating: check Other: Not much Today was not pleasant. I was short on sleep, and the kids were both having rough days as well. I was overstimulated and ended up having a panic attack while cooking dinner--hyperventalated and had to lie down on the floor to keep from passing out. Fun, fun, fun. Dinner was good--red lentil/green bean/chicken curry. It's one of the fam's favorite dishes, and the boy's eyes lit up when I told him I'd made it. I'm proud that I did not fall into stress-eating. I likely would have just a few weeks ago. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan for tomorrow Movement: 30 minute walk (take kids to playground)20 min weedingEating: no changes Other: Spend some time thinking about my Epic Life Quest.

Here ya go my challenge log

Yesterday Movement: BBWW (increased to 12 lunge reps per set), 30 minute walk Eating: check Other: Scrubbed a bathroom. It was an all-day task. I also made a challenge log. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan for today Movement: 30 minute walk, vacuum (already done) Eating: no changes Other: Catch a breath. Girl seems to be trying to cut another tooth and was up frequently last night.

I can't decide. I bounce from Buffy Summers to River Tam to Echo to Melinda May... Can I just say any Whedon badass woman?

Mini-quest #1 completed.

Mini-quest #1, SMART goals Here are some questions to put your goals to the test: Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable? Achievable and reasonable. Do your 3 quests all build towards your main quest in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Do your quests have sub-quests or is it just one thing to focus on? They build in little ways. They are three good habits that will go a long way to improving my health. They each are a single habit to learn. Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them? Definitely realistic. I was at a healthy weight when I got pregnant with kid 1. I'm not concerned with how long it takes me to get there as long as I make consistent progress and develop healthy habits along the way. Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them? Yes, and I made a check list. How are you grading your goals? Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)? Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€? I made an A-F grading scale and will assign based on percentages. What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? I am unlikely to become injured from my quests, and minor illness should not impede my performing them. If something major does happen, I will reasses then. Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge? What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those? Fourth of July will happen, but the only hypothetical conflict would be with eating. All I have to do is not eat late and avoid the sweets. Not much of an issue. Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? No, they work very well together. My life quest goal and sub-quests also complement my fitness goal because they require activity and will reduce stress and anxiety. Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set? If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them? Yes. I'm a stay-at-home mom of really good kids with a supportive husband. The bathroom scrubbing might be a challenge because it requires kid-free time and cleaning products, but dad can take the kids to his mom's house if necessary. Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? I am trying to build multiple habits that are all necessary components of my main quest.

Day 1. I'm ready! I made a log for each week of the challenge. Just for fun I weighed myself this morning, 173.6. While my overall goal right now is weight loss, I'm not really going to focus on numbers as long as the general trend is downward and my clothes keep getting looser. My focus right now is to build good habits and break the bad ones that got me to this point. My grading scale will be the one from high school a million years ago. Well, 21, but who's counting? A=93-100%, B=85-92, C=77-84, D=70-76, F=<70 At the end of the challenge, I will treat myself to a few ounces of my favorite oolong tea. This is independent of my final letter grade. How I feel and look will motivate me more than any arbitrary reward I could give myself.

Busy, busy day today. Movement: walked to/from playground with kids and husband (30 min total), actually RAN AROUND with the boy! Climbed up things, slid down things, etc. I haven't had the energy to do that before. He was delighted. Eating: check. Made waffles for the fam for breakfast. Made oatmeal w/fruit and scrambled eggs for myself. 0g added sugars. Other: laundry, dishes--check. had coffee and knitting with a friend (mental health points there). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan for tomorrow--first day of 6-week challenge Movement: 30 minute walk, BBWW Eating: no changes Other: Vacuum house or scrub bathroom. Both are challenge tasks.Make a log for challenge.Spend some time weeding.

Yup. The first time I tried it, I did two sets and immediately realized I had made a mistake. I was wobbly for the rest of the day and couldn't sleep without taking ibuprofen for 3-4 days. Lunges are evil. Now I can do three sets, but I am only doing 10 lunges per set. I will start slowing increasing them with my next workout. The BBWW looks easy on paper (pixels?), but it's no joke!

I haven't had time to update here for a few days, but I have been keeping on track. I walked my 30-minute route Friday and Saturday, followed my eating plan, got some housework and social time in. Made an AMAZING! winter squash curry to use up the butternut, acorn, and delicata squashes. I really ought to spend more time learning Thai cooking and spices. I've decaffed enough that I can get by with green tea, so that eliminates coffee with half & half calories. My Vivobarefoot shoes came in a few days ago, and I've been wearing them for my walks. I like them okay. I don't like things between my toes, so I find that aspect of them irritating. I don't notice it too much when I'm actually walking, but I can't wear them casually. My posture is completely different when I walk with them. I find that my body is erect and relaxed. I don't have any knee, hip, heel, or back pain after walking in them. I always thought my back pain came from having large breasts, but maybe it's because I've been fighting gravity because my heels are elevated in shoes. Very interesting. I don't think I'm hooked on these particular shoes, but I'm committed and convinced regarding minimalist shoes. Plan for today Movement: 30 minute walk Eating: same Other: laundry, dishes. read up on Assassins. catch up on Juice Bar posts.

I agree. When I think about what I might like to do for fitness in the long term (parkour anybody?), Assassin seems like it would be a good fit. Right now it's so far off where I am that it seems crazy to think about, but why not? When I was a kid I loved climbing trees, doing backflips on my trampoline, climbing and jumping over ditches/small gorges/piles of dirt, gymnastics classes... Thank you for reaching out to me. I'll definitely check out the various Assassin resources when I get a bit of time.

Thank you! I agree--I don't want my kids to remember tired, sluggish, no-fun mommy. It looks like we have similar goals for this challenge. I'm going to follow along with you for motivation!

The sugar habit is a tough one to kick but totally worth it energy-wise. I don't do paleo, but I switched to all whole grains and yogurt/cheese to cut down on sugars--I never really noticed before how sweet milk is! What I have noticed is that if I don't eat any refined sugar, I don't want any sugar, but if I do have a little, I then want ALL the sugar. You're doing great! Kicking the soda habit is a big deal, and I'm impressed. I'm looking forward to following along and watching you crush this challenge!

Yesterday Movement: 40 minute walk Eating: check, 0g sugars. I don't remember times of breakfast, etc., but was within time parameters. Other: Challenge declared. Zucchini/banana bread baked. Forgot to ask about morning walking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today Movement: 30 minute walk. BBWW--3 sets, keeping the reps of lunges at 10/set. Vacuumed houseEating: breakfast 9:00 a.m., stopped eating 7 p.m., 2g added sugars (from bottled curry sauce) Other: I'm sure there was something... Today was a good day. Doing three sets of the BBWW was tiring but at no point seemed impossible, even adding back the jumping jacks. It would have been a couple of weeks ago. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Plan for tomorrow Movement: 30 minute walk Eating: no changes Other: Cook the rest of the CSA squash bounty, even if it means having to freeze leftovers.

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired," is something I heard my mom say a lot when I was growing up. I practically vibrated with energy as a kid, so I had no clue what she meant. Now, at 39, I totally get it. I have two tiny kidlets of my own, and I have not been taking care of myself. So here we are. I have a fuzzy, nebulous notion of how I'd like to feel--energetic, strong, alert, focused. I'd love to go "shopping" in the back of my closet, to be able to wear some of my favorite things again. I know weight/BMI is not the only thing to consider when assessing fitness, but it's quantifiable, and at 5'2" and 175 lbs I weigh too much by any metric. So my goal is to have a normal BMI by December 31. That's 39 lbs in 7 months. Over the course of this challenge, my three steps to achieveing this weight-loss goal will be: Do the Beginner Body Weight Workout two times weekly, Walk for 30 minutes (or an equivalent, to be determined, when bad weather strikes) 6 times per week, and Continue recent diet/eating habit changes--not eating between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. and eating no more than 12g added sugars daily.That sugar restriction may seem severe and unsustainable, but I have noticed in the last few weeks that I feel so much better--more energy, not on a hunger roller coaster--when I don't eat sugar, and I immediately feel like crap when I do. The 12g allowance is just in case I want some ketchup or something. My life goal for the challenge is to keep the house cleaner. I hate cleaning, but I like clean. So I plan to tackle three big-impact things that I don't keep up with so well: Vaccuum two times weekly, Wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen before going to bed, and Scrub one of the (two) bathrooms weekly, alternating them.My motivation is the kids. Sure, I want to be healthy for myself, but it's thinking of them and my part of their experience of childhood that is kicking me in the pants to do this, and I want to be a positive role model for them. I will set up a grading scale later when I have time to do the math. Edited 6/8 to add: Starting weight 173.6 My grading scale will be the one from high school a million years ago. Well, 21, but who's counting? A=93-100%, B=85-92, C=77-84, D=70-76, F=<70 At the end of the challenge, I will treat myself to a few ounces of my favorite oolong tea. This is independent of my final letter grade. How I feel and look will motivate me more than any arbitrary reward I could give myself.

Yesterday Movement: nada. thunderstorm. Eating: breakfast 8:30, stopped eating 8 p.m., 0g added sugars Other: cleaned up a bit, did not post in challenge thread I was so slack yesterday. I'm shorter on sleep than usual because Sabine has been waking up several times the last few nights--teething, growth spurt, or a combination. I also decided to switch from coffee to tea to eliminate half and half calories, and I forgot how addicted I am to caffeine and was sluggish. Today is better--I made the tea really strong. I need to figure out how to work around the climate to make sure to get a good walk in every day. It's the rainy season and likely to storm in the evening. I could go out earlier in the day, but it gets incredibly hot, humid, and bright by 8:30 or 9. I need to talk with Steve about my going out before the family wakes, see if he minds waking up early to tend to the girl if she wakes while I'm out. If I can manage it, getting in exercise in the early morning does improve my energy and mood for the rest of the day, so double win. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goals for the rest of today Movement: walk, 30 min at least, longer if time Eating: no changes Other: Post in challenge threadTalk with Steve about early morning exerciseCooking/baking to use up veggies and fruits

Yesterday Movement: nada. thunderstorm. Eating: breakfast 8:30, stopped eating 8 p.m., 0g added sugars Other: cleaned up a bit, did not post in challenge thread I was so slack yesterday. I'm shorter on sleep than usual because Sabine has been waking up several times the last few nights--teething, growth spurt, or a combination. I also decided to switch from coffee to tea to eliminate half and half calories, and I forgot how addicted I am to caffeine and was sluggish. Today is better--I made the tea really strong. I need to figure out how to work around the climate to make sure to get a good walk in every day. It's the rainy season and likely to storm in the evening. I could go out earlier in the day, but it gets incredibly hot, humid, and bright by 8:30 or 9. I need to talk with Steve about my going out before the family wakes, see if he minds waking up early to tend to the girl if she wakes while I'm out. If I can manage it, getting in exercise in the early morning does improve my energy and mood for the rest of the day, so double win. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goals for the rest of today Movement: walk, 30 min at least, longer if time Eating: no changes Other: Post in challenge threadTalk with Steve about early morning exerciseCooking/baking to use up veggies and fruits