emineminator

Aw, thanks for all the comments, guys! It's nice to know we are not alone in this Week 2 Exercise: 3x yoga = A --> Nailed it. Discovered that doing it 2 days in a row is not as hard as I thought it would be, and it actually made me feel really good - I could stretch further than I have ever been able to in my life! Sleep: 8.3 hr average = A --> I've been aiming for 1am bedtime and trying to make anything later feel like "past my bedtime" - apparently it's working!! Sugar: 4 desserts = F --> Less sweets than last week...but still not good. Trying to be creative with savory treats or fruit instead...kind of wanting to invest in a popcorn maker... I have NO sweets in the house to start this next week off, and no friends staying with me, so I will do better this time! My feet, calves and knees have been feeling the adjustment to the orthotics still...hoping that will ease up this week. I've still been managing to meet my step goal and stair goal almost every day, so yay! Have a good week everybody! - E

Week 1 Yikes...not a good week for me. Traveled to a wedding over the weekend, slept poorly beforehand, and had less control over what I was eating. This is crunch time - I completed one challenge, and my subconscious thinks I'm done but these life skills are not habits yet, so my work is not done!! So...here's the report. Exercise: only 1 yoga session + 1 afternoon playing catch and Frisbee with friends which I'm counting as a session = B --> And I felt so gross these past few days because of it! Work was harder, not easier (but this wasn't just physical difficulties, either, so that was probably contributing a bit...under some scrutiny to maintain routines from the higher ups...). But as my boss would say, I'm gonna put on my big girl panties and do better this week! Sleep: 6.6 hrs/night average = C --> Also probably contributing to my gross feeling...I'm really going to have to work hard at this one for 2 reasons: 1) I am traveling again during this challenge and it's not going to get easier to reach this goal, and 2) my husband has said the biggest thing I can do to help him reach his goal of finishing his degree by the end of summer with the grades he needs is help him get enough sleep. Even 7 per night would be better - I know I can do this!! Sugar: 4+ = F --> Shame...stopping this minute! I just have to keep it out of the house and plan ahead - if I have a wedding or a family dinner, for example, I will plan for the delicious lemon cupcakes and refrain from eating desserts until that night or pick only one restaurant where I can have my fave dessert! Also an update on my orthotics: I got them a week ago, and I'm up to between 5-6 hours per day in 4 hour stints, and think I'm getting off easy. I have had some foot pain and some lower leg tiredness, but it's not that bad at all! I am very excited about this - I can already tell that the position my feet are in when using them is more comfortable despite the pain from being in a new position. I want to run so bad!! Anyway, this week will be better. Getting off the computer to do yoga RIGHT NOW!! REEEEEALLY want that pedicure for my grad! - E

Good luck, Chelkie! These are some great, attainable goals. I also wish you luck on your move - sounds exciting and a bit scary at the same time! - E

Hi Shukar - I hope this challenge is successful for you! I can totally relate to the flakiness...let's not let that happen this time, together!! You got this! - E

Hello, Scouts! This is my second challenge in as many months, and as my last one was a success, I decided to keep the momentum going and attempt another one! I posted on the Ranger's page last time by mistake - my favorite activities are definitely individual ones like running and swimming, and I want to work up to a triathlon one day. I hope you will accept me into your forum! Main Quest: To get in better shape in order to feel physically and emotionally better overall, do my barista job better, and to slowly begin preparing for parenthood (in, like, the next 5 years...so not soon, but soon enough!). Specifically in the next month, I want to notice table-lifting and floor-mopping becoming easier for me to do and with less back pain afterwards, especially since I will be doing it 5 days a week instead of just 3! In order to get there, I have 3 goals in mind. They are similar to my last challenge, but I want to build on the exercise goal and increase my core and upper-body strength. 1. Do 3 30-minute yoga/stretching sessions per week. This will happen on top of maintaining my last goal of 10,000 steps and 10 sets of stairs per day, as tracked by my Fitbit. 2. Sleep 8 hours per night. Also tracked by my Fitbit. 3. Cut the sugar! One dessert per week, usually on date night. Grading Exercise: A = 3+ yoga sessions per week B = 2 yoga sessions per week C = 1 yoga session per week F = 0 yoga sessions per week Sleep: A = avg. 8+ hrs/night B = avg. 7-8 hrs/night C = avg. 6-7 hrs/night F = < 6 hrs/night Sugar: A = 0-1 desserts/wk B = 2 desserts/wk C = 3 desserts/wk F = 4+ desserts /wk If I obtain a B average at the end, I will treat myself to a pedicure, as I am sure my feet will be achy and sore as they adjust to my new orthotics. Good luck on your challenges, everyone! - E

Week 4 and Final Report Firstly, I would like to celebrate that I completed the challenge - my first challenge was not so successful. Woohoo! Secondly, here are my numbers for the final week: Exercise: Step goal met 4x, stair goal met 3 times = C --> had a cold this week...I did 26 flights of stairs today, though...doesn't that make up for my missed days? Sugar: 3 = C --> I caved at work today...it was a really busy day, and my caloric intake is still under even with the dessert... but it still counts against me :( Sleep: 7.8hr avg = A!!!!! --> finally! Only took me 3 weeks..... Thirdly: my totals! Exercise: A + B + B + C = B Sugar: A + A + F + C = B --> B average! Success! Sleep: 6.75 + 6.5 + 6.8 + 7.8 = 6.96 = C+ Things I learned: 1. It's not hard to keep moving, and it feels better when I do. It's especially easy with a service industry job! I wasn't able to weigh myself so I don't have exact numbers, but I know I lost a few pounds...and it feels really good! My clothes fit better, I have more energy (when combined with good sleep, of course...) and I'm able to exist more easily - I can run to the bus if I'm late, for example. I can't wait for the next challenge to take this to the next level and build up more muscle strength as well as endurance! I also came to realize that the Physics law is true - a body at rest stays at rest. If I sit down to watch TV, I will stay there and not get anything done. Do first, watch second! 2. Once I cave on dessert, I'm dead meat. I have always been a dessert eater, so cutting it completely is difficult for me. Limiting was good; now I just need to continue the limitation and be strict with myself to stick to it. I feel pretty gross after cheating tonight, and I know it's from the huge apple fritter I ate... Related to this is the realization that I do stop craving sugar after a few days, but those first few days are the hardest! 3. The earlier to bed, the longer to sleep! Seems easy...I noticed a correlation between no TV programs after getting home from work and getting to bed on time. Setting a goal also helped; now getting to bed past 1am feels like I'm staying up last my bedtime 4. Pain is there for a reason. Deal with it properly, don't ignore it or put up with temporary solutions for too long. I have an appointment to pick up my orthotics next week, and I'm so pumped! I'm prepared for a period of adjustment where there might be even more pain than usual, but I'm hoping after that I can slowly start running again...yay! 5. Maybe I'm a Scout?? I took another look at the guild list, and I might try joining their forum next time. I might find it suits my interests better... 6. You get out what you put in. Next time, I'm going to read more entries from other people and try and make connections. I didn't comment on or follow many posts, so I didn't have many people comment on my topic either. I'm also hoping I can get my husband on board next challenge - even if it is unofficially. I could use a buddy! Thank you all for your support. Take good care of yourselves! - E

Week 3 Exercise: met my original step goal 5x and my stair goal 3x = B --> I'm going to do some research into how my Fitbit tracks the stairs to make sure when I'm doing them, it's tracking it...noticing some irregularities in my results this week... Sugar: 4 = F --> interestingly I noticed that once I caved on this, it was hard to stop. This was new info for me, and good to know! Sleep: 6.8hrs = C --> Highest average yet! I get more sleep the earlier I get to bed. Funny how that works... made it to be right around 1 for the past 3 nights and feel so much better! One more week guys - I REALLY want to get enough sleep to average at least a B this week! I've reset my dessert limitation and I am back on track (I'm fighting hard against the cravings after last week's slip...I can do this!) and I'm going to take a shower and get outside for a leisurely walk this afternoon even thought I am feeling under the weather with a cold today. Having a reward that I could lose at the end of this challenge is really motivating me today... Don't give up, guys!! Finish strong! - E

Week 2 Hi all!! Hope your quests are going well. Here's my progress report: Sugar: 2 desserts = B --> had some ingredients in the fridge to use up, so I made raspberry oat squares as dessert...lots of sugar, mmm... Exercise: both steps and stairs goals met 5 days = A --> yay! I have been feeling the effects of being more active - was able to carry groceries home easier yesterday! Sleep: 6.5hrs avg. = C --> Feeling disappointed with my efforts here...I've been staying up too late watching TV with my husband. My work schedule has been all over the map this week, so that might be contributing, but I don't want to make excuses. This week I am going to try to stick to the rule that I MUST be in bed, lights out, by 1am. This is earlier than usual, and still feels like enough time to wind down and get ready for bed after work (sometimes get home as late as 11pm). I am liking the accountability of posting my progress on here. I am also really looking forward to when my work schedule switches to full time...hopefully it will be a more predictable schedule, and I will be able to plan better for sleep! - E

Thanks for the tip, Miaulin! I've been subbing maple syrup in oatmeal for sugar, and it's great! I know my husband looooves raw sugar...maybe we should price check and think about switching

Weekly update (a little late)! So running is a no-go this time around... I tried it once and my foot was killing me for days. I'm going to switch that goal to meeting both the 10,000 steps and 10 flights of stairs goals on my FitBit. I will be getting my orthotics in a month. Here's hoping that's a fix for this pain! New grading for exercise: A = both goals met 5+ days/week B = both goals met 4 days/week C = both goals met 3 days/week F = both goals met > 3 days/week Now for my weekly grades: Sugar: 1 dessert = A --> nailing it! Exercise: both goals met 5 days = A --> my record was 34 floors and 20,697 steps...I think that was the night I worked and then walked part of the way home! Sleep: 6.75hrs avg = C --> I was expecting this. Hope to settle in to a better sleep schedule now that I'm done school!! Woohoo! I guess I'm focusing on sleep this week. Hope you all are doing well! - E

Hi all! This is my second 4-week challenge ever, and I'm excited about it! Yesterday was my 26th birthday, and I attended my last class of my university degree! Woohoo!! Still got papers to write, but I will be totally done in 9 days. I hope those 9 days won't hinder my efforts here! Main Quest To get in better shape in order to feel physically and emotionally better overall, do my barista job better, and to slowly begin preparing for parenthood (in, like, the next 5 years...so not soon, but soon enough!). I will work towards this in 3 ways: 1. Cut down on sugar. I will do this by substituting honey/brown sugar for fake syrups/white sugar in my coffee/tea, and cutting my desserts down to one per week. I will also make each beverage I get at work that has sweetener in it less sweet than the standard 2. Start exercising. This will look like running twice per week, (mostly) following a walk/run program I've been meaning to try for years now. I will also do a short yoga regimen 5 days a week. I got a new yoga mat for my birthday, so I'm pumped to start using it! 3. Sleeeeeep! This one is hard for me, but I also got a new Fitbit for my b-day, so I would like to be getting 8 hours of sleep per night and focus on the length of sleep first. Eventually I'd like to start getting to bed earlier, but I learned last challenge that my goals were too broad, so I'm sticking to length this time. I will post weekly progress reports on Sunday nights. Known Obstacles 1. I have been battling a sore foot for a couple of years, and in the past 6 months have finally gone through the process of seeing a specialist and diagnosing the issue as a stretched ligament. I am getting fitted for special orthotics next week. I am hoping this will only make my running goal easier to achieve, but it might also cause more pain as the issue resolves itself. I will keep you posted, and perhaps switch the running to walking uphill if necessary. 2. I think the goal that will be most affected by the end of school craziness will be sleep, so I am going to try and not get discouraged if after the first week my sleep track record seems off. Grading Sugar: A = 0-1 desserts/wk B = 2 desserts/wk C = 3 desserts/wk F = 4+ desserts /wk Exercise: A = 2/2 running & 5/5 yoga B = 1/2 running & 4/5 yoga C = 1/2 running & < 3 yoga F = 0/2 running & < 3 yoga Sleep: A = avg. 8+ hrs/night B = avg. 7-8 hrs/night C = avg. 6-7 hrs/night F = < 6 hrs/night [Tally weekly for progress reports, and average for final grade.] Reward: If I achieve a grade of B or higher, I will purchase one new clothing item for doing yoga in! If my grade is below a B, I do not get one. Simple as that. Good luck, everyone! Let's do this! E

Well. I'm not sure where I should be posting this, but I figured here would do. I believe I'm supposed to grade my challenge, and as it was finished a month ago... I feel that I deserve a D, meaning I accomplished a little bit, but did not develop enough growth during the challenge to achieve a passing grade. I did not meet any of my goals, nor did I stick with the program long enough to develop new habits and break old ones. My injury was a setback, but it did not have to mean that I give up entirely. However, the challenge wasn't a total loss. I learned a few things along the way. 1. My husband and I are totally different fitness classes. This helps explain why the active things he wants to pursue seem totally boring and awful to me, and why he never wants to do the activities I want to do. This could pose a challenge as we both develop our fitness levels, so it is good for me to be aware of. 2. For next time, I need to start smaller and simpler with my goals. That will help me to feel like I am accomplishing something, and encourage me to keep going! 3. I need to have a backup plan for emergencies like injury or school stress. I'm thinking about looking into a monthly pool membership or something. I also think plucking up the courage to try another individual sport, like squash or Pilates, might do me some good. 4. Logging calories is time consuming until you enter enough recipes into the app to make it worthwhile! Perhaps that could be a goal for next time - enter one new recipe into the app per week, or something On a related note, I learned that the apps are more accurate and easier to follow if you enter the correct weight into them...must invest in a bathroom scale! 5. I probably wouldn't have been pushed to go see a doctor about my foot if I hadn't taken the challenge. I'm still waiting on a CT scan...probably will be for a while. At least I took the first step and got it checked out. Anyway, thanks for all the encouraging messages and tips. I hope to see you all again soon! E

And so the setbacks continue... - FINALLY went to the doc this week about some foot pain that's been happening on and off for about a year now. He poked and prodded pretty good, nothing on my X-Ray so he ordered a CT scan. So my foot was too sore to do my running this week. It's feeling better already, so I'll be starting again with gusto this coming week! Here I come, week 2 of my program! 2 minute intervals of running...I'm gonna be tiiiired! Might go back and do the previous run again, as it's been so long since my last run. - Made it to bed on time once again this week. Yay! Aiming for more than once again next week. - Paper writing sucks. Too many cookies consumed. Will do better next week on my calorie intake. Question: I'm doing an overnight trip to visit some friends this week. Any tips on how to keep the calories down while eating out?? I also did a brief bit of browsing on other Scout challenge posts (while procrastinating hardcore about writing), and realized for my next challenge that I need to make my goals smaller. I was too ambitious, especially for my first challenge ever! Thanks again for the encouragement and help, guys!

Thanks for the input, awesomesue and AgentSpiderMonkey! To be honest, I'm feeling a bit defeated. I think I'm in need of a respawn already...and we are only 2 weeks in! - Even after I changed by bedtime to midnight, I still only met that goal once. - I logged my calories every day, but I think my weight/activity level are out of whack because I can't stay under my limit. - And I've completed one week of my running program, but it took me 2 weeks to do. But...I can also look at it this way: - I met my bedtime goal once this week. - I have been faithfully logging my calories, and I learned more about how to use the MyFitnessPal app this week. I also learned that I need to weigh myself somehow, and re-enter my starting weight and activity level in order to make it easier to stay under my calorie limit without being starving ALL THE TIME! I am also continuing to learn which foods are danger foods for me (TONS of calories/sugars, as well as which ones I tend to eat too much of in one sitting). - And I have FINALLY completed week one of my running program, and each time I run, it is getting easier. I'm still really enjoying putting check marks on the sheet to signify why I complete a run, and on the days I do run, I notice an improvement in my energy level and my mood. I am DETERMINED not to give up!! I think I may have made my goals too complex/detailed for my first ever challenge. So this week, I am going to run 3 times, eat smaller (which also usually means healthier) breakfasts, and meet my bedtime goal more than once this time I also have another 2000-word paper to write before Friday, and I'm starting a new job this week...silly life, getting in the way of this challenge! Don't give up, guys!!!

Hey, all! Thanks for your comments! This week was really tough. I had my first 4th year paper due on Tuesday, and I participated in my best friend's graduation festivities on Wednesday, so I don't feel that I did very well this week...but I did make some progress! I am hoping that once I am partway into this challenge when my next paper is due, I will have established a bit more of a daily rhythm in terms of reaching my goals, so sticking to the program will be easier next time life happens. Anyway, here's my progress report: First of all, I'm finding my bedtime goal to be really difficult to reach...I didn't meet my 10:30 goal at all this week. I think it's because my husband works the closing shift at a coffee shop, and doesn't get home before 11 a few nights a week. What's the policy on slightly modifying goals?? On a happier note, I completed my first run on Thursday (instead of Monday, thanks to my paper). My feet and leg muscles were pretty stiff. I'm about to head out on my second one in a few minutes, and surprisingly I'm really looking forward to it! I've put a checklist of each run I'm supposed to do on the fridge, and it felt SO good to put that first check mark on there! This week, I will work on the daily stretching...I forgot that I had included that in my running goal. I also need to remember to take my inhaler before I go - I think that might help lol. I managed to log my calories each day (except Wednesday), and even thought I was unable to keep it below my limit, I was less than 200 calories over. This was a huge improvement from 400-500 over. I'm going to work harder on that this week...and running will help! To improve on that this week, I'm going to look up some articles on portion control. I'm getting better at that, but I know I can improve, and I think doing some research on it might help. For my side quest, I made it to chapter 2 of my book. The introduction was really long! Thanks again for the help...hope things are going well for you all! E

Hi all! I'm Emma. I'm a uni student who looooves music, TV shows and movies (too much), and playing WoW with the husband. Fitness and healthy eating habits were never a priority for me or my family growing up; DH has been trying to encourage me to be healthier for a while, but it has taken me a few years to find my own reasons for wanting to make some changes to my lifestyle. I joined NF for motivation/encouragement - DH and I will both be finishing school in the next few years, and plan to move home and settle down. We both want kids, and I am worried that my current state of fitness or lack thereof will make pregnancy and raising kids a lot more difficult. Apparently, kids have a lot of energy. I also want to teach my future children by example that eating right and exercising is really important. So...I'm starting now. Here goes! Main Quest I would love to eventually participate in a triathlon at some point in my life, but I'm going to start by working up to a 5K run in November. I am going to accomplish this by: 1) Being in bed, lights out, trying to sleep by 10:30 every night. This will allow me to get up earlier and have the time to exercise, meal plan, etc. This means I will have to be done dishes, tidying, and morning prep by 10pm. Dishes must be started by 9:00!! I am going to create some sort of calendar to put a check mark on the days when I do this, and keep it on my bedside table. 2) Stick with a walk/run program for the full 6 weeks. I've been trying to do this forever, and I'd like to actually accomplish it! The one I've picked is a 13-week program, but I think the Challenge will be helpful in setting me on a course for success. I will run Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 8am, and I've already added this to my Google calendar. I usually stretch on either end on my run, so on alternate days, I will continue to stretch. Maybe I'll even watch some videos and learn a few new stretches... 3) I am already registered with the MyFitnessPal app, so I'm going to continue logging my calories on there and actually complete the entries at the end of the day so the app can track my progress. I want to stay within the calorie limits, and make sure I meet my calcium goals each day (lactose intolerance makes that hard sometimes). I will accomplish this by only eating dessert once per week, and limiting my snacking to a small, healthy snack like almonds, fruit or (lactose-free) yogurt once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Side Quest I want to level up my spiritual life, too, so I've finally got my hands on a book I want to read. It's pretty long, and I have to read it slowly to absorb the information, so I would like to be halfway through it in 6 weeks (done chapter 7). I will accomplish this by emailing my mentor with my progress (I'm going to share this post with her, too, which will also help with accountability) and reading it for 20 minutes a day. This shouldn't be hard to do because I'm so excited to read it! Thanks for reading. I hope you all reach your goals, too!