durfette

Holy moly glorious meal prep trays! Look at those beauties! I loved what you said about "getting things done out of sheer irritation". Haha! I find myself doing that too. And I totally feel you when you feel unmotivated and in a rut for basically no reason. We're here for you! And I also love that NF allows me to be myself. I was in a Beach Body group for a while and quickly realized "these are not my people." What kind of dance class are you attending? I did dance in college and LOVED it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a cool challenge you have! I danced in college and I miss it sooo... I can't figure out quoting using Tapatalk in my phone, so hopefully you'll get my references: Weight is so stupid. Haha! I just had a baby and I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight (I was chubby before too, so it's not like this is an achievement!) but I still can't fit into my jeans. It's so silly. Also, that zucchini is beautiful. I love zucchini! I like to bake it in strips with olive oil and some salt and pepper or whatever other spice you want. Or you could also shred it, drain it, and freeze it OR us it for zucchini fritters. Sad story: at church this Sunday they had a garden table where people would leave their extra veggies they couldn't eat up that anyone could take. I grabbed two massive zucchinis and when I got home I realized they were cucumbers. [emoji24] I like cucumbers, but I have no idea what to do with that large a quantity! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your challenge is so neat! And uniquely tailored to your needs. I really appreciate your first goal because it deals with changing your outlook and helping you get stared correctly. I think sometimes it's so easy to get overexcited and jump straight to action and get burned out. Your goals are great for getting your mindset in the right place first and then having actions follow. I need to work on that! I am so to-do list prone I forget mindset first. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and learning from your experience! I hope you're able to continue to be kind to yourself in the process. You've definitely set the course well! Good luck! I'll be checking in every once in a while to cheer you on! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey! You have a lot going on!!! I really, really like your challenge. I might be copying it in the future. I have a very similar format in my habit tracker in my bujo, but I don't know that I could figure out all the technical stuff to do it in Excel / google docs. Kudos to you! Best of luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi friend! I'm happy I was able to find you again! Your challenge is so well organized! As a sugarholic, I appreciate your tracking system of going on several day streaks as your goal. This might help me too! I did a challenge once where I went 21 days without sweets and after each day I pulled a sticky tab off a wall in my bedroom. It felt like I was whittling down on the habit and the visual progress helped. I'm a long way from that now, though. What fitness tracker do you use? I'm so glad your family is okay in Florida! That's so scary I can't imagine. Good luck! I'll be following along. [emoji846] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yo Aloha Hola Oy! I am baaaaaack! I had a baby 6 weeks ago, and am feeling that it is time to respawn! I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting new ones as I work to get healthier and hopefully get some of this baby chub off. I hope to feel more like myself by the end of his challenge, since having a baby definitely changes your body and how you spend your time. Due to some health issues, I wasn't able to workout almost at all my last trimester of pregnancy and with all my food aversions returning the last few weeks, my nutrition wasn't all that great either. Like, I can make macaroni and cheese without looking at the box kind of healthy. My newborn should basically be made up of macaroni and pop tarts. Fortunately, she's made up of squish, snuggles, and cute stank faces instead. A brief introduction about me: I joined Nerd Fitness last year and was active on the boards for a few months until I got pregnant when I had zero energy for anything besides the bare necessities. I am a chemist by trade. I love reading, podcasts, hiking, and binge watching shows. My personality is a cross between Leslie Knope and Linda Belcher. I have a broken sesamoid bone in my foot that makes some exercises difficult, and I'm working on finding exercises I enjoy that don't exacerbate the pain. I love sugar toooo much. I'm a hyper emotional person, made even more so by all those new-mama hormones. I struggle with trichotillomania, which means I sometimes pull out my eyelashes when I'm anxious. Basically, I have a lot to work on. I have a tendency to use a lot of gifs and memes from whatever show I'm watching at the moment. Currently, it's Bob's Burgers. I organize my life via bullet journal. And I apologize in advance for how much I talk about my baby, cuz I'm low-key obsessed with her and all her baby-goodness. Now enough about me. ONTO THE FUN PART. Nutrition Goals: -Each breakfast MUST have protein (egg white oatmeal, scrambled eggs, protein shake) -Lunch MUST have a serving of veggies -Log everything I eat on MyFitnessPal I've noticed that if I do these three things, other healthy habits fall into place. Fitness Goals: -Go on a walk with husband and baby 3x/week (this is usually ~2.5 miles) -Exercise at least 2x / week, 3x if baby naps well (this will usually be spinning for 15-20 minutes followed by NF yoga but will possibly incorporate pilates and Cassey Ho workouts off YouTube) because having a baby really messes you up! My body is so so weak and wiggly and odd shaped now! I need some muscle and to get moving again. Good luck all! Let's do this!

Ew, bats. Yay, snow, I guess if you're into that kind of stuff. How are you doing this week? Are you feeling better now that you've given yourself a weekend?

GUYS. I've been feeling really weird lately, and I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it. Some symptoms: super exhausted, even though I've gotten enough sleep, heart burn (first time I've ever experienced this) and sometimes I feel like food will make me puke, but I haven't puked yet. Some of you know that I've been trying to get pregnant for about a year, but my hormones have been all out of whack. Most recent tests show that they are still out of whack. But I just got TWO positive pregnancy tests. I don't know how it's possible, because it doesn't seem like I was ovulating at all. And I'm trying not to get my hopes up cuz my OB is out of town for a few weeks but GUYS. I'm a little freaked out. Aside from all that mess, I've been eating pretty well when I do eat! I made fish last night (frozen tilapia, pan seared with just salt and pepper) and my husband actually really liked it! SCORE. I've been drinking a lot of smoothies, getting to spin class. No lifting in a while though because I can't get myself out of bed every morning. =\ My gym is doing this 7-week program for spin class where you track your mileage and frequency in attending. If you get some crazy number of miles which I don't remember, because I don't stand a chance OR if you attend 14 times total, you get a free shirt! I want a free shirt guys. Plus that'll help me stay motivated to at least show up to the gym through the holiday season. Which is pretty tricky of them.

Hi friends! Sorry it's been a bit since I've checked in. I'm doing okay, just had a rough couple of weeks, and I've been working on feeling more like myself. I have a hard time getting back on my feet when I'm thrown off. Any suggestions for how to get your groove back after falling off the wagon? Things I've been keeping up with: Spin classes 3x a week (100%) Sweets once a day (50%) BuJo-ing (0%) Logging onto NF daily (0%) I'm sorry I haven't been there for you all, but I really appreciate those of you who have checked in on me. You are all so wonderful!

Hey friend! Keep it up! I appreciate that you still post even when you aren't acting perfectly. That's noble! and something i need to work on... I'm sorry you don't think you'll be able to have beer anymore.. That's so rough! Maybe you can find an alternative that treats your body better that you'll love too! I don't drink, so I have no idea what that might be... Hope you feel better soon!

umm...how? This sounds like it was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!! I love reminiscing about southern France. In the next couple of weeks are you headed anywhere else besides southern France?

Thank you @IAmInfinite!! I'll have to evaluate when will be the best time for me to log on. I'm trying not to log on too much during work hours (like currently, whoops). Maybe I can do it quickly at 5 o'clock after work each day before I head home? I've also tried skimming it in the few minutes before my spin class starts when I'm warming up and not too focused on the workout yet. When I go off sugar, I have to warn my husband because I'm such a monster. I am literally a three-year-old (tantrums, mood swings, pouty moods) it's terrible. Also, I wanted to share this article. It's about setting goals and not setting ones that aren't important to you. I really enjoyed it. and last but not least, here is my meal plan for the week: Dinners: Monday: stuffed bell peppers Tuesday: leftovers Wednesday: Tilapia and steamed veggies Thursday: Chicken fajitas Friday: Eating out? / leftovers Saturday: Flautas Sunday: Homemade pizza (because my husband will revolt if we don't get pizza one a week or so) Lunches: Monday: Trader Joe's premade salad Tuesday: Tuna and whole wheat crackers with veggies Wednesday: Prosciutto (small amount, I have to like what I eat, you know?), HB eggs, fresh veggies and sweet potato mash Thursady: Mason jar green salad with TJ ranch dressing (this stuff is AMAZING and low calorie / low fat) and chicken strips Friday: same as Wednesday My breakfasts have been consistently the same shake, every morning. It's filling and I LOVE the taste. It comes to about 500 calories, but it sustains me without having to have a morning snack. I decided that I can handle planning for one healthy snack a day, but TWO drives me nuts. I'm also not exactly counting calories right now (more serving sizes) so I may decrease the PB when I get closer to that level. This shake also prevents me from being exhausted and fussy after my workouts which is perfect way to start the day for me. My recipe: 1 scoop of protein (currently it's Vanilla whey from ON Gold Standard, but ISO-100 Cake Batter has been my favorite so far) 2 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (it smooths out the texture like a charm) 1 cup of Costco's frozen triple berries 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (light and perfect) Blend until smooth and voila! perfection. Sometimes I'll add 1 Tbsp of chia seeds to add some fiber because... cholesterol told me to. If I ever get sick of this, I have a backup breakfast in egg white oatmeal or scrambled eggs with veggies.

Weekends are hard...I didn't log on at all. but here's the update: November 4th Bone stimulator CHECK BuJo CHECK Had a small slice of ice cream cake and a bit of my husband's donut Made grocery list for a more cholesterol-friendly diet. November 5th Bone stimulator CHECK BuJo CHECK Had ~300 calories worth of delicious macarons. SO WORTH IT. We went out to eat, and I still chose a turkey burger over a regular burger. Huzzah! Grocery shopped most of my grocery list! November 6th Once a month, my church does a fast, so I fasted for most of the day and when I broke my fast I broke EVERYTHING. I really suck at fasting. and we went to two birthday parties with delicious homemade foods. Bone stimulator CHECK BuJo CHECK Had too many sweets... a cookie, a macaron, homemade donuts, and a few bites of my husband's caramel apple pie. XD Planned meals for the week!

Sugar has been doing pretty well so far! I find if I "allow" myself one sweet a day, I'm pickier about what I'm eating. If it's just regular cake or a cheap brownie or leftover Halloween candy, I'm less likely to mindlessly eat it and hold out for the sweets and desserts I dig. But also I don't feel as anxious or like I'm in a choke-hold when an emotional craving pops up because I have given myself permission to have a sweet a day. Reading the articles is such a great idea! Thank you! I'll have to start doing that. I also have an email folder of posts from NerdFitness and other health-conscious sites I need to read through. Keeping up with those could be helpful to stay motivated and consistent. So nice to hear from all of you!!!

^^^^ careful, I might end up on your doorstep.

It might be draining, but the English teachers are always the hot ones on television! and I loved all my English teachers.

November 3rd Used bone stimulator BuJo'd like a boss. Had ZERO sweets and felt fine. Did pretty well on cholesterol-friendly foods until dinner. I forgot we were going out to eat at Noodle Express, but i didn't go overboard and made sure I had chicken and side salad with pasta. It's not perfect, but it's where I'm at now. Had therapy Lifted (and maaaan am I sore! but it's good)

Dagger this is amaaaazing! I've love following along. I studied in Aix-en-Provence in college and that area is just GORGEOUS. I've loved hearing about the places you're seeing and enjoying. It makes me miss it! And that retreat sounds incredible and draining! I might need to look into writing my own obituary... that sounds hard but ultimately rewarding. I applaud your courage in this! Excited for what's ahead of you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey BWW! I appreciate the simplicity of your challenge. That's awesome you get such a long vacation coming up!! I have yet to meet an Aussie I didn't like! but don't let my mother in law know that. She's a kiwi. [emoji6] What is chocky? Chocolate? I'm working on decreasing my sugar intake too!! I think it's the boss battle for a lot of us. Your goal of eating more fruit should help with the sugar cravings too. Best of luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah NaNoWriMo!! Best o luck. what is Darebee and Endurance? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

November 2nd Used bone stimulator [emoji736] I need to use it for 3 hours a day on my foot. The tech said I could fall asleep with it on and it'll shut itself off after the cycle. Maybe I'll get used to it but right now it's a major pain because I wake up in the middle of the night cuz it annoys me and I take it off. Oh well. BuJo'd. [emoji736] Love this thing. I'm also participating in a daily gratitude challenge, but since I'm not one to post that kind of stuff on social media, I'm writing it down in my BuJo. Also the habit tracker is my best friend. (Praise hands) Had 1 sweet. [emoji736] Then my tummy hurt a bit. Meh. Cholesterol friendly food? I'm working through some old meat in my freezer and we had pork sausage for dinner. It's not the best, but we had butternut and asparagus with it and it was delish. Also had enough for the rest of the week's lunches. I need to go grocery shopping this weekend to bulk up on high fiber foods and low fat-high protein meats and such. Went to spin class. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey! I feel you with your first challenge taking too big of a leap. I love you goals and the incremental increase will lead to bigger changes! I've also recently starting writing on my blog more regularly! Writing really helps me emotionally. Best of luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Because of NF I've gotten up the courage to do a deadlift! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HI FRIEND. I've enjoyed catching up with your thread. And I AM A THREE-YEAR OLD. Owning up to it helps. Love your goals, so happy you've gotten work figured out better for you, and I'm happy to see you! Keep on keepin on!

RESET BUTTON. Okay I am now on my FOURTH challenge, and one of those challenges is to log onto NF DAILY. This is going to be hella hard for me (suggestions welcome?) because I need accountability and encouragement from my friends! Yesterday I did NOT get online, but I did follow through with my other goals (as seen in "current challenge" linked in signature). Nov 1st Used bone stimulator BuJo'd Had 1 sweet Researched cholesterol-friendly foods and recipes to incorporate into my meal plan rotation. YEAH. I also, walked to work (~1 mile each way) and completed stuff on my to-do list! BOOM.