durfette

I'm leaning towards a Sol Republic Shadow or Jabra Rox wireless earbuds which range between $70-$90 from what I can tell at the stores I'm looking at. Any opinions?

Hey all! I recently bought Jam Transit bluetooth earbuds for about $40. I didn't do any research beforehand, and they worked for two charges then stopped charging. I'm going to return them. Do any of you have any recommendations for better bluetooth earbuds? I use them for working out and listening to podcasts at work. I listen to podcasts basically all day, so a reliable battery life would be helpful (maybe ~7 hours). Are there any cheap bluetooth earbuds (cheap as in <$50) worth my time or should I just plan to spend more to get quality earbuds? Thanks for your help!

You are a good man Myrdinn! Man, some of your meals sound delicious so I'm gonna steal them for my own meal plan! pesto chicken pasta. yummmmm.

Week 4 Total Points Diet: 18 points Fitness: 6 points Life: 12 points I was hesitating to tally up all my points from this challenge because I don't feel like I really accomplished anything. I felt like I did really badly, even though I was technically following my "challenge." I definitely need to up my game in the next challenge so I feel like I've achieved something when I've "passed." Technically I achieved all my goals (although just barely). I haven't made big enough changes to really see any results yet. No inches off, no pounds lost. I really want to re-evaluate my mindset and health goals this coming challenge to see some changes. CHALLENGE II TOTALS Diet: 61 points (60 point goal) Fitness: 24 points (24 point goal) Life: 47 points (37 point goal) My rewards for the goals were a cast iron skillet, a new piece of workout clothing, and something that smells nice. Since I already bought blue tooth head phones, I might hold off on those. But I'll still set the $20 aside in my Fitbit fund like I told myself I would for each challenge. And heck, I'll probably get something that smells nice too. A big thank you to @Butternut, @Severine, @Rebel_Timelord, @PollyannaAgain, @Myrdinn, @Traxex, @Casbin and @Jane Eyre Is My Patronus. Thank you everyone for all your wisdom and support! I'm definitely going to spend this week doing some soul searching to figure out the best goals to set for this upcoming challenge. Till next time, friends.

Wednesday 10 August 2016 No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Nerd fitness workout (3 points) Fitness: 3 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Thursday 11 August 2016 No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Friday 12 August 2016 Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Saturday 13 August 2016 Meal prep (10 points) Diet: 10 points

I'm right there with ya! Timelord I'm sorry about the gout...but you did exactly the right thing and calling it out for what it is. Just a learning experience and a minor hurdle that you jumped over cleanly! You are a tremendous inspiration and don't forget that! And that lunch packing! Dude you did it! You created a habit! Rock on friend.

Yeah, I wasn't sent to a professional PT. I was just given some exercises to do, but I wasn't given any specific frequency, reps, or anything. I've done them basically every day, when I watch TV or when I'm reading. I think I've been pretty thorough in doing what I was asked, even though it was a bit vague. Thanks for the suggestion! I will set up an appointment. And you're right. I should try swimming. I really should. I appreciate your long post! You always have so much good information. I appreciate it.

I'm actually allergic to avocado. But thanks for the tip! I'm definitely gonna be scrolling through your log to copy recipes and such. Girlfriend, I don't care what your score says. I still think you rocked this challenge! Plus, you got serious manpower here on the forums on your side! I'm looking forward to what you come up with for your next challenge! Especially with school starting soon! Best of luck and thanks for all your spunk and gifs!

I know I'm late to the game again... but I wanted you to know you were missed and you've been in my thoughts! I am so glad you're back! But I am so sorry you've had such a rough time. :/ I really relate to what you said about not wanting to post about how badly you're doing. I'm right there with ya! But I think it's important to do it also. It's important to understand there is good AND bad and all of us struggle. It's what makes you human and relatable. I don't go around chasing other people's failures, but it does help keep things in perspective when you see someone else being honest with a situation. And that situation you're in SUCKS. You got sucker-punched big time, and the punches haven't stopped yet. Show yourself some grace, cuz you are amazing. You are strong and spunky and I know you're tired, but you're still such a huge inspiration. Basically, to echo everyone else: We're here to support and encourage. You will find no shaming here. Hope all that junk smooths out a bit so you can catch a break.

Hello Miss Jane! Miss hearing your updates! Come back soon. Hope all is well with you!

Hey yo! What's up what's up? Miss hearing your updates. Hope all is well with you!

Now you're adding in Crossfit? My. Lanta. You gotta be some sort of super hero. Good for you! Embrace the Fitness ADHD. But do your dumb yoga! It'll help with feeling sore. Also, I think I'm gonna turn back to 21DF for the diet next challenge... as much as I don't want to, I think it'll help. Thanks for showing me that it's doable and more flexible and can be more delicious than I was making it out to be. Again, you = superhero status. When does the school year start for you?

Definitely gotta try those breakfast sandwiches! Thanks for the tips.

Hello and welcome! I'm a big fan of your husband, and he's said nothing but raving things about you. So excited to have you on the boards now too! I've never heard of the Dukan Diet. What is that?

The Allegheny trails sounds amaaaazing! That's such an awesome goal to go for! You're doing a great job, Timelord! Also, is it weird that I am crazy excited that your wife has joined us? You two sound like such a power couple! Stalking her as I type... Hi @eastman_tara! Your husband is the bomb-dot-com! Welcome.

Getting out in the sun and oohing and ahhing at the Olympiads is what this summer is all about! What is bircher?

Thank you @Myrdinn! I really appreciate your encouragement. I used to have a really hard time being empathetic when I knew others were having a hard time having children. It wasn't until recently that I realized how difficult it is. I hope you and your wife have some luck soon. I am so sorry you two have been struggling with this too. That's a fair point that I need to consider. My podiatrist is pretty all right, I think. But I'm not always sure I can communicate issues well with him. Maybe I'll go to him one more time and if I'm not satisfied, then I'll get a second opinion. I just can't figure out if I'm babying it too much and not working it enough to get back to normal or if there is a legitimate concern. I do have a swimming pool at the rec center. I've done that before, but a.) it's incredibly hard! I have mad respect for swimmers. Watching them at the olympics amaaaaze me. b.) maybe I didn't give it a hard enough try for long enough, but it didn't feel fulfilling to me. This could be due to a slight fear of the water. Specifically of getting my face wet. And I never really learned how to swim properly. But you're right, I should give it a try again. There's nothing but fear really holding me back. I've been biking on stationary bikes in lieu of running, but maybe it would be good to try something new.

@Casbin Thank you so much for your encouraging words! That wasn't nonsense at all. I think this is a major part of that patience and grace thing I'm working on showing myself. I totally know that. It wasn't rational, definitely an emotional response. And my husband said that too, but I couldn't shake it. Tuesday 09 August 2016 Pretty regular Tuesday. Ate pretty well overall. The only sweets I had all day was some Halotop ice cream, which it light and low cal but miraculously still hit the spot. Highly recommend it to anyone counting calories and in need of something sweet. Except for the lemon flavor. Stay away from that one. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points

Week 3 Total Points Diet: 19 points Fitness: 6 points Life: 12 points Hey all, Thanks for checking @Myrdinn, @Traxex and @Rebel_Timelord. I really appreciate that. Everyone read for a TL;DR? I feel like since I've started actively trying to be healthier physically and emotionally, it's become an uphill battle. And I'm not using this as an excuse for not working on my Challenge or anything. It's just an observation that things feel harder than they did before. It's probably just about being aware of more things now as I take a more honest look at things. This week felt really hard. I didn't do too badly with my challenges, but I had a hard bout of depression from what I am almost certain is going to be a diagnosis of PCOS. I'll know in a few weeks after some more bloodwork, but I'm almost positive. It's going to be a bigger part of my "WHY," and I think I've come to a place of acceptance. It just took a few days to get back in the swing of things. It is going to be my main driving motivation in this next challenge to set more aggressive goals in the diet area. I am also incredibly frustrated with exercise all of a sudden. I used to run all the time. I ranged anywhere from 3 miles a day to 3 miles 2-3x a week. Now I can barely do one, and that kills not only my lungs but my foot too. Running is how I destressed. It was how I processed emotions and coped. It was a crutch for me. And with my broken sesamoid bone in my foot (it's under the ball of your foot), it started hurting more and more last year until I stopped running entirely. Then I relied more heavily on my other crutch: food. I stopped cooking as much. We started eating out more. My Grandma's dementia got worse and the situation got messier, and I just kept eating. I've had to buy new clothes more than once because I kept gaining weight. Finally I opted for surgery this past January when nothing else worked. I was sooo hopeful. I felt good about getting the surgery. I dreamed of running a half marathon this summer, something I've been wanting to do for years. I live in Utah, which has tons of National Parks, and I was so excited to spend the summer hiking mountains and running in the crisp mornings. But it just hasn't been an option. I am so discouraged. When I had my last appointment with my podiatrist back in February, he said it could take up to a year before I feel back to normal again. I was disheartened by that, but I assumed that was for his normal patients, who were middle-aged and older. I'm supposed to be young and spry! I should be back to normal faster. I stretched and moved and practiced walking normally as directed by my podiatrist. and well, it's been about 6 months and I'm still not "normal." I feel like I made the wrong decision to get surgery and wasted tons of money because my foot actually hurts worse and more often now. Am I freaking out for no reason? I don't know what is considered a normal amount of pain for this recovery. I've been easing into lunges (which hurt THE WORST on my foot) and I'm thinking maybe I'll try some easy half mile or one mile runs once a week to ease into using my foot differently. Maybe the scar tissue just grew around my foot and made things harder? I don't know. Should I go back to my doctor? Should I find a different podiatrist to talk to? I am so frustrated! TURMOIL TURMOIL ANGST ANGST. /end rant. I'm looking forward to creeping on all your boards soon to see what you're all up to!

Part of the slump could have been due to a phone call my OB on Wednesday saying they can't rule out PCOS yet. It wasn't a diagnosis. I still have one more blood test to do next week before they can confirm anything. But I'm feeling pretty positive that's why we haven't been able to get pregnant. The symptoms line up. I think my coping mechanism was numbing myself and not letting myself really think about it. Which might describe the crazy behavior for the past few days... Thursday 04 August 2016 Was still in a funk. In fact, when I was cooling down from my workout, I came -this close- to bursting into tears because although sometimes I love weight training and lifting heavy things and feeling powerful...most of the time I really just want a good run. And I still can't run, due to my foot still hurting like crazy. I've been really frustrated with that. But victory of the day was we had another office birthday and I popped in some gum and brought my water bottle and didn't have any pie at all. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Nerd fitness workout (3 points) Fitness: 3 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Friday 05 August 2016 Don't remember much from this day except really not wanting to be at work or anywhere except sitting at home and watching TV. Oh, and we finished Stranger Things on Netflix. SOOO GOOD. It tickled my X-Files love well. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Saturday 06 August 2016 Today was the deflation day. I didn't do anything at all. Watched a lot of Netflix, ate zero vegetables, lots of junk. It was pretty pathetic. Didn't do my workout. Didn't do anything at all, actually. Sunday 07 August 2016 This was the day I lost it. I had spent the past several days either being busy as a bee at work or watching Netflix and numbing my brain to avoid thinking about any issues. Not PCOS, not about my family's issues, not about anything. And when I got to church, when I was waiting in the chapel, it was the first time I had to myself. It was quiet, and I was reflecting on things, no one was sitting by me (husband was seated on the stand). I was feeling pretty weak and useless. Then my neighbors came in with their adorable 9 month old twins, who I love and adore and babysit on a pretty regular basis. They're our friends. And I saw the baby girl twin, with her gorgeous eyelashes, and curious eyes looking around. And how she loved on her mother and clung to her and how deeply I felt that it was my fault we didn't yet have a baby of our own. Because of my shortcomings, I gained weight and now have PCOS and screwed up my body with poor choices. I left the chapel shortly after the service started, and could not get myself to stop crying in the bathroom. I went home, cried more, and did some exercises from my therapist. It took me a couple hours to get out of it. But once I did, I felt 100% better. I think I got to a place of acceptance. Hopefully I got it out of my system and it won't start again after I get an official diagnosis. Now I just need to take larger strides to do better. Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Monday 08 August 2016 Yesterday was better. I finally bought myself the bluetooth ear buds. They were the least expensive kind, but hopefully they will help motivate me to workout better. I workout better with music. Or maybe it just goes by faster. At any rate, it should make exercising a bit better, since I still can't run. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Nerd fitness workout (3 points) Fitness: 3 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points

Yo @Dukati! How are you doing? Have you found your accountability partners helpful? thinking of you and wishing you all the best.

Sorry you had a bad day last Thursday and maybe a tough weekend with your parents in town? Hope this week has gone better!

On the subject of tea, as someone who only drinks herbal tea, I rather like rooibos tea, if you haven't tried that before. Vanilla rooibos is my go to. There's also a chai rooibos, but don't drink it thinking it'll taste like chai tea and you might enjoy it. I also like peppermint sometimes. That's really nice of you to cut out caffeine while your wife is getting fertility treatments. that's a fabulous motivator. I second @Guzzi with the water bottle! I keep one at my desk and it's become a habit to swig some H2O everytime I sit down (I alternate between lab and desk work, so I go back and forth quite a bit during the day).

Tuesday 2 August 2016 I was really tired Tuesday. I might be getting burned out from having stuff to do every night for the past couple of weeks. Hopefully on Saturday I can be a hermit and recharge... Worked out at lunch, and it sucked big time. One of those days where you're a wimp and just want a nap but you're gonna finish this stupid rep, blast it all. I made a yummy dinner using chicken tenders and veggies. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Nerd fitness workout (3 points) Fitness: 3 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points Wednesday 3 August 2016 Even more exhausted than Tuesday, felt a little sick. Was really relieved when our evening plans were cancelled. I didn't eat super well, but I didn't eat sweets at work, which is the challenge thing so that's good. Still got veggies and protein smoothie in. Not all around terrible, I guess. Just really blah. Just wanted to stay home and watch Gilmore Girls forever more. No sweets at work (1 point) No second helpings (1 point) Diet: 2 points Write down mantras (1 point) 15 minutes scripture study (1 point) Life: 2 points ^^^ definitely channeling this guy lately. -continues to begrudgingly eat lettuce-

@Myrdinn I just picked up First Bite from the library! I'll start reading it in the next couple of days. Thanks for the recommendation. Also, I read this article the other day about how changing your wardrobe can help you cope with how you look. I thought it had a lot of merit. And as someone who had an anxious panic attack shortly before reading this regarding buying new pants for work since my old ones didn't fit, it helped me see things differently. To show myself more patience and more grace on this journey, even though I feel like I'm making zero progress.