KimBrulee

Another angle: Is it imperative that the swim happen in the morning every time? I love all the ideas that @Chris-Tien provides, and I get the benefit of working out early. (I've heard people say that you get it 'out of the way', or that you rev your metabolism, etc) I also think that bodies have preferences. (Example: When I ran/played sports in my youth, I got my best workouts when I was fully awake and moving. Also: I have always done better when I skip breakfast, although everyone says not to do it) So I guess I'm saying that there may be a time of day when swimming would be easier to face or even a pleasure.

Hi! Thanks for asking! I'm not doing great about posting progress, but I'd give the progress itself a B or a B-. The IF is going well, the cardio is an A-, but I continue to disappoint myself re: strength. I'm doing everything at home: bodyweight/youtube videos. So for the last ten days, I'll try to pick that part up. And post.

Found you, and read this (v, entertaining!) thread ~ Also: I think I have those shoes, I'll verify when I get home.

I found you! Great challenge, and great start!! I use Youtube videos, too. It's amazing to me that these fitness pros post this stuff.

Stats from 3/6: Average day: 1) IF - yes. Ate a very high calorie late night snack (peanut butter and dates) becasue today is a fast day... 2) 20 min of strength: Squat video and arm video 3) 7 mi on recumbent bike Goal today: 1) Fast ( not a water fast, really will be about 500 cal or so) 2) Do some weight stuff at my work; if not, before bed. 3) Walk at my lunch hour

Thanks for this encouragement, Dark Lady!! And I like that perspective (learning is valuable) Are you doing a challenge this time? I will find it/follow it!

Stats from yesterday: 1) IF - yes 2) 40 minutes of strength!!! YESS Did videos for arms, abs, and squats. 3) Cardio - 10.5 miles on indoor bike (then danced a ton at night, I think it should count, ha) ok that little bit of body-weight/home workout made me SO SORE. I guess I don't like strength workouts because I am lazy? haha I love it - I know that sore will mean a difference, and I don't like my body right now. Today will be a late workout day, because I'm busy all day with family.

Hi Innovator! I will look into Whole-30 (and everything I do is more -ish than 'strict adherence') Really anything flies with IF bc it's just restricting eating to a window of time. So thanks for that! I like your profile - I like the 'never give up' attitude.

Life has just simplified, and I'm going to re-do challenge 2. ((I got very sick last week, had to go off my medicine as a result, and my kid has made his big move!)) While my challenges haven't been fully successful, I've met some really encouraging people here, and learned, and I like this place. Reflection: The last 2 challenges have me in the 'habit' of not buying food out, so I am dropping that goal. I have only done it a few times in social situations. If i start to slip, I'll bring it back.The clutter goal is coming off because I have a huge project started of deep cleaning the house now that my kids/doggie have moved and it doesn't belong here anymoreFor some reason, I resist strength training. Everything I am reading says how important it is. I can't use arthritis as an excuse, because you can modify almost anything.Then, when I get any strength type exercise in, I drop the cardio. Like a game of whack-a-mole, I seem unable to keep multiple good things going at once.This challenge is going to be all diet/workout-centric: Local Goals: 1) Intermittent Fasting - I'm doing 16/8, and I want to add in 1 day of the low calorie fast. This day will be Mondays. 2) Strength Training - This will look like: Youtube video or bodyweight exercises. This will look very minimal or weak to some, I suppose, but I'm just trying to get a habit started. I hope I develop a taste for it. 3) Cardio - This will be anything I do that day, walks are included. Global Goal: Body weight/size suitable to me (there are certain clothes that fit when I feel this way, and things like being in a bathing suit in public don't make me want to crawl under a rock) Less fat, more muscle tone Arthritis pain/inflammation minimized (this is interesting - I feel better lighter, and supposedly IF reduces inflammation, we'll see)

Checking in: I got really sick. Respiratory infection, which is never good w the meds I am on. On antibiotics now, and getting better. Update: Still doing good with IF. The only bought-stuff I have had so far is coffee. Still doing terrible with Youtube videos/strength. Not really happening even every other day. New thing I learned that I want to share with @AwesomeSue : Turmeric/Ginger/Black Pepper/Stevia/ Warm Almond Milk. It's so good, it could almost count as a dessert.

@Awesomesue turned me on to ginger tea w/ turmeric! I also put stevia, and I drink it nearly every day!!

Weird question: Have you ever done the thing where you put butter from grass-fed cows in your coffee during the fasting part of IF?

Hey @Sue!!! This challenge is going like this: 1) This is good! I really need to branch out from soups though, haha. But I can't believe how obvious the solution to 'eating out all the time' is for me: Having convenient food available. And then the way to have convenient food available? Having what you need to prepare it. (Oh the difference this knife has made in my life! Seriously!) 2) This is the one where I am at 50%. I will need to think why I fail at this so hard. I'm doing less exercise generally, which I know is partly due to my schedule being so hectic this month. (Work FT, going to school at night, kid stuff, social stuff). I think I need to plan workouts better...schedule them. 3) I am loving IF. I don't have any data points (still not weighing), just how I feel. I feel less swollen/puffy, and I feel a little smaller. I am more alert at my job. My friends are asking if I gorge myself when it's time to eat. I did at first, but I don't anymore. I may eat more than a "dieter" should, but I eat til full. And it's not a binge. I don't feel out-of-control.

Hi Sue!!! Your food logs are fantastic. I'm amazed with the healthy food combined with so much exercise. It's cool that you use regular living (grocery shopping, getting to work) to get workout (backpack, bike for commute) Good idea to rest the foot IMO =)

"Fall seven times, stand up eight" (Japanese proverb) That's what this post reminds me of, you're standing!! This makes me think of something else, too, sort of an inverse example of that proverb. I've not yet said this to anyone, so I'm literally fleshing this out as I talk. I read an article about Suzy Hamilton many years ago (runner, completed for USA in the Olympics) I always remember this thing she said in that article: "There has never been a workout I couldn't complete." I used to play sports/run, and that quote used to PLAGUE me. I *did* have workout goals/time goals I failed to meet sometimes, and I'd always be upset when I had to cut a workout short, or if my goal wasn't met. When I got sick in 2004, I had to change my approach altogether, but I really did always remember that quote, and it always made me feel bad. Or worse - made me set lesser goals so that I'd be sure to meet them. Well, fast forward to this year. I happened to see her name in the news. She's had all kinds of personal problems, and I am older/smarter, and I can see that she likely has some sort of personality disorder (I'm not the only one saying this). It made me realize that her outrageous claim of workout perfection wasn't even real, probably. And it doesn't matter if it was true or not, it's not inspirational to me. Ideas like the proverb I opened with are more interesting/useful to me now. I also read your Woot post and I loved it! I heard the advice once to relive powerful moments from time to time. (We all have the tendency to do that naturally with shame moments; we have to MAKE OURSELVES do it with powerful moments) I read up on the IF. I am grateful that I learned about this - so thank you! I see that you may be changing up/augmenting IF, I'll stay tuned to that! I'm looking forward to your posts!!!