GardenGeek

This morning I actually got up to work out, and you know what? I had an epiphany. This workout sucks. I hate it. No wonder it takes monumental effort to do it. I know it's good for me, but how good is it, really, if I hate it so much I can't bring myself to do it? I know lots of people like it but I just don't. I hate it so much. I need to find something I like. I have been working on reading No Sweat in the evenings, and it's all about making exercise a habit, and so far this concept has been a theme. Exercise should be something you want to do, that's the only thing that keeps most people exercising. In order to want to do an exercise, you should probably pick something you enjoy. So with that in mind, I'm changing my plans for my challenge. I'm going to work on intro to Irish Step Dance videos in the mornings. It's something I've always wanted to learn how to do and I'm going to do it. I also want to get some off the counter push-ups in during the day, so whenever I microwave something I'll do push-ups on my kitchen island. Multi tasking. I hate push-ups too but they're a little easier off the counter and it shouldn't cut into my day. I need the upper body strength too. I'll look for other ways to multi task in a few more activities too, like I'm planning on making a balance board standing desk for my computer. Also, on Saturday I drank like six beers, which used to be no thing for me but anymore whenever I drink I get the worst hangovers. I don't drink often, but when I do I apparently do way too much. It didn't used to feel like too much but it does now. I need to cut back on drinks. I need to have a two beer limit or something. At least pace myself with a glass of water between each beer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's good to know. I'll stop self editing then. Ha ha! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am going to find out, and when I do, I will let you guys know pronto! There isn't much hot chocolate season left, though, so I don't know what else I will need them for. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just checking in for a minute to say that yesterday and today weren't as good on my challenge goals as I would have liked, but I was pretty productive with other things so I'll take it. I also found a website that sells low carb stuff I didn't even know existed. Did you know they make low carb marshmallows? I ordered some low carb sourdough bread! We'll see how it is, this site might make it easier to stick to my dietary goals. Still have not got a call back from my doctor to discuss test results. I have called her 3 times now. Next time I'll just make an appointment. She can't avoid me or forget me or whatever then. My kitten is doing a lot better today. She still can't feed herself but she can close her mouth again and tonight she even licked her paw a tiny bit. I should go to sleep, I have acupuncture in the morning. Here's a pic of me and my kitten! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here is a picture of my poor kitten's doofy, electrocuted face And now I know if I want to post pics with my update, to do it from Tapatalk instead of safari. He he he ... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yesterday started out good. I got a two mile walk in during my class. It was all downhill from there. I didn't get my workout in before class, because I had to clean up my living room again and when it was done, guess how much time was left? Not enough. Figured I'd do it after class again, but of course when I got home there was an emergency and that ended up taking up all of my day. Long story short, my kitten chewed on an electrical cord and now has severe electrical burns in her mouth. She needs to be fed by syringe and given medication three times a day now, which is another thing I have to add to my already packed schedule. Which I'' just now realizing might majorly F things up for me today. Agh! Anyhow, besides the walk nothing got done yesterday. And I mean nothing. No dishes, no cooking meals, no homework, no answering emails. And I had to cancel both my kids' parent teacher conferences! My schedule is so packed tight, when an emergency happens it really f's up a lot of sh*t. (Side note, what's the swearing policy here?) I did get to math class and a school board meeting in which I was horrified to learn of the state of our budgets. Today i I have an a** ton of homework to do and a therapist appointment and I was supposed to go down to the Capitol at 2 to testify against a senate bill but I'm not sure how that will work with the kitten med schedule. I really want to testify for this, though, it's super important. I'm probably going to go to it. Damn my dedication to civic engagement! Can my walk from the parking garage count as my walk for today?

Or maybe you are an obliger ... So there's this book by Gretchen Rubin called Better Than Before, all about Habit formation (which I highly recommend, btw, I feel like I've been plugging it in every board, lol), and she has developed this system of four tendencies people tend to fit into when it comes to meeting goals and tasks. Obligers are people who have an easier time accomplishing things when they have an outside person/thing to be accountable to. So maybe you can be a rockstar at work because you know other people are counting on you, but you find it easier to blow yourself off. Just a thought. ;-)

Oh my gosh! You really picked the Austin Powers dance? Cool! It's awesome you found an instructional video too! I wish I could see you do it! :-)

This is my life right now. I can totally relate! Trying to get get caught up, I've been busier than all get out this week. I too am trying to cram too much into too little space. With emergencies on top of it all, ugh. I look forward to hearing about your journey because it will hopefully give me pointers on my own.

My son did that. He wasn't even eating. And I cried too. It wasn't even my tooth.

Yesterday was a pretty good day! And I know it's only 4:30 in the morning but I have high hopes for today as well. I fell asleep around 7 last night and I feel great this morning! I have also decided to keep my ADHD medication next to my bed so I can take it first thing upon waking up in the morning. Hopefully being caught up on sleep and taking that first thing will help me to work out. Yesterday I was super high on carbs with about 130 net carbs, but I did get a walk in and investigated lots of cool neighborhood trees. Today I have a quiz in my tree class which usually means about a mile of walking so I'll probably count that as my walk. I better do some studying real quick because all these Acers are going to be hard to tell apart!

Okay, day one. I should preface this by saying I'm exhausted from my weekend, which was no weekend at all. I spent all day Saturday at various appointments and events, then all day Sunday at a board meeting for the environmental org I work for. So I'm still trying to catch up on sleep. All of this is to say that I didn't work out this morning, I told myself I would after my first class. But when I got home I realized I'd have to pick my living room up a bit to have room to do it, and when that was done it was pretty much time to go pick my youngest up from preschool. And then I needed to take my son to the eye doctors. Then it was time for math class. Then I was supposed to go speak at a fundraiser event but my car broke down in the middle of the road and I had to call my husband to get me. Time management is a problem for me, obviously. I am working on it, I swear. I think I just need to be firm on working out first thing in the morning. I also didn't get a walk in, if you noticed. I swear I will tomorrow. I'm so sleepy. In other news, my doc called me. I missed the call but her voicemail said everything was pretty normal, she listed all my results except my blood sugar, then said to call her back to discuss where we could go from here. I called back but had to leave a message, of course. It's disappointing we can't figure out what the issue is. Maybe the problem is my husband? So I guess I'll go ahead as do my dietary goals, which is to keep my net carbs under 100 (with under 60 being an A+ type situation), except sundays, when I will let myself have a high carb dinner. Today I only ate 77 total carbs, and 40 net carbs. I feel okay, but I suspect that will be hard to do two days in a row. We'll see! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, I was just being silly! It was fun to learn though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh no, this is my fourth or fifth, I can't remember. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Suggested dance: the opening dance from Austin Powers. My friend and I mastered that in high school in a few hours just by watching that scene over and over again. Or maybe you'll want to learn a cool dance. Lol. I'm eager to watch your progress! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Adding a bit of a schedule to my life has really helped me, even though I'm not great at it and have generally hated the idea most of my life. I have ADHD (diagnosed and medicated), so it's a tool I've come to find handy. Still, I'd be miserable if my schedule were too rigid so I try to keep a flexible schedule. Sometimes I even schedule what I call "Flex Time" so I can move things around and feel like I have more freedom. Mostly I find little schedules useful, like "This is the order in which I will tackle my homework". On another note, that eggplant is awesome. I love silly plants. See below a picture of an erotic carrot that came out of my mom's garden. Also, tell me more about this language app you all spoke of.

I think SAD would be a real problem for me if I lived somewhere with prolonged dreary weather periods, so I hear you! I hope your activities help you overcome! I find getting outside a little helps me most of the time, but I still avoid crummy weather. Good luck!

This might be my theme music for this challenge, because you are the second person I'm recommending this to, but you should check out the book Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, it's about habit formation and it's pretty good. Also The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (I think that was his name) had some really great ideas.

Oh, the loss of a pet is so hard! I'm so sorry! It looks like you are treating yourself pretty well in light of all of that. Hugs!

Oooh! Will you share some of your drawings?

Next week's forecast gives me no excuse for not walking! I need to identify trees for my plant ID course too so I should be doubly motivated!

So early on in the last challenge I got sick, which apparently developed into bronchitis. This pretty much stopped most of my goals for my challenge, but I'm on the mend now (day three of anti biotic and almost out of codeine cough syrup), so I think I'll be ready to try again for this challenge. Goals: - Beginner Body Weight Workout, 1 rep, 3x a week - Walk every nice weather day - Try Irish dance videos 1-2 times a week - Roller skate every Sunday evening All of this is okay to skip if an important activist event comes up, because there are no bubble bath breaks on the battlefield and I am currently at war. Okay. i may add dietary goals to this depending on the results of some blood work I had done last week, which my OBGYN said would be back Monday or Yesterday ... frustratedly waiting .... Level up my life goals: - get my irrigation projects started (for school) - Volunteer to be a PCP in my presinct - Hug my kids every day - Pet my cats every day - Have sex with my husband when I feel like it. Not on a schedule based on my BBT and cervical mucous viscosity. That shit takes the fun right out of sex. Plus if I get pregnant this month or next I get a holiday season baby. I already have one of those and that's enough. It's not like I'm trying to prevent pregnancy right now, but I'm not going out of my way to cause it either. Yes, that's more level up your life goals than are required, but some of them are super easy and pretty much guaranteed successes. Also I want to remember to update more. I think that's it for today. I have an early morning conference and I really should get to sleep. Shouldn't this codeine cough syrup make me sleepy? What the hell?

Oh my god, I can so relate to this! I hate schedules! So much so that I never had a scheduled nap time for my kids, or times my family eats, nothing. I'm working on that stuff too. You know what helped me? I read this book called Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I'm not a schedule or habit pro now, or anything, I still have a loooong way to go, but she has a lot of really great ideas in there to help you form habits and understand your relationship to habits. She has this four tendencies model, and when I first read it I was like "None of these describe me, this is BS" but I just reread it last month and really thought hard, and it turns out I'm a rebel. At least I am mostly a rebel. Which is a crappy thing to admit about myself but it gives me a starting place to improve my tendencies. Anyhow, I think you'd probably enjoy the book. I'm in a book club / support group based on that book on Facebook and it's awesome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, turns out I have bronchitis, so that explains why I feel so shitty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay, I haven't been so great about updates, but here's the deal. I have not really been working out. I am still super sinusy and have a terrible cough, and I'm so exhausted in the mornings, I'm just not. I did, however, go to the GYN today and they ran some tests reguarding my inability to get pregnant. We did an ultrasound on my ovaries and it looks like I have some cysts that might be in line with PCOS. There is also no indication that I'm anywhere near ovulating, which means either I've already done it (which doesn't look likely given my BBT readings and OPK tests) or I'm just not going to ovulate this cycle. Maybe I haven't been ovulating at all. They ran a blood sugar test for insulin resistance, which I thought was done as part of my regular blood work. Apparently not. You'd think doctors would routinely check fat people for that since the common assumption is always fat=diabetes=death, but I guess not. If PCOS is the problem and my blood sugar is not great, Metformin will be my first option. If my blood sugar is fine, clomid is my first step. She also suggested seeing a fertility specialist. In other news, i'm going roller skating on Sunday.