Kiki Dee

Oooooh I love my workout playlists. I like to come up with a new one each year. Though I'd quite happily keep listening to the same one for years on end... I seem to be alone in not liking the metal theme though. I'm not a rap fan, but Lose Yourself by Eminem is THE GREATEST track for a five minute sustained blast of cardio. Other features in my current playlist: Hazard to Myself by Illy Ubu by Methyl Ethyl Don't Stop Me Now by Queen Delilah by Florence and the Machine Only Human by Rag'n'Bone Man Shoot The Runner by Kasabian Supermassive Black Hole by Muse 19-20-20 by The Grates I Need A Hero by Bonnie Tyler Birds of Prey by Bertie Blackman And others. My taste is... eclectic I guess. But they all have a solid driving beat.

Yeah... considering how many years it's taken me to get here, I guess it symbolises quite a big thing. ❤️

I think I should share at least one photo of my sweet little Challenge Derailer. Here she is right now, being all sleepy and adorable.

Do the fillers etc "cook out" that way? I feel like I'd rather just not eat it if I had those concerns... I agree with you, grass fed is the way to go if you can source/afford it, for so many reasons!

Honestly it's mostly down to husband's unusually busy work week. I could get the big ticket stuff done if he were here to baby wrangle. And he's usually here all day Fri/Sat/Sun, just not this week. And yeah... she's sleeping on my lap right now, has been for the past 2 hours. I can smell her sweet milk-breath and she's just quietly breathing, occasionally doing that cute little sleeping dreaming baby-smile. Put her down for five minutes to go to the toilet and she screamed the whole time... back to sleep within 2 minutes back on me. She does at least sleep well in her own cot overnight. In more positive news, although I'm not back "at work" for another week, I happened to be the only specialist from our team who was in town this weekend. So I got to pop in this morning for a nice embryo transfer. And they've done up the front door, and my name is now on the door!!! Very exciting. (Sometimes it's the little things!)

Do... do people actually drain the meat??? That's a thing??? I can honestly say I've never drained the meat in my life. I did not realise there were people who did! ... Why would someone do that???

Ok, end of week 1, and... well, it has been a shocker!!! Poor choice I guess to start a challenge during a week in which Husband is on call. It kinda throws things out. Fitness Goals: 1. Strength training at least 2x/wk (preferably 3, but Life has a habit of getting in the way, and this isn't a short term habit we're looking at here - my activity has to fit within the demands of a two-doctor, three-child family.) - 2/2, pass 2. Some other movement-focused activity at least 1x/wk (eg BodyJam, Sh'Bam, Yoga, hiking). Can accept third strength workout in this category. - Nope. 3. Increase the difficulty of my strength workouts according to my longstanding self-imposed rules (All prescribed sets and reps completed in two consecutive workouts = mandatory increase in weight next time. Exceptions apply to activities which I know trigger my back, eg Pallof press, which past experience has taught me needs to go up very slowly!) - Pass, within the limits of injury. Kinda stoked that my dumbbell shoulder press is now up to 7kg; a month ago I struggled with 4. Nutritional Goals: 1. >= 3 alcohol-free days per week. - Nope. Only two. 2. Daily log of all food and caloric drinks consumed (Not going to log my coffee intake. It's embarrassingly high. I'm aware of this, and will reduce once the baby starts sleeping through!) - Criterion for success = 5/7 complete accurate days per week. - Pass Crafting Goals: 1. Finish my Rose Coloured Glasses socks. - Got some work done on them but have been diverted by the Love Is... MKAL 2. Block at least TWO of the three projects currently sitting at 99% in my Ravelry notebook, which are done and just awaiting blocking! - 0/2 3. One of these blocked projects must be my Annis, because I wish to wear it. - 0/1 4. Work on the "Love Is..." mystery knit along (once it is released) at least 3 times per week. Hopefully this will be in my nice pleasant 5.30-6am radio listening time. - Pass. I've put a lot of work into this, but am still behind the pace! Career Goals: 1. Spend at least one hour reading journal articles per week. Document what I've been reading, when and where in my Battle Log. I'm out of the habit and need to be back into it. - Nope. Forgot I was even going to do this... 2. Arrange time off work to attend at least one conference this year. Preferably two - one fertility, one general gynae. - 0/2, but this has to wait until I'm back at work in March Domestic Rangering Goals: 1. By the end of this challenge, COMPLETE CLEAN of Miss 8's bedroom, including a Wardrobe Purge - 0/1 2. By the end of this challenge, the Shelf Of Doom in my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. - 0/1 3. By the end of this challenge, the floor of my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. - 0/1 4. I will count the challenge as nominally successful if two out of the above three are complete. Each of those tasks is actually pretty freaking huge, and I do have a very small human to look after. So what could account for such abject failure so early in the challenge? Well, Miss Nearly-Six-Months has decided this week that she will ONLY nap while she is physically lying on my lap. And when awake, she will cry if she does not have Mummy's full attention!!! It's absolutely crippling my ability to do just about anything, and playing havoc with my frustration levels too of course. She's also decided she no longer likes the baby carrier. Add in a hefty dose of Mummy Guilt that I"m going back to work and leaving her in a week... Yeah. Lots and lots of time on the couch. Cuddling my baby. Guess what I'm doing right now??? 🙄

I have gotten seriously behind here. Been too busy keeping the domestic side afloat and not logging here! I have at least logged within Foodility most of the week. Righto, Wednesday. Breakfast: nectarine with vanilla yoghurt Lunch: Reheated mushroom risotto Dinner: Veggie burger with asparagus, broccoli, tomato/basil salsa (from the garden which is finally producing!), carrot Snacks: Lindt balls x3 (dark chocolate). 1 handful macadamias. And a couple of cheeky cherry tomatoes while I harvested for dinner. Alcohol: None. Exercise: Strength workout. Warmup: 5 minutes elliptical Cat-cows x12 followed by 6 neck flexion/extensions Hip extension stretches x9 each side Sumo squats with resistance band x 16 Glute bridges with resistance band around legs x 16 (purple band. Increase to green next.) Cable squats with straight arm press - 2 x 16, weight 3 as I was cosseting that sore arm. And it does still need cosseting, but at least I'm squatting and it's moving. Rotational lunges with cable pull - 2 x 9L/9R, weight 5. Hold stable. Stationary lunge with dumbbell shoulder press - 2 x 12L+12R. Weight 7kg. And I have finally found my tap-out weight for this exercise. Did 12L+12R first set, 8+4R/10+2L second set. Dumbbell chest flys on fitball - 2 x 16, weight 5kg. 10+6 then 16; hold stable. (After a form check with PT on Sat I learned I've not been putting enough of myself on the fit ball. Am now resting a bit more on the ball and it's definitely more stable.) Stepout dumbbell "row" - programmed 2 x 16 with 3kg, did 12+4 then 11+5. Another one I won't be upping for a while. Standing balance extensions - straight, external rotation and internal rotation. 4+4+4 each side, 2 sets. Still seeing improvements. Still can't string them all together! Pallof press on cable machine - 2 x 12+12, setting 3. Only did one set due to rising nausea. Plan a quarter-increase next time. All fours, opposite arm-leg raises, 2 x 12+12. Only did 6+6 with a lateral excursion, and was too exhausted to do another set. Cable rows on one knee, 2 x 12R+12L (6 at pace, 6 at increased time under tension for 3-count each direction), machine setting 8. Kept at 8 as this also irritates that sore spot on my right arm (which I think is my deltoid insertion). 12+12 first set, then 12+1 and just couldn't do anything further. I tried. Nope. So although I didn't do everything on the program, I genuinely could not squeeze out another rep and I felt like jelly walking out. So, y'know, job done. Thursday: Blergh. 5yo pulled a sickie which threw plans into disarray. Breakfast = scrambled eggs Lunch = took my mother out for her birthday. Had a cauliflower risotto and a glass of white wine. Dinner = Palak paneer after daughter's swimming lesson. Snacks = 3 x dark chocolate Lindt balls Alcohol= 1 glass wine at lunch and 2 with dinner Exercise = none. Wanted to do a BodyJam class and was all set but husband was on call this week and had a spinal cord compression to sort out. It happens. Not his fault, but kinda sucked because I missed Monday for my reasons and then Thursday for external reasons. Hence, I had wine instead. Friday: A better day. Husband was home for the afternoon (Friday usually his day off but he's on call so was in all morning). Breakfast: reheated mushroom risotto Lunch: Tofu and vegetables with rice noodles and soy sauce Dinner: Out as always. Grilled barramundi on salad with potatoes and basil pesto. Half a dozen oysters. Snacks: 3 x Lindt balls. Handful of macadamias. 2 jelly lollies which the children insisted I share with them. They're very sweet. ❤️ Alcohol: 2 glasses white wine at dinner Saturday: Again, husband in doing ward round half the day. But I got down to the gym in the afternoon. Breakfast: scrambled eggs Lunch: Grill'd Garden Beyond Burger with GF bun, kids' chips Dinner: GF vegetarian pizza (it's been a takeaway heavy week!) Snacks: Peppermint Magnum Alcohol: 2 glasses champagne with dinner Exercise: Strength workout Warmup: 5 minutes elliptical Cat-cows x12 followed by 6 neck flexion/extensions Hip extension stretches x9 each side Sumo squats with resistance band x 16 Glute bridges with resistance band around legs x 16 (green band) Cable squats with straight arm press - 2 x 16, weight 3. Arm is getting less painful but I am taking no chances. Rotational lunges with cable pull - 2 x 9L/9R, weight 5. Will increase next time but only to 5+ (quarter increase). Stationary lunge with dumbbell shoulder press - 2 x 12L+12R. Weight 7kg. Did 'em all. Go me!! Let's see if I can do it again on Monday... (I did need to take a break between R and L sides during second set because I was having palpitations and my watch said my HR was 184. I let it come down <150 before restarting.) Dumbbell chest flys on fitball - 2 x 16, weight 5kg. Did em all with that improved positioning! Again, let's see if I can do it again on Monday. Standing balance extensions - straight, external rotation and internal rotation. 4+4+4 each side, 2 sets. Still can't link them all. Pallof press on cable machine - 2 x 12+12, setting 3+. That quarter increase is really noticeable. All fours, opposite arm-leg raises, 2 x 12+12. All done, with lateral excursion, and a few muttered curse-words. Cable rows on one knee, 2 x 12R+12L (6 at pace, 6 at increased time under tension for 3-count each direction), machine setting 8. All completed, can't increase it until the arm is better though. Dicky arm aside, this was a really good workout. My final set of arm-leg raises, I got down on all fours and literally laughed, as I had no idea how I was going to make my limbs move! I love that feeling when you're stretching, and you think "yup, I could not have done *any* more even if I wanted to". I really do love my current program, though it takes me about 75 minutes to get through. But it's literally my only child-free time atm, so.... Challenge-wise, this week is a fail. Too much alcohol, not enough exercise. Haven't completed any of my big-ticket items. But hey, weeks with one of us on call are always messier. Sick child, birthday, still recovering from injury... And I can shoot for "Most Improved"!

Sigh. Still tired. Still sore. Less headaches this week though. Less sugar. Figured that was the connection, looks like I'm right. Tuesday: Breakfast: reheated eggplant schnitzel with mayo Lunch: reheated Mexican hotpot with avocado and sour cream Dinner: mushroom risotto Snacks: 2 cherries, 1 nectarine. Alcohol: 2 glasses white wine. (It's in the risotto, else I wouldn't have opened it...) Tomorrow = mandated strength workout (unless husband has a work emergency and can't get home in time). Suspect I'll be tailoring it around this bloody arm.

Blergh. Tracking has been a bit off since Wednesday! Ah well. Challenge began yesterday yeah? I did work out on Saturday (strength session with PT). My arm is still not better. This is causing me problems. I also went to BodyJam on Thursday, which didn't set anything off but also had a different instructor who was less inspiring than the usual guy. Still, movement - tick. Sunday: Breakfast: Shakshuka Lunch: Zambrero vegetarian nacho bowl Dinner: Mexican bean hotpot with avocado and sour cream Snacks: 1 piece orange and almond cake (Mr 5's second birthday cake, for his party on Saturday) Alcohol: 1 G&T, 2 glasses white wine Other Achievements: Completed Clue 1 of my "Love Is..." shawl. Next clue released Monday night (ie could start knitting it Tuesday). Monday (today): Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sautéed spinach and garlic Lunch: Reheated vegetable Penang curry Dinner: Eggplant schnitzel with steamed broccoli, raw carrot, tomato/onion (Not sure how to describe this but it's basically diced tomato and diced onion with finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and grated chilli, all done in the microwave for about 6 minutes. It's really yummy, I do this a lot as one of the veggies with a protein dinner). Snacks: 3 cherries. 1 piece orange and almond cake. 1 handful macadamias. 1 small packet popcorn (bloody party leftovers). I shouldn't have had the cake or the popcorn, I was already feeling a bit off but somehow thought eating might make me feel better? I was very wrong and should have paid closer attention to my body's signals, but the baby was clingy and not napping and I couldn't get anything done all day as the second I put her down she'd start crying and I was just completely over it. Husband didn't get home until after 7pm, he's on call this week. So I think I interpreted frustration, and possibly thirst, as hunger. It was not. I feel really overfed now. Tonight was a scheduled workout. My arm is still sore (pain/injury sore, not just aching sore), and I'm utterly drained from parenting today, and the gym closes in an hour, and so I have decided not to go. It's the first workout all year I've missed. But given what happened last Monday when I went down against my better judgement, I'm going with it. Hopefully by Wednesday, my arm will be feeling better. (I keep hurting it every time I sit up to feed the baby overnight... might be why it's slow to improve) If not, I'll just have to go down anyway and modify what I do. Annoying. At least now I've fed the last of the cake to the children for dessert. And Miss 8 actually ate everything on her plate. (She got chicken schnitzel rather than eggplant. The kids and husband are still eating meat.). But she even ate her broccoli without complaining. So that's a win.

Depends how well the men have been pureed.

You never know - you might be the outlier who keeps the good habits!!! I still believe that setting them up with a good foundation and normalising good nutrition at the family table will win out in the end. We talk frankly about protein, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, and vitamins, and the importance of balancing them, and that every food has its' place etc etc. No demonising, no "clean eating" neuroticism, but loving our bodies by nourishing them so we can do cool things. Our trigger for Miss 8's pickiness was when she started school and started comparing with her friends (before that, daycare provided really well balanced meals so everyone got the same). And then of course her little brother took his lead from her. I reckon they'll come good eventually.

Ok I'm salivating just reading that. Yum!!! We're in the introducing-solids phase with our Littlest Miss too. For Child #1 we had to start at 4mo (as per her paediatrician, we had feeding issues and were doing the mixed-feeding thing like you), we did lots of lovingly prepared single-ingredient purees and mostly spoon feeding. She learned to eat a diverse range of foods including broccoli, olives and capsicum. We patted ourselves on the back. Around age 5, she decided she didn't like those things any more, and we estimate she is now (age 8 ) approximately 10% chicken nugget. (Which she's only allowed once a week, btw. But she often just won't eat what's on the table... Seeing gradual improvement over the last three months or so.) Child #2 was a much better feeder so we were debating whether to start him at 4, 5 or 6 months. He solved that dilemma for us by stealing my food one day shy of 4mo. So we did baby led weaning with him. He learned to eat a diverse range of foods. We patted ourselves on the back. Around age 3, he decided he didn't like many of those things any more. Both children now whinge about any green vegetable other than peas or fresh-from-the-backyard beans, and any red vegetable other than tomato or raw carrot. He does at least still eat mushrooms with me. So child #3 (currently 5.5 months) has been given small tastes of whatever we're eating. Sometimes I blitz it for her. Last night we ended up with pizza, and she munged on the crusts. I think we're halfway between baby-led-weaning and the formal single-ingredient-puree intro we did the first time. I anticipate that she will learn to eat a diverse range of foods, we will pat ourselves on the back, and some time between 3yo and 5yo, she will rebel and want processed foods like the other two. I am so sick of our dinner table arguments. Trying to channel my inner Ellyn Satter but gosh it's hard for a type-A-perfectionist! Anyway, whatever you guys end up doing, KB Girl hit it on the head - Food's for fun until they're one! (But mine have all slept better at night after introducing a small solid evening meal...) Cool that you nailed your Zero Week. Yay, let the challenge begin!

I have access to NF Yoga, but yoga is something I just don't particularly enjoy. Time is my big limiting factor - with three children and a two-doctor household, scheduling is pretty tight so I'm focusing on activities I love. Lifting, dancing. The rest can wait. I promise my current regimen has *heaps* of core work! I don't get to sit/lie on a bench even once from start to finish!

Lol. Let's go with that. 😂 Nah, my plan is "get strong enough in the core that I can keep it engaged full-time". Done a lot of physio over the years (decades). It helps me get through acute flares but hasn't made a colossal difference to baseline function. Pole dancing has had the best effect long-term; it was all core strength. Can't find a class I can actually get to atm though, so lifting and BodyJam it is for now. I'm optimistic.

I am so glad I'm not the only one whose brain *immediately* went there. eta: Definitely *not* offended though! May have snorted my coffee...

OK lots to catch up on. Saturday's workout: Warmup: 5 minutes elliptical Cat-cows x12 followed by 6 neck flexion/extensions Hip extension stretches x9 each side Sumo squats with resistance band x 16 Glute bridges with resistance band around legs x 16 (used the purple band instead of the green one this time - much easier, clearly they're different resistances! They should put a sign up in the drawer or something!!!) Cable squats with straight arm press - 2 x 16, weight 4. Increase to 5 next time. Rotational lunges with cable pull - 2 x 9L/9R, weight 4. Increase to 5 next time. Stationary lunge with dumbbell shoulder press - 2 x 12L+12R. Weight 6kg. And I could actually do it. No trepidation needed. Go me. Dumbbell chest flys on fitball - 2 x 16, weight 5kg. 13+3 then 9+7; back and glutes were really struggling. Figured out I was using a smaller ball, and thus it was harder. I'm supposed to be on the larger ball, but there's only two there so I guess I'll use whatever's available. Won't be increasing weight here for quite some time. Stepout dumbbell "row" - programmed 2 x 16 with 3kg, did 16 then 13+3. Another one I won't be upping for a while. Standing balance extensions - straight, external rotation and internal rotation. 4+4+4 each side, 2 sets. Still seeing improvements. Pallof press on cable machine - 2 x 12+12, setting 3. Consider a quarter-increase next time. All fours, opposite arm-leg raises, 2 x 12+12. Cable rows on one knee, 2 x 12R+12L (6 at pace, 6 at increased time under tension for 3-count each direction), machine setting 8. Should increase this one according to my rules. Stretches. I'm not going to detail my food intake for Sat/Sun/Monday. It was Birthdaymageddon in our house; my daughter turned 8 on Sunday and my son turned 5 on Monday so we have been overloaded with cake, cake and more cake, lollies, chips, popcorn... you name it, I ate it on Sunday. :S Monday night was another scheduled workout. One of those days where I *really* did not want to go; I was tired, I had slept terribly the night before, my back was still a little sore from Saturday's effort, and I just wasn't feeling it. But I made myself go down. Got there and they were having an evacuation for a fire alarm. It was like God himself was saying "yeah, don't do this one". But I persisted!!! I waited until they got the all clear, I went in there, and I did my workout! Well. I tried to. I increased my weight on the first set (cable squats/straight arm press) as per plan. Right arm wasn't terribly happy about it, but I told myself I was being a wuss and pushed out the first set. Did the next exercise. Went back for my second set. Right arm literally could not move the cable. Nope, it was locked up good and screaming at me. I got through some of the other activities (I definitely did my squats - #neverskiplegday!) but a good half of the program was just completely unachievable. And I haven't been back down since! (It's now Thursday morning). That arm still doesn't feel quite ready to work hard again. We've had events on the past two nights (Tuesday night I was on a panel for a Medical Women's Society event, and last night we indulged in some truly beautiful live music in town) so I didn't intend to work out then anyway, and tonight's plan is the BodyJam class. So the big question is, as I have a scheduled PT session on Saturday, should I just leave it to heal until then? I'm thinking, since I'm exercising in some form tonight... yes. I know I've messed up by pushing the weight up too high too fast, and not listening to what my body was telling me on that first set, so might have to loosen my rules a little. I hate loosening my rules. #typeAperfectionist Anyway. Food log for Tues/Wed. Tuesday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs Lunch: Zambrero cauliflower bowl with beans/no rice Dinner: Quite late after getting home from MWS panel. Indian takeaway (thoughtfully purchased by husband who realised as the event I was attending was catered with pizza, I wouldn't be partaking, and ordered extra for me. ❤️ Palak paneer with rice.) Snacks: 1 piece of birthday cake. Alcohol: None. Wednesday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs Lunch: Sushi Dinner: Again very late after the show. Everything shut on the way home; got a large fries from McDonalds. Snacks: 2 pieces birthday cake. (WHY IS IT NOT GONE YET???). 2 handfuls of macadamias before going out. Alcohol: 3 glasses white wine while at venue. A really good sav blanc. Subjectively, I have been feeling like crap this week. I don't think I've slept enough, I've injured myself, I've got daily headaches (which I know damn well are from the sugar but I just can't stop myself eating it and it's my son's birthday cake and he'll be devastated if I chuck it in the bin), I have mouth ulcers... just BLEGH. Need a reset this weekend methinks. I do want to note that the music event is something we haven't done in a really, really long time. When we were young we used to love going out to small live gigs and seeing indie music acts. That fell away as work got crazy, we moved to a city with less of a live music scene, and then we had kids. This particular act I was put onto recently by a friend, who then couldn't attend the event herself in the end (because she lost her house in the bushfires and then her new temporary accommodation got flooded this week). But we turned up. Felt terribly out of place initially in an obviously hipster-cool venue, because we are decidedly Not Cool. We took our 5 month old, who promptly fell in love with the beautiful violinist. (It was mutual). And we had the best night out we've had in ages. Will definitely be going back on a semi-regular basis to explore more acts. (Preferably without Baby, once she weans in a month). It's all about figuring out how you really want your life to look, isn't it? I think last night was pretty significant from that PoV.

Any extended walking actually. Doesn't even have to be uneven. Too much time at a shopping centre will do it too! I have more luck with dance, aerobics, lifting etc where the physical movements are very controlled and my core is more consciously engaged for shorter bursts of activity. I'm good at keeping my transversus on when I'm concentrating, but if the movement itself isn't my primary focus (eg walking and looking at scenery or wrangling the kids)... it drifts.

I honestly have no idea. I am NOT a hiker, it's an aspirational thing. Hiking has always irritated my back (stress fractured at age 14, never recovered) and tends to have me laid up for days afterwards, so I don't do it. But my husband and kids like to "walk up a mountain" here and there, and I have in my head that if I get strong enough through the core, maybe I can start to join them. It's something I'd like to be able to do. I'm in Australia yes, Canberra in particular. We were smoke bound all summer so haven't been outdoors much in the last two months. But autumn can be a nice time to get out; much of our nearby national parks are burned so could be interesting to get out and see the regrowth in a month or so.

At the moment, a combination of Foodibility and my Battle Log. I'm less concerned about calories/serving sizes/macros atm and more concerned with having a record of what types of food I'm eating and whether it's balanced. Removing meat is pretty recent so I figure it's worth keeping an eye on.

Lol, that's right, I remember now... a whole lotta goals across a bunch of different domains is a very Ranger thing, isn't it??? 😂

Kiki Dee swans in, somewhat temporally and thematically out of place in her billowing silk kaftan and broad-brimmed sunhat. She graciously accepts the proffered G+T, removing her sunglasses to smile happily at her fellow Rangers. "Nice to see you all again. Let's get Challenged."

Hey guys! I think it's about 3 years since my last ill-fated attempt at a challenge. But I shall embrace the spirit of resurrection embodied by this 10 Year Anniversary Challenge. I've been back on the fitness train, and the NF forums, for about a month or so, and it's going pretty well so far. I'm doing the things I want to do, and seeing the changes I want to see. So, the challenge is mostly going to be maintaining that momentum as I return to work in a few weeks. Looking back over the past decade... I'm in a very very different place. 10 years ago I was 28 and in my second year of specialist training. I was quite miserable and some point in 2010 I had my first stint on antidepressants. I was dancing once a week but otherwise not getting a lot of exercise, being pretty much consumed with work - that year I was regularly doing 100hr+ fortnights, with a lot of 14-hr days and night shifts thrown into the mix. My diet was terrible, we ate truckloads of takeaway - our local Indian takeaway literally sent us a Christmas card!!! Every lunch was from the hospital caf. (And I'm sure you know how bad those places are!!!). Even my "healthy" meals were basically carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Toast or cereal for breakfast, pastas and curries etc for lunch and dinner. I was also a total computer game junkie. In the intervening 10 years, I have finished my training and am now a consultant gynaecologist in a great private practice. I have control (to some extent) over what work I do and when I do it. I have wonderful colleagues. Haven't needed antidepressants since I left the hospital. I got a Masters degree last year. I have three gorgeous children, who are 8 (as of yesterday), 5 (as of today), and 5 months old. With each pregnancy and birth, my physical condition has taken a massive battering. But I am done having babies now. I have a diagnosed gluten allergy (not actually Coeliac but the same antibodies, and my brother is Coeliac, so in that vein I guess) and so for 2 years now have followed a strictly gluten-free diet, which eliminates about 90% of takeaway options (and dramatically improves my bowel function!). And for planet reasons I have recently transitioned to a low-meat diet. (Currently pescatarian, with aspirations of progressing to vegetarian. No plans to go vegan, I'd find it really restrictive when combined with the gluten avoidance). My nutrition is really pretty good - protein at almost every meal, minimally processed, lowish carb, loads of vegetables, only 1-2 meals/week are not prepared by myself or my husband. We have chickens in the backyard for our eggs, and a vegetable garden (which has produced bugger-all this year due to the bushfire smoke). Coffee is now black. I find that I function better if I snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and that's generally fruit or nuts. My biggest dietary problem is alcohol; I never get drunk, but I do drink most days, and I'd prefer not to. I certainly don't intend to go teetotal, got enough of that during pregnancy! But I'd like a few more alcohol-free days each week. Despite my diet being pretty much what I'd want... I'm still fat. Because I haven't exercised in two years (basically since I started trying for this last baby). And for me, exercise is ALWAYS the linchpin for my physical and mental health. So my goals this challenge will be largely based around exercise. It's the big change I need to consolidate. I finish maternity leave and go back to work on March 2nd so it'll be a big challenge to keep that physical activity rolling. Nutritionally I just want to focus on logging my intake, and limiting alcohol. As for life in general... Honestly, in the last 12 months I have basically achieved everything that I had as a long-term career goal. I want to take some time to enjoy that. Building my practice will certainly be a new challenge, but not the sort that lends itself to SMART goals! Some Domestic Rangering, on the other hand, is certainly in order. There are some things I've been procrastinating on so I'd best pop them in here to make my lazy butt do them! Fitness Goals: 1. Strength training at least 2x/wk (preferably 3, but Life has a habit of getting in the way, and this isn't a short term habit we're looking at here - my activity has to fit within the demands of a two-doctor, three-child family.) 2. Some other movement-focused activity at least 1x/wk (eg BodyJam, Sh'Bam, Yoga, hiking). Can accept third strength workout in this category. 3. Increase the difficulty of my strength workouts according to my longstanding self-imposed rules (All prescribed sets and reps completed in two consecutive workouts = mandatory increase in weight next time. Exceptions apply to activities which I know trigger my back, eg Pallof press, which past experience has taught me needs to go up very slowly!) Nutritional Goals: 1. >= 3 alcohol-free days per week. 2. Daily log of all food and caloric drinks consumed (Not going to log my coffee intake. It's embarrassingly high. I'm aware of this, and will reduce once the baby starts sleeping through!) - Criterion for success = 5/7 complete accurate days per week. Crafting Goals: 1. Finish my Rose Coloured Glasses socks. 2. Block at least TWO of the three projects currently sitting at 99% in my Ravelry notebook, which are done and just awaiting blocking! 3. One of these blocked projects must be my Annis, because I wish to wear it. 4. Work on the "Love Is..." mystery knit along (once it is released) at least 3 times per week. Hopefully this will be in my nice pleasant 5.30-6am radio listening time. Career Goals: 1. Spend at least one hour reading journal articles per week. Document what I've been reading, when and where in my Battle Log. I'm out of the habit and need to be back into it. 2. Arrange time off work to attend at least one conference this year. Preferably two - one fertility, one general gynae. Domestic Rangering Goals: 1. By the end of this challenge, COMPLETE CLEAN of Miss 8's bedroom, including a Wardrobe Purge 2. By the end of this challenge, the Shelf Of Doom in my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. 3. By the end of this challenge, the floor of my wardrobe will have been cleared, cleaned, and reordered. Photos required. 4. I will count the challenge as nominally successful if two out of the above three are complete. Each of those tasks is actually pretty freaking huge, and I do have a very small human to look after. Sheesh. That is a lot of goals. But many of them are big-ticket one-shots so it's actually a manageable number of habit-building goals I think. Here's to gains that I can finally keep.

Friday. Designated day of rest. Breakfast: reheated mushroom risotto Morning tea: yoghurt with fruit Lunch: Grill'd Garden Beyond Burger, half-serve chips Dinner: Salmon with chips and veggies, hollandaise sauce. (The gluten-free options at the club are pretty limited. I actually think the only GF and vego option they have is a mushroom risotto. Alcohol: G+T in the afternoon. 2 glasses white wine with dinner. Small glass port at bedtime. Exercise: Pushed a pram halfway across the local tech campus to attend a Women in Climate and Health meeting. It was good. Inspired to get my activism on. Today has started off well; have already worked out and taken the kids to their swimming lesson. Haven't made it to food yet. Will get onto that once baby is napping.

Thursday. Breakfast: scrambled eggs Lunch: out with Mum, Shared a vegetarian pad Thai and prawn stirfry. Dinner: GF roast vegetable pasta. Snacks: Finished off the ash brie. Alcohol: One glass of white wine (the last of the bottle from Tuesday). Exercise: BodyJam class. So much fun! Despite not being sore from Wednesday night's strength workout, my legs definitely noticed every time I tried to get low! My back was pretty achey but not enough to stop me moving; took a dose of analgesics before the BodyJam class. Hopefully it's happier today.