KalistaFauner

MID WEEK ONE UPDATE So, I fell off the wagon in a big way just in the first few days. And after actually thinking, truly and harshly, about it... I realized the culprit. The Demon Drink. Sunday night I was at work at the theatre and, we're opening a new show. The first preview as cancelled so us bartenders spent our time coming up with the recipe for the show specific cocktails. I ended drinking more than my fair share of gin on a kind of empty stomach. Nothing bad happened, but I was unproductive when I got home, and just slept late into the afternoon then next day. I couldn't figure out why I felt so crappy, and then I realized... alcohol is a depressant, especially if overdone. I slept away the next day too because I made myself guilty about it. Gah! So, reset button. I learned (and understood) a valuable lesson about my body and alcohol, which honestly, is a great step forward. I just wasn't expecting this revelation. Kickboxing: I have not yet made it this week: but a kickboxing class is in the books for the next two days. I chose to cook dinner and prep some meals for the week and catch up on some other goals, and start to feel like I have a handle on this again, rather than go to class. I think it was a good decision. Back to the Arena tomorrow. To Mordor: Dec 4: 5.33 miles Dec 5: 3.45 miles Dec 6: 3.97 miles Dec 7: 5.54 miles Kalista has officially left Hobbiton. It is no longer in view. Water: I've come close, and drank more than 94 oz in the days preceding Dec 4, but in the last three days, I have not hit the 94 oz. Tonight, I am well on my way. Dec 4: 70 oz Dec 5: 70 oz Dec 6: 70 oz Dec 7: 70 oz @ 9:00 PM (So, I'm sure I'll make it today) The Snooze Monster: The Snooze monster has won over the last few days. No MORE!

I have not idea how to keep the snooze button thing at bay. I've never been able to beat this. I've been reading Level UP Your Life and so I'm thinking rewards. Haven't really figured it out yet. And I do have that water bottle with me all the time, sometimes at work I forget though. So, it'd be much better for me to just get in the habit of drinking more.

Hey! Great job so far! Keep it up!

Hey Butternut! Good luck! I hear you about using your body as a measurement. It's sometimes a difficult rewiring, but I think it's a worthwhile one. I'm partway there myself, but it's hard to stop the negative self-talk sometimes. Can't wait to see how you do! Please post a picture of your cute dress!!

Kalista Fauner has been awakened. She is on her way to fulfilling her purpose as the Masked Artsassin, but to start out, she decides to join the Rebel Force. Ease her way in, because she is notorious for taking on too many tasks at once, and over burdening herself. MIDWEEK 1: Update 4 Week Challenge FITNESS Attend 12 kickboxing classes in this time frame Getting to the Arena has been a constant struggle. Brain gremlins attack, or I make excuses. Not today Satan! The Arena Gurus are waiting to help me continue my training. ***If I succeed in this mission, I will LEVEL UP as a Kickboxer by the end of the challenge*** Walk one-third of the way to Rivendell (from Hobbiton) [Total: 153 mi] While one does not simply walk into Mordor, I think I'll try my hand at it. On the average, I walk about 5 miles a day, due to living in a city and my various jobs. But, there are days where I don't move at all. As it is winter season in New England, I will not start training for the 5K until spring. Until then, it's all about walking -- especially since the 4000 footers are happening this summer. Walking is a great way to prep my body both for the 5K and the hiking that I will begin when the weather warms up again. DIET Drink 94 OZ of water daily I've been attempting this for the last couple of weeks, and have felt great. This is the amount of water recommended to drink daily to help facilitate weight loss for my weight. So, I just want to continue this. Some days, I don't do as well, or I try to guzzle it all at night. Also, with the added exercise, I think this will be key to helping my muscles not get as sore, and to keeping myself hydrated. LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE DEFEAT THE SNOOZE MONSTER! Do not hit the snooze button. Getting out of bed in the morning has always been a struggle as I tend towards night owling, and always have. The Snooze Button is the favorite ally of the Brain Gremlins. I always think the Snooze Button is my friend, but she is not. She is a tease, really working for those Gremlins. Of all of the aspects of this 4-week challenge, this will be the true test. So... THE BATTLE PLAN FOR DEFEATING THE SNOOZE MONSTER WEEK 1 **Try to go to bed at a reasonable hour. **Don't set your alarm for some silly early hour, like 5:30. Give yourself enough time to sleep. **As soon as that alarm goes off, open the curtains! Let the sun shine in! **Wash your face and make coffee/tea WEEK 2 **Try to go to bed around the same time each night. **Try to wake up around the same time each morning, even if you don't have to. ***Reassess and regroup at Week 3***

Yay! I had to go through a few iterations of dailies and figure out what the most productive way to break down tasks for me was. Once I did that, it became very useful.

Done! Also, we need a great party name. Right now, it's just Rebels, cause when it was just me, I didn't care so much.

If you log on and want to party up, leave you user id here, or PM me!

I am currently in a party of one, and it's kinda sucky by yourself. The thing about Habitica is, you don't need to be on it all the time -- you just need to make sure you take care of your dailies, or else everyone in your party takes damage while you're on the quest. I'm currently on the Feral Dust Bunnies quest -- but will happily quest with you! Like I said, boring on my own. Which means, let's party up!

Hey all, I'm Kalista -- new to the site and the forums. My friend tinywonder volunteered at CNF this summer and her talking about the site and everything made me take a closer look. I've been hemming and hawing all over my own fitness journey for the last few years -- spurts and bursts and never actually making a commitment. I've been reading a lot of the blog post, and introductory emails from Steve. I'll be honest -- I haven't started quite yet. I'm not in horrible shape, but I'm not in the body I want - the body that I think I'll need -- scratch that -- know I need to pursue some long term goals of mine. So, I'm not just here for the fitness. I'm here to level up my life, so I can take on the challenges that are inevitable if I want to move forward in my career and my personal life. I've been doing a lot of reflection and thinking on my first 4-week challenge: I'll post it soon. I tend to bite off more than I can chew -- I try to change one hundred things instead of just one. So, I'm in the narrowing down process -- trying to discern what I need for these next four weeks. I have two concrete "longish" term fitness goals, so luckily I have that to anchor me. Just trying to weed through my monkey mind. I'm one of those people that always has one thousand balls up in the air, juggling, and praying they don't come smashing down on my head. Anyways, hello! I'm really excited about this community. You know, when I was in middle school, most of my social support came from online guilds and message boards -- I know it helps to have the physical support group too, which I do. I just find that I can be a bit more honest in a forum. Not just honest with other, but honest with myself. So, that's it. An introduction. Kinda. Agh. The perfectionist in me is having a really hard time. I know there is no "right" or "wrong" but man... it's hard to turn that off sometimes. I'm going to stop typing so I don't drive myself into a hole.

Hey lovely! Welcome from another newbie. Depression, or the brain gremlins, as I sometimes call them, sucks. It is a swamp, but one that you can get out of. Speaking from experience, it's sometimes really hard to motivate yourself to try and climb out. It seems easier to sit in the mud. I think dedicating yourself to your journey and your kids, and stating it, proves that you are not crappy and helpless. Good luck! Keep us posted.

My tactic has been posting in the introduction forum, as well as figuring out/reading the blog posts on 4 week challenges. I've looked through some of the past ones to get ideas. I think my next step will be joining the Dec 4-31 4-week challenge. You should do one for yourself too!

Every adventure starts with a step, right? Good for you for figuring out how to move at your own pace. I just joined the Rebellion too, after lurking around the site for a few weeks. Sometimes that first step is the hardest. Good luck!

Huzzah to all of it! Good for you! I feel like I have a similar backstory of being very active as a child, and then growing up happened and all of a sudden, activity became a chore. And also, congrats on your almost finished PhD! That's pretty awesome.

Hello Syrella! The nice thing about this "race" is that it's really only a competition for the first 20 or so finishers in each age/gender bracket. After that, it's just about the town tradition. So, I'm focusing on that right now. I like habitica. It took me a little while to figure out the best way to phrase my tasks and habits, but now that I've gotten it down, it's really been a tool to helping form some new habits. Like, brushing my teeth every night. When I start to feel like I don't want to, I remember that it's not just good to brush my teeth, but that if I don't, I'm going to take damage (literally, my avatar takes damage.) And if I do, I get experience and gold. I might find a new pet egg to hatch -- all the fun game stuff. Also, you can form parties on Habitica, and go on quests. In those quests, not completing daily tasks affects your whole party -- every one takes damage. So, it's a bit like accountabilibuddies. I haven't used that feature of Habitica yet. I have been in therapy for quite a while. I've actually made the choice to stop for a while, see how I do on my own. And honestly, i've been doing okay. It just really comes up around all the fitness stuff. Thanks for saying hi! Good luck with your own goals too!