miriad

I find that I have allowed myself to sip into old habits, which mainly allow myself to not do the things that I need to be doing in order to do the things I want to be doing but don't currently have much value. - Watching a lot of TV while reading on my phone, in the same room as my hubby and kid bit not necessarily interacting with them. - Letting chores pile up so that getting anything done ends up taking way more time than it should and I lose out on good togetherness time. - Flaking out at work to the point that I need to bring work home in order to keep up with my deadlines. This is all problematic. It also shows me how NOT epic my goals are, and why I sold myself short for the challenge. I gave myself what ultimately were pretty easy goals instead of aiming high for something that would take work and effort. And clearly, I wasn't insired enough to really keep up with this challenge. For example, in terms of the goals I set, here is where I stand: I walk for at least 15 minutes, between the parking garage and my building, which is a legit hike across downtown Detroit. The problem is that I'm not doing much more than what I normally do. Vegetables - Check Reduce Fast Food by 50% - actually, check Cleaning before bed- this is both true and also not that useful. I DO clean for 2 minutes but it always seems to be the same place- the kitchen. I have been focusing on how many steps i take in a day, suffering from my addiction to my FitBIt, and have actually met or exceeded my daily goal of 10K multiple times, which makes me think that given the right motivation, I could really go far with that. (ba dum bum cha) Ugh. I am so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open. Here's to tomorrow and better days all the way around.

01/06 Report: + Walked 9505 steps. Fell asleep with daughter and got to cuddle a bit. We have eaten at home, with home made meals, since Monday. - Missed breaking the 10k step mark because I fell asleep with my daughter. Did not clean up after dinner or in the kitchen at all after cooking because I fell asleep with my daughter. I'm having a hard time being too mad at myself for falling asleep with Abby. We co-sleep with her, so we were all in bed, snoozing away, and really, there is no bad there. BUT. I woke up this morning, and there were dirty plates out, the dirty pan from dinner, and I didn't have anything ready for the day. We ended up leaving really late, which was frustrating, Just FYI, we did not eat until almost 10pm, for a variety of reasons, so falling asleep at 11 is only a little bit after dinner happened- I explain because I realize that most people eat at a more reasonable hour, and if we had done that, there would have been ample time to clean up my mess between dinner and sleep. I think I need to make some adjustments to my goals for the challenge, if only because I think I am discovering things that are more important to me to tackle.

I realized that I didn't actually set any goals for the challenge. *facepalm* Here we go: Diet Eat a vegetable with one meal every dayReduce fast food consumption by 50% Fitness Walk every day for 15 minutes (or more) every day (I am participating in the Walk to Mordor challenge) Level Up Your Life Clean for 2 minutes each night before bed or first thing in the morning (when you're waiting for your coffee to brew, maybe?). Focus on one small area and keeping that one clean, and then once you're good at that one, start to expand it. I am also starting the Nerd Fitness Academy. I'm going to start out small with these goals, with the plan to base my goals for the next challenge on the Academy work I am doing. We shall see.

Jonesy, Thanks! Yes, I have spoken with my PT about it, and honestly, at this point, it is just pure fear that is keeping me on the couch. I know what I NEED to do in order to stay safe, and what I need to get healthy, and where those two things overlap, I just keep thinking about how terrible things were and chicken out. But that's why I am here. New year, new spine of steel (HAH).

I'd love to join you guys! https://www.fitbit.com/user/3YTDH2 I'm also in the Walk to Mordor group.

I'm with you, too! I need to stop fretting and just get moving.

Thanks, Kris1007! Wow-40.5?!?!?! Is this your first little? So exciting! To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out how to fit in working out with full time work and being a mama. I'm hoping we can help each other out.

I've participated in previous challenges, like, WAY back in the day, but have fallen off the wagon. I was training pretty seriously when I herniated a disc in my back, and after my recovery, I got pregnant (on purpose) with my daughter, which had the unintended consequence of messing up my back again. And I did so AGAIN after Little Bear was born. At this point, I am looking at 2.5 years since I did any serious fitness or health work, outside of aiming for a healthy pregnancy. I am terrified of messing up my back again, but I am scared that by NOT embracing fitness, I am gaining so much weight that I will cause myself back problems anyway. I want to run the Detroit Half Marathon. I want to run the Mackinac Bridge. I want to lift heavy. And I mean HEAVY. And I want to be safe while I do it.

Congrats on the mile! Woo hoo! I got into running using the Couch to 5K program and I loved it. I am a slow runner but I've gotten to the point where I can run for a long time, which I actually really love. There is something about how it feels after I get off the treadmill or get back from a run outside that just can't (at least for me) be beat. I hope that you fall in as much love with running as I have. You don't have to be fast and you don't have to run long distances, you just have to run to be a runner. You're doing great! I've played around with paleo and I actually really like it, although I don't eat strict paleo at this time. There are some great blogs out there that can help you, but I suggest picking up Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution. You can get it on kindle, which is how I bought it, and it's really great. He dives into the science behind it first, and then gets into the lifestyle later, just FYI. He has some recipes in the book, which is helpful as well. He has a podcast that's great, as well. Through him, I found the Everyday Paleo podcast with Sarah Fragoso who talks about eating paleo with young kids and a family, what are good choices, etc. She also has a cookbook out, also available on amazon.com. I understand your troubles with going to bed. I am always tired and yet when it's time to hit the hay, I can't seem to fall asleep, or I want to keep doing whatever it was that I was working on, and I end up in bed SUPER later. Ugh. I think I might have to start using the alarm idea mentioned above, so I can start MAKING myself go to bed and make it a habit. We'll see how that one goes. Heh. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words! Gym went pretty well, actually. Felt good to get back up there and DO something. My NaNo project is going well. I have to hit 50K words by tomorrow at 11:59pm, and I am just shy of needing 5K more to manage that. os, if I can get my rear in gear today and tomorrow afternoon/evening, I'll be all set. I'd LOVE to finish this puppy tonight. Granted, the story won't actually be DONE but I will have 50,000 words to edit and expand on, which is better than where I was on November 1. So, challenge wise, here we go: 11/27 - Ran 2 miles, did some leg, core, and back machines at the gym. Drank roughly 60oz. of water. Weighed in at 275.6. 11/28 - Did not work out. Made my water goal. \0/ I have a standing appointment with friends to go to the gym tonight, with a shared dinner together that will be healthy and super tasty. Woo!

jonowi, thanks for checking in with me! I have fallen a bit off the wagon- Thanksgiving was hard, both the preparing for it at work, and then the actual celebrating of it. I ended up with a serious migraine (2 day long) that totally killed a lot of my plans, post holiday. But enough with excuses! Here's what's been up with me, listing everything I did or did not do in order to be accountable. *sigh* 11/16- Did not work out 11/17- I hit the gym, ran for 15 minutes (1.1 miles) and did some heavy lifting with dumbbells. I think I actually overdid it a bit (I've been using machines that hadn't felt like they were doing much, so I decided to go back to the freeweights), because I had some serious soreness/pain in my chest and shoulders. I donated blood to the Red Cross post-workout, which meant that I would be down for the count for at least 24 hours. 11/18- Did not work out, but I did go to a NaNoWriMo write-in and made serious problem on my novel. 11/19- Did not work out- still INCREDIBLY sore. 11/20- Did not work out- still INCREDIBLY sore. 11/21- DId not work out but feeling better. 11/22- Thanksgiving- did not work out and apparently triggered a migraine with the food I ate. 11/23- MIGRAINE FROM HELL 11/24- Migraine rolled over through the morning. Ended up with a migraine hangover and felt like total crap. Write more of my NaNo novel and broke 40K. 11/25- Did not work out. Had serious trouble getting to sleep. 11/26- Did not work out. Was SUPER tired from trouble sleeping, bailed on gym. Tonight is our regular gym night with some friends of ours and I am prepared to go, no matter how tired I feel right now. I haven't been tracking my water intake as well as I had hoped, but I have been drinking a lot more than I had been previously. I will keep better track starting today. Forward, ho!

I've done challenges before. In fact, I had gotten pretty active in this community a while back and then backslid off this mountain like nobody's business. After a cross country move back to Michigan and realizing that in the process I had gained back all 35 lbs I had lost last year, I knew I needed to come back here and get my act together. My concern is the holiday season and making things even worse than they already are. Which sounds super negative, but I think I'm at the point where I am looking at my choices and trying to make better ones, so I'm already on the upswing, I just need to take action to cement myself on the right side of the diet/exercise spectrum. Starting Info: Age: 33 Height: 5'11" Weight: 277 lbs Goal 1: Get down to 165 pounds. Goal 2: Run 10 miles a week. Goal 3: Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Personal Goal: Unpack all the clothing and bedding, putting it away in drawers, shelves, or closets; all kitchen boxes must be unpacked and put away. No more boxes! As a side note, in July I had the privilege of working out with Richard Simmons at his Slimmons Studio in Beverly Hills. It was an AMAZING experience and Richard was so kind. The workout was actually pretty killer- WAY more so than any of his DVD's I've ever done. He spoke to me about my weight, kind and concerned the entire time, and it really made me think about my choices and my life. I highly recommend anyone in the LA area or visiting in the near future check it out. He teaches Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and it only costs $12 for non-members of his gym. Worst part was taking pictures AFTER my workout. And yes, he did wear the tutu THE ENTIRE CLASS. [ATTACH=CONFIG]6358[/ATTACH]

Hi, everyone! I just signed up for the challenge and am excited to be a Hopeful Hobbit! - miriad

Brief Overview of Goals: Diet: * Paleo at least 80% of the time * No dairy (except whey protein) * Limited added sugar (avoid if at all possible, as much as possible) Fitness: * Run my 5k in less than 35 minutes * Bench press 130lbs * 500 burpees * Solid and consistent area specific weight workouts (arms, legs, glutes, abs, etc.) Life: * Finish negotiating with lender for new payments * Update budget for year and next two months * Submit my synopsis and first 3 chapters of my book, as requested, ON TIME * Finish all the dishes and keep the counter clean for 2 weeks+ * Clean off the kitchen table * Get rid of the pile at the end of the bed If you follow a specific way of eating: Paleo. Any other piece of info you think would be useful: I am not concerned about bulking up, I just want to get my body fat percentage down below “obeseâ€. I noticed that my turkey wing arms are slowly but surely disappearing, so I want to keep going in that direction. My gut is smaller as well, and I certainly want to keep that trend going for sure. I did the Whole30 diet during the month of May and I lost 13.2 pounds. I felt better than I had in a long time and I totally saw results. I want to maintain a lot of those habits so I can keep losing the fat but keep building the muscle. Much like Spezzy, I can’t seem to limit my goals. Hopefully I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew, esp. since I’m starting late.

Brief Overview of Goals: Diet: * Paleo at least 80% of the time * No dairy (except whey protein) * Limited added sugar (avoid if at all possible, as much as possible) Fitness: * Run my 5k in less than 35 minutes * Bench press 130lbs * 500 burpees * Solid and consistent area specific weight workouts (arms, legs, glutes, abs, etc.) Life: * Finish negotiating with lender for new payments * Update budget for year and next two months * Submit my synopsis and first 3 chapters of my book, as requested, ON TIME * Finish all the dishes and keep the counter clean for 2 weeks+ * Clean off the kitchen table * Get rid of the pile at the end of the bed If you follow a specific way of eating: Paleo. Any other piece of info you think would be useful: I am not concerned about bulking up, I just want to get my body fat percentage down below “obeseâ€. I noticed that my turkey wing arms are slowly but surely disappearing, so I want to keep going in that direction. My gut is smaller as well, and I certainly want to keep that trend going for sure. I did the Whole30 diet during the month of May and I lost 13.2 pounds. I felt better than I had in a long time and I totally saw results. I want to maintain a lot of those habits so I can keep losing the fat but keep building the muscle. Much like Spezzy, I can’t seem to limit my goals. Hopefully I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew, esp. since I’m starting late.

I am SO JEALOUS!!! That sounds like one of the most perfect places ON EARTH.

I started Whole30 last week and I am shocked to report that I, too, enjoy the taste of black coffee. I NEVER thought I would ever be able to say that. It is possible, is all I'm saying.

It really does look like crossfit is agreeing with you. That is so awesome! Keep it up, lady!

Why did I think we had until the 7th? Blargh!

Wow, man. Your workouts are so inspiring and make me want/need to work harder. Keep it up, dude! Great job.

Congratulations on your acceptance! That's awesome! And have a great time with your wedding gig! I wish I could play piano like that, I'll tell you what. KILL THAT BEAR! DO IT!!!!!!

I am so jealous. I can't wait until I have an actual yard of my own to make an obstacle course for myself. Good luck with getting the roof and the fireplace finished. I know that kind of work can be a pain in the neck.

I ran my first Warrior Dash yesterday. I am both pleased and a little disappointed. I was glad that I did it. I had never run any races before and was excited to have my first be so much fun! The course was interesting and challenging. I was able to do things that I didn't believe I would be capable of. I climbed the wall with little challenge, which felt AMAZING! However, I walked more during the race than I wanted. I had planned on not walking at all. But I've been on the verge of a cold for a few days now and I could really feel it in my body as I was racing. There were a few obstacles in the race that I felt deserved more slow and steady concentration than speed, mostly because if I fell or made a mistake, I could really have hurt myself. And the mud was really thick, hard to drawl through and the cement (!!!) under the mud was very hard on my knees and elbows. I ended up finishing in 1:00:36. I was upset with myself because I could have finished under an hour if I had pushed myself harder- running, instead of walking- and if I had spoken up when people on the course blocked it to take pictures of their entire group. I spent more than a few minutes being patient- this is supposed to be a fun event and not a serious race, after all- and I didn't ask for people to keep moving or get out of the way so I could keep going. I have already decided that I am going to race again next year, with a goal of 45 minutes or less. No walking at all and now that I know how the obstacles work, I can do some training over the course of the year to get more comfortable with my body and those kinds of challenges. I learned a lot about myself yesterday- both good things and not-so-good things- and I think I can really make some positive changes in my life and in my training plan based on those revelations. I highly, highly recommend this race to all of you. Fun and challenging, it offers a lot to the adventurous spirit. Plus, there's free beer.

Blargh. Not a lot to report. Had to miss a number of gym visits due to wrk related shenanigans. I am very tired. There was a death at work yesterday. A woman was hit and killed while crossing the street, right outside my window. I did not she her actually get hit but we had to watch the police on the scene for over 4 hours while they collected evidence, etc. It has been hard to concentrate, both yesterday and today, thinking about how short life is and how quick it can be over. I hate to be maudlin, here, but it's on my mind. I need to figure out the best way to get the best body for myself so I can at least try to live a long, healthy life without sacrificing time with my loved ones to do it. Seems like a hard line to walk, prob. even harder when you have kids. But a balance must be reached. *sigh* I wish you all healthy and happy days, today and moving forward. Stay safe out there.

Ended up at the gym after 10 last night- had to move things around so I could see the hubby before he went off to ice skate. He and a friend are trying to get in shape to join a hockey league next year, which is awesome. I LOVE the bodies that hockey players have (well, I could do without the missing teeth) and would LOVE to see the hubby in that kind of shape. Hee. So, I get to the gym at about ten and I hit the treadmill. I know a lot of people hate it but I love it because I can track time, distance and speed very easily. I have a hard time comprehending my pace when I'm on the road. I never really know how fast or slow I'm going, esp. as I have started to get faster. It feels the same to me, even though I know it isn't, so I love the treadmill because it gives me the numbers that I crave. I need numbers because to keep going, I need goals and in the fitness game, you need to set goals that are tangible and measurable. Thus time, distance, weight lifted, etc. So, treadmill. What I did not expect was that the gym was PACKED. 10pm on a Wednesday night. Only in Los Angeles, I'll tell you what. Time was kind of limited for me- I had participated in a hardware change at work that required me to be in at 3am (!!!!!!) so I knew that I needed to get to bed at a decent time, which meant that I couldn't really dig in the way I wanted to. Benchpress 105x5 110x5 110x5 Not a lot of reps and not a lot of weight but I am building up slowly but surely. I would like to be benching 150 by the end of June. I also do the rowing machine. I rowed for one semester in college and just loved it. I've been trying to get time on the machine every time I hit the gym and so far, it's been a major sucess for me. Got home and while I wanted to add to my burpee count, it was 11:30 and I needed to hit the shower and get to bed. BUT- I hope to make some serious headway on the burpee count this evening. *grins*