Asta

Hello, I am going to give the 6 week challenge another shot. Unfortunately, I am in class right now and I shouldn't post too much right now. I'll elaborate later! Cheers fellow rebels.

Week 3: Run: 0/3 Weights: 1/2 Food: 2/7 (Not so great) So far week 4: Food: 3/3

Well, this week was a pretty big fail challenge wise. But I did get into med school - YAY ME! I just wrote out a lengthy response to Steve's last post. This time, you’ve identified the real reasons you want to get in shape. I want to look and feel good naked I am sick of sucking in my stomach I want to be able to do a pull up I want to run further, faster, longer I want to physically look like a model of healthy living. This time, you’ve identified your kryptonite and know how to avoid it. Kryptonite: Dessert after dinner. Either I have it, and then binge OR I don’t have it, and then binge. Trigger: I have a really big sweet tooth, and eating dessert when I get out has become such a habit that it feels like a responsibility. Plan: No more dessert after meals when I eat out. Period. I can go out SPECIFICALLY FOR DESSERT once every week or two, but not if I feel full. At home, I can have fruit for dessert. Kryptonite: Binge mentality. Once I start over eating, I say f*** it and just keep going. Trigger: anxiety feels like hungry, guilt feels like full, and full makes me want to keep on eating! Emotions and food have become very tangled up. Plan: Be mindful - I do not eat according to these feelings when I am mindful. Focus on being my best self, this prevents bingeing. Be active, this prevents bingeing. If I have to binge, go for the vegetables, not the nut butters and cereals. Try to deal with feelings (good or bad) without food - walking, talking, something. Kryptonite: ‘Off’ mentality - once I decide I am ‘off’, I eat everything that I can think of that I wanted. Trigger: anxiety feels like hungry, guilt feels like full, and full makes me want to keep on eating! Emotions and food have become very tangled up. Plan: Remind myself daily that there is no ‘on’ or ‘off’, this is my lifestyle. I can interrupt a binge with healthy habits, such as exercise. Kryptonite: Nuts and nut butter - they are just so darn yummy and high calorie. Trigger: they taste darn good, and I know that some is okay. I just overdo the some! Plan: 1 tbsp nut butter per day, max. No nuts if it is a nut butter day. 1 tbsp seeds per day, max. This time, you’ve identified how to build systems and remove emotion from the equation. There is no more should. If I say ‘I should do this’ and do not follow that statement with the action immediately, I have to do 10 push ups. Remember, diet is 80-90% of success when it comes to changing how I look. Therefore, I will make a dietary ‘yes/no’ list: Yes: Vegetables (unlimited) Fruits (unlimited) Beans & tofu (unlimited) Whole grains & starchy vegetables (limited 1 serving/day) Nuts (max 1 oz./day) Dried fruit (sweetener only) No: Meat. Dairy & eggs. Refined wheat products. Ketchup. Dessert when I eat out. Snacks unless I am starving. Eating when I am full. Salad dressing with oil. Added oil in general. Embrace the weirdness of my diet. I do not need to accommodate people. “Just one” is no longer an option. I cannot take handfuls of nuts from the pantry, and no more cereal for now. There are no exceptions to the no dessert when eating out rule. No exceptions, I need 20 minutes of physical activity minimum per day. I will only eat off of the yes list exception for one meal per week. This time, you’ve built your support team. I’m struggling with this one. My mom is a big support, and she recently lost a lot of weight. My sponsor is in the trenches with me. I can go back to Craig if I can make it work. This time, you’ve finally learned how to eat right and not let drinking stand in the way. I know what healthy eating looks like for me. It is time to eat the way that I know I should. This time, you’ve decided to put your money where your mouth is, like Saint. This time, you’ve stopped collecting underpants and put your focus on phase two. C’mon phase 2. Do I really want to spend my summer sitting on the couch planning and watching shitty TV? This time, you’ve learned how to track your progress. Taking a picture once a month - next picture in early June. How my pants fit. Log the work outs. I will start measuring with the tape 1/week. This time, you’ve finally realized that “eventually” never happens. This time, you’ve finally realized that the ONLY person who believes your excuses is you.

I put my wildcard from the week 1 challenge in stamina, because I want more endurance and energy so I can be more active!

Running - just did my speed work for the week. Weights - on my way to do weights before work! Eating - feeling good about eating well today. I realized yesterday that I actually like my 'normal' healthy, whole foods a lot better than the stuff I eat when I go out. I need to remember that next time I convince myself that I want that chocolate torte cake and a starbucks soy hot chocolate. I don't actually like those things very much!

Just did my 5 km in my speed workout today. I got 27:50, which I am alright with. But considering that this time last year I ran my PR 10km @ 52:00, I have some work to do.

I have been struggling a lot with snacking. I want to eat peanut butter or chocolate all of the time. I think it is stress - I am not wanting to eat out of hunger. These bad habits are coming back and I need to shut them down NOW.

Running - 1/3: I'm going to do my tempo run tomorrow, long run on Sunday. Eating - 4/5: I did well all week. I went OVER tonight, but it was planned. However, the extra peanut butter and strawberries at home were NOT planned. Strength - 2/2: I did a body weight circuit and my butt got kicked! Apparently, squats the day after hills = super pain.

Week 2 so far: Running: 1/3 - I did my hill run today. Those hills kicked my ass. My legs are shaking, but I love it. Eating: 2/2 - I have eaten well so far this week. Strength: 1/2 - Did a workout spread out through my shift at work. I meant to go in early, but did not. Got it done though!

Med school! I'm in Canada and it is SUPER competitive to get in, so I am very anxious about it. If I get in... well, I will have accomplished something that I have spent the better part of my life either dreaming about or working towards. (End of week 1) Progress-wise: Running: 2/3 - I went on my 10 km run. It was a nice run, but it was lame to be so exhausted after just 10 km. It is what it is, and 10km is still way better than where I was a few years ago. Eating: 6/7 - I had a scheduled 'off-plan' dinner (it was my sister's birthday and we went for a nice meal), but I over ate when we were out. I made a dessert when I was home, and then went on a bit of a tear. I am stuffed! So... today was not as successful as I had hoped. I tried to mentally prep myself/rehearse for tonight because that usually helps, but I half assed it. The meal was nice, but the food I stuffed myself with when I got home was not as great as I thought it would be. And I hate feeling full like this. Strength: 2/2

I did my long run. Out of that, my mile was 10:29. So... hopefully I will have a chance to redo this challenge soon with a less awful time!

I did that with the couch to 5km plan back when I started running again a few years ago. However, I would caution against shortcutting weeks TOO much. I had to remind myself that it was about building a strong cardiovascular base (find a comfortable place to start, try not to increase by more than 10% total milage per week). Also, I really like your 'no-whining' mentality!

I am in a similar spot! I have started my strength training this week as well, and my upper body is not very strong at all. I am happy now to know where I am at, and it is great that we have a clear idea of where we want to get to. Also, I do the binge thing too - lets work together to not do that for this challenge. Good luck!

Good goals! I agree with what you have said here - I find that I do best if I build a distance base and then work on speed. Good luck with your PB!

I only had a long run and my hills scheduled this week, so I am going to do my mile during one of those. So my mile time will be quite off my best! But I really want to be a part of.