Keladris

I think that is a very good idea, today I am back down another half kilo lol!

Yesterday I weighed in at 72.65kg and today at 73.45... I think I will log the higher amount for now! It is quite wild how much my weight fluctuates over a day or two. Need to figure out how to track averages instead probably. I do always weigh myself at the same time of day before eating.

Snuck in some more push ups today... Once a week is better than nothing! So, wrapping up... I feel like this is something I can focus on for the next challenge. It's just enough of a challenge to fit it in alongside dance but still be doable, And I really want that upper body strength!

Just weight in at 73.6KG. Which is wild cos 10 days ago I was down to 72kg... Weight does seem to be a bit random sometimes! I also took photos and you can see if I have gained a little fat (although lost KGs weirdly) since a year ago. I suspect its because I haven't been doing my full strength circuit workouts so maybe I lost a bit of muscle and gained fat? In other news, my arms and chest are killing me after push up training yesterday!!

Hello gang, I'm back! Last year's weight loss was a great success and I am happy to say I have kept it off. Thank you all to your support in that journey! I have decided I would like to lose the extra couple of kilos and get down to 70kg. That's ~3kg/6lbs of loss. I would love to manage that by the end of this challenge (which also coincides with a trip I am taking to visit home in the UK). I'll be calorie counting (~1800/day) and upping my exercise a little bit (more dance classes and working on my push ups). Will weigh in in the morning, and add my measurements to the sheet

Time is flying! Physio gave me cobra exercises to work on to encourage a better curvature in my spine. So that's been my main focus since my last post and I am managing to do that consistently. It's funny, I also recently went to the dentist and the hygienist told me I really have to start flossing because my gums are starting to recede, and even though I have never been able to develop good teeth hygeine habits, I now suddenly am able to. I think there is something about really feeling what the consequences are if I don't do it. With both my teeth and my back, I really want to take good care of them to ensure longevity of both! And hey presto, consistent habit building hasn't been an issue because the motivation is strong enough. Today I started on my new push up challenge. I am going to follow NF's guide (see here). Today I was impressed that I actually haven't lost upper body strength since I stopped regularly training it. I think the cobras and also the increased dance is helping with that. Even though dance is mostly legs and trunk, we do hold our arms out for a lot of the time and that in itself builds strength. So I am doing elevated push ups, with the bar somewhere between my knees and hips. I managed 2 sets of 10 plus a 3rd set of 4 today. Then I did negatives on my knees, and a 60 second hold at the top of the push up. Not bad! Especially pleased with the 60s hold! Will do my next push up training on Tuesday Not sure whether C25K or the push ups will be my main focus for the upcoming challenge. Will decide this week! I am taking even more dance classes (starting contemporary on Mondays!) so will see where my energy is at.

I didn't manage the 3rd GMB session last week. I think cos I was a bit tired and didn't prioritise it in my scheduling. Going to try to get it done this week... BUT I have run into a back issue. So off to the physio tomorrow to make sure I'm good to keep moving. Seeing as this challenge is all about finding what works for me though, I think I will shake it up next week. I want to add some upper body work on some of my dance and rest days, to start working that push up! I think I'll keep it really simple and just do push ups as many days as I can. Probably 3 sets of 8 reps. I think this kind of very focused strength training will fit alongside my dance. Then... If I am finding I am able to build consistency with that, I'm going to add C25K as my May challenge! Something about the weather slowly shifting has got me much more motivated to eat well and exercise. I have started tracking calories again, I'd like to lose a couple of kg to bring me to a round 70kg/154lbs. And I'm going to take photos because I have been struggling with body image lately and recognising my new body from all the weight loss last year.

Done my second GMB workout, this was focused on 'play', which I loved! It was about stringing together different movements in as many combos as possible. I made me realise that I have come a long way already with my strength, control and mobility. I can see how these sorts of workouts will support my body in daily life. Dance today and did a stretching session this eve. So so close to my splits on one side! I'm really grateful to myself for all my work over the last year because I feel better and better in my body and I am seeing results!

Just posting here to tell myself I WILL do the active rest day today (mobility work) before bed. Yesterday I did an inactive rest day... So I really need to do SOMETHING today. Then I can do the next strength workout tomorrow on waking up.

Hey gang, as usual late to the party! Last night I got hit with the motivation to get back to strength training. Dance is going great, and I seem to be doing a better job with my energy levels again (note to self: sleep, whole carbs , protein, Vit D and relxation are the way!) . So... It's time to start towards my longer term strength goals. Ultimately, I want to be doing pull ups and handstands like nobody's business. I am a long way from there! With all the dance and other commitments, I do not have enough time and energy to commit to additional high intensity work outs. So I am thinking little and often, with a focus on careful functional movement will be the way to go. Going to spend this month figuring out how to build strength into my life again. This week, I am going to experiment with GMB's kickstarter, as it seems like the sort of strength training that could work well with my routine and my goals. We'll see how that goes and reassess in a week! I've also re-started my focus on flexbility and I am SO CLOSE to the splits. Will track progress on that here as a bonus challenge. It'll be a month of initiative rolls and figuring stuff out, but by the end I should be in the fight! (shoutout to new D&D group and new Critical Role obsession...) Let's hope I roll higher than 1!

Your running inspires me! Go go ! I am sure you are much fitter than Homer, but look how happy he is!

Love the challenge title! And sounds like you have a great plan in place

Honestly it is really helping me! Even when it has felt like a rough week, I can find things to congratulate myself on. I recommend it. Dance is going well! I have been struggling with migraines this month so had to drop out of a class or two, but have managed at least 2 ballet classes + pointe class each week. I actually feel like I have levelled up recently, suddenly able to dance more fluidly. Last week was rough again because of another migraine. But I managed to get through it! Here are some wins regardless: - Picked up a small gig doing a bit of investigative work for a US company. I had to go to the courthouse here to dig into some case files. It's been challenging for anxiety and my French (I live in Quebec) but satisfying to throw myself into something new! It makes me feel more 'legit' as a radio producer. 10XP - Performed a 'cold read' exercise in acting class this week. It went well! Definitely learnt from my previous stumble. 10XP Still working on: - Sleep! My migraines often come when my sleep routine has been disrupted. It's hard because my natural sleep routine is quite late (from 1am-10am) but when I have jobs that require me to get up earlier, everything gets put out. Going to ponder this a bit more and figure out what to do about it. - Stretching. Because of low energy and lapse in routine, I've not picked up my stretching habit again. I think I might do another 30 day challenge for April as I find them very motivating!

This week's wins - 3 days of dance this week, energy coming back! 5XP - Progress on my voice reel, not yet going to grant the XP because I want those juicy points when it is complete - Sleep has generally been very regular this week 5XP - Took some home made guac to a friend's house yesterday and had a lovely girls' night. It has been a very long time since I've filled the social bar cos of lockdowns and the like 2XP I feel like putting some things to work on for this coming week: - Earlier bed times - Return to daily stretching

Some weekend wins: I went to my acting class and preformed in front of everyone. It didn't go that well, which was a huge test for my confidence and nerve. I am proud of myself for learning from the experience though and I'm going to keep working so I can improve. I've had to really activate positive self-talk mode all weekend! 10XP for facing adversity and learning from it. We have a salad overload in our fridge at the moment, so I'm going to work on eating some this evening. 2XP for eating my greens. I have been quite low after having been sick, but last night I went through my monthly reflection in my planner and I have a clear idea of how I can improve this month. Going to be focusing on early nights and regular morning routine to get my day started right and increase me energy levels. 2XP for insight and planning. Honestly it was tough at first to think of wins, because I am so quick to focus on the negative (we had pizza last night, I slept very badly). So I like this new format!