Jennifer Ocean

Thanks everyone! I'm actually surprised that everything is going well, and that my interest is still strong with this challenge. I think it has something to do with the more realistic goals I've set. Anyway, it's been a few days since I've posted, but I got and then set up a new computer. No more having to be plugged in all the time because of a weak battery! So here's where I am: 1 No Candy: Still going with this one. The desire is definitely fading to have any, and I think the absence of any holidays is helping. Valentines will probably be the next big temptation holiday, but that's after this challenge and I'll make decisions about that when we get there. 2 IF 6 Days a Week: It gets easier, I admit. It's not as much of a struggle, though as we get close to lunch I do still have to actively push the thoughts of hunger aside. Drinking water has helped, too. 3 Bodyweight Workouts: I've kept up with the workouts as well, though I once again found my schedule pushing a workout later than I would have liked. It is so hard to do a workout right before bed, when all I want to do is sleep. But I know that skipping would be too easy, and the start of a bad habit, so I fought through it and got it done. The challenge continues!

It might be getting a little easier to do some of the exercises. The planks are still hard, but I figure I'm going to struggle with those for a while, haha! 1 No Candy: Still going with this, and in fact the urge for sugar is kind of dropping for me. I don't really feel the urge anymore, when a commercial or something comes on. A good sign. 2 IF 6 Days A Week: Another day in the bag, 1pm start and 8pm end. I think another week will make it all but automatic. 3 Bodyweight Workouts: Got a little behind here, with a morning routine thrown off a bit, so I'm going to do my workout before bed tonight. Not ideal, but at least I won't be skipping anything!

Thanks Harriet! I was a little tempted to skip the workout yesterday, just to bump the schedule for next week to do workouts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but I decided against it and did the workout in the late afternoon. Definitely more of a struggle than first thing in the morning, and a good reminder to just keep with what I'm doing now: first thing in the morning, every other day, without fail!

Days 6 and 7 have been completed! Amazing to be one week in, and not have quit yet. I usually struggle to maintain any progress in challenges like this, but I think making the goals easily obtainable and also interesting to me right now has made all the difference. 1 No Candy: Have gone a week without any candy. I already feel a bit better and not as gross like I did during the holidays when it was sugar, sugar, sugar. 2 IF 6 Days a Week: Both days, Friday and Saturday, were successful IF days. Today was a little harder, since I'm not working and so not as distracted. It's harder to forget the hunger with other activities. But I still held out until noon. I'm still going strong, though! 3 Bodyweight Workout: Friday was a rest day, and today I did the 'B' set of exercises again. I feel like it's become more of a routine now, and I'm getting into a rhythm.

Day 5 in the bag! That means the first week is almost done. Today was a pretty good day, both challenge-wise and regular life-wise. 1 No Candy: Still avoiding candy with no problem. 2 IF 6 Days a Week: Ate around 1:00 today, and was definitely hungry. Didn't really feel the hunger until 11 or so, but it was a long couple of hours. I am still tweaking what I have for lunch, and of course it's just a matter of time to fully adjust. 3 Bodyweight Workout: Performed the full first workout again today. I feel pretty good after each workout, not too much soreness or anything. Just gonna keep plugging away at this.

It wasn't too bad, Manarelle. They aren't nearly as hyper as they were before the holiday break. We're talking 9 and 10 year olds here, so you can imagine how wound up they were before Christmas! The last couple of days have been hectic, but not overwhelmingly so. In fact, Days 3 and 4 have progressed fairly well as far as my own goals go, and it's been nice to be back in the work routine. The students are a lot of fun to be around! Harriet, I'm starting with push ups on the edge of my desk. So, a raised surface about waist high. I started with wall pushups, as was recommended for beginners, but that was too easy. I'm hoping to progress to knee pushups by the end of the 5 weeks. 1 No Candy: Still strong on this one, both days. 2 IF 6 Days a Week: Completed this for both days, not eating until around 1pm, my usual lunch break time during the work day. I stopped by 8pm. I'm still getting the hunger pains around 10am or so, and these last couple days have been a little harder, not gonna lie. But as long as I keep busy I can usually power through it. Get busy enough, and it's not uncommon for me to look up and realize it's already eating time. 3 Bodyweight Workout: Yesterday was the second workout variation offered by the app. This consisted of 3 rounds of 10 'Good Morning' bends, 10 reps of wall arm walks, 5 second one leg balance per side, and 8 reps of wall arm slides. Then finish with 3 sets of 20 second planks. It was all pretty easy, except for the planks. God, those are hard. I was able to hold the first plank for the full 20 seconds without much trouble. The second set, I managed the 20 seconds, but was shaking by the end, and sliding as my back started sagging down. The last set was really hard, and I only managed 15 seconds. This is going to require some serious effort to improve. Today, of course, was a rest day.

Day 2, and also the first day back to work for me after the holiday break. Today was just an in-service day, with the students returning tomorrow, but it was still a nice productive day, and it's nice to get back to a routine. 1 No Candy: No candy was eaten today. Still going strong. 2 IF 6 Days a Week: I first ate at noon today, and stopped around 7:30. I got a little hungry around 9, but drank some water and powered through. From previous experiences, I know this will last a week or so, and then won't be a problem, at least for me. 3 Bodyweight Workout: Today was a rest day for my workout program, but I did do 4 squats as part of a month long challenge.

First Day of the Challenge!! Let's go! I feel good starting with this, the first challenge of the year, and I look forward to documenting my thoughts. For the first day, let's go ahead and state the obvious: the first day was pretty easy! Will it continue to be easy as time goes on? Who knows, but I know that I will do my best and work on improving myself. That is my overall goal since the only thing I can control in life is myself. 1 No Candy: I didn't have any candy today. Yay! 2 IF 6 Days a Week: Ironically, the challenge happens to start on a Sunday, the one day I don't do IF. This is because I enjoy a family breakfast on Sundays at a favorite local restaurant. So, I didn't fast this morning, but as my goal is only for Monday thru Saturday, I'm still on track for this one. 3 Bodyweight Workout: Completed my first bodyweight workout today, which consisted of 3 sets of 10 squats, 10 pushups, and 10 doorway rows followed by 3 sets of 30 second farmer carry. It wasn't too hard, though I can see my upper body strength is super poor. Still, the workout on the app I use walked me thru everything and it didn't take that long. One down!

Thank you, everyone! I am very excited to get started tomorrow, and get to work on some things!

The course is called The Confident Creator, by Melyssa Griffin. It is geared towards people who want to pursue some big project or goal, but struggle with feelings of inadequacy and such. It was a big game changer for me, going through the videos and exercises.

Jennifer Ocean is overweight, passive, and feeling stuck. Her life has thus far been unremarkable. Is life little more than drudgery followed by the shadow of the grave? It seems that it is so. Day follows dreary day, with her waking hours consumed by work and mindless entertainment. She waits, for surely something better will come along, someday. But one day, a new thought intrudes. The magical someday has not arrived to whisk her to riches and perfection. Is it possible...dare she even think...that the mysterious someday will never come? That in fact, without change, every day will continue to plod along, in strife and boredom, until the very end? Yes, she realizes. Every day will indeed be the same...unless she can change something herself! Jennifer Ocean is soon set on a new course. She must change her ways or face oblivion. But, how does one go about changing their entire way of life? With small steps, of course. All have heard about how "every journey begins with a single step" and so Jennifer Ocean begins her first steps in the direction of a new life. What challenges await her? What villains will spring forth to attempt to derail her progress? What failures or successes will there be? In the beginning of every journey, no one can say for sure what the middle or end will look like. Jennifer Ocean must fall back on one of her firmest beliefs in life: Preparation is the key to success. Locked in her study, she summons the knowledge contained in her glowing internet box, and creates a plan. A plan designed to change her life, her outlook, her actions, and her very thoughts, for only in embracing change does she have a hope of escaping her dismal fate. She must begin with the basics, though. She must set a firm foundation on which to build her new life. 5 Week Challenge #1 I have learned over the years that I love new beginnings. Starting something is a lot of fun. Finishing it, on the other hand, well...I don't have as much experience there. I know it would be very easy for me to come on here, respawn, start a new 5 week challenge, create 15 goals with 20 sub-goals, start a million new projects and create a hundred new expectations, and then struggle, and fail, and leave again. Rinse and repeat in 6 months. Do you know how many years it took me to notice this pattern? Too many! So, armed with this knowledge, I come here for my first challenge with simple goals that I believe will be well within my reach. Each goal supports a loftier target I have for my life. I want small, sustainable changes. This is not a dramatic transformation in 5 weeks, but a blossoming over years! I cannot do everything all at once. I shouldn't expect that from myself, either. So, here are my 3 goals for this challenge period: Goal 1: No Candy Simple enough. Black and white, really. No candy means no candy. I ate far too much of it over Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I see it all the time at work. I've had enough! So this first goal is fairly simple. I won't eat any candy, no matter what size or who gives it to me, or what occasion is going on. Goal Success: 0 pieces of candy Goal Failure: 1+ pieces of candy Goal 2: Get back to 6 day a week IF Over the course of many, many diets and fads, I have found that only 1 thing that really works when it comes to me losing weight. Intermittent Fasting. Surprising, but I love it and find it pretty easy. Before the holidays, I had no problem skipping breakfast and not eating until around 1pm or so when I got my lunch break. Then I would eat whatever until 9pm, when I went to bed. Rinse and repeat, and the pounds just drifted off. I fell off the wagon at the holidays, and I need to get back on. To complete this goal, I will be working through the IF Quest on the NerdFitness Journey App. I've done it before, and it's a good way to ease back into it after a slip up. The quest takes 20 days to complete. I will use the app to work back to not eating until noon or later, and then work to sustain that for the duration of the Challenge. Goal Success: Complete the IF Quest, then keep up IF for the rest of the challenge period, on all days Monday - Saturday. Goal Failure: Not completing the app quest on time, or missing 2 days in a row during the period after, defined by eating before noon. Goal 3: Start doing bodyweight workouts This final goal is aimed at becoming less sedentary. This generally isn't a problem when I'm at work, because when you have 85 students to chase around, there is always somewhere else you have to run to, and something else you need to get done. I barely sit at work. At home, a different story unfolds. All I do at home is sit around, either on my computer, watching TV, or reading a book. I need to change that. I will be using the NerdFitness Journey App again with this goal. It has a variety of bodyweight workouts on it, and I plan on starting with a 4 week beginner program before moving on to the next level after that. I will follow the workout plan, getting in the workouts in the mornings before work or as soon as I get home from work. This is going to be a good way to get moving a little, and start up a habit of working out. Goal Success: Complete, on time, all of the workouts in the chosen Bodyweight Quests, for the whole 5 weeks of the challenge. Goal Failure: Miss 2 or more workouts, either by skipping a day or by taking extra rest days.

Thank you everyone! I'm a teacher's assistant for 5 different classrooms in my school, 4th and 5th grade - about 85 students. So last spring I got to learn Zoom, Google Meets, and other fun online things. I was signing in to probably 15 different live class meetings a day, taking attendance, monitoring the chat box, doing 1 on 1 study halls, and tracking a few hundred assignments. It was not fun, let me tell you. Online teaching is hard and emotionally draining. Thankfully, we're in-person this school year, with some modifications. It's actually been pretty good, my school is very strong on their policies for covid safety. Looking forward to making some new habits here with NF.

Hello! I joined NF back in 2017, and really got into the Academy. It was a lot of fun, and I made some progress. I wasn't really active here, but lurked a lot. As time wore on, I also found myself re-spawning a lot. I changed my goals. I changed my name and character. I started over and quit a couple times. I moved on to other programs. Covid came. I was teaching students from home in the spring, and I remembered enjoying the NF Academy so I came back here and respawned. But I never did anything with that respawn. The Academy was still interesting, but too much work on top of the struggles virtual teaching presented. I wanted to do something, but the Academy just wasn't working. In fact I found a different program with a 12 week bootcamp-type setup. Did that and enjoyed it. But I floundered along when it ended. Then I found an online course that focused on more mindset and mental awareness. Stuck at home, I had the summer to focus on myself in a different way than ever before. The holidays were a marathon of overindulgence as usual. But I now find myself thinking differently about things. My life, my goals, my approaches to things. It's been liberating. So I'm back and focusing on becoming a better me. Not some crazy super hero or magical character, but a better version of myself. I'm coming back to focus on smaller changes that can be carried throughout my whole life, not just for crash diets and quick fads. And so I'm here as Jennifer Ocean, the best version of myself. I'm ready to change my lifestyle and continue the changes that this strange time of Covid have started. My interests and focus may shift here and there, like the tides rising and falling, but overall, I am the Ocean, steady and deep.

So, I fell off the wagon, so to speak, a while ago. Sometime back in December, perhaps. The usual failings were there: busy work life, the holidays, family visits and drama, weather. And it didn't take long for that to become the norm, you know? And now, here I am, right where I started this journey, no weight loss, no strength built, nada. Quite frankly, things would have continued in this vein for some time, probably until the summer, before I would have realized anything was amiss. I'm a teacher, so I have pretty strong tunnel vision until the summer break frees me to experience life again. Yet, lo and behold, the coronavirus comes along, and the world shuts down. Now I'm here, at home, teaching my students online, but also beginning to realize that something isn't right. So...I'm back for another go! I've gone through a few respawns in the past. Changed my name here, my goals, and my class several times. Now I'm here to start anew as Spring arrives. But I feel like this time will be different. I've started to change other aspects of my life, to see things a bit differently. I'm working towards changing careers. I'm starting to open my eyes to my poor diet and exercise habits. And I feel like this time, I want to change. Before it's been about how I should change. For others. Now, I feel like I'm in a place to do it for myself. I don't need to become a body builder or a master black belt or run a marathon. I don't feel that same urge to drastically change and show off a newfound prowess. Instead, I want to make slow, lasting changes. I want to be healthy, now and in the future. To do this, I'm going to jump back in to my membership in the Academy at Nerd Fitness. I've reset everything, and I'm starting back on lesson 1. I'm going to be lurking around the forums here too. I need to get my head in the right place so that my body can follow. So, here's to starting over!

Thank you so much, Hazard, for check in on me. Just knowing that other people are paying attention is helping keep me on track! Anyways, it is Sunday, and so, Check-In Day! Time to update you all on my progress with this first challenge. As a reminder, my goals were: * Complete 1 Mindset Module per week * Track my food for 2 weeks * Cook a hot meal for dinner 2 times per week * Read 5 Fitness Module articles per week * Complete Workout 1A once per week Seems like a lot, broken down like that, but everything has been working out pretty well so far. My progress is as follows: ~ Completed Mindset Module 1 this week (1/4) ~ Food tracking begins this week coming up (0/2) ~ Had 2 hot meals for dinner this week in place of sandwich & chips (2/8) ~ Read 5 of the Fitness Module Articles (5/12) ~ Completed my first Workout 1A Session! (1/4) Overall, I feel like I’m making pretty good progress, and I did feel pretty good about being able to complete that workout all the way through. So far so good! Looking ahead to next week, I’ll be: Completing Mindset Module 2, Starting my 2 weeks of food tracking, Cooking 2 more hot meals for dinner, Reading 5 more fitness articles, and Completing another workout. Hope everyone else is doing good as well!