The Real Syl Mil

Why can’t you run? Personally, I hate running! And it hurts my knees. But this week I ran twice on the treadmill...once for 3 mins straight and once for 5 mins (intervals with 1 minute walk in between 1 minute run). Sounds underwhelming, but like you said...I love seeing my pace slowly increase!

Ya know... I have been sugar free for about ten years. I DO still eat SOME kinds of sugar, but I've learned to limit myself to 2. Chocolate specifically. I play with textures and flavoring to make them more decadent without sugar. My new favorite is stone ground Mexican dark chocolate. Very little sugar in it and the gritty texture is so delectable! I eat my 2 pieces very slooooowly and find that I actually ENJOY it instead of just shoveling as much as I can into my face. Lol. It is easier to stop at 2 when I have enjoyed the experience to the max!

Wahoo!!!!! Well done! Keep it up!

Every good nerd loves a chart! I bought a Garmin Vivosmart watch with my HSA card (woot!) and it has a super cool app. It charts my weight, heart rate, activities, sleep patterns, and, and, and... I am loving it! I can see that my steps per days has gradually increased over the last 2 weeks. And I've lost a couple pounds, too! YAY for small achievements!!! It's the only way to be! Keep it up!

WOW! I haven't even hit 1 mile yet. (Although I'm sooo close!) Way to go, @shy !!

Ha! Brilliant! I am the type who adds things to my to-do list that I've already completed just so I can cross them off. I have put some epic quest goals in like "go to the gym for 20 mins" "go to the gym for 30 mins". I set them super low and then see how they are adding up. NF is awesome!! Looking forward to learning from you, too!

I'm pretty sure your update is considered an accomplishment! You are killin it! I'm a no breakfast person, too. And I've come to embrace it. I say screw everyone who says "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"! (Sorry, rebellious nature breaking through.) But seriously, I have found that I don't get hungry until about 10 or 11am. And then I will eat a bit to carry me over til lunch, which is often not til 2 or 3. I also have a crazy job where I often don't get a chance to eat at all til evening. (I get to watch other people eat while I continue to work, though!) And I'm not organized or planful enough (yet) to pack meals. So I keep healthy-ish snacks in my car, which I dub "car food", and munch on that driving between gigs. Then once I get home, I eat a ton! I used to feel guilty about this pattern, but it actually works pretty well for me. And then I discovered the Nerd Fitness...oh what do they call it...intermittent fasting plan (or something like that) and noticed HEY! that's how I eat anyway! I'm not really sure why they suggest intermittent fasting, though. Why is that a good thing? I don't know. But I will take it as a positive for myself and move on. Ok I'm talking too much already so I will shut up and go find something to eat because it is now almost 11:30 and I AM getting hungry finally. Have a great rest of your week and keep up the great work!

So hi there! I just now am seeing your post and we sound like we have a lot in common! Glad to see you here on this challenge with us. I wanted to tell you that I've been reading a book called Finish by Jon Acuff. I'm not too far along yet, but chapter 1 talks about how "the day after perfect" is the most important. How we set up goals thinking we will do them 100% perfectly and the first time we miss the mark, we get disappointed and throw the whole goal out. But the truth is, we will never meet that goal perfectly anyway. That's a myth! So getting back in the swing of things the next day after you falter is where the real success is. So congratulations! You "fell off the wagon" but you didn't quit. YAAAAAY!!!!! Well done! I am impressed with your ability to meditate in the morning. I would just go right back to sleep if I tried that! The call of nature is going to become a problem eventually, though. HAHA! Have you ever tried walking meditation? I love to walk prayer labyrinths. There is something about the physical rhythm of walking that inspires quiet in body, mind and mouth. (I need the last one most!) Keep up the great work! Looking forward to hearing more...

Eep! Good job! ^^^ Apparently I typed that ages ago and never submitted! You are super killing it!!! And STOP telling us all about your delicious dessert, dammit! I am seriously drooling here after just catching up on your posts. Lol. Sounds like you have a superpower in the baking department!

I don't think there are any worries there! I'm looking at the loooong haul. I'm all about teeny, tiny incremental successes. I think I might be ready to swim by next week. If so, then I'll start making that my in between gym days gym day. Lol. I can swim real easy if I need to and not do strength training on those days. YAY for first time Mudders!!!

Wow. Things are really changing with me. It's a bit scary! I woke up this morning thinking, "Is today a gym day? I hope it's a gym day! Aww, it's not a gym day. Wait...can I make EVERY day a gym day??!?" Lol. WHO AM I??!?!?! Also, I'm a little bit afraid to say this out loud to anyone but...here goes...I'm gonna sign up for the Tough Mudder! [insert shocked face here] I have kind of always wanted to do it, but just knew I am not the type of person who can. But guess what! That "type" is changing!! A guy at work sent out a blast email asking for a team to do it together. And I recruited my adventurous friend to join, too. So, as long as I don't get pregnant between now and March, I'm gonna do it! Our local Tough Mudder is in September, so that gives me 8 months to prepare. Yesterday when I went to the gym, I felt different knowing that I need to get in shape for September. I actually RAN on the treadmill, if you can believe THAT. (It was only for 3 minutes, but hey...MILESTONE.) Early bird prices end on Jan 31, so I will commit yay or nay by then, for sure. Oh one more amazing thing related to that...pause while I try to hold back my tears...ok failing at that...The race is ONE YEAR to the date from when my lung collapsed. Can you believe THAT one?! Too coincidental for me not to see that as a sign. My whole life I basically sat on my ass. Then my lung collapsed. I could have died. And now I'm going to the gym and preparing for a dirty, obstacle race?! SMH in disbelief. How can you not say that God has bigger plans than we can see???

I've been feeling the same way! Tired for no reason, cuz I'm getting over 8 hours of sleep a night. But going to the gym anyway. So, kudos to us! Thanks for mentioning jumping rope. I should add that to my list. I've been looking for a new exercise to add in.

Ok first let me say... my nerdness finds it super annoying that the quote function changes your #5 to a #1 and I can't change it back! (But your nerdness may find it annoying that I'm saying nerdness instead of nerdiness, so to each his own.) Any way you can crochet or knit or origami or some other easy type of craft? I mean, if you can't pace, a la @scalyfreak. I have cultivated the public image of "I think better when my hands are busy" so crocheting during a training seminar seems normal. However, if you are sitting at your computer AND having to type something (aka use your hands) then I suggest doing something with your feet! Get one of those tiny stationary pedals or just a therapy band tied around the desk legs to swing your feet on.

The last week was good and bad, as far as goals go. But my attitude is changing! So I'm wicked excited! 1) I only made it to the gym 2/3 times this past week. I'm starting to wonder if 3xs is a bit unrealistic with my crazy schedule. But I plan to continue to shoot for 3 and be ok with 2. If I shoot for 2, I will probably only go once, and that's NOT ok! Lol. Today I went to kick off the new week, so already 1 for 3 for the week. It's funny because the desire to get to the gym today actually propelled me to go to church, too. Which was a bit unexpected! I was languishing this morning, not wanting to get out of my bed to go to church. But I knew that if I skipped church, I would also miss making it to the gym before it closed at noon. So I went to both! I upped almost all my weights on the nautilus machines and I upped the intensity on the treadmill, too! I've also lost 3 pounds since I started, which I didn't plan on! Good things all around! 2) Did some decluttering yesterday! And my husband got rid of about 10 bags of trash, too. I think my mindset is changing there, too. Today at church they were giving away a bunch of beautiful crystal dishes (which I absolutely do not need). I had one in my hand and thought, "I'm trying to get RID of stuff, not bring more crap home!" and put it back on the table. 3) My side jobs are coming along. By the end of this month I will have earned an extra $650 (my goal was $400). So yay! 4) Failed on the coffee shop goal last week. Oh well! Back on track for this week, right?? Here is me drinking my post-gym victory smoothie in my PJs today...right before I got called into work... Go Eagles!

Lol. Let's see. I was able to sing for the whole 4.5 hours (off & on...ya know, it's not straight through!) but it was suuuuuper exhausting! Did it, though! So, YAY! Flu-ish thing went away by Sunday but I didn't make it back to the gym again until Wednesday. Oops. I did go again today. 2 out 3 visits this week ain't bad, right?! I had enough time off that I wasn't sore any more and now I'm sore all over again! But I'm proud of myself for not letting the long break equal quitting. Back in the saddle! Usually with me, when I announce what I'm doing to people, I stop doing it. I'm the opposite of the "you have to have accountability" types. So I'm just gonna stick to NF updates and keep my mouth shut around my friends! When I tell them I've been going to the gym, it leads to quitting! (Weirdo alert.) I'm definitely improving at the gym! Heavier weights. More intensity on the treadmill. Adding exercises. Thanks for asking!!

Super cool! Thanks for posting the pic. I was just wondering what it looked like and if you would get a chance to post a pic. AND you got to hit the gym? Sounds like a great day for sure. Peanut butter stout?! That. Sounds. Amazing. How does that even work? Does it actually taste like peanut butter??

Last day of the week check in... So I feel like I killed it last week and this week it came back to life. In the bad way, not the good way. I didn't make it to the gym 3xs this week, but I did work out 3xs, so I'm considering that enough of a win to not feel defeated. I started feeling a bit flu-ish 2 days ago and am still not up to 100%. And tomorrow I have to sing for 3 hours and I'm REALLY SCARED!!! So I'm not doing ANYTHING for the rest of today that might put a strain on my lungs in preparation for tomorrow morning. It will be the first time I try singing in front of people since my lung collapsed almost exactly 4 months ago. I actually sang WITH the collapsed lung the last time I was on stage. If you can believe that! So wish me luck! I went to a coffee shop yesterday and bought a $3 coffee. However, that $3 was payback from the free-ish coffee I bought for a colleague on Wednesday so I think it's a wash! Right? I still transferred the $5 to my savings account. $5 really doesn't move the needle much, but I'm trying to train myself to sacrifice in order to win with money. If I can sacrifice spending $5 on coffee then I can work up sacrificing $200 boots, right? That's the long game, anyway. I didn't declutter yet this week. But today I attended an event where we were supposed to bring different kinds of things to donate (books for the library, sheets for animal shelters, eyeglasses, greeting cards, etc). I couldn't get my act together in time for today, cuz, sick. So tomorrow I will take some stuff over there and call it my decluttering for the week. Oh and I did a side job this week! I snagged a twice per week virtual job where I can work from home. That job will cover my "twice a month" goal by itself! So, BIG SCORE! Ok I do feel a bit more successful now that I've written all this out. I still feel lousy about not hitting the gym 3 times, but I did better with the other goals than I thought at first, so that makes me feel better. Maybe I won't be too scared to play the Wii tonight. I played for 20 minutes yesterday and it felt like nothing! What a nice surprise! Another nice surprise? I can tell my body is changing already! My legs look a little...not slimmer but...I don't know...firmer, I guess. My husband said he noticed, too! Hope you all are doing it up! Here we go with week 3!

Haha! I wish yarn were free and crocheting made you thin, too! Crocheting DID help me quit smoking, though. For reals! Sounds like you are kicking some serious challenge butt. Keep up the good work!! You got this!

You give me hope that I will someday become the gym rat I always dreamed of becoming. PA solidarity!

Hey thanks! That made my day! I got a bit sick yesterday evening, so I'm gonna miss my day 2 at the gym this week today. Sitting here having a pity party. But your post made me feel a little brighter, so thank you! I am hoping to do some Wii-ness this evening if I feel up to it. I never thought about missing my 3-day-a-week goal due to sickness! This will make me try harder to go on days I'm feeling good "just in case". Have you jumped out of your rut?

I've noticed this with myself, too!! Have you found a good solution?? Whenever I go to the gym, I drive home going, "doNOTstopatBurgerKing...doNOTstopatBurgerKing". And seriously, I don't even eat fast food! Burger King hasn't even been in my vocabulary for like 10 years! So yeah. Gym = RAVENOUS. I have been throwing together a quick protein shake as soon as I arrive home WHILE I cook other food. My other trick is making triple batches of stuff that I can heat up pretty quickly. Let me know if you figure out any good ideas! It's also super awesome that your nerdlet is working out for fun, too! I'm impressed with your brave act of sharing your journey with us! Good luck to you!

Even though the trainer kicked my butt yesterday, I decided to do an "active recovery day" today. So I did 30 minutes of light cardio with my Wii. At the end I took the Wii Fitness test and it said I'm as fit as a 62-YEAR-OLD!!! (I'm 39!) Guess I have some improving to do still! Hahahahaha!

I hit the gym yesterday to start off week...what is it? 2? Is it only 2? Anyway, I met with a trainer at the giant gym I found myself at last Saturday. When you sign up at a new place, they offer you a free session. So far I've had 2 of these because I've gone to 2 gyms. Lol. I didn't feel like I did much yesterday, really, but man! I am hurtin today! At this point, when I can feel where my lung collapsed, I don't freak out like I used to...like it's happening again. But when I overdo it, I definitely feel it right where my lung collapsed. And it IS weird. I wish that would go away! But it may be a year or longer before that happens. I got to speak with an exercise physiologist about my recovery process at "The Big Gym", too, so that made it all worth it. He validated the process that I've already been following... slowly bumping up my workout as my breathing can tolerate. He gave me some good ideas about how to use the pool, once I feel confident enough that I can breathe in the water. Maybe that will be my goal for the end of challenge 2. Right now, I feel good about my plan so I will stick to it. Today I'm taking it easy to recover from yesterday. Tomorrow I will be working until 10pm so I think I will just use my Wii at home in the morning. Then back to the little gym on Thursday for gym visit #2. I do find that I prefer the little gym. The Big Gym seems germier to me. Ha! Onward!

I've just recently started to cook differently for this very reason. It seems to be helping so far... Basically just cooking in larger batches and then storing in single servings. So when I'm feeling lazy (or RAVENOUS, when I arrive home from the gym), I just just heat something up. Beats a sandwich, too! So far I've done bean/kale soup and chicken & salsa in the crockpot & then storing the chicken to throw into a stir-fry with whatever veggies are on hand. There was something I made, too, but I can't think of it off hand.

Exercise today! Forget about yesterday! Yay for good news and a special treat! Good job fighting off temptation! Let's think about a list of ways to treat yourself now before the next time happens... then you can just pick something from your list and the fight will be easier. What makes you smile? What makes you feel good about yourself? I know it's hard to think of something as satisfying as a sugary treat, but the brain's pleasure center can be stimulated in a variety of ways. One way is getting your body to release oxytocin (the feel good chemical that's released most often through relational activities with other people). Here are some ideas... give a gift to someone else, listen with your eyes (people watch or have a conversation with one person while really looking at them mindfully), pet a dog, hug someone, take a compliment walk (give a compliment to people you run into to draw a smile), tell someone you love them, ride a roller coaster (or do something else scary/exciting). Or just treat yourself in some other regular way like buy yourself a new book, or a fun pair of socks, or a new computer game, or whatever else floats your goat! There, that's my unsolicited advice for the day! Lol. Hope it's not annoying! I'm a wannabe neuropsychologist so it's fun for me to apply brain science to practical action. #nerdalert