Epsilonx2

Wow, I missed a bunch! A little late, but I'm sorry to hear about the layoffs. Good that you recognized you needed to step back and deal with it before diving back into things. I can barely handle my own life, so I commend you for balancing work, fitness, and what sounds like some very, very active children!

I hope things have begun to smooth out for you. The past few days have been pretty hard at our house too and I know it's so easy to just curl up and veg out. I wish I could give you sage wisdom, but without knowing your situation I can only repeat that you've gotta keep going. Break the big things down into small things that won't throw you off balance. Even if it's just a few minutes a day, set time aside to just be. For that time, leave the every day struggles out. Maybe too much is changing all at once? In that case, you could just pick one habit to change at a time. When I was in high school, I tried to severely restrict my calories, was measuring all my food, was supposed to be taking a fitness class, but all of those things had me feeling stretched to the breaking point. I knew I'd feel worse if I gave up completely, so I just cut out soda. I let everything else just happen however it happened, but I held onto that one habit and made a little bit of progress without really feeling like I was trying. Keep posting here! If it's overwhelming you, maybe back off a bit. Try not to think of it as something you have to do, but as something you do for yourself. It should be a tool more than a responsibility. We're sharing in your struggle and we'll help if we can! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkq

W2D5: Just had a moment of weakness in which I contemplated running and grabbing pizza from the teachers' lounge while my coworker (who's also getting fit) is out of the building. I have prevailed against the cheesy temptress... for now.

Hooray for progress made! It's so crazy... running is probably the place where I can really see the most change in my abilities. I started with the Zombies, Run 5K training in November and found 15-second running drills challenging after a few rounds. You're doing great! If you stay with it, you'll definitely end up doing things you never imagined possible.

This. When I slow down during a run, it's generally because my lungs have decided to be greedy and are expressing their desire for more air. Gotta work on the whole steady breathing thing...

W2D4: Things are good! I'm definitely getting better about the foods I eat just because I'm feeling energized about the other healthy stuff that's going on. Today, our run was 5 miles. My housemate and I drove up to the other JV house after work and got right to it. I kept up with the other two for almost two miles before I had to fall back. I actually think it was the first time I'd ever gone all the way through a (non-5K training) Zombies, Run mission in one sitting. Before, for longer runs, I'd left my headphones at home. I've embraced the fact that I can't yet keep up with my friends over longer distances, so I'm excited to start charging through the story! I also got a chance to do a bit of learnin' today. I started watching the Treehouse series on front-end frameworks. I know what they are, but not how to use them or the benefits of using the various ones out there. Right now, they're going over Bootstrap. I think I might need something that robust for the site I want to build for my friends at the New York Association for Blind Athletes, especially since my JavaScript skills are pretty weak. We'll see! I'm just glad to be making some progress and learning new things!

Hello, Bera! It's true that it can certainly help to break such huge goals down into smaller ones. Want to lose 30 pounds by the new year? That's roughly 8 months from now. That means 15 lbs in four months, less than a pound per week. That's well within a healthy, sustainable range and one off week, particularly this early on, isn't going to fling you off the tracks. Take bites that you can manage right now. Making specific changes to your daily routine is an awesome idea! And I definitely encourage you to follow yolonaut's advice to stick around, no matter how you're doing with your challenge. Whatever's going on in terms of your goals, another rebel has been there. No one will judge you and everyone wants to see you succeed. This is a place you can come for support, advice, funny GIFs, and virtual hugs. You've already reached out (and I love your writing!), so keep chugging along. You'll start to notice a difference and you'll probably want more (think If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, except it's more like If You Give Yourself a Healthy Habit).

Hey, ladies! I seem to constantly be late to everything, but I'm glad to be back here with you all. Great goals all around! A quick overview... I'm working on consistency with my half-marathon training schedule, trying new paleo recipes, meditating, and doing something related to my intended career every day. Week one went fairly well. I didn't post, but I ran farther than I ever thought I could, made it back to the gym, tried some amazing new meals, and jammed a whoooole lotta web design knowledge in my head. My housemate has a fantastic joke about a singing and dancing cookie, but that's one for another day... How about this instead?

Hey, friends! It's nice to see ya! Just to catch up a bit on the progress made so far in Week 2, I should probably mention that I went to the gym yesterday. The 6-mile run was in the evening following an Easter brunch that turned into my whole house lying on our friends' lawn for hours on end while eating, drinking, tanning, and napping. Because I work at a Catholic high school, I had the day after Easter off. I woke up around noon, lounged a bit, had some lunch, then brought my computer down the street to a coffee shop to try and get some work done on my redesign project. I didn't actually make any progress, but I did learn a bunch of stuff that will probably be more useful once I'm working on bigger projects. I met one of my housemates at the gym and it hit me that I'd been away for way longer than I'd thought. It was a little intimidating for a few minutes, but then I was back in the zone. Everything hurts a bit today, but I've definitely felt worse and it makes me feel like I made good use of the time. Today was a short run day. Normally, the same housemate I met at the gym would've gone running with me in the morning. Sadly, she's fallen really ill. I myself was up extremely late last night fretting about going back to work after a long break. I'm still a little surprised at myself that I actually kept it together enough to go for that run during my lunch break! It was only 3 miles (that statement would've sounded ludicrous to me a few months back), but I'm not very fast and had almost exactly an hour before I had to be back at work to check the children in. Lately, I've been working on just not walking. Even if I have to slow waaaaaay down for a while, I won't let myself fall past a jog. Mentally, it's been super helpful. Running also gives me that quiet alone time (when I'm running by myself). I'm about to start working on my site right now. It's just such a huge project... And I have to do everything... Maybe I'll write copy.

That's absolutely fantastic! All that extra is just melting away. You look awesome! The best part is that it sounds like you're really enjoying yourself. Keep on rocking those goals!

HUGE progress! That's really remarkable! I can see everything tightening right up! And good on you for posting progress pictures. I take them... but then they stay on my phone. If you can do that in one month, the sky's the limit! I imagine you'll go right on making strength gains and losing fat. WOOT!!

Ah, the old t-shirt test! Excellent progress! You're clearly a very committed rebel!

In three months?? That's quite the transformation! Congratulations! Aaahhh, I want to go back to Brazil so badly... I spent a little time there (in Tocantins) last summer and am counting down til I can return. Best of luck continuing with this new lifestyle. Do you cook a lot of the food you've been eating yourself? That seems like it would be a huge help. I'm doubly impressed because my experience with Brazilian food is one of impeccable and very rich meals. If I hadn't been hauling dirt around most of the time, I probably would've gained five pounds in the two weeks we were there!

Hello, Rangers (and anyone else who happens to be reading)! I'm late to the party once again, but 100% on board! It took me a long time to determine exactly how I was going to lay this challenge out because the goals I set for myself last challenge started to feel like they were in conflict with each other. I want to be sure that won't happen this time around. I have a better idea of where my life is headed than I did two months ago, so this challenge will be about making that journey as smooth (and as kick-ass) as possible. Eat the good stuff. I still like the idea of not putting strict outlines on my food plan because I don't have all that much control over the food we eat and I don't want to feel guilty. I also want the way I eat to feel natural and not forced. Eventually, I'll have my own house and the only say on what goes into my body. I don't want this part of my life to feel like a checklist, but I do want to keep things healthy and exciting! I've developed a deep love for the Nom Nom Paleo blog and it's the inspiration for my first goal this challenge. I will try a new paleo recipe each week. This could be a dinner for my community, lunch for one, or something I make in larger quantities for use throughout the week. It just has to be paleo and something I've never made before. Note: This past week saw a sort of casserole made with spinach, mushrooms, bacon, garlic, and other yummy things with little hollows in which eggs were cooked. Completely delicious. [+3 CON] A: New recipe each week! B: 5 new recipes C: 4 new recipes D: 3 new recipes F: I fear dietary change. Run from zombies. If you were around for the end of my last challenge, you may recall that I'm training for a half-marathon. Why am I doing this, you ask? Well, you're a rebel. You're probably not asking that question. I ask myself every time I go running longer than I think is possible (weekly), but that's another story altogether. I love the feeling I get after running, but not so much the desperation and emotional pain I tend to feel around mile 3. I want to be able to run farther and faster and am already amazed at how much more I can do than a few months ago, but it's a long process. I need to make sure I stay on track, so my training will be a big part of this challenge! Zombies, Run! is my go-to for staying motivated. Just yesterday, I ran my longest distance yet. 6 miles! And I'm not dead! Yaaaaaay!!! [+3 STA] [+1 STR] [+1 CHA] A: Four runs per week, including one long run. B: 1-3 runs missed C: 4-5 runs missed D: 6-8 runs missed F: I will be one of the first to be eaten by zombies. Just breathe. I've found that more regular meditation has been helpful on so many levels. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in plenty of other ways, I feel better when I take the time to just feel. I haven't developed a practice yet, but I definitely want to. I'm figuring out what that looks like for me very slowly. This challenge, I will be sure to continue exploring. My meditation tends to take different forms because I've found it difficult to sit down and reflect on a regular basis. I don't really have the kind of space I'd like to do it in (i.e. not my bedroom or somewhere people are constantly walking in and out of), so sometimes I do it while I'm running or working out or need to take a step back from things at work. Each day, I will have at least five minutes of silence, yoga, or dedicated meditation (perhaps using the Stop, Breathe, & Think app I downloaded last challenge). [+1 WIS] [+2 DEX] A: Some form of meditation almost every day. B: 3-5 days missed C: 6-8 days missed D: 9-12 days missed F: I lack focus. Practice being a web professional. My year of service will be over in about three months. Major sadness. I've made the decision to stay in Detroit, but I need both a job and a place to live for that to become a reality. I want to do web design and development, but I don't have any professional experience and very little practical experience at all. I'm working on that... I had this past week off and went through the whole web design track on Treehouse. There's just a whole lot to know and it's difficult to know where to start as someone who's never really had a paying job before. I've got a redesign project I'm working on, but I keep learning about things I want to use (Sass and mobile first responsive design being prime examples) on the site and feeling like I don't know how to move forward. I need to work on not being so afraid to be wrong that I don't create anything at all, so this challenge I will spend at least half an hour a day in some web design related activity. This could be training videos, networking events, meeting with a mentor, reading documentation, or (*gasp*) actually working on the website I'm supposed to be building. [+2 WIS] [+2 CHA] A: Web stuff just about every day. B: 3-5 days missed C: 6-8 days missed D: 9-12 days missed F: I may have to move back in with my parents and work at McDonald's. I'm starting to feel a bit less like the chubby friend and a bit more like someone who knows how to take care of their body and spirit. My progress definitely slowed last challenge, but I'm ready to kick back into high gear! I got the invitation to my college roommate's wedding today! I want jaws to drop when I'm back in New York the week before!

Hey. I like your goals! Welcome to the Rangers! Gym-related social anxiety is the pits. It'll get easier and easier as you go along, though. You're off to an awesome start. I'll definitely be checking in throughout the challenge.

Awesome goals! And times! And long jumping mini-rebel! Keep it up, sir! P.S. Happy belated!

It seems like you've gotten off to a great start overall. Welcome to the Rangers! Ratings are entirely up to you to determine. In the past, I've rated myself based on the number of days I ate according to whatever goals I'd set for myself. Going rogue more than so many days out of the challenge meant a lower grade. I think you've hit one of the most important points, though: "And I forgave myself today and moved on."

Ah, so much greatness! It's so cool that you've got little runners to hang out with! Having that sort of example has got to be nothing but wonderful for them. I'm more than impressed by those distances and times! Loving the pictures as well. I was just talking with my housemate about how we both wish we could go trail running. For now, we've taken to running in really nice neighborhoods and fantasizing about our dream houses.

Done! I'm getting a bit of a late start, but I actually introduced a more intentional warm-up this past week without realizing it was a mini-challenge! I'll also be following along with helloandie.

THIS! I started running for the first time ever in November and now I'm training for a half-marathon with two of my friends. They're both much faster and fitter than me and this is exactly how I feel every time. It definitely gets easier, though. Yesterday, I ran 6 miles without stopping or walking! I have every confidence in you!

Hooray for a successful challenge! You seriously dominated those goals. I'm reeling at the idea of the amount of liver you must've consumed in six short weeks... Also, thanks for leading the CCC through this one!

That's wonderful! It's so beautiful that you're both taking on your health goals hand in hand. And (I have no idea how long ago it was, but) congrats on your engagement as well!

Wonderful goals! I'm confident you'll continue to take care of business this challenge!

Fabulous job with this challenge! I continue to be amazed by your endurance and speed. I've no doubt you'll rock that ultra one day soon.

Copied over from my challange thread... WOOOO!!!! Okay, so it was pretty rough towards the end there, but we made it through! This was my third full challenge. It was certainly difficult, especially since my fitness goals changed towards the end (more on that later), but I'm happy to say I'm still going strong. The grades are not great this time around, but that's okay. I tried and I did better with some things than others. Here's the breakdown: Goal 1: F Sad face. I have no doubt that this will improve because I've begun training for a half marathon, but I just wasn't consistent enough with my running. I've done more "long" runs in the past couple of weeks and have been building up my pace. As it gets nicer outside, it will definitely be much easier to get out there. The last couple of times I've gone out, I've gotten headaches. I think it might be due to dehydration (I lost my water bottle!), but I'm not entirely sure. Goal 2: C To be entirely honest, I lost track of how many miles I biked. It was a lot, particularly compared to the number of miles per week I'd biked before this challenge. I'm giving myself a C because I'm pretty sure I missed the mark by a decent margin. I didn't bike at all last week because I need to take my bike into the shop. Goal 3: A Finally, some real success! I started turning more readily to meditation when I needed to consider what was going on in my life. I also incorporated it into my community's spirituality night a couple of times. Meditation is becoming a part of my daily life. I took some yoga classes and am really looking forward to the day when I can devote more time to developing a solid practice. Life Goal: C This was just because I'm a big chicken. I did a really good job of writing just about every day, but when the time came to actually perform my own words, I didn't feel ready and wound up not even going to an open mic this past weekend. I performed a poem by Sarah Kay at an open mic early on in the challenge, but I couldn't put myself out there enough to say anything I'd written myself. So that's the recap. I've been feeling like my progress has stalled a bit, so the next challenge will hopefully be laid out a little more specifically. Anyway, congratulations to everyone!! This very post also marks the first time I've completed a whole set of mini-challenges! I think I'll add that extra stat point to my stamina. This was definitely a challenge I had to push through.