StunVengeance

Today was a good day in general, but a bad day in terms of my missions. I spent most of the day preparing the food for a friend's party, which was really fun, but it kind of messed up my general flow. *****Mission 1: Walk at least 20 minutes per day at least 5 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. It would be interesting to see what a pedometer would've said had I been wearing one, because I was on my feet preparing the food for about 5 hours. *****Mission 2: Eat 3 meals per day at least 5 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. I only had one meal a day, which sucks - exactly the behavior I am trying to eliminate. *****Mission 3: Engage in stretching for at least 10 minutes at a time 3 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. I don't even know why I bother updating this one anymore. This is so discouraging. *****Life goal: Save at least $100 by the end of the challenge. EH. I mean I didn't spend anything, so that's good, right? I need to do something really exciting so that I can brag about it to you guys, haha. My thread seems so stagnant - it's just the same ol', same ol' all the time. I'll try to find something cool and fitness related that I can do and post about, like wrestling a bear, except that I live in the heart of a city... so maybe I'll wrestle a cab driver instead. Also, I've been telling my boyfriend about the Rebellion for a few weeks now (roughly since I started the challenge). He's been perusing the articles and so forth, but hasn't spent much time on the forums. He's currently trying to guess which thread is mine, and it's kind of a fun game, since I have given him very little clues. So, JetPack, if you're reading this, you have won our bet, and I owe you a spaghetti squash. But seriously, now that you've won, start your own thread so that we can support each other's goals.

Good for you in setting these goals!! I know that physical health can have such a huge impact on mental health... I've seen it in my own life and in the lives of those around me. Once, a few years ago, I was going through a really hard time emotionally. The only way I could discharge all that negative emotion and general bleecccch was to run 3 miles, every day. I lost weight AND I felt enormously better! (And then life happened, which is why I'm here now, lol). I hope something similar happens to you (except that, unlike me, I hope that you sustain your results)!

I made it through 3 weeks! This means I can assign stat points to myself and have moved up to Level 1! Here's how the breakdown works, for those who are interested: STR 2: I'm a fairly average sized lady. Well, an average American sized lady, which is to say that I am a lady who eats lots of cheeseburgers and hot wings and my body reflects that. But I'm also wicked strong - a lot stronger than I look. I'm that person who people are always surprised and delighted to have around when they are moving. DEX 0: I had to look up dexterity while assigning points/writing this to even figure out what it meant. That's how little dexterity I have. STA 0: Stamina is the area in which I am weakest, hands down. I can barely make it up stairs without wheezing. I used to be able to walk for miles without even noticing, but as of late I get winded doing even basic tasks. Terrible. CON 3: Thankfully, in spite of all the damage I do to my body on a regular basis, I'm in excellent health. Rarely get sick (knock on wood), and my last physical showed that my bloodwork, etc, was all top notch. WIS 2: I'm smart, I guess. I read good. CHA 3: People like me. I don't know. Writing about this attribute makes me feel like a total douche. *****Mission 1: Walk at least 20 minutes per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. Also did a ton of stair work because it was laundry day *****Mission 2: Eat 3 meals per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. A cool thing that I've noticed, which I suppose is a natural consequence of completing this mission, is that I'm getting a lot better at noticing when I'm not hungry... and because I haven't been starving myself, I actually stop eating at that time. This is such a great feeling - I feel a lot more in control of my eating habits, which is something I haven't really felt before. *****Mission 3: Engage in stretching for at least 10 minutes at a time 3 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. #lamesauce *****Life goal: Save at least $100 by the end of the challenge. MIXED RESULTS. Ordered out for dinner (boo). Rebalanced my checking account (yay). Found out I'm slightly in the red in some areas (boo). Decided to sell some of the extra unused furniture around the house to make up the deficit (yay). Also, I've been having so much fun poking around other forums on the site and getting to "know" more people. I'm starting to think ahead to my second challenge and I'm getting pumped about my next missions. Need to keep my eyes on the here and now, though! (A common problem for me, ha.)

Thanks guys! I did not even know there was such a thing as Primal. That's going to make it so much easier to find recipes. I guess I was thinking about some kind of substance that would absorb all the delicious steak/bacon juices, but I suppose I can just get over my preconceived notions of what breakfast is and throw in a few veggies. Odd that the leftover idea didn't occur to me, since when I was living at home I was the freak who would eat leftover soup for breakfast while everyone else had pancakes.

Yah! Thanks!! I'm excited to recommit. Here's how today looked: *****Mission 1: Walk at least 20 minutes per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. I think it's safe to say that I'm owning this one. *****Mission 2: Eat 3 meals per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. They weren't great, but I ate them all the same. I'm really glad this one is becoming a habit. *****Mission 3: Engage in stretching for at least 10 minutes at a time 3 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. For some reason, I have no motivation to get this one done. Like at all. I've done it only twice this whole challenge. I'm trying to find out why that is, but it all sounds like excuses. I'll try to come up with more of an analysis another time. *****Life goal: Save at least $100 by the end of the challenge. NO PROGRESS. Hahaha, nope, not today. Went out for coffee TWICE. I guess it was that kind of a day. But I made dinner at home instead of going out, so I still feel pretty good about myself overall. Alrighty, I'm tired. Gonna take a pro tip from ApfelStrudi and try to get better rest tonight.

Word!

Bumping this up because I think it's an awesome idea!!

Question! I do not eat paleo - yet. My doctor is recommending that I do a sort of modified paleo. Basically, she wants me to eat paleo but leave in dairy. I am interested in dipping my toe in the water, and I'm collecting some tasty-looking recipes to see how I like it. My boyfriend is amused by the idea of spaghetti squash, so that'll be our first project. I am also allergic to eggs. Typically, I would get around that by using tofu if I really wanted something egg-like in my system, or using a beans/rice combo, but that is not paleo. I am thinking that, if I wanted something to go with like a steak or bacon in the morning, I could just fry up a sweet potato hash or something, but I have heard different sources on whether or not that is actually paleo. Thoughts?

Oh hello, all. I'd like to share something that I just realized this morning was a real victory. I had a friend in town earlier in this week and he crashed at my place for a little while. To thank me for being such a kind hostess, he brought some gifts, including a bottle of wine and a container of Trader Joe's Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ok, I drank the wine. With friends. But the container of cookies has been on my kitchen table since Monday and I haven't. Eaten. A. Single. One. It's sitting right next to me right now, and I just have no desire for them at all. This is HUGE. My diet is one of the bigger barriers to my overall health. I'm from the South originally, and I looooove things that are deep-fried, filled with chocolate, covered in butter or cream, etc etc. I also bake cupcakes like it's my job (I watch Cupcake Wars for recipe ideas, not for the entertainment value), so sweets can be a weakness sometimes. So to recap: I, someone who has a weakness for yummy treats and who bakes a lot, did NOT consume a SINGLE COOKIE that is here on this table!!!!!! That's not to say that it's all a success. Hell, I ate a donut today. But it still makes me happy. (And I didn't even like the donut.) Thanks for reading!

K1T1! How are you? How's the freezer full of elk meat? The Rebellion is anxiously awaiting to hear from you...

Holy. Crap. You have done so much since I dropped off the face of the planet 10 days ago! Nice job! I'd be interested to hear how you're doing after your "lazy" day. And your grandmother almost certainly doesn't know jack (no offense to your grandmother). I hate, hate, hate it when people are so discouraging. My dad is a certified personal trainer, and I've had to stop talking to him about my fitness goals and progress because he would CONSTANTLY tell me how much I suck. "Your nutrition doesn't even matter if you don't work out." "Running won't do you any good if you're not lifting." "You ate a salad? That doesn't matter - it's all about portion control." "You worked out yesterday? Why didn't you work out today? That was just a waste of your time if you're not gonna do it again today." Those Debbie Downers, seriously. Ugh. Also you're probably the coolest person ever. You're just doing such a great job - you are so inspiring! Your progress was a big factor in me climbing back onto the boards after 10 days off. Every day I get emails with all the new posts on this topic, and I was like "damn, I want that!" So thank you! And finally, the photo/gif are hilarious. I think you should make one of those your avatar and spread the joy far and wide across the Rebellion.

Hey Bears, How you doing? I see you haven't posted in a while. I just fell off the face of the earth too, also on August 13, but I'm back now. If you're still following the boards but not posting, please don't quit! We would love to have you back and see how you've been doing! I just wanted you to know that you're not the only one who hasn't been posting, and I hope we see more of you again soon.

Well this is embarrassing. I disappeared for quite a long time, didn't I? I'm not exactly sure how or why that happened. I know that August 14 was the last day of work before a mini-vacation - long hours at work combined with having literally nothing to do (how blissful) for 5 wonderful days really knocked me off course. Then I was too embarrassed to come back. But I missed the accountability and all of you. Anyway. Here's how the last 10 days have shaken out, as near as I can remember: *****Mission 1: Walk at least 20 minutes per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. I did walk for at least 20 minutes, every single day, and I know that because the dog would've told me if I hadn't. *****Mission 2: Eat 3 meals per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. I can say with certainty that I ate 3 meals a day for at least 8 out of those 10 days, because I typically have lunch meetings through work and I can go back through my work calendar and check. *****Mission 3: Engage in stretching for at least 10 minutes at a time 3 times per week. NOT COMPLETED. Yeah, that didn't happen at all, but is anyone surprised, really? *****Life goal: Save at least $100 by the end of the challenge. MIXED RESULTS. There was quite a lot of spending that took place over the last 10 days, what with vacation and all. Still, I did manage to cut back on some costs, so that's good. So there you have it. Not my finest last 10 days in terms of accountability, but at least I was still keeping track (sort of) of my progress on my missions. I don't want to go this long without posting again. I like this board and I need to have my butt kicked every time I slip up and go hide away. I think I really need to find an accountabili-buddy. Anybody interested? Also, is the challenge halfway over yet? Can I give myself starting stat points? Somebody let me know because that would feel like a mini milestone, having made it far enough to do that.

Ok, trying to get back on a posting schedule. Also, I discovered my race! And for now I'm a rebel, so I'll just leave it at that for now. I have plans for my class, but for now they will stay secret. My backstory is evolving, mwahaha. Here's how things shook out today: *****Mission 1: Walk at least 20 minutes per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. *****Mission 2: Eat 3 meals per day at least 5 times per week. COMPLETED. *****Mission 3: Engage in stretching for at least 10 minutes at a time 3 times per week. COMPLETED. Booyah! I was determined to make this one happen today, haha. *****Life goal: Save at least $100 by the end of the challenge. MIXED RESULTS. I bought lunch out today. And a coffee. But, I also downloaded an app for that website that pantinaprovina posted above and went over all my purchases and deposits for the month to date. Very depressing to do. I can't believe how much money I spend on eating out. It is financially crippling because I do it multiple times in a week, and physically crippling me because it's not like I eat salads or anything remotely clean at restaurants. But, as painful as it is, it's good for me to face the reality of what I'm doing to myself, because now I have the motivation to be better. Unfortunately, this means that I will likely not be able to save a full $100 over the next 6 weeks, when I look at my spending and at all the incidental expenses that are popping up over the next few months. A shame, because I was really looking forward to taking some exercise classes, especially with regard to learning what I like to do and selecting my NF class. But, I'm sure that between this website and the loads of free apps out there, I can bide my time and play around without classes. Plus, maybe it'll help me build my confidence so that I'm primed for success when I can afford more classes. Ok, enough blather. Thanks for the support, everyone! You guys are awesome, no but really.

Awesome! I'm excited to learn more about you and see your progress! I totally feel you on the clothes goal - I want to feel comfortable, not worry about numbers. Your missions sound great - good luck to you!