Rilo

After Christmas I started having the odd snack here and there, and working out only when I could be bothered. My routine went away and I kept forgetting to check back in on Nerd Fitness and these challenges were always the motivation that I needed. So I'm back to make myself some rules (that I've been trying to do for the past few weeks, but failed) and I hope that the challenge will help it be a success again this time. Luckily, I didn't gain any weight but I haven't really lost any either. Starting weight: 184 Current weight: 160 Life goal Walk along the river at least once a week. +2 Dex Basically this a really nice place to walk the dogs but sometimes I think it's too far away and I just take them to the closest place we have. But I want to start walking for longer some times so this should be a good 60 minute walk for me and them. Kinda fitness related but nothing else for the life goal really. Diet/Fitness goal 1. No snacks or soda. +2 Con Simple really. Did really well on the first challenge with this, then the second challenge I allowed cheat days and well temptation took over. Gotta be stricter. 2. Strength train 3 times a week. + 2 Str I don't have weights or a gym membership, so it will mostly be bodyweight workouts and a bagpack with books in it. 3. Start the couch to 5k program and make significant progress. +1 Cha, +3 Sta I just started going outside for runs and I've found it quite difficult. I'm just getting used to running in public, and things like that. I'm going to try and find a good run route. I'm only gonna do 10 stat points since I've missed a week.

I've been kind of lacking in getting on the computer recently (good thing?) but I have been keeping to working out and trying to keep away from junk food which as a whole has been good. I've used up all of my cheat days, which I probably shouldn't have because there's a party next week... but I'll just lower myself a grade when it comes to tallying up my points. My yoga has been going good, I actually find it quite fun now and did it twice last week instead of my usual one, and on the cleaning side I even cleared out a whole bag of stuff to give to charity. Hiraedd: I hope your push ups are going well! I have lowered my incline, 50% closer to the ground than last time and will work up to doing 40 there. I try to see how close I am to a real push up every now and again and can feel myself getting closer to the ground each time I try but it's still not very low. I don't have high hopes to completing before the challenge is over but I'll still keep trying! I like your stairs idea! I'd steal it but my stairs only have tiny space.

Thanks What are these modified push ups like? I can't really tell if incline or knee push ups are supposed to be harder. I never knew the proper form for knee push ups till today and tried one with proper form and it seemed slightly harder than incline but I didn't think it should. I've ordered a cheap pull up bar that I'm hoping will be good to use lower to the floor for inverted rows.

Done cleaning and yoga for this week, stayed away from greasy lunches and stuck to soup and some pasta salads with veggies. I'm not sure how my progress towards the push up is going, I can do 40 incline push ups in 3 sets, and I managed to lower myself maybe about an inch before collapsing during a proper push up. Still five weeks to go!

A cheat down gone for soda, so that's two left. I probably could have gone without a cup this morning but I felt really annoyed so it was nice. I also had a small truffle last night, I'm not sure whether to count this as a cheat day because I was thinking more of a slice of cake or a full packet of crisps would mean a cheat day. Maybe half a cheat day? It wasn't big but they're pretty rich. We'll see how it goes. I'm feeling slightly more motivated after going to work and hearing "have you lost weight?" it made me feel awesome! Especially cos I'm not exactly big anyway and I didn't think the weight I've lost made much difference, just need to lose some slight chub. Apparently they could notice it in my face. And now I'm gonna go work out feeling awesome.

Tinned soup is a godsend. I think I'll mostly aim for veggy soups throughout the week, have to stock up tomorrow. I want to start adding veggies as a snack, maybe some celery and carrot sticks with some healthy dip but it's hard when I don't have a fridge to put them in!

So I think this challenge I need to focus on my diet. It's hard in a house where I have no say, but I'm going to try and change it a bit at a time. I have my workouts sorted and they're becoming more of a habit than sitting on my butt was, so I'm not making them goals. Diet/Fitness Goals: 1. Clean up the diet. I cut out buying junk food during the last challenge, and because of that cut down on snacking between meals and late at night. But in this house it's pies for lunch almost every day and if it's not a pie it's a sandwich loaded with cheese or processed meat. I wanna stop eating this type of lunch because I can feel the pastry just weighing me down and making me sluggish before a workout, so I want to switch it up for something light like soup and I'll look up different things to try throughout the week and find something for lunch that will get my vegetable intake up because they don't really cook a lot of veg here. I'll allow 3 cheat days over the whole challenge for soda, and another 3 for a a junky snack treat. +2 Con, +2 Wis, +3 Sta 2. Yoga one time a week. This was part of one of my goals last time but I didn't meet it. I've got a plan now for my workouts, so I'm hoping to find the time for it and stick with it. +3 Dex 3. Do one whole push up. This one I'm not confident about, because I'm awfully weak. I'm currently doing level 1 incline push ups with the angry birds workout 3 times a week. It will be awesome if I can do one by the end of the challenge, if only to just prove myself wrong. +2 Str Life Goal: Clean my room once a week. I'm lucky if it's getting done even twice during six weeks. So hopefully I'll get this done every week! And I mean the whole lot, not just a quick tidy. +3 Cha I'm allowing myself the cheat days for the treats because I do get bad cravings and this way I can limit them. I know towards the end of the last challenge I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could indulge in an ice cream and not feel so bad, which led to a slice of cake the next day, a packet of crisps the next... So yeah, learning to limit myself more. Starting weight: 184lbs (24/07/12) Current weight: 171lbs (21/09/12) STR: 3.5, STA: 4.25, DEX: 3.5, CON: 7, WIS: 6, CHA: 4

1. Cycling an hour daily and keep to my workout regime STA + 3, STR + 2 - B (probably being hard on myself for the days I was away from home, but I did have some missed days due to that when there's no excuse) - +2.25 Sta, +1.5 Str 2. 90 minute walk and yoga one day a week DEX +2 - D (did this only a couple times, but I had no fixed plan for anything, which I need) - 0.5 Dex 3. Don't buy junk food CON +3 - A (none bought and barely any eaten) - +3 Con 4. Study daily and ready for my test WIS +3, CHA +2 - A (studied and ready) +3 Wis, +2 Cha Mini Challenge 3: Don't eat after 10pm +1 CON STR: 3.5, STA: 4.25, DEX: 3.5, CON: 7, WIS: 6, CHA: 4

I did get pumped for the workout! I found that last week a lot of my demotivation was from no proper breakfast and I had no energy. This week I had gotten my porridge back in the cupboard and was so ready for the rest of the day. ANYWAY! Challenge over. I weighed myself yesterday and I was 171lbs. My goal weight for now is about 140, I really hope to see some changes in my figure by then. I know I have lost 2 or so inches on my stomach, maybe a bit on my hips too which are the two main culprits of fat. I know tight shirts are fitting better now (I wouldn't be seen dead in a tight shirt showing my stomach off 2 months ago) but it's hard to see a change to me, even with pictures. This challenge showed me to keep track of my measurements better. Tomorrow I'm going to measure everything. Hips, waist (although I'm not sure where my waist is...), thigh, forearm. They're the parts that need to lose the weight. I also need heavier things to lift. Much heavier. Since the challenge is over now tomorrow I'm going to start work on my push ups (can't do 1) and start up the angry birds workout.

What sort of lifts could you do with a gallon milk bottle? (other than rows) I like variety, but if it's as simple as lifting it up and putting it down then I'm all for it. I bought some really light dumbbells without realising how light they were and now I'm no longer looking to spend money on weights so I'm thinking of just finding heavy things. So I'm thinking the milk bottle or the book backpack idea.

Am I the first Brit to post here? Weird. I always wanted to visit Australia until Athena posted the article to the huge spider. I hate spiders, the ones we get here are so tiny and tame compared to those over there. So yeah I live on the little island of Great Britain and it's great like the name says. What I like: - our flag is cool - there's not a load of ugly terrifying creatures unless you count some of the people - when it's hot, it's actually not as hot as some places where i'd die in the heat (20C/68F is scorching to most of us) - our fish and chip shops - all the history - even though we're a tiny place, there's still certain differences in england, scotland and wales and it's amazing when you travel over the borders and see what it's like in the other parts. different lingo, accents, and traditions interest me so it's pretty fun.

Everything's going ok really. Down to 172, so a loss of 7 pounds so far during the challenge. Almost a stone completely since the end of July! Got my theory test booked so that's a goal done! I'm totally ready, been studying every day and very confident. I haven't really been enjoying working out or looking forward to it this week. Today was a rest day and I'm hoping to get myself ready to start up again tomorrow and look forward to it.

I had my doubts after watching this video of what my bra size is. I hadn't got measured since I was 12 or 13 (now 21) and I just sort of would guess and I wore a 34C since I was 15. So I got measured the other day and I was measured a 34D (32E in this particular one) and I was so shocked at how comfortable bras are when you wear the right size. So big props to chammy for posting this. I think a lot of girls assume they have less boobage than they do because we all come in different shapes up top even if we're the same bra size. As for weight loss the majority of my weight is on my hips and stomach so I don't expect to lose much on my bust. I have another 13 pounds to lose till I'm into the "healthy" weight range for my height and age so we'll see then.

I don't have facebook either. I had it during high school. When I got rid of facebook and we all left school only one person wanted to keep in contact with me - he's a great friend and I think not having facebook showed me who actually are life long friends. It can be good to keep in contact with people. I've moved a lot through my life and it was nice to see what people I knew when I was 13 were up to now and how different they looked. But there was no want to speak with them. So I guess facebook isn't my thing. Too intrusive, boring, and gives a false sense of friends. Your friends will find a way to keep in contact no matter what. When we both were at different colleges we even wrote letters! None of this "left a comment on your wall" rubbish. Facebook is just a convinient way to see what distant acquaintances are up to, but part of me does sometimes wonder about getting it cos it's easier when family and friends are sharing photos and things like that. But the thought of all the old faces trying to barge onto my friends list is annoying.

Absurd but very tasty! So my goals are all on track except for number 2. I've only done a long walk one day and done yoga maybe 2 or 3 times. I think it's because my day of rest hasn't really been around. Or well, because I had to rest to due to injury (which I did yoga to help, but couldn't manage a walk) I turned that into my resting time and carried on with my usual afterwards. Then the party turned into my resting time and I had no time to fit in yoga or walking. So I'm just going to go ahead and say I've failed it. Maybe next time I'll work on a goal to keep a proper work out timetable and stick to it. Right now I'm just doing what I know I should be doing on alternate days whenever I feel like it. I'm ready to sit my test, just have to get it all booked now.