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Okay just playing in the Battle log section got lonely. - Lose 2lbs - Drink 2L water every day - Floss and brush every day - Apply to at least 1 job How do I plan on losing 2lbs? Attempting to listen to my hunger cues. Eat when hungry, don't eat when not hungry. I might play with some fasting stuff. Move more.

This setup started out okay in the last challenge until shit blew up so let's try again. There are 4 categories and I need to do one thing for at least three every day; no other guidelines, just one thing that will help in that area of my life. 1 - a food thing 2 - a movement thing 3 - a stress relieving thing 4 - a thing related to finding a job or learning a new skill please send spoons.

This time is all about keeping up the things that have worked for me, keeping me well, keeping me happy. A not fully inclusive list : -organized fitness 6 days/ week -eating well/ not over-indulging on snacks -reducing alcohol -sleep enough -listening well -pausing before I speak, especially in irritation -meditation/review time -mentally prepare for the day -remember we are all human, flaws and struggles included -advocate clearly and calmly for myself I will add if I think of anything else. Obviously some of these are harder to quantify but I will try to bring organization to them anyway.

I’m back. I am so glad for this community and its acceptance of respawners such as myself. Thank you, everyone. I can always try again, right? That’s what I’m going to go with. I need to learn to accept my own failures as much as those around me do. I need to give myself as much grace as I do others who don’t meet their aims. This time around, here’s my plan: 1. Exercise 3x a week for 30 minutes each session. 2. Practice meditation 3x a week, working my way up to 15 minutes. 3. Drink at least 1 liter of water each day. 4. Get up at least an hour before my son so that I can start my day right, daily. I really need to nail down these habits, so if you’re reading this, consider sticking around and encouraging me along! I’ll do my best to reciprocate.

A couple of days late due to travel, but I am happy to pounce upon a new challenge. What to expect: Ambitious goals that I will profit from pursuing even if I don't succeed 100% Charts and graphs Random photos Enthusiasm and optimism but also probably some snark Musings on assorted tangents Also, fair warning to the visually minded among you: I have changed my user icon to a custom avatar I had designed by an artist I love. Sorry for any discombobulation. And now the question that matters: what am I up to this time? Three things! 1. NOT EATING CHOCOLATE You know those people in multi-decade toxic codependent relationships with shitty partners who are nothing but bad news for them, but inexplicably they keep getting sucked back in? That is the story of Severine and chocolate. Chocolate is kind of an asshole who has never had anything but a negative experience on my life, health, self-esteem, etc. and offers me so very little in return (most of the time I barely enjoy it; it's more compulsion/addiction than anything). Yet, it's been so hard for me to stay broken up with chocolate. It took me a long, long, long time to realize that moderation simply does not work for me with chocolate. On the bright side, I have given up chocolate completely twice in my life (once for more than six months!). Both times, it was an unequivocal and drastic improvement, positive in every single way. Yet, due I think to inadequate awareness of the challenges of maintaining that policy, and attendant lack of planning on my part, I stumbled back into chocolate's sinister embrace both times. So, let's repeat what worked so well and iterate on it to solve the problems that arose last time. I will be tracking this, reflecting on it, and working to make a durable long-term plan with necessary contingencies. 2. IMPROVING MY HANDWRITING I don't think it's any secret that I love notebooks, journalling by hand, doodling, etc. As such, I probably pay more attention to my handwriting than is standard. It has been bothering me for quite a while that my handwriting seems to be getting sloppier. The reason isn't mysterious: I don't write by hand anywhere near as much as I used to, and my muscle memory isn't what it was. Plus, I am often in a rush when writing these days (sometimes for legit reasons like needing to note things down during a video call, but often just because I am impatient), which just makes things worse. And then not loving my handwriting means I write less...which means worse handwriting. Vicious cycle. I'll post a separate post with a 'before' sample. Good handwriting is often incorrectly associated with being smart or organized, but it's a physical skill, and it responds to physical training, not thoughts or intentions or strategies. Just as I would need to do strength training if I wanted to get better at lifting things, I need to do handwriting drills/practice to improve my handwriting. My goal is to do this for a short period of time every day, probably about 10 minutes. I will periodically post the progress. I am confident that I will see a concrete improvement over the duration of the challenge. This is important for me because I really enjoy writing by hand - I do it for stress relief and creativity and fun and the neurological benefits (esp. with regard to learning), and I want to feel completely positive about it, not have this lingering dissatisfaction with my physical handwriting skill decreasing my enjoyment. 3. USING MY EXPENSIVE ELLIPTICAL BECAUSE COME ON SEVERINE I have probably mentioned that I find it difficult to spend money on anything that isn't strictly necessary. We bought the elliptical recently for very good reasons, but the consciousness of its cost is still kind of needling at me, and I know from experience that the more I use it, the better I will feel about the purchase. So I'd like to try and get into the habit of using it every day, even if it's not for that long. As such, I'm setting myself a goal of at least 15 minutes on the elliptical every day unless I'm too sick for it to be advisable (hopefully this will not happen). C'est parti!

Yeah, yeah. Those of you who've been around a while have seen THAT before LOL. Right along with "and this time I mean it". But, I'm gonna keep laser focusing on that because it truly, truly is that LAST key piece to my fitness struggle. So, my challenge is raising my step count on my fitbit to 5k and hit it 5 days a week. I'd love, love to hit 10k a day at some point. My body is capable of it. It's cooling off and there's no real reason I can't walk twice a day other than weather (rain and avoiding sun rays). Can't do a WHOLE lot about rain, but I have "sun sleeves" and hats - so I need to stop using "I can only walk in the shade" as an excuse - because that's what it is..... an excuse. Enough challenge stuff LOL. In other news, I just made it back (and am recovering) from DragonCon - where I totally averaged > 10k steps a day. Every year we do a little less - getting older SUCKS - but we hit a few panels, saw some old friends and were amazed at everyone's Cosplay. If ya'll are interested in seeing pictures - Search FB Groups for Dragon Con (Official) and Dragon Con (Unofficial). There will be a lot of cross-over as many folks are in both groups - but tons and tons of pictures - some by pros. I think my personal favorite costume was Marvin the Mandalorian - a crossover Marvin the Martian as a Mandolorian character. Brilliantly done (and he was in the "masquerade" where you have to show that you constructed the piece, so yes he designed and did all of the armor himself). Barbie and Ken were EVERYWHERE - and everything you can imagine was Barbiefied - from a Barbie Mandalorians and Storm Troopers to "Hungover DragonCon Barbie". Folks are so brilliantly clever and talented. I've always loved Cosplay but never was good at designing my own stuff. I'm CONSIDERING working with Mom to design a kind of universal wrap dress pattern, then using fabric and fabric paint to design some nerdy nods in dress form which would work as something cool\comfortable for Con and if not too in your face I can wear it outside of Con too. I really, really want a skirt out of the Dr. Who van Gogh pattern.

I used to go on long walks with a friend of mine in Boston, talking about all manner of things; he is a compassionate person, wonderfully frank, and shared my willingness to talk about a near-endless random collection of seemingly unrelated things. We discussed anything and everything, and once I said to him jokingly that many of my problems in life stemmed from my fundamental inability to fully accept the basic principles of cause and effect. He asked me what I meant by that, and in the process of explaining what I had thought was a cleverly self-deprecating joke, I came to the terrifying realization that it was actually true. Click to expand for the explanation. Warning: non-detailed reference to family violence. I have this problem not only with food, but with work (procrastination and motivation issues), relationships (neglecting to keep in touch despite still being friends with the person in my head), sleep (not even really trying to get enough), various health-adjacent things (not doing PT exercises, following my skin-care routine, or flossing enough), and a host of other things including the very passage of time itself (I am chronically late because my brain can't seem to accept that if it takes 25 minutes to drive somewhere, watching a video on YouTube until 24 minutes before my appointment starts is not going to work out). More recently, I was told by two different therapists that some of this struggle with cause and effect is potentially caused by executive function deficits linked to PTSD, ADHD, or both. I have read about the problems people with these issues experience with things like long-term planning, impulsivity, decision-making, motivation, concentration, etc. and a lot of it is hauntingly familiar. I've been thinking about all of this a lot recently with respect to my goals and plans, especially after what I learned during the last challenge. Fundamentally, there are two major issues: When I do things that are likely to work against my goals, it doesn't truly feel (in a visceral, down-in-my-gut way) like I am causing any problems; and When I do things that are likely to get me closer to my goals, it doesn't actually feel like I am getting anywhere or progressing toward something good. So, as insane as this sounds, my main goal for this challenge is to work on reconnecting with the fundamental truth of cause and effect. 1. Walking: at least 15 minutes every day and 30 or more at least four days a week. The positive effects of walking are as follows: Immediate: time to myself for listening to podcasts and music and thinking, spending time outdoors, and feeling the mood boost of motion. Medium- to long-term: better cardio fitness, wide-ranging physiological effects of exercise ranging from blood sugar regulation to neurological benefits, strengthening joints and stabilizer muscles, and mental health benefits. CONNECTING TO CONSEQUENCES: I will write a little mantra to focus on the immediate consequences and repeat it at the beginning and start of my walks. To help keep the longer-term benefits in mind, I will read at least one scientific paper or article each week on the long-term benefits of exercise, and I will, each day, actively imagine a version of a future me who is active and healthy and doing things I really want to do, e.g. hiking in the mountains without collapsing. 2. Keeping a food record: any format, any level of detail, as long as I'm actively recording my food choices in some way. After a lot of reflection, I think what I like about food tracking is that it makes eating feel real and concrete; it helps me remember that I am a biological organism ingesting molecules with specific chemical compositions, not some character in a book or movie who eats and sleeps when it fits with the plot and the scene and doesn't eat or sleep when it would be boring to show it, and the connection between eating and sleeping and the rest of life isn't treated seriously because it's not an important part of the story. The point of this challenge element is not to change what I'm eating. I can eat whatever I want. The purpose of this is just to pay attention and remember that it's real and it matters. Some days I might use my app and some days I might just write things in a notebook. It all counts. 3. Do one thing each day from my list of "things I theoretically want to do for self-care but never seem to actually do" and actively remind myself why I am doing it. This is an embarrassingly long list. Some examples: Flossing 10 minutes of using my neck traction device to help with my shoulder/neck issue. PT exercises for my shoulder and neck. 10 minutes of Headspace meditation. 10 minutes in the garden. Normal (non-PT) stretches. Moisturizing my chronically dry feet. Doing my (face) skincare routine. CONNECTING TO CONSEQUENCES: before or after or while I am doing the thing, I will say out loud (whispering is fine) something like, "by doing this, I am helping myself because..." with the appropriate details. I will consciously focus on and visualize the positive impact I am creating and imagine my future self thanking me for taking good care of her. I have no idea if any of this is going to work.

hi my name is flea and after 9.5 years on here i'm still a hot mess. current attempt is to do one thing in at least 3 of 4 categories every day beyond what i normally do. if it works i may tighten up the rules later in the challenge. wish me luck. send cat gifs. 1 - a food thing 2 - a movement thing 3 - a brain thing 4 - a batcave thing

I was on the fence about starting this one now. On the one hand, I do want to add more of a narrative flair to my challenges, complete with characters, a story arc, etc. On the other...well, the idea machine just ain't working right now. I don't want to let my writer's block get in the way of building some healthier behaviors, so I'll start with just my mini projects for now and will build in the narrative stuff later once I have the time to sit down and come up with some better ideas. So here goes: Mini projects: 1. Clear headed: No beer until Saturday the 29th. 2. Reconnaissance: Every day, until Saturday the 29th, go for a walk somewhere. No minimum distance. 3. Lore: Do 1 hour of work reading on Sat the 29th (so it must be done on Sat. The goal is to get me accustomed to doing little bits of weekend work.) 4. Well supplied: Finish organizing garage. (The garage shelves are finished. Now, I just need to put the garage back together and get my things in their new home. Might also use this time to brainstorm some new construction projects.) 5. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot": Daily minimum 5 minute piano noodling each day until Sat the 29th. I've got an event I'm going to on Sat (nothing major-just a hangout with the bros), so that will be my day to update mini project progress.

I'm here. My life has been in a bit of turmoil personally, but I'm still trying to be my best me. I'm not changing much from the last time. Feeling like it's a good time to set up Stoic practice and that means setting a plan for myself. I will report back on what that looks like.

Deep Space 9; Season 7, Episode 10. Nog has been through battle and seen friends killed and injured and has lost his leg. Serious PTSD. He deals by checking himself into the holosuite with Vic Fontaine full time. Vic finally kicks him out saying “You have to play the cards life deals you “ I have been denying my cards. Saying it’s not so bad, it’s no big deal. But after several visits to the ER and with surgery scheduled next month, I have to accept it and deal with my shitty card. I have a bad heart. Born that way. I always tried to just minimize it but after seeing how the doctors are reacting I can’t deny it anymore. It is a big deal. I’ve had atrial fibrillation and an irregular heartbeat my entire life. (the RVRs, rapid ventricular rate are the scary ones. Feels like my heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest.) I always knew that someday it would get worse. Someday has arrived and it has gotten worse. A whole lot worse. I blame the pandemic and the stress and my fat but that doesn’t matter. The reality is I have a bad heart. I want to exercise more and get to at least my pre pandemic level of fitness but exercise of any kind seems to send me into irregular heartbeat and then to the hospital. (You want to get to the front of the line at the ER? Tell them you have an irregular heartbeat. They’ll whip you back for an EKG and then into a bed. Paperwork? Screw the paperwork!) I have an appointment coming up with the doctor doing the surgery and i need to talk to him about exercising and getting some of my fitness back. I don’t want to. I’m scared that he’ll say that I can’t. I want to pretend that everything is fine and ignore my problems. But my problems won’t let me ignore them. I have to play the cards life dealt me. I have a bad heart. There, I said it. That’s reality. So I can’t exercise but I can eat better and take off some of the weight. And I have been working on that. Sadly eating healthier means cooking and taking time to plan and cook And I am tired a lot of the time (I don’t like these new meds, not doing very well on them). I should be working on my healthyish lunch but I’m tired. Going back to bed for a while.

So I have been trying to sit down write out a "Hi, I am back, the world is still dumb, sorry I disappeared" post for a week and a half. Honestly, I have a word doc with notes and sentences and gifs and stuff on my computer open with these things. But the way I am writing this shows its not going well. I didn't mean to take last challenge off, it just fell off my radar. I was emailing @fleaball and told her I was just out of spoons. But this challenge has come around, my weight is a new high of 315, I am tired, I am stressed, and I feel like I work and come home nad collapse every day. I stopped all walking. I stopped doing boxes, I just kinda existed and I hate it. So I am trying again. Things are still bad at work, its the busy time, great time to reset. I mean I worked 12 hours yesterday and 11 the day before and well, more than that the week before that. So yea, I am back. I am doing boxes. I just need to do something because I really really can't keep doing this. I need my life back. Adding the Gifs I had collected to make a fun Hi, sorry I left post. Ugh, the second gif link is bad. this annoys me. Maybe someone can get it to work. I need to go to work. its almost 6 am. https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/226379337_4383410528346736_5132151508722304137_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=gGYkAQEWJ4UAX9_P2BD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjuxZqXChxAZ9OwtVa9z_Fsu4QpYDgXXCZaFV9uEJ9SA&oe=64C8DD5D (This is my life. Someone send spoons or help, or reminders that this is not what life is) That last sentence is really bad and I want to take it out. but at the same time. That is truth for you

ugh. I was doing well. then I noticed I was doing well so I stopped doing that and did the opposite. What a pain in the ass. Up on time AM shower brush tooths skin care Breakfast Morning anti-crazy pills Pack lunch AND remember to take it to work to work on time - I chose Starbucks over punctuality wear make up - I don't feel like it Lunch Afternoon anti crazy pills Leave work at 5 Clean house in preparation for cleaning crew. Cleaning crew is doing an initial deep clean and I don't want them using their time on surface level stuff that I can take care of before they get there. Get ready for bed at 9:30 PM Shower brush tooths again Take practical joke amount of vitamins/supplements Actually go to bed track food and also be in a calorie deficit BMR 2053 Intake Goals: 1700 Total Intake: 2033 (I feel like I am forgetting something here?) Total Outgo, according to FITBIT: 3062 Monday Calories : -1029

Thanks to my patron saint of well-being and accountability (the inimitable @fleaball, who is a good influence even though she took umbrage the last time I said so), I am back and working on building some positive momentum after *gestures vaguely at the previous eight months*. My last challenge did me a lot of good (as so many challenges have done), and then once it was over I stopped paying so much attention to my goals like a dumbass (as I have so often done when confronted with success) and so of course *more vague and disappointed gesturing*. I watched the Dungeons and Dragons movie recently on Netflix, and there's a scene I appreciated where the bard, in trying to swindle his friends into sticking with the mission despite his shit leadership and repeated disasters, says "we must never stop failing, because the minute we do, we've failed." Made me laugh, but it's also true, so it is in that spirit that I am back here yet again. Okay, so what is going on and what do I need to do about it? Something interesting happened since I was last here: in January, I went back to school for an MS in Computer Science, via a program specifically designed for career switchers whose undergrad degree wasn't in CS. I'm currently in the bridge portion of the program, which is basically just a series of prereq courses to make up for what I'm missing before starting the full-on Masters courses. I've been doing well and learning a lot, although to say that a return to studenthood was not a good thing for my self-care and healthy habits would be a hilarious understatement. However! I am me, so it can't be that simple. I periodically have doubts that perhaps I'm making the wrong move and that I won't be able to find a job linked to my technical interests (mostly educational tech and computer-assisted language learning/translation). I miss helping people and feeling like my work has larger purpose, and an old idea I once had about getting a Masters in Counselling Psychology and becoming a therapist has resurfaced. So of course I have researched what would be required for that (roughly the same amount of schooling as my current plan). My people are supportive and have encouraged me to do whatever feels right. But if I'm going to switch, it needs to be ASAP, so I need to decide. But I can't decide. So a big part of the challenge has to be about figuring that out. Preferably before CS classes restart in late August. Thing the first. I would be particularly eager to get perspective from any of you who work in either of these two fields or anything related. Also, I need to get exercise back into my routine. Nothing crazy: I just need to walk and stretch. Thing the second. Finally, I would like to limit fried food to once per week. Thing the third. I should also mention my unease about an upcoming appointment with my endocrinologist. This involves bloodwork for (1) annual testing to make sure my cancer hasn't returned and (2) monitoring my blood glucose/A1C, because my doctor was concerned I was at risk for T2 diabetes. The appointment is on August 4, so fingers crossed. I wish everyone the best of luck with their own challenges ❤️

Yep. I'm still trying to walk. My one goal is drag my sorry a$$ out of bed in the morning and walk. That's it. That's the challenge. We're working to lock down some new stuff with hubby's company so we're busy AF. Business meeting about an event later this year tomorrow and working a takeout for another series of events where their current network vendor has not been doing a good job so we're working our contacts on their next big event and helping some coordination and some other sticks in the fire may catch so fingers crossed 2024 is "the year" to actually get his company off the ground and running.....

So I am out of spoons, but I have been staring at this finished challenge for 2 weeks and I haven't started it. Honestly, I have been looking at the challenge going .. But but but spoons. And last challenge was all about the fact I have no spoons. I didn't even knew where they were physically or emotionally. But I realized, I can't keep living like this. I feel so much older than I really am. I am tired all the time, I am peopled out and I am over the whole damn world. However, I still have to adult, even if I really do believe adulting is all fake it till you make it. Currently, Chaos is winning our battle. Kitchen still has no countertops, and I am hoping they can measure for the damn countertops on Friday. I really don't want to hear we are too far out of level again. Sinus infection from Kitchen Demo won't go away Basement torn up since we are putting the old cabinets that still function down there Work is still a mess. Boss is still grumpy that I am too negative and what not but coworker is in ALL trouble. Kinda hoping something happens there, but if so, then I will be the ONLY PERSON that knows how to do anything, and that is how I didn't use my vacation last year. *Shrug* Mom--- yeah, enough said. She is just leaving tools around again instead of asking for help on things. Agents are stressed cause finals and school and peopling and learning to drive Still can't cook, so how do you eat better? Lets not look at a scale My house is destroyed Anxiety on high setting Depression on highest setting And Seedlings need to start going outside so they can do something to make food. So yea, I am done. But I am finding that my sitting here, waiting for things to change, is not helping. Its making it worse. I just feel trapped and useless, so why try. So going to try starting tomorrow (today had MORE PEOPLE) and I haven't been sleeping. Boxes will be a thing again. I can post if people care. Right now, I just need to do the things that help. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now. And maybe something will change or I can fake it until it changes. Anyone able to kick me until I start doing something. Momentum is hard

Last challenge went pretty well and I'm going to roll on with the same thing. Just keep trying to do things. Next verse, same as the first. Also copy and paste with a few changes. 1. Do the exercise run/walk 3 days per week, minimum 2 miles. Try for more running than walking. continue through GMB floor loco and integral strength. Try to do it outside and despite that people might see me. new this time: once a week weigh in, Tuesday mornings 2. eat the food use the fall back plan for breakfast, savory oats. Try to resist bacon most of the week plan and make ahead lunches. Try to avoid the siren call of chips and munchies avoid the alcohol. just try new this time: add more protein 3. enjoy things got decent knitting needles so it is less challenging now. try to make time read for fun. try to sit still see what life brings. try to be open to what is offered. new this time: finish one sewing pattern, probably linen shorts I also loosely want to explore Stoicism just bit more, so time to hit the library!

I'm going to recycle the goals I've been using the past couple of challenges , with a few tweaks, because they're working well. Goals: 1. Eat slowly to satisfied, with a target goal of losing 2 lbs during the challenge 2. Strength train 3x per week 3. Stretching & balance routine 5x per week 4. Meditate 4x per week 5. Do something creative at least 2x per week

Trying to get annoying basic issues solved to make space for addressing the bigger ones later. 1 - track food no matter how much I hate doing it 2 - spend 2 minutes improving my living space 3 - drink warm water with lemon first thing in the morning 4 - use prescription toothpaste at bedtime

Last challenge I managed to get things done and feel productive. Dare I say I feel a bit like pre-burnout Rookie? I want to keep this progress going while I have the energy. I like the flexibility of being able to choose what I want to do each day so I will continue with that format. I'm not ready to track calories yet so my hope is that by meal planning I will be lessening the amount of takeout we order and thus lowering my calorie intake. I've been unemployed since May 1 and I've been recharging my batteries after being in the same job for 10 years. I've enjoyed the time but I'm worried I'll get rusty and forget my coding (especially the new stuff) if I don't get back to work soon. My brain is fun like that. So I need to get the resume up to date and start applying. I'll be able to really enjoy my time off if I know I have a job lined up. Dailies - Do 3 side quests a day - Brush, floss + pill - Drink 2L water Weeklies - write down meal plan each week - do creative thing - do job related thing Challenge Quests - Abby painting [50%] - Birthday invite for friend [100% ] - Resume updated and reviewed [10%] - Bonus: Apply to at least 1 job Side quest ideas Weekly Progress

Hey all, it's been a bit. Seems like something is always coming up when I think of starting up a challenge post. I'm late to this challenge, but I figured I would start something anyway. Better that, then thinking I'll just wait till the next one The last couple of weeks, I have been trying to get a little more consistent with a few things like sleep. This challenge I might start off smaller and add to it as I progress. We'll see how it goes. I feel like I'll be keeping it pretty casual. A driving force to me really needing to get myself going. High blood sugar tests. Even on medicine. So I need to get this fixed. Then just in general more family deaths, has made me look back to watching to just be able to live a much better life. Also, things may change some because my wife is getting a knee replacement on the 14th. So bowling and pretty much everything else I do is on pause to help take care of her. I hope to be able to get some things going around that I can continue during this time too. So let's get to it. Goal#1 - If I am too tired, I won't do squat Sleep is so very important. I've been working on it again, but I certainly have had the go to bed at 2am+ too often. I just haven't been getting the best sleep. Losing weight will also help get better sleep. So it will all work together. It's summer, so I don't have to worry about taking the kid to school till sometime in August. I have been enjoying my reading as well, even when I go too late at night haha. My wife also bought a sleep mask for me to help with the light Though it is a pain to have a sleep mask and cpap mask on. Off to read at 10:30pm Off to bed at 11:30pm Goal#2 - Movement For the moment, I want to start off with 15 minutes walk. Hopefully I can still do this while taking care of my wife too. For now, I can start the daily incense in Pokemon Go. It's 15 minutes. Walking around my block takes about 13 minutes or so. That is pretty much what I want as my start. Eventualyl either making more time per walk or adding in a second walk later on. Maybe after a week or so I can also start doing some home workouts in. I know I would be able to have that going while I was helping my wife. First though, I want to try to get walking going. Plus getting back to walking will help improve my mood too 15 minute walk each day. Goal#3 - Tracking foods Part of finding out my blood sugar numbers were really bad, was I looked closer to what I have been eating and drinking. Obviously, I knew getting and eating candy or sweets can be bad. I found I was drinking a powered drink mix thinking it was ok. It had maltitol as a sweetener, and that was spiking my numbers a lot. I was drinking a lot of it too haha. At least I figured that out, and took it out. With the blood sugar numbers, I also considered jumping back to keto. Then thinking maybe more keto with fruit or something. First though, I am going to give a shot at losing weight with tracking calories. Lower calorie higher volume is more what I want. More proteins, more veg and fruit etc. Track food intake each day in Cronometer That will be enough. There is plenty more I want to add in, but I want to just focus getting more consistent in each of these errors. No grading really.

I resisted the temptation to use this on my last challenge, but after the last week I feel very justified. Covid sucks. So, Mushu gifs aside. I couldn’t think of a title for this challenge so I pulled out my (much neglected) tarot deck and pulled cards until I hit a 7 because this is my 7th challenge. Seven of Wands courage, inner strength A single wand stands up tall, ablaze with light. The others fall away in shadow. Such is the story of the seven of wands. You’ll not find any strength or support from others, only yourself. It’s time to be truly courageous and stand up for your beliefs. You may feel overwhelmed with caution and fear, but your internal fire will guide the way. - the wild unknown tarot, kim krans I had to laugh when I read this. My interpretation: stop dithering (i.e. collecting underpants) and get to it. How… appropriate. Quest #1. Save Money. Goal: Save 1 month’s rent. I might be getting ambitious here, but I'll halve the time on completing my 6-month buffer if I do it this way, and June is the last month where I'm expecting a bunch of OT. If there's a time to try and bank extra, this is it. Quest #2. Track Food. Goal: Eat out fewer than 28x this challenge. (35x if it’s just coffee) Quest #3. Gain Flexibility and Endurance. Goal: Complete daily movement. In a somewhat coincidental turn of events, an app that I've had for years but only use on and off had an all-access sale today. I've now got premium access to all sorts of instructional videos and the goal this challenge is to pick a course and work my way through it. Quest #4. Reading. Goal: 1 chapter per week. I will defeat this book. One day. Honestly, considering how many years this has taken, it really should be an Epic Quest but whatever. Damn Brick. Quest #5. Make Money. Goal: Free up enough time for IATSE calls. Deadline: June 26th. Epic Quest: D&D Goal: Write up a complete campaign. I have determined that this is the stuff of Epic Quests. I’ll post updates here when they happen, but it gets done when it gets done. Reward Tiers. So. Rewards. Something I have completely neglected in the past but also something I want to think on, so this slot is here.

And we're back after a several week-long (and much needed) hiatus and ready to roll. Got a few more bad habits to shake, a couple of updated perspectives, etc. etc. One thing I want to start doing this time around is to plan my challenges a little bit better. In the past, there's been a focus on building healthy habits through identifying things that I do routinely (each day, each week, etc) which is useful, but is also incomplete. Building habits without any particular end in mind feels too much to me like just building a habit for the sake of a habit. It doesn't go anywhere. There's no endgame. Instead, it felt too much like an endless slog of self-improvement protips. So, different approach. Let's strategize, do some good ol' fashioned SWOT* analysis, and figure out a strategy to get where it is that I want to go. *SWOT Analysis-Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats. Step 1: Decide on End State. Step 2: Assess Current State. Step 3: Assess Threats and Weaknesses. Step 4: Assess Opportunities and Strengths. Step 5: Devise and Execute Strategy. 1. Decide on End State. At the end of the five four week challenge, here's where I'm hoping to be: 1. Eating out limited to once per week. 2. Sufficient meals prepped to enable #1. 3. Significantly curbed "zonk out in front of computer" time. 4. Awareness of what I'm putting in my body. That means tracking my food. I'm not happy about this one, and it's going to be hard, but it is what it is. I need to be aware of how much food I'm putting into my body. I'll need to do my utmost to keep my perfectionist tendencies from short-circuiting my goal here. Progress, not perfection. 5. Moving more. Less time on my butt in front of a computer and more time on my feet. 6. Increasing my time spent working on the weekends to take pressure off of my weekday work time. 7. Get back to regular (daily) piano practice routines. Even 15 mins per day will be fine. It's high time I got back to that. ---- And just to have it down, let's add in a couple of things that I hope will happen but won't lose sleep if they don't. 7. Basement repairs finished. (Yes, we are 6 months from when the flood ruined our basement. Yes, the insurance company is being jerks about it. Yes, I'm extremely pissed.) 8. Significant progress made on building a new workbench / mitre saw station for the garage. (Ideally, it will be complete by then, but not stressing it if not). 2. Current State. Diet is not so good. There's the recurring "something sweet" theme that happens almost daily where my wife and I talk ourselves into getting something--Ice cream, chocolate, gummy worms, etc. to cap off the night (when I was a kid, my parents called this "bedtime dessert" and it became pretty much an expectation that we'd get some kind of candy bar or something right before laying down for the night). Then there's the beer that's also basically an every day thing, but with the occasional dry week or couple of days. Then there's the running out of stocked up meals in the fridge and just ordering out which is both bad for our bank accounts and our health. My weekday routine consists of getting done with the workday, cooking dinner (or ordering once the fridge stores run out), and then gaming until bedtime, usually while drinking a couple of beers. On weekends, I usually fill one day with some kind of project and then the other day with a marathon gaming session. My gaming has picked up significantly since I finished my second computer build, and I suspect that some of it is driven by being able to play games previously unplayable on my older machine. Some of it is also driven by a desire to make good use of my investment because some of those parts weren't cheap. When not doing that, I was mindlessly scrolling reddit, but that's been curtailed since the API controversy. Work could be more fun, but still feels kind of like a slog as I have to motivate myself to do most things. I enjoy my job, and I get to do a lot of the things that I find fun--reading about esoteric topics, writing, strategizing client engagements--but I get pre-occupied by cravings for video game time and goofing off time (or maybe just turn-my-brain-off time?). My wife and I both game a lot, mostly to distract ourselves from the stress of day-to-day life. I want more interaction with her as well which requires pulling my nose out of this machine. And piano basically hasn't happened at all since I moved it back into the unfinished basement when we bug-bombed the house a month ago. 3. Assess Weaknesses and Threats. Weaknesses: -Work takes up a huge chunk of my weekday time and energy, and cooking dinner takes another huge chunk, so I'm left with not a lot of time to do much during the week. -I've got workout equipment in the garage, but going in that building depresses me because there's a huge crack in the concrete, and every time I see it I think "This needs to get fixed, and damn is it going to cost me a lot of money." -My workout space isn't very organized. Weights and other stuff are stored on the floor or on top of coolers. Might not be a big deal to most, but I've learned that having an organized space is important to me. -I don't have much in the way of workout-appropriate attire. Shoes starting to show their age (and I don't think they're really running shoes per se). Also don't have much in the way of workout equipment, but I've got enough to get me by. -Fridge space is very limited due to having a small fridge. Kitchen storage space is also pretty limited. -I'm a perfectionist. I tend to feel waves of guilt when I'm not measuring up to my own impossible expectations. I don't post on here as much as I think I should or I lapse on a commitment to myself, and then it all falls apart. -My property is very shady which doesn't leave me much in the way of gardening options. Threats: -Gaming is really tempting now that I've got some beefier hardware, and it's hard to resist. -Cravings for beer or sweets hit and its all I can think about. These get especially pronounced when I have a hard day and just want comfort. -There's plenty of stuff that can quickly throw me into a shit mood which will easily derail any attempts at self improvement. There's domestic stuff to stay on top of. We're still battling flea issues with the puppies. The $#$%#$ basement still hasn't been fixed and our insurance company is being the opposite of helpful. Work has its various frustrations and stressors. And the money just doesn't come in as much as I'd like it to (it never does). -Work is getting more complex, and I'm now taking on tasks that I don't understand (more strategic layer stuff) and am leveraging down the stuff that's easy for me. That's the way this is supposed to work, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. -I've also been cajoled into coming in to the office at least once per week which cuts into my weekday routine significantly. It also means devoting resources to improving my wardrobe (which, let's face it, needed to happen regardless). 4. Assess Strengths and Opportunities. Strengths: -I'm a damn good cook, and I know my way around the kitchen better than the average bear. I also enjoy eating most vegetables. -I've got a supportive community, both here and IRL. My wife is also highly motivated in the journey to make ourselves healthier and happier. -I still have my health and my youth. My knees work fine. No major injuries or ailments to contend with. Same for my wife. -No kids or dependents aside from the critters, and none anticipated any time soon. -Cash flow is currently pretty good, and expected to improve as time goes on. -Work is pretty flexible if demanding. I don't have set office hours. As long as I get in my minimum amount of time each week, I should be good. I'm respected at my job, and I do good work. Opportunities: -Got several good grocery stores around. The usual suspects, plus a farmer's market or two within relatively short distance. -I do have the basic workout equipment. Weight set, Olympic bar, bench. There's a lot you can do with just that stuff. -Also some nice walking trails nearby. -Plus a kayak. -I've also got lots of tools in the garage-Enough to enable me to build the organizational tools that I require if I have to. I've also got various technology tools to help me out. And meal trackers have been getting better these days. 5. Devise and Execute Strategy. Whew. Okay last bit. In light of all that, here's the breakdown for this challenge. 1. Daily-Track basic meals in my meal tracker. I'm not going to shoot for catching everything. Just the easy stuff. I'm also not going to stress tracking "beer" in the tracker. I'll pick one "beer" that will serve as a default beer in the tracker, and each time I have one, I'll track it that way. (Meal planners seem to be notoriously bad at recording beer calories which drives my perfectionist brain crazy. [though this ought to be an indicator of how bad beer for you is in that the ingredient labeling standards don't appear to be nearly as robust?]) 2. Weekly-Devote at least 30 minutes each week to building out my recipe collection in my meal tracker to make #1 easier. 3. As needed-Computer time on a timer. I'll set a timer to monitor my computer time. Reporting here will be limited to just whether I did that for the day or not. 4. Weekly-Devote at least a portion of my weekend time to meal planning and prep activities. That includes cooking, but also grocery planning, shopping, etc. I also intend to cook at least a few dishes each week that can serve as staples (so a braise or some other kind of meal that I can mix and match with other stuff). 4b. Look up a video on how to re-heat rice. For some reason, every time I try to reheat cooked rice, the texture's always way too dry, so I end up throwing out leftover rice. 5. Daily-Step goal of 8,000 steps. 6. Weekly-Minimum 1 hour of weekend work. Rule: That hour must be spent ONLY on work tasks that I enjoy and that excite my curiosity. Save the unpleasant stuff for the work week. I want my weekend work time to be something that I look forward to and not something that I dread. 7.Daily-Min 15 minutes piano practice time. Downstairs in my unfinished basement if need be.

Hey. Me again! I'm still here after all these years. If you're new - feel free to read more inside the spoiler. I've improved many, many aspects, but this walking thing STILL eludes me - so I'm here - again - to try to build that habit back. So - if you've been on my other threads, I laser focus on one, maybe 2 things - and while I've improved tons of stuff I admit I haven't really focused the last few challenges - but I'm going to try to actually focus on walking this time around (and this time, I mean it - no really LOL). So - weather permitting - I want to get in one walk per day - every day. Could be 5 min, could be 30. I just need to get out and walk. I will, of course ALSO post when I make a particularly good new recipe and cross-post to my recipe thread (yes, I cook, I cook well which can be a problem when we go out and I get picky because I'm always like "Mine's better" LOL).

Hello I’m new here. I need to try something else. I think this may be a part of a strategy that leads me where I want to be. Good luck to everyone! Why am I here? I take serious issue with my body and how I feel in it. I expect better of myself. I’m doing this to meet my own expectations and to feel and look better. The way I’ve been carrying on is nonsense My Goals Goal 1: Lift weights for 30+ minutes 4x each week. More than anything this will test my will power. I have decent equipment at home. I have a space to exercise. I just need to do it. To make the most of the equipment I have, I’ll need to do something that relies heavily on dumbbells. I also have a pull-up bar that I absolutely dread. I’m going to do the LIIFT4 program (Beachbody On Demand). I plan to take a pre-workout supplement before each workout. Historically, if I get my workout done early I have success. When I start delaying it throughout the day I become less consistent. I’ll need to try and do most of these workouts before my workday starts. Goal 2: Reduce sugary coffee intake to the point of giving it up completely. This is going to be TOUGH. I know a person can’t be addicted to coffee or sugar, but I’m as close as you can get. This, sadly, is core to my routine (and identity). Right now, I consume two 24oz Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brews each day. My plan is to wean myself off of these completely. I’ll start by consuming two 16oz, then two 12oz, one 16oz, and so on. Over the course of the 5 weeks I’ll phase them out completely. Goal 3: Eat at a weekly calorie deficit. This will also be tough. I tend to snack a lot at night. Achieving this goal will require that I change this behavior. I’ll also want to start eating more protein to get the most out of my workouts. I hope in doing so, I feel more sated throughout the day. I may also need to sprinkle in some runs to ensure I burn enough calories to hit this goal. Ultimately, I have a lot of work to do in the diet department for long term success. This is a start. So, that’s my story. Looking forward to getting going.