Zaphine's first challenge, second try

[Zaphine]

My cover identity is as a project manager for a university.  So lots of desk time, time in meetings, classic computer user shoulder tension.  I also just turned 50 this past year, so my self-image has taken a beating.  I need to be able to see myself differently, to tap into the awesome inside.  

 

But that's just what the mundanes see.  My name around these parts is Zaphine.  I've been lurking in the forums off and on for a few years now, and I'm working with NF Coaching, but having a hard time getting it to stick.  It's just so easy NOT to, to be cynical and see all the reasons to quit.  I've had my "first challenge" here once before, but ... well, there was a shiny squirrel, and I didn't have much to say about my challenge and so stopped coming by the forums, and ... I never finished that challenge.  So I'm saying it didn't count.  So there.  This one does.  FIRST CHALLENGE!  

 

My Big Quest these days is just rebuilding the fitness habit, making this a part of my life, a thing I actually do.  Lay the foundation of discipline and habit so that I can build on it in future challenges.  And so I name this my BABY STEP challenge -- relatively easy goals that will make a big difference in getting me unstuck and moving in the right direction.  They're mostly nutrition-focused (because ye gods, that part of stuff is hard for me).  

 

Challenge Goals:

1)  Get back on the food tracking habit -- start tracking EVERYTHING I eat and drink in the NF app and sending to my coach, even if that means sending her a picture of my booze at the club.  wince  All data is good data, and truth is important for planning purposes.  After two weeks of solid tracking, consider this goal checked off (but keep tracking)!  Once it's checked off, I'll start working my way through NF nutrition levels, see what I can do.

 

2)  No Diet Coke (or other sodas) after lunch.  I'm not going to try to go cold turkey (yet?), but keeping Diet Coke to AM hours will reduce my intake and cut down on caffeine consumption.  Fizzy waters (like La Croix) are a fine substitute.

 

3)  Improve breakfast!  Experiment with homemade protein breakfasts to find something that's easy enough for me to eat while still groggy.  Reduce the number of protein bars I eat for breakfast significantly.  (Have a great smoothie or egg recipe that's mostly make ahead? Please point me toward it!)

 

4)  Do SOMETHING active every day, for at least 15 minutes.  A walk, strength workout, stretching routine, class, dancing, whatever!  It has to be not in my normal routine (walking to my car from work doesn't count), and I have to say some form of fitness designating codephrase before starting (like a mage shouting MAGIC MISSILE before letting off a spell).  I'm still working with @spezzy to better define what does and doesn't count for this.  (Codephrase suggestions gratefully accepted!)

 

5)  Be in bed, lights out by 11 on weeknights.  

 

 

 

[Pherales]

Muffin tin omelettes are my go-to for easy breakfast.  Grease a muffin tin, throw all your omelette fixin's in, add your egg, top with a little cheese and some parsley as desired, throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180c (350-ish f), done.  Bakes in batches, freezes well and reheats in the microwave in about 30 seconds.

 

Good luck with your challenge!  Lots of positive improvements!

[Quickie]

43 minutes ago, Zaethe said:

Muffin tin omelettes are my go-to for easy breakfast.  Grease a muffin tin, throw all your omelette fixin's in, add your egg, top with a little cheese and some parsley as desired, throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180c (350-ish f), done.  Bakes in batches, freezes well and reheats in the microwave in about 30 seconds.

 

Good luck with your challenge!  Lots of positive improvements!

 

That sounds interesting, I am just wondering about how you freeze and reheat them. Do you take them out of the muffin tin and wrap them in tinfoil before freezing them and reheat them on a plate with the foil still on? Those questions seem pretty silly maybe, but I'm just not that much into cooking ^^

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Quickie said:

 

That sounds interesting, I am just wondering about how you freeze and reheat them. Do you take them out of the muffin tin and wrap them in tinfoil before freezing them and reheat them on a plate with the foil still on? Those questions seem pretty silly maybe, but I'm just not that much into cooking ^^

 

Wait for them to cool first, is the golden rule of all freezing, then yes just wrap them in foil and freeze them as is.

 

Unless you want to set things on fire though, I wouldn't recommend ever putting foil in the microwave.  Unwrap them first.  But yes on a plate is just fine!

[Xena]

21 hours ago, Zaphine said:

(Have a great smoothie or egg recipe that's mostly make ahead?

 

I do a cup of liquid*, a cup of frozen fruit, a scoop of protein powder, and sometimes a tablespoon of fat**

 

* I use soymilk, but it could be regular dairy or whatever else (even coffee)

** I use nut butter or ground seeds (chia or flax). Sometimes I'm lazy or trying to go lower calorie and skip that step.

 

I make it in the morning in about 1 minute...I let it sit for a while for the fruit to thaw a bit. You could also make it the night before and leave it in the fridge.

 

 

 

[Harriet]

On 12/29/2019 at 9:02 PM, Zaphine said:

I'm working with NF Coaching, but having a hard time getting it to stick.  It's just so easy NOT to, to be cynical and see all the reasons to quit.  I've had my "first challenge" here once before, but ... well, there was a shiny squirrel, and I didn't have much to say about my challenge and so stopped coming by the forums, and ... I never finished that challenge.  So I'm saying it didn't count.  So there.  This one does.  FIRST CHALLENGE!  

Mindset is so important when it comes to building habits. Do you tend to be perfectionist? Just asking because a perfectionist mindset can be a huge obstacle to starting and sticking at things. I've had more success since changing my mindset from "fixed" to "growth": even the little things I do contribute to my future results.

[Gwethril]

I’m working on tracking all of my food too!  “All data is good data” is definitely a great mindset. We can’t hide what we eat from our body, so why pretend it didn’t happen? Letting go of the guilt and viewing things objectively is going to be a huge asset.

 

 I hear ya on the shiny squirrels. It might be beneficial to make a point of coming to the forums whether you have an update or not. Just checking in (and encouraging other nerds!) will help you keep your goals at the front of your mind ☺️

[Jié Xī]

I love your title. I will probably even steal the idea (this is my first challenge but my third try). 

 

How has it been going so far?

[Zaphine]

Thank you all for your recipes and advice!  Let's see here, what do I need to actually respond to....

 

@Harriet -- I'm not so much a perfectionist as an Eeyore, in a "what's the point, most people fail" sort of way.  Journey would be very disappointed in me, because I just ... stop believing, despite their constant advice.  I'm a relatively upbeat person, but there is this streak of pessimism in me that I can definitely see as a familial characteristic. 

@Gwethril -- (love your profile pic) What a good idea!  It's so easy NOT to come to the forums, but maybe that needs to be one of my Things To Do that will make a difference.   

 

An update, for @Magdalena Ravenclaw and other faithful readers ....  

Y'know, the challenge hasn't even officially started yet, but I have.  I've been logging my food with picture taking in the NF app pretty faithfully since 12/30.  I've been going to bed by 11 most weeknights, though I chose to make NYE an exception for that and the "no Diet Coke after lunch" rule.  I've found a local friend who wants a workout buddy, so I'm planning to get myself a YMCA membership once the Resolution crowd thins out a bit.  Until then, I'll be building the habit in less gym-based ways.  

 

 

Excelsior!

[Zaphine]

Weekend Update:  

Challenge Goals:

1)  Food tracking ✔️

2)  No Diet Coke (or other sodas) after lunch.  ✔️

3)  Improve breakfast!  

4)  Do SOMETHING active every day, for at least 15 minutes.  

5)  Be in bed, lights out by 11 on weeknights.  ✔️

 

So something's up with my body -- I've lost my appetite.  Most of the last few days, I've just skipped breakfast entirely, and just eaten one meal all day -- unplanned intermittent fasting.  My food log looks pretty weird these days.  It feels like I'm coming off a cold, without actually getting a cold.  I'm just not hungry most of the time.  And the limited things that sound good to me to eat aren't exactly the healthiest things.  But I'm tracking it all!  And hoping that my appetite comes back soon.  

 

This week I also cleaned the boxes off of the deck of my treadmill (embarrassed cough) so that I can use that.  It's pretty dang cold in Wisconsin right now, so a lot of days, walking outside is not inviting.  I also met with a friend to talk about how much he loves yoga and got an invitation from him to try out the yoga studio he loves so much.  And found another friend who wants a workout buddy -- so I'm building a community that might be supportive of my lifestyle changes.  That feels like a big deal.  I'll get more serious about goals 3 & 4 once the challenge officially starts on Monday.

 

Every other Sunday is D&D (3.5e, homebrew campaign, I play a human bard named Kuri) with friends.  D&D tomorrow!  

 

 

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Zaphine said:

So something's up with my body -- I've lost my appetite.  Most of the last few days, I've just skipped breakfast entirely, and just eaten one meal all day -- unplanned intermittent fasting.  My food log looks pretty weird these days.  It feels like I'm coming off a cold, without actually getting a cold.  I'm just not hungry most of the time.  And the limited things that sound good to me to eat aren't exactly the healthiest things.  But I'm tracking it all!  And hoping that my appetite comes back soon.  

 

I had temporary appetite loss when I changed up my diet recently. I guess it might go away within a week or two. 

 

1 hour ago, Zaphine said:

I also met with a friend to talk about how much he loves yoga and got an invitation from him to try out the yoga studio he loves so much.  And found another friend who wants a workout buddy -- so I'm building a community that might be supportive of my lifestyle changes.  That feels like a big deal.  

 

Nice!

[Matheus Schmidt]

9 hours ago, Zaphine said:

2)  No Diet Coke (or other sodas) after lunch.  ✔️

3)  Improve breakfast!  

 

I've done these checks last year! It was a huge fight  😂

Some tips to succeed:

 

Cutting Sodas >  I started to drink H20H! or Lemon Tea instead of the sodas, for the first month.

That mantained the pleasure of drinking a can of soda, but are way healthier options. 

 

Breakfast > I have also 0 appetite In the morning. Found out that it was easier to consume liquids than solids while groggy.

I usually have a full cup of milk/whey/ice shake to keep the engines running 😉

 

Good luck to us!

 

[Gwethril]

12 hours ago, Zaphine said:

I also met with a friend to talk about how much he loves yoga and got an invitation from him to try out the yoga studio he loves so much.  And found another friend who wants a workout buddy -- so I'm building a community that might be supportive of my lifestyle changes.  That feels like a big deal.  I'll get more serious about goals 3 & 4 once the challenge officially starts on Monday.

 

Every other Sunday is D&D (3.5e, homebrew campaign, I play a human bard named Kuri) with friends.  D&D tomorrow!  

 

 

Building a supportive community IS a big deal! That's awesome! Have you done yoga before?

 

We play D&D every other Thursday. There might still be a map and minis spread across my kitchen table.. 🤫

 

I love the Rules of Engagement in your sig, by the way! 😁

[nianjufe]

Cutting sodas can have an impact on appetite as well.  Less expansion in your stomach from liquid and carbonation leads top less space and less appetite.  Just a thought for consideration really, you know your body best!

[Sylvaa]

On 1/4/2020 at 8:42 PM, Zaphine said:

So something's up with my body -- I've lost my appetite.  Most of the last few days, I've just skipped breakfast entirely, and just eaten one meal all day -- unplanned intermittent fasting.  My food log looks pretty weird these days.  It feels like I'm coming off a cold, without actually getting a cold.  I'm just not hungry most of the time.  And the limited things that sound good to me to eat aren't exactly the healthiest things.  But I'm tracking it all!  And hoping that my appetite comes back soon.  

 

Not sure how well you did over the holidays, but personally, I tend to lose my appetite in January after eating all the foods! through the end of December. Kind of like my body is saying, "okay killer, we're good". I also tend to lose my appetite once I start a workout program. Hope there is a reasonable cause and that it turns around quickly for you!

 

Welcome to the Rebellion! Have a great challenge!

[Zaphine]

Last night, I hadn't done my movement by 10:15pm, and I wanted to be in bed by 11pm, so I did the thing -- crawled under a bookcase to plug in a long-unused treadmill.  Did 12 minutes of walking while listening to a LeBron James motivational speech on the Calm app.  Yay, me!  Still made it to bed by 11.  

 

And then couldn't sleep.  Brain was too awake, and wanted to think about things.  So ... maybe no working out right before bed.  Lesson learned!  

[CelebrateCeleste]

1 hour ago, Zaphine said:

And then couldn't sleep.  Brain was too awake, and wanted to think about things.  So ... maybe no working out right before bed.  Lesson learned!  

 

great work for doing the thing anyway!  And for learning one thing that doesn’t work so well!

 

wishing you better sleep next time!

[nianjufe]

Good job doing the thing! Next time maybe try a little yoga, movement but relaxing. Here's a link for a routine that I use sometimes to wind down from the day.

[Zaphine]

Boy, it feels ...weird to keep reporting on the same baby steps all the time.  Like "Yup, took pictures of my food again.  Ditto." Though this weekend's update has warning interrobang signs than perfect green checkmarks.  I was MOSTLY doing what I meant to, but not perfectly.  

 

Challenge Goals:

1)  Food tracking ⁉️

2)  No Diet Coke (or other sodas) after lunch.  ⁉️

3)  Improve breakfast!  

4)  Do SOMETHING active every day, for at least 15 minutes.  ⁉️

5)  Be in bed, lights out by 11 on weeknights.  ⁉️

 

This weekend threw some unexpected challenges my way.  Helped a friend move on Saturday, which meant a pizza provided mid-day and consumed in a half a minute between boxes.  Didn't log food that day well at all -- I'm pretty sure a Twizzler was put into my mouth at some point by a helper while my hands were full.  And I've mostly been ignoring breakfast -- skipping it most days (apart from a Diet Coke which I'm not ready to give up yet), and mostly not missing it.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not yet, but I'm rolling with it.  

 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I'd forgotten that I'd said I'd do SOMETHING active every day, for at least 15 minutes.  I've been saying "oh, that's not a today thing".  Whoops!  

 

Today's book recommendation -- I'm reading a fantasy novel called The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon.  Epic fantasy, world with dragons and (rare) magic.  The world has been at (mostly) peace for many years, but dark forces are stirring and we may be on the verge of the return of the Nameless One....  I'm really enjoying it, so I pass that recommendation on to you!

[Harriet]

23 minutes ago, Zaphine said:

Today's book recommendation -- I'm reading a fantasy novel called The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon.  Epic fantasy, world with dragons and (rare) magic.  The world has been at (mostly) peace for many years, but dark forces are stirring and we may be on the verge of the return of the Nameless One....  I'm really enjoying it, so I pass that recommendation on to you!

 

Sounds like fun. You've gotta love anything with dragons in.

[nianjufe]

Perfect timing, I've been looking for something to read on the side. Thank you!

[Zaphine]

Sorry I've been quiet -- I was felled by illness for the last three days.  Skipped work, skipped workouts, skipped most meals.  I've slept 26 of the last 60 hours (that's about 8 hours a night) and haven't moved much.  Meals have been Gatorade, rice, bananas, and crackers.  

 

So ... that's a thing!  Uf-da!

[nianjufe]

Take care of yourself, hope you feel better soon!

[Zaphine]

Back in the saddle  Last week wasn't so great -- sickness messed up all sorts of usual routines.  

 

 

Week 2 Challenge Goals report:

1)  Food tracking -- um....not so much

2)  No Diet Coke (or other sodas) after lunch -- mostly true, actually.  I drank surprisingly little Diet Coke at all last week.  Pretty much stuck to water

3)  Improve breakfast!  -- I didn't really do meals last week, in general....

4)  Do SOMETHING active every day, for at least 15 minutes. -- Um....not so much

5)  Be in bed, lights out by 11 on weeknights. -- I was all over the place last week, from going to bed at 8pm to staying up until 3am.....

 

This week, I'm off to a better start.  Monday night, in bed by 11 after time on the treadmill and a short strength workout.  No Diet Coke after lunch yesterday, either.  Week 3, I'm going to GET IT.  

 

Question, for those of you who game.  Gaming days tend to be order-in pizza or Chinese food, with open bags of chips on the table for hours on end.  That's hard for me -- and I'm not even trying to limit my consumption yet, just log what I eat.  How do you handle that sort of situation?  Do you work with your gaming group to handle food differently, do you bring your own, something else I haven't thought of?  

[nianjufe]

22 hours ago, Zaphine said:

Question, for those of you who game.  Gaming days tend to be order-in pizza or Chinese food, with open bags of chips on the table for hours on end.  That's hard for me -- and I'm not even trying to limit my consumption yet, just log what I eat.  How do you handle that sort of situation?  Do you work with your gaming group to handle food differently, do you bring your own, something else I haven't thought of? 

I'm sorry you were sick! That definitely throws a wrench in, but it looks like you still got a lot of things checked on your list in some form or another. Get it!

 

Anytime I go out to a social function at someone's house where I'm either not sure of what will be there or am all too sure, I tend to bring something for the group that I know I can eat and then eat mostly that. In your case, I'd make a healthy stir fry to accompany the Chinese takeout, or bring a veggie platter to accompany the chips. That way you're contributing to the group snacks, but bringing something you know you can eat, while not making a big deal out of what food is there. I hope that helps!