Lilix's First Challenge

[Lilix]

Lilix - Challenge 1 - August 2 - September 5

following the outline set forth by those much wiser.....2 diet, one exercise and and mindset challenge coming up.

 

1) (Diet)  Cut back on Starbucks to once per week for 4 weeks.  (This is step one in the mermaid reduction program)

-Three times in a day is a little bit excessive.  I really shouldn't care as much about completing their "Goals" as I am mine.   

2) (Diet) Track all meals for 4 weeks.

-Honestly record what is actually going into the body (yes, this has to include those Starbucks drinks)

3) Swim 3x per week using MySwimPro App

-Pool times are booked.  Programs are selected and the past week and a half has been successful

4) Go to bed (all electronics off) by 10pm each night (As I sit here typing this at 1am)

-Lights out and electronics docked by 10 pm. 

 

[cd667]

54 minutes ago, Lilix said:

4) Go to bed (all electronics off) by 10pm each night (As I sit here typing this at 1am)

 

-Lights out and electronics docked by 10 pm.

Same challenge as me!

 

I shall cheer you on from the sidelines!

[jegan]

Great goals!

[Harriet]

Welcome and good luck! Tracking food is a bit of an annoyance but it can be super informative I hope it helps you.

[fitnessgurl]

Love your goals!

[scottbbb]

16 hours ago, Lilix said:

I really shouldn't care as much about completing their "Goals" as I am mine.

 

What a great quote! I let some of their star rewards expire recently, and it wasn't the end of the world (although it felt like it when the warning email showed up!) 😂

[MezzotheLefty]

These look like great goals, @Lilix ☺️ Good luck on this challenge!

 

How do you track your meals? Do you like the app/process you're using?

 

 

[Xena]

What's the mermaid reduction program?

@delalana is a swimmer too. Maybe she will swing by for some moral support 🙂

[Lilix]

13 hours ago, Xena said:

What's the mermaid reduction program?

@delalana is a swimmer too. Maybe she will swing by for some moral support 🙂

Somehow I've found myself going to Starbucks WAAAAYYYY too often.  It started as a treat every once and a while that turned into a daily, if not sometimes twice daily habit.  Once in the morning and once after my actual swim.  I was drinking more calories that I want to admit to.  just time for a change.  

[Lilix]

On 7/31/2020 at 8:39 PM, MezzotheLefty said:

These look like great goals, @Lilix ☺️ Good luck on this challenge!

 

How do you track your meals? Do you like the app/process you're using?

 

 

I'm trying a few different ideas.  Mostly just using MFP which works pretty well, as long as I remember to enter things as I make a dish (recipes can get long and hard to calculate)at home and I'm not eating "things" but meals.

[Lilix]

On 7/28/2020 at 5:18 PM, scottbbb said:

 

What a great quote! I let some of their star rewards expire recently, and it wasn't the end of the world (although it felt like it when the warning email showed up!) 😂

Thank you so much.  I like achieving things...so points programs are usually a bad thing.  and tasty points programs are even worse.  But I think I've got this.  

[Lilix]

Day 1 Down, and a pretty good start.  Update on "Goals"

Goal 1 - I spent the time from setting my goals to the start of the challenge figuring out if and how I could make my own tasty beverages at home.  and SUCCESS, I actually can do as good if not better of a job at creating 2 of my favourites.  So this morning I made myself a Cold Brew with Almond foam at home in my kitchen, and it actually tastes better than the cinnamon almond foam cold brew they're serving up.

Goal 2 - I took pictures of everything that I ate and logged in in MFP.

Goal 3 - Got into the pool with my son and did a quick 700m in my 30 minutes of allotted time.

Goal 4 - Electronics were docked at 9:45 and I read until 10:15 but then lights out.  The book is Healthy as F*ck, and boy does it align with my current thoughts and goals about this whole fitness journey.  Wonderfully sassy and down to earth. Will provide morning updates as nightly ones wouldn't let me dock those bad boys by 10.

 

 Day 2 Down and still holding strong. Update on "Goals"

Goal 1 - Unsubscribed from the "REACH OUR GOALS" email .  Now I won't get the annoying updates about how I could possible earn more stars this week.

Goal 2 - Second day of eating logged in MFP even if I didn't take a picture of each item.  

Goal 3 - Got init the pool again today and did 800m in my 30 minute allotted time.  Still slower on the pace than I would like but the shoulders are becoming less stiff

Goal 4 - Electronics were docked at 8:45 with the exception of turning off my children's switch at 9:30 when it was their lights to time.  Finished my book and re-read the chapter on the Habits of Healthy Motherf*ckers

 

Day 3

Goal 1 - Done! ✔️

Goal 2 - Logged everything again ✔️

Goal 3 - No Swim - Did a strength workout in stead.  Still at 2/3 for the week. 

Goal 4 - Maybe a little blip here.  Everything went kind of haywire yesterday.  Went down to the fitness centre in my building only to find there was some guy coughing in the small little room so I decided to try booking at the local recreation centre.  Got all excited when I saw their timing of 7-815 open.  Got to the facility at 6:45 only to discover they close at 7 and I booked 7-8:15 this morning.  Went back home and used whatever weights were hanging around to get it done.  By that time it was 10:30 and I'd been using the timer.  Docked it, took a shower and went to bed. ❓

 

Day 4

Goal 1 - Done, slight temptation when I was at the bookstore that happened to be attached to the Starbucks, but went home without making any purchases on that side.✔️

Goal 2 - Logged everything again.✔️

Goal 3 - No Swim again- Was out of town.  Nice Deep stretches.  Still at 2/3 for the week.  session booked for Friday, but I need to come up with a plan where I can book my morning swims and still have my computer docked by 10.  The City releases new timings at midnight, when I get up at 6:30 anything before noon is already booked, this is starting to get annoying.  Who are these people that book times at midnight and still make it to the pool for 7am and why do they not require sleep?

Goal 4 - Docked at 9:15 and I think I might have been asleep by 10.....definately did not drift off in corps pose at the end of my stretching session.  🙄

 

Day 5

Goal 1 - Done!

Goal 2 - Done!

Goal 3 - No Swim Again - Increasing frustrations with the city booking system.  Did a strength workout...still at 2/3 for the week.  Booked for tomorrow mid-morning to actually make it.

Goal 4 - Docked at 9:59....I was pushing it but I really wanted to watch something.

 

Day 6 - The day that got away (Mostly)

Goal 1 - Done!

Goal 2 - Done! 

Goal 3 - This is where the day gets away.  About 10 minutes before I had to leave for my pool time I got a call that my kid was sick at his day camp and I have to go pick him up.  So I missed my swim time.  I go pick him up and make the decision to sub a body weight workout for my regular Friday swim....See Goal 4 for how that went!

Goal 4 - My normally shy and cautious son (not the one who was sent home) has been trying out skateboards for the last little bit and has fallen in love with them.  So he finally bought himself a beautiful cruiser board to start learning on his own time.  He and his little brother were at the park and I was watching them from the balcony, he's doing quite well....his little brother comes and gets me, asks me to come watch his brother skate...I get down there and in the minute and a half I'm not watching he's hit a rock and fallen using his hand to brace his fall (which he knows not to, but panic!) The pain is bad enough he want's to go to the hospital.  Phone was used as distraction and only got docked when we got home well after midnight.  still got my 7.5 hours but ended up sleeping in a bit.

 

Day 7 - Reset and a day of small wins

Goal 1 - Done!

Goal 2 - Done! - can't believe I ate my kids left over pizza crust and a few handfuls of popcorn. Honestly it makes me wonder how often I was doing this before.  

Goal 3 - This is my small win.  I wasn't able to get a swim lane for today because 2 weeks ago I didn't book, but I was able to get in for recreation swim with my little person.  So while it wasn't a full workout, My watch recorded it as exercise and I was paddling around.  So this is going to be the best small win to finish the week.

Goal 4 - Done! 

 

Day 8 - New Week

Goal 1 - Today is Starbucks Day - simple almond milk foam cold brew, this is actually one of my regular beverages but I think I like my homemade version better.  Stopped there while my kid was at a Bday party to get some personal work done. 

Goal 2 - Done!

Goal 3 - Done! 1/3

Goal 4 - Done!

 

Day 9 

Goal 1 - ✔️

Goal 2 - ✔️

Goal 3 - ✔️ 2/3

Goal 4 - ✔️

 

Day 10

Goal 1 - ✔️

Goal 2 - ✔️

Goal 3 - Strength Day so still 2/3

Goal 4 - about to close down now with 30 minutes.  

 

Day 11

Goal 1 ✔️

Goal 2 ✔️

Goal 3 ✔️ 3/3 any more will just be a bonus

Goal 4 ✔️

 

Day 12

Goal 1 ✔️

Goal 2✔️

Goal 3 Strength Day. still 3/3

Goal 4 ✔️

 

Day 13

Goal 1 ✔️

Goal 2 ✔️

Goal 3 Missed my swim because I got caught up in a work project.  Still 3/3 but not feeling as good as I could

Goal 4 Failed because I wanted to watch something.  Will start a streak again.

 

Day 14

Goal 1 This was Starbucks day this week.  Decided I would try the new Kiwi Starfruit refresher.  My go to is the mango dragonfruit, but I always order a grande in a venti cup and get extra water on the side to water it down.  Anyways WAAAAAYYYYYYY too sweet, drank maybe half a grande and then downed the water to get the flavour out of my mouth.  Lesson learned.  Maybe no Starbucks next week.

Goal 2 ✔️

Goal 3 ✔️4/3 this week and feeling good - Also went for a rec swim with my littlest which was fun and a different change of pace.

Goal 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

[delalana]

16 hours ago, Xena said:

What's the mermaid reduction program?

@delalana is a swimmer too. Maybe she will swing by for some moral support 🙂

Another swimmer! Awesome (and welcome)!

 

I’m right there with you on the mermaid reduction program. Goal #1 is swim and goal #2 is cut way down on the carry out. I’m glad to hear things are starting out well for you.  

How do you like the myswimpro app? I used to have hour long workouts I got off an organization’s website, but since covid cut my workouts down to 45 minutes I’ve gotten kind of lazy about actually keeping a decent pace when I swim.

[MezzotheLefty]

12 hours ago, Lilix said:

Day 1 Down, and a pretty good start.  Update on "Goals"

 

Goal 1 - I spent the time from setting my goals to the start of the challenge figuring out if and how I could make my own tasty beverages at home.  and SUCCESS, I actually can do as good if not better of a job at creating 2 of my favourites.  So this morning I made myself a Cold Brew with Almond foam at home in my kitchen, and it actually tastes better than the cinnamon almond foam cold brew they're serving up.

 

Goal 2 - I took pictures of everything that I ate and logged in in MFP.

 

Goal 3 - Got into the pool with my son and did a quick 700m in my 30 minutes of allotted time.

 

Goal 4 - Electronics were docked at 9:45 and I read until 10:15 but then lights out.  The book is Healthy as Fuck, and boy does it align with my current thoughts and goals about this whole fitness journey.  Wonderfully sassy and down to earth. Will provide morning updates as nightly ones wouldn't let me dock those bad boys by 10.

 

  

 Woohoo! You're off to a fantastic start! 

 

LOL at the 'mermaid reduction' program. I'm having a similar goal, except mine is working to eliminate my lunchtime can of CocaCola. I know the stuff is terrible for me, but I keep letting the 'occasional' drink slip into a daily habit...

 

[DarK_RaideR]

18 hours ago, Lilix said:

Somehow I've found myself going to Starbucks WAAAAYYYY too often.  It started as a treat every once and a while that turned into a daily, if not sometimes twice daily habit.  Once in the morning and once after my actual swim.  I was drinking more calories that I want to admit to.  just time for a change.  

I usually criticize Starbucks for going too heavy on the cream, syrup etc so your words got me thinking this may be more of a sugar addiction case. Especially if it happens after your swim, when your body craves the calories (I know the feelz, spent most of my teenage years as a competitive pool swimmer). You might wanna pack a healthy post-swim snack to sate your hunger, that should help avoid the Starbucks visit, at least in terms of physical hunger. The mental habit needs a bit longer to go away.

[Lilix]

23 hours ago, delalana said:

How do you like the myswimpro app? I used to have hour long workouts I got off an organization’s website, but since covid cut my workouts down to 45 minutes I’ve gotten kind of lazy about actually keeping a decent pace when I swim.

 

I really like it, mostly because I'm lazy and I dislike making my own workouts.  I like that I can find a workout that is close to what I want and then tailor the workout to my time constraints.                       

[Lilix]

9 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

I usually criticize Starbucks for going too heavy on the cream, syrup etc so your words got me thinking this may be more of a sugar addiction case. Especially if it happens after your swim, when your body craves the calories (I know the feelz, spent most of my teenage years as a competitive pool swimmer). You might wanna pack a healthy post-swim snack to sate your hunger, that should help avoid the Starbucks visit, at least in terms of physical hunger. The mental habit needs a bit longer to go away.

Thank you so much.  I'm usually pretty good when it comes to what I order from Starbucks, especially early in the morning.  But I like the idea of a post-swim snack for while I head home.    

 

4 weeks will be a good start to changing the habit on this takeout item.

[Lilix]

16 hours ago, MezzotheLefty said:

I keep letting the 'occasional' drink slip into a daily habit...

 

That is exactly it.  It had been a once  a week treat, but quickly escalated.

 

Good Luck on your journey with this one too.   

[GoodDoug]

We need a mermaid variation on Scouts for the swimmers. I used to swim all of the time (Lifeguard, Swimming teacher, the whole thing) but don't have easy access to a pool. Your challenge makes me want to find a way to start swimming again... oh great, just what I need, another hobby/sport to take my time 😜 

[cd667]

This is a really positive update!

I totally get the sugar addiction thing. It has pretty much killed my sister.

 

I reckon in a few years, the sugar industry will be looked at the way we look at the tobacco industry. They have known people get hooked on the food they make, and tried to cover it up. Obesity wasn't really a thing until we started eating processed crap.

[fitnessgurl]

15 hours ago, cd667 said:

Obesity wasn't really a thing until we started eating processed crap.

This is so true! Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, food dye, & who knows what else.

[Xena]

On 8/4/2020 at 5:43 PM, GoodDoug said:

We need a mermaid variation on Scouts for the swimmers. I used to swim all of the time (Lifeguard, Swimming teacher, the whole thing) but don't have easy access to a pool. Your challenge makes me want to find a way to start swimming again... oh great, just what I need, another hobby/sport to take my time 😜 

 

The merfolk are welcome over on the Scout forum any time. Head on over!!!

[Xena]

On 8/4/2020 at 5:43 PM, GoodDoug said:

oh great, just what I need, another hobby/sport to take my time

 

And that is why you are a Ranger 🙂

[Xena]

Hi Lilix, just checking in. How are things going?