[TiogaGirl]

Current vibe:

 

 

My birthday’s coming up in less than 3 weeks! Usually I’m in the field for it, or at least packing and prepping for the field season, but this year the students are handling the field season themselves and I get to spend spring in the city.

 

Challenge goals:

Activity:

• Stay consistent with lifting workouts (now leveled up to 4x/week)
• get my bike out and ride it 10x
• Applewatch activity goal (700 active cals burned) 6x/week

Nutrition:

• >30% protein
•  ~1800 calories
• Prep salads for work lunch at least 5x

Mindset and mastery:

• 5 minute Merlin & post the morning’s birds,  so I don’t get TOO disconnected from the natural world
• Daily journal: at least one gratitude, one flex, one thing I like about myself, and the day’s to-dos
• 15 minutes of Grease review on non-practice days

 

Also committing to post weight, bia bodyfat%, waist measurements at start and end of challenge! Um, challenge doesn’t start til tomorrow, right? 😂 

 

 

 

 

[Everstorm]

2 hours ago, TiogaGirl said:

Um, challenge doesn’t start til tomorrow, right? 😂 

Yep!  

[Sovalis]

Following!!

[TiogaGirl]

Well! Hubs got home from conference in India and it’s so great to see him. He’s fully jet lagged right now though and dragged himself to bed before 9 pm, haha. 

 

Really good, busy day. I got myself up at 6 to feed and medicate the pets, walked the dogs, then decided to drive up to the gym first thing for the 9 am open (I didn’t go yesterday and should have, but I hung around the house all day and baked/ate peanut butter cookies!). Gym was glorious. No crowds, every piece of equipment free and available (because the students are not up by 9 am, haha), so I was in and out in like 40 minutes with lots of sets of squats, deadlifts, and ALL THE KETTLEBELLS in the books. Came home, and it was still early enough for me to take youngest pup to the best unofficial dogpark. So got some sunshine and laughs in with folks watching the doggoes tear around like maniacs, then hustled home to shower and prep for rehearsal. Hubs rolled into town just in time for a speedy kiss before I had to zip out, then a very fun rehearsal, then home and then out to cast chili party. YUM! There were 3 kinds of chili there but I am a slave to green chiles, so that was my pick. Cherry cheesecake for dessert, lively convo with entertaining people, and kept it nonalcoholic. Go, me!

 

Now I’m home, jammified, oil cleansed, and sleepy AF. Another big day tomorrow (workout, class prep and teaching, field season applications to submit, and rehearsal) but I’m feeling good. Got my boo home, ate not like a big jerk (chili adn cheesecake notwithstanding, I had pretty reasonable portions and still under calorie cap and over protein goal for the day), feeling optimistic. In a sleepy sort of way.

[Sovalis]

Sounds fabulous!!

[TiogaGirl]

23 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Sounds fabulous!!

It was! It is! In just a quiet, everyday sort of way, not in a clouds-parting-and-heavenly fanfare. But I’m down with quiet everyday happies.

And can I just commend you on the excellence of your sig/tagline (the Emerson quote) I really dig that!

 

Today, lots of things to get through, but I’m starting fresh with a great night’s sleep. Somehow I sleep a million times more soundly when hubs is around - well, I am pretty sure it’s because when he isn’t, I have to be the responsible adult and sleep lightly enough to hear the puppy’s 3am cries to be let out. Slept lightly all last week (for the past 9 sleeps) while he was away, slept super hard last night! And consequently feel, if not like a million bucks, much more human and optimistic.

 

OK, official start date of challenge. Current stats:

Spoiler

Snapshot weight 158.8

Trend weight 157.8

Snapshot body fat 37.4%

Trend body fat 37.5%

Waist 30.5” (ee this is down a little from last time i measured it ~6 weeks ago! 🤩)

belly button 35”

 

Today’s tasks:

• dogwalk
• shower, get cute
• breakfast and track
• Pack lunch: hipster jar salad (spinach/apple/chickpea/hb egg/feta)
• boogie on in to campus
• get to gym, arm day!
• Reading for grad class
• Research pomodoro (movement ecology s’sheet to send to colleague)
• field season applications, send to field station
• run the grad class
• seminar, if class finishes on time
• walk home
• send in cast bio info
• dinner (but what??)  <— woot woot, leftover pasta 😅 
• rehearsal- learning another new dance tonight!

 

 

[TiogaGirl]

Whew. Big day! Got everything done but field apps and my data entry pomodoro. Got to walk home in the sunshine with hubby, glad we had that time to hang out ‘cause by the time I got home from rehearsal he had scuttled his jet lagged self into bed 😭 ships that pass in the night!

 

If it rains tomorrow, going to buckle down and have a solid day working from home (took my laptop home just in case), with some forays out for power walks as the weather permits. Otherwise, will work from campus and hit the gym… leg day! 

 

In other news, I impulse-bought a weighted hula hoop and it is so much fun. Only I can’t use it in the house because the dogs will grab the weighted part that spins around and looks, apparently, like a dog toy. So crossing fingers for the weather to be warm and sunny, or at least not too cold and rainy, so I can get out there and hoop it up in the backyard!

 

[Everstorm]

11 hours ago, TiogaGirl said:

Only I can’t use it in the house because the dogs will grab the weighted part that spins around and looks, apparently, like a dog toy

😂

 

11 hours ago, TiogaGirl said:

I impulse-bought a weighted hula hoop and it is so much fun

That looks like a fun workout!  I am curious to try it some time

[TiogaGirl]

so far, so good today. The rain did stop, so I opportunistically came up to campus, and did some paperwork then attended a really great, thought provoking talk. 

Should go to the gym now, but I am soooo hungry! The day felt too cold and rainy for a cold greek yogurt bowl for brekkie, so I had eggs instead, but without all my protein powder and fibre mix ins that make breakfast super filling. Well, I guess I'll go and get a fast workout in, then bounce home and get something to eat. 

[TiogaGirl]

I _did_ go to the gym, and PRd my deadlift! But was starving by the time I got home and consequently made pretty terrible food decisions. Pizza, cheesy bread, peanut butter cookies 😳 so quite an bit over caloric goal while still not quite there for protein and fiber.

 

 

But tomorrow is another day! And did I learn anything from today? Yes, yes I did. Stock a few healthy snacks at the work office; and remember I front-load protein and fibre onto breakfast most days for a reason! Hopefully warmer and drier days are coming, but it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to come up with some warming brekkies that are a little more substantive and macro friendly than eggs. Just in case!

[Leigh]

I have questions!

 

1. Rehearsal? I'm guessing you're part of a dance troupe, are you guys competitive or just doing it for the love of it? I took dance for five years in school and learned a heck of a lot, but never took it further. What kinds of dance do you do?

 

2. I see you live in Ontario, I'm up in Ottawa, where do you hail from? 

 

3. Can we see pictures of your dogs?  

[TiogaGirl]

7 hours ago, Leigh said:

I have questions!

 

1. Rehearsal? I'm guessing you're part of a dance troupe, are you guys competitive or just doing it for the love of it? I took dance for five years in school and learned a heck of a lot, but never took it further. What kinds of dance do you do?

 

2. I see you live in Ontario, I'm up in Ottawa, where do you hail from? 

 

3. Can we see pictures of your dogs?  

  fellow Canadian and dancer!!

 

Rehearsals are for a community theatre production of Grease, so it’s a mix of singing and dancing, musical theatre style. And definitely NOT professional, haha. I have loved musicals all my life and always go to them, whether in NY, Toronto or local school shows… but this is the first one I’ve been IN in since like elementary school! It’s so much fun!!

 

I’m in LondON, but get up to eastern Ont a fair amount for family, field research and cottaging. Ottawa is lovely! I don’t know if I could handle the extreme heat in summer or the extreme cold in winter, but every time I go there I see the entire city out running or blading or skiing or skating ❤️ you guys are diesel!

 

Here are my 3 goofy meatballs 😂 photos spoilered for size! 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TiogaGirl]

So I’ve moved from lifting 3x to 4x a week, and mostly I love it, but boy howdy it is more challenging to manage when things get busy and I bump a workout back a day. Did that last week but wanted to restore normal scheduling this week, which resulted in lifting 3 days in a row!! 😭 Well, it was day of lower body / day of upper body / back to lower body, but still! Glad I’m done with that, and try not to get myself into that situation again.

 

So, today is a rest day from lifting! Whew! But probably still pretty active, will walk to campus & back and hit the pool for water running. NOTHING on the calendar (unless some fire crops up) so going to dive into backburnered manuscripts, too. Then the plan is to come home mid afternoon and review dances before tonight’s rehearsal.

 

Long weekend a-comin’ up, woo hoo! DEFINITELY going to get my bike out of the garage and probably going to work up some new songs on the piano too. 

[Leigh]

Hahaha hahahaha... I'm from London. Also that first photo of your dogs makes them look like a fuzzy Oreo cookie. 😁

 

I took dance at L.B. Pearson as part of school and oddly enough my highschool did Grease my first year. 

 

Weirdly I really miss the smell of London, beer and river. 

 

Good luck with your show! 

[TiogaGirl]

Pearson’s an amazing school for performing arts! Nice!

Bet you don’t miss the smell of pig manure from the farmers’ fields when the winds come from the north 😂 

[TiogaGirl]

Super super super fun rehearsal tonight. Just came home and polished off some chicken Caesar salad and toast with hummus and tajin.  Activity goal got SLAIN, calories within range, protein at 30%. Now just trying to wind down and go to bed (hubs and kid 1 already called it a night!)

 

Tomorrow, committee meeting, then 1/1 with one of my thesis students. Give me strength and patience! After that, see if work buddy wants to get lunch, then I’ll hit the gym, then a bath FOR SURE Thursday night to kick off the holiday weekend

[Leigh]

5 hours ago, TiogaGirl said:

Pearson’s an amazing school for performing arts! Nice!

Bet you don’t miss the smell of pig manure from the farmers’ fields when the winds come from the north 😂 

 

 

I went to Beal S.S. after Pearson and my bus stop could be hit with the following if it was a weird day for wind: Hops, River/Swamp smell, The Greenway plant, Burgers and Fries (there was a Harvey's a half block up), McCormack's  and the old Kellogg's factory, not sure if those last two are still here. 

 

So I could get hints of Bad Camping Trip smell? (burnt sugar, stale cereal, beer, grilling meat, and poop)

 

 

 

Wow! You kicked today's ass! Well done  

[TiogaGirl]

*staggers in*

Made it through the week! Well, it was a short week. But still!

 

Today, had committee meeting, then girded up all my patience and had a patience-testing meeting. Got through it 😅 then met work friend for an uproarious lunch, then over to the gym — which was remarkably not crazy crowded, despite being well into the afternoon! I think the students must be departing early for the four day weekend. PR’d my overhead press and kind of PR’d my bench, I think? Well, it was the highest weight I’ve ever done, but stalled at 3 reps per set when I usually do 5. So I don’t know if that counts or not… but I have been stuck at the previous weight for ages and excited to make some headway!

 

Then back to the office, and my building was bananas level empty by 2:30 pm. Stats (whee!) then walked home with hubby, and even remembered to stop by the neighbourhood grocer’s as they’ll be closed tomorrow. Now just exhausted. Very soon I will find the strength to get off the couch and change out of my dog hairy clothes so we can head out to dinner. But for now, just a few minutes more with my feet up!

[Everstorm]

1 hour ago, TiogaGirl said:

Well, it was the highest weight I’ve ever done, but stalled at 3 reps per set when I usually do 5. So I don’t know if that counts or not…

Pretty sure even 1 full rep counts.  Congrats!

[Sovalis]

Whoo hoo PRs!!

 

[TiogaGirl]

Hey hey! I love a long weekend ❤️

Hubby had some good professional news on Thursday so we went out for dinner, I had a real alcoholic drink (one per month seems to be about my limit) and paid for it with totally fragmented sleep all that night! Yes, yes, the rules of cause and effect still apply to me, apparently.

 

Good Friday was good, appropriately, except for waking up pretty sleepy. Took two of the dogs to the park so the fetch-obsessed one could fetched (she loves that so much it’s not even funny). Then took the littlest one to the unofficial dogpark where she raced around and wrestled for a solid half-hour; then decided to take a chance and walk over to the Lebanese bakery on the off chance they’d be open, and they WERE!! So picked up a couple dozen spinach fatayers and there was much rejoicing. After that, drilled some music for the show, played some video games, played with my hula hoop (still cold outside though!) then cleaned the tub & had a most excellent bath. Then lounged by the fire 🔥 til dinner time, then some fam tv, then read book club book for awhile. [North Woods- started kind of slow but now there are axe wielding ghosts?? It is picking up steam!!]

 

Today - campus gym is open! So I hitched a ride with hubs on his way out to do errandy stuff, and got my lifting in. PR for deadlift, plus the highest weight I’ve squatted in a long time (though not a PR), plus a 🔥 set of kettlebell swings. I had thought about getting my bike out of the garage, tires pumped up, etc this weekend but it is still very cold and threatening to freezing-rain - come ON! I just want to ride my bike!!!

[TiogaGirl]

Yeah, full on raining now! Man!! 

[TiogaGirl]

Hey, all! Monday late afternoon, and it’s been a pretty solid day so far. Sat/Sun I ate way too many sour patch gummies 😳 but today is a new day. And a blue sky, sunny, reasonably warm day at that!! 

 

Walked the dogs, showered up, got presentable (new lip stain arrived and I am OBSESSED, plus I dug out my 90s wide-leg cargo pants from the closet and they are delightful to wear today, just swish swish swish shake that booty). Walked in to school and did my lifting at the gym before breakfast - it seemed like a good idea at the time, as I wasn’t actually hungry yet, but I could NOT do my overhead presses like at ALL. So that may be down to low blood sugar (I had been pressing 55 last week, and was supposed to take it to 60 this week, but it was all i could do to lift 50 and even that was a stretch!). Anyway I then had breakfast, visited and chatted with some colleagues and students in the lunchroom, had lunch (leftover souvlaki and tzatziki, yum), then studied up and taught my grad course. Last meeting of the term for that one!! I will have plenty marking to do starting next week, but that’s future-TG’s problem 😂 Then went to the seminar, which was great, and walked home enjoying the sunshine.

 

Gotta head out to rehearsal in about half an hour, and I guess dinner will (a) have to wait til I get home tonight and (b) consequently be kind of casual… toast with hummus, protein bar, Greek yogurt with maple syrup and pumpkin seeds. Trashy but it will nail my macros!

[TiogaGirl]

Rehearsal was fun, but man I was tired when I got home. Fam had saved me some roasted veggies from their dinner, 🥰 and I made some toast and had a protein bar, too sleepy to fix the yogurt thing. Fell into bed with a sick caloric deficit [NB i’m using ‘sick’ in the way the youths these days use it, not as in infectious or diseased] and 35% protein for the day. That is much better than I usually do and WAY better than I’ve been doing the past week or so, where half the time I haven’t even fully tracked the day.

 

Today’s main goals are gym (leg day!), essay feedback for AmazingStudent, finish setting up summer employment for WizardStudent (should probably take just one pomodoro), minimum five pomodoros of stats and figure making, eating like I’m not a jerk, and polishing vocals for Beauty School Dropout. Well, looking at it, that’s quite a day. But I have no teaching today nor any other meetings, so let’s gooooo!

[TiogaGirl]

Now in list form! Got a little derailed when WorkFriend called me with some crazy conspiracy theories. I think I got him talked down, though. Pressing on.

• walk dogs
• eat breakfast
• walk to campus
• essay feedback
• gym, leg day
• get home - walk or bus
• shower
• WizardStudent contract
• pomo stats
• pomo stats
• pomo stats
• pomo figure
• pomo figure
• eat lunch
• pomo vocals