cee's first official challenge!

[ceethegreat]

Yay my first official challenge! *Edited after review, re: first mini challenge :-)*

 

Goal 1: Eat 1 salad a day (on average). +4 CON

I don't eat enough veggies. I do better getting them in all in a salad meal.

 

Goal 2: Track every single thing I eat. +3 WIS

Yay building accountability and mindfulness for/of what I'm eating. I'll keep up with it either in a notebook or using

 

Goal 3: Exercise 6 days a week +3 STR, +2STA

I go to yoga, some workout videos, strength training. I need to add walking back in there because I have a half marathon in 3 weeks (I walked it last year, good times). Also need to start working on sprinting because softball season starts right after this challenge is over!

 

Life Goal: Try 1 new thing each week/6 new things total. +1 CHA, +2 WIS

Ideas include but are not limited to: accupuncture (just got a groupon for this, yay!), zumba, krav maga, jeet kun do, sign up for an online class, do a local scavenger hunt, etc... other ideas welcome!

 

Since my main focus this challenge is getting a handle on my diet, my plan for success is as follows:

1) plan the salads 3-4 days at a time (since I go to the grocery 2x a week), making sure I'll have everything I plan in the fridge

     > set 1 (i have enough ingredients for 2 days of each type): [baby spinach, chicken, bacon, avocado, apple, walnuts, balsamic dressing], [cobb salad: romaine, chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, cheddar, hard boiled egg]

     > set 2: will edit again with plan!

2) use the LoseIt! app to track all food - log food immediately after eating (or during) so I don't slack and forget

3) as a back up to the lose it app, I will email daily menus to my weight loss buddy again - she's always been really great about feed back on what I'm lacking and cheering me on when I'm doing well

 

This is gonna be fun :-)

[Laureleye]

The goals look good.  Maybe do some walk/sprint intervals and get your walking and sprinting all rolled into one. 

[Blaidd]

Welcome to your first challenge.  Your goals are looking great and i like your try new things goal.  I am looking forward to seeing your progression. Good luck.

[ceethegreat]

Hooray day 1! And I reevaluated per the mini challenge, good times.

 

Today's salad is my dinner: the baby spinach/chicken/avocado/apple/bacon one. No walnuts or dressing (juicy apple) today. 

Food so far is in my lose it app, and emailed my friend with my menu plan.

Tonight's workout: Jillian's shred level 2. That video has given me crazy deltoids/shoulders, thanks Jillian!

[Blaidd]

Omg that salad sounds so yummy!!

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[ceethegreat]

Still going strong on goals!

 

Today's salad: the exact same one as Monday's lol, except I'm eating it for lunch. Yesterday's salad was mixed greens w/ dried cranberries, tomatoes, pecans, and goat cheese, yum. Tracking everything via the app and emailing my friend :-)

 

Oh! And I officially signed up for some new things... tomorrow after work I'm going to an intro krav maga class with my friend, definitely excited for that one. And I set my first accupuncture appointment for 2 weeks from now. Also, I put in an adoption application for a dog... I'd be a first time dog owner (though I grew up with them). I've put in a few applications since the beginning of the year but the doggies keep getting adopted before I get a chance. Cross your fingers for me!

[Laney]

Krav Maga is awesome! You'll definitely enjoy that

[Blaidd]

Still going strong on goals!

Today's salad: the exact same one as Monday's lol, except I'm eating it for lunch. Yesterday's salad was mixed greens w/ dried cranberries, tomatoes, pecans, and goat cheese, yum. Tracking everything via the app and emailing my friend :-)

Oh! And I officially signed up for some new things... tomorrow after work I'm going to an intro krav maga class with my friend, definitely excited for that one. And I set my first accupuncture appointment for 2 weeks from now. Also, I put in an adoption application for a dog... I'd be a first time dog owner (though I grew up with them). I've put in a few applications since the beginning of the year but the doggies keep getting adopted before I get a chance. Cross your fingers for me!

Yummy salad. I'd eat salad like that everyday. Easy goal if you're packing awesome salads like that.

Also Laney is right, Krav Maga is awesome!

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[ceethegreat]

Thanks, it was a yummy salad! I go to tastespotting.com or foodgawker.com and just search for salad ideas. Or try to copy my favorite restaurant salads.

 

I'm super excited for krav maga. I haven't done anything like that, like, ever. Unless you count a handfull of free karate classes when I was 10, ha.

[ceethegreat]

My workout for tonight: Jillian's 30 day shred day 2

 

Salad packed for tomorrow's lunch: baby spinach, bacon, tomatoes, hard boiled egg. I think balsamic vinaigrette will be good with it. Yay veggies. 

[ceethegreat]

First, I haven't been perfect with my personal challenges. At all, it's almost embarrassing how quickly good intentions can go by the wayside. Still tracking, but wasn't 100% on my goals for salad/working out. BUT, I am STILL down 1.2 lbs this week, huzzah! 

 

The last few days were a blur because of my last few rehearsals/concerts. I've been so bad. But fresh week, no major distractions (except going up to Boston this weekend, but I'll workout - we're going skiing!) Tonight's exercise: 1 hour yoga and 1 circuit of the beginners body weight workout (I'm at about 60% knee push ups, and 40% full push ups).

 

We're supposed to get an actual snow storm here in DC (well, nova). I really hope we do, because I can deal with a day in! 

[ceethegreat]

I knocked out 1 of my 6 new things to try as part of my life goals. I went to a krav maga intro class tonight. I'm not in love with it, and that may have to be with being intimidated because it was new. But also it felt kind of unstructured, but the instructor said it was because life isn't predictable and unstructured.   Let's just say I'm not a natural at it, but I'd try it again. 

[ceethegreat]

Happy Monday. I'm back home from Boston, making that #2 on my 6 new things to try life goal as it was my first time to Boston, hooray! Great city. It snowed the day I arrived, but it was 'warm' the rest of the weekend, so it was picturesque but not frigid. We walked around a lot on Sunday - I gave it a very low estimate of only 2.5 miles for mini challenge 2, but it was probably more. I figure since the Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles and we did most of that plus walking around Harvard/Cambridge... it was probably pretty close. 

[Blaidd]

You're doing great Cee! Seriously. Keep it up.

I'm dying to see Boston when I'm up there next year and luckily I'll have a guide (unless he changes his mind), so its always nice to read stuff about how pretty it is.

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[ceethegreat]

Woo hoo finished my half marathon! 

 

Also challenge related, I went to my acupuncture appointment on Thursday. First time. I liked it! Most of the pins didn't hurt at all, and it relaxed me so quickly that I fell asleep on the table a couple times :-)

[Blaidd]

Hey Cee

How're things going?  I'm quite impressed to see all your achievements on the diet and exercise front.  I'm interested to hear about Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. Do you have any info - although I am more interested in your take on it (not what the marketers are saying). 

 

I'm looking forward to see what else you've done.

[Choronodon]

OOOO somebody mentioned Krav Maga!! have you been back since the intro class?

[ceethegreat]

Hey Cee

How're things going?  I'm quite impressed to see all your achievements on the diet and exercise front.  I'm interested to hear about Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. Do you have any info - although I am more interested in your take on it (not what the marketers are saying). 

 

I'm looking forward to see what else you've done.

Thanks! I've been pretty bad on the diet front this past 2 weeks... But back on today. Had 2 salads... lunch was a light romaine and corn to supplement the roll of sushi... and dinner was a shrimp two noodle salad that had greens mixed in with a peanut sauce. So good. And also super lazy, took this week off exercising after my half marathon. I'm starting fresh tomorrow though.

 

As for Jillian... I LOVE 30 day shred. It's about 25 minutes a day. I do it 6 days a week, and switch up between each level to stave off boredom. Basically, it's interval training -- after warming up, you do 3 sets of: 3 minutes strength (2 sets, first involving some kind of push up, the second is a combo move involving pressing up/out with weights plus squats/lunges either static or moving), 2 minutes of cardo (2 30-second bouts, 2 rounds), and 1 minute of abs (combo crunches/bicycles/etc), then a quick stretching cool down. After doing it regularly for about 4 weeks, I DEFINITELY noticed my shoulders and delts getting STRONG. I bet if there wasn't so much fat over it, I'd be cut. If I keep it up, and get my eating under control, I may even be able to wear tanks proudly by summer, lol. Other than this past week, I can talk myself into working out because it's only 2 min... and even if I'm like, I'm tired, by then there's only 1 set left so I may as well finish. However, if you get bored quickly, I recommend something else... but it's quick, tough at any level (she has 2 assistants that show you the variations for harder/easier), but not SO tough you can't do it, and makes you strong :-) Some nights when I'm ambitious I'll do 2 levels, and it's still under an hour. 

[ceethegreat]

OOOO somebody mentioned Krav Maga!! have you been back since the intro class?

I haven't been back. I didn't love it or feel any kinda quick connection to it, honestly, but I could also just have been intimidated. And it wasn't that the instructors weren't good... heck one of them is my friend and he was nice when he was helping... but I definitely didn't click with the other intro helping instructor who was helping the whole time. BUT I do love that that first class they TOLD me to stab someone with a knife (fake) AND punch them in the throat... So I may have to go back and try again when I'm in a better mindset, lol. 

 

I also want to try jeet kune do. 

 

Basically, I want to know I have the ability to beat someone down with my tiny little fists. And I liked organized classes with a clear progression path. But mostly I want to channel my aggression smartly. 

[ceethegreat]

Jeesh these 6 weeks just FLEW by. Not particularly easy, thus the "challenge" haha... And I could have been better, like way better. I did well the first couple weeks then tapered off. Apparently committment is hard, HA! Anyways, review and final scoring.

 

Goal 1: Eat 1 salad a day (on average). +4 CON

>> not gonna lie, I was bad. Actually I was good the first 2 weeks, then I tanked. I'm going to give myself a D because I had maybe 1 salad a week after that point, thus +1CON

 

Goal 2: Track every single thing I eat. +3 WIS

>> Same with the eating = D. I started strong, tapered off, I can see via my LoseIt app and emails to my friend that I only tracked about a third of the time I was supposed to. +.75 WIS

 

Goal 3: Exercise 6 days a week +3 STR, +2STA

>> C here - by the end of the 6 weeks, I averaged working out 3 times a week between yoga, videos, walking, the gym, etc. I also finished the half marathon.

+1.5 STR, +1 STA

 

Life Goal: Try 1 new thing each week/6 new things total. +1 CHA, +2 WIS

>> Pretty good here, actually. I tried/did 6 things I'd never done before: acupuncture, krav maga, went to Boston for the first time, went to my first Fitness and Health Expo, tried a new restaurant my friend and I have talked about forEVER but never actually went, and got a fitbit.

+1 CHA, +2 WIS

[Blaidd]

Don't worry too much about the other things, you at least gave it a good shot woah fit bit, how exciting!!

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[ceethegreat]

Thanks for the encouraging words!

Also, I am currently in love with said fitbit. Next challenge will definitely include a step goal associated with it :-)