Ems' First Challenge! Let the Adventure begin!

[Ems]

Hey everyone!

Ok, taking my first steps into the world of RPG, NF styley. Never played anything before but I've had a look at other people's signatures and posts and I'm pretty sure I'm starting off as a human - 5"7 and 160lbs - does this sounds right? Any guidance is welcomed!

As for class, that was pretty easy, I'm a fitness newbie Adventurer, ready to start her first 6 week challenge.

 

FITNESS/DIET GOALS

• Reduce body fat from 30% to 25% 4-<DEX

I have a good deal of muscle already from years of dancing, but I really want to reduce my body fat so this muscle can be seen! I'm not sure if a decrease of 5% in five weeks in unrealistic, but I've done a decrease of 2% in three weeks already, so fingers crossed it can be done! Besides, failure (as shown by Steve) is far from the end of the world. This will be achieved through my 17 hours teaching, 2 ballet/contemporary classes a week, 2 personal training sessions a week (weight and interval training), 2 indoors rows a week and sticking to an increasingly Paleo diet.

 

A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

A - 25% or less, B-27%, C-28%, D -29%, F-30% or higher

• Reduce current 100m indoor row sprint PB from 19.2 seconds to 17.7 2-<STR, 1-<DEX, 2-<STA

My personal trainer has introduced row sprints as part of my workouts to improve my cv fitness as well as longer distance rows, and I am loving it! He says my times are pretty good, and has suggested I join a local rowing club. This is something I definitely will look into, as I've been looking for a non-dance fitness activity to get a bit more variety in my life. The competitive element really attracts me, but I also like the concept of a team sport, something I've wanted to do since school. After a bit of research I've found that the British Women's Indoor 100m row sprint time my age group 19-29 is 17.8 seconds, set in 2011. There are very strict rules about indoor rowing races, and although I'm pretty sure that the machines at my gym are Concept 2 (the same used in official competitions), I don't know anything about other rules such as resistance so my times will not be 'official' or anything, but it will still be awesome if I can 'beat' the record.  This will be done through continuing to work on technique, power, strength and endurance in my training sessions.

A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

A - 17.7s or faster, B- 17.7s-18, C- 18.1-18.5, D- 18.6-19, F-19.2 or slower

After the first Adventurer's mini challenge (25.02.2013) I have tweaked this goal so it focuses on my 5k row distance time instead. Current PB -16:19, aim to get sub 16 by the end of the challenge.

A - 15.59 or faster, B - 16-16.5, C - 16.5 -16.10, D - 16.11 - 16.18, F - 16:19 or slower

22.03.2013 - JUST SMASHED THIS GOAL EARLY! 14:56! NOT ONLY SUB 16 BUT SUB 15! SO HAPPY!

• Maintain current Paleo-ish diet, and improve by reducing unhelpful non-Paleo treats to 5 times a week maximum 3-<CON

My diet at the moment is so much better than it used to be. No grains/carbs except couscous or bulgar wheat for some lunches and the occasional potato. Other than that its meat, fish, eggs and loads of veggies plus fruit and nuts. I've given up crisps for Lent so that's not an issue! To ease the transition I've allowed myself up to 2 non-Paleo treats per day (usually chocolate) over the last few weeks. For the next 6 weeks I'm going to try to reduce this to 5 treats a week max. I think this will be the hardest part of the challenge as I've always found it much more difficult to not eat a biscuit, than to get myself out of the house for a workout. I guess that's why they call it a challenge!

 

A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

A - 5, B -7, C- 10, D-9, F-10+

 

LEVEL UP LIFE GOAL

• Get on top of and commit to my planning each week, having each session planned before delivery 3-<WIS

I'm a dance teacher, so most of my work when I'm not teaching is planning what to teach next! Lately I've been doing a lot of this planning in my head or making it up as I go, which is fine, but it's not all that it could be. I want to level up the sessions I'm delivering my writing down, logging and tracking my sessions so I can ensure that all my classes are progressing and I'm constantly challenging myself to think of new ideas and new methods.

 

A - 100% B - 75% C - 50% D - 25% F - 0%

A - all 17 sessions planned, B - 12 sessions, C- 8 sessions, D- 4 sessions, F-no written planning at all.

 

So there it is, all ready for tomorrow. Watch this space!

[Ems]

RPG CURRENT STATS:

 

STR-2,  DEX-4,  STA-2,  CON-3,  WIS-2,  CHA-2

 

[Blaidd]

Woah, Ems!  You have some really busy goals there, but i am sure that you will rock out.  Keep us posted and pop into our Accountabilibuddy group whenever you want to offer support or receive some.

 

Good luck.

[Ems]

Thank you! I know, they're pretty intense, but theyre all things I really want to do so hopefully that will fuel the fires of motivation and determination! Will definitely be popping in over the next 6 weeks, there's strength in numbers.

[Lyr]

Hey, we're accountabilibuddies (or however you spell that), so I wanted to stop by and say hello. Your goals are definitely challenging, but you should be able to conquer them with lots of hard work - and we'll be here to help you! One thing about the diet goal that always helps me is to just not buy things that I might be tempted to cheat with later. If you can avoid buying chocolate (or whatever) during the 30 minutes you're in the store, then it makes it so much easier to avoid at home . . . because, well, you never bought it in the first place. Good luck!

[Ems]

Hey Lyr,

I think you spelt it right - well done! Hello to you too. Thank you, help would be much appreciated! That's a great point about not buying stuff - can't eat it if its not there! I've decided to change one of my goals slightly, in line with the first mini-challenge, going to focus on my 5k row time instead of the sprint, just feel more comfortable with the longer distance and enjoy it more My current PB is 16:19, so going to aim to cut that down over the next 6 weeks.

[Ems]

Revised goal - #1st Adventurer's Mini Challenge 25/02/2013

 

I have decided to focus on the 5k distance with my rowing instead of the 100m sprint, I feel more comfortable with it and enjoy it more. Current PB is 16:19s - going to try to get that down to sub 16 minutes by the end of the challenge.

[Ems]

CHALLENGE DAY 1

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/TRAINING

Taught 5 dance classes, last one Zumba

 

FOOD

BREAKFAST - Scrambled eggs, cucumber, water

LUNCH - Chicken, butternut squash, peas, carrots, mashed potato, cheesy sauce. Grapes, yoghurt covered raisins. Tea.

DINNER - Meatballs, chicken and salad (lettuce, cucumber, celery and carrot). Water.

 

SLEEP

10:30PM - 6:30AM

[Blaidd]

Omg, your lunch looks so yummy!!! Mmmmm

Nice going on the dance classes.

Sent with awesomeness from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Ems]

Omg, your lunch looks so yummy!!! Mmmmm

Nice going on the dance classes.

Sent with awesomeness from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks, it was delicious! Not strictly Paleo but its a work in progress

[Ems]

CHALLENGE DAY 1

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/TRAINING

Taught 5 dance classes, last one Zumba

 

FOOD

BREAKFAST - Scrambled eggs, cucumber, water

LUNCH - Chicken, butternut squash, peas, carrots, mashed potato, cheesy sauce. Grapes, yoghurt covered raisins. Tea.

DINNER - Meatballs, chicken and salad (lettuce, cucumber, celery and carrot). Water.

 

SLEEP

10:30PM - 6:30AM

This was Monday 25.02.2013.

[Ems]

Quick body fat percentage update, as of 26.02.2013 = 29.5% yey!

[MabMon]

I'll second your lunch sounding yummy.

 

What do you use to measure your BF%?

[Ems]

Thank you My trainer at the gym has a body fat monitor, one of the ones you stand on and it sends a current through your body. I know they are not known for their accuracy due to changing water content in the body etc, but I have sessions at the same times on the same days each week, and any measuring (its not done every time) is done at the start of the session. I combine this with body measurements once a week, and can also see the difference in how my body looks and how clothes fit. I'm down from 32% to 29.5% over the past 4 weeks.

[MabMon]

Ah okay, got something like that on my scales but don't really use it (maybe because it last time it said I'm 46% fat ) Maybe I should pay more attention to it.

 

Thanks

[Ems]

Ah okay, got something like that on my scales but don't really use it (maybe because it last time it said I'm 46% fat ) Maybe I should pay more attention to it.

 

Thanks

Aw fair enough! It's one of the scales with a handle attached to it that you hold while standing on the base.They're not the most accurate method out there so don't panic, that reading may well be incorrect! Maybe check out Steve's article about body fat percentages and see what he suggests

[Ems]

CHALLENGE DAY 2 - 26.02.2013

Hey guys! Ok so this post is a little on the late side, seeing as its now Thursday but life's been a little weird lately. On Tuesday I was driving back from a personal training session and I crashed my car. Skidded on some mud, spun round and landed in a ditch. Ok so good things - I am fine, no injuries at all thank God and the seatbelt! No one else was hurt or involved either. Sadly my car is a write-off, which is a shame since it was my first car and I'd only had it since September 2012. Anyhow, challenge goals went a little out the window today:

• Personal training was great, body fat % down to 29.5 so on target for goal #2
• I made the decision to focus on my 5k indoor row time instead of the 100m sprint. I feel more comfortable with that distance and I enjoy it more. My PB is currently 16:19, hoping to get it down to sub 16 by the end of the challenge. I'll keep you posted. 
• Paleo diet - complete pants today! Started well, scrambled eggs, then went downhill post crash (any excuse!) - M&Ms, chocolate cake, Galaxy, Double Decker, tea and then fish and chips. The worst I've eaten in a long time.
• Goal #4 - rang my boss and got my classes covered (was due to teach 5 classes today) so not a win but also not an issue fortunately.
• SLEEP - totally rocked this one, with a full 12 hours from 8pm - 8am. Silver linings!

I've been given the rest of the week off to get myself back to normal, which is great. All car admin sorted. Whew!

[Ems]

CHALLENGE DAY #3 27.02.2013

Today was a day of recovery. Energy levels are almost non-existent, so no personal training or dance classes today. Paleo also pants - toast with butter/jam, tea, chocolate cake, pasta with cheese and chicken, Galaxy, chicken, broccoli, carrots, roast potatoes, gravy and an iced bun. Plenty of tea.

On the plus side, smashed the sleep goal again - 10 hours, 10pm - 8am.

[Laney]

You should make an incentive for yourself to eat paleo! When I first started, I'd have to run 5 miles on the treadmill if I ate any candy at work (I hate running, so it worked), I'm using a monetary self-reward this challenge. Might help

[Ems]

Hey Laney,

That's a great idea, I'll have a little think about incentives and post later with what I decide. Thank you

[Laney]

Hey Laney,

That's a great idea, I'll have a little think about incentives and post later with what I decide. Thank you

 

No problem! Let us know so we can keep you accountable

[Ems]

Challenge week #1 review - warning, long, hugely introspective and frequently emotional post coming up!

 

Ok, so it's 'fess up time. This week has been probably one of the worst weeks of my life, and a completely pants start to the challenge! It was all going so brilliantly, Monday was great, and so was Tuesday morning. I was driving home from one of the best personal training sessions I've had yet...and I skidded on some mud, spun round and crashed my car into a ditch The amazing thing was, I wasn't injured at all. Nothing. Nada. As a dance teacher my body is key to my living, so the fact that I was unharmed was a huge blessing.

I've always thought of myself as a pretty optimistic person. I'm generally happy, laugh a lot, and tend to see the lighter side in most situations. Well this week, I found out that that sunny disposition is probably largely due to a very easy, enjoyable and stress-free life. My life has been a breeze, compared to other people. Which is why I think that I lost perspective and threw myself a 5 day pity party. The day of the crash, I was pretty stoic. Not that I've ever been in a crash before (I've only been driving since May '12, and got my first car in Sept '12), but I think I handled it quite well. It's my behaviour since then that I was unhappy with. I used it as an excuse to veer off the Paleo wagon, not entirely off, I did not quite return to my old habits, it was a kind of 50-50 old Em and new Em. My mental state was not helped by the arrival on Thursday of a brutal cold/flu combo that had my in bed a lot of the time. It had damaged my ego that I crashed my car, having considered myself a pretty good driver. I rely on my car to get to my personal training sessions, so that was off the table, but the entire crash/cold experience had robbed me of any energy anyway. I sunk into a moaney, self-absorbed why-me state, and all I could think was, why me, this is so inconvenient and annoying, I have to get a new car, have spend more money, only got that car 6 months ago, it's so much to sort out, I don't want to do it blah blah blah. I was stunned by how quickly my gratitude that I wasn't injured (thank God) and no one else was involved had faded into petty whinging.

 

WELL THIS STOPS NOW!

 

It is true that everything happens for a reason. This experience has taught me valuable (and not very nice) things about myself, things that I will strive to overcome in the future. It has also brought me closer to my dad. I'm 23 years old, and am living at home to save money. My job is in my hometown, so it seemed sensible. It's actually been going very well, my family are fab. I've always gotten on with my dad, but been closer with my mum as girls often are. Well this time it was my dad who was able to get through to me. He said he knew it was hard, but I could get through this because I was strong. I have such an amazing and capable mother that I never think I could even come close to being like her, and as such I guess I've never considered myself a particularly strong person, partly I think because I haven't had to be. Whereas my mum did. What my dad said really resonated with me, and through his encouragement and honesty I'm feeling so much more positive.

 

So this week, it's onwards and upwards. No car means no gym, but, thanks to NF I know I don't need one! It's going to be Angry Birds and indoor 5k rows this week, both at least twice a week. The most important goal however is to get back on track with the Paleo. This needs to be a priority, not something that I abandon at the first sign of trouble. I know that this is something I really struggle with, and any advice, tips or encouragement about this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Here's to a better second week!

 

Week 1 review (25.02.2013 - 03.03.2013)

Goal #1 Body fat percentage, (as of 26.02.2013) - 29.5% (D)

Goal #2 Row time (due to circumstances, no other attempts made since 16:19, so currently an F.

Goal #3 Paleo treats max 5 - F.

Goal #4 Planning - hard to say as have been off work for most of this week. I did plan some at the start of the week, so its a D.

[Ems]

No problem! Let us know so we can keep you accountable

Hey Laney,

Having trouble thinking of an effective incentive- have you got any ideas, or examples of things other people have used?

[Laney]

Not the best week so far

 

The first big snow of the year my BF drove my old car (long story, basically my parent's 4th vehicle, dad wants to keep it and mom wants to sell) 180 degrees, across 3 lanes and backwards into a really steep ditch. Since then I get the shakes when I have to drive in the snow, which is a lot... I wasn't even driving the car and driving in the snow scares the shit out of me now... At least you're putting an end to it and you're going to kick week 2's ass!

 

Personally, physical incentives work the best. Like if you've been eyeing up a new purse or a pair of jeans or something. For this challenge I'm putting money away every time I stay on track, but taking away more if I go over. Then I can use it to buy something guilt-free at the end  

[Ems]

First day of week 2 - yey! 04.03.2013

Today was really good, got myself back on track and got over the first day back at work after a break weirdness. Body was so much better than I thought it would be, coped well with all four classes I did today including Zumba - yes! Did think about fitting a row in, but thought it best not to push it. Body fat updates will have to wait until I'm back in the gym, but can do measurements in the meantime to stay on track. Planned all 4 classes.

 

Physical activity

Taught four classes - dancercise, parent and toddler, minis and Zumba.

 

Food

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, cucumber

Snack - dried cranberries and cashew nuts

Lunch - Chicken, butternut squash, peas, carrots and cheesy sauce. Grapes.

Dinner - fishcake, salad (cucumber, grapes, apple and melon).