Nicks_Scotland's four C challenge

[Nicks_Scotland]

1.  Cut out the evil C’s

Chocolate, candy, Chinese takeaway, crisps, chips, cookies and cider.

 

How to achieve:

Plan ahead, buy in what you need for at least the week including allowed/healthy snacks.  Pack your lunch bag and eat what’s in it – don’t take your purse to work so you can buy other rubbish from the shop next door!  Don’t just have one – cos you know it never stops there!

 

Grading:

<6 items = A (that’s 1 item per week)

6-12 items = B (that’s 2 items per week)

>12 items = F (there really is no point if you’re cheating more than twice a week)

 

Life points:

CON + 2, STA +2, WIS +1

 

2.  Cover 40 km a week outdoors in addition to normal gym classes

It’s just about Spring and you have the great outdoors on your doorstep, get out of bed and go enjoy – no excuses!

 

How to achieve:

Walking to and from work each day is about 10km.  Add in a few lunch time walks at another 10km or so.  That leaves 10km each for Saturday/Sunday.  Normal routes are anywhere from 12 – 20 km – so totally doable!!  Let’s just hope it stops bloody snowing!!

 

Grading:

40+ km = A

30-40 km = B

20-30 km = C

<20 km = F

 

Life points:

STA +2, STR +1, DEX +1

 

3.  Calorie Counting

Log every single calorie on myfitnesspal (all of them Nicola – not just the good ones you think your friends list will be impressed by!)).  Make sure you’re eating enough though, especially if you’re achieving goal 1, you’ll need to replace the missing chocolate with good cals or you’ll end up really tired.  And as everyone knows, a tired Nicola is a grumpy Nicola!

 

How to achieve:

Daily logger anyway, so that bit’s easy.  Being honest with my entry shouldn’t be too hard if I’m achieving goal 1.  Not worrying if I do go over my cals a wee bit or eat that one thing that I just shouldn’t, that’s the harder bit, knowing I have to log it might actually help me just say nooooooo!

 

Grading:

Honest days logging:

42 = A

35-42 = B

<35 = C  (but really – why bother logging at all?)

 

Life goals:

WIS + 2, CON + 1

 

 

4.  Cleanup!!

Do the dishes every day and clean apartment (properly) once a week.  Just cos you’re working your ass off at gym class doesn’t give you a free pass to be lazy at home!  And it means you won’t need to apologise for the mess if someone visits unexpectedly!

 

How to achieve:

Make a rule that you’re not allowed to start making tonight’s tea until last night’s dishes are done!    Only allow yourself a long lie on Sunday morning on the promise that you’ll get straight up and clean/hoover etc.   Invite more friends over now and then so it has to be done!

 

Grading:

Number of times dishes left for more than 1 night:

<6 = A 

6 – 12 = B 

> 12 = F (cos more than 3 days dishes sitting – well that’s just minging!)

 

Life points:

WIS + 2, CHA + 1

[Laureleye]

Great looking challenge goals.  I hate getting up to dirty dishes - so I can really identify with that goal.  I do best keeping within my calories if I pre-track.  I know what I'm having for breakfast and lunch the night before, so I feed them into MFP then.  It gives me a lot better handle on the evening.  Good luck.

[Imminn]

Love the idea of removing the Cs. And I'm soooooooo with you on the dishes, but they must be done... Good luck Nicola!

[Imminn]

I am in on not weighing for at least 4 weeks! I took pics at the new year when motivation was strong, and again when I was feeling down in the dumps. Even though the scale didn't move at all, my tum was down, and that's good. Did you log on fitnesspal? I used to, but got obsessive, and had to quit. My poor husband said i would barely take a breath without tracking it. It is such a great ap though!! Get your walk in?

[Nicks_Scotland]

Day one done and dusted and 100% on all 4 counts - go me!

 

1.  no evil C's consumed (2 of my protein shakes are chocolate flavoured, but I'm not counting them!)

2.  Walked to and from work and did a lunchtime walk - will calculate the distance tomorrow, at least 5km for the day I recon

3.  Logged, easy (as no cheating!)

4.  Did all the dishes that were piled up before I made my salad for tea.  I seem to be a tupperware nerd!

 

[Imminn]

Go Nicola go! (I'm a Pyrex nerd so, I getcha)!

[CharliRae]

Thats is AWESOME! You go girl! Definitely inspiring to read your success on your first day! You arent messing around! I bet you feel awesome, as you should!!

[Lexxx]

Nice one on a successful day 1!

 

I am infinitely jealous of your tupperware collection!  I have plenty of lids & plenty of pots but none of them ever seem to fit together!

 

Good luck for the rest of the 6 weeks

[Imminn]

Happy day 2!!!!!

[Imminn]

Your shoulder doing ok? Make sure you take care of it, tore mine years ago and it still pains me! How'd day 2 go?

[Nicks_Scotland]

Your shoulder doing ok? Make sure you take care of it, tore mine years ago and it still pains me! How'd day 2 go?

 

It's niggly, but nothing that's gonna stop me working out!   Day 2 went fabby, 100% on all counts although I didn't get a lunchtime walk in cos it was tipping it down.  Got the eating down easy, not missing those C's at all.  I'm waiting for the sugar crash to come, but so far so good!?

 

Today I'm on a day off (work every second sat so get every second wed off).  Didn't get out of bed til reaaaaly late, but I've done the dishes so that makes up for it??!!  It's stilling pissing it down so there'll be zero outside movement today (will drive to gym later too!) - hopefully dry the rest of the week so I can get the extra km in!

 

I'll bounce over to your challenge and see how you're doing.  I'm sure it'll be just fine! x

[Imminn]

Lol! I have a guy that works for me, talks like you. I love trying to figure it all out!

All is rocking the world here! I have a gym in my son's old room, so I don't have to step outside to work out. Here in TX it's either too hot or too cold to work out outside. In the summer when it's 116f outside, it may cool down to 85-90f at night and with the humidity, don't want to walk outside. Solution, indoor workouts (heated or air conditioned as appropriate). Tonight we're hoping for some rain... I'll watch through the window.... Storms actually...

Thanks for the dishes comment, mine are done too.

[Nicks_Scotland]

Hahha, I forget that we use a whole load of words that no-body understands, even our English neighbours don't have a clue sometimes!

 

Work has been so busy today that I've barely had a chance to think about cheating food wise.   Infact I haven't even had time to eat the healthy snacks I did pack!   I did walk to work and get my lunchtime walk in, so that's an other 5k outdoors done.

 

Roll on day 5, today has been toooooooooo busy!!!  *hectic face* 

 

Hope you're all well in TX after hearing the terrible news from there. x

[Imminn]

Nicks-

Don't you change a thing in what you type... If I can't figure it out, I'll get my interpreter to help me;)

Was very tragic to wake up to the news. It's about 35 miles from here. So sad, small community. And we had just horrid rains this morn.

Great job packing the snacks, even if they remained uneaten for today....you're all ready for tomorrow! Preparation is such a huge part of this! And you walked 5k, how awesome is that?

How's the Tupperware? Lol....I love those locky lids... I only have 2 of those... I got rid of all but a couple of pieces of plastic a few years back in exchange for Pyrex (better for the microwaving ...)

[Nicks_Scotland]

Today has already been a better day than yesterday and it's only 10.09am!  

 

*  I got up early enough to wash the dishes and cook the chicken for my salad at lunch (which is packed into a clipit tupperware box!).  I'm so not a morning person though, especially on a Friday (I work in a pub on Thursday after my main job - so didn't get to bed til about 1.45am).  How I managed to get up earlier than normal is beyond me!

*  There's blue sky and sunshine out my office window (ok so it's only 3 degrees - but still - it ain't raining!!)

*  I have dinner out tonight with one of my friends to look forward to.  I'm paying cos I lost our last weight loss challenge (by 1lb!!).  Just trying to decide where to go for a healthy meal.

 

I hope it stays dry so I can cover more km outside.  I brought the car to work cos it's tight turn around with gym classes tonight.  So I really need to get my lunchtime walk in!  (12.36km down so far this week - got catching up to do at the weekend!)

[Nicks_Scotland]

Day 6 and still 100% on all counts!

 

Walked from my office to one of the local lochs during my lunch hour (10km - make that a 2 hour lunch!).  Windy but very enjoyable.

 

 

I think tomorrow is going to bugger my outside cover though, did a 10km walk at lunchtime today which leaves around 23 to cover tomorrow.  Was gonna get out on my bike, so it wouldn't have been an issue.  But the weather forecast is heavy rain all day.  So that might be scuppered!!

[Imminn]

Great pic Nicks! I haven't been on since yesterday, so sorry! Haven't even been to my page yet, but I saw the e-mail that my kid was telling you something about he'd tell me.... Yesterday, at work, we were thinking there were going to be some lay-offs. Well, there weren't (which means we get to stress about it for another week). I'm very comfortable and happy in my job and trust in the universe to take care of me, so if something happens, it's for a reason.... Anywhoooooos, we, my dh and I, went for some tx BBQ, which is good for eating paleo. Had some smoked meat and a salad, got home late and snoozed....this morning, got up, worked out, cooked some food to take with me and went shopping with my BFF.... She's so sweet about me carrying a cooler, and not at all embarrassed when I pull a big ol Baggie of veggies or chicken out and just start noshing, it's so wonderful to be loved in spite of the silliness...... It was a beautiful day today, walked until we just couldn't take it anymore, and after running this morning, think that it was just a perfect day.

No worries, I am so not going to abandon this challenge....it's easy enough for the first one, will definitely step it up a notch for the next!

Oh, and YAY You!!! 100% 6 days! You are rocking this challenge! Need to figure out how to do the pic thing.....

[Laureleye]

You're killing this challenge! 

[Nicks_Scotland]

You know what, you guys really just helped me.  I've been lacking in energy all day (since last evening infact).  I got up really late thinking maybe I needed some extra sleep but still felt like, well, the best way to describe it, "like my arms were as heavy as lead and all my energy was seeping out my finger tips".  

 

I decided today would be a rest day, my outdoor cover is shafted anyway for this week cos of the weather.  I jumped on the sofa, turned on my laptop, logged into NF and saw that you both thought I was killing/rocking this challenge.  Then I promptly took a big deep breath and got off the sofa and started to clean my flat!!!!  Yes, my deal to myself in challenge 4 was that if I was to lie in on Sunday morning, I was to clean my flat afterwards.  So now the whole place has been hoovered and my kitchen and bathroom are spotless!  It's actually helped me feel a bit better too, I think the workout of cleaning has injected a little bit of energy into me again.  

 

 

All your fault!!!!  And I thank you.  

 

Imminn, I said hello to my scales today!  But only as I moved them out of the way so I could hoover/mop the bathroom floor

 

Last day of week one, it seems to have flown by.  Keeping busy is key for me I think.  Roll on week 2 day 1!

[Imminn]

Too cute! My scale is lonely too, but pretty sure it will survive.

House managed to get mostly clean....and the dogs got bathed.

Sun shining, a beautiful day...all and all awesome all the way around...

[Retxab]

Fantastic first week! Here's hoping for more cooperation from the weather next week.

[mpjrod]

I talked with Mother Nature last night. She said she would cooperate with the weather. How was the heavy rain? It's always difficult to rock hard when the weather sucks.

[Nicks_Scotland]

Hmmmmmm  It's 1pm and that means it's the start of my lunch hour.    I recon your talk with Mother Nature didn't do exactly as I hoped jrod!  Don't get me wrong, it isn't raining - but it's blowing an absolute hooley!

 

I'll check in after my lunch-hour walk, unless I get blown away!!

 

 

Edit:   Ok, 3.5km lunchtime walk done.  I only got nearly blown off the pavement once and my hair is no longer nicely tied back, it's got major flyaway bits going on now!  

 

Also, I forgot to add that during my shift at the pub last night, one of the girls had jelly babies and was offering them around.  C = Candy = No thanks!  It was so tempting to just bite the head off of one of them, just one!  But I didn't

[Imminn]

Nicks- so funny!

Pub food? Real authentic pub food? How can you stand it? I take it not a lot of Cs on the menu? I'm always watching for pub food, and trying to recreate at home, because we just don't have that here.

But we had a lovely chicken with mushrooms, onions, peppers, diced tomatoes, garlicky... And a banana...why do I think that's just the worst thing ever,,,, oooooooo a banana.......

[Nicks_Scotland]

We used to have quite the traditional "pub grub" menu and I would pick away at spare chips (chunky fries) and stuff, but we've had new owners recently and the menu is now rather fancy and a bit pretentious, especially for our small highland village but hey, just my humble opinion.   It does mean that I really haven't thought twice about the food going out to customers.  So I guess that's a good thing!! I take a packed dinner to the pub anyway (in my notorious clipit tupperware ). 

 

Last night after gym classes I got home and after eating my salad and snacks (cashew nuts and raisins) I just wasn't satisfied.  I had some additional pistachio nuts and then was still like "hmmm what else have I got".   Then I decided I would just go to bed as that would stop me craving food that I didn't really want or need.  So the day wasn't ruined, was still ok calorie wise and evil C wise.  Although I didn't do the dishes (meh) so I must catch up on that tonight!!

 

The weather is still doing my nut in, and I'm totally gonna fail this weeks outdoor challenge again unless the weekend is dry.  The metoffice said it was going to be a "sunny day" today, but there's been heavy showers too.  Still deciding whether to go out for a lunchtime walk or not.

 

I'm not a huge fan but what's wrong with having a banana?

 

EDIT:   The clouds (below) looked dubious but I chanced it.  Got my 3.5km lunchtime walk in and didn't get rained on!!