Eirlys: Better body, better mind

[Eirlys]

My watchword for 2014 is FREEDOM.

 

This idea encapsulates many elements, such as:

• freedom of body (long-term goal: perfect posture, suppleness)
• freedom of mind (forgiveness, joyfulness, gratitude)
• freedom of time and space (minimalism, spending time wisely)

My goals for this first challenge are mainly to build on my Quest for Perfect Posture, with the aim of improving my overall physical health.

 

My side-quests are to support freedom in space and mind.

 

 

0. Maintain current posture progress

 

Continue to vigilantly check that I am standing up straight, my head is up, and that when bending over to perform tasks (e.g. when using the sink) I keep a straight back.

 

This still doesn't come naturally or as habit, and if I don't set it as a goal, I fear I may slip back.  However, it's a no-points goal for this challenge.

 

 

1. Sit up straight - STR +4

 

When I sit down, don't slouch my lower back for at least 30 seconds.  My plan is to try to build up this time over the challenge.

 

When seated during a task (e.g. watching the television, at the computer), periodically check if my shoulders are tense and consciously relax them.

 

 

2. Run with a better posture - STA +3

 

This goal is two-fold:

• go to the gym at least twice a week
• on my cardio exercises, be as conscious as possible of keeping my shoulders relaxed (and not adopting my traditional round-shouldered, hunched running style)

 

 

3. Look after my teeth and body - CON +4

 

I did really well last challenge at avoiding sugary foods, and cleaning my teeth.  With Christmas finally out of the way, I want to cut out the sugar while at work again, with the intention of losing some weight in the process.

 

 

4. Use it or lose it - decluttering goal - WIS +2

 

Make strides in reducing toiletries (by using my many portable shower gels, shampoos etc that I have accumulated) and make-up.  If I haven't brought myself to at least try using a bathroom cupboard item during this challenge, then it has to go!

 

I also want to reduce all my stuff that is currently lurking in drawers (not clothes, but things like stationery).

 

 

5. Stay off facebook - CHA +2

 

I've just de-activated my facebook account.  Excluding requests to participate in one group's discussion if necessary (as a referee for my club), I want to stay off this entirely.

 

This goal is for my peace of mind and to free up some time!

[Eirlys]

Decluttering Progress!

 

End of September 2013...

 

 

New Year's Day, 2014...

 

[musasabi]

Way to get an early jump on phase one. =) The room looks great.

[BeautifulBeast]

Oooo love your goals! And I love the watchword idea. Now I may have to add that into my own goals for the year ;-) 

Also I did a Facebook fast a couple of months ago and it was amazing. I actually considered not reactivating my account after because it was so nice to not be a slave to it. But it's about the only way I have to keep in touch with my family since none of them are active in our lives IRL so I went back to it. 

Best of luck in 2014! 

[Liberator]

Totally into what you are saying about freedom!! I am working on my own freedoms (from worry, fears, sugar, excess body fat...) as well but yours are great. 

 

I have been working on my posture for a few years now and when my posture is right I feel a lightness to my whole body. The flow along my spine feels right. I still forget place my shoulders back ,align my head and relax my jaw at times, but when it is right it feels great! 

 

Keep going, can't wait to read about your progress.

[NikkiB]

I have to admit I'm something of a decluttering junkie.  Way to go! 

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Good luck on your posture! I'm working on mine this challenge too.

[Terinatum]

Amazing goals and attitude. Sub'd

                     

[Eirlys]

Way to get an early jump on phase one. =) The room looks great.

 

Thanks musasabi!  I must say I'm happy to have a vastly more spacious room.  Just 100 more things to declutter now

 

Oooo love your goals! And I love the watchword idea. Now I may have to add that into my own goals for the year ;-) 

Also I did a Facebook fast a couple of months ago and it was amazing. I actually considered not reactivating my account after because it was so nice to not be a slave to it. But it's about the only way I have to keep in touch with my family since none of them are active in our lives IRL so I went back to it. 

Best of luck in 2014! 

 

Hi Rymmare!  Good to hear that facebook fasts can be successful!  It's weird how these things can draw us back.  Best wishes for your goals in 2014 (and beyond ) too!

 

Totally into what you are saying about freedom!! I am working on my own freedoms (from worry, fears, sugar, excess body fat...) as well but yours are great. 

 

I have been working on my posture for a few years now and when my posture is right I feel a lightness to my whole body. The flow along my spine feels right. I still forget place my shoulders back ,align my head and relax my jaw at times, but when it is right it feels great! 

 

Keep going, can't wait to read about your progress.

 

Hi Liberator!  Looks like we have some shared freedoms then!  If only it was just as simple as saying "well, I won't worry any more!" and that was that

 

Posture - a few years?  Eep.  I've been telling myself it'll only be a few more challenges before it doesn't feel like an effort!  Ah well, nothing that was worth having came cheaply

 

Thanks for your encouragement!

 

I have to admit I'm something of a decluttering junkie.  Way to go! 

 

Yay!  Decluttering for the win!  Maybe by 2015 we won't need to declutter any more

 

Good luck on your posture! I'm working on mine this challenge too.

 

Thanks Goddess!  Posture is so important - I hope we can both nail it!  What techniques or methods are you using to improve yours?

 

Amazing goals and attitude. Sub'd

                     

 

Hi Terinatum!  Thanks for your kind words - here's to having some positive updates over the next 6 weeks

[Eirlys]

Official Day 1 of the Challenge...

 

Weigh-in: 61.4 kg - ugh.  That's 6kg (13 lb) more than I weighed about 9 months ago.  I feel like a whale.

 

I'd managed to keep my weight constant in the last challenge, around 59.7 - 60kg, so something clearly went wrong from Christmas-New Year!

In the last week, I made the most of some time off work and went to the gym 5 times, so hopefully I can reverse this!!

 

I've also been facebook free since Jan 1, so 6 days.  Not missing it!

 

Okay challenge, go go go...

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Thanks Goddess!  Posture is so important - I hope we can both nail it!  What techniques or methods are you using to improve yours?

 

Hey Eirlys! At work - I have a sign on my desk that is in my eye line, so that every time I see it, I check/correct my posture. At home - I mostly just keep checking in with myself when I'm walking or standing in the kitchen or something like that. I've taken the "loungey" cushions off of the couch, which forces me to sit properly or uncomfortably.

 

What about you?

[I am Eve]

Eirlys - I can only say wow! Such determination. How your goals all go together to form one path!

And going off Facebook-Yep, I might try that too .....I spend way too much time with my phone in my hand.

Great challenge!

[Liberator]

Can I say there is a lot of "clutter" on Facebook, you're not missing anything!

[Eirlys]

Hey Eirlys! At work - I have a sign on my desk that is in my eye line, so that every time I see it, I check/correct my posture. At home - I mostly just keep checking in with myself when I'm walking or standing in the kitchen or something like that. I've taken the "loungey" cushions off of the couch, which forces me to sit properly or uncomfortably.

 

What about you?

 

Hi SG - sounds like you have a good system going there for you!  I've been incrementally working on the posture now for a number of challenges.

First step/challenge - stand up straight with head up when I'm walking, and notice/correct posture 10 times a day.

Second step/challenge - first + keep a straight back when bending over to do things, like cleaning teeth, washing up etc

Third step/challenge - first + second + improve sitting posture

 

I've found that as I've progressed I'm starting to become more conscious of a 'bad' posture, sometimes my body tells me that I'm sitting 'wrong'.  Which is great.  I just hope this feeling of uncomfortableness will pass! (sitting badly = uncomfortable, trying to have good posture = uncomfortable!)

 

Eirlys - I can only say wow! Such determination. How your goals all go together to form one path!

And going off Facebook-Yep, I might try that too .....I spend way too much time with my phone in my hand.

Great challenge!

 

Thanks Eve!!  I've found that giving up facebook seems to have left me more time to use constructively (who'd have thought ;-) )

 

Can I say there is a lot of "clutter" on Facebook, you're not missing anything!

 

Thanks Liberator!  Clean new year, clean mind, eh!

[Eirlys]

So... coming up to 1 week at this thing 'officially'.

 

 

Posture -  I'm noticing that when I sit, I usually forget I'm supposed to sit up with a straight lower back initially, but then a few seconds later I remember and try to hold the pose.  I think I need to count myself in! 

 

I find it very hard to do certain things keeping my chin up & not looking down - notably, walking down stairs and eating.  I can see I'm going to need to practice the stairs thing.  What do normal people do?  Aren't they afraid they'll fall if they don't watch their step?  Or is it my short-sightedness getting in the way?

 

It also occurs to me that for most of my life, to some extent I've resented feeling ignored.  However, everything about my posture says 'ignore me!'  It's hard to break through some psychological barriers here!

 

 

Run with a better posture - well, I got a gym session in on Tuesday, and the plan is to top that up this weekend to bring to my requisite 2 (hopefully 3!)

 

Something I didn't put in my challenge but I've been doing is planks twice a day - started off very shakily at around 30 seconds, finding it very hard.  Within a week I'm up to a minute!  (Last year I think I hit 3 minutes so there's a way to go...)

 

 

Look after teeth and body - I am off the sugar!  It is a challenging process, not least as the bright coloured sweets for Easter are already making their way into the shops, but a few more days and hopefully I'll have weaned myself off!  The high elf plans to cook a caramel and pecan strudel tomorrow so my plan is to be at the gym while it is brought out of the oven & consumed...

 

No progress on weight loss yet, but the weight seems to have stabilised.  One step at a time!

 

 

Use it or lose it - have got through several little bottles of travel shampoo/body wash etc.  I've also been trying out my many duplicate make-up bits and bobs, and have reduced these down, too!  There's a little way to go here, but progress is progress!

 

 

Stay off facebook - not even tempted!  Why did I stay there so long?!  Anyway, am finding more time to do other things, and I'm probably wasting less time at work, too!

[Terinatum]

Fantastic progress.

I really resonate with your goal of posture.

Stairs are the worst for me. You are right in my mind. How on earth do people not look down?!?

Running posture is difficult, but I am practiced now at asking myself where my spine is in relation to my hips. It seems to work.

Nice week.

Sent via my phone b/c my laptop is out of reach. Cheers!

[Eirlys]

Fantastic progress.

I really resonate with your goal of posture.

Stairs are the worst for me. You are right in my mind. How on earth do people not look down?!?

Running posture is difficult, but I am practiced now at asking myself where my spine is in relation to my hips. It seems to work.

Nice week.

 

Thanks Teri!

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that about the stairs!  I guess I will have to observe people and see what the average person does!  Good idea on the thinking of spine vs hips when running.  At the moment my mental treadmill pattern is 'is my head up?  are my shoulders relaxed?  is my upper back straightish (rather than hunched)?'  when I remember!

 

---

 

Well yesterday was a pretty good day all round!

 

Exercise

 

After 10 minutes of watching some athletes running a cross-country course on the TV, I decided I was going out for a walk and went out for about 1.5 hours in the cold sunshine.  (Am guessing that's about 300 kcal).

 

I later did a gym session:

1.5 km on cross-trainer (level 9)

2 km on treadmill, interval training style - split 9/11/6/11.5/6/12/6/12.5/6/13/6/13.5/6/10.5/10.5 kmph for a minute at a time

Another 1km on cross-trainer (level 8)

So cardio calories burnt: over 250 kcal (I was aiming for 200 after my walk, so this is good!)

 

Plus 2 sets of 5 assisted pull-ups (assistance 33kg), 5 reps at 35kg on the pull-down machine, 10 reps at 9kg dumbbell rows

Some hip raises with a gym ball.

 

And lots of stretches afterwards, as my knee was grumbling!

 

Bit disappointed with the number of assisted pull-ups, as on Tuesday I did 10 in a row at that same level, but I'm hoping it was just because of the hard cardio before.

 

 

Diet

 

In the evening, I wanted to snack on some toast, but didn't!!!  Will-power FTW!

 

I've decided that the next step in my weight loss plan is to cut down/out the evening snacking (starting this Monday).  I'm not ready to give up my 2 packets of gluten-free 100 kcal crisps at lunchtime yet!

[Eirlys]

And how can I forget my plank from yesterday evening too!

 

A week ago I was struggling to do 30 second plank.

Friday, I got up to 60 second plank.

Saturday, I did a 70 second plank.  Yay!

 

Plus, the scales/tape measure gave me a much better reading this morning!

 

Peak challenge weight - 61.7kg on 5 Jan.  Today - 60.7kg.  That's the first time I've seen below a 61 this year

Peak challenge morning tummy/belly measurement - 37" and 33".  Today - 35" and 31".  

 

Going in the right direction at last

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

/highfive Maintaining a proper posture is one of my unlisted goals as well XD

 

 

I've found that as I've progressed I'm starting to become more conscious of a 'bad' posture, sometimes my body tells me that I'm sitting 'wrong'.  Which is great.  I just hope this feeling of uncomfortableness will pass! (sitting badly = uncomfortable, trying to have good posture = uncomfortable!)

 

I hear ya on that one. Especially after upper body day. Ooooww. At least hunching over is more uncomfortable than straightening up now. Progress!
 

Also, I am in awe at your decluttering ability.

[Eirlys]

/highfive Maintaining a proper posture is one of my unlisted goals as well XD

 

 

I hear ya on that one. Especially after upper body day. Ooooww. At least hunching over is more uncomfortable than straightening up now. Progress!

 

Also, I am in awe at your decluttering ability.

 

I feel a little behind you on the posture progress wheel but it's good to know that there is light in the distance

 

Thanks re decluttering!  It took several months but I'm chipping away!  This weekend I located an old inhaler & old pair of glasses that I need to recycle, plus some more clothes (which are nice enough but don't/are not likely to ever fit).  Next stage (the hard part) - the environmentally-friendly dispensing!

 

---

 

Quick update before bedtime (10 mins!) but today was another good gym/diet day.

 

Gym:

1 hour (10.3 km on level 7) on the cross-trainer

10 minutes (1.4km) on the treadmill

Several weights, including about 8 then later 3 pull-ups at the 33kg assistance weight.

 

My back legs were aching today courtesy of the gym ball yesterday - out of everything!!

 

Plus I was restrained this evening over food, and just had sensible meal sizes with no snacking (bar a few pumpkin seeds).  Yay!

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Hi SG - sounds like you have a good system going there for you!  I've been incrementally working on the posture now for a number of challenges.

First step/challenge - stand up straight with head up when I'm walking, and notice/correct posture 10 times a day.

Second step/challenge - first + keep a straight back when bending over to do things, like cleaning teeth, washing up etc

Third step/challenge - first + second + improve sitting posture

 

I've found that as I've progressed I'm starting to become more conscious of a 'bad' posture, sometimes my body tells me that I'm sitting 'wrong'.  Which is great.  I just hope this feeling of uncomfortableness will pass! (sitting badly = uncomfortable, trying to have good posture = uncomfortable!)

 

The uncomfortableness WILL pass! Once your body is used to sitting/standing/walking properly, it will only feel uncomfortable when you're not using good posture. That's how is used to be for me. I can't wait to get back there. It is a struggle though...sometimes I feel like I just can't get comfortable no matter how I sit!!

[I am Eve]

Wonderful first week Eirlys, I'm very impressed!

Do you do pictures as well as measurements?

Why is the environmentally friendly dispensing hard?

[Eirlys]

The uncomfortableness WILL pass! Once your body is used to sitting/standing/walking properly, it will only feel uncomfortable when you're not using good posture. That's how is used to be for me. I can't wait to get back there. It is a struggle though...sometimes I feel like I just can't get comfortable no matter how I sit!!

 

Thanks for your encouragement, SG!  Hope you hit the comfort zone soon!

I'm noticing more & more uncomfortable things... but it's got to peak some time!!  I just know that if I 'have a day off', everything'll just slide back so the only way is forward!

 

Wonderful first week Eirlys, I'm very impressed!

Do you do pictures as well as measurements?

Why is the environmentally friendly dispensing hard?

 

Thanks Eve!  I took some photos pre-challenge, but I suddenly bloated up in the first week of the challenge so they don't really reflect my peak width!! (ugh).

 

Re recycling - it's making the time to go out of my way to dispose of things one by one... have to locate an optician to dispense of my glasses, go to the chemist to hand over the inhaler, the clothes - I'm going to investigate whether ebay is the right place for these, or if they should be given to a clothing bank etc.  Every little item seems to take up a big piece of time!

 

---

 

Gym 14/1/14

 

Cardio

 

Cross-trainer Level 10 (10 mins), Level 11 (1 min), Level 12 (1 min) - 2.25 km - roughly 70 rpm (11 kmph)

Treadmill, 1 km @ 11 kmph, 10 mins in total (around 10 kmph avg)

 

Weights

 

3 x 5 reps assisted pull-ups @ 33kg - my best effort to date

2 x 8 reps dumbbells squat & press @ 7kg

2 x 10 reps sumo squat with 14kg dumbbell

1 x 10 reps dumbbell row with 10kg dumbbell

 

Yesterday, I managed a 75 second plank - 2014 PB

 

January Ambition

 

So in 2014 I'd loooove to finally be able to do a pull-up.

 

I'm mentally setting myself a challenge of being about to do 3 x 10 reps assisted pull-ups @ 33kg by the end of the month.

Although, having read Staci's latest weight-training blog post I'm not sure if that's the way to go... but I'll give it a try, anyway!

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

Reading is freaking painful for me now. It seems that, no matter how I sit or lie down with a book, something will hurt. I so can't wait until my posture is fixed (I could go to the chiropractor to expedite the process, but I don't have 3000$ to throw at the problem ) But you said it: forward, posture warriors!

 

Good job rocking the cardio and weights challenges, too!

[Heidi]

I absolutely love the way you worded your challenge. Very nice job.

Subbed and cheering you on.

How's the declutter process?