Keliswicked - steps in the right direction

[keliswicked]

I have started so many 6 week challenges here at NF, and completed so few.  But tomorrow starts my final semester of college, and if this isn't the time to pull it all together, I don't know when it will be.

 

I debated being in a different guild this challenge, but I opted to stay in the Druids for a few reasons.  One, my main goal is balancing my negative habits with good ones, and I truly believe Druids are about balance.  Secondly, I've always got a lot of great support here and lastly, it still fits in with my goals.

 

Basically, my main goal is to become healthier, including losing weight, and take care of myself.

 

Here are my three goals for this 6 week challenge:

 

1. Finish a Whole30

    -I've done a Whole30 before and it was incredible.  I felt so much better and lost 11lb.  However, I've gained a lot of it back during a stressful semester of school and I lost a lot of the great eating habits I had while spending times with friends and family over the winter break.  As a result, I need this desperately.

    -Fortunately, my boyfriend and resident cook of the household is on board with me again.  Our Whole30 started 1/6 and so far so good.

    -The one unfortunate caveat: as it is my last semester of college, there are some occasions where I am going to be eating unhealthy foods or drinking alcohol.  I'm going to try and avoid it to the best of my ability, and put off any drinking until February, but if push comes to shove I'm not giving up any experiences that I might never have again with my friends.  However, I'm going to do my best to not let it be an issue for this month.

 

2. Finish the Couch-to-5k

    -I got SO far into this last semester and now I'm back to finish.

    -I'm going to start with week 4, since I know I can still do that much, so it finishes with this challenge.

    -My cousin invited me to run a 5k with her in NYC in March, so I'm hoping to be able to run 5ks by that time, and also when I live by myself for half of 2014 so that I have a way to occupy my time healthfully.

 

3. Stop biting my nails

    -This one is the doozy.

    -I was originally going to do meditations, but this is so much better for me.

    -I've had a nail biting habit for as long as I can remember - probably around 20 years.  Right now my nails are long and beautiful from having acrylics over them for over five weeks.  I want to keep them like this but they are still kind of weak and brittle.  I'm going to keep a nail kit with me at all times so that I never have to bite them to "fix" them as I always do.  

    -I'm trying to think of some reward for myself for this one since it's so difficult and it's been a habit for so long.  I'll update if I think of something.

 

 

 

So there we have it! Two goals I've tried a couple of times and one brand new one.  

 

Here's to a great challenge!

[LittleTurtle]

Keep me posted on your 5k progress! I remember the first time I actually ran for 5k, I was so happy I thought I might cry! It's an unbelievable feeling.

Good luck with your goals! I'm glad you stayed with the Druids because I would've missed you if you left!

[Wandern]

I think an appropriate reward for not biting your nails would be a fancy schmancy manicure/pedicure - maybe with a massage?

 

Great goals!

[TigerTiger]

I love the couch to 5 k. I have yet to finish it but its the only running program that works for me. I am going to start it up again during this challenge I just didn't put it as a goal.

I was a terrible nail biter most of my life. Then one day someone said "here, let this fix it" and dredged a nail clipper out of her purse and gave it to me. I carried it everywhere with me and any time i found myself biting i used the clipper instead. Worked like a charm (and so much nicer than that bitter tasting nail polish - which never worked on me). Now i take great pride in actually being able to file my nails when they get too long! Only biters understand that victory

You can do it!!

[Wandern]

The hubbie bought us some awesome nail clippers. They actually cut the nail instead of breaking it - no rough edges! It's remarkable how much of a difference they make. 

[keliswicked]

Keep me posted on your 5k progress! I remember the first time I actually ran for 5k, I was so happy I thought I might cry! It's an unbelievable feeling.

Good luck with your goals! I'm glad you stayed with the Druids because I would've missed you if you left!

Thanks Turtle =) always nice to have you as a supporter!

 

I think an appropriate reward for not biting your nails would be a fancy schmancy manicure/pedicure - maybe with a massage?

 

Great goals!

 

massage sounds wonderful!!

The hubbie bought us some awesome nail clippers. They actually cut the nail instead of breaking it - no rough edges! It's remarkable how much of a difference they make. 

I'll have to look in to these, thanks for the suggestion!

 

I love the couch to 5 k. I have yet to finish it but its the only running program that works for me. I am going to start it up again during this challenge I just didn't put it as a goal.

I was a terrible nail biter most of my life. Then one day someone said "here, let this fix it" and dredged a nail clipper out of her purse and gave it to me. I carried it everywhere with me and any time i found myself biting i used the clipper instead. Worked like a charm (and so much nicer than that bitter tasting nail polish - which never worked on me). Now i take great pride in actually being able to file my nails when they get too long! Only biters understand that victory

You can do it!!

thank you so much for sharing your story with me. it's really nice to hear from someone who has overcome their nail biting habit. I so know what you mean about being able to file them! they look great now and I'm keeping them painted and pretty to try and self encourage!

 

 

Update!

 

Today is Day 4 of the Whole30.  So far, so good.  I got a free lunch today at work but was able to get a salad and some fruit instead of anything greasy.

 

Yesterday I did Week 4, Day 1 of Couch to 5k.  Running the half miles was way harder than I remembered, but hopefully that was the hardest it will be.  If I can find my sneakers then I'm doing Day 2 tomorrow.  I ran in old sneakers and it killed my feet and ankles but it isn't so bad today.

 

I caught myself biting my nail once today but I stopped and filed it instead.  I'm hoping this good habit sticks!!

[I am Eve]

Keliswicked, you are definitely going in the right direction, learning from the past, streamlining your goals, I like it!

I'm so glad that you are still with us and that you identify that with seeking balance, I think that's one of the core characteristics here - and this is a great place to explore different ways leading there.

Congratulations on starting strong!!

[keliswicked]

Thanks Evenewbie!!

 

 

Update!

 

Some bad news on the Couch to 5k front.  I was advised not to run in my old sneakers so I need to wait until I either luckily find my regular ones or buy a new pair.  Which will probably be next weekend.  Better late than never!  And it will keep me from unnecessary injury.

 

The Whole30 is going great.  Been eating like a king, I looked a lot thinner this morning in the mirror, and suffering all the fun side effects.  Last night I had a dream I was carelessly eating Doritos before I remembered I was on the Whole30.  It was terrible!

 

I've been really good about not biting my nails. I found myself going to bite a few times last night but stopped myself and used a nail file instead.  Considering my starting point, this is a massively huge improvement.

[LittleTurtle]

 

Update!

 

Some bad news on the Couch to 5k front.  I was advised not to run in my old sneakers so I need to wait until I either luckily find my regular ones or buy a new pair.  Which will probably be next weekend.  Better late than never!  And it will keep me from unnecessary injury.

 

The Whole30 is going great.  Been eating like a king, I looked a lot thinner this morning in the mirror, and suffering all the fun side effects.  Last night I had a dream I was carelessly eating Doritos before I remembered I was on the Whole30.  It was terrible!

What is your running shoe of choice?  Any favorite or particular brand you seem to do better with?

 

Also, way to go on the Whole30!  I had to laugh about your Doritos dream...I have those kinds of dreams too and it always takes a few minutes once I'm awake to realize that I didn't really just blow it.  

[Affekonig]

Sounds like a week to envy if the worst thing to report is Dorito Dreams (that needs to become a thing)

Keep on blessing yourself with good decisions.

[Wandern]

I dreamed of oatmeal the other day. I don't know if that's a victory or just pitiful.

 

Way to go on Whole30 and nail biting success!

[keliswicked]

Okay so I stink at updating but I've been doing great on my goals!

 

Today is Day 15 of my Whole30, which means I'm halfway done!  I don't feel amazing right now (I think because of the constantly changing weather more than food) but I'm sure I will in a few days.  Better yet, I'm not bored with my strict diet so I have absolutely no temptation to eat anything off track.  I had a bit of a setback when my boyfriend decided to break his Whole30 to have a beer with his friends, but I didn't let it affect me.

 

I bought new running shoes today!! Hoping to get back into doing my Couch to 5k tomorrow or Wednesday!

 

And finally, I haven't bitten my nails once since my last update. They've chipped and broken and I've gotten hang nails and basically anything that could happen when trying to grow your nails, but I've been good and kept with just using my clipper and file obsessively.  I repaint them every few days as well so they always look perfect and I'm so proud when people notice!

 

That's my update for now!!

[LittleTurtle]

Yay for new running shoes! Congrats on doing so well with your Whole30 and nails!

[Wandern]

Yay for new shoes! Good shoes are very important for good feet. Good feet are important for almost everything.

[keliswicked]

I agree about the shoes!  Yesterday I did Week 3 Day 1 of the Couch to 5k in my new shoes and it felt great!  I decided to dial it back to week 3 instead of 4 because it's been so long since I've run and I'm breaking in new shoes so I don't want to cause myself undue injury.  Week 3 is an easier place to jump back in and yesterday went really well!

 

Day 17 of the Whole30.  BIGGEST CHALLENGE EVER: my professor bought pizza for my night class tonight. Free pizza?  This NEVER happens for me.  I wasn't actually all that tempted to actually eat the pizza, but I was upset that I couldn't, if that makes sense.  I just told myself that I'm worth more than a slice of pizza and I don't need food as a reward, looking and feeling good will be my reward.  

 

Finally, I'm doing awesome with not biting my nails.  Haven't done it once.  The only remaining huge challenge (other than keeping with it) will be when I'm under a lot of stress - that's when it usually gets the worst.

[keliswicked]

Okay so Day 19 of the Whole30.  I'm getting some wild cravings and needing fruit, I think I'm hitting it later in the cycle than I did last time but I'm sticking to it so it's all good. I also think I'm extra hungry because it's so damn cold!!!

 

I did Week 3 Day 2 of the Couch to 5k today.  It felt pretty good.  Then I did two circuits of the BBWW and I have lost soooo much strength.  I used to back squat like 115lb and now I could barely do 20 bodyweight squats!  I'm not anxious about how much pain I'll be in tomorrow, but I should recover by Sunday for my next run.

[Sunmage]

Hmmm. Do you feel cold all the time?

For me this sounds like you are a little malnourished.

This does not mean no whole 30. 

Do you track your intake? How much protein and carbs? How much water?

i suggest you try a little more good carbs.

 

This is just a little drawback. You can overcome this easily when you find out whats behind it!

 

Easiest would be to post in our nutrition forum, the guys there are awesome!

[keliswicked]

Hmmm. Do you feel cold all the time?

For me this sounds like you are a little malnourished.

This does not mean no whole 30. 

Do you track your intake? How much protein and carbs? How much water?

i suggest you try a little more good carbs.

 

This is just a little drawback. You can overcome this easily when you find out whats behind it!

 

Easiest would be to post in our nutrition forum, the guys there are awesome!

Hey sunmage!

 

I'm inclined to blame the weather before the food: for the last week or so it's been below zero most days, it was -13F yesterday with windchill.  Those are pretty cold temperatures around here =/ So it's not as much "I'm cold", as, "everyone is freezing".  I eat lots of veggies and fruits every day, but I agree I could use some more since my body is working its butt off to not get sick.  

[keliswicked]

End of week 3 report!

 

Whole30 is going spectacularly well.  I'm kind of excited to be done but at the same time I'm so used to eating this way that it doesn't bother me at all.  In addition, I'm starting to learn to cook some things on my own!  This will help a lot when I live on my own, so it's good that I'm learning some healthy foods that I can make.

 

I finished week 3 of the couch to 5k tonight.  This is behind on what I originally planned, but since I had to get new sneakers I'm not overly concerned.  The only thing that matters is that I'm still running regularly after this challenge is over.

 

My nails still look beautiful.  I'm about to give them a little TLC.  I don't want to delude myself into thinking that I'm completely off biting them, but for now I'm doing good and I just need to wait for stressful situations to arise to test my resolve and get past it entirely.

[LittleTurtle]

I'm so happy for your 5k progress!  You're so close - I just know in a few weeks you'll be running them up a storm.  I'm also happy to hear that your Whole30 is going well - I don't know if I could do it.

[keliswicked]

I'm so happy for your 5k progress!  You're so close - I just know in a few weeks you'll be running them up a storm.  I'm also happy to hear that your Whole30 is going well - I don't know if I could do it.

Thank you! You could totally do a Whole30.. you just have to make sure you always have food on hand to eat!  A good chef helps too...

 

 

Update!!

I just signed up for my first ever 5k on March 8th!! My boyfriend is going to run at the same place, but the 5 mile race.  I'm going to have just finished up my Couch to 5k so I'll be in great running shape! Talk about motivation to keep running!

 

Also, I did W4D1 of C25k yesterday and it felt GREAT.  I thought the half miles would be a little challenging but honestly I just felt smooth and light.  Can't wait to run again tomorrow and then again on Friday!

 

Day 24 of the Whole30:  This is unheard of for me, but I've been COOKING the last couple of days! I made myself sweet potatoes for breakfast and some sausage and bacon and other stuff throughout the day.  I'm so proud of myself! I also made some kale chips this morning that I'm having for dinner - we'll see how they turned out! Whole30 is going as well as I could have hoped, I'm excited that it's only 6 more days too! Then I can eat some chocolate!!

 

Nails look amazing, as per usual (since I stopped biting them).  I think as a small reward for this challenge going so well, I'm going to buy some kind out outdoor running apparel for my 5k...

[keliswicked]

Update!!!

 

Finished week 4 of the Couch to 5k and now enjoying a few well-deserved rest days! I'll start week 5 on Tuesday

 

Day 28 of the Whole30:  This went even better than my first time around.  I feel amazing.  I look great.  I'll be curious to see how many pounds I've lost on Wednesday.  Regardless, my body feels great and I'm just riding out the last few days!

 

Still doing great on not biting my nails.  I have them painted blue now.  I'm upset they keep breaking on the sides, but oh well.  At least I'm not biting!

[LittleTurtle]

Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job!  I'm so happy for your progress and successes!

 

Have you ever tried a shellac manicure?  I had one and couldn't believe at how much stronger and less prone to breakage my fingernails were!

 

Good luck with the last two weeks!! 

[keliswicked]

Well I finished the Whole30 this week.  Up until last night/today, I was feeling pretty damn good.  I had established a healthy sleep schedule, and dealt my sugar addiction a staggering blow.  Yesterday and today I've been really stressed over some computer programs for school.  Last night I got a terrible night's sleep because I was thinking about what I hadn't gotten done and what I still had to do.  So today I feel a little crappy, it was harder getting out of bed, I struggled majorly with my morning push-ups and planks, and now all I want to do is stress eat.  I just may if someone goes to lunch with me. However, I know that it's just because I'm so drained from the stress of these programs and I'll be back to my normal self in a day or so.  I'm glad it's the weekend and I'll get some time to relax, rejuvenate, and catch up on some things that I've let fall by the wayside this week (my Coursera courses, for one!)

 

Overall though, the Whole30 has done me so much good.  I don't think I lost as much weight as last time, but I also started 10lb lighter and I wasn't weight lifting, I was running towards the end. (Interesting if weight lifting helped me lose more weight than running did... but I don't have nearly enough evidence to make that conjecture).  

 

One good thing about the last day and a half is that I haven't bitten my nails once, despite the stress.  I did place one in my mouth once or twice but I didn't actually bite it and was conscientious enough to stop myself before I did it any damage.  So this is a great step for me, having control over this habit that I've had almost my entire life.

 

I've been eating a few unhealthy foods since off my Whole30, and I'm trying to remember/decide how to orient myself with eating healthy foods and keeping all the crap in moderation.  That's something I'll have to work on, I guess.

 

In better news, I finished Week 5 Day 2 of the Couch to 5k yesterday and it felt pretty damn good!  I'm really excited to run the big two miles tomorrow.  I hope there isn't too much snow so I can run on the outdoor track, otherwise I'll be running 32 laps on the indoor track.  That does not sound like fun but I think I'm ready for it!

 

Does anyone know when the next challenge starts?  I'm beginning to think about what I'm doing to do for it...

 

I'll probably have one more post on Sunday to wrap up week 5, and then on to the last week!  Huzzah!

[LittleTurtle]

This update put a huge smile on my face.  There is so much win in all the things you're doing!  And even if you do end up stress eating, just get right back on track tomorrow.  One day of bad eating won't undo all the greatness you've accomplished.  I think we'd all be lying if we said we didn't do it every once and again. 

 

Can you believe that next week is the last week?!  How do these things go so quickly?!  I'm very much looking forward to the next challenge, but don't know when it starts.  Can't wait to see what your goals are!!

 

Have a great weekend!