Chelsea's 6 Week Challenge Sep 8 - Oct 20

[Robzilla1983]

I could really see that becoming the case with a lot of food with added sugar. I feel that way about salt a lot. I'll eat something and be like, why did they put so much salt in this, but everyone else thinks it tastes great. You're doing awesome with the no sugar (if you can go six months like your friend, crazy power to you!)

I bet you'll be doing a chin-up in no time....

I find that now. Especially when we go out to eat anywhere. At one of our fave restaurants my go-to meal used to be wings and fries. It sill is occasionally. But I find now it's hard to get through it, and I feel so gross afterwards that it's hardly worth it, but I blame it all on the salt. I'm always so thirsty eating it. But even following recipes at home, if I put in the amount of salt that's called for I often have a hard time eating the food. Usually I'll just throw in a pinch, no matter what's actually called for.

Slowly getting there with sugar too. I made the switch to diet pop a few years back, and really can't stand non-diet at this point. Way too sweet. In my coffee I use a sweetener, so when I get one with real sugar I find it's almost like a cappuccino it tastes so sweet

[cacodaemonia]

Er, I meant to type kinda grossly sweet back there. Ahem.

Faraxk, six months would be awesome! I don't know if Nick would be able to tolerate me though. ;P

I am an unrepentant salt lover, though I suspect I still eat way less of it than most Americans. I've got super low blood pressure and all that jazz, so I don't worry about adding it to my food. :> Rob, what you were saying about the wings and fries you used to eat a lot sounds similar to how I feel after I go out to get ice cream. There's this one cool frozen yogurt place that we walk to once every week or two (though not lately) where you can choose from a bunch of different flavors and toppings, get it yourself, and you're charged by weight. But the last several times we went, I just felt soooo blech afterwards. Presumably because I've been eating a lot less sugar and dairy the past few months, but still, it's a shock - I've always had an insane sweet tooth.

Good job on the soda! Thankfully that's one bad habit I never got into, as I hate anything with carbonation.

+++

I already did my meditation for today, and ran 1.5 miles with Azu at 9:14 pace. It was really tiring, though. Given how fatigued I've been feeling the past few days, I think the cause might be not eating enough. I've just been really busy, and it's not like I don't eat when I'm hungry... Maybe being off sugar is making me feel less hungry; unnecessary hunger is supposed to be one of the results of consuming a lot of refined sugar. Hm.

So anyway, ran, meditated, and I suspect I will not have trouble avoiding sugar for the rest of the day. Bam.

[cacodaemonia]

No sugar today, rest day for running, did negative pullups (6, 5, 5) and neg chinups (5), about to meditate.

[cacodaemonia]

No sugar, rest day for pullups, meditated, and ran 5K this morning! My goal for the final week of the challenge is to run a 5K for time, so today was practice. I ran it in just under 29 minutes, which works out to a 9:10/mile pace.

[cacodaemonia]

No sugar, rest day for running, negatives pullups (6, 5, 5) and chinups (5), meditated 5 minutes this evening as well as after yoga this morning.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to do a real pullup by the end of the challenge...

[Hannibal]

You've got two more weeks and you only have to do one. You can get there. Positive mental attitude!

[scotticus]

Life:

1. Practice mindfulness meditation 5 minutes each day. If I miss one day, I have to do 10 the next day to make up for it.

I love this part - I feel like EVERYBODY should add this to their respective challenges!

[scotticus]

No sugar, rest day for running, negatives pullups (6, 5, 5) and chinups (5), meditated 5 minutes this evening as well as after yoga this morning.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to do a real pullup by the end of the challenge...

This is a concern for me as well (I have the same goal for this challenge). I started reading Pavel's "Naked Warrior" and there are two key things from the book that I've adapted so far, and they are really helping (i.e. I am starting to believe that I might just make it). Maybe they'll help you, too...

1) Treat the exercise you're trying to conquer as a PRACTICE, not a workout. Just make up a rule - like "everytime I go into the basement I do 1-2 negatives". Over the course of the day, you end up doing a bunch of reps - but never to failure. Apparently the theory is that you build muscle coordination and "nerve strength" by doing this.

2) Maximize tension. I'm still struggling to "stay tight" at all times, but this is a pretty huge help as well. Just keep all of the muscles involved (back, core, etc.) taught while doing the exercise. If I'm reading the book right, the focus is on contracting the affected muscles as hard as possible. If you successfully do this, the pull-up will happen on its own.

Anyways, I'm still not there yet myself. I just know that these two ideas have helped me to get from basically hanging off of a bar, motionless, to doing a full chin-up and almost completing a full pull-up. Almost... Let me know how it goes!

[cacodaemonia]

Thanks for the encouragement, Hannibal, and for the pointers, Scotticus! My pullup bar is in a pretty out-of-the way spot down a hallway, but I think I'll try doing one every time I come out of the bathroom or something.

No sugar today. I had a tough moment when I was scooping a bowl of ice cream for Nick, and I almost licked the scoop, out of habit.

Rest day for pullups but ran intervals (5 minute warmup jog, 6 x (30 second spring, 1 minute jog), 5 minute cool down jog) for 2.1 miles.

Meditated while modeling at the uni, and again after doing some yoga this afternoon. I tried the chin mudra for the first time, and it actually seemed like it helped. I didn't have to think about keeping my hands in that position, but my mind was still aware of it enough that I think it helped me focus on the now a bit more.

[faraxk]

You're doing so great with all of your goals! I love your consistency!

[cacodaemonia]

Thanks. Accountability does amazing things.

- No sugar today, though I am having some honey in my tea now! :9

- Rest day for running.

- Neg pullups (6, 6, 5), neg chinups (5).

- Meditated.

EDIT: Whoops, completely forgot that today is the end of week 4 for me...

Week 4 Check-In

Fitness:

Run 4-6 miles per week: CHECK

Do at least 1 pull-up: continuing to work on negative pullups and negative chinups every other day. May try "greasing the groove" until the end of the challenge.

A

Diet:

Consume no refined sugar or foods that contain refined sugar: CHECK

A

Life:

Practice mindfulness meditation 5 minutes each day: CHECK

A

[faraxk]

You are rocking it! GREAT job on the no sugar!

[Hannibal]

A is for "awesome," and that's how you're doing. Keep up the great work.

[cacodaemonia]

Thanks guys! The sugar part really hasn't been that challenging, which is a huge shock to me. I would probably keep going after the six weeks are up, but I think Nick will kill me. I'll at least continue to avoid actual sweets, but not worry about the little bit of sugar in Sriracha sauce or whatever.

So yeah, no sugar today.

Meditated.

Ran 1.5 miles this morning in the new shoes. I was feeling pretty tired, but somehow managed an 8:48 pace overall. I guess the new shoes are good? We'll see how my feet feel tomorrow, anyway. Whoa, I just realized I ran 6.7 miles last week. That's a lot for me!

I was going to start greasing the groove with pullups today, but just could not remember to do them after coming out of the bathroom. My solution:

Hehe, my dry erase marker is just about dead, so it's hard to see, but I think you get the point.

[Robzilla1983]

That is an awesome way to remind yourself.

[cacodaemonia]

Didn't have a chance to update last night. I successfully avoided sugar, despite wanting sweets while I was at the movie theatre. Rest day for running, "greased the groove" on the negative pullups, and meditated before bed.

I'm going hiking this afternoon. Not sure what time I'll be back, but I may not have time to update until tomorrow.

[Tom Kenobi]

hahaha, get after it girl! Great job on "greasing", great job!

[scotticus]

How is the gtg method working for you? I was skeptical, but after a few days I've seen some rather dramatic gains. In the chinup department anyhow. Not so much where the pullups are concerned...

[faraxk]

I'm going hiking this afternoon. Not sure what time I'll be back, but I may not have time to update until tomorrow.

Have fun hiking! Your pics look awesome, btw!

[cacodaemonia]

How is the gtg method working for you? I was skeptical, but after a few days I've seen some rather dramatic gains. In the chinup department anyhow. Not so much where the pullups are concerned...

Well I've only been doing it for 2 days, so I can't really say yet. I'll let you know if I notice better results than doing regular sets with the pullups.

+++

No sugar today. I had some green grapes and they were so deliciously sweet. :9

Greased the groove on neg pullups.

No running today.

Meditated.

[cacodaemonia]

I ran 2.46 miles this morning (9:17 pace). Five minute warm-up jog, 7 x (30 second sprint, 1 minute jog), five minute cool-down jog. So there's my interval run for the week. Tuesday I'll do a trail run.

Just meditated. I don't know if other people experience this, but I notice that there are sort of layers to my thoughts. Like, there are surface thoughts that are a bit easier to set aside while doing mindfulness meditation. Then there's this deeper, more subtle layer of thought that's hard to even notice sometimes. It's much harder for me to get rid of.

Greased the groove with pullups. I decided to start doing 2 instead of 1 every time I come out of the bathroom.

No sugar, but I did eat possibly the sweetest red bell peppers in the world. :9

[faraxk]

Just meditated. I don't know if other people experience this, but I notice that there are sort of layers to my thoughts. Like, there are surface thoughts that are a bit easier to set aside while doing mindfulness meditation. Then there's this deeper, more subtle layer of thought that's hard to even notice sometimes. It's much harder for me to get rid of.

I actually do know what you're talking about. It's like there's this background noise that's not in the front part of your mind. The front part thoughts are easier to set aside, but that background layer is definitely harder to sort of not focus on, cause it's not like you're really focusing on it in the first place? I guess that's why meditation isn't easy.

[cacodaemonia]

Good to know I'm not completely crazy!

+++

Rest day for running but greased the groove on neg pullups. I might be crazy, but it seems to helping. We'll see how it's going in a few days.

Nooooooo sugar.

And just meditated.

[cacodaemonia]

I had to model at the uni yesterday evening and get up at 5 this morning for yoga, so I didn't have a chance to update last night.

I'm continuing to do 2 neg pullups when I come out of the bathroom. It really does seem to be getting easier, but I don't know if I'll be able to manage a real one within the next week. I'll do my best! >:[

I didn't have any sugar yesterday and should be fine today unless someone punches me in the mouth with a bag of candy or something.

I ran an unexpected 5K yesterday for my trail run! I ran at Lost River Cave again (evidence!) - started on the paved ridge trail, did 2 loops around the rocky, rooty, hilly trail down in the valley, then when I got back up on the paved section and hit 2.5 miles I just decided to keep going until I had a 5K. So technically, since my running goal last week was 4-7 miles, I ran .1 mile farther than I was supposed to. I'm not having any pain in my Achilles tendon, though, so hopefully I didn't overdo it. I've never run a 5K race before, but I'm thinking of trying this one on the 28th...

I meditated for 5 minutes yesterday afternoon, and again off and on during the figure drawing session last night. I've also completed my meditation for today.

+++

Week 5 Check-In

Fitness:

Run 4-7 miles per week: CHECK; ran 7.1

Do at least 1 pull-up: Greasing the groove on neg pullups.

A

Diet:

Consume no refined sugar or foods that contain refined sugar: CHECK

A

Life:

Practice mindfulness meditation 5 minutes each day: CHECK

A

[Hannibal]

More As? Awesome! Seems like you're dominating this challenge.

And if you do go for that 5k, good luck. Any idea what your time is?