Agent Katia is Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous

[CourageousKate]

It's hard living a double life. 

 

I mean, by day, I'm a mild-mannered office manager, hustling for work in my freelance career, building my business to become a full-time copy editor. Some weeks (like the past two...), I end up working two full-time jobs simultaneously.  

 

By night I am Agent Katia. I kick the asses of evil super spies, one workout at a time; I outrun the infected and continue to survive the Zombie epidemic; and I break out of the stifling sugar prison—all with enough time to get to bed by 10pm.

 

Let me tell you. It ain't easy. 

 

But you know who gets it?

 

 

 

You guessed it. Jem, a.k.a. Jerrica Benton. Successful music industry exec by day, Jerrica, with the help of Synnergy, a holographic computer (the 80s were so FUTURE-Y!), transforms into mega rock superstar JEM! of Jem and the Holograms. Her super-secret identity is kept secret from EVERYONE except her band, including her complicated relationship with her boyfriend who is kind of dating both Jem and Jerrica? Awkward. 

 

So, I'm changing it up. While secret identities are great and serve an important purpose, I had a revelation last challenge. They make it hard to add new things to an already busy double-life schedule. While it's fun to push myself and try new challenges, I have this unconscious expectation that I will maintain whatever I established in the prior challenge, no matter what I add on top of it. And it just hasn't been happening.

 

But no more.

 

My double-life isn't going anywhere, but I can create a challenge that will be fun and successful for me. My biggest barrier is maintaining, so this challenge I'm rewarding myself for that. And to support this, I'm adding totally manageable and smaller new goals to the challenge, to keep it fresh and interesting. Approximately half of my points will come from maintaining (depending on difficulty), and the other half will be from a new, manageable challenge.

 

 

A New Approach

 

Epic Quest:   Maintain! It sounds so, well, not epic. But I want to create a healthy foundation that I can keep up on a daily basis, even when those days are nuts. The goals I created last challenge totally support my Most Truly, Truly, Truly Epic Quest of reducing my body fat percentage to 24%. 

 

Motivation:   Increase my athleticism to improve my chances of surviving the Zombie Apocalypse or other End-of-World Scenario; have a healthy foundation to maintain and return to during crazy life times; and to get ready to wear a bathing suit in front of my husband's slender and fit family at his cousin's Hawaiian wedding in October.

 

 

To embrace my inner Hologram, I need to: 

 

 

1. Dance it out!

 

 

My friend and I got a Groupon to a Barre Method-type class, so I'm going to add that in to this challenge. I'd like to hit three of those by the end of the challenge.

 

To maintain, I'll continue the Rebel Fitness Basic Training three days per week and interval runs with Zombies, Run! 5K Trainer two days per week. (And by maintain, I mean add back in starting this week! The two weeks off were chaos... part of the motivation for all this maintenance business.)

 

Goal: Hit the gym five days per week (75%); take 3 Cardio Barre classes this challenge (25%). [sTA 1 / STR 1 / DEX 3]

 

 

2. Just say no!

 

 

To sugar, dairy, alcohol, and wheat. Pretty much my favorite food groups. I'm still struggling with this one, so those things get more weight. In addition, I'm going to stop buying coffee before the gym, and week three, I'm going to begin to wean myself off of caffeinated coffee by the end of the challenge. (Caffeinated tea and decaf coffee are still okay.) I know I'm going to have a few days of already planned activities when I eat my forbidden foods, and I accept those will be fail days. Which makes me even more determined to make the other days great!

 

Goal: Keep out refined sugars, dairy, wheat, and alcohol (75%). No coffee before the gym. Week 3, wean off of caffeinated coffee (25%). [CON 2 / CHA 2 / DEX 1]

 

 

3. Goodnight, Los Angeles!

 

 

It was really good for me to focus my attention on getting to bed early. Now I'm going to add NO SNOOZING. Eep!

 

Goal: Go to bed at 10pm worknights (50%), and get up workdays without snoozing (50%). [sTA 1 / CON 2 / CHA 1]

 

 

4. Book Club!

 

 

In the last challenge, Vortex of Sleep and I discussed how interesting Michael Moss's book Salt Sugar Fat looked to us, and we made a pact to read it together as part of a challenge! It's totally an experiment, and anyone is welcome to join in the discussion. The book is divided into three parts, so by the end of Week 2, we should have the first part read, etc. 

 

Goal: Read and discuss Salt Sugar Fat with Vortex, and any other Rebel Nerds who would like to geek out about the food industry and such. [WIS 1]

 

 

 

Grading System

 

As ever, my grading system will be on a percentage scale. The math is slightly more complicated because I have two-part goals this time, but it still applies. Anything under a C is a FAIL. (I let myself slide by with a 60% on one of my goals last time... but not this time.)

 

A    90% Success Overall in Challenge

B    80% 

C    70%

D    50%

F    Under 50% 

 

 

 

Starting Stats

 

My current body fat is about 31.5%. I'm going to wait and measure again at the end. 

 

 

 

It's showtime, Synergy!

 

[Jothra]

Okay, so I clicked this entirely to see if it was, in fact, a JEM reference. Now I'm going to scroll up and see.

Ha! Awesome!

Anyway, do the five days a week at the gym include the running? Other than that exact thing, this is a pretty straightforward challenge for flop-headed little me to understand.

Good luck! Have fun!

[Raxie]

Hi there! Your goals look good. I'm excited to hear about the Barre class

[AverageJoe]

Nice goals!  As for no snoozing that's a tough one.  Lately I've been going no snooze (maybe to the extreme) getting up at 4am.  

 

My trick is setting the alarm clock across the room so I have to walk around the bed (and incidentally over and around dogs) to get to it.  I also have the added motivation of having a sleeping wife and newborn in the same room so I've gotten pretty quick at getting to the alarm so no one else wakes up . 

[Tateman]

Good stuff!  I have been lucky enough to not ever really snooze.  Though, I don't really have a job to get up for, so I can sleep as long as my kid is asleep  Good luck this challenge!

[Epsilonx2]

Love the theme! I've only seen one or two episodes, but it gives your challenge thread a fun vibe. Best of luck to you! That maintenance is so important! I have that tendency to try to just keep adding things on as well.

[vortexofsleep]

Gah, your challenge posts are always so cool they make me want to cry!

 

So, ignoring all the challenge-y stuff and moving into a discussion about Jem, what *was* up with Rio?  Like, wouldn't you be mad if you knew your boyfriend was flirting heavily with someone else, even if it was technically still you?  And wasn't he their manager or something?  Mixing business and pleasure is such a bad idea.  

 

I was always a misfits girl myself.  Their songs were better.  Although I really couldn't take Ashley, who I will always consider a hanging-on, quasi Misfit.  Maybe it was her mullet that exactly matched her clothes.

 

True fact: I had a tape of Jem and Misfit songs that I made by holding the tape recorder up to the TV speaker.

[Raxie]

So, ignoring all the challenge-y stuff and moving into a discussion about Jem, what *was* up with Rio?  Like, wouldn't you be mad if you knew your boyfriend was flirting heavily with someone else, even if it was technically still you?  And wasn't he their manager or something?  Mixing business and pleasure is such a bad idea.  

 

I hadn't thought about Jem for yearsssss since I was a child, but when I was reading this challenge post I actually thought the exact same thing, and was surprised I never saw this as an issue as a kid.

 

Also, Agent Katia -- how is your week going??

[DFTBAmanda]

*runs away to add lots of cool GIFs to her challenge* don't mind me, I'll just be mesmerized by all the pretty colors in your thread...

[CourageousKate]

Okay, so I clicked this entirely to see if it was, in fact, a JEM reference. Now I'm going to scroll up and see.

Ha! Awesome!

Anyway, do the five days a week at the gym include the running? Other than that exact thing, this is a pretty straightforward challenge for flop-headed little me to understand.

Good luck! Have fun!

Thanks for stopping by Jothra! Yes, running is a part of my five gym days. Three days are weights, and two days are treadmill running using the Zombies, Run! 5K training app. 

 

Hi there! Your goals look good. I'm excited to hear about the Barre class

Thanks Raxie! I'm excited about the Barre class. I love trying new forms of fitness-related activities

 

Nice goals!  As for no snoozing that's a tough one.  Lately I've been going no snooze (maybe to the extreme) getting up at 4am.  

 

My trick is setting the alarm clock across the room so I have to walk around the bed (and incidentally over and around dogs) to get to it.  I also have the added motivation of having a sleeping wife and newborn in the same room so I've gotten pretty quick at getting to the alarm so no one else wakes up . 

Thanks Joe! Yeah, you have a built-in no-snooze alarm! I also keep mine across the room... when I don't make it a challenge goal, though I am a snooze queen! I'm grateful I'm not getting up at 4am... Whenever I start thinking, oh it's so hard to get up early and exercise, I'm like, yeah, but Joe is doing this and it's 10x harder for him. Get over it.

 

Good stuff!  I have been lucky enough to not ever really snooze.  Though, I don't really have a job to get up for, so I can sleep as long as my kid is asleep  Good luck this challenge!

Thanks Tateman! I'm jealous of your snooze control My husband used to be a no-snoozer, until I converted him to my evil ways... he's still better at getting up in the mornings, though.

 

Love the theme! I've only seen one or two episodes, but it gives your challenge thread a fun vibe. Best of luck to you! That maintenance is so important! I have that tendency to try to just keep adding things on as well.

Thanks for stopping by!! The show is streaming on Netflix now, and I watched a couple episodes earlier in the week to get in the mood for this challenge. Despite the 80s animation and fairly cheesy script, child-me was a smart cookie. It's still a pretty fantastic show, and it was doing something really cool for the time.

 

Yeah, I'm really interested to see how focusing on maintenance plays out. My biggest concern is getting bored with it, which is why I tried to put some additional, but smaller, goals in there. 

 

Gah, your challenge posts are always so cool they make me want to cry!

 

So, ignoring all the challenge-y stuff and moving into a discussion about Jem, what *was* up with Rio?  Like, wouldn't you be mad if you knew your boyfriend was flirting heavily with someone else, even if it was technically still you?  And wasn't he their manager or something?  Mixing business and pleasure is such a bad idea.  

 

I was always a misfits girl myself.  Their songs were better.  Although I really couldn't take Ashley, who I will always consider a hanging-on, quasi Misfit.  Maybe it was her mullet that exactly matched her clothes.

 

True fact: I had a tape of Jem and Misfit songs that I made by holding the tape recorder up to the TV speaker.

Lol, thanks Vortex! You crack me up. 

 

All of my stories are over for the season, so I think I'm going to intersperse Jem with Lost Girl (thanks Raxie!) this summer while I knit and chop veggies (my TV time). So! When I get there in the series, I will give you a full synopsis and analysis of the Rio-Jem-Jerrica love triangle!

 

When I was sourcing material for this post, I was like, "I really wish I still knew all of the words to the Jem theme." So I looked them up and realized, actually, I do. The theme is THAT easy. My favorite part has always been when the Misfits interject.

 

To this day whenever I hear a reference to

 

 

or

 

 

I first think of

 

 

Also, the fact that you would tape-record the songs from TV? The best thing I've heard today.

 

I hadn't thought about Jem for yearsssss since I was a child, but when I was reading this challenge post I actually thought the exact same thing, and was surprised I never saw this as an issue as a kid.

 

Also, Agent Katia -- how is your week going??

I know! Our innocent childhood brains... That's just was dating is, right? 

 

This week is rocky... more below.

 

*runs away to add lots of cool GIFs to her challenge* don't mind me, I'll just be mesmerized by all the pretty colors in your thread...

Hi Wonder Woman! Thanks for dropping by! I'll find your challenge later today!

 

 

 

Update

 

Sorry for the radio silence over here. I owe you all page visits and cheers! This week I've been trying to recover from two weeks of overwork, and it's had a very negative effect on my challenge goals irl as well as my ability to be social here. It's been a turbulent start to the challenge, to say the least. But I feel like I'm on the cusp of being back into the rhythm of things. Yay!

 

Food has been a complete disaster literally all week, but I haven't been having coffee very first thing, so I'll count that as a win so far. Also, during the first week of chaos, I actually ate really well... it started slipping over that weekend, and now I'm trying to return to something that resembles good eating. Today is the day!

 

I've gotten to bed on time only one night out of four, but got up without snoozing three times out of five (yay!). The first was at 5am... the start of being awake for more than 24 hours... yikes. And I'm not counting the night that I didn't sleep as not snoozing...

 

Exercise has been a struggle. I made it to the gym yesterday for the first time in over two weeks, but woke up with a migraine today. I'm planning to go on a run with a friend Sunday, so that means I can get two days of planned fitness in! Not quite the five I was rocking last challenge, but way better than the zero that happened last week. Next week I'm going for the full five!

 

So, that's my shameful fess-up. And now, I'm angling to rock the rest of this challenge! Have a great weekend, everyone!

[Jothra]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't count as shameful to fess up instead of inventing a laundry list of exercises you never really did.

My favourite part of the Jem theme is the part in which the Misfits sing about how they're bitter and want Jem's head to explode like in Scanners. They are subtle like a a dumptruck full of cannons.

[Tateman]

I use to hate those overwork weeks!  Rest up and I know you will rock the rest of the challenge! 

[TennisGeek]

Update

 

Sorry for the radio silence over here. I owe you all page visits and cheers! This week I've been trying to recover from two weeks of overwork, and it's had a very negative effect on my challenge goals irl as well as my ability to be social here. It's been a turbulent start to the challenge, to say the least. But I feel like I'm on the cusp of being back into the rhythm of things. Yay!

 

Food has been a complete disaster literally all week, but I haven't been having coffee very first thing, so I'll count that as a win so far. Also, during the first week of chaos, I actually ate really well... it started slipping over that weekend, and now I'm trying to return to something that resembles good eating. Today is the day!

 

I've gotten to bed on time only one night out of four, but got up without snoozing three times out of five (yay!). The first was at 5am... the start of being awake for more than 24 hours... yikes. And I'm not counting the night that I didn't sleep as not snoozing...

 

Exercise has been a struggle. I made it to the gym yesterday for the first time in over two weeks, but woke up with a migraine today. I'm planning to go on a run with a friend Sunday, so that means I can get two days of planned fitness in! Not quite the five I was rocking last challenge, but way better than the zero that happened last week. Next week I'm going for the full five!

 

So, that's my shameful fess-up. And now, I'm angling to rock the rest of this challenge! Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

Pull out all nighters and working out and eating healthy and double life?

Umm. Just reading it made me tired.

 

I often complain that "how come a day is only 24 hours?" but you need like 48 hours a day.

 

Hope you can catch up some sleep and recharge over the weekend.

[mitch_dee]

So, that's my shameful fess-up. And now, I WILL rock the rest of this challenge! Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

There, fixed it for you.  Never be shameful, you will be amazed at how fast it will pile up and alter your views of yourself.  What happened happened and you should not feel shame for it; you learned, you re-motivated and you will now go on to kick ass!

 

And know I am watching from the shadows!    

 

**returns to said shadows**

[AverageJoe]

It would be shameful if you made excuses or tried to sugar coat it.   You were honest with yourself and you know how to restart and redirect.  Now let's kick week 2 in the @$$!

[Tateman]

It would be shameful if you made excuses or tried to sugar coat it.   You were honest with yourself and you know how to restart and redirect.  Now let's kick week 2 in the @$$!

Agreed!

[Raxie]

Hope you got some R&R over the weekend!  How's this week going so far?

[GingaNinja]

Oh my god, I realise I hadn't visited your thread yet! I am so sorry, good looking goals xxx

[CourageousKate]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't count as shameful to fess up instead of inventing a laundry list of exercises you never really did.

My favourite part of the Jem theme is the part in which the Misfits sing about how they're bitter and want Jem's head to explode like in Scanners. They are subtle like a a dumptruck full of cannons.

Thanks Jothra, that's awesome. And yes, um, subtle is not in the Misfits vocabulary.

 

I use to hate those overwork weeks!  Rest up and I know you will rock the rest of the challenge! 

Thanks Tateman! They are definitely tough, but it's worth it when I know it's leading toward something great

 

Pull out all nighters and working out and eating healthy and double life?

Umm. Just reading it made me tired.

 

I often complain that "how come a day is only 24 hours?" but you need like 48 hours a day.

 

Hope you can catch up some sleep and recharge over the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by TennisGeek! You know, most of the time I'd like to think I don't need more than 24 hours in a day, but I'm verging on a month now where a 48 hour day (or, come on, at LEAST an 8 day week) would be extremely helpful!

 

There, fixed it for you.  Never be shameful, you will be amazed at how fast it will pile up and alter your views of yourself.  What happened happened and you should not feel shame for it; you learned, you re-motivated and you will now go on to kick ass!

 

And know I am watching from the shadows!    

 

**returns to said shadows**

MITCH_DEE! I am so honored your ninja self emerged to say a nice thing to me. <3 While my good intentions were not fulfilled for another week, I am really looking at next week to KICK SOME ASS. It's awesome knowing you are watching

 

It would be shameful if you made excuses or tried to sugar coat it.   You were honest with yourself and you know how to restart and redirect.  Now let's kick week 2 in the @$$!

Thanks Joe! UM, sorry I missed Week 2. BUT WEEK 3!!!!

 

Hope you got some R&R over the weekend!  How's this week going so far?

Thanks for checking in on me Raxie! Full update below.

 

Oh my god, I realise I hadn't visited your thread yet! I am so sorry, good looking goals xxx

Hi Leeroy! That MIGHT be because I'm a slacker and haven't visited your thread??? It's only fair. But thanks! I'll be in to check up on you

 

 

 

You guys are the best. Thanks for helping me not feel like a loser in Week 1. Now Week 2 on the other hand... (Kidding. There was enough kindness, support, and encouragement in there to get me through TWO weeks of unexpected challenge thwarting!)

 

 

 

Update

 

So much for not being MIA so far this challenge!

 

When last we met, I honestly thought that things were about to completely calm down and I could focus in on my goals. Instead, they got even crazier. 

 

In the past week, I went from planning to stay at my current day job for the next 1.5–2 years (last Friday morning) to learning about and applying for a random long-term temporary dream editing job that fell in my lap (Friday afternoon) to rewriting and submitting my resume, and completing a phone interview and an edit test (Monday) to finishing the application process (Tuesday) to being offered and accepting the position (Wednesday). The final paperwork was Friday (yesterday). One week. This is so fresh I haven't even given notice at my current job yet (the position starts mid-July, so I have time), and I'm still feeling emotionally drained from this somewhat-crazy, but totally on-point decision.

 

It sounds even more abrupt without backstory, but my current job is doing a lot of downsizing and scaling the entire operation into a smaller entity. While I had some assured job security, I didn't have much room to grow, so I was going to spend the next year and a half or so establishing my own business and client list to launch into working for myself as a full-time freelance editor (thus the crazy double-life). Becoming a full-time copy editor has been my goal for a couple of years now, but I didn't transition for a few reasons, all of which are completely made irrelevant by this opportunity. The timing couldn't be more perfect.  

 

PHEW. I am extremely excited for what's to come, but I definitely was a Goal Slacker this week. Not a COMPLETE failure (well, except on food), but I definitely had shifted priorities. Official Week 1 and 2 updates to follow.

[CourageousKate]

Week One Summary 

 

FITNESS/DANCE:              2 / 5 days of planned fitness;   0 CardioBarre classes (total)

NO SUGAR+/COFFEE:     0 / 7 sugarless+ days;   5 / 5 no early coffee days (I mean, this almost doesn't count if I'm not going to the gym in the AM...) 

BEDTIME/SNOOZE:          1 / 5 days in bed by 10;   3 / 5 no snooze

BOOK CLUB:                         Read prologue.

 

 

 

Week Two Summary 

 

FITNESS/DANCE:              3 / 5 days of planned fitness;   0 CardioBarre classes (total)

NO SUGAR+/COFFEE:     0 / 7 sugarless+ days;   5 / 5 no early coffee days

BEDTIME/SNOOZE:          0 / 5 days in bed by 10;   4 / 5 no snooze

BOOK CLUB:                         Read some more. Not done with part 1 yet... but the week isn't done!

 

I commented on Week 1 at the end of that week, but I will say I'm considering grading myself on a "per item" basis for the No Sugar+ days. It's not like I was having all-out gorge-fests of boozey ice cream cake or something. Often I wouldn't have any dairy, but maybe I had some sugar, or whatever. It varied. I'm going to think about that a little more and see if I want to break out the grading system to a more micro-level. 

 

For my fitness days in Week 2, I'm counting ahead to tomorrow to include the 5k I'm running. I only got to the gym once this week, but went for a hike with friends today and have the race tomorrow. Should be fun! I pulled a muscle the one day I was at the gym, so I'm hoping that doesn't bother me much. This race is very much a walk/run thing, so if I'm a straggler, that's okay, too! No zombies to pick me off... THIS time.

[Jothra]

Congratulations on the job! I know from very recent experience that one of the best feelings in the world is when the job you've ben working towards finally falls into place.

 

As for everything else, it seems to be moving in a basically forward direction, which is pretty impressive given all the work you've been funnelling into making the job happen. You're winning!

[Raxie]

Oh wow congrats on the new job!  You've got a lot going on right now, and while you're not hitting your goals as you wrote them it sounds like you're still managing to keep up an active lifestyle while not binging on cake haha

[AverageJoe]

Excellent work. God luck on the run!

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Terra]

Wahoo!  So much going on right now in your world right now.  I'm impressed that you have kept it all together, gotten in a few workouts, are making progress on the snooze goal and in general leveling up in life.  I'm positive it will all mellow out in a few weeks but for now I would enjoy the rollercoaster thrill of life!  :-)

[Raxie]

Hope all is going well for you with all your life changes!