joedog tries consistency

[joedog]

I have really been sweating what to plan for this challenge. I mean, my best excuse...uh...I mean roadblock to success is gone now. I'll be working in the office, regular hours and all. So I was thinking, this challenge has to be perfect. Oh crap, there's the perfectionist self sabotage crap starting again. Couple that with an urge to do ALL the THINGS! and I'm setting up one more huge flop. Sometime yesterday evening it occurred to me, I don't have to be perfect and get the next 6 weeks scheduled in 15 minute increments right now. I just need to pick 3 things and for the sake of all that's holy do them consistently. I mean, it really is that simple right now. Once I get the basics down, then I can worry about dialing in to the nearest calorie and so on.

 

So here goes...

 

Goal 1) Boxing: 3 times per week. I've always left this as a vague 3 times per week goal which has allowed me to put it off at the beginning of the week and then at the end of the week announce that I would do better next week, lather, rinse, repeat. But I was also nervous about picking 3 specific days for the next 6 weeks. I do need some fluidity in my schedule to account for family time. I saw my friend karinajean is going to pick her days for exercise on a weekly basis. That sounds much more workable. On Sunday afternoons I will declare which 3 days it will be and then I will just have to stick to it.  

 

Goal 2) Food: The eternal bane of my existence. I'm going a completely different route this challenge. Getting most of my food from restaurants or convenience stores is really my biggest failure. When I eat at home, I don't do too bad. So I'm not declaring for an eating style or a calorie limit. Here's the plan:

                                   

                                    3 nights per week I will cook dinner 

                                    4 work days I will pack a lunch

                                    4 work mornings I will fix my own breakfast

                                    

                                    One dinner per week will include either a new vegetable or a new way of prepping a familiar veggie. I really need to get better about eating a fracking vegetable once in a while. 

 

We share more of the cooking duties at night so that's why only 3 nights for dinner. I just really need to take control of what I'm eating during the work week.

 

Goal 3) Life: Continue working with my therapist on the self sabotaging not good enough voice. She's really helping me make progress. 

 

Here's a song about therapy!

 

 

My therapist kind of looks like Dar Williams, so there's a big bonus. 

 

Another main theme of this challenge is no zero days like my friend WCG. If I fall off on food one day, bust out a home workout or a long walk to counter it. If I miss a boxing sesh, cut back on the food. Above all, don't beat myself up for mistakes. 

 

And for those of you just learning about the joedog brand, I'm a 39 year old female. Tall, broad and overweight. I live with my wife and our houseload of pets, 3 dogs and 5 cats at last count. I work in highway construction. I suffer from depression and anxiety although with help I'm getting that under control. I lost my Dad to cancer back in February and I just found out my best friend has cancer. I really hate cancer. I have a tendency to write walls of text. I have the best group of friends and support available here on NF! 

[starpuck]

Tagged!

 

 

Love the goals.    You've really thought out how to approach it so it helps you succeed, and that, I think, is one of the best side-effects of doing the challenges on NF!   You try all sorts of things, try what others are doing, get ideas from so and so.    I think this will work well for you.

 

Go get 'em chica!

 

[Raxie]

I love that you're totally switching things up this challenge I think the change of pace and attitude will help you really nail it this time! I also really like the plan to pick your days each week.  So you've still got that flexibility but you have a schedule you need to stick to.  Best of both worlds

[sarakingdom]

Packing lunches became a big deal for me when I had to combine food allergies and long working days, and the biggest help was figuring out what I needed to feel like I was getting a nicer lunch than if I bought it.  For me, that was bento boxes, so I could pack different courses and lots of variety, tailored to what felt healthy and delicious to me, and it looked pretty interesting when I opened up my lunch. The good thing about having that sort of space constraint to fill, since they make you pack pretty tight, is that you start thinking about your lunch like a game of Tetris, and start to have standard options that fit in different sections of the box, and it becomes a lot easier to have some things prepared ahead of time or waiting in the cupboard.  I even pack myself breakfast sometimes, so I don't have to think about making it in the morning, and can just get going faster and get to work.

 

So, you know, if the fancy bagged salad you wouldn't ordinarily consider makes it quicker and more appealing to pack a lunch, it's not a bad thing.  Whatever makes it feel like your lunch is better than what you can buy, or at least as good.

[alienjenn]

I LOVE batch cooking. ... I take about an hour (or less sometimes prep can take five minutes to toss something in the oven or crock pot) then divide it all up into bowls. .... takes almost no time and then I don't have to worry about cooking EVERY day I've also started making a giant egg monster do I don't have to worry about cooking every day. ....

[RisenPhoenix]

I have really been sweating what to plan for this challenge. I mean, my best excuse...uh...I mean roadblock to success is gone now. I'll be working in the office, regular hours and all. So I was thinking, this challenge has to be perfect. Oh crap, there's the perfectionist self sabotage crap starting again. Couple that with an urge to do ALL the THINGS! and I'm setting up one more huge flop. Sometime yesterday evening it occurred to me, I don't have to be perfect and get the next 6 weeks scheduled in 15 minute increments right now. I just need to pick 3 things and for the sake of all that's holy do them consistently. I mean, it really is that simple right now. Once I get the basics down, then I can worry about dialing in to the nearest calorie and so on.

 

 

Because it is.  I seriously think that if more people took a moment to realize that you don't need be perfect at the end of 6 weeks, or have it fully planned out a week before the challenge, or that if a small amount of vagueness is in the challenge it fails to be measurable that everyone's stress level would plummet. 

 

You got this.  You have all of your pets and your wife to come home to, and unwind.  You've got it all going for you - Go get more!

[Kishi]

Don't worry about getting it perfect! Just show up, and keep showing up. The rest will happen as it has to.

 

Do it!

[GingaNinja]

As usual. Good luck Joedog! You can do it!

[karinajean]

IN LIKE FLYNN.

but really in because you're awesome.

and also, your goals are awesome.

[Cheechoe]

Joedog!!!

 

 

 

 

THIS CHALLENGE IS AWESOME!!!!

 

 

 

Batch cooking and lunch packing is a BIIIIIIIG help! Awesome goals. Are you going to be doing MFP tracking as well?

 

 

WOOT TO BOXING! Want to hear the wall of text about out punching the teenyboppers.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Looking forward to reading all about it. 

 

GO BOXING - and GO FOOD PREP.  I love having tasty tasty food packed and ready to eat as soon as my stomach screams LUNCH-O'CLOCK!

 

Who needs perfection?  Nice goals - measurable and attainable and very very good for you.

Cheering you on with bells on.

[WildColonialGrrl]

Perfect is the enemy of GOOD... but a toughy to fight! 

Subbed for the battle pics of food prep

[Blaidd]

the Joedog brand is one of my favourite brands

 

Also i love that you're showing up cos that's what needs to be done.  You keeping trucking hun, and that's admirable. Keep at it

[joedog]

You guys!! How could I ever fail with so many awesome people behind me? Thanks so much for the encouragement!

I'm off to a bit of a rocky start. I had a self sabotage moment and spent some money that wasn't actually available. I was counting on some money that was owed to me to be able to pay for Title. Well, she screwed me. So I won't be able to pay it until I get paid on Friday. So exercise plans for the week are a long walk Monday afternoon. A shorter walk on Wednesday and Title either Saturday or Sunday. I'd like to get 2+ miles for the long one and 1.5+ miles for the medium.

I've got my 3 dinners planned. One night will be meat loaf, one is Thai Basil Beef from Well Fed 2 and the third is chicken fajita bowls. Later I'm going to do my prep for the week.

Love and luck for everyone aaa we head into week 1!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Kishi]

Be like water, right? Things don't go the way you want, so you flow with it and adapt yourself to what you find. Right?

[joedog]

Be like water, right? Things don't go the way you want, so you flow with it and adapt yourself to what you find. Right?

 

Yup. Adapt and overcome. That's the motto.

 

I'm doing pretty good at no zero days even before the challenge started. My partner has a Nike Fuelband. Last week there were a couple of nights that she ran circles around the inside of the house to hit her daily goal. I jumped up and ran with her. It confused the hell out of the dogs and cats. 

We went for a couple of walks, cooked a lot of good food and didn't eat out very much. All good things.

 

I feel like I'm off to a good start but I can already tell that doing all the cooking is going to get old in a hurry. I'm going to have to be really organized to figure out how to get my exercise, dinner and Amy's AA meetings all coordinated. So far so good. 

[starpuck]

Sabotage was busy enemy this weekend.  He visited me as well.

 

But we're both here, confessions made, demons faced and moving on.    In short.  We've won that round!!!   (Even if it beat us up a bit.)

*mwah*   (That's a virtual air kiss if you didn't know)   Good luck starting week one off!

[Teirin]

Haha, love the in-house jogging.  Confusing your pets keeps their lives interesting too.  Besides, it's another cool and fun thing you did together.  Great start :-)

 

You're a fan of slow cookers recipes, right?  What about using those for your cooking nights?

[Cheechoe]

OMG I LOOOOOOOOOVE Well Fed 2!!!

 

 

So

 

 

Many

 

 

Yummies!

 

 

You can't go wrong with that one. You got this

[Kishi]

Who says you have to leave the house to get an awesome workout?

 

And anything that confuses cats has a thumbs up from me.

[joedog]

Sabotage was busy enemy this weekend.  He visited me as well.

 

But we're both here, confessions made, demons faced and moving on.    In short.  We've won that round!!!   (Even if it beat us up a bit.)

*mwah*   (That's a virtual air kiss if you didn't know)   Good luck starting week one off!

 

As long as I can keep the self sabotage at bay, I can cope with the external sabotage. We got this! 

 

Haha, love the in-house jogging.  Confusing your pets keeps their lives interesting too.  Besides, it's another cool and fun thing you did together.  Great start :-)

 

You're a fan of slow cookers recipes, right?  What about using those for your cooking nights?

 

The dogs were chasing us, it was a good time. Definitely going to have to do some slow cooker nights. I bit off quite a bit for this week because that's how I roll. But I have an idea about schedules now so I can do better next week. 

 

OMG I LOOOOOOOOOVE Well Fed 2!!!

 

 

So

 

 

Many

 

 

Yummies!

 

 

You can't go wrong with that one. You got this

 

I love it too. Between the Well Feds and Nom Nom Paleo I'm set. I love looking up recipes. I'm going to make my first attempt at meat loaf tonight so I've got like 3 recipes I'm going to meld together. I had forgotten how much I like to cook. 

 

Who says you have to leave the house to get an awesome workout?

 

And anything that confuses cats has a thumbs up from me.

 

The second night we did it was pretty funny because she had to get like 400 fuel points. Who knows what that means exactly. I don't think Nike has ever given a clear cut answer on the algorithm. Anyway, 400 fuel points is a lot of laps around our house. We got down to the last 100 points and started in like my football coaches used to about being in the 4th quarter. I sounded like a cross between PG C. T. Fletcher and my last football coach. 

[joedog]

Day 1:

 

Breakfast was a toasted English muffin with peanut butter

 

Lunch was turkey and swiss on saltines, cherry tomatoes, barbecue POP chips and an apple

 

Dinner was the Thai Basil Beef stir fry from Well Fed 2. 

 

I didn't get to go for my walk. My Mom needed me to do some things for her before the big temperature drop today. So already behind there, but taking care of Mom will always come first. I took some more of Dad's small tools. I miss him. The next few months are going to be difficult with the holidays. 

[Kishi]

"I don't care if your leg's broke! I don't care if your feet hurt! It's still! Yo! Motha-f@ckin! Lap!"

[joedog]

"I don't care if your leg's broke! I don't care if your feet hurt! It's still! Yo! Motha-f@ckin! Lap!"

 

Exactly. I command you to run! 

[joedog]

Day 2:

 

Food was good. I had another peanut butter on English muffin for breakfast. Lunch was leftovers from Buffalo Wild Wings. Not exactly in the spirit of the challenge but I'm going with it. The only problem was, I didn't pack enough lunch. A hungry joedog makes bad decisions. I had a c-store stop on the way home. It was a good reminder that I have to pack enough food. Dinner was meat loaf. It was my first attempt and it was pretty friggin' good. 

 

Boxing/exercise was a no go. I didn't have anything scheduled but it would have been good to make my miss on Monday. I might do something in the house instead of a walk tonight. It is 24 degrees right now and windy. That's not 24C either, dammit. If it gets up into the 30s I'll go but otherwise, I've got some exercise DVD's I can dust off and plug in. It's not a trainer at Title but it'll do. Still pissed about the money. I would much rather be boxing.

 

The self sabotaging voice has stayed away. Even when I had my little food fall down last night. I didn't beat myself up for it. Just acknowledged and moved on. I'm having a bit of a rough morning because the BFF started chemo yesterday. It's bringing up a lot of feelings about Dad. I just miss him every day. And Kubler-Ross can shove it. Grief doesn't happen in a nifty linear fashion.