LadyWitch Tries Again...

[LadyWitch]

NF Challenge 10^th November 2014 - 21^st December 2014

 

I've been really struggling for quite a while. I set goals and then they never get achieved. I say I'm going to do something and it never happens. My weight and measurements have been creeping up over the last 9 months or so, and I've been getting more and more miserable. So, I'm going to use this challenge as a restart. I still intend to take part in the Tough Mudder at the end of May, which means I need to get back in the game sooner rather than later. I'm going to hit 'restart' on my training, which will be helped by the fact that I've started pole dance classes (which hurt like crazy!) and my husband has agreed to go to ballroom classes with me. Which means I'll be dancing three times a week. I'm going to leave the 'cardio' portion at that for now, but I want to try to do at least 1 bodyweight workout each week (obviously more is better, but I figure if I can build a habit of doing 1 workout, then I can build it up as I go). I've also slipped on doing my daily yoga, so I want to get that back into that habit.

 

Here are my goals for this challenge:

 

The Main Quest...

Dance, walk, eat my way to a better me!

 

Goals to achieve this:

1/ Return to eating 80% Paleo each week. My version does allow dark chocolate (if its 75% or above) and honey. I also allow oats as I don't seem to have a reaction to them.

2/ Dance 3x each week

3/ Strength train 1x a week

4/ Yoga 7x a week (this is non-negotiable... I WILL do a session everyday. This is essential for my back, and will allow me to continue to do everything else)

 

Grading: I'm removing 'fail' from my vocabulary. If something doesn't get done, then yes it's not good... But it's not the end of the world and not worth stressing about or getting upset over. If I succeed at meeting my goals at least 50% of the time, I'll be happy!

 

Life Quest...

Last challenge I wanted to make a corset, which I did. This time I want to make my husband one. It'll be his Christmas present, so I need to get started on it ASAP!

 

Motivations...

To be strong enough to lift my own body off the ground with ease, so that I don't make a fool of myself at the Tough Mudder on the 30^th May 2015.

 

Starting stats:

Weight: 171lb

Bust: 40

Chest: 32

Waist: 32

Hips: 44

Thigh: 26

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 0/42

2/ Dance: 0/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 0/42

Life quest (corset): 0% complete 

[GingaNinja]

Lady witch!

 

Weeeeeeeeeeee, happy to see you, good luck!

[LadyWitch]

Lady witch!

 

Weeeeeeeeeeee, happy to see you, good luck!

Thanks KL! You keep welcoming me back, and I keep disappearing again! My only excuse is that I'm not a fan of forums... As moderating forums is my day job, the last thing I really want to do at the end of the day (or at any point in the day) is log on to another forum But I keep coming back, which is the important thing I suppose!

 

Yesterday was a good day for paleo... I stuck to my 'rules' and didn't have anything naughty. 1 day down, 41 to go! I also went to burlesque last night, which is a 1 1/2 mile walk each way, plus whatever dancing I do... Though admittedly, I didn't really do much dancing last night. Our instructor is on holiday, so last night was essentially a 'do your own thing' night, which was great, I had intentions of doing some choreo on a new routine... Only my phone died 5 minutes after I arrived, which meant I had no music to dance to I did play a bit, but mostly it was spent chatting with the other ladies who turned up.

 

Tonight is our first ballroom dance class, which should be interesting. My husband has two left feet and no sense of rhythm, so I was surprised when he agreed to go... We'll see if it isn't our first and LAST!

 

I missed my yoga yesterday... no excuses, it just didn't get done. I'm going to do todays when I have a break from work, so it WILL get done. I'm also hoping to get my strength session done today, but that will depend on how busy work is... 

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 1/42

2/ Dance: 1/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 0/42

Life quest (corset): 0% complete 

[deftona]

Hi again LadyWitch! Solid challenge, I like your life goal too. 

 

And ballroom dancing, how fancy! Did you get bitten by the Strictly bug? I would love to do that too but the image of me and my boyfriend trying to be sophisticated in any way is seriously too funny.  

Good luck with your challenge, kick it! In the face! 

[LadyWitch]

Hi again LadyWitch! Solid challenge, I like your life goal too. 

 

And ballroom dancing, how fancy! Did you get bitten by the Strictly bug? I would love to do that too but the image of me and my boyfriend trying to be sophisticated in any way is seriously too funny.  

Good luck with your challenge, kick it! In the face! 

Hi deftona! I'll try to stick around this time

 

Not been watching Strictly, but a couple of friends of ours are starting the ballroom classes too and invited us along. We did a one hour class a couple of years ago, and the hubby just about managed the basic step of the waltz... but he said he's be willing to give it a go, so we shall see!

 

*Update* I've DONE MY YOGA! I then attempted to do some head stands, and promptly kicked the table with my heel... so that now throbs... Fingers crossed it'll stop hurting before class this evening!

[Faervel17]

Looking forward to hearing how your challenge is going!

[Jill Beat]

Wooo!! Just found you!

 

Ballroom dancing sounds really fun!   And yes, yoga for your back!! I bet once you get through the first week it'll become a habit that feels weird if you don't do it.  It's always that first little bit that's hard!  

[GingaNinja]

Hey you are a busy person, I am just glad we get to have you some of the time you are aces.

[LadyWitch]

Looking forward to hearing how your challenge is going!

Thanks Faervel17! Welcome aboard

 

Wooo!! Just found you!

 

Ballroom dancing sounds really fun!   And yes, yoga for your back!! I bet once you get through the first week it'll become a habit that feels weird if you don't do it.  It's always that first little bit that's hard!  

Hi Jill! The ballroom class was brilliant! We were pretty much the youngest there, but everyone was so nice. And we had 1-2-1 tuition, which was just as well, as it was just as hard for the hubby as he expected... But he started to get it towards the end of the class, and I think he enjoyed himself more than he expected... So we will be going again! As for the yoga, I've been struggling with it tbh... but I WILL get back into it!

 

Hey you are a busy person, I am just glad we get to have you some of the time you are aces.

I sometimes feel like I'm constantly on the go, but there are lots of times that I feel like I'm not doing enough! Especially when it comes to getting 'fit and healthy'! The TM isn't all that far off now, and I'm no fitter than I was when I signed up for it

 

So... The eating plan has been going well. I've managed to stick to it every day so far this week. Two out of three dance classes have been done (the third is tonight). I've started working on K's corseted waistcoat, the pattern has been designed, and the mock up cut out. Will try and get it sewn together today or tomorrow...

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 3/42

2/ Dance: 2/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 2/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

[Jill Beat]

I took a ballroom intro class once and it was a lot of fun - my boyfriend at the time was definitely better at it than I was, which to be honest kind of frustrated me, but also I need to relax more and be okay with sucking at things. lol

 

Glad the eating is on track! That's probably one of the most important!! 

[LadyWitch]

Pole class last night was a lot of fun! Did a headstand against the pole, and a pole sit (I have photos of each, will post them later!) and generally felt stronger than the last time I went... Now just need to get past the aches and get moving again!

 

I've also been offered a place in a paid burlesque show on the 6th December (3 weeks!) which will be my first paid gig EVER! I do however have to come up with a festive routine by then, and a second routine as well... Have made a fairly good start on the festive one, have the music sorted and the costume is started, just need to sort out the choreo (but I've started that, so I'm not doing to badly!) I think the second routine will be an isis wing one, but will have to wait and see how it goes... I have the music and the costume, so again its just a matter of choreo... Need more hours in the day! I'm adding 'Show Prep' as a side quest... So I can track how well I'm doing. It'll be split into routines 1 and 2, and will obviously have a 3 week deadline!

 

Dinner last night wasn't paleo compliant, but the rest of the days food was... So I think I'm still doing well. The only reason dinner was off track is because we went to the pub for dinner straight after my pole class, and I had a steak and stilton pie... it was LOVELY! No regrets! 

 

I'm just about to do my yoga, which I definitely need after pole... I'm stiff and achy and need to move... Dance practice has helped a bit, but need to get some more kinks out!

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 4/42

2/ Dance: 3/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 3/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

Side quest (show prep): 1/ Festive: 20% 2/ Other: 20%

[LadyWitch]

[Gobnait]

You are having an amazing adventure.

[LadyWitch]

So, I did my yoga on Friday and Today, but didn't have time to do it on Saturday. Food on Friday was paleo, Saturday's was not. Saturday was generally a bad day all round... Tried to do some shopping in the morning, and couldn't find any of the things I needed (stuff required for the show costumes), then went to my parents for dinner, which ended up being fish and chips. Various things went wrong and I was in a bad mood for most of the day

 

But oh well! I've done my yoga today, and I've managed to rethink some of what I need for the costume, so it's not been too bad. However, I'm working from 9-6pm today, so not much time for anything else... Will try and get a bit of costume creation done this evening, but I'm not that bothered if I don't. I have tomorrow morning free from work, so I can do some stuff then...

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 5/42

2/ Dance: 3/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 5/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

Side quest (show prep): 1/ Festive: 20% 2/ Other: 20%

[deftona]

Wow, check out your pole skills! Excellent work! 

[GingaNinja]

Amazing pole stuff, well excited you you and congrats on the paid gig. That is excellent xx

[Nephaisys]

Heeeeeeeeeeeey! I've been away too! So AWESOME to have you back... I LOVE the pole dancing pictures - that's incredibly cool. Have you been doing inversions for a while?

[LadyWitch]

This was only my third week doing pole dancing! So no, I've not been doing inversions for long! The headstands were a stepping stone, to get us used to being upside down

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LadyWitch]

Started today with my yoga, followed by a brisk walk around the block. Also started work on the dress for the festive routine I'm doing, so fabric is cut and dyed... Problem is, the colour I've dyed it is too light, so it'll need to be dyed again... Will try and pick up the dye on my way to burlesque class tonight.

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 6/42

2/ Dance: 3/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 6/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

Side quest (show prep): 1/ Festive: 25% 2/ Other: 30%

[Gobnait]

Yay for the dye failing in a fixable manner if it had to cause problems at all.  Keep up the good work.

[Tateman]

Glad to see you back at it.  I have been slowly losing it all too over these last few challenges.  I was out this first week, but I am back, and I need to do better.

[LadyWitch]

It's amazing how easy it is to slip back into bad habits My husband has starting making desserts after dinner, which are lovely, but very very evil! And I can't say no

 

Anyway... Didn't go to ballroom on Tuesday, because I was exhausted. I've been getting about 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 2 weeks or so. No idea why, but I've been waking up at 1.30am or there abouts every day and then not being able to get back to sleep. I spent most of Tuesday in tears because I was just that exhausted. 

 

Yesterday was a bit better, mostly because I only had 5 hours of work  I also picked up some herbal sleep tablets to see if it helps. I don't like taking unnecessary drugs, but if it can help get my sleep pattern back to normal, I'll take them for a couple of days (took them last night, and I managed to sleep till... 3.30am! A whole 2 hours extra )

 

I've been doing my yoga, sporadically. Will start to force myself to do it first thing in the morning, whether I feel like it or not... As it says in the Spock article I need to take emotion out of the equation... Same goes for all the other thing I'm 'supposed' to be doing. I'm going to start with one thing at a time though, as I don't want to end up quitting it all! So... Yoga it is. I will now do this every day, without fail. If I don't then I will smack myself in the face with a wet fish (I'd have to go buy one, but I will!) Once I've managed a week with no fish, I'll add in something else that I 'just need to do' such as strength training, or cutting a specific item of 'crap' from my diet. (On that note, its' been over 22 weeks since my last drink of diet coke! And if I can do it with that, I should be able to do it with anything!)

 

Pole class tonight... I was planning on dragging the hubby along, so that he can have a taste of the pain, but I'm not sure he'll be coming. He's had a shit time at work lately, and I think he just wants to collapse... But we'll see. He's going away for the weekend, gaming, so hopefully I'll be able to get a load of sewing and dance practice done...

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 7/42

2/ Dance: 4/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 8/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

Side quest (show prep): 1/ Festive: 25% 2/ Other: 30%

[LadyWitch]

Pole class was fun, I managed to climb all the way to the top of the pole and touch the ceiling, which seemed impossible when I first started a month ago. K came with me, and he enjoyed it too... More than I was expecting actually. He'd never liked lifting weights, but he says he'll happily go pole dancing with me, because its a good workout (the fact that he gets to watch women pole dancing probably helps )

 

Food yesterday was ok, not great, but not terrible either. Yoga got done. Didn't get any of the other things I wanted to do, done. But oh well. With K away this weekend I'll have plenty of time to try and do stuff. Hopefully the fabric for his waistcoat will arrive today, its coming from America, and really wasn't cheap, but I think he'll love it

 

Tracking:

1/ Paleo: 8/42

2/ Dance: 5/18

3/ Strength: 0/6

4/ Yoga: 8/42

 

Life quest (corset): 5% complete

Side quest (show prep): 1/ Festive: 25% 2/ Other: 30%

[deftona]

I've been doing my yoga, sporadically. Will start to force myself to do it first thing in the morning, whether I feel like it or not... As it says in the Spock article I need to take emotion out of the equation... Same goes for all the other thing I'm 'supposed' to be doing. I'm going to start with one thing at a time though, as I don't want to end up quitting it all! So... Yoga it is. I will now do this every day, without fail. If I don't then I will smack myself in the face with a wet fish (I'd have to go buy one, but I will!) Once I've managed a week with no fish, I'll add in something else that I 'just need to do' such as strength training, or cutting a specific item of 'crap' from my diet. (On that note, its' been over 22 weeks since my last drink of diet coke! And if I can do it with that, I should be able to do it with anything!)

 

The bit about the wet fish really made me laugh. What a motivator that would be! Great work on going so long without Diet Coke, that's almost half a year, it's fantastic! I think you're onto something too with changing a little bit one step at a time until you get to where you want to be. You're doing well, and excellent work on the pole dancing skillz!

[Jill Beat]

It's amazing how easy it is to slip back into bad habits My husband has starting making desserts after dinner, which are lovely, but very very evil! And I can't say no

 

Anyway... Didn't go to ballroom on Tuesday, because I was exhausted. I've been getting about 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 2 weeks or so. No idea why, but I've been waking up at 1.30am or there abouts every day and then not being able to get back to sleep. I spent most of Tuesday in tears because I was just that exhausted. 

 

Yesterday was a bit better, mostly because I only had 5 hours of work  I also picked up some herbal sleep tablets to see if it helps. I don't like taking unnecessary drugs, but if it can help get my sleep pattern back to normal, I'll take them for a couple of days (took them last night, and I managed to sleep till... 3.30am! A whole 2 hours extra )

 

I've been doing my yoga, sporadically. Will start to force myself to do it first thing in the morning, whether I feel like it or not... As it says in the Spock article I need to take emotion out of the equation... Same goes for all the other thing I'm 'supposed' to be doing. I'm going to start with one thing at a time though, as I don't want to end up quitting it all! So... Yoga it is. I will now do this every day, without fail. If I don't then I will smack myself in the face with a wet fish (I'd have to go buy one, but I will!) Once I've managed a week with no fish, I'll add in something else that I 'just need to do' such as strength training, or cutting a specific item of 'crap' from my diet. (On that note, its' been over 22 weeks since my last drink of diet coke! And if I can do it with that, I should be able to do it with anything!)

 

Pole class tonight... I was planning on dragging the hubby along, so that he can have a taste of the pain, but I'm not sure he'll be coming. He's had a shit time at work lately, and I think he just wants to collapse... But we'll see. He's going away for the weekend, gaming, so hopefully I'll be able to get a load of sewing and dance practice done...

I hate being so tired you just cry! I feel you on that one. 

 

as for the sleep, maybe try meditating when you wake up so early.  It might be a good compromise between trying to get back to sleep and being awake.  Even if you don't get the sleep, the relaxation and calm might help.  Or get up and do some restorative yoga?  Legs up the wall always make me feel rested!  I use the app "calm" often, and if i do it right before bed I often fall asleep! 

 

I like that you're just focusing on one thing at a time.  I think that's the way to do it!!  

 

Yoga the crap outta this week