artemisia enters the arena

[artemisia victoria]

Hi everyone, this is my first challenge on Nerd Fitness.

 

My character is a contender for a fighting school, who needs to prove her commitment to be accepted into training. 

 

My Main Goal: To lose and keep off 2 pounds of weight for the entire 6 week challenge

 

My smaller goals:

-To attend 3 krav maga or muay thai classes a week AND one gym session

- To complete a food journal entry for every day

- To walk 5,000 steps every day

 

 

Life Quest: To make a new genuine friend, not just a work aquaintance. I just moved to a new country and am starting life pretty much from scratch. 

 

My motivation: I've been trying to lost weight for a very long time, but I really struggle to maintain my momentum with fitness and lifestyle changes. I start really committed to diet,exercise, then something makes it harder and I lose the routine, then stop all together. I have a fresh start at life and I want to make a healthy lifestyle part of that fresh start.

 

I hope I can make the changes I need to! 

[The Tin Man]

Those are some good smaller goals that should help support the main one! Do you have goals for your food tracking in terms of calories, macros (carbs/fat/protein), types of food (no grains, etc) or is it just writing down what you ate for accountability?

[artemisia victoria]

I use a Fitbit which has a pretty great logging system. My goal is 1289 calories intake a day, though fitbit gives me a challenge of burning 2291 per day as a 'A'. I'm great about sticking to the calorie goal when I actually use the food log, but continuous use is my problem. 

[littlewings]

Goals are simple. Seems to be a good start, as long as you can stick with it.

[artemisia victoria]

First day was pretty easy, but it usually is. Did a gym session and a krav maga class. Tin Man, what are macros? 

[The Tin Man]

First day was pretty easy, but it usually is. Did a gym session and a krav maga class. Tin Man, what are macros? 

 

Tried to answer it in my question in case you didn't know. Macros are the nickname of the macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The nutrients that provide calories to the body. Some people, when counting calories, also track the macros and try to hit certain goals such as "30% of calories from protein" or "under 100g carbs per day".

[Teirin]

Hello Artemisia!  Glad you joined us. 

[artemisia victoria]

So challenge thus far is not going well.  

 

I had some tough days at work, late commutes, and I was just too tired to go to class or the gym after. So only making it to two martial arts classes this week, which gives me a 'B' for goal 1. 

 

Been logging my food regularly and keeping under the calorie count most days. Making 10,000 steps each day is also proving difficult. Monday- Wednesday, I work at a desk job so those days my step count is very low. Then Thursday-Sunday, working retail, my step count is over 15000 in a day. Any suggestions on how to balance things out a bit more? 

[The Tin Man]

At the desk job is there a chance you could get a standing desk? Isn't necessarily walking but it is much better for you. Other tips I have seen is drink a lot of water so you need more bathroom breaks. How do you get to work? If car park farther away to get steps if you can. If train or bus get off at a nearby stop and walk the extra bit. I am sure not all will apply but just throwing ideas out there.

[artemisia victoria]

Hmm maybe I'll start forgoing the office coffee run and go for a walk at lunch. Thanks for the ideas! 

[Erick the Red]

I try to walk in the office as much as I can -- walking to talk to someone rather than sending an e-mail, and walking the long way to refill my water bottle.  Also taking a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break to walk around the bouilding (we have an indoor hallway that circles the building complex).  I can get 5000 steps before I get home on a good day.

[Teirin]

I try to walk in the office as much as I can -- walking to talk to someone rather than sending an e-mail, and walking the long way to refill my water bottle.  Also taking a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break to walk around the bouilding (we have an indoor hallway that circles the building complex).  I can get 5000 steps before I get home on a good day.

 

Getting away from your desk for a walk around the building/stretch is great for your focus too. 

[artemisia victoria]

So it's the end of the week and going to give myself a 'B' for this week. I did well with the step challenges and the logging in my food journal, but was only able to go to two classes and 3 gym sessions. While it's better than I was doing before the challenge, I need to be more accountable. 

 

Logging my food has shown me that my diet is pretty carb heavy and salt heavy. I need to make diet adjustments, but struggle because I need quick meals that don't require much prep time due to work schedules and timed meal breaks. Anyone one any particular diets or make some changes that they found beneficial?

[The Tin Man]

So it's the end of the week and going to give myself a 'B' for this week. I did well with the step challenges and the logging in my food journal, but was only able to go to two classes and 3 gym sessions. While it's better than I was doing before the challenge, I need to be more accountable. 

 

Logging my food has shown me that my diet is pretty carb heavy and salt heavy. I need to make diet adjustments, but struggle because I need quick meals that don't require much prep time due to work schedules and timed meal breaks. Anyone one any particular diets or make some changes that they found beneficial?

 

I haven't done much in the diet arena, but I feel you on the needing quick meals. Do you have time on the weekend to do batch cooking? I feel my life runs much more smoothly when I pre-cook a bunch of meals because it takes that thrice-daily decision out of the way. Makes sense given the concept of "decision fatige." That is covered pretty well in a recent short episode of Tim Ferriss' podcast - http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tim-ferriss-show/the-tim-ferriss-show/e/ep-44-how-to-avoid-decision-fatigue-35995239

[artemisia victoria]

Sidebar: I see a lot of people have these challenge bars in their signatures and that looks awesome. How do you get them?

[Teirin]

Sidebar: I see a lot of people have these challenge bars in their signatures and that looks awesome. How do you get them?

 

Instructions are here:  http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/56359-campus-tour-aka-mini-dungeons-please-follow/?p=1284482

 

Have fun!

[artemisia victoria]

So the worst thing that could happen in the middle of a challenge did: vacation. So I get an 'F' for this week because I did not do any exercise (aside from walking in excess of 15,000 steps every day, which is easy when you don't have a choice about walking). My diet also took a hit because of eating out and going out for drinks.

 

Think that the best thing I can do is take a respawn starting tomorrow. 

[The Tin Man]

Yep, nothing you can do about the past, you can only affect what you do now and tomorrow.

 

You got this!

[elinox]

Nice challenge goals! And kudos for starting over, good luck!

Also, Krav Maga is awesome!

[Teirin]

Vacation kills most goals. Hope you had a great time! The walking is still a win.  How goes the respawn?

[artemisia victoria]

The respawn is going well! I got in an extra kick boxing class and gym session this week (because exercise is great for fighting off jet lag). I'm feeling mentally great too! Coming out of a really tough year and in this week I graduated from my Masters and got a job offer! 

[Teirin]

Fantastic, congratulations!

[artemisia victoria]

Wooo! I've lost one pound already despite the bad week of vacation. Now just one more pound and keeping it off until the end of the challenge. 

 

This week I get a 'B' for martial arts classes and gym because I only made 2 and 1. 

 

I get a 'B' for food logging because I skipped one day because I was too busy to log. 

 

But I get a 'A' for walking an average of 13,800 steps a day!

[Glass]

Great job!! Keep kicking ass

[artemisia victoria]

UGH after pulling two 15 hour work days in a row on Mon-Tues, I am totally ready to fall into bed and off the band wagon. The office donuts are calling me.