Elaine's quest to slay the Archdemon, Level 2!

[LadyGrey]

 

My 1st challenge and back story can be found here.  

 

Quest #1 -  The Morning CALM, Stretch, & Strength

Bedtime 9pm. Period. 8+ hours sleep.

1st week - be up by 6:30, practice one yoga pose/technique correctly for 5 minutes.

2nd week - 6:25, yoga 7 minutes, 1 to 2 poses, focus on technique.

3rd - 6:20, yoga 10 minutes

4th - 6:15, yoga 15 minutes

5th - 6:10 yoga 20 minutes

6th- 6:05, yoga 25 minutes

7th - 6:00 - GOAL! Working that early morning routine! Yoga 25-30 minutes.

 

So far that is all I have specifically. I had it all typed up but left it on my computer at work! I woke up Sunday morning with a terrible pain in my back and hip and today I left work early because the pain was unbearable. No relief for 3 days and getting worse. I've tried stretches, heat/cold, ibuprofen, pillows, Epsom salt baths, hot showers..despite my best effort, it's the Dr office tomorrow (/groan).

 

Sleeping with it has been terrible, which is not helping my first quest at all so far. But I will post the rest of my quests tomorrow, just wanted to get my initial post thru the door and say Hi.  

 

Now I have try to figure out how I will sleep tonight. 

 

 

UPDATED 1/9/2015: Accountability Log

[apike]

That pain sound terrible! I hope the doctor is able to help.

 

I have had problems with my hip on and off for the last few years.

 

I wish I had a suggestion for something else you could try, but it sounds like you've thought of everything.

[LadyGrey]

Thanks  It got pretty bad last night but I managed to wrangle better sleep than the previous 2 nights. So that's a win to me, lol. I'm back at my desk today and I have found that if I prop my thigh on top of a pillow and put my foot on a small rest, it alleviates some of the pain. 

 

I also skipped my yoga practice this morning because I wasn't sure with what I am dealing with here. I tried a few gentle hip alignment and sciatica stretches, but nothing seemed to work. On hindsight, I should have at least did some breathing exercises but walking around is better than standing and sitting. I did get up right on time, tho. 

[LadyGrey]

Quest #2 - Snacking at home (INCREDIBLY SPECIFIC). 

I will be referring to this list several times daily and it's tentative depending on what does and doesn't work.

I will also need to find an accountability friend, someone here or in my personal life.

 
My eating habits are what's killing me. I am an emotional eater and I have triggers. Here are my high snacking events:
If I am presented in a stressful situation, I am drawn to eat almost without noticing.
If I am bored, I will eat.
If I am gaming, I will eat.
If my hands are not busy, I will eat.
If I am reading or watching a movie, I will eat. 
If it is there, I will eat it.
 
Step 1: PURGE THE JUNK – No CANDY. Will have to do this within the first week. Allow healthy options: Air popped popcorn, fruit (fresh dried frozen), beef jerky, cheese, yogurts. No nuts allowed in my house except pecans (allergic family member). Frozen yogurt allowed. Frozen blueberries. And even tho it's still kinda junk, I will allow cheese crackers.
 
Step 2: Follow alternatives for these triggers if wanting to snack:
 
-If watching a movie, find an activity that occupies your hands. 

• Knit. I have Harry Potter scarves I need to finish for friends and a Grey Warden scarf I want to work on. 
• Manicure/Pedicure. I don't do this often enough!
• Keep a set of free weights nearby for a little lifting
• Do these Couch Potato Exercises.

-If bored, find an activity to replace the urge to eat:

• Talk to husband, call a friend, or chat with an accountability buddy. 
• Go for a brief walk.
• Facials, manicure, pedicures.
• Make an activity hat/box. Fill it with different activities and pull one out to do. This should relieve your boredom and the urge to eat. Also might help me get shit done.                                      

-If playing a video game/reading:

• Try chewing on gum.
• Do backwards lunges when you get the urge to snack.
• Maybe dance around like a fool?   

-If just wanting to snack:

• Chew a piece of gum.
• Chug 8 to 10 ounces of water and then wait a little while before decide whether to eat something.

 -If stressed:

• Go for a walk
• Jump on elliptical
• Do some Yoga practice
• As much as I hate it - journal it!

[LadyGrey]

And the verdict is in: the Dr says I have a pinched sciatic nerve.    But the yoga stretches will help so I can stay on course. Any suggestions and/or support will be appreciated.

[LittleTurtle]

I have occasional sciatic pain too!  Yoga does wonders for the pain.  

 

I must say; I LOVE everything about your challenge thread.  You should check out my sugar substitution on my challenge because I am trying to eliminate sugar as well!  

 

I also really like how you plan to gradually scale back the clock to wake up earlier and earlier.

 

There is a lot of good stuff here!  And if you need support fighting the sugar dragon, you come see me!  We can keep each other accountable. 

 

Good luck!

[Bekah]

I'm glad you found out what the pain was and that it is treatable with non-surgical/pharmaceutical things  

As far as recommendations: I have no clue but we have a certified yoga teacher with a thread for questions like this, so you can ask her  

 

I absolutely LOVE your idea of waking up a little earlier and doing a bit more yoga each week, to have an end goal and I second going to LTs thread for sugar substitutions, there were some GREAT ones  

[LadyGrey]

I have occasional sciatic pain too!  Yoga does wonders for the pain.  

 

I must say; I LOVE everything about your challenge thread.  You should check out my sugar substitution on my challenge because I am trying to eliminate sugar as well!  

 

I also really like how you plan to gradually scale back the clock to wake up earlier and earlier.

 

There is a lot of good stuff here!  And if you need support fighting the sugar dragon, you come see me!  We can keep each other accountable. 

 

Good luck!

Good to hear from you again! And I would love to keep each other on track! I fought against the Vending Machine demon on my last challenge while at work.  I'm not enticed by those cream danishes anymore. Now if I can just tackle home. I went thru the house this evening and got rid of all of my kiddo's candy that has been hanging around the kitchen and living room. Step 1 finished! He has a secret stash in his room where he can keep some of it.  And I desperately wanted dessert tonight, even in the form of some yummly chocolate Greek yogurt, but I refrained and the urge passed. Small victory! 

 

 

I'm glad you found out what the pain was and that it is treatable with non-surgical/pharmaceutical things  

As far as recommendations: I have no clue but we have a certified yoga teacher with a thread for questions like this, so you can ask her

 

I absolutely LOVE your idea of waking up a little earlier and doing a bit more yoga each week, to have an end goal and I second going to LTs thread for sugar substitutions, there were some GREAT ones

Thanks for the link! So far I am not feeling any better, all he gave me was some steroids and pain medication.  I am to call him if I am not better by Monday. He said I can do my yoga stretches and I have a few queued up for in the morning. Hopefully they will help and not make it worse. And I am so loving your posts Bekah! They are so colorful Makes me miss my Rainbow Bright toys I had as a kid, lol.

 

I have NEVER been a morning person, so easing into earlier mornings seemed like a good idea. I've been doing well this week. Next week will be the challenge! Mornings in my house are stressful and chaotic -- and I am trying to reduce stress in my life. And with the aches and pains I've been having, it's like everything is falling into place for me to be in the Druids guild right now Tomorrow I will post my 3rd quest and/or Life Quest.

 

Thanks for checking in, ladies!

[jengetsit]

Sorry to read about your pain ... but it's great that you found out what it was so soon. Now you can focus on how to work around it or treat it. I am also a TV eater. I swear, I can't sit in front it without a snack. It's pitiful! Needless to say, I haven't been watching very much since I started dieting. 

[LadyGrey]

I haven't been watching many TV or movies either. But when I sit down to play a video game, it's like a party! Chips and dip, or sour patch kids, or any candy snacks I can grab. So I am thinking I just need to chew some gum or something. Looks something like this just without the Red Bull, lol. replace that with hot chocolate and coffee tho.

[LadyGrey]

Quest #3 - Weekend Workout Schedule

 

Weekends in my house have no routine. Whatever happens, happens. Or we scramble to do whatever we haven't done throughout the week and cram it into 2 days.That includes grocery shopping, housework, etc, etc. I want to eventually smooth all of that out, but right now I want to throw in a workout routine because I rarely think about exercise on Saturday or Sundays, only the other tasks that I have deemed more "important" at the time. So workouts get tossed out when they should be high priority.

 

Saturday: Sleep-in day! Then my usual Coffee and books/video games. Enjoy the morning, ya know. THEN Cardio WORKOUT. I find that triggers are helpful to me so when the time comes to get busy with Saturday duties, I can start by a workout. It's too dark to go walking in the mornings/evenings on weekdays, so this may be a good chance to do some outside workouts, like hitting the trails. Or I can grab some music and jump on my elliptical. My husband goes to the gym on Saturday mornings, I might try to go then too. 

 

Sunday: Eventually I want to make this a day of rest aside from my Sunday morning grocery shopping. But I want to throw in some leisurely yoga routines in the mid-afternoon (because I gotta do it in the sunshine sometimes!). This workout is strictly optional and will be considered extra.

 

On top of my new morning yoga routines, and hitting the gym for cardio at lunch 4 days a week, I think this will be good. Also working on reducing stress.

 

Now that all 3 of my quests have been established, time for me to print and/or write them in a place where I can see them and be reminded. And try to not talk myself out of it!

 

 

 

 

 

My Life Quest this challenge is to spend better quality time with my kiddo. Play board games, go to the movies, walk to the park, play some frisbee golf (if the weather gets any better and if we can stop being sick.) 

 

My husband and I are also doing sort of a partner mini challenge. Every Wednesday we are cooking a healthy meal. No eating out, doesn't have to be new, just has to be healthy. Although last night we did try the Paleo Beef Stew and it was pretty good despite that I accidentally left out the garlic. :s

[raymith]

I love how good you're doing so far, doing great and I'm proud of you, even with the crippling pain. As a note she's also become full ninja at waking up and doing her stretches too because it isn't waking anyone else up at home.

[LadyGrey]

Adding Accountability Log to first post of this thread and to my signature. 

 

I love how good you're doing so far, doing great and I'm proud of you, even with the crippling pain. As a note she's also become full ninja at waking up and doing her stretches too because it isn't waking anyone else up at home.

 

Thanks for the compliments, love!

Ninja, huh?  Usually I am the most unstealthiest person ever. Hmmm I think I like that.

[Swampling]

HI there! *waves*

 

Your Emo Sugar / Snacking Monster sounds like it's closely related to mine. Siblings, maybe?

Your strategies to countering the attacks sound very well thought through!

 

the yoga goal, too!

 

And your third goal reminds me that I have still got some handstands and stretching to do for today!

 

Good luck with your quest!

[traline]

Thanks for the post back on my challenge.  That pain must stink really bad!  As a random thought since I am into natural remedies, not sure if it will help with the nerve pain but maybe.  Have you tried a detox tea? It has helped me when I generally feel nasty.  It may help with inflammation.  ( Disclaimer: I a not a doctor and can not give medical advice. I am a random person and can only give random advice which you take at your own risk. )  Also you talking about yoga has made me think a bit.  Since I sit at a desk all day adding some yoga may be a good idea for me.  Any any thoughts?

 

Speaking of vending machine demons... One popped up at work the other day. Those wonderful salty potato chips were calling out to me so much! And the chip bags doubled in size!  But I killed that demon with a +5 vorpal frozen lamb kabob.

[LadyGrey]

HI there! *waves*

 

Your Emo Sugar / Snacking Monster sounds like it's closely related to mine. Siblings, maybe?

Your strategies to countering the attacks sound very well thought through!

 

the yoga goal, too!

 

And your third goal reminds me that I have still got some handstands and stretching to do for today!

 

Good luck with your quest!

Thanks so much! I like meeting others that have the same troubles and goals as I. Makes me feel like I am not alone  I need to control my emotional eating so I am trying to fight back as much as possible and it feels like a lot to remember, but that is what make it challenging for me. I am always used to taking the easy way, so I have to amp up my details a bit

 

 

[LadyGrey]

Thanks for the post back on my challenge.  That pain must stink really bad!  As a random thought since I am into natural remedies, not sure if it will help with the nerve pain but maybe.  Have you tried a detox tea? It has helped me when I generally feel nasty.  It may help with inflammation.  ( Disclaimer: I a not a doctor and can not give medical advice. I am a random person and can only give random advice which you take at your own risk. )  Also you talking about yoga has made me think a bit.  Since I sit at a desk all day adding some yoga may be a good idea for me.  Any any thoughts?

 

Speaking of vending machine demons... One popped up at work the other day. Those wonderful salty potato chips were calling out to me so much! And the chip bags doubled in size!  But I killed that demon with a +5 vorpal frozen lamb kabob.

 

 

I am always willing to try natural remedies! I have a few in my personal arsenal myself.   Silver is some amazing stuff! And I love tea and randomness, so I might try some out, thanks!

 

I sit at a desk all day too and it is killing me these days. I rarely got up unless it was to run paperwork to someone else or to go the the bathroom or vending machines. So for my last challenge, I decided to take a walk during my 15 minute break at least 4 times a week. It was amazing! I got to stretch my hips and legs, get some movement in, not hit the vending machines, and it did wonders for clearing my mind and reducing stress. So, if you are allowed and have some areas to walk, I highly recommend that. I believe yoga will help as well, although this is my first time trying it on a regular basis. One of my problems is my muscles are always tight and cramped, so I wanted to try yoga to limber up. I have seen some desk yoga exercises on Google and Youtube, but I haven't tried any because my coworkers will stare at me awkwardly lol.

[LadyGrey]

Updated my Accountability Log to includes last night's fumble. I wouldn't say it was a complete fail because there were a few small wins. I had a tiny square of fudge offered with a smile to me from my kiddo, so I could't resist sharing that moment. I managed to sneak in some quality mommy/kiddo time after that as well.

 

The urge to nibble hit me hard last night. I have decided to let Friday be my free night to stay up as late as I desire since Saturday is my sleep-in day. Majority of them I end up passing out early anyway, but I stayed up till 3 am playing a video game (a trigger to snack!). So I gulped some water and chewed some gum. That helped out for a short while. Then my tummy started grumbling and I was genuinely hungry since it had been hours since I last ate dinner. So I ate some grapes. At this point, portion control isn't on my challenge, so I didn't pay too much attention to that. I didn't eat the whole bunch of grapes tho. BUT I COULD HAVE! lol. In the end, i ate tortillas chips too. :s not so good at that point since I had the fudge earlier. BUT, I don't consider that a complete fail because I usually can eat a LOT more than what I did.

 

Since it was the first week of the challenge on top of my sciatic problem AND it being the first week back to school for the kiddo (as well as new meds for him) and back to a regular work week for me...it's kinda been a stressful one. I had two milkshakes this week in between doctor's appointments, running back and forth from work, grabbing prescrips, and running errands.  Talk a about a whirlwind.  

 

Here's to hoping for a stress-free weekend!

[LadyGrey]

I am facing an internal dilemma. Last night I bought some gum and shelled sunflower seeds to help satisfy any urge to snack. The reason I bought them are because I figure it can satisfy a salty craving without shoveling a bunch of chips, cheese nips, or even the alternative candy down my throat. I intended to eat a few but ended up just mindlessly snacking on them. I didn't make a dent the bag, and I consider it a healthier option than what I could have been eating. But the fact that I ate them during a trigger moment is bothering me and I am feeling it as a fail. I want to say it was an improvement over what I could have binged on, but I don't know.

[Bekah]

I am facing an internal dilemma. Last night I bought some gum and shelled sunflower seeds to help satisfy any urge to snack. The reason I bought them are because I figure it can satisfy a salty craving without shoveling a bunch of chips, cheese nips, or even the alternative candy down my throat. I intended to eat a few but ended up just mindlessly snacking on them. I didn't make a dent the bag, and I consider it a healthier option than what I could have been eating. But the fact that I ate them during a trigger moment is bothering me and I am feeling it as a fail. I want to say it was an improvement over what I could have binged on, but I don't know.

A lot of people do just that, find that they binge eat nuts and other "healthier" alternatives to chips and whatnot, and while yes it IS better than the chips, it is still a habit that needs to be broken, so mindfully eating them is MUCH better than just munching away without any thought. So it's a win, but still something to be mindful of (if it was me grading your challenge) 

and I read something that is supposed to help with sciatic pain, and found an online tutorial for you  

http://solidglow.com/2012/03/20/the-basics-life-nerve-stretch/

[Swampling]

A lot of people do just that, find that they binge eat nuts and other "healthier" alternatives to chips and whatnot, and while yes it IS better than the chips, it is still a habit that needs to be broken, so mindfully eating them is MUCH better than just munching away without any thought. So it's a win, but still something to be mindful of (if it was me grading your challenge) 

 

 

I'm one of that lot of people. For me it works best when there is nothing around to mindlessly snack on at all.

[LadyGrey]

A lot of people do just that, find that they binge eat nuts and other "healthier" alternatives to chips and whatnot, and while yes it IS better than the chips, it is still a habit that needs to be broken, so mindfully eating them is MUCH better than just munching away without any thought. So it's a win, but still something to be mindful of (if it was me grading your challenge) 

and I read something that is supposed to help with sciatic pain, and found an online tutorial for you  

http://solidglow.com/2012/03/20/the-basics-life-nerve-stretch/

Thanks Bekah I will check that out   The pain was getting better till yesterday. Last night I missed my bed time partially because of it, didn't sleep well, then just plain forgot I had a new early wake-up time this week. It's really taking a toll on my sleep and therefore my morning challenges. 

 

As for the mindless snacking, I am going to try to be more mindful of what I eat.  I am not sure if gum will help because it is still using the motion of chewing but I will at least stick to that.

[LadyGrey]

On a good note, I am very glad I decided to join the Druids and began a morning yoga routine for this challenge.  My pain hit the Sunday before the challenge started and by then I already had everything planned out. If I were lifting weights or anything else, I may have failed the entire week. It's almost like it was perfect...

 

[raymith]

You can do it, *cheers&fanfare* you beating your goals this time will mean even more considering your back. You can do it.

[LadyGrey]

After looking at my accountability log and seeing a LOT of red last week, I realized I needed to step it up this second week. My snacking was toned down but still uncontrolled. So I will need to focus on that harder ...and so far so good.  The past 4 days have been controlled and/or averted!

 

And even tho I was having severe pain and/or woke up late, I didn't let it stop me from staying on my challenge with my morning yoga routine except for one day (at the time I wasn't sure of it was helping or hurting). But on the rest of those and on the last 2 Sundays, I have worked on foundations of the Cat-Cow pose, the corpse pose, pigeon pose, and several others that aid with Sciatica. 

 

And aside from crawling out of bed yesterday 11 minutes later than what I should have, I nailed it this morning! Got out of bed at 6:24, even with a crappy night's rest. And I nailed going to bed at 9pm last night too. Might as well say I am nailing all my challenges since yesterday morning. {/cheer}!