Tasha starts a summer adventure!

[Tasha]

Six Week Challenge

 

Hi everyone! Like most people I’ve tried many times in the past to lose weight/get fit, these last few years being especially hard for me. But I am ready to reboot, press on and go for my goals.

 

 

Main Goal

 

I want to lose weight while getting stronger.

 

Three Goals

 

I will maintain a 500 calorie deficit and track my progress each day with My Fitness Pal. (With one planned day of excess on Canada Day during this challenge.)

 

I will do the BBWW twice a week and by the end of six weeks will be able to do three sets in a workout instead of just two.

 

I will take my daughter hiking in the TrailRider once every other week (at least) and on opposite weeks walk the giant hill with her in the stroller.

 

Life Side Quest

 

I will try cooking a new recipe once a week.

 

 

The TrailRider is an awesome piece of equipment that allows two 'sherpas' to push/pull someone with disabilities through trails and hiking paths that cannot be navigated with conventional wheel chairs and other mobility aids. We tried it for the first time last week with our three and a half year old daughter who has cerebral palsy and she adored it! More information here: 

 

http://www.bcmos.org/main/trailrider_history.php

 

[Tasha]

Goals will be graded like so.

 

I will maintain a 500 calorie deficit and track my progress each day with My Fitness Pal. (With one planned day of excess on Canada Day during this challenge.)

 

1 point for every day I maintain the deficit. 1 point for every day I honestly and completely to the best of my ability record what I've eaten on MFP.

Max Possible: 84 points

 

I will do the BBWW twice a week and by the end of six weeks will be able to do three sets in a workout instead of just two.

 

1 point for each BBWW and 1 bonus point for each time pushed beyond two sets as follows:

Week 1: BBWWx2 + squats

Week 2: BBWWx2 + squats and push ups

Week 3: BBWWx2 + squats, push ups, and lunges

Week 4: BBWWx2 + squats, push ups, lunges, and dumbbell rows

Week 5: BBWWx2 + squats, push ups, lunges, dumbbell rows, plank

Week 6: BBWWx3 (Woot)

Max Possible: 12 points

 

I will take my daughter hiking in the TrailRider once every other week (at least) and on opposite weeks walk the giant hill with her in the stroller.

 

1 point for each hike/walk over 20 minutes long.

Max Possible: ? points (At least 6 to meet the goal.)

 

Total Max Possible:102

A-102-90

B- 89-80

C- 79-70

D- 69-60

F- 59-0

 

This is heavily weighted toward diet, but I've done that deliberately because I still have 68 pounds to lose and that is the most important thing at the moment for me.

[Tasha]

Week 1 Day 1

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-26 minute walk with Becca in the stroller up/down the giant hill.

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 3

[wockerjabi]

Gratz on an excellent first day! Your TrailRider sounds cool. It's great that you've found a way to share outdoor experiences with your daughter.

[Tasha]

Thanks Wockerjabi. We were pretty excited to learn about the TrailRider and take advantage of it. We live in a community with a lot of outdoor activities.

 

Week 1 Day 2

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-BBWWx2 plus squats

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 6

[athousandwords]

Looking good!  That Trailrider is so cool!  Congrats to you for finding ways to get your family involved in your healthy lifestyle and exploring the great outdoors.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but what's the BBWW?  I've seen it around a lot.

[Tasha]

Thanks, Athousandwords!

 

I don't mind you asking at all. BBWW stands for Beginner Body Weight Workout! There is an article outlining it on Nerd Fitness.

 

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

 

I quite like it since I can't really get to the gym (with Becca requiring specialized training to care for) and this leaves me no excuse not to do a strength workout in my own living room. Besides Becca likes listening to me count and pant, she laughs and laughs.

[athousandwords]

Oh, ha!  I feel like I probably should have known that.     For some reason I thought it was some Beach Body thing, whoops!

I'm with you though, I thrive best when I can work out in my living room.  I've been following the old Rebel Strength Guide Bodyweight and Dumbbell workouts.  It really does leave you with no excuses!

Your daughter sounds like an awesome encourager, btw!  

[Tasha]

She is adorable and now that I've realized I need to start putting my health at least on the same level as hers, it's better.

 

Week 1 Day 3

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Went for a walk without Becca, since she was at daycare but I did extra walking on the hill. 

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 9

[jkiley]

Welcome to the Adventurers!

Looks like you've got some great goals. Im also using MyFitnessPal to track diet and exercise. 

 

Keep up the great work 

[Tasha]

Week 1 Day 4

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Went for a walk with Becca, huffed and puffed pushing 60+ pounds of stroller and toddler up the hill.

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 12

 

Plan on doing a BBWW today, still feeling good and strong in this challenge. We had hoped to take Becca out tomorrow in the TrailRider but it seems the people who manage the program are out of town so we'll likely bump that to next weekend.

 

Hope everyone else is doing great too!

[Tasha]

Week 1 Day 5

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Did my BBWWx2 plus squats, bit sore but feeling good.

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 15

 

Turns out we can go for a hike today. I'm looking forward to it.

[athousandwords]

Enjoy your hike! Great job with your food logging and workouts, you are really kicking butt every day this week!

Sent using Tapatalk. Brevity mode on.

[Tasha]

Thanks athousandwords! I'm feeling really good so far, just hoping I can keep this momentum going. Been doing more walks then I need to for the challenge so far.

 

Week 1 Day 6

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.( 250 left for a planned snack later if I need one before getting to bed.)

 

2 points

 

-We enjoyed a great hike with Becca in the TrailRider. 

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 18

 

Becca adores the TrailRider and even my husband seems to love it. We're even going to go again next weekend rather then skipping a week and my husband's brother and son are coming along. 

 

Life Side Quest: Cooked this recipe- http://www.thugkitchen.com/fresh_herb_potato_salad

 

I personally ended up with 10.5 100g servings rather then 4 side servings! It smells very strong but the taste is more mild, I like it. My husband won't go anywhere near it though, he can't get past the vinegar smell.

[wockerjabi]

That recipe looks scrumptious. It sucks when others won't eat your cooking, but it also means there are no mice in your home.

 

You've yet to miss an objective, how awesome is that? Keep it up!

[Tasha]

Week 1 Day 7

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Rest Day, no exercise.

 

0 points

 

Current point total: 20

[Tasha]

Week 1 Summary

 

I will maintain a 500 calorie deficit and track my progress each day with My Fitness Pal. 

Did this every day. Woot!

 

I will do the BBWW twice a week and by the end of six weeks will be able to do three sets in a workout instead of just two.

Done on Tuesday and Friday.

 

I will take my daughter hiking in the TrailRider once every other week (at least) and on opposite weeks walk the giant hill with her in the stroller.

Hiked on Saturday for an hour.

 

Bonus: Walked on Mon, Weds, Thurs. Yay for extra exercise.

 

I will try cooking a new recipe once a week.

Made delicious potato salad without giant globs of mayo!

 

Weight: Last Sunday I was 219.8 and yesterday I was 216.6!

And in total I've lost 25.4 pounds from the beginning of my fitness journey.

 

This week is going to be harder. I found out my stepdad passed away, I'm sad and unfortunately my mom lives literally on the opposite coast of Canada so I can't physically be there, which makes me want to sit down and eat cookies, cake, icecream.. everything. I didn't always get along with him, but I loved him and he was a great father to my youngest brother. I'll miss him. At the same time, I'm trying to be positive and focus on the goals of this challenge and my progress so far.

[athousandwords]

So sorry to hear about your stepdad.  It is so painful when you can't be there to comfort and take comfort from the ones you love.  Stay strong - you've worked so hard for this and are doing so incredibly well! 

[Tasha]

Thanks Athousandwords.

 

Week 2 Day 1

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-BBWWx2 plus squats and push ups

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 23

 

I put my emotion into my workout, walked further in my warm up, pushed faster through my reps with good form. My butt is feeling sore today! Doesn't help that my daughter didn't go to sleep until 1130pm and woke up at 4am. She's refused to go back to sleeeeeep, I'm going to need some serious coffee.

[Tasha]

Week 2 Day 2

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Walked for 30 minutes with Becca in the stroller. We did some hills but not the giant hill, my hips and butt were killing me.

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 26

 

I found out yesterday that someone opened a small grocery store about 20 minutes walk from my house (at the bottom of the giant hill, of course). So I'm going to warm up, do my mountain climbers then go check out the store. I want to pick up the stuff to make roasted tomato soup, my new recipe for the week. Mmm

[Tasha]

Week 2 Day 3

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal. I even saved some for a small sunday and still came under.

 

2 points

 

-Walked to the grocery store and back, it was about 40 minutes. Then we went to an outdoor concert in the evening and had to park far away and I carried Becca for over an hour.

 

2 points

 

Current point total: 30

 

They had a very cool air show at part of the concert as well, coordinated to music. It was great until poor Becca got her toe caught in the clip on my keys and cut her toe. Sad. I did attempt the mountain climbers, man they were hard! I managed to get to 13, hopefully I can better that today!

 

Hope everyone is plugging along great.

[athousandwords]

Nice consistency!  The concert and air show sounds really cool!  Sorry to hear about Becca's toe though.  Good strength workout carrying her back, though, right?

 

Can you post the recipe for the roasted tomato soup?  Sounds great!

[Tasha]

Reading these recipes amuses me, so it's another from Thug Kitchen.

 

http://www.thugkitchen.com/roasted_tomato_soup

 

I ended up with six, one cup servings. I couldn't find whole canned tomatoes, so I used sauteed but it still tasted fine to me. I'm actually having the first bowl for lunch today.

[Tasha]

Week 2 Day 4

 

-Food logged and calories under the goal.

 

2 points

 

-Walked with Becca in the stroller on the hill for 30 minutes.

 

1 point

 

Current point total: 33

 

The soup was ho-hum. I'm going to try adding a bit of milk to it today and see if that makes a difference. It's not bad but the more I had the less I liked it. But that is the point of trying new recipes!

 

I tried mountain climbers again and managed to do 15 this time, we'll see if I can do a few more today.

[athousandwords]

Ooh I love Thug Kitchen!  Going to try out the recipe, though maybe I'll halve it since it makes so much.  Thanks!

 

Those mountain climbers are killer...