Get Going (Again) - Sandra

[sandraregina]

Introduction:

My name is Sandra. This is my first challenge, and I think I need it. A couple years ago I embarked on a weight loss journey and lost 70 lbs. It felt good, but over the last several months its been creeping back on as I've become sedentary again and forgot about tracking my food etc. I'm also sleeping like crap. Not only that, but as I've become more sedentary all the old aches and pains are back, and worse than ever. I've been telling myself all summer I need to 'get more active', but apart from a few brief spurts here and there, I've mostly been sitting/lying around telling myself I hurt too much to move. I need the focus of a challenge, and other people to help me stay on track. My goals are fairly modest, but I'm going from zero again. Once I've mastered this hill I can look to climbing a mountain again. 

 

Main Quest:

Move regularly again and use exercise and movement to regain stamina, endurance, flexibility, and reduce stress and joint pain. Hopefully that will also lead to some weight loss so I can fit into my clothes again and not look like a stuffed sausage. Weight lost matters less than how I feel - less pain, less stiffness, less exhaustion. Will be creating a 'pain/stiffness/exhaustion' scale from 1 (=none) to 10 (=most), with a goal to go from about an 8 (now) to a 2. 

 

Quest 1: Get Good Rest

Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling rested the next day, and also helps avoid overeating (using food to replace energy that wasn't gained through rest). 

 

a. Go to bed during work nights between 10 and 11 pm (goal to fall asleep by 11 pm). This will ideally mean 7 hours of sleep a night. If insomnia hits, I will NOT turn on the computer or play on my phone, but read quietly in a dim room until sleepy again. 

b. Make the bed every morning so that it is welcoming and ready for sleep at night. This includes clearing off bags, clothes, books, etc. 

 

Quest 2: Move it, Move it

Avoiding stiffness and joint pain requires movement. I know this works for me, because it has worked in the past. Ideally this movement is low impact and regular, and includes a variety of movement so I don't get bored.

 

a. Five times a week, go for at least a ten minute walk. If this becomes routine after a couple of weeks, add a day, and/or increase the minimum walk to fifteen minutes. If its cold or rainy or miserably hot, walk in the back halls (at work), or go to the mall.

b. Work out for 20 minutes three times a week. One yoga or pilates, one cardio, and one strength, to work on flexibility, stamina, and muscle strength. I have dumbbells and a resistance band and a yoga mat and various exercise DVDs and youtube videos saved - its time to use them again.

 

Quest 3: Track that Food

Eating mindlessly is my biggest enemy. I like healthy foods and eat them regularly; but I also get sucked into eating far too many snacks and sweets, and all without thinking about it. My best success in avoiding this, while still getting to enjoy treats, was to track my food intake. Hauling extra weight on my joints is not good. Being mindful is good.

 

a. At least five times a week, track all food eaten that day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). No matter what it is, no matter how much, and no matter when. Tracking food helps minimize mindless snacking and leads to better awareness of portion sizes. 

b. No snacks from the vending machine at work. If I feel like snacking at work, go for a walk in the back halls instead. Any other snacks get tracked (see point a.)

 

 

Quest 4: Prep for the new Cats

Now that Icarus is gone, its time to get the apartment ready for new arrivals. In the next few weeks of the challenge I will go through all the cat stuff, purge what is old and broken. Carriers, cat beds, etc. will be cleaned and aired out. The floors will be cleaned thoroughly, and as much of the old cat hair will be removed from all furniture and other surfaces. Make sure the apartment is clean and welcoming to new cats. 

 

Reward: new cats! 

Very tangible, and very wanted. The golden goose at the top of the beanstalk. 

 

I *will* need help - buddies - to keep me on track. Without someone to be accountable too, its all too easy to fall into the procrastination trap of 'I'll start tomorrow', or 'It can wait'. Anyone who wants to be my buddy, let me know! And I will be your buddy too.

[Toshimi]

Hey! Looks like a great challenge

 

Some articles I've found very helpful on sleep are here, here, and here

 

I also noticed a big difference when I had F.lux installed on my computer (i really should do that again) it changes the color of your computer depending on what time of day it is, supposed to help take the blues out that can keep you awake. 

 

Be sure and check out the mini's that Blaid posts, they'll help you through your first challenge

 

Welcome to the challenges!

[trawlerman]

I love that your reward is cats!

[Maeghaan]

One of my goals this time around is to be as active as I can on the boards so I get a judicious dose of mob mentality to stick with it!

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

[sandraregina]

My sister in law has promised to help hold me accountable for this challenge. I'm very appreciative - she's so much more in shape than I am, and she's had back surgery. If anyone can help me, it will be her!

 

Got up just before my alarm went off this morning, and I was in bed by 11 pm last night. So off to a good start. 

[sandraregina]

Day One Report:

 

Quest One: Complete! - Woke up just before my alarm. In bed by 10:30, read until about 11 and fell asleep. This morning I got up with my alarm, and made my bed.

Quest Two: Complete! - Took a 15 minute walk around the building at lunch. After work did a 30 minute dumbbell routine.

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1743 calories. Avoided the snack machine at work.

[sandraregina]

Day Two Report

 

Quest One: Complete! Got up with my alarm (the radio turns on, its fairly gentle). Made my bed. Gonna need to get out the duvet soon, its getting chilly at night. Went to bed around 10:30, read for a bit and fell asleep. Got up once in the middle of the night but went back to sleep shortly after that, and got up about 15 minutes before my alarm this morning.

 

Quest Two: Complete! Took a half hour walk at lunch. It was beautiful outside.

 

Quest Three: Complete: Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1490 calories, a bit low. Avoided the snack machine at work. Someone brought in pears from their backyard tree and I snacked on those instead. So good.

 

Extra Quest: Collected for the trash all the old cat toys (most of them were chewed and/or clawed), the old opened food that cannot be donated, the old litter box & scoops, and other detrius to go out in the dumpster this morning. That was really hard. But its done.

[ellis_e]

Sounds like you're doing really well. Good job

Are you adopting/getting a particular (kind of) cat?

[sandraregina]

Day Three Report:

 

Quest One: Complete! Got up about 15 minutes before my alarm; stayed up and didn't try to snooze. Made the bed. Tonight I'm definitely pulling out the duvet. Got to bed about ten to eleven, and finished the book I was reading before falling asleep shortly after 11. I call that a success.

 

Quest Two: Complete! Took a walk around the building at lunch. Did a half hour of yoga stretching, something for bad backs. I couldn't do all of it - one pose my knees refused to bend into (they do say not to do it if you experience a sharp pain), and the child pose resting my chest on my thighs made me hyperventilate and feel suffocated, so I didn't do that either. That's not normal, is it? Well, next week I'll try again.

 

Quest Three: Complete: Tracked everything I ate. Once again ignored the siren song of the snack machine at work. Tracked food came in at 1677, but I ate out at dinner and had to guess. It was probably higher than that. I'm not going to stress too much, everything was tracked and that's the main point.

 

 

Sounds like you're doing really well. Good job

Are you adopting/getting a particular (kind of) cat?

 

Thanks Ellis! I'm not adopting a particular kind of cat, though I prefer short haired ones (slightly less hair and brushing), and I rather selfishly want younger cats...I had all three of my elderly (16+) cats die over the past few years and my heart needs something long term to focus on. My plan is to get two together, siblings or a bonded pair. They can be companions to each other, and I know its harder for shelters to adopt out 'buddies' without seperating them. I've also only ever owned male cats, so I'm looking at female ones just for something different.

[sandraregina]

Quest One: Complete! - Mostly complete. Got to bed just after 11 pm and read for about half an hour before I could sleep. But I didn't wake up at all during the night. Tonight I wash the duvet & cover and put it on the bed.

Quest Two: Complete! - Took a 15 minute walk around the building at lunch. After work I met a friend and we went for a brisk walk in the park for 35 minutes (before sitting for another half an hour and just talking, lol)

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1678 calories. Avoided the snack machine at work.

[sandraregina]

Weekend was restful, as intended. Continued to track my food throughout the weekend, though I went to bed later. Didn't do as much exercise as I could have on the weekend. 

 

Friday goal check:

Quest One: Complete! Making the bed is actually quite nice. Got the duvet washed and on the bed. 

Quest Two: Complete! - Took my parents dog for a walk after supper - he's a bit slow but we made good time, doing the block (just under a km) in 15 minutes. 

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1630 calories. Avoided the snack machine at work. 

Friday night I got the cat carriers thoroughly washed and aired out.

[sandraregina]

Monday Goal Check:

 

Quest One: Complete! Got to bed by 10:30 pm. Had a hard time waking up this morning, but its staying darker later. 

Quest Two: Complete! - 30 minute strength routine with dumbbells. 

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1538 calories. Avoided the snack machine at work. I'm hungry a lot so I'm trying to up my veggie content. I still feel like I'm eating too much - i.e. I feel full but hungry. Weird, eh?

[sandraregina]

Quest One: Complete! Got into bed at 11:00 pm. Had a walk later at night, though, so that might have had something to do with it. Had a hard time waking up this morning. 

Quest Two: Complete! - Went for a 20 minute walk last night. 

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1771 calories, which is high, but not 'over' for the day w/ the exercise (just right at the top, so its statis day). Considering I had a staff BBQ at lunch with a plethora of high calorie options. Avoided the snack machine at work. I was also super duper hungry, though, even with the extra food. Today I'm feeling a bit better. 

 

Wanted to get my balcony swept up last night but it was dark by the time my after-work errands were done. I did that this morning instead. 

[sandraregina]

Quest One: Complete! Was in bed just after 10 pm, read for a bit and was asleep before 10:30. Woke up a few times in the night though and woke up to my alarm very tired and snoozed for a while. Feeling very groggy today.

As per the website Sleepytime  I should be falling asleep around 10:30, optimally, to get up for 6:00 am. So I'm blaming this on the brain fairies that kept me up last night. 

Quest Two: Complete! - Had my walk at lunch. 

Quest Three: Complete! - Tracked everything I ate. Came in at 1978 calories, which is VERY high, and over my limit. By a lot. Had dinner at the parents, and had a piece of carrot cake for dessert. That was my doom. Even a small piece is 'expensive', calorie wise. Didn't do so good today. Going to try to eat less today, to make up for it. 

 

Today I'm planning on some yoga or pilates type exercises tonight. Since I've been walking more and doing more exercising, my back is less tight and I'm not getting the same shooting pains down my leg. So progress. 

[fffffinn]

O__O You're racking those 'Completes' in like a champ!  Awesome! Also happy to hear your leg pains are easing.