Breebles: Take Two

[breebles]

So this is my second time doing the 6 week challenge. I was doing pretty well the first time until real life got in the way with some serious drama. But, now that I am happier and subsequently gained 10 pounds, I'm getting unhappy again.

So to sum me up: Suffer from Churgg-Straus syndrome, on a daily dose of Prednisone for the rest of my life, high anxiety and bipolar depression, just went from working a job where I ran around roughly 5 miles a day to a desk job where I'm lucky I get a mile of walking done a day, and I'm pretty broke so "eating healthy" is ridiculously difficult from a financial stand point. My stress levels affect my health and exercising reduces stress (so my therapist says ), so here we go.

 

Main Quest:

Waist Size: 32 Inches

Weight: 140 Pounds

 

Current Stats:

Waist Size: 41 Inches

Weight: 186 Pounds

 

Side Quests:

Protein Shakes: 5 per week

15 Minute Workouts: 5 per week

Home-cooked Meals: 3 per week

 

Grading:

Protein Shakes / Workouts:

A = 5 per week / 28+ total

B = 4 per week / 25+ total

C = 3 per week / 19+ total

D = 4 per week / 13+ total

F = 5 per week / 12- total

 

Home-cooked Meals:

1 = Freshly cooked / .5 = Left overs

A = 3 per week / 16+ total

B = 2.5 per week / 13+ total

C = 2 per week / 10+ total

D = 1.5 per week / 7+ total

F = 1 per week / 6- total

 

Current Grade:

Protein Shakes: - A

30 Minute Workouts: - A

Home-cooked Meals: - A

 

 

*For anyone wondering why I've chosen "home cooked meals" as a quest: I live alone, I have a super long commute to and from work, I'm tired and cranky, so I come home and eat a can of soup or a hot pocket. Even if I'm making baked macaroni and cheese or spaghetti, it's still better than preservative, additive and chemical laden pre-made foods. I can't commit to "eating healthy" right now (finances) so I'd rather keep it broad but still better than what I'm doing.

[Blaidd]

Invest in a crockpot (if you get some cash).  They're fantastic to use for cooking when you're not at home and you have a ready cooked meal waiting for you when you get home (and because you live at home, then you can freeze them as home cooked meals for other days in the month). I used to cook once a month and do just that, when I was living on my own. 

 

You might notice that someone has added a tag to your post.  This is not to box you into a corner but rather because your goals or lifestyle have links to the guild you've been tagged and we'd like to bring you to the attention of one of their guild ambassadors. These ambassadors will be able to offer you advice, encouragement and support on your goals.  You don't even have to wait around for them to come introduce themselves to you, you are more than welcome to pop into the Adventurers' board and introduce yourself to the guildies there. I am also around to answer any questions that you might have so do not hesitate to PM me.

 

Good Luck with your challenge

AB xx

[Laurenji]

Oh man, Prednisone is the WORST for feeling good about yourself. I've never been on it, but my husband goes on and off it sometimes, and it always makes him VORACIOUSLY HUNGRY . . . which is really hard to deal with when you're trying to lose weight.

 

I totally feel you on the "home cooked meals" thing. I am so lucky that my husband does most of the cooking, because left to my own devices I would eat cold cereal and hot pockets every day.

[breebles]

Blaidd - I have a crock pot! I'm just afraid to use it because I leave my apartment at 6:30 and don't get home until 6. I'm afraid to start a fire or something. >> My mother keeps telling me to do that, too.

 

Laurenji - I was on and off it for about 3-4 years until my doctors finally realized that I kept crashing whenever I came off it, so now it's an everyday part of life. It speeds up your metabolism (which can be great, but makes you hungry ALL THE TIME which makes it harder, too) and makes you lethargic (so you legit don't want to even get out of bed, let alone eat healthy or exercise) and it raises your blood sugar (so the joys of diabetes symptoms half the time with the added risk of developing diabetes). Really, the prednisone alone is a valid reason to get my ass in shape.

[Archon]

Blaidd - I have a crock pot! I'm just afraid to use it because I leave my apartment at 6:30 and don't get home until 6. I'm afraid to start a fire or something. >> My mother keeps telling me to do that, too.

 

Laurenji - I was on and off it for about 3-4 years until my doctors finally realized that I kept crashing whenever I came off it, so now it's an everyday part of life. It speeds up your metabolism (which can be great, but makes you hungry ALL THE TIME which makes it harder, too) and makes you lethargic (so you legit don't want to even get out of bed, let alone eat healthy or exercise) and it raises your blood sugar (so the joys of diabetes symptoms half the time with the added risk of developing diabetes). Really, the prednisone alone is a valid reason to get my ass in shape.

Here is an idea. Some fancy pants crockpots let you program a start time on them for when they turn on... If that is yours, then all you have to do is read the owner manual on how to use that. But if yours does not do that, an option you can use is getting an outlet timer that you can plug your crockpot into and it will turn on the power at a certain time. Alternatively, 12 hours on low will cook lots of things amazingly (Chilli, Roasts, etc)

 

I like to prepare everything the night before, put it in the crockpot in the fridge overnight, so all I have to do in the morning is remember to take it out of the fridge & turn on the crockpot.

 

Hope you have a great challenge!

[insanity]

Here is an idea. Some fancy pants crockpots let you program a start time on them for when they turn on... If that is yours, then all you have to do is read the owner manual on how to use that. But if yours does not do that, an option you can use is getting an outlet timer that you can plug your crockpot into and it will turn on the power at a certain time. Alternatively, 12 hours on low will cook lots of things amazingly (Chilli, Roasts, etc)

 

I like to prepare everything the night before, put it in the crockpot in the fridge overnight, so all I have to do in the morning is remember to take it out of the fridge & turn on the crockpot.

 

Hope you have a great challenge!

Pretty much this, and if you have a hard time remembering to pull the crockpot out, put your car keys on it in the fridge.

 

You can also do this... http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/

 

Basically set all your meals up in a gallon ziploc bag, and put em in the freezer, then take em out and thaw em, and drop em in the crockpot. Cooking for 1 you'll probably have leftovers, so you have 2 days of food there.

[breebles]

Hmm, those are both great ideas. I like the timer idea. I have one, I just don't know how to use it (Mom bought it and assumed I'd know how to use it >>) Then I could have it shut off, but it would still stay warmish right? I keep my apartment pretty neutral temperature wise, so I don't think it would spoil or get too cold.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[insanity]

Hmm, those are both great ideas. I like the timer idea. I have one, I just don't know how to use it (Mom bought it and assumed I'd know how to use it >>) Then I could have it shut off, but it would still stay warmish right? I keep my apartment pretty neutral temperature wise, so I don't think it would spoil or get too cold.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

I myself would set the time so it stays on a little past when you get home, in the event of traffic or something keeping you away. You can always turn it off when you get there, and an extra 30 minutes isn't really gonna bother the food.

[breebles]

So like a lot of people, I've been getting a jump start on the challenge so I can hit the ground running. I've been doing really great with my strength training workouts (nothing intensive, but just actually looking forward to doing them) and my shakes and I've been trying to make dinner.

 

I started Nano today, though! I'm really excited to juggle these both considering if I ever make it as a writer, well, I'll have to manage staying healthy and writing all day, too. XD

[breebles]

So! So far I have successfully completed my challenges all week with a few bumps along the way. I'm still super struggling with my diet but at least I'm eating "real" meals rather than junk only. I keep binge snacking at work and home though.

[breebles]

Update: I'm really bad about updating here because I post in a group thread more often than not.

 

But I found some fun bodystrength workouts I'm doing. Still struggling to get the eating under control but this challenge is more about building habits than any real "results" yet. I'm not expecting to actually lose anything since I'm still just trying to get into a routine.

[insanity]

Just take the eating thing a step at a time. When I went paleo, it wasn't a balls out jump into the deep end. I tweaked one meal a day, then 2, then all three, then quit energy drinks...took a few months.

[breebles]

Every time I've tried to go Paleo in the past, it's been a struggle. I like my carbs too much. >< But maybe if I start working with one thing at a time, I can eventually get there.

 

I'm just frustrated that a year ago I managed to drop 20 pounds and keep it off for an entire year until I got a new job and gained 10 of it back and it seems to be climbing. I was off sugar, soda, caffeine, coming off of carbs... Then I moved and I started back on all of it but still managed to keep the weight off (thank you retail job :| ) but now I'm trying to curb it all back and I think I'm overloading myself.

 

I'll keep it in mind to take it one step at a time. Sounds like the best idea.

[insanity]

Every time I've tried to go Paleo in the past, it's been a struggle. I like my carbs too much. >< But maybe if I start working with one thing at a time, I can eventually get there.

 

I'm just frustrated that a year ago I managed to drop 20 pounds and keep it off for an entire year until I got a new job and gained 10 of it back and it seems to be climbing. I was off sugar, soda, caffeine, coming off of carbs... Then I moved and I started back on all of it but still managed to keep the weight off (thank you retail job :| ) but now I'm trying to curb it all back and I think I'm overloading myself.

 

I'll keep it in mind to take it one step at a time. Sounds like the best idea.

To help out, once I got to the other side, I now no longer have sugar cravings, I can celebrate a birthday and have all the sugar that comes with that, and be fine afterwards, though I'll probably end up witha headache that day.