Bee Laces Up

[Bee]

I'm Bee!  For the past six months I've been focusing on my health and wellness through nutrition and mindfulness.  Over the course of 3 years I gained about 30 pounds and struggled significantly with depression, anxiety, and accumulating health issues.  After many failed attempts at restrictive diets and all-or-nothing workout regimes, I finally found that taking a simplistic approach toward changing my eating habits a little bit at a time allowed me to develop a greater awareness and appreciation of what I put in my body.  I also dug deep into the core of my compulsive overeating and began to repair my relationship with food while rebuilding self-confidence.  In the second half of 2015 I lost almost 15 pounds, quit my soda addiction, and transitioned to a fully vegan diet.  I'm happier and healthier than I've been in a long time!  I have many goals on the horizon and I'm ecstatic to be starting a new year (for perhaps the first time in my life) with a positive outlook on the months to come.    

 

Back in college I was a very basic runner (a few miles a few times a week).  Since then I've been itching to get back into running but have never been able to find my groove; I either start too fast too quickly and injure myself or don't follow through in order to build a habit.  I'm SO excited to get started again.  I've been reading books and asking questions and setting myself up to be successful one step at a time.  I'm not concerned about speed or distance at this point - I'm just ready to lace up every day and discover what works best for me.  

 

Main Quest:

Within the next 6 months, my goal is to drop 1 dress size and be able to run a 5k.  

 

 

Run and/or Walk 30 Minutes/Day

 

As a newbie runner I'll be following the Couch to 5K app, which calls for a walk/jog three times per week.  The rest of the week I'll decide: either adding walk/jog days, or simply taking a long walk.  This coincides with my need to walk our dogs more often.  Why every day?  I need to build a habit.  I only have to commit to the 3 days of C25K -- if necessary, the rest of the days can be a slower walk.    

 

5 STA = 37+ successful days // 4 STA = 36-32 successful days // 3 STA = 31-28 successful days

 

Stretching/Flexibility Work Daily 

 

Whether it's a basic stretch after my jog or a yoga session, I need to loosen up my limbs.  I always struggle with sore knees when I first start running, and know it has to do more with my strength and flexibility rather than the act of running itself.

 

3 DEX = 37+ successful days // 2 DEX = 36-32 successful days // 1 DEX = 31-28 successful days

 

Snacks = Fruit, Veggies, Nuts/Seeds

 

My nutrition has improved tremendously over the past six months.  Inherently, in cutting out all meat, dairy, and eggs there are far fewer junk food/fast food items readily available that I'm interested in eating.  I have increased my fruit and veggie intake and worked to balance my sweets intake.  Chips, however, are something that have wiggled their way into my daily snacking habits.  Like soda, chips are something I can certainly live without.

 

Update: As noted above, I'm a bit of a compulsive overeater.  And as much as I've started to balance some of my eating habits, I have found over the past few weeks that I can easily replace one bad habit with another.  Last challenge I committed to not eating sweets, yet replaced that habit with eating chips.  I am already forseeing that I'll replace chip-eating with sweet-eating.  So instead, I'm sticking to my original plan at the end of the last challenge: snacks are limited to healthy, whole food options.  

 

4 CON = 37+ successful days // 3 CON = 36-32 successful days // 2 CON = 31-28 successful days

 

Finish 4 Books in 4 Weeks

 

Brain food.

 

3 WIS = 4 books // 2 WIS = 3 books // 1 WIS = 2 books

 

...

 

Possibly to be updated with some stats and more refined quest descriptions.  For now - lace up!  

[Bee]

I went for my first Couch to 5K run today.  5 minute warm-up, 60 seconds of running alternated with 90 seconds of walking, and 5 minute cool-down.  Felt awesome.  I went slow and steady, focusing more on my form rather than my speed or distance.  

[Wicked Pixie]

I loved the c25k program. I really like that you're focusing more on making running a habit than with a set distance or pace.

It's all about the love of the run!

[QengpuBenal]

Those are some great looking goals! I love C25K programs (I tend to fall back on my Zombies!5K program frequently)!

[Bee]

I loved the c25k program. I really like that you're focusing more on making running a habit than with a set distance or pace.

It's all about the love of the run!

 

Thanks!  I just want to get out there and do it every day without worrying too much about how well I'm doing it (for now, anyway) Exactly - I want to remind myself how good it feels to run, and how happy it makes me!  

 

Those are some great looking goals! I love C25K programs (I tend to fall back on my Zombies!5K program frequently)!

 

Thanks!  I've heard great things about Zombies, Run!  I hope to try it after this first round of C25k  My husband would like it, too!  

[Wicked Pixie]

ooh I was gifted Zombies RUN when I had an iPhone, but sadly the account didn't transfer to the android OS. 

 

I love when you get into the run zone and you absolutely lose yourself in the run. I've only experienced it truly a couple times, but it was glorious when it happened!

I know your focus isn't on distance or pace, but are you tracking in any way so you have a baseline for future challenges when you want to level up those areas? I use Runkeeper Go and I love it

[Bee]

ooh I was gifted Zombies RUN when I had an iPhone, but sadly the account didn't transfer to the android OS. 

 

I love when you get into the run zone and you absolutely lose yourself in the run. I've only experienced it truly a couple times, but it was glorious when it happened!

I know your focus isn't on distance or pace, but are you tracking in any way so you have a baseline for future challenges when you want to level up those areas? I use Runkeeper Go and I love it

 

I have a Fitbit and I've been tracking my jog/walk sessions with the exercise tracker.  I can go back and look at heart rate, distance, and steps.  I will check out Runkeeper!  I've heard of friends using that.  I'd like to see if my distance starts to increase during my 30-minute sessions

[Bee]

I updated my food goal from "no chips" to "snacks = fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds".  As I wrote in the goal post, I tend to replace bad habits with other bad habits (as I've seen family members do -- quitting smoking turns into eating more, for example).  I undertook some huge changes last year: quitting soda, quitting dairy, quitting meat.  Why not take it to the next step?  If there's tempting food in the house I WILL eat it.  I don't have the willpower to have "just one" or to stay away entirely, unless I'm firmly committed to making the change.  I'm food journaling with a good friend and this will help me stay on track.   

[Bee]

Completed Day 2 of C25k -- it was freezing cold and windy, but I went a little faster than yesterday.  I did a short stretch afterward and haven't felt too terrible the rest of the day.  Trying to consume more fruits and veggies than I have been.  So far, so good!  Getting in plenty of reading each day.  I know the challenge doesn't start until Monday, but as I'll be returning to work after two weeks off I need to start building the habits I want to continue

[Princess Pineapple]

I love reading c25k threads! Good luck with your 4WC!

[chocolaterunner]

Can't wait to hear about the books you're reading! Good luck on your quest.

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[Terinatum]

Great challenge, Bee!

Love the simplicity and focus. You are definitely on a great ride with the changes you've made around food. I also struggle with food: sugar addiction and bingeing all while good foods become more scarce.

Best of luck with your challenge. Looking forward to your progress.

[Bee]

I love reading c25k threads! Good luck with your 4WC!

 

It's fun being a "new" runner again and going through the process - thanks!  

 

Can't wait to hear about the books you're reading! Good luck on your quest.

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I'll keep them updated!  Thank you! 

 

Great challenge, Bee!

Love the simplicity and focus. You are definitely on a great ride with the changes you've made around food. I also struggle with food: sugar addiction and bingeing all while good foods become more scarce.

Best of luck with your challenge. Looking forward to your progress.

 

I still struggle with food addiction, overeating, binging.  The book Weight Loss for People Who Feel Too Much was incredibly helpful in getting to the root of my compulsive overeating.  

[Bee]

Although it was icy outside today I still laced up my shoes and went for a very short walk, to honor my commitment to walk or run every day.  In hindsight it might not have been the best idea as I fell a couple times, but it felt good to get my shoes on and get outside.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a little better on the roads.  

 

Excited to start the 4 week challenge!  

[awesomesue]

Love the challenge!  It is so about just loving the run and being out there.  I do a lot of walking too.  It feels so good on days I do not run no matter how short the walk is that day.  

 

"If it is in the house I will eat it..." comment is how it is for me too.  Luckily if I do not see it I forget it is there and that helps (we have to put things up out of the way of curious pets).    

[Bee]

Love the challenge!  It is so about just loving the run and being out there.  I do a lot of walking too.  It feels so good on days I do not run no matter how short the walk is that day.  

 

"If it is in the house I will eat it..." comment is how it is for me too.  Luckily if I do not see it I forget it is there and that helps (we have to put things up out of the way of curious pets).    

 

Thank you!  I love to walk as well.    I have toyed with the idea of starting to walk to grocery stores and work when it starts to get a little brighter and warmer.  

 

That's great you can forget about it!  I guess when I gave up soda my husband still had it in the house, but I was so determined not to have any I was able to resist.  However, that usually meant eating something else to replace it.  So we will see how it all goes this challenge!  

[awesomesue]

That is one of my favorite things to do.  Walk to the store with a back pack.  Believe me you do not want to buy crap if it means having to carry the extra weight home.  LOL  I walk and/or run home once in a while too.  

 

I only forget when I do not see it.  If I see it enough then temptation usually wins at some point.

[german]

Great challenge!, I love C25K, awesome plan!

[Bee]

I was really hoping to get back out and go for a run or walk today but the roads are still incredibly icy.  I don't want to risk falling (again) and getting hurt - and there are still people out driving, one of whom almost hit our car yesterday!  My husband just slipped going out to check the mail.  Sigh.  Perhaps I'll get some steps in around the house later this afternoon.

 

Had to keep reminding myself that I was starting my healthy snacks today.  Almost reached for a leftover cookie to munch on while making lunch.  Really glad I'm doing a food log to keep myself accountable with my friend.  

 

That is one of my favorite things to do.  Walk to the store with a back pack.  Believe me you do not want to buy crap if it means having to carry the extra weight home.  LOL  I walk and/or run home once in a while too.  

 

I only forget when I do not see it.  If I see it enough then temptation usually wins at some point.

 

Great idea!  I'd definitely want to stick to the light, non-crushable stuff  

 

Great challenge!, I love C25K, awesome plan!

 

Thanks!  I tried C25K sometime last year and was focused more on speed than on just running.  So I'm glad to be doing it again with the mindset of just enjoying the run and getting outside!  

[Bee]

Book #1: How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger (Finished 1/4)

 

Excellent read - tons of information about how a plant-based diet helps prevent and combat some of our country's leading diseases.  Heart disease and stroke run in our family, something that has always worried me and something I always figured would lead me to take medication.  Doing my best to take preventative measures NOW through diet and exercise.  I would have liked to hear about other diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis, but his website Nutritionfacts.org has lots of extra information.  

 

Highly recommended!   

[awesomesue]

I recently completed Pandora's Lunchbox and Sugar, Salt, & Fat.  Both books left me looking at food and the food industry differently.  There was another but I am drawing a blank since it did not have the same impact as those two book.  In Defence of Food, I think was the third book oh and Fast Food America.  Loads of info in that one on the human cost in regards to safety and workers and so on.  I would recommend all 4 books actually.

[chocolaterunner]

I have not read that book yet, will have to check it out.

Good job avoiding the cookie and also getting out in the icy weather.

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[Bee]

I recently completed Pandora's Lunchbox and Sugar, Salt, & Fat.  Both books left me looking at food and the food industry differently.  There was another but I am drawing a blank since it did not have the same impact as those two book.  In Defence of Food, I think was the third book oh and Fast Food America.  Loads of info in that one on the human cost in regards to safety and workers and so on.  I would recommend all 4 books actually.

 

I will put those on my list, thanks!  

[Bee]

Day 1:

 

Run/Walk: Not able to make it out due to super icy conditions.  Honestly, if it was just snowy/cold/rainy I would have been OUT there.  I have been staring longingly at my running shoes the past two days.  In such a short amount of time I have already come to enjoy the time outside and the exercise.

 

Stretch: About to get up and do some stretches.   

 

Food: SO close to making it today.  Slipped up with a sweet and some chips at the end of the day (and now I totally regret it).  I think with my school being closed today due to weather I told myself I could have one more day of vacation.  Sigh.  I need to clear out the junk so I'm not tempted!   

[h3r0]

Be careful on the ice! Can't run if you fall and get hurt.