NeverThatBored: Be Cool

[NeverThatBored]

Hi all! I'm NeverThatBored, and my goal in life is basically to be really cool. I also wouldn’t mind losing the last 10-15 pounds I need to hit my goal weight. But mainly, I want to be cool.

 

I'm moving over from the adventurers for my 6th challenge. I used a point system I used for my last challenge that allowed me to earn bonus points, which helped me get rid of the dangerous idea of cheat days. It was - dare I say it - cool? So I’m going to riff of my last challenge goals again this time.

 

Goal 1: Food (Follow a Primalish Meal Plan)

I had a cool detailed 6 week food challenge already planned, but I'm going to simplify for now and see how 4 weeks differs from 6 before I attempt it. Instead, I've made a primalish meal plan to stick to in January & February. It's pretty cool too. 

 

If I stick to it, I get 1 point per planned meal and 1 point for planned daily snacks. If I make equally healthy substitutions, I get the points too. If I eat an unhealthy snack or drink, I lose 1 point. If I eat 2 unhealthy things in a row, I lose 3 points (one for each snack, and one for the consecutive bad choices). 

 

I always end up having travel days that mess up my routine. I certainly can't stick to a meal plan then. For those days, I will aim for 1 primal meal, 1 50% meal (rice ok, pizza not ok), and 1 non-primal meal. If I turn a 50% or non-primal meal into a primal meal, I get a bonus point. The rule about 2 unhealthy things still applies to travel days.

 

Goal 2: Move (Walk, Ruck, Run, Bodyweight Exercises)

 

I'm combining my two usual exercise goals into one this challenge and focusing on maintaining the habits. 5 extra miles walked = 1 bonus point. 5 extra miles rucked = 1 bonus point. 1 extra run or workout = 1 bonus point.

 

1. Walk 64 miles (16 miles/week)
2. Ruck for at least 24 of those miles - increase ruck weight from 16 lbs to 20 lbs
3. Run 6 times for any length - I'm overcoming some issues with form that have led to injury, so I'm focusing on body sensing and safety over other forms of progress. 
4. 3 bodyweight workouts per week - I do a bootcamp class on Tuesdays, and then usually a modified BBWW for the other two workouts

Current BBWW routine:

• Warmup: 3 circuits of 6 shoulder touches and 10 toe marches
• 3 circuits of:
  • 20 squats
  • 20 pushups (working up to 20 - almost there!)
  • 20 lunges
  • 15 dumbell rows
  • 20 dips
  • 30 second 1-legged plank
  • 12 kneeling pike presses (working up to regular pike presses)
  • 30 jumping jacks
• Cooldown: 30 second bridge, then stretching

 

Goal 3: Bonus Exercise

I want to pick a specific movement to focus on improving during this challenge. The poll will help me decide which one.

 

6/10 of you so far have said that pushups are the coolest, so that's what I'll do. My recent max is a set of 30 pushups and my all time max is 40ish, so I'm aiming to bridge that gap. I will do AMRAP pushups every M/W/F morning for the duration of the challenge. 

 

Life Goal: Finances

For the past two years, I've participated in frugal February, where I don't shop or eat out for a month. This year I'm going to expand it to January too and see how it goes. There are a few exceptions to this shopping ban:

• If I need to eat out while traveling (which I will be Wednesday-Sunday for the first week of this challenge)
• 2 books I already preordered this month - technically I pay this month, but I did the "shopping" part last year
• If I run out of something (shampoo, etc.), I can replace it
• Birthday presents for two people in February 

Other

These aren't goals, but in addition to the things listed above, I do Aikido twice/week and yoga videos. If I do 3+ yoga videos in a week, I'll earn a bonus point.

 

So 1 extra healthy meal when traveling = 5 extra miles walked = 5 extra miles rucked = 3+ yoga videos in a week = 1 extra run = 1 extra workout.

[Girl-Meet-World]

I love the points system! ( It seems pretty cool to me )

How easy is it to keep frugal? It seems intriguing, but how social does it allow you to be?

[petefeet]

Following along since you're supporting me!!

 

It's always a challenge to eat smart while travelling, not impossible, but challenging.

[NeverThatBored]

I love the points system! ( It seems pretty cool to me )

How easy is it to keep frugal? It seems intriguing, but how social does it allow you to be?

 

It's not too hard when I do it usually, since it's good motivation to see the extra money in my bank account. Plus, I know I can always buy something in a few weeks when the challenge is over. I like cooking, so it's not too hard for me to avoid eating out either. I've been spendy lately so I think it will be harder this time - and it'll be a lot harder to do for 2 months instead of just one.

 

Sadly, I don't really have friends that live near me, so I don't have to worry much about the social aspect of it. I'm usually travelling when I see friends. But in the past I've also just hung out with friends at my place and cooked food, so that wasn't so bad. 

[NeverThatBored]

Following along since you're supporting me!!

 

It's always a challenge to eat smart while travelling, not impossible, but challenging.

 

I haven't built the discipline to be very good at it yet. It's like going into a level 10 area when you're only level 2. It's not even that there are never good choices, just that I'm so tempted by the wonderful world of food when I'm out and about. 

[fleaball]

Oof. I may hop on the frugal challenge next month. My bank account is wrecked right now. 

 

I'm glad you put a link in your sig! I kept looking for you but didn't know where to find you lol

[IamDoll]

tag you're it. Followed of course, and loving your challenge.

[Briniel]

Following!! Love you're challenge and point system, there's a lot going on but I'm sure you'll manage!

 

It's like going into a level 10 area when you're only level 2. It's not even that there are never good choices, just that I'm so tempted by the wonderful world of food when I'm out and about. 

 

I felt like that over new years. I was on a 4-day-vacation with friends (a group of 25 in a house in the woods, lots of boardgaming, music, food and fun, it was awesome!) and I had planned to stick to my diet rules from christmas on, but there was sooooo much food and my willpower jut wasn't enough to hold over those 4 days. I gave in on day two. Unfortunately, the choices there were not really healthy. But hey, I've had my year's share of sweets and snacks so I should be good from now on

[Lara]

Following!

 

Get ready!

[Absidey]

Frugal February sounds like a fantastic idea! I may just jump on that bandwagon. Cooking every meal at home would be a huge challenge for me.

 

Solid challenge! Good luck with your goals. I plan to ruck a lot more this year, possibly do some overnight backpacking. (gulp)

[athousandwords]

Yay!  Happy to follow along with your challenge again!  I'm moving over to Rangers as well, seems to be a few of us changing over.  Best of luck with your challenge!

[NeverThatBored]

Frugal February sounds like a fantastic idea! I may just jump on that bandwagon. Cooking every meal at home would be a huge challenge for me.

 

Solid challenge! Good luck with your goals. I plan to ruck a lot more this year, possibly do some overnight backpacking. (gulp)

 

Overnight backpacking sounds intense! I've never even gone camping. That would definitely get you some major cool points. 

[NeverThatBored]

Ok, some housekeeping as I gear up for the start of the challenge:

• I ran a couple of shopping errands today before I officially start the shopping ban. I probably shouldn't have done that because it's amazing how much money one can spend at Target. It did reinforce for me how weak my willpower has gotten around saving money, so it's good that I'm doing this challenge as a sort of spending detox.
• I did the first yoga video over at the year of yoga, which seems like something any of you who are interested in yoga might want to check out. MAN did I need that after a couple of weeks without yoga. 
• I reread Alanna: The First Adventure today. There's nothing quite like a young girl disguising herself as a boy and training hard to be a knight to inspire you to overcome your own challenges. I think I may have finally identified my nerdy fitness idol.
• I finished off the last of some non-primal yogurt and cooked some healthy korean sticky chicken and cauliflower rice, so I am ready to go on food.
• You've all overwhelmingly identified pushups as the coolest move, so I'll be doing pushup AMRAPs on M/W/F mornings for the duration of the challenge. 

Let's rock this, everybody! 

[fleaball]

Woooo party on!

[Kilyra]

I haven't built the discipline to be very good at it yet. It's like going into a level 10 area when you're only level 2. It's not even that there are never good choices, just that I'm so tempted by the wonderful world of food when I'm out and about. 

Yep! I have a hard time with that part of it. Most places I end up have healthier options, but it's so hard to get past the idea that I'm wasting an opportunity or something if I go for the salad etc. It's like "When in Rome" but on steroids for me. It's hard enough to ignore that feeling at restaurants near me, but when I'm traveling, it's even more so. 

 

So smart to address that in your challenge!

[Briniel]

Woooooooot!! It's on, baby, let's rock this

Thanks for the year of yoga link, I'll ceck it out

[Lara]

Go for those push-ups!!

[athousandwords]

Oh man, I loved the Alanna books as a kid teen ok, college student...  May have to add that to my reread stack this year!  

 

 

• I finished off the last of some non-primal yogurt

 

I did this too, but with wine...

[Rurik Harrgath]

Solid challenge routine and points system.  I voted push-ups because I'm always chipping away at those myself! 

[petefeet]

Overnight backpacking sounds intense! I've never even gone camping. That would definitely get you some major cool points. 

 

 In my experience camping generally involves spending hundreds of dollars to live a weekend like a homeless person <g>

 

Saying that, it's still fun!

[IamDoll]

Yes! Push ups! It may sound weird, but seeing someone do proper formed push ups is incredibly motivating. 

 

You also just reminded me I need to clear out the fridge/cupboards. Goodbye holiday temptations!

[NeverThatBored]

Yes! Push ups! It may sound weird, but seeing someone do proper formed push ups is incredibly motivating. 

 

You also just reminded me I need to clear out the fridge/cupboards. Goodbye holiday temptations!

 

Pushups are rockin'. I used to the workout over at hundredpushups.com, though I never made past the 40s.

 

And speaking of temptations, I've got a mad craving for apple juice. Coming off of sugar again is going to be so fun.

[Absidey]

 In my experience camping generally involves spending hundreds of dollars to live a weekend like a homeless person <g>

 

Saying that, it's still fun!

 

Hah! True story. And backpacking is worse, because you spend more for lighter gear so you can sleep in rougher conditions! Squee? 

 

It's a good idea to go with someone else and borrow as much as you can to see if you like camping before getting all your own stuff. 

[NeverThatBored]

Day 1 Update:

• Walked 2 miles on the snow-dusted bike path by my work. It won't be useable much longer since they don't plow it, but I felt pretty badass out in the 12 degree weather leaving footprints on an unmarked road. I'll have to figure out another way to get my mileage in. Maybe morning walks?

• 

• Stuck to my meal plan and tried eating before Aikido instead of late at night as per my challenge this week on Sylvaa's accountabilitibuddies thread. I'm sort of hungry now, but drinking water and powering through the 2 hours before bed. 
• I did the first year of yoga video again this evening, which felt pretty good! It's quick and easy. I might take a leaf out of Archon's book and try to do a short yoga video before bed at night. 
• Resisted some break room brownies at work
• Had my first Aikido class after a 2 week vacation. I was rusty. 

[NeverThatBored]

Ok, can anyone explain to me why the images I post always come out tiny? Is there a setting somewhere?