Cataleya's Path To Brilliance

[Cataleya]

I want to do assassin's guild, but it looks like our first challenge should be a rebel one, so here I am! I have a few quests in mind. I can use all the support I can get!


 

MAIN QUEST AND MOTIVATION

I lost 20lbs last year. This year, I'd like to lose the remaining 28lbs in order to reach 160lbs and see how my body feels from there. I am doing this because I need to take control of my life, especially since it feels like there is so little of it in graduate school. I have two health conditions that make losing weight more difficult. As someone else on here said, that just means someone upped the difficulty on my life. Time to show them I can kick some ass!



 

DIET QUEST

Eat a fruit or vegetable with each meal every day

100%

100%

84/84


 

FITNESS QUEST

Lift weights at least three times a week

50%

50%

6/12

Cardio at least twice a week

88%

88%

7/8



I am happy to hear all the advice those of you who have previously completed challenges have for me. I am super excited about doing this! I look forward to supporting all of you through your own challenges as well.

Game on!

[TheFatFriar]

Hi there! Congrats on your weight loss. Your goals seem really interesting. Swimming, running, weight lifting, fruits and veggies... I bet you'll have lots of fun this month. I'm planning to join the assassins like you, but I've decided to wait a bit longer until I lose more weight. Probably next month, though. May I ask what kind of stretching routine do you have? (I'm working on my flexibility as well.)

[Cataleya]

Good question! I haven't found one I'm completely happy with yet, so I may end up making a hodgepodge of my own that I can post here, but this one is the one I like the most out of the ones I found so far: http://bootcampbarre.com/day-11-of-90-day-challenge/

If anyone else has found a routine that has worked for them, I'd love to see it!

[Anniebox]

Following to keep up with your progress! You have some good goals set up and I have no doubt they will build a good foundation to continued progress, I'm sure you're gonna rock this challenge!

 

I haven't really heard of stretching routines before but having a quick peek that looks really good, I'm tempted to give that a go myself as I'm not far off being stiff as a board usually. I did want to try add yoga into my routine at some point but a quick google makes me think a stretching routine might be a better fit for me as a starting point, so thanks for that!

[Lightning]

Welcome to the Rebellion!!

 

Hello and welcome    I saw your Assassin tag so I wanted to come by to offer support and encouragement! 

 

Sounds like you already know about the guild but, I'll drop a few links for you just in case.

 

The Assassin Guild Info & Announcements
The Assassin Phonebook

Extra Links

The Assassins Uncloaked interviews
The Assassins' Scullery food chat
The Animus, our guild "woot" thread

 

If you are looking for stretching ideas Darebee.com has some great yoga plans. Here is one that I really enjoy. If you want something that really digs into those sore spots than I highly recommend www.mobilitywod.com.

[Cataleya]

Oh thanks for the links, Lightning!

So far, so good. My next challenge definitely needs to surround lowering my sugar intake. I feel like it's been crap lately.

Anyway, I have done weights twice this week and I've walked/jogged once. I've taken the cardio slow because I am just getting back into it so I'm not wholly impressed with that session but I am also not injured. Slow and steady will get me there regardless. I've mostly focused on arms, back, and chest this week because I have those new dumbbells. I think next week I will do legs at the gym, as I prefer machine weights for that. But though my arms are sore, I already feel them getting stronger. That is good. I should be swimming Saturday or Sunday and doing my other run tomorrow.

In terms of diet, I have managed to eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, but it's been mostly fruits so I am adjusting that starting tomorrow thanks to the boyfriend going out and getting me some snack-approved veggies.

I am not doing great on the stretching. I have found that I am doing more stretching throughout the day, but not a full body stretch. Maybe Lightning's links will help. Every day is a new day, I keep reminding myself. I think I would feel a lot less stressed if I focused on this aspect a bit more.

So yeah. I will post exactly what I did this week on Sunday but this is kind of where I am at emotionally.

[Lightning]

While stretching on it's own is more meditative, I sometimes do mine while I watch TV at night.  It doesn't help me with mindfulness but, my muscles need it the most.  

 

Sugar is a Major Boss battle.  Usually, in the Acountabilibuddies section of the forum, you can find a group of people working on that goal.  

[fitnessgurl]

Good question! I haven't found one I'm completely happy with yet, so I may end up making a hodgepodge of my own that I can post here, but this one is the one I like the most out of the ones I found so far: http://bootcampbarre.com/day-11-of-90-day-challenge/

If anyone else has found a routine that has worked for them, I'd love to see it!

Hi! I'm working on flexibility and am doing this routine:

http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2015/06/28/30-days-30-stretches-to-splits-journeytosplits/

I'm not sure if it's what you are looking for, but I thought I'd share.

[Cataleya]

So I edited my challenge.

I was being hopeful when I thought that swimming would be something I could do every week but considering that I don't even know how to swim, I probably would benefit from swimming lessons. Additionally, I have a really crappy schedule this quarter which makes it hard to plan out time to swim. Basically, since I have a bad schedule and I can't do lessons until next quarter, I took swimming off.

Instead of just leaving it off, however, I added another day of weights. I feel like I've really made some progress there, even in the few short days I've done it, and I am looking forward to expanding my exercises as my muscles get stronger. I mean, I'm starting small. It's not like I'm doing full bodyweight training or something. Right now my routine mostly focuses on arms, chest, and back, and looks something like this (feel free to critique):

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

10 lb x 10 reps (2 sets per arm)

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

10 lb x 10 reps (2 sets, uses both arms)

Dumbbell Flyes

10 lb x 10 reps (2 sets, uses both arms)

Hammer Dumbbell Curl

10 lb x 10 reps (2 sets, uses both arms)

Dumbbell One-Arm Triceps Extension

10 lb x 10 reps (2 sets per arm)

So yeah.

I think if I can get into a routine with this I will feel a lot better, and that'll leave me in a good position to start tackling my diet concerns more thoroughly in March. I'm concerned a lot about stress eating. It's not that I eat more when I'm stressed, but that I make poorer choices. I go right for the sugar, wine, etc. Not a great time. I was hoping making myself eat fruits and veggies with every meal would help with that, but while I'm eating more of those, it's not really stopping those cravings. So I know what to do for my next challenge, when I can focus mostly on that.

[Lightning]

So smart to tackle one thing at a time!  You are establishing some great habits to build on.  And I would say most people here have struggled with either stress eating and/or night time eating.  I still stress eat sometimes, but I'm getting to the point that I can handle more stress before the cravings are triggered.  The real problem is that once I give in to sugar I start to re-crave it and have to kick the habit all over again.

[Cataleya]

I am having a really hard time sticking with the stretching. I think it was a mistake for me to have myself do something every single day for my first challenge. I am stretching a little bit here and there, but I've yet to do a full body stretch despite there being like three possible routines on this thread. I am not going to edit my challenge, and I'm going to keep trying and recognizing that MORE stretching is a good thing, even if you don't fully reach your goals. I'm just a perfectionist. Trying to learn to let that go.

I've noticed that this month I inadvertently did another challenge--no grains for breakfast. I'm trying to work my way up to doing a Whole30, so I must have been thinking about that as I picked my breakfast for the past couple weeks. I have been eating a few pieces of fruit and a hardboiled egg most days. Probably not the most balanced meal you could ever have, but it's been working okay.

I also think I don't want to wait until the next challenge to try to get my sugar under control. I've been basically soda free for almost a year now (I started on February 12 last year), but then in the past few weeks I've had one or two sodas a week and I'm not okay with that, because I know I'm doing it out of stress and not because I actually want one. I don't want to fall back into having several cans/bottles a day, so I'm going to be more mindful of what I eat and drink by keeping a food journal and seeing where that takes me. Sugar is indeed a boss battle, and it's one I've lost most of my life. I may end up making that my main (only?) thing next month. Today, as I eat breakfast, I am having some chai tea with a little bit of coffee creamer instead of a bunch of coffee creamer and some sugar. I'll see what happens. I see a lot of water and headache medicine in my near future.

In terms of weights, though, I feel great. I mean, like I said, I'm not doing the most complicated workout in the world, and it's not like I'm getting my whole body in or something, but there's just something so satisfying about completing a weights workout, moreso than cardio for me. I should have taken a before picture to see what my arms look like at the end of the month. Ah well. Next month I'd like to maybe try a bodyweight routine, if I can find something to help stabilize my wrist (I fractured it as a kid) or a routine that doesn't rely too much on wrist strength.

I plan on doing some cardio today. I didn't get a chance to yesterday because my schedule was kind of crazy, but I'm (sort of) taking a break by working from home today instead of in my office. This will give me a chance to head downstairs to our apartment complex's treadmills. I am a recent convert to outside running, but it's currently 12F/-11C outside and I'm super sensitive to cold, so that's not going to happen. I do miss running by the lake though. So beautiful. I can't wait for it to get warmer.

[CJ the (soon-to-be) Mighty]

It seems that you are off to a great job with your first challenge, keep up the good work!

[Cataleya]

So I finally went downstairs to get on the treadmill and... all three of them are out of order. Well, two were straight up out of order and the third cut off 7.5 minutes into my workout, 2.5 minutes into me jogging. Wonderful.

Ellipticals are hella boring so I did that unenthusiastically for half an hour and threw in four sets of 10 reps of 50lbs on the leg press. I could have done double that in weight but I was just all kinds of bummed out and just wanted to come up here and get more work done.

On the plus side, earlier I made three dozen chocolate chip cookies and even though I REALLY wanted to eat the dough, I did not, thanks to my boyfriend, which acted as my chaperone, lol. I have thankfully not succumbed to the sugar beast yet, though I imagine tomorrow will be harder, especially since I won't be at home.

So yeah. Yay cardio, I guess, but boo for ellipticals. I want it to get warmer already so I feel more comfortable going outside.

[WingedWolf]

Game on!

 

Game on indeed! I love your immediate sense of play! 

 

Yeah, it sounds like you're biting off a lot all at once right off the bat. Make sure you're having fun - that's the most important part.

 

Sugar control is huge for me! But a friend just sent me a crazy intense helpful lifelife.

 

http://radiantrecovery.com/

 

Check it out, seriously.

 

- WW

[Lightning]

I am having a really hard time sticking with the stretching. I think it was a mistake for me to have myself do something every single day for my first challenge. I am stretching a little bit here and there, but I've yet to do a full body stretch despite there being like three possible routines on this thread. I am not going to edit my challenge, and I'm going to keep trying and recognizing that MORE stretching is a good thing, even if you don't fully reach your goals. I'm just a perfectionist. Trying to learn to let that go.

Maybe break up the stretching routines and just tell yourself to do 5 minutes a day? Or focus on one area of the body for a few minutes each day. This will help you build a habit which is what I think you are trying to do.

I've noticed that this month I inadvertently did another challenge--no grains for breakfast. I'm trying to work my way up to doing a Whole30, so I must have been thinking about that as I picked my breakfast for the past couple weeks. I have been eating a few pieces of fruit and a hardboiled egg most days. Probably not the most balanced meal you could ever have, but it's been working okay.

I also think I don't want to wait until the next challenge to try to get my sugar under control. I've been basically soda free for almost a year now (I started on February 12 last year), but then in the past few weeks I've had one or two sodas a week and I'm not okay with that, because I know I'm doing it out of stress and not because I actually want one. I don't want to fall back into having several cans/bottles a day, so I'm going to be more mindful of what I eat and drink by keeping a food journal and seeing where that takes me. Sugar is indeed a boss battle, and it's one I've lost most of my life. I may end up making that my main (only?) thing next month. Today, as I eat breakfast, I am having some chai tea with a little bit of coffee creamer instead of a bunch of coffee creamer and some sugar. I'll see what happens. I see a lot of water and headache medicine in my near future.

Starting off by dropping sugar from your drinks is where a lot of people begin. Adding more protein and fat (and fewer grains) to your diet will make it a little easier to ease out of the grips of sugar. Since you are already doing well with breakfast maybe adding a little more protein and less fruit is the next baby step?

[Lightning]

Forgot to add this... Below is a great wrist flexibility and strengthening exercise video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mSZWSQSSEjE

[Cataleya]

I don't know if I will get cardio in today (having some major womanly discomfort) but I did do the weights three times this week. My routine today (mixed it up a bit):

Dumbbell Squat

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

10 lb x 12 reps (twice)

Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

10 lb x 10 reps (twice--this was a little hard on my wrist though)

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

10 lb x 12 reps (twice per arm)

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

Dumbbell Bench Press

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

Dumbbell Flyes

10 lb x 10 reps (twice)

---

Veggie/fruit challenge is going well. I've been nailing that, if nothing else.

I know it's a little too early to be expecting definition in my arms but I totally wish I had some. I'm excited for sexy arms, haha!

[Cataleya]

I regret those squats, lol. Ow.

[TheFatFriar]

Veggie/fruit challenge is going well. I've been nailing that, if nothing else.

I know it's a little too early to be expecting definition in my arms but I totally wish I had some. I'm excited for sexy arms, haha!

 

I think the same after every push-up (well, incline push up to be precise, I'm not there yet!) and dumbell row

 

I always find it easier to add something healthy to my diet rather than omitting something unhealthy. I wish I had discovered such a simple trick before.

[Lightning]

You should workout in a sleeveless top! I'm sure those bicep curls would make some muscles pop. .

I think the same after every push-up (well, incline push up to be precise, I'm not there yet!) and dumbell row

 

I always find it easier to add something healthy to my diet rather than omitting something unhealthy. I wish I had discovered such a simple trick before.

Super smart advice. I know drinking more water helps me eat less junk. Adding healthy fat helps me too.

[Cataleya]

So I haven't done anything yet this week other than the fruit/veggie challenge. My legs are finally feeling better, so I might try doing some weights tonight if my stomach feels better, but if not, it's first thing in the morning, no excuses. I just haven't felt like doing anything thanks to those legs, but this isn't the time to give up.

Trying to start planning out meals to make the healthy choices easier to get to. It's way too easy to bring snacks like veggies and fruits but not bring lunch and order from Jimmy John's or some other sandwich place. My boyfriend is currently looking up some cheap reuseable bento boxes that I might be able to use to prepare a few meals in advance and then grab them and go in the mornings. I think that will help me.

I weighed myself (admittedly after I'd eaten lunch) when I picked up some prescriptions the other day, and I was up a bit. Time to get that under control. :/

[TheFatFriar]

Oh, don't weight yourself during midday, especially after a meal! If I'm going to weight myself, I do it first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom, you know... Otherwise, I usually weight 1, maybe 2 kg heavier than I normally am. And don't forget that clothes have a weight, too!

 

It's a good thing your boyfriend is supportive. Family, friends, and partners are notorious for sabotaging the attempts to get healthier

[Lightning]

How are you doing? I love the bento box idea, but I just think they are cute.

If you are having a bad week don't give up. I know you can do this! Jump back in and finish strong!!

[Cataleya]

I am typing with one hand (slight burn on two fingers, being cooled now, nothing serious) on a tablet so forgive the brevity and any typos. Long story short a bunch of stuff happened and I managed to do cardio-ish but not weights. Did well on fruits and veggies. A more detailed update will come later on successes and challenges, my state of mind, and looking forward to the next challenge. Spoiler alert: I'm not completely satisfied but I feel good about this next challenge.

[Cataleya]

Okay, so I updated my first post so you can see how I did, now that I've logged all my workouts and such. You can see the specific workouts here: https://www.fitocracy.com/profile/Cataleya/?feed

 

DIET QUEST

Fruit and Veggies - Success. I probably ate way more fruits than veggies, so if I revisit this particular challenge, I might say something like three servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables in a day. Or something like that. Something a bit more specific to keep things balanced. I'm going to try to balance this out without the guidance of the next challenge just to see how I do. I feel pretty good about it though. A+

 

FITNESS QUESTS

Lifting Weights - Failure. Surprising for me, given that I started out so strong. But then things happened, like a pipe in the apartment above us bursting and the apartment people needing to move all of the stuff out of our closet and into the only place it could go: the living room. Meaning I had no room to lift weights. For a week. I was too busy to go to the gym these last two weeks, so not having room to do dumbbell stuff really inhibited my ability to meet this goal. I am a bit disappointed but I am confident I can get back into it. I was liking how I was feeling, even if I might have overdone it one day. D

 

Cardio - Moderated success. So I got walking in a few days that didn't count as walking to and from school, and overall I just missed one session (which I did get in the day after the challenge ended). But I had hoped this would actually have been swimming and/or running, not walking. Unfortunately I just really need swimming lessons before I can do the swimming on my own thing, and I didn't have time to run, so I need to make that more of a priority this next challenge. I am signing up right now for a 5k that's at the end of April. Let this be my motivation. B

 

I've been feeling a bit down about my ability to get anything done and just general "what am I doing with my life oh god why did I go to graduate school" that I'm sure anyone who has been to graduate school knows. So I'm hoping that this will help me feel better. I think making it themed will help with the motivation, and of course I have all of you to help me keep pushing.

 

So yeah. That was how that first challenge went. I've already started the next challenge, which I hope will have more successes and less failures in it.

 

New challenge: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/79278-cataleya-joins-the-avengers/