Suzy Q Rangers On

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

I wouldn't be mad at you if you put up video of those in use!  Bonus if it stars you or one of your kids in a super hero mask.

[suzyQlou]

13 hours ago, Suzaqu said:

Those floating steps are soo cool! Have you tried them out yet? I know I'd fall flat on my face, but it would be dang fun to try!

 

Oh, yeah.  I've tried them.  I'm not quite as graceful as my kid, but they are still fun to do.  Kind of makes me feel like I'm flying.

 

13 hours ago, Yraen said:

Yayfor vollyball! And for building floating steps! Those things are super fun. 

 

Super fun indeed.  I betcha we could set them up with crazy distance and angles for you to try.  You would dominate them!

 

12 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Coolest mom ever!

 

Gee, thanks.  I especially liked the times when my kids worked WITH me on the building.  They didn't have the patience to stick with me for the whole project, but they'd pop in from time to time to do some cutting or drilling.  Fun times!

[suzyQlou]

11 hours ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

I wouldn't be mad at you if you put up video of those in use!  Bonus if it stars you or one of your kids in a super hero mask.

 

Ha!  Super hero masks would be the perfect touch.  My older son is in charge of the video-ing in my house.  I'll have to see what he says.  It's actually a perfect match.  The younger ninja is going to need a demo reel one of these days, and the older son is dead set on a career in the movie industry.  This could be epic.

[suzyQlou]

Wednesday is kinda late for my weekly check-in, but better late than never.  Really need some accountability.

 

1/5 on my weekly eating goal.  The scale is consistent, so I'm afraid it wasn't just an unfortunate blip last week.  It's reflecting my daily choices.  My marble jar needs to be less of an abstraction, I think.  So I'm going to declare my first prize an indoor pull-up bar.  Morning darkness and cold are coming, so I will need to be doing indoors workouts soon.

 

4/5 on the workouts.  This includes one playground workout and one volleyball workout.  Really need some flexibility here.  Mornings are crazier than ever in my house, so mornings workouts are not going to happen every day.  As long as I am putting in the time later in the day, I'm counting them!

 

And speaking of playground workouts, I've mastered a new set of monkey bars.  This one has eight rings like the ones below.  They have eluded me for a long time, but no longer.  Totally CONQUERED!!!

 

[Suzaqu]

Congrats on teh monkey bars! I remember those goals from challenges past! I agree, those morning workouts are hard, I think you definitely get to count them.

[Yraen]

Way to go with the monkey bars! Those things are tougher than they look. 

I don't know why but I'm not getting updates for when you post here.

[suzyQlou]

On 9/14/2016 at 7:42 PM, Suzaqu said:

Congrats on teh monkey bars! I remember those goals from challenges past! I agree, those morning workouts are hard, I think you definitely get to count them.

Yep, my monkey bar challenge was one of my favorites!  There are so many different kinds out there, I'll have something to work towards for a long time.

 

On 9/14/2016 at 9:13 PM, Yraen said:

Way to go with the monkey bars! Those things are tougher than they look. 

I don't know why but I'm not getting updates for when you post here.

Thanks.  Monkey bars will always make me smile!  Not sure what's up with the system, but it's good to see ya.

 

Quick update today (for last week again).  2/5 days of healthy eating and 5/5 on the workouts.  Glad to get that FIVE again.

 

Went to a Ninja gym on Sunday for my kiddo.  It was super cool.  This was a kid's camp event, so I was just a spectator.  I'm keeping my eyes open for an "over 40" camp, though.  It's gotta be fun to to climb the warped wall!

 

[suzyQlou]

 

Another quick update (for last week again).  2/5 days of healthy eating and 5/5 on the workouts.

 

I didn't set up an actual challenge on Monday, but I'm shooting for a numbers goal this time around.  I'm going to make an extra effort to stay on track through October.  Hoping to give myself a Birthday present of 5 pounds (yeah, I know.  the evil scale) by the end of the month.  Saying it out loud makes it true, right?

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

You can do it!  You are so good at staying on track. You got this!!!!!

 

[suzyQlou]

Weekly update:  5/5 workouts and 3/5 healthy eating.  Feeling good about the week...the weekend, not so much.  BUT a new PR on push-ups - 20 in a row on my first set  

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

Yay push up PR!  And 3/5 days of healthy eating is great!  

Way to go!

[suzyQlou]

Missed the last challenge start, and I'm trying to cut down my screen use.  Seems like a good time to sit out a challenge...but still post here in the battle log so that I'm not living a free-for all!

 

Goals for the current challenge month:

1.  Food re-thinking.  Track with MFP on odd days of the week.  I need to get a better handle on my macros, and roll-the-dice tracking has not been enough.

2.  1/2 the carbs.  I'm guessing that the reason my last challenge's healthy eating plan didn't pan out was too many carbs.  So, I'm going to cut serving sizes of carbs for lunch/dinner.  I am going to try eating 1/2 the carbs I normally would.  I know there's carbs in lots of other stuff, but I'm going for the obvious here.  If it's bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes it's a carb.  That's the obvious stuff I'm targeting here.

3.  Keep on handing out prizes for healthy choices.  Coloring pages are in use for visualization of progress.  I like having a little mini satisfaction for making mini healthy choices.

4.  Exercise - Meet with strength trainer twice a week.  This has been great for me!

5.  Exercise - Continue at home with one more strength day, and two cardio days a week.

 

Ok.  Zero week has been a minefield.  Birthday season is in full swing, and I've been making lots of bad eating choices.  Can't seem to get rid of the pizza that keeps filling my house.  And home-baked cookies.  Way too many cookies!  It feels good to write out goals and get back into things...even if I know I won't be around too much online this challenge month.

[Elastigirl]

Hey, found you! I think hitting the obvious carbs is smart. Yes, there are carbs in broccoli, but most of us don't have an issue of overeating broccolli

[suzyQlou]

Here I am...hiding in plain site with some goals for the next four weeks:

 

Intuitive Eating

I like my start down the intuitive eating road.  I am going to continue posting on the IE accountability group...or wherever it moves next.  Last challenge, I read two books:  Intuitive Eating (the original IE book by Evelyn Tribole  and Elyse Resch because I thought it was important to know exactly what I was getting into before IE branched off into so many nuances) and Big Girl by Kelsey Miller (because it was more fun to read a story than the real deal).  I feel great about how IE has helped me eat out without guilt or overdoing it.  I have MUCH to learn yet about emotional eating, re-incorporating exercise, and resuming gentle nutrition.  I also have MUCH to learn about keeping a growth mindset, gently being open to help my son discover IE, and asking for help when I need it.

 

So, this month, I will:

1.  Continue reading Eat Q by Susan Albers.  I should be able to finish this up by the end of four weeks.

2.  Change my eating log to reflect IE ideas such as hunger/satiety levels and emotions.

3.  Have an exercise goal.  Ok, sort of an exercise goal.  Exercise kind of disappeared from my life for a little while.  I've been taking baby steps to get it back.  For a couple months, I've been wearing exercise clothes in the morning and most days fitting in 10-15 minutes of "getting steps" either outside or on the elliptical.  Sometimes I stretch a bit, maybe do a NF Yoga video, or do a few push ups.  None of this is really consistent...or really exercise like I once thought of it.  My goal for this challenge is to continue doing a bit of movement every day in that 7:30 time slot.  ALSO I want to work on sitting on the floor an getting back up gracefully.  This is surprisingly hard for me to do these days.

 

Here's to a Happy and Healthy New Year in 2019!

[suzyQlou]

Yesterday was a tough day for IE. So I thought I’d post a reminder to myself that today will be better. The holidays went so nicely this year...I’m not sure how just a normal day could have been so challenging. The important part is to get back on track without too much regret. 

[suzyQlou]

Feels good to knock out #2 on my challenge list.  Ha!  I love having a goal finished in week zero!

 

I re-vamped my healthy habits log to include my new IE-centric focus.  Here is what is important for me to track right now:

 

1.  Daily exercise checkboxes.  Not all are necessary every day, but they are good to do!

Be Active - this is making an extra effort to walk/bike/hike/elliptical.  Duration is not important.  Even 5 minutes counts.

Strength - this is for doing one or more strength exercises (pushups, rows, squats, planks etc.) 

Stretch - this is either a yoga session, my old NF warmup stretches, or my old PT routine for knee stretches.

Monthly Goal - this month my goal is to work on mobility to sit on the floor.  I will get a check for getting down and up 10 times.

 

2.  A long column for listing Intuitive Eating Food and Feelings.  I will list the foods followed by how I was feeling when I ate.

 

3.  Two long narrow columns to indicate hunger/satiety before and after I eat.  A plus in the BEFORE column means I was hungry (but not too hungry) before I ate.  A plus in the AFTER column means I was satisfied (but not too full) after I ate.  I was planning to use minuses to indicate the hunger/satiety was too hungry or too full, but I just realized I have three-states to account for.  I don't want to use numbers for the hunger scale (I prefer words) but I do need another symbol here to differentiate whether I started eating too hungry or too full.  Maybe I'll just use H or F to indicate too Hungry or too Full.  I guess that works.

 

4.  A separate section for quick notes for the day.

 

I'm moving forward with the observation that IE really helped me when I was feeling generally optimistic and happy about life.  Friday was not one of those days, and so I was off track.  Even a little optimism has brought me back in line.  And in true IE fashion, I get to analyze the heck out my feelings, forgive myself, and move on.  So, here's a burst of Joy and Optimism to keep me in line.

(ok, that image is a little over-the-top, even for me.  But I like me some JOY now and then.  Why not?!)

 

[suzyQlou]

IE win today. It might have been the first time in my life I bit into a cookie and said “hmmm. This isn’t as good as I thought it would be. I don’t really want to finish it.”  Happy discovery!

[suzyQlou]

Had a chance to start listening to the podcast Ensi recommended in the IE thread. Body Kindness with Rebecca Scritchfield. Rebecca recently re-taped some of the original podcasts in a series of “Learn and Grow” shows. I really liked the first one where she talks in general about body kindness and catches up with the cohost Bernie Salazar (from the Biggest Loser). The second episode was a little more preachy, but I liked it enough to give the third episode a try the next time I find myself alone in the car for a couple hours.

 

Speaking of being alone in the car on a sunny afternoon...perfect time for an impromptu walk around the lake. I love that I thought it and DID it because my body craved it. 

 

Finally, guess what?  I can drink 1/2 a beer and be satisfied. Woo hoo! 

[suzyQlou]

Seriously enjoyed going out for dessert with my son last night. I ordered carrot cake. I LOVE carrot cake. It turned out to be a triple layer carrot cheesecake. I ate the bit that I wanted and shared the rest with my son. No guilt!  In fact, I feel great about spending the time with him. 

[suzyQlou]

Exercise goals are settling in over the past two weeks.  I logged 6/7 days for both weeks:

Active 6/6 (week1) and 6/6 (week2)

Strength 2/6 and 3/6.
Stretch 2/6 and 3/6. 

Mobility 4/6 and 3/6

 

I've upped my strength goal to be consistent - pushups and planks every other day.  I've added negative pushups to the mix instead of just doing max (ha!  that's like five) full pushups.  Mobility goal is just to sit down/stand up 10 times a day.  It doesn't take long, so I need to find a time to do that more consistently - preferable before bedtime when motivation is lacking.

 

Mobility blooper this week.  I work as a children's librarian.  This is one of the big reasons I want to focus on getting up and down gracefully.  I spend time playing with small children on the floor (and dealing with books on the bottom shelves).  Baby/toddler storytime is twice a week.  I usually sit on a chair to read, but one of my toddlers had climbed on it, so I sat on the floor instead.  When we did a rhyme to "pop up" I literally wobbled over.  So embarrassing!  I need to stop using old knees as an excuse.  There are grandmas in my crowd who pop up with no problem.  I can do this!!! 

[Jupiter]

10 hours ago, suzyQlou said:

Mobility blooper this week.  I work as a children's librarian.  This is one of the big reasons I want to focus on getting up and down gracefully.  I spend time playing with small children on the floor (and dealing with books on the bottom shelves).  Baby/toddler storytime is twice a week.  I usually sit on a chair to read, but one of my toddlers had climbed on it, so I sat on the floor instead.  When we did a rhyme to "pop up" I literally wobbled over.  So embarrassing!  I need to stop using old knees as an excuse.  There are grandmas in my crowd who pop up with no problem.  I can do this!!! 

 

[Suzaqu]

Way to go SuzyQ! Sounds like you had an awesome two weeks! I didn't know you are a librarian, that's so cool! 

[suzyQlou]

On 1/20/2019 at 10:07 AM, Suzaqu said:

Way to go SuzyQ! Sounds like you had an awesome two weeks! I didn't know you are a librarian, that's so cool! 

Hi Suzaqu!  Good to see you. Yes, the library is a new gig for me. It will be a full year in March. I love kids and I love books, so it’s been a wonderful place to be. 

[suzyQlou]

Enjoyed playing dodgeball last night for my last ever Mother Son night at the elementary school. My boys are growing up so fast!  And ballls were flying fast, too, lol. 

 

Exercise goals week 3:

Active 5/6

Strength 3/6.
Stretch 2/6.

Mobility 2/6

 

I need to get cracking on goal #1. Much reading left to do. 

[suzyQlou]

Just a reminder to stay in touch with hunger and satiety cues today.  My family could care less about televised sports, but there are some snacks and commercials to look forward to tonight.  We always try to recognize that the super bowl exists so that we can be a smidgen social about it tomorrow.