Suzy Q Rangers On

[suzyQlou]

Pizza is good news and bad news. I ate too much, so that’s the bad news. But is was delicious, saved me an hour of time that made cookie decorating with my family possible, and saved me from eating too many cookies. 
 

I guess self control would have been better, but at least overeating has a silver lining this time. 

[suzyQlou]

Oops. Somehow it’s Wednesday, and I haven’t looked back on the week. Hard to say, but it might be because of all the slacking. 
 

We’ll start with the good news. I did make it back on the elliptical once this week. 
 

The rest, not so much. Aching muscles from the snow shoveling gave me excuses to skip strength workouts, and I didn’t even bother with the stretching routine even though that would have HELPED. 

 

Eating was a bit of a free for all because of all the homemade cookies. It seemed pointless to focus on fruits and veggies throughout the day while I was also eating cookies.

 

I did make a breakthrough with holiday stress. I decided NOT to worry about Christmas dinner. Since we’re not traveling this year, I somehow got it in my head that I needed to cook the traditional Christmas dinner my mom always made on top of all the other Christmas traditions. That’s a lie. No one else in my family cares about dinner.  Now I have one less unreasonable expectation, and less expectations means more happiness for the holiday. 
 

[suzyQlou]

Ah, yes.  The holidays happened.  There was some joy.  There was some celebrating.  Rather than looking back, I'm looking forward into the fresh new year by expanding my goals a little at a time.

 

My new focus is a meme that was floating around recently about how life isn't easy but we choose our hard.  The line that strikes me most is "Obesity is hard.  Being fit is hard.  Choose your hard."  So yeah.  The emotional burden and sluggishness of obesity IS hard.  I may as well give fitness a try again...even though it is hard.

 

Even with lofty ideas, my GOALS are still small because that makes them smart.  I'm adding on from last month, adjusting things that didn't quite work out the way I had hoped.

 

Eat fruit/veggie with every meal. Also snacks.  PLUS write down what I eat every day.
Bedtime stretch and strength 6/7 nights a week.  Instead of increasing reps, I will log this month to see where I can improve.
Step goal: either 10k a day or at least one long walk or effort.  This one stays as it is.  10k is a lot in winter, but winter effort is worth as much as easy 10k in summer.
Cardio: get back on the elliptical or bike at least once a week.  I'm so happy I made it back on the elliptical.  Now I will expand my goal to 15 minute sessions at least twice a week.

New veggie goal:  Try a new veggie recipe once a week.  I like plain veggies on the side of meals, but I'm going to make the effort to dress them up a little this month.

 

Happy New Year!

[suzyQlou]

Rangerly deed of the day:  January hike with an icy rock scramble at the top!

 

Hawk Rock

 

Eagle’s Edge Overlook

[Elastigirl]

pretty! And yay for being strong enough for the icy rock scramble!

[Keladris]

Dropping in to say hi as a fellow ranger!

I approve of 'small goals are smart'. I've made huge improvements to my health from just doing small achievable things. 

Love the hiking photos. I can't wait to get out in the great outdoors (i.e. leave the city) again. Currently, we're not supposed to leave Montreal which is a 'red zone' for COVID. For now, my trips to the park down the block will have to do. Good luck with the goals!

[suzyQlou]

3 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

pretty! And yay for being strong enough for the icy rock scramble!

It sure was pretty!  The sun came out at the perfect part of the day.

 

 

1 hour ago, Keladris said:

Dropping in to say hi as a fellow ranger!

I approve of 'small goals are smart'. I've made huge improvements to my health from just doing small achievable things. 

Love the hiking photos. I can't wait to get out in the great outdoors (i.e. leave the city) again. Currently, we're not supposed to leave Montreal which is a 'red zone' for COVID. For now, my trips to the park down the block will have to do. Good luck with the goals!

Hello back at you!  The outdoors has been a real refuge for me during this whole covid mess.  I'm glad you have a park down the block to give you a taste of fresh air while you hunker down for a bit.  Welcome to the Ranger den for your first challenge!

 

 

[suzyQlou]

Weekly check in.  Not feeling great about the week, but some good things happened.  I may have bitten off one too many things when I signed up for the mini challenge.  I miss my story time kids since covid, and I could not resist Sesame Street!

 

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  5/7 for the food journal.  Ate the fruits/veggies most days...but rebelled a couple days.  I blame the stress of being addicted to the news, but that's just an excuse, not a reason.  Much room for improvement!

Bedtime stretch/strength.  4/7 this week.  This is pretty terrible because I THOUGHT this was a good habbit.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  5/7 for the week.  And yes, these missed days correspond to the days I missed my eating goals, too.

Cardio twice a week.  One day elliptical, and I'm going to count one day of hiking.  My fitbit marked 138 minutes of active time, and I guess that counts?  Fitbit was a Christmas gift, so I'm still figuring it out.

New veggie dish of the week.  Loved this one:  Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower  .  I often roast veggies, but not usually one at a time.  Loved the crispy aspect of adding parm.

 

[suzyQlou]

I have been out for the past few weekends for some good outdoor movement.  Yesterday was fun because it was just me, flat paths, and a letterboxing adventure.  Here's a photo of one of the creeks, but it doesn't give justice the beauty of the space.

 

 

Weekly checkin:

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  6/7.  Felt pretty good about eating this week.

Bedtime stretch/strength.  6/7 this week.  Again, made me feel pretty good.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  5/7 for the week.  Funny how that seemed dismal last week, but ok this time.

Cardio twice a week.  Yes!.

New veggie dish of the week.  I wanted to love the mustard vinaigrette, but the dish was better without it:  https://www.walderwellness.com/garlic-sauteed-green-beans-dijon-vinaigrette/

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Great week!

[suzyQlou]

Pretty bleak week for me. Happy surprise to realize we are on five week challenges these days. I have another week to make up for this last one!

 

Dug out the last of the beets from my garden to make Roasted Beet & Fennel With Orange Vinaigrette  Leftovers were amazing the next day eaten cold like a salad. 
 

Still need to make Roasted Turnips with Brown Miso Butter.  All the fixings are in the fridge. 

[suzyQlou]

Snowy February hike in a new park with an unexpected mossy waterfall at the end.

 

Challenge wrap up.  Yeah, these challenge dates are pretty fluid for me.  But, I had a great week-and-a-half to make up for the last crummy week.

 

Eat fruits/veggies and log meals.  12/12 for the food journal.  Veggies are a good habit.  Bonus: I started logging food again in MFP.  

Bedtime stretch/strength.  12/12.

10k steps or other big daily effort.  12/12. 

Cardio twice a week.  Elliptical 5 days.  I've been using this to hit my 10K steps because the weather has been yucky for outdoor walking.  It helps to do 15 minute session on the elliptical, then 10 minute of normal steps around the house, and then another 5-10 minutes on the elliptical.  Spring can't come fast enough.

New veggie dish of the week.  Loved the turnip dish I mentioned last time.  My newest veggie adventure was roasted asparagus.

 

[suzyQlou]

Tweaking my goals for the next challenge period

 

Eating: Log food in MFP.  Fruits and veggies get logged on paper and are "free" in MFP.
Bedtime stretch and strength 6 nights a week.  Just do this.  Log on my updated paper form.  Shoot for the usual routine plus 3 "other" strength exercises throughout the week.
Step goal: 10k a day 5 times a week.  This is my normal goal but more accountability than the "do your best" vagueness of the past.
Cardio goal:  10 minutes a day 3 times a week:   Use fitbit to determine "cardio" minutes.  Get them with a fast walk or on the elliptical.

Veggie goal:  Try a two new veggie recipes.  I'll repeat some of the veggies I liked from last challenge and add two more recipes this time around.

[suzyQlou]

March hike and community service at the local Boy Scout camp.

 

Challenge Roundup (past 6 weeks):

Eating: Log food in MFP.  Fruits and veggies get logged on paper and are "free" in MFP.

YES.  Did this every day with one small modification.  The paper was redundant, so I stopped logging food on paper.

Bedtime stretch and strength 6 nights a week.  Just do this.  Log on my updated paper form.  Shoot for the usual routine plus 3 "other" strength exercises throughout the week.

SOMETIMES.  Averaged 4 nights a week with the usual routine.  "Other" strength exercises were rare except for squats which are now part of my routine.

Step goal: 10k a day 5 times a week.  This is my normal goal but more accountability than the "do your best" vagueness of the past.

YES.  Averaged 5.5 times a week.  The fitbit "streak" notification is addicting.  I like to be rewarded with the little star, and once I get 4 days in a row I feel more motivated to keep the streak going.  Mind games!

Cardio goal:  10 minutes a day 3 times a week:   Use fitbit to determine "cardio" minutes.  Get them with a fast walk or on the elliptical.

KINDA.  Average 74 minutes of cardio per week which would be over twice my goal.  BUT I only hit the 10 minute goal 10 times over 6 weeks.  A few days of outdoor work boosted the whole month of cardio.

 

Veggie goal:  Try a two new veggie recipes.  I'll repeat some of the veggies I liked from last challenge and add two more recipes this time around.

NOPE.  I still eat veggies, but not really the new ones.

[suzyQlou]

Must be time for another fresh start.   Happy New Year!

 

So, before I try to move forward yet again, here's a wrap-up since...March?  Wow.  So little accountability since last Spring.  Anyways, when no other healthy habit sticks, I still make it outside to hike at least once a month.  Here are some good memories to set a positive tone for a new year.

 

April - Wildflowers in a local park with a beautiful nature trail.

 

May - Walking the trails near an airbnb with my sweetie.

 

June - Spot with memories on the Appalachian trail.  The stairs used to go over the fence and into the field.

 

July - Many, many steps taken at scout camp.  Getting around was a hike every day!  Here was my happy spot, dipping my toes in the creek as often as I could during a very hot week.

 

August - Balance Rock near Raystown Lake.  Kayaking was active fun this summer, too, and a lakeside cabin was an amazing place for a family trip.

 

September - Evening hike along the lake.

 

October - Back to the lake for an afternoon with a graceful gray heron.

 

November - Boy scout hike straight up to a scenic overlook in State College.

 

December - Today.  Crossing the creek on a warm afternoon.

 

[suzyQlou]

A goal for the new year has been to find helpful yoga videos on youtube.   Ultimately, I want to regain mobility in my bad knee. Two functional motions I’ve lost are going down stairs confidently and getting up from sitting on the floor gracefully. 

I found and love The Yoga Room videos, especially a level one video for flexibility in the lower body. Every time I complete the 12 minute workout or do my traditional before-bed stretching routing, I color a piece of this mandala. After one week, I’m off to a great start. 

 

[suzyQlou]

Is it January again?  I’m back. 
 

Here are a couple holiday hikes. 

https://imgur.com/a/9PlRfMc

 

https://imgur.com/a/zLPPHsJ

 

My new philosophy is to start a new mini goal every few weeks.  Back in December I realized that if I could make my Duolingo streak a habit (210 days!) I could do it for fitness, too. 
 

1. Stretch streak. I printed a one page, full-year calendar and I circle the days I do my nightly stretching. I’m up to a 34 day streak!
 

2. Avoid the cheese touch. I’ve stopped eating cheese in snacks. It is my kryptonite. I don’t need that kind of comfort when I am stress eating or even eating because I have legit hunger cues.   I have met this goal 100% so far. 
 

3. Bring on the bowls!  This is a new goal for me.  I like to eat grain bowls as a healthier choice in restaurants. I’m going to make a mystery bowl for dinner at home once a month in 2023. The first was peanut butter. Yum! https://www.thehealthymaven.com/the-ultimate-buddha-bowl/

[Elastigirl]

Beautiful hikes.

Thanks for the recipe link. I'm wanting to do more bowls too. I even bought squeeze bottles to put the sauce in. I haven't made any yet though.

[suzyQlou]

Checking in slow and steady.

A few more section hikes along the Appalachian Trail:

https://i.imgur.com/wLz4N3q.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Tug4W4y.jpg

 

1. Stretch streak: 64 days.

Bonus - I did my first toe pushups in many months!  Most of the pushups I do are modified, knee pushups.

Mini Goal:  I added chair and frog-ish poses to stretches a few weeks back

Mini Goal:  I added yoga lunge poses this week
 

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: 100% Yay Me!
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

This recipe is from the same site as last month, but it uses Miso Sesame Dressing instead of Peanut Butter.  Loved it!

https://www.thehealthymaven.com/quinoa-veggie-bowls/

 

Not sure how healthy this was because of the frying, but totally delicious and mostly veggies:

https://domesticsuperhero.com/bang-bang-shrimp-rice-bowls-bonefish-grill-copycat/

 

[Jackdaw]

 

Great pics!  Hiking is awesome, I am also planning some hikes soon. Spring is coming soon, so it'll be a great to start it actively.

 

Congratulations with the push-ups! It's a big win!

[suzyQlou]

16 hours ago, XBlackWidowX said:

 

Great pics!  Hiking is awesome, I am also planning some hikes soon. Spring is coming soon, so it'll be a great to start it actively.

 

Congratulations with the push-ups! It's a big win!

Spring is the best!  Happy hiking.

[suzyQlou]

Checking in after an emotional roller coaster of a month.

 

Hikes:

My husband is my hiking buddy navigating rock scrambles on the Appalachian Trail.

 

The first of the Marsh Marigolds of the year on a local path.

 

Not technically a hike, but baby chicks bring me so much joy. I have to share!

 

1. Stretch streak: 104 days.

Mini Goal:  I added butterfly and v-sit stretches.

I'm proud that I stuck with this through good and bad days.

 

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: Miserable failure.

I blame emotional the roller coaster.  Much drama with my son (teenager!) spilled over into canceling a trip that I was really looking forward to.  In my brain, I know that I need to make adult decisions, but that doesn't mean that I've learned to make them gracefully.  I am definitely prone to feel empty inside and eat my feelings.

I'm going to start tracking this goal again, and today is day one.  Life outlook looks better this week for the whole family.  My alternative to snacking is usually to go outside.  Nicer weather is going to help with that.
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

This recipe was perfect for Spring.  Delicious!  I even added some home-grown lettuce.  My leaf lettuce is still under grow lights in the basement, but it was big enough to harvest the first leaves.  It will keep growing back to cut for even more recipes in the weeks to come.

https://playswellwithbutter.com/spring-grain-bowl-farro-asparagus-peas/

 

[ReturnOfTheDad]

The bowl looks amazing!

[suzyQlou]

Rangerly deed of the month:  Tent camping through a gigantic thunderstorm.  This is the first time I've been out in such tricky weather, but my staking job was top notch, and everything inside my tent stayed dry.  I did have a surprise critter visit me under my pillow.  Luckily, he was in a den under the pillow, the tent floor, AND the tarp.  A tiny little mouse was scratching around close to my ear and kept me up in the night while it rained.  It took rangerly nerves to stay calm!

 

Hikes:

The trail is blooming!

 

Memory Lake with the boy scouts.

 

Spring Camporee with a BSA troop of girls.

 

1. Stretch streak:  My streak was broken this weekend on my camping trip.  130 days.

I don't regret the break - there was just no room to get this to work on my backpacking air mattress, and the terrain was newly mown meadow.  The benefits of camping outweigh the unfortunate re-set of my stretch streak.

 

2. Avoid the cheese touch in snacks: 

After some soul searching, I decided to get rid of this goal.  I am back on track enough to stop worrying about this all-or-nothing goal.   Obsessing over things I CAN'T have is not the greatest strategy in the world.
 

3. Bring on the bowls!

I made a few modifications to the following recipe and added some market-fresh snow peas.  Yummy!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27547052/cilantro-lime-chicken-and-rice-bowl-recipe/

 

4.  Healthy Wager:  Somehow I caved in to a spur-of the moment junk email to make a healthy wager for weight loss.  Now I'm on the hook to eat better to avoid losing money (and also to win money...but not-losing is the motivating factor).   My bet is a one-year challenge to lose 26 pounds by April 2, 2024.  Honestly, I haven't been tracking it carefully because I've been traveling the last two weekends.  I hope to check in tomorrow to record progress in the App.  Tracking in MFP shows that I'm down 9 pounds, but that's mostly because I track MFP first thing in the morning without drinking a bunch of water and wearing lots of clothes.  Even so, I think I'm off to a decent start.

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Way to go on Ranger camping and succesful tent staking!  Great job also on knowing when to drop  your cheese goal. Having goals and then dropping them, often teaches me as much as the ones I keep.