Gaming_Jeweler Finishes 2016

[Gaming_Jeweler]

2016 has been a crazy year for me. Not only did I manage to do a lot of prenatal workouts during my second trimester (which I loved), I also went past my due date and wound up having a c-section. But I have semi-completed 2 postpartum challenges. I say "semi" because I forgot to update them or complete the last week.

 

At the beginning of 2016, I had plans to workout to keep myself healthy and to buy new gear to help accomplish that goal. Then I went over 38 weeks and was too exhausted to workout anymore. By the time I had my daughter at 42 weeks, I found myself unable to workout. I had a c-section and had to stay off my feet AND rest for 2 months. Then I could start easing myself in to exercising and normal life again. But life doesn't wait. And I am impatient. It took me 3 months to be able to start working out without feeling pain. And "normal" still hasn't came back to me. I wound up getting hit with postpartum depression that comes from feeling broken and overwhelmed. My body will never be the same. I've lost a lot of flexibility, but during my 4th month postpartum I was able to hold my arms over my head without feeling soreness in my belly. I have a long way to go to get back to my definition of "normal," but I want to finish 2016 off strong (and did I mention I'm too stubborn to believe I'll never be able to do the things I used to do?) . 

 

So I'm going to write out my goals by the week and then spruce them up a bit.

 

 

Done. Just kidding. However, I would like to state in spruce green that The main goal of this challenge is to workout 3x a week and get out of the house 1x (groceries not included). Oh yeah, I'm also bringing back the grading system I used to use last year! The better I do, the better the reward. ...This train of thought is why I got the 2nd most expensive reward from my orthodontist's wooden nickle rewards. Let's see how good I do!

 

Week 1: Warming Up

   Complete Week 5 of Breaking Muscle's C-Section Recovery Workout

   Walk for 1 hour.

   Shop the local thrift stores for an active winter coat. I need one that won't rip when I'm putting the baby in her car seat (goodbye, cheap jacket).

   Gather groceries for the week

 

Week 2: Half-Way There

   Complete Week 6 of Breaking Muscle's C-Section Recovery Workout

   Walk for 1 hour.

   Gather groceries for the week

   Go to a store I've never visited

 

Week 3: Keeping My Momentum Going

   Complete Week 7 of Breaking Muscle's C-Section Recovery Workout

   Walk for 1 hour.

   Gather groceries for the week

   Go window shopping for new gear

 

Week 4: At The Finish Line

   Complete Week 8 of Breaking Muscle's C-Section Recovery Workout

   Walk for 1 hour.

   Gather groceries for the week

   Go out and have FUN! 2016's over! Time for a glass of sparking grape juice! (or a whole bottle.)

 

Grade Scale:

A - I completed four weeks and get my daith pierced. (I cannot believe I put this here. I am terrified of pain and keep putting off getting it done. If I get an A, I will be waaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone.)

B - I completed three weeks and get a fleece balaclava.

C - I completed two weeks and get a new workout outfit from Goodwill.

D - I completed one week and get 1 mp3 album (or 10 songs) from Amazon.

F - I did nothing and get nothing.

 

 

[JessOfAllTrades]

Best of luck on your goals! Cheering for you!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

On 12/4/2016 at 11:01 AM, JessOfAllTrades said:

Best of luck on your goals! Cheering for you!

 

Thank you!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I finished week 1. I managed to get out of the house several times for fun and I got all 3 workouts in. I found a new-ish winter coat at Goodwill. It's a British Mist coat that looks like the one my grandfather has worn every year (he's had his longer than I've been alive). I can move around in it easily without it ripping. Which is good. My old coat decided to start ripping whenever I put the baby in the car seat. 

 

I got a walk in! Some of the moms from my church got together and we had a girls nite out. We walked around downtown and looked at some trees in a Christmas Tree Contest. It was fun.

 

I had a few panic attacks last week along with some moments of intense rage. I basically freak out over simple stuff and then get mad at my husband. It's not right and I know it. Then comes a wave of depression that makes me feel like I'm drowning. Sometimes my depression gets so bad that I think about going on meds. I'd like not to be dependent on drugs but when things spiral out of control I do wonder if I'd be better off on antidepressants. 

 

Other than dealing with tons of emotional baggage, week 1 was pretty good. 

 

I haven't started working out this week, mainly because I DON'T want to do bridges. I'm going to be getting a new tattoo today. Since it's going to be on my arm, I need to workout BEFORE I get it done. I'm also thinking about doing a few tree poses here and there to help improve my balance/ strengthen my core.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Ok, so this image just made me think of an idea for a future month-long workout.

 

 

I really want to do a Ninja Turtles themed challenge with each turtle representing something. But I have no idea what.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

So I got the new tattoo. I'm not exactly happy with it. I love the design but after the skin started peeling off, it's hard to see it. So after it's done peeling I'm getting it re-inked. Ugh.

 

Things have been a bit chaotic but I have managed to complete 2 reps of my entire workout this week. (I'm still finishing today's.) My daughter's 1st tooth has decided to make its debut and she has been miserable. It's hard to get anything done when I have to hold her all the time to let her know it's ok. Right now, she's taking a nap and I've been working out like a mad woman. But I have been keeping up with my workouts pretty good this week.

 

I'm also working on my TMNT workout. It needs a bit more fleshing out, but I think I'm on a roll. I also think 2017's workouts might all be based on my favorite shows.

[Nusuth]

the TMNT workout ?

[Gaming_Jeweler]

9 hours ago, Nusuth said:

the TMNT workout ?

 

I've been considering doing a TMNT workout for awhile now. But I wanted to be in a bit more in shape. I want to start longboarding and doing headstands by then of 2017 and the Turtles just seem like a good place to start. Each one would represent a different goal I want to achieve by the time the challenge is over.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I pulled a leg muscle and have to put working out on hold. I've also been super tired lately. I think next time I need to make a busy week and an easy week. That way I don't hurt myself and don't get exhausted. I'm going to have to restart week 7 later (either in a couple of days or next week)

 

I decided to hop on the scale and check my weight this morning. My weight has went up. I'm now 199 pounds. My diet is crap. I eat out way too much. I carve sweets and carbs. And with Christmas and New Years around the corner, changing my diet is going to be almost impossible. I have a lot of traveling coming up and without a good diet in place, I'm pretty much doomed to fail.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

Oh, I almost forgot to include some good news. My tattoo artist said I can get my tattoo re-inked black since that counts as a touch-up. Which the tattoo parlor I went to does for free if you got your tattoo there. But I have to let my skin heal first. I'll post a photo after I get it fixed.

 

I also still have purple hair, which I'm thinking about keeping for a bit. What you guys think? Should I keep the purple?

 

[Vibrantella]

9 hours ago, Gaming_Jeweler said:

Should I keep the purple?

I love it! if you still do too, then of course keep it - if not, don't!

[Gaming_Jeweler]

10 hours ago, Vibrantella said:

I love it! if you still do too, then of course keep it - if not, don't!

 

Thank you! I do like it being purple. I just wasn't sure if I was able to pull it off. I think will go a more vibrant purple than I did last time. I do want to change the color eventually, but I think I'll wait until a bit closer to my birthday. Originally, I was going to change the color as I grew it out, but I'm still regrowing the hair I lost after my daughter was born. And I don't want to keep the same color for more than 4 months.

[Nusuth]

The TMNT workout sounds great.    The purple is a win.

 

On 22/12/2016 at 4:01 AM, Gaming_Jeweler said:

And with Christmas and New Years around the corner, changing my diet is going to be almost impossible

 

On a long term scale this is a non-issue.  The only goal in your challenge that relates to Diet is 'Gather groceries for the week'.  I presume it embodies your intention of eating healthy.  A solid small habit as a building block.  Nothing else matters

[Gaming_Jeweler]

23 hours ago, Nusuth said:

The TMNT workout sounds great.    The purple is a win.

 

 

On a long term scale this is a non-issue.  The only goal in your challenge that relates to Diet is 'Gather groceries for the week'.  I presume it embodies your intention of eating healthy.  A solid small habit as a building block.  Nothing else matters

 

Thanks.  

 

Yeah. I've been working on changing my diet for about 2 years now. Every time I make excellent progress, I wind up backsliding and barely any of the changes I make stick.  And since I'm breastfeeding, I eat a lot of carbs. My current problem is what I eat for carbs. I can easily sit down with a cheese cake and eat 1/2 of it by myself in one sitting. Since my husband and I were traveling to my parents' house (we live in different states), I knew any plans I had for eating healthy was going out the window. I figured I wouldn't make it a priority this time around. I can be aggressive about my dietary habits in January. I figured that if I made shopping for groceries a priority that I would try to make sure we  ate out less. That has't been the case. My husband has been the one to remind me about the fridge full of food. But laziness kicks in for me and we eat out way to often.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I'm pretty sure my husband and I lost our minds. We drove from SC to VA at 1:00am while the baby was a sleep. I overslept, obviously, but we made it safely. I got some amazing cloud photos 

 

 

 

[Nusuth]

love the pictures.  nature <3

 

On 24/12/2016 at 8:20 PM, Gaming_Jeweler said:

 

Every time I make excellent progress, I wind up backsliding and barely any of the changes I make stick.  

 

they do stick.  You go out eating anyway cause the habit hasn't fully sunk in.  but the groceries are sitting already in your fridge.  that's half way there.  You wouldn't believe how much fruit I've had to toss into the bin last year.  My new NF-ego finds it an excellent idea to buy fresh fruit when i'm at the shop.  Yet it doesn't find the time to consume that fruit after a day at the office.  I've even brought some of that fruit to the office, and half of the time I succeed to eat it or I have to toss it away.  That's Intention.  The small habit's in these challenges feed your intention and that never goes to waste.  Even if every day routine pulls us down to crappy choices.  One day we will find balance in all these forces tearing at us and we will be as happy & healthy as can be..  And it will be our Intention or Will or Belief to work towards it that will have guided the way.

 

Happy xmas & newyear !    

[Gaming_Jeweler]

On 12/26/2016 at 8:03 PM, Nusuth said:

love the pictures.  nature <3

 

 

they do stick.  You go out eating anyway cause the habit hasn't fully sunk in.  but the groceries are sitting already in your fridge.  that's half way there.  You wouldn't believe how much fruit I've had to toss into the bin last year.  My new NF-ego finds it an excellent idea to buy fresh fruit when i'm at the shop.  Yet it doesn't find the time to consume that fruit after a day at the office.  I've even brought some of that fruit to the office, and half of the time I succeed to eat it or I have to toss it away.  That's Intention.  The small habit's in these challenges feed your intention and that never goes to waste.  Even if every day routine pulls us down to crappy choices.  One day we will find balance in all these forces tearing at us and we will be as happy & healthy as can be..  And it will be our Intention or Will or Belief to work towards it that will have guided the way.

 

Happy xmas & newyear !    

 

Thanks. You're right. I just have a bad habit of setting the bar way too high for myself. It took me a few years, but I finally got to the point where I don't like to drink soda. I guess I just need to be a bit more patient.

 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & New Years too!  

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I decided to treat myself after finishing the challenge. I went out and bought myself some new workout pants. I bought them online and the pair I was the most excited to wear I bought too small, so I have to exchange them.  But, I can't wait to wear them while I workout... once I send them back.

 

Unfortunately, I found the last 2 weeks of the c-section recovery workout boring and too difficult to squeeze in while taking care of my daughter. But the good news is my baby has 2 teeth.    My next challenge is going to be a bit more flexible. I'm going to make sure I can complete my workout throughout the day so that I can get a good workout in during the crazy days.

[Gaming_Jeweler]

I started my new challenge thread! I don't have much on there, but if you guys want to cheer me on/ see what I'm up to, it's right here.  Happy 2017. Thanks for helping me finish up 2016.