LadyShello Starts Again

[Shello]

I debated using a theme for this challenge, something to do with time, do-overs, or epic battles.  But nothing quite sums up the extent of the epicness of the do-over that is this challenge.  I'd like to just forget 2016 ever happened.  I almost could except I have to re-lose the 25 or so pounds that I gained during last year.  Last year I let a lot of habits go.  Some habits still stuck with me and I worked on some others.  I feel like I got derailed but found a detour and I'm back on the road, but a few miles back.  I did it once; I can do it again. 

 

This year is going to be different.  The first step is to re-build some habits. No, wait. The first step is my 2017 roadmap.  In order to follow the roadmap, I need to rebuild some habits.  That's what this challenge is about.  

 

FOOD

I'm going to try something a little different this time.  My food hasn't been terrible, well OK maybe, but I've been sticking to my batch cooking during the day, and suppers have been decent 70% of the time.  It's the snacking that is out of control.  So instead of focusing on logging my food, I'll focus on snacking, rather not snacking.  The goal for Monday - Thursday will be to avoid snacks. Once I make a meal plan for the week, I pretty much eat the same thing every day. On days after lifting I'll allow either one healthy snack or I can have a larger meal.  Saturday and Sunday I'll log food and stick to the calorie goal.  Saturday's goal is 1900 calories, Sunday's is 1600.  I don't usually eat at routine times so snacking is allowed as long as I don't go over the goal.  Friday is a bit of a beast.  It's not realistic to avoid snacks on a Friday night but I am eating the same thing during the day as the rest of the week.  My calorie goal is 1900 so it'll be something like if I don't snack then I don't need to log anything.  If we eat something extravagant then I'll log and can only snack if I stay under the goal. 

 

TRAINING

Rebuilding old habits.  Any workouts count but it has to be 30 minutes, moderate intensity, at least 4 days a week.  

 

THE INNER CRITIC

My inner critic got really out of hand last year and I don't want to let it happen again.  For this challenge I want to spend a little bit of time each day to visualize what my success looks like write out one affirmation a day.  

 

SLEEP

I'm going to babystep myself to better sleep habits.  For now I'll focus caffeine intake.  I used to be able to drink caffeine until very late and still have no trouble going to sleep once I decided to sleep.  But I suspect now it is having more of an impact than I care to admit.  So I'll curtail the caffeine after supper, or after 8pm, whichever is later.  I probable need a bigger buffer between caffeine and bedtime but babysteps remember.

 

FAMILY TIME

I'd like to be more present with my family and take time to have fun with them.  Each week I'll have the following goals: 

- spend some time one night a week doing some family activity, even if it's just dinner at the table

- Spend one on one time with LordShello and each kid

 

FINANCES

2017 is the year of austerity.  To get the ball rolling I have 4 tasks to be completed by the end of the challenge:

- Start a budget on the YNAB app This is actually done already.  I couldn't resist.  

- Cancel cable We started streaming.

-  Pay off one credit card

- Pay off some medical debt

- Take care of that student loan paperwork I've been putting off forever

 

In addition to these goals, I'll be using my kitty jar to track successful days.  I'll be using this the entire year to see how it adds up. 

Quarter - a great day, not perfect, but pretty much hit every goal

Dime - a good day, hitting most of my goals

Nickel - a mediocre day, hitting enough goals for some credit

Penny - a pity penny, for days when no goals are hit but for a decent reason.

 

Some Exclusions May Apply

The challenge is supposed to end on 2/4 but I usually end my challenges on a Friday. The last Friday of this challenge is my birthday so I'll my challenge the day before that.  One other exclusion is for LordShello's birthday that falls during week 2 of the challenge.  

 

 

[Shello]

Tracking, spreadsheets maybe...

 

 

 

[Ensi]

Following If you'd like, I could offer some extra accountability for your snacking goal! Mon-Thu, no snacking. I'm on board, if that's alright with you

[Yasha92]

Following~

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[deftona]

You're going to smash 2017's back doors in. Following! 

[Terah]

Good luck, you've got this!

[Muir]

I gained a bit of weight over the holidays, so I'm with you in the "lose the extra weight gained" battle. We shall overcome!

[Marauder]

Death to the inner critic!!!!  

 

I've been using ynab for many many years and it's probably the one thing that's made the biggest difference in our financial life. It is not the easiest to wrap your head around sometimes though. If you have any questions or problems just ask. Following!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I really like the image of you overcoming the inner critic. You know I'll be following along.

 

[jonfirestar]

8 hours ago, LadyShello said:

Tracking, spreadsheets maybe...

c'mon you know you like spreadsheets  Following along! 

[Shello]

8 hours ago, Ensi said:

Following If you'd like, I could offer some extra accountability for your snacking goal! Mon-Thu, no snacking. I'm on board, if that's alright with you

I'm in!!

 

7 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Following~

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Hi.  It's nice to have you.

 

7 hours ago, deftona said:

You're going to smash 2017's back doors in. Following! 

It doesn't even know what's going to hit it!

 

7 hours ago, Terah said:

Good luck, you've got this!

Thanks.

 

3 hours ago, Muir said:

I gained a bit of weight over the holidays, so I'm with you in the "lose the extra weight gained" battle. We shall overcome!

I wouldn't be so concerned about the little I gained over the holidays if that wasn't on top of all the rest I gained during the year.  No matter, we can do this.  

 

2 hours ago, Marauder said:

Death to the inner critic!!!!  

 

I've been using ynab for many many years and it's probably the one thing that's made the biggest difference in our financial life. It is not the easiest to wrap your head around sometimes though. If you have any questions or problems just ask. Following!

Funny you should say that. I had to build my budget twice.  The first time around I was winging it and trying to follow the quick start.  It quickly escalated to the WTF is going on.  After watching some videos on the site I had to start over.  But the automation still sometimes gets me so I might take you up on that offer for questions as I dig into it during the month.  

 

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I really like the image of you overcoming the inner critic. You know I'll be following along.

 

My inner critic is in the same boat as 2017.  It's about to get beat up.

 

39 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

c'mon you know you like spreadsheets  Following along! 

 So true.  Ok, I already have a spreadsheet for the challenge that I made last week.  The question is do I post the spreadsheet here for tracking or use keep it offline.  I'm sure it will get posted.  Spreadsheets are so pretty. 

[Ensi]

3 minutes ago, LadyShello said:

I'm in!!

 

Team work bonus!! Let's do this!

 

[Shello]

I've edited my first post to add some birthday exclusions.  The timing of this challenge is excellent as it ends on my birthday weekend.  My birthday is Feb 3rd so I'll be ending my challenge the day before my birthday so I can celebrate properly.  LordShello's birthday falls in the middle of this challenge so I will allow some variances for that.  

[Aces3000]

Following. I should have my challenge up later today. It's going to be bare bones, but effective.

[Marauder]

I'm not usually one to do seminars and such but theirs were quite helpful. I'm always happy to answer questions. If you buy stuff and then get reimbursed, prepare yourself. That bit I still get confused about. 

[jmk]

Here! 

[Aces3000]

new challenge posted - 

 

[Shello]

Week 0 Day 0 (Sunday)

This day wasn't technically part of the challenge but it's the first tracking day for the kitty jar.  As it was still properly part of weekend 0 I had few goals other than not to eat like a dickhead.  I did pretty well but late night snacking got the best of me and I chose 2 weaknesses for my snacking so it was hard to stop.  I was on my way to earn a quarter but I downgraded it to a dime post snacking.  I didn't have any workout goals.  I had rucked the previous day and had plans to ruck again the following day so I allowed it as a freebie.  

 

Week 0 Day 1 (Monday)

A stellar day!  It was the final day of vacation so I had some prep work to get done for the (shortened) work week but I absolutely didn't want to spend the last day off working.  I steered away from LordShello's to do list and let him and the kids tackle that on their own.  I did get some laundry done, batch cooking, and spent some time prepping for class.  I did no snacking though I was still hungry after dinner.  I logged all my food and turned out I was only at about 1100 calories.  So I just made myself some real food.  I almost forgot about the diet soda deadline but I ate dinner really late and I had two diet sodas with dinner.  That second one was started just before 8pm.  Ideally I'd want to finish them prior to 8pm.  

I rucked the dog for just over 30 minutes. 

I spent some time visualizing my success and oddly I found myself visualizing my success from 2015 and 2014.  Maybe it's not so odd it helps to visualize something I've already been able to achieve.  I did have a super mini moment with my inner critic.  I suddenly felt overwhelmed but I recognized it for what it was and just pushed past it instead of giving in.  My inner critic is not going to rule 2017.  

It seems that finances will be quite tough.  LordShello got an Amazon Echo for Christmas and now he wants to upgrade all this stuff so the house can be 'smart'.  

Kitty jar earnings: 25c

 

 

[deftona]

1 minute ago, LadyShello said:

I rucked the dog for just over 30 minutes. 

 

A question I have always had when you write this. When you say you "rucked the dog" do you mean you go rucking when you take the dog for a walk, or do you use the dog as a ruck and carry him on your back?

 

I know what I am hoping the answer is. 

[Shello]

4 minutes ago, deftona said:

 

A question I have always had when you write this. When you say you "rucked the dog" do you mean you go rucking when you take the dog for a walk, or do you use the dog as a ruck and carry him on your back?

 

I know what I am hoping the answer is. 

I will probably disappoint you.  I ruck whilst I walk the dog, or rather I walk the dog whilst I ruck.  I wasn't even going to take him with me this time but he caught me putting on my gear and sat their whimpering at me. 

[deftona]

1 minute ago, LadyShello said:

I will probably disappoint you.  I ruck whilst I walk the dog, or rather I walk the dog whilst I ruck.  I wasn't even going to take him with me this time but he caught me putting on my gear and sat their whimpering at me. 

 

That's a big shame. 

 

Think of how it could have been! 

 

[Muir]

28 minutes ago, deftona said:

Think of how it could have been! 

 

[Shello]

38 minutes ago, deftona said:

 

That's a big shame. 

 

Think of how it could have been! 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Muir said:

 

 

Yeah, I don't really even like our dog that much.  He's really my husband's dog.  He's too big to fit in a backpack and too much of a scaredy cat to be carried...

[Snarkyfishguts]

I love this challenge! Take on ALL THE THINGS!! and putting your inner critic in its place makes me cheer! I am here for you! 

 

Everytime I see "Shello" I think "Hello!" It's so welcoming. 

[Sylvaa]

Not only am I following here, but I think I found you on Instagram! (Either that or I am randomly following a stranger - either way, it should be fun!).

 

Love your family time goal! And I want to jump on the disappointed you aren't actually rucking the dog bandwagon!