Newbie gains are still gains

[DapperNecromancer]

As of tomorrow, I will have been at this for three weeks straight, doing bodyweight exercises MWF and cardio SuTuTh (with Saturday to rest). I've been consistently getting 8 hours of sleep a day (as opposed to my usual 6 or less) and I've cut grains and junk food out of my diet, only eating things I make at home.

I can already feel and see some of the changes - I need a belt to keep my pants up, and I can run for a little over two minutes straight. That might not sound like much, but it's a personal best, and those are the only ones I'm focused on.

Next: I plan on doing the next 4-week challenge and really putting myself to a grindstone to see what I can achieve with specific goals in mind.

[Shamus36]

Absolutely!  Any gains are gains to be proud of.  Always forward!  If you can continue doing anything positive for your body, and not quit, you have already won most of the battle.

[chemgeek]

Congratulations! The hardest part is starting and it sounds like you are off to a good one. Keep your momentum and you'll do great!

[Guzzi]

This is all great news, it's so great to see someone reaping the benefits, and I hope you enjoy doing the challenge.  It's a great way to really get your goals nailed down and achieve them.  If you need any help navigating the challenge then just ask.  

 

It sounds like you've already made some quite big changes to your diet and exercise, so I just want to add a word of caution...  We are all guilty of getting excited when we start something new and we can sometimes bite off more than we can chew at the start.  I wouldn't suggest adding in anything new when you do your challenge, but rather just continue with the good habits that you're working on now.  If you can keep up all of these changes for 8 weeks (because it sounds like some BIG changes you've made) then you could safely say that you would be able to start working on adding in a new challenge. 

 

If you do feel at any time that you have taken on too much at once then know that there's no shame in acknowledging it and scaling back.  In fact I'm pretty sure it's worth +1 Wisdom. 

 

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm putting a dampener in your success or anything, it's just that I have experience with biting off more than I can chew and it's the biggest lesson that people learn during their first challenge. 

[DapperNecromancer]

Oh, I absolutely understand you! My previous failures have often come from a lifelong pattern of getting SUPER HYPED about something and jumping in head first... ...only to burn out and lose interest a month later. The goals I've set for myself are essentially just benchmarks for the kinds of things I'm already doing - I just want to set specific goals and see if I can meet them. If it turns out they're too much, then that's good info to help me recalibrate my expectations and try again!

[Guzzi]

Very cool!  I like the intro.  

 

One thing I would suggest is to have a grading system, even just a simple 6+/7 = A, 5/7 = B, 4/7 = C kinda thing.  It can make the difference between thinking "Bugger it, I've already failed so I might as well quit now" and "Crap, I only got a C this week, better try harder next week."