Jarric

Heya! Following along again of course, good luck on week one!

God that class sounds like a huge clusterfuck! Hopefully you have escaped from it alive now?

Week one looks like it went great! For sleep goals I have always made mine just "in bed, lights out by...". You can't always control how well you sleep, so for me I didn't want to mark myself down if I couldn't, but you can certainly control how long you're in bed for, what your bedtime routine is, how long before bed you have caffeine etc. Maybe just grade yourself on the things you can control?

Welcome! Nice to meet you! How long have you been journaling? Any tips? Cheers man. I've had a look round online and there seem to be a few options for me. Budget is a bit of an issue (I could easily spend £200+ per month at some of these places if I had it), so I'm just hoping the cheaper places I've found are actually ok when I see them in real life. At the moment I'm sticking with the plan I had before (basically alternating a leg/shoulder day and a chest/back day). But once I move gym I might reassess. There's no deadlifting in my life at the moment so thinking starting strength or maybe even stronglifts might be the way forward. Bolded that part because yes, that's so damn true! Cheers for the wishes man! Thanks, good to have you again.

Love the way you've set this up, and the Dragon Disciple sounds badass! Following again of course!

Hope you enjoyed Dr Strange; I saw it tonight as well and though it was great. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role really well. Well done on the chin up progress as well! Following again of course!

Love the idea of only a couple of goals this time round (instead of your usual dozen or so!). Sleep's hard; I've always just made my goals to be in bed and lights off at a given time, which I hope helps even when I can't get to sleep. Icebreaker: If someone half wakes me up and starts talking to me, I'm quite capable of having a full conversation and then going back to sleep. I then won't remember the conversation when I actually wake up. I've actually been woken up by phone calls, agreed to meet up with friends, and then I'll get another call a few hours later asking why I haven't turned up!

Following again! And I need to echo everyone else in saying you are indeed Mrs Incredible with the way you are looking after your family and juggling all the things!

Decided I need to keep on a challenge and stay accountable, so here we go:

--Reserved for weekly updates--

At the end of week 1, my job will be moving up to London, and I've decided to follow my job which is going to be a big change in my life. I'll be going from a short drive to work to over an hour on the train each way, I'll be working in a new office with new people I don't know, the work itself will likely be changing (although I've got no idea on the plan or timescales for that). It's going to be a busy month, but I want to keep a challenge running to keep me from going off the rails, and also to give me more excuse to keep up with you wonderful people. Going to try and keep it simple and just keep checking in. Forewarning that this may not be the most upbeat or cheerful thread this challenge, so if you don't like listening to people whine it may be one to avoid. Keep Lifting - Lift 12+ times this challenge - 15XP This one shouldn't be too hard, I really enjoy my lifting program so I should be able to keep up with it. I will need to cancel my gym membership and join a new gym in London, because the current place doesn't open early enough for me to go there before I would have to get on the train. So gym shopping in week 2 could be fun! Don't drink like a dickhead- 15XP Since I found out my job was effectively being sold, I've been depressed, stressed and so very very angry. Unfortunately I do have a tendency to drink my feelings when things aren't going well. Add into that that insurance, and particularly the London market, is an area where heavy drinking is actively encouraged as part of building professional relationships. Then add in working with new people and needing to get to know them which will undoubtedly lead to office drinks. All in all the best outcome if I drink like a dickhead is that I make myself ill, and sad, and fat. Worst case I do that plus I do or say something so stupid I live to regret it. I have a vague mental list of things that count as drinking like a dickhead, including drinking at home (either before or after a night out), drinking beer that I'm not enjoying. If I have more than 5 pints I may well be drinking like a dickhead. If I have more than 6 I almost certainly am. If I find myself getting morose or getting angry I am to stop drinking and take myself the fuck home. Skill Work - 12+ times this challenge - 15XP I've been kind of inspired by the handstand stuff going on with NF at the moment. I haven't bought the programs, but I do want to work on wall walks and crow pose this month as progression towards a handstand. I've also been looking for a chance to work on L-sits for a few months now, so that will count too. Please send me any resources you have on these things. I will definitely be referring to these two: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/10/17/a-beginners-guide-to-handstands/#more-1342745 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZJoSP66HI (floor l-sit progression) Bullet Journaling - Daily - 10XP I really like the idea of this, it looks to be a simple way to keep track of life (and of challenge goals!), to keep a to-do list running, and hopefully make me a more productive human. I played with it last challenge before everything fell apart a bit, so I thought I would make it a goal this time to see if I can stick with it. That's all folks, wish me luck!

Following along again. Glad to hear you've got a plan going to move, 6 months will fly by!

Your killing it so far, and you house looks amazing! Following along again!

Thank you man. Also, excellent gif choice, I'd actually forgotten that scene. Thank you! And that's an idea, I might do that instead. Mostly I just want to keep up with everyone else for now! Thank you! And he certainly is . A lot of the specifics don't apply to me for various reasons (income bracket and cultural differences mainly), but the enthusiasm for frugality in quite inspiring. Thank you mate.

Absolutely! Gotta love them though! It's really great! If only I could find a way to make the rest of my workouts that colourful! Thank you, and sorry to keep you waiting! Think it's been a mixed bag really, but I shall type it up in a moment. Well if you do decide to, it's called Swimtag. Unfortunately the tracking wrist bands are owned by the pool, so I'm not sure how available they are (my local pool just happens to have them). I imagine most swimming apps are similar though. ----- Final Challenge Wrap-Up Move - 15XP What? Move every day Why? Because it's good to move, and this challenge I just can't be more specific How? Just move every day. Any activity is fine, lifting, climbing, running, walking, swimming, yoga, whatever. Just keep moving. I'm going to call this one a win. One or two days may have been missed throughout (I honest can't remember) but generally I've been pretty consistent with keeping moving and working out. 15XP awarded Track - 10XP What? Track my food Why? Because I've discovered that I can't tell cigarette craving from hunger at present, so I need positive confirmation of how much I'm actually eating. How? Track all food with Fitbit. The general idea is to break even on calories eaten and calories burned (which is actually a slight bulk because Fitbit is a bit generous on calories burned), and also to get a general idea of how much protein I eat whilst doing so (IIFYM reckons I should be around 120g, which I'm pretty sure I'm not hitting at the moment). XP is just awarded for tracking though, no pressure to hit any numbers Not a great show, only managed 12/28 days. Just too much going on and I found tracking too much (read: I couldn't be bothered ) 0XP Brush - 10XP What? Brush my damn teeth!! Why? Because otherwise they'll fall out How? Twice daily, at least once with electric brush, and floss at least once daily. There must be some kind of deep seated psychological problem that blocks me from doing this when I'm stressed, or angry, or depressed. I don't understand why it's so hard for me to just get on and do it. Interestingly my sister has the same problem. Anyway, not done, 0XP. need to find a way to work on this. Sleep - 10XP What? Plan bedtime and rise time to keep my sleep regular Why? Because it suits me to workout in the mornings, but that requires some bedtime and morning discipline How? In bed by 11pm each night, or within 1 hour of getting home, whichever later. Get up at 7am on weekdays. +1 point for being on time, +1 point for every 10 minutes earlier, -1 point for every 5 minutes later. Goal is to at least break even each week. Think I did pretty well and getting to bed and getting up to workout overall. Quality of sleep has been dreadful of late, but I'm at least spending the time in bed and that's a start. 10XP awarded. Budget - 15XP What? Get control of my spending Why? Because I have no savings, and I would like some. In fact, in would be nice to buy a house in the next couple of decades. How? Start every week (on a Sunday) withdrawing £80, when it's gone it's gone. Any change left at the end goes in a jar at home, so we'll see how much I can accumulate this month. This idea has been lovingly pilfered from @Starpuck. (Card can be used for petrol, groceries, climbing gym entry. Basically essentials and fitness, but not snacks, drinks etc.) This was definitely a good idea, and although I went well over on 1 week I definitely didn't do too badly in all. Going to keep this going in some form. I've also been reading a lot of Mr Money Moustache (thanks @NeverThatBored for putting me on to this) so that's been giving me some extra motivation to cut wasted spending. 10XP. Freedom - 10XP What? Track number of days smoke free Why? Because I've recently quite smoking and could use the accountability How? Simply confirm number of days smoke free on my updates here I sort of abandoned posting towards the end of the challenge, so technically I didn't hit this. But as I haven't smoked and am now 39 days smoke free I'm going to give myself the XP anyway. 10XP Overall Changes in my job and the associated stress have derailed me somewhat, but I've not gone bad on the goals. On the overarching goal of coming up with a cunning plan this was interesting and informative, but unfortunately real life doesn't always like cunning plans. It looks like I'm going to have to quit my gym and find one close to my new office instead, which probably means no more swimming for the foreseeable future and a re-jigging of everything else. Still, I will get it all together. I'm desperately trying to convince myself that this might be an opportunity to find an even better gym and push my fitness goals forward, so here's hoping I can convince myself! Not sure if I'm going to run a challenge next time round, I've got so much running through my head at the moment that I just can't think straight. Will make a decision on that at the weekend. If not I will still be around to follow you lovely people as much as I can be. EDIT: Adding up this XP, and having awarded myself a bonus 100XP for quitting smoking (this has been on the goal list for quite a while) I've levelled up TWICE. So at least i feel good at hitting level 7.

Competition sounds awesome; can't wait to hear how you do!

Thanks; that made me smile! ----- Leg day yesterday was pretty good, and I've still got some DOMS so it's definitely working. Looking at edging closer to a bodyweight squat next week . This morning went for my first swim in a couple of weeks, and my first swim on this new program. Enjoy this pretty diagram of the workout: Badminton tonight, gym again tomorrow. Can't believe we're nearly at the end of this challenge already! I need to start wrapping this one up and thinking of what to do next!

Sounds like a cool one though, I think a(nother) friend of mine is doing it actually

Never apologies for telling us how you really feel man. You're not here to perform or to show the best side of yourself, you're here for real accountability and real support. Besides, a perfect life doesn't make a very interesting story! And I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time of it at the moment. This too shall pass.

Fingers crossed for you

Ouch, sounds like a grim shift. Well done you for getting through it!

Sounds like a solid plan. Do you have to work in the mornings, or do you have the option of working out first and then working a little later?

I LOVE that game! Well done on the good food days, and all the extra workout goodness . Seems like the flexibility goal's working well at getting you stretching/yogaing.

What? Not just a fire, but fires? Well done on keeping your eating good on a bad day

Great stuff that you got two-on-one personal training, to be honest if you weren't feeling a bit broken after that something would be wrong! Sorry to hear about the house, but I'm sure something better is waiting for you.