2 week challenge
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Lots to catch up on, since I was out yesterday, my dad's second chemo treatment. He is tolerating really well, so I am glad of that. It gives him insomnia, which isn't great that he takes two ambien to sleep at night but he's not nauseated, or otherwise ill, and takes nothing for pain or anything else-just Ambien, so it'll have to be ok:) But I had to drive home 120 miles in a blizzard and that made me anxious and now I am anxious about everything! So I didn't sleep much last night, and I am trying to talk myself down today because one of the things I am anxious about is keeping cals low the next three weeks before DR and there's all these plans-superbowl, my b-day, v-day... So, I am just going to stick to my workouts and plan the best I can and just give myself a break because I don't need to stay up night worrying about these things, right?
that said, I feel like I do need a strategy for these parties, not sure if I should drink red wine (I tend to drink it slower than beer or vodka-soda but I tend not to because it always costs more)
Shmoozy, on your question about how long to give something, I think you probably need more than two weeks. I think the two week challenge had something to do with taking two weeks to make something a habit. Your deficit is likely pretty small, that is, the difference between maintaining and losing is not a lot so you would have to be very consistent for longer. I might suggest changing to sedentary and then logging exercise to get a better idea, but I know you don't have a sit around job...
Ashley-Happy b-day to your daughter and I hope the surgery goes great!
Kelly, good for you to stay off the scale, if you can wear the same clothes as 10 pounds ago you must be building some muscle.
My goals for the week:
1. workout every day with every fourth day a rest
2. shoot for 1200 cals, 300 breakfast, 400 lunch, 500 dinner
3. no drinking til Friday
Kate, I think Paleo could be a good challenge, I have toyed with it!0 -
I got my 2 mile run in Monday. I ran about 9.5 minute miles which is good for me. I also tried out my new form (come down on the ball of the foot rather than the heel) and it was tough to have to think about running, and I am still sore today! I am on the books for 3 miles tonight, 4 miles on Saturday. Eating has been pretty good. I was a littl over yesterday due to unplanned dinner out and friends over, but kept it not ridiculous. I'm off the next 2 days and through the weekend so keep it up!0
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Great job, Better!
Amy - glad to read that your Dad seems to be handling his treatments okay (so far)....sorry to read about your drive home! That would make me ANXIOUS, too! Hope you got some sleep....
chui - if you don't need to track at mfp, then who cares if you're on here??!!?? I *need* to track! (It's become a compulsion, for sure....)
I took my month-end measurements and photos, today, because I could feel my period coming on. January was NOT the "bust" I thought it would be (re: mid-month holiday). I went down in most of my measurements - not tons, but 0.25" here and 0.5" there. My thighs, mind you, went UP. Bummer. (Maybe it's water retention - I had a tough leg work-out on Monday.) My favourite is that my hips (widest around the bum) measurement went down 1.25". Good enough for me!
I still have to weigh and will do that at the gym, today.
Since I actually have until Monday evening to get my "stats" recorded for my challenges, if my period comes and goes, I can re-take photos and measurements on Sunday or Monday. Wait-and-see!0 -
Kate- Yea Saturdays are usually boozy nights and Sundays are usually lazy days, but I find if I know I have to go to church I drink less and it also forces me to get up and shower to go to church on Sunday. For some reason if I shower and get ready on Sunday morning the day seems to be more productive overall. Actually not this weekend, but next weekend my gym is starting to have a yoga class Sunday mornings (they are closed on Sundays now). So that will even be more motivation to be good on Saturday nights.
Amy- Sorry about the anxiety. Glad to here your dad isn't doing too bad overall.
Ashley- Nice job on the run! I changed up my running step when I was training for the marathon a few years ago and it definitely helped. I used to get really bad shin splints after my long runs. It will become habit after awhile.
Beeps- Nice job on the measurements!
I had an OK day yesterday. Was really hungry last night after dinner, so I had some almonds and yogurt which weren't originally in my plan. I did my C25K Week 3 Day 1 run yesterday. Tonight I have yoga ad am on a wait-list for the barre ride class, but I think I am number 2 on the list, so I doubt I will get a spot.0 -
Well, I went to do my workout last night and it went really well, I was jumping rope longer than ever and my wall-sits were up to a minute, which seems crazy because I was so tired! But that made me happy.
For dinner the grass-fed burgers I got were 370 cals each! yikes! I added mushrooms and a little blue cheese and used only half the bun and a pickle on the side and barely came in under cals.
Was going to jog outside today but it looks so cold and windy, I have to rally or trade it for a gym workout tonight...0 -
Help me out, Chloe - what's a "barrie ride" class?
Amy - it's -36C here with the wind chill - and I *still* see the die-hard runners out there! BRRRRRRRRRR.
Got to the gym. Lifted. Weighed. My weight wasn't down where I thought it would be, but it is down 1.2 lbs for the month. Fine, I'll take it, given the mid-month vacation lapse. MInd you, I'm also getting my period, so maybe I'm retaining some water weight and I'll get my "whoosh" next week. Good enough!0 -
Crossfit today. Was a bit tired...if I am not careful to get my afternoon snack in I end up underfed and undercarbed for crossfit. 40 g of carbs are not enough for me to make it through an intense workout.
Eating is going pretty darn well this week. I am getting ~100-125 g of carbs and ~140+ g of protein. I fit into some skirts correctly (for these I wanted to wear them at my hips, instead of high on my waist and haven't been able to all season) so I am hoping some inches come off for measurements next week!
Amy - I am thinking of your family! Good job on the workout...probably just goes to show how much our minds get in the WAY of our workouts. Probably the fact that you were tired and distracted meant you didn't think about the length of your sit or number of jumps as much and so your body just did it
I know I get that way with cardio sometimes. That burger sounds awesome. I've already planned burgers as my cheat meal this weekend!
Ashley - interesting on the form-I will have to think of it. It would be very hard to change your running style!
Beeps - I think I need to log to reach my goals. It pushes me not to eat that cookies, to go buy natural peanut butter, to forgo bread with my soup. I hope to someday maintain pretty well without logging but for now, it's important to keep me on track! congrats on the loss in weight and inches!0 -
Kate- I'm the same way with logging. I always feel like I don't need to to it anymore, but when I stop for a few weeks I end up putting on weight. I think it just keeps me accountable.
Beeps- Barre Ride is an hour long class with the first half being intense cycling to get the heart rate up and then the second half is a barre class (kinda like pilates, but incorporating a ballet bar)
Amy- your burger sounds delicious!
Had another good day yesterday. Worked on my crow yesterday in yoga and I am still improving. Also did some back bends, which I was a little nervous about with all my back issues, but I took it slow and I feel good today. Plan on doing week 3 day 2 of C25K tonight. And making a green chile pork stew recipe from skinnytaste in the slow cooker for dinner tonight and probably leftovers tomorrow.0 -
Chloe- You having an awesome week! I peaked at your diary because I need food-spiration! And nice job on the crow
Kate- I'm right there with you on logging. In the past, I've cheated myself by not logging and I didn't realize how much I snack! On the flip side, sometimes I think I went way over and then realize I didn't, which makes me feel better and not have the one bad choice leads to another effect.
Beeps- you are going to disappear! Haha, you are doing amazing with your weight loss.
Amy- Hugs and Love. I thik that your wokouts will really help curve your anxiety. Nice job!
So, I lovecardio. When I'm tired and dread working out, I can always step on the elliptical , even if it's just 20 minutes, and feel a million times better. Yet, I always feel guilty that I'm not get in enough strength. I don't know. I think something is better than nothing. Oh, as for food, I ate a slice of pizza in the afternoon at wokr the other day. I though I ruined my day, planned o just making grill cheese and tomato soup (it was cold) but realized I could still hti my macros if I ate chicken and veggies for dinner and I did. Yesterday, I was running late from work and had to get my daughter to dance, so I went to Mcdonalds. I only went over on carbs though. Even my sodium was ok. Plan on keeping the carbs low today though. It's all about balance, right?0 -
I am with you guys on the logging. Now that I have a computer again and am entering everything I eat I have already seen an improvement in my eating habits and am starting to feel better. I am also back on schedule with my workouts, but I am starting to get bored with them already - only one more month and then I will try something new, not sure what yet though.0
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Thanks, all, for your kind thoughts! I did rally for the run, it wasn't too windy or cold, but the path was frozen over so I jogged in the grass a lot so I didn't slip and fall! It felt good, mostly. I brought my bag to workout tonight, tomorrow is my rest day.
I made the chicken gnocchi soup, can't remember who told me about that! It was yummy and I got to use spinach and carrots which I had on hand. It's not super low cal but you could definitely tweak it so it's not so rich. I used 2% milk instead of half and a half but otherwise it was the same as here: http://www.copykat.com/2010/02/28/olive-garden-chicken-and-gnocchi-soup/
Also, Zuzanna, formerly of bodyrock has her own site, zuzanalight, and she has been doing a daily food diary and that has some good ideas. I like it because 1. she has a killer bod 2. she eats things I like 3. she seems pretty moderate, doesn't eliminate carbs, or fruit or bread, just makes a majority of healthy choices and enjoys ice cream and chocolate on occassion!
here if you want to check it out- http://zuzkalight.com/category/nutrition/
Got superbowl Sunday and then two weeks til it's bikini time. It will be ok, no matter what, I just want to feel like I earned it:)0 -
Hi ladies! I thought of you all this morning when I was doing my workout--I was all set to be lazy and just do an easy ride on the bike, but I remembered my goal of doing at least three sterength workouts per week and I added in a kettlebell workout. The rest of my week has been pretty good so far. I was over my calories on Monday, but I got in great runs on Tuesday and Wednesday and was under those days. Plus, I resisted the booze last night even though my husband had a drink after work. I have a happy hour tonight, but if I limit myself to one beer and wait to eat until I get home I should be okay for the day.
Kelly--great job fitting into your old clothes!!! That must be such a good feeling. And I know what you mean about loving cardio. I definitely like the results in my arms I get from lifting, but it's a lot harder to motivate myself to do weights. And great job balancing your meals!
Schmoozy--I think 1500 calories or less is a good goal. You definitely have the right attitude about taking it slow, and for me I've found that spending a few weeks just maintaining my weight has actually made it easier once I started dropping my calories a little bit. I think that measuring your food will definitely help (especially since so many foods on MFP are in grams, and who knows how to estimate that??).
Abigail--glad you have a working computer again!
Chole--I'm impressed with your pre-logging! That's such a good idea. And those all sound like really fun classes, it kinda makes me want to join a real gym again….
Beeps--Congratulations on getting into your thermometer jeans!!! You've certainly earned it. And great job on your measurements!
Kate--Sounds like you've been busy! Tracking food is so hard when you're traveling etc., but nice work on the exercise!
Amy--Glad to hear your dad is doing okay with the chemo. HUGS!!! And I think that having a plan for DR will make you feel much better and not worry so much. If you drink red wine slower than other stuff I'd go with that for your parties. If you have fewer drinks, you'll save money, right? My strategy is usually to set a number of drinks that I'm going to have at a party. I find that just counting my drinks keeps me from having too many, whereas I get myself into trouble when I have an "I'm just going to let loose" attitude.
Ashley--Great job on your run!0 -
Hey everyone!
I got a food scale and I'm totally fascinated with weighing everything now, haha! And I'm not all that shocked to find out that all this time I've probably been eating closer to maintenance with my sketchy estimations. The GOOD news is that I was going down in pounds/size just a little even then - and less bloated or heavy feeling. So now I'm feeling pretty confident that if I persist with my calorie goals I'll see progress, eventually. I've been hitting my protein goals daily so far. Over time I want to set a higher and higher goal until I'm at where I really should be. Changes like that take time! Being aware is so helpful.
Chloe - That barre ride class sounds fun, hopefully you can get a spot in it!
Beeps - Again, you're pretty much awesome for getting in to your thermometer jeans!
Amy - Hope your dad keeps doing OK with the chemo - lots of thoughts and prayers headed your way
Kate - I've toyed with the idea of Paleo too - I think I could probably do Primal without *too* many challenges. I try to eat Primal some days just cause. I like that it's always just whole, normal, food.
KC - Good job balancing out your food diary even when you've had "bad" things. I like to do that, it's always a game for me trying to get all the numbers right, ha.
Ashley - Good job keeping your new form on your run, hopefully it will just be second nature soon!
Abigail - I agree, logging just keeps me aware of what I'm eating and striving to do better all the time.
Ris - Way to push yourself on your workout! I know I have days when I'm just "calling it in" working out, haha.0 -
Schmoozy - I need to buy one of those!
Here is my paleo strike out list (not counting for cheats), aka things I eat when I am being good that aren't paleo:
brown rice
legumes
plain greek yogurt
Peanut butter
diet coke
white potatoes
other whole grains like quinoa, barley, oats
cheese
whey powder
add in my weekly love affairs with alcohol and pizza and I get pretty well convinced its not sustainable for me.
Also, I posted about CrossFit, thought some of you would think its interesting who were thinking about trying it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/chuisle0 -
I started my "February streak challenge", on another "group" today. My "streak" is going to be built around "daily work-outs"....which, will be tough since I've really gotten into the groove of 3 x weekly strength training and only 1 x weekly cardio. But, February is a "short" month, so we'll see how it goes, lol.
What's everybody up to for the weekend?0 -
Kate- Yea that is why I haven't done paleo, I couldn't give up my yogurt, whey powder and wine
Schmoozy- The food scale can definitely be a reality check!
Amy- thanks for the recipe!
This weekend shouldn't be too crazy. I had planned on doing nothing tonight, but the husband is bugging me to go out to dinner or for drinks, so we will see. I will definitely get my treadmill run in though. Tomorrow I will go to my cycle and hot yoga in the morning, and then I think I am going to go straight to the grocery store, I really dont care if I am all sweaty (kinda gross huh). And then I am going to make some chili and help my sister with some college stuff. Then I plan on spending the rest of the night on the couch with some wine. Sunday I will have to run in the morning because I skipped my workout last night, I just felt like I needed a break.0 -
Schmoozy--I kind of want a food scale now! Maybe I'll have to invest in one.
Kate--I could never go paleo, I love too many of those things! Maybe you could do a modified paleo approach? I find it hard to believe that you could be doing your body any harmby eating things like whole grains, legumes, and plain greek yogurt.
Beeps--How many groups do you have on here??? I have trouble just keeping up with this one sometimes! But I think that daily workouts are a good idea. Even if you can't do a full-on workout every day, even the busiest of us can fit in at a short workout every day (or a couple of very short workouts throughout the day). I find that once you get into that habit, you're less likely to skip out on workouts because it's part of your routine.
Chloe--I go to the grocery store after workouts all the time! Especially now that it's cold out, there's no way I'm going out with wet hair. No one should be getting that close to you to notice anyways….
I was very proud of myself last night--I stuck to one beer at the happy hour and managed to stay within my calories for the day (although I had to scrounge up a few extra exercise calories for my walks to and from work to fit in my dessert). I don't have too many weekend plans except that I'm going to go with my husband to the gym on Sunday when he plays squash with his friends and we have a Super Bowl party that night. I usually get a good workout when I go to the gym on the weekends, and I'm going to be DD on Sunday, so I don't think it'll be too hard to stick within my calories that day, although I probably won't log the Super Bowl food. I'm going to skip the booze tonight, but I may have a few drinks on Saturday. I'm going to make myself do a kettlebell workout tonight, so between that and my weights at the gym on Sunday I should be able to meet my goal of three strength workouts this week.0 -
I should get a food scale too! I bet it would be eye-opening!
Kate, you are right, the forbidden foods list looks too good (and good for you, except maybe the alcohol and pizza) but it's 80/20 right? or is that Primal? I get confused!
Nice work, Ris, on the two beers and staying within cals. I did that with wine last night. My husband asked if we should open a bottle and I guess I didn't feel like saying no. I think I will stick with red wine tonight because I tend to drink it slower. Tomorrow I should be able to jog around the lake, and then lunch at red lobster. It's really not too bad if you just want crab legs!
We're hosting the superbowl party and making chili. I don't have a plan, exactly, about the eating and drinking but I don't want it to be totally out of control...0 -
my two week challenge. loose around 5 pounds and try to loose 2-3 inches, quit smoking completely, not just cutting back to a few a day and start to feel more comfortable at the gym!!! what about you guys!0
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Ris, I think I'm in 7 groups:
- 5'7", 5'8" and 5'9" girls - I just joined this one January, 2013 and I don't think there's much happening, so I might bow out.
- Venus Index - small group, but we support each other
- elegant for easter - this is a challenge where you weigh in every Friday....hopefully to meet fat loss goals by easter - I don't do anything other than weigh in on Fridays
- LNS fighters - I track whether or not I "late-night snacked" on this forum. That's a once-per-day post.
- NROL4W - I *love* the "daily chat thread" on this group! I should....I started it!
- Women Strength training
- Not that heavy girls
Really, there are 4 threads that I post to daily....even though I'm in 7 groups.0 -
Beeps, are you doing Venus Index? I think I missed that!
I only post on this thread and "like minded lushes":)0 -
I bombed this weekend....moving on! :blushing:
Beeps- I knew you had planned on getting VI. You are incorporating it? Do tell... obviously it's working for you so I'm glad you found YOUR groove!
Amy- I get in the habit of using my food scale, think I'm smart enough to not need it, and then realize I should probably just suck it up and pull that baby back out. :laugh: I pulled out a tablespoon to measure veggie dip for today's meal plan and was very disappointed with the amount I was left with! :ohwell:
Chloe- Hope the weekend went well. I'm one of those 'sweaty peeps' at the grocery store. If I brave the weather (hell, even if it's summer), I'll stop and grab what we need. The poor lady at Tops sees me at 6am and probably thinks I look like that 24/7. :laugh:0 -
I paid my $40 for Venus Index Phase 1 back in September. Started incorporating their nutrition plan at end of September, but didn't start the work-outs until about 10 weeks ago - because I wanted to finish NROL4Abs. So, now I'm nearing the end of my Phase 1 Venus work-outs and would have to pay $600 for the "immersion" package to get more VI work-outs. I'm not ready for that outlay of cash, so I think I might do NROL4Life, next, as my work-outs. But, keep incorporating Venus Index nutrition because, yes, it is working for me!
I lift, today. And then I'll only have 3 VI work-outs left. I quite like them, because they are just a "get in there and go" type work-out - not a lot of "set-up". But, they are also a little long-ish. 65-70 minutes, and, frankly, I'd prefer to be in-and-done in 60 minutes.
Now that I'm totally indoctrinated into the Venus idea, I really believe that fat loss is (nearly) 100% nutrition related (i.e. calories in vs. calories out) and that shape is determined by weight-training. If I don't mix up those two, in my mind, then I see consistent change. When I *do* mix them up (i.e. "I can eat more calories today because I'm working out....") then I don't see ANY change!0 -
I had an okay weekend. I was good on Friday, but I definitely overate on Saturday. I had a great workout yesterday morning (I'm SO sore today from it) and I ate pretty well that day, but then I skipped the Super Bowl party and had some wine at home instead--not really what I was planning on doing. But I feel ready to be good this week.0
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Hey ladies. Well I'm pretty pround of how my weekend shaped up. Friday I didn't eat great foods, but didn't eat tons and drank moderately. Saturday I ate pretty well. I sort of saved up for dinner and also ran 4.2 miles that day. In the snow. I felt like a bad @ss for doing it. Saturday I stuck to my guns and Eric and I came home after dinner. The fact that my friend who is one of my heavier drinking buddies told me she's prego! So Eric and I went home, had a couple more drinks and headed to bed early. Yesterday I munched throughout the day on carby salty processed stuff, but ended up around my calorie goal though I didn't log everything. I also only had 3 little glasses of champagne. Eric is pretty sick, so we were pretty lazy yesterday. Although I did make it to Targe before 9a.m. and even went to church, just Daphne and me. All in all, it was a good weekend filled with drinking moderately and even got a great run in!
This week I am aiming for 3 runs (I have a 4 mile race Saturday that I plan on adding a mile to for my 5 miles) and one total body workout. I'm on day care duty today so no workouts tonight, but I have to run 3 tomorrow morning or it won't happen tomorrow as I have a late meeting. Other than that I just want to stay on track throughout the week to give me some wiggle room over the weekend. We have company coming in.0 -
wow, am I going to be the only one who did horrible yesterday? Well, I guess it could have been worse! I had a good breakfast, workout and snack before the main event-and chili wasn't too bad, really, only 1/16 of the pizza, a little queso and chips, a brownie, and 4-5 beers.
We hosted, and I brought the queso to work today and sent the pizza home with others so there is only some chili and beer left.
So, Beeps, I am thinking that it is the diet that needs to be controlled for the next couple of weeks. You do the "window" right? do you do any 24-hr fasts? I am trying to figure out the best way for me to lose a little belly fat-only 12 days before we land in DR so I know I cannot make dramatic improvements... plus I have my bday and vday in between!0 -
Hi all! I am also pretty happy with the weekend. I actually logged it all, which is a rarity, and maintained a high deficit for the week. I did a lot of carbs on Sunday and had the most amazing cheat meal Saturday too...but still happy.
I went for my crossfit initial weigh in/measurements and the coach (using calipers in 4 spots) put me at 29% BF. I was a bit shocked but mostly incredulous. I am *little* concerned but also don't really think its possible just visually. I am going to get another one tomorrow from a woman who has done it for me a lot and that should give me a more consistent benchmark to where I've been previously. I just don't think there is anyway I am close to 30. 25, sure. But 29%?
Hmm. Anyways. 5 days of good nutrition, Crossfit, and walking with the pup then back to my alma mater for Mardi Gras weekend with some of my college besties. Should be a disaster for all things healthy and balanced 0 -
Hey ladies! Don't worry, I didn't have a rockstar weekend either, haha! I did fine Saturday, just my normal routine. But yesterday I did indulge. I didn't drink though, just didn't feel like it. So that saved me a lot of calories and probably extra snacking. I did enjoy chips and dips and brownies among my more friendly options of veggies, fruits and protein things. Then I still came home and had a bowl of cereal because I just needed something before I went to bed.
So far I've hit my protein goal all but one day, and I've managed to stay off the scale. Eeep!
I can't believe how far off my estimations were on some things since I have a food scale now. "Big ticket" items like potatoes and proteins were off by quite a bit - definitely enough to cancel out the deficit I thought I was in. A "medium" potato for me is more like a very large one for the database. :laugh:0 -
Amy - why not give a 24-hour fast a try?? You won't really know how your body/mind handles such a thing unless/until you give it a try! For me, everytime I try a 24-hour fast, I just end up with horrible insomnia. So, I sometimes make it to 20 hours, or even 22, but my system doesn't really like the 24+ deal. Mind you, if you are sticking to your calories for the day/week, fasting really isn't necessary. It is simply a "tool", that some people use, so that they can go heavier on calories on some days (say, weekends) knowing they've "banked" some calories due to a fast.
chui - I bet I'm still hovering around 30% body fat. I don't like it, but I bet it's true. I'm not even sure I'll make it to 20%, but when I think I'm closer to the 25% range, I'll go have a DXA scan and see what it shows. Maybe in late-March or early-April?? I *still* have pretty bad pockets of fat at hips/thighs. Ugh.
I think the MAJOR reason I didn't over-indulge at Superbowl was because I stayed in my bedroom most of the time. My husband prepared nachos (with cheese and beef topping!), chicken wings (barbequed, but they were Costco wings to start with) and home-made ribs. He also made a greek salad. So, I ate 7 nacho chips, 5 x chicken wings, and about 1.5 cups of greek salad. By leaving the room - and letting the guys watch the game - I really was able to meet my calorie goals.
I am retaining a bit of water, today - whether it's sodium from yesterday's snack-fest, or end of TOM, I don't know. I hope I get a "swoosh" on the scale, soon....I'd really like to be in the low 140's now....heading into the 130's sometime in March.0 -
Hello ladies,
I've been feeling really blah. Yesterday I had such a bad headache, I was asleep by 7:30!!!! Stupid TOM. It seems to be unusually difficult this month. My food choices haven't been great, but they haven't been horrible. On the bright side, I have been happily staying away from the scale. LOL.
I keep trying fasts, but after 15-16 hours I obssess, if it is planned. Every now and then, usually on the weekends, I find myself going 18 hours naturally, and that's fine. The only time I had my body fat checked was 6 years ago and it was 24% with the skin pinch things (my mind is blank on the word!). If I reach my goal weight or close to, I would probably have it checked. SchmoozyQ, I think I need to invest in a scale! I measure what I can but I eyeball a lot too. Great job, Kate on 5 days of good nutrition. I seem to slip up after 3 or 4! Amy, did you get a hair cut??? Looks cute. I just got my hair trimmed and colored. I'm trying to grow mine back out. It's at an ackward length right now.0
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