Challenges for you?

MerryKhaos

I'll just keep the topics rolling!

What challenges do you find yourself coming up against? What makes fitness or weight loss or whatever goals you're trying to reach hard?

I've found in the past that by admitting your weaknesses, especially to others, I've been able to separate myself from them and work on them.

My weakness is food. Rich food. I don't eat to live, I live to eat. The hardest part is compromising sometimes. I eat a lot of healthy stuff. I love greens, broccoli, ground turkey, tofu... but I love pierogis. Chocolate. Frozen yogurt. CHEESE.

The hardest part for me, is getting rid of the over-processed foods that have so much sodium it could kill a squirrel. Whole foods tend to be more expensive, and being an unemployed student at the moment, it makes it really hard to buy good foods for my body.

I also have a problem with resting. I know that rest is as important as the workout itself. I feel lazy if I don't do something everyday.

Ok.. how about you?

BettyKrypton

I have several weaknesses, my main one being my messed up relationship with food.

Long before Derby, I weighed 220 pounds. I was not educated on processed foods and portion control. I also developed emotional eating habits to help cope with my depression. Even after losing a lot of weight,I still have 'episodes' where I want to sit down with a box of (insert snack) and eat it until it's gone, then stuff my face with a carton of (insert worse snack). One of my worst episodes was eating an entire loaf of bread with lemon curd within 30 minutes.

I've been actively shaping up my food habits by realizing what foods are easy to 'trigger' me (set me off to eat an awful amount) and keep them out of my home. That way, instead of going to the cupboard when I am stressed, lonely, sad, or frustrated, I go do something else.

Another struggle I have is sticking to a plan if something comes up. I could have my entire day planned out, but say, my husband comes home early or the gym is closed, I suddenly come loose and mess up my entire day, which can sometimes screw up my entire week, and so forth.

So for this challenge, I need support, reminders, and adherence to the diet guidelines. Let's get this done!

runningathena

Like Betty, I have issue when something comes up and messes up my schedule. I have a LOT going on. When school starts again next week, my schedule will be very regimented.

Mondays, work then practice from 7-9.
Tuesday, work then school from 7:15-9:45.
Wednesday, same as Monday.
Thursday, school from 9:30-12, then telework/homework (I have to telework because there's no way I can work 10 hours a day the other days; I'd lose my mind - I have to get in 40 hours each week), then school again from 7:15-9:45.
Friday, work and maybe a little bit of a breather in the evening.
Sunday nights we have practice from 6-8.

I try to get in my long runs and big workouts on Saturdays because it's the one day I have nothing planned, though I usually have to do stuff around the house, which I'm really bad about. I also need to plan my meals for the week (twice a week I'm away from home all day until late; gotta have food or fall trap to fast food or other bad choices), make sure homework's done... oh and I commute over an hour EACH WAY to work. So yeah, I don't have much time or tolerance for delays or crises.

With all that, I have to make sure I eat somewhat healthy, take care of my skin/hair/body, do other exercise besides skating, spend time with my husband, and SLEEP. Usually I sleep in on one weekend day. It helps me get through the week when I know I have that one day to crash out with no alarm clock.

I'm also easily tempted by foods like chips, soda, candy, cookies, etc. I have a really hard time turning down treats and sometimes I just crave that salty, crunchy, fatty snack like a bag of Fritos. Pretzels and hummus don't always fit the bill. High sodium foods are probably my biggest weakness. I have to keep that stuff out of my house so I'm not tempted. However, I've slacked off in the last few months and we've got all kinds of stuff that needs to go. My husband is overweight (has been as long as I've known him) and sedentary, which doesn't help. He's not that interested in eating well so he often brings home things from the store that I would rather not have around. However, he just went to the doctor recently and has to have some blood work re-done (cholesterol and so forth). This might be the catalyst towards better eating... I don't wish him to be in danger of anything, but I can't help but hope that they will suggest he start eating better.

Whew - that was a novel!!!

AnyaArson

Hmm, challenges. I'm going to say that my challenges revolve around people, one way or the other.

When I'm by myself, I'll forget to eat, but if I go out or get together to play D&D, I pig out. If I am at home with my roommate in my standard routine, I can fall perfectly in line.

As for exercise, I'm the opposite. I'm great at going to practice, since I have a social contract with others, but I'll often find excuses to not go to the gym by myself. Once I manage to get myself there, though, I will exercise for hours and hours (which I then also get scolded about).

I need to find moderation. I hope MFP will help me realize just how polar and screwed up my days are, and then help me bring everything to a middle point. Logging everything, by the way, is also presenting me a steep learning curve, since I try to avoid prepackaged foods, and I constantly have to decipher what I actually cooked and how much of it I ate.

Sleep is also something else I need to find how to make time for. I kind of joined a league an hour and a half away that ends practice at 11:30, and then my boyfriend lives 45 minutes past that, and then I manage to triple book myself all over the state. So yeah. That sleep thing.

heethar

Oh challenges and weaknesses... don't we all just love them so?

I'm an eater - emotional, bored, habit, stress, emotional (yea, its a big one it's on there twice), and excitement. I'm also an over-eater. Not helpful.

I'm a procrastinator or excuse maker. I always find reason NOT to do something good for me. Like Anya though, once I start doing something I get way into it and feel great. It's like I have that hormone that makes you forget the bad parts of pregnancy ... only different. I forget the good parts of exercise.

Big excuse - I wake up at 3am everyday for work, get home around 2 and am in bed at 8-9pm. It's hard to workout between 2-8 but I think I have a way to make it work. I don't go home first, I go straight to the park to get my walk on. What what?!

I have no problems with healthy food - I freakin' love veggies and am currently having a love affair with kale, but it's a difficult thing to pass up those tasty snacks. MFP has definitely helped me take a second to think about what I'm going to put in my mouth. I always add it to my list before I eat it to see if it's worth the sacrifice of calorie or fat or sodium or whatever. That is helping a bit. It's also difficult to eat healthy when my fiance is already getting in great shape from reffing (yea, he's kicking *kitten* lately at practice) and doesn't necessarily want to eat the stuff I am.

I let other people de-motivate me. They aren't doing anything in particular, but for the fear of being left out I choose to skip the exercise time to go out to breakfast or some other meal. My fiance is a big one. I'd much rather hang out on the couch with him (especially if I haven't seen him in a day or so) than go for my walk or whatever. I need to have him go with me or push me or something.

No matter the challenge or excuse, I'm just going to have to push through and make this happen. I'm 26 and now its time for me to enjoy a new healthy lifestyle.

queennahs

Wine & cheese. Not just any old stuff either; the boutique and gourmet kinds.
Both of these are in abundance where I live in the Tamar Valley... and generally made by friends of ours... and I LOVE them.

I guess I use this conbination to wind down & reward. I really shouldn't though, I'm not a dog.

Getting out and exercising isn't a challenge for me. I thoroughly enjoy getting up early to have my dogs take me for a walk / run or do pilates or Shred. On days that I'm not travelling for work, I go to the gym at lunchtime. Then there's derby training 2-3 times a week. What I find challenging is the mental block that says "You'll never be able to do full pushups/ chin ups / functional sit ups / jump quickly on skates / get past those 2 or 3 really experienced derby players..." etc etc. This negative self-talk is definitely holding me back and I don't know how to bust through it... if I can't visualise it, how can I ever make it happen?

heethar

You know, that brought up a good point. Negative feedback from yourself - we all do it. I'm super duper guilty of it. "you're too big, people will laugh if you walk the 5K" blah blah blah bull-honkey!

So that's a huge challenge to work on and I suggest we all work on it together.

Gmthatcher

I work third shift at work... 10pm to 8:30am... So usually I'm too tired to workout after work and I always end up having to cook dinner and put the kids to bed and other things before work, so it's hard to find time to work out.
Also I'm expected to switch to a normal schedual on the weekends so that throws off any kind of structured meal plan I might want to set up... It gets really frustrating sometimes...

biggyshorty

Challenges? my derby life style! That is why I joined this group! I need to know how derby gals do it!!! Between eating late after late practices, afterparties, the drinking...I do ok until I step foot inside any food establishment. I can have the BEST intentions and as soon as I look at the menu, my eyes go straight to burger and fries, wings, nacho's..... damn it!!!!! so, plzzzzzze friend me and HELP ME!!! sound desperate enuff??? LOL! thnx

fairygrrl

Sweets and not eating enough. My body goes into starvation mode and doesn't lose anything. The diet actual makes me eating something but at the same time it's healthy. Oh, how I craved sweets last year during the challenge. I substiuted fruit everytime it hit me. I did not cheat once and eat candy.

kerosenekisses463

I have WAAAAY more than one. Here goes...*sigh*

Definitely not eating enough/only eating one meal a day and having that meal be something unhealthy and a ridiculous portion size.

I also have a major, MAJOR sweet tooth (it used to be three 'majors' as a teenager, lol, so it's gone down somewhat), so eating 2 pints of ice cream was normal behavior for me. Then again, so was never being able to do a plank.

Negative self-talk (well, that's in all sections of my life, but let's stick with fitness and derby for now) and social anxiety. My social anxiety is holding me back from joining a league itself, while my negative self-talk sometimes puts a halt on my neighborhood skating.

And finally, because I can't think of any more at the moment, money. Always. It's always easier to buy things that are unhealthy, am I right? At least for this one, I've figured out a workaround. I found a market that sells good food at great prices...all I need now is willpower and dedication!!

MerryKhaos

wine and cheese are my downfall. Not just the good kind. I'll take Sutter Valley and Giant Food's brie.

MerryKhaos

Challenges? my derby life style! That is why I joined this group! I need to know how derby gals do it!!! Between eating late after late practices, afterparties, the drinking...I do ok until I step foot inside any food establishment. I can have the BEST intentions and as soon as I look at the menu, my eyes go straight to burger and fries, wings, nacho's..... damn it!!!!! so, plzzzzzze friend me and HELP ME!!! sound desperate enuff??? LOL! thnx

I totally understand these struggles! One of the things that help me is that I'm honest with myself. I want a burger dammit. Ok, what can I do to satisfy that without getting the all american with cheese, bacon, and mayo? How about a turkey burger? How about a grilled chicken sandwich? Mustard or a dash of hot sauce for flavor.

with the alcohol, that's a willpower thing. Your body wants carbs after a practice or bout, but alcohol is SOOOO bad for you post workout (ignore the articles that say otherwise). Get an unsweetened ice tea, and maybe add some extra whole wheat carbs to the plate. Remember, your body is smart at telling you what it wants. If you're craving a burger, you probably need iron. Milk? Calcium. It's good to identify what cravings correspond to so you can satisfy your body in a healthier way. :-)

Of course, it's all easier said than done

AnyaArson

(just make sure the craving is because you need it, and not because you are addicted to it)

NeysaV

I initially thought (and wrote in the homework) that the meal plan was going to be my biggest challenge. I was sort of right, because it killed me over the first week until I took a good hard look at it, and decided it just wasn't for me. Since ditching the plan, I've gone back to eating my normal, relatively healthy, low-sugar, low refined-carbs, lots-of-veg routine. Yes I stuff up (a few ciders over a weekend, oops), but I don't beat myself up over it too much, because I know I've been pretty good the rest of the time.

The real challenge for me has been, and will continue to be, the working out. Most of week 1 I found it hard to do anything because I was so low on energy due to not eating enough calories. Since fixing that, it's because I'll go really hard one day, then the next will be too sore to even more (damn those pushups!). Staying motivated to move and workout day after day is going to be my biggest challenge.

I also have issues with that little annoying voice in my head that tells me I can't do something. "Your muscles are starting to burn, so don't worry about doing the other 20 reps!", "You're already sweating, you don't really need to practice any more laps of crossovers in the carpark". She can be very persuasive, and I need to learn to block it out before I can be successful in this challenge, and in derby!