This is going to be a hard 40 days...

White_n_Nerdy

Hello everyone!

I'll probably just log all 40 days onto this post so it's all in one place. I'm a college student and I spend about 11 hours a week in lab, 9 hours sitting behind a desk at work, 12 hours sitting in class, usually over 24 hours doing homework, and I am participating in a research study on asthma (mine is pretty bad). This semester has been a rough one as far as exercise goes; I have only made it to the gym once since the semester started at the end of January. I'm eating healthier and staying under my calories, but the scale keeps creeping up. Hopefully I can keep up with this challenge for the next 40 days, but please understand if I can't!

Good luck to everyone, and if any fellow Catholics out there have no meat/no fish recipes they wouldn't mind sharing for Fridays...I'm all ears!

wendy_smile00

What kind of fish do you like. I have some good shrimp, salmon and tilapia recipes. Good luck to you too

White_n_Nerdy

See, I'm not a fish fan at all, so no meat makes it hard!

Exercise today: 120 minutes of running around with heavy dishes, scrubbing them, lugging them up and down stairs.

pattypureheart

Hi... sounds like you did get a workout! Good for you! Every move you make will help you. When you are stuck at that desk use your ab muscles... tighten and hold, then release and keep repeating. Do the same with your butt. Do circles with your ankles as you stretch you legs out from your chair. Any opportunity to get up and walk around a bit is good too. Stretch and bend your body whenever you can without being disruptive. All of those seemingly small things will be far more than if you just sit stationary, right? It sounds like truly want to make some changes but are afraid because of your lifestyle as a student which is really heavy and restrictive for sure, and you can... you really can.

Being a student is incredibly overwhelming at times (and wow...sounds like this is your time!) and congrats to you for even trying to add this challenge to your plate! The fact that you did though, tells us this weight loss thing and getting healthy and strong means a lot to you.... Don't give it up for sometime when life gets less hectic or things are more convenient... it just won't happen. Please stay with it and with us... We've all got different lifestyles, workloads, family and living situations that are going on as we're taking control and responsibility for our lives. All the "stuff" in our lives is still there as we battle to forge the time and space to do right and good things for our minds and bodies... things that, let's face it, we've neglected for too long. This is our time... It's your time and I for one (and there are many others here) am willing to talk you through. I need that too!

Now meatless meals...and you don't care for fish... ( me too!) All of your meals, snacks etc. can be all veg. you just need to replace your source of protein, right? Add beans, peanut butter, low-fat cheeses, and how about vegetarian burgers... Morningstar Farms is one brand... found in freezer dept. of grocery stores and they also have an awesome product called "Crumbles" ....Add to a marinara sauce and serve on pasta, use it in chili, tacos anything you'd use ground beef in. Bocca burgers are great too.(I think!) Those products are made from soy I think.... but are meat free... and will give you your protein. Quinoa (pronounced "keenwa") is a grain much like cous-cous and you can add it to anything even a tossed salad... It's a complete protein. I get it at a health food store. Check on line for cooking directions, nutrients etc. There are probably other members here more knowledgeable than me about the protein thing.

You said you are an asthmatic. Me too....environmental allergies only. Do you have food allergies that you know of? Well this is getting soooo long and I apologize... You just sound a bit overwhelmed and I'm hoping you'll stay with us! Hope we hear from you soon and as often as you can check in. My best wishes to you!

amsthegreat

White_N_Nerdy, It's all good. Just do what you can. This is a challenge, but we are not here to judge. We are here to motivate, inspire, help, and share. Hopefully, you can find time for some exercise. Just remember that exercise does not mean you have to go to the gym. Go for a quick walk. Instead of taking a bus or driving, walk. Grab a few friends and play some sports (volleyball, field hockey, bowling, football, Frisbee, etc). Or, when you are having difficulty studying, get up and move for a bit. You could even just do some squats, lunges, push-ups, and sit-ups in yours room. You could make it into a game. Quiz yourself. For every answer you don't know, do 10 push-up, squats, lunges, or sit-ups. You can rotate these.

Studies show that people who are active/exercise not only perform better in school, but are also more likely to get little things done (the dishes, for example) rather than leaving it to pile up.

And, Patty that was really helpful/informative!

White_n_Nerdy

DAY TWO

Yesterday I didn't get any "formal" exercise in, but I had a spirometry test (which is more work than it sounds like!), got a little extra walking going to the hospital and back, plus did some of the suggestions for when I was at work (tensing my abs, stretching, walking more).

pattypureheart

Good for you! Some days it's the "little changes".... Know what you mean with the spirometry!