Here I come. Feeling better, things have been sorted out, but I really had a few miserable days. Miserable enough to wreck my challenges, or nearly all of them.

Running is still going on, Day 10 today after I took the weekend off. It's been a struggle the last few times, for some reason my whole body is full of aches and pains and even yoga didn't help with relaxing the muscles (usually it's my wonder cure). I did great a few days ago, speed-wise that is. Endurance wasn't that good, I was wiped out at 15.5 minutes, but I broke 2 records in one go - one lenght of the dirt road in just over 8 minutes (previous best time was 8 min 17 sec) and then ran back and got to the start at 15 min 28 sec (previous best time was just under 17 min). :carrot:
I was thrilled to beat the time for 2 lenghts by this much, never thought that would happen! And that I beat both records during one run - usually if I improve my time, it's only one of 1 lenght, 2 lenghts or total time. So with a 1.5 min improvement, I decided to forgive myself for not being able to run any longer...

So record times are 8 min for one lenght and 15.5 min for two lenghts... which is going to be VERY hard to beat. So for now I'm going to focus on endurance. I'm still not entirely consistent with 3 lenghts (btw, 1 lenght is about 1.5 km), so I'd like to achieve that and aim to run 4 lenghts. I have ran long enough to cover 4 lenghts a few times already, but the routes/areas were different, so it doesn't really count. The challenge is to run all the way to the end of that particular road and back, and then to the end again and again back to the start... :dizzy:

My other 4 challenges (food log, no sweets & 15 min stationary biking, eating salad daily and sticking to a detailed day planner) are on hold. I did alright with the food log and with day planner for most of last week, and managed a few days of no sweets & stationary biking, but then the depressing miserable times came and it all went to pieces. I bought veggies and even a ready salad mix for the salad eating challenge, but never ate them for some reason - no idea why, that was the easiest of the four! :mad:

Right now I only have 2 weeks before my trip, so not enough time to re-start and complete the challenges, and most of them would be nearly impossible to stick with on the trip, maybe with the exception of a food log. But I do want to do something, so I must make my mind up fast. Do we have a head scratching emoticon? (as in, hmmm... what should I do?)

Red, yes, doesn't it feel great to get things done super early in the day... Totally true that it's hard to get up and going, but the reward (satisfaction, that is), comes so fast you don't even have to wait for it. :)

CBETA, wow, how great about the clothes! I can totally relate, as I did something similar very recently. I tried on some clothes I had not been able to wear comfortably for a while, and they look and feel so much better than a few months ago! It's a great motivation. :)

Marble, when I read about your intended liquid challenge, I first thought that you actually want to drink at least 20-30 ounces of wine daily... :lol3:

Fish, good on the 4 hour walk! I walk a lot myself and love long walks, so it's a bit hard to impress me ;) , but you did. :) Don't worry about the calories, walking this much has to be sustained. :) See, I always roll my eyes (well, not literally), when people talk about wanting to lose lots on hiking or camping trips... thinking that they won't need to eat much and that they'll burn a lot of calories doing all the hiking. You do burn more, but you also just plain need to eat more to sustain all the effort. So while it's certainly possible to lose, calorie intake must go up.

Es_angel, way to go - Day 20 with no pause days taken, you rock!

Friendsforfitness, the great thing is that you don't have to post each day in order to do the 21-day challenge. Just look at me, I'm sometimes gone for days because I can't get to the computer...


Unfortunately, I have to stop here... I had a lot more typed up in a Word document, but then the laptop decided to restart itself for some reason and I lost it all (it's too old to automatically recover files). That's all I have had the time to retype... so sorry for not addressing others. Please do not feel ignored. :) My internet access will be a bit better over the next 2 weeks, so I should be able to drop by more often. :)

Take care everyone, persist and good luck! :grouphug:

Good mroning all. Just a quick pop in before I have to head off to an early shift - again.

Sushi - glad you are back and doing better. What a HUGE accomplishment on your running. Way to go.

Apple - glad you had a nice break.

Danzer and Cbeta - glad to see you jumping back in on the challenges.

Fish - way to go on your challenges. The walk must have been fun.

Everyone else :wave: A big "HI" and "Good Morning." :wave:

Yesterday was a pause day for following menu and no :censored: I was feeling down, and gave in. I also didn't make it to the gym (it is really hard for me to go, when I have to go after work). I did however go in for a much needed, mood boosting, hair cut, and had a good talk with one of my colleagues. Cleared some funk out.

Today, off to cover a shift, and get stuff done. I hope I don't have to take half a day and go back to the dentist. I am having a LOT of pain from part 2 of the root canal. Sigh.

Have a great day all. See you later.

Eleven feels like heaven....
 

Hi all. Got the crunches in today, so Day 11 is done! Hurrah! :woo: My video deck seemed to have broken the other day...just as I was getting ready to watch a video and I thought I was going to have to buy a new one, but today I got it going again. Thank goodness! Just can't afford anything now! Hope I can get a DVD player sometime in the not-so-distant future....Ok, just a little nonweight-related tangent there...

Sushi -- Wow, long post, colorful too! Join the crowd as far as misery goes..well, you and me...but I'm pulling through and it looks like you are too! Good! I'm glad to hear the running challenge is still on. Even just one challenge going and it really helps...gives you something good to think about...if you force yourself to do that. I make a conscious effort to think of good things that happen, however small, and it helps keep me going. Even something like someone saying something I don't really believe...like, "you can do it" or "you're tough" makes me think, "Yes, I can do it," or "Well, if I'm tough I better get to the gym!" It's strange, sometimes the "doing something because someone else thinks you can" can really work wonders. It's not the same as doing something FOR someone else, it's more, well, he or she thinks I can do it, so I don't want to disappoint them....which may be the same but...anyhow, I think it's better than doing something to please others...ok, sorry, another tangent. Well, Sushi, I'm glad to hear you're picking up speed too. As for the challenges to get through your trip, I suppose you could do something like journaling or a crunch routine or so, something you could do very quickly in a hotel room...where are you going? Well, I hope the "depressing miserable" times are behind you! Good luck! :sunny:

Apple -- Glad to hear you had a fun weekend. Be looking for you!

curly -- You go! :cp:

CBETA -- Ok, I understand now. I hope you feel better. That's great with the clothes. I hope it will motivate you to keep going! :yes:

Danzer -- Hello! :wave: Glad you're here. It's ok about not commenting on other people's successes. Down times are just that...down times...and no one expects you to be up and positive or gung-ho. Heh, even I wimp out, too, you know! :lol3: Seriously, hope you're feeling better. Must be something in the stars these days. You're not the only one having hard times. Good luck on your new challenges and I'll be expecting to see lots of you here! :cb:

marble -- Really glad to hear you're doing well. It certainly sounds like you have the eating/drinking under control these days. That's where we all want to be! So funny on the carla comment. So, were you under the table as well?! :lol: Heck, who needs the scale when you're seeing improvement every week! Wow! :dancer: Keep up the great work!

Fish -- Sounds like you've been having fun and all that walking! Great! Too bad about the calorie challenge. Didn't you have a pause day? Still, with all that exercise it's not like you blew anything, just won't get to 21 so fast.

angel -- Ooh, don't get the newbies hopes up! ;) :lol3: I didn't realize you were so far along on your challenges. Congrats on the weight loss! :bravo:

friends -- Hi there! :wave: Thanks for popping in. Always love to hear from you. And kudos on the continued weight loss. I can imagine child-rearing is hard work, but with ample eating opportunities, which means it must be super frustrating to be exhausted but NOT see weight loss happening. Good for you! 39 lbs down from the end of last year! Wow! Don't look at what you have to do yet...just take it bit by bit, say 5 lb increments or 10. You WILL do it! I understand about the challenge. Just glad to have you checking in sometimes. Take care and best of luck! :goodluck:

:bubbles:

Well I made it through Day 7. Actually this is a lot more for me since I had started this around the first of February but just joined the challenge then as I wanted to keep it up and not mess up! This is a great reminder to not break the plan!!!

Good Morning, Everyone.

I've been AWOL for a bit, I know...and I'm sorry. I've been having real trouble getting past day 1 on my challenges and I just wussed out on the part where I'm supposed to admit my failures. Also the scale just won't move. Well, I take that back. It moves...It even moves down...It just moves RIGHT back up again. I'm very frustrated with this, but I'm too much of a weenie to drop my calories any lower. I guess I'll just have to add in the dread exercise again. On the bright side, though - I did my monthly measurements last week and I'm down six inches overall. Of course, that's spread out over about eleven different measurements, but right now I'll take my success where I can get it.

Sorry for the whiny post as my grand return to the fold - I'll catch up on what everyone's been up to and have a much more constructive post later.

Keep on Truckin!
Erin :carrot:

Day #8!

2 sets of 10 push-ups
1 set of chest flys (8 lb wts)
1 set of chest presses (10 lb wts)

18 mins. of cardio and standing crunches w/ 3lb. ankle wts.

Hello! Day 1 for calories is done at 1519 (red, I *had* pause days, but burned them early :p ); day 20 for exercise is done with 60 minutes of walking yesterday.

Sushi - I am glad you are feeling better :hug:. Maybe you could do a crunches or push-ups challenge during your trip? That is something that can be done first thing in the morning or right before bed and will not need anything special (other than your lovely self) to accomplish. FWIW, I'm not *worried* about the calories i ate this weekend after my mega-walks, I'm just irked that I have to re-start my challenge :D

Chaigirl - hang in there:^: law school is tough! But exercise will help, and as a bonus, I believe strongly that it helps reduce stress. You should have a spring break coming up soon, shouldn't you? Try to take that time to relax and refocus - you don't have to go on some budget-breaking spring break extravaganza, just take time for yourself and your needs.

I hope everyone is doing well, and is having a great day. I will talk to y'all later!

Another quickie....Day 5 done!
I've set a goal of 6 pounds in March. (Ha ha) I'm not going to bother with another ticker though...I'm running out of time, it's short sleeves weather VERY SOON!!!

But I can easily drink 20-30 ounces of wine.....although on days like today, "there isn't enough wine in the world"...to make the idiots disappear...they are coming at me from everywhere!

RB, i stepped on the scale last night and got annoyed....but the tape measure made me feel better....it's just not coming off quickly enough!

There is something in the air because my scale did not go up one pound or down even half of a pound this past week when I did my weekly weigh in. Oh bother, but ya know we will see because something has to happen with all this working out and eating crazy protein and whole grains. Okay Okay - on my challenges, well kudos for me for working out today (I skipped yesterday because I had a quiz in anatomy & physiology and I had had had had to study for it) so I will make up for it on Saturday :D thank goodness I gave myself only 5 days of workouts/wk as a challenge. I walked all over town and have over 10,000 steps in so that is bonus, plus I did pilates and a cardio work out. I didn't cheat at all with my diet. The water is what is killing me - I was so good at drinking my water, but I have been on this water boycot and I dunno why>???

So ya know what chaigirl, I am right there with you and your post wasn't whiney in the slightest because I can't master my challenges to get to day 2 and everytime I come on here, I dunno what to say except yeah I have to start over again and again LOL. I have yet to get past day one, but today could be the day - I have only 2 more bottles of water to down before 10pm... lol - I will close my eyes and gulp because dag gone it, I want to at least get to day 2... Oh and no one is a weenie, this is really hard ... it isn't just losing weight - it is changing lifestyles and that can't happen over night. So stick with it, and think about this - next year we will be so much more healthier and slimmer... it seems a long time away, but it's something to smile about. Plus, ya know that rumor about exercising making you more energetic and feel happier and all -- yea that one is true and it doesn't take as long to feel the benefits from it as it does to see the benefits.... and my friend and I took a long walk this morning and she is very very slim and she couldn't keep up with me, so woo hoo for me. At least we have that over the naturally small :devil: . I can walk up a hill after a long hike and still not be winded or dead tired.... felt good to have to wait for her tee hee hee.... :D

Sorry sorry for the rambling....

Hi everyone. Still feel cruddy today, but my eating was back on track and I did go workout. Just didn't go ride - but that is the problem when I try to go home for awhile first. I am so tired from doing two morning shifts in a row.

See, I can wine too. Oh wait - whine, not wine. I have been reading too many of Marble's posts :rofl:

Chai,keep your chin up. Inches lost are a great thing! I know, I have been discouraged over how slowly the scale is going down, it seems like it hardly moves. But this morning, I almost needed a pin to keep my pants from falling. We like inches.

Sorry I missed your post, Red. Tooth pain has dulled, thank goodness. I just want it to go away. How are things going with your horse?

Everyone - have a super rest of the day. Day 6 complete and challenges met. Have a great night all :wave:

day 18_ _ _ 58 carbs (20 from brussel sprouts)

How is everyone doing today??

Winding down day 8 of sticking with my eating plan. It was a good day as I got in over 14,000 steps and also lost 1.5 pounds even though it was not really my day to weigh in. ==celebrating=== :bubbles:

Settling down for the night before i go to bed. So far so good...

1.) Level 3 No pop...Day 1 complete (1 pause day used)
2.) Level 1 Check in at my blog...Day 2 complete
3.) Level 1 Check in here at 3FC boards...Day 2 complete

Gonna have to make it short. I'm so tired. I just wanna collapse in my bed! ;) Just got an email from my prof, and class tomorrow is cancelled!!!! Woo-hoo!!! So I only have one class at 1:30. :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Have a good night everyone!