The {21} Challenge - Day {21}

Day {21}

You might have noticed that I'm a girl who likes to use exclamation points from time to time.  I'm gonna do us both a favor and try to control myself here, but holy jeez!!!!!!!!!!  I made it!!!!!!!!!!

I was pretty psyched to see that the final quote comes from a fellow "U of A"er.  I won't get all cheesy and break down Bear's words, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.

These last 21 days have given me a strong start in achieving my goal.  I feel better and my clothes are fitting better.  I really feel like I've started a new habit here - the "right" food choices are becoming easier and I'm finding ways to fit exercise into my day whether I can plan a workout or not. 

If you want a gauge of how serious I am about this (and you know me IRL - "In Real Life") then I shouldn't have to say any more than this:

I went out and bought new tennis shoes.  It took me about an hour.  In a shoe store.

I think that says it all.....

The {21} Challenge - Day {20}

Day {20}

Okay, you caught me.  I'm writing about Day {20} on Day {21} and I have to admit that it's pretty hard not to jump ahead and celebrate, but I want to document yesterday first.

I intended to leave work early yesterday (like before lunch) to make up for working late the day before, but the way that things went I was stuck in the office until almost two.  Anyone want to guess where I ate lunch?  The people at Subway (who already love me because I'm one of those super-cool funny, easygoing customers) are ready to give me a smock and put me to work.  I guess I can say that I'm happy I don't get stuck on one thing, which would be very boring.  I'll switch up my order, but some things remain constant:

*My sandwich might be heated, but never toasted.  I'm not sure what my prejudice is against toasting, but it runs strong and deep.

*If I'm having cheese, it's pepper-jack.  Any of the other cheeses are like adding fat and calories without taste.

*"A line of light mayonnaise."  I need a little something for taste, but if you don't watch it, the "Sandwich Artists" will paint your whole sandwich with mayo.

Yesterday evening I went to Malorie's away game with VBF and her family.  I ate at home before we went so I wouldn't be tempted by salty popcorn and candy, which worked very well.  I was sorely put to the test when the family and I stopped by Popeye's on the way home.  I'm a pretty big fan of chicken in its many forms and I know that some of those sides (especially the biscuits.  Goodness help me, the biscuits!) are tase-ty, but I managed to walk out of there with nothing more than a large iced tea.  Not even a sweet tea, for Pete's sake!  Tell me this {21} Challenge thing hasn't worked its magic on me and I'm gonna call you a liar right to your face!

The {21} Challenge - Day {19}

Day {19}

I am mighty proud of myself, I must say.  I worked late (about 3 hours over) to catch up on some stuff and instead of going to get the double-cheeseburger with fries and a side of cheese sauce like I wanted I went back to Subway (where I had eaten lunch) to get something healthy.  Mad props to me by me and hey, feel free to call me Jared for eating at Subway twice in one day.

The {21} Challenge - Day 18

Day {18}

I think that the "Rwar"s and the "Mew"s have worked themselves out and we're on to a more even keel.

I'm happy to report that Day {18} found me right back on track with my eating, so that's good.  I've found that even when we go out to eat (which is probably far too much!) I'm making good food choices.  That doesn't mean that my first impulse isn't to order up the horseshoe sandwich

with plenty of extra-delicious cheese, followed up by some rich chocolately goodness, cheesecake, lemon supreme pie or calorie-laden coffee drink, but thus far I have done a fair job of resisting.

I though I'd give my heel a chance to heal up so I went with the less-strenuous yoga option for my exercise.  It was rather nice and calming, but I suspect I would have gotten even more inner-peace out of the experience if I was not listening to the constant barking of three big dogs ("Let us in!  Let us in!  Let us in!") while enduring the loving head-butts from Oscar.  It's hard to do downward facing dog with a cat in your face!

I can't believe we're almost to the end of the challenge!

The {21} Challenge - Day {17}

Day {17}

The day started out strong.  Up early, I jumped on the treadmill and put in my 30 minutes, only to find when I took my socks off that I had bled completely through my sock into my shoe on my right heel.  It's definitely time to find some new kicks - I've had this pair for at least 3-4 years and they're falling apart.  You might ask yourself, "Self, Susan is a girl, right?  Why doesn't she do what all women love to do and go shoe shopping?"  Shut yourself up, that's what, because of all retail shopping that I hate shoe shopping tops the list.  Wanna know why?

Flinstone Feet

The term "Flinstone Feet" was originally coined by a family friend (or at least that is the first time I had heard it) but I have stolen it for my own use.  What better describes my flat, wide, archless feet?  My feet are so jacked up that I went to a podiatrist a couple of years ago and got orthotics.

Nothing says "You're getting old" like orthotics, right?  Anyway, the podiatrist told me that when he looked at the x-ray of the top of my feet and then looked at the x-ray of the side of my feet he thought he had to have mislabeled one, because the problems that were revealed in one x-ray were never found at the same time as the problems in the other.  Joy!

I did fairly well with eating during the day, but come along 9:30 p.m. or so it seemed like my appetite exploded.  Caramel corn (from the Boy Scouts - delish!), some cheddar rice cakes and an apple were consumed in short order.  Crap.  I guess no one said it was going to be easy....we just have to stay strong and soldier on, right?

The {21} Challenge - Day {16}

Day {16}

*mew*mew*

My RWARing on Day {15} must have taken too much out of me, because I was all tapped out on Day {16}.  I gave myself a day off of the treadmill and, although I generally abided by my plans for more responsbile eating, I probably indulged a little more that I have been as of late.  I felt crappy (which is no excuse) and wobbled off path a bit.  Nothing we can't overcome, right? 

This quote seems relevant to me right now.  By changing my attitudes re: exercise and healthy eating from something that I'm doing to myself to something that I'm doing for myself, I'm indulging myself (which I love to do!) by doing these wonderful things that will help me feel better in the long run.  

Making Good On My Bribe

As you may remember, as a part of my quest to get into better shape via The {21} Challenge I have resorted to self-bribery - five days on the treadmill equals one new Kindle book.  This morning was the fifth of five days, so I have purchased my first "bribed" book.

Drumroll please!

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Best New Zombie Tales (Vol. 1)

Come on, you knew it was gonna be a zombie book, right?!?!?!?

The {21} Challenge - Day {15}

Day {15}

RRRRRRRRWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

I am so feeling this!  Got up this morning after a {very} short night ready and "rwar"ing to go, so I put some new songs on my MP3 player and hit the treadmill.  I finished one of the pre-set programs that I couldn't do less than two weeks ago and I feel like I have energy to spare.  Today I say, "Bring it on!"

So yesterday I promised to share some of my favorite workout tunes.  Like I said, there are probably some lyrics that little ears need not hear, so for Pete's sake don't go clicking on links and blasting tunes throughout the house!

In no particular order:

                             My Chick Bad - Ludacris

                             Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas

                             Ms. New Booty - Bubba Sparxxx

                             Hypnotize - Biggie Smalls

                             Thunderkiss '65 - White Zombie

                             Stronger - Kanye West

                             Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

                             I Can Transform Ya - Chris Brown

                             Just Lose It - Eminem

                             Rockstar - Nickleback  (LOVE this video too!)

                             Gives You Hell - All American Rejects

                             Walk - Pantera

                             Heretic Anthem - Slipknot (we've seen these guys in concert - awesome!)

                             When Worlds Collide - Powerman 5000

                             Piece of Me - Brittany Spears

                             Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

                             Remember the Name by Fort Minor

Of course you need something a little tamer for cooling down, so here are some of my favorites, again in no particular order:

                             Live Beside the Ocean - Everclear

                             I'm Awesome - Spose

                             Fire and Rain - James Taylor

                             Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant

As you've probably guessed, my MP3 player is an interesting place to be......

The {21} Challenge - Day {14}

Day {14}

Two weeks in and it's going well.  I was on the treadmill again this morning and I was happy to see that some of my stamina is coming back.  Shad moved the treadmill to the basement as part of our "convert the basement into usable space" project, so today was the first day that I was below-ground for my workout.   It was nice to be downstairs where I knew that the noise wouldn't bother people as much and the concrete floor felt a lot sturdier under the treadmill than the floor in the computer room.  More good news - 4 out of 5 workouts completed towards my new ebook!  I've been trying to keep myself from getting back on for another round this afternoon, but I probably shouldn't count two workouts in one day, right?

I'm thinking that tomorrow I'll share some of my favorite workout songs with you.  Be forewarned, the music that I workout with is not "G" rated.  Some of it would be a stretch to be called "PG-13."  You might be surprised when you see what gets me motivated......

The {21} Challenge - Days {10} {11} & {12}

Day {10}

Day {11}

Day {12}

My lack of posting on days {10} {11} & {12} does not reflect a lack of dedication!  (Combining three days worth of posts into one may, however, reflect a certain degree of laziness.....)

I'm on track.  The last three days have been busy but I have stuck to the plan.  There have been a lot of opportunities for me to derail, but I'm starting to recognize real results now which makes it easier for me to intellectualize that what will satisfy me in the short-term will set me back in the long run.  Knowing me, though, I will have to guard myself against the "I'm doing so well, this one won't hurt" mentality.  I guess at least I know what to look for.

I know that I am lucky that Shad supports me in my efforts.  I'm thankful that I know he will do whatever he can to help me and won't try to sabotage me.  Good support is definitely important.

I shall endeavor to stay up-to-date and not do anymore of these combined posts for the {21} Challenge, not necessarily because I believe it is fantastically interesting for you to read but because I think it's pretty important for me to acknowledge my own efforts and successes.  I'm doing it, and that's pretty darn cool!

One A Day - November 29

Not a great picture, but a decent accomplishment for me!

The {21} Challenge - Day {9}

Day {9}

Day 9 was a rough one.  Although my job is not physically demanding, some days are definitely more mentally taxing than others.  Today was one of those days.  I ran all morning and ran through Subway for lunch.  After being at my office for a couple of hours it was back to running and home about 1 1/2 hours late.  Shad picked up pizza for supper and I had three pieces.  I really should have stopped at two, but I didn't.  I still compare today to what I would have done pre-challenge, which would likely have entailed cookies at lunch with a stop in the drive-thru or a gas station on the way back home and then supper.  Again, I'm not holding myself up to a "perfect" standard, just better every day.  I'm telling myself that I'm looking forward to some treadmill time.  (I'm really not, but I subscribe to the "fake it 'til you make it" school of thought.  So I am.  But I'm not.  But I'm gonna!)

ETA (Edited to add): I did it.  32 minutes.  Two days down, three to go until a new book for my Kindle!

The {21} Challenge - Day {8}

Day {8}

"Day 8!"  "Day 8!"  (Just so you know, in my head that comes across as a Brian Regan's voice in his emergency room bit.  Probably pretty random to you, though, right?  You can click on the links to share my experience, if you wanna...)

Today was tough.  We stayed around the house and I accomplished, accomplished, accomplished all day long.  Meals were catch-as-catch-can, and it was sooooooo tempting to just raid the snack drawer and scarf down everything in sight.  I don't think I did too bad, though.  I would have liked to have spent some time on the treadmill today but the time got away from me and when I finally had the time, I was too tired. 

I shan't beat myself up over my missed date with the treadmill.  This challenge is not about being perfect each day, it's about starting a new habit.  I'm getting in the habit of eating healthier and exercising more - not beating myself up.  I'll catch it tomorrow.  Just like I'll catch you tomorrow.  Night!

The {21} Challenge - Day {7}

Day {7}

A week?  Already?  Awesome! 

Today was the biggest test so far - meeting Shad's friend and his mom at a Chinese buffet.  I went with the 1/2 plate veggies, 1/4 meat and 1/4 starch.  The egg roll and sliver of chocolate cream pie probably wouldn't technically fall onto most people's diet plans, but since this isn't a diet it's just fine!  I strongly resisted temptation when Shad asked if I wanted to stop by Dairy Queen after the game (4th game in the last 6 days - all away!) because I really, really did want to stop, but we passed it by without a tasty ice cream treat.  Feeling (and looking) better is going to feel much better for much longer than I could have made that tasty, tasty Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard last.  MMMMmmmmmmmm.....I'm so glad that DQ is closed now!

Okay, I'm making another date with the treadmill for tomorrow.  Shad has agreed to my self-bribery scheme, so four workouts until a new book for my Kindle.  Yay!

The {21} Challenge - Day {6}

Day {6}

We knew it would happen sometime, didn't we?  I didn't post Day {6} on day six of the challenge.  I hope you can hold your disappointment until the end....

I have no idea what that meant.  I'm tired.  As I posted in the prior post, I wake up at the butt-crack of dawn when I don't have anything going on and then want to sleep forever when I actually have to roll out of bed and get going.  We had some running to do today so I had to get up, so of course I didn't want to.  I plan to sleep late tomorrow, which means that I'll get up by 6:00 a.m. or something ridiculous.

Day {6} was actually pretty good.  Shad and I went shopping and ate lunch at Wendy's.  I consulted the nutrition chart and picked the apple-walnut salad, which was pretty tasty and not too bad on the fat/calories scale.  We picked up supper (roll-up sandwiches and pretzel thins) from Wal-Mart to eat on the way to the game.  Aside from the fact that we ate in the car - something that I really need to avoid since I had somehow developed the theory that calories consumed in a moving vehicle don't count - I'm pretty proud of both Shad and me.

Another piece of quote art from Rhonna Farrer's {Day 6} post:

Now this I like......

The {21} Challenge - Day {5}

Day {5}

I'm happy to report that not only did I keep my date with the treadmill last night but I also remained relatively on track during Thanksgiving lunch at my parents' house!  I do feel more energetic and I do feel like this is working.  I'm feeling strong and positive and ready to do more to keep on track.  Rwar!

I think that I'm going to set up a little reward system to encourage my treadmill use.  Perhaps for every 5 days that I use the treadmill for 30 minutes or more I will purchase a book for my Kindle.  Most of the ones on my Wish List now are less than $5, so it's like bribing myself for about a dollar a day.  Gosh I'm cheap!

The kids are at their mom's house for the holiday so Shad and I (and Oscar, and Bruce, and Mario, and Clyde, and Otis, and Charlie) have the house to ourselves.  I'm thinking a little cuddle on the couch is in order......  ;)

The {21} Challenge - Day {4}

Day {4}

You know the part in one of the Indiana Jones movies when Indy is trapped in a pit and discovers that it is filled with his biggest fear?  "Snakes.  Why did it have to be snakes?"  Mine is modified a bit.

Snacks.  Why did it have to be snacks?

My workplace has one day a month when people generally bring in food to snack on during the day.  There's a big spread set up in one of the conference rooms and people come in and out, grazing at will.  Today is the day and, while I have been able to steer clear of the room, I've still heard/seen enough to tempt me.  Tina's taco dip, Connie's turtle pie.......but I'm staying strong.  I can doooo eet!

I am encouraged by the fact that I noticed a tiny difference in the mirror this morning.  After only four days it's likely that it's water weight versus any actual weight loss, but it still helps to see the little changes that have begun. 

Treadmill 'ho!

The {21} Challenge - Day {3}

Day {3}

Be effective by beginning with the end in mind.  It's an interesting concept, but not something that I am very good at.  I tend to put my head down and work through it rather than continue to look up to see where I am.  What if there is no definitive ending point?  What if the end that you have in mind is unattainable?  What if your idea of the end stops short of the point where you could have ended if you would have continued?

I can't tell if I'm being silly or serious.  Is that bad?

But seriously, today was another pretty good day as far as keeping on track with my goals.  I think I forgot and took the elevator once, but it was more because I was operating on cruise control than due to any conscious decision.  I also did a decent job of eating healthy when you take into account that we ate supper at 8:30 tonight at a bar.  I ate three pieces of pizza (squares, not slices) when I would have normally had five or six and had water instead of soda, so I'm counting it as progress.

Tomorrow I'll amp up the exercise by spending some time on the treadmill.  Once I get in the habit it's something that I actually enjoy - kinda dead-head time to just veg.  I need to view it as a treat rather than an obligation.

Day {4} awaits!

The {21} Challenge - Day {2}

Day {2}

One flight at a time

Phew.  What a horribly l--o--n--g day.  I woke up this morning at 3:30 a.m. and, thanks to a wretched combination of too much caffeine and just enough to do "until I got sleepy enough to go back to bed," didn't get back to bed at all.  The half-pot of coffee that I started at 5:30 a.m. helped, but only until about 1:30 p.m. or so.  I intended to go home early and catch a little catnap and just never got the clear opportunity.  Oh well, enough grousing.

So far so good.  I'm easing into this new way of life a bit at a time.  I did a very good job of eating appropriately today and kept my mental promise to myself to take the stairs no matter what.  I'm tempted to apologize for that not really being too much to ask of myself here at the beginning, but I'm not going to.  I followed through with today's plan and, although it wasn't a half-marathon, I showed myself that I can do it.  Single steps, right?  It would have been easy to treat myself to a tasty Twix (I don't know why I've been on that kick lately) to pep me up a bit this afternoon or because I chose a good lunch, but I didn't.  Yay me, I say with no sense of sarcasm!

Now I gotta put - one foot - in front of the other - put the other foot down - down - down (ala Revenge of the Nerds) and keep on keepin' on.  Day {3} awaits!

The {21} Challenge - Day {1}

I've been keeping my eye on Rhonna Farrer's blog and The {21} Challenge for the last couple of weeks.  It's an awesome concept that combines a habit you want to make or break (the theory being that it takes 21 days to start or stop a habit) with art journaling and inspirational quotes; but to be honest, I just wasn't ready when the rest of the group took off.  For some reason as I lay in bed last night it struck me - now is the time.

They've done this a couple of times now so if you check Rhonna's blog you can get at least two takes on each day of the challenge.  I personally like the quotes that were posted with the September 2009 challenge, so I plan to post them on the applicable day.  You can go to the earlier version of each day by clicking on the quote - the more recent version will be linked to the day (i.e. "Day {1}").

Day {1}

Last Christmas (seriously, like on Christmas) I started a regime of healthier eating at exercise.  Over the next four months I lost 40+ pounds and worked into the best shape that I'd been in for years, but alas, I have backslid.  I felt powerful and in control of my life when I was taking the time to treat myself right.  Plus, I gotta tell you that it's a lot more fun to buy clothes in a smaller size!

I will eat healthier.  That does not mean that I will restrict myself to 500 calories a day, but it does mean that I will eat sensibly and forgo what has become my daily Twix fix.  I will consider my food choices and opt for fresh, healthy foods instead of heavy, fried alternatives.  I will resist the quick-fix of giving into momentary food cravings for the long term satisfaction of accomplishment.  I can do this.

I will exercise.  I may start out by taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work or walking at a moderate pace on the treadmill, but I will stay with it until I regain my strength and stamina of eight months ago.  I will not beat myself up if I can't do a traditional workout - instead I will remember that any physical effort that I make is bringing me one step closer to my goal.  I will not be self-conscious about my efforts.  I can do this.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the art journaling - I hate to obligate myself to another daily post but it seems as though there may be some benefit to sharing that part of the work as well.  Perhaps I'll scan in my pages and post them on my flickr account.  Perhaps not.  I guess we'll just have to see.....

Wish me luck!