How did I do with last week's change?
Week 18: Raise your heart rate
Doing okay with this one thanks to TaeKwon-Do
Week 19: Eat fruit
2 fruit every day? No problem!
The Change:
Find your purpose in life and live it everyday.
This week is a very deep, introspective challenge. To help us delve into things, here are some suggested questions we can ask ourselves:
1)What do you want? When I look back on my life when I am 70 or 80, what do I want to see? What do I want that children to think of me? What do I want my grandchildren to think of me? If I did, what would my eulogy say, what would people say about me? What in my life would bring me the most pleasure, fulfillment and make me most content and satisfied?
2)What are your passions? Thing that bring me joy and happiness, things I do out of love and not guilt and with no need for recognition.
3)What are your strengths? What do I do best? What are my talents? What do I do really well?
4)What matters to you? If I had to attach myself to a cause, what would it be? Is there something that creates a fire in my belly?
Wow.... the good thing is that our host is away next week so we have 2 weeks to work on this change. I've been reading the questions over and tossing some answers around in my head, but I'm going to need some more time before I can put anything together in real words. Stay tuned.
Showing posts with label 52 challenges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 52 challenges. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Week 18 and 19
How did I do with last week's change?
Week 17: Get five squares
Since this challenge involves snacking I would have to say that I'm doing great!
Not only am I behind on blogging, The 'Hood fell behind by a week too. So let's catch up with 2 changes this week.
Week 17: Get five squares
Since this challenge involves snacking I would have to say that I'm doing great!
Not only am I behind on blogging, The 'Hood fell behind by a week too. So let's catch up with 2 changes this week.
TaeKwon-Do anyone? My heart sure is racing 3 times a week. My favorite (and most hated!) part of the warm up takes only 5 minutes and makes me feel like my heart is going to explode. We do 30 seconds of marching/punches, 30 seconds of jumping jacks, 30 seconds of double punches while jumping and then another 30 seconds of marching/punches. Rest for 1 minute and do it again. I have yet to be able to fully complete it without pausing at least once. The double punches while jumping is the hardest! One of our instructors also likes to randomly toss in jumping jacks throughout the hour just to make sure your heart is still pumping.
Week 18 The Change: Get in aerobic exercise by raising your heart rate to 60-80 percent of your maximum heart rate for thirty minutes, three days a week.
Week 19 The Change: Consume 2-4 servings of whole fruit per day. (One serving = 1 cup of berries or other fruit; 1 medium sized fruit or 1/2 banana or grapefruit.)I love fruit almost as much as I love vegetables. I take at least 2 fruit in my lunch every day - usually an apple and whatever else we have on hand. Living in Nova Scotia, fresh fruit (other than apples) can be hard to come by in the winter. I really don't like canned fruit, and frozen is okay to bake with, but not to eat. But winter is over and soon we will have a huge variety of fruits to choose from. I can't wait for fresh peaches, apricots, raspberries and strawberries. I'm hoping we can get out to some U-Pick farms again this year and enjoy our fruit straight from the vine.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Week 17- Get Five Squares
How did I do with last week's change?
Week 16: Laugh Out Loud
I've been kinda grumpy in the evenings, possibly from being tired lately, so I haven't been laughing as much as I could.
Week 16: Laugh Out Loud
I've been kinda grumpy in the evenings, possibly from being tired lately, so I haven't been laughing as much as I could.
The Change: Develop a regular eating schedule that keeps you satisfied throughout the day.This is a timely change for me. I track my food in MyFitnessPal and had always put it in as 3 meals and 1 snack every day. But just this week I changed it to 3 meals and 3 snacks. It hasn't changed the way I eat, but it lets me see how my food is being divided up throughout the day. The one thing that is important to me on this weight loss journey is that I always have lots to eat and don't feel that I'm deprived or wanting. Of course, I try to make healthy food choices. I love having small snacky things throughout the day instead of big meals. I think this will be another change that quickly becomes a part of my day to day life.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Principles to live by
We are taking a break from 52 Small Changes this week, as the woman who heads up the group over at the 'Hood has had a family crisis. We are going to keep focusing on bringing laughter into our lives for another week.
It turns out that TaeKwon-Do isn't just about exercise and getting into shape. It also has a whole lifestyle side to it as well. As part of his first test, Liam has to know the 5 tenets of TaeKwon-Do, so we have them printed next to the computer and he and I review them throughout the day. I also try to find situations in our day to day life that I can show Liam examples of each. Like last week on our bike ride, when he didn't think he could make it up the last hill. I shouted "Perseverance!" and "Indomitable Spirit!" at him as he peddled. I don't know if it helped him get up the hill or not, but he at least understood what they meant by the time he got to the top.
So my small changes this to incorporate the 5 tenets of TaeKwon-Do into my day to day life.
There are five tenets defined in the ITF.
Courtesy (Ye Ui / 예의) Showing courtesy to all, respecting others, having manners as well as maintaining the appropriate etiquette at all times, both within and outside the dojang (도장) (designated training area).
Integrity (Yom Chi / 염치) Although it may be similar, this form of integrity takes on a more wider role then defined in the common dictionary. In Taekwondo, integrity means not only to determine what is right or wrong but also having the conscience to feel guilt if one has done wrong and to have the integrity stand up for what is right.
Perseverance (In Nae / 인내) One will persevere time and time again until they have achieved a result which is adequate towards what one was trying to achieve.[9]
Self-control (Guk Gi / 극기) This means to not only have control over one's physical acts, but also their mental thoughts and actions.
Indomitable spirit (Baekjul Boolgool / 백절불굴) To have indomitable spirit means to have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, no matter what odds you are up against, and to always give 100% effort in whatever you do.
It turns out that TaeKwon-Do isn't just about exercise and getting into shape. It also has a whole lifestyle side to it as well. As part of his first test, Liam has to know the 5 tenets of TaeKwon-Do, so we have them printed next to the computer and he and I review them throughout the day. I also try to find situations in our day to day life that I can show Liam examples of each. Like last week on our bike ride, when he didn't think he could make it up the last hill. I shouted "Perseverance!" and "Indomitable Spirit!" at him as he peddled. I don't know if it helped him get up the hill or not, but he at least understood what they meant by the time he got to the top.
So my small changes this to incorporate the 5 tenets of TaeKwon-Do into my day to day life.
There are five tenets defined in the ITF.
Courtesy (Ye Ui / 예의) Showing courtesy to all, respecting others, having manners as well as maintaining the appropriate etiquette at all times, both within and outside the dojang (도장) (designated training area).
Integrity (Yom Chi / 염치) Although it may be similar, this form of integrity takes on a more wider role then defined in the common dictionary. In Taekwondo, integrity means not only to determine what is right or wrong but also having the conscience to feel guilt if one has done wrong and to have the integrity stand up for what is right.
Perseverance (In Nae / 인내) One will persevere time and time again until they have achieved a result which is adequate towards what one was trying to achieve.[9]
Self-control (Guk Gi / 극기) This means to not only have control over one's physical acts, but also their mental thoughts and actions.
Indomitable spirit (Baekjul Boolgool / 백절불굴) To have indomitable spirit means to have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, no matter what odds you are up against, and to always give 100% effort in whatever you do.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Week 16 - Laugh out loud
How did I do with last week's change?
Week 15: Choose whole grains in lieu of those that are refined
I did eat 2 whole wheat buns this week... does that count?.
I hope everyone is laughing this week.
Week 15: Choose whole grains in lieu of those that are refined
I did eat 2 whole wheat buns this week... does that count?.
The Change: Laugh out LoudI love this week's change! I try to make sure to laugh every day, but it can be hard. Work, homework, housework, bedtime routines can all be downers if you let them. My favorite time to laugh is while cuddling Liam before bed. Luckily he's a kid that can get all riled up and still go to sleep. We have some of our best ticklefests during cuddle time.
I hope everyone is laughing this week.
A day without laughter is a day wasted.
Charlie Chaplin
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Week 15 - Put the Whole in Your Grains
How did I do with last week's change?
Week 14: Keep it Clean and Green
This is more of a long term goal then a weekly one, especially since with the Easter holiday and a visit from my MIL, I didn't really clean anything this week.
The good side to this is that I don't eat a lot of refined grains anyway. I might have crackers with my lunch a couple of times a week, but I don't eat toast or cereal for breakfast, it's rare that I have a sandwich or bread product for lunch, and we don't eat a lot of pasta or rice. And since I'm trying to lose weight, I don't eat a lot of baked goods for desert. I'm not sure if these means that I'm not eating a well balanced diet, but it seems to work for me.
Week 14: Keep it Clean and Green
This is more of a long term goal then a weekly one, especially since with the Easter holiday and a visit from my MIL, I didn't really clean anything this week.
The Change: Choose whole grains in lieu of those that are refined.I'll let you in on a secret... I hate whole grains. I don't like whole wheat bread or pasta and I loathe brown rice. I think the only ones I do like is quinoa and corn (on the cob or in a can!)
The good side to this is that I don't eat a lot of refined grains anyway. I might have crackers with my lunch a couple of times a week, but I don't eat toast or cereal for breakfast, it's rare that I have a sandwich or bread product for lunch, and we don't eat a lot of pasta or rice. And since I'm trying to lose weight, I don't eat a lot of baked goods for desert. I'm not sure if these means that I'm not eating a well balanced diet, but it seems to work for me.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Week 14 - Keep It Clean & Green
How did I do with last week's change?
Week 13: Eat your Breakfast
I actually had a protein rich breakfast twice last week, but mostly I am sticking with my veggies.
Week 13: Eat your Breakfast
I actually had a protein rich breakfast twice last week, but mostly I am sticking with my veggies.
The Change: Eliminate toxic chemicals in and around your home by using greener cleaning solutions.We don't use a lot of chemicals around the house, but we haven't gone as far as making our own soap just yet. We try to buy green products when we can but it hasn't always been a priority for me. Often price will win out if I have the choice to make. There is still a part of me that loves to clean with bleach and to have that bleach smell in the house.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Week 13 - Eat your Breakfast
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - X
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- √
Week 11: Read the Box-√
Week 12: Breath Deep- Not so much
Did I feel any better for starting the day with protein? Not that I noticed. Maybe it has a more cumulative effect. I don't know if I will switch my yogurt to being my first food every morning, but I will make an effort to have a breakfast with a bit more gusto to it before I dive into my beloved bag of veggies.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - X
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- √
Week 11: Read the Box-√
Week 12: Breath Deep- Not so much
The Change: Start every day with a healthy breakfast.I kinda of do this one already, but not in the healthy way that they mean. People talk about a healthy breakfast being full of protein to fuel your body for the day. My breakfast is far from full of protein. In fact, my breakfast is mostly full of water since I eat a huge bag of vegetables every morning. But after seeing this week's change, I had my Greek yogurt first thing (new flavour too, Key Lime, I highly recommend it!).
Did I feel any better for starting the day with protein? Not that I noticed. Maybe it has a more cumulative effect. I don't know if I will switch my yogurt to being my first food every morning, but I will make an effort to have a breakfast with a bit more gusto to it before I dive into my beloved bag of veggies.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Week 12 - Take a Deep Breath (3-19-12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - X
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- as part of working out, or sometimes at the office
Week 11: Read the Box-√
So I'm going to add a 12th small change to routine. I'm doing well with most of the others, but I do worry that we are going to soon have so many that it will be impossible to keep track of. But I guess the point of these all being cumulative is that they simply become second nature, a part of your day to day activities that you don't even think about them. That is certainly true for me for drinking water and keeping a food journal. The rest aren't quite ingrained yet.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - X
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- as part of working out, or sometimes at the office
Week 11: Read the Box-√
The Change: Once a day, dedicate five minutes to breathing deeply.I'm not a big fan of breathing deeply. More often then note it makes my lightheaded and dizzy. But Christy over a the 'Hood might be on to something "Or wait until you get into bed and shut the lights off. I don't think there's any harm in doing in while lying down!" That might actually work for me and it would be a great way to relax as I fall asleep.
So I'm going to add a 12th small change to routine. I'm doing well with most of the others, but I do worry that we are going to soon have so many that it will be impossible to keep track of. But I guess the point of these all being cumulative is that they simply become second nature, a part of your day to day activities that you don't even think about them. That is certainly true for me for drinking water and keeping a food journal. The rest aren't quite ingrained yet.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Week 11 - Read the Box (3/12/12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - Haven't remembered this one all week :(
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- I'm not doing so well with this one, but I try!
This week we also have an assignment with our small change:
a) Lipton Cup-a-soup Chicken Noodle
b) Vegetable Thins
c) Snack Pack Chocolate pudding
2. Each has a minimum of 10 ingredients, with the crackers having more than 20. I was surprised to find MSG in both the soup and the crackers. The soup has 2 ingredients called "disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate" and the crackers have "soybean oil with TBHQ". I have no idea what any of these things are. Even the pudding has a mysterious ingredient - "carrageenan" which doesn't sound good at all.
3. I'm good with the serving sizes for these items. The puddings and soup come pre-measured, so those are easy. The crackers' serving size is 15 and I do measure those out when I take them for lunch, since I am counting calories and need to know what I've eaten.
I eat these items because they are low in calories - soup = 50, crackers = 80 and pudding = 90. But looking at them holistically, they probably aren't the best choices that I could be making. Thanks to this small change, I will definitely be paying more attention to labels.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - Haven't remembered this one all week :(
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Week 10: Take time to stretch- I'm not doing so well with this one, but I try!
The Change:I read labels a lot more these days, but mainly to read the calorie content and the serving size. Who knew that serving sizes could be so deceiving? It's been a real eye opener to check the labels of things before I buy them. The good thing is that we don't eat a lot of pre-processed food, so I don' t have to worry too much about what is in things. Most of the processed foods that we do eat, I already know are bad for me (cookies, chips, candy....)
Learn how to read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel on packaged products so you can make healthier choices.
This week we also have an assignment with our small change:
1. My three items, things that I eat fairly regularly:
1. Go to your pantry and pull out the first three things you see. Look at the labels.
2. How many ingredients are in each item? Can you pronounce all of them? Do you know what they are? Fat and sugar have many aliases. List a few of the ones you know.
3. What is the serving size? Go and measure or weigh they items and see if you're normally getting more than a serving. What is the outcome?
a) Lipton Cup-a-soup Chicken Noodle
b) Vegetable Thins
c) Snack Pack Chocolate pudding
2. Each has a minimum of 10 ingredients, with the crackers having more than 20. I was surprised to find MSG in both the soup and the crackers. The soup has 2 ingredients called "disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate" and the crackers have "soybean oil with TBHQ". I have no idea what any of these things are. Even the pudding has a mysterious ingredient - "carrageenan" which doesn't sound good at all.
3. I'm good with the serving sizes for these items. The puddings and soup come pre-measured, so those are easy. The crackers' serving size is 15 and I do measure those out when I take them for lunch, since I am counting calories and need to know what I've eaten.
I eat these items because they are low in calories - soup = 50, crackers = 80 and pudding = 90. But looking at them holistically, they probably aren't the best choices that I could be making. Thanks to this small change, I will definitely be paying more attention to labels.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Week 10 - Take time to stretch (3/5/12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
One thing I discovered yesterday was that I liked doing Yoga and Strength exercises with Wii Fit right before bed. I`ve been having trouble staying asleep because I get a strange restlessness in my legs that make me feel like I have to flex and stretch my legs compulsively, thus keeping me from falling back to sleep. However, since I`ve been doing more exercise, I have noticed that it has been less. So I think that 20 minutes of stretching right before bed might just be the thing I need.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Week 9: Enjoy time alone-√
Stretch a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week to maintain flexibility.Hmmmm... I need more hours in my day!
One thing I discovered yesterday was that I liked doing Yoga and Strength exercises with Wii Fit right before bed. I`ve been having trouble staying asleep because I get a strange restlessness in my legs that make me feel like I have to flex and stretch my legs compulsively, thus keeping me from falling back to sleep. However, since I`ve been doing more exercise, I have noticed that it has been less. So I think that 20 minutes of stretching right before bed might just be the thing I need.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Week 9 - Enjoy Time Alone (2/27/12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Ahhh... alone time. That coveted dream of many parents (and some non-parents too I'm sure!)
I do try to find time for myself:
I'm hoping once the weather warms up to be able to get out for walks or bike rides. I would love more time to read or blog, or chat on the phone with friends, but alas, there are only so many hours in the day.
I'm sure I could do better and I will certainly start making the effort.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Week 8: Eat your Veggies-√
Carve out a minimun of half an hour for yourself on a daily basis.
Ahhh... alone time. That coveted dream of many parents (and some non-parents too I'm sure!)
I do try to find time for myself:
- I purposely get up 30 minutes before Hilary and Liam so that I can be alone. That is as much for their safety and well being as it is mine. I am NOT a morning person and need that alone time with my coffee before I am ready to talk to others and start the day.
- When we aren't in the middle of a bus strike, I consider my hour long bus commute "me-time" because I can throw on my iPod, listen to music of my choice and read my book.
- I've been trying to exercise for 30 minutes after work each day, so that is some time by myself.
- I also head to bed before Hilary so I get some "me" TV time then too.
I'm hoping once the weather warms up to be able to get out for walks or bike rides. I would love more time to read or blog, or chat on the phone with friends, but alas, there are only so many hours in the day.
I'm sure I could do better and I will certainly start making the effort.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Week 8 - Eat your Vegetables (2/20/12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √ Yeah! I'm finally sleeping well.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
This one is almost comedic given what I eat for breakfast every day. I've never measured it out in cups, but I would guess that I average 6-8 cups of raw non-leafy vegetables every day just for breakfast. Add in that I try to eat a salad every day (and usually a big salad, 4-5 cups of lettuce or spinach plus lots of other veggies) and that we have vegetables with dinner every night and I think I might actually be going overboard on my vegetable consumption!
I love raw vegetables, no dip required. I snack on them like chips over the course of the morning and they fill me up. My favorite is raw zucchini, but I really do enjoy them all. Except raw broccoli, but that is more of a texture issue than taste.
I don't think I can add anything to make this week's challenge any better!
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - √ Yeah! I'm finally sleeping well.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Week 7: Keep the outside out - 75% yes, 25% no
Consume at least four to six servings of fibrous vegetables per day. (One serving = 1/2 cup of non-leafy vegetables or 1 cup of leafy vegetables.)
This one is almost comedic given what I eat for breakfast every day. I've never measured it out in cups, but I would guess that I average 6-8 cups of raw non-leafy vegetables every day just for breakfast. Add in that I try to eat a salad every day (and usually a big salad, 4-5 cups of lettuce or spinach plus lots of other veggies) and that we have vegetables with dinner every night and I think I might actually be going overboard on my vegetable consumption!
I love raw vegetables, no dip required. I snack on them like chips over the course of the morning and they fill me up. My favorite is raw zucchini, but I really do enjoy them all. Except raw broccoli, but that is more of a texture issue than taste.
I don't think I can add anything to make this week's challenge any better!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Week 7 - Keep the Outside....Out (2-13-12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Hmmm... this one might be tough at my house:
Maybe I will have to buy Hilary some slip on smoking shoes!
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - √
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - √
Week 4: Keep a food journal -√
Week 5: See the glass half full - Working on it
Week 6: Multi Vitamins - I remember about 50% of the time... need to work harder on this one.
Change:
Remove shoes at the door and create a transition space to minimize unwanted outdoor pollutants in your home.
Hmmm... this one might be tough at my house:
- I take my boots off 90% of the time as soon as I come in. Carrying groceries is usually the only exception.
- Liam takes off his shoes/boots. Heck, we have trouble convincing him to keep pants on at home, so footwear is a no-brainer.
- Hilary however wears her boots all day long, never taking them off. This is mainly because they are hard boots to take on and off, and since she smokes outside, she is in and out more often.
Maybe I will have to buy Hilary some slip on smoking shoes!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Week 6 - Take a Multivitamin every day (2-6-12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - Doing well.
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - Doing well.
Week 4: Keep a food journal -Doing well.
Week 5: See the glass half full - I took care of myself by getting a hair cut! the rest... not so much. I'm sick, I'm tired, I'm grumpy... 'nough said
Other then the Flinstones I took as a kid, I've never been a multi-vitamin taker. I figure I eat a very well balanced diet. However... the last time few times I've had blood work done my B12 has been low....so low that for a while I had to go into the office every week for a shot. I'm supposed to take B12 and Calcium every day. Do I? No... they are shoved in the back of the cabinet and forgotten. Till now!
So thanks to the Sisterhood and our 52 weeks of challenges, I'm going to dust off the bottles, check the expiry dates and start taking my vitamins!
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - Doing well.
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - Doing well.
Week 4: Keep a food journal -Doing well.
Week 5: See the glass half full - I took care of myself by getting a hair cut! the rest... not so much. I'm sick, I'm tired, I'm grumpy... 'nough said
Too funny. How do they know that I have bottles at the back of my cabinet? Forgotten? From 2002?
This week our small change is to take a multivitamin. Every day. Not just for a couple of days and then the bottle gets shoved to the back of the cabinet and forgotten until you purge expired stuff in 2015. You know what I'm talking about!
Other then the Flinstones I took as a kid, I've never been a multi-vitamin taker. I figure I eat a very well balanced diet. However... the last time few times I've had blood work done my B12 has been low....so low that for a while I had to go into the office every week for a shot. I'm supposed to take B12 and Calcium every day. Do I? No... they are shoved in the back of the cabinet and forgotten. Till now!
So thanks to the Sisterhood and our 52 weeks of challenges, I'm going to dust off the bottles, check the expiry dates and start taking my vitamins!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Week 5 - See the glass as half full (1-30-12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - I did much better this past weekend and get my 14 cups every weekday
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - I have been keeping busy in the evenings and getting up from my desk to walk and stretch every chance I get.
Week 4: Keep a food journal - Doing great with MyFitnessPal. I've now logged my food every day for the past 30 days.
This week's challenge is going to be a tough one for me. While I'm not naturally a pessimistic person, I have been finding it harder to find the lighter side of things lately. Trying to find the right mix of ADHD meds for Liam that can get us through the evenings, and the dreaded HOMEWORK is tough. I'm not at my best parenting patience level after work, so too many evenings end in tears (both his and mine). I'm really going to focus this week on letting go of the things I can't control, enjoying my life, laughing and believing in me. Here are 10 tips from The Shrinking Jeans group for this week's challenge:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - I did much better this past weekend and get my 14 cups every weekday
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - I have been keeping busy in the evenings and getting up from my desk to walk and stretch every chance I get.
Week 4: Keep a food journal - Doing great with MyFitnessPal. I've now logged my food every day for the past 30 days.
This week's challenge is going to be a tough one for me. While I'm not naturally a pessimistic person, I have been finding it harder to find the lighter side of things lately. Trying to find the right mix of ADHD meds for Liam that can get us through the evenings, and the dreaded HOMEWORK is tough. I'm not at my best parenting patience level after work, so too many evenings end in tears (both his and mine). I'm really going to focus this week on letting go of the things I can't control, enjoying my life, laughing and believing in me. Here are 10 tips from The Shrinking Jeans group for this week's challenge:
1. Shift self-talk. We are harder on ourselves than anyone else, and negative self talk is the very core of pessimism. This week, and going forward, let's work on avoiding self-criticism and instead practice self-acceptance.
2. Use affirmations. Yes they are hokey sometimes, but speaking positively about yourself and you situation is a great way to push out the pessimism. Make a list of positive things about yourself. Even if you don't believe them just yet. Start with: I am.......and read them every day.
3. Have a sense of humor! believe it or not (because I'm damn funny!), I really, really struggle with this. Daily. Just this morning as we were getting ready to walk out the door, my daughter dropped a full cup of milk all over the floor. I flew off the handle, and I'm not proud of how I reacted. This was AFTER I knew what our assignment for this week would be. This is common for me. I need to work on seeing the humor and try not to take myself and the tough situations I'm in so seriously. You, too!
4. Take care of yourself. It helps you have a more positive self image. Exercise also boosts feel good hormones.
5. Develop healthy relationships. Surround yourself with people who are happy and make you feel happy.
6. Practice gratefulness. Take time everyday to appreciate all that you have.
7. Let go of things you can't control. If you find yourself stressing over something you can't control, step back and ask yourself if it's really worth spending your time worrying and stressing.
8. Celebrate your strengths and accomplishments. List the things you're good at and the accomplishments you've achieved. Make a list!
9. Forget your fears. Push the fear of the unknown out of your mind because it only causes you to stress more.
10. Harness the law of attraction. Focus on what you want and what you want to attract to your life instead of focusing on the negative. Focusing on what we want helps us visualize positive outcomes, mobilizing you to make them a reality.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Week 4 - Keep a food journal (1-23-12)
To recap:
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - Still going strong and still struggling on the weekends.
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - ROCKING this one now that I found the step game on the Wii Fit that lets me count my steps while I watch TV.
If I don't track every morsel and watch the calories climb during the day, I have no self control over either portions or choices. But as soon as I know that I will be holding myself accountable to a number the minute I put that cookie in my mouth, I am (more) able to walk away. It's also a great place to track my water (when I remember)
The one thing I don't do, but should, is to keep track of how I feel with different foods. I have only recently accepted the fact that I am somewhat lactose intolerant. I haven't cut all dairy out of my diet completely, but if I don't get my Starbucks Chai Tea Latté made with Lacteeze, I pay for it later. I was never a milk drinker and the bit in my 1 cup of coffee per day doesn't seem to affect me. But if I were to better keep track of how I feel before and after eating, I might get a better handle on how food affects me.
Week 1: Drink 14 cups of water a day - Still going strong and still struggling on the weekends.
Week 2: Get 8 hours of sleep per night - Still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night.
Week 3: Keep off the couch - ROCKING this one now that I found the step game on the Wii Fit that lets me count my steps while I watch TV.
This week's small change is to keep a food journal.
Write done everything you eat and drink - every bite, lick, and taste.
Not only is this good for controlling your calories in for weight loss, but it's a great way to gauge how certain foods at certain times make you feel. Keep track of how you feel before and after your meals, too.Since this has been pretty much my only weight loss plan for the past 2 years, I should nail this one! I track my food - every bite most days - at MyFitnessPal (member name echaos if you would like to add me as a friend).
If I don't track every morsel and watch the calories climb during the day, I have no self control over either portions or choices. But as soon as I know that I will be holding myself accountable to a number the minute I put that cookie in my mouth, I am (more) able to walk away. It's also a great place to track my water (when I remember)
The one thing I don't do, but should, is to keep track of how I feel with different foods. I have only recently accepted the fact that I am somewhat lactose intolerant. I haven't cut all dairy out of my diet completely, but if I don't get my Starbucks Chai Tea Latté made with Lacteeze, I pay for it later. I was never a milk drinker and the bit in my 1 cup of coffee per day doesn't seem to affect me. But if I were to better keep track of how I feel before and after eating, I might get a better handle on how food affects me.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Week 3 - Keep of the couch (1-16-12)
So these 52 challenges are cumulative!
To recap:
Week 1: drink 14 cups of water a day
Week 2: get 8 hours of sleep per night
Water: CHECK; Sleep: Not so much.
I'm still struggling with waking up during the night and not being able to fall asleep again. But I'm going to keep trying to conquer this one!
Week 3: Apart from exercise, incorporate regular and routine activity into your lifestyle.
I'm all over this one!
Every little bit counts! What are you doing to get moving?
To recap:
Week 1: drink 14 cups of water a day
Week 2: get 8 hours of sleep per night
Water: CHECK; Sleep: Not so much.
I'm still struggling with waking up during the night and not being able to fall asleep again. But I'm going to keep trying to conquer this one!
Week 3: Apart from exercise, incorporate regular and routine activity into your lifestyle.
I'm all over this one!
- One thing I do at home that drives Hilary CRAZY is my method of tidying is to pick up one thing from room A and walk it over to it's home in room B - walk back to room A and get the next thing to be put away. I just bought a pedometer so I will be very interested to see how many steps this gets me in a day.
- If I really want to burn some extra calories I will put on ankle weights while I tidy.
- Last week I came across a list of 8 stretches that you can do at your desk from the Mayo Clinic. Today I sent a meeting invite to the 15 folks in my department so that we can all do these together twice a day!
- Since we don't have a car, we already walk everywhere. So I'm making more of an effort to take the stairs instead of the escalator or use the furthest away bathroom.
Every little bit counts! What are you doing to get moving?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Week 2 - Aim for 8 (1-9-12)
I've done fairly well at the first week's challenge of drinking 14 cups of water a day! I don't think I've hit my goal every day, but I've been pretty close.
The challenge for week 2 is to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. The benefits of being well rested are many:
So for this week's challenge I will try to go to bed a bit earlier, let myself sleep in when I can and try some middle of the night relaxation techniques to try and overcome my wakefulness.
The challenge for week 2 is to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. The benefits of being well rested are many:
I'm usually asleep by 10:30 and up by 6:30, which, in theory, gives me 8 hours of sleep. The problem I've been having of late is staying asleep. I wake up between 2:00-3:00 and then find myself tossing and turning and not able to fall back to sleep until close to 5:00. I'm not sure what I can do to change this. I've tried warmer, cooler, nothing to drink after 4:00 in the afternoon, not eating late at night, eating a snack before bed, even alcohol!According to a Harvard Medical School report, here are just a few of the things that getting adequate sleep will benefit:
- Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
- Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
- Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
- Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
- Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
- Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
So for this week's challenge I will try to go to bed a bit earlier, let myself sleep in when I can and try some middle of the night relaxation techniques to try and overcome my wakefulness.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Week 1 - Drink Up! (01-02-12)
The sisterhood' is having 52 weekly challenges this year that I'm going to try and follow along with. The first one should be nice and easy!
This week our small change is to simply drink water.A goal I can achieve! I love water. I drink it all day long...at the office. So my personal goal is to make sure that I drink my 8+ glasses of water every day, no matter where I am.
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