90 day Squat Challenge

Day 1: 6/5/2016
Day 90: 9/3/2016

Day 3
AM: 10
Mid: 0
PM: 11
Total: 21

Grand total: 67

I would like to join this workshop, if I may. I've been debating which one of the many habits I want to commit to, and have chosen "I MUST learn to eat slower!"

This is something I have a lifetime of bad habit to undo - I wolf down my food and always have. I have been actively trying to improve since going LC, but failing. I feel it is important not only to enjoy my food more and to stay even with my slow eating husband, but also for allowing my body to recognize when it is satiated - I think I often overeat beyond what I really need.

I've tried to slow down by using chopsticks when practical, not eating in front of the tv anymore, having more of a dining ritual at the table, playing quiet music, being more mindful while eating, chewing each bite more and sipping on drinks in between bites.

For this challenge, I am going to put my utensil down in between every bite, and not pick it up again until I've chewed thoroughly and swallowed the whole mouthful.

I started today - I only eat lunch and dinner. Usually salad for lunch. It is unbelievably hard for me! I was constanly picking the fork up while I still had food in my mouth, and forcing myself to put it back down. Despit trying very hard to be mindful, I still managed to shovel more food in before I swallowed, once, during the meal. It just happened, and I thought, CRAP! and almost spit it back out but decided perhaps thats where I should draw the line :p
So, I guess I will be starting over, already. Tomorrow - Day 1

Thanks for the challenge and the support!

If we do it perfectly the first day, when it's a big change, then what do we have to work on for the rest of the 90 days?

Seems to me you did really well, cshephard.

Me: wait to know if I'm hungry, or just interested, between breakfast and supper.

Got home from the store. Got all the stuff put away, still hungry. Went to another room. Still hungry.

Ate a hard boiled egg.

A LITTLE hungry still, so will suck it up, and start dinner around 5. (It's 3:27, right now.)

Day 2 - 10 minutes meditation completed.

Waited until just before bed which is not a good time because you can just let yourself go as if headed down to sleep, which is not the aim. A hard chair helps here. It did feel as if I was relaxing, and when I peeked at my breathing it was quite slow and shallow.

I too am looking at others' challenges and thinking "I should be doing that" I can see myself doing squats, lunges and chair dips in the future. Whereas eating slowly, I need to make myself do that too, but I am not ready to confront myself with it yet.

Day 3
 

Challenge Goal:

Net Carbs: 45 or under for 90 days
Calories: 2500 or less everyday as well

Today:

Net Carbs: 45
Calories: 2481

It can't get any closer than this, but I made it. Within limits.

My 90 day "no snacking between meals" habit I'm developing.

Day 3: Complete

Comments:

welcome cshepard! I've already restarted once too. Day one. I had reconsidered what "snacking" was for me and embraced "not eating in the car" even a few minutes before dinner :) We may fail 90 times in a row. If we do we will learn how to be patient, persistant and aware I think. There is no one judging you except yourself. Be kind and patient with that person. :)

I had some other thing but I'll share tomorrow. hint: Last name Mullen.

Day 3 - No wasting time playing hearts on the computer.

This has been too easy. I think I need to add something more challenging. I often don't comply with the no eating after 6PM rule that I try to set myself so, new challenge:

No eating after 6PM except for a cup of broth.

It occurred to me, as I was putting bacon fat in the frying pan this morning, that I've been using less of it, lately. Wondering if that was leading to the nearly daily hunger around 2-3, I added what used to be the customary amount.

Now, we'll see, when the afternoon rolls around.

90 day Habit:
10k steps
96 oz water

Day 3 of 90 done. Fitbit steps 11720. Stopped counting water at 100 ounces.

A reflection on habits. Last night I had a function to go to, and drank two glasses of Merlot. I did not sleep well last night, so "gave myself the morning off" instead of going for a long walk this morning. Also needing to drink more coffee this morning to feel alert than normal. Which means I'm struggling with getting on pace with the water. I will need to either go to the gym or the mall tonight to get my steps in as they are forecasting a high of 97 here today. And evenings usually don't cool off very quickly. One change in my habit is offsetting everything else. I need to ponder and remember this.

90 day Squat Challenge

Day 1: 6/5/2016
Day 90: 9/3/2016

Day 4
AM: 11
Mid: 5
PM: 11
Total: 27

Grand total: 94

I was looking up some of the benefits of doing squats to help me keep going and found some surprising ones that I will list here mostly for my own benefit.

* tones the whole leg
* lifts and rounds the butt
* strengthens core
* increased upper body strength (that one surprised me)
* no other exercise works more muscles
* increases flexibility
* improves balance
* good for circulation - supposed to get rid of cellulite
* improves digestion (aids in keeping you regular)
* creates an anabolic environment that helps build muscle in the body
* when done properly, helps to prevent injury

I have a tendency to over do exercise so part of this challenge is for me to build up slowly. I did 5 mid-day and wanted to do more but held myself back. In contrast, that evening I really didn't want to do them, but forced myself to anyway. Knowing I was going to check in here was a big factor.

Kudos to everyone for starting, keeping on, and even starting over.

It's great that you are pondering this and figuring out how to make things work with the disruption.

I'll be starting over.

I was on the phone with a friend in crisis until pretty late last night, and must have fallen asleep right after I hung up with her. I woke up on the sofa at about four this morning, stumbled my way into bed and right back to sleep.

So, today is my Day 1 again. I'm going to try to find some time earlier in the day for my meditation, but looking at the big list of things that I need to get through today, I'm not sure when that will be.

Day 3 - 10 minutes of meditation completed.

A little earlier in the evening.

Avoid snack between breakfast and dinner.

I don't know if the extra bacon fat was the reason, but I had only a mild twinge around 1:30 that was easily ignored.

Eating my version of Thud soup with half an avocado, right now.

It's all good, and day three is complete.

Day 4
 

Challenge Goal:

Net Carbs: 45 or under for 90 days
Calories: 2500 or less everyday as well
Daily upper body resistance training (New)

Today:

Net Carbs: 42
Calories: 2221
Pushups: 10
Weights: 5 minutes (light sets of curls and other upper body lifts)

I decided to make this challenge a little harder. I've talked about upper body strength training. Talked and talked and talked. It is time to act. My legs are fine, but my upper body is looking kind of wimpy. I need to change that. So at a minimum I will do at least 5 minutes of some sort of upper body resistance training every single day for the remainder of the challenge. I'll periodically do proper pushups - as many as I can do in one session - to gauge where I'm at. Today I could do 10. Thanks for the inspiration, people. I'm finally going to do this. Finally.