***FUIF Friday Fitness Challenge - 3/28 Check in - all welcome!

penad5

Welcome to the FUIF Friday Fitness Challenge!

This is a check in for anyone who is trying to get/or stay healthy with diet and/or exercise though the process of IF - Everyone is Welcome - and can join at any time!  We will check in every Friday to share our successes and tips, as well as get support when we fall

First mini goal date is Friday April 4th only one week to go!  Choose your goal and post it to your siggy - it can be anything you want to achieve!  Everyone who meets their goal gets a badge 

Siggy Ticker - To show you are part of the challenge you can add this ticker that counts down to our first goal date - https://alterna-tickers.com/tickers/generated_tickers/5/51knbiea3.png

Challenge of the Week: Let's Eat Our Veggies!  Try to add a serving of vegetables to each meal - minimum 3 per day.  Already eating enough Veggies?  Then your challenge is to find and try a new vegetable and add it to your weekly menu 

tptbabe

One more week!!!

I didn't do great on last weeks "get moving" challenge. I wish I could say I did, but alas, I did not  It's a new week though, and a new challenge, so I'm up for it! Still getting my 30mins a day in, so that's got to count for something, right?

Considering we're eating vegan right now, I'm definitely getting my veggies in! I've never tried kale before though, so I think I'll try to incorporate that somehow this week? Any ideas?

penad5

Hey all!  Only 1 week to go until our first mini goal date!  I'm going to have to keep working my ass off to earn my badge!  I lost 2.2lbs this week but I still have another 4 to go to get to the 8 I wanted to lose... it's going to be tough - that's a lot to lose in 1 week, but i'm going to give it all I've got!

I also did 314min of exercise this past week -so I'm going to try for another 300 this week!  I think i caught that cold the rest of you had tho so this weekend might be a bust.

This is ATB weekend - the 30K I was suppose to run.  I was still going to travel there and visit with some friends and cheer on everyone in the race... but now i'm not sure.  This cold is knocking me on my ass and it's a 2 hour drive... plus that means 2 days of eating out and I really want to stick to my diet - which is crazy hard when you have to buy most of your meals.  then add to that I have to travel for work on Tuesday and Wed... then I have my cousins stag and doe the following weekend (3 hour drive) it's just too much.  I hate cancelling on people tho.  Uggg I just want to stay home this weekend and try to kick this cold... anyway i'm done whining now

As for this weeks challenge - I keep meaning to start making smoothies for breakfast and i always add spinach so i'll have to start doing that... and making sure i put a veggie with lunch.  then maybe a snake of carrots instead of a banana in the afternoon and I should be good

How was your week

penad5

@tptbabe I've never tried it either - but I've heard people talking about making Kale chips... sounds interesting if nothing else lol https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html

tptbabe

penad5 said:

@tptbabe I've never tried it either - but I've heard people talking about making Kale chips... sounds interesting if nothing else lol https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html

I was thinking kale chips! I think I'll try those this weekend, thanks! I'm not really sure what else to do with it, other than put it in a salad?

pblge

Hi Ladies! Yesterday was my last detox day, and the finale was (forgive the mini-brag) that I ran five miles! I've never run that far in an hour before, so this is big for me. I walked a bit at the beginning and end, and a couple of times in the middle, but I was soooooo proud of myself. Now, I'm dead tired, but it was worth it! Nothing like @RunCC37 with her 8 miles of hills, or @penad5 with her marathons, but we have to start somewhere.

Sorry you're sick, @penad5. Hope it doesn't last long. I suspect your friends might appreciate it if you didn't bring them your cold, but that depends on whether you're still contagious or not. Feel better!

I'm taking today off (WINE AND PIZZA TONIGHT!!!), but will start the 30/30 tomorrow. Thanks to @penad5 for the tips on calories and weight loss. I'll do a weigh in again tomorrow so I can put my new goal in. 

@tptbabe - Kale is fabulous! It's not only super nutritious, but it's also one of the most versatile vegetables. It tastes great in just about any style of cooking. You can do anything with it that you would do to spinach, only it doesn't get that bitter flavor that spinach can when cooked. Kale chips and salads are great, but I'm not sure that would be the best introduction. It can be pretty chewy in salads (this is why people massage it), and the kale chips are a little odd for the uninitiated. For a kale neophyte, I'd recommend chopping it up (be sure to wash it really well--the curly kind can grab dirt) and throwing it into whatever you're cooking. Pastas, stews, soups, etc. Even spaghetti--they all taste better with a little bit of chopped kale. The amount you cook it depends on your preference. OH doesn't like it cooked as much (he's really weird about food --> this is one of the biggest understatements ever written), but I like it thoroughly wilted in most dishes. 

The challenge of the week is really hard for me. The only vegetable I don't like is the turnip, and those aren't in season anymore (right? I think they get more bitter with storage). I'll have to go wander around the grocery store to see if there's something I've been neglecting that I can add in. This is also a tease, because we're in the lull before delicious spring veggies appear. Snow peas! Watercress! Arugula!  IS IT SPRING YET?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tptbabe

Ooooh, thanks @pblge! I'll definitely throw it into a couple of things this week to see how it turns out. I love throwing spinach into pasta sauce, so I'll just sub kale in instead! I'm going to have to read that link about massaging kale now, because TBH, that just sounds kind of weird Off to read!

penad5

@pblge 5 miles is fabulous!!!  Congrats!!!

RunCC37

Great work, ladies!! I'm so impressed with all of the workouts & nutrition victories  =D>

I had a pretty awesome week in regards to my goals:

1. Workouts - I exceeded my goal of 210 minutes, did 3 runs, 2 walks, 1 core workout, 1 strength workout.
2. Nutrition - I made my meal plan and stuck to it. I also made a few carrot cakes (one for my work, one for DH's work, one for home). I've been holding back and only having one piece a day... which I'm surprised about! It's so yummy!!
3. Stress Management - this has been the biggest challenge. A very dear friend is going through a difficult loss right now, and it has been very hard for me to get it out of my mind. I am so sad for her, but at the same time, I need to find a balance between grieving and keeping positive for our FET. I've been keeping up with my C+B FET meditation program, and the green light to work out has been helping to clear my mind. 

COTW: I love this one! I'll be sure to get some extra veggies when I go shopping this weekend. I've definitely been slacking in this department!

tptbabe

I just found out that kale is goitrogenic, so I guess it's a good thing I haven't tried it before ND told me that it's OK to eat goitrogenic foods, as long as they're cooked, but she was talking about a stir fry when we were chatting, but I'm assuming baking would do the same thing? So I guess no salads or smoothies, but I'll still see if I can get it in a sauce, and I want to try the chips too!

Edit: spelling

pblge

@tptbabe - Yes, I probably should have mentioned that since you're Hashimotos. I don't eat a lot of raw kale for this reason (also they say it's okay to have some, but not tons). This is a great article. It's the same problem with everything cruciferous, including spinach. Apparently when cooked this isn't a big issue. You can even blanch it before putting it in smoothies, but I don't bother.

@RunCC37 - Sorry for the stress ((hugs))! Way to go on exceeding your goals!

@geordie314 - Sounds like you had a mostly awesome week! Congrats! 2.5 pounds would be a LOT!

Gotta go run off my minor hangover. Why is it that wine is so delicious but abstaining from alcohol makes you feel so much better?!?!?!

RunCC37

@geordie314, it sounds like you're being a little hard on yourself! Sounds like a good week to me!!

Just a thought, the intention for the badge at the first check-in was to award it to any of us who met our goals. But I vote to amend that - anyone who consistently worked towards their goals and showed an improvement should earn it!! That's just my opinion

And I totally agree with Geordie, it's awesome that this thread is active all week long. It really keeps me motivated!!

RunCC37

Ok, I was just messing around with this... Perhaps we can add text or stickers to the badge. Everyone who consistently worked towards their goals gets the badge, and if you met your goal you get a star?

RunCC37

@IFinTN, wait a minute... 45 laps in 45 minutes in the pool??? That's badass!!!

RunCC37

Holy mother of all that is good and pure! I did laps at the Y back in November, and it went something like this: swim, swim, swim, swim... turn... swim, swim, swim, swim... gasp for air at the end of the lane for 60-90 seconds. LOL!!!

RunCC37

IFinTN said:

Holy mother of all that is good and pure! I did laps at the Y back in November, and it went something like this: swim, swim, swim, swim... turn... swim, swim, swim, swim... gasp for air at the end of the lane for 60-90 seconds. LOL!!!

I am a freak....ask me to run more than 30 seconds and I will collapse:) just always been able to swim as cardio. My college roommate and basketball team mate could run forever but flailed in the pool.

Hahahaha!!! I am a pool flailer also ) I could run for hours on end, have run 10 full marathons, and too many half marathons to keep count. On the road and trails, I'm SuperCici!!! Put me in a pool, and I look like a fool!! HAHA!

penad5

@runCC37 I love the idea of the change in how we earn the badge!!!

@IFinTN I wish i could swim like that - I've been working on it since i want to do a tri but the most i've worked up to is 12 lengths of the pool before i need a break!  good job

Well, I think i'm going to forget this weekend ever happened.  I was sick so i didn't go to the pool on Friday... then skipped my workout Saturday again because i was sick... then nothing today because I was out of town and well frankly lazy.  also didn't eat very well.  But, tomorrows a new day right... hopefully i can still make at least 210mins of exercise but I'm going to push to get as close to 300 as i can!!!

I have my WTF meeting tomorrow too so i'll find out my next steps for my FET - I'd like to sign up for a race once i know what's going on

hope you all had a great weekend!

poohniki

Hi ladies!

I finally got back to being able to exercise last week and I did a lot. I went to 5 yoga classes - 4 of which were hot yoga- and they all kicked my butt. And before each hot yoga, I did 1 hour at the gym.

I've been somewhat watching my calories- but DH told me I am not gluten-free. I told him I was thinking about it, and I was going to slowly transition into it over the next month. Then he went shopping and said I was. Needless to say- this week I had a bagel- just because I knew it might be my last for a while. 

The scale still isn't moving- but I feel so much better. What I considered my normal aches and pains are pretty much gone. So- I may not meet my weight loss goal- but I'm going to try and get in 3 classes of yoga next week and to the gym 3 times.

As for the challenge- I just saw an oven roasted fajita vegetables recipe that had squash in it. I'm all for the oven roasting squash just never thought to eat with mexican food. I'll try that this week. We've been eating tons of salad here

RunCC37

@penad5, I'm excited for you to sign up for a race!! Good luck with your WTF & keep us posted with your racing plans!

@poohniki, that's great that you're feeling better. I'm sorry the scale isn't keeping up, but it sounds like you have a good attitude about it. Just keep up the great work, and I'm sure it'll all catch up at some point!

I am taking advantage of this FET cycle to run to my heart's content I'm hoping that my fitness level will have increased enough over these four weeks to make a difference. I know that I won't be able to run for at least two weeks after my FET... the challenge will be to keep myself motivated and moving during that time. I tend to be an all or nothing kinda runner. If I can't run, then I get grumpy and eat ice cream instead. 

I think this time will be different though... I have my eye on a race for May 18th. It's the Superhero Half Marathon, and I totally plan to dress up as a brand new superhero - SuperCici I'm going to wear my Team FUIF shirt, pin a purple cape on, and dress it up with some gauntlets and a purple running skirt. SuperCici fights IF one cycle at a time, lol, FUIF!!! The plan is to either walk/run the race if I'm pregnant (please, please, PLEASE!), and if our FET fails then I'm going to run the whole damn thing even if it kills me.

poohniki

@IFinTN Yes- My sister recently lost 70 lbs going gluten free so I have wanted to cut back. While DH is very supportive of my being gluten free, he is still carbing it up. He did buy me a ton of gluten free snacks because he didn't want me to be tempted with his junk food- but I don't want to be snacking at all. I am horrible with portion control- even when I separate things into smaller bags. I will even weigh things out to the perfect portion and then absent mindedly put in my mouth what I was supposed to put back in the bag. I guess I just need to go all in for a little bit to see what the rewards are like.

penad5

@runcc37 I just have to say I love your attitude!  Your posts always make me smile - I know you've had a rough couple of weeks with your friend... but your sense of humor and motivation totally inspire me!!!  I so hope your May race will be just the first you run with your little ninja!!!

@poohniki sounds like you had an awesome week at the gym!!!  I've heard of hot yoga and I've been curious to try it... I didn't really like normal yoga when i tried it it was too slow for me and I like things that really get my heart rate up.  Is Hot yoga just yoga but more intense? 

RunCC37

Thanks @penad5 It would be amazing to run a race with my Ninja... oh, the thought gets me excited! I actually have two other races on the calendar before the Superhero Half. They are short races though (4 milers). I'm working on my 9+1 to get guaranteed entry to the 2015 NYC Marathon, so I suppose that if the cycle works then my first race with Ninja will be on April 27th through Central Park. CRAZY.

I've tried hot yoga one time, and I absolutely hated it! The yoga itself was fine, but the instructor was a little out there for me, and I don't know what I was thinking. I overheat really easily, and do not enjoy being hot! Duh, no wonder I didn't like the class!! 

poohniki

@penad5 I think it more depends on the type of yoga you are doing. Hot yoga is when the room is heated to about 100 degrees, which can be intense. "Flow" classes that have you go straight from one pose to another and repeat sets are pretty fast paced. I was at an intense one on Saturday and pretty much couldn't follow- being new and not sure of how to do the poses- but there was mediation at the end. My sister says that the slower yoga classes practice Bikram- holding 26 poses and repeating. Some classes were hybrid- part flow with breathing exercises and meditation. It is super hot though, so I find my heart rate goes up just being in the room.

tptbabe

@RunCC37 - That is an awesome idea! I love it!!!

Count me as another that can swim forever, but can't run to save my life. If a bear were chasing me, I'd be eaten. Heck, if a 90 year old woman with advanced arthritis were chasing me, I'd probably still get caught. Love it, but I really suck. And I'm OK with that!

I actually didn't do a traditional workout at all this weekend. We're getting ready for an appraisal for our HELOC tomorrow, and we had a bunch of half-finished projects around the house that had to get done. Does squatting to dip a paint roller a million times count? I am really sore today regardless, so I'm going to say it counts. Also, I treated myself to having somebody else come in and do the cleaning today! I've never had somebody clean my house before, and I'm super excited about it!!! The husband of one of the women I carpool with has a cleaning business, so I got a special price too Sure, the cleaning would have burned a few extra calories (or a few thousand. If you saw my house, you'd understand) but I hate cleaning. I'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and spend hours cleaning.

tptbabe

@IFinTN - If you make it a regular class, you might think about investing in one of those gel seat covers? I've seen people bring those with them! I'm tempted to as well, but I'm cheap.

pblge

I love how active this thread is! It’s fab.

 

And I agree-working towards your goals should get you the badge. I also like @RunCC37 ‘s star idea for those who met their goal.

 

@IFinTN – That is a really impressive swim speed! And way to go with the spin class. You are kicking butt!!!

 

@penad5 – Sorry you’re still sick. I hope you feel better soon and that your WTF yields a good plan! Is there a race you’ll be able to do if the schedule works out?

 

@poohniki – I can’t believe you went to the gym before all your hot yoga classes. That’s AMAZING. I used to do a lot of yoga, although the hot yoga classes weren’t a good fit for me, either, and I can’t imagine being already tired at the end of them. If you get a chance, I’d love that oven-roasted fajita recipe. That sounds great!

 

On that note, I did figure out a veggie I’ve neglected for the COTW—tomatillos. Not the most nutrient-rich of veggies, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had any. I found a recipe for a green chili with tomatillos I’ll make this week. Yum!

 

@Penad5 – Vinyasa yoga classes can often get your heart rate pounding, but you do have to build up to them. They’re hard to follow if you don’t know the poses. Depending on where you live it may be hard to find yoga classes that aren’t slow (and kinda boring), but they definitely exist. I used to do a ton of yoga, but we broke up.

 

@RunCC37 – I love the Superhero Marathon!! But I hope you have to walk it. ;-) Although maybe you would still run if you got a BFP?

 

@tptbabe – House projects definitely count as exercise! I was just dreaming this weekend of the day we’ll be able to afford a monthly housecleaner. It’s one of my dreams, just because of the marital conflict it could curtail.

 

@geordie314 – Your hike sounds fabulous!

 

AFM, I’ve done 3 days of 30+ minutes, so I’m on track for the 30/30. I feel like the second I finished the detox I immediately gained all the weight back—is that possible?!?! I’ve been trying to keep eating well, so I don’t know what my problem is. I still really have no idea what I’m doing in terms of calories or meal plans. I’m just trying to eat well and avoid the junk food and candy. Not sure if that will be sufficient. For those who use MyFitnessPal, does it have a good interface for calculating nutritional/calorie info from recipes? Spark People is what I’ve used in the past, but it’s being annoying.

 

Go team FU IF!!!

penad5

The other thing you might want to invest in if you really get into spin are the clip in shoes - I'd only bother if you consistently go at least once a week as they are a bit pricey - but they make a world of difference in what muscles you are using and the effort you have to put in.  And yes your butt eventually gets over the saddle soreness  

I had my FET today and the Doc said i'll be doing my FET in May!  I have to do a "Mock Cycle" in April so they can see how my lining and progesterone levels look on a natural cycle - then if all looks good i might be able to do a med free cycle in May!  

I asked about running and stuff and she said I could continue to run during my FET - just keep the intensity down - so I think I'm going to sign up for "The Dairy Capital 5k" at the end of May - It's in my home town and the past 3 years my sister and I have run it together... she's slower than I am so depending on when the transfer falls I could always stick with her for the run.  But sounds like there is no reason i can't do it! 

penad5

Oh and I am feeling better today thank you!  I still have the cold but it's better!  I cancelled my work trip this week tho - I figured I might as well keep my germs to myself!

RunCC37

tptbabe said:

@RunCC37 - That is an awesome idea! I love it!!!

Count me as another that can swim forever, but can't run to save my life. If a bear were chasing me, I'd be eaten. Heck, if a 90 year old woman with advanced arthritis were chasing me, I'd probably still get caught. Love it, but I really suck. And I'm OK with that!

I actually didn't do a traditional workout at all this weekend. We're getting ready for an appraisal for our HELOC tomorrow, and we had a bunch of half-finished projects around the house that had to get done. Does squatting to dip a paint roller a million times count? I am really sore today regardless, so I'm going to say it counts. Also, I treated myself to having somebody else come in and do the cleaning today! I've never had somebody clean my house before, and I'm super excited about it!!! The husband of one of the women I carpool with has a cleaning business, so I got a special price too Sure, the cleaning would have burned a few extra calories (or a few thousand. If you saw my house, you'd understand) but I hate cleaning. I'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and spend hours cleaning.

I spit out my dinner laughing when I read this! 

poohniki

@pblge I have been so knocked out tired from the metformin that I was drinking a full 24 oz coffee before going to the gym. Just so I had enough energy to work out. Crazy- 

Here is a link for the recipe   https://www.tone-and-tighten.com/2014/02/oven-roasted-fajita-vegetables-recipe.html

penad5

So I have a thought and a question for you ladies

For the Badge... I like the idea that everyone who worked towards their goal gets the badge and if they meet it they get a star.  What if for the next mini goal - if you meet it again you get a second star on the same badge... so the more stars you have the more goals you've met?

And my question... does anyone have any ideas/requests for the Challenge of the week?  I have a couple more ideas but they're very specific like a squat challenge (do a # a day/week) so any ideas are welcome

Thanks!!!

RunCC37

penad5 said:

So I have a thought and a question for you ladies

For the Badge... I like the idea that everyone who worked towards their goal gets the badge and if they meet it they get a star.  What if for the next mini goal - if you meet it again you get a second star on the same badge... so the more stars you have the more goals you've met?

And my question... does anyone have any ideas/requests for the Challenge of the week?  I have a couple more ideas but they're very specific like a squat challenge (do a # a day/week) so any ideas are welcome

Thanks!!!

@penad5, I love the idea of adding a star to the current badge. That way our siggies don't get too out of control as we go along with this

Suggestion for COTW: focus on SLEEP! Try to get a full night's sleep every night or at least an hour more than you normally do if you're not able to get 8 hours a night.

RunCC37

OH! And another thought about the COTW: I wouldn't mind if we rotated through the past challenges. I think they're great and still need to keep working on them

pblge

I love your idea about the stars! And I definitely agree with @RunCC37 that rotating through the challenges is a good idea. The ones you've had so far have been great! Some other thoughts I had:

-Drop one bad-for-you habit for a week. Maybe creamer in the coffee, or the afternoon bag of chips, or whatever. Abstain or substitute for one week.

-Try a new exercise. 

-Some healthy pampering-find a way to do something nice for yourself for all the hard work (spa day, facial, mani/pedi, etc)

There's also websites like Self or Spark people that keep lists of these little tricks (e.g., https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/winter-wellness.asp). Could check those. 

-Maybe something about exercising outdoors as the weather gets nicer? I have SERIOUS spring fever at this point. 

-My friend posted a 30 day ab challenge that looks interesting. Not sure if this link will work:

penad5

Soooo last night i caved... we went to Dairy Queen for Ice Cream... the worst part was the girl who made my blizzard skimped on the toppings... sooo it wasn't even very good ice cream!!!  What a waste of an indulge

Sooo today i'm going to run or walk the dogs at lunch even tho it's DH's day to take them... AND i'm going to do a workout after work... and burn some extra cals... but i'm pretty sure I won't be dropping the 4lbs I need to meet my goal.  I think 8lbs was too steep of a goal - even without having a bad week in there

RunCC37

Ah, boo, @Penad5, I hate when I decide to indulge and realize that it's not up to my expectations. What a waste!! But don't beat yourself up for falling short of your 8lb goal - you lost 4lbs while dealing with infertility, which in my mind is absolutely amazing! I can't even bring myself to get on the scale, it's just too depressing.

I'm so pumped about the groove that I'm in recently. I feel like my old self now that I'm on a roll with running and working out! Which in turn helps me to be more on top of my nutrition and stress management. I took my dog on a run last night, and we did hill repeats. It felt so good to charge & chug up that hill (nine times!!). It was my dog's first experience with hill repeats, so he kept looking at me like, 'Why are we turning around? Why not keep going!?' So cute!

penad5

Haha @runCC37 my dogs do the same thing when i bring them on hill repeats - i'm sure they think i'm crazy!  The funniest is trying to run intervals with them... you run fast and then you slow down they get ahead and look back at you like "WTF!!  That was fun come on lets GOOO!!!"   

Dogs are the best!

RunCC37

penad5 said:

Haha @runCC37 my dogs do the same thing when i bring them on hill repeats - i'm sure they think i'm crazy!  The funniest is trying to run intervals with them... you run fast and then you slow down they get ahead and look back at you like "WTF!!  That was fun come on lets GOOO!!!"   

Dogs are the best!

Hahahaha!!! Exactly!! My dog grabs the leash with his mouth and tugs on it when I slow down. He's like, "COME ON!!!!!!!!!" It's so funny! I wish I could keep up with his pace, but for now he's mostly trotting as I bust my ass, LOL

tptbabe

Mmmm... now I want a Blizzard!!! (Notice the capitalization there Mother Nature? Yeah. Don't even think about it!)

My dog does not run. She's a miniature dachshund though. Even before she developed back issues, she would prefer to lie in a sun spot and demand treats than physically exert herself. (She's kinda like me that way. That's why we're buds!) If she happens to see any kind of wildlife though, she loses her mind and takes off. She's killed three birds and two squirrels so far. For a lazy-butt dog like her, that's pretty darn impressive!

RunCC37

Haha! @tptbabe, you always crack me up! We have two dogs (both in my siggy). The lab mix is the runner, but the cairn, oh helllll no! She'd much prefer to snuggle up on your lap and give you kisses. She's so sweet even if she is lazy  :x

penad5

Mine are both boxers... and would run 20 miles a day if they were allowed!  Some days I wish we had a lazy dog lol