Healthy Mind and Body Challenge

[ejchase]

I have a pretty challenging holiday season ahead of me this year (lots of interactions with family members who are hard for me because of my issues as much as theirs) and after eating too much sugar yesterday afternoon at an end-of-the-year event, I realized I'm not going to be at my best unless I take care of myself.

So I'm hereby resolving to do the following for the next eleven days:

Have eight no-sugar days before the end of the year.
Meditate for at least ten minutes eight times before the end of the year.
Take a walk that's at least 30 minutes long eight times before the end of the year.
Do 30 minutes of yoga eight times before the end of the year.

I'm thinking eight times for each is realistic, but we'll see.

Anybody else want to join in with some goals of your own?

[razz]

Funny but I was thinking that I need to resolve to have a really large salad every day regardless as that helps me manage my appetite and any sugar cravings.
Also, only one sweet at a time from a huge assortment of seasonal treats.
I think I can, I think I can...

[nswef]

Both of you have a good plan. It's a tough time of year. But by Dec.31 we will have daylight 3 minutes and 12 seconds longer than today!!!!

[bae]

Working to get in shape for the Rescue Academy which starts in February, and covers the disciplines of vehicle extrication, rope rescue, wilderness search & rescue, urban search & rescue, and Rapid Intervention Team work (which is the specialty of rescuing downed rescuers).

So, hard fast walks each day with 50 pound weight vest, lots of kettlebells, stairs, rowing, stretching, eating healthy diet, consistency.

[JaneV2.0]

Such good examples! I'm thinking I might do a Whole 30 for the month of January. I'm halfway there anyway. It will be tough to give up dairy, but it's a worthy experiment.

[ejchase]

Welcome, All!

Yesterday, got through my first of eight days of no sugar.

[ejchase]

Saturday, December 21st:

Day 2 of no sugar
Day 1 of 30 minute walk
Day 1 of 10 minutes of meditation
Day 1 of 30 minutes of yoga

[SiouzQ.]

A good challenge for this time of year - I need to jump on board. Working in a grocery store this time of year poses all sorts of dietary challenges. As I type I am sitting here eating a giant raw kale salad to counter-balance the three donuts I snarfed at work today (a challenging day it was; super-busy, short staffed as always. Very hard to keep one's equilibrium in these circumstances). So I try to eat very healthy at home (well, there is that little matter of the half gallon of ice cream I brought home last night...).

[ejchase]

Sunday, December 22nd:

Day 2 of 30 minute walk
Day 2 of 10 minutes of meditation
Day 2 of 30 minutes of yoga

Still have to get through the rest of the evening without sugar!

[ejchase]

Monday, December 23rd:

Day 3 of 30 minute walk
With Sunday, Days 3-4 of no sugar

[Spartana]

I have a pretty challenging holiday season ahead of me this year (lots of interactions with family members who are hard for me because of my issues as much as theirs) and after eating too much sugar yesterday afternoon at an end-of-the-year event, I realized I'm not going to be at my best unless I take care of myself.

So I'm hereby resolving to do the following for the next eleven days:

Have eight no-sugar days before the end of the year.
Meditate for at least ten minutes eight times before the end of the year.
Take a walk that's at least 30 minutes long eight times before the end of the year.
Do 30 minutes of yoga eight times before the end of the year.

I'm thinking eight times for each is realistic, but we'll see.

Anybody else want to join in with some goals of your own?

Well I am sort of the opposite. I generally eat well and work out during most of the year so give myself leave to be a total pig over the holidays. Then starting the 2nd I will be a good girl again - although I may have those extra 10 pounds of holiday fat to shed :-)!

[ejchase]

Tuesday, December 24th

Day 4 of 30 minute walk - This was actually 3 hours of pushing a stroller around the zoo, so not sustained cardio, but I'm counting it as my walk for the day anyway

I'm changing my yoga goal to at least 15 minutes instead of 30 - just more realistic for right now

[SiouzQ.]

I did not partake in any sweets today (a major milestone for me lately)! I am actually really sick of food right now but since I have to eat something, I just had a raw kale salad with thin sliced red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and a little feta cheese with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Very YUM!

[ejchase]

Thursday, December 26th

Day 5 of no sugar
Day 3 of 10 minutes of meditation
Day 3 of 15 minutes of yoga

[ejchase]

Friday, December 27

Day 6 of no sugar.

[HappyHiker]

Well I am sort of the opposite. I generally eat well and work out during most of the year so give myself leave to be a total pig over the holidays. Then starting the 2nd I will be a good girl again - although I may have those extra 10 pounds of holiday fat to shed :-)!

You and me both! The gluttony ends in a couple of days...actually a bout of Salmonella post-Christmas started me off with an involuntary fast and purge.

Note to self and others--DO NOT sample home-made sweet potato pie filling that has raw egg in it to see if it needs less sugar than the recipe calls for. I've sampled raw cookie dough over the years with no ill effects, but this time I tossed the dice and lost. Ick.

But back to thread topic, I just ordered a wok online and will be instituting a new diet I've dreamed up--it's The Eat Like an Asian Diet..lots of fresh veggies mixed with, on occasion, a bit of poultry, meat, tofu, and such. And served over some rice noodles.

Trying to get away from gluten, sugar and those white carbs of processed flour that tend to puff him up like a blowfish.

[razz]

Well, I totally lost on the food intake part of the challenge so today am getting back on track of modest diet and portion control again. I never did stop the exercise so that part was OK.

[Gardenarian]

Healthy mind: I am more relaxed than I have been in years, as I am stuck in bed with a broken foot and can not clean, cook, garden, or do any of the other million chores on my to do list. Feels damn good.

Healthy body: I'm eating a very clean diet and strictly following doctor's orders to stay in bed. I have one piece of chocolate a day (I got a box of See's truffles for Xmas) but other than that, all veg, fruit, beans, eggs - that's pretty much it! I'm practicing yoga breathing exercises (pranayama.)

Will continue to follow doctor's orders while recuperating, while trying to remember this - the world will not fall apart if I am not there to hold it up!

[ejchase]

Sunday, December 29

Day 4 of 15 minutes of yoga

Monday, December 30

Day 7 of no sugar

I'm obviously slipping on all my goals. I've been in the midst of a huge decluttering effort because I have family coming from out of town tomorrow. The house is starting to look much better, but it's meant less time for yoga, walking, and meditating. I haven't been going nuts on sugar, but have had some here and there.

Congrats to all you making healthy choices. Gardenarian, good for you for being able to enjoy being laid up instead of fretting about it!

[Simply Divine]

I'm coming in a little late to this thread, but I'm doing daily yoga nidra at bedtime and the 30-Day Yoga Challenge (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcjgXQkHWH453km2BpJqYHzmkUkkjH5IB).

Yoga Nidra (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j4SuAvcmps&feature=c4-overview&list=UUmqXJeT44w8PzwE3mx1UOug) is pretty easy to do since I just lay back and listen. I do tend to fall asleep before the recording is over. Depending on the the recording, that can be good or bad. My sleep has overall been a lot better no matter what, though, and today I actually remembered a very symbolic dream about letting go of goals that no longer fit me. So it's a win overall.

The best time for yoga is right after breakfast for me. This is easy to do on my days off but sometimes I am rushed on days when I work, so I end up doing yoga in the evening if at all. My goal for the new year is to do yoga after breakfast no matter what. I do Day 9 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaM-ELpYN_I&list=PLcjgXQkHWH453km2BpJqYHzmkUkkjH5IB) tomorrow.

[Gardenarian]

Simply Divine - thanks for the link to the yoga challenge - looks like fun!
I am much more flexible in the afternoon/evening, so that is usually when I do yoga.

[Simply Divine]

Simply Divine - thanks for the link to the yoga challenge - looks like fun!
I am much more flexible in the afternoon/evening, so that is usually when I do yoga.
You're welcome! :)

[HappyHiker]

DH and I had the moment of truth this morning and weighed ourselves...yikes!

We're both on a mission now to lose 10% of our weight within the year. I'm reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book, The End of Diabetes (I don't have diabetes and I want to prevent it).

His way of eating makes sense to me and sounds appealing so it will be my basis for menu design this next year. It' already 75% of the way we eat anyhow.

The plan focuses on eating foods that are the most nutrient dense...making every calorie count. It's almost, but not quite, vegan. Tiny amounts of fish and/or white meat poultry are included a few times a week.

Wish us luck on our voyage to increased wellness...here we go!! I want to be a lean, mean, greens, beans, nuts and seeds machine!! lol

[ejchase]

I think I eventually lost track of my count here, but thanks to all of you for being here. It helped me to have a little structure to take better care of myself over the holidays!