2018 Healthy Habits Challenge!

[ceecee]

The 16 hr fast 8 hr feeding is going very well. I have exceeded the 16 hrs with no issue so I set my Fit Bit to remind me to eat. I'm only taking Sundays off of exercise and because I have a 5 k coming up in April, I'm regularly doing that on the treadmill HIIT. I'm not looking to make any specific time for the 5 k I just want to improve endurance and keep my heart rate up. Weights 4 days a week. I'm not down much weight - about 15 lbs total but my pants are falling off.

[Metis]

The 16 hr fast 8 hr feeding is going very well. I have exceeded the 16 hrs with no issue so I set my Fit Bit to remind me to eat. I'm only taking Sundays off of exercise and because I have a 5 k coming up in April, I'm regularly doing that on the treadmill HIIT. I'm not looking to make any specific time for the 5 k I just want to improve endurance and keep my heart rate up. Weights 4 days a week. I'm not down much weight - about 15 lbs total but my pants are falling off.

I've been doing CrossFit for almost a year. I stopped weighing myself before I started, because it was counterproductive. I got weighed a few weeks ago, because someone had brought a scale, and I was curious... Hadn't lost any weight. I've definitely changed body composition, though.

Supposedly it's hard to lose weight and build muscle simultaneously.

I've read in several online articles that it's recommended to lose weight before trying to put on muscle, but I'm much more motivated by strength gains than by weight lost, so I'm doing what seems to work best.

Starting a martial art recently made me seem to go down about a pants size. Still not weighing myself for at least another few months.

[Lark]

I think its time for a total do over in terms of my objectives for this year.

Going to give it some thought today and tomorrow. Decide something concrete.

[ceecee]

I've been doing CrossFit for almost a year. I stopped weighing myself before I started, because it was counterproductive. I got weighed a few weeks ago, because someone had brought a scale, and I was curious... Hadn't lost any weight. I've definitely changed body composition, though.

Supposedly it's hard to lose weight and build muscle simultaneously.

I've read in several online articles that it's recommended to lose weight before trying to put on muscle, but I'm much more motivated by strength gains than by weight lost, so I'm doing what seems to work best.

Starting a martial art recently made me seem to go down about a pants size. Still not weighing myself for at least another few months.

Haha it is so counterproductive. For me, weight bearing exercise is imperative so I can't take the weight loss then muscle building avenue and that's ok. One thing I'm sure of is that my upper arms are 3 inches smaller than they were at the end of the summer (I measured but it's the only thing I measured, dumb in retrospect). That could be fat loss but it could be muscle building - they don't feel or look as flabby for sure. Next week I'm going to try some FitBit challenges and see what happens.

[Metis]

Right now I'm having trouble exercising because of this sleep problem.


For several reasons:

(1) messes up my schedule

(2) if I haven't slept enough, I'm afraid to rely too much on my alertness and coordination and risk an injury

(3) insufficient rest is bad for my digestive system, which:

(a) makes it harder to move well, and

(b) makes me feel anxious and overwhelmed and less able to handle everything that's on my schedule, so I start crossing things off

I need to get my sleep taken care of.

Might try using a sauna. Last time, I needed a nap afterwards. Unusual for me--I hardly ever nap.

[Tilt]

I've been doing CrossFit for almost a year. I stopped weighing myself before I started, because it was counterproductive. I got weighed a few weeks ago, because someone had brought a scale, and I was curious... Hadn't lost any weight. I've definitely changed body composition, though.

Supposedly it's hard to lose weight and build muscle simultaneously.

I've read in several online articles that it's recommended to lose weight before trying to put on muscle, but I'm much more motivated by strength gains than by weight lost, so I'm doing what seems to work best.

Starting a martial art recently made me seem to go down about a pants size. Still not weighing myself for at least another few months.

This is because muscle weighs more than fat so a much more accurate measure is to look at changes in body-fat composition relative to your overall weight as opposed to JUST weight.

Losing fat before gaining muscle gives you more definition. You can become super beefy with all the right training but without losing the layer of fat on top first, the muscular definition does not show through as well.

This might interest you: Muscle Gain Math -

As for me, I am succeeding on eating better. For being surrounded by fitness-oriented people for so long, I am pretty lazy when it comes to fitness...but I am getting there.

[kyuuei]

Ate a meal, realized in the business of the day (i.e. Woke up at 1:30am) STARVING. hahaha. So, I broke my fast to eat. When I calculated it, I realized I had only eaten 600 calories the evening prior. Oops! I just got so engaged in what I was doing I didn't feel all that hungry. Definitely got up and fixed it, had a really satisfying 400 calorie binge on mini donuts, milk, and fruit and yogurt... was able to go to bed within 30 minutes again no problemo.

Right now I'm having trouble exercising because of this sleep problem.


For several reasons:

(1) messes up my schedule

(2) if I haven't slept enough, I'm afraid to rely too much on my alertness and coordination and risk an injury

(3) insufficient rest is bad for my digestive system, which:

(a) makes it harder to move well, and

(b) makes me feel anxious and overwhelmed and less able to handle everything that's on my schedule, so I start crossing things off

I need to get my sleep taken care of.

Might try using a sauna. Last time, I needed a nap afterwards. Unusual for me--I hardly ever nap.

May I ask, how much sleep are you currently getting, and what (if any) routines do you have prior to going to bed?

[Lark]

As for me, I am succeeding on eating better. For being surrounded by fitness-oriented people for so long, I am pretty lazy when it comes to fitness...but I am getting there.

I think that's important, if your social scene casually exercises and is fitness orientated then it can easily become a habit, like when you meet do you sit around having coffee or go for a walk first or afterwards but definitely do so and be active.

One of the times I'd lost the most weight of my life was when I was about fifthteen or sixteen and my friends and I would meet and walk perhaps for entire days none stop, we didnt realise we were doing it because we had each others company and were chatting the whole time, it was none stop and daily, we all lost a lot of weight, to the point were a friend of mine his family were worried that he had lost weight when he had no weight to lose really, his gran started to stock up his fridge and cupboards with buns and high calorie foods and wanted him to stop associating with me and my brother (there may have been a community/sectarian element to this too but that is surmising a little, not with out reason but all the same).

All the books I've read about positive mental attitudes, physical training or just the health benefits of social scenes continually assert the need to surround yourself with laid back people or to have regular social outlets and contacts, I think its great advice, the best time of my life, besides my teenage years, were studying at a university with lots of good social clubs and societies, I was part of a caving and potholing society which was a great social scene besides.

Its hard to conjur this up merely by willing it I've found, a lot of social or community forums revolve around children and families, as a single adult who isnt a neighbour to any of the people in question its a bit of a challenge.

[Tilt]

I think that's important, if your social scene casually exercises and is fitness orientated then it can easily become a habit, like when you meet do you sit around having coffee or go for a walk first or afterwards but definitely do so and be active.

One of the times I'd lost the most weight of my life was when I was about fifthteen or sixteen and my friends and I would meet and walk perhaps for entire days none stop, we didnt realise we were doing it because we had each others company and were chatting the whole time, it was none stop and daily, we all lost a lot of weight, to the point were a friend of mine his family were worried that he had lost weight when he had no weight to lose really, his gran started to stock up his fridge and cupboards with buns and high calorie foods and wanted him to stop associating with me and my brother (there may have been a community/sectarian element to this too but that is surmising a little, not with out reason but all the same).

All the books I've read about positive mental attitudes, physical training or just the health benefits of social scenes continually assert the need to surround yourself with laid back people or to have regular social outlets and contacts, I think its great advice, the best time of my life, besides my teenage years, were studying at a university with lots of good social clubs and societies, I was part of a caving and potholing society which was a great social scene besides.

Its hard to conjur this up merely by willing it I've found, a lot of social or community forums revolve around children and families, as a single adult who isnt a neighbour to any of the people in question its a bit of a challenge.

Completely agree. I am just lazy but as I get older, I am noticing how easy it is to gain weight. I gained and lost 10 lbs last year with relative ease compared to a few years ago.

[Metis]

May I ask, how much sleep are you currently getting, and what (if any) routines do you have prior to going to bed?

Nah, it's not about routine. My body wants to rise when the sun is setting. I was telling someone the other day that maybe I come from a long line of night watchmen. That would explain why I feel most at home under a night sky.

I could nap in the sun all day, too.



Right now, I can't really arrange a sleeping pattern like that, but hopefully in the future.

Meanwhile, I keep having to struggle to reset.