2018 Healthy Habits Challenge!

[Unkindloving]

I actually just screenshotted my basic/color-coordinated post in my super-duper-old-as-hell fitness journal on here a week or so ago. The purpose was that I would use it to post on Facebook every evening in a daily update/goals update status. It's been going really well so far! The only things on it at the moment are simple check boxes for "Water 64oz" "Calories <2000" "Vitamins". When I'm over my cold, I plan to add others goals like pushups, yoga, zumba, stretching, strength training

So! My aims for healthier changes overall:
1. Hydrate! 64+oz everyday
2. Vitamins! I've been taking a Multivitamin and Probiotic everyday, and B Complex every other day.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar. Aiming for daily. (I still need to do this today..)
4. Tracking my food in Sparkpeople, and gradually decreasing caloric intake overall.
5. Making better food choices overall. I've started to try overnight oats, and finding better options to put in them/utilize in general. I'm open to suggestions for good, but yummy food options in general!
6. Cooking more! I'm a lazy cook, and I've known it forever. I like things that are minimal prep, yet have tasty conclusions. It's one recipe at a time, but I've got an arsenal saved. I want to keep adding more sure-fire dishes to my own arsenal.
7. Exercise! At 29 it's time to stop on/off slacking. My body isn't getting any younger, but I need to start exercising enough where it feels as young as it can.
I *require* Zumba, but I need all of those other goodies in between. So my goal is to A. Exercise more, but also B. Create a more functional exercise space in my home so I have fewer excuses, even if it's doing something small.
8. Laundry/Cleaning/Pampering/Hygiene! There's always more I could be doing, or things I could be doing more frequently. I really want to make a schedule for all of the above, and try to stick to it all for a cleaner home, me, boyfriend, life, and mind.
9. Mental Health! My intention for this year is to speak to a Professional and really seek to establish healthy and helpful goals for generally existing. I'm always in an existential crisis, and I need to find ways to remain content, calm, and relatively happy. I think it would positively impact many other facets of my life.
10. Financial Stability! I really need to focus (more now than later) on finding a job that I feel okay with, saving money, setting up and sticking to a budget (I need an Excel sheet Badly lol), utilizing Cashapps and Couponing often, and just establishing a better concept of money.

 

[Lark]

What would any of you consider to be rigorous exercise? I was reading about some monks in a story, which I am unsure whether or not it has any basis in fact, who retreated from the world to live in remote mountain temples, it describes them as eating a restricted diet, ie bare essentials of water and rice (it is in an oriental taoist context), dedicating themselves to rigorous exercise and a "contemplative lifestyle" (which is also a bit of a mystery but at least different to the routine, "mediation").

I wondering what this meant in that context, whether it meant that the majority of their day was taken up running or in physically challenging weight lifting or push ups, sit ups or pull ups or whatever really.

 

[ceecee]

What would any of you consider to be rigorous exercise? I was reading about some monks in a story, which I am unsure whether or not it has any basis in fact, who retreated from the world to live in remote mountain temples, it describes them as eating a restricted diet, ie bare essentials of water and rice (it is in an oriental taoist context), dedicating themselves to rigorous exercise and a "contemplative lifestyle" (which is also a bit of a mystery but at least different to the routine, "mediation").

I wondering what this meant in that context, whether it meant that the majority of their day was taken up running or in physically challenging weight lifting or push ups, sit ups or pull ups or whatever really.

No. High-intensity exercise for 30 minutes or more minutes or lower intensity exercise 60 or more minutes most days of the week. Unless you are training for something you don't need more for health. Diet is another issue entirely.

 

[Ingrid in grids]

What would any of you consider to be rigorous exercise? I was reading about some monks in a story, which I am unsure whether or not it has any basis in fact, who retreated from the world to live in remote mountain temples, it describes them as eating a restricted diet, ie bare essentials of water and rice (it is in an oriental taoist context), dedicating themselves to rigorous exercise and a "contemplative lifestyle" (which is also a bit of a mystery but at least different to the routine, "mediation").

I wondering what this meant in that context, whether it meant that the majority of their day was taken up running or in physically challenging weight lifting or push ups, sit ups or pull ups or whatever really.

Rigorous is kind of a subjective term. It's relative to the individual's own fitness capacity. I know that in Physiology, anything above 70% VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption/aerobic capacity) is considered to be rigorous or high-intensity, and that number will differ for everyone. It's hard to say what type of exercise they were performing, because any of those you listed could potentially raise the heart rate to a rigorous level. I'd say it's more easily achieved through aerobic exercise, though.

 

[Ingrid in grids]

Most of my goals for 2018 are not health related, but here are my ones that are:

+ Commit to taking SNRI for 12 months

+ Trial Neurofolin for 2 months

+ Find a new psychologist

+ Be generally more proactive in managing eating disorder recovery and anxiety/panic disorder - set aside time each week to go over therapy notes

+ 30-day yoga challenge


I'm taking a slightly different approach to my resolutions this year. Instead of committing to all my resolutions as year-long endeavours, I'm going to focus on some of them sequentially as 30-day challenges. I figure I'll be more motivated this way.

 

[highlander]

Ok, I'm trying out the 17 day diet. Will see how it works.

Easy Weight Loss: The 17 Day Diet - Lose Weight Fast

 

[SD45T-2]

Rigorous is kind of a subjective term. It's relative to the individual's own fitness capacity. I know that in Physiology, anything above 70% VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption/aerobic capacity) is considered to be rigorous or high-intensity, and that number will differ for everyone. It's hard to say what type of exercise they were performing, because any of those you listed could potentially raise the heart rate to a rigorous level. I'd say it's more easily achieved through aerobic exercise, though.

+ Commit to taking SNRI for 12 months

I've been on Pristiq for a few years.

+ Trial Neurofolin for 2 months

I looked it up and just as I suspected (because of the name) it's basically the same thing as the Deplin I'm taking.

 

[PumpkinMayCare]

- Fruit and Veggie days. Basically, I wanna take 3 days out of my week, and on these I only eat fruits, veggies, and nuts. No sugar, no carbs. I have already started and it's going better than I thought

 

[biohazard]

I cured my environmental allergies. I cured my depression & anxiety. I cured my wheat allergy. And I've helped make my Celiac Disease more manageable. I did it all through the keto diet and herbal supplements I take. So I'd like to continue that and make some videos on it to help other people who are going through the same issues. My "gluten attacks" would last me 2 months and now they're only two days and super manageable with supplements. I also don't have seasonal effective disorder this winter because of keto.

I'm now completely man-made medication free. I'm very proud of myself for this and I would like to continue curing myself naturally.

 

[Lark]

Most of my goals for 2018 are not health related, but here are my ones that are:

+ Commit to taking SNRI for 12 months

+ Trial Neurofolin for 2 months

+ Find a new psychologist

+ Be generally more proactive in managing eating disorder recovery and anxiety/panic disorder - set aside time each week to go over therapy notes

+ 30-day yoga challenge


I'm taking a slightly different approach to my resolutions this year. Instead of committing to all my resolutions as year-long endeavours, I'm going to focus on some of them sequentially as 30-day challenges. I figure I'll be more motivated this way.

I am thinking about the thirty day thing, in part because I found a lot of my 1001 goals were too vague, how to know when they were achieved and cross them off the list, thirty days is like a month so its like having a theme for each month.

Its not easy to find something new as much as these videos suggest though, or so I think a lot of the time.

 

[Ingrid in grids]

I am thinking about the thirty day thing, in part because I found a lot of my 1001 goals were too vague, how to know when they were achieved and cross them off the list, thirty days is like a month so its like having a theme for each month.

Its not easy to find something new as much as these videos suggest though, or so I think a lot of the time.

I don't think that the challenges necessarily need to focus on new things! The ones I've planned all focus on activities I've done before (and may have even considered hobbies in the past) but have neglected for various reasons: French conversation, drawing, yoga, journalling and photography. I like the idea of having themed months.

 

[Lark]

I don't think that the challenges necessarily need to focus on new things! The ones I've planned all focus on activities I've done before (and may have even considered hobbies in the past) but have neglected for various reasons: French conversation, drawing, yoga, journalling and photography. I like the idea of having themed months.

Yeah, I saw it first in the movie Limitless when the guy's girlfriend picks up on the fact that he has been learning conversational french or italian, I cant remember which, but he realises he has done something out of character but seeks to brush it off with a remark along the lines of "self-improvement month" or something like that.

That movie sparked a real surge in activity for a while so far as my own efforts went, I just really liked the idea of a switch being flipped and focus and discipline rushing in to do what needs to be done, it starts out fairly simple too, he cleans his apartment, gets a restyling of his hair and look, becomings physically fit which all struck me as the things most people neglect as "success" is the goal instead.

Good luck in your endevours BTW

 

[Abcdenfp]

my healthy habit challenge for this year is not to bite off more than I can chew.
Exercise
I found a fantastic app Aaptiv which helps me to do my work out on my schedule when it works for me vs a trainer. (Saving money too and I love it)
stronger boundaries
be honest with people about my limitations on where I can fit them into my schedule. I always end up trying to do too much for too many people and become overwhelmed, get it done but think you should have just said no. This year I will say Yes when I know it works for me.
hydration
water, water, water.. since I've opened my restaurant I've seen a decline in my water intake it's like I only have time for a quick salad and coffee.. water needs to be added back in.

 

[Lark]

Some resources here for a positive change associated with sleep, productive mornings, the tick list manifesto gets a mention, I do that all the time but have slacked on it lately, some swearing in it so be aware NSFW maybe.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I think I will stop drinking alcohol

 

[Lark]

I think I will stop drinking alcohol

For a month?

Are you going to do a dry january or february? Its become pretty popular, I know my brother does it annually.

I dont do it as my months are generally dry as a matter of default.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

For a month?

Are you going to do a dry january or february? Its become pretty popular, I know my brother does it annually.

I dont do it as my months are generally dry as a matter of default.

My parents do a dry month or two every year.

I'm thinking indefinitely, I hadn't really given a lot of thought to planning it out. I might still drink socially, which wouldn't be very often as I don't have much of a social life outside of the internet.

 

[Lark]

My parents do a dry month or two every year.

I'm thinking indefinitely, I hadn't really given a lot of thought to planning it out. I might still drink socially, which wouldn't be very often as I don't have much of a social life outside of the internet.

I dont drink regularly enough for dry months to make a lot of sense, I enjoy alcohol, although I dont enjoy drunkiness or time wasted recovering from hangovers, everything in moderation as they say. Like I think moderation is a worthier goal than being tee total for instance, I can understand some people need to be tee total because the risk of alcoholism runs in their family tree or something but I think total binging or reliance versus total abstaining is a bit of a swing of the pendulum between two extremes.

 

[Lark]

I've started to observe some of the ideas in the youtube I posted yesterday, even after just a day I feel better, it involves more of the minor lifting, like home dumbell and kettlebell lifting and swinging, and it makes me feel tired and sore at night and in the mornings a bit but its fine, in a day or two I'll feel the good of it.

Also started some other life logging and tracking exercises on the back of this, so I read more today and had less screen time, tomorrow I'm going to do better again, so I can believe that there will easily be an accumulative improvement or change for the better as a consequence of these small changes.

I've got a simple reading schedule that I've developed but had dropped and I'm going to start it again, I think it'll be a way to kick up my reading into a higher gear and work through all the to be read books I've got and then get them cleared out of the house, which will make space too and allow some sort of move, a small one but still a definite one, in the minimalist direction.

Finally, I'm thinking of starting a sort of journalling again, I already do a sort of journaling like the one mentioned in the video (or maybe its another video by the same guy) but this is one involving reflective questions like what [MENTION=7680]lightsun[/MENTION] has been posting from time to time on the forum, I know its not like meditation but it works like that for me.

 

[highlander]

Ok, I'm trying out the 17 day diet. Will see how it works.

Easy Weight Loss: The 17 Day Diet - Lose Weight Fast

Ugh. I feel awful. Like I have the stomach flu with a headache. Ache all over. Chills. Sugar withdrawal? Hopefully not the real flu. I did get a flu shot.