Healthy Habits For Ponies! Take 2! ~Update last challenge, pg 99!!

[LeighAnnApanites]

Thanks SurfStar. That's really good advice, perspective, and clarification. I just want to say how grateful I am for this thread/project/whatever-I'm-not-sure-exactly-what-to-call-it. I am already noticing changes in my thoughts and habits and even my body. Some are smaller than others, but they're all significant and they're all helping me get to where I want to be, which is living in a body that is full of energy and strength that can take me to do all the fun things I want to do with it. It's really hard sometimes, I totally screw it up sometimes, but as long as I don't give up, I'll get there eventually, even though I want to get there yesterday. I wouldn't be as successful as I am now, though, if it weren't for all of you wonderful folks sharing your support, encouragement, and even your struggles. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and a special thanks to you, SurfStar for getting us started and being our head cheerleader.

Much Love!
LAA

[Marlin]

Nicely done, Surfstar    I think it's great how you've reinforced the importance on focusing on ourselves - having the guts to know our limitations, as well as the confidence to push ourselves a little further. The support everyone is putting forward to others on this thread is really admirable too.

You've been an awesome coach through all this, and despite me personally not being the best student the last couple of days (oops... more birthday cakes! A ladybird cake for a four year old this time - I'll have to post a piccie!), I am really enjoying being a part of this, and the biggest reward for me personally so far is how I've seen myself strengthen physically. I haven't really lost any weight - and I have terrible self control sometimes with food... but I have come so far from those first days barely being able to do a few simple exercises without hurting to being proud of just how much I can do now! And I guess that is exactly the point of this challenge.

Great to see you back btw Surfie    I haven't read back a terribly long way on the thread, but hope you've managed to sort out those awful issues you had with your computer losing some stuff!

[kiwimlp]

Great update, Surfstar. I am competing with myself for points!  I want to do the best I can so I can shed all of this extra weight and re-join the world again.  I love all of the pointers/advice and challenges you have set.  They make me expand my boundarys a little which is always a good thing.  I also like having this thread to come to so I can dump off my day's success or failures. It helps to be surrounded by people who are going through the same thing

[fiwen30]

Cheers for that, Surfstar! I brought out the scales and measuring tape last night, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I've lost an inch round my waist, as well as 3 pounds! I'm now back below 8 stone which is a weight I'm comfortable and happy with

[BrightSide]

SurfStar

Fabby post. It points out really important things which we should all be bearing in mind.. and I have suggestions to add onto it as well.

Can't go outside to exercise? I live in england, and I'm sure most UK ponyfolk will support me in saying the weather here is abysmal most of the time. So why not use your lounge instead. Get yourself a yoga or aerobics dvd or watch vids on YouTube. It's not about pushing yourself until you're sweaty and cramping, it's about what you can personally achieve in yourself. Even if you're doing something like moving your feet whilst watching TV or getting off the bus a stop early so you can walk a little, it's for you. And that's what matters.

Had a flop day? You're human, okay? It's okay if you had some cake or your relatives invited you out for a meal, if you felt crappy and had some chocolate or you couldn't resist a sundae. Today is one day and tomorrow is another, strive for tomorrow to be better than today instead of kicking yourself for a fallback. There are positives in everything.

Don't be so hard on yourself. We're all working towards this together.. to create improvements in our lives. I think that alone, the fact we're trying to make a difference, is something for everyone to be proud of. You could've just sat back and left it. But you didn't - you made a conscious choice to try to reach something better. Give yourself credit for things which have gone well.. I see a lot of people slamming themselves for crappy things and not giving themselves anything for the good things they've achieved!!


I know I'm quite possibly a silly hypocrite when it comes to the above. But I do look for positives in life, as tough as it is. Some days I couldn't manage one ensure, and now I'm managing to take some. I know my reasons to change and although it's going to be long and painful I don't believe this will be the death of me.

[Crowning_Glory13]

Great surfstar and everyone...maybe a good challenge for all of us is how we can find good in our situations...1 point sat.....nothing close to a work out...but i could have taken in more cals....but i did good for a birthday party:) today could be hatd on my cals but we have company over and all next week is a chance to work my cals....today is making the soup for my diet....and mon it starts:) i am goinv to even do a scale play so you can see its affects;)

[NovelNerd]

Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth. I have had strange things going on and teachers conferences and what not. I'm back though and back in business!

Go Pony people go

[ZettaMomo]

Thank you so much for the words of advice, Surfstar and Brightside!
 
I really needed to hear it.

For people looking for new workouts check Netflix. I just looked myself and there are a few of 10 Minute Solution workouts on instant watch. That includes yoga, kickboxing, pilates, dancing and some others. So if you can't get out of the house and have Netflix it might be worth checking out. You might find a new workout DVD on there that really works for you.
I think I am going to make a mini goal for myself this week to try out a new workout DVD each day. Even if I cannot get through the whole workout I am at least going to try! I might find some extra inspiration through that.
 

[Kitkumi]

hey everyone, just wanting to let you know I'm still here and participating. Jumped on last sunday to grab the challenge but we've been all caught up in a pretty big family emergency. The week of the July 4th I really lost some steam due to stress and either eating everything in sight or nothing at all due to what was going on, but it evened out and things are getting better. I'm getting back on track with my excercising and even through the stress I've stayed away from all soda. I've officially not had a sip of the stuff for over 30 days I'm really proud that I think I've really managed to give the stuff up this time for good!

[SurfStar]

Official Update

Okay well it looks like the past week or so we've had more downs than ups. to everyone for muddling through. Tomorrow is always a blank slate so I certainly hope that everyone doesn't let them get this too down.

Summer is a super busy time for most of us. I know that I recently got back from a vacation to Washington (state) where I was attending PaizoCon. While I had a blast, getting back into the swing of my everyday life has been something of a difficulty for me (especially without my normal computer!). Please remember that life happens and being successful at being healthier means learning to manage things when we are up and down!

I think it's definitely important to remember that we are all here to support you and we will do our best to help each other be successful.

I am impressed and amazed at how great everyone is doing. 1. You made a decision to be healthier and 2. you're doing something to get there. That is so much better than many others across our countries! Small changes over time are what matter, whatever you're working towards didn't happen overnight and reversing those habits (those ingrained habits!) will take time and patience.

That being said, the Week 5 challenge is something I think we all need. BrightSide mentioned it earlier (though I had been thinking about it before then...)..

Week 5 Challenge

For this week I want you to look back over the previous 4 weeks. Pick out 5 positive changes you can see in yourself or life directly as a result of you making the choice to be healthier.

You can either post about it or not, as you choose.

[Kitkumi]

I think I'll post for the challenge Looking back over the last four weeks, some of the positive things that I've noticed in myself is that I'm not craving all the junk food that I would normally be eating and have instead really taken the time to sit down and plan out meals to cook. I'm also not snacking hardly at all anymore and though at the start of this it was really hard to stay away from the snack foods, more and more now I am only eating when I am really hungry. I had to invest in a belt too because I've managed to lose half a jean size, and another change is that I'm craving more fruits and veggies. With the heat up as high as it has been I've been going through so much watermellon! Lol. And for my last positive change, I've noticed that I am over all just happier Even if I have a few rough days, I'm still overall feeling much more upbeat than I was when I started with this.

[hyenacub]

O_o...did I miss the Week 4 challenge?

Hm.  Well 1 positive change is that I think about food a bit more often, and am more conscious if I eat something that's not so great for me.  When I just eat without thinking, I tend to eat more and worse stuffs.

2--I am keeping up better with my chores lol

3--I am more apt to not just sit at my computer all night.  I want to have done at least one semi-active thing.  Or at least something other than surfing the web and commenting.  (Been on a drawing kick.)

4--I got to know you lot better!

5--I think my words might have given comfort or cheered at least a person or two on this thread once or twice.  Which I like doing.  C:

[SurfStar]

O_o...did I miss the Week 4 challenge?

No I decided to take Crowning_Glory's advice and give us a week off. I think that we all might have needed a small break =)

[hyenacub]

Oh!  Okay, just so I didin't have a week-long blackout or something. 

[kiwimlp]

Goodie. Another challenge!  I will give it some thought and come back later to post my thoughts.  As an aside, I have now lost 8.5kgs (I was already at 4.5 when this thread started).  I got to wondering how heavy that weight was (rather than how it looked stacked on my hips) and discovered that 4x 2.25 litres of diet coke = the weight I have lost!  I put those bottles in a bag and lifted them up... and wow.  That was a lot of extra weight I was having to carry around. It's no wonder I am feeling so much more energetic these days.

Post Merge: July 16, 2012, 01:25:41 AM

Okay.  Five changes I have noticed.

1) Already I am so much fitter than I was.  I can walk up steep hills without too much trouble and recover more quickly once I get to the top

2) I can sit down and eat dinner in my work pants.  I bought them at the start of this challenge and they were really tight.  Now they fit and are even a fraction loose!

3) I feel more positive in general.  I used to look at pretty clothes and think "I wish I could wear that.'  Now I say to myself 'when I can wear that...'

4) I am more confident.  I tend to look people in the eye more than I used to when I walk down the street

5) I am starting to 'see' myself again.  I've been so down about my weight for so long and now that I'm dropping the kgs I can see the real me emerging again.  I've neglected myself and my needs for too long, so now I am splashing out and buying myself pretty things because I deserve them