Healthy Pony Here We Go! LAST CHALLENGE!!!

[MintySocks]

I am feeling a lot better now. The only things I did differently yesterday was drinking a Coke Zero instead of a regular Coke and I also drank one packet of Emergen_C because the flu is going around. I don't usually drink diet drinks though. Maybe Coke Zero isn't the best substitute drink for me.  Where do you get the fruit tea? Is it the kind you brew or is it pre made?

Ponyfan

 

Get a box of Bigelow or Celestial tea bags in Country Peach or Wild Berry Zinger, or anything similar. Fill a plastic pitcher 1/3 full of boiling hot water, steep 4 tea bags for 10 minutes. Add a few cups of ice cubes, enough to make the tea cold, then top off with more cold water. You can either sweeten by the glass or put sweetener straight in the pitcher. I use liquid Stevia drops. Trader Joe's has it, so do Kroger/Fry's/Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, tons of places. It also comes in packets like Truvia and by the box of powdered. Just to give you an idea, the liquid drops from Trader Joe's would take 30 drops to do a whole pitcher.

Stevia is SO GOOD because it's not chemicals that hurt your body, it's just the extract of a sweet tasting plant, but not sugar. I find artificial sweeteners like Splenda and the pink and blue packets cause MORE cravings and give me headaches. They've also been shown to be detrimental to weight loss because of cravings causing people to overeat without realizing.

There's also a fantastic soda pop made with stevia and natural ingredients called Zevia, and it comes in root beer, cream soda, cherry, grape, lemon/lime, cola, and maybe a couple other flavors. They are all clear, no artificial colors. I have one a day. Again I find those at Kroger/Fry's/Fred Meyer and also WinCo if you're in the northwest. I hope that helps!

Great job getting your workout in, Ponyfan!

[Crowning_Glory13]

Popping back in. Nothing serious, but not much better. Thank you Artemisia for your kind words. I got sick over the weekend, so I am behind. I feel I am drowning. I started a list of things that need to get done. I am behind on contest prizes, orders for crafts, and I have yet to touch my piano this we started:( I am check listing my life to get my head above water.

Taproot- I am learning a lot about meditation. This is cool. I know smells can help to relax. I use lavender when I have a hard time sleeping.

Artemesia- not a huge fan of fruit teas, but chi is a sweeter tea that is a good choice too:)

Ponyfan- we all have a skip day. Good that you kept getting a work out in:)

Mintysocks- there is sparkling fruit juice that are healthy and not surgery. That can help break the soda addiction. I have heard some have taken soda water and mixed it with fresh squeezed fruit.

Great job everyone. Keep it up. A new challenge will be up later today:)

[lovesbabysquirmy]

*Sigh*  haven't even managed one day to complete my goals... 

by the time the clock turns over to bedtime, and i still haven't gotten all my household chores done, it's "time to hunt the kiddo down and convince her to brush her teeth and stop jumping on the bed". 

still haven't managed a packed lunch either because we don't cook large enough meals to have leftovers with, and taking prepared food from the fridge takes from what my child is supposed to eat. hubby has been sick since we got back from FL, so all he eats is ramen ....

Seems like the only way these things get done is if I come straight home from work and go into a mad tirade of washing and cleaning and putting away... which is NOT relaxing from my workday at ALL!  The last thing I want to do on my "off time" is any housework. 

[Crowning_Glory13]

It may not work now but keep at it. You are making note of what is not working. That simple note is very important. It took me years to not binge on fast food. I would post and be so frustrated. But over time it got easier. You can reach those goals keep working at it. New routines are hard to get in place. You can do it:)

Post Merge: February 06, 2017, 06:04:47 PM

Challenge #2. Make one of your goals a focus this week. Simplify your goal and make it a priority this week.

I know piano should be my focus...but I am totally going to try and walk the rest of this week:) it could be cold so warm cloths for me:)

Post Merge: February 07, 2017, 09:05:03 AM

Got my walk in today. It was short. I was too lazy to get my coat. It was warm for February so I was about 10min.

[Ponyfan]

I was not a healthy pony today. I had several extra Cokes today. It also looks like I won't get my workout in today either. 

Ponyfan

[Crowning_Glory13]

Ponyfan I have been there. You start great and bam...bad day:( you can do this. Each day is a chance to try again. You have just as much of a chance to succeed and it will get easier.

This girl is productive. Got sales out shipping quotes and made payments...feeling better now that people who are waiting on me, no longer are waiting on me...just the postal service:)

[Artemesia's Garden]

It can be so hard.  I've had a couple of days of errands and a conference and I spent some time with my bf last night.  As a result I ate coffee and walnut cake with him and I've had no motivation to do any exercise.  Even though I could tell that he noticed I had lost weight and that he appreciated it.  My waist was down to 34" yesterday morning so I've lost 2" as long as I don't put it straight back on again!

I ate a lot of sandwiches today having wanted to stay off bread, but it was because I was out at a conference/tired.  I did start the day with my first veggie smoothie, having found the right attachment for my blender. This makes enough for three people:

2 tangerines
1 banana
Handful of grapes
1 carrot
glass of orange juice
teaspoon of turmeric

I think it would have been nice with ginger as well.  I felt all squeaky clean after that I can tell you! Which only lasted 2 minutes because it turns out that tangy healthy juices go really well with a bacon sandwich 

At least I haven't binged or done anything extreme, just not enough exercise and a little too much doughy wheaty bread which no doubt makes my stomach and limbs look doughy and wheaty as well!

Gotta try for that run tomorrow morning before work.

[Loona]

ooo, for me the goal to focus on for Challenge #2 definitely has to be goal no. 2, as I still haven't yet even started working out  I did have a look at yoga mats yesterday at least, and almost bought one, but luckily realised it would be too short (I'd need to so dome full laying down exercises for my back, so I need one that is at least the same length as my height,  but most probably even longer). I'd like to go and visit another shop tomorrow.
but I should be able to start without this a well, doing only those exercises that need a simple standing position. most of the ones for my sore shoulder are like that anyways.

I'm doing OK with my other 2 goals - I did skip the 2nd teeth-washing on Saturday, but all the other 6 days of the week went fine, so I'm trying to look at it as "6 days out of 7 is a definite improvement compared to zero out of 7". and on Monday I arrived home with a huge bag of fruits again, enough for the whole week, and (apart from a homemade muffin a colleague has given me yesterday) I have only eaten these as snacks since.

[Crowning_Glory13]

Artemisia thanks for the recipie. I work in a daycare, and I do get breaks, but I enjoy drinking my lunch because I get more water intake. It is ok to have a relax day with our sweeties:) I do it all the time:)

Loona great job on the progress.

No walk for me today. I have been running up and down stairs and with kids, I still have 6 hours to go of work...whew

[MintySocks]

Loona I feel in the same boat with you. My goal was to work out 2x per week and still keep making excuses not to. I blame the freezing rain, but honestly I could run the stairs in my house, I just need to do it. Shoot for just once this week and work from there! That's what I'm going to do. Start small. Even five minutes.

[Crowning_Glory13]

Minty socks, that is a great plan:)

Yeah...it's freezing outside. So no lunch break walk. I hope to gain some improvements on my goals over the weekend. I just gotta get organized.

[Artemesia's Garden]

So I haven't been for a run, but I got shin splints from fast walking in work shoes on Tuesday.  I did still more walking yesterday and a serious country walk today with a friend even though it was snowing! I think given how much I've had to cycle and walk around the last three days I'm doing pretty well.  Sadly because I've been doing it in work shoes to get between venues and my shins started playing up, I'll have to leave it for a few days before I can do any running or impact exercise.  I should stop walking for a few days and just cycle. I might try and swim over the weekend. 

So my overall thing for the challenge will be healthy eating and mindfulness.  I have had a very busy week with commitments and will have a very busy weekend as well.  I am so tired tonight and would love to get takeout but I'm going to be good and make something for myself now.  I've had fruit and veggie smoothies every day this week and I think they are really helping to balance my diet and it's probably good to eat fresh plants anyway for anti-oxidants etc.  I am trying to stay mindful in my treatment of myself and also my interactions with other people and be very patient and considerate.

[Crowning_Glory13]

OK artemisia you rock. I mean, you just did how much moving about, AND walking, and staying Positive! Go You! Saying no to take our! You GO! If you can not tell your post got me excited. You walked in snow...while my pansy self stayed inside lazy because it was cold:p sigh. Thanks for the inspiration:)

Post Merge: February 10, 2017, 09:10:56 AM

Some days, I do not know how parents do it.. I work in a daycare and today they have me in 2 year old room. There is 12kids to 2 adults....yeah it's crazy. Mom brings in food from home because she was too lazy to get up and make her kids breakfast. 1. No outside food and 2. We have a kid that is life threatening allergic to peanuts that's a huge safter issue. My boss said I handled it fine, but now I just wait for mom to rip me out when she picks them up. No walk today. I am v so exhausted from those kids,and I still have 5 hours to go. Now I know why I fall asleep at 8:00pm

[kakenterprise]

So last Sunday I felt some pain in my back near the end of my workout.  I finished my workout and thought it would just go away.  Nope, I tried a hot shower, and it just got worse as the day went on.  My fiance was nice enough to get me some icy hot and a heat bandage wrap thing (its amazing)  by the next day it turned into a less painful bruise. 

I'm fine now, I walked once this week and I did a training session today.  After my workout I went to the fruit market and they had bags of bananas for $1.  So I bought 3 and started making breakfast for the next few months lol(they freeze for up to 3 months).  I made banana breakfast cookies and they are amazing, and they keep you happy till lunch.

[Crowning_Glory13]

Heal soo...hugs. ooooh I want that banAna cookie recipe. Sounds yummy