Healthier Living Challenge: Week 8

2/27/2017

Monthly weigh in weight: 162.4lbs.

I utterly failed in accomplishing most of my goals for week 8.  I did not drink at least 60 oz of water a day.  I did not do 100 crunches each day with intermittent exercise on and off throughout the day.  I did not read for at least 30 minutes each day.  The only thing I managed to do was to buy the materials for making my own wooden postcards and I made one that I plan to post on my Etsy shop once I have made a couple more.

The thing that I realized yesterday when I was looking at my list of goals for this past week and seeing that I only accomplished one of the four, was that I have been putting too much pressure on myself.

The point of doing this healthier living challenge is to start living a life style that is healthier in all aspects of life; mentally, emotionally, physically, intellectually, creatively, etc...

I have become anxious to make sure that I try to accomplish all of the goals I set for myself each week and have ended up resenting them and getting down on myself when I don't.

This does not mean that I am not going to keep striving to do things that will put me on the path to a healthier existence.  It means that I need to be more realistic with my goal setting each week.

There are going to be weeks when I feel drained from the previous week, so getting more physical exercise may take a back seat to taking a nap when I get a chance or to finding other ways to decompress.  Those weeks I probably won't have an exercise goal but will work on getting some each day if I am up for it.

I am not putting my physical health on the back burner.  I am still making goals of drinking plenty of water daily and on days after not getting much sleep the night before, taking naps and getting rest when I can.  I am treating my physical body well in a different manner.  And even though I don't have it as a goal for week 9, I managed to get in 100 crunches today and basically move most of the morning with not too much sitting down because I had both boys with me and my oldest is finally potty trained but needs an assist occasionally still.

My purpose for not making crunches and exercise a goal for this week is that I feel when I get it in off the cuff, I will feel good about doing it instead of feeling anxious about making sure it happens each day.  It is very freeing for me to just be able to do it and not feel like I have to do it.  My mental, emotional, and physical health will hopefully thank me this week as I will be weighing in after a month to see if my efforts have produced some weight lose.

As for the one goal I did manage to accomplish for week 8, it was very fun to do and I am looking forward to making more wooden postcards this week.  Once I have a couple made, I am going to post them on my Etsy shop to sell. 

I am going to be gracious to myself this week and not go overboard in my goals.  My youngest son hasn't been sleeping well due to teething so I am more tired and need more rest when I can get it than usual.  Most of my goals for week 9 are ways to relax but also keep from getting so bored that I get antsy which leads to anxiety over things I can not control.  I don't want that to happen and it usually does when I am tired from lack of sleep.

So without further ado, onward and upward!

Goals for Week 9:
1) Drink at least 60 oz of water daily
2) Write in my journal 2x this week
3) Read for 30 minutes a day (Facebook articles do not count)
4) Do not log into Facebook one day this week

Healthier Living Challenge: Week 7

2/20/2017

This last week was again an exercise in patience with a lot of ups and downs.  I remained sick for part of the week and my oldest son who is 4, ended up getting sick as well.  We are both on the mend and spent a few hours outside on Saturday, which wiped us out most of Sunday.  But we are both finally feeling better.

My recovery from the flu took a week and a half.  I spent most of that time sleeping when I could and sitting since I did not have much energy.  But since I am no longer sick, I am ready to reintroduce more physical activities into my weekly healthier living challenge goals. 

I am also ready to start a new hobby I discovered last last year, wooden postcards.  I am going to buy the materials at JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts this afternoon and hopefully start working on making a prototype or two in the next couple of days. 

I am just so happy to not be sick anymore.  The nice weather and getting out of the house the last three days has helped in so many ways.

My goals for week 8 of my healthier living challenge will help me physically and creatively.  Working with my hands and making the wooden postcards will be a fun and creative endeavor.  I am also going to start doing crunches everyday again and work on getting sporadic 5-10 minute intervals of exercise everyday.

It feels so good to finally have some energy again.  Now if only I could get a full night of sleep every night.  I would feel like a million bucks.

For now though, onward and upward!

Goals for Week 8:
1) 100 crunches as well as 5-10 minute intervals of exercise daily
2) Finally buy the materials to make my own wooden postcards and make two prototypes this week
3) Drink at least 60 oz water daily
4) Read at least 30 minutes a day

Healthier Living Challenge: Week 6

2/13/2017

What a week!  I ended up getting the flu from my husband and then passing it onto my 4 year old.  I am just starting to really feel better today after going to bed at 8:30 last night a sleeping with minimal disruption until a little after 7 this morning.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the worst of it for me.  Therefore, I did not accomplish all of my goals for week 6.  I did not get my 100 crunches in everyday or read for at least 30 minutes a day.  I did really good at the beginning of the week with these two goals but once I got sick, I chose recovery and rest over completing these goals.

I did manage to accomplish my other two goals though.  I drank at least 60 oz of water a day and I wrote in my journal twice during week 6, both times in a helpful manner.

My goals for this week, week 7 are recovery from sickness focused so not too much physical activity as far as crunches, push ups, other more strenuous exercise until I am fully recovered. 

Until next week, onward and upward!

Goals for Week 7:
1) Recover from sickness (take it easy and nap when I can)
2) Drink at least 60 oz of water daily
3) Journal 2x this week
4) Read at least 30 minutes a day

Healthier Living Challenge: Week 5

2/6/2017

This past week was a rough one for me.  One of my good friends, Kari Bostrom, died from complications from chemo she was doing for ovarian cancer.  She was my church historian in arms.  There are not many of us out there.  We understood each other's love of church history and supported each other in our endeavors. 

It was a rough week to lose such a friend.  Who am I going to geek out about church history in the way we did together now?!

Despite this tragedy, I managed to achieve all of my goals for week 5.  I know, I'm shocked too!  I was motivated by getting healthier for my family.  I was motivated because I needed something else to focus on besides my grief.  I did it for me.

I did not weigh myself because I forgot to.  I will remember to weigh myself this week and report back.

Onward and upward my friends!

Goals for week 6: 2/5 - 2/12/2017
1) 100 crunches daily
2) Drink at least 60 oz water daily
3) Read at least 30 minutes a day
4) Journal 2x this week