Kalecucugrapple juice
Happy Thanksgiving! Challenge done!
Here are the results of my 29 Day Challenge;
GOAL: Twenty minutes daily on the treadmill
ACTUAL: 28 out of 29 days. I had a couple things working against me on this one. I had blown through the perfect score in the first week. So, my mind continuously argued with my body for a ‘surrender.‘ Work was super busy. My play schedule was 7 plays in seven days. I was tired, cranky and feeling sorry for myself. I was in full-on whine mode about deserving a break. And I can be pretty convincing when I want to be. Despite my mental state, I persevered. And although I hit a victorious 6.0 mph 30 second sprint on Friday under Josh’s insistence, I limped through the last few treadmill sessions. I did them to do them but I did them. I even did a couple 10pm walks to get them in under the midnight deadline. For the future, I want to continue this daily practice but I’m going to allow myself a free day weekly. I like looking forward to a break. I imagine it’ll be Sunday.
GOAL: 12 personal training sessions with Josh
ACTUAL: 10 of 12 personal training sessions with Josh. Well, I didn’t know Josh’s holiday schedule when I set this goal. He left on Sunday so I didn’t get my last two sessions in this week. What I’ve learned this month is I really love working out with him three times a week. After starting in June and contending with my vacation followed by his knee injury and surgery, our consistency has been inconsistent. This past month our calendars aligned and I’ve benefitted. I’m regularly lifting, planking, lunging, squatting and I’m getting stronger. I can feel it in my body. And when I squint, I can see it in my body. 😉 For the future, whenever it works out for both of us, we’re going to do three sessions in a week.
GOAL: 10 yoga classes
ACTUAL: 8 of 10 yoga classes. I finally was going to make the Monday noon class this week. Alas, the studio’s holiday schedule canceled it. I got my regular Thursday and Tuesday ones in but came out a little shy on yoga. For the future, I want to get 10 classes in a month. I love the practice of stretching and relieving tension. Plus, now that I’m on a monthly card system, I won’t be happiest until I’m getting more than I’m paying for.
GOAL: 435,000 steps
ACTUAL: 390,228 steps of the 435,000. Yikes! The winter is going to kill my stepping. I’ve dropped my average down to 13K daily. I know that’s pretty great. Yet, I love stepping 15K to 17.5K for several reasons. I enjoy the serenity time. I often use it to chant peace and joy to my loved ones. I like the fresh air. I’m one of the few people at work to escape the nasty cold-cough combo currently plaguing the office. I believe spending time outdoors in fresh air is key. I like to save money. When I walk to and from work, I’m not paying for the bus or train. And competitively, I enjoy the #1 spot on my fitbit buddy roster. In the near future, I’ll get a winter hat so I continue to warmly get in my steps.
GOAL: Daily -Stretching and Increased water intake, protein and vegetables
ACTUAL: I upped my vegetables. In a quite unorthodox move, Josh threw me a challenge during my challenge. He suggested I get back to juicing to get more vegetables in. I haven’t juiced in several months. Yet, I know the importance of more vegetables in my daily consumption. So, I dusted off the NutriBullet and found this recipe on the internet…
- 1 cup sliced kale (from about 3 large leaves)
- 1 cup seedless green grapes (about 28)
- 1 English cucumber, thickly sliced
- 1 small Granny Smith apple (4–6 ounces), cored and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup water
This green goodie sneaks in a dose of iron, key for healthy blood cell and muscle function. It also delivers more than your daily rec of vitamin K—another must for blood and bone health.
The quantities are too much for my NutriBullet but I finagle a smaller version and still use the entire apple. I’ve been substituting my homemade juice in for my Vega-One bar in the morning. It’s more natural and it’s cheaper than those bars. In the future, I’ll continue to focus on organic and healthier eating.
GOAL: Red wine reduction
ACTUAL: I had a Manhattan Tuesday night. 😉
GOAL: Rein in the excessive spending
ACTUAL: Egads, I’ve spent big bucks on cabs this week. I rarely carry cash. I even deposit my tips into my bank account. It’s so I can keep track of my expenses on my ATM charge card. And when I look at the past seven days, I’m grossed out about the money I spent on cabs. The weather has been icky but the real culprit is time. I’m trying to do too much and not allow myself adequate walking or public transportation time. Primarily, it’s been getting to/from a play at night and writing reviews/treadmilling in the morning. And beyond those unpaid extracurricular activities, my actual job-job required me to put in extra hours for the holiday appeal. Daily, I cut it too close knowing I could always cab it. Ridiculous! In the future, I need to refrain from wasting my money on cabs.
GOAL: Double the couch fund
ACTUAL: Although GOAL COMPLETED last week, I dipped into the fund for cabs! Yuck!! I’m picking up this Saturday’s dinner shift to pay it back.
GOAL: Re-engage in the living mindfully book
ACTUAL: DEJA VU REPEATED…. Epic fail! I also haven’t started my book club book. I need to craft out time to read. This weekend. 😉
GOAL: Be kinder to everyone… even the jerks
ACTUAL: I was the jerk… and people were kind to me. I had coordinated the holiday appeal (2,100 letters) stuffing to take place in certain office areas and at specific times. I had worked around the agency calendar. I came in on Saturday night to change rooms to be respectful of other department’s needs. So, when I came in on Monday morning and the room I had reserved was being used by an unscheduled group, I was irritated. Now, I never yell at people at work. Even when I’m screaming on the inside, I maintain a professional persona. And I have a reputation for being laid back. Still, my colleagues knew I was pissed. Not only did they try to come up with a work around in our inadequate office space, they also stuffed. Individuals carved out time in their busy days to spend some time stuffing the holiday appeal. And the appeal was completed ahead of schedule because people were kind to me.
29 Day Challenge is complete. Was it successful? Absolutely! The numbers maybe don’t show success the way a standardized test defines success but I’ve never been a numbers gal. I’m better off than I was 29 days ago. And I’ll continue to push myself in all these realms as an ongoing challenge to myself. Well, that is after this 30th celebration day of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and just hanging out. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!