canary52

I admire all of you doing this ab challenge, which IS really challenging. And all the other challenges and goals you set.

And Jenai, 42 minutes of huffing and puffin and sweatin is good. You listened to your body, when you needed to eat or to rest, but still did a good workout. I agree with Bea and Terri; you will find a coach to push and support you and you will also see that you know your body and yourself best.

And in light of this, Terri, yeah, numbers are a funny thing. I have a friend who says she never weighs herself; she just goes by how her clothes fit. I always lived and died by the scale. I weighed myself first thing in the morning before I could barely get my eyes open and last thing at night, when I could barely keep my eyes from closing. A lower number meant I felt better about myself and a higher that I felt worse. Though I am the same person either way.

At very least not weighing myself every day will be an experiment in self control and at most it will be part of my plan to give up some of my obsessions and neuroses. This is the accountability thread, yes?
I am giving up pills for pain and pills to sleep and pills to go to the bathroom. Everything that comes naturally to many people comes hard to people with severe fibromyalgia. If I did half the exercise some of you guys do I would be bed ridden for three days. But I can do small walks. I can stretch and do some of the ab stuff. I can steadily and slowly increase this. My best chance of getting a night's sleep is if I go to bed at 11. I pretty well know the food that is best for me: no need for crazy diet plans that always backfire. And though my daughter is in college so technically mostly out of the house, I hope to be a positive model rather than the horrible example of obsession and indulgence I've been.

At 54, I am trying to take back my life, to regain a positive control and move forward. And I wish you all the same. We can do this. We can make positive change. Even small change is still change.

canary52

Goals:
1) Remember to feel blessed - Y, Y , Y (gratitude journal helps)
2) Stretch daily - Y, Y, Y
3) Eating: healthy, not obsessive -Y, eating tooooo much, Y
4) Stop the binges: remember it's not what I'm eating, it's what's eating me: ate a bit more than necessary haha but WASN'T a binge, mini binge, Y no binge at all - mindful eating
5) Take a walk: I took TWO, took a walk with DH, no farmers market instead
6) 6 glasses of water ( thanks for the idea, Jenn): 5, 6 and counting, 6
7) skip the scale,weigh once a week at most- N, N, Y
8) throw out 5 pieces of paper or donate or toss 3 items: Y, N,N, Y

simplybea

Terri - YAY for the sore bum

Hope - Do what you need to do for you. You are the expert on your body. I think most (if not all of us here) if we are completely honest, do know what we need to do, and mostly, how we need to do it. If we do need information, we can usually find it.

Tomorrow is weigh-in, let's finish strong!!

libby135

My neighbour took me shopping yesterday and we did a lot of walking around.
It doesn't come close to the exercise that you gals are doing. I bought some hardware to hang my quilt and I will take a picture of it when it is hung. I am still busy cleaning. I laughed when you called me a domestic diva. My moto is
Quilting forever, House work when ever. Next week I am joining you on the ab challenge. You rock.

lildebbieg

Good morning lovely ladies I see everyone is already up and at it on this fine Thursday. I LOVE the vibe and accountability that's radiating through our check in this week. I couldn't agree more with you Terri, you ladies are my coach as well! You've all been here to inspire and motivate me! Over the past few weeks, where my commitment has waned, I've thought about my fitday friends and missed being here. Having you here to chat with, share tips, tricks, recipes and cheer each other on has been a huge part of my personal success. So thank you to each and every one of you!

Jenai - I too tried the BeachBody coaches and found out that many of them are coaches just so they receive the discount...not to actually be a coach to others. That's not to say there aren't any good coaches there, but they may be hard to find. Also, don't be too hard on yourself. To have started a workout and stopped....but then go back to it later!?!?! That shows great determination!!! You are doing so well! So no being disappointed in yourself, k? Today's another day to get in a workout and work towards our goals. We don't need to be perfect, we just need to keep doing what we can and we will reach our goals.

Bea - Thanks for bringing us the ab challenge! Fun stuff! Enjoy your workout today!

Terri - Since you're not new to exercise, I assume you know to stretch after a workout right? If I slack on the stretching, I'm always sore. I be getting the blood flowing and burning off that lactic acid will help alleviate some of the soreness. I too have a love/hate relationship with the soreness that exercise can bring! haha!

Hope - It must be tough having fibromyalgia. It's one of those diseases that many people don't fully understand (how can one truly understand unless they have it as well...but you know what I mean). I'm sure you look fine so unless someone knows you well, they may not even realize your struggling with illness. It's admirable that you do get in the exercise that you do! It would be so easy to just give in and say you can't do anything, but you don't! You persevere! That my friend, is setting a good example for your daughter.

Libby - It's been a long while since you and I did a challenge together. When we did the New Year's Eve challenge together, it motivated me so much to have you to check in with on a daily basis. It really ignited my drive to push for my goals! I'm so glad you're joining us in the ab challenge!

Have an awesome day ladies! And like Bea said, let's finish this week strong!

canary52

Bea, I think I wrote most of what I did to remind myself lol. I also come with a background of eating disorders so weighing myself too much is kind of loaded. Healthy and "normal" are different for everyone, I think. But if my experience can help anyone, I would be glad.

canary52

Debbie, thank you SO MUCH for your message. I really appreciate the kindness and understanding. When I first got sick (and was so sick I actually feared I would die and leave my young daughter) I had a friend who said, "But you look well." That annoyed me until I realized that people don't know. As you say, how would they? And I would never wish this on anyone. As for being a good example for my daughter, you saying that actually brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Debbie. Thank you for acknowledging how hard I try. What a beautiful person you are.

simplybea

Abs Challenge - Day 5 - report

Most importantly DONE!!!
Breakdown

sit ups
did first 15!!!!!!!!!!! (I am impressed with myself, 15 without a stop)
next stopped at 23 - then completed

Crunches, did 20 just cause

Leg raises (bears explanation)
I am normally dressed before I do this, but theonly thing requiring shoes is the plank so did the first 3 exercises in my jammies (decadent! I know)

did first 10!!!!!!!!!!!! Those shoes make a freakin huge difference (I decided no shoes was cheating, so went to 15)
-so 15 leg raises with 1 stop

Plank (after getting dressed)
20secs no stop, but it was VERYYYYYYYYYYY tough

Conclusion - Bras and shoes make life tougher

for another giggle-I remember while giving birth to my daughter, the nurse told me, if I was making any sounds I was wasting energy that could be used to push.......soooo no grunting or such when doing this challenge, however, I do count....... and every time I get to five, it somehow mysteriously comes out as FFFuuuuu******
(NOW, what is your next 5 going to sound like, at least in your head)

lildebbieg

Hope! Thank you so much for your kind words too! I'm sincerely touched The reason I have an understanding of how it feels to look healthy but be struggling with disease is because I have Crohn's Disease. Although I'm on the lucky side of the spectrum as far as severity goes, there are days when I have to leave work because of a flare up. Nothing like using the bathroom at work when I'm not well! It's difficult to have to tell my boss that I'm not feeling well...when I look perfectly fine. Lucky for me, he's a very understanding and supportive person and never gives me grief.

lildebbieg

Your sense of humor has me chuckling on a daily basis! Thanks for the laughs!