60-Day Challenge Check-In 5/19-5/25

Comments

[michaela]

Yikes, it's been so long since I checked in here that I had to go back and look up what I'd pledged to do.

1. One run and one home yoga practice/week: Not happening yet. My pneumonia was followed by a bad head cold, and I have been totally worn out. I am hoping to start some slow exercising this week to get myself back on the wagon.

2. Reconnecting physically w/ the husband: See above for all the reasons why this hasn't happened w/ the frequency I'd had in mind. I really want to work on finding reasons to say YES to this, rather than always defaulting to NO.

[enu]

@michaela, feel better soon!

I swam 4 times last week (30 lengths each) so was pretty darned pleased with self - this week I do not expect to do as well, but am hoping to make the minimum I set of 2 times.

Since I finished reading a book, I started on another - it's much slower going, but I hope to make some headway while waiting at the hospital on Friday. It beat their cruddy 3 year old Better Homes and Gardens and Sports Illustrated and Yachting magazines (I kid you not!) Waiting for chemo and reading about some multibillionaire's latest ginormous gas guzzling floating toy.... sheesh!

[Girl Jen]

1. Still bike commuting every day. I've been adding a little bit of distance to my morning commute, since I'm realizing that it's not practical or safe to tow Liz in the trailer yet. Her helmet doesn't fit.

2. For the most part, I've been keeping my swearing under control...except for yesterday. After a particularly stressful day at work, I cussed out my boss. I wasn't in any 'real' trouble, but I'm still mortified.

[Moxie]

Note for T-Tappers: Deep Discount Tuesday special today is Tempo Torso (like the total workout but with special focus on the torso area) for only $10 including shipping. Only good today the 20th. t-tapp.com

[hedra]

blogging going fine.

exercise totally sucking.

Sigh. But, cold is finally waning out (my ears opened up yesterday - nice to hear again!). So, hopefully more energy coming along, too.

[Clementine]

Sorry to hear about the colds and illnesses in the group.

1. Ab exercizes. Did really well the first week, fell off the wagon last week with (self-imposed) stress and lack of sleep. Gardening over the weekend reminded me of how much I need to make this a priority, so I'm back to it again.

2. Being kind to self. Work is getting busier, and I'm suffering from the "not good enough" feelings these days. It's mostly my feeling, not my actual performance. So, let me lift my head back up.

[ada]

T-tapp has been going well. I missed last Friday, made up for it on Saturday, but haven't done a workout since then. Last night I had the opportunity to go on a date with my husband!! It was wonderful. I'll be back to T-tapping tonight. And I can already see & feel a difference.

[Lisa]

Physical: Solid on t-tapp. Doing almost every evening and feeling good. My body feels different, but the scale isn't budging. That kind of sucks.

Mental: I cleaned and organized my home office and I feel GREAT!!!! It is such a relief!

[Mommy-O]

Did my first TTapp of the week yesterday and still taking supplements and drinking water.

Journaling isn't happening but I am still reading Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen. I had another "aha" moment last night.

One of the stories was about a woman who had had a number of surgeries for various medical conditions and even though she had survived each surgery, she was beginning to feel "victimized" when she was told she had to have yet one more procedure. There was this quote, "Perhaps every "victim" is really a survivor who does not know it yet."

In a previous comment I mentioned my anxiety around my kids' health. This story made me realize that my kids, myself and my husband are all survivors. DS SURVIVED the ABO incompatability and all the tests they performed on him during his first week of life. DD SURVIVED the balloon angioplasty and her other heart defects are "healthy". DH was in and out of the hospital as a kid with asthma but as an adult he is strong and healthy and his asthma is almost non-existent. I fell into an above ground pool at 2 years old when no one was around. I got myself out. If anything were to happen again, and it was within our power, we would survive again.
For some reason this has inspired me to take on another goal, both physical and spiritual, which is to get into self defense classes/martial arts of some sort.

Sorry, I know this is stuff I should really be putting in my journal but I just have to get it out of my head.

[epeepunk]

Walked around on Saturday at the Scottish Games and dragged R in the wagon yesterday - so that's 2 of my three exercises.

Blew it briefly on Saturday and was grumpy at hedra - but apologized, and am trying to maintain a mantra when interrupted to prevent the grumping. And so far no screaming at the kids.

[paola]

Physical going well. Have consistently managed to keep away from sweets during the day limiting it to my 20gr of dark chocolate with my feet up in front of the tely. Am still getting in quite a bit of 'natural sweets' though in the way of dates (mmmmm, love em) and other fruit.

Mental ditto. Am starting to feel a little less stressed doing the cooking, cleaning folding while dd is asleep and not leaving everything to the last minute. Am almost at the end of my book (1000 pages) so am keeping up with something enjoyable during the baby break, although I do spend way too much time on the internet.

[Charisse]

I've got a sniffle too--can't tell if it's a cold or hayfever (I don't usually have much allergy trouble, but all the trees apparently went nuts during last week's unseasonable heat wave, and everyone in town is having trouble).

Reading Octavia Butler's "Kindred" this week, and doing decently on the leaves--a cup or 2 every day. Working on reducing my bread consumption, and found a good source of pastured eggs (for less seeds in our food chain).

[Suz]

Last week I had 6 hours and 50 minutes of exerc ise. This week I have 3 hours so far (my week started yesterday). I feel good, but tired. It's nice to sleep though, and the exercise is helping. As is my daughter who is on a nice sleeping run. No weight is coming off, but I am dedicated to continuing this for the full challenge.

I have not written in my journal yet. bad, bad suz. but i'm headed to my mom's on thursday and hopefully i'll get some writing done there.

[Sky]

Well, I'm doing the swimming lessons with my little girl and we're both loving it, so all good there.

My other goal is to get pregnant! I cut out the night nursing with my little girl (she's 8 months old now) 5 weeks ago, thinking that I would get my periods back within a week or two. Unfortunately, still no periods as yet. I really really don't want to give up breast feeding yet, but given my age and miscarriage history, I need to get pregnant asap in order to have a sibling for my little girl (no pressure there!!). Anyone have anecdotes about how long it took them to get their periods back and if they had to stop breast feeding completely to get them? Any info would be much appreciated.

[Abacaxi Mamao]

In the second week of the challenge (I guess this should go on the last check-in post?), I washed my face 5 nights out of 7. That's one night more than in the first week! Last night, though, I was feeling exceedingly lazy and I didn't, so that was already one miss for this week.

I have been continuing to write in my journal twice a week, but I still have not managed to extricate the journal writing from eating/drinking in a coffee shop. It's ridiculous, but I can't bring myself to do it anywhere else, or without eating/drinking tasty treats.

[Lisa F.]

Writing in journal going quite well. have been having more dreams too & enjoying journaling about them.

Lights out by 10:30, not happening v. frequently. staying up late to journal or read. sigh.

@Sky, not sure if this will help as I don't totally understand it myself, but my cycle started up at 5 months pp (weep) after I binged on natural licorice! I was really quite ill, and then boom, started bleeding. Later, somewhere I came across info that licorice is estrogenic. Again, I'm not sure of connection & it may be completely due to my particular system. Good luck!

@Charisse, thank you SO much for linking those posts re: almost 3yo sass. v.helpful reading. we'll get through, I've just been sick & worn down for so long, my creativity & stamina are sorely lacking!

[piccolo]

Oh man, we spent the weekend at my dad's home to escape the heat (he has A/C) and it discombobulated my routine and I simply forgot about my two challenges. However, as soon as I got back to my house, I took a vitamin and I did my breathing meditation that night. I'm back on the horse.

I'm still a bit shocked at how quickly I forgot about these things. Clearly, they are not habits yet...

[piccolo]

Oh man, we spent the weekend at my dad's home to escape the heat (he has A/C) and it discombobulated my routine and I simply forgot about my two challenges. However, as soon as I got back to my house, I took a vitamin and I did my breathing meditation that night. I'm back on the horse.

I'm still a bit shocked at how quickly I forgot about these things. Clearly, they are not habits yet...

[piccolo]

Oh man, we spent the weekend at my dad's home to escape the heat (he has A/C) and it discombobulated my routine and I simply forgot about my two challenges. However, as soon as I got back to my house, I took a vitamin and I did my breathing meditation that night. I'm back on the horse.

I'm still a bit shocked at how quickly I forgot about these things. Clearly, they are not habits yet...

[paola]

@sky

I was in the same situation as you. I was breasfeeding 7 times a day when DS was 12 months old and had night-weaned him at 10 weeks (well son did,not me)and had had no period. I was desperate to conceive ( was 38 at the time) and get my fertility back and consulted every source possible on the internet. I finally came acrose the Billings Ovulatory Method which has a chapter on breastfeeding and TTC. Basically it teaches you how to examine your cervical mucus to see when you are ovulating. I went from 7 to 4 nurses a day and started to see changes in my CM, and when I cut another one out, I started to get the fertile mucus and caught the second egg apparently. (You are probably wondering how I can be sure I got the 2nd egg. Well I had been to the ob for a pap-smear and had lamented about not having got my fertility back yet and she told me I had just ovulated and sure enough that very night, I got my period. 14 days and lots of, wet, stringy CM later, I got pregnant))

[caramama]

Some days, I'm doing great on both the 3 fruits/veggies a day and cycle charting, but other days are pretty bad.

I'm having a super stressful/busy time at work and major sleep issues with toddler at home. But I'm at least thinking about my goals and trying to meet them every day. I am not discouraged.

[Joy]

My two goals for this challenge are 1 major cleaning job per weekday and reading to my kids every day. The cleaning and reading are going okay, not everyday, but trying.

However, my goals from the last challenge, excercise and water drinking, are going fantastic. I didn't really start to be serious about them until about the last 2 weeks of the challenge. I introduced a lot more fiber and daily green smoothies to my diet (thanks Moxie!), eat waaaaay less portion- wise, and push myself really hard on the elliptical machine for 30 min., at least 4x per week, and sit- ups on the excercise ball. I've never excercised before in my life, I loooove to cook and therefore eat, and I've lost 16 lbs. so far of my 40 lb. goal, have tightened my belt to it's last notch, am buying smaller- sized clothes, have waay more energy and feel great. I'm taking better care of my skin, washing and moisturizing 2x a day, body lotion at night. I never thought I could do it, couldn't find time, was waaaay to tired, am addicted to chocolate (which I still am, add it to the green smoothies every day.), and still have a way to go. I have to excercise at 9 or 10 at night, which used to be veg in front of the TV with DH time, and I'm all wound up and take a while to cool down afterwards, but it's worth it. I feel like I could do anything I put my mind to now.

It's funny, and I didn't really put it together until I read Anonymous' post the other day about lotion therapy, but it all started by just putting lotion on, all over, every night, and enjoying how good it felt to be taking care of my body. So, I started to excercise for about 15 minutes at a time, and it steamrolled from there. If I can do it, anybody can!!

And I have to thank my Dad for inspiring me. At the age of 58, he quit smoking (several packs a day), cut way back on the evening cocktails (more than one bottle of Scotch per week), started to excercise, and has lost 25 lbs. so far. We're all so proud of him.

Thanks, Moxie, for this challenge.

[Sherry]

Am doing better on getting enough sleep. Not doing well on incorporating something spiritual into my nighttime routine. I'm just not motivated to do it. Will try again.

[Catherine]

Physical: still drinking my water (though telling friends that my goal is to drink *two* glasses each day invariably provokes snorts of laughter...). But I'm actually starting to, well, crave is a bit strong, but at least to kind of want waer when I'm thirsty. I for the first time in ages, the soda cans I put out for recycling all fit in one paper bag. Baby steps.

Emotional: intimacy with my husband has taken a hit -- we're trying to buy our first house, and it's exhausting and time-consuming and pushing every single one of our buttons, individually and as a couple. My default response to this sort of stress is to pull away, but I think physical intimacy might really help us to reconnect through all the anxiety and frustration, even though neither of us is exactly in the mood. So I'm going to throw myself at him tonight and see what happens....

[pnuts mama]

@caramama- hang in there and be gentle on yourself. some days/weeks are survival only.

@sky- i can't remember exactly, but i do know it wasn't until i really cut back nursing that my period came back. so long in fact that when they'd ask at the dr's office when my last MP was and i told them (in 2004) they thought it was my error. ha!

i think i'm doing better controlling my temper, but i'm trying to focus on my patience and what sets me off.
i'm still eating so-so, some stuff better than others. definitely not as puffy as i was w/ pnut at this point.
hopefully will get the chance to write today.

[piccolo]

Oh man, we spent the weekend at my dad's home to escape the heat (he has A/C) and it discombobulated my routine and I simply forgot about my two challenges. However, as soon as I got back to my house, I took a vitamin and I did my breathing meditation that night. I'm back on the horse.

I'm still a bit shocked at how quickly I forgot about these things. Clearly, they are not habits yet...

[piccolo]

Oh man, we spent the weekend at my dad's home to escape the heat (he has A/C) and it discombobulated my routine and I simply forgot about my two challenges. However, as soon as I got back to my house, I took a vitamin and I did my breathing meditation that night. I'm back on the horse.

I'm still a bit shocked at how quickly I forgot about these things. Clearly, they are not habits yet...

[Katie B.]

dental hygiene is going at least consistently, if not yet into the depth I want, and my mouth feels much better for it.

Journaling/blogging is going... ok. Not making entries as much as I'd like, but I'm thinking about it frequently, and that's something. I actually had a nice revelation about DH's patience with my baby obsession (I'm 38 weeks and nesting) yesterday while journaling, and sent him an email thanking him. :)

[caramama]

Off topic: I put the final plan for the DC Area Meet Up on my blog! Can't wait to meet you all!

[Karen]

I seemed to have internalized everyone else's goals, so the veggie eating (salads for breakfast=addictive) and limiting time on the intertubes (bought a kitchen timer for the office) is going great. But my goals were moderate exercise and daily meditation...

Ah, but those are going OK, too. Like 5 of 7 for both of the first two weeks. Though they haven't been having as much of a cascading effect as I had hoped. They have definitely helped me enjoy my son a whole heck of a lot - I'm taking the everyday stresses in stride much more than I was three weeks ago. But in some other aspects of my life - with my marriage, other family members, my workplace - room for improvement remains.

Ada and Paola - I wanted to follow up on the comments you left after my comment about meditation last week. I owned a book at one time (I loaned it to a friend, and never asked for it back...) that I think was "The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook". I say I think because I looked it up on Amazon and I don't remember it being nearly 300 pages, but anyway, it gave/gives instructions for a wide range of mind-over-stress techniques. I recall liking self-hypnosis very much, too, but meditation is somehow just easier for me to get started. I would recommend the book as a way to sample different techniques and maybe find one that really clicks for you.

[caramama]

Sometimes, I don't know how I am possibly going to make it through the day or especially night, let alone be good to myself and meet my goals.

Maybe I need to do breathing exercises like piccolo or meditation or something as a goal. Something to help this stress, frustration, anger (where did that come from?) and tears from being barely contained...

[Joy]

@caramama; I've so been there. There've been times I've locked myself in the bathroom and just let the tears come until they stop, then I wash my face and go back to my day. I have anger, too, that I don't know where it's coming from. I've flown off the handle at my precious kids only to have them back away from me in terror. Yesterday I got so mad I clenched my fists and face and jumped up and down as hard as I could (a la Yosemite Sam), and that relieved the fury enough for me to stick it out. Hang in there... try to be gentle with yourself, and congratulate yourself just for muddling through each day... that's admirable in itself.

[virgo]

The healthy eating is not going great every day. I decided to be a tad more specific: when I eat "bad" carbs, eat only half. This has been working for me so far.

My other goal has been going pretty well. Many times during the day and night (middle of the night feedings!!), I am able to bring my mind into the present moment. This has really been helping me to enjoy my 4 month old ds.

Hope everyone else is doing well with the challenge!

[Mommy-O]

Almost 6 mo DS is teething, doesn't want to be put down, barely napping because he is trying to crawl and has a cold/allergies/teething cold - iow very snotty, spitting up a lot and leaking poops. Lots of laundry.

No sleep. Eating crap. Crabby at 3.5 yo DD who has been getting very little attention. No exercise BUT I am taking my vitamins and drinking my water.

So glad the weekend is almost here.

[Lindsay]

No yoga this week, but we got our Wii Fit on Wednesday. Now I've exercised 30 mins for the past two days. Maybe I can keep that up...

Still doing ok at keeping in touch with myself (mindful during me time)... I'm a very quantitative person and there's not a good way of measuring that, so it'll probably be "ok" the whole time... but that's ok :)

No completion of the "when to have a baby" talk, but we have a timeline for when it has to be decided by. Hopefully my sweetie can figure out what he wants before then. (We're trying to decide this year vs next year) Anyone have words of wisdom/horror stories on international travel with a 6 mo old? If we go with this year, that's what we'll be looking at...

[caramama]

I might be getting 2 servings of fruits/veggies a day. I will work harder on making it to 3 this weekend.

Charting is only okay, but I am feeling more mentally and spiritually prepared for TTC again soon, even through our current sleep regression.

Joy - Thanks!

Mommy - O - I hear ya.

[rowan+keaton+mama]

The journaling is going- no big self realizations yet but I've found it useful in a way I really didn't expect. To put it lightly, I have a raging bad temper when things don't go the way I expect/project/plan for. Twice this week my husband made two GIANT blunders(the poor guys taking the night wakings and it's giving him a major case of the stupids) that usually would result in me flying off the handle but the introspective feeling I take on while I'm journaling washed over me and I thought about his position before I jumped on him. Wow, very useful for me. I made it out 4 times this week on the trails despite my insane fear of woodticks (only 1 so far though). I saw an add in Parents mag for tick spray and was so excited until I looked it up and saw how incredibly TOXIC it was (esp. for kids!) WHY would they advertise something like that in a kid mag?!! Again, INSANE fear, but I would rather pull the creepy things off then poison my kids.

[Natalie]

I have somehow managed to get in 3 workouts this week and the last. My upper back already feels less tense. Or maybe that's mostly because I'm finally out of school?

This week I am struggling to make music every day. This started out being deceptively easy!

[welter]

Did T. Tapp 3 or 4 times last week (kind of a blur).

Didn't get a whole lot of time for explicit Playtime as articulated in Playful Parenting, but did maintain a playful attitude during time spent with my preschooler. The attitudinal shift is helping me to be more patient/get less frustrated when he doesn't do activities in a linear way. Feeling more process and less product oriented with him, which is great.

[caramama]

I'm back to eating my 3 servings of fruits/veggies a day! Three days in a row! It's a trend now!

Charting not going so great, but I am still at least trying to pay attention to my body's signs, even if I'm not able to temp.

Work and rough nights with teething toddler are still kicking my butt.

[coach outelt stores]

three fields to cross till a farm appears