Welcome to the Strong Healthy Mom Challenge update! Wondering what this is? Check out this post to join us. Then read on to find out how to enter to win this week’s giveaway and join us for a little accountability!
Good afternoon everyone! How are you today? As we move closer to Christmas and have parties, I’ve noticed I’m slacking a little bit. I’m still keeping up {mostly} healthy habits, but the sleep thing is huge…and I’m still trying to get myself to be in bed by 10:30. I read a really interesting article over on The Healthy Home Economist last week about the little known signs of adrenal fatigue. It really stuck out to me when she said this:
“Get to bed no later than 10:30pm
This piece of advice was given to me by an Ayurvedic MD over 15 years ago. It is still one of the best pieces of advice any doctor has ever given me. She explained how the hormone system cleanses between 11pm and 1am (generally speaking) and if you are not asleep during this time, the flushing process will not take place, essentially backing up the hormone system with toxins.”
I haven’t researched it, so I’m not completely sure on this, but it definitely makes sense to me since I have always been such a night owl…and struggled with all kinds of hormonal issues. So, I will continue trying to reset my circadian rhythm!!
Here were my goals for Week 5:
1) Continue forcing myself to go to bed by 10:30 PM! Absolutely failed this. I will keep working on it…
2) Continue with the Eight-Week Fat Loss Plan for Busy People from FitnessBlender.com. Complete!! Yay! One goal met.
3) Eat mindfully and slowly. I would say I accomplished this about 90% of the time. We had two Christmas parties last week, and we made my absolute favorite sugar cookies (that I only make at Christmas), so that was challenging for me. I tried to savor them…but I really wanted to inhale them. Making progress though!
Guess what? Same goals for Week 6:
1) Continue forcing myself to go to bed by 10:30 PM!
2) Continue with the Eight-Week Fat Loss Plan for Busy People from FitnessBlender.com.
3) Eat mindfully and slowly.
If you’ve missed the past few weeks, here is a recap of what the challenge is all about:
Strong Healthy Mom Challenge: Holiday Edition
From now through January 11, I will be posting weekly goals and sharing updates on how it is going. Even better, I want to invite you to share your goals and progress…and be eligible to win. Here’s how it works:
1) If you haven’t yet, leave a comment on the first week’s post with your long-term goals for the next eight weeks. (This post will be open for comments throughout the challenge.)
2) Leave a comment on this post about how your week went. Then, share your goals for the next week.
That’s it! Each week, we’ll just share and be accountable to each other. To keep it fun and mix things up, I’ll be throwing in a giveaway each week. There will be things like Amazon Gift Cards, Jillian Michael’s DVDs, Fitness Blender programs, Trim Healthy Mama books, and Starbucks gift cards. These winners will be randomly chosen from the comment section on each week’s post, and I will share those winners each week. Each weekly post will be open for comments until the following Sunday at 8 PM CT.
Our “big” giveaway will be at the end of the eight weeks. Those who have commented and joined in with us for at least four of the eight weeks will be eligible for that giveaway. The winner will be able to choose what they want from these three options: $100 Gift Card to Amazon, $100 Gift Card to Trim Healthy Mama store, or a $100 gift card to Target. The final winner will be chosen on January 12, 2015!
I will be posting on Instagram (you can find me here) under the hashtag #stronghealthymomchallenge. If you are on Instagram or Twitter, there will be a special giveaway at the end for those who use the hashtag, so use it so we can find you!
You can also join our Facebook group – Strong Healthy Mom Challenge! Unfortunately Facebook has banned me from posting, liking, or commenting for 30 days (I’m not sure why except that I had tons of posts go into my Motherhood on a Dime group on Black Friday), so I won’t be posting in there for a while, but you are welcome to throw out questions and suggestions to people in there. I can see everything…I just can’t respond!
Last week’s winner of the $10 Amazon or Starbucks gift card is:
davidandamandaboots@
This week, we have the same choice! You can pick either a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a $10 Starbucks gift card! So, get to commenting!! Even if things didn’t go as planned, it’s okay! We’re in progress….
I’ve done ok over the last week and need to keep on top of planning my meals and snacks to grab on the go. Since starting the challenge, I’ve lost 11.5 pounds and met my first long term goal of four. Pushing the water this week!
I stopped keeping track of my water intake as my goal was to drink 5 tall glasses a day and I did that with an occasional 4 when I was keeping track so I think I do this goal pretty regularly without thinking about it. I had to take a break from my workout schedule for a pulled muscle but got back into it and have continued on the schedule every day with success (I’m not seeing the weight drop as much as I would like but I do feel stronger and tighter so I know I’m making some progress in this area). I still struggle with slowing down while I eat.
My goals for this next week:
1) Continue with the exercise schedule
2) Continue to try to slow down while eating
3) Continue to try to make healthy decisions with my food (I’m allowing myself some treats instead of cutting everything out because when I cut it all out, it doesn’t last long term and I go overboard the other way so I’m trying to find that balance of not over doing it but not denying myself everything.)
Not so great again last week. I only did two workouts. I’m trying to get out of my “all or nothing” mindset.
This week:
1. 3 workouts
2. Mindful eating
3. 2 THM meals a day
Ok, so although I just got over a bad infection, and I now have a really bad cold, I am not giving up!
My goals were to lose 10 lbs, and exercise 3 times a week. But, I was also trying to drink enough water (which I have been doing pretty well), get enough sleep (which I have also been doing pretty well), and to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 min (which I had not been doing so well due to my infection, which caused a lot of problems for me). I haven’t lost 10 lbs, but I haven’t gained any weight either! 🙂 Because I’m still sick, I am planning on just playing with the kids for at least 20 min (I have stairs so this is definitely a work out; I even wake up sore in the morning). I still feel fatigue, so I want to do something that I can handle physically and mentally. Playing with my kids is easier for my mind to wrap around than an exercise dvd right now.
I have to say that I am proud of myself with my eating though. I’ve had so many choices to eat some yummy carbs today, and I didn’t do it…yet. 😉 Prayers are appreciated. 🙂
I didn’t meet my goals last week. Hubby suggested going to a pizza buffet for my birthday…so I ate a lot of pizza even though it’s not really good (China isn’t exactly known for its pizza!) and I’ve never really liked it all that much.
This week I’ve exercised three times, will keep walking an hour daily and have cut back on dairy and sugar a lot.
I did ok last week as far as getting my exercise in and going to bed and eating healthy, but this week is not going well at all – female issues and a 3 day migraine 🙁 Haven’t lost a pound, but thankfully haven’t gained. I think at this point that is a big thing – just to maintain and hit it harder after all the celebration.
I did fairly well with the water intake and the deep breathing and stretching. The walking I didn’t do so well with. I have been eating more sweets since there are more around the house this time of year.
My goal for this week is to keep working on the water intake, the deep breathing, and stretching. Also, try not to do many sweets and get myself moving more than I have.