#fmls90 catch up

[theglowstickchronicles]

Guys, I was HELLA behind on FMLS90- but I'm still in it! Just caught up :) while I was waiting for the grocery store to open. Now I am off with my reusable bags to get my food for the week before coming home and continuing chores. I want to get as much done as possible before FOOTBALL starts!!! We're playing Kansas City at 4:25 today (@fatmaninalittlesuit I'm sure you'll be watching this game as well!) and I am SO NERVOUS. We have been... trash, lately. Last week's game was atrocious. I wish I had planned better and tried to go to the game, even though it would probably be crazy expensive and super cold, because my football buddies are in California on a mini vacation (their 3rd this season compared to my 0) and I only have local cable at home.

Anyway, here it is:

• 11/18 - How does holiday food play a role in your fitness journey? Do you have any positive or negative traditions that impact your journey? Share one of both.

Well, this was probably supposed to be about Thanksgiving feasts but here we are on December 8th! Honestly, we don’t really have any “traditions” beyond getting together and sharing a meal. In hindsight this Thanksgiving was probably my best, calorie-wise, because my brother-in-law’s sister did most of the cooking and did a lot of sides with bacon incorporated into them and, since I’m vegetarian, I did not partake. I had some DELICIOUS food, don’t get me wrong, and she made a to-die-for caprese salad… but most of the apps had bacon and several of the sides. I ended up having cheese and crackers, french onion tartlets (SOOO GOOD), chips & dip, mashed potatoes, and a plethora of vegetable sides. It also helped that I had to work overnight Thursday into Friday so I couldn’t have any wine 

• 11/19 - How does holiday stress play a role in your fitness journey? Do you have any especially stressful situations that make your physical or mental journey tough? How do / will you handle them?

Holidays don’t really stress me out, if we’re being honest. As of Dec. 6 I just need to pick up some alcohol and then some giftcards for my cousin’s kids, and I’m done Christmas shopping. I start my shopping November 1 every year. I don’t mind seeing my family -they’re dramatic, just like everyone else, but compared to my job? A few hours of family drama time is nothing. I do tend to hoard a bottle of wine to myself for the holidays but I’m not sober during non-holiday times, either, so that doesn’t really come into play.

• 11/20 - What role do family and friends play in your holidays? Are these mostly positive or negative? What do you want to change about this?

Mostly positives! I hosted my second annual Friendsgiving this year and it was fantastic. The one downside was I had been up for 44 hours but I think it went well. Honestly the only “downside” to friends/family during holidays is having to be in such close quarters with people because as much as I love them, someone inevitably has germs.

• 11/21 - Do you notice and physical / mental changes around this time of year? Do you have any strategies to deal with them?

I am always a sleepy bitch, but more so during the winter months due to the lack of sun. This M-F, not getting home till 5-6 every night, office has no window life is bullshit. We always jokes that nightshift never sees the sun but dude, until you’ve gone 5 days without sunlight, don’t even @ me. I am extra careful about taking my vitamins during this time of the year because I really do notice a difference in energy and mood without them (I have some vitamin deficiencies NOT related to my diet thank you).

• 11/22 - How do work / school commitments / events this time of year differ for you? Can this be used to your advantage in your fitness journey or are there steps you can take to minimize the challenges?

In the fall we have annual mandatory education at work which can be stressful but other than that, work does not change. This year was a little different because I picked up a second job and had orientation and have been working a lot to save up money for my many endeavors over the next 2 years (sister’s bridal shower / bachelorette /wedding, best friend’s bridal shower / bachelorette / wedding, everyone is turning 30 and wants to go all out -me included- wanting to go on more vacations, wanting to do a 29th birthday somethingl… the list is endless…. Lol)

• 11/23 - Do you have any plans to travel this year? If so, describe the challenges that creates and how you will handle them. If not, what can you do at home to set yourself up for success?

One semi-definite plan is my sister’s bachelorette in 2020! I don’t know when or where we’re going, but we’re going- which reminds me, I need to get my passport in case it ends up being Canada! I also would like to do a small trip for my 29th birthday. Originally I wanted to take a week off (I am close to vacation time caps at work) but we are OF COURSE having a new system go-live 6 days after my birthday and I’m like, top 5 most important people for the go-live. So we shall see. Perhaps a 3-day weekend for president’s day somewhere close?

• 11/24 - Share one tip with the community on how to stay healthy during the holidays.

I feel like any time I have to share a tip with the community I share the same one, but there it is: PREPARATION. For instance I have not meal prepped in 3 weeks and IT SHOWS. I’ve been feeling sluggish and gross, not working out like I should be, and not sleeping as well…. PREPARATION IS KEY!!!

• 11/25 - What are your general thoughts on gratitude and the role it plays in your mental health and happiness?

Being in healthcare puts a new perspective on gratitude. I’m answering this hella late so it’s not actually 11/25 and is several weeks post-Thanksgiving, but… yesterday I watched a daughter unexpectedly lose her mother in the worst possible way. She walked into the room and almost immediately told us to stop doing CPR. I am grateful for my family being here and healthy, I am grateful for my fellow healthcare providers, and I am grateful that this strong woman who was having the worst day of her life wanted one thing for her mother in the last moments of her life: peace.

• 11/26 - What are some past experiences I am grateful for? How did they shape my life for the better?

I am grateful for growing up the way I did. I can’t say I wouldn’t change things but being raised by who I was shaped me into who I am. I’m grateful I wasn’t just handed things and was forced to work for them. I was probably not super appreciative at age 16 when I had to pay for my own car, but as an adult I am SO happy that I learned the lesson of working hard.

• 11/27 - Who do I appreciate? Tell us about them and why you are grateful they are in your life.

Right now I am appreciating the nurse who took report from me last night! We’ll probably never meet again but thank you for listening to my rants, not judging my last-minute leaky IV (don’t worry, the patient had another one that worked fine), and for getting me out of there so quickly!

• 11/28 - It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Tell us what specifically you are Thankful for today.

On Thanksgiving I was grateful for friends, family, and awesome coworkers.

• 11/29 - What are some people / things I may be taking for granted? How can I better express my gratitude for these people / things in the future?

I sometimes take my dad especially for granted. I depend on him for things around the house that I don’t have the skills or knowledge to do, such as fix the deck or the running toilet or even hang things without punching a hole in the wall. In the future I want to express that I’d rather him teach me these things instead of just coming to do them.

• 11/30 - What are some future opportunities I have that I am grateful for?

Everyone’s wedding, and the Year of Turning 30 Extravaganza.

• 12/1 - Share one tip with the community on how to live life with at attitude of gratitude.

No one is grateful 100% of the time. I try to make it a point every day to think of what I have… friends, family, pets, house, car, food in my fridge, etc…. and remember that not everyone has those.

• 12/2 - Where are you on your personal mental health journey? What strengths and opportunities do you have?

The changing of the seasons, setting the clocks back, and the SNOW on December 1st took its toll. I am usually not a Christmas-decorations-the-day-after-Thanksgiving type of person, but this year that’s the day that worked for my family getting our trees (me, my dad, and my sister/brother in law all go together and my Dad drops the trees off with his pickup) so I decorated that weekend and began listening to Christmas music (Pentatonix, ayyyyy). It really HAS been a pick-me-up!!!

• 12/3 - What are some past experiences with mental heath work? What has worked well for you and what has not worked as well.

Personally? None. Professionally? Just what I give as a nurse.

• 12/4 - How is your mental health compared to a year ago? Are you remaining steady, improving or regressions? What do you need to do about it?

Well, this time last year I had been at my job for one day and had no idea what I was doing. Now I’ve been here for a year and know what I’m doing… 50% of the time? So my mental health has gotten better since I no longer feel like a fish out of water. It helps that I got a per diem at the bedside and have those opportunities to do direct patient care.

• 12/5 - How aware are you of your mental health? Are your your moods steady or do they ebb and flow? Are you aware when things are changing and do you have any experience / tips for heading off tough times?

Very aware of my mental health; you have to be, to survive in healthcare without getting serious burnout. I would say my moods ebb and flow, which isn’t abnormal. Tough times can be headed off by doing self care, and I don’t mean in the bath-bomb-face-mask type of way: do your laundry (and fold it straight out the dryer), wash the dishes, clean the house, meal prep… and maybe get a manicure.

• 12/6 - Have you noticed any patterns / cycles to your own mental health? Do the seasons, or specific holidays or other variables impact you in specific ways?

Not especially. Late fall / early winter tends to be hard due to the lack of sun, but I also have a vitamin D deficiency that for obvious reasons gets worse in the winter, and low vit D causes depressive symptoms.

• 12/7 - How are mental health and physical health connected? What are some of your experiences that show this in your life?

Well. In my personal and somewhat-work-related experience, being in poor physical health often has a negative impact on mental health. HOWEVER BEING IN POOR PHYSICAL HEALTH DOES NOT MEAN BEING OVERWEIGHT. Plenty of patients have normal BMIs and are in poor health, and plenty have BMIs that label them obese and are in good health. And being in good physical health does not mean you have good mental health. I guess what I want to say is that while they can influence one another, they are not directly correlated?

• 12/8 - Share one tip with the community about developing or maintaining your mental health.

Don’t let things pile up. And I mean that literally and figuratively. Clean your house and prep your food and for the love of God empty the trash from your car (no? just me?). But also… don’t dwell on things you cannot change, and don’t stew on things you can. Just do it. It will be worth the time, energy, and anxiety.

[fiveloveten]

FMLS90 w5/d7-9

11/8 - Do you have any negative food habits you are trying to break or any healthy habits you are trying to build? Tell us about what works for you. 

Things that are negative for me are mainly eating late at night and eating big portions or overeating. I think one thing that set me up for failure as a kid was the whole”clear your plate rule”. I’m changing that narrative by allowing more flexibility for my kids so they can learn their hunger and satiety signals (~75% of their plate is usually good enough for me). I will usually eat out of a kid size plate or bowl if it’s something yummy (like ice cream) to control my portion size. I’m usually done eating for the day around 7-8pm depending on the kids extracurricular schedule. But the old man is a night owl and a HUGE late night snacker/meal eater/nightcap chugger and a bad influence on me. But I know if I eat after 9 I’m not going to sleep well and that keeps me from doing it. One really bad habit that I’ve been able to kick is always having (or craving) something sweet after dinner (or any meal really). We have even been successful with the kids...we let them have dessert maybe 2-3x a week and they’ve stopped asking us for it! 🥳🥳

11/9 - Do you snack? Tell us about your approach to snacking and if it is working well for you. 

I am a BIG snacker. Keeps me from getting “hangry”. I’ve gotten better with the types of snacks I reach for now. Mainly nuts, popcorn, fruit, and peanut butter. Works really well when I’m prepared lol. Even when I’m not, the break room stays stocked with at least nuts and fruit (along with the candy and chips but my willpower is usually strong enough to stick with the healthy stuff if it’s available. If it wasn’t, it would be a wrap! Sugar wins).

11/10 - What is one healthy eating tip you would offer to the community?

Be prepared. Even if you can’t prepare your meals, try to have healthy snacks with you. If things get really busy at the office, peanuts or popcorn can usually tide me over until I can break away for lunch. And when I’m not starving, I make better choices.

[less-flower]

11/26 -  What are some past experiences I am grateful for? How did they shape my life for the better?

There are a lot - both good and bad because without the bad, would I be the person I am today? It’s still difficult to be thankful for some of them, though.

So here are some:

I answered a penpal ad in a magazine twenty years ago. The person who posted this ad is now one of my best friends (and incidentally sitting in the room next to mine).

I went to a convention - also about twenty years ago. The people I met there and the community I found are still one of the most wonderful constants in my life today.

Spending time abroad - I was in Japan for half a year and lived in France for almost a year. Both were more on the painful side as far as experiences go but they showed me what I can and what I can’t withstand and that there is no shame in saying “I cannot withstand this, and I want to go home” (but maybe not be quite so rash in deciding? In the end, I regret not staying longer in Japan ...).

11/27 -  Who do I appreciate? Tell us about them and why you are grateful they are in your life.

First and foremost - my friends! They’re my rock when things get rough. I appreciate M and his ability to make me think logically about my feelings. I appreciate M2 and how she notices when I’m off and reaches out to me. I appreciate C and M3 for being fun and uncomplicated.

My family - I am grateful for them loving me even when they don’t understand me at times. I appreciate the new level of understanding Sibling and I have found in the last couple of years. I’m grateful for A joining our family but sometimes giving us a reality check by providing an outsider’s perspective.

You guys - I’m so grateful that I have found such a lovely community here, that some of you have become my friends and that you share my struggles and successes with lots of encouragement and support!

11/28 -   It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Tell us what specifically you are Thankful for today.

I’m thankful for a body that has its struggles but still works to the best of its abilities. For friends and long walks. For a difficult phase ending. For memories that are no longer painful but almost fun to be outraged at. For a penpal ad I answered twenty years ago. For manga and anime, Elfquest and P&P roleplaying. For time off. For looking forward to things.

[maria-the-ghoul]

FMLS90 Week 1 catch up

10/8 -  If you are comfortable with it, share some of your goals with the team.

So, I shared these last week, but here are my goals as they stand right now.  I might add more/alter them over the 90 days, but here they are:

Fitness 1. Complete my second half marathon on November 3rd - possibly beat 3 hours and 20 mins..?! 2. Come up with a workout plan and follow it 2A. Work out 3-4 times a week 3. Hit step and water goals daily 3A. Hit the 250 steps/hourly on Fitbit (if you wanna be friends on Fitbit or Garmin, let me know) 4. Possibly break the 200lb mark…?!

Personal 1. Be a better friend to @robinruns 2. Open that damn Etsy shop 3. Post my photography and not be worried about it (and tag the wrestlers) 4. Study and pass my session B classes

10/9 -  If you have more than one goal, which is the most important to you and why? If you chose to stay with one goal, tell us why you are focused on that specific goal.

TBH, even though I have fitness goals, they aren’t the most important to me.  Yes, I do need to start my half marathon training, etc..but the Personal goals are important to me because I’m starting to learn that those personal goals make my heart happy (exercise does too, but they can also stress me out)

10/10 -  Share something that motivates you. It can be a person, a movie, a song, a quote - anything that speaks to you. Tell us about it and why it is important to you.

This is kind of a tough question for me.  People like @robinruns motivate me, however I also feel like a failure when I look up to them because I’m not at their level and/or I feel like I have failed them when I don’t do workouts/I have a bad workout, etc.  

The mantras/mottos I posted earlier this week also motivate me when I’m feeling down.  Motivation is also odd for me because it comes in waves until I have a bad day/see someone doing better than me and I know that’s the mental illness talking, but damn it sucks the life out of meeeee.

10/11 -  If you had to offer the group one tip about goal setting or accountability, what would it be?

Remember that you are human.  Everyone will have both good days and bad days.  Just keep your head up and know that you can get through anything.

10/12 -  What is your experience with public accountability? Do you share details of your journey with others or are you more private? Why?

Tumblr is basically the only place where I share my journey.  I will post on my FB when I finish races, but that’s about it.  Even on Tumblr, I’m kinda selective about what I post because (as I keep mentioning lol), I don’t want my mutuals/the awesome people who follow me to be like ‘wow..she sucks at this” and unfollow me...IDK man...I struggled with this on my previous fitblr and wanting to fit into the “mold” of a kick ass fitblr who has her life together and never has bad days...but that’s not the case because I have MANY bad days...I have no idea if that answers the question or if that’s way toooo much information.

[teacupfulloftennwhiskey]

I have some make up work to do

10/9 If you have more than one goal, which is the most important and why? 

   My most important goal is to get into a better state of mind, health wise. I don’t have a healthy relationship with food, and I don’t have a healthy relationship with long term with my body. My goal is to become healthy mentally, to be able to eat healthier and have my daughter see me not fighting with myself and how I look. She’s hitting this age where it’s so important to me for her to see her mom as someone to aspire to like I did with my mom. Not someone who hates themselves and how they look, and have her think that that is okay to do when you’re older, or now for that matter. 

10/10 Share something that motivates you. It can be a person, a movie, a song, a quote - anything that speaks to you. Tell us about it. 

“YOU ARE A SOUL NOT A BODY” said often by one of the coaches from Crush, this Is something that I have to repeat to myself often, because it makes me re-focus on mental and not physical. My daughter is also motivation for me because she’s so important and a huge part of my world. I’m also really motivated by rewards, and not like food or clothing but for me rewards are traveling places. As I’m typing this up my background on my laptop keeps changing and showing pictures of the different murals I’ve seen and those make me so happy. 

10/11 If you had to offer the group on tip about goal setting or accountability what would it be? 

Don’t worry what other people think. Which I know is me calling the kettle black because this is the biggest thing I face everyday, but once I do actually focus more on the task at hand and less what others are thinking of me trying to accomplish it, life gets much better. Also, if you are tracking and feeling guilty about what you’re putting down, you probably need to change some things. 

10/12 What is your experience with public accountability? Do you share details of your journey with others or are you more private? 

I have had this blog for a long time, but I always tend to drift off and come back again like a roller coaster. I have not the best track record with being accountable when it comes to weight loss. I’m accountable in a lot of other aspects of my life and I need to figure out how to make those merge with my personal journey and goals. 

10/13 Have you had a chance to find an accountability partner or group yet? 

Nope, but that’s my own fault I know. I haven’t reached out to anyone. I know that I’m not the best at keeping up with this so that’s a part of it and the other part is probably just my own social awkwardness showing. 

[oliviasuett]

10/28 - social media plays a huge role in my mental state, so I’ve actually been trying to limit my time with it. Most of the blogs I follow are very uplifting:)

10/29 - I don’t feel that I have a lot of experience with affirmations. I HAVE been using positive affirmations with my son and it does seem to help him so I may give it a go as well

[nerdy-teddy]

FMLS90 - Week 11 - Backlog

12/16- Talk about your sleep past - have you ever struggled with enough quality sleep? Have you ever been diagnosed with any kind of sleep disorder? 

What is quality sleep? like I either get sleep or I am awake there is no in between for me. There are times where no matter how tiered I am or how badly i want to sleep it does not come but never had a sleep disorder diagnosed because they are usually isolated incidents.

12/17 -  Talk about your current sleep situation. Is it healthy? How much sleep do you average every night? Has your sleep improved or gotten worse over the last year?

For much of my life I would get 7 - 9 hours of sleep, as of the last 5 years that has been decreasing to probably 5 - 7 hours. And now as of this year I would put my average range of sleep at 2 - 6 hours a night. The odd thing is even on night where I get 2 hours I am just as awake and ready to go as on night where I get 6 or the rare times I get a full 8 hours.

12/18 - Do you have a regular sleep pattern? What time do you go to bed and wake up? Do you nap? 

My “Pattern” is odd, It used to be 10pm in bed, 5:15am wake up, alarm or not. As my depression got worse I was going to bed at 7pm just to sleep it away however all this did was get me to start waking up at 3:30am. Now even if I am up till midnight, come 4 - 5am I am awake. There is no “Sleeping in” for me. Naps? never heard of them.

12/19 -   Do you have any challenges that make getting sleep difficult? Things like being a new parent, or shift work, or chronic pain? How do you deal with these challenges? 

No real challenges other than depression/anxiety. I’m trying to honestly just ignore them but as of  late they are causing me to some nights get as little as 90 minutes of sleep.

12/20 -  How Is your sleep environment ? Does it promote good sleep? Are there any changes you would like to make? 

Other than I am probably too addicted to my phone when I first wake up, I don’t have issues getting to sleep usually, electronics or caffeine never seem to prevent me from getting to sleep quickly. I only have an issue (50/50 chance) is if I wale up in the middle of the night cause I re position in bed or have to go to the bathroom then its a gamble if I will be able to fall back asleep.

[fmls90]

Week - 1 Dates - 10/7 - 10/13 Theme : Goal Setting and Accountability

Overview

Below you will find the daily prompts and challenge for the week. The goal of the prompts is to serve as a conversation starter. You can spend as much or as little time as you want with each of there. There is no right or wrong answer. Only share what you are comfortable sharing. You can always skip a question or do them and choose not share the results. Please tag your posts as FMLS90 so we can follow each other’s progress.

This week is all about setting goals for the next 90 days and developing strategies to hold ourselves accountable. If you have not seen this already, please see this week’s Supplemental Post on Goal Setting, this will help you set your goals. 

Daily Prompts

10/7 -  Tell us about your expierence with goal setting. What works best for you? Have you used the SMART goal setting process or any other method? 

10/8 -  If you are comfortable with it, share some of your goals with the team. 

10/9 -  If you have more than one goal, which is the most important to you and why? If you chose to stay with one goal, tell us why you are focused on that specific goal. 

10/10 -  Share something that motivates you. It can be a person, a movie, a song, a quote - anything that speaks to you. Tell us about it and why it is important to you. 

10/11 -  If you had to offer the group one tip about goal setting or accountability, what would it be? 

10/12 -  What is your expierence with public accountability? Do you share details of your journey with others or are you more private? Why?

10/13 -  Have you had a chance to find an accountability partner or group yet? If so, tell us about them and how you plan to work together. If you have not and would like to, use this prompt to tell us about what you are looking for in a partner. 

Challenge -  Establish a personal Mantra or theme for this challenge. Mantras are simple, positive phrases that you can repeat to yourself (or shout to the world) that will help you stay focused or on track. 

Examples:

I am fearless

I am strong, I am beautiful, I am enough

I am creating a life I can be proud of

You may want to find a way to express this graphically so you can print it out and keep it front of mind. 

Note - Many of us have subconsciously accepted negative, self limiting mantras. If you are in this position, please make a conscious effort to remove those negative messages, replacing them with new, healthier ones. 

Next Week -  The theme for next week is “Preparing for Success” It is all about doing pre-work to ensure you are successful. 

Join us? Just seeing this and want to join in? Please do! Just see this post and join in. You are welcome to catch up or just start here, whichever you prefer. 

[maddygoesthemiles]

At some point in the past couple weeks I’ve been tagged to SDS by some major cuties @operationkay10 @odinsravendutchess @81welsh and maybe others? Or maybe not even these people? I don’t feel like looking back to find out.

Right now I’m happy, just a little bit away from being tipsy, and I just got a fresh hair cut. I’m hanging out with one of my favorite friends tonight and I’m leaving for a camping trip tomorrow. I am insanely behind on FMLS90 prompts but I will catch up at some point this weekend. But it’s my October Break and I’m just happy to be chilling!

@mariana-lifts @theunstuffedpepper @belovedgoofball stop, drop, selfie?

[theunstuffedpepper]

My Saturday so far 💁🏻‍♀️

Slept til about 9 which felt amazing. Kicked the day off with a protein shake and some snugs with my kitties. Then I made a grocery list for the upcoming week and hit the grocery store. I was careful not to buy anything that I don’t want in the house — everything I grabbed is pretty darn healthy. It feels good to keep focused and have a house full of fresh, smart options.

Today kicks off FMLS90 and I’m excited to start it off right.

Oh, also: I bought 16 bananas. I’ve never purchased that many bananas at one time. 🤣🍌

Now I’m home with the windows wide open and I’m going to enjoy this beautiful, relaxing day. Shark week hit me pretty hard today and since I’ve worked out for the past 5 days, I’m taking today as a rest day. Back at the gym tomorrow.

Time to hydrate, crochet, and catch up on Handmaid’s Tale. 🙌🏻

[theglowstickchronicles]

FMLS90: catch up, plus getting ahead since I know this weekend will be super busy

12/18 - Do you have a regular sleep pattern? What time do you go to bed and wake up? Do you nap? 

So last year I took a Monday through Friday, 8-5 kinda gig. Prior to that I was working 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts, and would occasionally nap on my days off. Now I only get 2 days off (Saturday and Sunday) so I do not nap. The one outlier to this is if I flex my work hours and work weird hours... or am sick. I typically go to bed around 9-10pm, and am awake around 4:30-5:30. This week has been different since I worked weird hours, was sick, and it was a holiday.

12/19 -   Do you have any challenges that make getting sleep diffacult? Things like being a new parent, or shift work, or chronic pain? How do you deal with these challenges?

I've had bouts of insomnia in the past but otherwise no. I do keep melatonin on hand which doesn't necessarily put me to sleep, but does sometimes make it easier.

12/20 -  How Is your sleep environment ? Does it promote good sleep? Are there any changes you would like to make? 

No, I think my sleep environment is a good one. Nice big bed to myself, comfy sheets, more pillows than I could ever use, nice and quiet and dark. I would probably sleep in later if I didn't have cats who NEEDED to eat breakfast at 4:30am every day but such is life.

12/21 - Do you find yourself falling asleep when you don’t intend to? Do you have any other sights that you may not be getting enough sleep?   

Not usually! Occasionally I have a super boring meeting that I find myself drifting a little, or this week I was falling asleep on the couch (but again, sick) but usually I save it for bedtime.

12/22 -  If you could offer one sleep tip to the community, what would it be?

You really do have to find what works for you. My old college roommate needed sound, usually the TV, to fall asleep... I usually like quiet and darkness, though sometimes I'll play music. TV usually keeps me up.

12/23 - Share either your favorite or least favorite memory of 2019. If you would like, feel free and do both. 

My favorite and least favorite memories might be the same weekend. We went away to upstate NY with friends and had a great time playing games, drinking, going to a show, etc... but during that same weekend we went hiking and I just was so out of shape. That weekend is what prompted my foray into running.

12/24- Share a picture and or story from the beginning of the year and one now. Talk about what has changed over that time. 

Last spring the manager of the floor I am the educator on was out for 2 weeks (and then ended up leaving for a promotion but that's a different story). While she was out I was working 12 hour days, 5 days a week. The floor was floundering and I was right in the thick of it. This week the new manager is out all week for the holiday... and I've managed to leave right on time, if not early, every day. This is kind of sad but part of me realized that it's no longer my job to staff the floor or fill in for charge, and that this is just work; I only get paid for 40 hours a week, so anything after that is on my own time. No one on the floor is willing to come in on their own time, so I stopped spending so much of my own there. I can't say I'm totally perfect because I still spend over 40 hours there quite often, but it's nowhere near as much as it used to be.

12/25 - What did you learn in 2019? How can you apply that in the future? 

I learned a lot about what people are and are not willing to do for me, despite what I do for them. I pet-sit for some friends and make sure I feed, water, and play with their pets, including cleaning the litterbox; only one of them will reciprocate and watch my animals, and they drop down the bare minimum of food and leave. I asked to go to a cidery for my birthday and only 4 people came; my two closest friends left early for another birthday party in the family and asked for us to meet up at a bar to celebrate later that night. I ended up leaving early because I was tired but I didn't even get a "happy birthday", nevermind a free drink. I am willing to come into work at 4am to see night shift but they aren't willing to stay past 0730 for a 10 minute in-service. And I'm not saying I expect these things, but it did show me that just because I do something for someone doesn't mean I am going to get any form of reciprocation. I've re-evaluated how far I am willing to go for people and reigned it in, just a smidge. I used to go out of my way and sometimes even put myself at a disadvantage to do all of these things and now I've stopped doing that as much.

12/26 - How did your friendships and relationships change in 2019? Are you satisfied with this? What do you want to do to improve your most important relationships in 2020? 

2019 was a little rough with work friends because they literally almost all have kids now, so we don't go out aftrer work almost ever. Things have to be planned way in advance. I don't think my relationship with my best friend has changed, but also I don't think it needed to? We have a great friendship. My two closest friends in state changed a little since I realized that I was putting far more effort into the friendship than they were, and I toned it down a little.

12/27 - How did your habits change in 2019? Are you satisfied with this? What do you want to do to improve your most important habits in 2020?

I worked out more and ate better, but not great on either front. I have a plan for 2020 to fix this :)

12/28 - What is your theme for 2020? Describe how you would like 2020 to be in a word or sentence

Glow-Up

12/29 - What is one goal you have for 2020. What are you going to do to make it a reality? (We will revisit this in more detail next week, for now write a few sentences documenting the goal and high level approach to deal with it.)

Become more active!

I have a plan for this but basically I want to hit certain yearly milage goals, spin class goals, clean eating goals, outdoorsy goals... I have a whole process that I am just fleshing out at this point. For so many years I have dieted and exercised based on fads or certain diets (keto, AIP, intermittent fasting, etc).... but now I am trying to tailor my diet to my specific needs and wants. More to come on the subject :)

[fiveloveten]

FMLS90 w8

11/25 -  What are your general thoughts on gratitude and the role it plays in your mental health and happiness? 

Being thankful for what I have keeps me grounded in the present. Sometimes when I get stuck on opportunities that I’ve missed out on or maybe things I should have done differently in the past, I ignore all the good things that are going on around me. And it makes me sad and irritable. Not a good way to be around those you love and who love you. “Everything happens for a reason”. This is something I say to myself all the time that keeps me positive.

11/26 -  What are some past experiences I am grateful for? How did they shape my life for the better? 

I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gone to college out of state. I feel like that was a turning point in my life where I was able to really come into my own outside of my comfort zone.

11/27 -  Who do I appreciate? Tell us about them and why you are grateful they are in your life.

I appreciate my partner for sticking with me these last 12 years. He makes me laugh, makes me save when I want to spend, and wipes my tears away when I’m upset. He’s helped me bring three beautiful babies into this world and raise a son that’s not his own. I’m so thankful for my kids. They keep me humble and constantly challenge me to be a better person. And I’m thankful for my mom and uncle who are constant sources of wisdom.

11/28 -   It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Tell us what specifically you are Thankful for today. 

Thankful for Walmart being open!!! Our electric turkey fryer died on us and we spent almost three hours driving to seven different stores around the metro area before we found a replacement 😑🙄

11/29 -  What are some people / things I may be taking for granted? How can I better express my gratitude for these people / things in the future?

In the past, I took my mother’s presence in my life for granted. I took chances I didn’t need to because I knew she’d catch me if I fell. As I’ve matured and raised my own children, I understand the sacrifices she made for me when I was growing up. When we fell on hard times four years ago, she helped my partner and I with a down payment to purchase a car that helped us get back on our feet. On Thanksgiving, I was able to return that favor by gifting back that same car to her. I want to make sure that not only do my kids want for nothing, but that she knows that she has our support as she gets older as well.

11/30 -  What are some future opportunities I have that I am grateful for? 

I have the opportunity to sit for a certification exam next month that might open some doors for me in my career. I’m thankful that I could afford to invest in myself for the future.

12/1 - Share one tip with the community on how to live life with at attitude of gratitude. 

Volunteer your time. Whether it be at work or in the community. I feel like so much of what I see around me is focused on what we can all do for ourselves. But I think that’s the easy part. It’s harder to think about what we can do for others. And that’s where we can get the most reward.

[runningcryptid]

She liiiiiives! 🧟‍♀️

Despite the shot, I caught the flu. I'm still feeling awful, but noticeably better; I got out of bed today lol. (The photo is from Monday, after leaving the doctors office.) I feel like I slept for the past two days.

I'm still very low energy, but I'll do my best to catch up on FMLS90 and the book club, since my book finally came in!

Hope everyone is doing well and dodges this bullet this year 😷🤧🤒

[emilydoesscience]

Man Thanksgiving took a lot out of me!

We had a great holiday, my work days were normal or shorter which was nice because I was prepared for 10+ hour days. It was hard not to have mom but I think bc I was working I was mentally focused not fully on holiday stuff and it made it easier. Christmas is going to be harder I think... Good thing my little man is SUPER into all thing Christmas right now 🎄⛄🦌🎅🍪🎁 we had to redecorate the tree with nothing on the bottom half...

I'm way behind in FMLS90 and I plan to catch up this week, posting a few a day until I'm back up to speed.

Dan's leaving for a work trip for the week rolling into a birthday long weekend so it's going to be a week of single parenting (full time single parents are super humans).

I didn't run last week bc I was exhausted, and I'm hoping to get in at least three runs or rides this week, even though I'm likely to be just as tired.

Happy Sunday to you all!

[jules-versus-fitness]

FMLS90 Final Week Catch Up

12/31 - Look back at the past 12 weeks. Which was your favorite and least favorite week and why?

I really enjoyed the last week, this year has been crazy and I love reflecting and then planning ahead! The least favourite week I think would be the self love challenge, it’s so difficult to talk about eloquently and I have a really inconsistent image of myself at the moment so my own experience of self love can feel very difficult to unpack. It’s definitely something I’ll still be working on for a long time.

1/1 - As the year wraps up, look back and share some of your favorite memories and most proud moments of 2019.

I’m really proud of all the times I’ve stuck by my instincts, and all the times I’ve stuck by my friends. I’ve become much better at taking chances to do things that are scary and exciting, and each of those is shaping me to become braver and happier. 2019 has taught me a lot, and has shown me both how tough it is to be proactive about so much in life, but how vital it is to take the action and really hold on tight to the important stuff. 

1/2 - What are your thoughts on New Years Resolutions? Do you have any?

I love the chance to reflect and reform in the new year, and although I don’t set super strict goals I have some ideas in mind! I would love to get my first tattoo in 2020, especially if I get a chance to have artwork designed by one of my amazing friends. This year I want to really kickstart my career, and I want to make time for myself by painting and working out. 

1/3 -   Looking at what you learned about yourself from this challenge, what specific habits / goals do you plan to bring forward into 2020?

In 2020 I need to be really tough and practical, and I can’t let myself hide or fall into patterns that are more about disconnecting than actually working towards the things that make me happy. I think the main habits I want to work on involve pushing myself to try new things, and making sure I try both big and small changes in my environment because I’ve learnt how important that is for staying energised.

1/4 -   What is your plan to attack 2020? You may want to look back at this tool on goal setting.

My plan! 1. Apply to jobs relentlessly until I get the chance to work in my field properly. Could take a long time, could happen straight away, but I won’t stop until I’m on the right path! 2. Sign up for my next running/obstacle course event (I’ll be posting about that soon, it’s exciting!). 3. Continue tracking running training and general weight/fitness progress on wall planners. 4. Review goals and to-do lists weekly at least, and keep checking that the priorities are actually the things that will make me happier/healthier overall. 

1/5 -  Sign off from the challenge in any way you would like :)

Thank you to everyone who actually read/liked my fmls90 posts! And thank you to everyone who was annoyed by them but still kept following me 💕 I’ve really enjoyed indulging in thinking more about what I’m doing and why, these prompts have been really helpful because I’ve felt pretty lost over the last few months and I’m slowly working through it. 

Biggest thanks, of course, goes to John @fatmaninalittlesuit!! This challenge has been excellent and so interesting and I appreciate the work that you put in so so much. 🙌

[oliviasuett]

10/21 - my history is pretty extensive at this point. I’ve been a certified (tho not working) personal trainer for a while as is my husband. So when I’m working a program it’s usually one that we’ve built together.

10/22 - I want to rock climb! 🤩 my SIL in California is always posting her adventures and I want in so bad 😂. There’s not much I can do about that rn now tho.

10/23 - I usually do my best to keep my activities well balanced. It helps that I have a home gym at my disposal.

10/24 - I STRUGGLE to balance it with my daily life taking care of the house and kids. If my house isn’t spotless it causes marital issues so time I would like to spend working out I’m usually just hunting for things to clean 🤷‍♀️

10/25 - one tip: go slow if you’re lifting! Practice mindfulness and really focus on achieving the mind muscle connection. Your results will be fantastic

10/26 - I am always motivated but I very rarely act while motivated. So I guess the connection isn’t really there