Arduous Eighty

 

 In typical MaryFran fashion I had a brainstorm and decided to dive in to something on the spur of the moment.  What in the world did I decide to do?   Why I’m going to do what I am calling my Arduous Eighty!

75 Hard

Last year on a total whim (do you see the trend) I started doing the 75 hard.  Literally it was a whim. I saw something about it and decided to stop being intrigued and just do it.  It was a Sunday morning.  I literally had that thought to just do it and got up off my chair and immediately went to the exercise bike and did the first workout…..no thought, not planning. 10 seconds between the thought to do it and the start of doing it!

I did it!  It was tough.  It was the middle of winter and that 45 minutes outside was tough.  I remember one day it was pouring down rain and just barely above freezing at 33°.  But outside I went to go for a walk.   Brrrr!  Windstorms, snowstorms, you name it I braved it.  And I finished the 75 hard. I felt great in terms of fitness.  But I lost no weight….because I did  not set my eating plan correctly.  I did it…and actually said that I would be open to doing it again!  (Evidenced in this post.)  

The Plan

I have not been against doing a 75 hard again.  However I don’t really want to do something that takes up 2 hours of my day.  Don’t get me wrong, I am worth the time end effort, but as I lay in bed thinking I knew that I had to do something that would stretch me in terms of effort but something that would also be achievable with my current schedule.  I knew it would involve exercise and I knew that it would involve a more strict dietary plan. But I also knew that while I want it to be strict and difficult that I also wanted it to be achievable. So here it is.  The Arduous Eighty plan:

 1.  Exercise once day.  20-30 minutes at a bare minimum.  If it is an hour, that still counts as ONE exercise.  No cheating!    I know from doing the 75 hard that it is possible to exercise daily.  But I also know that I was TIRED.  My body was really aching by the end of the challenge.  So I am giving myself a bit of grace.  I need 80 workouts.  So if I don't work out on a weekend day, that is fine, I just need to do a double exercise (once morning once evening) one day to make up for it!   Either way it's tough. (Oh and when we recommence with the dog walks in the morning, that does not count toward one of my exercises!)

2.  Water - 56-64 ounces of water.  I have been a bit lazy lately with my water, finishing 'half' of my required amount and then switching to soda and some days I just flat out start with soda.  Nope nope nope.  Arduous Eighty plan does not waiver on this.  get the 64 ounces.  (more is ok, less is NOT) There really isn't a fail plan in this one.  There is no back up plan to allow for a slip.  Water has to be drank each day.

3.   Eating plan.  Here is the biggie.  When I did the 75 hard, I did a loosey goosey plan.  I did restrict a bit, but not to the level that I need to in order to lose weight.  So I didn't lose a single solitary pound during those 75 days. (I did lose the week afterward when I had the flu though.  hahahaha).  I need to be more strict.  So this one is going to be the hardest.  My goal is 1400 calories a day (or less).   I know that it a bit low.  I also don't measure my food, so it probably isn't as low as that (that's my trade-off).     But that is the goal.  1400 a day.   9800 a week.  .....  Yes, if I have a day where I am over, well I sure as better eat really light the next day to make up the difference (hello sourkrat, celery and other REALLY low calorie food items).

4.  Read my bible every day.  I have been reading through the bible chronologically but slipped a bit and haven't been doing that as regularly.   This challenge, I'm adding that in.  (75 hard has you reading a non fiction book for 10 minutes a day...so this is pretty much the same thing).

And that's it!  Those four things...80 days!  This will take me the rest of the way through February, through March and to the very end of April.   An Arduous Eighty! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

75 Hard: Week 10 plus a few days,

 I really went into auto during week 10.  It really all just seemed routine.  I know, how crazy is that?

My exercise continued like clock work.  On week days I got up at 5AM and got the first 45 minutes completed and then in the afternoons I went out and took a walk.  On the weekends I changed it up a bit.  One or two days I did a combination of indoor and outdoor.  I also did one or two days of work outside in the yard and around the house.  I was doing stuff like turning the compost bins (Shoveling a 4x4 bin of compost out and moving it to a new location) and moving stuff around in the shed and starting to pull summer stuff out.  I will call that exercise/activity!  One day Jason and I went for a long 2 hour walk on the canal.   I am counting that as all of my activity for the day too!  

 Dare I say it was easy to get my exercise in?   NO!  I will not say that.  It was routine, but it was not easy.  I still woke up and pretty much immediately groaned just thinking about having to do that 5AM 45 minutes.  I still drug my feet about going outside to get that walk in.  I didn't WANT to do it, so it wasn't easy.  It was routine though and I did it!

The reading, now that was EASY!

The water was pretty routine also.  There was one or two days where it came down to 4 or 5 PM and I realized that I was only halfway through my water for the day.  Luckily I realized it early enough to easily rectify the issue!

Food.  Food is still my Achilles heel. I stayed under my calorie goal.   Barely.   So it was a win.  But my calorie goal was set at a level that I could sustain it for 75 days.  It was set at a level that would maintain my weight.   So I kept my goal....but didn't drop a pound during this week of the 75 Hard.

And with the end of week 10 (plus a few extra days), I have completed the 75 Hard.  I am honestly kind of in shock that I did it.  I learned a lot.  I made some amazing strides in the right direction toward health and a healthier lifestyle.  I.......well......stay tuned, I'll be posting a review of the whole thing and all of those lessons and thoughts.  I just have to get them lined up in my head first!

75 Hard Week 8: Days 50-56

 As I write this post, I am in awe that I have actually completed 8 weeks of this challenge.  (Spoiler alert, I did successfully complete week 8).  Has it been utterly perfect?  No, but have I pushed through?  Absolutely!   Some of this stuff actually is starting to feel, dare I say it; routine.  

Day 50   3.9.25

There was nothing too exciting about this day.   It was a Sunday so I was able to bypass the 5AM workout.  I still did get it done before my shower, but it was a lazy slow starting morning, so it was completed at closer to 8AM.   I did some things around the house and then we went to a local park to walk.   My food was in line at 1480.  At least in terms of this challenge.  I also got enough water and I read in my non fiction book!  Nothing too exciting...just a nice lazy Sunday.  

Day 51    3.10.25

 Monday.  It is crazy how much Mondays really still drag me down.  I am not working yet still 'live for the weekend.  I drug myself through my 5AM workout.  I kinda dreaded my outdoor walk, but I did it.     This was the day that I picked up the book Eat It, the book that I talked about in my recent post. I rarely listen to audio books but this day I did....I walked and walked at the graveyard because I wanted to keep listening!

The weather was fantastic though and I ended up taking off my hoodie/sweatshirt and walking in a teeshirt!  YAY to spring like weather!  My food was nicely in line at 1011 calories (a little low actually).

 Day 52  3.11.25

Seriously, another routine day.  Indoor exercise was completed.  Outdoor walk was done (at the graveyard of course) .  Water down the hatch and reading easily accomplished. My calories were right in line at 1242.  It was a good day....but nothing exciting!

Day 53   3.12.25 

I had to plan a bit for today, in terms of exercise and eating.  I knew that I was probably going to go over in my calories for the day, but I was ok with it.  It was planned.  How did I know I would probably go over?  I was meeting my brother for lunch.  

I got my 5AM exercise done as usual.  I did my job hunting and all that and then I headed to Hagerstown.  We ended up at Arby's for lunch.  It just feels good to be with my brother.  When lunch was over I went up the stairs in his workshop and started grabbing boxes and loaded my car.  I have been storing stuff in his workshop since 2014 when my previous marriage ended.  While he has told me that there is no rush, I figure that since I am not working that it is the perfect time to get some boxes and sort through it.  Seriously though, if I haven't used it in 10 years and haven't missed it, is it necessary in my life?  

It was during this part of the day that I encountered my tragedy.  I was coming down the stairs with a box in my hands and miscalculated how many steps I had left.  Luckily I only miscalculated by one so my tumble was not down a complete flight of stairs.  But I still took a tumble to the ground, landing on.....my bad knee.  I am happy that I landed on the bad knee.  Because I wouldn't want to have both knees screaming in pain.   

I didn't let it stop me.  When I was done loading the car I headed to....you guess it.....a graveyard!  I walked in the graveyard!  It was another nice day where I just needed a teeshirt!  I was out there for about 2 hours or so!  Even with the bum knee it felt fabulous!

Water and reading were easy but my food ended up to be right at 2000 calories.   Like I knew....high!  But I allow one high calorie day a week!

Day 54   3.13.25 

Exercise at 5AM, check.  Outdoor exercise/activity in the afternoon at a graveyard, check.  The temps dropped a bit and I had to wear my sweatshirt, but it was still pleasant outside.  I also finished the book Eat it during this walk!

I kept my calories at 1381.  I got my reading done.   I drank my water.  So while it wasn't an exciting day, it was a successful day.

 Day 55 3.14.25

This was a busy day.  But I was SOOO TIRED!  I was struggling to stay awake!  I started early and got my exercise done.   I got the grocery shopping completed.  And then I headed into Hagerstown. I had a few errands to do.  So I stopped and got a few more boxes from my brothers workshop.  I spent some time at the graveyard.....walking (of course a graveyard) and then I met up with my youngest nephew and he and I took a nice long drive.  He is just gaining practice with driving stick shift. He is pretty good now, but I think he just wants to 'perfect' and become more natural (probably so he doesn't look like a putz when/if he test drives a car that has manual transmission).  Of course I think it is also because he wants to spend time with his fabulous aunt!  

My calories were capped at 1317 and every thing else was checked as as success this day,

 

Day 56 3.15.25

Ahhhh, finally Saturday.  I made a conscious decision this day. I decided to forego the indoor exercise.  I know how many steps I usually 'gather' when I have my indoor exercise and my outdoor exercise.  I knew that I would get the outdoor exercise for sure, but I decided that as a rest day for my body that I would call it a win as long as I was in that range of steps that I have been falling in when I do both indoor and outdoor exercise.    Cheating?   Some may say that, but I was ok with it.    We went to Frederick, Maryland and walked around some stores and various places.  HMart (an Asian grocery store) is always a fun one.  I found the pigs heads to be interesting.

I got my steps.  I read my book.  I drank my water, although it was iffy for a moment as I picked up a strawberry soda from wawa without thinking....and then realized that I still had a fair amount of water.  I didn't allow myself to take one sip of the soda until I finished my water though!  I capped my day with 1443 calories.   Another win!

The knee pain was annoying this week.  But I pushed through it and didn't let it stop me!  Everything else was on autopilot.  I am starting to consider what my plan should be when this 75 Hard is done.   I am busy  with all sorts of thoughts and plans.   And honestly, I am somewhat excited about some of those plans!   But in the meantime, I still have a few more weeks of this 75 Hard.  

 

75 Hard Week 7: Days 43-49

 After the week of the squeak in week 6 of my 75 Hard challenge I vowed to really set it straight and have a good week.  No more squeaking through!   I was going to charge into the week full force and I was going to slay the beast.  No Squeaks.  But, well it felt too easy.  I felt like I was forgetting something.

Day 43 

This was a Sunday and I did great with my exercise.  On the weekends I don't do it at 5AM, but still complete it before I shower for the morning.  It is such a wonderful treat to not do it so early!  We ran a few errands and while I wanted to go walking on a rail trail, it didn't happen.  But never fear, I still went out and walked around the neighborhood behind us.  Jason and the dog went with me.   I went to pull out my phone to take some pictures and video....and oops.  It wasn't in my pocket.  The last half of the walk I was admittedly a wreck because I had no clue where my phone was! (It was left in the c

ar after our errands).  But with that snafu, I didn't get a single solitary picture!

I did fine with my reading and my water. I ended the day with my calorie count at 1356.  All in all, it wasn't a bad day!

Day 44

I started out strong with my indoor exercise at 5AM.   I have been choosing 'lighter' things.  More 'walk away the pounds' type of exercise.  I am trying to ease up the knee.  The last few weeks have been miserable and I don't like that.  So another easier workout.  Still 45 minutes.  Still sweaty.  Still elevated heart rate....just less twisting, squatting and lunges!  I headed out with the dog early and we spent a good half hour or so romping around the yard.

I left my house at around 9AM and headed to my brothers house where I met up with my oldest nephew.  He was kind enough to indulge me in my new somewhat weird hobby.  We went to a graveyard and walked around.  My hobby is locating graves and taking pictures of the stones (for people that have requested it on Findagrave.com).  So my nephew tagged alone and we had a fun time....well at least I had a fun time!  hahahah   

The reading was done before I even hit the shower.  The water was not a problem.  And my calories were at 1342. 

Day 45

Exercise started as normal.  And then my in-laws called and asked if I wanted help with the mulch pile.  Yes, I worked on the never ending mulch pile again. Last week pert near killed me. Ok, that is a bit dramatic, but I was sore...not from achy muscles but from various ailments within my body!  (You can read about it here.)   So this week I made the statement "only for an hour or so'.   I wore a knee brace and we stopped after an hour and a half.   I am sooo happy to say that my knee fared so much better this week!  But hey, it was good outdoor exercise!

I continued reading the same non fiction book, with dread...it really isn't a fun one to read!  My water drinking was in line and my calories were at 1359.  Another win!

Day 46

What can I say....it was another good day. I managed everything with grace. My outdoor exercise was the only thing that gave me issues.  It was rainy all day and I was dreading it.   I did manage to go out at the last minute...I put dinner on the grill.....cranked some music and walked/danced in the backyard while dinner was cooking.  30 minutes barely completed!   My calories were at 1314 and everything went well.   

Day 47

Indoor exercise completed.   Outdoor exercise was at the graveyard...I was there for a LONG time and enjoyed myself even though it was cold!  Water was taken care of.  Reading done....almost done with the book thank goodness.  Calories were at 1476, a little close but still under the goal!  Other than the close call with the calories, it seemed easy.  

Day 48

I did an indoor exercise with a lady that does zumba and I got brave and did some squats.  Not many, but I did some.  I thankfully was no worse for the wear!   I showered and then promptly fell asleep (even though I had slept really well all night long).   So I was late heading out to grocery shop.  It was a about 40 but super windy.  I made a quick executive decision to head to a graveyard for a walk before shopping.  I knew that if I shopped first and then went home that it would be MURDER to go back out!  So I got my graveyard walk (an hour and fifteen minutes) in before I did my shopping.   WISE decision!

My water was a bit tricky , but I got it in....by the skin of my teeth. I was SURE that I had gone over my calories for the day.  I didn't want to, but I do have that free day once a week so I wasn't too upset.  So imagine my surprise when I looked at my calorie count after everything was entered and saw that I was at 1491 for the day!

The biggest news of all for the day was that I FINALLY finished the non fiction book I was reading!  FINALLY.   Part memoir part instructional. It was just really slow reading and well....just not my cup of tea!

Day 49

A lazy weekend day was upon us!   I got a nice lazy start and didn't exercise at 5AM.   It feels good to relax a bit before starting. HOWEVER,it hangs over my head until I do it!    I make it a rule...no shower until the exercise is done! That works because I need my shower!     We did one or two things around the house but just took an easy day.   We did go out for a walk in the afternoon!  A graveyard of course.  Graveyards seem to be my thing lately!  This one has a Jewish cemetery within it.  The fancy arch over the walkway entering it caught my eye today!

 I started a new non fiction book.  I have high hopes for it, it sounds so interesting!   I got my water in.....guzzled it to finish it before dinner.  I knew we were going to pick up burgers from 5Guys and I knew that I would want to have a diet soda....they have Fanta Strawberry and Cherry pop!   YUM!   So my water was done early!    As you can guess my calories were a bit higher since we went to 5Guys!   Seriously, dinner alone took up my base allotment of calories!  But I ended the day at 1888.  I wasn't worried though.  While my goal and rule to meet the 75 Hard challenge is 1500 calories a day, I built in a once a week cheat day which would allow me to go over that as long as I had earned the calories via exercise!  So all is well and I am still on track and meeting my daily goals!

 Who know that when I started this challenge back in January that I would still be going strong.   I'm not seeing much progress on the scales, but I am TOTALLY seeing progress in my fitness levels.  I am able to work outside and /or walk for so much longer than I had been doing.  I am also doing it with no muscle  aches and pains (boy were those first weeks rough).   While I wouldn't say that I am 'fit' I can see that I am making strides in the right direction.   But even more importantly, I know believe that I CAN do it!

 

 

 

 

It was a squeak of a week! 75 Hard Week 6: Days 36 to 42

 I am still pushing through the 75 hard challenge.  But this week could be categorized as the week of the squeak!

Day 36

 I may have been alone with my indoor exercise on this Sunday, but I didn't have to go outside alone!  Jason and I headed to the Cedar Grove Cemetery where I was able to walk around the graveyard and get my outside exercise completed.  This was my third trip to this graveyard within a few days so I knew the lay of the land, but graveyards are the kind of place that you can go back a gazillion times and still see a different name or a different gravestone!  

 

 My calories were on the high side. However, I managed a win with 1463 as my daily total!  My water was easy this day as was my reading!

 Day 37

This was the most routine day that I had all week.  I got my indoor exercise completed.  I went for a walk outside (at a graveyard of course) and got my outdoor exercise completed.  My water slipped down the hatch easily and my reading was spot on.   It was so mundane that I didn't even film or take many pictures!  I did take one picture, which is when the dog and I went to the bank!

 

My calories.....once again I squeaked out the win with 1493!

 Day 38

This is the day that pert near did me in!  The day started wonderfully.  I did my indoor exercise.  I got my reading done.  I was drinking my water. The weather was FABULOUS!  The day was going splendidly!  It was going so splendidly that I decided to go outside and work on one of the projects that I have hanging over my head.  That project is a mulch pile that I need to get spread!  I worked outside for a few hours.  It felt like I barely made a dent in the pile.......and the work of moving the mulch up a steep hill just about did my knees in!   I had been having issues with my knees the last week or so, but this day ratcheted up the pain 100%!

Once again, I barely squeaked in my calories with my total being 1444. 

 Day 39

I was still hurting pretty badly from the day before.  My knees ached.  Yes, KNEES.   Both of them were screaming with arthritic agony!  I tried to do a lighter workout for my indoor workout and I kept my outdoor exercise as light as I could also!  

Water and reading posed no issue for me and my calories were the lowest they had been all week at 1354.

Day 40

I started my day early.  I got  my indoor exercise in and I knew that I was going away for a good portion of the morning and early afternoon so I got out with the dog and spent about 45 -50 minutes outside with her early in the day.  I had grand plans to go for an 'official' walk in the afternoon, but well....best laid plans sometimes are the biggest failures.  

My morning activity was shopping and running into some stores with my mother in law.  I was on my feet all morning....and on concrete.  My knee was KILLING me when we got back and I chose to spend the rest of the afternoon resting it.   I squeaked out my calories with my daily count being 1482.   For the first time in this whole 75 Hard Challenge I also really squeaked out my water.  I got it in, but it was tight!

Day 41

Another crazy busy day.  I got the indoor exercise done and got the dog out for about 30 minutes in the morning.  I wasn't planning on using the dog walk as my exercise.. because it wasn't a full 45 minutes, it was closer to the 30 minute mark.  But my day just flew by and I didn't have another opportunity to get out again!  Thus I really squeaked out the exercise this day!

Reading was easy.  Water was ok and my calories were so close at 1473. (Another squeaker day for the calories.) I finally finished the last non fiction and moved onto the next one....I think it's gonna be a 'snoozer' book though as it seems rather dry thus far! It's called Stupid Things I Won't do When I get Old. (You can check it out here.....amazon link)

 

Day 42

The first day of March and a Saturday, what a great combination!  With my knee pain, I decided to do a really light indoor workout and I did Yoga!   For the outside workout, we headed to a graveyard of course!   We made a couple of laps around the Norland Cemetery in Chambersburg.  We also checked out an old Presbyterian Graveyard and also the Fort Chambers Park.  

The water was again squeaked out!  And if squeaking the water isn't bad enough, I also squeaked out my calories with my daily total being 1781.

 It was definitely not a grand week.  I am happy to say that I didn't mess up my 75 hard, but it was CLOSE and I totally squeaked some of those days (guzzling water at the last minute.....calories that couldn't have been must closer without going over......defaulting to the walks with the dog as outdoor exercise).  But I made it!  I am vowing that this week will NOT be so close!  No more squeakers!

 

 

75 hard Week 5: Days 29 through 35

Sometimes if feels like I've been doing this 75 Hard challenge forever, but at other times it totally does not feel like I have been at this for 5 weeks already.  Each week has been a discovery or a positive step in the direction toward health and fitness. While I have suffered aches and pains I am continually amazed at myself and my body for steadily working through this 75 Hard Challenge!

 Day 29 2.16.25

This was a typical Sunday.  We started our day slow and I got to avoid the 5AM exercise.  Not to worry, I still got the exercise done before I showered, I just didn't have to do it so darn early!   I watched the weather all day long though, because it was raining and drizzly.   I waited until the rain turned to a drizzle and the forecast advised that we were in a lull for an hour or so.  I headed out for my walk.  It was still rather cool at 33 degrees but I figured a slight drizzle would be manageable!   I was about 15 minutes into my walk when it turned into a downpour.   Yes, if you live in Chambersburg and saw some crazed lady walking outside in 33 degree temps during a pouring rain, that was me!  I was drenched!

We ended up taking the dog for a bath in the late morning so she was squeaky clean!   I got my reading done, drank my water and kept my calories in check with my total calories for the day being, 1305

 

 Day 30 2.17.25

The weather was still a 'balmy' 33 degrees today when I headed out for my outside walk.  I was dreading it though!   The wind was whipping something fierce and was rattling the windows of the house!  But that was no excuse to not get that outdoor workout in!   It was soooo windy! (25-30 mph, we were actually in a wind advisory.)  It made me realize that I would take the rain over the wind any day!  I know, that shocked me too!

My indoor exercise had been completed early so that was out of the way too!  The rest of the day passed and I was able to easily get my water drank, my non fiction reading completed and my calories were right in line at 1395.

 Day 31 2.18.25

It is so nice to get my indoor exercise done first thing in the morning while Jason is in the shower.  I honestly HATE doing it that early, but I absolutely love the fact that it is done by 6AM!   I have been doing mostly CDorner on Youtube.  Her videos are fun and she calls out the instructions with impeccable timing!   I decided to do something a bit different for my outdoor exercise though.  I headed to an old graveyard in Chambersburg and started roaming around.  Graveyards are a great place to walk.  You usually have the place to yourself.....well except for the people that are buried there!  hahaha. 

The rest of the day went well.  My calories were a bit higher at 1427 but I was within my 'boundaries' so all was well.  The other requirements were completed and I had another successful day!

 

Day 32 2.19.25

Exercise is definitely my weak point in this challenge.  I have to be honest about it, I dread it some days, most of them actually!  But I am not letting up.  I have not cheated and knocked time off of my required exercise.  Indoor has never been less than 45 minutes  and the outdoor exercise has never been less than 30 minutes and this week I never went below the 45 minute mark on my outdoor exercise.   For the outdoor exercise I headed back to the old graveyard that I had gone to the day before. I wanted to find the grave of one of my ancestors. It was my 4th Great grandfather.  I searched and walked from gravestone to gravestone in the section in which he is said to be buried and I can say that if he is in that section then his gravestone is totally gone.  I did see a black cat running across the graveyard.  For people that are superstitious and are freaked out at me being in a graveyard, I am sure the black cat just made it worse.  But then again....it's a double negative, which makes it a positive, right!   hahaha  Ok,I don't believe in that stuff and I was just delighted to see the kitty cat!

 

I started trying to focus on getting more protein and this was the first day.  I found that I was using more calories in that quest.  I finished my day at 1495 calories.  I barely squeaked that one out!  Water and reading....I had those in the bag!

 

Day 33 2.20.25

 There is nothing too exciting to say about this day.  I got it done.  I got everything done actually.  My calories were a bit higher at 1492, but still right where they needed to be.   I walked in a graveyard again.   This time in a different grave yard.  This graveyard was in the middle of town, but was very secluded with trees all around and just...well....secluded.   But it was a delightful walk, even if a bit cold because after the two 'balmy' days at 33 degrees, the temps dropped to low 20's!

Day 34  2.21.25

This was another routine day.  I got my indoor workout done at 5AM and by 8 in the morning I was ready to head out to complete my errands.  But first I stopped at a local park and completed a few laps around the park to get my exercise.   Once again, I was surrounded by homes, but being totally alone in a large expanse of property made me realize how vulnerable I was when I was out walking by myself.  So while I was completing my cold walk, I made a decision to add a canister of pepper spray to my grocery list.  I did really good with my calories.  My protein consumption was really good and my calories were in check at 1249.  Reading of course posed no issue!

Day 35  2.22.25

This was the day!  I knew it going into the day that I would most likely be calling due one of the 'free days' for my calories.  Yes, I put in a safety net for my calorie goals.  My goal is to keep my calories under 1500 each day but I allow myself a 'free day' where I can also eat any earned calories.   So if my goal is 1500 calories and I earn 300 through exercise I can then eat 1800 that day.   I had a really good feeling tat this Saturday would be a day when I had to use that free day.   I got up and got my indoor exercise completed and then I waited.  My nephew arrived just on time and we headed out in my old car for a nice drive around.  He has recently learned to drive stick shift and wanted some practice.  We drove around all morning and then he and I went to lunch.  We went to Southwest Moe's where I got a vegetarian burrito.  It was delicious! I also ate the chips.....also delicious!  (I didn't get queso....that is a victory!)  The afternoon was busy with some errands and then Jason and I took a nice walk....in a graveyard again.  (it was the week of graveyards!  Might be graveyards again next week too.)  Water and reading were easy.  But my calories were at 2060.  Luckily according to garmin and myfitness paln I earned 759 calories through movement/exercise.   Which means I was still under my goal!  WHEW!!!!

75 Hard Reflections

This last week was the week that I was able to really think about where I am at.  I am not losing weight and I SHOULD be losing with what I am eating and how much I am exercising.  Yet I am not losing.  The 75 Hard challenge has taken away so many barriers and excuses that I have used. Some of those previous excuses were,  "Ohhh, I didn't exercise.'  or "Oh I haven't been exercising and then I started.' to 'I didn't drink my water so I"m probably retaining."  and conversely "I wasn't drinking and then I started so now my body is holding on to id all".   Always a barrier and excuse.  But this 75 Hard wiped the slate clean.  I've had over 64 ounces of water every day.  I've exercised for 35 days straight....not just a piddly 20 minutes.....we are talking two sessions one of which is never less than 45 minutes and the other between 30 and 45 minutes.  And with the consistency of this challenge, the excuses fell away.  I had to face the fact that something in my eating had to change.  Because that is what is holding me up.  So as I wrote in my last post, I looked closer at my calories and looked at the macros and what I saw coupled with what I read in the menopause book and from talking to my sister in law and a couple other people and I am now focusing on getting more protein into my daily diet. 

I also stopped using the cold as an excuse to use the bail out of 30 minutes outside versus that original 45 minutes.  I think the difference in my thinking was that I am no longer really battling the aches and pains of starting a program like this.  Admittedly, before I started this challenge I was lucky to get over 2500 steps a day.  So going from next to nothing to exercising for 1.5 hours (and over 10,000 steps) was a huge leap and I was sore.  Many days it was cold and icky and I just couldn't face that on top of the aches and pains.  But now that bulk of the aches and pains (not counting the arthritis in the knee) are past, I am able to brave the cold.   Seriously.  My warmest days were 33 Degrees....and I did those in a rain storm and a wind storm.  The rest of the days were colder!

I am excited because this next week is when I will pass the official half way mark of this challenge.  I honestly am a bit in awe that I have made it thus far!  But I've got this!

75 Hard Week Four Days 22 to 28

 I have actually made it 4 weeks in my 75 hard challenge.   It's crazy because some days I think it's the hardest thing I have ever done, but others I think it's the easiest thing in the world!   The outdoor workouts remain my nemesis.  I dread them......it's cold out there!  But that wasn't my biggest issue this week.  My biggest issue was that the arthritis in my knee has come out to play!  It's been quite painful and honestly no fun!  But I know it's not doing damage, so I am just pushing through!  But without further ado, lets look at each day!

 Day 22

Weekend days are a flip flop for me. Normally indoor exercise is the easy one and I dread the outdoor exercise. But with Jason home and different routines in place, it is the opposite.   I still got my 45 minutes of indoor exercise completed though!    The outdoor was so much nicer to complete since we went out together with the dog and walked the neighborhood.  There were only two things to note about the walk.  Number one, it was cold!   Number two, the dog has developed some irrational fear of storm grates.   It is the oddest thing, out of nowhere she cowers and tries to get as far away as possible!  

I was able to nail all of my other requirements for this day.  My water was easy and my calories were at 1372.   This is the day that I turned my eating around and really started to limit my carb intake!

Day 23

This was just one heck of a difficult day!  I woke up and felt HORRIBLE!  My stomach was hurting and I just wanted to curl in a ball and ignore the world.  I did just that in the morning.  I didn't exercise at 5AM like normal.  I pretty much curled up on the couch under a blanket and read.   But I knew that I had made it 22 days in this 75 hard challenge and I didn't want to throw away that success.  So in the afternoon I headed to the TV in the family room.  I choose a light workout to follow.  I did Body Groove, which is more flowy and easy, but can still get me moving.  45 minutes indoor exercise was done.  I went out with the dog in the afternoon and we had a nice leisurely walk.   Then I went inside and retreated to my comfy blankets on the couch.   It wasn't hard core workouts, but they were completed.   My calories were a bit lower due to not feeling well.....I finished the day at 974 calories.

 I completed everything I needed to for the day and didn't let feeling sick derail me! 

 Day 24

This day required planning.  I headed out at about 9AM and that meant that I needed to get my stuff done and planned early!  I had a headache but I was back at the 5AM exercise!  My reading was done by 6:30.   I was outside roaming around and walking with the dog by 8AM and I was out the door for my day by 9! 

I carried my water with me and drank religiously all day and I managed to end the day with only 1324 Calories consumed.  All in all a great day!

Day 25

You know, the outdoor exercise is so much easier to obtain when it's a snowy day!  Even though I knew that it was going to be in the upper 40's the next day, I still took some time to clear off our deck and our walkways (exercise), Zoe and I did our normal walks and of course we played.   Outdoor exercise done.  Of course my indoor exercise was completed at 5AM, like normal!

 My calories ended up a bit high for the day, but still under my goal of 1500.  Let me tell you, it was close at 1473!   Even while my calories were a bit high, I still limited my carbs and did really good with my eating.    Water and reading posed no issues.

Day 26

This was one of those days where it was just easy.  I got the exercise completed early.  I dreaded the outdoor time but I managed it.   I spent most of the day in the office working on my computer and looking for jobs.  (Ok, and maybe a few YouTube videos interspersed!)

I did great with my water and I did fabulously with my calories at 1299. 

My reading got really boring as I was reading the book  You Will Find Your People.    This book was just odd.  It was part 'look at me and all my friends" and part "this is what good friendship looks like".  I don't know really what they were trying to get across, but I can say this.  The book was a drag to read.

 Day 27

Valentines day!   I had a super busy day planned so there was no slacking.   Exercise inside at 5AM, Reading done by 6:30 and outdoor exercise started  at 7:15.   I was out the door for my days activities by 8:20 and I was on the go the rest of the day!   I was honestly too busy to think about food and even with my indulgence of two chocolate covered strawberries, I ended the day at 1236 calories. 

I thought that my water was going to be an issue, but at the end of the day I realized that quite naturally I had finished my water! (What had messed me up was the fact that my water container still had water in it so I thought I had failed....until I remembered that I had filled it up an extra time!  GO me!

It was a good day...busy but good as I got to spend time with all of my favorite people.  Jason of course as I woke up next to him and ended the day with him  but also my brother and his family! I even got to see my niece when we went to see her Gymkana troup perform!

While I was at Gymkana, I was talking with my nephew about core strength (which we apparently both need to work on) and I suddenly thought about yoga for the first time in ages!  I even talked to my nephew about it and talked about how I had been having problems with a pinched nerve and how yoga helped. (You can read about that here.)  A while later I brought up yoga again with my sister in law.  So you know the concept of yoga was stuck in my head. 

 Day 28 

Snow again!   It was a Saturday so we just relaxed at home most of the day and watched the snow.  I did make a tactical error with my outdoor exercise.  It was snowing in the morning but I was so comfy under my blanky that I stayed inside.  By the time I ventured outside the temperature was 33 degrees and it was no longer snow.  Instead, I spent 30 minutes outside in a really cold rain!   (yeah, I utilized the 30 minute minimum adjustment).  

For this day, I split my indoor exercise between yoga and cardio.   I never made any specific rule about exactly what my indoor exercise must entail, but I have pretty much stuck to cardio each day.   After remembering yoga I realized that yoga would be a fabulous addition to my repertoire of exercise during this 75 Hard challenge.  Not as a replacement for the cardio though because I still want to keep cardio as my main exercise, but as an addition.  In this way yoga can allow my body to rest on occasion.   I'm not going to make any promises, but I am also toying with adding yoga a few times a week above and beyond the 45 minutes of cardio.

We had a lazy day and that means that I read a good portion of the day, and I did read my non fiction book during this time.   I am now reading Educated, a memoir.  But thus far it is really just not holding my interest. 

Surprisingly, my water consumption was barely there.  I squeaked a success out for the day, but it was close.  We went out and picked up dinner and I almost stopped to get a soda.  But two things.   Number one, I knew that it was going to be close as it was for me to get my water in for the day.  But secondly, I am really wondering if the diet soda is somehow skewing my weight loss efforts.  (You can read about my thoughts on that here.) I am currently on a downward trend and I am kind of afraid to drink any for fear of messing up my downward trend! So I passed and stuck with water.

I did indulge in a piece of the cake that I made for Jason for Valentines day.  For the first time in a long time I actually had cake in the house and didn't feel like I NEEDED to have a piece.  I honestly went back and forth and waited for quite a while before I actually decided that a piece of cake would be a fun indulgence.  So with the cake my calories were a bit higher at 1468.  But that is ok!

 Reflections

That day that I woke up feeling sick was so difficult.   Exercise was a total test of simple willpower and determination. Being honest, if I had only been 2  or even up to 5 days into the 75 Hard I probably would have thrown up my hands and given up and restarted the 75 hard the next day.   But I wasn't going to fail....and the hard work of the previous 20-some days was a really good motivator!

While the muscle aches and pains that pervaded every waking minute for  the first week or two have mostly dissipated.   This week another pain emerged, or should I say re-emerged.   The arthritis in my knee really came out to play!   Not just the twinges and the random aches and pains that have been part of my life as I have regained weight.  No, this week the old constant pain of arthritis kicked into play.  I started to wear a knee brace again.  I didn't let it stop me.  I know that exercise helps, so I continue!  (I wrote a fun 'letter' to my old friend 'arthur=itus' a while back which you can read here.) I have been more mindful of exercises that have a lot of squats and I only completed one step aerobic workout (early in the week before the knee really started to scream).  

As more time passes I am feeling more and more confident that I not only can finish this but that I will finish this!  Carrying through things has been a difficult thing for me in recent years, especially in terms of weight loss.  But I am felling really confident that I can do it this time!   That confidence is seeping into other things too.   I have had moments in the 365/Picture a day project where I have felt and said to myself "yeah, why are you even trying because you are going to fail such a long term challenge".  But just this week when I was organizing pictures and placing my picture a day pictures in a file folder  and I stopped myself and literally said out loud."I CAN finish this challenge too."    So the success and confidence is growing now just in for the 75 Hard, but also in life in general. 

Bring it on!  I am ready to smash this next week too!

 

 

I was surprised

 Part of the 75 Hard challenge is to set up a diet plan for yourself and follow it religiously.   The term diet does not mean a diet in the negative weight loss connotation.  The rule to set up a diet plan is just saying to set up an eating plan for the time frame.   It does not have to be a plan that will encourage your body to lose weight.  It could be something as simple as limiting how much soda a person drinks, or cutting alcohol or going sugar free.  Anything!  I have one follower on my youtube channel that decided to do the 75 hard along with me and for her diet plan she simply made the rule that she has to track her food each and every day.  It doesn't matter WHAT she eats, she just has to track it. Sure she is trying to keep it under a certain caloric goal, but her plan is to TRACK.    For me though, I decided to set up a diet plan that would 'encourage' my body to lose weight.

I decided that my goal would be to stay under 1500 calories!   I could do that, no problem right?    Well let me tell you, at the beginning it was tight!  But I quickly settled down and got used to eating the fewer calories.  And the first week or so I lost big....I lost 5.5 pounds!   And then I hit a week where I actually gained! I gained 1.5 pounds!  What in the world?   I was working out, religiously.  I was drinking my water, religiously.   I was keeping my calories under 1500, religiously!  There should NOT have been a gain!  Yet, I was staring at the scales and seeing a gain!

I knew that something was dreadfully wrong so I looked deep and here is what I found.

1. I remembered that I typically do not lose at the 1500 calorie mark.   I tend to lose at 1400 and below but my calorie count that week was always JUST below the 1500 mark!  Yes, that seems low.  HOWEVER, I do not weigh my food all the time.  I do it here and there to 'recalibrate' my portion sizes.  But I don't do it all the time.  So I look at it as the lower caloric goal is my trade off for not having to be anal and weigh everything!  Plus, I share my food with pets.   Just this morning I had a banana and some peanut butter.   The dog ate a bite or two of banana and some of the peanut butter and the bird got a slice of banana and some peanut butter!    So my figures would be all skewed should I be weighing my food.  So I just figured out through trial and error where my calories need to be for my non weighed and animal shared meals.   (And man, now I feel guilty because I didn't give the crabs anything!) 

2.  Carbs.  I love them!  OH my word to I love my carbs!   However, I have long known that my body does not love carbs....or rather maybe my body loves carbs a little too much and those carbs stick with me! I have found that I can handle one serving of a complex carb each day.  That means ONE serving of a bread or potato.   Not two...not three.    In that week where I gained 1.5 pounds I was eating an undue amount of carbs.   Ok, maybe undue amount was a bit overdramatic, but I was eating  more than the one serving that my body 'allows.'    

So I was totally able to identify what the problem was that had led me to gaining weight that week and I vowed to make the changes for the upcoming week.  However.......

Yeah, the changes didn't happen.  I was drawn to the kitchen where I made homemade bread.  Then I made homemade English muffins.   And if that wasn't enough I then made homemade pretzels!  Of course I ate some of my baked goods!  Of course I did!   I was out of control!   Until I realized what was happening.  I was drowning in grief.   I was coming up on the first  anniversary of my mom's  death and subconsciously I had sought out comfort.  (You can read how I managed the week after her death and see a picture of my mama here.)  Comfort for me is baking.  Comfort for me is carbs.  In my grief as the anniversary approached, I was drowning myself in both.

I am proud to say that as soon as I realized what I was doing that I was able to turn it around.  The baking and carb-fests ended and I got back to the basics.    I weigh myself daily and I had seen the scales slide upward during those few days of grief laden indulgence.   I HOPED to turn it around enough to show a maintain on the scales for my official weigh in day (which is currently set at Wednesday).

I was SO surprised to step on the scale on Wednesday morning.  I didn't maintain.    But I didn't gain!   I actually LOST weight!   I lost 3.1 pounds!  I lost enough weight that I recouped my 1.5 pound gain from my official weigh in the week before AND added another 1.6 pounds to that loss!   GO me.

So a few things that I learned from this:

1.   The calorie thing that I talked about earlier in this post really does hold true.

2.  Carbs are the devil....for my body.  But thank heavens I CAN indulge once a day!

3.  Diet soda.........I'm not sure if this is a coincidence or not....BUT, when I turned things I accidentally stopped drinking my diet soda in the evenings.   My plan has been to drink water during the day...and if I am done with my required amount of water at the end of the day then I can indulge in a glass of diet soda.  When I turned the ship around in terms of my eating, I somehow just stopped getting my glass of soda.  IT was accidental really.  I was just not finishing my required (for the 75 Hard challenge) water early enough to allow myself that glass of diet soda.  Could the diet soda be part of that amazing weight loss (because seriously....  I officially lost 3.1 pounds, but in reality I had gained an extra pound before I turned it around....a pound that never was counted in an official weigh in.   WE are talking substantial weight loss in just a few days.  Coincidental?   I am not sure....but stay tuned, I will be keeping an eye of it!  

75 Hard Week Three: The week of dread

 I have managed to make it through the third week of the 75 Hard.  It wasn't an easy week though!  I actually dreaded completing some (ok most) of my workouts!  I dreaded going outside.  I dreaded the early morning workouts.  I just was filled with dread.  But I pushed through and did what I needed to do!

75 Hard Day 15 

I had been super sore for a good portion of the previous week and had been choosing my indoor exercise carefully to allow my body to heal while still pushing forward.   But this day I decided that I would jump it up to a step aerobics workout.   My legs were tired when I was done, but I didn't have any of the pain that I had felt the week before.  That was a huge victory!   Jason and I went out with the dog and walked for about an hour and with that I was easily able to knock off my outdoor exercise. 

I got my reading in and drank my water with no problem.   I managed to end the day with 1393 Calories, so I was within my caloric goal range!  It was another successful day!

 75 Hard Day 16

On Monday, the 16th day of my 75 Hard Challenge I struggled with exercise.  It wasn't so much any pain but just an overwhelming sense of dread about completing it.  I was tired.  I was feeling lazy.  I just didn't want to do it.  My indoor exercise was a hodgepodge of things.  I literally started one exercise and then felt so dissatisfied that I swapped to something else.....and then swapped again!  I was so proud of completing my 45 minutes that I snapped a picture of my watch/tracker......but I even messed that up!  HAHAHA  But, blurry you can see I made it to 45 minutes and one second!  I'm telling you, it was rough indoor workout!

The outdoor workout came much later in the afternoon. I went out and worked in the yard sawing up wood (with a hand saw) and dragging limbs.  My heart rate was up and it was a gorgeous day.

The water was no problem.  My reading was done early in the morning.  I finished the book Estrogen Matters. (Amazon Affiliate Link)  It was a pretty decent read.  It was a bit dry at times with scads of data, but it got the point across!   However, the doctor still said "weigh the risks and the benefits' and then you can decide if hormone replacement therapy is right for you!  Good advice and one that I have followed pretty much all my adult life (which is why I don't take the medication for my Acid Reflux/GERD....it didn't really help me all that much and well, that made the risks outweigh the benefits...and yes when I talked to the doctor I have his blessing and support of that decision.)

 

 My calories were at 1486.  I was close to the top of my range, but managed to stay under the 1500 limit!

 75 Hard Day 17

I felt a little bit better with my indoor workout on this day.  I wasn't so wishy washy and chose one thing (Zumba) and completed my 45 minutes without becoming dissatisfied and having to switch.  At about 12:30 PM, I headed outside and went up to the bonfire pit where I had piles of down trees.  Some was stuff we cut late last fall and others were stuff that has come down this winter. (Like the wind storm from last week that brought a huge limb down right against our house.)  My in-laws came over and together we clipped, we cut, we saw and we stacked that wood!   I still have a pile brush that needs to be cut (it was too windy that day).  We finished about 3 hours later.  I wasn't cold while I was outside, even though I was only in a sweatshirt.  But when I came in I immediately felt cold, so I curled up under a blanket and read for a bit!    I was happy though....all my exercise was done for the day!

 The reading posed no problem, which is not surprising as lately I have been averaging about 4 books read a week.   The water was also no issue!  64 ounces done and dusted!  My calories were also in line with my grand total being 1383.  I checked each item off the 75 Hard challenge list and became eligible to move on to day 18 (if you mess up you have to restart at day 1).

75 Hard Day 18

I had to do a bit more planning today as I knew that I would be up and out the door by about 8:45.  The indoor exercise was no problem as I do that every morning at 5AM.   By 7:45 I was outside traipsing around with the dog to get my outdoor workout in. Ohhh, and my reading was done between the indoor workout and the outdoor workout.

Why I left the house was so that I could give my nephew a lesson in driving stick shift.  He did really well. (my aching neck...hahaha not really.  He listened to the car and was starting to get the hang of it pretty quickly!)  After that, my brother and my other nephew worked at my mom's house to get it ready to sell.  We have two bedrooms totally cleaned, emptied and the doors are closed.   We also scrubbed out all three bathrooms and they are ready to go also!  I did really good with my water through the day, sipping as the day went and drinking water while we ate lunch.  I was on a roll!   I had no problem finishing my water for the day.  The issue came into play with my food.  I had done well throughout the day but when it came time for dinner I just didn't have time to make our planned dinner that was on the menu!  I was way short on time.  So I pulled out my emergency frozen pizzas.  They were delicious, but I used way too many calories! I ended the day at 1755 calories.   That is sadly over my daily goal of 1500 calories.  BUT, all is not lost.  IF you remember the post where I talked about my personal 75 hard challenge I talked about my diet plan, which was to keep my calories under 1500 and NOT eat my earned calories, with one exception. I decided to allow myself the right to eat those earned calories once a week to allow myself to 'live'.     With my 45 minute indoor workout along with my 30 minute doggie walk time I was perfectly fine!  YAY!  
 

75 Hard Day 19

I seriously think I'm a bad ass!  I have to be!   This challenge has thrown snow at me, it's thrown wind at me, it's thrown single digit temps at me and it has thrown rain at me (and of course not a delightful warm summer rain...a cold winter rain).   But after day 18 of this 75 Hard challenge I can add another weather to my list or torture.  I was outside walking in an ice storm on this day.  Yes, it was precipitating and it was ice!  It was quite pretty, that's for sure!  Yeah, I'm a bad ass!

The water, the reading and the exercise was completed and I was at 1271 for my daily calories.  Therefore day 19 was a win and I was doing great!

 75 Hard Day 20

This was another day where I checked off all the boxes of my 75 Challenge requirements easily. Notice I said that I checked them all off easily.  Some of the things were still quite dreadful.  I just wasn't feeling the workouts!   But I did them.

As always, reading was easy and so was the water!   My calorie count came in at 1278.  So a day full of wins!

 75 Hard Day 21

It was Saturday and the last thing I wanted to do was exercise. I don't exercise at 5 AM on the weekends.  Typically I am awake before Jason and I mosey my way to the living room and relax while he sleeps in.  I don't exercise until after Jason AND the bird are awake.  I wouldn't dare interrupt the birds sleep by exercising in the next room!  But I had made it almost 3 complete weeks of the 75 hard challenge and I wasn't going to mess it up, so off I went!   45 minutes of step aerobics completed!

After a nap that lasted all morning and a whole lot of grogginess that followed; I got myself moving.  I folded some laundry, straightened the kitchen and of course fed Fred (my sourdough starter).   Then we headed out and walked for 45 minutes in the neighborhood behind us.   Zoey has developed a weird fear of storm drain/grates.  I don't recall any issues on previous walks by today she was petrified of them.  Weird!   But, that is off subject.  What is important is that my outdoor exercise is DONE!

I spent some time reading and finished my third non-fiction book of this challenge.  This book was To The Gorge . (Amazon Affiliate Link)  It is the story of a long distance runner whose mother dies of cancer. This runner decides to run the across Oregon on the PCT and try to set a record and do it in honor of her mother.   This book tells the story of this run and the mental fortitude needed for such a challenge, something that always interests me.   The book also walks the reader through the cancer diagnosis and and the whole way to the eventual death through 'flash back' memories interspersed in the running story.   It was a good read.  It was  a good reminder to live your life joyfully. (Like the mother, even though the daughter/runner was wracked with grief and was not joyful.)   It was a good book, but maybe a little hard to read considering I finished reading this book on  February 8th and February 9th would mark the 1 year anniversary of my mom's death.

 I was a little worried about my water considering I took a shower after exercising and was back on the recliner by 9AM and I then slept until Noon.  What does that mean?  Well I don't know about you, but I don't naturally drink water whilst asleep.  Ha.    But I  did remarkably well and my water was done by dinner time!   This was a Saturday and we go out to eat on Saturdays, but I planned my food well in advance and I ended the day with 1291 calories!  WIN WIN WIN all around.   And with that, I managed to complete week three of the 75 Hard Challenge!  

 

Reflections of 75 Hard To Date

After only 3 weeks I am finding the water so much easier to complete.  I am pretty impressed with that! I kid you not, before this challenge I was always trying to get my water consumption up to 64 ounces and I was lucky to make it to 30 ounces a day, and that was a struggle.   But I am doing it now!  I went from drinking pretty much nothing to consistently and easily drinking 64 ounces. 

Outdoor exercises are sometimes lame.  I sometimes go for a formal walk, but much of the time I find myself traipsing around outside with the dog....walking in place while she sniffs....or walking in place while I play fetch with her. I feel as if I am cheating.  Even though I am outside.  Even though I am moving.  I feel like I'm cheating because it's something I have been doing (maybe just not as long) and I feel as if I should be doing something 'new'.   I have to give this some food for thought!

The selfie a day?   I am doing it, maybe not a full body shot, but I am taking a selfie a day.  This is actually the one that I haven't felt particularly in love with.  I am not really seeing a need or purpose, but I am doing it regardless.  I think maybe the reason I don't feel the need and see the importance is that I am looking at myself on youtube all the time.  Afterall, I film almost daily for my weight loss and lifestyle youtube channel so I am seeing myself and have a record of my self through that.  Who knows.   And yes, I am filming and talking about my 75 hard challenge there too!  You can check it out the complete playlist here.    And  I will post the first video in the serious below.  (And if you don't want to check it out, no worries.  I don't blame you, I like a good blog post myself!)