I've decided to start my own personal healthy habits challenge beginning today (October 1st) and running through the end of the year. In the past month or so, I've gotten away from regular exercise and, since my retirement, I haven't always consistently kept up with making healthy lunches for the week. I find that this helps me stay on track better, so I want to get back on track with that. I also want to continue working on my battle with sweets.

I'm not doing this as an official board challenge, but if anyone wants to join me, feel free. Just put your challenge goals in your signature line and we can touch base with one another every now and then to see how we're doing and to provide accountability for ourselves.

quote:

Originally posted by jillybean:
And, if he is not getting the attention he thinks he should be getting-he whines, growls, barks, circles the chair or sofa or whatever like a mini-shark!

Glad to hear it's not just MY Shih Tzu that does that. I hear (via a Shih Tzu group I recently joined on Dogster.com) that Shih Tzus do tend to be needy dogs. Missy has separation anxiety, so that makes it even worse.

This morning, I spent 20 or more minutes petting her, playing with her, rubbing her tummy, etc. before we got up for her first potty walk. After she'd had her walk, I was on the puter checking email and boards. It wasn't more than 20 minutes that she came up and sat next to me and started whining. I'm thinking "GEEZ, I just spent 20-30 minutes completely focused on you...why are you whining at me again already?"

I get a little frustrated with it. I've had and known lovey-dovey dogs before, but not ever one this needy...I can't imagine having a Tzu and working full-time away from the home. Missy just about has a heart attack when I am gone for 4 1/2 hours to volunteer twice a week. Maybe my being retired and at home most of the time makes it worse (because she EXPECTS me to always be there).

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:

quote:

Originally posted by cbarks:
Shih Tzus were bred to be companion dogs and my Sophie does her job very well!! Sounds like your Missy does too!!

She sleeps with me--and usually needs to be touching some part of me.

Missy is VERY needy. If I am not playing with her or cuddling her for more than an hour or so, she will whine, cry or growl to get my attention.

My Simon is a Shih Tzu as well and totally fits the above descriptions! He sleeps by my feet at night but has to be laying right on or against one of them. If I am watching tv, he lays between my calves/knees. And, if he is not getting the attention he thinks he should be getting-he whines, growls, barks, circles the chair or sofa or whatever like a mini-shark!

Jill

quote:

Originally posted by cbarks:
Shih Tzus were bred to be companion dogs and my Sophie does her job very well!! Sounds like your Missy does too!!

Yes, she sure does her job well. She is within a few feet of me almost 24/7 when I am at home. Occasionally, she will play by herself when I'm watching TV or on the puter, but most of the time, she wants to be with me. She sleeps with me--and usually needs to be touching some part of me. When I'm on the puter, she is usually sleeping under my chair (which is a pain!) or nearby. I am not able to have her on my lap, but I'm sure she'd love to be there if I could!

Missy is VERY needy. If I am not playing with her or cuddling her for more than an hour or so, she will whine, cry or growl to get my attention. Everyone says she makes noises like Gizmo in The Gremlins.

I'm interested to see that you've had her in so many stores. I have never taken her in any store besides the pet stores because I thought I wasn't supposed to. Have you ever had anyone give you trouble having her in the stores?

Sheria: I have a Shih Tzu named Sophie. I would have another if I were home more. Shih Tzus were bred to be companion dogs and my Sophie does her job very well!! Sounds like your Missy does too!! When I'm at the computer Sophie lays across my lap and uses the crook of my arm for a pillow. She snores while I surf the 'net with the other arm. She sleeps with me. She goes to work with me. She's been to the fabric store, Lowe's, the garden center, just about anywhere except church and the grocery store. Oh, she did go to church with me once to visit my 4 yr old choir group and stayed thru adult choir practice. They loved her. Sophie can sit, down, and roll over. I wish I knew how to post pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:
Weight this morning: 174.8 - 175.0

That is 4+ pounds UP from my 45-day report. However, as noted in another thread, I forgot to take my meds yesterday and my fluid is massively up.

This morning, my weight is back down to 172.8-173.4.

My 60-Day Report:

1. I did weight training with the Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD since the last report. As you may have read in the Exercise Accountability thread, I was pretty disappointed with the DVD. I do plan to do weights again (with that DVD or with another) this week. I have had the INTENTION of doing them several times, but haven't gotten to it.

2. I have continued to prepare healthy lunches for the week, but my meals on the whole over the past month have been inadequate in veggies. The grocery stores here just don't have the selection of fresh veggies that I had available to me in Alexandria. I am going to have to start going further out to Teeter more often. I had stopped doing that because of gas and also because Teeter is more expensive.

3. I have had a really bad time with the Sweet Monster in the last week or two, but I'm actively working on getting it back under control. I'm still doing much better than I was before the challenge.

Weight this morning: 174.8 - 175.0

That is 4+ pounds UP from my 45-day report. However, as noted in another thread, I forgot to take my meds yesterday and my fluid is massively up.

Weight in the several days before yesterday:
173.0 - 173.2

This is up 1/2 pound from my pre-Thanksgiving weight of 172.4.

My 45-Day Report:

1. I still haven't worked in weight training. I'm really disappointed in myself, but it does me no good to dwell on the past or beat myself up, so all I can do is recommit to doing it in the future.

Now that the weather is getting colder (plus we've had a LOT of rain lately), my walks with Missy are fewer and shorter. This is a perfect time, then, to supplement with some extra exercise from INSIDE the house. I have just gotten completely out of the habit of doing DVDs after having done them regularly, so I have to get back in the habit.

I've not tried a DVD workout in the 6 weeks I've had the puppy and, given that she has to be right on top of me wherever I am, I'm not sure how that's going to work out, but it's a necessity for the winter at least.

2. I have continued to prepare healthy lunches for the week. This week's is thin-sliced pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes and a veg (since I have been sick and wasn't up to a long session of cooking, I using single-serving packets of vegs from the freezer this week vs. making from fresh for the week).

3. My success with the Sweet Monster waxes and wanes but I'm still doing better than I was before the challenge. I rarely have that immediate Pavlovian "I must have sweets!" response to finishing a meal anymore, which is HUGE for me. This is a result of my work in the Summer Se7en Challenge.

Weight this morning: 170.2 - 170.6

Weight is down 1 1/2 to 2 pounds from last report (which had been up from the previous report) and 1 pound from the report before that. Unfortunately, I have being sick for almost a week to thank for some extra weight loss.

Your doggie is too cute Sheri! I'm sure it is a big adjustment but hopefully it will get easier over time.

Thanks for posting another picture.

quote:

Originally posted by susanrows:
My trainer invited me to join a 30-day challenge at the gym. So, since October 1, I've been committed to working out five times a week and avoiding all refined sugar and alcohol.

Today is officially the end of my challenge. However, since I seem to have taken every Saturday in October "off" (ice cream a couple of times and a really ugly M&M episode) I probably haven't put in 30 full days.

About mid-way through, I was discussing the challenge with my trainer. This is all fine, I said, but I've learned that what you do to LOSE weight you have to KEEP doing to maintain the weight loss. So I was concerned that the pounds I lost would come back when the challenge ended. (That four pounds, incidentally.) I realize now that I had the answer all along. Limiting sugar and alcohol during the week I can do; allowing myself a good dessert and a glass of wine on the weekends also works. I'll check in during November to let you know if those four pounds stay gone (and, I hope invite some friends to join them wherever they went)!

Sheri, it sounds like you're doing great. I'm finding that adjusting to a new schedule (or complete lack thereof) is harder than I thought it would be, so give yourself some time to figure out what works for you.

Iz, I know you can get back on track. I think everyone is experiencing some level of stress around the economy, the elections, the general state of the world. But life has a way of balancing itself out when you let it.

quote:

Originally posted by Brie:
Sheri - How are things going with your puppy? I hope the adjustment is going well for everybody.

Missy continues to be both a joy and a challenge for me. She is the most needy dog I've ever met. I am used to living alone and doing what I please for as long as I please, so it is an adjustment to have her crying at my feet because I've been on the puter too long! She is a true love bug, though, and waking up to her cuddles and kisses puts a smile on my face every morning, even when I am not quite ready to be awake or out of bed.

hang in there brie!

Sheri - How are things going with your puppy? I hope the adjustment is going well for everybody.

Iz - I hear you about something being out of whack this week. Things have been super bad on my end since Wednesday. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel today though and hoping it continues to improve. For the first time in my life though, I stopped eating as a response to the stress. That's a first for me.

, you are doing great. forward baby steps sound awesome to me.

i have gone to hell in a hand basket with my sleep issues. i t starte dlast thursday. friday sucked. then i had to go to a late event on saturday (it was required for work) and i felt like a piece of doo doo on sunday. i have been working at breakneck speed, staying up late at night, and then getting up wearly in the morning to work out. and of course...TOM came like an unwelcomed guest..(thank you very much!) so i have been dragging my ARS (That is my irish accent), eating more brownies than i care to admit...

tonight, i am putting a big bowl of candy outside for trick or treaters, turning off the lights inside, and going to bed early.

i may make a visit to a jail tomorrow. this has been a weird week . what is going on with the planetary alignment? (I am only saying that with lightness. I am not a faithful follower of astrology) almost every call this week has involved someone being arrested and in jail. we had a tragic death of another client. weird weird weird.

my assistant thinks it is halloween and the day of the dead. i just hope things calm down next week so my ARS can get some needed rest.

My 30-day Report:

1. I still haven't worked in weight training, but I have the Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD on the way in the mail from Netflix, so that will be the perfect opportunity to get started.

2. I have continued to prepare healthy lunches for the week. This week's was not as healthy as most because it was leftovers from a dinner party--my friends usually eat seconds and sometimes thirds but the dish was a bit too spicy for them so I ended up with a lot left over (which was fine with me because I LOVE the dish!).

3. I haven't been doing quite as well with sweets this past 10 days. I bought ice cream to serve with dessert to my house and dinner guests and had leftovers of that too so I have been dipping into that. I'm still doing better than I was before the challenge most days because I'm not eating sweets as often.

I forgot to weigh this morning before I took my meds, but I was 172.2 yesterday, so slightly up from 10 days ago. This could be from the dish I have been eating off of this week--it isn't super salty, but I did use more salt in making it for my dinner guests than I do when I am just making it for me.

My 20-day Report:

1. I am still walking several times per day with the puppy, but I still have not returned to any weight training or other DVD workouts. It was my goal to get in at least one of these workouts before my houseguests arrived this past Friday, but I was cleaning up to the last minute, so it just didn't happen.

It is my goal for the next 10 days to get in at least 1 weight training workout.

2. I have continued to prepare healthy lunches for the week. I haven't prepared them for this week yet because I've had houseguests, but plan to get to the store and get that done today. I bought some great-looking fresh green beans at our last farmers' market of the season on Tuesday, so I will incorporate those into this week's lunch plan.

3. I have been doing relatively well with sweets. My houseguests wanted to visit the Candy Kitchen on the boardwalk to buy fudge for themselves and their family and, while we were there, I bought some of my favorite confection (King Tut) for them to try and for me.

There is still a load of it in the box and it's been sitting right out on the counter all weekend. Considering that I have always found it addictive, I was encouraged by that. Then again, I was occupied with entertaining the houseguests and taking care of the dog.



My weight today is 171.4-6. I am happy with this considering that:
a) I had houseguests for 3 days and we ate out one meal per day; AND
b) I had my favorite confection in the house for the past 3 days; AND
c) I had pepperoni pizza for dinner last night.


Anyone else have progress to report?

Sheri-That is awesome!!!! You inspire me

Jill

sheri, you are awesome. i was doing fine with the sleep until last night. i ran into my old habits again. so today, i am struggling with tiredness and out of whack hunger signals.

you have the best workout buddy. it sure beats going to the gym. everyone is talking financial-panic and the election. At least your walking companion is pleasant, cute and very happy.

In the first 10 days of my Healthy Habits Challenge:

1) I did not exercise the first 3 days, but have had multiple walks per day every day since with my new puppy. We go on several short walks and at least 1 if not 2 long walks per day. So far, I haven't done any OTHER exercise because I'm exhausted just from trying to meet Missy's needs, but I do at least want to work in some weight lifting once or twice a week in the coming weeks.

2) I have prepared a lunch for the week for the past 2 weeks. This week's lunch is very healthy with high veggie content. Last week's was not as healthy with low veggie content but had whole grain and beans.

3) I did quite well on reducing my intake of sweets in the first week, but my intake has been up in the last 2-3 days.

I forgot to weigh on 10/1 but my weight on 10/2 was 173.8. My weight this morning--10/10--was 171.6-8.

quote:

Originally posted by susanrows:
Good luck to you, Sheri! Your adorable new addition should help you get in some more exercise, with daily walks and such.

She definitely has done that! I have lost track of how many walks we have been on--both long and short--and I've only had her for 3 1/2 days. I know there were about 7 walks just the first half day.

Being new to her and she to me, I didn't want to ignore any sign that she needed to go out--but unfortunately she has "played" me a few times by telling me she has to go when she just wants to check out the Verizon man or the construction crew across the street.

Good luck with your 30-day challenge! I could easily avoid alcohol, but avoiding all refined sugar for 30 days would be quite a feat for me. LOL