I've been thinking about ruts a lot recently. Mostly because I'm stuck in an "old" routine and things rarely change for me schedule-wise right now. But I want to shake things up some.

Then I realized that we all get in ruts, be it food, exercise, etc. Sooooo, it's time to play...

RUT BUSTERS

What can you come up with to shake up your life a little bit? If you're not stuck in a rut right now, what did you do to get out of the last one you struggled with?

At the end of your homework, share a quick bit of encouragement for the person who posted right before you.

quote:

Originally posted by TriGirl:
Is there anything you'd like to do that you could work towards even in a small way right now?

I have been thinking about your question all day and I can't think of a thing I could be doing that is not already in the works.

I am already working on losing weight.

I am able to live alone (although my mother will never think so), but I can't afford to move out just now and besides due to recent developents I think I need to stay here and look after my father. I own a house but it was badly in need of repairs I couldn't afford when I got sick & things there were not getting any better with it just sitting there empty since 99. Recently I agreed to let my godson (who is a contractor) and his family live there until at least 2011 in return for him doing all the repairs that needed doing plus some extra remodeling that I wanted to have done. In 2011 I will have to decide if I want to move back in or rent (or sell) the house to him. Dd wants us to get a house together with 2 master suites after she gets her Associates in Graphic Design and gets a good job.

On the job front, I enjoyed doing the customer service calls for the Medicare Part D company but those ended after the enrollment deadline passed. They may or may not return in the fall and the company I work for has said that they have contracted with Red Cross to take phone calls from people needing assistance after a disaster but they have not offered any training on that yet.

quote:

Originally posted by BrenauMom:
I was reluctant to do this homework because I don't like to complain & I tend to pretend that everything is just fine.
I think I must be the queen of ruts. My entire life is a boring rut.

I've been thinking of this post since I saw it. I am really sad to think that you feel this way, though I have gone through times like this myself here and there.

I know you're limited in many ways by your illness, but I really think it's hard to live this way long-term. Is there anything you'd like to do that you could work towards even in a small way right now?

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:
Grrl: Way to go on getting to the gym 5 times a week!

Thanks Sheri! But it's really not too big of a deal. I'm in there 30 minutes MAX -- usually more like 15-20 minutes. No wonder my weight loss has kinda stalled. I'm working on bumping up the intensity though.

And good job on your planning! I sweat that's gotta be half the battle.

Laura, it sounds like our ruts are somewhat similar. This past 2 months or so, perhaps because of the oppressive heat and humidity, I have just been testy about what I want to eat. I am SO SICK of salad and yet there aren't that many vegetables I really enjoy so I end up eating the same things over and over.

I have been trying to shake it up lately by trying some new things (last week I did pork tenderloin on the grill which I'd never done before--it was awesome) and a lot less cooking. This week, for example, I had the cable technician coming and knew I wouldn't have a lot of prep/cook time so I got a rotisserie chicken, corn & sweet potatoes to roast in the oven while I did other things, and cucumbers and tomatos to chunk up into a salad with balsamic vinaigrette (one of my favorite summer foods). It still took time to peel/cut the veggies but it wasn't a meal I had to stand over and do a lot of cooking, which was my goal.

Grrl: Way to go on getting to the gym 5 times a week!

That's funny! This is so relavent for me right now.

I actually had my exercise rut busted for me this morning. Sometime last night, I lost my keycard to get into work (where the gym is). Tomorrow is the final weigh-in for our weight loss challenge, so I felt like I HAD to get a workout in.

I decided to take the dogs for a long walk. It actually ended up to be a jog/walk. I just felt the urge to run, so I did! I'd run 2 or 3 blocks, then walk 1 or 2. It felt surprisingly good. Plus, it was great to be out of the gym -- where I go 5 days a week, and do pretty much the same stuff.

Food-wise, my GF keeps mentioning that she wants something different for dinner. Actually, something "different, but not weird." "Weird" usually means, anything too "foreign" or with "strange" flavor combinations - like fruity and spicy.

Last night I hit up the store for lots of starting points - meat. I got beef short ribs (I'm thinking osso bucco, which I have never made), a pork tenderloin, some B/S chicken booobies, and some super lean ground beef. Lots of potential in there.

The rest of this week, I need to scrounge up some recipes I have never tried before, that fit within said guidelines. It'll be interesting for sure.

[QUOTE]What can you come up with to shake up your life a little bit? Where was this about a month ago? )...my rut ended about two weeks ago, and I am okay. But what did I do to get out of it. Honestly? I took two days to eat whatever I wanted, no holes barred (not necessary saying this is the right way) Amazingly I didn't want what I thought I should have. I ate rather healthy, except for the ice cream. Then I took stock of what I had done in the last four years. I read through some of my journals and found that I had been at this spot once or twice before, I need to give myself permission to first, be in the rut, and second to escape from it. Ruts are what I get into if I don't keep my eyes open and look for new ways to do things. There are so many good fruits and vegetables in the market now, I could fix them the way I always have, or find new ways to use them. What a great rut breaker. I was in a rut of NOT swimming at 7:00 AM; I tried it at 1:00 and you know it works better for me. I call it my "class" changed some motions around and really spiced it up and that rut was smoothed out. I think it's shaking myself up a bit and finding new ways to do the things I've been doing for months. And then rewarding myself. Swimsuits are on sale now, if I make it to Labor day on this new swimming plan, I get a new suit (on sale, of course).

CG: AS this will post out, you'll be ahead of me no matter what. My word of encouragement for you would be to give yourself 15 minutes each day to just play. Play with your food, your family, yourself, outside, inside, whatever, just play. No planning, just play. If it's running and chasing a ball, or just walking for the pleasure of walking. Take time to play in your life, how about finger painting?

I was reluctant to do this homework because I don't like to complain & I tend to pretend that everything is just fine.
I think I must be the queen of ruts. My entire life is a boring rut. My alarm clock is mother nature, then I take my synthroid and check the computer for 30 minutes until I can eat my banana for breakfast. Then it is paint or computer surfing. Lunch is usually the same thing every day, & dinner is one of two options except that on Wed. evening I have salmon. I have my grocery list memorized because it is the same every week. I do get in some exercise in the afternoon. I walk. However, between the heat & the air quality I don't walk outside anymore, I walk in place in front of the TV or pace from room to room in 10 minute intervals. The rest of the day & until bedtime I paint or knit unless I am on the computer.
Dd is here on Tuesdays & weekends & we usually go out. My sister comes by one evening a month & my parents & I go out to eat with her (same place every month). Other than that there is grocery shopping once a week and the doctors office once a month. Things weren't quite so dull when I was working but that won't start up again for at least another month (if at all).
Lately, I have been sleeping in (later & later) because that reduces the number of boring hours there are in a day.

Bee, you are doing so well considering all that has been going on with you lately. I am sure the new kitchen will inspire you to cook in more instead of eating out.

Ooops, sorry Heather, Bee was the last one who had posted when I started writing. I noticed on the weekend homework that you said you are getting in 3-4 exercise sessions per week. Good for you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BrenauMom,

They only rut I am in is what to cook for dinner..Especially coming home from the gym..I to lazy to cook..I am so tired of chicken.

Bee...Looks like your doing a good job on your 7 week challenge!! Keep up the GOOD WORK!!

I'm definitely in a rut for breakfasts and snacks. I pretty much eat the same thing every day except on the weekends.

I need to start mixing things up a bit more!

Steph - All I can say is - You GO Girl! You are totally on a role with meeting your challenge goals and getting yourself and your family to the gym. You are doing great!

I think the BIG thing for me was getting dh to get a gym membership with me. It has allowed us, on the days he comes to spend extra time out of the house together, during the day because he does work out of our home.

I have just noticed that I am trying new things, but also like today since I was really not in the mood to go to the gym since we did yesterday, I did a 20 min. walk with the dog and later in the day 20 min. on the treadmill. It was a nice way to kick off this week.

As for you Laura, I have to say WAY TO GO! You are starting your classes soon and I am so impressed with you. You are following a dream of yours and I know you are going to do great.

This is a homework assignment based out of where I'm stuck right now. I don't want to eat. I'm tired of reheated meals, no matter how good they taste. I miss cooking real meals each day and occasionally eating leftovers. And I'm sick of salads & sandwiches, which I've been eating more of because I'm sick of leftovers.

I've been "stealing" ideas off of the "i don't want to cook" thread posted last week, because I can at least eat some fresh food. And it's helped some. I'm enjoying homemade waffles and other breakfast foods for dinner, since I don't like their texture when reheated after freezing.

But what I really need to do is hang in there for three more weeks, when my schedule changes. Then I'll be able to do more cooking and less leftovers.

And since I'm first to answer, I'm going to send encouragement to Bee, since I was reading her scale thread before I posted this homework.

You're doing great with really striving to get back on plan. Keep focusing on one day at a time!