Challenging Myself

Pinterest is full of them, any time of the year you can log in and find any sort of challenge. From monthly fitness ones, to finance goals, taking in a couple of housey bits and pieces on the side.

This year I've decided to see how I do, and try 4 challenges that have been doing the rounds.

First up is the 2015 Reading Challenge.

For someone who often reads books as part of their job, I have a habit of settling for the same genre when it comes to reading for fun. 

This year I would like to challenge myself a little. For this reason I'm going to tackle this list that has been put together by popsugar and see how many I can get ticked off by the end of the year. 

Another one I've seen is a 30-day Walking Challenge. 

Those of you who were reading this blog last year will know that I bought a Fitbit. This year I will be using it more often. Seeing as it is clipped onto my bra as a reminder to actually get up from my desk. 

I am going to endeavour to hit the magical 10,000 steps a day mark. This could take a while!

I found this tally chart on artofbeautifullife.com. 

The joy of being a working parent leads to the equal joy of longing for some organisation at home. The chores definately got away from me by the end of last year. 

With this in mind I have signed up for this challenge. 

Each week I will be emailed a task to complete in my house. And by the end of the year, each single task should have become a regular habit and kaboom my house should pretty much run itself again. 

Now to get the others in the house to join in! Maybe that should be my main aim. Get them to do the housework and chores, so I don't have to!  

And finally, my last main challenge for this year is to crochet a small granny square, everyday, for a year. 

The only stipulation is that I will not plan the colours of the blankets, but choose what colour as per the mood I'm in at that moment. This one is exciting the most right now. 

A giant blanket by next winter will be a fab snuggly reward. 

Dieting Rollercoaster #3

Another week knocked off.

Still not feeling particularly easy. Or straight forward.

It has been helped slightly this week by the fact I have had excruciating toothache and some major dental work over the weekend.

I lost 2lbs this week, bringing my total so far to 3lbs.

There has been a couple of non-scale victories this week. I managed to not break into my sweets chocolate cravings for 3 days. My work trousers now fit comfortably. Which is a first for this particular pair, and I was too stubborn to go get a bigger pair, partially as I got them to replace another pair that were the same size, just a different cut.

What I have done this week is an amalgam of a few different bits and bobs.

I have recently been reading a little about something called Carb Cycling. What that involves is a mix of low carb days and higher carb days, adding to that 2 fist-sized portions of vegetables.

This does sound an awful lot like Slimming World's Red and Green days with a bit of Success Express thrown in for good measure. What you don't need to do though is count your syns. It is encouraged to eat protein in the form of nuts and seeds. Not unlimited but also not a portioned measure (although I do err between 10 and 20).

I have taken to eating 6 times a day. Making a concerted effort to eat breakfast, this has mainly been Porridge of one sort of or another. Followed swiftly by either some omelette bites or an apple with almonds (the almonds stop the apple giving me stomach ache). Lunch has been either leftovers from the night before or a ham salad). Afternoon snack has been soup or satsumas (dependant on how hungry I am). Tea has been a mixed bag again.

Overall I have been trying to reduce my portion size and up my veggies. Something seems to be working somewhere. I did however have a diet meltdown on Friday night though, after being overtired and in pain.

My fitbit has been used everyday. Strangely I appear to walk much more than I expected in the office. Using the company car park has been helping get to the 5k a day mark. I'm not sure how I'm going to get to 10k at the moment in the limited time that I have. I think I will need to release the power that is the treadmill before long, and have my car keys taken away from me when I am at home!

Here's to the next week. Which after a weekend of takeaways and nice coffees could be interesting to reign back in .

Dieting Rollercoaster #2

Since announcing last week that I was back to watching what I ate, and logging my meals on myfitnesspal.com I can announce that I lost 1lb.

A single solitary pound.

I was fully expecting more. And when I got on the scales I was all geed up to write isn't this an amazing thing. All I did was cut back on blah and ate more of bleugh.

I'm not feeling that I can do that. I did have the quiche bites as a snack.

I've moved to eating more regularly. A little something every 2-3 hours. I didn't manage to move much this week at all. This is the reason I didn't lose more. Sadly most of my day is spent sitting on my bum typing and reading, and due to illness and work I didn't get to do my usual evening activities and spent most of it again either sat on my bum or sleeping. Oh what an exciting life I lead.

My Fitness goal for this week is to walk 5k steps per day.

This is much more than I do at the moment.

I will be working towards the magic number of 10,000 steps per day by the end of October.

To help me with these goals I have bought myself a Fitbit Zip Activity Tracker. It is a digital pedometer that you can use in conjunction with other apps and record your steps, once you sync it with either your phone or the website and input your personal data it will calculate how many calories you burn just sitting as well as during the exercise that you are partaking in.

What I like about the Zip above some of the other products fitbit have to offer is the simplicity. Out of it's holder it is roughly the size of a 50p. There are no buttons to catch, or accidentally reset. I also like that the clip means you can choose where you wear it. Either on your waistband or trouser pocket like with a regular ped. Or on the bra. 

I'm loving the bra wearing myself. It's discreet, you can check on it and your progress quiet easily without wrenching about and adding extra steps to it. Although I reckon a few looks could be given if I decide to check in the car park at the office... must remember that windows are see through. 

Saturday was my first day wearing it, and in the afternoon and up until bedtime, I only did 1,953 steps. This is why I decided to get this little device. A little something that means I can track how much exercise I am sneaking in during the day. Especially on a busy shift in the office where I don't get to move away from my desk, I am hoping that it will gee me into some extra action, and a bit of competition with myself too.

I also like that I can earn badges for the weight that you lose, which is about the only thing I that I do miss from going to weight loss groups, the shiny stickers and the mid week gee up that a pep talk from someone else managed to give you.

You can also log your food, sleeping patterns, different activities all on the interactive Fitbit website. Which also has a comprehensive help section and forums too.

I got mine in green from Amazon for £32.28 - however the prices vary wildly, seemingly dependant on the colour you want. Or from Fitbit for £49.99.

You can follow my Diet Rollercoaster on Twitter where I'm @dietbeebee 

Beware: whinging and moaning is par for the course on that profile.