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 #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. 

Plus-Sized Blogger

It is hard to deny that I am plus-sized. I'm at best a size 28 right now.

I am also a blogger. So ergo, ipso facto and other ponsy phrases I could use, I am a plus-sized blogger.

However, I don't completely identify with the plus-sized moniker.

I'm not embarrassed about my size, however I'm also not comfortable being this size either.

I do watch what I eat. Otherwise I would be, and have been, even bigger than I am now. I regularly fluctuate between a size 22 and a 32/24. I have managed to hold steady around the 26/28 mark for the last year.

I'm not impressed with myself. I'm also not angry.

I have been a larger than the average person now for many, many, many years. I'm not saying I can't lose weight, because I can and I have. I don't blame anyone except myself and my fondness of the sofa and chocolate and cheese.

I'm not happy at this size. Being so large affects my mood on an almost daily basis. I yearn to do many things that I don't feel comfortable even trying.

I feel for my kids, and the kids that I am an assistant leader to at Scouts, Brownies and Rangers. I want to be a role model to these kids. Part of my job is to show them the best way forward in their lives and help them make the most of the opportunities presented to them.

I'm not the average fat girl though. I go hiking, however my balance isn't great at times and on my last night hike I fell. At my size it created a lot of pain for the rest of the week. Pain I medicated with sugar, which led to a gain on the scales of 6lbs in just 1 week. Not a good moment.

So now I'm back on the trail of trying to not obsess over the little things, in all avenues of my life. Along with the longer hours I am currently putting in the office I need to look after myself that bit better. Making sure that I don't get sick or run down.

You can join me on my eternal journey to find long-lasting balance here.

This is my dieting rollercoaster after all.

Get Moving Monday

I've not written one of these in a while. Mainly because I haven't been doing any sort of formal exercise. I know after I got those shoes!

I'm finding that life has this trick of changing my plans. After what I can only call a really low and emotional weekend, I have gone through my stash of fitness dvds and found out a couple I can do and get under my belt before I head into the office. (Did you know, once upon a time I used to be out the door at 5am to go running?)

At the moment I'm rediscovering Zumba. I have 3 dvds and right now I'm using the Zumba Express one, 20 minutes from beginning to end, no floor work (which I hate), a lot of dance (which I love) and you can lower or raise the intensity to what you can manage. Which is paramount if you are out of condition, don't want to get injured or just aren't as fit as you should be.

This works for me as, like many people, I don't like to be seen to exercise in public, partially as I have a tendancy to break out in a blotchy rash from head to foot - attractive huh? Also, as I have been on the receiving end of some less than favourable attention while pounding the pavement.

I do know that breaking into sweat and raising my heartbeat is important for my general health. It also promotes a feeling of wellbeing which I've been missing. I'm not getting the chance to move around as much as I used to now I'm sat in front of a monitor all day.

My Life Monday: Get Moving

Over the weekend I decided that I wanted to do the Race for Life again this year.

I stopped running last July/August, not long after my last race.

My fitness has dropped right off. So today I have started the long road back to being a 5k runner.

I went out for a walk. It was roughly 2 miles. I didn't march it out I just took it nice and steady.

I'm planning to walk a similar distance 3 times a week until I cover 3 miles comfortably, then I will gradually introduce power walking intervals and then running until I am able to run the full stretch.

Around where I live I am lucky that we have such fantastic scenery, but unlucky in that there is no non-hillly routes!

I'm not impressed with my first time. however it can only get better!

I forgot how nice it was to just have a bit of peace and quiet time. I plugged in my ancient ipod and listened to some old Jillian Michael's Podcasts and blocked out the world around me. When I start with the running I will be moving over to more up-tempo tunes to motivate me and to match my stride pattern to.

What do you do to keep moving, and what do you listen to when you are out and about?