Week 6 of 15 Review

It is not even half way and I feel like I've been doing this for a year. Another week done more or less. There were some wins and strategic losses. Overall I am satisfied with how I did. 

The sixth week put me in the "second phase" of the 15 Week Challenge. This meant some new additions to the daily goals. When I set up the challenge last month I knew I couldn't tackle all the habits I wanted to work on at once but I could probably add or increase the difficulty as the weeks progressed. The next increase will be December 27.

What I Am Doing?

• Drink 4 "little mermaid" cups worth of water (about a half gallon)
• Do an XBX workout
• NEW 9,000 Steps
• Meet the Noom food budget without going over the red foods
• NEW read the daily Noom articles
• Read two pages from a physical book
• NEW reflect on victories at the end of each day
• On Mondays take a progress photo and post an update on this blog.

The Additions:

1) 9,000 Steps -This is an increase of steps by a thousand. The ultimate goal is to regularly be walk 10,000 steps.

2) Read Noom Articles -The thing that makes Noom different from other health and weight loss systems are the daily lessons. It is about ten minutes of reading that is actively helping me look at the whys and thinking about what and when I eat. It is more than just simple educational knowledge, there is that, but Noom also gives practical steps to use the new information to help meet my goals. An example from todays reading: I have been learning about seven key habits to aid in healthy choices. One of my lessons today talked about pairing a new habit you want with with a habit you already have mastered. The whole thing reminds me how my Homiletics (preaching) Professor taught, "information and insights into the Bible don't matter if you don't/can't share how it applies to real life. Make it practical!"

3) Daily Reflections -This was added later in the week after a conversation (over text) with my Noom coach. I have been struggling with feelings of failure and "all or nothing" thinking. An example from this past week: Saturday I knew we were baking Christmas cookies and making gingerbread houses in the midst of Christmas planning. I was over on my calories and my allowed red foods. Instead of feeling like I ruined my day and everything was pointless I looked for the wins of the day such as 1) I still went for a walk 2) My over eating is less then it was before the 15 weeks began, and is about the same as my old regular calories 3) Even in the treat eating I didn't feel like I pigged out or overate. I stopped before I felt sick 4) I made other healthy choices through out the day like soup for lunch.

Week Six Review:

This was a good week. I recognized during week four that if I don't record completed tasks daily things get missed. I've been using my bullet journal to make a simple chart each week. For each success I colour in a square. I like the habit and the sense of accomplishment it gives. On the flip side when I missed one or more tasks I was getting very worked up. Thankfully the reflections at the end of the day are helping. When I have missed something I spend some time thinking about why the goal wasn't met and if it could be accomplished before bed. Sometimes it is doable but not always. Balance in anything is a challenge. 

The XBX went well. I missed one day, we were watching a friend's child over night and they were sleeping in the room I do the XBX. Regardless of that set back, Saturday I finished the last level on chart one. I did a little happy dance. Today I began on chart two, which is suppose to intensify the basic exercises but I'll cover that in the "looking ahead" section. 

The water drinking was the hardest challenge this week. I only met my goal three times. The other days I got about half the water. I know one of the factors has been when I start drinking my water. Other times I was out and didn't have my cup with me. 

Similarly the walking goal. I struggled the first two days to make my former goal of 8,000 steps and 9,000 felt impossible. My schedule had me out most nights. It means a late night walk after 11:00 pm some nights. Midweek I got a new phone and the app seems to be tracking steps differently. Before I thought my phone under recorded. When Alex and I walked he would have 1000 to 2000 more steps that I did. Now we seem to have a reverse problem. We had the same day of activity. His phone gave him 5,000 steps and my 13,000. It seems nice but it feels like my watch is cheating.

Looking Ahead:

I'm feeling good about the next five weeks. Last week's side by side progress picture really helped remind me that little by little, week by week, progress is being made. I have two concerns. First, I've been trusting my watch for the past two years and now I don't know what to think. I don't trust it's recording. The numbers almost seem like it is doubling what I have actually done. Alex is going to look at the setting and see if something has changed. If not do I just greatly increase my goal? And if I do, what happens if the decencies go away? 

Second, the XBX workout is useful yet the new chart seems wrong. There are four charts that you move up by completing levels. Each chart takes the basic exercises and modifies them to make them more challenging than the pervious version. This is where I am having my doubts. The program was developed in the early 1960s and our understanding of stretching and moving has improved. There are exercises that I have been told aren't safe such as pulsing or bouncing on the stretch (two of the "improvements") another is a modified sit-up that has the potential to injure the lower back. Having completed today's workout this is the choices I've made: the two stretches I will not bounce but move slow and hold. For the sit-ups I am going to do crunches and I am going to continue do knee push-ups. 

With those small modifications I don't find the chart too intense. Last week I said that I was considering staying at the chart two levels for a whole week. But it might not be necessary. Based on tonight's workout I think I could move up a level after three days. I'll make my decision on Thursday.