What are your health / fitness goals? Accountability

Thank you Alanaana for 50 pages of posts. Quite a milestone on the blog. Many posts are lucky to get a reply. I enjoy reading your goals, good and bad days, and enjoy your take on life. You have hit a very tender spot on prepping for TSHTF. Between life, getting old, the world in general, many of us are not prepared for the physical challenges that we are going to face. The old saying about the fight or flight reflex in face of danger, still requires that you are able to do either of them as a physical task. I like that in a sense this has been the go to spot for those of us who do accept life's challenges and wish to both get knowledge and a sense of not being alone in setting up new goals. Still like the quail adventures with the eggs and birds. Kind of got out of hand for a while and I loved your take on the birds and life.

Love Hanzo's and your posts. Must be something about volcano's and the water in Hawaii.

 

Great thread/blog. You’re nothing in SHTF if you can’t move, and fast.

 

I got over 25,000 steps today and it's the first time that I managed to get over 22,000 steps, 7 days in a row. All month I was reaching this goal 6/7 days a week. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to sustain these high step days because they are a time commitment, but I love the sense of accomplishment that I get from doing this! Plus, I feel pretty shredded from those 500 push ups we did the other day... I guess I'm ending the year on an extreme note, but it's been very rewarding and I feel encouraged by the progress I'm making.
Hope you will have a wonderful week!

 

Yep, I am one that is starting back up with the turn of a new year.

Three years ago, I was in great shape.... hiking, camping, skiing, riding enduro motorcycle races, etc. and then was hit hard with COVID and a hospitalization. A few days after coming home, I punctured a lung and the pneumothorax sent me back to the hospital, narrowly missing a meeting with my Savior, Jesus. The last three years, I just haven't recovered or returned to the same great shape I was in. I have really struggled with being happy and finding a purpose in life that kept me going. By social behavior and definitions, I was not an alcoholic, but I am sure that is what an MD would have called me. I drank to feel happy. The problem was, my poor diet and the alcohol was just tearing down my body. Most of my life, the wife has been my anchor, helping to keep me on the straight and narrow.... problem is, she started drinking way too much wine at the same time.

Finally, over the past month or so, I began to feel so bad I started talking to the wife about the both of us making a change. Since our house is finally finished and our exercise equipment is now out of storage (after 4 years) and set up in an exercise room, we have to excuses.

So on to accountability....

#1. We agreed and made the decision on Christmas Day, that we would go dry for the whole month of January. "No Drink January" is going to be something we are very strict about and accountable to one another for.

#2. January will also see us in that workout room a minimum of 4 days a week, preferable 5-6. With the machines sitting there, gazing at us, it's motivation for them NOT to sit there unused.

#3. It has helped me in the past to have a public, social media exercise BLOG. At least every other day, I feel the pressure and accountability to log on and record what I have done.... .so that someone on the world wide web doesn't publicly chew me out for being a lazy ass.

I'm in my mid-50's and I want my 60's and 70's to be a life of activity, rather than sitting on the couch with sky-rocket high A1C, high blood pressure and a Whiskey bottle in my hand. I want to be healthy and I want to be around to watch my grandkids grow up and do amazing things.

So... Two days ago... I had two drinks and worked hard around the property. Yesterday I had two drinks. Today I will have one drink and on New Year's I will have one drink. Then on Wednesday the 1st.... I get a glass of Topochico and Lime Juice. hahaha

..........

 

Sounds like a plan. Keep us posted.

 

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I completed last year's year long dance challenge and they awarded me with a free year of online classes. I'm so happy. I'm trying to do this year's challenge too.

I also decided that I want to learn how to choreograph. Not for the sake of becoming a choreographer or anything like that. I'm still a very new dancer, but I want to chip away at this goal because this entire last year, I struggled with nearly every choreography challenge. I completed 6 / 12 of the monthly challenges, but the other 6 that I didn't complete were all choreo related. I don't want this to be a limiting factor so I'm going to work on it as a side quest. Wish me luck!

I reached my step goal today and got 23,000 steps.
P.S. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to respond to comments. I'm really looking forward to responding, I've just been away from my computer a lot lately, but I'll definitely get to it.

Thank you so much for being a part of this thread and generously sharing your goals, wins, challenges, etc. I'm so glad that you're here!

What are your 3 proudest moments from 2024 and what are you looking forward to in 2025?

 

In 2024 I was 5 wins 1 loss in tournaments. (Ref’s decision in 1 loss, I disagree. Lol.) I also stuck with my game plan on the side mostly, lifting and running. In 2025 my goal is all 3 tournaments and continue 5AM classes, sneak in one oddball class a month. Continue my short runs and lifting light. George Foreman once said “40 isn’t a death sentence!” Well I’m well past that now so… George is the best!

 

I did a moderate 3 mile hike in a state park yesterday and took time to spend an hour detoxing in the sauna.

I'm reading Paradise Lost by Milton and taking the corresponding course by Hillsdale college.

My victories were not going ballistic on bad people, losing 105 pounds, and getting closer to God after drifting into being myself too much.

This year I am going to pass an age appropriate (56) Army PT test (the late 1980s version) and get inside the weight standards.

I'm going to continue to grow in my religious wisdom and understanding the mysteries.

I'm going to get better at telling the Devil and his minions to go F themselves and be the helpful warrior again instead of the victim.

 

Dear @duane, Thank you so much for celebrating this milestone with me! I feel very thankful to be here and even more thankful for all of you who have been so kind, encouraging, and inspiring. I think the convenience of modern life has overshadowed the importance of health, flexibility, and mobility (in mind and body) and too many people only discover it once they've lost it or it's too late. I feel like it was the greatest gift and wake up call for me to get my blood panel back and figure out what issues I needed to start "fixing." I think it will be an ongoing, lifelong work in progress, but people like you remind me to continue "fighting the good fight."
When I wrote my first post on this accountability thread, I believe I was 40 lbs heavier than I am now. This is the lightest I've been in my adult life and I've struggled with my weight for the last 2 decades. At this point I'm about 15 lbs away from my goal weight. I'm excited about the "loss," but even more exciting is all that I'm gaining: more confidence, strength, better health, and resilience.
On another note, my partner and I just built a 30 foot diameter geodesic dome (with 2x4s) with a galvanized steel metal roof. I've also made friends with the pheasants in the new neighborhood.
I really appreciate your comments and feel so thankful for the times that we get to chat and connect. Hope you're doing well. Happy New Year, Duane!

 

Thank you for being a part of this. I appreciate you!

 

I'm so glad that you survived! It's scary to go through all of that while the world shut down during covid. I think we were all trying to cope in any way that we could. It was such a weird and uncertain time.
I'm glad that you and your wife have each other. It sounds like you make a great team! Congratulations on finishing your house! That's a major project and it's so cool that you set up a workout room too.
We love doing check ins here and cheering each other on so please feel free to post as often as you like!
Thank you for sharing your goals. You got this!!!

 

I disagree with that ref too! That's an amazing amount of wins and tournaments. Great job with staying on track with your running, lifting, and plan. It sounds like it paid off! I love how your healthy habits rubbed off so well on your family too.
I really hope that 2025 will be an amazing year for you! Let's go!

 

A hike followed by sauna time sounds like a great way to start the new year!
It sounds like you transformed your entire life this year! You're amazing and I'm so happy for you. Not many people can claim victories like yours in a whole lifetime.
I hope you will enjoy yourself this year (2025) as you continue to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Thank you for being here and sharing your journey.
I started meditating before bed and sometimes in the morning and I think it's starting to "kick in" and help!

 

My 3 proudest moments from 2024 were:

1. Remodeling our backhouse.
2. Surviving the car fire and acquiring a new vehicle.
3. Building a brand new business after having to shut down our 7 year business that was our main source of income.
4. Here's a bonus: I feel like I started 2024 off with good intentions health-wise. I was trying those 36 hour long fasts and figured out that they were too mentally challenging and I didn't have enough non-food related hobbies. after 2 months I stopped doing that. I got some good results with strength training and those dips, but in the summer time I hit a plateau because I stopped the diets and restrictive eating. At the end of the summer, I got hit with depression that usually loves to arrive that time of year, then in October, I was able to fully turn it around and am getting great results again.

I have to say that you guys kept me going especially when I was feeling discouraged by my plateau. Thank you for that!
My goals in 2025 are to continue with this health journey. I want to reach a healthy weight and not have high blood pressure and also get my A1C into a healthy range.
I want to communicate well. I noticed that sometimes I shut down and go quiet. This is how I was raised and I thought that it would avoid conflict, but I'm finally learning that it's better to talk about things and work through them (in a direct problem solving way... not therapy and dumping issues. Lol).
I've been a chronic worrier for most of my life and I want to get out of my head and start enjoying life more.
I'm also hoping to read 125 books this year. Wish me luck!

 

Speaking of books, I'm currently reading:

1. "Iron Cowboy: Redefine Impossible" by James Lawrence. Have you guys heard about him? People on a podcast were glorifying him because he completed 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 days in 50 states. This is very impressive and definitely not for the weak or faint of heart. I was also secretly curious if he managed to do all of this without juicing. Lol. I respect him for what he's done and has overcome to accomplish these goals. I also super respect his wife and family for supporting him through breaking world records. That said, I'm looking forward to being done with his book. He's super cocky and arrogant and kind of an irresponsible mess (I'm not usually this judgy)... I know that nobody's perfect, but damn! Maybe that's what it takes to do impossible things like this? In this book he's talking about every single injury he had during this process and it sounds super painful. If he didn't have the village behind him aka his super positive wife (who I think is amazing), family, friends, doctors, massage therapists, funders, sponsors, he might not be alive and probably wouldn't have accomplished this amazing feat. As he was training and doing these triathlons he lost his homes, jobs, and both of his vehicles were repossessed. He often ran out of money and sometimes couldn't get his bike shipped to the next location. It kind of reminds me of when I did my first triathlon in Seattle and one of the girls who used to swim with me on swim team forgot her swimsuit... I know that people go through hard times and I'm glad that he and his family are making it through. Usually, I might not finish a book like this, but I'm trying to be more open minded and listen to different points of view. Hence, why I still listen to Mel Robbins sometimes too. I sound like a hater. Lol.
2. "Dance Composition: A practical guide to creative success in dance making." by Jacqueline Smith-Autard. This is fairly academic book that was recommended to me by one of my dance teachers so I'm reading it. "A book which has remained seminal in its field as one of the key texts in dance education. Jacqueline Smith-Autard delves into the creative arena of dance with a logic unmatched by any other creative author in this field" Speech and Drama"Jacqueline Smith-Autard has made significant contributions to the development of dance in education in the UK and abroad" National Dance Teachers AssociationDance composition - the discipline that translates ideas into dances - is an important part of dance education. This book, a bestseller for over twenty years, is a practical guide to creative success in dance making and is a popular textbook for all those who are interested in dance composition, from secondary school to university.This new edition includes online video resources taken from Choreographic Outcomes, a groundbreaking advanced technology resource pack aimed at comprehensively improving students' choreography. The book has been revised, redesigned and expanded. Reference to the online video is made throughout the book and new assignments based on the video material are included.

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my rant.
What are you currently reading or listening to?

 

In 2025 I might pick up my book (in rough-draft form) and add, fine tune and etc etc the thing. The title might also need to be tweaked, who knew The Million Dollar Da$h was already a thing? I was sure that was my own creation as was the subtitle, “If you’re going to be stupid you have to be smart.” All true of course, even being on FMLA while on the lam. Lol.

 

Yes! Please do. You've been building up the suspense for years now. And that's a thing? Would've been a great title.

 

Million Dollar Dash (Short 2015) | Short, Comedy
I did some research already. Lol. With inflation my da$h was worth much more now. Perhaps a different sum and my special spelling of “da$h” will suffice the lawyer. Lol.

 

Ever since I vented about the "Iron Cowboy," I've been enjoying his book a lot more along with all the injuries and drama. Definitely not an easy feat nor easy on the feet.
It's been a productive weekend! I've been reaching my step goal of over 22,000 steps everyday and it feels like it's really helping my dancing and everything else. This week I would like to start doing some strength training again. My bf said that he wants to start another 24 hour 500 push up challenge and I'm not sure if I'm joining it yet. I'll find out how I feel about it in the morning.
Hope you will have a wonderful week!

 

Almost had a minor meltdown yesterday when the scale went up one pound. Then I felt like my efforts were being sabotaged when I got invited to go to the local winery, but we didn't end up going. I felt physically and mentally exhausted and didn't think that I was going to reach my step goal, but I managed to squeak out all 22,000 steps.
I realized that I clearly need to heal my relationship with food... I meditated on that.
Today I felt a lot better!