Strength Standards for Women

These sound pretty good. If you don't want to read the whole thing just skip to the table towards the bottom.

I've got some work to do!!!

To Challenge or Not to Challenge

The Women's Challenge is over at JP. I am very happy with what I have accomplished in the last 4 or 5 months. There is a new challenge starting in January but I don't think I will be participating. I am just tired of keeping track and being on a deadline.

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

What kind of stupid ass cliche is that!!!! Seriously, that is almost as bad as "Stop dieting, start living".

First of all this ridiculous "support mantra" tries to compare the value of two completely different things!! The taste of food and feeling skinny has NOTHING to do with one another.

Second, I don't want to be 'thin'. Thin is for 8 year olds and runway models.

This 'mantra', if you will, completely discounts the value food plays in our life, socially, physically and physiologically. These are very important factors in achieving a healthy weight.

What this 'mantra' says to me is that if I want to be thin then I can no longer enjoy my food. And if I do enjoy my food then I must not want to be thin that badly. And people wonder why there are so many eating disorders out there.

For my loyal readers you will know what my mantra is....

Consistent Practice equals Consistent Progress

Practice implies that not everyday will be perfect but that we strive to improve ourselves every time we practice. Some days our practice will be great. Some days not so much. Each day we practice a healthy life. Each day we make progress.

Practice also implies that this is an ongoing process. We don't get to a goal and then stop practicing. Because, like any other skill, if we don't continue to practice we will undo all the progress we have achieved. Practicing a healthy life is a life long endeavor.

Women's Challenge Final Stats

July 29 - Starting measurements
Bust - 44.25
Chest - 36.25
Waist - 41.5
Hips - 48.5
Thighs - 26.5
Calves - 14.75
Upperarm - 16
Forearm - 12
Wrist - 6.5
Neck - 14
Weight - 218
BF% - 38.5%(??)

Nov 24 (measurement) (Lost this month) (Lost during challenge)
Bust - 42.5 (no change) (-1.75)
Chest - 34.25 (-.75) (-2)
Waist - 36 (-2.5!!!) (-5.5)
Hips - 44.5 (-.5) (-4)
Thighs - 22.25 (-2 each side!!) (-4.25 each side)
Calves - 13.75 (-.25 each side) (-1 each side)
Upperarm - 14.5/14.5 (-.25/-.5) (-1.5 each side)
Forearm - 11.5 (no change) (-.5 each side)
Wrist - 6.5
Neck - 14
Weight - 189.4 (-2.4) (-29)
BF% - 32.3 (-2.2%!!!!)n (-6.2%)
Total inches lost this month - 9!!!!
Total inches lost during challenge - 27.75

Open Challenge Goals
Goal 1: Weight Loss of 43lbs (218 to 175) - I have broken my sticking point of 195 and am currently at 189. I won't achieve 175 by the end of the year but I have still made great progress!!

Goal 2: Losing 2 dress sizes (18 to 14) - Done! I am going to try to get into a 12 now.

Goal 3: Compliance - 50% this month. I don't have time for this stuff. Honestly, I probably did more than I think but it wasn't 'formal'.

Goal 4: Perform 10 pushups. (0 to 10) - Still at 6 but since I hurt my shoulder I don't hink I will get much further than that but I still have another month to try.

My husband thinks I've lost it....

I signed up for a 5K on Thanksgiving Day.

Running

Since I haven't been able to workout all week because everything I do hurts my shoulder, I decided to pull out Couch to 5K and give it another try. I am running a 5K in a few weeks anyways. I was pleasantly surprised that I had no problems doing Week 1 Day 1. Last time I tried it I had to work my way up to W1D1.

My knee protested a bit in the beginning but that disappeared after the first interval. This weeks interval is 60 sec running and 90 seconds walking. I felt like I could go longer but I didn't want to push it. Depending on how my knee reacts, I think I am going to move up to Week 2 Day 1 the next workout which should be Tuesday.

Now I am off to finish my stretching....

Qi Gong

I really want to learn Qi Gong and an opportunity may have presented itself. I am very excited. I think I am going to begin familiarizing myself with the basics so I am not a bumbling idiot when I start classes.

Falun Dafa