Challenge
Instead of talking about ways to improve my life, I decided to act on it. I started a series of challenges, each lasting one month, to slowly introduce this change into my life. I don’t expect all the challenges to last more than a month, but some just might. And over the course of a year or two years or however long it takes, I just might get to that improved state of mind! Here’s a rundown of my challenges to date:
Improved Workouts
Started: March 1, 2009.
Goal: Workout three times during the week and once over the weekend.
Progress: I was on a roll. And then got sick. For 6 weeks. I am only now getting back on the wagon.
Plan: Keep working towards this goal on a week-to-week basis.
Grade: FAIL!
No Diet Coke
Started: March 5, 2009.
Goal: Give up drinking Diet Coke and other sodas.
Progress: ZERO Diet Cokes and less than a handful of Sprites. I now drink flavored Green tea when I need a caffeine boost.
Plan: Keep at it!
Grade: SUCCESS!
No Sweets
Started: April 1, 2009
Goal: Give up eating all sweets.
Progress: For the first week or two, I did really well. Then, I found excuses for adding sweets back into my routine. It’s been hard to stay away from them altogether, though I do think I’m eating less of them than I was a month ago.
Plan: Re-adjust the goal to limit my sweet intake.
Grade: NEUTRAL
And now it’s time to announce my goal for May. It’s going to be the No Take-Out or Delivery goal. Starting today and for the rest of May, I will not order take-out or delivery food from restaurants. I can either make a meal at home. Or I can sit down in a restaurant to eat.
I feel like Sweets and I take the easy way out by going to our menu drawer when we’re not sure what we want to do for dinner. And I no longer want that crutch. We need to get creative. Or we need to go to the store.
Have a great weekend, friends!
May 1st, 2009 at 6:55 am
Oh the no delivery or takeout has been in place in our house for six years! We probably order takeaways about three times a year? Each weekend, I write out a menu of six meals I am gong to cook that week (my MIL cooks the 7th night) then do one shop to buy all I need. It cuts down on decision making and grocery bills and it’s sooo much healthier for us!
I like your month long challenge idea. I’m doing the ‘day zero’ challenge where you complete 101 tasks in 1001 days. Some of mine will overlap with yours (like the diet coke challenge). I’m still writing my 101 item list, I hope to finish that tonight and begin the challenge!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:00 am
This is a genius idea and a great approach to making change! I’m trying to do the same thing in my life to just be healthier, more active and have more fun. The short-term challenges have been a HUGE help to me too.
That being said, I seeeeriously miss Pepsi.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:05 am
We do take out about once a week. Usually on Saturday nights because we are busy and I don’t feel like figuring out what to feed everyone. It was really tough at first for us to cut down to once a week! Good luck!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:07 am
I am happy for you, you have made some great strides and found meaningful substitutions.
Sounds like a trip to Trader Joe’s is in your future.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:17 am
I really hope you’re not beating yourself up about not being able to keep up your workout routine because come on lady, you were sick! When you are strong enough, you’ll get back into it.
I quit eating take out when I finished grad school. My secret is: throw out all those take out menus.
So good you quit with the soda! But barely any sugar? That is one of my weaknesses! Can’t quit the sugar.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:37 am
This is so awesome! Handsome & I have started the monthly goal thing, only we get to choose them for each other. His choice for me for May is to write every day on my book. My choice for him is no soda. I’m excited to see how it goes.
xox
May 1st, 2009 at 8:39 am
These are such great challenges -- I have to say, never getting into the habit of take out is one of the best things that mister and I have done for our wallets! I hear it’s really hard to get away from -- meal planning is really helpful.
I have to share a tip for your No Diet Coke item! I’ve been trying to get away from soda all together and have had a breakthrough -- I’ve started buying tonic water and mix it half and half with fruit juice. You still get the bubbles, there’s lots of natural sugar in the juice for energy, and it’s a really nice summer drink. I’ve totally kicked soda because of it.
Have a great weekend!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:45 am
The no takeout or delivery is definitely one I need to try! I’m better than I used to be, but yes, when sick or just too tired to deal with it I order delivery and even if I make a relatively healthy choice I feel like so much of it is loaded with sodium. Especially my beloved Thai food!
Good luck--anxious to see how it goes!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:45 am
That would be a hard one for me. I do cook more than the average single person does. But after working all day and commuting or on a lazy Sunday afternoon -- it is just too easy to grab take out.
In fact, I am planning on doing it tonight. :-)
Good luck. Your challenges really do inspire me.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:48 am
I say great job, considering your circumstances. Perhaps with the no take out you will also have to challenge yourself to do some menu planning. I am HORRIBLE at that. Don’t know why, but I have a mental block there. If you figure out a good process for menu planning, please let me know!
May 1st, 2009 at 9:17 am
That’s a noble goal. We just ate take-out last night. I suppose I’ll mostly have to give that up post-surgery. Along with Diet Coke.
Good luck!
May 1st, 2009 at 9:25 am
good luck with the may goal! :) I almost never, ever eat take out (the once every three months ish pizza is about it) I had success with my “no buying plastic water bottles in April” challenge. Although I did buy one gatorade. Does that count? NO, I said water.
How about this for May. 5 minutes of daily “just breathing” or guided meditation on my ipod. wish me luck.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:28 am
Ooo… that sounds like a good goal. Irish and I try to limit ourselves to one night out a week for food at a restaurant (we rarely do takeout for some reason) and it’s great for us in terms of health, our checkbooks and it allows us to get creative in the kitchen which is a lot of fun. Can’t wait to hear how this one goes.
And congrats on the soda thing! I was doing really well until this week; I’ve had two sodas but I notice I feel bloated and ick afterwards so I think I’ll quit that right now. (Hope that wasn’t TMI!)
Happy Friday!
May 1st, 2009 at 10:12 am
The soda/artificial sweetener thing is so hard to do… congratulations on your success! I’ll join your renewed energy for eliminating sweets. We can do it!
May 1st, 2009 at 10:15 am
Oh man, that’s a good one. We should probably do that too… but we’d just end up picking up DiGiorno’s at the grocery store every night.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:22 am
Oh man…it sounds like you are slowly turning your life sucky! But healthy. But sucky!
For every bad thing you give up, do you give yourself a treat?
May 1st, 2009 at 10:29 am
that’s a good one! good luck, and congrats on your other successes!
May 1st, 2009 at 10:33 am
Good one! We don’t do much take-out (but we do A LOT of going out) but one of my current goals is to cook more, too.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Good for you! It’s very inspiring to read your goals. Almost makes me want to set some for myself…almost. :P
May 1st, 2009 at 12:06 pm
I like the no takeout/delivery challenge! Since moving to the ‘burbs, I cook a lot more because there are fewer takeout/delivery options. And honestly, I’ve become a lot more creative, not to mention healthy. If you’re ever looking for cooking ideas, let me know. I follow tons of food blogs and have lots and LOTS of easy, tasty recipes.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
May’s challenge is a great one! May will not work for us to try this as May is our busiest month with the highschool kid graduating, me finishing a semester, excuse, excuse, excuse.
I think, though. I am definitely going to try this one in JUNE.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
This seems like a very good way to go about goals!
May 1st, 2009 at 1:44 pm
These are great goals! It’s a wonderfully motivating idea to propose a challenge each month. Sounds like something I need to look into ; )
May 1st, 2009 at 5:14 pm
No take out or delivery is a great goal. Its just so easy to reach for the takeout menus.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:51 pm
You’ve conquered one and and are making progress on another! Keep it up!
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
I need more goals. I’m so proud of your progress! Keep it up!
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 am
You broke even on your current challenges and that’s not bad. I can’t wait to hear how this one goes! I don’t order out a lot, I prefer to dine out so let me know where you go too!
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hey that’s not bad. One at a time makes it not so tough, you just have to keep at it. I didn’t get a chance to say it before, but love the new site!
Oh, and stop by; I have an award for you!
May 3rd, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Just the fact that you make these goals for yourself is huge. I need to start implementing challenges into my life. You’re an inspiration! :)
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I’m impressed with your giving up sweets! I need to do that with salt though. I’m not much of a sweets person and really only have chocolate ice cream one night a week or so. Nothing else except 1 sugar in my coffee.
I’ve never worried about giving up soda because I drink it so rarely (once a month or so?) that giving it up seems sort of pointless.
As for take-out we generally limit it to once a week (either take out or dinner out) and cook the rest of the nights. Doesn’t always happen when we have multiple committments etc. but we aim for once a week. I’m thinking we should change that to once a month though (take out) with dinners out being a seperate arrangement.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I like this. I am watching the items I eat and drink and am making adjustments so that I can see photos of me at the end of summer and not think that it was wasted on not getting fitter.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Your new goal would be tough for me now that I am down in DC and without the culinary talents of my fiance! :-) Good luck!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Four weeks ago, when I moved in with David, we promised each other we would work very hard to eat better and not eat out so much. So far it’s a total success! I’m proud of you that you are taking this step….it’s SOOOO hard to not just call in and order and have it show up, all the while you never even messed up the kitchen. What if you threw out the menus so you were forced to cook or go to the store? One thing that helped us, we go grocery shopping together every Sunday morning. Before we go we make a list and stick with it and also make up a menu for the week so we know 1) what to buy, 2) what we will be having and 3) won’t be stuck with, “What to make tonight? Let’s just order take-out!” Good luck!