My goal is to continue with my "Tree of Change" leaf goal of doing at least 2 cardio workouts per week, right now that consists of at least 1 FS class and 2-3 1 mile runs on the treadmill. I definitely don't want to lose momentum with that goal over the holidays since I have been doing so well and I know I'll need the cardio with all the extra holiday calories 😊
Lauren Baker (RH)Member, Inward Journey Meditation Group MemberRank ✭6✭
My wellness focus heading in to the holidays is to listen to my body. The measurements are hard to pin, but @Jared Freeman and @Trent Taylor have both been encouraging me to do so, and it paid off last week during a work trip. When I slow down and listen to my body, I am more present in interactions, sleep more soundly, feel less anxious and overall healthier because I don't overexert or over commit.
This looks like: not pushing a workout when I'm over tired, not scheduling things back to back to back, taking a deep breathe or moment of gratitude before enjoying a meal to be present and experience it. Very little things that while not completely measurable, I know can have a big impact.
Outside of my limitation of Oreo consumption, my goal over the holiday is to maintain my current exercise routine of 6x day's per/week along with getting back to my routine of daily meditation. It's been inconsistent over the past few weeks and I forget how clear I feel after just several consistent sessions. I also believe it will help me be truly present when spending time with my loved ones over the holidays.
My goal is to get back into my meal prep routine to help me be sure I’m eating consistently, and consistently well, instead of forgetting about meals (whoops) or eating whatever’s convenient. I’m also going to keep up my routine of 4-5 days/week at AFS!
@Gayle Grady I love that! You are recognizing something you're struggling with, and setting a goal that works with that, not against it. I also love the creativity of the goal. Excited to hear how this goes for you .
@Lisa Baumgarten Get that mile a day girl!!! Also I hope your Oreo costume was a blast at your Halloween Dance event! Sounded like a winner to me!
@Gayle Grady What a creative goal! It is impressive to see you think outside of the box and find something that really resonates with you. That is exactly why the challenge isn't about weight loss. You are going to make your mindset so much healthier just with a daily goal that is so specific to YOU. Keep up the awesome work and creative thinking!
You took the words right out of my mouth @Alyssa Romig! My goal is to be more consistent with my waking and sleeping times. Normally I'll get at least 6 hours per night, but I'd like to get closer to 8 hours if I can. Now I just need to slow down on the Netflix/Hulu binge-watching sessions.
My goal is more mindset oriented. I want to work on being a better listener. I have a tendency to autofill what people are saying and not give people my full attention. I know that many times I can seem like I am listening but I am thinking about something completely unrelated. Doing this will help me have been connections at both work and within my personal life.
More specifically within that goal I want to:
Look away from screens when someone is speaking to me (Its sad how often this doesn't happen :/ )
Asking more specific questions/comment on what the other person said to reinforce that I was listening
Love this idea and so excited to hear how everyone else does this season!
I have 2 goals that I am going to share with you all :)
The first goal is maintaining my current body composition. The holidays are very difficult for me, as both mine and my wife's families LOVE to eat and drink. Throw a birthday in the mix, we are booked up solid with social gatherings that more often than not involve large quantities of food, but a plethora of drinks. Just like most of our clients, I tend to see a modest 5-10 pound jump from now until January.
The second goal is to maintain a productivity journal each day for the duration of the holidays. As we know, the holidays can be quite difficult to maintain simple habits such as take 10 minutes for yourself, not to mention the exercise, meal prep, and personal development time. I tend to let these things go throughout the holidays, which tends to leave me feeling scattered and frustrated that I didn't achieve what I needed to achieve, or feeling like days have gotten away from me without being "productive". This is something that I want to maintain throughout the holidays to help combat those negative feelings, which leads to self-destructive decisions to cope with the frustration!
Danny GossmanMember, Administrator, Moderator, AFS Staffadmin
Alright, so my goal is to basically STICK to my original goal I made this summer of meditating for 15 minutes a day for 50 straight days. I've been meditating for four or five years now, but my biggest challenge is sticking to it on a DAILY basis. Sometimes, I'll go for like a week straight, then cave for a few days and get inconsistent. Nevertheless, meditation has changed the entire infrastructure of how I think about everything and I do wish to be more consistent with it--if anyone else is interested in starting up on meditation or would like to meditate together, let me know :)
BUT here it is: I'm going to complete my original goal and finish these 50 days before the end of 2019. It all starts with November and not making excuses. So if you hear me say, "I was busy ALL day" or "I was out of town and didn't get to it," throw the nearest vehicle containing cranberry sauce at my face (I don't like cranberry sauce) and tell me to get my priorities straight. You can do that in a nice way or a motivating way--however you see fit, I just need that accountability.
@Emma Sheffert Emma!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are we so much the same? 😅 I need to work on that 100% as well. Want to be my accountability on that front? :) Clint will deffo appreciate it hahah
My commitment is to get 8 hours of sleep every night. I am struggling with this all the time. I'm tired my brain just won't shut off. I feel like I have a mlon things to do even though I am really tired! Any suggestions?
@Darcy Blakemore ugh, been through years of sleep issues--I know the feeling! I do a lot of things to try to minimize my sleep issues; it's genuinely like a ritual, but honestly, going to bed should be! The sooner you prep your brain for bed time, the less your thoughts will race. Here's what I do:
Only use my bed for sleeping -- no reading in bed, no TV in bed, no computer use in bed, nothin'! My brain only associates the bed with sleep, which means it's better prepared to be quiet :)
Reduced screen activity before bed time -- ideally none at all, of course, but I'm not perfect 😅 I do use programs that lessen brightness/use sepia tones to help reduce the eye strain and brain activity, but the best thing is just turning it off. I try to play with my pets or listen to ambient music in the living room at least 30 min before bed!
WEIGHTED BLANKET. I cannot sing enough praises for my weighted blanket. I feel like I unlocked a secret level of sleep I never could reach before 😆 Of everything, this has helped the most by far.
White noise machine + good smells (essential oils, incense, candles) -- the noise helps drown out my thoughts and the calm smells slow things down for me. Obviously don't burn anything while sleeping though!
When I'm having a particularly difficult time falling asleep bc of my thoughts, I adjust my thoughts to the dream I want to have. It's more fun to fantasize about being at Disney World than whatever thing made me anxious that day, and before I know it I'm asleep!
I could probably write a novel about all the things I've tried hahah so let me know if you want some more tips 😝😴
This is Awesome. Thank you. I am going to try every single one of these ideas. Can you tell me what weight you got for the blanket? I looked at them but wasn't sure. Right now I have a full comforter folded in half for weight! I have been taking Melatonin and it's still not helping. I'll let ya know how I do this weekend!
I also saw @Chris Eskin November challenge about journaling. I thought I might try that idea also an hour before bed. Get all my thoughts and day out on paper.
@Darcy Blakemore I have a 15 lbs blanket and I'm 130 lbs (which I only mention bc it's relevant to choosing haha). My parents got mine for me and they followed a guide of it being 10% of your body weight plus a couple lbs, a little higher if you're comfortable with that. It's the perfect weight for me, though I've used a 20 lbs one before and enjoyed that too! As an aside, if you're worried about being too hot under the blanket, through some magic it never makes me feel too warm 🤩
I tried melatonin and benadryl in my most desperate times and neither of them helped me either hah so I hope some of these work for you!!!
@Corinne Albrecht perfect Thank you. I will try the blanket. I am worried about being to hot. I am at the Premenopausal part of my life and get hot flashes like crazy. I just started taking Black Cohosh to help. Thank you again for the info. Weighted blanket is on my Christmas wish list.
Made it to the thread just before tomorrow's start/deadline; woot woot. #levelup #badgeearner
My goals for No Cave November are:
Catch myself before eating the same item of food 3 days in a row. Currently I will drive to Panera to have a toasted PB&J or to Zingerman's Roadhouse to have a deboned fried chicken breast - so - it feels like there's only up from here.
Along the lines of #1: limit eating out to 3 days a week. I've allowed travel to be the reason that I'm not grocery shopping and allowing that just lands me at Justification Station.
Get up in the morning. Up until 2 months ago - I was always awake between 5am - 830am at the latest. Presently, I'll stay up until 12am-2am then sleep until a time that is concerning me.
As a side note, my husband is a hot sleeper and he has a similar weighted blanket like the one Corinne sent and he LOVES it. He sleeps really well with it and hasn't complained about being hot.
Digital Reduction => Sleep with your cell phone outside of your bedroom; utilizing a wall or small digital clock to tell time.
Choose Sensory Calming Decor => avoid bright colors in your bedroom. Select colors such as warm green, warm blue, or grey.
Keep up those AFS Exercise Classes => <3
Bummer that the melatonin does not work for you. I've utilized melatonin for 2 years now, and did have to switch the brand once to find a more positive fit. Currently using Nature's Bounty Quick Dissolve 3 mg.
Chris EarlyMember, Practitioner, AFS Staff, Foundations Course Memberadmin
@Darcy Blakemore I agree with everything that has been said and I will add one more thing. I am VERY sensitive to light(any kind). I will close my eyes and still able to see it/ see the blinking and it drives me CRAZY!!! So for one christmas I got a face mask and it took a little bit to get used to, but let me tell you. I have had the best sleep since getting that. Some nights I can go to sleep without it, but its on nights that I am having a really difficult time that I wear it. One other thing is make sure that you limit caffeine(if you consume it). I would recommend watching 1- the total amount in your day and 2- when the last point of consumption is. I have found "for me" that having caffeine after 5pm and it makes it so much harder to get to sleep. Typically I try to not have any after 3-4, but I am not perfect 😜
So happy to see everyone on here setting goals through the holidays with us. Very excited to see what we can all accomplish this holiday season!
My goal is to avoid all sugary treats (no added sugars...plain fruit might make its way in). I chose a "black and white" rule for myself to keep it easier. If I don't have any sweets, I don't miss them. If I have "a little", I want "a lot", haha I always feel better waking up after a holiday party knowing I controlled those urges so cheers to a mentally strong holiday season!
Ok, my goal is two fold, and I'm challenging @Brook Adams to join me on the second part!
I will do FS classes AT LEAST 3 times a week. 4 is better but I am being realistic with my schedule, the AFS schedule, family schedules and holiday schedules.
I will not succumb to superfluous treats and desserts during the next 7 weeks. I will plan all indulgences, such as cake on my FIL's birthday and my husband's birthday, pumpkin pie with cool whip on Thanksgiving, no pop, no dessert for breakfast (yes, it's a thing), no ice cream, no extra servings, no grazing and no candy. @Brook Adams we had done something similar for a month so let's see if we can do it again for longer 😁
@Chris Early thank you. I just bought a face/eye mask. It is taking sometime to get used to it but I'm liking it. Now if I can just stop the Cat's from head butting me to wake up lol. I did sleep 8hrs last night. I need to stop my H2o at like 7pm. No caffeine for this girl 😊. I'll let ya know how the mask goes this week. Have a great week.
Comments
My goal is to continue with my "Tree of Change" leaf goal of doing at least 2 cardio workouts per week, right now that consists of at least 1 FS class and 2-3 1 mile runs on the treadmill. I definitely don't want to lose momentum with that goal over the holidays since I have been doing so well and I know I'll need the cardio with all the extra holiday calories 😊
My wellness focus heading in to the holidays is to listen to my body. The measurements are hard to pin, but @Jared Freeman and @Trent Taylor have both been encouraging me to do so, and it paid off last week during a work trip. When I slow down and listen to my body, I am more present in interactions, sleep more soundly, feel less anxious and overall healthier because I don't overexert or over commit.
This looks like: not pushing a workout when I'm over tired, not scheduling things back to back to back, taking a deep breathe or moment of gratitude before enjoying a meal to be present and experience it. Very little things that while not completely measurable, I know can have a big impact.
My goal is to track every bite with my Food Picture app called MealCam. It really helps to see a visual of the food consumed each day and it’s fun!!!!
Outside of my limitation of Oreo consumption, my goal over the holiday is to maintain my current exercise routine of 6x day's per/week along with getting back to my routine of daily meditation. It's been inconsistent over the past few weeks and I forget how clear I feel after just several consistent sessions. I also believe it will help me be truly present when spending time with my loved ones over the holidays.
@Michael Gable & @Corinne Albrecht , I enjoyed reading your goals on here as well!
Kemper Sosa
Agent of Change & General Manager
BS, CPT, CSCS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist
My goal is to get back into my meal prep routine to help me be sure I’m eating consistently, and consistently well, instead of forgetting about meals (whoops) or eating whatever’s convenient. I’m also going to keep up my routine of 4-5 days/week at AFS!
I love that! You are recognizing something you're struggling with, and setting a goal that works with that, not against it. I also love the creativity of the goal. Excited to hear how this goes for you
Agent of Change / Fitness Innovation & Education Coordinator
@Lisa Baumgarten Get that mile a day girl!!! Also I hope your Oreo costume was a blast at your Halloween Dance event! Sounded like a winner to me!
@Gayle Grady What a creative goal! It is impressive to see you think outside of the box and find something that really resonates with you. That is exactly why the challenge isn't about weight loss. You are going to make your mindset so much healthier just with a daily goal that is so specific to YOU. Keep up the awesome work and creative thinking!
You took the words right out of my mouth @Alyssa Romig! My goal is to be more consistent with my waking and sleeping times. Normally I'll get at least 6 hours per night, but I'd like to get closer to 8 hours if I can. Now I just need to slow down on the Netflix/Hulu binge-watching sessions.
My goal is more mindset oriented. I want to work on being a better listener. I have a tendency to autofill what people are saying and not give people my full attention. I know that many times I can seem like I am listening but I am thinking about something completely unrelated. Doing this will help me have been connections at both work and within my personal life.
More specifically within that goal I want to:
Love this idea and so excited to hear how everyone else does this season!
My goal is to attend at least one yoga class per week, and maintain my current exercise frequence of 4FS classes/week.
I have 2 goals that I am going to share with you all :)
The first goal is maintaining my current body composition. The holidays are very difficult for me, as both mine and my wife's families LOVE to eat and drink. Throw a birthday in the mix, we are booked up solid with social gatherings that more often than not involve large quantities of food, but a plethora of drinks. Just like most of our clients, I tend to see a modest 5-10 pound jump from now until January.
The second goal is to maintain a productivity journal each day for the duration of the holidays. As we know, the holidays can be quite difficult to maintain simple habits such as take 10 minutes for yourself, not to mention the exercise, meal prep, and personal development time. I tend to let these things go throughout the holidays, which tends to leave me feeling scattered and frustrated that I didn't achieve what I needed to achieve, or feeling like days have gotten away from me without being "productive". This is something that I want to maintain throughout the holidays to help combat those negative feelings, which leads to self-destructive decisions to cope with the frustration!
I am excited to get this going with all of you!
Cheers to not caving this holiday season!
Chris Eskin
LOL @Chris Eskin I'm glad yours is a 5-10... Mine is like at 10 to 20🤦♂️ 😄🤣😂
Alright, so my goal is to basically STICK to my original goal I made this summer of meditating for 15 minutes a day for 50 straight days. I've been meditating for four or five years now, but my biggest challenge is sticking to it on a DAILY basis. Sometimes, I'll go for like a week straight, then cave for a few days and get inconsistent. Nevertheless, meditation has changed the entire infrastructure of how I think about everything and I do wish to be more consistent with it--if anyone else is interested in starting up on meditation or would like to meditate together, let me know :)
BUT here it is: I'm going to complete my original goal and finish these 50 days before the end of 2019. It all starts with November and not making excuses. So if you hear me say, "I was busy ALL day" or "I was out of town and didn't get to it," throw the nearest vehicle containing cranberry sauce at my face (I don't like cranberry sauce) and tell me to get my priorities straight. You can do that in a nice way or a motivating way--however you see fit, I just need that accountability.
With all the love,
Danny Gossman
@Emma Sheffert Emma!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are we so much the same? 😅 I need to work on that 100% as well. Want to be my accountability on that front? :) Clint will deffo appreciate it hahah
Ok here goes my goals:
@Corinne Albrecht YES PLEASE!! Make sure I am making eye contact with people and not looking at my phone :) You have my permission to yell at me.
My commitment is to get 8 hours of sleep every night. I am struggling with this all the time. I'm tired my brain just won't shut off. I feel like I have a mlon things to do even though I am really tired! Any suggestions?
@Darcy Blakemore ugh, been through years of sleep issues--I know the feeling! I do a lot of things to try to minimize my sleep issues; it's genuinely like a ritual, but honestly, going to bed should be! The sooner you prep your brain for bed time, the less your thoughts will race. Here's what I do:
I could probably write a novel about all the things I've tried hahah so let me know if you want some more tips 😝😴
@Corinne Albrecht
This is Awesome. Thank you. I am going to try every single one of these ideas. Can you tell me what weight you got for the blanket? I looked at them but wasn't sure. Right now I have a full comforter folded in half for weight! I have been taking Melatonin and it's still not helping. I'll let ya know how I do this weekend!
I also saw @Chris Eskin November challenge about journaling. I thought I might try that idea also an hour before bed. Get all my thoughts and day out on paper.
@Darcy Blakemore I have a 15 lbs blanket and I'm 130 lbs (which I only mention bc it's relevant to choosing haha). My parents got mine for me and they followed a guide of it being 10% of your body weight plus a couple lbs, a little higher if you're comfortable with that. It's the perfect weight for me, though I've used a 20 lbs one before and enjoyed that too! As an aside, if you're worried about being too hot under the blanket, through some magic it never makes me feel too warm 🤩
I tried melatonin and benadryl in my most desperate times and neither of them helped me either hah so I hope some of these work for you!!!
@Corinne Albrecht perfect Thank you. I will try the blanket. I am worried about being to hot. I am at the Premenopausal part of my life and get hot flashes like crazy. I just started taking Black Cohosh to help. Thank you again for the info. Weighted blanket is on my Christmas wish list.
Happy Sunday FitFam,
Made it to the thread just before tomorrow's start/deadline; woot woot. #levelup #badgeearner
My goals for No Cave November are:
Life, ya'll.
Signed, sealed, deliver(ing),
Angela Johnson
@Darcy Blakemore best of luck!! This isn't the one I have, but it came to me highly recommended before I had mine! It periodically goes on sale so keep an eye on it 😊 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075W8HC3W/?tag=carolinemoss-20&th=1
@Darcy Blakemore There's a company that makes cooling weighted blankets (Blanquil). The cover is super soft and removable as well, so you can wash it! They are definitely more pricey but I've heard nothing but rave reviews. Here's the site if you want to check it out. https://myblanquil.com/collections/weighted-products/products/blanquil-chill-cooling-weighted-blanket-w-removable-cover?utm_source=Google_Ads&utm_medium=Cooling&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Blanquil%20Chill&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI29eWov3z5QIVchitBh0vwA9UEAAYASAAEgI_kvD_BwE
As a side note, my husband is a hot sleeper and he has a similar weighted blanket like the one Corinne sent and he LOVES it. He sleeps really well with it and hasn't complained about being hot.
@Darcy Blakemore: the below is an investment financially, though may help you in the long run -
Bummer that the melatonin does not work for you. I've utilized melatonin for 2 years now, and did have to switch the brand once to find a more positive fit. Currently using Nature's Bounty Quick Dissolve 3 mg.
Best always,
Angela Johnson
@Darcy Blakemore I agree with everything that has been said and I will add one more thing. I am VERY sensitive to light(any kind). I will close my eyes and still able to see it/ see the blinking and it drives me CRAZY!!! So for one christmas I got a face mask and it took a little bit to get used to, but let me tell you. I have had the best sleep since getting that. Some nights I can go to sleep without it, but its on nights that I am having a really difficult time that I wear it. One other thing is make sure that you limit caffeine(if you consume it). I would recommend watching 1- the total amount in your day and 2- when the last point of consumption is. I have found "for me" that having caffeine after 5pm and it makes it so much harder to get to sleep. Typically I try to not have any after 3-4, but I am not perfect 😜
Hope this helps
So happy to see everyone on here setting goals through the holidays with us. Very excited to see what we can all accomplish this holiday season!
My goal is to avoid all sugary treats (no added sugars...plain fruit might make its way in). I chose a "black and white" rule for myself to keep it easier. If I don't have any sweets, I don't miss them. If I have "a little", I want "a lot", haha I always feel better waking up after a holiday party knowing I controlled those urges so cheers to a mentally strong holiday season!
Good luck everyone!
Ok, my goal is two fold, and I'm challenging @Brook Adams to join me on the second part!
I'd like to get in at least one Cardio sessions per week:)
@Chris Early thank you. I just bought a face/eye mask. It is taking sometime to get used to it but I'm liking it. Now if I can just stop the Cat's from head butting me to wake up lol. I did sleep 8hrs last night. I need to stop my H2o at like 7pm. No caffeine for this girl 😊. I'll let ya know how the mask goes this week. Have a great week.