The Nikki Fu Experiment: Daily / Weekly Update

Hello everyone!

I hope every has had a good week.

It's time for another update!

Let's start with the daily goals:

1) King, Queen, Pauper Approach to meals.  The idea was to eat like a King for breakfast ... like a Queen for lunch ... and a Pauper for dinner.
I tried this approach.
And it didn't stick beyond a few days.

Rather than eat a big meal for breakfast, I sought out balance (making sure I had fruit and some protein) and carbs (energy) for my morning meal.  Lunch tended to be bigger than dinner.  Dinner was balanced/moderate. 

The idea isn't a bad one ... just wasn't for me.  What it did teach me though, is not to go super heavy on dinner.  The nights I did, I felt sluggish and "blah".  I liked having a bigger lunch, too, because it really got me through my afternoon (with a snack pick-me-up).

2) Drink Green Tea every day.  The idea is that green tea is supposed to help your metabolism and therefore burn calories.
I bet if I had invested more into this, and drank more than a cup a day (when I remembered) - it would work.  However, I didn't drink it as often as I should.  I really enjoyed it when I did, though.  So this idea I'll keep as apart of my daily routine (when I remember - ha, ha!)

Daily goals for this upcoming week:

1) Limit my time on the computer.
Let's face it - our asses are getting flatter as we become more technologically advanced.  I am a major advocate of social media and the good it does.  However, social media is also bad (ha, ha).  It can be abused for over-sharing (guilty), over-analyzing (guilty) and well ... distracting from more important duties at task (VERY guilty).  Just I do with the kids, I need to limit a screen in front of my face.
With that being said, I am limiting myself to 30 minutes of social media in the morning, and 30 minutes at night.  The exception to this is: Email, School, Work, Blog.  Obviously.  This is going to be especially hard for me with Relay and the Biggest Loser 5K coming up Sunday.  HOWEVER, I need to disconnect a little bit.  I feel my body and ass getting squishier as each minute passes me sitting in a chair doing homework, work, etc.

2) NO caffeine after 4 PM (except on Friday/Saturday)
I am not quite ready to give up soda.  I know, I know ... it's bad.  Especially the diet stuff (my favorite).  I have read how it can help with your sleep pattern to cut out caffeine after a certain point.  I do need to make it past 8:30 p.m. most nights ... but I do notice that having a diet coke (or coke zero) with my dinner does impact how easily I fall asleep.  I hope to do some evening workouts, and gain energy there to get me to 10-11 p.m.


Now let's review my weekly goals (since we're in week 2):

1) Do 30 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week PLUS 2 days of weight lifting/resistance training.
Annnnnnnnnnnd I bombed (lol).
I did work out.  I did not do any weight lifting/resistance training.  I will be keeping this goal, as it's something I strive for!

2) Have a meatless dinner once a week.
Josh was thrilled that I did not hit this goal.  However, I did go meatless during a couple breakfasts (small victories, right?)
I still want to try this ... but I think it's getting shelved for the time being.

3) Read from a non-school related book 3x a week.
This one, I actually did.  And I loved.  Shamelessly, I have finished two of the three books in the "50 Shades" series.  I also read a magazine!  I loved every minute of this, and plan on keeping this one (even more now with limiting my computer time).


The next two week's weekly goals will be:

1) Do 30 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week PLUS 2 days of weight lifting/resistance training.
Since I didn't hit this goal like I wanted to, I wanted to try at it again.

2) Have a dessert every day.
This seems like a weird one, I know.  We need to remember that treating ourselves is a good thing.  Desserts is highly encouraged in a lot of diet plans I read ... and even the whole "glass of wine, once a day" is mentioned a bit.  Originally I was going to make my goal "drink a glass of wine, a day", but with my weight watcher plan I knew that could be more points than I could afford each night.  So instead, I wanted to pick and choose my dessert.  I am sure there will be wine when possible.

It was a really weird week.
I haven't been able to put words yet to how I felt through it all - but it no doubt influenced how I approached my goals.

Another mini-goal of mine, is not to be so influenced by stress and others when it comes to my well being.  I am so easily impacted, as deep down I am emotional.  I just gotta repeat the mantra and push past it.
Not only is there $200 on the line (biggest loser competition) but my health is on the line.  A better body and outlook is on the line.

What do you struggle with, or have found to derail you, when it comes to your health goals?
I'd love to hear yours.
And remember - it's a new week.
Let's own this.

Thanks for reading.

Nichole
~Be The Thermostat, Not The Thermometer~

Nikki In Progress 2.0 Experiment: Update

I hope everyone is doing well!

Last week I posted my goals in what I had hoped to accomplish with my weight loss journey.  As promised, I wanted to give you an update on how I did on my daily goals.  My weekly goal update will be next week ...

I had set three daily goals to hit.
The first, was to drink my weight in water daily.
I'll be frank - this one sucked (lol).

While I felt very hydrated, and made frequent trips to the bathroom - after my 4th bottle (each bottle is 4 glasses), I felt put off.  I understand if you were less weight (i.e. 120 lbs) how this might be more obtainable.  I did hit my goal twice in the last 7 days.  What I am taking from this, is that drinking water is important ... but it's baloney to drink in such excess.  I will stick to my 8-12 glasses a day!

The second goal was to eat like a King for breakfast, a Queen for lunch, and a Pauper for dinner.
I did okay for the first few days.  Then I derailed.  I am actually going to adopt this goal again for the next week, because I found the days I adapted to this, I felt 100 times better.  My body likes to be fueled in the morning.

Finally, my third goal was to have one cup of green tea a day.
Perhaps because of my excessive water consumption, I was not hitting this goal.  I loved the taste of my green tea though, when I did drink it.


Conclusion: Try again (ha, ha, ha).  Seriously though - the water goal was obnoxious.  In theory it seems good, but by day 3 I was over it.

For this upcoming week - I plan on just doing two goals.  The goals are the same as I tried to hit last week, but I'm hoping to do better:

1) King / Queen / Pauper
2) Green Tea

We are also starting a biggest loser competition this week ... I'm hoping between that and my goals that I stay on track.

Thanks for reading!

Nichole
~Be The Thermostat, Not The Thermometer~

The Nikki Fu Expriment: Goals

Hello my awesome readers!

Tomorrow I begin ... again!  I am pushing the reset button (1 week before a biggest loser competition begins).  Since I am making this apart of a blog series, I wanted to list out the first series of "goals" I have for myself. 

It's all apart of the experiment!

I hope to take popular tips, etc. and apply them to my program.  I'll report back on what's working and not working.  Hopefully I'll learn some new things, and help show to others what can work (and what doesn't!)

I am breaking it down by daily, weekly and monthly.
Just a couple under each bracket.  The daily I'll keep for a week, weekly I'll keep for two weeks and then the monthly I'll review on a monthly basis.

I look forward to seeing what works for me, what may work for you, and what doesn't work (for any of us!)

Here is the first set:

Daily

1)  Drink my weight in water.  (I already aim to drink 8 glasses of day ... but I have seen a tip that whatever you weigh, you should drink that amount in ounces.  I know there is a risk for drinking too much water - but that's if you hold it, never pee, drink all at once, etc.  So I plan on drinking it over the course of the entire day.  And peeing often!)

2)  Eat in this order: King, Queen, Pauper.  (The idea behind this, is that you eat your biggest meal for Breakfast, a moderate meal for Lunch, and a smallish meal for Dinner.  I can understand the logic behind this, because you burn more calories when you're awake.  It may prove to be difficult with my family, but I am hoping to stick it out a week to see how it goes!)

3)  Have one cup of green tea a day.  (The green tea is supposed to help boost my metabolism.  I'm hoping by having a cup a day, aka the afternoon pick up, it will help me wean off of soda as well!).

Weekly

1)  Do 30 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week PLUS 2 days of weight lifting/resistance training.  (This shouldn't be super terrible - but I'm slacking as of late.  So this may be the kick in the butt I need to get moving again!)

2)  Have a meatless dinner once a week.  (My husband is NOT thrilled with this one.  He loves meat ... steak, chicken, whatever.  Yet I have read so many tips and posts about going meatless one day is not only good for your body - but good for the environment!  So I am hoping to win him over with some bean dishes, or quinoa!)

3)  Read from a non-school related book 3x a week.  (This falls under the "make me" category.  I am going to be swimming hard with school, Relay, work, and life in general.  This does not mean I should stay up until midnight reading books, and sacrificing sleep.  But it means that maybe I call it quits early one night from school, and spend that last hour reading more smut from E L James!)

Monthly

1)  Get to the doctors for a wellness check up.  (This one may be more difficult if we run into hiccups under Josh's medical.  Yet from what we've gathered, we're all good.  So the goal is to see a doctor for a general wellness check up, along with a dentist *which I know won't be good report, ha ha* and a dermatologist *having my best friend as a melanoma survivor, this is UBER important that I get checked*  I know that while I'm trying to improve my body on my own, I need to have a doctor check me out too.)

 2)  Get a date night in.  (Being healthy is more than just a "me" thing.  It's more than getting physical exercise ... or seeing a doctor ... or drinking a crap ton of water.  It's about having healthy relationships.  My marriage needs to be healthy, especially during these crazy times.  I must remember that us time is just as important as me time.  One date night per month, per some advice read, is perfect to help keep sanity in the marriage.)

So there it is!

My goals for the next month.  I look forward reporting back a week from today on how the daily ones went, and how I'm doing on my other ones.

Do you have any tips that you've heard?  Leave them in the comments below!  Maybe I'll add them in my next round.



Thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Nichole
Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

Finding your passion

No - not this kind of Passions!

 

It's important to be passionate about something.

 

Whether it's a cause ... a hobby ... or a goal.

 

Some people are passionate about their family.  Their spouse.  Their job.

 

I attended my first Relay For Life committee meeting last night, as co-event chair.  It was exciting to be in a room with people who are just as passionate about the cause as I am.  There was hugs, and laughter.  We're more than just volunteers for this great cause.  We're even more than friends.  We're a Relay Family.

I wanted to share with my readers my passion.
My passion for a great cause, which is Relay For Life.  My passion for my kids.  My education.  And my fitness.  As cheesy as it sounds, I wanted to share the passion I have for my husband.

I know - "gag me".  Ha, ha, ha!

 

I think it's important to have a passion for something.  For me, it personally helps motivate and drive me.  I'm an emotional person (deep down), which can sometimes derail me on my path towards the ultimate goal.  People's words and actions cut me deeper than they know.  It is my passion that saves me, and puts me back on track.  Which is why I think I have such a passion for my kids and husband.  They help me pick up the pieces and get back on track.  This includes Relay and my Education.

 

My passion, from what I've been told, is infectious.  Like my smile (yes, I take pride in my "eye disappearing" smile), most people get inspired hearing me talk about my ambitious goals.

 

For example, this years Relay, I have my initial personal goal set at $750 - but I'm striving to be a Grand Club member this year ($1000).

As a Co-Event Chair for my relay, I also have big goals for my event.  I want to bring in as many vendors as possible to make our event fun and inviting ... thus turning into a successful event!  

 

I also am excited for my school year.  Hopefully, I will be done with my AA by the end of the summer ... of course, this may push from being a full summer quarter, into a full fall quarter.  I am meeting with my counselor at the end of this quarter to look into what needs to be finalized for my application to Washington State, but it is my passion to continue my education that is helping me move forward.

 

I have actually begun looking at new goals for what I can do to combine both of my passions - raising money for a great cause, and providing for my family.  I hope to look into non-profits after receiving my 4 year degree to see how I can combine my passions.  Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the company I work for.  I am just not passionate about my current job.  It's nice, pays the bills.  I strive for more, though.

 

I also want to provide the best life I can for my husband and children.  Providing the best life isn't necessarily marked by how much I bring home financially.  Instead, I want my children to laugh a lot.  I want them to be able to express their feelings without feeling scared or ashamed.  I want them to treat others as they want to be treated.  I want to provide them the life that I was given - a life that isn't always easy, but it's worth it.  I also want them to explore their own passions (which will change multiple times as they grow older and learn new things, which is okay).  I also want them to know that as their mother, I am always here for them.  And as their father, Josh will also be there for them.  As individuals, and as a unit - we strive to be the best parents we can be.

 

To be the best parents we can be, that also means being passionate in our marriage.  Before having kids, we made a promise to ourselves not to put our relationship on the back burner.  To ensure our marriage is also healthy, we go on date nights.  We hug often.  We kiss often.  We talk through our feelings, though some days its easier said than done.  Josh and I also laugh together, a lot.  Laughter is sometimes the only way we can get through some things. Thank goodness for laughter.  I am grateful that I have a partner in life that is passionate and supportive.  Josh and I believe in each other, and I think that is why our marriage has been successful (considering how long we have been married, and how young we were when we got together).

Now it's your turn!
What is your passion?  Is it for a cause, or your own goals?  Or maybe just as something a little as "passionate about getting a walk in every day".

Whatever your passion may be, please share!

Thanks for reading!

Nichole
Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

P.S. - if you would like to check out my relay page, please click here!

Goals

I went to this seminar thing a few years back with my company.

Joe Montana was there ... so was Laura Bush ... even Bill Cosby.

Oh Bill - Crazy Old Man.  We Love You.

There was also a guy there who talked about goal setting.  I feel terrible that I don't remember his name, but his speech stuck with me.  While this was a business setting (and yes, they pitched stock management and property like it was going out of style ... sigh ...) the message behind what he was saying could be applied to ALL aspects of life.

It was simple: Any goal is obtainable.  A dream can become reality, you just have to make it happen.

Ultimately, he had us all write down our goals.  Then take those goals, and break it down even further.  Like anything, you need to work at it to be better at it.  So say, your goal was to learn a new language.  You can break it down to say that in 6 months you hope to hold a 1 minute conversation with someone.  Break it down even further - daily, commit to do something to help you get towards your goal.  Perhaps this is learn a new word in that language.  Then, once a week form a sentence with the words you've learned.  And so forth.

By breaking it down, and doing something daily/weekly to help you achieve your goals, it feels obtainable!

Back in my freshman blog, I wrote a goal post (you can see it here).  It is so interesting to me, that my goals are not too different now than they were then.  While I'm not going to go back over what I had then (feel free to read the old post), I wanted to write down my new goals.  With life about to get a heck of a lot crazier again, I felt it would help me focus.  Later on I may elaborate more on my goals.  For now, this is just an overview ...

1 - Weight

Seems to always be #1 on my goal list.  Probably because it's always been my #1 problem.  I feel like if I can get the weight off, I can get a lot more done ... things would come together better ...
I recognize this isn't entirely true.  There are emotional things I will need to work out before I can truly shed all the "weight" off.
HOWEVER, I do wish to get down to a weight that I am comfortable with!  This is so I can keep up with my two beautiful children (they are constantly on the go!), fit better in clothes and just *feel* better.

2 - Education

This is something that I have been working on, and am proud to say that I have completed 2 full quarters (plus a light summer quarter) so far!  I will revisit everything with a counselor in a few months - but my goal is to be done with my 2 year degree by Spring or Summer 2014.  The ULTIMATE goal ... is to apply and go to Washington State University.  They have a Business Management Bachelor's program out of the University Center in Everett, WA.  I feel it in my BONES that the prophecy will be fulfilled ... and I can officially be a Cougar Graduate.

GO COUGS!!!!!!

3 - Family

This is my foundation.

My ridiculously gorgeous daughter ... my handsome little man ... and my supportive husband.

Without my foundation in place, I am lost.

My goal is to maintain healthy relationships with my husband, daughter and son.  Whether we do family dates all together ... one on one time with the kids (i.e. Rachel & I go grocery shopping just the two of us) ... and date nights.

4 - Finances

It's true.  I am kind of a freak of nature.

I enjoy budgeting.
I enjoy tracking expenses ... making financial goals ... and typing out pretty excel spreadsheets.

We have had our financial boat ROCKED HARD this last year.  The extra kiddo plus me working part time/school definitely put a strain on our pocketbook.  It also didn't help, that my husband got laid off.  Luckily, we saw that one coming.  So I went back to work full time a few months ago.

It is my goal to regroup and restructure our budget.  Josh and I both want to be out of this house, and in our "forever home" in the next few years.  We also have some other major plans we want to accomplish.

5 - Relay For Life

To say that I have a passion for The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life now ... is a big understatement.

Last year was my first Relay For Life.  I was inspired to start a team thanks to Dawn, centered in the center in orange.  And Briana, also in the center, in grey.  These ladies are some of my closest and dearest friends.  They are both also cancer survivors.  Cancer is a terrible and devastating thing and I wish it upon no one - not even my worse enemy.
In my family alone, my Grandma ... Grandpa ... and Aunt are survivors.  On top of my close friends, pictured here, I have many more friends and their loved ones whose lives have been affected by cancer.

What drew me into the ACS RFL, was because of what it gave back to our local community.  Along with top research, the ACS doesn't focus on just one cancer.  I liked this, and wanted to be apart of Relay.  This was Dawn's second year, and she was asked to be Team Development.  Dawn asked me to come out to an early meeting to meet everyone, and I was hooked.  I took the position of Entertainment and Publicity, and ran with it.  So much, that I was asked to be Co-Event chair for this upcoming year.  I am so honored and blessed that I can help organize and throw such an amazing event ... Celebrating Our Survivors ~ Remembering Those We've Lost ~ And Fighting Back So No One Will Have To Go Through Cancer.

6 - Running

I signed up to do the Warrior Dash this last summer for my friend's dirty 30 (who in turned inspired another dirty 30 ... and so on!)

While it wasn't a complete success (my close friends, Briana *the survivor I mention above in the RFL paragraph* broke her foot/ankle in 4 places.  It was a devastating break, to say the least).
My victory crossing the finish line was bitter sweet.

After the guilt and sadness passed, though, a rush came over me.  I did it.  I f-ing did it.  Me, somewhat out of shape (work in progress, folks) overweight young thing here made it through a 5K that had walls to climb ... mud to crawl through ... and fire to jump over.
I.  Did.  It.
And I loved it.  The rush of running, the way my body had grown.  It inspired me that day.  I walked away from the Warrior going "I want to keep running."
And I've been trying to.  I have signed up for a few fun 5Ks in the area, and I cannot wait to compete (spoiler alert: I'm going to be posting about those quite a bit, ha ha).

There are other goals in mind ... I feel as if I can focus/work on these though, the others will fall into place.

I still want to have a Nikki Empire ... but that is put on the back burner, as I need a clear vision of what kind of Empire I want ...

"This is not the Empire you're looking for"

What kind of goals do you have?
Are they big and long term - or short and sweet?

I'd love to hear what you're working towards!

Thanks for checking my blog out - have a great evening (or morning, depending on how you look at it ...)

~ Be The Thermostat, Not The Thermometer ~

Nikki