100 day plan - 2013 - Update 1

Things I planned:

1. Reducing coffee
2. Drinking coffee without sugar
3. Working out 5 days a week (minimum)
4. Dressing better at work
5. Eating more fruit and veg
6. Manage my money better 

What I've achieved 

Reducing coffee

I've reduced my coffee intake down to usually 2 shots per day (down from around 8). On weekends I can go all day without a coffee, but I don't like it. I just really enjoy coffee. It frustrates me to be addicted to something, I don't like being an addict, but at the end of the day I'm ok with my 1-2 weak coffees a day, as addictions go, it's not terrible. 

Sugar free coffee

I've done way better with this one. I'm at nearly 4 weeks of skipping sugar in my coffee (mostly). Every now and then if I get a bad/bitter coffee and I add half a sugar. I'm ok with this as I've probably cut out 4 teaspoons of sugar a day. 

Working out 5 days a week

This one has been a bit up and down. 

Stats:

January - 8 days (over 2 weeks, I only started tracking halfway through January)

Treadmill - 31km 

Cycle - 30 

February - 12 days (over 3 weeks)

Treadmill - 30.85k

Cycle - 40k

Elliptical - 20.9 

February was a lot better than I thought. The addition of the elliptical has been hard, but really good for my body. My back, neck and shoulders have been a lot looser and I feel generally less anxious. Of course, I still feel like I'm dying/can't breath for the entire 30 minutes, but I have managed to get from 10 minutes at a level 1 to 30 minutes on a level 3, so I'm doing ok. 

Dressing better at work

Sometimes. Let's not talk about it. 

Eating more fruit and veg

Big tick. Stealing my sisters juicer was awesome. I have a combo carrot, celery, orange and apple juice most days and I'm using a 4 veg ragu on pasta instead of just tomato/herb sauce. I feel better. 

Managing my money

I'm paying all my bills before they're due, putting at least $100 a fortnight into saving (yes, I've had some fails where I had to borrow back) and I've not been totally short of cash at the end of the fortnight since about January. Nearly half way to enough money to apply for the visa. I need a bit more discipline, I really didn't need the fab shoes I got last week, and I don't need to do my hair every 6 weeks, but I think I'd lose my mind if I didn't treat myself every now and then. 

Overall I'm considering this one a win, but I plan to refocus between now and the end of April to try and push myself to treat myself less and focus on putting more into savings. 

I have no idea how many days are left in my 100 day plan. I started 19 January, you figure it out. 

Maybe instead of a 100 day plan I'll just make this an all the time plan. 

100 days of being awesome

So, Amanda Rose (yes, I have a chick crush) has a plan. It's a 100 day plan. You can read about it on her blog (including my favourite post where she fell off the sugar free wagon).

I was so inspired by her commitment to the The Plan, and her never ending enthusiasm about the plan, that I thought "fuck it" and decided I'd give it a shot.

This, unsurprisingly, came after three months of indulging in Americo Time, which is where I just enjoy the time we have together while skipping the gym, spending weekends on the couch (not to mention many weekdays when I was sick), and experimenting with many wonderful new recipes that may or may not include deep frying.

I adore Americo time. It's my favourite time, but often involves me getting to the end of the three months feeling sluggish, and with a renewed commitment to fighting my anxiety by cleaning up my life with healthier eating, hitting the gym, sorting out my cupboards, and donating my excess stuff to charity.

With all that in mind, I thought I'd join Amanda in committing to the plan. And commit I have.

In the two weeks since I started the plan I've done a fair few things that are making me feel better. So much better that my (legendary) PMS totally skipped me this month, a miracle that I'm sure my man is delighted about.

In the last two weeks I've:

• Reduced my coffee intake SIGNIFICANTLY. I was having up to 8 or 9 shots (considering one large coffee is two shots) every day. I wish I was joking. I had (have) a massive addiction for, and love for coffee, but it was no doubt contributing to my anxiety, and my lack of sleep, and my general unwellness. I didn't go cold turkey, I'm not that strong, but I'm down to 3 shots (one at home, single shot, and one at work, double) and I'm feeling a lot less anxious, which fucking ROCKS. Yes, I am the last person to figure out coffee is adding to my anxiety, thank you for asking.
• I've actively reduced my sugar. Not entirely removed it, but reduced it. When I get a craving for Starburst, or Jolly Ranchers, I eat fruit, or reach for a yoghurt. And, I don't get the afternoon dizzy's anymore. Are these things linked? Surely not, what a ridiculous idea. I can't even consider it. But that leads me to...
• Eating two fruit and five veg every day. I'm not there yet, vegetables are stupid, but I'm close. Vegetables every day with dinner, fruit every night for dessert (with sugar free reduced fat ice cream, it's better than you think) and even vegetables with lunch. This is so unlike me my head may explode. This has been the hardest, because I'm simply too lazy for vegetables. But I do feel better. A lot better. My whole body feels joyous. It's freaking me out.
• And I'm going to the gym again. AND I smashed my first goal. I wanted to reach 4km in 45 minutes by the end of November. SMASHED IT before the end of October. I can't run, my knee's are messed up with arthritis, but I am determined that by Christmas I'm going to do 5km in 45 minutes. I haven't managed to get to the gym the five times a week I wanted over the last two weeks, but I'm doing pretty well.
• I'm saving money. It's not a spectacular amount, but it's going up. Every fortnight. I'm paying my bills in advance, I can afford to eat well and go out with the fabulous Brooke when I want and I might maybe even manage to post off all the oversea care packages hiding in my closet for the last year. I'm determined next year my man and I will get married, and this is how to make it happen. Money, root of all evil, is the key to my happiness so I will learn. 

And I have more to come. Next pay day I'm treating myself to some new clothes, because my next goal is to dress like a real grown-up and commit more to the future job I want, starting with dressing for it, to make it easier to get it. It will delay the getting the man slightly, but if I get a new job, it might mean better pay, so it all evens out. 

After that, I don't know. I've done enough, and have a few more goals to reach by Christmas, and then I'll plan for the new year. In which I will kick ass. 

Because I have a plan, and I'm going to achieve it, because I fucking rock. 

(don't worry, those plans don't involve blogging more, so you're safe, my readers, from more of my comma problem)