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The Medium 75

1/19/2023

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The fall was an exciting time for me, I was starting a new job in a different field and I was equally nervous and excited. As the job was remote, a month in I had yet to meet any of my colleagues in person. But that was about to change, I was headed to the home office to finally meet the non-virtual versions of my new coworkers. As I began to pack my carry-on the night before my flight, I got a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom and I was shocked by what I saw. The vision I had of myself did not match the version reflected. I realized that I had gained weight over the years and it had managed to creep up on me without my realizing it. 

    During my meetings that week, I couldn't stop thinking about my appearance and how others might see me. I was self-conscious about introducing myself to new people and felt more nervous than ever before while giving presentations. As I lay in my hotel room one night, trying to come up with a solution to change, I stumbled upon a TikTok video featuring a very fit man talking about a challenge called "The Hard 75." It seemed like an intense challenge, with five tasks to complete every day for 75 days: drinking a gallon of water, committing to a diet, abstaining from alcohol, no cheat days, reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book, taking a daily progress picture, and completing two 45-minute workouts, one that had to be outside. It seemed impossible, but the more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became.
I’ve tried countless diets and workout routines before, but nothing seemed to work for me. I would always tell myself I would "start on Monday," but then the day would come and go without any action taken. Or I would start something, only to lose motivation after a few days. The idea of committing to a set of tasks for 75 days appealed to me because it was a specific, finite goal. I like making lists and crossing things off, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. So, I decided to start the challenge the day I flew home. I didn't want to make any more promises to myself about starting in the future. I was ready to jump right in and give it my all.
Water
    The first task on the list was drinking a gallon of water daily. I thought this would be easy since I already carried a reusable water bottle with me everywhere. However, I quickly realized I didn't drink as much water as I thought. The first two weeks were a struggle as I found myself chugging water before bed just to meet the daily goal. I eventually learned to spread my water intake throughout the day to avoid feeling like I was pounding beers in college trying to catch up. Overall, this had a positive impact that I think will stay with me, and I absolutely think I can see a difference in my skin.
Diet
    The second challenge was diet. This is always my Achilles heel because I love all food, so staying on a strict diet has never worked for me. I decided to take a more relaxed approach and set some specific guidelines for myself. I committed to not eating fast food or ordering delivery, and I downloaded two apps to help me stay on track. The first was a meal planning app that offered meal plans for various diets and created a shopping list for me based on my chosen meals. I had all my groceries delivered for the first month to avoid temptation at the store. The second app was a calorie tracker that allowed me to enter everything I ate and automatically calculated my macros and tracked my weight loss. This was a simple and easy way to hold myself accountable. I work in tech and enjoy data, so this was a bonus. I did cheat on the food and alcohol once on Christmas, but that was the only time.
Reading
    The third challenge was to read 10 pages of a non-fiction book every day. Reading isn't a problem for me; I love books and read every day. The non-fiction aspect stumped me because I hate self-help and business books. They always seem self-serving to me, with rich and successful people telling you how you can be just like them if you only follow their advice. However, I didn't give up and found a way to make the challenge work for me. Since I had recently transitioned from sales to marketing, I Googled the list of the top 10 books about marketing and started working my way through them. Some of them were cheesy with repetitive content, but others were great and taught me a lot more than I expected. Reading these books helped me transition into my new role and changed my opinion on non-fiction books. I also learned that being negative and judgmental isn't productive and hope to carry this attitude forward and be more open-minded.
Progress Pic
The fourth challenge was to take a daily progress picture. I didn't do it because I didn't want to see myself as I was at the time. Looking back, I regret not taking the pictures. I think I was afraid that I wouldn't see a difference or that I would quit, and the pictures would be a depressing reminder of my failure. However, I learned that sometimes we learn the most when we do things that scare us or that we don't want to do. Just because we are afraid of something doesn't mean we should avoid it.
Workout
Finally, number five. My weakness is exercise. Immediately I knew I couldn’t commit to two 45-minute workouts (one outside) every day. I didn’t want to set myself up for failure, so I made an adjustment, started calling it “The Medium 75” and committed to one workout every day. A hidden benefit of my health insurance is a free one-year membership to Apple Fitness + (it’s common, and they don’t advertise it, so if you get your health insurance through your employer you should check and see if you get it. They offer the same for Peloton as well). I have an Apple Watch and it syncs with your TV and tracks all your activity, it also adds it to the calorie tracker program I used and as mentioned, I love data, so it was a perfect solution for me. It also shares your info with friends, so I found a workout buddy to help push me. (Thanks Drew!)
 The first few days of the challenge were the hardest, but Apple Fitness + had a 15-day beginner program that walked me through some intro workouts in different categories like HIIT, strength, yoga, core, and dance. I mostly did HIIT workouts with weights because they were fun and felt like the most efficient way to exercise. I did mix it up a bit depending on how I was feeling that day and added in some yoga and dance routines. On those days, I also did a 5-minute core or 10-minute strength workout. As time went on, the workouts got easier and I felt stronger. My body also moves much better than it did when I started. I even got into the meditations, which I was terrible at in the beginning because I couldn't sit still. However, I learned to appreciate the time spent meditating and it has become an important part of my routine.
I'm now on day 80 and I haven't quit yet. Upon reflection, I don't think the point of this challenge was just to make it through 75 days, but to build healthy habits that I can sustain in the long term. I now look forward to my daily workouts and don't see any reason to stop. I have switched back to reading fiction books, but I do think I will indulge in non-fiction more often and am glad I read books that I never would have opened before. My confidence has also been restored but differently. It's not just about how I look, but how I feel. I feel accomplished and capable of hard things, and I don't want to lose that feeling again. I'm glad I found something that worked for me. We're all programmed differently and respond to different triggers and rewards, so this plan may not work for everyone. It's important to keep searching for something that works for you. As they say, sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the right one.


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​Katharine Wheeler is the author of "There is no Cloud" and "Cloud Judgement". Kat has a long history in the AV industry, where she worked in sales for 18 years before transitioning into product marketing. She has a passion for technology that began at a young age when she received her first computer, a Commodore64. In her free time, Kat enjoys practicing yoga, playing poker, following sports, and exploring new places - she has visited 46 states and lived in 6. In the future, Kat hopes to one day settle down and own a dog, as well as become the first woman to win the World Series of Poker Main Event.

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Into the Unknown

11/24/2020

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Like it is - according to Diane
I feel angry. I feel afraid. I feel confused. I feel sad. I feel frustrated. 

I feel surrender. I feel joyful. I feel like I am on the right track. I feel safe. I feel peaceful. 

Sometimes my body and mind experience all ten feelings within the hour. The paradox.

There are times in my life when I have walked through my days with blinders on - but this is different. This time I feel like they’re not blinders. This is not a loss of peripheral, but both peripheral and what is right in front of me.  Does anyone feel the same?

I have often thought about how powerful the other senses must have to be if (knock on wood) I ever became blind (knock on wood, again). Maybe it’s time to turn up my listening skills, feel the feels, cook, diffuse … but most importantly, it’s time to turn to intuition and that inner knowing. 

I am a little lost at where to go with this post, to be honest. I’m rather blocked; stuck in the muck so to speak. 

I feel angry … when I scroll aimlessly. 
I feel afraid … for my children.
I feel confused … when some people I love are pro-mask and others are pro-conspiracy.
I feel sad … when I feel like I always have to be doing something and then I ignore my kids in the “doing.”
I feel frustrated … that shit isn’t open.
I feel surrender … when I stop doing and just be with my kids. 
I feel joyful … when I stop to count my blessings.
I feel like I am on the right track … when the universe tells me so. 
I feel safe … in my relationships.
I feel peaceful … when I am in the shower, or hot tub. True. 

We’ve always lived in the unknown. Maybe feeling ten feelings at once and the paradox that we are living isn’t about The Unknown at all.

Maybe it’s not that we’ve been blind-folded, but that the blinders have been removed and that our senses are on overload. 

Maybe this isn’t The Unknown at all, but what we’ve known all along. 

Hm.

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Like it is - according to Vail
​I really didn’t want to think too much about what I was going to write because a blank page is the Unknown.  Once you begin to write, it almost inevitably brings you to uncharted waters.  And what do uncharted waters bring?  They can lead to discovery and adventure, but they could also lead to danger and uncertainty.  As we are facing the Unknown in a whole new way, I don’t want to say that it is easy to think of the journey as an adventure, but it is.  We didn’t pick this adventure.  We didn’t want this adventure.  But, here we are.  Keeping in mind that we must respect fear and danger, what if we change the equation?  Unknown = adventure.  

Here are the things that we do when we are on a new adventure:

We try new things:  I think back on my first adventure out of the country.  I was 15.  I went to Austria, which I had mistaken for Australia only a few months before.  It was the Unknown.  I tried a salad with a dressing I thought looked much like motor oil.  It was great.  I fumbled through learning words in German. I navigated public transportation.  I came back to the United States a changed person because I had gone into the Unknown.  As the Unknown continues, what else can we try?

We take pictures of the good stuff:  When I think of the best pictures I have ever taken, a tie between Dead Woman’s Pass on the Inca Trail and family selfies anywhere, anytime, the reason they stick out is because of the richness of presence and that moment in time.  As we forge into the Unknown, can we take mental or real pictures of the best parts?

We take our favorite people along with us:  I have traveled solo, but I have been surrounded by loved ones and fellow adventurers on most of my journeys.  There was a particular trip to the coast of Italy where my whole family and important friends (Diane) shared the experience with me.  Looking out at the Mediterranean Sea, I was just as grateful for the people as I was for the view.  The view was unfamiliar (and breathtaking), but the people were not. I think the power heading into the Unknown with others by your side is that the circumstances might be foreign, but there is a sense of home in your surroundings.  As we journey on, who will you have by your side?
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    Diane Clement is a 40 something whipper snapper who believes that the key to staying young is to have kids late in life. She hasn't slept in 36 months. 

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