Perfect wedding party!The problem with doing all my Experiments on the cheap – because seriously sweat is free, so getting it on should be too – is that when someone bails on me at the last minute I can’t hardly be mad at them because it’s not like I was paying them in the first place. March’s Great Fitness Experiment was supposed to be boxing, as per the request of at least six of you readers, but the gym buddy who was going to be the Clint Eastwood to our Hillary Swank (did I get that right? I haven’t seen the movie but I know she dies at the end. Which I don’t plan on doing. Anyhow.), well, he flaked. As of last night. And you know I still love him. But I’m not letting him drive the armored truck next time I get asked to transport gold bars to the vault either.
This left me with two backup options. And you’ll see why they only made the backup list once you read what they are:
1. The Perfection Challenge. Oprah.com recently featured a woman who challenged herself to one month of “perfect” living. This meant that she would “embrace every health dictate we all know we should follow but blithely ignore.” She wondered, “Would I feel rejuvenated, young? Or just like the butt of that old joke: “Eating healthy doesn’t make you live longer…it just feels that way?” So not only do you cut out sugar, saturated fat and white flour but you also wear sunscreen and floss and say grateful things every day. Basically, you’re perfect.
2. One Month of Celebrity Workouts. This came to me as one of those press releases that asks me to do something for them but offers nothing in return – you know, my favorite kind. But who can resist a list of workouts named things like “Alicia Keys’ butt workout!” and “Sarah Chalke’s Xflowsion workout!”? I mean, just having “butt” and “xflowsion” in the same sentence makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. Imagine what a whole month of this would do? And hey, maybe if I can do Sarah’s workout, I can learn her “stay-slim secrets” (hint: it has to do with having freakishly long toes and being able to sign her name sans hands.)
Quite the conundrum.
This is the state in which Gym Buddy Krista found me on facebook procrastinating the decision by playing endless rounds of Scramble (i.e. Boggle). So I asked her which she would prefer. She said she needed a diet as she is getting very frustrated with the extra poundage from her last child. And therefore, number 1 was the winner!
After discussing the matter however, we thoroughly depressed ourselves with all this talk about perfection and so forth. We decided that one month of doing everything right was too daunting so we settled on week instead. After one week, we’d reassess and go from there. So here’s how to play along at home – first, scroll back up and read the linked article. Everything will make more sense afterward. Next, come up with a list of rules for your idea of perfect living. This will vary from person to person as we all have different health goals. I’m listing my top ten here. Feel free to shout out some of yours in the comments!
Perfect childproofing!Charlotte’s Path to Perfection
1. Cut out the white stuff (i.e. white flour, sugar – and yes that means brown too, refined crap).
2. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day.
3. Eat a vegetable with every meal.
4. Write in my gratitude journal every night.
5. Meditate & pray every morning.
6. Use mouthwash. (They took away my floss in the asylum. Kidding. I already floss every day.)
7. Exercise 6 days a week. Strength train 3 days, cardio 5.
8. Practice my karate kata every day.
9. Do a random act of kindess every day.
10. Get 8 hours of sleep a night.
And… for the most difficult (but probably most important) one:
11. Not say anything mean about myself, or to myself (in my head included, yes I talk to myself).
Perfect marketing plan!So it’s up to you guys what you want to do. If celebrities are your idea of perfection and you don’t mind a dose of Fitness Magazine inanity, then totally go for the celeb workouts. If nothing else you’ll get some variety! If you choose to take the One Week Perfection challenge, then come up with your list of goals – at least pick one – and WRITE IT DOWN. If you don’t write it down then how will you ever get to be perfect? Everyone knows perfect people write stuff down.
Let me know your decision in the poll below:
PS> For all of you who suggested swimming, it’s on my list. But not until the weather gets warm enough that I am assured my hair will not freeze and then shatter into a million tiny shards upon exiting the gym. I’ll do a lot of things for a good fitness Experiment but I will not bald myself.
The perfect shirt!
oh, calling it ‘perfection” sounds a little scary… as in setting up for failure… :-/
Ok, for one week I am going to IF on my WOD days and go to the gym around midnight instead of hanging out at the computer until 0500……why, may you ask? Because my compulsion to overeat at work is messing up my METCONS! (I still have to go to the gym at 0600 though to meet with the newb……)
I never did meditate. I’m glad you found peace though, Char. I’m going to stick it out with Wednesday yoga and see what happens.
I agree the word “perfection” is a turn off. I think you need to write in an escape clause like on a given day, you should aim for 80% of your top ten that way, you’ll be happy for all that you remembered to do and if you get 100% you get bonus points but if you get 80% you still accomplished it and you don’t throw inthe towel.
My list has mouthwash too and scripture reading but alas, I can’t control if I get 8 hours a sleep…
I think a week is a good place to start. I’ll make a list and see what I come up with (I’m good at making lists…maybe that should be on my list). Eight hours of sleep definitely won’t be one of them. For some reason, that’s just impossible for me. I love the childproofing picture.
I’m on the not liking the name bandwagon – Perfection makes me think of potential failure. But I like the 1 week challenge.
My list includes delegating my workload so I’m not working 12 hr days, packing a lunch everyday instead of relying on the cafeteria, work out 5 days a week (strength 2, cardio 5) and floss every night. Let’s see how I go!
I am in.
lets call it March’s Striving for Harmonious Living perhaps?
the realization that the day we have processed white crap …because we just DO is the night we may get those 8 hours of sleep.
that one success may happen at the risk of letting one of the many balls we strive to keep aloft come thisclose to hitting the ground—and that’s ok!
I thought you already were perfect!!
Anyway, it’s a great list, and will do no harm.
As , for the boxing idea, I learned a little boxing, but getting hit in the face was not high on my fun things to do list, so I concentrated on the martial arts.
My boyfriend the duct tape expert claims that there is a secret harness and/or hole in the wall and the duct tape is just decorative and not actually holding up the kid because it couldn’t. Still, it’s an awesome picture.
On the poll I chose “I’m already perfect” not because I am actually perfect but perfect enough and always striving to improve which is good enough for me.
I’m going to think a little more about what I want to do this month but I am leaning towards some sort of tone-of-voice awareness because I don’t want people to be able to describe me as a “shrieker” any more! As in, shrieking at the kids.
And maybe I’ll try a week of perfection on my own terms…interesting! Must start list…
Good luck with it. 🙂
I’ll try the perfection one, as a percursor/trial/research of my pre-wedding regimen.
i vote for celeb workout – i think the perfection thing could get obsessive.
I just started a gratitude journal – every night I write “Three Good Things” and list some happy things that happened that day. There always end up being more than three 🙂
Good list Charlotte. On my list are in bed by 9 AM every night this month…no late night blogging. Also, no dairy or soy. That is close enough to perfection as I want to get this month.
PS – Thanks for the hammie well wishes. Still a bit stiff, but it did okay. So great to be back on the mat.
Oh this is good. This morning on the way to work I thought “I hope Charlotte has something good in store for March” – you know, something along the lines of the Monkey Bar Gym rather than the “Lose 10 lbs Diet”. Basically I need a butt-kicker to get me going, and this should be – wait for it – perfect! (Ha ha – couldn’t resist.) I don’t mind the “Perfection” title – odd considering that I am a perfectionist by nature, but over time I’ve become rather attached to another word – grace – that keeps me sane.
But here are my goals for the week (and hopefully the month):
– Work out six days (Tabata intervals, hill runs (four days), and strength circuits (3 days)
– No sugar, flour, refined stuff.
– I’m borrowing your vegetable rule, too.
– And the mouthwash rule.
– Office stairs and stairwell pushups during the work day.
– Up every day at 6 (I tend to go to bed early so the 8 hours shouldn’t be too hard).
– Take one interesting photo every day (my camera has been neglected as of late).
– Finally, I want to spend some quality time with a good friend every day this week – either a long phone call or a cup of coffee. It’s too easy to be a hermit this time of year. 😉
So thanks Charlotte – this should prove to be an excellent week, and this all seems rather do-able. Yay!
– sarah
Haha oh this will be a fun one!
My perfection challenge is going to do more with being a good employee- I’ve been slacking off lately. But gotta get in a good amount of liquids every day, I’ve been slacking off there too!
One week, hmmmm? I think I will finally take one of your challenges, but only because you are letting me call the shots (you are too kind, really).
My one week of perfection will go like this:
Everyday I will:
1. Plan a menu and only eat what is on that menu (it will include all meals and snacks).
2. Pray every night before bed.
3. Send someone a letter (bills and netflix not included)
4. Create something.
5. Eat a salad.
6. Exercise for at least 15 minutes everyday except Sunday.
7. Shower and dress nicely.
8. Turn my computer off after 3pm.
And that’s it. Any more perfecting and I’m sure to blow a fuse. =)
I’m doing both…does that work?
Actually, I’m going back to an old experiment you did and counting it as “celebrity” as I now see her as such….
I’m going to do the Jillian Michaels thing this month. Oh, the first day was today at the gym and it was HARD. Like you, I’m not doing the diet thing, but I’m going to use this “perfection” challenge as a way for me to create a list of rules to apply to fueling my body and mind for this challenge.
so. keep us updated on how this one goes!
Okay, I had to fixate on that last thing. I've been leaving the house with wet hair every day since 1985. It was 13 degrees here this morning and my hair did freeze, but it did not shatter (It may however, hit you in the face, which is startling at first). The act of thawing dries it (I hate hair dryers). I have long hair and don't even have split ends at the moment.
Frozen hair will also not give you a cold. I have proven this to my mother many times. She finally gave up. Germs give you a cold, not wet hair.
R&T's Mom
Okay, I had to fixate on that last thing. I've been leaving the house with wet hair every day since 1985. It was 13 degrees here this morning and my hair did freeze, but it did not shatter (It may however, hit you in the face, which is startling at first). The act of thawing dries it (I hate hair dryers). I have long hair and don't even have split ends at the moment.
Frozen hair will also not give you a cold. I have proven this to my mother many times. She finally gave up. Germs give you a cold, not wet hair.
R&T's Mom
Okay, I had to fixate on that last thing. I've been leaving the house with wet hair every day since 1985. It was 13 degrees here this morning and my hair did freeze, but it did not shatter (It may however, hit you in the face, which is startling at first). The act of thawing dries it (I hate hair dryers). I have long hair and don't even have split ends at the moment.
Frozen hair will also not give you a cold. I have proven this to my mother many times. She finally gave up. Germs give you a cold, not wet hair.
R&T's Mom
After nearly 40 years of trying to be perfect, I find the effort exhausting. I also discovered that I’m not nearly as bad as I thought I was. In fact, I’m pretty darn good!
So, I’m gonna have to sit this one out. But I’m guessing that you and the Gym Buddies will soon discover that you’re all perfect, too, just as you are right now.
I really like ‘not saying anything mean about myself’. When I become consumed with all my imperfections I get completely exhausted. I’m going to try to give myself a break.
I also agree with the wet hair and think that it is just a lame excuse. My hair never shattered even in Minnesota…it just sort of feels like gel;) The real reason for not swimming is that your “hot suite” is summer colors and your afraid of the YMCA women in their swim shorts…
I’m on board for a week’s worth of perfection attempts. We’ll see how that goes.
Also, the next time GP and I have a wedding (we’ve already had 2) we’re totally stealing the superhero theme.
Hmmm…if I wasn’t so caught up in my math experiment I’d be in. Maybe I can work this for one week. It sure would make the exercising that week easier! 🙂
And I think aiming for perfection is fine – as long as you realize that if you shoot for the moon, and only end up among the stars, that you’re still doing pretty much ok!
I think this experiment is asking for trouble, but I wish you well on it. For me it would be an excuse to fall into old habits that died a long, slow, hard death and that I don’t want to resurrect. I’m looking forward to seeing how you did.