200 Push-Up Challenge & Sick Nutrients Checklist

Good morning readers!

First and foremost: how about that snow storm in the northeast?! Some of you may know that I am originally from Connecticut. My dad just sent me a text letting me know that the official count for snow up there is 31 inches!!! I am experiencing MAJOR snow envy right now. Definitely could go for some snuggling up with books, hot chocolate, and sledding all afternoon. -Sigh-

BUT the most exciting part of this post will be my 200 push-up challenge. That’s right! I never thought I would be able to do that many push-ups in one day, but I surprised myself and was able to do all, except 5 in the beginning group, without going on the knees! Wow. But more on that later 😉

Anywho, this week in the district I luckily had a couple days off of work and I really needed them due to a pretty bad cold that blew through my week starting Monday night. I even finished off another Jodi Picoult novel in less than 2 days!Now, when you’re sick it’s best you give your body the most amount of rest you can and refuel it with lots of nutrients when you’re appetite comes calling. Although there were a few times this week where I was really not in the mood to cook or move more than the steps it is from the bathroom to the couch, I made sure I was always having:

1. at least 2 meals per day

2. 8-9 glasses of water (sometimes juices or tea) per day

3. 4 vegetables per day

4. 2 fruits per day

Consider that my “Sick Nutrients Checklist.” I was working hard to flush all the toxins out of my body, by drinking plenty of fluids, and replenishing my body’s stores with powerful vitamins and minerals. Sounds good right? Here’s some quick meals I made that helped me stay on track and took minimal effort this week.

 Veg Sandwich! One whole wheat sandwich thin, 1 tbsp hummus, baby bella mushrooms, orange bell pepper, sliced tomato, 1/2 of an avocado, sliced cucumber and a sprinkle of Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese’s Lite. Whipped Banana Oats! Tossed with raisins and crunchy peanut butter.Loaded Baked Potato! A baked potato cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes with sauteed baby bella mushrooms, and broccoli with medium salsa and Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese’s Lite.

All these meals took me less than 10 minutes to prep and were really filling, especially since I had a small appetite. The sandwich was my least favorite of these 3 but I think that was because I could not really taste any food that day 😦

Also on the agenda this week were my first 2 shifts at lululemon! 🙂 Luckily my first shift was at the start of my sickness and by yesterday, for my second shift, I was feeling much better! My first day I chose super comfy clothes (lululemon cool racerback tank paired with lululemon pleasing pant and a BDG cardigan) since I wasn’t feeling great and we ended up busting out the yoga mats and practicing crow, headstands and wheels within the first 15 minutes I was there! I think it’s safe to say, I really like my job already 🙂

Now here’s the fun part! The 200 push-up challenge!

Yesterday Brandon and I were both working 12-7 so he turned to me and said, “Natasha, want to do a challenge with me today?” Now, here’s a little background on Brandon, he’s training to compete in a HUGE CrossFit competition and is incredibly strong. Knowing these 2 facts, I probably should have been a little more hesitant, but I was all about it and agreed. He said “We will complete 200 push-ups by the end of our shift today.” At first, I was nervous we wouldn’t be able to do it, more so that I wouldn’t be able to. The most I’ve ever done at the gym in one workout is around 50 and they were of different varieties so as not to burn out.

Well, the challenge was on and it was very clear from the start that neither Brandon or I are quitters. We started out with a pace plan, but quickly realized we wouldn’t be able to maintain it due to the business of the store. We began to then crank out 25 pushups every 30-45 minutes. Talk about fatigue! I would group mine by doing 15 then finishing up with 10. That way it was broken down and much less intimidating for me. My mindset was, “Only 10 left? You do 3 sets of 10 all the time! You got this!” It also helped that my co-workers were super supportive and encouraging. As we neared the end of our shift, Brandon sailed through the last 50 in the time it took me to do only 19! He’s a machine. Having a challenge like this on my first full shift made me realize how great of an opportunity it is for me to be working with this team. It also showed me I am going to be challenging myself in so many ways in this job and I am so excited to see my growth overtime. Seeing on the first day of my shift that I am stronger than I am giving myself credit for was not only a confidence booster, but a perspective changer. How many other things do I doubt myself about but can actually do? What areas in my life am I not pushing hard enough to succeed simply because I think I cannot?

And you’re asking, “You’re getting this from working for a clothing company?” My answer, yes. The fact is there is a much deeper culture to lululemon than many people realize. Our goal as a company is to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness and we work on achieving this through our ambassadors in the community, participating in classes at studios in our local communities, committing to an idea and doing it by when we say we will do it, and are always looking up – for ways to grow. I honestly am so excited for this journey and what lies ahead for me.

Enough of a tidbit – I challenge all you readers – find a challenge YOU can complete in YOUR WORKPLACE! I even think you all could find a way to do 200 push-ups at your work as well! Challenge yourselves to be creative and see what you can come up with! You may be surprised at what you can accomplish to 🙂

Until next time,

Natasha