Search the Community

Taking a leaf from my NF friend Matt_72 I am setting up a placemarker thread in the Woot room. This is a a record of my successes to date and a place I can update to reflect on permanent changes and challenges met. Unlike Matt, I haven't had the weight loss successes that I have strived for but I have had some great adventures during my time (on and off) with Nerd Fitness. My heaviest weight was around 92kg and I managed to lose ten kilos in about two years after starting training with a PT twice a week. Then it stalled around 82kg regardless of the exercises that I was doing. This is still my setpoint. The lowest I have been is 77kg but now June 2015 I am back up around the 85 k again. I joined NF in Nov 2012 (wow that was some time ago). In this time I have: Given up dietcoke completely - I was drinking around one can or bottle a day to keep me awake in the afternoon. Now I don't drink any soda at all. I am able to commute to work which is 24km each way and have done this twice a week. While I don't always do this I know that I have the ability to do this. These are the adventures I have undertaken since joining NF: Walked most of the Great Ocean Walk over several weekends http://www.greattrailsvictoria.com.au/trail-details/great-ocean-walk Hiked the Coast Track in Royal national Park http://www.enduroexplorer.com/coastal-trail-guide.aspx Cycled around Sri Lanka - averaging 70km a day. I was the slowest rider but managed to jump on my bike each day and make it to the next hotel each afternoon. http://http://www.exodustravels.com/au/sri-lanka-holidays/cycling/cycle-backroads-sri-lanka/mir#itinerary Hike the Milford Track in NZ.http://milfordtrack.net/location/ Cycle from Queenstown to Dunedin via the Central Otago Rail Trail in NZ http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/ So while my weightloss journey has been pretty much non-existent I have challenged myself and been places and done things that I wasn't sure I was capable of. Most of my family and friends don't have any inclination to sleep outdoors and self-propel so sometimes it is a bit of a challenge to keep moving ahead with the things that I enjoy doing. I am hoping that putting this all in one place with some links to maps etc will assist with motivation moving forward and will give me a spot to map future adventures and successes.

WHAT DOES STARPUCK LOVE DOING? Getting all the achievements in a game! It's a bit of a curse really, but let's use that to our advantage here! This challenge will be an epic real life achievement hunt. I've even stolen (and tweaked only a little) some of the achievement titles from my favorite RTS game, Northgard! (If anyone loves RTS games, and vikings, let me know! I'd love to get more people to play with.) "THE WISE" :: Complete 5 perfect weeks of devotions. "IN PEAK CONDITION" :: Complete 3 cardio sessions each week, for 5 weeks. "THIS ISN'T EVEN MY FINAL FORM" :: Complete 2 strength sessions each week, for 5 weeks. "CLEVER CREATOR" :: Create art 4x/week for 5 total weeks. "KNOWLEDGE IS A FRUIT" :: Track calories daily for 5 weeks. "EXPANSIONIST" :: Dedicate to at least one focused stretching session per week. "MERCHANT" :: Track all buys in Spending Tracker. Open 2nd savings account {car fund}. Speak with financial advisor on house options. Will track all achievement progress in my BuJo! Gratuitous bujo pic below. Of course. So mostly the same as I've been doing, but I want to tighten up the reins. It looks like an all or nothing goal sheet here, but, the thing is... if I don't make it this time because I miss a few, it just means my achievement bar hasn't fully filled up and I can work on it on the next level!

tl;dr - I play roller derby, we had an awards night last night, I won two awards for being part of the league. #validation So last night my roller derby league had our first end of year dinner / awards night. Historically I was never the sporty type until starting derby and so I wasn't going in to dinner expecting much. The only sporting award I ever got was 2 participation awards for tee-ball when I was like, 6, or 8, or something. only like, 20 years ago. But I've really found a love for roller derby and the people I've met doing it. I've also never felt much drive to be an active member of the community or to be part of a team or anything like that. True Neutral Introvert. Yeahhh. BUT! Last night I was given an award for being the best Act-Belong-Commit volunteer person in the league (I am the fundraising organiser but still) AND I won the award for Comeback Kid 2017 - the award for the best comeback from injury. There were only two contenders - me and another girl - but I'm really touched that my league-mates voted for me. I fully intend not to win that award next year though. No more broken limbs for me. (I broke my ankle in two places and got back on the team within 4 months so that's pretty cool.) And despite all my end of year angst and lack of self confidence people believed in me. And when my teammates believe in me I believe in me more. I was having real mental struggles for the last few months of our season and being validated by my teammates reminds me why I put so much of myself into the sport and has given me some fuel to come back awesome next year. Go Sports!

I JUST FINISHED SOMETHING!!! As in, I just finished a project. And I did not cut corners. YES. YES. YES. Also, I achieved it by working on it regularly, every day, and not pumping in hours of work just before the deadline. I cannot even explain how big an achievement this is for me. Ok, it's not perfect. Not by far. However, I worked on it until the end and did not stop working on it until it reached a level I was satisfied with it. Despite a deadline approaching, I did not just stop working on it because "this has to be done", but really pushed every element to the limit of my abilities, until I had to admit that at this moment, I am just not skilled enough and do not have the tools to get a better result. It has been ages since this happened. Most of the time, my work was done in a week, maybe two, started as late as possible before the deadline due to what I thought was laziness, until I realised that it was just a way to avoid my perfectionism, to be able to tell myself that if the results weren't that good, it wasn't my fault, it was because I had not had enough time... The only reason I managed this, is because of NerdFitness. Getting more into sports, health and fitness made me realise how much daily effort, make a much greater impact than bursts of effort over one week. How sticking to the plan is important and how it will pay off. I have become much more disciplined since I started this journey, much more responsible - in a general sense, but also towards my own action. I make a lot less excuses, accept criticism, and work on becoming a better person rather than reacting negatively. All this because I decided to get fitter one day. I still have a tough week ahead, there are still two more projects I need to finish by Friday. The battle is far from over. I actually nearly forgot to celebrate this but then realised I had to. I still have quite a few fights ahead, some much larger than this, but this is my first big victory over life and myself. And victories must be celebrated.

Great Creator, I see my enemy, but they're cunning and fierce. I plan to attack on the dawn of the second sunrise. I know I cannot face them in battle alone, and you have provided the allies I need to succeed. It will all end with them or me, and if it's war to my dying day, so be it. These spirits of the Shadow do not oppress me alone, but every living creature in this land. It was you who saved me from the Shadow's deadly grasp. It was you who appointed me with the sight to see beyond this physical realm into where the spirits deal, your realm and the enemies'. You gifted me with great skills, talents and admirable qualities as the means to help rescue others from the Shadow and his followers. I ask for your strength and perseverance to under this quest and pursuit against the spirits of Gluttony and Sloth. Spirit Chaser a.k.a Sachiko, the Golden Hind (These battle entries will continue to be directed as personal letters to a higher power that Sachiko turns to for daily wisdom and guidance.) *The Great Creator appears to Sachiko as a mighty Golden Eagle of Guidance in the Sky.

Guys! Guys. Guys and ladies. I barely ever visit this part of the forum because I forgot it exists. But now I remember, and I have to brag. Today I finished my first (intentional) weight loss program. Effing eff yeah. I went from 21% to 12% bodyfat in around 9 weeks. Progress photos below, stripey undies brought to you by my sense of humor. Relaxed Flexed Can I get a highfive??!!

Leg pressed more than my weight yesterday (180lbs 40 times). I can finally see some progress in the weight lifting arena and I am feeling awesome! NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!

Just got to say I ate paleo all day today without any serious thought. And it comes after a weekend of super typical Spanish food like Churros with chocolate (donuts....or the same mass deep fried in olive oil) and Migas (bread crumbs soaked and cooked in olive oil). So I not only got back on the wagon, I'm driving it! Oh and did my first day back swimming and felt really quite strong. Winner day.