Reika's Rebellious Revolution

[Reika]

This first post is a crosspost from Rebel Introductions - I wanted to start my log here from the very begining.

Back in April, my whole world crumbled and I was shattered into a million pieces. The details aren't important really, only the fact that I was broken. I saw my entire life reflected back to me. What I saw was a giant lie and an incredible amount of crippling fear. I lied to myself for so many years, lied to others. Lie upon lie upon lie. The fear of failure and defeat so complete that I was careening down a path of total destruction - I needed to crash land.

 

So there I was, 31 years old and at my heaviest. A whopping 310 lbs. I was carrying the weight of nearly two extra people on my body. It was my burden. My shield from the rest of the world. My cloak that masked any of my potential. It was my excuse.

Most people think of being broken as something negative, heartbreaking or devastating. For me, it was the opposite. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was broken from my old self. My 310 lb shell was finally cracked.

This was my opportunity to evolve. To reach out and embrace the unknown. It was my defining moment.

Over the next few months, I dedicated my focus entirely on rebuilding myself. I analyzed my behaviours, deciding which ones to keep and which ones no longer served me. I started establishing better routines, sweating daily and taking special care of what kind of fuel I put into my body. I was putting myself back together in a whole new way. I learned truths about myself instead of convincing myself of lies. Instead of only learning and reading what about I should do, I did it. I discovered that I am much stronger than I had ever dared myself to believe and I could do all the things I knew I should have done years ago. I kept reaching for my goals, even when I stumbled - I used my strength to pick myself back up. I let go of fear. I abolished doubt.

So here I am now. I'm 100 lbs lighter than I was when I started on this path. 210 lbs and dropping. I used to think a number was my end goal and spent a lot of time obcessing over it. Over the course of this journey, I've become aware that it's not about reaching that magical number. It's not even about having an end. My path is to always keep evolving and reaching for something new. It's to set goals and do whatever it takes to accomplish them. To flex, shift and adapt as the path morphs and changes. It's about consistent progression and growth. Physical, intellectual, spiritual.

The reason I find myself here at nerdfitness is that I believe it will give me the opportunity I need to level up on my quest. I am a lone wolf and tend to hide and keep to myself. I have a hard time relying on others, asking for help or even opening up. In all honesty, I needed a place where I could be exposed.

 

So it is very nice to meet you, and thank you in advance.

 

I joined the academy and I thought I would share my intended goals here as well. More accountabilty for the work ahead of me in the next few months.

 

Here are the nitty gritty details of my journey.

Long Term Goals

* no definite time span however I would like to see these accomplished in the next few years.

 

- Transform my body and my mind so that I am comfortable being naked -

- Complete a Triathalon -

- Write a novel -

- Refine my photography and artwork -

- Find a new avenue in life - employment/location -

- Go on 10 day canoe portaging/hiking expediton to Maple Mountain -

 

2014 Goals

I know the year is starting to run short but I have my sights set on accomplishing these by the year end

 

Fitness:

- Run 5K in under 35 minutes on pavement -

*current time is at 49:08 on pavement and 37:39 on treadmill

unlock: Concert tickets

- Swim 3000m freestyle in 1 hour or less -

*current distance for one hour is 1950m

unlock: Trip to Ottawa to skate on the Rideau Canal

- Run a 10K -

*longest run so far is 6.5K

unlock: New bicycle

- Unassisted pull-up -

*currently doing assisted pull ups at 100 lbs

unlock:  Snowshoes

- Unassisted dip -

*currently doing assisted dip at 70 lbs

unlock: New backpack for overnight hikes

- Do 10 pushups in a row -

*currently can only do one single proper pushup

unlock: Klipsh headphones

- Increase flexibility - touch head to knees - sit in full lotus -

*I can move my body differently with less fat getting in the way - take advantage

Unlock: Meditation Retreat

 

Health and beauty:

- Weigh below 200 lbs -

* welcome to onederland!

Unlock: 2 night stay at Royal York in Toronto

- Weight below 180 lbs -

* move out of obesity and into being overweight

unlock: NHL Hockey Game

- Take better care of my outward appearance -

* wear makeup, look pretty, buy clothes that make me feel girly, get a mani-pedi, etc

 

Life and carreer goals:

- Start writing novel -

*develop plot, create story outline and characters.

- Bring my photographs to art studio for framing and display -

* stop hiding my work and reach out

- Maintain a more organized and cleaner space -

* when things are in order, my mind is in order

- Pay down my debt by $1000 -

*rethink spending

 

Mind and Emotions:

- Find peace in my path, let go of past mistakes -

* I've let go of a lot but some days it still haunts me

- reduce my anxiety -

* remember to breathe

- go out and do something social -

* outside of my comfort zone - it has to be new and fun!

Unlock: Spa day

 

Measurements:

Current weight: 210 lbs

Waist: 39 inches

Hips: 49.5 inches

Neck 14.5 inches

Calf: 16 inches

Thigh: 26.5 inches

Bicep: 14 3/4 inches

* Note - The measuring tape I had was not ideal, I will be updating this as soon as the one I ordered comes in.

 

My path and rewards:

 

Fitness:

- Minimum of 10 000 steps walking/running every single day -

2 consecutive weeks: 1 Home or Theatre movie pass

1 consecutive month: New piece of workout gear or gadget

- NFA Workouts 4 X per week -

2 consecutive weeks: Home or Theatre movie pass

1 consecutive month:New article of clothing

- Running 30-60 minutes per day 5 days per week -

2 consecutive weeks: New Book

1 consecutive month: New article of clothing

- HIIT 2 days per week -

14 consecutive days: 2 episode TV Show pass

1 consecutive month: new article of clothing

- Swimming 3-4 days per week -

14 consecutive days: New book

1 consecutive month: New piece of workout gear

- 100 Squats and lunges, 1 minute plank per day -

14 consecutive days: 2 episode TV show pass

1 consecutive month: New shoes

- Daily yoga routine -

14 consecutive days: yoga pants

1 consecutive month new vinyl record:

- Keep to Paleo diet - NO SUGAR - Plan and prepare meals - Track all food in and meet macros -

14 consecutive days: 2 episode TV show pass

1 consecutive month: New vinyl record

 

 

Health and Beauty:

- Put on makeup - Straighten my hair 3 days per week - Make an effort to look pretty and dress nicely -

14 consecutive days: New makeup

1 consecutive month: Mani-Pedi

Life and Carreer:

- Write a minimum of 300 words per day - Write in my Battle Log at least 5 times per week -

14 consecutive days: 2 episode TV show pass

1 consecutive month: New gadget or toy/game

- Organize photos into a portfolio and create a Flikr album (or similar) to showcase my work - rewrite resume

* you can find an album with some of my photos in my profile

- Keep to a regular chore schedule -

- Put $175 per paycheque onto my debt -

 

Mind and Emotions:

- Meditate 5 minutes in the morning and at night -

- Use breathing techniques to help with anxiety -

- Watch less TV -

- Get more sleep -

- Read more books -

 

 

So that's the map I have set out for the next part of my journey. The area is massive so there are a lot of different paths to take but they all lead to the same result. So long as I stay within the map of course.

 

As far as 2015, I will set those goals when it's a bit closer to that time. For now, I have a lot to keep in focus and have learned that 3-4 month plans work best for me.

 

“You're never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true.â€

[Reika]

Insomnia the last few nights. I was put on high dose prednisone for 5 days due to lung problems. Thankfully yesterday was my last dose. Hopefully my sleep will get back on track.

 

Went for a 30 minute jog last night after work. My distance is improving now.

 

Today was a rest day from heavy cardio as I still have a cough and do not want to overwork my lungs like I had previously. It's tough to slow myself down, but I understand the necessity. I had planned to go for a swim but my bathing suit is officially too big to even get away with wearing anymore. It's a size 18 and I probably should have a size 14 now. I'll be buying a new one this week.

 

However, I finally completed the NFA Warmup, Recruit workout and cooldown. Not sure why I had put off starting this program. Resistance against structure or direction maybe.. but it felt good all the same. I am counting today as DAY 1 of my new path.

 

I'm enjoying the cooldown the most, it's just yoga really. I'll be adding in some other postures into this cooldown set to really get a good strech post workout. 5 minutes of meditation will also be added after the set.

 

Walked 8714 steps so far today. I'll have to walk a few laps around my work parking lot tonight to get in my 10 000 before midnight.

 

Also must do my lunges and squats. Those are great for while I'm idle at work. A lot of free time here, I'm basically babysitting a building and answering phone calls. Lots of time to work on my writing, some strength work and other useful things.

 

Got rid of my peanut butter and Quinoa today. I am going balls to the wall with the paleo way. I've been eating nearly pure paleo for a week now and I already feel some benefits. Been drinking 3-4 L of water every day as well. I had this weird aversion to drinking too much water or liquids. I thought it would make the scale go up or something. I'm not sure but since I've been drinking so much, I've noticed the opposite. HAIL HYDRATE!

 

I got a little derailled because of my roommate this afternoon and came to some tough decisions. You see, I took her in a few months ago to help her through a hard time. Since then, I haven't seen a dollar of rent from her, which was the original agreement. She's also an energy drain on me. Always negative, always drama going on with her. She enters the room and SUCKS all the energy from me. Today I realized I need to ask her to leave. I'm not sure how to approach her. I've asked her a few times for rent, and still nothing. She just lost her job and she's going through a rough breakup with the man she has kids with. However, I realized this is not my problem to solve. I need to talk to her. I need my space back, I want to set up my workout room and writing space again. My place is not big enough for two people to live in really and my electricity bill has gone up over $50 per month since she's been here. I thought it would only be temporary. I need to find the courage to speak to her.

 

“The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.â€

[Reika]

I set up a mirror today in my living room infront of my yoga mat to monitor my form and get to know my new body as it changes. At my heaviest, I actually didn't have any mirrors in my house except for the bathroom one because I was so embarassed to even look at myself.

 

I was shocked and surprised when I looked in the mirror today. So much that I snapped a few photos. Could that be curves developing? I'm starting to get a shape?! My belly is really really starting to shrink.

For every lb I lose now, the changes are so much more noticeable.

 

I'll leave the photo here as a baseline to compare to in a few weeks.

 

 

[proVoke]

Hi There and welcome to Nerd Fitness!

 

Your story gripped me from the very first line (this may be an early indication that you are going to rock your goal of writing a novel)

 

I just love all your goals and i love the fact that you are wanting to improve and level up every aspect of your life. I look forward to following your journey, from the great success you have already have i think its going to be amazing seeing what more you can do!

[Reika]

Summary Day 1 - Sunday September 21

 

Food:

Hydration Goal 3L: Met

20 % Carb - 40% fat - 40 % protein - 1229 calories

Breakfast:

150g egg white + 50 g spinnach scrambled with 1 tsp EVOO.

1 cup french press coffee with 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

Lunch:

1 Scoop Vega Protein Powder, 2 TBSP P2B Peanut Butter (no more peanuts after today), 1 TBSP Chia Seeds, 2 TSP Psyillum Husk, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Dinner:

2 Tilapia Filets baked with dill, 1/2 lemon on a bed of 25 g dulse seaweed

Salad: 100 g baby spinnach, 200 g english cucumber with peel, 1 boiled egg, 15 g marble goat cheddar cheese, 67 g avocado

Dressing: 2 tbsp ACV, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 10 g hemp seeds

Snack:

15 g marble cheddar goat cheese

15 g almond butter

Green tea with 1 tsp raw honey and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

 

Fitness:

Completed Academy Recruit Workout with Warmup and Cooldown ~ 200 calories

10 009 Steps ~ 328 calories

100 lunges, 100 squats, 1 minute plank ~ 70 calories

15 minutes yoga ~ 50 calories

 

Other stuff:

No meditation today and still haven't started on writing my story. I keep putting it off, I don't know why (actually I do know why.. fear). I already have the idea I just need to start developing it and get into writing my story outline. I need to be more focused and less distracted.

No makeup today - rushed to work - need to give myself more time to get ready before work

Watched Life Aquatic with Chantal and Dave and watched an episode of Sons of Anarchy instead of working on useful things. No more TV or movies until I've earned them according to the goals I have set.

 

"No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide."

[Minna]

Be kind to yourself about writing. You are dealing with so much right now, and I'm so impressed at how diligent you are at keeping track of everything! I'm a writer myself, so I know what it's like to feel pressure to produce. You'll get there. If only it were as simple as completing a workout! (Like that's even simple...)

[Reika]

Be kind to yourself about writing. You are dealing with so much right now, and I'm so impressed at how diligent you are at keeping track of everything! I'm a writer myself, so I know what it's like to feel pressure to produce. You'll get there. If only it were as simple as completing a workout! (Like that's even simple...)

 

I feel that I've been kind to myself for far too long, To the point of taking over a year to start this novel. I really need to kick my butt in gear about writing - once I get started it will flow. Writing in these logs has given me some forward momentum in that direction though. I've identified that I have a tendancy to avoid and distract myself from the things that I really want deep down. I think it is a self-defense mechanism, a way to protect myself from failure. I used to do the same thing when it came to working out. I have all these plans to do it but distract myself to the point that I don't. It's a behaviour I need to break so that I can create better neural pathways that help me achieve my goals.

 

As for my diligence, I've learned that I'm an all in kind of person. I have obcessive tendencies and I'm learning to harness them to propel me forward. I track everything, wear a heart rate monitor, weigh my food etc. When I start slipping up on these things, everything else tends to fall apart very rapidly.

 

These battle logs will likely be updated frequently with great detail. I used to write it all in a journal and keep it to myself, but part of this next step is to learn to really expose myself honestly and be open to support, criticism and suggestions as they appear.

[Reika]

Summary Day 2 - Monday September 22

 

Food:

Hydration Goal 3L: Met 3.5L

32 % Carb - 33% fat - 35 % protein - 1217 calories

Breakfast:

Egg McMuffin* - top of english muffin removed

2 X Large coffee

1/2 cup 1% milk

*calculated choice based on having to do a short change over at work 7 hours between shifts, 3 and a half hours sleep. Made my stomach feel heavy - probably won't make that choice again. Need better planning for those situations and pre-made eggs ready for the morning.

Lunch:

Baked tilapia filiet over 10g dulse seaweed and 1/2 lemon - juiced

2 1/2 cups steamed mixed veggies with sauce:1 tbsp P2B (I forgot I had put peanuts in this prepared meal last week), 1/8 cup almond milk, 1 tsp EVOO and 1 tsp Braggs

Dinner:

189g free run egg whites + 50 g baby spinnach + 5g extra virgin coconut oil + chuoloa hot sauce

Salad: 50 g carrot, 48 g celery, 10g red onion, 30g yellow bell pepper, 40g orange bell pepper, 79g zuchinni, 100g baby spinnach, 100g broccoli, 10g red yellow pepper, 10g cashews

Dressing: 2 tbsp ACV, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Snack:

boiled egg

 

 

Fitness:

RAN MY FIRST FULL 5KM WITHOUT WALKING or STOPPING!! 42:35. Personal best time for outdoor run ~ 415 calories.

13817 Steps ~ 500 calories

100 squats, 1 minute plank ~ 50 calories

15 minutes yoga ~ 20 calories

*did not complete 100 lunges, leg muscles were very sore after running only got my squats in. Next time I will complete them BEFORE running.

 

Other stuff:

No meditation and I still didn't start writing however, I had a very full day and barely squeezed everything in as it is. I worked day shift and by the time I got off work and got my run, walk and cooldown in, I had to rush to pack and get ready for my trip.

 

I am heading southbound Tuesday after work. I'm stopping in a few cities and then heading to Toronto over the weekend. I'm going to see JFL comedy featuring Joe Rogan and then Kurios by Cirque du Soleil. We're staying at a fancy hotel and I made it a point to pack an actual dress. I tried it on last night and whoa was I ever uncomfortable. It looks good on me though! So I have to go out of my comfort zone and wear it while we're out. I'm nervous. This will be a big step for me.

 

I plan on keeping up with my workouts and walking goals while I am away. I packed a whole extra bag with my yoga mat, workout clothes, swim things (need to pick up a swimsuit on the way), running shoes, garmin and heart rate monitor). The pool and the fitness facilities at the Royal York look beautiful.

 

I also plan on keeping with eating paleo and staying within my calories and macros. I have a cooler packed with healthy snacks instead of relying on "road food" for while I am away. I still plan on eating out in restaurants however, I wanted to supplement my meals with some healthy choices and maybe only eat out once per day while I am away instead of all 3 meals.

 

What I brought for food:

4 containers of: 50g celery sticks + 15g almond butter

5 bags of 11g almonds

4 bags of 10g cashews

4 bags of 10g dulse seaweed

4 bags of 50g baby spinnach

6 bags of 15g marble goat cheese

1 jar of homemade dressing: 6 tbsp ACV, 3 tsp mustard, 3 tsp Braggs, 1 drop ultra death hot sauce, 30g nutritional yeast, 1tsp dried dill

4 bags of protein "pudding": 1 scoop vega protein powder, 1 tbsp chia seed, 2 tsp psyillium husk, 1 cup almond milk.

1 300g bag raw broccoli

4 limes

1 lemon

4 boiled eggs

 

I will be stopping at a few farmers markets along my way as well and picking up some delicious fresh veggies and local meats.

 

No makeup today - only had a 7 hour turnaround between my Sunday night and Monday morning shift - about 3 and a half hours sleep and a big rush to work Monday morning. Though, I noticed today that my skin is quite a lot clearer. The extra water I've been drinking is really helping my complexion. I had a few compliments from customers at work that I was looking really good. That felt pretty good and also made me feel a bit shy.

 

"Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most."

 

POST RUN SWELFIE ATTACHED

[Reika]

Wow.. is it ever difficult to stay on track while away on vacation.

 

However, I am writing this just after going for a swim in the hotel swimming pool. My second real workout in about 5 days.  I haven't kept up with any of my NF workouts despite having the desire to do them.

 

I have walked 10 000 or more steps each day and went for a couple runs. No squats or lunges. I have been doing planks and stretches in the hotel room during idle time though.

 

Eating has been a challenge. I've tried to keep to paleo as much as possible. No grains at all. We went to the famous St. Lawrence Market this morning in Toronto and I picked up some cured meats and some berries for in the hotel.

 

Last night after the comedy show I indulged in a piece of Cheesecake. It was probably the best cheesecake I've ever eaten, but it made my tummy feel pretty icky. My body knows what food is the best for it and I will move forward and make better choices accordingly.

 

I've been keeping a loose food log, but again, not to where I had planned on being. After this trip, I will have to seriously re-evaluate how I can better keep to my schedule and eating plan. It's so easy for everything to slide out of control.

 

With that said, I am not doing very terribly either, I'm very concious of all the choices in front of me and I am making calculated choices based on my goals.

 

I have spent A LOT of money this week. I fit into regular clothes sizes now and that's a pretty awful thing.. for my credit card at least.  Feels very good to be able to shop in regular stores. I've had to remind myself that I am still losing weight and I probably shouldn't spend $100 on something I might only wear for a month before it's too big. It's still exciting though. I have a couple new pairs of shoes, a much needed fall/winter jacket, new swim suit and cap, jeans and a couple shirts.

 

It's weird being with someone who isn't as fit and can't keep up to everything I'd like to do in a day. Sure feels good to walk all morning and part of the afternoon and still come back with enough energy to get in a pool workout for a couple hours afterwards.

 

Back to regular routine tomorrow. A lot of work still ahead of me.

 

"Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow"

[Reika]

Today is officially my new day 1.

 

Fresh perspective, fresh start. I have no distractions in the coming months and no trips planned. I can stick to my NF plan much better and establish solid routines.

 

I failed terribly during my vacation. With those failures came very powerful lessons. It's so easy to slip back to the comfortable routine of how I used to be, experiencing that first hand has shown me that I need to put a better system in place and rely on my positive routines even more. I have to also put allowances in place during vacation and special times so that I don't completely give up on everything when I find I can't keep up. I have to find a balance of being gentle with myself and not giving myself too much slack either. Tricky tricky.

[Reika]

Soooo... I had said a couple days ago that it was my day 1. It took me a couple days after that to transition and fully comitt to a new day 1. I used to not understand how someone could go off track so easily and keep delaying getting back into their routine.  Up until now, I just went along with what I thought was a good plan and it felt pretty natural and easy. Now that I am tracking every little thing and have daily goals to meet it's much harder to keep on track. With the accountability of this place it's also much harder to hide from the off days. Harder to hide things from myself.

 

Not to deminish anything positive I have done up until this point. I know that I've done awesome so far. I just didn't do it within a structure and with a daily plan. This is going to help me do better and I am ready for that. No matter what the personal battle is. It's time for me to become the highest version of myself.

 

Honestly, I'm pretty excited. The academy and my own challenges within it have a great deal more structure than I've had up until now. I'm fully embracing it because I know it's going to propell me forward into a whole new state of being (that's where the resistance is coming from). It's exposing things in me that I hadn't seen before or understood and DAMN that's awesome. Gloves off, I'm ready.

 

Attempt #2 Day 1: Friday October 3rd

 

Food:

Hydration Goal 3L: Met

24 % Carb - 26% fat - 15 % protein - 1200 calories

Breakfast:

189g egg white + 50 g spinnach/kale/chard mix scrambled with 1 tsp EVOO.

3 tsp cholula hot sauce

1 cup french press coffee with 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup coffee at Bookstore with 1/4 cup lactose free milk

Lunch:

1 Scoop Vega Protein Powder, 2 TBSP P2B Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP Chia Seeds, 2 TSP Psyillum Husk, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

66g smoked arctic char

Dinner:

137.5g (uncooked) chicken breast stir fried with 1/2 tsp EVOO, 41.5g red onion and sauce made with 3 tsp mustard, 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube in 1/2 cup water.

Salad: 51 g baby spinnach, 31g kale/chard/spinnach mix, 104g english cucumber with peel, 103g zuchinni, 10g orange hot pepper

Dressing: 2 tbsp ACV, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

140g steamed broccoli

Snack:

1 medium hard boiled egg

60g celery

15g cashew butter

Green tea with 1 tsp raw honey and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

 

Fitness:

10 542 walking steps ~ 475 calories

65 minutes high intensity/interval elliptical ~ 928 calories

Jogging/walking 66 minutes ~ 357 calories

 

Other stuff:

Did not work on all the other stuff today - focused on diet, meal prep and getting my space and head back together again.

 

Reading a few books now. The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain Ph.D. and Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Both very good reads so far.

 

"Remember, your dreams are as hungry as your demons. Make sure you are feeding the right ones"

[Reika]

Whew, what a week it's been so far! I've been slacking on the writing part, but otherwise it's been balls to the wall.

 

When I went on vacation I had gained back about 15 lbs and had a heart attack when I stepped on the scale on my return home. My rational mind said "it's ok, it's only water weight. There's no way you could have possibly gained that much". My emotional mind was FREAKING out. I chose to listen to my rational mind and started back up with the NF program I'd set out for myself. Since I've lost those 15 lbs plus an extra two. So the lesson is, trust your rational mind. Do not fall victim to those panicked emotional responses.

 

I've done an amazing meal prep for my work week and fell in love with ziploc bag salads - seriously, try it. Prepare all your veggies (I leave out meat and eggs until the day I'm eating the salad), split into 4-5 bags for the next few days. Pour in your dressing when you're ready to om nom nom and shake it up. I often eat right out of the bag.

 

So for this week breakfast is an egg white omelet with spinach. My after workout lunch is a protein shake (pea and hemp protein) with chia seeds and psyllum husk for added fiber. I have homemade unsweetened cinnamon apple sauce, baby carrots, celery with cashew butter and boiled eggs for snacks, Dinner at work is an extra large salad bag made from spinach, romaine, celery, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds with an apple cider vinegar/mustard dressing along with slow cooker shredded chicken and salsa. Everything's weighted out, made from scratch and absolutely delicious. All my meals total to my 1200 calorie/day goal with snacks as added calories for high intensity workout days.

 

I've kept on track with my workouts, squats, lunges, planks and 10 000 steps each day. My running time is starting to improve and I find it's getting easier. I'm almost down another size in clothes and I have noticed that I'm taking much better care of my appearance as a general rule. I am starting to feel pride in myself. That's a whole new feeling for me. It feels fantastic.

 

Water intake has become routine, I'm downing 3-4 litres every day without even thinking about it. I have my nalgene bottle with me at all times and reach for it constantly. I'm happy about that habit now being formed.

 

My big problem hanging overhead now is confronting my roommate. I need to tell her she needs to move out. I can't find the courage to do so. After over 3 months of her living with me and helping her out, I still haven't seen any rent. Her kids are over a lot and it's starting to interfere with my goals. I know I'm being taken advantage of and I need to just do it already. That's on my task list this week.

 

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."

[Minna]

How are you doing, Reika?

[Reika]

Wow, I lost track of my progress here in an epic way.

 

The journey is continuing on. I am still working towards my goals, though they have been tweaked and altered a bit.

 

Life has a funny way of embracing us and swiftly carrying us away. Days and months seem to flutter by so quickly sometimes.

 

Started into heavy lifting recently, and I've fallen in love. I'm not sure why I hadn't done it sooner.

 

I'll sit here in the next few days and write up a new start to my Battle Log and update on all the wonderful things happening around me..

 

Keep being awesome my friends

[mitch_dee]

**Looks up at last update, then at today's date**

 

**taps foot**

 

 

:-p

[Reika]

Ack! I need to get on this. Thanks mitch_dee.

 

So, as of Sunday, I am no longer classified as obese. I'm meerly overweight. Completely surmountable now. I'm feeling better than I ever have in my entire life. I am stronger and more capable than I ever imagined.

 

I've stumbled lots but I am learning that stumbling is part of it, what matters most is how fast I dust myself off and get back up. So many good solid lessons so far.

 

Update on the roommate: my spare room has now turned into my own gym. Complete with some dumbells, foam roller, resistance bands and some anchor points (sort of looks like a kinky room now), and a nice padded floor for stretching and yoga.

 

I'm finding a whole new energy towards my workouts and life in general. I think I will be restarting a new battle log to better reflect my current goals and where I am at in life at this moment. I'll be working on that in the next few days and will likely report back from the new log.

 

“Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.â€â€˜

[mitch_dee]

^

This is a great update, and I know I have been slacking on my stalking but do I really need to start tapping my foot again?!?!?!?!

[AugustaAdaByron]

/me volunteers to tap her foot when mitch_dee isn't tapping his

[Reika]

NEW THREAD!

 

You guys are good tappers though

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/56889-reikas-rebellion-redux-19-week-countdown/