(Insert "Respawn" Pun Here)

[Elliott907]

Okay, gotcha.  I gotta change, yeah.  So I'm starting over, again and again and again.  I mean hell, this is only now my third intro to the forum ever - my parents have attempted to quit smoking more times than that in a month!  I can do this.  I can doooo thiiiiiiissss.

 

I'm very afraid I can't do this.  I'm nervous, but trying.  I'm working on just getting my happy butt outside more often, since I'm dirt poor and can't afford gyms or at-home machines or nada.  Luckily I have a park nearby and can dink around with that.  Hopefully that can get me working out for the first while, 'til I get something a little more concrete.  Woo!

 

I'm also going to start going to Overeaters Anonymous again.  I've had a...philosophical change when it comes to the whole "higher power" aspect of the programming, and I think I have someone in mind to sponsor me, possibly, so there's that. 

 

Serenity and change, one *#&(#*&)@#(* day at a time.

 

Edit:  Gonna take measurements later today or tomorrow. 

[Jett]

Hi, Ellet! I'd say "Hi, again", but I'm still fairly new to the boards, and don't remember your last introduction.

 

I don't want to be too nosy, but do you mind if I ask what changes you are trying to make, and what it is that is stopping you each time you try to make them?

 

When it comes to working out in a gym, I'm a little bit of a snob, in that I don't think it's necessary or desirable. I hate having people near me when I'm working out, though, so that's probably why! (If I'm being honest, I hate the idea that people might be judging me on what exercises I'm doing, and it makes me self-concious.) What I'm getting at, though, is that you don't need to go to a gym to get sustainable results. I've been working out in my living room for the past 3 months, doing bodyweight exercises, and I'm definitely seeing a change! After about a month and a half, I broke down and bought a pullup bar that goes over the door frame. ($30 on Amazon.) I hate spending money on stuff, but it turned out to be almost necessary. The other option was doing pullups on the playground equipment, and somebody might see me! My spouse also found a $10 foam exercise mat at Aldi, and I have to admit that doing pushups and planks on it is much nicer than on carpet. But, that's it. $40 one-time investment, and even those were more extras than necessities. So, even if you don't have any money, you can still do exercise without a gym, even strength exercise.

[Elliott907]

I don't want to be too nosy, but do you mind if I ask what changes you are trying to make, and what it is that is stopping you each time you try to make them?

 

 

Hello!  Nice to "meet" you.    Ideally, I want to get under 200# as my long term goal, but for right now, I want to be under 300 by my birthday in September - that's 20 pounds in 17 weeks, totally doable, right?  I figure so, at least.  I'm at 319 right now.  UGH.  SO TIRED OF THAT NUMBER.  I had gotten down to 305 using the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program with my work, but ballooned again after the program ended.  I don't know why.    I'd eventually like to fit into a size 16, which is approximately four sizes smaller, and I think that can be a good goal to work toward.  It's so hard buying clothes right now as a size 24/26, and there are some really cute things online I'd like to get, but can't fit into.  Plus, it's weird being queer and overweight!  Just trust me, if you don't believe me.  It can downright suck.

 

I know I have some really bad eating habits specifically because of my addiction to food (especially sugary foods) and my relation to food in general, hence why I'm starting back at Overeaters Anonymous; I'm hoping that by going to that, I can help redefine the context in which I put food into my mouth and recognize when I lapse so that I can get back on track. 

 

So I'm getting weighed again tomorrow to make sure of my starting weight, and to get some basic measurements of my arms, bust, waist, hips, and thighs.  That way I can track as best as I can.  Right now I'm just going to start working on exercise and coming up with a good meal plan, then further work on my diet.  I already don't eat very well, as I have little free time, but I want to change that.  Augh, I'm excited to get outside this afternoon.  I'm going to go grab my walking shoes and go on an adventure!

[Jett]

It's so hard buying clothes right now as a size 24/26, and there are some really cute things online I'd like to get, but can't fit into.

Haha, I know exactly what you mean about trying to find clothes that fit. x_x I still think of myself as size 16, and that hasn't been true for... longer than I'd like to admit. I'm up around 22 now, but working my way back down. Everything I own is either too small from when I was younger, or too big from when I got tired to stuff not fitting about 6 months ago and bought a new wardrobe.

 

Attending Overeaters Anonymous seems like a good starting point. Changing what you eat is important, but changing how you eat is even more important! The good news is that lots of people have come out of a bad relationship with food and gotten healthy, mentally and physically. You can, too. The only way you won't eventually make it to your goal is if you give up. So don't do that!

 

Have a fun outside adventure.

[Elliott907]

Okay, so last night I took my dog for a nice bike ride/walk thing, we're both pretty rusty.  Determined that the bike doesn't fit into my car while the dog's in there, which is a bummer, but we will find ways to include biking to the walks.  I'm hoping to do this on a regular basis (she's not really my dog, she lives with my parents).  Scheduled my OA meetings in my weekly calendars, which was nice, and had an apple and a fiber bar for breakfast because I was running late this morning.  Dumb.  Thinking of starting the walk/bike to Mordor quest - was looking at it, and it seems pretty doable if I go at it in chunks.  Walking makes my feet hurt pretty badly, but I think I just need new shoes.  Hopefully that will help. 

 

So my plan is to make a couple investments with my next paycheck mid-June - a new set of tupperware or lunch box things, some new shoes, maybe some compression shorts (for chafing - oye!) and maybe some dumbbells or similar equipment for use at home.  I don't know why food has to be so gaddang expensive here in Alaska, but at least I can start saving money by cooking food at home and bringing it in to work.  Augh. 

 

Waiting to get measured...  Not very patient.

[Jett]

How do you feel about batch cooking? Some people hate eating the same thing every day for a week, but for those who don't care, it definitely saves time and money. Just cook a big hunk of meat (8 chicken breasts, a huge roast, whatever) all at the same time, as well as some veggies and whatever else you're going to want, and then portion it out in the tupperwares. It's got to be cheaper than buying lunch out each day, and you only need one afternoon to get it done, vs half an hour or more every evening if you're making food daily.

 

Personally, I do get tired of eating the same thing all the time. So I do a different variation on batch cooking, and try to double my recipies on things like lasagna or soup. Then I freeze the extras and pull them out when I don't feel like cooking.

[Elliott907]

I like doing what you do, the batch-and-freeze method.  That's usually what I do, actually, if I have the forethought of batch cooking at all.  Usually I just grab a couple things, put it in a bowl, and nuke it.  Ugh.  Easy to do with highly processed foods, you know?  I'm also going to make things easy on myself and buy freezer bags of veggies when they're on sale - that seems to go pretty well for me.

 

I got weighed, I am at 314.2 - almost 5 pounds less than where I thought I was.  Woo!  My person doesn't have a measuring tape at hand but that's okay, I think I have one somewhere that I can get someone to help me with.  Starting off on a good note, I'd say. 

[Jett]

Those frozen veggie bags are a lifesaver. I love the ones that you can microwave and they puff up and steam the veggies for you.

 

Yay for starting from a slightly lower point than you thought. It'll make it that much easier.

 

One thing that I'd never thought of before NerdFitness, that might be a good idea: Take a picture of yourself now, in your smalls. You don't have to show anyone, but later on you can compare that picture to a newer one, and see how much progress you've made. I did that, and I'm glad I did. The physical changes weren't noticeable day by day, but they are pretty obvious compared to 3 months ago. It helps me stay the course, when I can see how much progress I've already made.

[Elliott907]

Good idea!  I might have to do that.  I've never liked how I look in photos, but this one would be special and specific...  Good idea.

[Elliott907]

Gearing up for the new 6-week challenge!  It happens right at our local LGBTQ Pride Celebrations, so I know I'll be stressed (I'm on the board and committee of the organization that is hosting our celebrations), so not looking forward to that.  I'm trying to think of how to structure my little quests and all that.  I failed at calorie counting and tracking last time, so maybe I can mod that quest and try again?  My work is having an Instagram challenge where you take a photo of your healthy meal with a hashtag - maybe that can be my tracking for a while, at least for this challenge?

 

I also don't much care for the use of two logs - this daily* battle log, and the challenge log - I don't quite get it.  Do people forgo the battle log and focus on their challenge logs?  No clue on how best to handle that, it was a little much last time.  Maybe I'll do that - update the challenge log, then cross-post the link to my daily log. 

 

I keep forgetting to buy regular shoes for exercise - lemme tell ya, flats are NOT the way to go. 

 

This weekend was a bust, food and drink wise.  Working on that, and working on a meaningful way to slowly shift my diet.  Fresh and frozen veggies are so expensive, but I'm setting up a budget and hopefully can build up a little savings to throw toward a good fridge full of good food.  Who else has to do that?  It's so much easier to buy something microwaveable and nuke it til it's gross but edible!

 

Setting my alarms to go off an hour earlier to take morning walks.  That's gonna be fun, but I'm just going to bite the bullet now - something's gotta give, I'm hoping that by schlepping my sorry butt out of bed early, it will incentivize my going to bed at a reasonable hour.  At least, that's the hope.  I have newish tunes on my phone and a pair of decent earbuds, so I'm good to go. 

 

Oh, and starting tomorrow, I'll be going to the weekly OA meeting near my work on my lunch break.  That will be good.  Woot woot!

 

Onto another day.  I started today with some peanut buttery oatmeal, and plan on having the same for lunch (since I was a dork and didn't bring lunch with me to work - d'oh!).  Here's to the day going smoothly!

[Elliott907]

Gotcha gotcha.  Started my challenge log.  I'll still be logging here every couple days, but will also be updating the challenge log.  I'll cross post links or something.   http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/65727-back-to-the-drawing-board/

[Jett]

Where are you getting your frozen veggies?! They're like, $1 per bag at the ALDI near where I live, and a bag is usually good for 2-3 servings. I usually just take out the portion I want to use and microwave it, leaving the rest frozen until I need it. I often add the still-frozen veggies to things that are cooking (casseroles, fried rice, etc), as an infusion of extra nutrients.

 

I like fresh veggies, and I used to buy a lot more than I do now, but they tend to go bad before I can use them up. So I use a lot more frozen now, which saves money.

 

*goes to check out challenge thread*

[Tech_Hunter]

Hi Ellet, I am another third (fourth, can't remember) time starter.  I actually got down to a size 8 about 18 months ago and life kind of has been punching me in the gut, so I have gone back up to 14s.  Not quite the 22s I was at one time, but I don't want to buy anything larger!

 

I was sitting anf thinking it out.  My daughter's wedding is in August and I had slipped into the desperate "What crash diet can I do to lose mucho pounds for this event" mindset.  I stopped myself and thought, "My daughter doesn't care what I weigh, she is just thrilled to have me around."

 

So, I started thinking, if I lose one pound a week, by next summer I could be size 8 or less.  That is being very conservative, since I am lose a solid 2 pounds a week eating primal and weight lifting 2-3 times a week.

 

So, slow and steady, as trying to speed it up sabotaged my progress before.

 

I also had a habit of overextending myself with the forum last 2 challenges.  I tried to keep up with the daily thread, personal thread, and buddy thread, and ended up just skipping out on all of them!

 

I guess my overall themed advice is moderation.  You will get there, you have already started!

[Elliott907]

I also had a habit of overextending myself with the forum last 2 challenges.  I tried to keep up with the daily thread, personal thread, and buddy thread, and ended up just skipping out on all of them!

 

I guess my overall themed advice is moderation.  You will get there, you have already started!

 

Same here, Tech_Hunter!  Overextension really should be my middle name, I'm so bad for it!  Moderation is going to be my mantra this time around.  I wasn't very good at it last time.

[Elliott907]

Got lots of frozen veggies last night on sale, scoooooooore!  Not as cheap as I would have liked, but they were still about 50% off.  Woot!  Got some chicken breasts defrosting in my fridge so I can roast them tonight, I'm trying out this "eating healthy" shtick this week.  At least, that's what I'm working toward.  I'm building my abstinent meal plan kinda as I go, rather than all at once, because I figure that gives me a little more breathing room.  I'm looking at some meal plan templates for working for abstinent eating and not sure which way I want to go - I don't want to wholly give up grains, but I know I can't continue eating things like bread and mac and cheese every day (even though I don't actually do that, I totally would if I could).  So far I've identified some of my trigger foods:  chips, crackers, cookies and related sweets, mac and cheese (or cheesy pasta whatever-it-is, my stomach doesn't discriminate), and things like that.  All junk food, of course.  So I'm gonna prep some quinoa, brown rice, maybe some beans and such, and get them frozen in individual ziplocs so they're ready for throwing in a bowl and microwaving whenever I need them, instead of those other grains and carbs.  I'm also trying to get myself in the habit of preparing proteins - whether that means roasting, sauteeing, etc. some chicken, a steak, or whatever, I'll need that ready for salads, grain bowls, and meals in general.

 

So my plan is to have breakfast every day (refrigerator oatmeal: oats, yogurt, almond milk, craisins, nut butter, flax or chia seed, honey, flavoring), lunch (grains [brown rice or quinoa], spinach, other veggies [currently have peas and carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans], plant protein [beans, other veggies?] and 6 ounces of an animal protein [chicken or beef]), and dinner (about 4 ounces of animal protein and a big salad [spinach, eggs, a little cheese, vinaigrette dressing]).  This fits into my abstinent foods list, but I feel like I'm missing something.  I am not very crazy about fruit, so I'm trying to get a lot of veggies in this list, and might throw in a multi-vitamin or something.  I also know I need to get different veggies, since by only eating green things I'm not going to get the variety of vitamins a body needs, so I'm going to try to grab fresh produce weekly and see what's on sale or something.  Man, eating well is expensive.  I know I say it a lot but man, it is!

[Elliott907]

Updated my challenge log with some pre-challenge prep work, getting used to meal planning and working out before the challenge is upon us: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/65727-back-to-the-drawing-board/. 

[Elliott907]

Off to an OA meeting for my food addiction.  I was talking about doing it for the challenge earlier and figured actually going through with it would be helpful.  I don't much like this day's meeting, there aren't many people and I feel awkward, but that may just be how Wednesdays go.  Oh well.  Here's to a meaningful meeting!

[Elliott907]

I asked for something meaningful and it was.  A friend I know was in attendance, and it was just easier and less awkward than in previous experiences.  I felt free to feel, free to admit I have problems with food, and free to receive support.  It was great.  I'm on day three of abstinent eating, and it's been wonderful.  Hard but wonderful. 

[Jett]

I'm really glad to hear that your meeting went well, and that a friend you already knew was there and you were able to share. Hopefully, you and the friend may be able to help keep each other accountable in person.

[Elliott907]

I'm really glad to hear that your meeting went well, and that a friend you already knew was there and you were able to share. Hopefully, you and the friend may be able to help keep each other accountable in person.

 

I'm hoping so!   Meeting again tomorrow.  This week sucked, food-wise, because I forgot I had company coming into town.  Ugh.  But I'm trying.