Chanda

You saw the Dalai Lama! Awesome! So exciting!!!! I came over to double post and issue a person to person challenge, should you choose to accept! (you dont have too... and if you do I can start a thread over in the PVP area just for it. I've been thinking about your breakfast question too, in fact I woke up at 3am thinking about it. Something was troubling me about your question and at 3am last night it hit me. You should not be waiting until you are at work before you eat your breakfast! How long does it take you from when you wake up to when you actually eat your breakfast? As far as I know, it is generally agreed and recommended that one should eat breakfast within 30min to 1 hour of waking up! The theory being that waiting longer than that means your metabolism can slow down and you shift into "starvation" mode. I have the exact same issue. I like to eat my breakfast at work while reading emails. It means I have my breakfast 1.5 to 2.5 hours after I get up. If you are not sitting at your desk eating breakfast within 30min to 1 hour of waking up, I would like to challenge you to a PVP challenge... lets eat something before we leave the house in the mornings. Within 1 hour of waking up! We can still eat the rest of the breakfast or just a nice cup of tea/coffee while reading the emails at work! The bonus: you dont have to worry about stinking up the office with your eggs, or tuna or anything else you choose to eat! What do you say? And let me tell you, should you choose to accept, this will hurt me big time... I have 2 little girls that need caring for in the morning, which is why I dont eat my breakfast before going to work. They get a bottle of milk as soon as they wake up and then breakfast in the kindergarden within 1 hour of waking up... its just mom who waits 2 hours before eating or drinking. How silly is that?

Thats a lovely quote. I may just print it out and stick it to the wall in front of my desk. I've been thinking about your breakfast question too, in fact I woke up at 3am thinking about it. Something was troubling me about your question and at 3am last night it hit me. You should not be waiting until you are at work before you eat your breakfast! How long does it take you from when you wake up to when you actually eat your breakfast? As far as I know, it is generally agreed and recommended that one should eat breakfast within 30min to 1 hour of waking up! The theory being that waiting longer than that means your metabolism can slow down and you shift into "starvation" mode. I have the exact same issue. I like to eat my breakfast at work while reading emails. It means I have my breakfast 1.5 to 2.5 hours after I get up. If you are not sitting at your desk eating breakfast within 30min to 1 hour of waking up, I would like to challenge you to a PVP challenge... lets eat something before we leave the house in the mornings. Within 1 hour of waking up! We can still the rest of the breakfast or just a nice cup of tea/coffee while reading the emails at work! The bonus: you dont have to worry about stinking up the office with your eggs, or tuna or anything else you choose to eat! What do you say?

Thats exactly what I would like to do. With my 2 girls its not realistic. Thats my issue at the moment. I would love nothing more than to sort the whole giant mess and keep sorting and purging until it was reduced to the bare essentials. I just dont have the luxury to spread out! Whatever I do has to be contained in a small space and amount of time, so it can be put away when I need to stop. I am sure this is what is holding me back at the moment. Hmmm, this may be a break through of some kind... Thanks ! Yours is an excellent system... Thank you for sharing!

Fellow Druids, Where are you all? This thread is far too quiet. Hope you are busy showering some attention all over the other guilds. Believe me it is worth poking around outside our guild, lots of good stuff going on out there! Go out and explore... motivate and help those in need!

100 per minute. Nice. Not sure I'll have reach 100/min. I do intend to keep the rope handy too for future workouts... I really enjoyed that Battle. Fingers crossed for you... hope you get that job!

Absolutely it helps! Arch strength is what I knew I need to work on for sure. I hadn't even considered the achilles! Stretching the achilles makes a lot of sense too... Brilliant! Thank you!!!!

Awesome goals! I particularly like your life goal! Talk to my immediate family members on a regular basis. Thats something I could really do with! I might steal that idea... Now I've wondered on over from the Battle Round 3 post, after reading your question to tell you, no reason why you can't have pumpkin pie! Look here: http://twelve-in-twelve.com/2012/10/everyday-paleo-pumpkin-pie-recipe/ The recipe does call for a food processor to reduce the nuts into flour, I see no reason why you couldnt buy the nuts already ground into flour from a store (maybe not in your everyday supermarket, but some other more health oriented store?) - so you should be able to do this one without a food processor. I am not quite sure if you are allowing yourself butter (you did say in your post dairy is ok), in any case I would say the quantity is so small that is close to negligible in this case. It is the season of pumpkin after all, and life is supposed to be fun too! Now if that pumpkin pie isnt enough to satisfy your pumpkin cravings, look here and be prepared to be instantly drooling: http://punchfork.com/recipes/pumpkin/paleo Enjoy!

It is so hard to hold back from something we really want to do. Consider it as mental strength training! I've also heard that good visualization is very helpful in improving performance. It sounds like you are on the right track. I'll be hoping that you get good news from the x-ray and that the pain subsides quickly!

Looks like you guys are being overloaded with questions! Deep down we are all Scouts at heart! Thanks so much Erick! That already answers one of my 2 running related questions. I've successfully run many miles without injury thanks to good shoes that helped with my almost flat feet and pronation issues. The shoes allowed me to run with some pretty bad form including heel striking. I am now preparing to start running again an plan to start slow and ensure my form is right. At the moment I am focusing on my feet... My other question has to do with rebuilding/strengthening feet. What are the best exercises for that? (not aiming to run barefoot, goal is minimalist shoes with good posture).

Oh this is excellent advise! Thank you Laura and LuckyMe! For breakfast and portable nothing beats a banana! No reason why you couldnt take carrots, capsicums, some nuts, leftover meat from the night before. Also dont discount the eggs. Fresh eggs, cooked properly don't smell. http://www.ehow.com/about_5299653_do-boiled-eggs-smell.html Oh and go take a look at livingroovy's menu plans on her thread. Lots of great ideas there!

Shivers as she looks at all the shadows around... wonders what lurks hidden beyond the light. In the spirit of things and to give others an opportunity to help out, I could use help with the following: 1. Any ideas on how to tackle my "desk hoard". 16 very tightly packed boxes and 15 "cubes" of stuff? (accumulated and compacted over many years) - Burn it all is not an option... and I already know about "set a timer and do 15min at a time". 2. Best exercises to "rebuild my feet" for running 3. Best exercises for core strength also aimed at running In return I offer my help... what can I assist with?

You are on the right track. It takes some people many years and failed attempts to realize what you now know. Some people never figure it out. The goals you set yourself look realistic. I look forward to seeing how you progress and providing support/encouragement if you need it. Welcome to the Druids!

The new avatar looks awesome! Great work on week 3. Holidays can really derail our efforts. You did great considering that you were on holiday for part of the week! So this is the week we conquer the desks is it?

86k? Wow! Thats really impressive. May I ask how many per minute? I think the best I could do was 60 per minute. But I only just learned 6 days ago... just wondering how fast those who know what they're doing can jump!

One does not become a black belt overnight, there is a long road ahead of you. Your mind already has the determination of a black belt. Give your body time to catch up with your mind. By all means push your body hard. Just don't break it please! Part of being a Monk is learning to listen to your body. I mean really listen. Recognize when you can push and when you need to slow down and take the time to heal. This sounds like one of those occasions. Giving your body a chance to heal doesn't mean you stop. When you can't train your body, you can train your mind! Read about Kuk Sool Won, watch other practitioners. Visualize the moves you have learned so far. There is always something to do!

In the spirit of things and to give others an opportunity to help out, I could use help with the following: 1. Any ideas on how to tackle my "desk hoard". 16 very tightly packed boxes and 15 "cubes" of stuff? - Burn it all is not an option... and I already know about "set a timer and do 15min at a time". 2. Best exercises to "rebuild my feet" for running 3. Best exercises for core strength also aimed at running What can I help you with???

Fellow Druids, Ours is a gentle Guild, we seek balance and knowledge. This post is the place to come to share your knowledge, to ask for help or both! With Battle 3 came a call to share knowledge and encouragement across the Guilds. Let this thread be used not just now during Battle 3, but also throughout the whole challenge. By sharing knowledge our knowledge grows, in offering help and encouragement we ourselves find motivation. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do. - Goethe Fellow Druids, lets us do what we do best!

Some days we need to take the time to recuperate! Cant go at it full speed 100% of the time. Give yourself some credit for that! I too have a high demand job. Some days are so hard that when I get home my brain hurts just trying to decide wether to have a cup of tea or a glass of water. Its exactly on those days that is really helpful to make a little bit of progress. Pick some "brainless" task and spend a few minutes on it. Yardwork sounds perfect. How about setting a timer and telling yourself you'll do just 5 to 20min? Its OK to work for just a few minutes. If when the timer goes off you feel like doing more then go for it. Otherwise, put your tools away and pat yourself on the back. Then do some more the next day. Contrary to what many people say, its OK to do a big job in many small steps!

Welcome! I dont know what the protocol is on awarding points... but either way you can only win by participating! You're a fellow runner? I love running, even though at the moment I am stranded as I consider myself too heavy and out of shape to do it. It will be one of my goals for the next challenge. I think you've picked really good and achievable goals. Great job! The only advice I would be a little bit more specific in your definition: Goal 1: What do you plan to do to loose the 1lb? More exercise? Cut out some junk food? Goal 2: What constitutes formal exercise in your books? And how long? Goal 4: What additional chores do you plan to do? I look forward to seeing your progress and cheering you on!

First of all congratulations on jumping in and not waiting until the next challenge to get started. It would be so easy to just say I'll wait until the next one! Wow! We have so much in common... Seriously! Goal 1 (Health) Lose 8.5lbs I am also attempting to loose weight (trying to get to pre-pregnancy weight - I had 2 babies, so I have 2 goal weights to work towards), I didn't write that as my "goal" because it is so hard to control weight loss. Instead I focused on exercise and learning about how I am eating by counting my calories (what I've learned so far: 1. did you know that some coffees have over 600 calories???? seriously! 2. when I eat healthy I struggle to eat as many calories as I need to eat for the day, it takes a huge amount of food!). I don't intend to count calories forever... just as long as it takes me to begin knowing instinctively how much I need to eat to stay healthy and have energy. Make eating well and exercise your lifestyle and those last few pounds will be gone before you know it! I've lost 6 pounds so far without even trying... if I loose another 6 by the end of the year I will be extremely happy. If you want more details on what I am doing send me a message and I'll point you in the right direction. You've probably heard this already from others... but a good tip for your next challenge: If you do want to set the goal of loosing a particular number of pounds in a certain amount of time, a good approximation is 1 pound per week. That is a healthy weight loss target that ensures minimal loss of muscle (or so I am told). And as everyone will tell you here... we muscle is good, we dont want to loose muscle!!! Goal 2 (Fitness) Walk 50 miles Walking is great! I love walking... and running. So far I walked to Rivendell. I should get started on the walk to Mordor too! Great way to loose some weight and it works as a form of meditation too. Got a problem? Go for a walk! Goal 3 (Fitness) Exercise 3 times a week I too am working towards exercising 3 times a week! I hope you find the time to do it. I like how you defined exactly what you would be doing and have a very clear vision of what you are working towards! Great! Goal 4 (Mental) Work on Christmas Project Well done for starting on Christmas stuff well in advance. I am a cross stitcher! No time to stitch at the moment... hoping to get back to it and my designing soon. I look forward to seeing your progress. Do share a picture of your finished work!!!! Small tip: Each time you stop, know exactly what colour and area you are going to work with next. That saves a huge amount of time the next time you pick up the project again! Bonus Goal - Drink More Water Well done on keeping up with this bonus challenge, it is so incredibly important for your health! I am fortunate that I like to drink water. And I prefer it at room temperature because I can often taste the "frigde" flavour in the water. I do know that many people dont like plain water. Did you know that you can flavour water? Maybe that will help make it easier to drink? A slice of fruit is often enough to give the water a subtle flavor (I like things like a slice of orange or lemon, or crushed mint leaves). I've also been known to refill my tea cup with water, it has just a hint of the tea flavour (same with coffee)... so long as the coffee/tea didnt have milk it works really well. Oh and I forget to add... I am a flybaby! I've modified the system to work for me. Fallen off the wagon many times, I keep getting up again, dusting myself and getting back on. Each time I a little bit more sticks with me. Are you also a flybaby? You are definitely on the right track! Keep going!!!!

Me? You guys keep motivating me all the time. So allow me to make a tiny correction: If we continue doing what we do the whole time we ALL win! Actually we need to do what we do all the time 10 times more... because with our small numbers we are likely to be flooded by inspiration from the other guilds! ) Hi Metal Violet, The Druids and the Monks do have a lot in common! Glad you came by to say hello. Any dealings I have had with members from other guilds have all been positive (even when that guild was the one we were going up against). Everyone is here to get better... so everyone is super friendly! Maybe for the next challenge you can apprentice with the Druids? You are welcome here anytime!

Re-replied from the Adventurers Battle 3 post: Well, I am a glorious 38 going on 39. I can tell you from personal experience... life after turning 30 is much much better! Not that I didnt have fun before that... but let me tell you the really good stuff all started happening after turning 30. Get ready for it! Now in terms of music, and maybe I am showing my age here... I find that Gypsy Kings were always great to brighten up a party (at least some of their songs). And of course, nothing like bringing back some of the great hits from the 80s/90s... Got no suggestions here as it is very personal, but you'll know which ones make you smile and want to dance when you hear them! Take a few minutes to reflect on what hits always got you going when you were a wee young lady... go back down memory lane! Oh and for spooky? Rocky Horror Picture Show cant be beaten. Some gems in there!

Your food always sounds delicious... Far more healthy than what we eat... and we eat quite healthy already! Sounds like an interesting plan to rearrange things. Do you have enough space in your bedroom to also exercise? Thats nice! I have my stuff in a trunk in the living room.

The next challenge starts tomorrow. It is only 4 days... Monday to Thursday. I am rather curious about what it will be! This past challenge was so much fun! This little Guild is awesome, so motivating and inspiring! All the dates are here: http://www.nerdfitness.com/community/showthread.php?18963-FALL-FRENZY-CHALLENGE-RULES! If we somehow manage to win the next round we get 2 weeks off. Not sure if thats a good or a bad thing!

I just had a look at your "on a journey to being whole post" and wow! You are inspiring already... Well done for leaving an abusive relationship! Well done for taking the first steps towards being healthy and whole again! Knowing that it will take at least a couple of years to get to your target weight is really important. Sounds like you are absolutely on the right track! Great work!