J-Rex

Day 3 Feels like a colourful day today.... DIET 5am Protowhey Double Choc Protein Shake + water 50g Leftover Steak 200g Mashed Sweet Potato 9am 95g "Light" Tuna - Springwater variety 500g Mixed Veges (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, Onions, Sweet Potato and Eggplant + Cracked Black Pepper) 1215pm CeleryGranny Smith Apple Granny Smith Apple1/2 cup Carrot1/2 cup Celery 415pm Carmen's Almond and Apricot Muesli Bar (Not Paleo I know, but it was a sample, it was in my car, and I was hungry haha) 6pm 2 cups Green Tea 100g Corned Beef (Silverside) Homemade salad (Mixed leaves, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber) EXERCISE 345am 10 minute run (10.5km/h, treadmill) 60 minute Strength circuit, same as Monday PLUS compound rows 3 x 12 reps, 47.5kg (pin-loaded) My back's been a little ache-y so I'm taking it easy tonight and having an early one to catch up on those beloved Zzz's =D I'm happy with my efforts and I feel like I'm holding strong!! My mood has improved severely since Monday too, and I'm putting my money on the clean eating and exercise having a lot to do with it. If anybody's got any tips or feedback in regards to my diet and/or exercise, feel free to share =D

DAY 2 Sleep was absolutely incredible and probably could have done with a little more, but I wanted to run before work so I wouldn't keep myself awake tonight =] Straight into it,LESGO! DIET 5am Protowhey Double Choc Protein Shake + water 50g Leftover Steak Leftover Mixed veges Handful of grapes Decaf Coffee 730am 30g Go Natural Fruit and Nut Snack Bar 9am 95g "Light" Tuna - Tomato and Capsicum 500g Mixed Veges (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, Onions, Sweet Potato and Eggplant + Cracked Black Pepper) 1215pm 1/2 cup Celery 1/2 cup Carrot Granny Smith Apple 430pm 1/2 serving Protowhey Double Choc Protein Shake + water Slice of pineapple 7pm 50g Steak Homemade salad (Mixed leaves, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber) Again, My Fitness Pal estimates that I've consumed approx 1313 calories but I'm pretty sure this is closer to the amount of fuel I should be consuming daily so I'm happy =] I feel better than I did yesterday however I was absolutely STARVING at 730am, hence the emergency snack (so glad I keep them in my locker at work!) despite having more for breakfast.... but I think that's just next-day effects of weights training. Kept it lighter today with some cardio and PVC pipe rolling =] EXERCISE 345am 20 minute run (10.5km/h run - treadmill)

DAY 1 Welcome to the official FIRST DAY of my battle log =] My morning usually starts at 330am, when I either head to the gym for strength training OR I hit the treadmill/road for a 20 minute run. Today was strength at le gym, so I had my workout gear, work clothes AND lunch all good to go the night before. Awesome gym session followed by a long day at work, but I'm pretty happy with how I've gone so far =] Felt like a run this evening so I did that too and I’m feeling pretty amazing right now. DIET 5am Protowhey Double Choc Protein Shake + water Granny Smith Apple 9am 95g "Light" Tuna 500g Mixed Veges (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, Onions, Sweet Potato and Eggplant + Cracked Black Pepper) 1215pm 1/2 cup Celery 1/2 cup Carrot 530pm 100g Mashed Sweet Potato 7pm Protowhey Double Choc Protein Shake + water 50g (approx.) Steak 2 x Green Tea 50g fresh Pineapple According to the My Fitness Pal, my daily calorie intake has been 1089 calories, although most of the figures there are estimates so I’m going to assume that it’s closer to 1100 calories. I know that with the amount of exercise I usually do I should probably be aiming for between 1200 and 1400 calories daily, but due to yesterday’s binge, I’m really not that hungry. EXERCISE 345am 20 minute HIIT on treadmill, speed variable 405am Strength Circuit SUPERSETS 3 x 10 reps of assisted pull-ups (30kg off body-weight) AND squat + overhead press (10kg weight) 3 x 10 reps of overhead lunges (5kg weight) AND standing chest press (10kg weight) 3 x 10 reps of sumo-stance deadlifts (10kg plus bar) AND bench press (8kg dumbbells) 3 x 12 reps of assisted dips (20kg off body-weight) AND body-weight squats ADDITIONAL EXERCISES 3 x 15 reps single arm rows (12.5kg dumbbell) 3 x 10 body rows 615pm 20 minute run (10.5km/h) Overall pretty happy with today’s efforts and hoping I can back-it-up tomorrow =] Bought a length of PVC pipe the other week to use instead of a foam roller (they wanted $60 for a piece of foam – my PVC pipe cost me $3….) so I’m going to use that for a few minutes before bed to loosen up the calves and hamstrings. Ahhhh sleep will be amazing tonight….

Thank you for your support!!! I've booked in with a few health professionals to get to the root of the problem and to hopefully plan an attack, so I'll keep yall updated on the progress =] It's pretty awesome to hear from people that can relate on here =] If I can help you guys out let me know =D

Hey all Decided to start my own Battle Log here as previously I've used the My Fitness Pal app on my iphone, but let's face it, it's not exactly accurate and it's super easy to manipulate in order to reach calorie goals/deficits. I figure it's still a great tool to get a basic idea of how many calories I'm consuming on a daily basis, but a Battle Log will hopefully help me be more honest and more accountable for my diet. Today actually marks day 30 of the Paleo Diet Challenge for me, so for 30 days I've been trying to follow the Paleo guidelines and I've gotta say, I loved it. I read someone commenting on NF somewhere that Paleo helps you understand the difference between full and bloated-full, and I completely agree. While my energy levels dropped in the first week, once I upped my intake of foods like sweet potato, I found I felt CLEANER and I felt more COMFORTABLE after meals. I did have my usual "cheat" meals and I did keep some of my favourite foods in (like coffee and milk) but overrall I was super happy with the transition and I'd like to go full Paleo with my diet. I really love my veges and I have no problem eating the exact same thing for lunch everyday (I do this for work as it's cheap, easy and I actually really enjoy my vege cook-up lunch) BUT I have a confession which considering everything I've just written, probably doesn't make sense. I am a binge eater, and I have been for probably the last 12-18 months. I binge usually once or twice a week and it's sickening the types of food and sheer amount of food that I gorge on. I have a real problem enjoying foods that I would consider a treat, in treatsize. It's like I can't just have a little bit.... If I have a single piece of chocolate, I spend the next few hours gorging eating anything and everything. If I DON'T have that chocolate due to willpower or because I haven't allowed myself to buy it, I still go on a binge, eating anything and everything remotely similar to chocolate in an attempt to curb a craving that for any normal person COULD have been cured by having just a little bit of chocolate. It isn't just chocolate though, it's anything high in sugar (I'm a sucker for ice-cream and as of late, cake) and very occassionally it's bread or pasta. The worst part about it, is that I don't actually ENJOY the foods I binge on... and I know I won't but I still feel powerless, as though if I just have something else I'll be satisfied. But I never am. After my binges, which usually span for a few hours, I feel sick, sore (due to bloating and water retention) and so horridly guilty. I try to take note of these feelings so I can use them as a deterrent for next time, but once a binge has started, it's pretty difficult to stop or control. It's depressing really... I work and train so hard to just throw it all away the minute I get a craving for something I know I don't really need. It's because of these warped eating habits that I want to switch to Paleo, because I feel like it will teach me more balance in my eating and I have found that the more I TRY to eat Paleo, the less often and less severe the binges are. But they still happen, so I've also decided that I need professional help (whether it be through a nutritionist, counsellor, hypnotherapist or other) and proper coping strategies in order to better understand WHY these binges happen and how I can beat this compulsion to overeat. SO if you're still reading this, today has been one of my famous binge days, and I'm really not proud of it. The binge is over for tonight and luckily it's my bedtime meaning I shouldn't eat again until after my gym session tomorrow. This is awesome, because it gives me a *FRESH START* on my Paleo goals AND because I go straight from bed to gym to work, I have my day's worth of food with me, leaving very little opportunity to choose unhealthy or undesirable additions to my diet. YAY!!!! Looking forward to Day 1 of my new lifestyle and hoping some of you can help me out!! If you've experienced binges like I've described here too I'd love to hear about your experiences and how you're going with them - whether you've banished the binge or are a work-in-progress!!! I'm also open to any advice, tips or just general support you can share with me. Thanks for reading!!!

Thanks Synyster! Ill have a look at the strength topic and see what I can steal from it!

Thanks Renegade =D

Thanks guys!! Preiselbeer - totally understand what you mean! I wasn't going to post an intro but i started to probably 5 times.... so then I figured might as well dive in!!

You're welcome!

Hello and welcome!!! I too am a newbie, but if you havent already, check out the article about DO IT NOW!!! It's all about procrastination haha

I agree completely!!! Everything you needed to know or wanted to ask but felt people wouldnt understand... right here!!! Love it.

Hey Rebels and thanks for checking out my intro =D I've been creeping around NF for a while now and finally feel ready to say g'day =] So I've always been pretty health concious, but it's only been since stumbling upon NF that I've decided to "level-up" my life and to start actually pushing myself to be the person I know I can be. Always been into exercise but whereas I used to train to be SKINNY, I've decided I want to train to be healthy, fit and strong and hopefully in doing so I can drop my body fat percentage. I'm not talking body-building low, but probably around the 18% mark which for a female of my age is perfectly healthy and attainable. Recently had a DEXA scan so that I could determine a starting point and voila, I'm currently sitting at 21.8% bf. Like SO MANY OTHERS I've been obsessed with cardio, thinking that if i slaughter myself on the treadmill I'll get to the size and shape I thought I wanted but since happening upon NF, I've started incorporating more free weight and body weight exercises into my gym routine and HOLY SH*T it's made a difference!!! I feel stronger, I feel healthier and GODDAMN there is some definition happening!!! Not only that, but I've decided I'd rather be the strongest and fittest version of me possible as opposed to the skinny ideal I thought I'd kill for. My next challenge in regards to exercise is to perform unassisted pull-ups and to give barefoot running a go =D With my diet, I've always been an avid vege fan however it's only since joining NF that I've discovered the Paleo diet and the magic it works! I'm still easing into it (today I bought a tonne of almonds so I can make my own milk, bye bye to Cow-y goodness!) but I'm impressed with how much it's improved my insides, outsides and most importantly my perception of food!! I'm a self-confessed binge-eater, and I find that by following the Paleo diet, I don't feel the need to binge and i definitely don't crave the types of foods that i'd usually binge on. That right there tells me that you guys are on to something... So why join the Rebellion when I could just continue creeping? Because I feel like I need more support in achieving my goals and in turn I'd like to support you guys. I want to interact with like-minded people and I want to learn as much as I can about healthy eating, exercise that WORKS and the lifestyle that I think can help me achieve BALANCE!! I want to feel like I'm apart of something and most importantly, I want to make myself proud!! Like I said, I'm still only new to NF and the Rebellion, but I'm pretty stoked to have joined you all here and I'm pretty keen to start living the Rebel life =]

So pretty sure I have to buy a pair of ZEMs now that I've read this thread.... They don't look half bad hey!

Brisbane =D