crimsonrain95

A couple of days in, and it's going pretty well, I'd say. I've managed to get up in time for breakfast every day so far, and I'm already noticing the difference in my energy levels. My strength training is going on steadily too; I've already done two workouts this week. I haven't done a full out tabata trial run to see how much I can do yet, but I'm planning that for tomorrow. I'm also keeping on top of my hiragana, which I did learn at one point but forgot most of; just refreshing my memory at this point before I move onto the katakana.

Signed up for the six week challenge yesterday! See my seperate thread for my goals and progress etc, though I'll try to post a little here as well.

My Starting Point: Weight = 160lbs Squats = 20 Pushups = 5 Bent-Over Row = 8kg Plank = 20s My Goals: Eat breakfast every day - I'm so bad at this...+3 CON if I can achieve it. Complete 10 pushups in a single set - +3 STR +2STA Complete 8 cycles of back-to-back tabata sprints - + 4 DEX Thoroughly learn all hiragana and katakana (Japanese characters) - +3 WISMy Plan: Get up at a reasonable time in the morning so that I can actually eat something healthy. Commit to a balanced strength training programme 3 times a week that will include pushups Commit to sprinting/tabata sprinting sessions 3 times a week (alternate days to strength training) Set aside time each day to review and memorise these characters, instead of wasting my time on the laptop/tv/games console. Well, now that that's done I guess it's time to get started!

Raaaaaarr! I'm back and I'm pumped! Exams are over so its time to kick all the bad habits I picked up to the curb. Starting with dairy. From now on I shall consume no dairy products, drinking only water and kissing my beloved cheese goodbye...wait, that sounded kinda wrong. Anyway, I'm also going to switch my workouts from evening to morning, and carry them out in a fasted state. It'll be tougher, sure, but this is the last push for me to reach my short term goal - I have five weeks remaining. Bring it on!

Swimathon completed today! Did the 5k challenge (that's 200 laps of a 25m pool to you non-swimmers) in 2 hours and 4 minutes, shaving 7 minutes off last year's time. And I haven't been swimming in two months! I suppose its a testament to the work I've been doing fitness-wise. However, on the not-so-good side it was a close friend's 18th birthday today and I felt it would have been discourteous not to partake of the Dominoes pizza and chocolate hedgehog cake (his name was Hugo ). I'm hoping that my work in the pool will go some way towards negating that, and I did only have one other meal today, which was paleo. Back on track for tomorrow - I am absolutely determined.

Managed to fit in another strength session today - though my cardio sessions have gone completely out the window at the moment. I'm hoping that after my last exam on Tuesday I can start working out before breakfast instead of in the evenings, as I have heard good things about pre-breakfast exercise and fat burning etc. And although I absolutely hate running, I'm thinking of replacing my time in the gym with run/walk intervals since my longer-term goal is to start learning parkour. The possibilities that come with free time seem endless!

Nearing the end of my exam period - only four left! It's been a real struggle to eat well, but I've succeeded so far this week. I'm also looking forward to taking part in the UK Swimathon on Sunday, which raises money on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Trust. I'm down for the individual 5k swim, and hoping to beat last year's time of 2 hours 11 mins. Wish me luck!

At this time of the week I normally review my workout routines and alter them so that I keep on pushing myself to get stronger. However, due to the interruptions I experienced last week I have decided to maintain my current routine for another week, to prevent me from injuring myself or from burning out. Last weekend turned out to be a bit of a disaster food-wise, but I am ready to jump back on the wagon with renewed vigour, and hopefully I will learn from this mistake. On the plus side, after weighing myself yesterday I can happily announce that I have lost a stone since starting this new lifestyle. I've not reached my goal yet, but I'm well on my way and determined to see this through.

I had a couple of slips these past couple of days, but I don't feel entirely unjustified in them. Since I had three exams each on Thursday and Friday, my mind was completely exhausted. If what Steve says about willpower being finite is true, my 'willpower' bar had gone into negatives. As a result I had pizza and ice cream last night, and chocolate this afternoon. Still, there is no reason to fret. I shall simply get back on track tomorrow. I did still complete my strength training for this evening, though it was with some difficulty.

Another day completed with no slip ups. Woot! I'm not working out tonight since I have three exams tomorrow - I probably should revise for them...

The day's nearly over, and it's time I should review my workout and such. Contrary to normal routine, I did strength training today, and not without some serious difficulty. At the moment it seems I am really struggling to complete normal push-ups with the correct form. During the first set I lowered myself too much and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Learning from my mistake, I managed to complete the rest of the reps and sets, but I have a feeling it will be a while before I can move onto the next level in this area. Aside from a small pot of organic yoghurt for breakfast and a glass of milk, I ate completely paleo today, so I'm feeling pretty good overall.

I've struggled with the burden of a 'sweet tooth' ever since I can remember, but I'm two months into a paleo + small amounts of dairy diet and now I can't handle sweets. Of course, I still have a desire for them, but even just one donut can make me feel so bloated that I immediately regret it and never want to have one again. In the beginning I relied heavily on foods like bananas, berries and natural yoghurt, and I still enjoy these, but I don't find that I need them so much. So I guess I'm expressing sympathy and the message that it does get easier with time, if you can resist in the short run.

I had a similar result when I decided to go paleo - I lost 7lb in the first week. I agree the feeling is amazing and definitely something to keep you motivated. It certainly did with me, especially since I chose to jump in feet first with no gradual adjustment. That first week was hard, but the results kept me going and I find it much easier to stick with it these days as a result. Good on you!

I started swimming at a very young age, and whilst I'm taking a short break from it at the moment, I miss it every day. Like many people it seems, I prefer distance over sprints and have participated in charity swims in the past such as the UK Swimathon where I swam an individual 2.5k. When I do eventually get back into it though, I'd like to increase my speed just a little, as well as building up proficiency in all four strokes rather than just freestyle.

I've been on paleo + some dairy for a couple of months now, and I would say that so long as you aren't going hungry then you're eating enough. If I were you, I'd focus on losing the weight first while maintaining muscle mass with strength training. Then when your body fat percentage (or scale weight) is lower, start reintroducing some complex carbs such as sweet potatoes or brown rice to get the extra energy for extensive strength training. Up your protein intake at this point too.