Silvertongued

Baby steps are the steps that set us up for a lifetime of running!

I wish I could afford a fitness tracker at the moment but student life has me barely covering my own financial ass! I'll see what I can do with my phone, there's always an app for that.

I admittedly make up most of my smoothie recipes depending what is in season, but I stick to at least 50% leafy greens by volume and I always add a bit of fresh ginger and a squeeze of citrus juice because they are delicious and offset any grassy taste depending what greens I have used!

Hypermobility is a personal speciality of mine (9/9 Beighton, but like you mentioned, it doesn't cover all the joints)! I don't have much advice for wrists, but for ankles, ballet foot exercises really help. Tendus, picking things up with your toes, releves... all strengthen the foot and ankle. This is a great video that only uses a tennis ball and from there there is a whole rabbit warren of videos to explore!

Also following because Buffy! My favourite girly girl asskicker!

It's been years since I logged into this account, and while I have lost 10kg since my highest weight I can't help but think about what I could have done if I had truly committed all those years ago. I know where I went wrong, like so many Spiderman movies I focused on what I wanted to be doing rather than what I needed to be doing.

So let's keep it simple. Here are the things I need to be doing:

• Working out 3 hours a week
• Eating 1500 calories a day
• sleeping 7-9 hours a night

Here are the things I like doing that will help me accomplish those goals:

• Green Smoothie for Breakfast
• Salad with Protein for Lunch
• Few limitations on Dinner
• Two Ballet classes a Week
• A session or two of Zombies 5k a week
• A short Pilates class or Body Weight workout in the morning (15-20 mins)

I eat with my family most nights and while they are generally healthy meals, they are unpredictable macro-wise. I have a history of disordered eating so cutting anything out completely sends me down a rabbit hole, it's better if I accept certain foods might end up on my plate in the evening and if I have eaten plenty of veggies during the day they won't do me harm of regress my progress. I'm a chronic snooze hitter so getting out of bed and doing a little activity first thing sets me up for the day. I'm a post-grad student too, so a lot of my time needs to be self managed and sleeping in is not helping with that.

My main problem is that I feel so good when I live healthily I start to take it for granted and willfully ignore that I need to keep up the lifestyle to continue feeling good. It's that simple, but it's never entered my mind so clearly before. I've never been a healthy weight my entire adult life, so I really am learning from the ground up.

Finally, my current stats: 5'4"/162cm HW: 233lbs/106kg CW: 211lbs/96kg GW: 60kg/132lbs

I would love motivation buddies to chat about our triumphs/hard times as we go through this journey together!

Okay so week one round up!

Stayed 80% Paleo even though it was my dad's birthday this week and I had some of his key lime pie.

Knocked 35 seconds off my running time. I say running, it's still more of a fast walk. 

Still at the "one foot on a chair" stage in the pull up challenge, though I filled a big bag with hard back books to use for rows...

Finished half a book! The first in the Drogonriders of Pern series, I've been looking for copies for about a thousand years.

Also did some knitting, ate venison, and cleaned out my makeup collection this week!

aah yes apparently my life quest got lost in the copypasta machine

Life goal: Read at least three of the books i bought in my last trip to a second hand book shop.

A - Three books read!

B - Two books read.

C - One book read.

D - some of a book read

F - bought more books without reading old ones.

Just for clarification, I'm currently about 80% Paleo, looking to maintain, and can do a pull up with one foot on a chair.

All of this relates to my life goal set out in my first challenge, to sneak in through dinner dates and out through windows, to become a true femme fatale...

So this is my first offical challenge (after last times "tutorial" level) and I am pumped to start again! Let's jump right with goals and grading:

I'm continuing with my femme fatale theme; it makes me want to persevere because I could be Diana Prince or Natasha Romanova depending on the time of day. But they are both super fit and I am like a chubby seal, pretty good at swimming, but dire on land.

Goal One: 80% Paleo throughout challenge! This will require tracking meals and making a meal plan ahead of time. Fatale girls don't live on macarons and toast, they can fend for themselves in all conditions - even when dumped on the side of a mountain somewhere. No cupcakes there.

A - 80+% Paleo

B - 75% Paleo

C - 65% Paleo

D - 50% Paleo

F - lol cereal bars are available everywhere

Goal Two: Being Femme means being able to pull your own weight. Literally. By the end of these six weeks I what to be able to do one unsupported pull up. This is a big goal for me, and it will involve consistent practice and training of all muscle groups.

A - The Pull Up.

B - Dead Hang

C - One foot on a chair

D - Both feet on a chair

F - "I swear I just have slidey hands"

Goal Three: Shave three minutes off 5k time. This is 30 seconds a week, and my 5k time currently stands at *ahem* 55 minutes. I'm a crappy runner, but the femme fatale makes it look easy in heels.

A - -3 mins

B - -2.5 mins

C - -2 mins

D - -1.5 mins

F - -1min

So that's about what I have to say right now! I'll do the rounds through the rest of this thread tomorrow morning!

Wooh! Nice to see someone else who took a while to check in (blushes furiously and guiltily). 

This first challenge has made me realize i should probably start building a strong base with the adventurers, so I'll see you around there!

okay so here are my results:

1. BBWW three times a week.

B - 3 circuits 2 times a week. I'm much better at push ups now.

2. Run/Walk 5k.

A - Did not stop! 55mins, I'll take it.

3. Add three new poses into yoga routine. 

B - Two poses practiced to a proficient level and incorporated!

Not quite ready on Crow, Dancer and W3 good.

Have to focus on getting back to paleo next challenge, I'm so bloated right now (girl problems, food problems) i have no idea if i've lost inches...

Technically the money thing was not a complete fail, but my uni books cost so much I'm broke again anyway.

Two B's and an A! I think that's enough to move on to level 1!

guess whose laptop fan gave out

this guy

so the last couple of weeks i've been relying on my phone email to keep my updated (well done everyone) and been unable to post myself

so i'll be rounding up my final results to post tomorrow morning!

next challenge I'll make posting more frequently my life goal 

aww man, it sucks about your toe! I dislocated my hip at the beginning of the year, and my running speed took a nosedive. The damn thing just kept locking up on me. I was nineteen. I spent a lot of time on the elliptical before getting back of the treadmill, intervals were alright to do on the elliptical if i cracked up the resistance. Yu might be able to be something similar of a bike?

Just ease into it and access how you feel as you go. If you're in pain, ease off immediately! (Lesson learned the hard way, on a treadmill.)

Diet is definitely going to be one of my goals next challenge; I'm such a failure at meal planning (and packing) that it's probably going to make me poor and chubby in the long run. And by the long run i mean right now. Seeing your progress has so inspired me!

that contortionist's handbook site is great. I've used it a lot because there are no classes within an hour, and hell if i go further than that. I'm still trying to get into splits for some reason... (*cough* inconsistent practicing *cough*)

I AM A WEINER WHEN IT COMES TO UPDATING BUT NOT A WEINER WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING OUT

yeah, I suck at updating, especially as I had three assignments due this week. But I reached my workout goals and invited my friends round for a holiday get together!

I got my BBWW up to 3 rounds, though I'm still doing "girl" push ups. 

Made a dress yesterday from a pattern that fit a couple of months ago, took in about three inches from the ribcage. That was a good feeling, but I also thought about all the alterations i'll have to do in a few months...

Another week disappeared! Uni has been hectic, but the good kind of hectic. I've been fitting in half an hour of exercise a day, and I admit I meant to reply to you lovely people sooner.

Got into Crow for a breath today, quite proud of that. Will do measurements on Monday morning as halfway point. Hearing people love my theme makes me want to continue too!

I didn't disappear I swear...

I ate mango and coconut milk jelly for breakfast

and nachos for late lunch/dinner (corn chips, chili, cheese)

ran 5k, did yoga. Thinking about checking measurements tomorrow, or maybe putting it off until the halfway point??

Will decide tomorrow morning.

Have i seriously not posted in four days? Oh dear.

Kept up will all my workouts this week, eating primal, knocked three minutes off my 5k time. Not much to report. Ready to knock BBWW up to 3 rounds starting tomorrow. Got to work on Crow pose more, Dancer and Warrior 3 coming along nicely.

Ate homemade nachos for lunch/dinner. They were great, and I only wanted a snack after my workout.

Will check in more often next week!

Well I may not have been here a few days but I haven't been idle. But first, today I ate:

Cheese and carrot wrap

jack and ginger

five chips

half a small frozen coke

four squares of chocolate

one sausage

I know this is erratic. I know it isn't enough. But it's that time of the month and I may be the only menstruating woman in the world that gets put off food almost entirely for those few days.

So yeah, even though I worked out today I feel like throwing up every time I smell food (I bet I'm going to be a  joy when/if I get pregnant). Tomorrow will be better.

In other news! Dislocated first two fingers of right hand (again) so finally made some ring splints. The difference is amazing.

Yoooooooooo

So I thought I better check in because I haven't for a few days:

Did BBWW yesterday

Did 5k today

Did yoga yesterday

Flirted (?) today

Saw The World's End today

Got all my workouts in last week

BBWW tomorrow (gonna do 3 rounds in anticipation of next week)

Gotta go food shopping soon because I had to resort to eating a cheese and carrot wrap today.

Work knackered me. Did 30 mins quite full on yoga this evening, feeling it in my abs right now.

Today I ate:

Shaved Chicken

Jerky

Banana

Bacon, apple, apricot, walnut, beetroot salad.

beetroot and venison salami

pear

peas, bacon, onion, eggs, more beetroot

dairy food

raspberries

She's amazing alright! I was too knackered to work out after work (lifting rugs will do that) but tomorrow is a short day so I'll be fine! ONE MORE WORKOUT AND I GET AN A THIS WEEK.

Epic yoga session today. Hovered in Crow Pose for about a second. This video has been invaluable in getting me up there. 

Working this weekend, so I won't feel like working out, but I've got to fit in one more session of BBWW to meet my goals! I am determined to do it.

I always here about Larabars but I've never found them where I live. They seem great for lunches/snacks at uni. Might give a couple of recipes a try before next week!

Your workout sounds intense! Well done on finishing it!

I just saw your board! I love it! I might make one for myself that goes along with my challenge theme.

My yoga mat cost about $30, it's an Everlast one I like for its thinness, though sometimes I put down a towel to protect my knees (and sometimes face in inversions). Some combination of that might help?