deftona

Feel Good Inc. Ok we're ignoring the actual meaning of this song which is an utter mindfuck and just focusing on the title. It's heavy artistic license on my part. I have been trying to do my usual workhorse style challenges that always worked for me in the past. These need a high level of discipline and effort, and I actually love this style of challenge when I am in the zone for them. This year has brought a few challenges, firstly with my back issues that have raised their ugly head again meaning I am still in the healthcare system undergoing tests and consultations to see what my treatment options are. Secondly there is work, where my job has changed so much in the 18 months I have been doing it, I am now working many bands above my actual paygrade, all on my own. On one hand I love this. I love how I am responsible for a project impacting 13,000 people and I am the go to expert across the whole institution for something. I love how I have created this, implemented processes and trained the rest of the team on them. But I do not love that I am not being appropriately remunerated for the job I am doing. Luckily my manager agrees and is furious on my behalf and trying to get justice. However, with restructuring just around the corner it's not the best time to be raising my head above the parapet and demanding more money. We're having to play it carefully and wait and see what's on the plan. I'm repeatedly told I am seen as a loss risk and they don't want to lose me but I won't hold my breath. So the work stuff brings stress that I would normally work through in the gym but I am being stymied by my back issues. But the thing about the back issues is that too little exercise is as bad as too much so it's a difficult balance to achieve. I would normally set goals like "120 minutes of cardio per week" or "3 strength training sessions per week" but right now this isn't helpful because that will cause me to push too hard and set myself back. Feel Good Exercise (When was the last time you felt so good at the gym you pointed to the middle distance and laughed?) So I am going to focus on what feels good, and ask myself "Do I think a workout will make me feel good, all things considered?" If the answer is yes, I will train. If not, I will rest and take baths and painkillers. There is no goal for fitness minutes or distance travelled but I am tracking them and I will publish my weekly metrics on this. Feel Good Food (when was the last time what you were eating made you feel so good you broke the fourth wall?) Similarly, I want the food I eat to make me feel good. I will do CICO, because ultimately the goal here is weight loss and getting back to my pre-injury fighting weight. I will eat a salad every day. Either a smaller one for lunch, or a giant one with all the trimmings for dinner. Not only will this help keep my calories in check, but it will ensure I am eating enough veggies. Because I also want to get my 5 a day every day too. It helps my skin look peng . Feeling good in my body and my clothes is the best feeling in the world and I want to chase this again. Feel Good Self Care (When was the last time you felt so good in yourself you lay down on the grass and beamed at the sungod?) Self Care also makes me feel good, and this means lots of different things. It's taking care of myself in mind, body and spirit and as work is so stressful, my evenings need to be spent unwinding and bringing myself back to my baseline. This can mean lots of different things - a glass of wine in the bath, reading a good book, watching some low investment TV, learning something, cooking an intricate meal or just chatting to my boyfriend on the phone. Feel Good Home (when was the last time you felt so good in your home you arranged your books on the coffee table and draped yourself coquettishly over an armchair?) A clean and tidy home also makes me feel good, and when my house descends into chaos so does my mind and I start being lax on everything else and it's not good for me. A clean and tidy space motivates the shit out of me, so I will focus on my environment making me feel good too. This challenge is all about chasing the good feeling, but not pure decadence. Health feels better than anything else and this is the ultimate goal. New challenge, gooooooo!

Hey! Things are going fair to middling. Back issues means I am still very much in the rehab stage at best, probably realistically pre-rehab. I can get back to exercise but I can't push it so the 3 x 30 minutes of exercise hasn't yet been achieved in a week but I have managed two sessions for the last two weeks so it is definite progress! Thanks for checking in

Following, as always! ❤️

Following along!

Following! Your success over the last few months is massively inspiring and I'm hoping it will infect me!

This is my life right now too. Let's be flaky together! Hugely underrated, should be listed as a perk on job ads.

Hey! Following as always

Hi there! Following along, as I always do

This. There's no way you should be penalised for *those calves* and *dat* ass.

Stay strong Cheetah, I really hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for you soon.

Thanks Shello, I really appreciate it. And backatcha <4 Thanks Snarks, back at you too! Thanks Cheetz Very unlikely to find a fix for the back with or without surgery. I think it will just be a case of managing the symptoms and hoping to stay as mobile as possible. Thanks Sil. My parents are great though, really supportive.

🥰

Update! Oh wow, another week has passed without an update again. I'm not good at this am I? Snackboxing has been going really well. I didn't make one for Saturday or Sunday which was a mistake but lessons learned and all that. My back has been getting a bit better but the exercise I did last Monday wasn't a great idea in the end as I think it set me back somewhat. I am about to do another sesh though so I guess I don't learn lessons. This time it's cardio and I'm going to see how I respond to this for a few days before trying again. It's a play by ear kind of situation. My weekend was emotional af, and we had a rough end to the week with talks of our plans. It seems like we find a workaround and then it all goes to shit again and it's pretty exhausting. TH came over on Saturday too and that was pretty hard. Dinner with parents was also hard as I caught them up with everything. Gah.

No, but I can't have the surgery at this stage anyway. Going to see what shows up in the MRI and then forward plan from there. Mixed bag tbh!

Week One (For me) progress - + 0.8 lbs. Well that looks pretty crappy but until this morning I was actually running at a pretty good loss. Went out for dinner with the family yesterday and this is where the upswing was, Expecting a bigger drop next week so not crying about it!

Happiest of birthdays to you!

May the odds be ever in your favour!

Ah, I meant to add this onto @DarK_RaideR's original post but you put the bread on foil and then roll up the edges to cover the corners and edges of the bread, leaving the kiev uncovered. This means it won't burn, just toast.

Sorry to hear of the stresses - I hope as soon as you sort out the mortgagey bits sleep will return. Want me to delete?

The best advice I can give you is to try and take her at face value. If she didn't want to talk to you, she probably just... wouldn't. She is texting back and communicating with you, and it may even be something of a test to see how you are with her boundaries. Not saying that definitely is it, but it's something to consider. It's lovely to see you this excited though, so try to enjoy it rather than worrying about everything! It's an exciting and happy time, don't over politicise it and take away from the joy.

We do not 🤣 If you told someone here you drank squirt they would think you'd been doing something much more fun.

That's an interesting name. I hope your stomach feels better soon!

Wishing you strength for your peopleing.

Monday Update Back on it again. I started the day with a booty workout and it hurt my back quite a bit but I finished it. Work was busy, a colleague had some personal stuff going on so I spent a lot of time talking to him to make sure he was ok. He isn't. He's basically going through what I went through last summer so I'll lend an ear when he's ready to talk about it but until then I will be in full cheering up mode. I snackboxed because I'm back on it, and disregarding my morning coffee which I didn't have in line with fasting rules, I didn't eat anything until my lunch at 1:30 which was half a portion of stilton and broccoli soup, a pickled egg and a couple of slices of pepperoni. I did a couple of hours overtime in the evening and then cooked a chicken burger with mixed veg and sweet potato fries for dinner. I had a hot bath, did my Duolingo and finished my book in bed while waiting for D_R to get back from his evening with his mom. I had intended for an early night but it didn't quite happen. I highly recommend The Midnight Library. I have started to read this book before but always put it down, and that I finished it this time only backs up my theory books come to you when you need them. While D_R was here, he'd snuggle me at night and tell me stories until I fell asleep. Mostly mythology, but other stuff too, He recorded himself reading a book and sent me the file last night so I fell asleep listening to his lovely voice. I can't quite cope with how wonderful this man is. 7/7 goals nailed. In for calories, great water levels, compliant spending, vitamins taken, Duolingo smashed.

😭