Maireaine

Welcome to the group, BearsBeets! I love Skyrim. Like Oblivion and Morrowind (and the Fallout games), it's one of those that I keep going back to. I know I probably have hundreds and hundreds of hours of playtime in Oblivion, so I expect it'll be the same with Skyrim over the years.

Ugh. Didn't have a good weekend at all. We had to make an emergency out of town trip, so no work outs and my eating was abyssmal. I intended to weigh and measure myself this morning before my run, but none of that happened. I think I'll do tomorrow's workout this evening, and run in the morning. On the bright side, my clothes are starting to fit a little better except for my tops. Those are fitting better in the chest and stomach area, but are getting tighter in the arms. I showed my husband and he said, "Baby, you've got guns now!" That made my day! I've definitely noticed how much better I feel when I cut the bad carbs. I have more energy, no headaches and my skin looks better. I've always had really red, splotchy skin on my face and it's going away! I actually felt comfortable enough to go out to the movies yesterday with no makeup! (We saw The Wolverine on Friday and went back to watch Ghostbusters on the big screen yesterday!) I just need to keep reminding myself of all the benefits of eating this way so maybe I won't be so tempted. Hoping everyone has a great week!

Friday, August 2, 2013 This really hasn't been a good day. I tossed and turned all night, finally fell asleep sometime after 4. Slept through my alarm clock and ended up scarfing down some cereal so I wouldn't be late for work. Bad idea. I've had a headache, which I think is partly exhaustion and partly the cereal. I almost don't want to go to the movies, but it's really the only time we'll be able to. I'm not seeing in SWTOR in my cards for tonight. Breakfast: cereal (boo!) Snack: banana and a handful of trail mix Lunch: pizza (boo!) Snack: apple and almond butter Dinner: ?? though I probably won't be hungry I've already used the two days I've allowed myself for straying from Paleo. I'll have to kill it this weekend.

Thanks! I've been struggling to build upper body strength for a long time, and kneeling push-ups just weren't doing anything. Push-ups are HARD! LOL I also think I need to work a lot on my core strength; that would probably help. I'm going to add push-ups and planks to my daily routine. Must be stronger! I love love love the Zombies, Run! app. The 5k app is similar to the C25k, but with a bit of story and, of course, zombies. I can't wait to 'graduate' to the regular app. I tried the first mission a long time ago when it first came out and it was so intense (in a fun way!) I'd love to do one of those zombie runs someday!

Thursday, August 1, 2013 Up early again for the start of week 2 in the Zombies, Run 5k program. It ended up being a shorter distance than I expected; just 2.1 miles in 33:44 minutes. I felt pretty good though and ended up jogging quite a bit of the ending free-form. Breakfast: two eggs, handful of spinach, and 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon Snack: banana Lunch: I ended up going on a little road trip with my boss to check out some of the new oil rigs and whatnot, so I ate out. I had some beef brisket, coleslaw, and beans. Snack: granny smith apple with almond butter Since beans are non-Paleo, today is going to be one of my two allowed days to go off-track. Tomorrow is going to be craaaaazy at work, so hopefully I'll be able to keep my momentum. Had a bit of a headache today, but I didn't drink as much water as usual. Also! My husband and I are going to see Wolverine tomorrow. Woo! With all honesty, I'll probably have a soda so...I'm going to have to be strong on Saturday and Sunday.

West Texas summers are awful. I just love it when it's already hot at 5 a.m. :-( Have a good time in Lubbock!

I've been posting my challenge logs over on my challenge thread, but I think I'm going to move those here and just do quick summaries on the challenge thread. Starting measurements: Weight: 123 lbs. Waist (at bellybutton): 30.9 inches Thigh: 21.9 inches Bicep: 10.7 inches I forgot to measure my hips. Monday, July 29, 2013 Today was a great start to the next six weeks! I woke up early for my Zombies, Run! 5k workout -- 2.39 miles in 37:41 minutes. I'm glad I got up this morning to do it because after the craziness at the office I really don't feel like doing anything. Eggs with spinach and bacon for breakfast; banana mid-morning. Seasoned chicken and beef fajita meat (with peppers and onions) and steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for lunch. I ate half an apple, but it was horrible (grainy and old tasting), so I didn't finish it. Mid-afternoon I had some raw almonds for a snack even though I really really wanted a Milky Way. I'm going to get some dark chocolate for when those chocolate cravings strike. Will update after I eat dinner. Dinner update: Roasted chicken thigh (no skin, it was all soft and floppy and gross) and about 2 servings of green beans. I avoided the temptation of corn-on-the-cob and potato salad. Woo! (Edited to include dinner). Tuesday, July 30, 2013 My early morning workout didn't happen as I didn't get nearly enough sleep to be able to get up at 5 a.m. So after work workout it is! Breakfast: two whole eggs with spinach (where has this been all my life?) and crumbled bacon Snack: a banana Lunch: the rest of the leftover fajita meat and about 3 servings of steamed broccoli and carrots. (I picked out the baby corn.) Snack: sliced granny smith apple Will update later with dinner and workout. Hopefully I'll also have time to go read some other's challenges. Update: I actually didn't eat dinner. I just wasn't hungry. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Workout: Half push-ups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3 TOTAL=36 Let Me Ins: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2 TOTAL=63 Seated Dips: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1 TOTAL=51 Lat Pull Downs (@80 lbs): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 TOTAL=71 Food/exercise-wise, this was a pretty good day. But I've ended the day feeling frustrated and honestly, cranky. My co-workers are being awesome with the change to Paleo. They're holding me accountable, they've even brought some Paleo-friendly treats so I don't feel left out. Things aren't so good at home. My mother-in-law bought a chocolate cake (a 6 lb. cake!!!) and all evening my in-laws were trying to get me to eat some. I didn't, but it did leave my angry after an otherwise good day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Didn't sleep well again last night. (Note to self: for next six-week challenge, make quality sleep a goal.) I woke up at about 4:30 and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I just got up and did today's workout. Reverse Lunges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6 TOTAL=34 1 Leg Romanian Deadlifts (w/ 10 lbs) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 TOTAL=36 Squats: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 6 TOTAL=66 Swimmers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 7 TOTAL=43 Plus!!! I did my very first full push-up! Just the one, but woo-hoo! Followed by a set of 4 and a set of 3 half-pushups! Progress! Breakfast: two eggs with spinach and crumbled bacon. I'm not sure how much spinach, I just tossed in a handful. Snack: banana Lunch: grilled chicken breast with a whole bunch of green beans (canned). I also had a square of Green & Black's 85% dark chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth. Snack: sliced granny smith apple with a tablespoon of almond butter. (Where has almond butter been my whole life?! It's amazing!) Dinner: none, wasn't hungry Pretty fantastic day so far, I think! I'm going to make sure I stir-fry some vegetables tonight to take for lunch tomorrow.

I second the planks. So much better! Quick question for you guys: Are you doing your tracking in your battle logs or in your challenge thread? I've been putting mine in my challenge thread, but then I thought, "What's the point of the battle log if I'm not using it?" Re: black tea - I guess I should have said a prefer plain black tea. Twinings Irish Breakfast is my absolute favorite. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Didn't sleep well again last night. (Note to self: for next six-week challenge, make quality sleep a goal.) I woke up at about 4:30 and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I just got up and did today's workout. Reverse Lunges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6 TOTAL=34 1 Leg Romanian Deadlifts (w/ 10 lbs) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 TOTAL=36 Squats: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 6 TOTAL=66 Swimmers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 7 TOTAL=43 Plus!!! I did my very first full push-up! Just the one, but woo-hoo! Followed by a set of 4 and a set of 3 half-pushups! Progress! Breakfast: two eggs with spinach and crumbled bacon. I'm not sure how much spinach, I just tossed in a handful. Snack: banana Lunch: grilled chicken breast with a whole bunch of green beans (canned). I also had a square of Green & Black's 85% dark chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth. Snack: sliced granny smith apple with a tablespoon of almond butter. (Where has almond butter been my whole life?! It's amazing!) Dinner: none, wasn't hungry Pretty fantastic day so far, I think! I'm going to make sure I stir-fry some vegetables tonight to take for lunch tomorrow.

Oh boy, do I empathize. My husband lost his job last year, and we lost just about everything. He decided to go back for a second degree (and major career change), so we're struggling to be able to pay for his tuition. I don't even have an answer for how it doesn't get to people. Some days, I'm all "RAWR! Bring it on, life!!" and other days it's more "It's never going to get better." If you ever need someone to vent to, I'm a pretty good listener. Hope today goes better for you!

Glad to be in a group with you, ash! I think your goals are great and very doable. I have a tendency to try to do too much and then I get frustrated and I quit. I've never been an anime fan, but then again I haven't really seen much. I've seen a few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist, which I enjoyed. Otherwise, my only other exposure to it is being forced to watch Gundam with my husband. (Gundam might be manga...I don't really know what the difference is, TBH.) Have a great day!

I'm glad I'm not the only one having the stomach issues. Not that I'm glad you guys are having them too...eh...you know what I mean, I hope. I love tea, although I'm partial to my black tea (the stronger the better). I do love me some chai though. I've never tried it with almond milk though, so I'll have to give that a shot. Do you make your own chai or do you buy it?

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 My early morning workout didn't happen as I didn't get nearly enough sleep to be able to get up at 5 a.m. So after work workout it is! Breakfast: two whole eggs with spinach (where has this been all my life?) and crumbled bacon Snack: a banana Lunch: the rest of the leftover fajita meat and about 3 servings of steamed broccoli and carrots. (I picked out the baby corn.) Snack: sliced granny smith apple Will update later with dinner and workout. Hopefully I'll also have time to go read some other's challenges. Update: I actually didn't eat dinner. I just wasn't hungry. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Workout: Half push-ups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3 TOTAL=36 Let Me Ins: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2 TOTAL=63 Seated Dips: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1 TOTAL=51 Lat Pull Downs (@80 lbs): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 TOTAL=71 Food/exercise-wise, this was a pretty good day. But I've ended the day feeling frustrated and honestly, cranky. My co-workers are being awesome with the change to Paleo. They're holding me accountable, they've even brought some Paleo-friendly treats so I don't feel left out. Things aren't so good at home. My mother-in-law bought a chocolate cake (a 6 lb. cake!!!) and all evening my in-laws were trying to get me to eat some. I didn't, but it did leave my angry after an otherwise good day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Welcome new members! aerorin - I LOVE that comic. When I decided to stop drinking soda several years ago, the withdrawal headaches were horrible. It'll get better though. :-) So far, moving towards a Paleo diet has made me feel great. I have more energy; I haven't had a single migraine in two weeks (and I was getting them 2-3 times a week!)!!!! I'm really hoping this trend continues because I life without migraines sounds magnificent! I am having some, let's say digestive issues with the switch. Has anyone else experienced this?

Monday, July 29, 2013 Today was a great start to the next six weeks! I woke up early for my Zombies, Run! 5k workout -- 2.39 miles in 37:41 minutes. I'm glad I got up this morning to do it because after the craziness at the office I really don't feel like doing anything. Eggs with spinach and bacon for breakfast; banana mid-morning. Seasoned chicken and beef fajita meat (with peppers and onions) and steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for lunch. I ate half an apple, but it was horrible (grainy and old tasting), so I didn't finish it. Mid-afternoon I had some raw almonds for a snack even though I really really wanted a Milky Way. I'm going to get some dark chocolate for when those chocolate cravings strike. Will update after I eat dinner. Dinner update: Roasted chicken thigh (no skin, it was all soft and floppy and gross) and about 2 servings of green beans. I avoided the temptation of corn-on-the-cob and potato salad. Woo! (Edited to include dinner).

Welcome to the group, Raynman! Holy posts, Batman! Things got crazy at work and next thing I know, BOOM, tons of posts. I love it! I'm a former WoW player as well. I quit playing right before Cataclysm came out, so it's been a while. My husband and I quit because we realized that we felt obligated to play and we weren't enjoying it anymore. It's been the same with the other previous MMOs we've played. We're still playing SWTOR, but as soon as I stop having fun, I'm done. Borderlands and Borderlands 2 are AWESOME! I play on those on XBOX though. :-( I mostly do single-player stuff now, with the exception of SWTOR and Borderlands. It's great to have support at home. My husband is very supportive of me, but I have to remind him to stop offering me the non-Paleo stuff. My in-laws (who we're currently living with, BOO!) aren't as supportive. It sucks, but I'm not living my life for them. Mort: I love the idea of a NF shirt as a challenge reward. I'm totally stealing that idea!

Welcome to the group and good luck on your challenge!

Welcome to the group, Misu! I am with you on this! I am so much more me in my mind! We're here for you!

Thanks, everyone! Your encouragement and support means a lot to me! Here are my starting measurements (no pictures yet): Weight: 123 lbs. Waist: 30.9 inches Thigh: 21.9 inches Bicep: 10.7 inches I haven't been looking forward to a Monday in a long time!

Welcome to the group all those who have joined since I last posted. Internet was down yesterday, booo! Thanks for those recipe links. That cauliflower "rice" looks awesome! I grew up on couscous, so I knew it was going to be one of those things I'd really miss. Does anyone know of any good oatmeal replacements? There's only so much egg I can take, although my tolerance for it has increased a little over the last couple of weeks.

It's really amazing how cleaning up your diet can make a difference. I started eliminating processed carbs earlier this week, and I swear I felt awesome within a couple days. I guess it's not too surprising that a lot of have similar goals! Good luck, looking forward to being in a group with you for this challenge!

Wow, those push-ups look...intense! This. A lot of people (probably even me) would just give up and say I can't; that you aren't already makes you a warrior. I'm proud to be in a group with you!

Hey everyone! I'm Maireaine (a odd variation of my name, but I've been using it forever). I was sold at Penguins, as I also love them! (My wedding reception was penguin themed. Penguin cake topper, igloo groom's cake with penguins...penguins everywhere! ) I'm a nerdgeek so I was thrilled to find NerdFitness (Level up my life? SOLD!) I sort have video game ADD...I hop between games and sometimes forget to go back and beat them. Right now I'm switching between Assassin's Creed 3, Dishonored, Skyrim, and SWTOR. Even more than a gamer, I am a bookworm. What I hate the most about my current full-time job (and subsequent commute) is it really cuts into my book time. I get cranky if I don't get to read. I admit I'm not a big metal fan (though I do like Rammstein), but I hope you all won't hold that against me! I have strong introvert tendencies, but I'm going to try my hardest to delurk and support all of you groovy penguins. I think the next six weeks are going to be AWESOME and I'm excited to be doing this will all of you! If any of you are on Fitocracy, I'm there also as Maireaine.

Nice to meet you, Mort! Our missions are pretty similar and I really like your life quest. I'm quite the introvert and talking to complete strangers freaks me out. I'll have to keep that in mind for a future challenge! P.S. Just joined your group!

I love that your life quest is taking care of your best friend!