aretephora

It sounds like you're doing great! I was thinking that craigslist might be a good place to get used workout gear for a low cost. You'd have to bleach the hell out of it, but it's an option to buying things at full price... I hear ya on the alcohol reduction. That was part of my challenge this time and while I've been doing pretty good with it (I haven't had any beer or mixed drinks at all), it's super tough and it's the one part of my challenge that I fail at keeping the most I'd probably start focusing on that more....

Thanks for the encouragement! I am finally seeing the scale drop, but more importantly, the change in my body shape is visibly apparent to me and those that see me every day. It is very encouraging! Muay Thai is pretty amazing. So brutal and so beautiful at the same time. Go to YouTube and watch the recent fight between Chike Lindsay and Yodsanklai Fairtex at the Lion Fight 10 in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. It's a fantastic Muay Thai fight between two guys with impeccable technique and extraordinary endurance. It's very inspiring. As for being in shape to start - there are several guys at my gym who started Muay Thai classes a year ago and were well over 100 pounds overweight. It was hard, but they had fun, challenged themselves, and the improvements they've made are awesome. And they have a great skill and flexibility to show for it too. My foot/ankles are doing much better, but then I also have "bad" days. There's really no telling how long complete healing will take, but my physical therapist is impressed with how quick I'm making improvements, so that feels pretty good Thanks for checking in!!

Hey forkboy! Thanks for checking in. I've actually been super busy and have barely had the chance to be online at all, this has been my first chance in a week. Things are going really great though. I've been keeping to my dietary "restrictions" about 90% (which I take as a win). I've been in the gym every day in the last two weeks, with the exception of this past Mon and Tues (my boyfriend came home after being on tour for over a month and we spent time together ). I haven't taken my measurements, because I was honestly a little scared to, but I've noticed an overall huge change in the way my clothes fit around the mid-section and people at my gym and work have made positive comments. Then yesterday I saw my doctor and they (as usual) took my weight and this time I actually looked at it. I've lost 7 pounds in the last month!!! Finally!!!! So I'm feeling like I've been making good progress and am inspired to continue and push myself harder. I know that my success has finally come about becasue I've been getting my heart rate into the "fat burning zone" as opposed to the simply cardio that a Muay Thai workout is. As far as my life goal, my healing is going really well and my physical therapist is impressed with the fast improvement. Last week he gave the ok to start running again, for 10 minutes at a time. So I actually ran (well... jogged really, but whatever ) for a full 10 minutes. I've never been able to do that before because my body and stamina would just give out after a couple minutes. So I'm feeling really great about my improvement overall! I hope to be back to Muay Thai soon, but when I do, I will be continuing my elliptical/running so I can continue to shed the inches I hope you've been doing well. I'm going to head over to your post and check out your updates....... See you there!

Sounds like you're doing a great job keeping up with your goal! Pretty impressive and inspiring

Good luck - I hope you find something that will fit into your budget and life!

Gaining back only 10 out of 50 is AWESOME!!!! That's a really good percentage, and like you say, adding exercise to that will help a lot. Guys tend to have an easier time of these things so I'm cerain that once you get going, you'll start shedding weight. Primal/Paleo are pretty good diets, overall. You say you're not counting, but it might be instructive to start and do it for a week or two. Once I started that, I saw how much a calorie deficit I actually needed and could understand things a bit more. If you have a smart phone, you can probably find a pretty decent app to help you with it. Don't get be too hard on yourself. It might take a week or even a couple before your strength increases enough to start doing more/better reps. Search on the Nerd Fitness site and see what he says about variation in weight/strength training. Every fitness blog/article I've read really strongly says that variation on a daily basis is vital to improving strength. Maybe find another group of exercises and switch off every other day? Good luck with it! You're already doing a lot!!!

I know what you mean about a change in finances. Just a few months after I found my Muay Thai studio and became obsessed - improved my eating, my sleeping, cut down on alcohol, etc. - I got hit really bad and my income has been pretty much cut in half. Even though I can't afford it, I am continuing my membership and it has made such a huge difference in my ability to cope with the stress and tough times. The support I get from the guys at the studio and in the gym; the endorphins and stress reducing from excercise; feeling better physically; (slowly) looking better in the mirror.... it has all helped me get through the times. I cut out going to bars and restaurants in order to stay at my gym/studio and I couldn't have made a better choice. I honestly don't think I'd have the strength to go at it alone. Muay Thai is amazingly fun and really challenging. Look up some videos on youtube. One of the guys at my studio lost 75 pounds so far - about 1 year of 3+ classes a week. It's always tougher for women though If you can't figure out how to continue with CrossFit, find a park around you that has a workout track (almost every one around me has one) and find people on craigslist or another site who want to start your own "Cross Training" program. It'd help you have a support group, which I've found helps sooooo much. Good luck on your own journey and I look forward to positive results!

Good luck to you ElbowRocker! It sounds like you've got a really awesome start going. Remember, 80% of weight loss is what you're eating. Are you adjusting your diet at all while your doing this challenge?

Good luck forkboy! I was in great shape a year ago - at my ideal weight, reasonably fit. Then I got an ice cream maker for last summer and.... well.... now I've got 30 pounds to lose! I really fell off the wagon! I think you've got a lot of people on this site who can relate. Keep working and take ElbowRocker's advice: If you mess up, let it go. You've got a lot of days to make it up! Find the support you need here to keep your goals in mind.

Thanks HavingANickFit - Muay Thai is sooooo much fun! I've never done typical sports or any martial art (ballet and gymnastics when very young) but when I found Muay Thai, something clicked inside me. After two classes, I've been obsessed and was practicing 5-6 days a week... until my injury Looking forward to my foot being rehabbed enough to get back in there!

Thanks for the comments Snark. I also hope that tracking my measurements helps my morale. Workng out as hard as I have been for six months and not losing a single pound has been pretty demoralizing! The first week of my challenge has gone quite well. I have been to the gym every day and have made my 40 minute per day goal. I did not walk the stairs at work on Wednesday or today as I was at a different location (without stairs). I have stuck to my dietary goal 100% this week. Woo hoo!! I have also made a huge stride forward in my life goal: my physical therapist said I can move onto the elliptical Yay!! I did the elliptical for 30 minutes yesterday (at intervals of a regular and fast pace). My aim is to work up to "running" for 30 minutes straight. My PT gave me a new exercise to do, 3 times per day, so that becomes part of my life goal: do all exercises and reps/sets suggested by my PT everyday.

In an attempt to track my progress without my scale, I'm measuring myself: waist - 40.5 inches both thighs at butt - 41.75 inches single thigh - 24.5 inches

Well - here goes! I've been working on this goal pretty steadily for the last six months with very little visible improvement. I'm hoping a different tactic will help. Who Am I? I'm a woman, nearing on my forties (yikes!) who's trying to fit back into the size 4 clothes that are hanging in my closet from only last year. I got an ice cream maker last summer and... everything went to hell after that. In January, I started training Muay Thai and quickly became obsessed. I've been doing Muay Thai 5-6 days a week for the last six months, until I injured my foot pretty badly. I'm now stuck on the stationary bike and weight lifting. My Quest Fit into my size four clothes again. Which is a different way of saying losing weight/inches. This has been my quest for six months and I've lost... here goes... ZERO POUNDS. Yeah yeah yeah, muscle weighs more than fat. I know. That's why I'm changing the name of my quest - I'm not trying to lose pounds anymore. Goals to Achieve Quest ​Do forty minutes on stationary bike six days per week and weight lifting three days per week.Walk stairs at work M-F.Cut starches and refined sugars 95% from my diet (100% is too unrealistic). Reserve alcohol to two non-consecutive days. Life Quest Repair tendonitis in foot and strengthen ankles with Physical Therapist and get back into Muay Thai. Motivation I want to feel comfortable in my own skin and clothes again. Thanks for checking in