Bookworm_Tess

Oh, Australians always put me off my game! Good trip on getting stronger! I'll be coming by to say hello!

So much to talk about and this is my question: from "arse" and "mate" I'd say british, but all the rest sounds american... Indulge a foreign speaker (reader), would you?

In my opinion, you are eating far too little. Specially if you're dealing with wearing activities, such as lifting. You should have an appropriate amount of nutrients going around to ensure good recovery. My crossfit instructor these days laughed at me when I told him I was eating 2200-2400 calories a day. "No wonder you're getting tired and dizzy," he said. And that's a thousand more calories than you're consuming. You can get hurt, you can get tired, you can not gain as much as you would if properly nourished. I'm a 32 yo woman, 5'6'', 165. And, yes, I am struggling with weight. But I am also struggling with injuries and they're not fun. I don't know, I was a little shocked at your daily intake. But then again, what do I know. I'm chubby, right.

Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 I did my weigh-in. *Sigh* So my weight hasn't budged. I know it was but a week of crossfit, but 1) it was the first week, 2) I felt my waist smaller, I felt it was easier to button my skirt! I felt my body all hardened and different! I honestly tought I was going to find a dramatic difference in my weight/measurements. Nope. In fact I gained half a pound. As you know, my weight and measurements haven't changed in over a month. So I did the only logical thing: I changed the measuring techniques. Seriously, though, I had been unhappy with the online calculators for a while, because it called me obese (its mama!) and because it wasn't sensitive to smaller changes such as half a kilo or half a centimeter. So I got the formulas here and created a new spreadsheet in which I could do the math on my own (the computer does it, I can't do long divisions...). I added a third formula, and now I'm measuring with the Navy, the YMCA, and the Covert Bailey formulas. I like this best. There's a reason for the use of tripods, or any triangle for that matter (can't do arithmetics but ain't completely stupid at trig). So after a couple of hours dealing with spreadsheets, formulas, and metric-imperial conversions, I realized though my weight didn't change, the numbers indicated a dramactic loss of fat (with the same old measurement technique), something like a whole kilo of fat. In a week I had gained a quarter of a kilo. \o/ Now I'm feeling more satisfied. Alright! Oh yeah! Hooray! Check out my new improved control spreadsheet here And see if you can see what I saw here: Off to my frist day of crossfit. After the first week of crossfit.

I'm not on the US, Rurik, I'm in Brazil. The fad of crossfit* has not hit here the way it hit there. Just so you have an idea, a full class in my box has half a dozen people in it I'm sure it'll grow. The people who came up with the idea of the new box have a pretty good business plan about it. Though it was born from the ashes of a strength-friendly gym, my old gym, where when I first walked in I found two women deadlifting and knew I had found my place, it is moving to a rich adress, as soon as it's ready, next and associated to a rich people's gym, one with all the machines and air-conditioning (our current place is so hot, bear in mind we're in parallel 2 and avarages here are 32°C/ 89°F). That's where the people who can afford a box and are susceptible to American fads are. I know because they're my client pool too. I'm an overpriced English teacher * Fad: when I call crossfit a fad, I'm sure you understand what I mean. I don't mean it is a fad, but, since it's so new and seems to work so magically, it's been going around and hitting some people as though it were. Let's face it, there's a big part of it that is faddist. It's going to take a couple of decades for it to mature. And that shouldn't be a bad thing. But, yeah, no faddism here. Only the best PhysEd professionals on the crossfit case where I live.

....aaaand: surprise, surprise! I happened to mention to my crossfit instructor I was eating 2200-2400 kcals a day, when he was coming no end at me for almost dying on my first Filthy Fifty ever for because I hadn't had enough to eat before class. He almost laughed: "That's too little, way, way too little!" I may have been the first newbie ever to crack a big smile in the middle of a FIlthy Fifty: so I'm allowed to eat more now that I'm working my lovely behind off on that box?! Yey! So all bets are off: I'm back to research mode: I'll eat as much as I feel like, log it and observe what happens to my body/weight for three weeks. Than I'll take it from there. This shit really is heavy.

The instructors made me go back to the ortopedist and have another MRI done so they're sure about what I got or don't got on my spine to work on that. As for the knee, I had a long talk with the instructor that teaches my class and it really seems to be a matter of mobility and strengthening work. I'll be sure to rest well and do some extra strecthing and isomtrics on my own before class starts so I can be more confident and safe I'm loving the first week, gotta tell you! Got to do six sets of five chin ups the other day, assisted, but still, my firts attempt on the movement! It was so fun!

Friday, Jan. 30, 2015 I absolutely forgot to weigh myself. Mornings have been busy since I've had the worst try-to-wake-up-in-time week in the historical series (uhm.. a month? lol). I've been focusing on getting used to CROSSFIT. It's really time consuming, at first! You have to plan to have enough to eat before class, and to have it soon enough so that your stomach is not full when the time of the class comes. You also have to take some time to prepare another meal after class because you feel so depleted and hungry you could attack a passer-by for its brain meat (and it's not cool to act like a zombie: Americans get scared). Then you have to plan your activities after class carefully, because you may feel too tired for some things, like trying to go to the library all the way downtown by bus and put in a solid couple hours of studying. So you have to sort that out. Then you have to worry about eating enough so you have enough nutrients in your body to recover well so you don't get hurt. And you have to sleep a bunch too for the same reason. Since you don't have rest days between classes (although I did make one for myself), you need to be sure and sleep a lot. Finally, there's the matter of laundry. All your gym clothes can be used but once. They smeel so funky it's not a good idea to put them in the washer with your other clothes. They all come ot smelling like Cheetos. And you have to remember to do it pretty regularly, like twice a week, while I can't shop for new ones. Because, you know, all my money went to the box. On the upside, after just a week, I was getting dressed for work yesterday, and I put on the pencil skirt I love so much and it buttonned closed a lot more easily. Also, I had been working on my push ups and hanging holds for months, dreaming of the day I could start a progression which would eventually lead me to my first chin up. Tuesday I got to do six sets of five. \o/ (With assitance bands, of course, but still...) So, yes, it's pretty worth it... Tuesday: Crossfit; 2,461 kcal Wednesday: Yoga + Crossfit; 2,335 kcal Thursday: rest; 2,955 kcal Friday: tbd P.S.: on those scandalous calorie metrics: I'm PMSing, plus I'm eating a little bit more each regular meal to ensure there are enough nutrients going around for recovery, since I'm very prone to injuries, plus last night we went to a great seafood restaurant with friends so there it is. I can't hide the metrics of my bad days. It's cheating, isn't it? Making everyone else believe eating little is easy for you?

People say that it doesn't get easier, but it sucks less. If you're coming from absolutely sedentary, as I did, I've to tell you it does get a bit easier. But also you get used to being unconfortable. So, both. As for the high, I used to sonetimes get it in the beginning fron biking till I dropped. I don't exactly get highs now, from lifting or swimmimg or crossfitting, but my mind is A LOT clearer. As a result, I'm much lesd miserable. Exercising id totally my prozac. But not my heroin

I'm trying to keep to what the instructors are prescribing, but then again I think I have to be more straightfoward with them. As in "I'm not gonna do dat shit cuz dat shit HURTS!" lol. Got a little uncomfortable there yesterday in my old injuries spots. I love your photo, Rurick. You a rude boy?

I think the key information is the "couple of months". Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. Give it time and things will get better. I'm dealing with knee/ lower back problems right now. But I was the victim of plantar fascitis on both feet for YEARS! and got better, really a lot better, by strength training. I hardly even remeber how I felt back then. So... things do get better if you work it.

Tues., Jan. 27, 2015 Tuesday's here again. But I didn't go for a weigh-in. I took a new student on Tuesday mornings and I don't have the time to go to the drugstore before class. Specially considering that now I have to have proper full breakfasts, because of crossfitting everyday. I'm gonna make Wednesdays official weigh-in days for now. So I'll post the stats tomorrow, then. I did neglect to track caloric intake these past few days, three or four days. I didn't even go that crazy during these days so that's not the reason not to track. I just really sincerely forgot. Crossfit is coming along even harder and scarier than I anticipated. Believe it or not, I had no idea crossfitting was about being intense all the time. Lol. I knew about WODs, of course, but I didn't expect warm-up and mobility to be conditioning events. I'm so used to doing everything so slowly and carefully, maybe taking a couple of breaths in a position before I change it during dynamic stretching. Then, last class, I hurt myself. I did tell the instructors about my history of injuries, I even told the one who finally sold me the classes I thought maybe I wasn't fit for Crossfit because of these past injuries, to which he responded I totally was. I don't think they believed me. When the first mobility workouts didn't accuse any aches, he just assumed I was hysterical, maybe. Then last class I told them I felt I shouldn't jump on the high box. "You're not gonna jump on it," they said, "you're gonna step on it one leg at a time." "Still," I said, "I think it's too high." "Nonsense. Just go for a set of five. Do you feel anything?" "Yes, I feel a pinch on the left side of my sacral spine. And I feel pain in my left knee, where the fracture was." "No, it can't be. Go for another ten reps and tell me if it hurts." "I don't think I..." "No, go, this time do such and such modifications. Do you feel it?" "Yes." "Do you feel it?" "Yes." "Do you feel it?" "Yes." "... than maybe you should stop." LOL. I don't know what to do. I'm going back today, after all, they are the physical education professionals and I really do trust them to do a good job. But I'm taking these two precautions: 1) I'm making absolutely clear the amount of injury and pain and fear I've built up this past year; and 2) I'm getting to the box some 20 minutes earlier so I have time to do a strecth and warm-up on my own pace before the conditioning madness starts. DOMS are under control, just enough so you can nicely feel it. Exercise Friday: crossfit Saturday: rest Sunday: rest Monday: crossfit & a long, gentle walk Tuesday: crossfit

I do. But I've been sedentary all my life but for the last 18 months and I'm in my 30s. My meathead friends in their 20s from rugby don't take days out. Most days they have two workouts. I gotta say none of them does too well in school or work tho

The sleeping beauty challenge: WEEK FOUR Cute as fuck! Go to bed Wake up Hours slept First ring of the alarm? MON 1:30 am 10:00 8:30 NO TUE 2 am 9:30 7:30 almost! WED midnight 11:00 11* NO THU 1 am 9:35 8:30 NO! FRI 1:30 am 11:40 10* hahaha! SAT 1 am 10:50 9:50 NO SUN 1:30 am 7:30* 6 before alarm * On these days I took advantage of not having any commitments in the morning, turned off the alarm and slept in in order to rest from all the crossfitting, which is still pretty new to my old beaten bod. * Funny new PMS symtom: too agitated to sleep O.o Keep track of tricks! What helps me sleep better? And wake up earlier? Trick 1: don't go to bed hungry. Hunger always keeps me up! Trick 2: DO NOT USE IPAD AND CELLPHONE IN BED! Imma repeat this one till I get it. It's no good! Trick 3: don't go to bed on a super full stomach, like come back from a restaurant with friends and jump in bed. That makes for a long night of insomia...! :-S

I even forgot to track a couple days there... On Friday I decided I would do it for that day. I didn't care whether it'd be the beginning of a lifelong discipline or the only day I'd be able to do it all year, I was gonna do that just for that day. I never even heard the damn alarm ring... I'll keep tracking, since that's all I seem to be able to do for now.

Thu., January 22, 2015 Exercise I did a mock crossfit at home. I hadn't come up with the money yet to start at the box (it's sooooo expensive isn't it? but I just did get the money too, so that's cool) so I decided to try and repeat what I had done in the box that day. I didn't do much more than I had done that day (mobility work and half the warm-up, but this time I did it 30 minutes faster. I think I may be getting better at the push-ups. I really want to master them bad boys! As I learned the name of the movements in Portuguese for once, I'm not gonna try to translate them into English to relate the workout here. Suffice to say I got to 50 push-ups, but with intervals during the two sets of 25. The goal is to do them right and without intervals for 25 reps. (Still doing them from the knees.) Food Yesterday I was too distracted to eat... No shit. Got only to 1,206 kcals. In the evening I prepared a proper beautiful nutritious perfumed meal including a meatloaf, which I prepare with oatmeal. But I just simply missed all the other meals... The thing is I got this horrible stiff neck. It hurts so bad I can hardly keep my head up. I luckly found a pill at home that can treat that, but as soon as the drug wears off, the pain is back. I wanted to go to the box this Friday, I've waited for the money so very anxiously! I really wanted to go, but... should I? Is my head going to fall off if I try to work out on a bad stiff neck?

I'll tell you some of the things I do for quick, healthy, affordable meals, and then you see if it fits your goals. Idea 1 - Vegetables with tomato sauce and chicken Choose two cups of veggies you enjoy, like squash, brocolli, sweet potatos, eggplant, cauliflower. Choose one to two varieties to keep things simple. Cut them up in cubes and put them on a steam pan. (You can boil them but I do everything steamed because I like it.) While the veggies cook, cut up two garlic cloves, fry them lightly on olive oil or butter, throw in cut up pieces of chicken, cook it some, throw in one or two tomatoes cut up in cubes (it doesn't have to be too fine and neat because they kinda melt) (the rule of thumb for tomato sauce is two tomatoes per person). Season with salt, pepper (chilli or black), dry oregano and nutmeg. Close the lid and let it cook for about five minutes, stirring it from time to time so it doesn't burn. When it's ready, add some fresh herb, like basil or parsley. Season the veggies with some salt and olive oil (and more pepper if you're into it. I am.). Put them on a plate, put the sauce on top. I learned to do that in under 20 minutes. Ideas 2 and 3 - Side to meats: roasted squash with pepper & hot tomato salad Squash: Turn on the oven. Cut the squash up in half moons or cubes, depending on the type of squash and your mood. Season it with black pepper, salt and olive oil. Put it in the oven. Get a bowl, smash a garlic clove in there with salt. put in one to two spoons of olive oil, the juice of a lime, red pepper without the seeds, cut up, and fresh coriander. When the peel of the squash is soft enough to eat, it's cooked. Put the seasoning on it while it's still hot and let it sit for some five minutes because it's going to be hot. Tomato: Cut up some bacon (be sensible: not much) and a garlic clove. Let them fry on a large frying pan. Cut the tomatoes in eight (big pieces, see?), put them in the pan, season with olive oil, pepper (chilli or black), salt, and fresh basil. Cover it with a lid and let it cook slighly, for a couple of minutes. Don't let the tomato melt over. Idea 4 - Real quick soup with beef Cut up some nice but cheap beef in small pieces. Put in in a pressure cooker along with some cut up onions and one or two tomatoes. Cover it with water, but just. Season with salt and pepper and dry herbs of your choice. This one also goes well with cumin. Close the pan, let the beef cook in pressure for ten minutes or until it's soft enough, the time will depend on the type of beef. While it cooks, cut up one cup of veggies, like, say, a carrot and a potato, or squash or brocolli, since you're low-carbing. When the beef is ready, add some water to it, bring it to boil, put the vegetables in, let it cook. When the vegetables are soft, add any leaves you want to add, like spinach or kale. They cook super fast, not even a minute. Turn off the heat, correct the salt, add fresh herbs and a little more oilive oil. These are some of my absolute favorites, the ones I make over and over again. They fit nicely with low carb if you don't pair them up with rice or pasta like I do. The trick is to learn some four or five quick dishes you like and can afford and rotate them, pairing them up with whatever meat you can pre-prepare and freeze, or boiled eggs when you're kinda broke. Have a nice trip in the kitchen!

Wed., Jan. 21, 2015 Pick myself up, remember what's important (exercise to maintain a healthy mind and to learn physical stuff), and what has to happen in its own time (lose weight... so difficult), focus on what I can control and... well, exercise. Exercise Noon: Yoga Afternoon: Swimming (50') 10' Warm-up: crawl and breaststrokes 3 x 5' armstrokes: crawl, then breast, than back 2 x 5 kicks: crawl and breaststroke 10' alternating crawl and breaststroke Food 1,774 kcal

I know it looks like I don't care about my challenge, but I do, I do care. I don't know why it's so hard for me to keep to the goals I came up with myself! Two and a half weeks in, I haven't been able to keep to one single goal. Even if waking up was really such a hard thing for me, I could maybe control the time I go to bed... or at least the activities I do during what should be quiet time. Just last night, I was in bed with the ipad on my hand reading a book I knew would get me worked up! ... instead, all I've been able to do is record and publish to the wide world how my sleeping patterns are all over the place! *sigh* Just one thing, just once, just to prove myself I can do it...

I would have celebrated the two years lifting alone! But your aesthetic changes is really impressive too! Hoorray for that!!

Tues., Jan. 20, 2015 I have to say I'm a bit disppointed in my metrics this week. I really hoped to have dropped some significant weight after such a great week (a pound would have met the criteria), but it didn't change much. In contrast, body fat measurements indicate I gained some fat. That makes for a depressive weigh-in indeed. Observations: 1. I know of no metric in my body to be less stable than my waistline at my navel. A glass of water will change that. Since the YMCA formula relies solely on this metric, it can't be trusted. It may make me depressed over NOthing. It really isn't reliable at all. 2. The ready-made calculators online don't consider small changes like half a quilo (a pound) or half a centimeter (which was what I lost on my neck,a relevant metric for the Navy formula). Since I've been moving very slowly (200 g., 150g.) each week, it puts me off to see no changes in those metrics. I need more sensitive formulas I can use on my spreadsheet. 3. Maybe I have lowred my proteic intake too far. I'm following advice on a diet for good digestion, the Chinese therapy diet. It's supposed to be a therapeutic diet, to help me deal with PMS and kidney issues. For weight loss, I observe the caloric intake. It advocates a time off all things hard to digest, which include meat, dairy, wheat, and legumens. As you can see, no protein. But maybe that's having a bad effect on my efforts to lose fat instead of simply just weight. What to do? Should I give it a chance (4 more weeks), should I wait another week to see how things go, or should I just make me some chicken-bacon lunch now? (Chicken-bacon! Chicken-bacon!!!) --- Check out the stats on the totally awesome spreasheet (This "sheet" is getting long!) --- Sun.: rest, 1,743 kcal Mon.: rest, 1,994 kcal Tue.: rest, 1,930 kcal

the stronglift thing: wow.

The sleeping beauty challenge: WEEK THREE Week three. I got dis. Go to bed Wake up Hours slept First ring of the alarm? MON midnight 7:50* 7:50 before alarm TUE 11:00 10:15 11 never even heard it WED 1:30 9:15 7:15 NO THU 11:15 9:40 9:25 NO FRI ? ? ? no SAT ? 8:45 ? No... SUN 1:30 9:00 7:30 still nothing... *On Monday I woke up to a sick spouse and had to take him to the hospital. He's alright now, it was just bad pain.

You guys mean having children does not equal getting your own little minions to do stuff for you? I did gain something like three or four kilos between the time I got sick (and quit low carb) and the time I started the battle log, two months ago. That's three or four on top of what I had lost low carbing. I lost two of those since starting over. I'm all better now and the new diet advice I'm following is very like whole 30, it's all about vegetables and fruits and then there's some rice & noodles. No meat tho. But allows for flexibility since there can't be yin with no yang