Hemi

thanks, marlowe! you have just built my entire free-time itinerary for singapore. screening room will be my nightcap stop, since i'm actually staying in chinatown.

hey marlowe, thanks for the suggestions! that sounds right up my alley. if my schedule works out, might be able to do that on one afternoon, and maybe sentosa on the next. i might also try to find a rooftop bar to take in the sights at night. thank you!!!

Thanks, all! I'm leaving in less than a week and I can barely contain myself. I've had to cut KL from this itinerary, but I will go there next time around and I'll definitely be checking in with you for tips! I'm heartbroken that I've had to leave it out. Seems like an amazing place! @PatG- I was unsure during planning, but now Chiang Mai is a definite! In my free time in Chiang Mai, I'm headed up to the Wat on Doi Suthep in the evening to catch the sunset and the monks chanting. I might actually get into the countryside a little bit- part of my work there is to check out a volunteer site outside the city. Isaan food? I will look for it! Any other freetime I have (mostly evenings) I plan to see the Wats lit up at night, go to the night bazaar, and generally eat all the street food I can possibly shove in my face. In Bangkok I'm staying in Sukhumvit just because it's near my meetings and easily accessible by public transport. I hope to go to see some Muay Thai at Lumphini since I'll be there on a Tuesday night (anybody done that? easy to get tix or no?). I'll catch up with a friend on another night. I do have one day free on a Buddhist holiday, so I'm excited about that. I've seen some of the major Wats in BKK, so I'm up for suggestions for my free day. @Jedi- I arrive in Singapore at 3pm and I have the rest of the day free. Is that enough time to get over to Sentosa and see the basics? I only have that and an evening the next day free. Time is really tight. In general, no worries about me on the food front. I LOVE street food and trying new stuff. I eat like a BOSS when I travel. I love exploring via food, so all suggestions welcome.

HELLO!!! OMG!!! me n' calvinhobbes were talking about this recently - we thought we were the only two in western mass. cool! there's a great hiking group based in northampton called the 'wobblers' i think...want their contact info?

okay rebels, i'm headed to southeast asia at the end of february. i'll be in ho chi minh, hanoi, bangkok, singapore, kuala lumpur...maybe chiang mai if i can fit it in. i'll be on business, but hope to have some free time once in a while. i'd love to meet up with rebels abroad, and welcome any suggestions of stuff to do in any of these places. except for bangkok, this is new territory for me. any must see/do things? EXCITED!!!

Happy Day 1! So glad you're here. What's your regular routine?

I eventually esteem to be paleo, but for now I'm going wheat-free and overall low carb with whole foods as much as possible. It's easier for me to just cut that stuff out because I feel amazing right off the bat when I eat low carb. I never get that energy drain, in fact, I end up with more energy and focus than I can manage sometimes. Everybody's different. As time goes on, I hope to fine tune it so that I can lose more bodyfat while maintaining as much muscle as I can (I worked hard for it, dammit). HEAVEN. *faints*

what is functional strength to you? if that's a goal for you, can you explain more what that means? i'm a proponent of starting strength, by the way. heavy lifting, all body, and a focus on proper form and safety.

i'm more than a little late to this thread but it's now one of my favorites. gosh i don't even know where to start- there's TONS of stuff i like, so i guess i'll start here: i saw some rockabilly/psychobilly fans posting early on, which was awesome to see. i'm a big Reverend Horton Heat fan. also, this Amazing Crowns (formerly amazing royal crowns) song has been my workout/road-to-awesomeness anthem for a long time (the one minute+ skit at the beginning of the video is not on the album track, thankfully). Amazing Crowns- '1965 GTO' http://youtu.be/HJ2ZAfE1hK4

Nice!!! And thanks for the translation.

there's really nobody around? or no one you know?

congrats not only on sticking with it and making improvements, but also for the wisdom of finding something you LIKE (maybe love?) to do! i tried running too. i did it for a whole year, and ran some fun runs. it occasionally felt good, but mostly i hated it. now i play ice hockey and lift heavy. i feel good AND i can't wait to get back at it. you're in a great community here, so if you find yourself stuck, bored with an exercise program, or whatever, this is the place to keep you moving FORWARD. WELCOME!!!

many many thanks, friend. i'll be in rest mode for quite a while after that one. oh yeah, and 'muscle church.' new favorite thing to say.

in terms of BF%, i've heard that the scales are not accurate. it is tough to find and accurate method without resorting to high-tech bajillion dollar equipment, but give it a shot (calipers, maybe). the important thing is to track patterns and changes over time. this comes from someone (ahem, me) who is kicking themselves for not measuring this in the first place. i'll never really know where i started and how far i've come. one day i found myself all bummed 'cause the scale didn't move for three months, i was lifting LOTS more, and then i realized i was in dire need of a belt to keep my pants on. really wish i had been tracking it... congrats on getting under that barbell. so glad you like it. :)

Cheers, Seth! I can see how you might be confused, especially with all the little pony avatars around these days. I just cheat and use an online converter for lbs to kgs. i just brought it up because i noticed that some of the numbers on the spreadsheet match what some folks posted in lbs on the thread, i.e. they're not converted. just want to be sure we're comparing apples to apples.

thanks, andy! it was fun and a little scary. the fail at 275lbs was my first total fail where i had to leave it on the crash bars. i think i did okay in all the lifts, even though my deadlift was weak. also, does everyone know to post in KGs? glad to hear ya got that swagger back. see you soon in the midwinter madness thread. use that momentum and get it like a BOSS...errr PUPPY.

i guess i still feel like i don't really know enough to be helpful, so i'm shy about posting. when i do post i just share my experience and/or encourage someone. for me though, posting doesn't tie in with my motivation. i'm actually on here more when i don't feel motivated or when my self-critic starts taking over. i prob should post more though, and not worry whether i know enough or whether i fit in.

i'm all for heavy lifting. i agree with matthewd that, if anything, it will only boost your strength and fitness. I used SS when i started out and made gains in strength i never thought possible for myself. i did 3 days a week. there's a lot of info in the forums about beginners and heavy lifting. if you haven't already, peruse those a while...there are some really knowledgeable folks who have offered up their expertise on that subject. here's one thing to consider...what are your goals beyond weight loss (i.e. actual numbers on the scale)? here's why i ask...if you start really building muscle and gaining in strength, the scale may lie about your progress. there are many discussions here about people who only check in with the scale occasionally for reference. they have made incredible gains in strength while significantly reducing body fat percentage, decrease in pants size, etc. while losing little to no weight per the scale. if you're not already tracking it, consider BF%. i'd be sad to see you think you failed because you could lift 100lbs more than before but fell short of your weight loss goal. Please please please read this if you haven't already: http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/ i'm not sure that 'changing it up' on its own would hinder your progress, unless you've changed to something you don't really like doing and you end up putting it off too much or not giving it 100%. if you stall in your weight loss, and you're still really active, tune up your diet. people on here will tell you over and over that this whole thing is 80% diet (also lots of good info around here on what to eat). i hope this helps at least a little. there are people on NF who are way more knowledgeable and experienced than me who will ask you better questions and give you better advice, but at the very least i am here to cheer you on.

what helped for me was finding activities i loved so much that i couldn't imagine giving them up. for me that's ice hockey and heavy lifting with barbells (ala starting strength). i also check in with this community a lot to remind me of the merits of the pursuit of awesomeness. even if i don't have anything to post, i just read forums and see what everyone's doing so i don't feel i'm going it alone. lots of information and inspiration to be found here! WELCOME!!!

okay...here are my results in lbs, will convert to kgs/wilks/etc for the spreadsheet in a bit. squat- 270 (275 fail) bench- 145 (150 fail) deadlift- 235 i completely overdid it on the squats, so by the time i got to dead, i had absolutely nothing left and was already getting really sore. looking forward to the steak that's on the grill RIGHT NOW...

if you go to greylock, you'll be in my neck of the woods. let me know if you need any guidance or if you'd like to meet up. happy to help! also, i highly recommend new zealand. i can't say that enough. AND...if you want to do something tropical as well, many airlines that travel between north america and aus/nz have free layovers in fiji. i did this, and even with the free layover (i took 3 days) the price was the same or lower than nonstop itineraries. let me know if you go this route and i can provide some suggestions.

i found that when doing starting strength my progress was based not only building strength, but also on how hydrated i was and how well i had been eating. on days where i got too busy at work or whatever, and didn't have time to eat enough food, i wilted at the gym. make sure you're tracking your food, so that you can be sure you're eating enough. also, if you're lifting heavy, rest days are extremely important. if you're an active person, i know it can be tough to do, but be sure you do this. also make sure you're getting enough sleep. i didn't take these things all that seriously at first, and it was at the peril of my progress. great job! keep it up!!!

ah i think we may be in a similar place. during my travels, i had no access to a gym. when i got back, i reset to a lower weight (guessing, really) which seemed okay, but about a week later i caught a nasty chest cold. the coughing was nonstop (my coworkers were scared) and i had no energy. i tried to lift, but it was useless so i decided that rest was the way. after it was mostly gone, i went back into the gym at the reset weight. i was super happy to be back under the bar, excited actually, and did my squat sets at the reset weight. then i felt a twitch...and a tweak...and voila, it hurts to get out of bed, tie my shoes...i seem to have hurt the things that connect around my sacrum, and my left hamstring. so...ice, rest, very gentle stretching and movement...it's a lot better now, but still there, so lifting lightly. i tested some heavy singles at squat, dead, and bench early this week. they felt great, although my numbers are disappointing to me considering what i was pushing before my travels. i was slightly sore in the ouchy spots, but not disabled. i too am debating whether to go for it in muscle madness. perhaps i will, but this time around it will just have to be my gimpy numbers, pride be damned. then i'll rest some more until my ass fully heals. *sigh* what's most worrying to me is that this is what always happens...i travel...i get sick...good habit is broken...progress stalled...i never recover the good habit...fitness goal fail. add an injury, and ya know, i don't really heal as fast as i used to...anyway, i love lifting and this community is really helpful, so i am really hopeful that this time around i can make it happen. i'm really stoked to see you pushing on through the ickiness to get back to amazingness. with luck i will post my numbers tomorrow, whatever they are.

YESSSSS!!! MORE STRONG! GET IT!

i don't think we nailed down a specific day, but end of next week...so january 6th- that friday? or saturday/sunday? i don't mind much if we give or take a day. i'm shooting for friday the 6th though.