Cafeina

Amazing!! Keep rocking on, man!

I'm officially in... Late to the party, but I'm participating. Have been since the start, just haven't had any time to post. Fitness Goals: 1. Deadlift 150 pounds, 5 sets, 5 reps 2. Run 6 MPH on the treadmill for 4 minutes, run 4 MPH for 6 minutes (running is my kryptonite) 3. Improve my au (basically, a cartwheel, but there are many variations on it) so I can comfortably cartwheel over somebody in exercises during Capoeira Life Goals: 1. 80% Paleo... allow one non-Paleo treat per day (my protein shakes!), and 1 cheat day every couple of weeks. 2. Make sleep a priority! 7-8 hours per night, every night! 3. Start a blog Bonus: Get into a pair of jeans I've had in my closet since May but haven't been my size in 14 years. Good luck to everybody who's been in the challenge these last couple of weeks!

Wow, how inspiring! This is really cool. I'm super jealous of your Plank progress Hope your knee feels better soon!

Ding ding ding ding!! RIGHT ON. It takes some time for your body to adjust. For me, it took a few months before I was eating better (not 100% Paleo) and I would still get hungry very, very quickly. My diet has been getting closer and closer to Paleo for about 4 months now, and only in the last couple weeks has the hunger been starting to fade. Time and patience and fats! Hooray for fats and meat! As you adjust, they will start to make a much bigger difference. A snack between breakfast and lunch really helped (usually some carrots or fruit and a few nuts). Just be patient!

Target sells these microwave bacon-grill things for about $6. I throw 4 strips of thick bacon on it, throw it in the microwave for 5 minutes, while that's cooking, I chop up some broccoli and tomatoes and whip it into some eggs in a mircowave safe-bowl (stoneware, preferably), and then throw the bowl into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. Put the bacon on the eggs, top with some turkey and olive oil, microwave another 45 seconds, grab the bowl and go! It was REALLY hard to get into the habit of putting the veggies in there too, but it helps if some have been chopped up already. It also works with a coffee mug if all else fails. I don't know how the Paleo community looks upon the microwave, but it's perfect for me. If I don't want bacon, I just do the eggs and go and brush my teeth and get ready as they cook.

I LOVE Mexican food, and for years, I ate tons of burritos and such. As suggested above, the bowls/wraps are great idea. I just found these, and they might help if you really miss the texture and experience of the real tortilla (though they're too expensive for everyday): http://improveat.com/whatoffer.php They're Paleo wraps! I've heard they're pretty good.

Capoeira and karate. Some have argued that capoeira is more strength training, but there's a lot of running, ducking, flipping, etc. It's far more fun than the treadmill/elliptical routine for me. I also do the treadmill and elliptical, though, to train for running, but it's maybe 15 minutes at a time once or twice a week. Honestly, spending more time playing and having fun has netted much better results than doing the 30 minute/M-W-F route. Though the results aren't showing so much on the scale, they show leaps and bounds by what I can do.

Seriously. Damy is right on here. You're doing a great job. Weight loss is NOT easy, and these people are probably just trying to make themselves feel better. Bugger that! You're rocking, and keep it up! We're cheering you on, here! As an old manager used to say: "Be a duck; let the water roll off your back." Easier said than done, I know. Congratulations on your progress!

I've been lurking around the forums for a couple of weeks now, reading NF for a couple of months, and have seen tons of great people and amazing additudes. Though I'm new-ish to the Rebellion, I am thrilled to be around. Now, I'm more than a touch melodramatic, so cue up that music, here's where I'm from: I am Cafeina. I am more than a little dorky, and the last year of my life has been absolutely epic. By day, I'm a semi-mild mannered receptionist and student. By night, I'm a capoeira playing, karate kicking, weight lifting, wannabe-blogging artist. My story has not been an easy one, but it most certainly hasn't been boring. To find the start, you'd have to go back about 2.5 years. I was 25, had lost my job in the banking industry, had no choice but to move back to my dad's basement, and hit my all time high weight of 340 pounds. I didn't think I would ever do anything physically remarkable, ever, and was extremely shy (still am, actually). I could walk, but never run. I began to watch my diet, and lost a fair amount, and stalled. Eleven months ago, when I was 290 pounds and still very out of shape, I was bitten by a radioactive capoeirista*, and the real transformation began. *Disclaimer: I may be lying about being bitten by a radioactive capoeirista. I was, however, hugged by a non-radioactive capoeirista. They're kind of the same thing, right? One year later, I've lost 90 pounds from my starting point, been promoted to half-yellow/half-white cord, got my new name, blasted my way through my first four karate belts, and on September 24th, I did my first 5K walk.... followed by my first 5K race the very next day, finishing in 852nd. I squat over 170, deadlift 110 (up from 60 5 months ago), and can bench press for the first time in my life. I want to go full Paleo in the very near future (I'm on day 3 of about 85% Paleo, and have spent the last month weaning myself off of grains), and I want to really work on those lifts. I still weigh about 250, and have a long way to go to reach my physical goals. Though my weight isn't my main issue anymore, I do want to reduce my body fat percentage and really build strength. This isn't the first time I've told this story, but it's the first time I've done so publicly. I am surrounded by amazing people, and I want to help people who think they can't do it. I'm not trying to brag or show off with telling you what I've done; my point is this: IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO. When I'm on the forums telling you that you can do it and can't wait to hear how it's going, I want to know. I want to hear how everybody is doing; I want to hear your success and all about your journey. The Rebellion is made of awesome, and it just keeps growing and getting more epic by the day. We're all in this together! ONWARD! FOR THE REBELLION!

Thank you all! Seriously, these forums are made up of some of the coolest people on the planet. It's pretty rad.

Welcome! I hear you, too. But you have a lot of support here. We have your back, and a lot of us have been through the same thing.

I totally did. Awesome.

This is really cool... can't wait to see your progress! It's really great to see you acknowledge your strengths, as well as your weaknesses. You definitely seem to be on the right track. Food is awesome.

Welcome! Keep pushing onward! But be verrrrrrrry careful who you say "It doesn't matter what is suggested! Bring them on!" to.... this resulted in one of my groups doing 250 pushups in one class. (I may or may not have been the fool who opened my mouth.)

Gosh darn it, ya beat me to it. Welcome L0coM0tive! Good luck; you can do it!