Vibrantella

To clarify my earlier comment, I mean inspirational for food and fitness - as in my personal circle I don't have people who could be role models. Here are some links: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/blog/ https://blog.bulletproof.com/ https://nutritiousmovement.com/blog/

How about keeping the actual journal on your nightstand? Or where your phone is left overnight for charging? (In my case, both are the same place.) Which is the one place you don't miss before going to sleep? Also, if I forget one night, it's not a problem; if I remember what I had to be grateful for, I write it in before I do the current day; if not, or if there's been a longer gap, I just leave it and continue from where I am.

Yep, it's a win! I also find that sometimes I can't grade my challenges realistically, as the effort may feel huge, even if the result seems rather puny on paper/screen. Regarding podcasts, as I listen to them every morning (walking to work), they have to be inspirational. The old adage - you are the average of 5 people you spend the most time with - so, I spend my time with Mark Sisson (MarksDailyApple), Katy Bowman (Move Your DNA), Jason Fung (The Obesity Code), Dave Asprey (Bulletproof) and similar.

Week 1 Recap 1. Food - 95% Managed my IF and ketogenic eating despite the antibiotics. BTW, when Googling the pills I learned that this specific combo of 2 antibiotics is commonly used in intensive swine farming - made me feel special (and happy that we buy organic, free range meat). Reached another record low of 82.4 kgs (BMI of 26.6). Deducted 5% for eating a lot of nuts on Sunday. 2. Fitness - 95% Two gym sessions, lots of walking, but no stretching on Sunday 3. Mind Good work on the MA reading Did some 10 year planning 4. Soul Reiki, EEM, health meditations - yes. It feels wrong to try and score the Mind and Soul efforts, I'll just try and keep it up. On the whole, a good week! Good start of Week 2, and I have 2 hospital appts tomorrow - before and after work, in 2 different hospitals. Life is fun!

Why wait? Building muscle is going to give you a metabolic advantage when it comes to shedding fat, and a better body shape. Great that you've increased protein, but don't forget the healthy fats! Also, can you make a before/after pic comparison, if only for yourself? It's even better if you share it with (some) people, but just looking at it should help elicit the "Wow!"

It will be great! Dance, dance, dance! March is around the corner, and it's going to be so much fun!

Definitely! 55lbs is a lot, amazingly well done you, but it's also a lot for your body to deal with. It needs time to process the changes and tighten back up. It is especially important that you eat healthy essential fats and enough (but not too much) protein, including collagen, to help your skin and connective tissue renew and refresh. Oh, and plenty of water, of course! I have also experienced a phase of eye bags, but I thought they were age-related (I'm 47), however they have by now reduced. My body has been going through a lot of changes from fat loss and muscle gain in the last 2.5 years or so. I'm 88 lbs down, and still have 10-20 to shed. Have you reached a healthy weight range?

Ah, I wanted to cheer you on, then realised that you must have already done it (or decided not to) as your post was 8 hours ago! I hope it went well

Don't forget avocados, they have more potassium than bananas... I used sole for something like 6-7 months some years ago (when going through IVF, it was supposed to help with fertility). I didn't notice any particular benefits, but I love my (pink Himalayan and grey Celtic) salt anyway, especially now, with keto and fasting. Nowadays, though, I prefer to melt a few crystals directly on my tongue and chase them up with a glass of fresh water. Disclaimer: I'm not aware of any absorption issues as such. Hope the water pills work for you!

Yes, thanks for this - I just checked out some of her videos, seems fun! You should have seen me in Glastonbury, veritable kid in a sweetshop! I am Goddess-oriented but spiritually eclectic, though; I still occasionally sing in an Orthodox Christian church choir, but have mostly panentheistic leanings, with underlying atheism. And it's fun!

As long as you don't know how to dance like a British guy, it's a good thing! (This be a nationalist, not a sexist joke ) Fingers and toes crossed for the job!

??? Can I have it, please? Nothing tastier than crispy chicken skin, except pork crackling!

Sometime I feel that too! Other times, writing it down makes me more accountable. I suppose the difference is writing for myself only, or for an audience... Have fun socialising and doing the thing!

I hope that the "hate" part is more of a challenge than real hate, because I personally would look for a love-love training modality! Good luck with your challenge!

Thanks! Thanks, sending it right back, let's keep the positivity rolling! Energy grows when it's shared, please grab as much as you need! Thanks! Sadly, it's not lactose that is problematic for me (well, it is, as a sugar, and I'm avoiding all forms of it), but caseine - I find this protein quite addictive and craving-inducing. Since I dropped dairy a few weeks ago, I have again started shedding fat. Also, I am wary of hormones in dairy, even organic (as the purpose of milk is to turn a little calf into a massive cow), especially as my cancer was hormone-positive. I got my meditations from my teachers - I spent some years studying reiki and am a qualified Master/Teacher, but I don't practice professionally at the moment. I'm not aware of any free resources, but that's because I haven't been looking. My recommendation is to find someone locally who can train you to Level 1 - that is already great for self-treatments. Thanks, it is! I have already completed my 2 gym sessions (both including foam rolling! The roller in the gym is softer than the one I have at home!), although today's one was less heavy lifting than I normally do. I felt really weak! It's probably from the infection - had a hospital appointment the other day to arrange radiotherapy (likely to start in the New year now), and the Dr found that some pink skin close to the scar is a minor infection and gave me a week of strong antibiotics. I thought it was just part of the normal healing process, together with the lumps and bumps under the skin. The antibiotics have not half made me ravenous - I read that, in addition to destroying your gut flora, they also stimulate ghrelin, the hunger hormone, to 6 times normal levels! Shocking! Yet, I managed to resist snacking and even complete my fasting for the week I have also been reading a lot about death, specifically in the antiquity, but also in general. Dead bodies, funerary rituals, mourning and symbolism. Very interesting and eye-opening, and just macabre enough for me Oh, and with walking back to the Shire, I have just passed 3000 km since I started recording my walking (to Mordor and back again). Including 140.96 km in November. December, here we come! Woo-hoo!

LOL! I don't quite believe you as you haven't said what you had for that lunch But even so, good on you for attempting the challenge and accepting that sometimes things don't work. I listened to a podcast today (Bulletproof with Esther Perel), and she said that the definition of self esteem is accepting your flaws/failings and still respecting yourself. Not sure if she was quoting someone, but I agree with that definition.

Or, just for a laugh, you could try to order something completely paleo, like a salmon or beef steak with a veggie side and a green salad...?

Hey, I didn't even realise I was temptation-bundling when I listen to podcasts as I walk! They helped me reach Mordor, and now I'm on my way back... Good luck with your challenge!

I like this one the best! Good luck with your challenge!

LOL! Exactly how I feel

Sugar = Poison That is, if you're as metabolically deranged as I (used to be). I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 19, T2 diabetes at 47, always been overweight and obese. Until 2 years ago, when I went strictly low carb, completely cutting out sugar and flour (starches are just glucose molecules strung together). Today I eat loads of green, cruciferous and colourful veggies, including avocados, nuts and seeds including coconut, and moderate amounts of meat, fish and eggs. I do have 1-2 squares of 90% chocolate several times per week, though, and that contains 1-2 grams of sugar This is not for everybody, but it works for me!

Welcome to the Druids! I'm roughly half-way through my MA, so I know exactly how important meditation is! Good luck with your challenge!

Yay, @Bookish Badger is back! Best of luck with your challenge, and yeah - keto FTW!

Good luck with your challenge! I am very interested in Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but cannot seem to find a class near me. Can you recommend any reliable online sources (I tried a very nicely illustrated book a few years ago but didn't get much out of it)?

Following!