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/

On ‎03‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 8:50 PM, Bookish Badger said:

The only downside is my gratitude journaling: I started off ok but then forgot about it one night, then forgot from then on. Not sure what to do about that. A reminder on my phone? A big sign on my nightstand? Suggestions appreciated.  

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.

18 hours ago, Rey of Light said:

Ohe positive side, I updated my battle log every day for the week! That's definitely a win! So these grades don't necessarily reflect the progress I'm making, but that's OK.

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! 

5 hours ago, Saorsa said:

I'm aiming for 125, then I'm going to invest in weight training and maintaining...knowing the scale might go back up, but in muscle not fat. I want to be strong and healthy. 

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!"

7 hours ago, Twilight said:

I need to stop worrying that it won't be perfect because it won't be and just do it. Right? Right.

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

On ‎22‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 11:56 PM, Saorsa said:

Maybe I should give it more time before I start visiting a plastic surgeon. 

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  

On 11/29/2017 at 4:37 AM, J3NN said:

Luckily I already like and eat bananas, kale, spinach and OJ!

Don't forget avocados, they have more potassium than bananas...

On 12/1/2017 at 2:56 AM, J3NN said:

I wondered if anyone on here has heard of sole or if they have any experience with it??

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!

On 11/30/2017 at 8:22 PM, Jakkals said:

There is an interesting Youtube channel called Ask a Mortician.

20 hours ago, Twilight said:

I follow her twitter. She's great!

Yes, thanks for this - I just checked out some of her videos, seems fun!  

On 12/1/2017 at 3:22 AM, Redbeard the Viking said:

Pagan?

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!  

On 11/29/2017 at 3:15 PM, Twilight said:

 I don't know how to dance like a guy.

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!

On ‎29‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 12:14 PM, Taddea Zhaan said:

Last night I removed the skin

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

19 hours ago, Dagger said:

Yes, I'm being undescriptive, because I don't want saying it to make me feel like I did it.

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!  

On ‎27‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 7:13 PM, Sunmage said:

Crossfit and is my hatelove since years

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!  

On 11/27/2017 at 4:54 PM, Rey of Light said:

Awesome job! Keep it up!

Thanks!

On 11/28/2017 at 4:48 AM, CraftyHeathen said:

Woot! Love your goals! Sending more positivity your way to keep the momentum going!

Thanks, sending it right back, let's keep the positivity rolling! 

On 11/29/2017 at 4:08 AM, J3NN said:

Seeing this reminds me there is hope and we can have a good challenge, and even if mine is off to a rocky start I can be inspired by your good energy and borrow a little for me! Here's to an even better Week 1!

Energy grows when it's shared, please grab as much as you need!

On 11/29/2017 at 2:22 PM, JessOfAllTrades said:

Love the positivity! Way to go so far!

Thanks!

20 hours ago, Alis in Abernathy said:

The internet says that lactose will deteriorate as cheese ages, so the older the cheese, the less lactose there is left

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.

20 hours ago, Alis in Abernathy said:

Do you have a link or resource for this? I had a reiki massage once, and I'm still not positive what was happening because the masseuse barely touched me, but I walked out feeling, really, indescribably amazing.  If there's a mediation I can do that has similar effects, I could probably get addicted to it.

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.

4 hours ago, Twilight said:

Hiya! I hope your week 1 is going well.  

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! 

2 hours ago, Rey of Light said:

aaaaaand challenge failed, lol. But that's OK.  

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.

43 minutes ago, Rey of Light said:

I'm gonna try to order something semi-paleo-ish

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...? 

22 hours ago, Alis in Abernathy said:

Thanks! 
Yes, OPM has already become a regular part of my routine anyway, so hopefully it'll be a smooth transition

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!  

49 minutes ago, PollyannaAgain said:

4. Do something you enjoy every day.

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

1 hour ago, JessOfAllTrades said:

Yesss, join the black coffee team. We get to act all superior as we drink our bitter, bitter brews.

LOL!  Exactly how I feel 

On ‎25‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 5:02 AM, CraftyHeathen said:

So my question, what are y'all's thoughts on sugar?

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!  

On ‎26‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 3:57 AM, alannamoonlight said:

I'm coming to the end of my 3rd Masters semester

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!