Diotima73

I have based my life on the teachings of Eartha Kitt.

This week I got up every day at 5:15 and did something. NF beginner body weight one day, kettlebell training two days, yoga on the rest days.

Check out the selection on Title Nine. They have sports bras for a range of sizes, and a guide for selecting the right one. It steered me in the right direction.

While I dropped off the message board, I continued with my first six week challenge. Spraining my foot set me back, but I kept working out and I did not let it derail me completely. Here are my results from the first Challenge: 1. I did not write a short story, but I started an essay. I have a first draft and I am doing reading for additional research. 2. I could not do 20 minutes intense workouts per day, because of my foot. However, being forced to take real rest days was beneficial. I learned that rest is as important as tough training. I now do strength training 2-3 days per week, rather than 3-4. My form and moves are stronger and deeper, and I am getting better results. 3. I am closer to doing real push-ups and a full split. It is going to take a while to get there, and I have to practice diligently and patiently. Here are my goals for the next Challenge: 1. Finish my essay. 2. Continue with the flexibility and push-up goals. 3. Introduce plyometrics and jump rope into the routine. 4. If I want to do something on rest days, limit the activity to walking and yoga.

Day Twelve: walked 5 miles, stretched, and started to teach myself how to juggle. The juggling part is not really part of the 6 week challenge, but I read the free e-book Primal Fitness Blueprint, which is in pretty close agreement with NF. PFB inspired me to play more, hence the juggling. Day Thirteen: did walk/sprint intervals outside for 15 minutes over 1.5 miles, then did a brisk walk for 1.5 miles just for the hell of it. Summary: I am keeping to moving regularly and stretching, but I need to do more work on push-ups and writing.

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Levels 1 and 2 include core exercises and planks, and Level 3 brings you up to doing a real sit-up. She even comments in the video "why don't people do real sit-ups anymore?"

Don't beat yourself up about going over your daily calories. It's not as though your body re-sets itself every 24 hours. Make better choices today and move on. Hang in there!

Day Eleven: Hit NF workout hard and stretched. Ate well, but drank a wee bit more than I should have.

I have lost 15 lbs in the last 2.5 months doing bodyweight exercises, interval training, cutting carbs and increasing protein. IMUnaware is right: do the exercise you enjoy and that you can do consistently.

Day Ten: I hit the NF workout hard yesterday, so I gave myself a rest day and walked 6 miles instead. I also cooked myself a paleo dinner of steak and broccoli. I don't know if mustard is paleo, I don't know if I care. I will not adhere to any regimen that condemns mustard! I found a Bikram yoga studio near my house. I might try out a class. While I recognize that yoga is not the best primary exercise for me, I think I want to incorporate it into my life as more of an occasional treat. I am trying to find non-food ways to treat myself.

Allow yourself this time to experiment and figure out what you like. I am trying to work my way up to Assassin, but I need to get stronger and shed some weight first. For my own part, I figured out the class I aspire to by experimenting with different types of exercise and finding the stuff that I really like and can stick with. It has been a surprise because I spent years doing yoga and cardio, with not much to show for it. Now I find that I really like bodyweight workouts and kickboxing, and I have lost 15 lbs in two months. Good luck!

Day Eight: I walked 5 miles, stretched and took notes for a story. Day Nine: I did NF beginner body workout, stretched deeply and wrote in my notebook on the train.

All good points and quite true. I read it for the same reason I first picked up the Harry Potter books. It was so wildly popular, that I was curious to find out the appeal. The difference, however, is I actually enjoyed reading the Potter books and found some merit in them. The sex in Fifty Shades is quite tame, and the prose is redundant. I was surprised by how many plagiarized sentences I found in the books, one notable one being: "I finally understand what all the fuss is about." (Thelma and Louise! Do you really think I am not going to catch that? What do you take me for?) I have not read the Twilight series, but when I described some of the more irritating tropes in the book, she said "oh, that is just like Twilight."

Coldwater Creek and Chicos might have skirts to suit you. You can also hop on to Zappos and do a search under "peasant skirts."

Try eating more foods that reduce inflammation prior to your period. I have had luck with upping my intake of fish and citrus fruits. Good luck.