Rostov

There's an article from a US perspective on which English Premier League team to support.  It's not bad, but misses out a lot of reasons why you shouldn't support Liverpool* (essentially Luis Suarez, but also probably the most delusional and unlikeable fanbase around).  As an Australian you might want to look at which teams have Australian internationals if that's important to you.  I've met some Australians who chose the English team on the basis of similarity of team colours to their Aussie Rules team, or because they lived in or near a town/city of the same name.  I think my team, Everton*, have quite a big following in Australia because of Tim Cahill, though he left a while ago now.

I also think there's an element of laziness in picking any of the top teams (or Liverpool) who are never out of the media spotlight (Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea).  Tottenham you can just about get away with, I'd say.  But having said that, you get to watch their games because they're on television all the time.

http://www.nbcsports.com/joe-posnanski/how-pick-premier-league-club

The other option is just watch some games and wait for a team to pick you....

[*Declaration of interest: I'm an Everton fan, with obligatory strong dislike of Liverpool]

Thanks everyone.  Oddly, "Rostov" is from the name of one of the families in 'War and Peace'... I think I borrowed it for a D&D character years and years ago, and I've had used it as a pseudonym in a few places since, though not for a while now.  I think it's also a name of a river, and a fairly common surname in parts of Russia.

So far this challenge is going reasonably well. 

I think I've put on a bit of weight over the last week or so - not much, but the scale is showing it, and I'm feeling it.  In my search for balance I'm wondering whether I need to change another habit, and switch from having toast for breakfast to having a banana.  There's a calorie saving there, and the problem with having bread in the house for toast for breakfast is that I'll eat it at other times too.  It's an easy, lazy. snack.  This time last year I'd have been delighted - delighted! - to know that in the future my guilty snacking achilles heel would be bread - but that's the old me.  Having a banana rather than bread would buy me some extra calories, so I could either eat a bit more later in the day, or exercise a bit less, on average.  Thing is, I like bread and I particularly like toast.... but maybe I should try this and see what happens.

I've done pretty well with exercising my ankle, and in aligning my thoughts and plans to a new rehabilitation plan.  I dropped out of the 10k, as I realised that what I thought might be a gradually improving cycle of injury-recovery, but with a general trend of improvement, may just be a constant injury-recovery-reinjury cycle which ultimately goes nowhere.  So I'm going to take my time, and when I get back to running, it's going to be short distances only, and a very slow build-up.

I've put my pull-up bars up again, and I can lift myself, lower myself, and not quite lift myself again.  I've gone from 2-3 to 0.... it's true what they say about use it or lose it.  Probably 5 by the end of the challenge is too ambitious, but I'd like to at least get back to where I was with it.

Telling my story is taking longer than I thought, but I've had some ideas about how I might structure it, so that's some progress at least....

Well done on this week!

I know what you mean about self-consciousness and running outside.... took me a long time and a fair bit of weight loss before I was confident enough to do it.  But it makes such a difference... Having said that, I also like running indoors in the privacy of my own living room on my mini-trampoline, TV on and volume turned up.

As to your last question, my wife is an INFJ and she is pretty skeptical. I think it stems from the fact that INFJs can lose sight of reality because they are so driven by perfectionism. It causes them to deny things that conflict with their ideal world. That's just an ENTP's opinion though, and we aren't always the most diplomatic.

Ah... that was a joke.  As in... "I don't believe in astrology!" "Typical Leo...."

I guess I can see a value if it's only ever treated as a metaphor, and even then with great care.  Especially if it turns out that there's an absence for any good evidence to underpin all this.  I guess the intovert-ambivert-extrovert scale seems reasonably well established and defensible, and seems to accord with a lot of people's experience and - if what I've read is right - the psychology literature.  Although that's a scale, not a binary opposition as this test seems to ahve.  As for the rest.... dunno.  It's useful to have an insight into the ways in which other people might think and function, and there are plenty of people who seem to lack the imagination and/or empathy to realise that it might be very different inside someone else's head.

But looking at the site linked earlier (and in particular INFJ and INTJ, which are the two types that tend to come up for me), I see some quite remarkable claims.  Old Testament figures and Ancient Roman rulers, English authors from the middle ages to the 19th century, fictional characters... all listed as being INFJ or INTJ.  Hmmm.....

Is anyone aware of any actual science/evidence/respctable psychology that underpins these different categories and distinctions?  I'm always suspicious of "personality tests", because they tend to either reflect the obvious or consist mainly of Barnum Statements. 

Or is this all just a useful (and potentially illuminating) metaphor?  Or just quackery?  And is this just the kind of scepticism that you'd expect from an INFJ?

I ask (rather than just googling it) because I've found material which regards the whole MBTI as nonsense, and material which defends it wholeheartedly, or as a metaphor or framework which has value even if there's no evidence for it.

For my own personality type, I've found outright quackery (apparently my powers of intuition may border on the psychic) and weirdly accurate (neat thinker, messy desk).

Hello Turtle!

Good goals.... I know what you mean about running being good for mood and general mental welfare......

Do you do all your running on a treadmill, or do you run outside as well?

Been very busy, so very late to the challenge... but here goes...

Backstory:

Well.... I've lost over 70lbs in about 15 months, since I started counting properly. I am a shadow of my former self - my trousers were size 42", now they're 34" and loose.  My t-shirts were XL or XXL, now they're L, and my autumn jacket is a (admittedl generously sized) medium.  Point is, I've lost a lot of weight, and at the start of this challenge I'm about 79.4kg (175lbs, 12st 7lbs).  I'm 5' 10", a height that has thankfuly remained constant.  I've finished couch-to-5k. My 5k PB is 23:21. I've done an unofficial self-timed 10k in just under 55 mins.  I can do 2-3 pull ups, and I've gone fron knee push-ups to standard to decline to one footed to walking.  I've seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.

Main Quest: Healthily Ever After

While I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds, that's no longer the priority.  The challenge now is to move from weight loss to maintence.  I've watched some alarming documentaries about weight loss that indicate that a lot of people who lose a lot of weight will put it back on again... with interest... over time.  I don't want this to happen to me.  And I think it probably won't because I don't intend to relax and go back to my old eating habits now that I've lost the weight.  I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing, and maintain those habits.  But one of the things that I've learnt is that habits aren't permenant, and losing the good ones and acquiring the bad ones is always a danger.  So my main quest - which I estimate will take the rest of my life - will be to keep my good habits and resist the formation of bad habits.  For this challenge in particular, I want to continue to think about balance... balance between food and exercise; between exercise and other aspects of my life; just.... balance.

Mission 1: Fix my damn ankle

A constant refrain of my last few challenges has been an ankle stability problem.  It was getting better, but I've had another setback recently and not been able to run for about three-four weeks.  I have a 10k race in a few days which I'd love to do, and which I might just about be ready for.  And whether I do that or not, the focus of this challenge will be fixing my ankle.  Top priority.  Everything else gets sacrificed to that.  I've had problems on and off since December, and I'm chewing the furniture with frustration.  At least now I have a diagnosis, some exercises to do to strengthen it, and a plan.  So I'm going to do the exercises every day.. something which (bewilderingly) I've not always done... habits again, forgetting etc.  I'm going to strengthen it again, and I'm going to build it up running again slowly.  I'm going to fight my instict and exhileration at being able to run again and ending up running faster/further than I expected, and instead I'm going to go for short runs, slowly increasing distance.  And when I'm back, I'm going to run a proper 10k in the autumn, I'm going to see if I can beat by 5k PB, and I'm going to run the whole ten miles of the canalside walking/running/cycling path.  Just not during this challenge.

Mission 2: Arms and the Man

I've been neglecting my upper body strength... lost the push-up / pull-up habit.  So I'm going back to that... push-ups and pull-ups every day, and by the end of the challenge I'd like to get to 5 pull ups.

Lifequest:  Rostov's romance sub-plot

My last quest featured the challenge of moving on from a previous relationship, and either doing something positive about looking for a new one, or at least thinking about whether I wanted one at all, and what kind of life I wanted.  Well, I signed up for internet dating, and while I've let to actually meet anyone, it's been a very positive experience in terms of self-esteem.  I've developed some rejection resilience through learning not to worry about not hearing back from some people after sending messages, and I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the women who want to look at my profile, who want to contact me, or who have responded to a message from me.  So it turns out that I'm not quite as hideous as I thought.  Couple of irons in the fire as we speak which I think will lead to actual real life dates.  My quest is to keep up these efforts, to continue to learn, and not to restrict my efforts on this front to internet dating.

Sidequest 1: The Chronicles of Rostov

I've recieved a lot of help and support and reassurance from this community, and I'd like to think that I've paid at least some of that forward.  What I'm going to do is to write a full account of how I succeeded in losing weight, what my strategy was, what I learnt on the way, what I'd say to people who are where I was 15 months ago.  I won't present what worked for me as suitable for everyone, but hopefully some people will find this useful.  This will probably end up being quite a long post, so it'll take time to write and to get right.

Thanks everyone - very grateful for comments, links, suggestions etc.  I've had a quick look at a few of the links, and there's some good advice there but also some of the kind of thing that I'm trying to avoid... stuff about finding a personal style being a lifelong project and putting what seems to me like far too much thought into it. 

I did think about personal shoppers/advisors and that kind of thing, but I decided against it for two reasons.  Firstly, it's likely that their first priority is selling as much stuff as possible, and even if it isn't (and it genuinely might not be - maybe they take a longer term approach, I dunno) I'm going to suspect that it is and thus not know what advice to take.  Secondly, I'm by nature quite introverted (I suspect I'm in good company here), and clothes shopping for me is quite a private and personal thing - I probably associate it with past embarrassments of finding that I need a size larger than I thought, being around lots of mirrors, having to make decisions about my appearance and so on. I've never liked clothes shopping in the past (still don't, though it's more tolerable now), and the idea of extending it beyond the minimum or having an audience really doesn't appeal.  But I think when I get my new suit this is probably a good idea, as there seem be a lot of secret rules that some fashion committee have decided with the aim of catching out people who aren't in on the secrets.

My ex and I rarely went shopping together to avoid driving each other mad.  Occasionally we'd go into town together, but would generally split up and meet up later. I think she was similar in terms of needing her own space to shop and/or rightly placed virtually no faith in my ability to be of any assistance at all.

I think I'd like to move towards wearing stuff that makes me feel good, but at the moment I've got very little confidence on my own judgement.  But that's improving. I think my new blazer/jacket thing was a good idea, is versatile, and makes me look like a proper grown-up.  I think I probably scrub up well, and that dressing smart probably suits me - though for complex reasons that I won't go into here going too smart at work would be a mistake.  But I'm thinking that I could - in general - aim for smarter than the average.  It also helps that I'm now at an age where I can get away with it.  I had another good moment the other day when trying on a spring/autumn jacket that I'd just bought over the internet and but had delivered to the store... not only was it a good fit, but it was also the first time I'd seen just how much weight I'd lost in a proper, expensive fitting room mirror arrangement - you can't normally see yourself from the side.

But I'll follow the links, do more people watching, have a think, and over time my confidence in my own judgement will grow.  I know what I don't like, I think I know the kinds of things that I do, but don't entirely have the confidence yet to back that judgement.

I've lost nearly all of the weight I want to lose, and as a result none of my old clothes fit properly, and some of the replacement stuff I bought once the weight started coming off also don't fit properly.

So I've got a bit of a window of opportunity to get some new clothes and generally dress better than before.  Previously I was able to get most of my clothes in the sales because XL and XXL sizes were often left over, and i wasn't particularly fussed what I wore as long it was functional, passed more or less without notice or comment, and more or less fitted, which in practice meant 'not a hint of being too small'.  I've started my shopping by gradually changing from t-shirts to polo-shirts, and spending a bit more on jeans/chinos than previously.  I've got a new blazer jacket and I've spent double what I'd ever previously spent on a spring/autumn coat.

I don't want to become hugely fashion conscious or obsessive or to start dressing like a peacock, but the problem is that I just don't trust my own judgement.  I'm pretty sure about what I don't like, but I don't really have a sense of what I do, what works, what goes with what, and what doesn't.  Things were so bad that I didn't trust myself to buy ties without a second opinion, and when I get round to going suit shopping I'll need a second impartial opinion before buying anything.

I don't particularly want advice on individual fashion choices - you don't know what I look like (my avatar isn't a picture of me, sorry), you probably don't live in the same country/climate/culture, and we may not share the same tastes.  But what I'm asking is about ways of levelling up the fashion sense.  At the moment I'm just paying more attention to how other people dress, what and who I think looks good, and by inference what might work for me.  Any other thoughts as to how to find this stuff out?

 

AS FAR AS FOOD GOES:

 

I kinda failed. Journaling my food on my note keeper app, kinda showed me what I needed to do better.

 

When I started using the Calorie Counter app... I became obsessed with knowing how many calories are in my foods. I was counting everything and doing math and I was getting hungrier and hungrier because there was so much planning involved.

Calorie counting isn't for everyone, and I know what you mean by getting obsessed with it.  I remember walking in a daze around a shop paralysed by indecision about what sandwich to buy, and how that would affect the rest of the day's calorie intake.  But I think a good way to use calorie counting for a short time is as audit - you just log what you eat without worrying about calorie totals.  After a week or so, you can look back over what your usual food intake is like, and see where there's scope to reduce your calorie intake.  Spot the things that are poor value for calories/fillingness/deliciousness and look for quick and painless wins to cut your calorie intake.  For example, I found that garlic bread and prawn crackers are very high in calories for what they are, that prepacked sandwiches can vary from about 390 to 650 calories, and that Chinese food is generally much lower in calories than pizza.  Armed with that, I dropped garlic bread/prawn crackers, was more careful with my sandwich choices, and when I did have takeway food, had better takeway.  On the other side of the equation, it turns out that soup is delicious and surprisingly low in calories, as are salads (with a bit of sweet chilli sauce), plain popcorn, and tomato salsa (eaten with breadsticks or just a spoon, rather that chips).

It sounds to me as if you tried to do too much too soon with calorie counting.  What worked for me was just to audit first, look for those quick and painless wins, and look for opportunities to exercise more, even if it's just walking.

Final update and summary....

Main Quest:

I'm nearly where I want to be.  A few more pounds to go, and then I'm there.  And then there are some choices to be made. What kind of life to I want to lead? How am I going to balance food and exercise to enjoy my food but stay at my goal weight? What about time for sedantry interests? Fortunately for me, I like exercise, I like running, and I like sport. So it's not going to be too hard, but it needs careful thought and reflection. My main question is reaching the end of my weight-loss journey, and starting on a new journey - to where, and how, and why, I've yet to fully discover. One thing is for sure - it's going to feature running at 5k and 10k distances.

Result:

B. I'm now out or damn close to where I want to be in terms of weight loss. I've done some thinking about what the rest of my life is like, and it's really a case of keeping my current eating habits going, and not allowing myself to slide back into old routines.  I've heard about research which indicates that a lot of people who lose a lot of weight put it back on again with interest, so I need to be very careful about this.  To offset food, I'm going to continue walking everywhere, and (weather and seasons permitting) take a longer route to work.  When I shift my damn ankle injury I'll be running every other day, and until then I'll be rebounder running most days.  I don't think I can decide now what the rest of my life will be like - I need to take it a week at a time, keep weighing myself and perhaps continuing to track calories.  I'm doing less of that than before - perhaps I've learnt all I can learn from that.

Goal 1:  "Staying out for the summer....."

I'm off on holiday for the first two weeks of the challenge. The good? Weather permitting, I'm going to be doing lots of walking.  The bad?  Away from my kitchen, my rebounder, my usual environment. Ice cream and high calorie local delicacies will be everywhere.  Meals out. Now, everyone is entitled to a holiday, but my goal is to come back the same weight as I left.

It's an A for this. I not only didn't put weight on, but lost a 1lb.  I'm not entirely surprised - I did a lot of walking, and was fairly good at food restraint overall.

Goal 2:  Last few pounds

I want to lose 4lbs over the next 6 weeks, which should get me at my goal weight.

Another A. Start of challenge: 81.5kg (179.5lbs, 12st 11.5lbs)  End of challenge: 79.7kg (175.7lbs, 12st. 7.7lbs)

Goal 3: Train towards the 10k race

The race itself is outside the goal period, but I'm going to put in place a training plan so that I can complete the 10k, ideally under 55 mins.

An injury-hampered C for this.  I've managed to run 10k over a flat course twice now, plus a 7k with the first 5k up and down hills.  But that hurt, and rather than the usual week recovery time, it's been two weeks plus.  My next training run will be 10k with some hills.  The race I'm running has "undulating" terrain.  I've been able to keep up the rebounder running (usually 1 hr at a time), and on my last run I found that I was able to recover while running - as if my energy bar was regenerating slowly - after a hill.  That's new for me.  I've got two weeks until the 10k, so one more run, lots of rebounder running, and some rest. Post 10k, I think my next running goal might be to improve my 5k PB, though I'd quite like to run the length of a local canal trail which is about 10 miles.

Side Quest:  Together Alone

A couple of challenges ago, my relationship status shifted from "it's complicated" to "single". I think I've processed all that now, and I'm wondering about doing something positive to see if there's anyone else out there to re-complicate my life.  Problem is, I'm not sure exactly how best to go about this, or even if it's a good idea.  I mean, I like being free and single, and I'm quite happy as I am.  And I'd much rather be happy and single than not happy and in a relationship.  Some people need to be part of a couple - I really don't.  So, although it's vague, at the end of this six week challenge I should have something to report back to myself about my thinking.  Am I going to do anything positive (internet dating, speed dating, practicising flirting, whatever), or have I decided that actually I'm perfectly content by myself?  Honestly don't know.

It's a B for me here.  I've signed up for a dating website, sent messages, got some back, had a few "winks", had people look at my picture.  The messages mostly petered out, but one led to quite a few phone calls before it became clear we were just too different.  One conversation still ongoing... so who nows.  But oddly it's given me confidence - I walk with my head up these days, I smile at people, and I feel more resilient.  I've sent messages that have been ignored, either because she wasn't interested, or hasn't subscribed and couldn't read it.  I feel more confident about dealing with rejection than previously, and I think I'll be better at flirting in the future.  Judging by some of the people who've looked at my profile or even got in touch, I can't be as ugly as I think I am.  But I'm still ugly

Final update and summary....

Main Quest:

I'm nearly where I want to be.  A few more pounds to go, and then I'm there.  And then there are some choices to be made. What kind of life to I want to lead? How am I going to balance food and exercise to enjoy my food but stay at my goal weight? What about time for sedantry interests? Fortunately for me, I like exercise, I like running, and I like sport. So it's not going to be too hard, but it needs careful thought and reflection. My main question is reaching the end of my weight-loss journey, and starting on a new journey - to where, and how, and why, I've yet to fully discover. One thing is for sure - it's going to feature running at 5k and 10k distances.

Result:

B. I'm now out or damn close to where I want to be in terms of weight loss. I've done some thinking about what the rest of my life is like, and it's really a case of keeping my current eating habits going, and not allowing myself to slide back into old routines.  I've heard about research which indicates that a lot of people who lose a lot of weight put it back on again with interest, so I need to be very careful about this.  To offset food, I'm going to continue walking everywhere, and (weather and seasons permitting) take a longer route to work.  When I shift my damn ankle injury I'll be running every other day, and until then I'll be rebounder running most days.  I don't think I can decide now what the rest of my life will be like - I need to take it a week at a time, keep weighing myself and perhaps continuing to track calories.  I'm doing less of that than before - perhaps I've learnt all I can learn from that.

Goal 1:  "Staying out for the summer....."

I'm off on holiday for the first two weeks of the challenge. The good? Weather permitting, I'm going to be doing lots of walking.  The bad?  Away from my kitchen, my rebounder, my usual environment. Ice cream and high calorie local delicacies will be everywhere.  Meals out. Now, everyone is entitled to a holiday, but my goal is to come back the same weight as I left.

It's an A for this. I not only didn't put weight on, but lost a 1lb.  I'm not entirely surprised - I did a lot of walking, and was fairly good at food restraint overall.

Goal 2:  Last few pounds

I want to lose 4lbs over the next 6 weeks, which should get me at my goal weight.

Another A. Start of challenge: 81.5kg (179.5lbs, 12st 11.5lbs)  End of challenge: 79.7kg (175.7lbs, 12st. 7.7lbs)

Goal 3: Train towards the 10k race

The race itself is outside the goal period, but I'm going to put in place a training plan so that I can complete the 10k, ideally under 55 mins.

An injury-hampered C for this.  I've managed to run 10k over a flat course twice now, plus a 7k with the first 5k up and down hills.  But that hurt, and rather than the usual week recovery time, it's been two weeks plus.  My next training run will be 10k with some hills.  The race I'm running has "undulating" terrain.  I've been able to keep up the rebounder running (usually 1 hr at a time), and on my last run I found that I was able to recover while running - as if my energy bar was regenerating slowly - after a hill.  That's new for me.  I've got two weeks until the 10k, so one more run, lots of rebounder running, and some rest. Post 10k, I think my next running goal might be to improve my 5k PB, though I'd quite like to run the length of a local canal trail which is about 10 miles.

Side Quest:  Together Alone

A couple of challenges ago, my relationship status shifted from "it's complicated" to "single". I think I've processed all that now, and I'm wondering about doing something positive to see if there's anyone else out there to re-complicate my life.  Problem is, I'm not sure exactly how best to go about this, or even if it's a good idea.  I mean, I like being free and single, and I'm quite happy as I am.  And I'd much rather be happy and single than not happy and in a relationship.  Some people need to be part of a couple - I really don't.  So, although it's vague, at the end of this six week challenge I should have something to report back to myself about my thinking.  Am I going to do anything positive (internet dating, speed dating, practicising flirting, whatever), or have I decided that actually I'm perfectly content by myself?  Honestly don't know.

It's a B for me here.  I've signed up for a dating website, sent messages, got some back, had a few "winks", had people look at my picture.  The messages mostly petered out, but one led to quite a few phone calls before it became clear we were just too different.  One conversation still ongoing... so who nows.  But oddly it's given me confidence - I walk with my head up these days, I smile at people, and I feel more resilient.  I've sent messages that have been ignored, either because she wasn't interested, or hasn't subscribed and couldn't read it.  I feel more confident about dealing with rejection than previously, and I think I'll be better at flirting in the future.  Judging by some of the people who've looked at my profile or even got in touch, I can't be as ugly as I think I am.  But I'm still ugly

I think you might already have achieved the most difficult part, which is self-knowledge  You know that your self image doesn't match onto how other people see you/what you've actually achieved, and you know that it's what's going on in your head that's incorrect.

One of the challenges in losing weight, I found, is confronting the fact that you're overweight.  I used to avoid mirrors, avoid photographs, and in general tried to avoid being confronted with the reality of how much weight I'd put on.  Similarly, other people would seldom - if ever - comment on my weight.  It just faded into the background where I could quietly forget that I was the elephant in the room.  But when you're actively trying to lose weight and succeeding, you're confronted by it.  When you get to the point that your clothes no longer fit properly and you need new ones.  When you weigh yourself. When you look in the mirror looking for change.  When other people comment on your weight loss.  Suddenly, from being something that I tried to hide from, it's now centre stage.  In some ways that's great, but in other ways it's difficult because the glare of the spotlight shows up not only how far I'd come, but how far I had to go.  If that's your experience too, then I think there's an element of just gritting your teeth and powering through  - keep on keeping on, because what you're doing is working.  Current habits and routine (food and exercise) + appropriate scaling up where appropriate + time = success.

Taking pictures, as alecto said, can be a good idea. I found tracking progress through belt notches and the feel and fit of clothes was useful.  But I don't think there's a magic bullet for this issue - my body image still hasn't caught up with my weight loss, and probably won't for a while yet.  But the main thing is that you know you're doing it, and that's absolutely vital.....

Welcome, and congratulations on your progress so far!

Ballroom dancing sounds like an excellent idea - I'm a great believer in finding a form of exercise that you actually like, rather than one that you have to make yourself do.  I'd imagine that most people in the class will too busy watching their own feet (or trying not to watch their own feet) to notice or make judgements about anyone else.  Is your husband signing up too - would be a good thing to do together, perhaps....

Another update... I've been a bit bad at updating this challenge....

Goal 2: Last few pounds

Started this challenge at 81.5kg (179.5lbs, 12st 11.5lbs), last week was 79.5kg (175.3 lbs, 12st 7.2 lbs).  This will take me to my challenge goal or there or thereabouts if I maintain it, but I still think there's a bit more to go.  There's still a bit more padding around my gut than I strictly need, but I'm not going to obsess about it - to the average observer I'm not overweight.  Getting below the 80kg mark was terrific - MFP is telling me I've lost 32kg so far, which is fantastic.  But of course it's not really about the scales - it's about fitness and health.

Goal 3: 10k race training

My ankle problem isn't clearing up as fast as I'd like, so I still have to wait 5-6 days between outdoor runs, and I usually end up waiting longer because I'm worried about it.  I mentioned earlier a 10k run before my holiday, and a 7k just after my return.  Since then I've got a new self-timed PB for 10k in 54:36 or so along a fairly flat course.  Today I went for a much hillier route (for most of the first 5k) and managed 7k in 40:43.  My next run will be 10k, with the same hill climbs but with more spacing between them.  I got a sense today that I've unlocked a new running power - regeneration.  Previously I've felt that my energy bars (one for cardio-vascular, one for muscular-skeletal) only go one way, and so I get worried if I think they dip too low too early.  But once they dip below a certain point, they have the limited power of regeneration which makes them drop much more slowly.  The 10k course is described as "undulating", so I think a sub-55 minute - essentially doing what I can already do over a less flat course - ought to be do-able.

Romance sub-plot:

I think all of the benefits above have continued and one or two interesting conversations have resulted.  In short, a positive experience so far, and as much for my state of mind as for concrete results of actually meeting a future life partner.

 * applauds *

Glad to hear that you're keeping a food journal.  That's what worked for me - recording what I ate (using My Fitness Pal) and looking for easy ways to cut my calorie intake, mainly through cutting out food that was poor deliciousness/fillingness value for the calories.  It is amazing what a difference small changes can make.  I've read that weight loss is about 80% diet, 20% exercise, and the trick is not to end up eating more and justifying it to yourself because of the extra exercise.

Lots of good advice already.... I started with couch to 5k (though not at week 1) and I've got a 10k race in a month or so.  The only other bit of advice I'd pass on that I've seen from other c2k5 graduates (and that you'll probably get via the app) is not to be afraid to repeat a week if you need to - better to do that than get disheartened and drop out.

Finally.... don't neglect walking as a form of exercise.  A brisk, regular walk can do wonders....

It was quite sobering watching (the two I've seen so far, anyway).  I'm a few pounds off moving from weight loss to maintenance, and the stats on how many people put it all back on plus more were quite frightening.  I hadn't really considered that it might happen to me, not after over a year of working at it.  But what's so special about me?  Why should I succeed at keeping it off where others don't?  I think I have long term, permanent, sustainable diet and exercise habits, but it's just as easy for these to slip gradually as they were to establish gradually.

It seems like an odd series so far - part historical documentary, part business practice expose, part health advice, and sometimes I can't help thinking that it doesn't quite know what it wants to be.  The overall message isn't entirely clear, and perhaps there's too much focus on what doesn't work rather than on what does.  The old me might have watched that, thought "oh well...." and not bothered trying.

On the subject of UK docs, the Horizon programme the other week ("Monitor Me", I think) about the use of apps and mobile devices to self-monitor health and fitness was quite interesting....

Another quick update.... I managed a 7k run, but I really wasn't feeling good about 2-3k in and decided at that point to cut it short, but ended up lasting longer than I thought.  I'm probably just mentally rusty - it's not like "hitting the wall" but there are always time where I struggle a bit until I get my second or third wind and am then fine.  I went to see the physio again and I'm going to up the ankle strengthening, but I think I'm still only going to be able to run every 5 days or so, though hopefully that will continue to improve.  Going for lighter/shorter/flatter runs doesn't appear to make a difference, so I'm going to try to make my run a long one - perhaps a flat 10k or 7-8k with some hills - and then do my rebounder running (which doesn't aggrevate my ankle) on other days - either an hour's run or half an hour interval training.

On my side quest/romance sub plot.... I've taken the plunge, signed up for an internet dating website, and subscribed.  I've even sent a few messages to a few possible matches, and received a bit of attention from spammers/scammers and some genuine people who I'm almost certainly not compatible with.  I'm trying internet dating as much for my mindset as through any actual expectation of results - I need to think about what kind of life I want, and to look forward rather than dwelling on a (wonderful) previous relationship which came to an end a while back.  Oddly, I've found the process has given me a bit of confidence - my profile has been viewed a lot, which means that my picture can't be so repulsive that people scroll straight past - unless, of course, they're looking for car crash reasons.  But I don't think it's that.  I think I'm more prepared to risk rejection through the impersonal medium of the website and that might seep through into real life too.  I also find myself more willing to smile at strangers in the street or in the park, and for reasons I can't properly explain I'm feeling a bit more confident and outgoing and willing to take risks.  It helps, of course, that I look damn good in my profile pictures - at least compared to how I used to look before I lost the excess weight.  I'd still say that I'm unattractive, but I've given myself every chance I can, and hopefully my personality can outweight some of that - though internet dating isn't the best medium for that.  Oh well.  TL:DR - progress, and I think benefits are seeping through into real life.

I'm back from holiday and it's very good news.  Today's weigh-in was 81.0kg, 178.6lbs, 12st 10.6lbs, so I've not only not put on any weight, but also lost one out of the four lbs I'd like to lose during this challenge.

I put running on hold for the last two weeks - my ankle was feeling okay, but I was doing a lot of coastal walking and getting the occasional twinge.  Some of the ascents and descents were quite steep and remote, so I didn't want to risk aggrevating the injury.  So it'll be my first run for a while today... interesting to see how that goes....

Thanks everyone. It'll be my first official 10k, though I've managed a self-timed/measured unofficial 10k.

I'm not sure about learning how to flirt, but I'm starting by being more social and outgoing and charming. Or trying, anyway.

Main quest:  "There's a world that's waiting to unfold...."

Well.... I've lost 67lbs in about 13 months, since I started counting properly. I am a shadow of my former self - my trousers were size 42", now they're 34".  My t-shirts were XL or XXL, now they're L.  Point is, I've lost a lot of weight, and at the start of this challenge I'm about 81.5kg (179.5lbs, 12st 11.5lbs).  I've finished couch-to-5k. My 5k PB is 23:21. I've done an unofficial self-timed 10k in 57 mins, and I've got an official one after the end of the challenge.  I can do 2-3 pull ups, and I've gone fron knee push-ups to standard to decline to one footed to walking.  I've seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. And my longstanding foot/ankle instability problem is showing positive signs of clearing up, now I've got a diagnosis and some exercises to do.

I'm nearly where I want to be.  A few more pounds to go, and then I'm there.  And then there are some choices to be made. What kind of life to I want to lead? How am I going to balance food and exercise to enjoy my food but stay at my goal weight? What about time for sedantry interests? Fortunately for me, I like exercise, I like running, and I like sport. So it's not going to be too hard, but it needs careful thought and reflection. My main question is reaching the end of my weight-loss journey, and starting on a new journey - to where, and how, and why, I've yet to fully discover. One thing is for sure - it's going to feature running at 5k and 10k distances.

Goal 1:  "Staying out for the summer....."

I'm off on holiday for the first two weeks of the challenge. The good? Weather permitting, I'm going to be doing lots of walking.  The bad?  Away from my kitchen, my rebounder, my usual environment. Ice cream and high calorie local delicacies will be everywhere.  Meals out. Now, everyone is entitled to a holiday, but my goal is to come back the same weight as I left.

Goal 2:  Last few pounds

I want to lose 4lbs over the next 6 weeks, which should get me at my goal weight.

Goal 3: Train towards the 10k race

The race itself is outside the goal period, but I'm going to put in place a training plan so that I can complete the 10k, ideally under 55 mins.

Side Quest:  Together Alone

A couple of challenges ago, my relationship status shifted from "it's complicated" to "single". I think I've processed all that now, and I'm wondering about doing something positive to see if there's anyone else out there to re-complicate my life.  Problem is, I'm not sure exactly how best to go about this, or even if it's a good idea.  I mean, I like being free and single, and I'm quite happy as I am.  And I'd much rather be happy and single than not happy and in a relationship.  Some people need to be part of a couple - I really don't.  So, although it's vague, at the end of this six week challenge I should have something to report back to myself about my thinking.  Am I going to do anything positive (internet dating, speed dating, practicising flirting, whatever), or have I decided that actually I'm perfectly content by myself?  Honestly don't know.

I really enjoyed Skyrim, and also enjoyed Morrowind (though with a computer that wasn't really up to the job), but although a bit of me is tempted I've sworn off MMORPGs.  I've had some epic moments playing Shadowbane and Eve Online, and a fair amount of fun playing WoW, but I've found that MMORPGs suck me in and consume too much of my time to the detriment of other parts of my life.  I still play games, but only single player for now (though I might be persuaded to play some co-operative or PvP stuff with friends) - that way I can get my gaming fix and know that when I log off, I'm not missing anything.  It'll all be there waiting, just as I left it, when I have time again.

.Again, I am no expert but I think the most important thing is you just get started and keep track of your workouts and see which you like the best. Do something you like doing and you will be more likely to stick to it.

This.  If you want to lose 50lbs at an average of 1lb per week, you're looking at about a year or so, perhaps a bit less.  That's a long time.  After you've reached your goal, you'll have to stick to something like your routine - or a modified version - to stay at that goal.  And the rest of your life is an even longer time!  The answer to the question about which is the best diet/exercise regime is always 'the one you can stick to'.

I'm starting to think that there's something about personality and temperament which sorts people into Paleo or calorie counting camps, and probably also into (mainly) weight training or (mainly) cardio camps. But I don't think it's always possible to predict when you start out.  If you've genuinely got no preference at the moment, I'd suggest trying one then the other and seeing which you prefer.

I'd also suggest three possible alternatives to the gym for cardio.  Walking is a great exercise, and I've found the NHS couch-to-5k really useful - though I found that I needed to lose a bit of weight before I felt brave enough to try it.  Another key weapon in my arsenal is a rebounder/mini-trampoline thing.  I keep it in my front room, put the TV on, turn the volume up and either run for an hour or so or run intervals.  When I started out I'd alternate between jogging and just bouncing for shorter periods of time  It's cheap (one off cost for a good quality rebounder) and is very convenient - it's in the privacy of your own front room, so no commuting or worrying about the weather.

And so, the post challenge wrap-up.

Goal 1: A shadow of my former self
Lose 5lbs (average of just under 1lb per week) over the duration of the challenge.  I'll do this by a combination of calorie counting and exercise and run a safe net deficit through, sustainable habits.  This has been a constant goal for each challenge, but as I've less to lose (and it's harder to do) I've made it 5lbs rather than 6lbs this time.  +0.5 con and +0.5 dex are available per 1lb of weight loss, for a total of +2.5 for each.

My starting weight is 83.3kg, 183.6lbs, 13 stone 1.6lbs

Final weight: 81.5kg, 179.7lbs, 12 stone, 11.7 lbs.  Total lost: 4lbs, so +2 con and +2 dex.  Perhaps another 4-8lbs to go before I'll be happy.  But I've already been told by one person not to lose any more....

A sub-goal of this is Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is to work out on at least 11 days of 14.  This has been a regular goal that I've almost always succeeded at in full, so perhaps it's not a challenge any more.  However, I'd like to track it here to make sure.

Even if I've not always met this exactly, exercise as part of a routine is now fitting in nicely.  I think next time I might let myself count walking over a certain distance towards this goal, as some days I do a lot of walking that I don't really have a mechanism for counting as exercise.

Goal 2: Drink water like water, and soda like soda

One of the big changes I made when I first started out with weight loss was cutting out full calorie cokes/sodas.  It wasn't easy, but I succeeded and now rarely have any liquid calories.  However, I don't think I drank any less soda overall, but just shifted to Diet Coke and Pepsi Max.  While I don't want to throw words around like "addicted", I drink more than is good for me and do get a form of "withdrawal" if I don't have any.  This is not good.  I understand there's some research that would indicate that diet sodas are nearly as bad as full calories and that artificial sweeteners are not good for the body.  I'm unconvinced, and I think my experience has been that the kick of something sweet and caffinated helps satisfy cravings for high calorie food.  Last time I tried to drink water instead of soda, and made myself finish a bottle of water before I could have any.  I largely succeeded at this, but I'm not convinced it actually helped much - probably I just drank more later.

There's good evidence that presentation/plates/glasses affect portion sizes, so I'm going to try to drink it from a tumbler, rather than from the bottle.  My challenge is to see if this works, and if it doesn't, try something else instead.  There's the danger that I'd pour myself more than I want, and end up finishing it in a way that I wouldn't if I only wanted a sip or two.

+0.5 wisdom for each week of success = +3 available overall.

This experiment didn't really work for me, and if anything I've gone backwards on this.  Part of that might be because of the heat, but I don't think that's really an explanation, and it's certainly not an excuse.

Goal 3: The awesomeness of the middle distance runner

I'd love to beat my personal best over 5k, but I don't know how realistic that's going to be, given my injury problems.  I'm not going to break myself for the sake of a challenge goal!  So here are some running milestones for which I can earn points:

1) Run another 5k parkrun - +1 sta

2) If too injured to run, but not to walk there, volunteer to help out at the parkrun. They only happen because of volunteers, and I should pay it forward. +1 cha

3) Set a new 5k PB. +1 sta

4) Set a new PB for distance run without stopping (currently 6k). Would like to take this to 7k, and build towards 10k eventually.

I'm delighted to pick off all four targets - another packrun with PB, volunteering when injured, and a new distance PB (7.5k in arond 45 mins) too.  So +2 sta, +1 cha.

Goal 4:  Life goal - Roll your Charisma

In my previous challenges I've set myself life goals related to getting to know people better, or opening up more, or turning acquantainces into friends.  In the last two I decided to broaden things out and give myself points for times when I've taken a risk and "rolled my charisma" - to use a D&D term.  Actually my charisma score isn't bad, especially diplomacy, but I tend not to take risks and introversion is my default setting.  In challenge IV I scored well at this, kept it going but raised the bar for V and did much less well.  I'm keeping the challenge, but I think I'm going to score it per situation rather than on a weekly basis..

Total +3 available, which I'll split evenly between wisdom and charisma.

Adding up it's +1.25 for charisma and +0.75 for wisdom.  Not bad at all.  While I don't think I've solved the underlying issues here, gradually my default setting is starting to shift a little away from introverted.