Mony

Wow, I just stumbled across an old photo from January 2009 and I can finally actually see my progress over the long haul. There aren't a lot of picture of me from that time period because I would shy away from cameras and feel embarassed to be in photos. Even though it still horrifies me, I'm posting this unflattering 'before' picture here, to hold myself accountable and to publicly shame inspire me to stay on track. This is also a good reminder to me that even though I don't see dramatic changes as fast as other people, I am clearly making a difference, and I just need to give myself a break and stop expecting it to happen over night. Thank you NF'ers for all the inspiration you give me every day!

Fancy pants grape juice, I believe. Tastes like wine. Close enough for me.

I also had a solid plank and could crank out dozens of knee pushups, but couldn't translate that to my toes. What helped me was doing one-legged knee push-ups for a while to make it more challenging and build up my strength until I could make it to full push-ups on my toes. More chest and back weight work also helped. My sister took me to a free women's bootcamp yesterday and I cranked out 50 one-legged military style push-ups on my toes... more than the instructor could do! So yes, it can be done!! You'll get there! Don't give up!

When I tried to cut out booze, I caught a LOT of flak from friends and acquaintances who seem to think it's impossible to socialize without a drink in my hand. (Or rather, it's impossible for them to socialize comfortably...) I do enjoy the occassional glass of wine (I'm allergic to gluten, so I don't drink beer) on a weekend evening, but it is counterproductive to my fitness goals. So I've actually replaced it with non-alcoholic wine. There is a brand sold at BevMo called "Ariel". It's about 45 calories per 8oz glass. It's real wine that has had the alcohol removed after fermentation. The CabSav isn't the most delicious thing in the world (kind of sweet and chocolately, not really my style), but the Chard is pretty close to the real thing. Close enough to make me feel like I'm treating myself, but not destroying my meal/diet plan. Just a thought if you are looking for a way to wean yourself off alcohol. A glass of non-alc wine is also handy for shutting up the annoying party acquaintances who seem to think I need to drink to have fun. Looks and smells like the real thing, so they leave me alone. Anyone else getting criticism for going booze-free at social events?

Currently, I'm trying these with palms facing each other on parallel bars. (I'm even more of a disaster in traditional pull-up position.) I'll give palms-towards-me chin-up position a try and work on doing them backwards top-to-bottom... instead of starting in the dead hang. I'll also experiment with other ways to tuck my legs in... I'm still swinging a fair bit and it's making the whole process a lot harder! Thanks for the feedback, everyone! P.S. Saw a tiny girl doing sets of dead-hang pull-ups (no kip) at the gym today... she was diesel... But also easily weighed 50lbs less than me. Hopefully, as I cut some body fat there will be less of me to be hoisting up to the bar in the first place!

Hi all! I am now successfully doing 3 sets of 5-6 negative pull-ups from a bar in my home, per the NF 'how to finally do a pullup' tutorial. (yay!) But I am stuck at the odd spot between negatives, and moving on to a 'real' pull-up. I can't seem to get myself up and out of that first inch at the bottom of the hang. > frustrating! My boyfriend does Crossfit and suggested I try the "kip-up" (is that what it's called?) at the bottom to give myself a little hitch and hoist to get past my tough spot. But I'm a 5'10" woman, standing in a narrow doorway, and I have to practically fold myself in half to get my long legs high enough to even clear the ground. Not sure there's enough height in the doorway to attempt the kip (?), let alone make it successful. Also.... is doing the kip thing cheating? Anyone got any advice on how to get past this roadblock? Thanks!!!

Ok sorry for the super-delayed responses.... @Athena: Thank you for the links, I will definitely check those out! @tepidreception: we are definitely looking for relaxation and not a party town. sounds like Patong and Pattaya should be avoided...? I'm hoping we can start in Phuket, do a couple days in Bangkok and then visit Chiang Mai. I have my heart set on visiting an elephant nature preserve (not the ones where tourists ride the elephants that are basically a step up from a circus, but a real preserve where the elephants' well-being is priority 1... i hope that's possible.) Everyone, how did you get around in Thailand?? Domestic flights, rent a car (actualy, I don't think I'm brave enough for that), cabs, trains?? Thanks again!

Two part woot here.... Woot #1: The front desk guy at the gym I've been going to (the local bodybuilder favorite full of lots of IFBB pros and very intimidating for a newbie girl like me, but hey, it's nearby, cheap and has more fun free weights than a rebel could ever dream of) stopped me today to say I'm looking like an athlete (score!), and that my fiance and I would probably have some "D1 pups". Um... wha? Apparently, he meant... "pups" as in children... and "D1" as in children who will play Division 1 sports and be great athletes when they grow up. Hm, Ok, thank you. What a strange but sweet compliment. He also mentioned that he has 5 sons of his own (1 who is a minor league baseball pitcher), so I guess calling children "pups" comes natural to a man with a litter of boys. Woot #2: New PR on Romanian deadlifts: 155lbs. I thought I'd be lucky to get 10 reps, and instead ripped out 15. Guess it's time to add more weight!! Woots out.

My future hubby and I are planning to take our honeymoon in Thailand in Sept 2013. Anyone been? First, I'm just wondering if going in September is just asking for us to be rained on the entire time and stuck indoors? Additionally, what are some of your must-see sights, cities, and excursions? We're going for 3 weeks, I think. If you have visited, I'd love to see some pictures if you're willing to share! Thanks!

Been doing backsquats with a trainer to birddog my form. Honestly, I've been struggling with the squats big time because I am very tall (5'10".. and uh, let's see.... 1.7meters?) woman, and 2/3 of my height is in my legs. It's like my body can't figure out where the heck my legs are supposed to go when I squat low! Thanks for the advice! I'm curious to see what happens with a little adjustment of the weight in relation to my bodyweight

I squatted and deadlifted a personal best today! 75lbs squat (down looowwww) - 3 sets/12reps 120lbs deadlift (with no straps for grip help!) - 3 sets/15 reps I am thrilled about this new PB and excited to see how much more weight I could handle if/when I lower my reps. Honestly I am just wondering, in respect to other women noobs (I've been strength training for about 3 months), if this is a respectable weight? Also, I'm trying to gauge where I should set my sights for a future goal for the next 3 months. Thanks!

I have celiac and it took a while for me to finally get diagnosed since symptoms can be really varied and range from barely noticeable to quite severe. When/If you do start consuming gluten again after a long period off, you may want to pay special attention to your reactions. Even mild reactions that you didn't notice before could be a sign of a slight "intolerance" or allergy, and not full-blown celiac (which is a genetic condition, and the most severe expression of gluten allergy). For years, I didn't realize how terrible I felt until I stopped eating gluten. Now, after 5+ years, if I have even a tiny amount of gluten I break out in hives, my stomach cramps horribly, gas, bloating, can't keep anything in my stomach, I even get back pain. But symptoms can be even more varied than just GI distress. Just listen to your body. Let us know how it goes! Good luck!

Hi there Rangers! I'm a little lost and hoping for some direction. I'm still trying to figure out which class I'm actually working towards... I'm not a Crossfitter or "jack of all trades," but I do play several types of sports (I'm not necessarily "good" at them, but still) and I am trying to increase muscle and lose body fat and generally be more difficult to catch and kill when the Zombie apocalypse comes. Right now, I would say that I'm a "recovering" Scout. I was a marathon runner and carb addict for years, until about 3 months ago when I started lifting, eating Paleo, and seeing changes in my body fat, strength, and then I totally fell in love with deadlifts. I think my goals mean that I'm working towards becoming a Ranger, but I'm not totally sure. Maybe a Warrior? Besides Crossfit, agility training, and climbing, what kind of activities do you Rangers do? Thanks!!!

Great job! Finally doing a decent push-up is such a satisfying feeling! Makes ya feel like a bad ass! Good on ya!!

It was body fat measuring day. After 4 weeks of lifting and clean eating, I'm down 3lbs of fat and up 3lbs of muscle. Still a long way to go... but today I couldn't be happier! (Oh, and today instead of feeling like all the super muscular guys were just staring at the only chick in the weight area like I don't belong, I actually got a compliment on my squats. Double woot!)