Psychic Lipstick vs the Adipose, again.

[psychic-lipstick]

Hi, everyone. I'm a couple of days late, but hoping to join in this challenge as a sort of first timer. I've been lurking on NFR for a while and have tried creating forums and participating, but...life issues always seem to get in the way, and I can't seem to make progress on my fitness. I want to change that. I don't want to dwell on all the problems, but I have a lot of family stuff that takes up  time, a hostile workplace that I can't leave just yet, a really horrible battle with depression, and a habit of letting go of self-care when I am depressed, anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. I am the heaviest I have ever been, and so uncomfortable in my own skin that I just want to escape myself most days, but I haven't given up. None of those things are good reasons for being in this shape. So, here I am, hoping to respawn, reboot, re-commit, and do it right this time! I don't think I've ever really completed a challenge that I have tried, not properly, not in a meaningful way. So, that's my main quest, here: getting into a fitness routine and seeing it through to the end of the challenge period. Another day, another page of the diary, right?

 

Quest: Complete the Challenge without giving up after a week or two of effort!

Goal 1: Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.

Goal 2: Prepare my own meals instead of eating fast food.

Goal 3: Spend at least 30 minutes a day on managing my stress/wellness.

 

I'm going to track these with a simple binary: 1 point if I do it, and 0 if I don't. That means I can earn 78 points, if I start today. I don't really have much in the way of a character, but if I can survive the first challenge, I will develop mine further for the next one!

 

Also, I am not sure if I'm navigating this forum correctly, and would be grateful for some pointers, if anything seems wrong or weird.

 

 

[karinajean]

hey and welcome! it's never to late to sign up for a first challenge  so you are RIGHT ON TIME.

 

for your goal 1, what kind of exercises do you like to do, and plan to do every day?

[psychic-lipstick]

Day 1 -- 11/28

 

I've committed to my quest. The task is daunting, and I am uncertain about my abilities. Yesterday, I learned about the death of a colleague that I knew only in passing, but whose work schedule seemed rather like my own; his last words to our faculty spoke about work-life balance, about making time for health in addition to doing a good job. Those words seemed to ring so true for me; in an effort to do a good job, I have let myself fall apart in serious ways, gaining weight, despair, and insecurity in abundance. I'll be 40 soon, and my life is nowhere near where I thought it would be by this time -- something that is mixed up in my poor fitness, health, and wellness. I intend to update this log daily with an account of my journey.

 

1/1 -- Goal 1: I exercised for 35 minutes. It was much harder than I remember. I used to be able to work out for 90 minutes before feeling sore and weary, but I was struggling once I made it to 25 minutes, today. In getting ready for the gym, I faced an unexpected obstacle: I found myself reluctant to go to the gym because I couldn't stand what I looked like and was afraid of what others would say if they saw me; I forced myself to get over it, and I worked out on the elliptical machine and the exercise mats with my eyes closed and some 80s rock music in my ears. My body aches, but I remind myself that it signals a future strength and that I have to learn to love this.

 

1/1 -- Goal 2: I cooked my meals at home. I don't think I've got the hang of portion sizes, just yet. Stress eating usually equals binge eating for me, so my sense of scale is damaged. I baked some chicken, and I ate it with pasta. I had coffee. I allowed myself to eat the Kit-Kat that was in the fridge, which was a bad idea, but it didn't technically break my goal...so I think I need to modify this goal. In the future, I will prepare my own meals and will NOT eat candy as breakfast. I know better, but I acted on impulse this morning and ruined my efforts. So, goal 2 will become "no fast food & no junk food".

 

1/1 -- Goal 3: Journaling and planning are good ways to manage stress and keep track of things. I faced some demons today, really took stock of my life for a change. I discovered that my most recent ex-bf got married, and I was happy for him but sad for the state of my own romantic life. I find it hard to deal with the shame I feel about my failures, and these days I have so many failures. I've always been personally ambitious (not competitive, just full of dreams and goals I want to accomplish), but I never counted on facing the kinds of obstacles I have faced in the last few years -- or, being kicked down so often that I didn't feel like I could get up, again. It occurs to me that this shame I feel is preventing me from catching up on all the things I'm behind on, preventing me from facing myself, and that my efforts at managing my life have become reactionary, crisis-management approaches. I need more space in my life, and I think I need to let go of things from my past. Maybe the extra weight symbolizes all the stuff I'm holding on to, armor to keep me from the world, but I want to be in the world and alive in it!

 

So far, I've made some baby steps. I hope I can do the same, tomorrow.

 

[psychic-lipstick]

3 minutes ago, karinajean said:

hey and welcome! it's never to late to sign up for a first challenge  so you are RIGHT ON TIME.

 

for your goal 1, what kind of exercises do you like to do, and plan to do every day?

Hi, Karinajean.

 

I hope to do some cardio at first. My building contains a gym with an elliptical crosstrainer, a treadmill, a stationary bike -- and a lot of freeweights. I hope to use the elliptical crosstrainer or the treadmill for 30 minutes a day. Secretly, I hope I can build up my endurance by the end of the challenge so that I can do an hour involving two out of three of those machines, each day. I would also like to do some crunches, squats, kicks, push ups, and other such activities each day (are these called isometric?). I don't have a set routine for this, yet. Today, I just did about 40 of each (less of the pushups, just 10).

 

I've been re-learning how to ride a bicycle, and might like to do some of that on the weekends. I like walking outdoors, and may try jogging/walking outside (I like the app "Zombies, Run!"), on weekends. I used to love playing tennis, but I don't currently have a partner for it and may be a bit out of shape for that. I used to love yoga and weight-lifting, but I think I'm too heavy for the yoga right now and feel like lifting wouldn't be as useful as cardio for me just now (may be wrong).

 

I was considering a video, like 30 Day Shred or something, but I don't know if I can keep up with it. :/

[karinajean]

cool! I would call those bodyweight exercises, generally. isometrics are exercises where you hold a position and your joints are static while your muscle works - like a plank. 

 

there's lots of routines here if you get bored with stringing exercises together yourself  

https://www.nerdfitness.com/bodyweight-training-resources/

 

for my challenge I'm trying to get more serious about  re-booting some bodyweight exercises, and making sure I'm getting the strength and full range of motion. (like push-ups!) I like the progressions from start bodyweight because it is SUCH a nice clear set-up: http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/exercise-progressions_12.html.

 

re: yoga - there are a lot of non-slender people who do yoga. Jessamyn Stanley (http://jessamynstanley.com/) is one of them, she's pretty amazing. If you love yoga, listen to your body, and modify poses when you need to - you should totally go ahead!  

 

as far as strength training vs cardio - well, bodyweight is strength training too, so that's something. I believe that at first, especially if you've been very sedentary, the most important thing is to form a good healthy habit. And if that's doing something that you love every day, then that's the right course of action. there are a lot of strong feelings on what's better - cardio vs strength - but the best exercise is the one that you want to do regularly, and that will help you reach your overarching fitness goals. 

 

I'm excited to see your successes this challenge! congratulations on pushing through the uncertainty and getting to the gym today. I know it's easy for ME to say, but don't worry about what others might think. Imagine they're all just like us here on NF and SUPER EXCITED that you are doing the things!

[psychic-lipstick]

11 minutes ago, karinajean said:

there's lots of routines here if you get bored with stringing exercises together yourself  

https://www.nerdfitness.com/bodyweight-training-resources/

...

re: yoga - there are a lot of non-slender people who do yoga. Jessamyn Stanley (http://jessamynstanley.com/) is one of them, she's pretty amazing. If you love yoga, listen to your body, and modify poses when you need to - you should totally go ahead!  

 

I like the term bodyweight training! (I also like planks, but they weren't what I had in mind; I had a sense that isometric wasn't quite the word I needed... )

Thank you for this link! It looks really helpful.

 

Thanks for the encouragement about the yoga; I think my avoidance of it has to do with shame about the state I'm now presently in, but that is certainly not a helpful attitude to have, and I should get over it. I will check out Jessamyn Stanley's routines and poses.

 

Over the past two years, I've become way more sedentary than I used to be, so step one needs to be sticking to a routine,! I didn't choose a particularly ambitious quest this time around, mainly because I kinda want to stick to it and am likely to give up if it seems too overwhelming. Ultimately, I hope to lose 50 pounds -- and that means I need to make sure I can stay on track for a year, which will be more likely if I can build good habits and get over these blues!

[TGP]

can I offer the suggestion that :30 minutes per day 7x a week is a lot?

 

let me lay out where I am (so you can appreciate my experiences)...

 

I've been on and off sedentary for the last many years and like you;  I felt I needed a real change in my habits.

That Was May 2017.  A team of people at work was doing an adventure Relay race and invited me along as part of the orienteering segment. (I really like hiking)

 

I took it seriously; and buckled down to hiking up hills around where that race was to take place.

 

I died on some of those hills!  but still I was prolly only exercising 1-2 a week until deep in the summer.   as the event drew close; I redoubled my efforts (almost got shin splints) and had to back off to prevent problems.

 

After the race I looked for new challenges and started building much more of a routine.  IN august I started lifting.  in late October I started running.

 

now in late November; my routine is...

Lifting on MH;  running on MWF;  a bodyweight class on WF (maybe?) and beyond this hiking as much as winter will allow with my son and dad.

 

the point is that with All this exercise STILL I'm not Quite at 30 minutes a day 7x week.  

 

---

or for another perspective...

I have walked/run in the woods up some of the hardest hills in this part of PA for a Oienteering race.  and

I've done a 50 mile hike in one day ... TWICE

 

and again, this was all done with less than :30 per day of exercise.

--------------------

 

So I don't want to discourage you.  they are potentially Good sides of exercising that much too... but only if you keep intensity Quite limited.

 

my concern is only that, if you are sedentary,  you might be overly ambitious and when aches and pains happen;   you will become discouraged when your programs seems hopelessly derailed.

 

OTOH; if you aim for 2-3 sessions of mild exercise; you can Always do MORE (if you feel like it)  and not quite so dissapointed with yourself if you struggle.

 

-------------

and to just to point out, that beyond the pychological impact of 7x exercise... exercising with no rest days gives weary muscles less an opportunity to heal.

 

that Healing is Particularly important in some types of exercising like weight lifting.  your literally make small tears in your muscle and your body will take time (and nutrients/ energy) to repair them.  but Even if your Not weight lifting any rigorous use of your muscle will do the the same thing.

 

and if your read Nothing Else.  Pay attention to your Body, discomfort is fine; but Pain leads to injury!  

ok. thats my advice!

I wish you the very best with your efforts.  

 

 

 

[psychic-lipstick]

1 hour ago, TGP said:

can I offer the suggestion that :30 minutes per day 7x a week is a lot?

...

So I don't want to discourage you.  they are potentially Good sides of exercising that much too... but only if you keep intensity Quite limited.

 

my concern is only that, if you are sedentary,  you might be overly ambitious and when aches and pains happen;   you will become discouraged when your programs seems hopelessly derailed.

...

and to just to point out, that beyond the pychological impact of 7x exercise... exercising with no rest days gives weary muscles less an opportunity to heal.

 

that Healing is Particularly important in some types of exercising like weight lifting.  your literally make small tears in your muscle and your body will take time (and nutrients/ energy) to repair them.  but Even if your Not weight lifting any rigorous use of your muscle will do the the same thing.

TGP, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

You bring up a good point about rest days. I suppose 7 days a week is a lot, but I guess I’m hoping that if I make it a daily thing, I’ll be less likely to slack off. I don’t think that my intensity is too high, at the moment, but It might be better to try for 3-5 days a week at a slightly higher intensity. I will consider modifying this, if I can’t manage after a week.

 

Pain really is an important thing to pay attention to! One of the (many) reasons I have neglected fitness so much lately is that I ended up in some hot water because I didn't take care of a minor injury properly. In October, I twisted my ankle and I thought I took care of it, but I was wrong. So, in April, I re-injured it, ending up with a fracture. Then, I ended up plantar fasciitis from walking on it all wrong, which hurt way more than I would have liked for way longer than I would have liked. So it was July before I got around to walking much again or exercising. At that point, I joined a gym, but my efforts were not consistent, with some weeks bringing me there a few times and plenty more weeks not at all. So, I'm mainly interested in building a consistent routine that I can stick with...and it's possible that I overshot it with this goal of 7 times a week. I certainly don't want to deal with another injury, again. Nor do I want to fizzle out because I attempted something unreasonable. So, I will give this some thought!

[TGP]

well good. it seems that you have recent experiences and you know how this goes.

thats all very good.

 

best of luck-  you can do it.

 

 

 

[Hazard]

On 11/28/2017 at 9:36 PM, psychic-lipstick said:

my main quest, here: getting into a fitness routine and seeing it through to the end of the challenge period. Another day, another page of the diary, right?

 

Quest: Complete the Challenge without giving up after a week or two of effort!

1. Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.
2. Prepare my own meals instead of eating fast food.
3. Spend at least 30 minutes a day on managing my stress/wellness.
   1. Journaling and planning are good ways to manage stress and keep track of things.

 

I'm going to track these with a simple binary: 1 point if I do it, and 0 if I don't.

 

 

Hi psychic!  Welcome (back) to the game!

 

The questions I would have had about your quests to help clarify them, you've already answers in subsequent posts. 

 

 

On 11/28/2017 at 10:03 PM, psychic-lipstick said:

I don't think I've got the hang of portion sizes, just yet.

 

Do you have a kitchen scale?   If not, I highly recommend it.   I got mine a few years ago for about $20 at Walmart.   I find it makes portioning very easy.

 

 

[RES]

Portions are hard for me too, I have to agree with Hazard on the scale suggestion!

My question is what are you doing to manage stress/wellness?