Be Strong and Courageous

[Ayrihn]

"...People's brains are conditioned to take the easy way out..." 

 

Today's culture of convenience and instant gratification has fostered and cultivated the "easy way" to the point that our health and quality of life become casualties in the breakneck pursuit of what we perceive to be success and happiness. A healthy lifestyle begins with the realization within the mind that "I can do better." It is a choice; a decision; a commitment followed by action. It takes strength of mind to build strength of body. 

 

Today is the day after Day 1. Yesterday I began my journey to not just lose weight, but holistically improve my lifestyle through nutrition and exercise and by utilizing the knowledge and resources shared here at Nerd Fitness. I am starting with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout, and I must say it ended up being more challenging than I expected. Lunges were wobbly, push-ups were sub-standard (my mind says I can still do them the Army way, but my body says not anymore), and I now have to use the handrail to get up and down stairs until the burning and weakness go away.

 

The good news? It feels good. I don't know if I'll be able to complete 3 whole sets tomorrow, but I'm darn sure excited to go back and do what I can, because it's better than not doing anything at all.

 

Strength of mind, strength of body, and courage to press on! Let's do this. 

 

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. -Ecclesiastes 7:8

 

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/09/21/you-really-really-want-to-go-to-the-gym-but-still-avoid-it-new-research-may-explain-why/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ef118769c572

[Jean]

I love your approach and you seem to have set yourself for the long run so... kudos! And strength and courage along the way.

 

[Ayrihn]

The Courage part comes in today. I'm still sore and I don't think I will be able to complete 3 sets accurately. What that ultimately boils down to is fear of failure. There is a mental and physical battle raging right now.

 

Mind: I need to go do this workout so I don't fall behind

Body: But I'm still sore, I might not even make it through one set

Mind: Well, what's the point if I only do one set? Maybe I should wait another day...

Body: That would be nice!

Mind: But tomorrow is the weekend and I know for a fact that I will be too busy to do this, that's why I have it scheduled Mon-Wed-Fri and I have to keep to that schedule. I don't want a 4-day gap between workouts

Body: It's not going to work

Mind: Maybe you're right, maybe it's better to fully recover.

Body: But I'm weak and chunky and we're fixing that, remember?

Mind: But you said you couldn't...

Body: Right, I can't.

Mind: How do you know?

Body: 

Mind: 

Gut: Stop being AFRAID of what you MIGHT not do and at least get out there and ACTUALLY do something!

Mind: Right, something is better than nothing!

Body: I don't like you right now.

[Jean]

I feel you there.

 

Have I understood you correctly and you did do what you could of your workout ?

 

If not, let me do my best possible Steve impersonation, here, and say:

Just tweak the workout to adjust to your current shape. If you can't do 3 sets right now, that's fine. You can lower reps (make it 10 rather than 20), or sets, or both. What matters is that you decide on doing something, and then go do it. You can always add reps and sets later.

 

... or go for a 5' walk. 5' walks are awesome !

 

Myself, I'd go with half the reps on most of these exercises, really.

 

And I love the picture you've selected, it's so true.

[TimovieMan]

On 9/27/2018 at 7:29 PM, Ayrihn said:

and I now have to use the handrail to get up and down stairs until the burning and weakness go away.

I wouldn't call that weakness. DOMS means your muscles are recovering and getting stronger, so it's strength.

 

On 9/27/2018 at 7:29 PM, Ayrihn said:

I don't know if I'll be able to complete 3 whole sets tomorrow, but I'm darn sure excited to go back and do what I can, because it's better than not doing anything at all.

Either complete what you can tomorrow, or take another "off" day and do some light cardio instead. Either is fine.

 

 

Wait, the Beginner Bodyweight exercise contains a dumbbell set?

 

[Ayrihn]

2 minutes ago, TimovieMan said:

I wouldn't call that weakness. DOMS means your muscles are recovering and getting stronger, so it's strength.

 

Either complete what you can tomorrow, or take another "off" day and do some light cardio instead. Either is fine.

 

 

Wait, the Beginner Bodyweight exercise contains a dumbbell set?

 

 

Only for the rows...can use a gallon (or half) of milk/water or something like that in lieu of a weight.

[Ayrihn]

33 minutes ago, Jean said:

I feel you there.

 

Have I understood you correctly and you did do what you could of your workout ?

 

If not, let me do my best possible Steve impersonation, here, and say:

Just tweak the workout to adjust to your current shape. If you can't do 3 sets right now, that's fine. You can lower reps (make it 10 rather than 20), or sets, or both. What matters is that you decide on doing something, and then go do it. You can always add reps and sets later.

 

... or go for a 5' walk. 5' walks are awesome !

 

Myself, I'd go with half the reps on most of these exercises, really.

 

And I love the picture you've selected, it's so true.

 

Nope, haven't gone yet. Will update when I do. WHEN. Not IF.   Thanks for your advice! I'd rather cut the reps in half and get 3 sets than keel over after one full set!

[Ayrihn]

It was Friday afternoon. Most people were already shifting into weekend mode.

 

"I don't have to do this. I can stop any time. But I'm not going to. I'm here, I want to see what I can do."

 

I took a sip of water after my 5 minute warm up on the treadmill and braced myself for the unknown. Am I going to pull a muscle? Were my legs going to give out as soon I began my first rep? Am I going to lose my balance and flop over like a stiff goat? How embarrassing is this going to be? Am I even going to be able to get through the first exercise, let alone a whole set?

 

There's only one way to find out, and it only took one rep.

 

I didn't flop. The pain didn't get worse. No pulled muscles. Instead, the slow, focused movement of the first squat rep seemed to set everything free. The potential strength that has literally sat neglected for nearly 6 years burst through, flowing through every muscle fiber. It was like the force had awakened. With each rep, the hunger to do more grew, until I found myself at the end of the 3rd set wishing it wasn't over. It was an incredible feeling. I envisioned myself one day doing weighted squats and lunges, holding a 1+ min plank, and surpassing my PR in push-ups. Now I am one day closer to that day.

 

Fear is a liar. Fear will keep you from talking to someone, from trying something new, from continuing forward into the unknown, from sharing experience with complete strangers. It almost kept me from doing the right thing for myself. 

 

I can't wait for today's round. 

 

 

[Jean]

I needed this, both your story and the song. Thanks.

[Ayrihn]

Today was rough. No time for details and probably won't be able to post again for a few days due to a full schedule. Let me just say the following:

 

I have a theory about female physiology that in the week or so leading up to what us ladies affectionately refer to as "shark week," our nutritional boundaries essentially disintegrate and our willpower becomes non-existent. I’m not just talking about chocolate cravings. If there’s food, I’m going to eat it. I succumbed to that perfect storm today and helped myself to a delightful mixture of corn syrup, sugar, water, salt and whatever else is found in salt water taffy. No guilt whatsoever. But I felt terrible throughout my entire workout today. Lesson here: don't eat sugary snacks before a workout. Shouldn't eat sugary snacks at all - but definitely NEVER before a workout.

 

I haven't figured out how to beat the storm. Even when I know it's coming. Will work on gathering some intel and sharing what I learn.

 

 

[Ayrihn]

Quick update: I asked my health coach for advice on the above. Ultimately it boils down to cravings - similar to the ones women have when pregnant and want to eat weird stuff like pickles and ice cream. I once had a terrible craving for carrots and peanut butter when I was pregnant - not a weird combination but weird for me to crave that! Anyways, I'm getting off track. She said that, at least for women, our bodies need different amounts of calories at different times - only a 100-200 calorie difference so not free reign to binge - and when I find myself reaching for a quick fix through "junk" food it's actually my body wanting to be relieved of stress that is caused by a lack of some nutrient. She explained in further detail as well as ways to beat it, but I have to save that for another post. More info to follow. Quick summary:

 

1. Low willpower and high appetite =  nutrient deficiency + stress triggered + need for increase in caloric intake (100-200 cals)
2. It's normal 
3. It's beatable!

 

Sorry for such a gender-specific topic. I want to address it because I'll be on a roll for 3 weeks straight and then derail in just one day, ending up with either a low net loss or even a net gain week over week or overall for the month, which is quite discouraging. I'm also curious about the root cause - is it physical? Is it mental? Is it both? How can it be solved? There is hope, and rebellions are built on hope! I might have lost the battle, but the war is nowhere near over!

 

Gentlemen - do you ever experience anything similar? Cravings, moments of weakness, etc? What trends have you noticed? 

[TimovieMan]

38 minutes ago, Ayrihn said:

Gentlemen - do you ever experience anything similar? Cravings, moments of weakness, etc? What trends have you noticed? 

My snack binge on Saturday came a couple of hours after a junk meal - high in calories but low in nutrients. 

And since then I've noticed the insane addictive effect of sugar: I've been craving sweets ever since that binge.

 

I didn't notice things like this before I started limiting my sugar intake. Now the effects are much more noticeable.

[Ayrihn]

1 hour ago, TimovieMan said:

My snack binge on Saturday came a couple of hours after a junk meal - high in calories but low in nutrients. 

And since then I've noticed the insane addictive effect of sugar: I've been craving sweets ever since that binge.

 

I didn't notice things like this before I started limiting my sugar intake. Now the effects are much more noticeable.

 

Thanks so much for your input! There is sugar in everything - to help knock me back in gear mentally I checked out this show on Netflix last night - stuff I knew in the back of my mind but the reality of which has been diluted if you will, because short term satisfaction is so much easier than worrying about the long term risks. It was called In Defense of Food. Here's a link: http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/in-defense-of-food/

[Elastigirl]

I love the title of your thread! Also enjoyed the video, even if it did make me cry. You are doing great. Good job on the workout Friday and figuring out your food weakness, and starting to think through ways to beat it. True story, I was in perimenopause, hadn't had a period in several months. I was so confident, I had all my craving under control, life was sailing along. One night I had a dream I was eating a ton of chocolate, woke up really craving chocolate, and then several hours later my period started.  Showed me it wasn't just in my head. For cravings I like some dark chocolate, 70% dark. 

[Ayrihn]

On 10/2/2018 at 8:21 PM, Elastigirl said:

I love the title of your thread! Also enjoyed the video, even if it did make me cry. You are doing great. Good job on the workout Friday and figuring out your food weakness, and starting to think through ways to beat it. True story, I was in perimenopause, hadn't had a period in several months. I was so confident, I had all my craving under control, life was sailing along. One night I had a dream I was eating a ton of chocolate, woke up really craving chocolate, and then several hours later my period started.  Showed me it wasn't just in my head. For cravings I like some dark chocolate, 70% dark. 

 

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Our brains and bodies are truly remarkable! I hope to get more in tune to BOTH (i.e. less driven by emotion/feeling, especially when it comes to food) throughout this journey and share, what works, what doesn't and hopefully help my fellow Rebels!

[Ayrihn]

No gym time today due to conference. Backup plan: tomorrow after conference (only 1/2 day), Saturday morning at home (maybe get the kiddos to join in!), then back on track next week with M-W-F routine. Focus is on meeting that daily water intake goal and good mealtime food management. I forgot to eat my salad yesterday!

[Elastigirl]

3 hours ago, Ayrihn said:

 

Thank you so much for sharing you story. Our brains and bodies are truly remarkable! I hope to get more in tune to BOTH (i.e. less driven by emotion/feeling, especially when it comes to food) throughout this journey and share, what works, what doesn't and hopefully help my fellow Rebels!

You're welcome. And I agree our brains and bodies are remarkable.I watched that show "In Defense of Food " last week. Speaking of amazing bodies , one cool fact from the show was how the nutrients in breast milk changes according to what the baby needs. And the fact that part of what breast milk does is create bacteria that helps the immune system!

 

I think as far as being driven by emotion/ feeling for food that can have some negative aspects. Such as turning to food for comfort, or feeling shame because you ate something"wrong" But I also think there are good emotions and feelings with food.  There can be joy in the first apple of spring, and joy in sitting down at a table with friends and family and enjoying a meal. I note this because for a little bit I went with the "food is fuel" theory, and tried to just reduce it down to just getting the proper nutrients. But I was missing something, and am now trying to balance that out

 

[Ayrihn]

39 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

You're welcome. And I agree our brains and bodies are remarkable.I watched that show "In Defense of Food " last week. Speaking of amazing bodies , one cool fact from the show was how the nutrients in breast milk changes according to what the baby needs. And the fact that part of what breast milk does is create bacteria that helps the immune system!

 

I think as far as being driven by emotion/ feeling for food that can have some negative aspects. Such as turning to food for comfort, or feeling shame because you ate something"wrong" But I also think there are good emotions and feelings with food.  There can be joy in the first apple of spring, and joy in sitting down at a table with friends and family and enjoying a meal. I note this because for a little bit I went with the "food is fuel" theory, and tried to just reduce it down to just getting the proper nutrients. But I was missing something, and am now trying to balance that out

 

 

You're right - complete emotional detachment from food is not the solution. Seeking out a positive emotional connection in addition to being in tune to our physical needs and state of mind would likely lead to a more complete and peaceful relationship! I am one with the food - the food is with me...

[Ayrihn]

It’s a beautiful day!!

 I failed to get workout #3 in last week. Back on track this week! In fact, a few things are resetting, starting today. I have had 0 focus on proper diet, but now that I am more accustomed to the extra energy expenditure I can now incorporate a better eating regimen. But I don’t want to just blindly “diet” and keep a food log of calories. Been there, done that. And it’s worked in the past, but I have been stalled at this weight for over a year now, so not only am I adding exercise, I am also going to take a different approach to how I view food. How does food affect me physically, mentally, and emotionally? Why am I choosing to eat this particular food matter? When are certain foods more appealing than others? I’ve noticed a few trends - such as 0 willpower and 200% appetite recurring on a pretty regular rhythm - but now I’m going to document them with the hope that it will help anyone else who comes across this thread and also so that I can come back and review the circumstances of the situation, my response, and the outcome. 

 

So, here we are, day 1. Always a good day. Jumpstarting with a fast throughout the workday to help expedite the process of cleaning out all the sugars and not so healthy foods I’ve been indulging in over the last week. Plus a visit to the gym. Yay!

[Ayrihn]

Fighting a lot of battles this week. Making it tough to get my head in the game. When I ask myself "why am I eating this?" the answer is more often than not "because it's there and it's yummy." I don't even really WANT whatever it is, yet I eat it anyway.

 

I'd put this under the "mental" category. It wasn't physical hunger; it wasn't emotional self-soothing. It WAS pure lack of mental willpower.

 

I have my goals. I have a plan. I know what I want, and I know what I need to do to get there. Just really struggling with executing the plan for some reason.

 

On a positive note, it's gym day! And Monday's workout ROCKED. 

 

Despite everything that's going on, including not achieving my Challenge goals, it's important to remember that, at the end of the day, we are loved.

 

 

[Ayrihn]

I fell this week. I failed this week. I just wanted to lie there in the fetal position and take the beating. Thankfully, each day is a new day.

 

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23

 

No matter what battles you're fighting, or how many times you think you've failed, or if it seems like everything is spiraling out of control into chaos - DON'T GIVE UP. 

 

 

If you can't move forward, STAND YOUR GROUND.

 

If you fall, GET BACK UP.

 

 

If all seems lost, ASK FOR HELP. Every hero needs a sidekick, right?

 

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. -2 Chronicles 15:7

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. -Galatians 6:9

 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -Romans 12:21

 

 

 

How was your week? What battles brought you down? What battles were victorious?  

 

 

[Jean]

Sending thoughts.

 

Be Strong... and Courageous.

 

[Ayrihn]

Great news this morning!

 

1. Seeing some results on the scale

 

2. Got a compliment from my better half 

 

3. Encouragement from fellow Rebels lifted my spirits 

 

The road was dark this week - but quitting was not an option. Like a ballet dancer fixates on one point to maintain balance while performing a succession of pirouettes, I found just one thing to focus on taking control of this week - since so much was out of my control. That one thing was my diet. For two days I kept to a strict diet of eggs, salad, and fish with almonds and cheese for snacks. This helped break my bad habit of eating just for the sake of eating and quickly reined in my sweet tooth. I allowed some carbs last night. Today I’ll add a workout back in. I left my worksheet at work so this will be a ghost workout, ha! 

 

Thanks for following along. I’m happy to be out of the woods for now and continuing the climb up this mountain.  

 

What have you done to snap out of a losing streak? What has someone done or said to help nudge you along?

[Ayrihn]

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/overwhelmed-anxious-how-to-get-unstuck/

 

[Elastigirl]

Glad that today was better. Good for you for not giving up. Remember, you are learning new habits, and it takes time. There will be times when you fall down, but keep getting back up. I hear you on eating just because food is there. I guess my best weapon is to have some snacking foods that I like that aren't super high calorie, and are somewhat nutritious. Things that I feel like I can eat  that satisfy that urge. Dark chocolate seems to be good, I can have a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, or a square of dark chocolate. I'm also really into nut butter, and a bit of that satisfies.  Also, once you get to maintaining as opposed to deficit, it gets a lot easier.