JessFit goes full warrior

[JessFit]

I've never committed to the warriors guild, because while I adore powerlifting, I've always also wanted to hike, and worked in yoga, and believed that I was gonna do way more cardio than I do.Let's be real, I'm a powerlifter. My focus, especially lately, is on getting strong AF and putting as much iron in my hands as I can. Sure, I enjoy the balance of yoga, but in the time since I've joined Nerd Fitness, I've really come to make lifting my main focus. I realized last challenge that it was time to join the Warriors, and I'm crazy excited to be here! 

 

Goals:

1: Consistency in attending lifting sessions. Including zero week, that is 15 sessions at 3x a week. Sadly, due to some weekend traveling, I'm not sure I'll get in all 15 sessions, so I'm going to set this goal at 12. Usually I lift Tues/Thurs/Sun, and it is the Sunday workouts that I'm worried about missing. 0/12

2: Pull-up/Chin-up work 3x week. I have a pull up bar on the doorframe at home with a band attached to it. This is easy enough to get done if I just REMEMBER to do it. 0/15

3: Greater than 95% compliance and keep dropping weight with the Renaissance Periodization diet. I've been doing great with this cut. I weighted in at 154.3 today, down from my starting weight of 166 and my heaviest weight of 170. This weekend I went a little crazy and ate off plan a bit, mostly sugary snacks. I'm at 97.74% compliance now with 30 days left in this cut. I really want to tough it out for the final 30 days. My cut ends Thursday, May 16, right before the end of the challenge. 97.74%/95%

4: Recovery and mobility. 3x foam rolling, yoga, or using theTENS unit a week. I'm rubbish at recovery, but my muscles need it. 0/15

5: Skincare! This one is a carry over from last challenge. I get lazy and sleepy at night and just go to bed. I'm getting older, my skin isn't as able to recover as it used to, it needs a little help. Lets start with 4 nights a week. I failed at this last challenge. 0/20

6: Projects half done, also a carryover from last challenge. I'm buying a condo. Yay! I have to move. Boo! My craft room has a bunch of half done projects in it and I don't want to move half done projects. I'm not allowing myself to start anything new before I move, instead, I'm just trying to finish what I've already started. 5 PHDs (Projects half done) before the end of the challenge. I started to finish a PHD quilt last challenge, that will be project one for this challenge. 0/5

 

 

[Harriet]

Yay, warriors! 

 

 

 

Also, yay for fibre and fabric crafts! 

[NicTheRugger]

Found you! (I say, as though I had to do something more difficult than follow the link you put on your last challenge...) Following along to see you become the absolute warrior queen I know you are!

[Scaly Freak]

Hi and welcome!

 

Following this for the potential for skin care talk. 

[JessFit]

1 hour ago, NicTheRugger said:

Found you! (I say, as though I had to do something more difficult than follow the link you put on your last challenge...) Following along to see you become the absolute warrior queen I know you are!

HIIIIIIII!

 

55 minutes ago, scalyfreak said:

Hi and welcome!

 

Following this for the potential for skin care talk. 

Do you have any skincare or routines that you love? I have rosacea so I really need to not ignore it. I also keep it pretty simple to avoid irritants. 

[Scaly Freak]

16 minutes ago, JessFit said:

 

Do you have any skincare or routines that you love? I have rosacea so I really need to not ignore it. I also keep it pretty simple to avoid irritants. 

 

I have the one I do every day, that really is working for me. Currently I am on a quest for The Perfect Sunscreen... it's been going on for months and probably will continue for quite some time. 

 

Severe rosacea? And do you have the lovely dryness and over-sensitivity that comes with that condition as well?

 

What is your routine right now, if you have one? What's missing or unsatisfactory about it, that you want to change?

[JessFit]

Just now, scalyfreak said:

 

I have the one I do every day, that really is working for me. Currently I am on a quest for The Perfect Sunscreen... it's been going on for months and probably will continue for quite some time. 

 

Severe rosacea? And do you have the lovely dryness and over-sensitivity that comes with that condition as well?

 

What is your routine right now, if you have one? What's missing or unsatisfactory about it, that you want to change?

I have the sensitivity although my facial skin isn't overly dry. The rest of my body experiences massive dry patches, in winter especially. I'm lucky that work FSA covers sunscreen, so I've been buying Coola and I like it. I also have the Tarte powder sunscreen for the part in my hair and if I want to add extra sunscreen over makeup (ie. eating lunch outside at work.)

 

My evening routine is: remove makeup with micellar water, wash with cetaphil, then I use Mario Badescu Vitamin C (every other night) and the Ordinary's Rose Hip Oil on my face and Caffeine Solution around my eyes. I'd like a better (possibly anti-aging) eye cream but since I'm so sensitive, I haven't found anything I love. Mornings are wash face, dr prescribed cream to negate the bumps but not do anything about the redness, and then First Aid Beauty's face cream. My insurance considers rosacea treatment to be a cosmetic treatment, so I can't get a more serious treatment unless I pay out of pocket. I'd love a peaches and cream complexion, but ya girl has the Irish ruddy complexion instead. 

[Grumble]

5 hours ago, JessFit said:

Let's be real, I'm a powerlifter.

 

If you click on your profile, select edit profile in the top right corner, and select the warrior class.

 

 

Yay new warrior! Officially.

 

Are you already doing chinups/pullups or are you still working towards your first? Do you already have a plan in place?

[JessFit]

Just now, Grumble said:

Are you already doing chinups/pullups or are you still working towards your first? Do you already have a plan in place?

Working toward my first! I've been using the pull up bar with the band for assistance. I have crap upper body strength but I've dropped a bit of weight lately and I'm hoping that I can manage my first soon enough. 

[Grumble]

3 minutes ago, JessFit said:

Working toward my first! I've been using the pull up bar with the band for assistance. I have crap upper body strength but I've dropped a bit of weight lately and I'm hoping that I can manage my first soon enough. 

 

That such an exciting feeling. Good luck!

 

I'm more than happy to give some suggestions to work up to that first one.

[JessFit]

4 minutes ago, Grumble said:

 

That such an exciting feeling. Good luck!

 

I'm more than happy to give some suggestions to work up to that first one.

Anything you can recommend is appreciated! 

[Scaly Freak]

8 minutes ago, JessFit said:

I have the sensitivity although my facial skin isn't overly dry. The rest of my body experiences massive dry patches, in winter especially. I'm lucky that work FSA covers sunscreen, so I've been buying Coola and I like it. I also have the Tarte powder sunscreen for the part in my hair and if I want to add extra sunscreen over makeup (ie. eating lunch outside at work.)

 

I got sidetracked in my sunscreen quest by researching UV filters. I am now in genuine danger of becoming bitter and resentful of the FDA's antiquated methods and refusals to allow effective and affordable filters in the US market, and scanning Amazon for Europan and Japanese formulas instead... I get carried away with things.

 

Also, hats are our friends.  

 

8 minutes ago, JessFit said:

My evening routine is: remove makeup with micellar water, wash with cetaphil, then I use Mario Badescu Vitamin C (every other night) and the Ordinary's Rose Hip Oil on my face and Caffeine Solution around my eyes. I'd like a better (possibly anti-aging) eye cream but since I'm so sensitive, I haven't found anything I love. Mornings are wash face, dr prescribed cream to negate the bumps but not do anything about the redness, and then First Aid Beauty's face cream. My insurance considers rosacea treatment to be a cosmetic treatment, so I can't get a more serious treatment unless I pay out of pocket. I'd love a peaches and cream complexion, but ya girl has the Irish ruddy complexion instead. 

 

I think FAB has an anti-redness cream in their lineup. I vaguely recall seeing it when I was researching anti-redness products for my own redness-prone face (eczema plus dryness plus potential genetic tendency towards rosacea equals permanently flushed face). Consider researching and learning about ingredients that are anti-inflamatory and combat redness, like niacinamide, centella asiatica, macassocide, and look for products with those, maybe? The more help our skin has to heal from inside, the better the surface eventually looks. Like lifting, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Instant results are marketing lies.

 

And no sunscreen in the morning routine? Tsk, tsk *finger wag*  

[JessFit]

1 minute ago, scalyfreak said:

 

And no sunscreen in the morning routine? Tsk, tsk *finger wag*  

Of course I do! But I do that at my vanity, not in my bathroom, so I stick that in to my "makeup" routine vs. my skincare routine when I think about it in my head lol. 

 

Thanks for all these recommendations, I'll have to look for this stuff and learn more about it. 

[Scaly Freak]

1 minute ago, JessFit said:

Of course I do! But I do that at my vanity, not in my bathroom, so I stick that in to my "makeup" routine vs. my skincare routine when I think about it in my head lol. 

 

Fair enough. My primary face sunscreen is tinted and serves as my foundation primer, so it's probably more makeup than skin care, to be honest.  

 

Urea and niacinamide are my two favorites for healing dry skin, closely followed by ceramides. SkinCarisma is a good site to start with, if you want to learn more about ingredients. Best approach to skincare is to find what works best for you, not necessarily what has worked best for someone else. Kind of like lifting, that way.

[Grumble]

20 minutes ago, JessFit said:

Anything you can recommend is appreciated! 

My favorite recommendation, experience, is hanging scapular retractions(aka the scapular pullup) and active hangs.

 

Begin in a normal pull-up position with a palms-away grip and hands shoulder-width apart.
From a full/dead hang, you want to draw the scapula down and together, thus raising your body slightly but without bending your arms and pulling as in a regular pull-up. The best learning cues are: Try to “bend the bar” and think about doing a reverse shrug (i.e. shoulders drawn downward). 
Hold the top position for one second, then return to the starting position. The range of motion is only a few inches.

 

In this position is what is known as an active hang. So you can do this to strengthen that starting position of the pullup and work up to staying in that active hang for up to a minute. It also teaches you good pullup posture so you learn to pull with your back first and your arms and shoulder second.

[Stronkey Kong]

I'm also working on a pullup/chinup goal. I used to be able to do them. I got there by doing what grumble said, but I also like to work them from the top down too by doing negatives along with the bottom up work that grumble recommends.

[Grumble]

23 minutes ago, Curl Brogo said:

I'm also working on a pullup/chinup goal. I used to be able to do them. I got there by doing what grumble said, but I also like to work them from the top down too by doing negatives along with the bottom up work that grumble recommends.

I like top down work too, but I feel like that foundation at the start should exist first. 

[JessFit]

On 4/15/2019 at 3:45 PM, Grumble said:

My favorite recommendation, experience, is hanging scapular retractions(aka the scapular pullup) and active hangs.

 

Begin in a normal pull-up position with a palms-away grip and hands shoulder-width apart.
From a full/dead hang, you want to draw the scapula down and together, thus raising your body slightly but without bending your arms and pulling as in a regular pull-up. The best learning cues are: Try to “bend the bar” and think about doing a reverse shrug (i.e. shoulders drawn downward). 
Hold the top position for one second, then return to the starting position. The range of motion is only a few inches.

 

In this position is what is known as an active hang. So you can do this to strengthen that starting position of the pullup and work up to staying in that active hang for up to a minute. It also teaches you good pullup posture so you learn to pull with your back first and your arms and shoulder second.

Thanks! I'll have to add this in, it sounds hard but effective. 

 

On 4/15/2019 at 6:57 PM, Curl Brogo said:

I'm also working on a pullup/chinup goal. I used to be able to do them. I got there by doing what grumble said, but I also like to work them from the top down too by doing negatives along with the bottom up work that grumble recommends.

Ugh negatives! They take me back to the flexed arm hangs we had to do in gym class as part of the presidential fitness test.

 

I have a guy that I'm in to that wants to go out on a dinner date (we've already done coffee) but I'm on a cut and I don't know how to tell him that I can't eat with him for another month. Also, my weight loss has stalled out the past week and I'm getting frustrated over that. I've got 4 weeks left in this cut and I want to make progress, not just on the first half of the cut. Gonna try some cardio tonight in an attempt to burn a few extra calories. Confused and frustrated on the diet front.

 

Lifted last night, volume squats and shoulders. Did pull-up/chin-up work. Used my TENS unit for recovery last night as well. Got in the skincare. It was a productive evening and I'm feeling good about it. Tonight I'm going to work on half done projects and try some of the pull up recommendations from you guys. 

 

 

Goals:

1: Lifting sessions 1/12

2: Pull-up/Chin-up work 1/15

3: Greater than 95% compliance with the Renaissance Periodization diet. 97.85%/95%

4: Recovery and mobility. 1/15

5: Skincare! 1/20

6: Projects half done 0/5

[NicTheRugger]

8 minutes ago, JessFit said:

I have a guy that I'm in to that wants to go out on a dinner date (we've already done coffee) but I'm on a cut and I don't know how to tell him that I can't eat with him for another month

I'm a big believer in "honesty is the best policy" when it comes to interpersonal relationships! I think that if you explain to him that going out on a dinner date isn't an option for you right now because of your cut, you're being honest with him, which is a good way to start your relationship, but it also gives him the ability to ask you about it and get to know more about you and what's important in your life!

[Grumble]

25 minutes ago, NicTheRugger said:

I'm a big believer in "honesty is the best policy" when it comes to interpersonal relationships! I think that if you explain to him that going out on a dinner date isn't an option for you right now because of your cut, you're being honest with him, which is a good way to start your relationship, but it also gives him the ability to ask you about it and get to know more about you and what's important in your life!

[Harriet]

48 minutes ago, JessFit said:

I have a guy that I'm in to that wants to go out on a dinner date (we've already done coffee) but I'm on a cut and I don't know how to tell him that I can't eat with him for another month. Also, my weight loss has stalled out the past week and I'm getting frustrated over that. I've got 4 weeks left in this cut and I want to make progress, not just on the first half of the cut. Gonna try some cardio tonight in an attempt to burn a few extra calories. Confused and frustrated on the diet front.

 

38 minutes ago, NicTheRugger said:

I'm a big believer in "honesty is the best policy" when it comes to interpersonal relationships! I think that if you explain to him that going out on a dinner date isn't an option for you right now because of your cut, you're being honest with him, which is a good way to start your relationship, but it also gives him the ability to ask you about it and get to know more about you and what's important in your life!

 

Hmmm. I'm not sure. Yes, honesty is good, but at the very start of a relationship people can be a bit insecure and maybe not judge things as charitably as when they know each other better and have some trust built up. If I were a guy who was just sort of getting to know you and you told me you "couldn't" eat with me, I'd feel like your diet was more important than seeing me and I'd be a bit indignant. I would be inclined to put the date first, since diets can always be resumed later. But if you do tell him restaurants are out, I would follow up with a counter offer (with a similar level of romantic potential--unless you want to slow things down-- theatre? drinks? unsure) so he knows he's not being rejected outright. Just my thoughts, you know the situation best.

[Grumble]

5 minutes ago, Harriet said:

 

 

Hmmm. I'm not sure. Yes, honesty is good, but at the very start of a relationship people can be a bit insecure and maybe not judge things as charitably as when they know each other better and have some trust built up. If I were a guy who was just sort of getting to know you and you told me you "couldn't" eat with me, I'd feel like your diet was more important than seeing me and I'd be a bit indignant. I would be inclined to put the date first, since diets can always be resumed later. But if you do tell him restaurants are out, I would follow up with a counter offer (with a similar level of romantic potential--unless you want to slow things down-- theatre? drinks? unsure) so he knows he's not being rejected outright. Just my thoughts, you know the situation best.

 

I think, correct me if I'm wrong, that you're noting the the language of the message more than the message itself. I think anyone would be put off if they were told a person "couldn't" eat with them. If you can be honest about what your goals are, especially if they're temporary, and the guy/girl/attack helicopter gets pissy about it, maybe it's not worth your time. But it couldn't hurt to provide an alternative option too, like you said.

[JessFit]

1 hour ago, NicTheRugger said:

I'm a big believer in "honesty is the best policy" when it comes to interpersonal relationships! I think that if you explain to him that going out on a dinner date isn't an option for you right now because of your cut, you're being honest with him, which is a good way to start your relationship, but it also gives him the ability to ask you about it and get to know more about you and what's important in your life!

 

23 minutes ago, Harriet said:

 

 

Hmmm. I'm not sure. Yes, honesty is good, but at the very start of a relationship people can be a bit insecure and maybe not judge things as charitably as when they know each other better and have some trust built up. If I were a guy who was just sort of getting to know you and you told me you "couldn't" eat with me, I'd feel like your diet was more important than seeing me and I'd be a bit indignant. I would be inclined to put the date first, since diets can always be resumed later. But if you do tell him restaurants are out, I would follow up with a counter offer (with a similar level of romantic potential--unless you want to slow things down-- theatre? drinks? unsure) so he knows he's not being rejected outright. Just my thoughts, you know the situation best.

 

7 minutes ago, Grumble said:

 

I think, correct me if I'm wrong, that you're noting the the language of the message more than the message itself. I think anyone would be put off if they were told a person "couldn't" eat with them. If you can be honest about what your goals are, especially if they're temporary, and the guy/girl/attack helicopter gets pissy about it, maybe it's not worth your time. But it couldn't hurt to provide an alternative option too, like you said.

Our first date he suggested drinks and dinner and I bartered it to coffee. Then, I did mention while we were there in person that I'm on a pretty strict powerlifting diet for the next month but he didn't ask any questions. If it were warm and dry enough, I'd suggest that we go for a picnic instead, but it isn't quite there yet. I haven't really dated since I started this cut so I could avoid this, but this guy is someone I clicked with, so I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. I know how easy it is to screw things up in the beginning, and I feel like no matter which decision I make, I probably lose out.  Update: I took the advice above and I responded to him and told him I'd love to go, but as I'd previously mentioned, I'm working toward some personal goals so I'll likely order something boring/small. If he has an issue understanding and supporting personal goals, then we likely aren't well suited anyway, because I'm not exactly one to sit on my rear and just let life happen. Thanks so much for the support, I really needed the feedback. 

[Scaly Freak]

3 minutes ago, JessFit said:

 

Update: I took the advice above and I responded to him and told him I'd love to go, but as I'd previously mentioned, I'm working toward some personal goals so I'll likely order something boring/small. If he has an issue understanding and supporting personal goals, then we likely aren't well suited anyway, because I'm not exactly one to sit on my rear and just let life happen.

 

And if that's the case, the sooner you discover that, the better.

[Mike Wazowski]

Hey there! Here for the recovery camaraderie and occasional kvetching about dating and the "joys" of just starting out a relationship.