Tanktimus visits the Druids

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

This will be my third challenge with NF. My first two challenges were in the adventurer guild, where I did fairly well. I am here because at the end of the last challenge my back started hurting and completely stopped my running/lifting I was doing. The only thing I could do that both didn't hurt and actually helped was Yoga.  My back is slowly recovering, but in order to speed recovery and avoid reinjuring it, I am going to do yoga exclusively this challenge in order to build flexibility and strengthen the muscles along my spine while doing something that will still help me lose weight.  I have a video I use, GAIAM's Yoga Conditioning for weight loss. It has three levels of modification and the un-modified version. Currently I can do the fully modified version.  I plan on making Yoga a permanent part of my fitness even after this challenge. Until the last challenge, I never felt flexiblity was realistic for me. I made stretching one of my goals and noticed a small change over the course of the challenge, and even noticed I could do more of the routine from the DVD once I started doing that.

 

Here is the short version of my goals.

1. Do a yoga seven days a week with at least 5 days worth of double sessions. Dex +2 Sta +1 Con +1

2. Move to a less modified version of the workout. Dex +4

3. Track calories on Loseit.com and go over my calories no more than 6 days during the challenge. Con+4

Life

Read through What Your Mother Couldn't Tell You and Your Father Didn't Know By John Gray with my wife during the challenge. Wis+4

 

Long Version

1. Yoga 7 days a week with at lesat 5 days of double sessions. I'll grade progress based on number of workouts done divided by 42 (The number of Days in the challenge). Double sessions can't make up for missed days, and if I don't get 5 double sessions (They can be completed in different parts of the day), my grade suffers by 10%.

2. I currently do the "Full modified" version of the workout. By the end of the challenge I need to be able to complete the "1/2 modified" version of the workout. (the other levels are 1/4 modified and not modified).

3. Pretty straightforward. I tracked calories last challenge but did not have any stipulations about going over my allowances. This is the next step up for this goal, now that I know what I eat I am incorporating an element of self-control into the challenge.

4. This is a book by the same guy who wrote the Men are from Mars Women are from Venus series. It is a good book for couples to read together. I read it once by myself and now I want to share the book with my wife.

 

I will consider the time period from this posting until the 7th as "pre-season" and will update on my progress, but will not consider any activity during that time on grading for my goals.

[Lowenna]

Hi again tanktimus. It's great that your starting to see a difference from your yoga practice, I think that flexibility is a realistic goal for anyone it's just more of a challenge for some people so persevere you'll be amazed how much progress you can make.

 

Good luck with you goals!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Thanks. The challenge for me in the off season is to do the workouts. I've been very lax partly I think because I haven't been grading myself.

[Aeryn]

Hey tank! Glad to see your new challenge! Nice goals - particularly the yoga, since that's helping your back. Way to listen to your body!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Did a routine today, I already feel better.

[Aqweei]

Good luck Tank! I may need to look into reading those books with my fiance at some point and time. 

[Jonesy]

I love how you didn't give up when you hurt your back. Way to adjust to the change and I hope the yoga helps your back.

[JuiceeTarget]

Good to see you back, tank. The Adventurers are sorry to lose you, but the Druids have gained a worthy companion. I like your goals, just don't push yourself to hard to fast with the moving to half modified. Don't want to exacerbate your injury.

Best of luck!

[Hiraedd]

Hey Tank!  Good to see you still in the game.  Looking forward to your progress this challenge

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I didn't work out yesterday, I let myself slack off since it was the day before I graded myself. Gonna have to workout right before bed tonight due to my schedule, but I'll get it done. My weight this morning was 271.2. While my end weight won't affect the way I grade myself, I'm hoping for 10-12 pounds lost by the end of the challenge. Thanks to all my adventurer buddies for the encouragement.

[Aqweei]

I didn't work out yesterday, I let myself slack off since it was the day before I graded myself. Gonna have to workout right before bed tonight due to my schedule, but I'll get it done. My weight this morning was 271.2. While my end weight won't affect the way I grade myself, I'm hoping for 10-12 pounds lost by the end of the challenge. Thanks to all my adventurer buddies for the encouragement.

 

You got it. I know for me personally I am wanting to put off the gym. Not used to waking up early at all and I am really tired but we just gotta push through it! You got it! 

[livingroovy]

Hey welcome officially to the Druids! Glad to have you with us. Love your goals-- building on your last challenge and noticing changes is awesome!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Thanks Aqweei and livinggroovy for the encouragement.

Goal update

1. Started the challenge right by doing a routine yesterday, and it was late in the evening like I planned, so since I had mentall prepared myself I did it. 1/1.

2. this is a pass/fail goal the progress will probably be so incremental I won't notice it from day to day.

3. I ate exactly my allowed calories for the day, the yoga dropped my net calories below what I could eat for the day to support 2lbs a week of loss. 1/1.

4. Still catching up on the book we were working on before the challenge started. The goal is based on number of pages read rather than number of days during the challenge, so as long as we finish the other book before too long and get started on the one I mentioned I should be all right.

[I am Eve]

Hi there!

Now I almost regret not making mine a yoga challenge but I guess I can do that later;-)

Anyway-how wonderful to do yoga every day. I hope it will allow you to find your own path. One if the things I

find interesting is that in yoga there is ( the way I practice) no comparing. It is you and your experience.

And also, the physical parts are just preparations for the mental parts.

Reading together is awesome!

[Jonesy]

Thanks Aqweei and livinggroovy for the encouragement.

Goal update

1. Started the challenge right by doing a routine yesterday, and it was late in the evening like I planned, so since I had mentall prepared myself I did it. 1/1.

2. this is a pass/fail goal the progress will probably be so incremental I won't notice it from day to day.

3. I ate exactly my allowed calories for the day, the yoga dropped my net calories below what I could eat for the day to support 2lbs a week of loss. 1/1.

4. Still catching up on the book we were working on before the challenge started. The goal is based on number of pages read rather than number of days during the challenge, so as long as we finish the other book before too long and get started on the one I mentioned I should be all right.

 

 

How are you adapting to eating less? Are you struggling with the reduced calories and if you are, what have you done to over come it? I ask because I've had an issue with this in the past and am always looking for more ways to beat the hunger demon.

 

Nice first day! Keep up the good work. 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I'm fine. The trick with eating less is to eat foods that are filling and still low calorie, like vegetables, and eating enough fat and protien to feel full.  Processed carbs, sugar, flour, even corn, will spike blood sugar because they break down so fast, then insulin floods your system and overcompensates, lowering blood sugar, making you want to eat again soon. I'm not eating paleo, but I'm still trying to limit processed carbs and corn.

 

How are you adapting to eating less? Are you struggling with the reduced calories and if you are, what have you done to over come it? I ask because I've had an issue with this in the past and am always looking for more ways to beat the hunger demon.

 

Nice first day! Keep up the good work. 

[Capntain Nazca]

I am hesitant to ever try full paleo... it just doesn't seem healthy to me!  Especially as a woman with calcium needs... I'm not sure where else to get it besides dairy!

 

Primal seems more my thing, but I think the best thing of all is just doing what you are doing and limiting processed foods.

[Jonesy]

I'm fine. The trick with eating less is to eat foods that are filling and still low calorie, like vegetables, and eating enough fat and protien to feel full.  Processed carbs, sugar, flour, even corn, will spike blood sugar because they break down so fast, then insulin floods your system and overcompensates, lowering blood sugar, making you want to eat again soon. I'm not eating paleo, but I'm still trying to limit processed carbs and corn.

 

Thank you for this. I've not moved to Paleo yet but I have started reducing my calories and find veggies to help with feeling full but get very boring after a while. 

 

I am hesitant to ever try full paleo... it just doesn't seem healthy to me!  Especially as a woman with calcium needs... I'm not sure where else to get it besides dairy!

 

Primal seems more my thing, but I think the best thing of all is just doing what you are doing and limiting processed foods.

 

I think if you eat enough of the right veggies and fruits you will be fine. But I've only just started researching it.

[Maris Stella]

I am hesitant to ever try full paleo... it just doesn't seem healthy to me!  Especially as a woman with calcium needs... I'm not sure where else to get it besides dairy!

 

I have gone years at a time without dairy and this has never been a problem for me. Dark green leafy things, nuts, and salmon! A glass of almond milk also has more calcium in it than cow's milk. 

 

But from one lady to another, if you're eating healthy calcium is almost never the issue...but vitamin D, which you need to absorb the calcium, often is. Most people in industrialized countries, and especially in the US, get their vitamin D from processed food that are "fortified" for it, and from milk. But eggs are pretty high in vitamin D, and a fair amount of sunshine goes a long way. (Or, in my case, a supplement. I am extremely vitamin D deficient if I am not careful. Desk jobs FTW!)

 

I'm in no way trying to sell anyone on the Paleo diet, but dairy is definitely not a requirement. Delicious, yes, but requirement, no.

 

EDIT: also, for most ladies, the biggest thing hurting calcium intake is carbonated drinks! They leech calcium out of your bloodstream and bones.

[Hiraedd]

Hey Tank, looks like you started out strong!  Good job  With your workout deficit, how many calories are you actually consuming? (Just out of nosy curiousity )

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

For today LoseIt! calculated I can have 2225 calories to maintain 2lbs a week lost. Exercise will bump up the allowable calories so that I'm still at 2lbs/wk. The same program estimates  147 calories for 45 min of yoga, so 2372 calories for today once I've done my routine. I enter weight daily for a slightly different calorie allowance each day. It also produces some nifty graphs I can look at to view my progress.

 

Yesterday I did yoga, it felt good. I'm current on all the other goals but reading.

[Sunmage]

Awesome!

The graphs must look nice...

What are you gonna do about the reading?

You had a great start. Just keep rolling!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

@Dwarfthrower, the only thing I can do, start!

Everything else is going well, did a routine again last night, I felt some progress, seemed to be going a little deeper into the poses. I've noticed my mind starting to clear the minute the video gets going and I get into the first position, its been very calming. I'm also noticing more muscle tone, which I was worried about since I had to stop lifting due to my back last challenge. And the weightloss is going well, I was at 269.4 this morning. That will probably fluctuate up and down some, but I do have a downward trend.

[Jonesy]

I know some of the poses look easier than they actually are, so I can see where you would be getting the muscle tone. Still awesome to hear you noticing it.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Thanks Jonesy. I did my routine again last night, it was a little more difficult but my mind was a little cluttered and I had a larger dinner than normal, still managed to get through most of it. Triangle pose is still really hard for me, I'm using a block for a full modification. I'm also working to loosen up my hamstrings, that will be a slow process. Stil no reading and no excuses for it. I used one of my overages on calories last night, dinner at my mother-in-law's house and a lot of good cooking. Didn't go too far over, so I'll probably be ok for the week.