Lil_Red_Devil on the road to recovery!

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Greetings fellow Rangers!  This is my first time on the forums and my first challenge, so this should be interesting.  I'm a soon-to-be 30 year old female veterinarian (bonus points to anyone who can spot the name reference WITHOUT Google) who would probably fit in with the Dwarf race.  I'm relatively short (5'4"), not too thin (135lbs.) but most of it is muscle (<20% bodyfat).  My friends usually say that, though I'm smaller than them, they'd never want to pick a fight with me lol.  I'm here because an injury has led to a need to pursue some cross-training.  By nature I'm a weight-lifter and an endurance runner....*pause for the laughter at picturing a stocky, red-headed dwarf running for 10 miles with legs blurred like Marvin the Martian to die away*....but my right leg developed some serious tightness of the ilio-tibial band several months ago and my training is only just getting back on track.  For the moment, though, my running is limited to only a couple of miles per day and legs weights down to 2/3 of what I normally lift, so I can feel my muscles getting squidgy.  I know there are other exercises out there, I've just never really tried any of them and finding the motivation to do so has been a challenge.  Hence why I am here, to push myself to branch out a little and build up my lost strength so I can once again tear through miles of trees and mud with reckless abandon.  With that in mind, here is my plan of attack:

 

1).  Go to the gym 4 mornings a week - without the ability to run for an hour every morning, I really need to utilize my gym membership more.  The plan is to run there from home (about a mile), do 2x20min sessions on different machines (i.e. 20 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the rowing machine) or weight training, then run back home.  So here's what a weekly schedule SHOULD look like (hopefully):

 

M = 20min bike, 20min rowing

T = 40min weight training

W = off

T = 20min rowing, 20min elliptical

F = 40min weight training

 

2).  Increase my protein intake gradually to reach 100g a day.  If I want to build up muscle then I need to give it the proper building blocks and I've always struggled with protein intake (probably because meat is expensive), so I'm going to be looking at ways to gradually increase from my current intake (60-70g a day) up to 100g a day consistently.  This will probably include protein shakes and lots of lentils, but any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

3).  Do at least 30min of yoga 5 nights a week.  This is something I do occassionally now, but I'd like to make it a more permanent feature, as I love it and find it really increases my flexibility.  There's no point in having all that muscle if it can only move 2 inches.

 

My "level-up your life" goal is also something I've been wanting to do for ages but just lack the commitment to make it happen.  I really want to learn basic Hindi, as I've been to India on a work placement and would really love to go back, and I've downloaded over 100 online recorded lessons that are only 10-15 minutes each, but as I said, finding the motivation after a day at work can be difficult.  But for this 6 weeks, I'm going to push myself to go through 5 lessons a week, that's one each weeknight which is definitely achieveable.

 

So that's my battle strategy to get myself from injury recovery to dashing demon in 6 weeks!!

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Status update:  Well, I suppose a successful first day is a good start, though I can already see where I may struggle with this.  To give a bit of history - I was on birth control pills until recently and since going off of them I have dropped about 3kgs and 2% bodyfat, which should make me happy.  However, since I was on the pill for so long, I got accustomed to my slower metabolism and decreased energy demand, so I now feel full on what is technically a starvation diet.  I feel satisfied with 1,400 calories today, even though I did a 20 minute hill route on the stationary bike and 20 minutes of rowing (my butt felt that one!) as well as running to the gym and back.  Based on my body stats, I should be eating around 1,950 calories a day to maintain my weight, which means if I want to build any muscle I'm going to have to eat even more than that.......yeah, that might make me sick.  I also took some starting pics today which are less than pleasant, though I've attached them here to act as motivation.  I can look at them and see how much muscle I've lost   It's going to be a tough climb back up, but I'm hoping I'll find the strength.

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Well, my mini-challenge went ok, but I wasn't able to complete everything that I set out to do, though I did get 2 new buddies out of it so that's something

 

Mini Challenge 1:   I buddied up with sozzielou, a fellow wounded Ranger, to complete a 5k on the elliptical on the hill setting on Thursday morning.  I hadn't set foot on an elliptical in over a year, so this definitely counted as branching out by routine.  I completed 3.8k in just under 30 minutes but began to lose feeling in my toes and get an evil blister on my left foot (BOO!).  I'd say that get's a B for still getting a good workout and moving towards my goals, even if it wasn't 100% of what I set out to do.

 

Mini Challenge 2:  I paired up with nebo5 for a bit of routine swapping.  We live in different time zones, but the spirit is still there and that's what counts right?  So I was going to incorporate one of her lifting routines (push presses) into my Thursday morning routine, and she was going to try out some interval training from my usual session (I recommended either 20 minutes of rowing or 2-step interval running).  Unfortunately, when I arrived at the gym they had gotten rid of all the freeweight bars and left me with only dumbells   As I was new to push presses, I wasn't sure if it would translate well into a dumbell routine, so consoled myself with some lat pulldowns, overhead presses and chest presses on the machines.  I'd give it a D because I wasn't able to complete the challenge, but I at least made sure to do some form of upper body work and didn't just give up.

 

Combined, I'd give my challenge performance a C grade, which is a pass and earns me +1 CHA so yay!!!

 

Overall things are going well and I'm sticking to my goals very well.  My muscles feel very tired, but thankfully not sore so I can live with tired lol.  I'm going to try and sneak into bed early tonight and catch up on some missed sleep this week, so fingers crossed!

[sozzielou]

I hadn't realised we got +1 CHA for the mini challenge! Wooohoooooooo!!!

Loving the doggy photobomb you have there   

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Hehehe, yeah that's my old fella Nubi, he enjoys having his picture taken (he's cute and he KNOWS IT lol)

[OmHawk]

Status update:  Well, I suppose a successful first day is a good start, though I can already see where I may struggle with this.  To give a bit of history - I was on birth control pills until recently and since going off of them I have dropped about 3kgs and 2% bodyfat, which should make me happy.  However, since I was on the pill for so long, I got accustomed to my slower metabolism and decreased energy demand, so I now feel full on what is technically a starvation diet.  I feel satisfied with 1,400 calories today, even though I did a 20 minute hill route on the stationary bike and 20 minutes of rowing (my butt felt that one!) as well as running to the gym and back.  Based on my body stats, I should be eating around 1,950 calories a day to maintain my weight, which means if I want to build any muscle I'm going to have to eat even more than that.......yeah, that might make me sick.  I also took some starting pics today which are less than pleasant, though I've attached them here to act as motivation.  I can look at them and see how much muscle I've lost   It's going to be a tough climb back up, but I'm hoping I'll find the strength. DSCF8791.JPGDSCF8793.JPGDSCF8794.JPG

I'm having problems with getting off the BC, too, but mine are the opposite. I'm having trouble cutting my diet. Then again, I've always liked food, so my focus it trying to be more on changing what I eat first. 

Don't beat yourself up. At least you have no fat rolls in your starting pics. I don't even want to post mine, ha. Maybe I will in a few pounds.

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Don't beat yourself up. At least you have no fat rolls in your starting pics. I don't even want to post mine, ha. Maybe I will in a few pounds.

 

I suppose that's true, but I've taken my measurements today and compared them to a year ago (not a good idea):

 

August 2012 -

 

Neck = 13.25"

Bicep = 11.75"

Bust = 35"

Waist = 28.5"

Hips = 36.5"

Thigh = 23"

Calf = 15.5"

 

June 2013 -

 

Neck = 13"

Bicep = 11"

Bust = 36"

Waist = 28"

Hips = 37"

Thigh = 23"

Calf = 14.5"

 

They aren't big changes in numbers, but when I also see the change in how my body looks I know I've gone squidgy.  My triceps and biceps have all but disappeared, and don't even get me started on my legs (they're usually my point of pride).  I miss my muscles and I want them back.....right now *grumble grumble*

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Week 1 summary:

 

Well, things didn't go 100% according to plan but I still count it as a victory overall as I at least made forward progress!  Here's the skinny on what happened -

 

1). Go to the gym 4 mornings a week = A, totally nailed this challenge and with some extra buddy training for motivation

2). Gradually increase protein up to 100g a day = A, my average for the week was up to 90g a day from 60-70g so I'd say that's some significant increase

3). Do at least 30 minutes of yoga 5 nights a week = C, I only did this 3 nights last week and I know evening efforts are a struggle for me so I'll just have to man-up

4). Go through 5 Hindi lessons a week = B, I completed 4 but again the lack evening motivation killed me

 

So, overall, I'd say the week gets a B+ which is a good start but leaves room for improvement.  I've got myself an accountability buddy now so I'll be checking in with my evening activities and hopefully that will keep me on track.  I may also try to double up my Hindi lessons on evenings where I actually DO have motivation.  Hope you've all had a great week!!

[sozzielou]

Sounds like a great start to your challenge, well done! Now keep it up for week 2 :-)

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Ok so this week is going sort of good and sort of not-so-good.  I'm keeping up with my Hindi lessons (YAY) and have worked on colors, words used around the office, and grammar (bleh).  The yoga is were I'm struggling, as I just really seem tired at the end of the day and don't feel the motivation to workout for another half hour.  I need to just kick myself in the booty and do it, but it's hard on nights when my fiance is over as I'm quite a private person and am not comfortable working out in front of another person I know.  Guess I might just need to have a chat with him about that.  I'm sure he won't be sitting there judging my performance as he's not that way AT ALL, but my mind still worries what he'll be thinking if he's sitting there watching me.  Curse you, little demon voice in my head!

 

On a very positive note, though, my running is improving greatly.  I'm up to running 25 minutes without a single twinge in my knee, so that's a big improvement!  I'll just keep plugging away, adding 5 minutes at a time, and hopefully it will just keep getting better.  I'm also really developing a love for the rowing machine, mostly because it works my glutes and hamstrings in a way that nothing else seems to.  When I finish a 20 minute session my thighs and butt have that tired jelly-like feeling that I've never been able to get from them before, so that makes me uber-happy!!

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Week 2 summary:

 

Still not 100% but I'm feeling very positive about the progress I'm making towards my goals   I've gained 1 kilo of bodyweight but my bodyfat% is holding steady so it looks like I'm building some significant muscle which makes me VERY happy!

 

1. Going to the gym 4 mornings a week  = A, Still rocking this goal, and enjoying the variety on the machines as well as increasing my running distance slowly.

2. Gradually increase my protein intake to 100g a day = A, kept up a 90g a day average for the second week in a row so WOO-HOO!!

3.  Do 30 minutes of yoga 5 nights a week = C, only managed 2 evenings but I did a full hour one day to try and average it out a bit.

4.  Complete 5 Hindi lessons a week = B, I completed 4 more lessons over the week.

 

Once again it's a B+ kind of week, and I seem to be holding a steady pattern.  The challenge for this week is to push my 2 lacking goals up a grade, so here goes nothing!!

[sozzielou]

Mmm, muscle

 

Well done on another great week. I love that you are using a variety of machines in true Ranger style! Keep up with the positive thinking and you will rock week 3!

[OmHawk]

Hey LRD, I've got a present for you that might help with your Hindi lessons. It's a training page the military uses, and there are a lot of exercises there that you probably haven't seen, all graded and with feedback. You can search by level. I don't know how good the Hindi ones are (I use Arabic) but it's a change-up to your routine. Might be fun.

 

http://gloss.dliflc.edu/Default.aspx

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Wow, cheers OmHawk, this looks bloody brilliant!!  I can't wait to get into it, as my current lessons are good but quite basic and all audio. 

 

For anyone still tagging along on this adventure, the week has been ok so far but I plan to really kick some booty next week as I'm off for the week (YAY!)  I have done some more measurements this week and they are at least encouraging if not spell-binding:

 

Neck=13"

Bicep=11.25"

Bust=35"

Waist=28"

Hips=37.5"

Thigh=23"

Calf=14.75"

 

Small gains, but they are on the muscles I suffered the biggest losses with so I'm still super-happy.  Another source of joy is that my butt is finally starting to look symmetrical again!  My hip flexibility in my yoga is also coming along fast and my right side is catching up to the left.  At the moment I have to dash off to work, but look for some progress pics to arrive later today.  Cheers!

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Ok, here they are folks!  As I said before, the differences are small (at least from my point of view) but any step forward is a step in the right direction   I also decided to take a pic without the boob-sling, as it seems to sit right over my back muscles and those guys definitely deserve to be seen and appreciated lol.

 

[OmHawk]

Woohoo, symmetrical butts! Haha... you're doing great, LRD. Looks like you caught some sun there, too.

[sozzielou]

Looking good, so glad you are noticing a difference already! Hooray for a week off :-)

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Woohoo, symmetrical butts! Haha... you're doing great, LRD. Looks like you caught some sun there, too.

 

Yeah, spent a day out on a boat the other week, my skin still hasn't quite forgiven me for forgetting the SPF 50 lol

[Lil_Red_Devil]

This week, I'm not going to lie, has been pretty rubbish.  With the stress of trying to get everything tied up before taking a week off I let some things slip, but I plan to make up for it and then some this coming week.

 

1. Go to the gym 4 times a week - still managed this one, though it took a lot more willpower, but still an A

2.  Eat 100g of protein a day - down a bit, I averaged 86 for the week and wasn't even meeting my recommended caloric intake for most days, so I'd give that a D

3. and 4. were utter failures, as I only did them on Monday *hangs head in shame* so 2 well-deserved F's

 

Overall I'd give this week a D, but I do have a plan to make up for it.  This coming week I'm taking the week off as a birthday gift to myself, and since my fella sleeps in later than I do this is the perfect opportunity to utilize a long morning where I don't have to be anywhere by any particular time.  That said, I plan to do 15-30 minutes of yoga as my warm-up, then jog to the gym for some training (cardio or weights) every morning.  Yup, that's 7 days of kicking my a$$!  I will do my Hindi lessons in the morning while I'm waiting for breakfast to settle in, so all in all I should be done with everything and ready to tackle the day by the time my other half rolls out of bed (or maybe a little after).

 

I also completed the second challenge with the help of a new buddy in the Warrior guild, Chaze, who is giving me some useful info on protein intake, so boo-yah!  Keep it going, Rangers, we're over the hump now

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Greetings fellow Rangers!

 

Sorry for the long hiatus but I was away for a week for birthday celebrations *SQUEEEE!*  Saying that, I did a pretty darn good job of kicking my own booty over the week, but since it's a bit different from my primary goals I'd like to get your guys' opinion on what grade it deserves:

 

Exercise - Every day.....seriously, I was an animal this last week!  I was training longer and harder, and even managed to fit in exercise around a full-day LOTR marathon (my fella lives on the 3rd floor, YAY for many rounds of stairs and jumping jacks/crunches at the top).

Yoga - Gotta admit, it was only a couple of times during the week, but I went for longer each time so I completed 2 and a half hours of yoga over the whole of the week.

Diet - I gave myself a brief break on this one in that I didn't record what I ate (who wants to spend their birthday week doing that?) but I was mindful of what I ate, and aside from a couple of junkie meals I ate pretty clean.  Breakfasts of yogurt and a banana with tea, soup and salad lunches, and half of our dinners where home-made by me

Hindi - Oh yeah, totally proud of this one.....I did 10 (yes 10!) lessons this week.  Some were my usual audio/video lessons and a few were from the website OmHawk gave (Cheers!)

 

So while I didn't accomplish everything I'd planned to do when I started my holiday (see post above), I still think I did pretty darn good for being on holiday.  What do you guys think, what grade would you give that?  I'm currently considering a B+, but I'd like your thoughts...

[sozzielou]

I think in terms of the exercise and Hindi goals, you accomplished everything you set out to do and more. So you got an A in them.

 

You got your 150 minutes of yoga but didn't space them out during the week. Still an A in my book.

 

So the only place you are falling slightly down is on the protein goal. You didn't log your food and therefore don't know if you have hit your protein goal. I am guessing you are eating healthily but haven't hit the 100g per day goal yet. There are still 2 weeks left to achieve this goal. Work on it now. No time like the present!

 

I think a B (or B+ if that's how you measure it) is totally fair. So get logging and achieving! You can do it!

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Ok, I'm not going to lie, week 5 was a bit of a shambles   Between an achy fever and having to be to work early, my whole schedule went right out the window.  It wasn't a total loss, but here's the update:

 

1). Exercise 4 days a week - yeah, made it 2...

2). Yoga 5 nights a week - yeah no

3). 100g of protein each day - got this one, yay!

4). 5 Hindi lessons - yeah no

 

So I'd say that's another D week, which makes me sad, but if the energy isn't there it just isn't, and I believe that going to the gym when you feel like you've been hit by a truck is a bad idea.  But it's the last week, and I'm going to do my bestest super-best to finish on a high note.  Battle on, mighty Rangers!

[sozzielou]

So how has this week been going? I hope you have bounced back and are able to count the last week of the challenge as a good one

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Sadly I'm afraid not, several long hot work days and long evenings have zapped all of my motivation to do anything when I get home except crawl into bed and melt into a puddle

[Lil_Red_Devil]

Final Challenge Results:

 

Ok folks, here's the good, the bad, and the ugly of how this challenge went for me:

 

1. Work out 4 days out of the week and branch out into other forms of exercise - Potential stats: STR+2, DEX+2, STA+2

 

This goal went pretty well, the first 4 weeks all got A's plus some bonus for kicking my booty over my birthday week, but then the last 2 weeks work has left me drained so I only made it a couple of times each week.  I did pretty well with this one, but I'm only going to give myself half the stamina points for falling short so close to the finish. STR+2, DEX+2, STA+1

 

2.  Eat 100g of protein a day consistently to fuel my muscles - Potential stats: CON+3

 

This goal actually went pretty well, as I more than doubled my average daily protein intake and did hit the mark of 100 many times.  What dragged down my average were the few days where I just didn't have enough protein in the house, so this has given me motivation to be more selective when I do my weekly shopping.  Overall I'd say I deserve 2/3 points for pushing myself and reaching the mark the majority of the time. CON+2

 

3.  Do yoga for 30 minutes 5 nights a week - Potential stats: WIS+3

 

Well, this task gave me wisdom, but not in the way I had planned.  I had hoped that unwinding at the end of the day with some yoga would help ease my stress, and instead it made things worse.  I would reach my normal bedtime and then get mad at myself for not leaving enough time for my yoga.  Apparently, goals I'm meant to complete in the evenings need to be selected very carefully, as all my motivation for exercise is gone within 30 minutes of my arrival home (mostly because I'm super hungry).  I can honoestly say I don't think I deserve any points for this goal, as even when I did push myself to complete it, it did not have the desired effect at all. WIS+0

 

4.  Complete 5 Hindi lessons a week - Potential stats: CHA+3

 

This is another one that took a hit due to alack of evening motivation, but not nearly so bad as each lesson is only 10 minutes.  Over the whole challenge I was meant to complete 30 lessons and to date I've completed 20, so I'll give myself 2 of the points for making a serious effort.  CHA+2

 

So that's the end of my challenge, and while I didn't accomplish all of my goals, I think I made some significant improvements.  I have certainly learned a fair bit about myself and my personal motivation levels, so I think for the next challenge I will try to work WITH them rather than beat myself up trying to change them.