CakeBanisher - Banishing Fear

[CakeBanisher]

My last challenge was great!  Thus, I am back for more  Actually, I thought it started last week, and was very disappointed to find out there were two weeks between the last challenge and this one.  I'm taking that as a good sign.

 

This is my second challenge, but my first with the Druid’s.  I’m a music major in college (violin performance, and play a lot of other instruments) and, sadly, have royally screwed up my body from playing.  Muscle spasms, pinched nerves, frequent horrible tension headaches, etc.  Until last challenge, I dealt with pain on pretty much a daily basis, and could never play more than a few minutes without hurting somewhere.  I started doing yoga a couple months ago, and have now been able to go days at a time without pain, and play rehearsals and concerts with almost no pain, which I didn’t really think would ever be possible again.

 

I need to clean up my diet and lose a lot of weight (not sure exactly how much, guessing about 35 lbs).  I have exercise pretty firmly established as a habit I actually enjoy now, which is nice, although I’m still pretty weak.  I do a fair bit of yoga, and love every minute of it!  But I really want healthier eating to be a natural part of my life, because I feel sooooooo much better when I’m not eating processed junk and chemicals.  Plus my head is way clearer, and I can approach life with a much higher level of clarity, which is really nice

 

So.  SO.  Goals for this challenge are as follows

 

Main Quest – Not be considered obese

 

I have no idea if this is reasonable for a 6-week challenge.  I can’t figure out exactly what weight this is for my body (I’m 5’2), but it seems to average out to being under 160, so that’s what I’m calling it.   This means I need to lose about 15 pounds.  Which I doubt will happen during this challenge, but hey, that’s okay.  I’ll be that much closer next time around

 

Goal 1.)  Paleo – ease into it

CON 2     CHA 2     WIS 1

 

Last challenge I tried to just jump right in, and built no habits from that approach.  So, this time, I’m setting one goal per week.  These will be cumulative.  If I do cheat a little, whatever my goal for the week is will be non-negotiable.  I will allow dark chocolate, sesame chicken, and one small meal (or equivalent) a week as my only cheats, because I know from experience I will be much more likely to succeed if I do.  If I accomplish more, then I am okay with that        

 

Week 1 – minimum one meal 100% paleo and one veggie every day

Week 2 – cut wheat

Week 3 – cut sugar

Week 4 – cut corn syrup in all forms

Week 5 – cut all grains

Week 6 – cut dairy

 

Goal 2.)  Track Stuff

WIS 2     CON 1

 

I have Monday as my official day to weigh myself, and take measurements and pictures.  But I almost never actually do it, because I never feel like I’ll have made any progress and that’s depressing.  “Next week,†I tell myself…and then next week never comes.  Bad CakeBaniser.  I’ll also continue to log my workouts as part of this goal, and start keeping a food/general health diary.  I have food sensitivities, and think this may be a good way to pin down what exactly they are, and this way I can look at what works and what doesn’t as far as diet in general.  Also, if I have to write down eating a bag of Hershey kisses, I’m much less likely to eat them

 

Goal 3.)  Ultimately finish my workouts before 9:00 a.m.

DEX 2     STR 2     STA 1

This is to accommodate my school schedule in fall, as otherwise I will likely lose my exercise habit, which I DO NOT want to do.  If it doesn’t happen in the morning, it likely won’t happen at all.  So, while one could argue that this isn’t so much for this challenge as it is for the next one, it’s very important to me that I do this, and I’m much more likely to succeed if this is a goal.  The first week, I will be done by 10:00 a.m. and then each week after that I will move my time back by 15 minutes.

 

 

Life Quest – write 300 words a day of my chosen novel

WIS 2

 

I used write a lot, but never actually finish anything, and with school, I have basically stopped writing altogether.  Which makes me sad  So, I’m going to start again  I’m deliberately choosing for this to be a daily goal rather than a weekly one to build a daily writing habit, and to focus on one book in particular.  I can write other stuff, but it doesn’t count towards this goal unless it is written in that book.

 

Motivation – live without fear of my body, or pain

 

I have spent years and years dealing with pain, and have become super-paranoid as a result.  I won’t do things for fear of hurting myself (which is how I got so weak in the first place) and I constantly worry about what will happen next.  Then that fear started creeping into the rest of my life, and attempting to overwhelm it.  Seriously, all I did for a while was worry, and it has taken me a lot of time and effort to stop freaking about everything and start enjoying my life more.  I still have a long ways to go, but I am slowly but surely getting there.  Losing weight is a major part of this, because toting around 30 or 40 extra pounds really can’t help an already stressed body, especially considering I think a lot of my issues are based in carrying myself, and my weight, wrong.

 

Onwards!

[LittleTurtle]

Welcome!  I like the fact that you want to keep a food journal.  I've been doing that for a few weeks now, and it has been extremely helpful to me.  It's so true that if you have to write it down, you're less likely to eat it.  Haha!  I also like your motivation.  For fact, when I read the first few sentences of your last paragraph - I thought for a second that I had wrote it!  I wish you luck with your goals and can't wait to read your updates. 

 

PS - I love the picture of your cat!  Too cute!

[The Borg Queen]

Hi, cake! Your goals look great! I hope the easing into paleo works out for you... seems like it should, cause you got some experience The progression looks similar to one published in an old paleo blog that I can't find anymore, called PaNu. The way you've prioritized cutting things out makes a lot of sense.

 

What's your sesame chicken of choice? Is it a homemade creation, or the chinese restaurant kind? (i just made myself salivate, both sound delicious)

 

Nice job developing a strategy to retain your workout schedule. Great goals in general

[CakeBanisher]

Thanks guys!

 

Turtle - I kept a food diary a few years ago, but something of an unhealthy one.  Yes, it helped me make better choices, but I was obsessive about it.  This time around, it's a tool, but I don't want to obsess.  More observe.  As I observe trends, I can change them for healthier ones.  At least, that's the hope  The cat in the picture is being tickled by my brother.  His meowing sounded like he was laughing, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it.  Weird cat

 

Prime - thus far, I'm basically eating paleo.  But I'm hoping the easing in structure will give me time to adjust to the fact that I don't eat junk, and help me build it in as a real habit.  Also that I won't obsess so much as I did last challenge.  I've never heard of PaNu, but I'll try and look it up.

 

Sesame chicken comes from a Szechuan restaurant near our house.  I'm pretty sure there isn't much worse for you on the planet  But I love it oh-so-much, and if I don't allow myself to eat it when the rest of the family gets Chinese, I will dream about it for a week.  Not even kidding.  It's kind of pathetic.  So, I eat it when we order Chinese food (which isn't too often, but often enough) and then make my cousin eat the leftovers.  I'm hoping long-term, I'll stop liking it so much, maybe replace it with something healthier.  But, in the short term, I think allowing it for one meal will help.

[The Borg Queen]

Force feeding cousins sesame chicken does not sound like the worst form of torture, haha. Yeah, I think your plan with the chicken sounds spot on. Hope it works!

[keliswicked]

Hey CakeBanisher!

 

My situation is VERY similar to yours.  I'm going into my final year of college.  I'm about 5'3" and weighed 171lb a month and a half ago.  Now I weigh around 160.  I want you to know it's unlikely that you would lose 15lb in one month, but it's actually a possibility.  I lost 11lb in 30 days on my Whole 30, and to be fair 2lb per week for 6 weeks is 12lb.  I could probably throw in "results not typical" here, but who knows =P

 

That all said, I think your goals are very smart.  Eating healthy and keeping track of everything is the absolute perfect way to try and lose weight without worrying about the losing weight part.  I think if you just focus on eating healthy, the weight loss is just one of the many awesome effects.

 

One of my goals is to write every day too!  I do mine on 750words.com because it allows me to type and say whatever is on my mind, and I find that refreshing.

 

ALSO ALSO starting to work out early now is the ONLY way that you'll stick to it once the school year starts =) habits like that are (hopefully) hard to break!!

 

Best of luck and I'll be checking in again soon!

[peggysr]

Nice ambitious goals!  Good luck with this challenge.

 

After googling recommended weight, I got this for someone who's 20 years old, 5' 2" and female:

 

Based on the Robinson formula (1983), your ideal weight is 115.5 lbs
Based on the Miller formula (1983), your ideal weight is 123.1 lbs
Based on the Devine formula (1974), your ideal weight is 110.5 lbs
Based on the Hamwi formula (1964), your ideal weight is 110.0 lbs
Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, your recommended weight is 97.3 lbs - 144.9 lbs

 

As always, take it with a grain of salt.  Our fearless leader prefers to focus on body fat percentage, which is ridiculously hard to measure.  After reading his post, I decided I'll be happy if my body looks like the 20% or 25% body fat examples.  I did find the pictures EXTREMELY helpful, and read the post pretty thoroughly.  I'm 5' 6", and set a target weight of 150 lbs, but I'll be looking in the mirror at least as much as I look at the scale.

 

I'm also paying a lot of attention to my waist, hip and thigh measurements.  I decided I don't need to pay close attention to what I lose up top.  That will NOT be encouraging...

 

I love playing music, and can't imagine how terrible it must be for it to be painful.  Have you asked your teachers for ergonomics suggestions?  My high school piano teacher was rigorous about posture, and I've carried those lessons my whole life and avoided that kind of pain.  I wish you the very best with it.

[CakeBanisher]

Force feeding cousins sesame chicken does not sound like the worst form of torture, haha. Yeah, I think your plan with the chicken sounds spot on. Hope it works!

 

His method of cooking is to stick something in the microwave, so all I have to do is say "you can eat this if you want" and hey presto!  It's gone the next day  Win-win.

 

 

Hey CakeBanisher!

 

My situation is VERY similar to yours.  I'm going into my final year of college.  I'm about 5'3" and weighed 171lb a month and a half ago.  Now I weigh around 160.  I want you to know it's unlikely that you would lose 15lb in one month, but it's actually a possibility.  I lost 11lb in 30 days on my Whole 30, and to be fair 2lb per week for 6 weeks is 12lb.  I could probably throw in "results not typical" here, but who knows =P

 

That all said, I think your goals are very smart.  Eating healthy and keeping track of everything is the absolute perfect way to try and lose weight without worrying about the losing weight part.  I think if you just focus on eating healthy, the weight loss is just one of the many awesome effects.

 

One of my goals is to write every day too!  I do mine on 750words.com because it allows me to type and say whatever is on my mind, and I find that refreshing.

 

ALSO ALSO starting to work out early now is the ONLY way that you'll stick to it once the school year starts =) habits like that are (hopefully) hard to break!!

 

Best of luck and I'll be checking in again soon!

 

Heading into your last year must be exciting!

 

Thanks for the perspective!  Three summers ago when I lost my first 30 pounds (some of which I have gained back...sigh...) I lost an average of about 2 per week or more for a couple months.  So, theoretically, I know it's possible.  But maybe not healthy?  I dunno.  My set point has been just over 160 for the past two years or more, so I know that's one of those places my body just wants to stay at.  Thus, my goal is to convince it that I really should weigh less  Last challenge, I didn't lose any weight, maybe even gained some, but lost just under two inches off my waist.  Which, I think, is pretty cool, because it means I was building muscle  But, this time around, I want to try and kick-start my weight loss a bit more, given how much I need to lose.

 

I looked into 750words.com at one point.  But I decided I'd rather focus on my novel for this challenge, to get working on that daily built into my life.  In the future, I intend to do something very similar to 750words, although I may write two pages long-hand instead.  And I agree, my thinking is that if I don't get working out early built in as a habit now, there is no way it'll happen once school starts.

 

 

Nice ambitious goals!  Good luck with this challenge.

 

After googling recommended weight, I got this for someone who's 20 years old, 5' 2" and female:

 

Based on the Robinson formula (1983), your ideal weight is 115.5 lbs

Based on the Miller formula (1983), your ideal weight is 123.1 lbs

Based on the Devine formula (1974), your ideal weight is 110.5 lbs

Based on the Hamwi formula (1964), your ideal weight is 110.0 lbs

Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, your recommended weight is 97.3 lbs - 144.9 lbs

 

As always, take it with a grain of salt.  Our fearless leader prefers to focus on body fat percentage, which is ridiculously hard to measure.  After reading his post, I decided I'll be happy if my body looks like the 20% or 25% body fat examples.  I did find the pictures EXTREMELY helpful, and read the post pretty thoroughly.  I'm 5' 6", and set a target weight of 150 lbs, but I'll be looking in the mirror at least as much as I look at the scale.

 

I'm also paying a lot of attention to my waist, hip and thigh measurements.  I decided I don't need to pay close attention to what I lose up top.  That will NOT be encouraging...

 

I love playing music, and can't imagine how terrible it must be for it to be painful.  Have you asked your teachers for ergonomics suggestions?  My high school piano teacher was rigorous about posture, and I've carried those lessons my whole life and avoided that kind of pain.  I wish you the very best with it.

 

Thanks for the info!  My doctor told me a while back that I should be in the 120-ish range, or slightly lower.  I have no idea if that is realistic or not.  For now, I just want to be under 160  The next stage comes later.  But it WILL come  And yeah, I always take weight with a grain of salt.  I have no way of measuring my body fat percentage right now, so I'm relying on how I feel, look, and how my clothes fit.  

 

I have asked pretty much every teacher I've ever met for help.  Most have nothing to suggest.  My college professor helped me find a new setup two years ago that has helped a ton, and I have done Alexander Technique for several years, which has also been extremely helpful.  But I have a very low pain tolerance, and am most likely quite hypermobile.  Put them together, I end up a mess pretty easily.  Which is a huge part of why I am trying to lose weight and get stronger

[MadScientist]

It's great to see another violin player.  I wish you great luck in overcoming your pain.  

 

I have double-jointed fingers and always felt cramped holding the violin until I got hold of Yehudi Menuhin's "Violin."  He advocated starting all practices with a bit of yoga and not using a shoulder rest (along with a lot of other good advice).  Two years later, I had figured it out and was getting much better.  I hope you find a resource which helps you overcome your pain.

 

I have found that keep things primal / low carb helps my violin playing a lot.

 

Good luck!  You are on the right track.

[CakeBanisher]

It's great to see another violin player.  I wish you great luck in overcoming your pain.  

 

I have double-jointed fingers and always felt cramped holding the violin until I got hold of Yehudi Menuhin's "Violin."  He advocated starting all practices with a bit of yoga and not using a shoulder rest (along with a lot of other good advice).  Two years later, I had figured it out and was getting much better.  I hope you find a resource which helps you overcome your pain.

 

I have found that keep things primal / low carb helps my violin playing a lot.

 

Good luck!  You are on the right track.

 

I don't think I'm double-jointed anywhere.  I've known people with double-jointed fingers, and it has made playing harder for them.  But I am pretty sure I'm hypermobile, and that it causes me all mannor of problems due to how weak I am.  I stopped doing anything physical for fear of hurting myself a few years ago, and I now think that was the single worst thing I could have done.  Oh well.  Live and learn.

 

Your profile pic didn't look like you had a shoulder rest, so I was actually curious if you used one.  Now I know  I actually do use one.  I tried not for a bit, when I was with a teacher who didn't, but it ended up failing.  Catastrophically.  Now I use just about the tallest shoulder rest I can find, and have it rigged very particularly, with a special chin rest, and it seems to be working.  I think the bigger issue is that my back and shoulders are too weak to support me the way I'm meant to be supported.  So I get tense, and then get muscle spasms, and then get pain.  Whoops.

 

I've never tracked how primal/low carb affects my playing.  But that's a good idea.  I'll add it to the other things I am tracking for this challenge  I know I play better, with less pain, when I regularly practice yoga and do my workouts, and I certainly feel better overall when eating primal.  Thanks for the thought!

[CakeBanisher]

Grading Scale!  I left it out of my first post because it was already pretty bulky.  I have a tendency to be a tad verbose...Anyway, here is said grading scale now

 

Goal 1 - Ease into Paleo

 

Each week will be graded, since each week is slightly different, as I am eliminating food groups by week.

A - obeyed guidelines for the week, cheated 1 meal or less

B - cheated 2 meals

C - cheated 3 meals

D - cheated 4 meals

 

Goal 2 - Track Stuff

 

Stuff I'm recording.  This may change as the challenge progresses, but this is my starting point.

• Pictures, measurements, and weight taken each Monday
• all meals logged
• workouts/yoga practice logged
• sleep logged
• any general health comments made

A - no days missed

B - one day missed

C - two days missed

D - three days missed

 

Goal 3 - Ultimately finish workouts before 9:00 a.m.

 

I'll grade myself on my times for each week.  Week 1, I must be done by 10:00, each following week that time goes back by 15 minutes.  

 

A - all workouts completed by designated time

B - 1 missed

C - 2 missed

D - 3 missed

 

Life Quest – write 300 words a day of my chosen novel

 

A - no days missed

B - 1 day missed

C - 2 days missed

D - 3 days missed

[CakeBanisher]

And, because I can't help myself.  An update from today

 

I was gone for over a week between challenges at a music festival, and chose to put having fun there in front of exercise.  Then, the last three days of the festival, I think I got a grand total of five hours of sleep, and the last night I got literally none before packing a giant hotel room and a camper (which I'm pretty sure is a disguised TARDIS, because there is no way we should have been able to fit everything that was inside that thing inside it).  That may be okay for some people.  It is not for me.  I got home and slept.  A lot.  

 

So, long story short, my first proper workout in a while was on Wednesday, and it was a half-hearted one because I was still pretty tired.  Today, I cranked out a real one, and it felt grand  And I'm not as sore as I expected to be, either, which is always nice.  Although I have lost a little ground, I haven't lost too much.  Tomorrow is a day to focus on yoga, and I'm looking forward to practicing some of the poses I haven't done in a while.  

 

I also just looked over my list of everything I ate today...I need to eat more plant matter.  A lot more plant matter.  I'll be curious to see how my eating changes throughout this challenge.  And I wrote 318 words.  Not very good ones, but I'm at one of those places in the story that I'll probably never think is very good, so I just need to write it and move on.  It always seems better a month after I've written it

[Reinfire]

Those look like great goals! It's very smart smart that you're easing into paleo and making sure to track everything. I had problems with that last challenge, but didn't take the time to think about how I should keep track until midway through. Whoops! Nice planning ahead

[I am Eve]

Hi CB, and welcome to the Druids. Congratulations on an interesting and well formulated challenge!

It looks like you have a lot of focus.

Regarding pics, measurements and tracking stuff I only have one thing to say: do it!

I hesitated so much but now I can say that it really has helped my body image and made me obsess less about my weight.

Good luck with the yoga tomorrow!

[18ck]

*wanders by on the way somewhere else*

"Cake Banisher" is such a great name!

*wanders off again*

[CakeBanisher]

Thanks guys!

 

aisle4b and Evenewbie;

 

I'm hoping easing into paleo will help me build better habits than last challenge.  Last challenge I was probably 75-80% paleo, but without some sort of immediate reason to keep going, I am falling off the wagon.  I don't want to fall of the wagon.  It hurts.  And getting back on again is hard.  Doable!  But hard

 

I was really lacking in the whole "track stuff" department last challenge  I've always either tracked nothing (i.e. last challenge) or totally obsessed over it.  Seriously, obsessed is not an understatement.  That kind of obsession isn't healthy, and doesn't make me happy.  So, this time, yes I'm tracking stuff, but it's much more with the purpose of observing long-term patterns.  Do I consistently get headaches when I eat that food?  Am I eating enough? (I tend to seriously overestimate how many calories I eat).  Do certain foods make me feel sick, or make muscle spasms, etc. more likely?  You get the idea  But making this more about observing, and letting my habits evolve naturally, I'm hoping to avoid that obsession of the past.

 

 

*wanders by on the way somewhere else*

"Cake Banisher" is such a great name!

*wanders off again*

 

Why thank you!  

 

So, now a question.  I didn't find anything in my brief search of the Druid forum about this, so if it is there, sorry about that...

 

My hips are pretty awful.  I think I have shallow joints, and they're always catching (which hurts progressively more until it pops) or clunking like old machinery when I walk wrong.  My shoulders do this too, but don't hurt like my hips do.  I've been trying to gently stretch them, but I'm wondering now if that's the wrong approach?  I've been working on the first part of pigeon pose, and unless I'm really, really careful they make this weird grinding noise, and clunk down a LOT.  Is this normal?  Well, normal-ish?  Is it something I should try and slowly work through, or should I be being much more cautious?  Or should I just listen to my body and see what feels right?

[L'irlandaise]

Hello sparkle girl. just dropping in to say hello! Looking forward to catching up with you soon!

[Brian.]

After several failed attempts into eating better I found easing into something the best approach by far. I started with making sure my breakfast was a good one and then as the weeks went on made the same changes with my other meals. Once you're there it just becomes part of life, I now eat paleo about 95% of the time without really thinking about it. I still crave the evil foods though because they taste so good but I find that if I over endulge on these I feel ill for a while.

 

Good luck for the challenge.

[CakeBanisher]

Hello sparkle girl. just dropping in to say hello! Looking forward to catching up with you soon!

 

Hello to you, too!  I still occasionally tell myself "I am an awesome amount of sparkle" when I don't feel like working out  So, thanks for that

 

 

After several failed attempts into eating better I found easing into something the best approach by far. I started with making sure my breakfast was a good one and then as the weeks went on made the same changes with my other meals. Once you're there it just becomes part of life, I now eat paleo about 95% of the time without really thinking about it. I still crave the evil foods though because they taste so good but I find that if I over endulge on these I feel ill for a while.

 

Good luck for the challenge.

 

I can either sustain eating pretty much full paleo, or my workouts.  I seem unable to do both right now.  Which, ultimately, is what I want.  I'm hoping easing in will get me to where you are, eating mostly paleo most of the time just because that's what I do.  Thanks for reminding me it can actually work out that way

 

On a side note, last night in that half-asleep state when you're still aware but not really focused, I had the image of a box of oreos jump into my head.  About five seconds later, I felt that little sick feeling I get when I've overloaded on junk food for too long in my throat and chest.  It woke me up fully, which annoyed me, then I realized it was probably a good thing I'd noticed the reaction.  If I can hold on to that feeling, it's a pretty powerful motivator not to eat junk, because I hate feeling sick.

[MadScientist]

If only I could keep the vision of sickness in my head before I try to go headfirst into a bunch or M&Ms, cookies, whatever.  Good for you!  Don't let little defeats take your gaze from your bigger victories.  You are making progress.  You can keep it up.

 

On a more practical note, I am currently reading a book called "Body by Science."  In it, the author states that if you have weak muscles, you can get hyper-flexibility due to the smaller muscles (e.g. rotator cuffs in the shoulder) being unable to keep the joint aligned as you move the joint.  Getting stronger will limit your mobility in a good way and prevent pain when you stretch.  I would highly recommend the book. His exercise program is about 12 minutes per week and, given where you are, would probably double your strength in about three months, with major changes a lot sooner.  I have been using a variant of it for years (I do about 20min per week) and am very happy with what it did for me.

 

Good luck and keep going!

[The Borg Queen]

 

My hips are pretty awful.  I think I have shallow joints, and they're always catching (which hurts progressively more until it pops) or clunking like old machinery when I walk wrong.  My shoulders do this too, but don't hurt like my hips do.  I've been trying to gently stretch them, but I'm wondering now if that's the wrong approach?  I've been working on the first part of pigeon pose, and unless I'm really, really careful they make this weird grinding noise, and clunk down a LOT.  Is this normal?  Well, normal-ish?  Is it something I should try and slowly work through, or should I be being much more cautious?  Or should I just listen to my body and see what feels right?

 

My hips pop in pigeon, too, but i dont know if we're normal. Lol. I notice it's a little worse when I'm cold stretching, or not warmed up enough. I think your instinct to listen to your body is great. Maybe find a modification for the poses so that the painful popping doesn't happen. 

[LegoLady45]

Hi CakeBanisher! Congratulations on moving up to Druid! We will miss you back in the Adventurer forum. Your goals look great and I will be rooting for you! Also taking inspiration from you, and your enjoyment of exercise. I also have worried a lot about "hurting myself" and probably have babied myself (especially my knees) to the point where they are useless.

Best of luck to you!

[CakeBanisher]

If only I could keep the vision of sickness in my head before I try to go headfirst into a bunch or M&Ms, cookies, whatever.  Good for you!  Don't let little defeats take your gaze from your bigger victories.  You are making progress.  You can keep it up.

 

On a more practical note, I am currently reading a book called "Body by Science."  In it, the author states that if you have weak muscles, you can get hyper-flexibility due to the smaller muscles (e.g. rotator cuffs in the shoulder) being unable to keep the joint aligned as you move the joint.  Getting stronger will limit your mobility in a good way and prevent pain when you stretch.  I would highly recommend the book. His exercise program is about 12 minutes per week and, given where you are, would probably double your strength in about three months, with major changes a lot sooner.  I have been using a variant of it for years (I do about 20min per week) and am very happy with what it did for me.

 

Good luck and keep going!

 

Yeah, I wish I could keep hold of how I feel when I eat junk food before I eat junk food.  The worst is when it just sort of happens, and I suddenly realize I've been standing around eating handfuls of M&Ms and about a dozen cookies.  Whoops.  Another reason I'm writing stuff down

 

I'll have to try and get that book.  I know that being hyper-flexible is made significantly worse by weak muscles, which is a big part of why I'm trying to get stronger.  I've always had bad wrists, and as a result done knuckle push ups.  Last challenge, I was able to start doing normal push ups, and can no longer tip my wrist back past 90 degrees without pushing on it, which I think is a good thing.  Most people want to be more flexible, but I'm actually okay with losing some flexibility in places, because it means I'm probably gaining muscle.

 

 

My hips pop in pigeon, too, but i dont know if we're normal. Lol. I notice it's a little worse when I'm cold stretching, or not warmed up enough. I think your instinct to listen to your body is great. Maybe find a modification for the poses so that the painful popping doesn't happen. 

 

Yeah, I never do pigeon (or anything focused on hips) without warming up sufficiently.  I know my hips are weird, because of all the popping and clunking they do when I'm just walking or standing normally.  My right leg is longer than my left, which has caused me to habitually do strange things over the years, and I think said things have messed me up.  But I'm pretty sure there aren't any modifications that will help prevent the clunking, given the nature of the poses.  I'm just going slowly, and being careful, and hopefully will improve with time

 

 

Hi CakeBanisher! Congratulations on moving up to Druid! We will miss you back in the Adventurer forum. Your goals look great and I will be rooting for you! Also taking inspiration from you, and your enjoyment of exercise. I also have worried a lot about "hurting myself" and probably have babied myself (especially my knees) to the point where they are useless. Best of luck to you!

 

Thanks, LegoLady!  Fear of hurting myself was utterly paralyzing for many, many years of my life.  Since committing to exercising and practicing yoga, I've come to the conclusion that as long as I'm careful, and mindful of my body, the best thing I can do to not hurt myself is get stronger.  Go figure  Just ease into it, listen to your body, and be careful (but not paranoid) and you'll get there

[CakeBanisher]

Starting body stats!

 

Neck:  12.75

Shoulders:  16

Chest:  33.5

Bicep:  13.5

Waist:  37

Hips:  44

Thigh:  27.5

Weight:  172.7 lbs

 

I haven't decided if I'll post these every week, or just now and at the end of the challenge.  But I will certainly be measuring every week  I may switch to doing it on Sunday though, because I think that will work better with my school schedule.

 

This weeks paleo focus:  minimun one meal 100% paleo and one veggie each day

 

So, I'm off to do my workout, then plow through as much school work as humanly possible as quickly as possible, because I have to go to a birthday dinner (not mine) tonight.  I have no idea where we're going, or what kind of food they're likely to have, so hopefully I can get something more or less paleo.

[peggysr]

My hips pop in pigeon, too, but i dont know if we're normal. Lol. I notice it's a little worse when I'm cold stretching, or not warmed up enough. I think your instinct to listen to your body is great. Maybe find a modification for the poses so that the painful popping doesn't happen.&

You DEFINITELY want to listen to your body. I'm wondering if focusing on getting stronger rather than more flexible would be helpful right now?