Hey there

[Fai]

Hey there everyone,

 A little about me, recently I fell into the nerdom of Doctor Who, about three months ago actually. I absolutely love DW, I even designed my own t-shirt and bought it. It's kind of scary how fandom and nerdiness collide sometimes. I like a lot of Joss Whedon shows, lets all face it he's absolutely amazing! Anyway, beginning of this year I really wanted to switch to the Paleo life style, so I bought a intro book and week by week I took out more useless carbs. I really liked it and I felt better, but I live with other people and these people would constantly be eating terrible(delicious) food in front of me. Then I got a job where I couldn't eat the paleo style anymore so I just kind of gave up.  I think about how horrible grains are as I eat them. Yet, I eat them anyway.  I work out anywhere from 2-3 times a week in the gym, and every Wednesday night I play sand volleyball. I love playing sand volleyball because it allows me to work on my speed an agility, also gives me a free pedicure too. 

  I want to feel better and look better, I am TIRED of my doctor calling me fat and telling me I need to lose weight. I know I need to lose weight, but I also think that calling someone fat isn't the way to motivate them, only *I* get to call myself fat. I, actually don't even like calling myself fat because it gets me in a downward spiral of "I can't change this" which we all know is absolute bullsh*t. 
 So I am here to maybe inspire myself to get back into the paleo life style, but I am definitely here to lose weight and gain muscle. Also, make people realize that nerdy chicks can be hot.

[Guzzi]

Hey!

Got to say, I love Dr Who AND Joss Whedon. And us nerdy chicks are totally hot!

I'm trying to go paleo too. I put on a LOT of weight over the last few years and spent the last year trying to get rid of it again. I've lost over 40lbs and I'm pretty close to my goal weight so the emphasis is more on strength now (Still trying to lower the BF% as well tho).

I love the sound of sand volleyball. I live in Scotland and its WAY too cold for that kind of thing except for about 30 days over the summer. Brrrrrr!

Are you signing up for the current 6 week challenge?

[Fai]

 I did indeed! When I was first reading about it I was like "Oh cool I wonder if it's like the 300 workout challenge type of thing" and boy was I wrong! Letting me pick my own quest kinda neato not gonna lie. Yet, I'm really weird so of course I made my challege weird. Are you in it?

 

 Ahh Scotland is a place I've always wanted to go, but Ireland is my number one place I wish to go some day. You only have 30 days of summer? O.o Where I live it's summer from about April-September, but our monsoon season starts in July and everything gets so green! The desert becomes so alive

 

 Also, I would like to go paleo again, but I think I will have to take MAJOR baby steps comparatively to week by week cutting out my grains which worked so wonderfully last time. I want to weight about 172-176 kind of precise I know, but I weighed that once and I was so fit too it was just..FANTASTIC! Don't get me wrong, I like some of my curves now, they could just be so much better without some of the fat in the way.

[pro§pect]

welcome to the rebellion

[Guzzi]

Haha! Yeah me too, (my figure isn't too bad now but I'd love to get down to the low 20s in BF%).

Where do you live? I've been to the states a couple of times but only to Arizona for a big mineral expo. Tried to do a bit of touring on my days off, but only made it as far as the Grand Canyon. You know, the usual touristy stuff I loved the desert though, it's so different to what I see back at home (I live in the Highlands, so I'm surrounded by hills and greenery. And water. Lots of water)

I exaggerate about our summer, but not by much(!) It just always seems like we only ever really get 30 nice days over the summer. Anywhere from April to September can be really nice, but our weather is so changeable. In May for example, you could get sunburn or it could snow. We're quite far north and in the height of summer the sun only sets for a couple of hours. On the other hand, in winter it's only light from about 8:30 - 3pm.

I haven't signed up for this challenge coz a couple of friends and I are doing our own 6 week challenge, and we're 2 weeks in. I think the idea of challenges is GREAT! It makes you focus so much more than when you're just rolling along. You should totally do it!

I'm off to go have my ass kicked by my trainer this afternoon. I call her Yoda, just not to her face, because she's tiny, green (well..Irish), and talks funny (again..Irish). She also knows all the ways of the force, (crossfit, weightlifting, yoga,) and she keeps me away from the dark side, ie cookies and cake!

Every week I swear she tries to kill me. I think we're working on squats today. Nooooo!

[Fai]

hahaha that's hilarious! I've worked with trainers a couple of times, and once at my other gym we were doing thigh work outs and we were doing them until we no longer could. Well the last thing we were doing was squats with weights, my thighs just completely gave up, muscle failure. I went down with a crash and kinda just laid there, I couldn't even get back up for about 5 minutes. It was so embarrassing and even with my trainers help I couldn't get up, my legs were just saying "nope, we are jello now."  I miss working with a trainer, but at my new gym they are just way too expensive for me to try to work it in my budget. Though I really do want to get into crossfit, I've heard it's one of the best workouts possible. We have one crossfit gym here, so I'll have to look into it, I suppose.

 

 I'm from Tucson, I believe our hottest day here this summer was 117F I believe. It's cooled off quite a bit though since it's monsoon season. Though I have to say it's horrible when it's 90F with about 30% humidity..that just awful. There was one week I was playing volleyball and I'm not sure if the reason that my shirt was literally sticking to my body was because of how hard I was playing ooor because of how humid it was. It was disgusting. In summer here it normally doesn't get dark till at least 7pm.  It snowed here in February this year, it was totally crazy. Because it was snowing ALL over Tucson ALL at once, and it snowed for about 4 hours. It was sticking too, like it was completely sky. Then my phone starting doing an alert for a snow storm and I just laughed. Because it doesn't really snow here, and it was a blue sky out side, then out of no where these big ole black clouds rolled in. Weeeird.

[mightykendar]

Joss Whedon shows, lets all face it he's absolutely amazing!

 

Fact.

 

(well, okay, it's probably totally subjective, but I agree!)

[Guzzi]

^^^^^ Nope, not subjective. Total fact! Why God was there never a second series of Firefly?!?!

You probably sussed it's the Tucson show I was talking about, I wasn't there when it snowed, but I heard all about it! My friends were there and I got bombarded with photos on Facebook of snowball fights. That must have been very odd. The last time I was there a couple of us hired Harleys and just rode out into the desert doing the whole Easy Rider/ Rebel Without a Cause thing. Pretending we were so cool. What a great day. No idea where we went, but brilliant fun.

LOVED your story about the leg fail! I've never worked to total failure like that. I'm seriously awed. Got to admit, I love those days after you've pushed hard and you hurt like Hell for 3 days. I always feel cheated if I don't hurt the day after a workout.

[Fai]

You can ride?! I am totally jealous it's one of the things I have always wanted to learn how to do, and we have beautiful riding weather!  What's the longest ride you have been on, do you ride back home? So jealous right in this moment!

  I had assumed that you were talking about the gem show, but wasn't 100% sure, glad to know I was indeed right

 

I think the best story I have about complete and utter failure is when I was at my old gym and it was a leg day. I was doing pyramids, its where you start at your best weight then by tens or fives take it down to nothing..well I did those but I did two sets or pyramids. Where I would start at doing 30 reps, 25,20, 15,10, then five all at the same weight then I'd drop ten pounds all the way to no weight then back up to the top and back down again. My last exercise was a leg extension I was on my last set down to zero weight just straining to lift it up. I was groaning, red in the face, sweat dripping down continuously, gripping the handles tightly and EVERYONE was staring. I finally finished feeling very triumphant when I felt a little wobbly in the knee area. I made it to my car safely, and on the drive home (which is only about 15 minutes) I stalled out four times. A complete stall out of my car. Now, that was embarrassing. I was sore for days, it hurt to squat down to pee. I would drop something on the floor at work and refuse to pick it up because I didn't think I would be able to get back up again! haha yep those were the days of irresponsibility and thinking I could do anything.

[Fai]

Fact.

 

(well, okay, it's probably totally subjective, but I agree!)

It is a fact! I have never met anyone who *knew* is work and didn't just absolutely love it!

[Guzzi]

Lol! That, is truly epic!

Actually, there are a few girls on here who ride. I love my bike. I've been riding since I was 21 and been all over the country. Ive got a Suzuki SV650 at the moment, but I've been looking at the new Ducati Monster with big "I'm in love" eyes. If only I had the money!

Unfortunately, I got into exercise (and lifting in particular) after a nasty crash. Oops! Most of my exercise is geared towards rehab, but it turns out I LOVE lifting so I don't think I'll ever give it up. I'm trying to build up to dead lifting my bodyweight. I'm not far off it just now, but I'm going into hospital in two weeks for another op which means I'll have to take time off again. Bugger!

[Fai]

 I would like to get into a bike club to see if anyone would be willing to teach me since the classes here are about $300..which seems highly expensive for a weekend. 

 

 I really like lifting as well since, it makes me feel stronger. Like I am truly someone who could kick anyone's ass if they started a fight or anything silly like that. I've never really cared for dead lifting, I think it's because it scares me. I saw a guy in HS who had an accident from dead lifting, even though he was wearing the belt thingy.

 

What's the op for, if you don't mind me asking?

[Guzzi]

Eeeek! That's expensive

Playing about off road is a good way to learn. In fact you learn how to control a bike a LOT better at slow speed on rough terrain than you ever do on Tarmac at speed. Plus it doesn't hurt so much if you fall off if you're only going at 10mph.

Mind you my off roading was on grass which is soft and bouncy. Tucson? Desert? Rocks? Hmmm.. Maybe falling off at 10mph would still hurt.

I'm going in to hospital to have some of the metalwork they used to fix the broken bones removed from my wrist and knee. It turns out that the pain I've been complaining about in my hand was one of the screws in my wrist slowly sawing its way through a tendon. They only believed my when it finally snapped about a month ago. I now have to have a tendon transplant which means I'll be in plaster for 3 MONTHS!

And it seems the same thing is happening in my knee too so they're going to remove the screws there before it gets any worse.

It's so frustrating! I won't be able to do very much and certainly no weights. Nooooooo!!!!!

[Fai]

O.o that sounds so incredibly painful! I would so furious that no one would listen to me, and expect THEM to pay for it. That kind of stuff pisses me off to no end.  When I was about 13-16 I would miss school all the time because I would get sick. I would start burping an rotten egg taste and about three hours later be puking my guts out, even till it was just stomach acid. I would get these pains in my stomach and I just wanted to be in a little ball, but the doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, so *everyone* thought I was playing hookie or making it up. The doctors wouldn't believe me when I would go in to see them, it was so frustrated. In the end (not as serious as yours by any means!) they found out I was allergic to peppers, and I was eating them on a daily basis pretty much. I love spicey food, they had to do a test where they stuck a camera down my throat, I had to be put under for it, anyway I got the pictures back and my entire esophagus was lined with white blood cells from the thousands tiny pin pricks from the acid eating it away.  So that ALWAYS makes me mad when doctors never believe the patient. 

 

 Tucson, if I went out and practiced would be..dirt, rocks, maybe some cactus depending on where I tried to practice. I think the pavement would be more forgiving haha

 

 At least you'll be able to work out some though? Like with your rehab stuff?

[Guzzi]

Hey! Yeah, I'm a bit peeved about it, but it's done now and at lest I'm getting it sorted. I just wish it could have been sorted a year ago. I'm sure there's going to be a fair bit of damage to the muscle /tendon in my knee. It wouldn't be *this* sore otherwise.

Personally, my biggest regret is that I'm going to be limping and in a cast at my brothers wedding. Shallow I know, but I'd bought a lovely dress (in a size 12, woot!) and new shoes to match and now I'm probably not going to be able to walk in them (I've lost 49lbs and was really looking forward to showing off! Got to get your kicks where and when you can)

Have you heard they're about to reveal the new Doctor Who? Matt Smith is leaving. There's a post about it in The Pub

[Fai]

I did see it, I also am not sure how I feel about the new doctor. We shall see how he does. 

 

Awh I am really sorry to hear that! It's not shallow at all, when you have worked really hard at doing something you deserve to have a nice time showing off your progress. At least in my opinion you should. I would want to do the same thing. Like when I have lost more weight and gained muscle I want to take swing dancing lessons, the reason I want to wait is so my partner can pick me up and I don't have to worry about breaking their back or anything. I even have a pattern so I can make a cute dress to swing in and the perfect material! 

 

I would just like to say that today I hit one of my goals that I set up for myself about three months ago! I finally hit a mile and a half in 15 minutes! At first my goal was to do 1.5 in 17 minutes, but then I hit that, so I made it a little bit harder, and today I did 1.52 miles in 15 minutes at a nice pace! I am so excited that I almost feel like running around in my knickers frolicking around! haha I'm just that happy and proud of myself!

[Guzzi]

OMG! I would love to try swing! Shame my husband has the dancing skills of a Thunderbirds puppet. I love any kind of dancing though. I do line dancing (yeehaw!) which is a total laugh, it's all old ladies, I'm the only one there under 60!

Kudos on the running! That's brilliant! LOVED your description of the celebratory dancing btw. I nearly spat out my tea reading that

[Fai]

It's just one of those days that I just really love my body and I didn't care who saw it if THEY had a problem with it they didn't have to look  I am so so sore from my arm/shoulder workout yesterday. Holy crow I feel it!

 

 I love dancing too! I have zero rhythm though, but I love to do it. When I was a freshman in college I took belly dancing and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of it and I loved it a lot. I should probably get back into it because it was so much fun and everyone is always nice. 

[Guzzi]

Hi, a couple of us have a conversational thread going, I've just sent you an invite to join us in our own little corner of the interweb.