Anaticula, Just keep swimming

[Anaticula]

Hello, I'm Anaticula.  I started a challenge a while back, but quit when life got in the way.  This time I'm determined to take Dory's advice and just keep swimming to make it through. Mostly because I've finally found an exercise I enjoy, swimming! I don't really know how to swim right now.  Mostly I just wave my arms and legs about in an effort to make it from one end of the pool to the other without touching bottom or drowning. And so, I've hired myself a swimming coach. I'm hoping that swimming will give me a start on losing weight, as I'm slightly over 300 lbs right now.  Once I get swimming down I'll start learning some other exercises. My coach has already informed me that I'll eventually be doing triathlons, ha. He evidently likes to set the bar high.  I'm trying to fit my goals with the Academy goals, so I've pulled some from there that I would like to do. 

 

Here are my goals:

 

Main Quest: Just Keep Swimming:

Swim 250 meters without stopping and with good form.  

Measurement: Same as with Mini Quest 1.

Reward: A = +2 STA, +2 DEX, B= +2 STA +1 DEX, C= +1STA

 

I added the good form in and chose 250 instead of 100 because technically I can already dog paddle the 100, but I want to do things right. Speaking of...

 

Quest 1: Starting to Swim:

Swim 100 meters with good form. No more dog paddling, I want to be able to actually swim it. This means, proper kicking, proper breathing, proper arm movements.  I'll get my coach to help me judge this.

Measurement: A= breathing, arms, and legs correct; B= two of three correct; C= one of three correct.

Reward: A = +3 STA, B = +2 STA, C = +1 STA  

 

Quest 2: Follow the Leader

Do the tasks my trainer assigns me each week no matter how much I dread them and how insane they seem. He is keeping things fairly simple right now, with the exception of the rowing class he assigned Tuesday, but it was so tempting to claim the rowing class filled up before I could sign up. (They only take the first 12 people). I figure if I'll lose points for not going to the lesson I'll be more likely to go. 

Measurement: A= Do all sessions; B= Miss 6 sessions; C= Miss 10 sessions. 

Reward: A = +3 STR, B = +2 STR, C = +1 STR

 

Quest 3: 

Diet Quest: Climbing the Ladder

I'm currently on the Nerd Fitness eating level 1.  I've just finished logging food for a week.  Moving to level two now.  I want to see how many levels I can move up in the six weeks. I want to eventually make it to Level 7, some levels I can check off as soon as I reach them, others I will need the full week.  I have to go back and read about the levels in more detail to know where I can be after 6 weeks.

Measurement: A= make it to Level 6; B= Make it to Level 4 or 5; C = Make it to Level 3.

Reward: A = +3 CON, B = +2 CON, C = +1 CON. 

 

Side Quests:

 

Life Quest: Rainy day.

Save $1,000 for a rainy day.

Measurement: A=put the money in savings and keep it there; B= put the money in savings but then take some out to spend (on non-emergency stuff); C= Don't save the money or save it then spend it all.

Reward: A = +2 WIS,  B = +1 WIS, C = No Reward. 

 

 

 

Motivation: 

There are lots of reasons I'm doing this.  I want to get healthy. I want to lose weight.  I want to be able to swim. And I'll even admit there is a part of me deep down that thinks doing that triathlon would be pretty cool even though at this point I simply can't see myself doing it.  But mostly I want to prove to myself that I can stick with a training program. I have a lot of self doubt, and committing to something and sticking too it will give me the self confidence that I need to become who I want to be.

[T2sarahconnor]

Hello Anaticuls, I’m T2Sarahconnor, Ambassador for the Adventurer’s

Welcome to the rebellion! I am so glad you have found exercise you enjoy! I would just have your diet quest be your third quest! Why complicate? A better diet will give you more energy and will help you lose weight which will get you to your main quest.

Can you post the link to the NF eating levels? I am not sure I am familiar with it.

I have put together an accountabuddies group to keep all the Level 1's motivated and make the most of their first 6 week challenge. Here is the link if your interested. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51154-level-1s-take-the-red-pill/

If you’re interested in finding more tips, stories, and motivation from Adventurers that have similar goals to yours head on over to the Adventurer’s Tavern where you’ll find people always willing to chat. If you’d like to talk to me you can either check out my current challenge ( in my signature) or pm me on the board. If you have any questions on how to use the forums, check out this tutorial. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/50975-how-to-pm-and-follow/I’ll be following your topic here as well so you’ll probably see me again anyway.

Good Luck!

[cn3wton]

Swimming is definitely great exercise. Keep it up.

 

Good luck

[Anaticula]

T2SarahConner, It's one of the posts at the Nerd Fitness Academy, https://academy.nerdfitness.com/level-up/nutrition/diet-level-up/ He explains everything in great detail there, but here are the basics on what you have to do to move to the next level:

 

Level 1: Track everything you eat honestly for a week. Once you've done this move to Level 2. I've just finished this.

Level 2: Minimize liquid calories. Two weeks drinking less calories.  This is where I'm at now and it's difficult.  I cut out soda two weeks ago and only had one drink of coke sense then (I was at a party and drank it before thinking). But I love orange juice and smoothies, so I'm focusing on cutting them out now.

Level 3: No more grains at breakfast for two weeks. Not a problem for me as I don't do this anyways. Will skip to level 4.

Level 4: Vegetable with lunch or dinner 10 days out of two weeks.

Level 5: No pasta or bread 12 of 14 days, vegetables with lunch and dinner.

Level 6: Vegetable with every meal, no bread or pasta at all for two weeks.

Level 7: No legumes or dairy 12 of 14 days. 

Level 8: 12 of 14 days with no rice.  This will be really difficult as I live in Louisiana and we eat everything with rice. 

Level 9: Body fat less than 18%. Not going to happen any time soon as I'm currently at 48%

Level 10: No fruit and sweet potatoes only while training.

 

Giving each level the two weeks (except for level 3, as I don't have grains for breakfast anyways) I should be able to finish level 5 and start level six at the end of the challenge.  I'll need to change my scoring for that quest. 

[T2sarahconnor]

Nice! I had missed this one. Thanks for sharing.

[Anaticula]

Had my swimming lesson with my trainer today. I know it was only my second lesson, but it was the most complicated one I've ever done. It's hard to remember how to breath and kick at the same time, and now that he's got me doing arm motions too I keep getting confused.  I've splashed water into my mouth and choked myself more than once this morning. I know that as I practice I'll have to think about what I'm doing less and it'll be easier, but right now it's a lot to remember.  I keep wanting to stick my head up to breath which makes my feet sink. I actually wished I was back in the rowing class while swimming this morning because at least there I can breath, lol.

[18ck]

Hi Anaticula,

I'm 18ck, one of the scout guild leaders and I was attracted here by the powerful swimming aura you are giving off. Scouts are all about endurance sports like running, walking, cycling, swimming, etc. We've got a few really strong swimmers like @Averagefish and @Syren and a few of us (including Syren again) are into triathlons, so if that's something you'd like to try we'd love to help you towards that goal. BTW, I like that you say "at this point I simply can't see myself doing it", acknowledging that maybe in the future you'll see it differently, because once you start changing, who knows where it'll stop? 

I've taken the liberty of adding guild tags for the two guilds that seem most in tune with your chosen style. Obviously these aren't binding or anything - but they make it easier for ambassadors to find you, and also for you to meet fellow level 1 newbies (click on the tag and it will show you a list of other L1 challenges with broadly similar interests). In the meantime, feel free to drop by the Scout Tavern ( http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/46582-scouts-tavern-general-chat-and-questions/)  and say hello or ask any questions.

[Syren]

Had my swimming lesson with my trainer today. I know it was only my second lesson, but it was the most complicated one I've ever done. It's hard to remember how to breath and kick at the same time, and now that he's got me doing arm motions too I keep getting confused.  I've splashed water into my mouth and choked myself more than once this morning. I know that as I practice I'll have to think about what I'm doing less and it'll be easier, but right now it's a lot to remember.  I keep wanting to stick my head up to breath which makes my feet sink. I actually wished I was back in the rowing class while swimming this morning because at least there I can breath, lol.

 

Keep it up Anaticula

 

Eventually the motions come together and start to make sense after you do them long enough. it takes a lot of thought until you get it down, but do not let that discourage you. If you have time in between your next session, you might try going through the motions on dry land (this can also lead to a beneficial ab workout too). For legs, you can lay on your stomach and kick from the butt, hip and thigh. The new medium is great so that you do not get in the habit of kicking from your knee since you will not have a huge range of motion like you do in the water. Take note of your breathing and see if you can come up with a rhythm while on land that you might be able to use in the water.  For your arms, find something kind of tall like the back of a chair or a countertop that you can stretch your arms out to and rest your fingertips on. You let your back curl as you bend forward and you practice your arm motions, being very careful to not hit your knuckles on the countertop surface. You will be able to move faster than in the water, but it might really help to find a breathing pattern and to take a look at how your arm is going through the motion.

 

Your instructor may have given you other homework, so I will stop chattering for now.

 

Good luck!

[Balena]

I love your goals! My mom was always after me to swim properly so I wouldn't forget how and like any 10 year old I blissfully ignored her in favor of swimming only underwater. Your quests make me wish I had listened a little better and could still swim properly! It sounds like you are off to a fantastic start!

[Anaticula]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the comments.

 

Syren, that sounds like it'd be great practice.  My next lesson with my trainer isn't until Friday, but he will send me a few lessons to do during the week this Sunday.  I'm fairly certain I will not be able to make it to the pool tomorrow as I've my final project for class due, but the exercises you recommended will be a great way to step away from the computer for a bit and get my mind on something else!

[redimagination]

Swimming is a great exercise. Good luck with learning and improving on it. It all comes together eventually; believe me. I couldn't really swim that well until they threw me into the deep end (almost literally). Enjoy yourself, will be keeping an eye on your thread for how you get on.

[sharong]

Yay for you!  What great goals.  I'll be following your progress as we seem to be starting out at a similar level.  Good luck to you!  

[Anaticula]

No swimming today. I've been working on homework all day.  Final project is due Monday and final exams are Wednesday, It's been a stressful day, but once finals are over with things will be easier.  I did get to at least leave the house for a bit to take Noodle to the vet and to go to the farmer's market.  Speaking of Noodle, he's not a very bright cat.  I might be dog sitting for a friend next week and she brought her dog over today to meet my cats. They got along well until Noodle decided he wanted to lick the dog's teeth. Naturally the dog didn't care for this. Going to try to make it to the pool tomorrow.  I did at least manage to do the exercises Syren mentioned. 

[caolan]

Swimming is some of the best exercise around.  It may take a little time to get comfortable in the water, but once you are, you will have a lot of wonderful opportunities for fun and exercise available to you.  Good luck!

[Neria]

Hi Anaticula,

 

I love how you are literally following Dory's advice. For a great line from a beautiful and well-made Pixar movie, this line always seemed to get me through the figurative deep waters I've faced in the past. I also like swimming. It's very fun and it's an important skill to learn in my opinion.

 

Thanks for sharing the post from the Nerd Fitness Academy. I may start to follow that too.

 

Good job for being persistent. It's good that even if you're not able to make it out to the pool. You're still able to continue your quest to become a proficient swimmer.

 

Hope the rest of your challenge goes well! Looking forward to learn hear more about your progress. 

 

~Neria

[CelebrateCeleste]

I'm a terrible swimmer, so I truly admire your courage in trying something new!

I'll be excited to cheer you on.

[RxLady]

You know, for some reason I always forget about swimming.  Maybe it's because it doesn't feel very readily available to me, but I must keep it in mind, especially during this challenge. For 4 of the days, I will be gone camping, and maybe I can use some swimming instead of jogging for cardio! 

 

As for the triathlon, I think it sounds neat too, although I'm not too confident in my long distance running skills... I did come across this local activity called a "Tri-it" where you run 3 miles, paddle a kayak for 2 miles and then bike for 10 miles.  I think this is such a neat idea and I hope it catches on more, because this particular event is the only one I've seen like it, and I feel that maybe with some work I could tackle it.  Maybe you could look for something like that in your area and give a "mini" triathlon a go! 

 

Great goals!

[cartwheelskeleton]

Swimming! Brilliant idea. You're going to be great =]

[Aces3000]

I think your goals are excellent, well thought out and definitely manageable! I look forward to following your progress over the next six weeks.

 

-Aces

[Ryoko]

Hi! Great goals - I'm just starting to swim myself (as part of training for a tri) so perhaps we can support each other?

 

Best wishes on your goals, from a fellow Red Pill! I look forward to seeing your progress!  

[Balthazar]

Life Quest: Rainy day.

Save $1,000 for a rainy day.

Measurement: A=put the money in savings and keep it there; B= put the money in savings but then take some out to spend (on non-emergency stuff); C= Don't save the money or save it then spend it all.

Reward: A = +2 WIS,  B = +1 WIS, C = No Reward. 

 

 

Trying to save money is my life quest too!

 

But it's sooo hard, there are so many shiny things i want

[Anaticula]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

 

Yesterday was a bit chaotic, and I didn't get to make it to the pool as I've been working on my final project for summer classes. I'm not yet finished, but I did make it to the pool this morning.  I noticed that my kicking is a bit faster, but I'm still having issues with the breathing.  Today I had the pool to myself, so I was able to use one of the swim lanes to do my lesson. My trainer has me scheduled to do a second workout today, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Once I finish work and my class assignment I'm going to head back to the gym.  Luckily they are open until 10pm. Today my second task is some leg exercises on the machines.  Tomorrow I have my early morning swim, the rowing class in the afternoon, then Wednesday my swim and some exercises in the free weight section. I have to admit I'm pleased that for these he has me going to the free weights instead of the machines, but I'm not sure exactly what all the exercises are. I know what dumbell rows and bench press are from stuff I've read here, but can anyone tell me what "free weights dumbell or cable triceps extensions (triceps)" or "free weights dumbell or barbell shoulder press (deltoids)" means? 

 

@ RxLady, that "Tri-it" sounds pretty neat. I've never been kayaking, but I have gone canoeing a few times and it was tons of fun. If I can find someone to go with me one weekend I'll have to go again. I did look up a few triathlons and stuff at work the other day, and there are some near here, but I think for now I'll stick to my swimming, unless they have a walking 5k somewhere near me. I'm just not up to running at this time and I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was a kid.  

 

@ Ryoko, I'll be happy to help support you with your swimming goals too. It's always nice to know that you're not alone when trying something new!

 

@ ItsDaniel, I know.  Saving is so much harder than you think it would be.  I put money away, then see so many things I think I need. Usually stuff that once I've bought I ask myself why I bought it.

[Shello]

Keep it up.  Your goals are great.  Swimming is a great way to start getting fit and I love that your trainer gives out that homework.  That is great incentive to get some strength training in as well.   I'm looking forward to following you over this challenge.

[Anaticula]

I have to admit I'm not too crazy about the homework he gives me right now.  Yesterday I had to work on my final project for one of my grad classes and tomorrow I have final exams in both classes, but he's got me working out twice both days! I did manage to make it yesterday. I swam first thing when I woke up in the morning (the gym opens at 5 am), then again just before I went to sleep (they close at 10 pm, but I made it out at 9:30). I managed to finish my project too, (we had to design a website for a real company, which is pretty difficult considering we only learnt about html in June). Today I swam again as soon as I woke up, now I'm at work and hoping to study for exams by reading over my notes if things are quiet, then I have to be back at the gym for 5:20 to sign up for the 6 pm rowing class.  Class fills up quick so you have to get there early. 

 

I didn't do too well food wise yesterday. My project wasn't going well and when my brother brought me a coke I drank it because I was stressed out.  Then I made the mistake of weighing myself after I worked out, and I've only lost half a pound in two weeks, which made me sad, so I bought and drank a second coke.  Then I felt sad and guilty, and a little sick.  I think my body is not used to the caffeine anymore. And on top of that, I found that they didn't even taste any good.  So, on the down side, I drank two cokes, but on the plus side, I don't think I'll be doing it again because I've found I don't care for the flavor anymore.  

[elinox]

The fact that you, as an adult, are learning how to swim is just awesome! It will be frustrating and hard, but it will also absolutely be worth it. I feel swimming is one of those life skills that everyone should have, so good on ya for giving it a go!

 

And once you can swim it opens up a whole world of cool activities. The least of which is my own true passion, scuba diving, where you could actually see Dorey in real life some day. 

 

Good luck, let's do this!