amberdisa wants to be again the person she remembers being

[Terinatum]

Hey.

I hear you on the afternoon motivation/making time challenge. I often can't wait beyond noon to exercise or it will very likely not get done. Doesn't matter about business or anything. Like you, I believe it's psychological, but don't know what yet.

I haven't heard about waiting 2 hours between push and pull ups. What's the reasoning behind that? Cause I do mine together. But seeings how I have zero true understanding of muscles and exercising, I could use any info out there. Thanks.

Can you alternate your morning workouts? One day push, the next day pull? Also if you do pulls in the morning, would it be easier to do pushes in the afternoon since you are already making progress with them? A thought. Hope you find an answer.

Cheers!

[oromendur]

Sunday night, time for a week 2 update.

 

All of this Viking energy flying around here on NF must be doing something, because for the second weekend in a row I got roped into putting on the armor that I otherwise haven't seen since, um, July? I agreed, once again at the last minute, to 2 sessions of demo fighting on Sat/Sun at a Viking festival near my house. A Viking group (in which I used to be quite active) does this event every year. Recently I've been far too busy with school and travel and work to do any fighting stuff, but so many fewer fighters than normal were showing up that some of my dearest friends applied some psychological thumbscrews and got me to say I'd come. So, I got absolutely no schoolwork done this weekend, but I did get to put on armor and hit my friends with sticks. Ah, the tradeoffs of life

 

Quest 1 (Armstrong): This is the one that's killing me. I did the pushups Mon-Fri, but it wasn't until Friday that I managed a single set of pullups. Everyone will please be polite enough not to notice that in the first two weeks of a challenge ostensibly centering on pullups I've only done them once. Points: 3/3, but only because I'm giving myself half a point for each pushup-only day. I am going to resume the slightly depressing fight against this particularly sulfurous dragon next week.

 

Quest 2 (4HB exercises): Zero. Zip. Nada. Thank heavens for those two days of fighting on Sat/Sun for a couple of extra points. I'm cutting my losses here to focus my limited willpower energy on the Armstrong stuff; as long as I manage to do *some* other exercise I'm not going to worry too much about whether I do these particular ones. It sure would be easier (and less physically painful) just to do my workouts as planned, though...sigh. Maybe next week. Points: 2/3.

 

Quest 3 (4HB food): Much better on this one. Mon-Sat I legitimately hit my target; on Sun neither meal was *completely* compliant, but they were both so close (BBQ sauce with sugar on the pulled pork at lunch, bleu cheese crumbles and a sugared drink with the steak and veggies at dinner) that I'm going to give myself half a point for effort. Although I ate out with my friends at both meals, I made the best decisions possible given the situation. Points: 6.5/7.

 

Life Quest (clean up the pigsty): Some movement here. I cleaned two rooms of the house and did bucketloads of laundry. Of course, that was before the Viking festival, so one of them is kind of a mess again -- but I think I earned at least 1 point for the effort.

 

Point progress: 20/90. Those of you keeping score at home will notice I am ten points behind. I really need to do some cleaning and some exercise next week to get cracking on those extra points!

 

I am very grateful to this whole NF concept for giving me a chance to stay (somewhat) accountable for what I said I was going to do. Without this community I'm sure I'd have just kept on doing what I was(n't) doing and not made any progress. I'm behind, but I can catch up -- and knowing I'll have to write something like this once a week really does make a difference.

 

Thank you all! Keep fighting!

[oromendur]

I haven't heard about waiting 2 hours between push and pull ups. What's the reasoning behind that? 

 

My much-photocopied hard copy version of Maj Armstrong's workout says this: "I recommend that you do not 

attempt the pull-ups until two to three hours after the push-up routine is completed." It makes sense to me, really, especially since all of the pullup things seem to be max sets.

 

 

"WE MUST ALL SUFFER FROM ONE OF TWO PAINS:

THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE OR THE PAIN OF REGRET.

 

THE DIFFERENCE IS DISCIPLINE WEIGHS OUNCES

WHILE REGRET WEIGHS TONS"

 

-- Jim Rohn

 

Isn't Jim Rohn awesome? Brutal...but awesome. Thanks for all the reminders!

 

Here's another quote I have up over on my Fitocracy page: 

 

We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.

                      ~Archilochus, Greek soldier and poet, ca. 650 BC

 

This one, like the Jim Rohn ones, gets filed under "painfully true." Sigh. I know all this. I just need to, you know, do it

[Terinatum]

Yeah, years of knowing and not doing can be a hard cycle to change. You can do it though. So go do it and enjoy the results!!

[Windranger]

Amberdisa. I miss you, sister. Are you okay? What's going on in your life?

[lullaby88]

Are you okay? What's going on in your life?

 

I second this! Did you get your pullups in yet? If not, you still have two days before the week is over. Also, you're close to reaching level 1 status!    

[oromendur]

Well, wow, haven't I done a wonderful job of using this internet community to keep myself accountable? [*not*]

 

Sorry, everyone, life has really been messing with me in recent days. Things went sideways on Monday morning and continued so all the way up to this past miserable drill weekend where I had to run my CFT -- that was really the icing on the stinky old cake of a truly terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. But I've survived until Sunday evening, which is an achievement in itself!

 

All is not lost. I haven't given up. And hopefully (after I get some sleep tonight) I'll be able to hit it hard again next week.

 

Here's my week 3 update:

 

Quest 1 (Armstrong): Still no pullups (ugh). But I've been plugging away at the pushups anyway, and since the week proved so useless otherwise I made myself do them every day (excepting only Sat, which was CFT day). At half a point per half-completed day that still gives me a full set. Points: 3/3. 

 

Quest 2 (4HB exercise): Um, ah, well, no. Nothing. One point for the CFT on Sat (on which I scored 300, well done me, except not really because once one reaches [ahem] a certain age, it becomes a *much* less difficult test). How I can be so bloody sore from less than ten minutes of exercise is totally beyond me. Points: 1/3.

 

Quest 3 (4HB food): Better here. I actually managed an extra point! One compliant meal every day, plus an extra on Friday evening just because it's what I had in the house and wanted to eat. It's a minor win, and I'll celebrate it, but you know what? I haven't lost A SINGLE OUNCE. I'm still the same (over)weight I've been forever and forever, despite all the efforts and willpower to clean up my act over the last two weeks. Sigh. Points: 8/7.

 

Life quest (clean house): Some small movement. I cleaned up the entryway and finally packed all the outdoor/military gear back into its closet so it was no longer blocking the hallway to the bedroom -- not much, but I feel so much better with it all put away that I'm going to give myself 1 more point for small victories.

 

Point progress: 33/90. Down 2 more points from the glide slope, as I should be at 45 at this halfway point. That's not good -- but at least I slowed the hemorrhaging. I still have a chance to catch up. I *really* need to get on the stick, though, especially with the exercise and the cleaning. Next week. Damn it.

 

I am grateful for the support and the nagging and this wonderful community! Hopefully others are doing better (and hopefully I will take the opportunity to do better next week). Halfway there, folks. Here's where it gets interesting...

[oromendur]

Amberdisa. I miss you, sister. Are you okay? What's going on in your life?

 

Not much good recently Sorry to drop off like that. Thank you kindly for the nudging! Knowing you're out there is what made me write these posts tonight, instead of just crawling helplessly into bed like the defeated creature I feel like right now...

 

Did you get your pullups in yet?  

 

I, um, well, in a word, no.

 

But tomorrow is a new day and the start of a new week, and I've otherwise done enough to (barely) keep my nose above the torrent, so now is not the time to give up!

[Terinatum]

I'm so glad you're here!

You are still working it and you are allowed to feel good about that fact. When I realized that I wasn't gonna quit, my mood became much more positive.

Congrats for taking care of yourself!!

Week 4 is all yours for the taking!

[oromendur]

Just a quick note this morning to say that yesterday was really the first successful Monday I've managed in this challenge. It was a four-point day!

 

- I did the Armstrong pushups and pullups (and the pullup numbers were higher than the last [only] time I did them, so I'm still making progress even though Resistance is absolutely thrashing me).

 

- I finally walked the ten feet out onto the deck, wiped the spiderwebs off the kettlebell, and did the 4HB exercise routine. I'm embarrassed by how quick and easy it was and that I've avoided doing it for so long. It takes less than five minutes. It's nowhere near as hard as three max sets of pushups, which I've been managing every morning just fine. Silly me. I'll do it again today.

 

- I ate not one but TWO slow-carb compliant meals. I do feel *really* hungry this morning, though, so if I'm going to do that again ('cause, I, um, need the extra points) I need to remember to EAT MORE.

 

One day does not a trend make, but at least I feel somewhat less useless than I have been feeling recently. After last week, I definitely need something minor to celebrate!

[Trembriele]

Whoohooo!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Terinatum]

That's a great day indeed. Definitely celebrate it as the continuing journey of something special. Congrats!

[Windranger]

Shield-Sister! Your post brought a smile to my face I am very happy to hear that you had such an successful day and your writing sounds so motivated and cheerful   *handing over some mead* Time to celebrate! Guess we both just needed a bit time to warm up and now it gets going. Let's stand strong, fight and win this! 

[oromendur]

Guess we both just needed a bit time to warm up and now it gets going. Let's stand strong, fight and win this! 

 

Ha! It did take both of us a few weeks to get sorted out, didn't it? We did it, though -- and we managed to do it early enough that we're still in the fight

 

 

You're right -- we can do this, and we know it because we're doing it. Thanks for the encouragement!

[oromendur]

Link to my Week 3 mini-dungeon post so that I can find it again when I have time to sort out my character

[starsapart]

Good job on the mini quest!  Back on track, then?

[oromendur]

Well, it's Sunday night and my brain is utterly fried. But as long as I'm on the train on the way home from school, I might as well take some time to provide an update! I can't believe it's taken me this long -- but I actually have success to report tonight.

 

Week 4 update

 

Quest 1 (Armstrong): Done! Yay. Finally. Somehow this week I managed to understand -- and act on my understanding -- that it's really not a big deal to do some pullups in the afternoon. I did the full pushup/pullup sequence Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu. Fri/Sat/Sun I was at school and did nothing, but that still leaves me ahead. Points: 4/3.

 

Quest 2 (4HB exercises): Done! Yay. Finally. I did the (embarrassingly inconsequential) 4HB workout Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu. I also get a point for the 10-mile bike ride to get to school on Fri morning. Sat/Sun everything went to Hel in a handbasket, but I kind of expected that would happen and made a concerted effort to front-load my efforts this week. I still ended up ahead. (What does She do with all those handbaskets, anyway?) Points: 5/3.

 

Quest 3 (4HB food): Very good week. Three days straight (Mon/Tue/Wed) of two compliant meals, and only one failed day (Sun -- see above note re: handbaskets) but I had enough 2-point days that I still ended up ahead of my goal. Points: 9/7.

 

Life quest (clean up): Well, I suppose everything can't go swimmingly. No movement. Points: 0.

 

This was an 18-point week! Well done me! Point progress: 51/90. I've not only caught up but cut my deficit from 12 to 9. I can *totally* make up 9 extra points in two weeks, if I stay focused and don't let the demons sneak back into my thought processes when I'm not looking. 

 

Here's to finishing strong! But not until I get some sleep tonight...

[oromendur]

Good job on the mini quest!  Back on track, then?

 

Yes! Well, mostly. I have to complete the next two weeks without fail AND come up with 9 extra points somewhere, but (while difficult) it's doable. I just have to hit it hard tomorrow morning before I come up with excuses not to do so...

[Terinatum]

Great week!!

Front loading your week was genius! A good week of consistency. Was the bike ride fun or just an I have ta do this?

Congrats!!

[oromendur]

Was the bike ride fun or just an I have ta do this?

 

It's sort of the price I pay to *not* have to drive through Los Angeles. The train schedule is such that, to make it to school on time on Fridays, I have to go up the night before, and so I usually have a nice night out in Santa Barbara and then ride down to Carpinteria in the morning. It's not a wholly unpleasant ride, and goodness knows I need the exercise

[Terinatum]

Do you ride the PCH? I miss that road. I was in California when I was in the Marine Corps. Nice, nice, road.

[oromendur]

Do you ride the PCH? I miss that road.

 

Well, sort of. The 101 and the 1 follow the same route in Santa Barbara, and I ride a bike path/bike lane combo that more or less parallels them, but I don't ride on the freeway.  Here's the Google map of this weekend's ride, courtesy of my clunky old Garmin fenix: http://goo.gl/maps/YhNmK

 

That said, I have to agree with you that the PCH, especially through Big Sur, is one of the most amazing roads in the world

[Terinatum]

I'm not hearing any excuses so may I assume awesomeness?

[Chris2Brooks]

Quest 1 (Armstrong): Done! Yay. Finally. Somehow this week I managed to understand -- and act on my understanding -- that it's really not a big deal to do some pullups in the afternoon. I did the full pushup/pullup sequence Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu. Fri/Sat/Sun I was at school and did nothing, but that still leaves me ahead. Points: 4/3.

 

Quest 2 (4HB exercises): Done! Yay. Finally. I did the (embarrassingly inconsequential) 4HB workout Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu. I also get a point for the 10-mile bike ride to get to school on Fri morning. Sat/Sun everything went to Hel in a handbasket, but I kind of expected that would happen and made a concerted effort to front-load my efforts this week. I still ended up ahead. (What does She do with all those handbaskets, anyway?) Points: 5/3.

 

Quest 3 (4HB food): Very good week. Three days straight (Mon/Tue/Wed) of two compliant meals, and only one failed day (Sun -- see above note re: handbaskets) but I had enough 2-point days that I still ended up ahead of my goal. Points: 9/7.

 

This was an 18-point week! Well done me! Point progress: 51/90. I've not only caught up but cut my deficit from 12 to 9. I can *totally* make up 9 extra points in two weeks, if I stay focused and don't let the demons sneak back into my thought processes when I'm not looking. 

 

Good work! Glad to see someone else on here taking a keen interest in 4HB. Big fan myself. 

You got me quite intrigued with the Armstrong Pull Ups - gonna save that for a future challenge.

 

Keep pushing yourself and keep levelling up. Looking forward to the next update

[oromendur]

I'm not hearing any excuses so may I assume awesomeness?

 

Yes! Well, sort of. There was a bit of a setback involving pizza and beer last night, but it was still a fine day overall. I'm on track for this week, I think. What I *really* need to do is find some motivation to do some cleaning. Anything. Pick up one stupid shoe. Put away one stupid book. Do one stupid dish. Gah.

 

Good work! Glad to see someone else on here taking a keen interest in 4HB. Big fan myself. 

 

I like Tim Ferriss's attitude, but he does gets a little breathless, doesn't he? I've been following a 16/8 intermittent fasting protocol for several years now, which means only two meals a day within an eight-hour window. I find his 4HB limitations *really* difficult to stick to in just those eight hours, day after day.  I can do one or two fully compliant days (have done a few times for this challenge, might do a few more), but it takes all the willpower I have, and I feel crappy, and I'm much sorer for much longer from the Armstrong exercises after pure slow-carb days. I'm sure my waffling "one compliant meal a day" plan is why I'm not losing weight, though...  That said, his concept of the "minimum effective dose" of exercise is awesome!