The Pyrit Ship: Captain's Log

[Sometimes_gypsy]

K, so, brand spanking new blog for a noob (to NF).

 

Easing into this sort of by focusing on perserving my will power (which is notoriously short in supply). To do that I'm giving myself mini-bosses each month to beat daily. Then next month, all keep the old bosses and add new ones. Through 2014 I'm focusing on food and lifestyle changes. THey are easier for me than introducing workouts more complicated than "get your ass off the couch". Thats my work out plan for 4Q14: less couch. I'll get on the scale when I feel progress. Otherwise I'll obsess or derail myself when I don't see losses. Inches matter more.

 

To keep a focus I have small, extra medium, and long term goals:

 

Small: by end of 2014:

Fit back into The Red Pants in the back of my closet. Wore them last fall. Techinically I can get into them, but just b/c it zips doesnt mean it fits.

Off the antidepressants

Back on the paleo/low carb wagon consistantly

 

Extra Medium:

The Green Bathingsuit at the bottom of my drawer by August 2015

Yoga or some sort of structured exercise group by April 2015. (Ideally find a coach to help me lift heavy things)

Comfortable airline seatbelts by May 2015 (no sucking in!)

*This section will be added to I'm sure*

 

Long:

I have number goals here for Fall 2016. Will post when I'm more confident about that. They are written down at home.

 

October Challenge (Level 1)

No food from a drive through or at a restaurant that has a drive thru

No diet drinks (coffee, tea, water)

Eating out only when I'm away from home for work or vaca (Martha's Vineyard, Columbus day weekend, soooo ready!

If I must eat out I am allowed: sushi, steak/grill, stirfry, salad bars, seafood (not fried), meat/veg combos

One hit of the snooze button in the morning. Max! (Stop rolling into work looking like hell b/c you overslept, on purpose!)

The dogs go to the dog park once a weekend, every weekend I'm physically in town

Refocus on Paleo & Low Carb food at home

 

K, that last one is vague but I'm cleaning out the fridge/cabinets and trying to also not completely beat myself up if I'm not at 20g carbs/day as of right now. Need to retrain myself for portion control and listening to my body first. The numbers will follow.

 

Right.Time for a walk.

 

Gypsy out!

[starsapart]

Ping!  Following!

 

Hope you had a good walk.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Day 2: a good day in the books. I've hit my low carb focus goal today as well as all October goals. Almost paleo except breakfast was left over Chicken Tikka Masala. Last serving of it in the fridge so that's gone. Finished the last two beers last night (oh the sacrifice!) so thats out too. Tea with breakfast, water, and no diet anythings. Dinner tonight will be a chicken sriracha omlet. Beause srirachaaaaaaah! and probs more tea.

 

Spent a good 3 hours on my bike (Harley, named The Jolly Roger) cruising the back roads of CT on senic Rt 169. So stinking nice. Perfect day, fall leaves, curves and twisties make me a happy girl. Cant tell if I'm a touch wind burned or sun burned, my skin's all tingly. Guess I'll find out in the shower tomorrow.

 

But of course, as I was on the bike when I wasn't laughing like a looney leaning into the curves, I got to thinking about my plans and goals, as you do. Espeically the encouragement to add in exercise. I still am very wary of burning myself out but I agree that I may be more motiviated if I see good losses, feel better, get fit a touch faster, or maybe more comprehensively.

 

Cleaner eating makes me feel better inside pretty quickly (2 weeks or so) but if I add in small phsycial changes to support weight loss and see some improvements in general fitness, well that will only keep me on track if done properly. So much ruminating on the bike and reasearch led me to bodyweight work. Doing that and ramping up my fitness now will put me in a better position to join a gym or group next year so I can look into lifting. I got the email about picking a class/profession and I like the assassin description wich is probably what triggered this whole line of thought. I don't intend to do any parkour but everything else sounds good to me. So I'm rolling with that until I'm persuaded otherwise. Plus no gym, no equipment, and I can do it in the dead of winter without having to go outside and freeze my tits off. Anywho,I've hammered out a little beginner work out (thanks to the NF forum and users!) that should take 30 minutes or so. I'll do my first fitness test tomorrow morning before work and a shower to see what I am even capaable of right now and start from there. This is giong to be a LOT of trial and error. But ya gotta start somewhere I reckon.

 

K, omlet time, then walking my rotten dogs.

 

Ciao!

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Wow day 3. I just finished my first BWW and daaaaamn, son am I out of shape! Not much of a surprise but nothing like having your suspicions proven so true.

 

Following much research, I've cobbled the following goals together work out wise:

 

1 full push up

1 wall assisted head stand

1 pull up (never in my life have I done a pull up)

15 sec hanging leg hold

1 minute full plank

5 pistol squats per leg

 

Once I hit these I'll be adding on multiples and hopefully by then learning to lift.

 

So today was:

 

BW WO #1, Test 1 Plan:

 

WU: 15 star jumps 2x

WO:

Max rep bent leg inverted rows 3x

Max rep pushups 3x

10 BW Squats

max rep rearfoot elevated spilt squats 3x/leg

max bicycle cruches

 

BW WO #1, Test 1 Reality:

 

WU:

2x 15 star jumps

2x 15 overhead pulls to lifted opposite knee (these have a name I learned in kickboxing. I dont remember it)

 

WO:

Bentleg invert rows (I rigged/modified this with a bedsheet over the door) 12, 15, 14

Push ups: Modified for knee pushups: 12, 10, 7

BW Squats: I wasnt feeling it after 10 so I did 3 sets of 15

Split squats: Couldn't do more than one elevated leg squat: R6 L6, R6 L7, R10 L10

Bicycle crunches: 24, 14

I added a plank (knee plank) held 30 seconds

 

Overall this took approximately 20 minutes. I think I need to slow down some of the excercises to get more work out of the lower reps. Also found it interesting I felt I could do more invert rows but it was my hand/wrist strength that gave out before my upper arms. I'm well on my way to carple tunnel and rode my bike for 3 hours yesterday so that may be part of it. My thighs feel all wobbly too.

 

Food today was 2 cups tea with 2 tablespoons cream and some splenda. 2 baked chicken thighs at lunch. Dinner probably cauliflower soup? Or eggs. Not sure yet. Need to increase water but so far so good. Low carb and almost paleo. May go shopping tonight if my legs feel up to it. Oh, even though its only been 3 days I think some of the water-weight puff is coming off. I can see it in the backs of my hands and tops of my feet. So that's nice.

 

Soooo yeah. That's my first work out in the books in probably well over a year. A tad embarassing but the bonus of doing it at home: in underwear (so cool and refreshing), no one to stare or make me feel self concious, and i knocked it out in 20 minutes.

 

Trying  a new work out wednesday and will post similar thoughts, mods, results.

[Muscle Professor]

Well it looks like you are starting off with an awesome battle plan. Im looking forward to reading about you reaching your goals. 

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Damn! I forgot my lunch for work today so I have to go buy it. However, I am getting a chicken salad with roasted peppers and pickles and jalapenos so I don't feel guilty.

 

Dinner last night (and a half version today) was 2 cups US almond milk, 2 tbsp almond butter, zero carb whey protein isolate. Blend, chill, drink. Really good last night. This morning, I cut everything in half, added a cup of brewed, chilled pumpkin coffee and reblended. Holy crap it was good. Though next time I'll drink it slower. I was so stuffed on the way to work and then got hungry by 10:30 :/. Carb withdrawl headaches are setting in. Not fun but should be gone in a day or two and it means I'm doing something right.

 

Doing the shopping tonight so I can make some LC crockpot and casserole meals and be ready for the rest of the week/weekend. Then walking tonight to work out the stiffness in my quads, hammies. Holy crap I've almost fallen down the stairs three times now after yesterday's work out. Twice last night and again this morning. Feeling those lunges, bad! Both my office and apartment are on second floors....lawd jeezus save me from my own klutzyness.

[starsapart]

Just keep chugging along............. and maybe hold on to the railing

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Today was a rush and I forgot my breakfast. So hungry on the super long drive in (b/c apparently everyone has forgotten how to drive in rain!!!) I was hungry quickly moving into hangry. Almost went to a drive thru and then remembered "duh! no! Goals, idiot!" So i ducked out of work and went to the store. Breakfast of tea, plum, and a little box of raspberries makes for a much more pleasant work environment... And no goals broken!

 

Not the lowest of carbs but also not the worst. Still calling it a small win.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

"I'm not dead yet!"

"Oh, shut up! You'll be dead soon enough."

"I feel happy! I want to go for a walk...."

 

Yeah so. Not dead. Fell off the wagon with travel the second half of this month. Cheated left and right randomly. I've had 3 diet cokes this month. Drive thrus for coffee. I feel less guilty on this because...coffee. Not fries. But still. Not good. Traveling, eating out at not great places (eating restaurant fries and sandwiches, ugh). Yeah. It's bad. I feel gross inside so back on the wagon even if not for weight loss for improved internals.

 

Going to finish out this month back on track with my mini-bosses. In November I will fail better.

 

Tonight going shopping to do a tiny fat fast this weekend. Sort of a low carb detox. Need to flush some water retention, increase fluid intake, and move again now that I'm back home and have restless dogs to attend to.

 

Ciao.

[starsapart]

Yay!  Good to see you back!

 

If you feel up to it, I'd recomment joining the challenge cycle that starts November 10th!  There's a lot of accountability in that program which could help you stick to plan on goals.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Had a proper clean weekend. Amazing how much better I feel! Did fat fast for all "meals" until a steak for dinner. Now to add back in green leafy things and I'm rocking on.

 

All that horrid water retention from travel/bad food is gone, my internals feel loads better, and generally less gross. Hurrah! Low Carb and all bosses met for this weekend. It'll be harder this week: farewell lunch today to a much beloved coworker (bummer when the office joker leaves), all building "harvest lunch" tomorrow, and then a sure-to-be-horrible board meeting dinner Wednesday night.

 

Is there anything worse than those hotel, mass cooked, rubber chicken breasts so overdone if you bounced it off the ground it'd stick to the ceiling? Yeah. Not much worse. So that's wednesday. But maybe they'll have a bar and I can take my dinner aged and over ice. That'd be nice...

 

Check in sometime soon.

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

I'm a disaster. Hot Mess Express, that's me.  Thought I could go off the SSRI's and xanex and change diet and work out and and and and....and I'm an idiot. All of that was bad, holidays showed up and I said fuck it and ate what I wanted. No bueno.

 

Fast forward to mid January, go to have a physical done at the dr and get on the scale. Holy f'n shitballs, y'all. I figured I gained a few. But hot damn. Surprisingly Dr. didnt even mention my #s but he was being nice. So I've started. Again. Back on SSRI's for about 2 weeks now and already mentally feel so much better. Amazing the difference when you can sleep 6-8 hours a night vs. my previous 4. Still have to adjust but I hate people less, and sleep more, and less mood swings and generally see the future as cautiously optimistic and not just one more f'n thing after another.

 

SSRIs are my friend. Meat and veg are my friend. Sweet potatoes to fill that void of starchy addiction. Sugar is gone, down to a few packets of splenda a day in the coffee/tea. I'm giving myself 6 months to get my life in order. Bloodwork is tomorrow. I admit I'm a little nervous. Havent had a full panel run since college... 2006 ish?? It won't be stellar but shouldnt be too terrible. Then I want to do it again in June if I stick with this. See my progress.

 

The hardest part (the evil scale) is done. Now time to get back to where I was in 2011-12 and make it my bitch. Stay the course. Drop a size or two, look stellar at some upcoming weddings and the big Christmas Gala in Newport this year. That's the goal. Rent the Runway gowns. Now time for some (moar!) water.

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Day 3 and water weight is wooshing off. (Lovely alliteration there.) Had blood taken by some slightly irritated phlebotomists this a.m. I can't get water in me fast enough and my veins were not cooperating. :/ But i'll get a full blood panel in a few days so another "before" type bench mark and hopefully I can get it done again in a few mos. and see where I am.

 

HB eggs and tea at breakfast. Chicken or eggs and salad at lunch. Really really stinking good kielbasa, veg, and s. potato hash for dinner (already looking forward to that.)

 

That's all the news that fit to print. Tracking both on MFP and my personal spreadsheets (#nerd). Seeing a few #s drop already is nice motivation. Stay the course.

 

Laterz. x

[starsapart]

Nice to see you back~!

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Failing better! So from 1/14 I'm down either 14lbs (dr. scale w/ clothes vs. my scale w/o clothes) or 5 lbs (my scale, same time, no clothes, daily). I really dont think the 14lbs is true but hey, 5 lbs in 6 days! Water weight is coming off and I haven't cheated yet. Keeping cals low at 1200-1500 daily and havent been too hungry. Though, that said, I'm actually trying to *make* myself get hungry. I think one of those first world problems I have is the ability to not have to get really, tummy rumbling hungry before eating. Which lets me boredom-eat like no ones business. So I'm not eating now till my body actively says "hey! feed me!"

 

So low carb, almost paleo is working. Feeling fine. Oddly no withdrawl symptoms. Biggest challenge: getting enough water. Otherwise its all good in the hood.

 

Finally went and saw The Hobbit: BOFA yesterday. Another well shot/made flick. As with DOS, needed more Bilbo but that's my personal love of the hobbit and me adoring Martin Freeman so, biased. Also, I just never found Thorin sympathetic in this tril other than through the singing scene in the first movie and the death scene in BOFA. Probably going to garner a lot of hate there but really, he seemed better written by Tolkein than in Jackson's version. I just didn't feel so bad for him here. Ah well. Still a good movie worth seeing in a theater big screen. Woo hoo for federal holidays.

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Botched dinner last night going out with a coworker. Rest of the day was proper diet but dinner...seafood casserole and gumbo with dessert and a few beers. Woops.

 

Back on track today. Chicken thighs and veg, then keilbasa/veg/sweet potato hash for dinner. Yuuuuuuum. Skipped the scale today. May try tomorrow. Lots of water today too. Hopefully I didnt set myself too far back. The good thing is the tiny progress I made this week doesn't make me want to turn one bad meal into a week+ of horrible eating b/c "well I already messed up, may keep on going." like I usually do. It was one stumble, not total failure.

 

As my signature line says: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

 

Or another fave: Though we are not now that, which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts made weak by time and fate but strong in will; to strive, to seek, to find. And not to yield.

 

That's me. Made weak by time and fate but strong in will.

 

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Oh, FML. Got on the scale today and apparently that one cheat meal really killed the small amount of progress I made. Back to exactly the same weight I was on 1/15. Balls. I ate perfectly yesterday, low cal, low carb, ok-ish water but I had a 6 lb weight gain in less than 2 days. I'm an idiot.

 

I have a happy hour tonight I have to go to so I'll watch drink intake, not eat (til I get home and do brinner [breakfast for dinner]). Ugh, so mad at myself. Nothing for it, just cant let this lead to me throwing in the towel like I usually do and getting a pizza this weekend. Oh, pizza, my love, my darling I miss you.... :*(

 

Ok, whinging, whining, and general pity party over. Back to the grind.

 

Laterz. x

[starsapart]

Could be water retention due to bloating.  Could be the time of day you weighed yourself.  Could be that your period's coming.... could be any of these in combination with some weight gain.

 

Regardless, though, you know how to fix it, so get up and gogogo!  I believe in you.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Thanks, Stars I'm sure its one/all of those. Ive always been sensative to carbs after I sort of "cleanse" them out of me. FIgures.

 

Survived my first blizzard! We didn't get the record breaking level but about 18-20 inches where I am outside Hartfor is still the most I've ever seen in one go in my life so....that was interesting. Dogs were less thrilled being short and small. The tunnel I shoveld from the apartment to the road goes over their heads.

 

Otherwise, back on track eating. Lots of brinner over the snow day. Eggs and meats. LC bread to make sammies. Aaaaand thats about it. Craving green things so splashing out on my fave salad for lunch. Then roasted chicken and spinach tonight. Yum...

 

That's all the news thats fit to print. I'm about as exciting as Jack Nicholson in a snowy hotel right now. Cabin Fever is setting in....all work and no play makes Jess a dull girl...

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Raaaaaaaaaging hungry today. Hangry. The struggle is real.

 

Made chicken thighs baked with onions and spinach and sweet potatoes and omg, it's quite tasty. Will be remaking asap.

 

Otherwise, eating ok and still going a bit stir crazy at home. 10 minutes outside hurts your face and bits of you that need to breathe. Dogs can't be out too long b/c the ice and salt hurts thier feet. Basically I can go to movies and walk around malls or get on a treadmill at the crappy apartment fake gym thing. Ugh. Booooooored. Need a touch of sun, 68 degrees, outside with a light breeze. Too much to ask? In January/February, the answer is yes... bleh.

 

Laterz. x

[Sometimes_gypsy]

"I'm not dead yet! I feel happy! I want to go for a walk!"

"Oh, shut up! You'll be dead soon enough!"

 

Yeah, still here. Still doing the paleo/LC thing. I'm not weighing much b/c after I lost some then gained it back overnight in water weight its super discouraging. So going by clothes at the moment. Nothing is tighter and my jeans may have been a touch looser last week. But i'm not sure if they just stretched so I'm going to wash and retest them.

 

I can feel the difference inside though. No stomach upset, no unpleasantness. Less hungry all the time unless its damn hormones kicking in cravings or whatever. (Being a chick is damn annoying sometimes). But we all have crosses to bear. Whatevs.

 

So the fight continues. Mid thigh high snow sitting every where. Cannot WAIT to get outside when its above 40 and not snow/swampy....I miss the sun.

 

K, thats my belly aching for today.

 

Laterz. x

[starsapart]

Winter makes everything harder.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

Today:

 

Breakfast: was verging on hangry...communal office cinnamon bun consumed. + 2 c. coffee <--Shot carbs in the foot. Will do better rest of today and tomorrow breakfast

Lunch: slow cooker chicken tikka masala. V. good. ~2 cups/serving w/o "rice" or other filler.

Dinner: bacon sandwich on LC bread. and tea. B/c its the law that bacon butties must be accompanied by tea.

 

I just logged my food on MFP. Holy Crap. Rude awakening to see how much my calories creeped up over hte past few months of not logging. No wonder I feel like shit.

 

No buns tomorrow = improvement for carbs and calories. Will replace w/ 2 eggs. Ran out ot time this morning. Bleh. Also made strawberry "fat bombs" for sweet treat or snack repalcement. Really good but now I can't have one today. Bun was not worth it. :/ Live and learn.

 

Pissing down rain so not much activity to be done outside tonight. Looks better tommorrow. Dogs will not be pleased. I live in a swamp.

[Sometimes_gypsy]

So, this is like my 894th time "restarting" in the past year. But fuck it. I'm angry. About so many small things I can't even differentiate any more. So I'm gonna take this and funnel it.

 

I've reached one of those points in life where you just have to reprioritize or drown in indecision and overwhelming trivialties.

 

So, new life goals:

 

1. Career-kick ass

2. MY health/fitness.

 

Everything else can get fucked.

 

gypsy out.

[starsapart]

The only way you fail is if you stop trying.  You can do it if you keep getting up from the stumbles.

 

Have you considered doing the 6 week challenge format?  It could be helpful for accountability to have a lot of people following and supporting you!