The Book of the Dead

[Shrilaraune]

 

This battle log will not be daily. But I would like to leave something of my progress behind, just in case someone like me comes along and needs that extra push or second wind. Starsapart was that person for me, and I'd like to be there for someone else! First things first...or perhaps second things second, I am not at my goal. Not by a long shot. At this point in time, I am a novice, just beginning to count the fruits of her labor. I am into my second real 6 week challenge--not including my novice training. And I have told myself, I will give nerdfitness 7 challenges to astound me. But at this point in my journey, I feel like I can offer some words of encouragement to the me from four months ago and her compatriots.

 

1) Scales are the Devil's work. Abandon hope all yee who approach. 

The End of Overeating by Dr. David Kessler is worth it's weight in gold. It helped develop my distaste for junk food in a way that spoke to the intellectual in me. Not that I ate badly at all, mind you. Perhaps at my worst, as a child. But if I learned anything in college it was how to eat and eat well. Still, Dr. Kessler's work ended any lingering temptation fast food represented (now a freshly made burger and properly made chips? Nothing wrong with real food my dears). He also revealed to me my triggers. We all have them, even if we are not aware. Triggers that sabotage our efforts, induce us to eat or feel or stress. I had a few I could point out immediately, but the most important one is the scale. The scale was a trigger for me. Even when the number made me happy! I immediately switched to body measurements with a tape. 

 

2) Captain Steve is right, cardio is pointless

This isn't to disparage those who are dedicated to it. Cardio does have a time and place. But the benefit you get from cardio, can easily be matched and over come by an intense bodyweight workout with a cardio element. Now I'm not saying HIIT--that word scares me and might scare you--but I have had much more sustainable (not to mention quicker) results swinging a kettlebell or doing jump squats as part of my routine. For those of you in the middle of C25K or Zombies Run!, don't stop. That's building a habit of discipline in you. And showing you how to do something you thought impossible just a few weeks ago. Finish it out. 

 

3) My Fitness Pal will save your life 

It took me a while to get over my hangups about measuring my food on myfitnesspal. But if I can attribute anything to my success, it is my adoption of this. Using my fitness pal has made the process of weight/inches loss a science, rather than magic. Science is predictable. You can anticipate it. I promise you: If you use this tool, this FREE tool and take up an exercise regimen, you will lose fat, weight, inches etc. Give it one 6 week challenge and if you haven't budged a pound or an inch/cm, you can come find me and punch me in the face. Secondly, buy a food scale--this will make tracking on myfitnesspal literally a child's errand. And finally, my fitness pal has a recipie import feature. If you have a smartphone and you are browsing a lovely website with lovely food, you can share that recipe to myfitnesspal and it will tell you how many calories per serving that lovely food has. If you switch through recipes that you have saved on myfitnesspal and keep under the calorie limit? Fat will flee. 

 

4) Don't forget to stretch and walk

I barely have time to stretch. In my first 6WC with the Assassins, I stretched maybe twice. But those two times, especially when I went out for a walk afterwards, I felt amazing. Now, in this challenge, I am working out everyday. I have EVEN LESS time and I am still stretching everyday (I'm working on the walking part). Give yourself 5 minutes. While watching TV. You can time yourself. And if you want to stop after 5, you can. If you don't--which is more likely--then you've just made time to stretch. See how that works?

 

5) "Don't hate your body. It's just trying to keep you alive"

Maaya, or starsapart--a very wise woman--told me these words in my proverbial darkest before dawn moment. If you are healthy, and that is a relative term, if your body is not actively and seriously unwell. If like me, being overweight is the one thing it seems to be doing wrong, then don't hate you body. The difficulty your body is having shedding weight and inches comes from a survival instinct. It's not your body's fault. Your body isn't a malicious being trying to make your life a misery. So be kind to yourself. And then teach your body to thrive.  

 

So why Sabriel? Why the Abhorsen saga as the inspiration for my battle log? Well the newly leased warrior in me would say it is because I put the dead down. The dead being dead weight. That I have taken up the fishscale armour, silver key dusted halberd and bell bandolier of my office to hide the tears fat sheds as it wrung from my body (anyone see what I did there?). But in all honesty, and we can be honest here can we not my dears? In all honesty, this is not just a journey to put down fat. I'm putting to rest everything that ever went bump in the nights of my tearful youth, any silly insecurity I ever had, any belief that I can't. I may be the most ignorant Abhorsen in centuries (and pretty old to be starting at 25), but blood is blood and the Charter is the charter. And this Book of the Dead? I hope it will serve as a woot guide for the like minded. If I can do it, anyone can. And that's just me being honest. 

 

 

Does the walker chose the path or the path chose the walker?

[Shrilaraune]

  â˜†*:.｡.Rana the sleeper.｡.:*☆

 

I woke up this morning sleeping on my back with my hand on my stomach. The first thing I noticed: My stomach is almost flat. Madness ensues. I rush to my bathroom mirror--and yes! My stomach is really smaller! That's when I notice my bottom. I have an actual butt--pardon my crassness! It's round! With no weird divots or floppiness!! THIS IS A SIDE VIEW MIND YOU. My rear end was seriously challenged. So. WOOT. 

(*≧艸≦)

[Shrilaraune]

☆*:.｡.Belgaer the thinker.｡.:*☆

 

I'm learning more about my body. My knee problems, my difficulty with full squats, may come from hip mobility issues. This might also be the reason I have such trouble with seiza. Given my natural duck footed stance, and some experiments I have run, this may be the case.

 

I am also learning how to push, while listening to my body. On day 6 of Hero's Journey, I injured my elbow. Now this wasn't like being sick (as I was last challenge). It wasn't something I could just power through. But it was something I could push myself on--mind you the old me would have just passed on working out until she felt better. I use equal alternatives and, when possible, try to get in at least one set of the intended exercise (as I did on Day 7 of Hero's Journey). Here's to progress. 

[Shrilaraune]

After the (long) walking half of day 33 this is how I see myself. Hear me roar. 

 

[Shrilaraune]

☆*:.｡.Belgaer the thinker.｡.:*☆

 

Week 6 of my challenge (I'm actually doing it for seven) and my eating is out of control! Calorie wise I'm right on the nose, but I'm eating terrible things! Fast food! Cupcakes (Red Velvet...mmmmm)! Waahhh. I've never really craved these things before. Maybe once a month or once every couple of months I'd go "to heck with the the gluten free thing" and get myself a burger, but rarely. This entire week has been like that one day! Over and over again. At first I thought, "Hmmm, I'm craving things. Maybe my body just needs some nutrient in them." but Stars suggested it might be my body tying to get back into "before" mode. I'm annoyed because I didn't eat the poorly before, so what this means it that subconsciously or otherwise, my body/mind is trying sabotage me. Boo.  Realization? Cravings are bogus.

 

And SO ARE BODYTYPES. More on this later

[Shrilaraune]

I fell into quite the spell of disenchantment after I came upon something I was physically unable to do (without pain) due to injury. A real injury. Holding ME back? Yeah, that took some time to work past. But then I started giving some photos a look. And you know what? I may not yet be where I want to be...but there's been progress made. Real progress. I can't just give up on that. Not with so man people cheering for me. And so once more into the breach my friends. Shall we journey the gates together?