Dreamspin sets out on her epic voyage!

[Dreamspin]

On Friday, I did NF Yoga Fire A in the morning, went to work, felt a slump again by 2:30. This time I tried doing some stretches, moved around the office, even tried to put my head down for a couple minutes. I came out of the slump by about 3:30.

 

At 4:45 I got officially initiated into the company by joining in the Friday afternoon drinking: an ounce of Scotch. I usually drink cocktails, not hard liquor straight up, so it tasted like what I'd imagine antifreeze to taste like. 

 

When I got home, I let myself relax the Paleo requirements and had homemade deep-fried fish and a beer and played video games. Celebration for a good and busy week! :-) 

[Dreamspin]

My summary for the week:

• Workouts. I completed workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I still feel sore when I get up or attempt crunches in my left ab (sorry, I didn't take boilogy), I suspect I pulled something when I tried the yoga star A video. So although I graduated to bodyweight level 2, I'm still taking it easy with the reverse crunches and I'm still working towards a full set of push-ups without progressions. 
• Yoga. I did yoga on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. The star level was a bit beyond my capabilities, or at least next time I should use a block and not go for the elite versions of the poses. 
• Meal prep. Done on Sunday, and it worked great. I've got more supplies to make more meals today! 
• Meditation. Did not go so well, which is funny because I only committed to five minutes a day. I only deliberately meditated on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, and it was grudging at best. So I'm going to face it: meditation is not a priority for me right now. 
• Rather than continue down that track, I'm going to shift my goal. I'm going to aim to write something in my journal every day and enjoy a few quiet moments to myself. I'm already keeping a food log or exercise log, so the habit is there. And I know that it helps with my depression and anxiety. I don't have to write a book, just a sentence or two. 

I've discovered something in this quest so far: I'm a bit of a foodie, and I love cooking Paleo meals. They're just so delicious and gorgeous.

 

This was my breakfast yesterday, swiss chard and leeks with eggs on top, framed by thick-cut bacon. 

 

[Butternut]

I totally agree with Paleo Meals!  MMmmmm Bacon..

 

You sound like your rocking it!  

[Dreamspin]

Today was great. I woke up early and went back to bed to catch up from the week.  :-) 

 

I washed a lot of dishes, then spent a few hours making an enormous pot of soup, this time sweet potatoes with orange and purple carrots, and roasted another dozen chicken thighs. Yay, another 25 ponts on the meal prep challenge! And standing for so long felt like exercise too. 

 

I feel like I'm ready for more cardio, so I just finished doing the 5:15:10, which is five minutes of walking, 15 minutes of running, and 10 minutes of walking. I did this with the dogs, so it was a good 'talk test' because I had to keep telling them to heel and stop pulling. :-P

 

Now I'm ready to do some yoga and some journaling and get to bed! 

 

Have a great week everyone! :-) 

 

 

[PollyannaAgain]

I've never heard of the 5:15:10. That sounds neat, though I'd never be able to manage it. I can't run without hurting myself! Do you like chicken thighs better than breasts? I've heard dark meat is a bit more tender and flavorful than white, and I'm wondering if that would help me not despise chicken...

 

Keep up the good work and have a great week!

[Dreamspin]

I tend to like chicken thighs more than breasts because I grew up eating them more. I find them to be more flavourful, juicy, and a bit greasier, but I'm in the camp of 'a moderate amount of saturated fat is good for you' camp. 

 

This is the recipe I used for cooking the skin-on chicken thighs, I think they turned out delicious and they taste great as leftovers. 

 

http://paleoleap.com/mustard-balsamic-baked-chicken/

 

Cheers! :-) 

[FlyingJen]

 

• Meditation. Did not go so well, which is funny because I only committed to five minutes a day. I only deliberately meditated on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, and it was grudging at best. So I'm going to face it: meditation is not a priority for me right now. 
• Rather than continue down that track, I'm going to shift my goal. I'm going to aim to write something in my journal every day and enjoy a few quiet moments to myself. I'm already keeping a food log or exercise log, so the habit is there. And I know that it helps with my depression and anxiety. I don't have to write a book, just a sentence or two. 

I think it's great that you're evaluating what works for you and what doesn't! I love my morning meditation and have this idea that I want to do an evening meditation but it hasn't really worked out. I'm going to keep trying it this week but might need to let it go.

 

I think keeping a daily journal is a great idea. I have one that has a small space for every day for 10 years (http://www.journal10.com/) and it's interesting to see what I was doing on any given day X years ago. I used to do long-form journaling but finally figured out that it was just causing me to ruminate on and magnify various bad feelings so I stopped. But I do like writing just a couple of sentences about the events of a day, which definitely helps me feel less anxious and less like time is just slipping away!

[PollyannaAgain]

 

I tend to like chicken thighs more than breasts because I grew up eating them more. I find them to be more flavourful, juicy, and a bit greasier, but I'm in the camp of 'a moderate amount of saturated fat is good for you' camp. 

 

This is the recipe I used for cooking the skin-on chicken thighs, I think they turned out delicious and they taste great as leftovers. 

 

http://paleoleap.com/mustard-balsamic-baked-chicken/

 

Cheers! :-) 

Thanks! I'll have to try that out one weekend. We had baked chicken legs the other night. They were delicious...

[Dreamspin]

Week 2: An Unexpected Battle

After turning around a bend in the road, a huge slimy toad leaps from the underbrush, leaving me and my party covered in slime!

Ah yes, colds have struck the household.

 

Monday morning, I got in a bodyweight workout level 2 A, and when I woke my daughter up to take her to school, it was apparent that she was sick. Because my hubby needed to go to work as well, I took the bus to work, grabbed my laptop, and took the bus back so I could watch her and work from home for the remainder of the day.

 

On Tuesday, dd was still sick, so hubby brought her to grandma's and I went to work. Left early from work (with my laptop) to go to a counselling session, where I talked about some of my new-to-the-job anxiety. Had a quick supper and went to Tai Chi class. I find that to be quite a challenge, because it's a trigger for me to feel like a noob at something, and boy am I a noob at Tai Chi. My teacher is amazing and patient though, and I think it's greatly beneficial to challenge the noob anxiety and re-associate the new feeling with positivity and safety.

 

This morning, it was apparent that I am now sick, so I stayed home today. I was about 50% productive, and I feel like I've been hit with a ton of bricks, and expelling slime on a regular basis. I kept dd home as well, just to make sure she was good and rested. For recovery, I had turmeric milk with grass-fed milk, ginger, and honey, and I've also had tea with honey to help soothe the throat. I also got a decent nap in during the day. I'm definitely not doing a bodyweight workout today, so I'll settle for doing a beginner's NF water series yoga before bed to try and stretch out these sore muscles.

 

I already anticipate that I might not get in all three bodyweight workouts this week, but I'll just accept that as taking HP from the slime toad. I'll get him back by bouncing back into my routine as soon as I'm better!

[Limitless]

Hi Dreamspin, thought i'd pop by when you were considerate enough to comment on my thread  

 

I love your first challenge, it's very similar to my overall goals and I also think the depth of preparation you've put into each is fantastic; the tabbing/listing of information and steps and breaking it right down i mean. 

 

How are you finding Tai Chi class?  I just attended my first one today, doing yang style foundational form (which i found weird, as every online resource i looked at was entirely different!).  Also, I'm nodding my head towards yoga for flexibility reasons, do you find the bodyweight workouts/tai chi and also yoga to be a good combination? 

 

Keep going, keep working hard and i'm sure you'll not only achieve, but exceed your goals!!

[Dreamspin]

Thanks! I'm enjoying the Tai Chi class - it's Taoist style. It gets me out of my comfort zone, both socially and in learning new things in front of people. I've taken basic martial arts before, and I find that I have to unlearn the tendency to lower my center of balance (i.e. instead of crouching and lunging, I have to stand up taller and take normal-sized steps). :-)

 

I find the bodyweight workouts and yoga to be especially good combinations, because my muscles tend to stiffen after a workout and it helps with recovery and flexibility. I've also been struggling with an injury to my right neck/back/shoulder/arm due to many years of bad form while sitting at a computer. I find that yoga is helping specifically with re-aligning my spine and bringing back balance to both sides of my body. The Tai Chi is a good addition to the mix too, kind of like a reminder to do things that are light and fun as well. What I keep hearing too is that regular Tai Chi practice is designed to improve internal organs and tendons, and general health as well.

 

Thanks for the well wishes! :-)

[Casbin]

Hi Dreamspin,

 

it looks like things are turning out great for you.

While I think you will have heard this allready don't mind the exhaustion. It's bound to happen when you get back into buiseness.

From what I read so far you are implementing a lot of things at your new job and that is a great  thing! I've been there and I'm still feeling it from time to time.

 

The best of luck with getting that toad out of your house

 

I'm looking forward to hearing how things turn out for you

Casbin

[Limitless]

I'm glad the yoga is helping you.  It can be a nightmare to live with joint and back pain.  And it's always good to push the boundaries, often we don't realise our comfort zones aren't as small as we thought they were

[Dreamspin]

Well, Thursday was really rough. I gave up on trying to work and just rested and played video games, feverish and snotty. I was so weak that just taking the dogs for a slow short walk felt like a huge undertaking. That night, I considered doing yoga, and then decided not to. This morning, I woke up drenched in sweat, and knew that the worst of the cold was behind me. I worked from home again, and was about 30% productive.

 

The awesome part of all this is that although this was an unexpected battle, I had plenty of healing potions on hand. The soup I had prepped on Sunday became an easy lunch and sometimes supper, which was packed full of veggies, chicken broth, and coconut milk, and it was blended so it was easily digestible. The chicken was also great for when I was feeling like I needed more protein. I put in a beginner yoga session on Wednesday and today, and I'm glad I went with the beginner sessions, because they were a challenge for me in my weakened state.

 

Now I feel like the toad is down and tomorrow I'll put in the final strike to take him out by doing a lighter version of my bodyweight workout. *cue final fantasy battle won fanfare*

[Treva]

A toad in the road!  that is now what I'm going to call all my workouts. 

Good luck with getting over it and doing great with the body weight workouts!!  Sounds like you've been eating and resting, which is the best way to beat those germs.

[Treva]

*colds.  that's what I'm going to call all my colds.

[Dreamspin]

Haha, that makes more sense! It's funny how it became more fun thinking of it like an enemy ambush from an RPG game. 

 

I did my workout yesterday, and I was surprised that I could actually do more pushups than in the last workout (three before switching to knees) and that I could do straight leg reverse crunches without getting the same pains I had last week. I guess the extra rest was helpful!

 

Today I walked about 5km and I'm going to pre-make some food, get some paperwork in order, and do some yoga before work tomorrow.  

[Limitless]

It's awesome to see another Final Fantasy fan   

 

Progression in your workout = Win, an absolute Final fantasy fanfare haha *da - da - da -da dooo be da da daaaa* lmaoo xD 

 

Hope you feel fully recovered soon! 

[Dreamspin]

On Sunday I did a little more mass cooking; I didn't have to do as much because I still have leftover soup in the freezer. Another 25 points! 

 

On Monday I did a bodyweight level 2 A workout, I did more reps than before, and I'm seeing improvement on my pushups and overall form.

 

This morning I did some yoga and went to the doctor for my yearly check-up. I got weighed and got excited, so I did the rest of my measurements too. 

 

Measurements as of 4/19/2016:

• Weight: 123 lbs (-5.5 lbs) 
• Neck: 13"
• Chest: 34" (-1")
• Biceps: 11"
• Waist: 28" (-0.5")
• Hips: 33" (-1")
• Butt: 38" (-1")
• Thighs: 21" (+0.5")
• Calves: 14"

I know I wanted to wait till the end, but after finding out that I've lost 5.5 lbs, I had to find out the rest. I'm pumped too to see that I gained size in my thighs (yay lunges, squats, and step-ups!), and I could already notice the reduction in size elsewhere. 

 

I'm happy to see so much progress so quickly. I wonder what the changes will be in another month or two! :-) 

 

I went to Tai chi class, and again I felt the frustration of suckage. It's embarrassing, but sometimes I feel the urge to cry when I feel particularly noobish, and I've felt like that the past couple of classes. I feel a strong temptation to stop going to the classes to avoid the feeling of not being able to get it, then feeling like I'm going to cry, then fighting that because I want to keep my shit together in front of people. Mentally, I understand that it's 108 moves to learn, and choreography is particularly difficult for me, and all I need to do is imitate, and eventually it will come more naturally. But emotionally I want to be getting it already, feel confident with the moves, and remember it enough so that I don't have to be staring at someone's feet to move. 

 

But I've got this. Every class I go to will bring me one move closer to muscle memory, and one day I will be able to effortlessly move through the forms, and I will be exploring the nuances of the practice with the other advanced students. And every class I go to where I want to cry will make it easier for me to try other new things in the future. 

[Owlet]

Haha yay someone else who fights the urge to cry at these things! It's funny how there can be such a divide between intellect and emotion huh. It can be very hard sometimes to tell your heart what your mind already knows - ie, everything's ok so chill out! I had the worst experience with this a while ago, when I had an appointment with a personal trainer. He took me through a bunch of exercises then told me to 'improvise some free movement' and I just froze, I had no idea what to do. Then I got super self conscious and started crying which made me even more self conscious and it took ages to calm down after that! It was pretty horrible at the time, but it doesn't bother me now and it actually led to me discovering Nerd Fitness (looking online for workouts rather than go back to PT lol) so maybe it was for the best?! Anyway, sounds like you have a fantastic attitude towards this and I have no doubt you'll get your own benefits from powering through the feels  I mean, you're already getting some pretty sweet benefits, 5.5 lbs worth! Well done!

[Butternut]

Right on Dreamspin.  You've got such a good outlook on it.  My emotional trigger is crying.  Its hard but I love fighting it.

 

I always go back to the meaning on Kung Fu "Skilled Achieved Over Hard Training"  Kung means "Merit" or "Acheived" and Fu means "Hard Work" or "Effort."

 

I listened to a Kung Fu Master on "Urban Monk" podcast and he said "Kung Fu is ever learning, I will never stop having to learn my moves," that's what I love about Kung Fu and Tai Chi, its about adapting and always getting better with a lot of hard work.  Not saying other forms workouts are like that, Every skill is that way. But just knowing that Kung Fu originated like that is inspiring to keep it up.  (Haven't done Kung Fu yet, but that my be coming to a future challenge)

 

Oh And Congrats on losing 5.5 pounds!!  That's awesome!  

[PollyannaAgain]

Way to go on those measurements! That's fantastic!

 

Does your local library have DVDs? Maybe they have a Tai Chi one you can borrow to work with at home in between classes to help build your confidence when you go back.

 

Keep up the good work!

[Dreamspin]

My teacher made mention of a Tai Chi book, I might try to find it - it lays out foot positioning, which I think would be helpful. Also, it's a great idea to look for some videos too. 

[Dreamspin]

On Wednesday, I did a bodyweight level 2 B workout, then I took it easy for Thursday and Friday and just did a lot of walking. I also went non-Paleo Thursday evening by having cake with the family, and boy did I feel sick after having just half a slice! On Friday I also had some non-Paleo indulgences with a wine-and-cheese party after Earth Day cleanup at work.

 

This morning I went back to Paleo with leeks, swiss chard, and smoked meat. I went for a long walk in the (city) forest with my hubby and dogs, and tonight I did the bodyweight level 2 B workout and the yoga star A series (this time using a block and making sure not to kill myself). I've been progressing nicely on the workout, increasing my squats to 15 reps, my step-ups to 30, my plank to 45 seconds, and my jumping jacks to 60 seconds. On my second set, I did 5 push-ups before switching to knees.

 

I went onto the Nerd Fitness Academy website to see what's in store for the Level 3 bodyweight workouts, to find that the website has been updated and the whole workout scheme has been changed! There's some new cool exercises to try, but I don't know how to place my level. I also need to get a resistance band and a pull-up bar before I can progress! I'll keep up with my current workout routine and increase reps until I get those.

[Treva]

congratulations on the workout progress!!  That sounds like all your hard work is paying off.  Also foot positioning book for tai chi sounds ideal--footwork is important for everything.