Sovalis' Epic Quest: Blacksmith Arms!

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

I have been thinking a lot about goal setting and trying to figure out what direction I wanted to take my journey in as I have been feeling kind of aimless. It has been bothering me that I don't have any firm or long term goals although I am managing short term and daily goals quite well. So I asked myself, if the sky were the limit, what is something you would change about yourself that would make you happy? The answer is having Blacksmith's arms. Huge muscles! Low enough body fat that the muscles show! Strength to do whatever I want! I don't want to be "trim" or "lean" or anything like that. I want to look like I could snap things in half and then actually do it. 

 

 

Kinda like that.

 

This means that I have some direction: continue losing weight and begin building strength.

 

For the weight: I think my body fat percentage is well over 30% and after reading some articles and looking at some pictures I think I'd like to get down to 20% or so and see what that is like. It is, at best, a guess about where I would like to end up, but that is good enough for now. I expect that the 10+% decrease I am hoping for will work out to between 100 - 130 lbs of loss. I think I have access to one of those fancy machines that scans and tells you skeletal/muscle/fat/water weights. I can get that done again to have it as a baseline. I have been eating lower carb (less than 75g net carbs a day) the last little while and I am going to keep with that for the foreseeable future. It feels good and sustainable. 

 

May 9, 2022: Starting weight 308.8 lbs, body fat percentage unknown. I have photos of this beginning, but I am in my bra and briefs so I am going to keep them to myself for now. 

 

December 18, 2022: Weight 298 lbs, body fat percentage unknown. I have a good photo of Ian and I making gingerbread that I posted to my Instagram today.

 

March 28, 2023: Weight 288.8 lbs, body fat percentage unknown. No photo.

 

May 5, 2023: Weight 286.4 lbs, body fat percentage unknown. No photo. 

 

I should probably take another set of photos as it's been a year.

 

For strength: I started doing Bodyweight workouts on May 1, 2023, using the modified workout provided in the "Steve Reacts" NF video. After a few workouts I subbed out the knee planks for Dead Bugs as the planks were really hard on my hands. I also added my 6 lb dumbbells to the rows (both in one hand for a 12 lb weight total) and to my Good Mornings. Currently the dead bugs are the most challenging part of that workout, which may mean it's time to level up and either add sets or make the movement more challenging. I would strongly prefer to be lifting heavy, but I don't know if that is feasible right now as it involves the base gym and negotiating with Dave's inclinations. I have access to a Bowflex that I can start using. I don't enjoy it as much as free weights, but it's a resource. I am also really interested in trying axe throwing and seeing if that is a form of exercise I might enjoy. 

 

I am not going to put a timeline on achieving this goal as I think it will be a few years in the making. But I feel better having it formulated and documented somewhere. My intention is to record my weight at the beginning of every challenge. It would be cool if I could get the inline body scan thing done every six weeks just to have that data. I will have to see if that option is still available. 

 

Onward!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Cheering you on! Have you thought about doing some  supplemental exercises like bicep curls? I feel like they are helping to finally make my arms look a bit more muscle toned. Though I'm sure part of that is just the time put in with the main exercises over years too. Also, when you get closer to your goal weight, you may want to up your carbs so that it is easier to build muscle. 

[Snarkyfishguts]

YES! You are mighty and strong!!!

[Sovalis]

15 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Cheering you on! Have you thought about doing some  supplemental exercises like bicep curls? I feel like they are helping to finally make my arms look a bit more muscle toned. Though I'm sure part of that is just the time put in with the main exercises over years too. Also, when you get closer to your goal weight, you may want to up your carbs so that it is easier to build muscle. 

Thanks, EG! I am open to all suggestions. I haven’t lifted in a long time and I am gearing myself towards home workouts for now. I think as I get closer to my goal weight I will shift back to Paleo rather than low carb, that’s how I was eating when I was heavy lifting before and it seemed to really work well for me. Sweet potatoes for the win!  

 

2 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

YES! You are mighty and strong!!!

Thanks, Snarky! ❤️ 

 

I have arranged to go and do the body scan thing tomorrow morning between 10:30 and 11am. Then I will eat breakfast and have coffee because you need to be fasted to do the thing. I am excited about it, which is slightly weird given that it’s going to tell me things that are going to be tough to know. But adventures have to begin somewhere!

 

[Elastigirl]

1 hour ago, Sovalis said:

Sweet potatoes for the win!  

 

I love sweet potatoes!❤️

[Rookie]

I love this mindset! I too don't care about being lean and I want to look and be strong! 

 

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

I went and did the InBody Test this morning as I had hoped to. It gave me some useful data and I am surprised at how neutral and even excited I am despite some pretty sharp wake up calls in the numbers department. 

 

Here is the printout so I have a record of it in case I lose my sheet:

 

 

Salient points:

Weight: 284.4 lbs

Body Fat %: 51.4

Body Fat Mass: 146.4 lbs 

 

So if I am reading this correctly, I can afford to lose ~130 lbs, which would take me down to ~155 lbs. That seems low to me, so I don’t think I am going to hang my star on that number. I think 180 lbs is a good goal for now and then when that gets closer I can evaluate the ratios again. My goal is not a scale number so much as it is a certain kind of appearance - jacked. I am prepared to weigh whatever works to get the muscle tone I am after. 

 

I am mildly “oh really” about the 51.4 body fat number. I knew it was high but I didn’t know how high. I don’t like that so much, although it feels galvanizing rather than depressing. I am going to take it as fuel for my endeavours and not let it bring me down. 

 

I am interested in the BMR coming in at 1723 kcal. I don’t think I ever noticed that number on my previous printouts. Might have to do some calculations and see what that means for me. I am certain I calculated my BMR higher than that using the online calculators, but I haven’t done it since I was 308.8. So it’s time to do a new one and adjust my macros accordingly. 

 

The bottom chart also has the results for the last three times I weighted in on this machine pre-Covid at the beginning of my Keto journey. It is interesting to have those touch points in the system still. 

 

I told the ladies in the office that my intention is to come back and re-measure every ~6 weeks or so. I will time it to the beginning of each challenge, I think. Zero week to-do task. 

 

I am very pleased with not being derailed by the numbers. Past Me would have been so distraught and I am not feeling that way at all. What a change and a thing to celebrate. ?

 

Thanks for being here. ❤️ 

[MaeradCase]

So proud of you! For lots of things! Getting the test done, seeing the results and seeing it as motivation rather than frustration, and having an awesome end goal to work toward.

 

I haven't ever done a test like this, though I read about them when I started with NF around the same time as you. I don't know that I could react quite as well as you have if I saw numbers I didn't want to see. ?

 

Following along for the long-haul quest!

[Heidi]

3 hours ago, Sovalis said:

My goal is not a scale number so much as it is a certain kind of appearance - jacked. I am prepared to weigh whatever works to get the muscle tone I am after. 

Yes, i really like this for you!

Also, it makes it much easier for me to celebrate your progress — celebrating a number on a scale doesn’t feel very supportive, but celebrating moar jacked is something that comes with pom poms and glitter.

 

Also, please take a minute to note that even though you’ve ticked up a bit overall, the numbers are still lower than your first scan. This is good, this means that what you did before worked, and that you still have a foundation from which to do it again. You are so easy to cheer for.  

[Rookie]

Unless I read it wrong, the part on the right side recommends you lose 105.2lbs. The fine print says - means to lose fat. 

 

I wonder if they have one of these near me. That's so cool. I love you are thinking of making this a zero week task moving forward! How inspiring

 

I'm playing around with the idea to start weight training and eating around maintenance to aim for a body recomp. Then when I plateau to start lowering my calories. 

[TimovieMan]

Sustainable dieting and bodyweight strength workouts.

 

This is my jam. ?

[Sovalis]

On 5/18/2023 at 2:22 PM, MaeradCase said:

So proud of you! For lots of things! Getting the test done, seeing the results and seeing it as motivation rather than frustration, and having an awesome end goal to work toward.

 

I haven't ever done a test like this, though I read about them when I started with NF around the same time as you. I don't know that I could react quite as well as you have if I saw numbers I didn't want to see. ?

 

Following along for the long-haul quest!

Thanks, Maerad. ❤️ I think I wouldn’t have gotten it done if I felt vulnerable to the numbers. But I am very proud of how far I have gotten away from my number vulnerability/obsession. This past year has changed so many things. Thanks for following! ❤️ 

 

22 hours ago, Heidi said:

Yes, i really like this for you!

Also, it makes it much easier for me to celebrate your progress — celebrating a number on a scale doesn’t feel very supportive, but celebrating moar jacked is something that comes with pom poms and glitter.

I am here for pom poms and glitter!  

 

22 hours ago, Heidi said:

Also, please take a minute to note that even though you’ve ticked up a bit overall, the numbers are still lower than your first scan. This is good, this means that what you did before worked, and that you still have a foundation from which to do it again. You are so easy to cheer for.  

While this is true as to what is on the paper, both my Keto loss and this current journey saw me start at 308 lbs, it was just a matter of when data started getting recorded. I might have been higher weight to start on my keto journey because I didn’t start weighing in for a little while. But I consider 308 my starting point. The foundations thing is still true though, in that I learned a lot doing keto that is applicable now, even if my carb count is higher. It taught me a lot about satiation that I didn’t know before. 

 

20 hours ago, Rookie said:

Unless I read it wrong, the part on the right side recommends you lose 105.2lbs. The fine print says - means to lose fat. 

 

I wonder if they have one of these near me. That's so cool. I love you are thinking of making this a zero week task moving forward! How inspiring

 

I'm playing around with the idea to start weight training and eating around maintenance to aim for a body recomp. Then when I plateau to start lowering my calories. 

Yes, I read that too. I have already lost ~25 lbs, so I feel like my number and the test’s number square. I have to remember that the test is for the body I currently have, not the one that started losing weight last year. In my head I am still 308, not 284. Brains are weird, yo. I highly recommend weight training. I freaking love it and am trying to figure out how to get back to the base gym with or without my husband. 

 

10 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

Sustainable dieting and bodyweight strength workouts.

 

This is my jam. ?

I am glad. Pleased to have you.  

[Sovalis]

Calorie/numbers talk. If that is triggering for you, maybe give this a pass. ❤️ 

 

So I was trying to do some research on BMR and TDEE and all of the numbers part of things because I can’t honestly say I understand it. And then I found This interesting weight loss calculator and plugged my information into it. It says that if the weight loss was a steady straight line and I was consuming 1850 calories a day, then I might reach my goal weight by Christmas 2024. I generally consume 1700-2000 calories a day and I am tracking pretty much everything I eat, mostly so I can count carbs and track protein, not with the express purpose of calorie counting. I don’t adjust my intake to accommodate any walking or Bodyweight exercise. It was interesting to me to see a timeline put on it, even if that timeline assumes ideal conditions and continuous weight loss. I would like to be in “loss” mode for ~2 years, I think; more than that might get disheartening, less than that might be too fast to physiologically and psychologically adjust to. I think at this time I am not going to deliberately restrict my calories but rather play with my macros if I feel that things aren’t working. I feel like my current macros spread and 2000 ceiling is a good matrix to be consistently hitting: I am losing, slowly, and have enough energy to walk and workout. I am more interested in making sure I am getting my protein and fibre in and seeing where that takes me for now. I always find the numbers game confusing, and it’s complicated by the PCOS because nothing about PCOS makes weight loss straightforward. If it were simple in vs out, I’d have been thin a long time ago. 

 

So I guess I learned things, but I still can’t say that I really understand the numbers? *shrug* I don’t think anything I read today changes what I am doing for now. 

[Heidi]

Honestly, i will never understand the numbers thing either.

For starters, 600 calories of almonds is a heck of a lot different for our bodies than 600 calories of cake.

Secondly, muscle weighs twice as much as fat, but takes up half the space, so I say get some resistance bands or free weights and sculpt away!

I also noticed significant difference in my body composition and energy levels back when I was weight training, even though it was only lightly.

Warriors do not have a monopoly on the weight room.  

[MaeradCase]

1 hour ago, Sovalis said:

So I guess I learned things, but I still can’t say that I really understand the numbers? *shrug* I don’t think anything I read today changes what I am doing for now. 

Me every time I double-checked my student loans math over the last seven years. ? 

[Heidi]

To see what I mean about numbers on the scale making no sense at all to me, see this “then and now” post. I lost 8 pounds over the course of 9 months, and the difference in how I look is so much more dramatic than that. In fact, I weigh nearly as much now as I did in the “before” picture (147), and I know I don’t look like that girl at all. Numbers on the scale, man. They’re weird. 

[Sovalis]

Thanks, Heidi. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences with me. ?

 

Hi Friends!

 

I added a Darebee dumbbell routine to my bodyweight workout today. It didn't feel like much effort with my little goldenrod 6 lb weights, but something is better than nothing. I made a Bujo page to track those workouts, because checkmarks are really motivating lately. 

 

 

As I said in my challenge check in, I think I'm going to go to Canadian Tire and look at their weights after work. I'm thinking of getting a set of 15 lb dumbbells if they have some. I was also looking at kettlebells but I think I need more research before I go in that direction. Dumbbells I'm familiar with already. 

 

I was on YouTube and found a neat channel by Mark Wildman that features kettlebells and heavy club exercises. I've never seen the heavy club before and it looks really fun. He also has some videos for working out for the seriously overweight and I was really impressed by his understanding of size limitations and body mechanics related to obesity. Also his attitude - he was very matter of fact and encouraging in a low key way that really works for me. It's very similar to how Dave coaches and I like it. I'm trying to figure out if I can go in to the city or something to try one of these clubs without having to buy one. It looks so cool! 

 

Edited to add: 

Took a snapshot of my arm today as a reference point for muscle development. Please pardon the dirty mirror, apparently I need to wipe it and didn't realize. 

 

 

Looking forward to watching that change! 

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

I did go to Canadian Tire and buy weights last night. I am very, very excited to have them. I didn't buy the cheapest set even thought it would have been half what I ended up spending to do so, because I am worth the purchase of good equipment that inspires me to use it. I feel inspired and satisfied. 

[Harriet]

Getting jacked is a very worthy goal. Best of luck! And good work not freaking out about the numbers. Will you incorporate diet breaks or just restrict calories without pause? Do you tend to get hungry and burnt out on dieting, or are you good to go for long periods?

[Sovalis]

31 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Getting jacked is a very worthy goal. Best of luck! And good work not freaking out about the numbers. Will you incorporate diet breaks or just restrict calories without pause? Do you tend to get hungry and burnt out on dieting, or are you good to go for long periods?

Thanks, Harriet! I think for now I am going to stick with my plan. I have been eating this way for a while (I can't quite remember when I started but it was sometime last challenge I believe, so 4-6+ weeks?) and I am pretty content with it most days and find it fairly easy to stick with. I did keto for 18 months without pause and I think as long as I am not getting bored of my food I am good to go for quite a while. I am not losing quickly, but I am losing on the scale, so I know it's working. I do better with a consistent eating plan that doesn't have cheat days or whatever because those derail me pretty hard. I don't find I get hungry often with my current macro spread and when I do it's usually because I still have open macros and haven't eaten my allotment for the day. I am noticing that even when my fibre and protein are good if I am not eating at least 50% of my fat macro I get peckish. A few tablespoons of peanut butter tends to sort me out but I am trying to not rely on that. I will give it until the end of this challenge without changing anything to see how the Berberine and new weights are affecting things and then see if I want to make any adjustments next challenge. I am hesitant to restrict my calories by a lot because I think that might lead to binging which I feel like I have sorted out and under control right now. But I could eventually see dropping my carbs to less than 50g a day and seeing if that ~25g reduction has any impact if things aren't progressing the way I want them to. The biggest thing for PCOS isn't calorie reduction, I think, it's managing the insulin resistance, which is a carb thing more than a calorie thing from everything I have read. 

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Sovalis said:

Thanks, Harriet! I think for now I am going to stick with my plan. I have been eating this way for a while (I can't quite remember when I started but it was sometime last challenge I believe, so 4-6+ weeks?) and I am pretty content with it most days and find it fairly easy to stick with. I did keto for 18 months without pause and I think as long as I am not getting bored of my food I am good to go for quite a while. I am not losing quickly, but I am losing on the scale, so I know it's working. I do better with a consistent eating plan that doesn't have cheat days or whatever because those derail me pretty hard. I don't find I get hungry often with my current macro spread and when I do it's usually because I still have open macros and haven't eaten my allotment for the day. I am noticing that even when my fibre and protein are good if I am not eating at least 50% of my fat macro I get peckish. A few tablespoons of peanut butter tends to sort me out but I am trying to not rely on that. I will give it until the end of this challenge without changing anything to see how the Berberine and new weights are affecting things and then see if I want to make any adjustments next challenge. I am hesitant to restrict my calories by a lot because I think that might lead to binging which I feel like I have sorted out and under control right now. But I could eventually see dropping my carbs to less than 50g a day and seeing if that ~25g reduction has any impact if things aren't progressing the way I want them to. The biggest thing for PCOS isn't calorie reduction, I think, it's managing the insulin resistance, which is a carb thing more than a calorie thing from everything I have read. 

 

Awesome. If you're not getting super hungry then it sounds sustainable. And yes, I also heard PCOS is an insulin resistant condition. Both caloric restriction and carb restriction can increase insulin sensitivity (I think that's because, in a sustained deficit, you'll used up stored glycogen and lose fat from around the liver), but one is rather more pleasant and effective than the other, I think.

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

Just wanted to update and say that the 15 lb weights are amazing and I was so excited to work with them today! And I wasn't upset or discouraged when they were work. Just pleased as punch to be doing my sets of 8, rocking merrily along. 

 

 

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

I did my dumbbells and my Bodyweight workout this morning and it felt quite good. It is really interesting to me the way that 15 lb weights feel heavy or light depending on what muscle groups I am engaging. Gives me a different perspective on my body, that’s for sure. I am noticing my grip is a little weak, especially in my left hand, so I need to do some work on that. I am not getting much DOMS at all from the Darebee workout I am learning right now and I don’t know if that is good or bad. It’s definitely work but not too arduous so I assume it’s okay for now? I am going to keep doing just the one Darebee workout with the weights for the rest of this five week challenge cycle (mostly because it’s what I have my Bujo set up for) and then plan a longer dumbbell workout for next challenge by stringing two or more Darebee dumbbell workouts together. I am doing some reading on other people’s programs for this kind of strength building and finding that educational. I am wondering for next challenge if I want to do Bodyweight workouts on days I alternate with dumbbell workouts instead of doing both on one day and taking a complete rest day in between. Something to consider. 

 

It is very joyful to count to eight reps and then feel accomplished. I have missed this. 

 

I am feeling a bit frustrated with not being able to walk due to the plantar fasciitis. I really hope that this clears up soon. 

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

My friend Les just sent me his dumbbell workout and I wanted to save it here so I don’t lose it as our chat progresses: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/6-day-dumbbell-only-workout. It looks pretty involved and I don’t recognize all the movements when I read them, but I can spend some time getting more familiar and assessing it to see if I want to take it on. It is a 6 day a week program. I don’t know that I am going to be ready to do six days a week next challenge, but I could probably cycle through the workouts on my every-other-day schedule. It is also a full body dumbbell program, not specifically an arms program, but I think that might be better for me in the long run for dropping weight and building muscle. 

 

Something to think about, anyway!

[Sovalis]

Hi Friends!

 

I was going through my Facebook Memories today and it popped up that 8 years ago today I nailed my 100 lb deadlift for the first time. I remember being really thrilled and proud that I had managed it because it seemed like such a huge number. And it was easily the result I was the most proud of because I had never considered myself an athlete of any kind before. I didn’t know it then but I was on my way to a 250 lb deadlift before I stopped lifting. It blows my mind that I was able to do that. I am glad to be on the road back to that place, even it if is baby steps right now. 

 

We had to take Sax to the vet today for some x-rays and Dave had to lift him on and off the table (Sax is currently 47 kg). I want to be able to do that by myself in case Dave isn’t available. So that is another goal.