Primal Newbie

[Saoirse]

Hey guys! I am definitely new here, and mostly new to working out in general. Diet-wise, i've got that under control. Most of the time i eat primal with a bit of gluten free treats here and there. and by primal, i mean a decent portion of meat at each meal with the rest of my plate being filled with vegetables (usually steamed greens) and some fruit. I eat other stuff too, like dairy once in a while, clean potato chips, gluten free junk food. I know i eat more than i need to, mostly out of boredom. anyway, enough about food. I've got MDA for that.

But...exercise is another matter. I don't lead a wholly sedentary life, i happen to be the mama to three kids (as well as a college student and small business [part]owner). I run, play, jump, carry and throw them randomly throughout the day (they range in weight from 25lbs to 50). i'm never shy about carrying heavyish things that i think i can lift. I walk or bike once in a while for fun. But i don't have a serious workout plan or goals. Last summer i tried losing a little weight; I was doing bodyweight exercises then. pushups, trying to work up to a pullup negative, squats, that sort of thing. I felt like i wasn't achieving much, but i did drop 10 pounds (which i've gained back since then) and maybe gained a little muscle. I'm back up to 130ish at 5'4". I'm not really sure, because i don't own a functional scale.

Anyway, why am i here? well, for a few reasons. First, i've wanted to do a pullup for a while, and a few nights ago i dreamed that i could. It was a random dream, i hadn't thought about anything of the nature for months, but in that dream i grabbed onto the top of a door frame and easily knocked out ten, then curled my feet up to the ceiling and effortlessly knocked out another 10. I miss the fun i had as a kid, being able to pull myself up, do handstands, that sort of thing. I have a few family members who still can as adults and i'm jealous. and really, there's nothing stopping me but a bit of hard work.

Second, when the next semester of school starts, i'll have free access to the campus gym, and i intend to use it. I find this intimidating. And not just a little intimidating, but sort of social anxiety intimidating. i've managed to get my anxiety under control so that i can function in a lot of situations, but for some reason the gym seems like a different plane of intimidating. anyway, i don't really want to focus on that, because ultimately it makes it worse, but anxiety is a factor here. so, i'm hoping that in a few weeks when the semester begins, working out at the gym will seem less intimidating because i'll know a little bit more about what i plan to do there.

third, yeah vanity is a little bit of a factor. certain parts of my body are just irrevocably screwed, and i have to learn to live with that. yay procreation! but other parts can be improved. this isn't a huge motivating factor for me, but it's more of a benefit.

i struggle with having enough energy throughout the day. there are factors here out of my control: it has been hot for months, and i'm a wuss when it comes to temps above 80F. my toddler still wakes throughout the night, so my sleep isn't that great. my body seems to suck at workout recovery. maybe i push it too hard after not working out? i've tried to address this by making sure i have enough water, magnesium, potassium, and carbohydrates. it makes a little difference, but not much. sugar consumption really doesn't help, so i need to cut that. anyway, so when i workout "to failure" i usually feel it for days.

so, my goals are to be able to lift heavier, be able to do pullups and handstands, and to feel comfortable in the gym.

[baloo]

Welcome to NF Saoirse. Even if your title makes you sound like you're new to primal and I know from MDA you're not.

[shortstuff]

Anyway, why am i here? well, for a few reasons. First, i've wanted to do a pullup for a while, and a few nights ago i dreamed that i could. It was a random dream, i hadn't thought about anything of the nature for months, but in that dream i grabbed onto the top of a door frame and easily knocked out ten, then curled my feet up to the ceiling and effortlessly knocked out another 10. I miss the fun i had as a kid, being able to pull myself up, do handstands, that sort of thing. I have a few family members who still can as adults and i'm jealous. and really, there's nothing stopping me but a bit of hard work.

Welcome, good luck with your pullup goal - I'm sure there are people are there in the NF world that would be happy to help (me included ... not that I would be much help as I am just started working on doing a pullup right at the beginning)

[Saoirse]

thanks for the welcome guys!

baloo- right, newbie here but i've been on MDA for a little under 2 years. I really feel like a newb when it comes to fitness, but i guess i have a little experience.

shortstuff- what are you doing now to work up to a pullup? before my pullup bar broke, I was doing assisted pullups with a chair. I didn't think I was getting anywhere so I stopped. so now i'm wondering: are there other exercises to strengthen those muscle groups so that i'll see faster progress?

[D_chelyst]

Welcome, Saoirse!

I'm working on pull-ups too....I'm up to 4 negatives on the monkey bars in the playground Have you tried these exercises yet? And as for feeling overly sore, maybe you're not getting enough protein/calories to rebuild your muscles after a workout? Just a thought, but I'm no expert on these things...