Sit right back and you'll hear my tale...

[thecandidcastaway]

I'm thecandidcastaway/Jen and I need help with my motivation and support network when it comes to healthy habits.

 

Recently, I've found myself in a rut while regaining some mental health stability and dealing with a weird problem: I finished my first epic quest. When I was an unhappy closeted teen gay, I dreamt of going to a great college, getting a fancy degree, making good money. I also wanted to get out of my crappy hometown, have someone to love, be a published author and if I was lucky, be on Jeopardy! because people always said I'd do well on the show.

 

Happily married, published author (with books about Battlestar Galactica and Nip/Tuck, no less), master's degree in English, making good money in a big city that isn't my hometown...

 

...and I was on Jeopardy! in May.

 

Not bad for 36, but now I'm looking at my body and my life and I'm not really happy with where I'm at. I'm out of shape, I'm spinning my wheels at work, and I don't pursue any of my hobbies.

 

I have no strong feelings about what I want to do next. There's lots of stuff I like doing but I spend a lot of time supporting my wife on her epic quest and feeling lost because I don't have one of my own. I do a lot of housework these days because it makes me feel accomplished. I also got crappy news about my cholesterol and blood sugar after my physical and I'm like, This is not the first time, either. I do motivate after bad news, but then I get derailed. My mental health goes to crap or I get injured, et cetera.

 

Right now, my current behavior change is to take on a simple combo cardio-weights routine 3 times a week. The gym in my building has decent dumbbells so I'm starting there and because my joints are a weak spot, I'm doing the elliptical for the next 6-8 weeks as when I tried treadmill intervals, I was like, "nope, not ready for that yet."

 

My problem is that I am totally a bright shiny object chaser AND an Army of One type of woman. I need help staying the course and feeling motivated by what I'm doing rather than what I could be doing that is always SO MUCH BETTER, right? And I must always do it alone because I hate bothering people with health stuff.

 

Not sure about my guild. I'm a natural warrior whose L4-L5 went bad on me back when I lifted heavier. It's better now but I'm leery about tweaking my back as every time I injure myself I gain 10 pounds.  I like but don't love running/interval training but I feel a lot better when I do it. I'd classify myself as a half-orc - I'm tall (5'8.5") and heavy but some of it muscle (242 and a size 18). I am both a super-sweet person and a sharp-tongue person. Half-orc seemed the closest.

 

OK, maybe that's enough of an introduction, but as a long-time reader of NF, I'm excited for the support and hope I can keep on track with habits.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Welcome to the rebellion. You are in good company, many of us are working through issues similar to yours. Cleaning up your diet and starting to work out will be two big steps to take that can help you feel better, then you can start figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life.

 

If you had three wishes for what would you wish? (As someone with an English degree, why is it incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition?)

 

Those answers are your next quests.

[oldnews]

Hello and welcome! I was almost definitely watching Jeopardy! in May, but I don't have much of a memory for it. That's awesome that you made it on the show.

 

I've always been a bit of a Tigger when it comes to trying new things. "Hula hooping is what Tigger's do best!" Four minutes later... "Yuck... Tigger's do NOT like hula hooping." Hopefully you find your groove and find a plan you can stick to.

[thecandidcastaway]

I feel super-pleased with myself. I did not want to do my workout today. I had excuses galore. I did it anyway.

 

Ending a sentence with a preposition is only "wrong" because you can't do it in Latin and when people were trying to create English grammar rules, they used Latin to do it.

 

The wishes thing is hard for me because I wish for a winning lottery ticket and a genie who can magically fix all my bodily flaws and then I wish for genie to be free. I am THAT person. What I wish in terms of things I could do if I knew I could not fail? First, I want to burn off the excess fat. To my mind that's probably about 50-70 pounds of fat. Second, I want to get strong as hell. I want to press 100 lbs overhead at least. Third: I want...I don't know. This is the problem.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Ending a sentence with a preposition is only "wrong" because you can't do it in Latin and when people were trying to create English grammar rules, they used Latin to do it.

 

I knew it! I've been rearranging sentences all my life because some Latin Fan-boys made an arbitrary rule after the grammarian version of a Kirk vs. Picard fight. Grr.

 

Seriously though, good on you for working out when you didn't feel like it. For me, starting the workout is 85% of the battle. Once I'm going I see the workout through, but that start takes a lot of willpower some times.

 

The wishes thing is hard for me because I wish for a winning lottery ticket and a genie who can magically fix all my bodily flaws and then I wish for genie to be free. I am THAT person. What I wish in terms of things I could do if I knew I could not fail? First, I want to burn off the excess fat. To my mind that's probably about 50-70 pounds of fat. Second, I want to get strong as hell. I want to press 100 lbs overhead at least. Third: I want...I don't know. This is the problem.

Ok, winning lottery ticket, fix all your flaws, and free the genie. Those are your actual wishes, the second set is a realistic appraisal of how to get your second wish. By that I mean lose 50-70 lbs of fat, 100 lbs overhead press are your measurable goals for "fix bodily flaws." Strong as hell is the emotion, 100 lbs is the measurable part. So good on you for that.  

 

Now for the first goal, that to my mind means you wish you had more money. You can't control winning the lottery, but you can be more intentional with how you use money. Check out this website and click on the getting started link for ideas on how to start winning with money. Your finances can get in order with intent and effort the same way your body can.

 

Your third wish was to free the Genie. That tells me three things: 1) You watched Aladdin as a kid. 2) You are compassionate. 3) You feel constrained by something in your life. My recommendation is ask yourself "Where do I not feel free?" and see where that leads you.

 

You got this!

[oldnews]

I have an ongoing thing with a co-worker for getting songs stuck in each other's head, usually in the most subtle way possible. (I once bought a Little Mermaid mug and started the day with "Look at this cup, isn't it neat?")

 

Your screen name and thread title is some top-shelf ear worm. Every time I browse the forums and glance at this post, I find myself singing about the professor and Mary Ann hours later.

[thecandidcastaway]

I actually do love a good earworm - my first song I play when I warm-up is Yoko Kanno's "Tank!" AKA the Cowboy Bebop theme song....

 

I've also learned that my wishes are kind of right - I do want a total body transformation and I DO want it to be through strength. I did 3x5 front squats today with 15 lbs in each hand and it was...good. Very good.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]