I got your hey oh, now listen what I say oh!

[Teneris]

Hey all, I'm Brett, a freshman in high school (15 years old). I'm using the handle Teneris here though, so I'm actually sort of confused on how to refer to myself, now that I think about it..?

Anyways, I gotta digress; I'm a long time fan of Mark Sisson, who I found thanks to StumbleUpon. Thanks to finding the Primal Blueprint in uh... 2010? I've been on and off the primal/paleo gravy train. Before recently, though, there have been a few issues stopping me from succeeding...

1. Temptation - I don't handle groceries and I'm the only Paleo/Primal eater in my family.
   
2. Shin splints - They kill my desire to do any form of exercise, honestly.
   
3. Not enough meat - I didn't have enough protein in my diet, so I couldn't maintain or build muscle.
   
4. Not enough sun - Vitamin D was on the down low since I'm kind of a hardcore gamer.
   
5. I couldn't find a way to exercise that I really loved.
   

These days, I've punched the last 3 of those issues in the face and moved on. I supplement with protein shakes (I'm still getting down the whole "making them delicious" part, though...), I'm walking for an hour a day at least (I spend it running while I don't have shin splints), and I found ways to love all kinds of exercise, really--especially running.

The first issue is currently immovable, until I get some success and can talk my parents into things with good ol' anecdotal evidence. Shin splints, however, are more approachable. As far as I understand, all I have to do is wait for the splints to heal, and then start squatting. That way the bone will toughen up and stop being a little wimp!

Anyways, this is me and a list of my issues.

P.S. I saw a seagull today. They're pretty cool.

[Morrigainz]

Welcome!

Seagulls are the rats of the ocean, I'm just sayin'...

I love how you punched your obstacles in the face. I need to start doing more of that.

Anecdotal evidence: I lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks going primal without changing any other habits. I don't feel bloated, just awesome all the time.

Running is amazing. I don't know if I can say it's my favorite anymore though, because I've kind of fallen in love with my manstress (barbell).

P.S. That is my second-least favorite RHCP song.

P.P.S. Sorry not trying to hate! What brings you to NF? Do you have particular goals?

[AKLulu]

No worries, Brett. We'll probably call you Brett here, but as you post around the forums and join chats, people will probably mostly call you Teneris

Sounds like you're already making some good progress and definitely know the principles of "good eating" even if you have trouble implementing them. It can be really hard to watch your eating if you're not the one handling the food, but maybe you can still turn down things that have refined sugars for the most part? Even one small step means you're that much healthier than you were before.

Good luck with the shin splints! I've known people with them in the past and they sounds like they really suck.

P.S. Gulls are pretty cool. You know what else is cool? Squirrels. I saw one belly-crawling through mulch yesterday - hilarious!

[Teneris]

@MirGSS - Barbells are pretty baller too. I'm conflicted about enjoying bodyweight or barbell work more. In my head it's kind of Willy Waldens vs Henry Rollins, two major badasses that personify their form of workin' out. It's my uhh... fourth? favorite RHCP song, personally. #1 is Can't Stop, #2 is Zephyr Song (it really grows on you after listening to it a lot), and #3 is By The Way. Most of their stuff is either decent or good, though!

I was brought to NF because Steve's posts are nerdballer as hell, and I came to the community because anyone who enjoyed those articles is certainly worthy of being my compatriot . I also don't have much else to do because I'm on downtime due to good ol' shin splints.

@AKLulu Yeah, I do minimize most refined sugars. I make a few exceptions though, like in my tamagoyaki that I have occasionally. They're basically small omelets with soy sauce and sugar, and it turns out delicious. I've been starting to take over handling meals though, for myself at least. Having some of Mark Sisson's Moroccan Chicken recipe from the PB Cookbook on Monday, and some chopped chicken liver on Monday.

Shin splints aren't bad because they hurt, to me; they're bad because they're distracting. It makes it hard to focus on form and breathing (since I don't run enough because of the shin splints...) when I have them, and it's just not worth wasting my time with starting bad habits in my form. Thanks for the well wishes

Squirrels are cool, and speaking of small critters: on my front porch, above the windowsil, there's a dove that nests there. I'll grab pictures of it tomorrow!

[timmoon]

To reduce your shin splints, check to see if you raise or lift your toes during the forward part of your stride when jogging/running (as your leg straightens out and your foot hits the ground). You can also strengthen the tibialis anterior (the muscle that usually hurts during shin splints) by practicing barefoot walking on your heels in your house. I did this to strengthen my calves for snowboarding and it's a trick both snowboarders and skiers use. As always, stretch and maybe add 20 minutes of ice to your shins.

[Teneris]

To reduce your shin splints, check to see if you raise or lift your toes during the forward part of your stride when jogging/running (as your leg straightens out and your foot hits the ground). You can also strengthen the tibialis anterior (the muscle that usually hurts during shin splints) by practicing barefoot walking on your heels in your house. I did this to strengthen my calves for snowboarding and it's a trick both snowboarders and skiers use. As always, stretch and maybe add 20 minutes of ice to your shins.

I understood all of this, but for checking my toes during my stride--should they NOT be lifted, or should they be lifted?