quieta_movere (original) (raw)
Hey, anybody still reading this group? :)
I've hit the "Can't take it any more" period of writer's block, and it's time to start pushing myself toward better habits so that I can finally finish Serafina's book.
I'm gonna try this challenge until the end of May, and I'll extend it if it works.
The challenge is called Eat Your Vegetables, and it's super simple: no video games or goofing around on the internet until I've written 750 words of fiction in that day. Preferably that fiction will be Sera's story, but if I'm particularly blocked I can get away with microfiction or working on a short story.
If anybody is finding themselves defaulting to a recreational activity rather than accomplishing things, I'd welcome company on this trip.
May 30th, 2011
The Bad News: I haven't been able to successfully restrict my diet lately. The combination of stress/time/money/events has made it difficult to control the amount and kind of food that I consume. This is something I hope to get a grip on this summer, but it hasn't come through yet.
The Good News: I have been doing pushups! I just did the Week 6 self-test, and I managed 45(!!!) pushups. I know I was supposed to do 46, but I was aiming for 45, so I'm going to move on to Week 6 anyway!
May 24th, 2011
I've been watching this community for ages, but I don't think I've posted before now.
I've been losing weight since last June, mostly by watching my eating habits. I'm primarily using sparkpeople.com to track food and a bit of exercise. Its not the best site, but its free and has an app for my phone.
I attempted to start the 100 push up challenge, to discover that just doing 3 pushups, set off rhomboid (*) spasms in my left shoulder; I have some underlying shoulder issues (which in turn cause other problems), so I finally made the appointment with the local sports medicine doctor / shoulder specialist to get a full evaluation and PT. I'm hopeful that it will help and that it means I can get back to being more physically active. :D
I'm also a bit worried that it won't, and I'll go through the whole cycle of thinking rehab and PT are working again, only to be quickly injured....
won't know if I don't try though...
(*) Best muscle name ever - its a muscle that's between your shoulder blade and your spine. Spasms on it are....annoying.
May 5th, 2011
Hey, is anybody still reading this journal?
I hope so. I've seen a weight increase in myself, lately, that has been creeping along with my failure to maintain strength training.
Well, enough is enough. I feel better about myself when I'm fit, and I also have more access to energy and happiness. It's time for me to do something about it.
My first and most critical effort is that I'm going to record what I eat. I'm not going to try to write down calories or WW points or anything like that -- I just want to write down everything that I eat and drink other than water. I believe that being more aware of my food intake will help me pay attention to my diet and improve it, and that simply writing down food is simple enough that I can convince my psyche to do it with a minimum of fuss.
I plan to ramp up this plan so that it's in full swing by Monday.
Would anyone else like to start an effort to improve their physical or mental well-being? We are in this individually, but we're in it together too.
March 21st, 2011
Dearest Moverers,
I have not given up on my health! Exercise lately has been difficult; as exhausted as I've been from several event-heavy weekends in a row, I've just lacked the focus to put energy toward further activity. Of course, I did a lot of walking, and have the shin splints to show for it.
This morning I decided to try Week 4, Column 2 on our new push-up bars. It was challenging but I did pull it off.
I'm also going to try doing some 'negative' pull-ups on each day that I don't do push-ups.
I really like having the upper-body strength that this program has given me and I want to keep it.
February 23rd, 2011
I jammed my wrist pretty bad on Sunday while moving a queen-sized mattress, so I am taking a week off from push-ups. I'm trying to find alternatives; this morning I did a few reps of 3 pull-ups with some negatives (letting myself down slowly) to help it be more exercisey.
It's been tough. I have been feeling fat, which is silly and unhelpful. Money has been bad. Have had some interpersonal issues.
But life keeps going and I must go with it. I might as well be awesome along the way.
Today's BOLSTER MONTH theme is Reflect, by Maor Levi.
February 22nd, 2011
Never forget all the people who helped to get you to where you are now. Those people may be your parents or teachers or friends, but you have them and they have done much for you.
When you fail to understand what an amazing person you are, you are shelving and ignoring all of the gifts they have given you.
Don't chide yourself for that, but do take those gifts down off the shelf. Dust them off and admire them. Maybe you don't really understand what they are to you, even now, but they are yours to keep and you will bring them with you in the future.
February 18th, 2011
So on Monday I tried out Week 5 Column 2 and it was too much for me, so I went back and did Week 4 again. I made it! Will I be able to do week 5 next week? We'll see!
February 16th, 2011
I fell off the wagon a bit due mostly to a very full and emotionally exhausting / distracting week.
Finished week 2 of the 100 push-ups challenge, did an exhaustion test (27), ended up in column 3 for Week 3. Didn't wanna be in column 3 because it looked hard!
Pretty much I've put this off for a solid week now. Today I decided I needed to a few sets when the opportunity arose (after my yoga class) even though there's no signal in the basement where the gym is and I couldn't pull up the set #s on my phone. I just thought, I did 70 last time, I'll aim for 20/20/15/15/20 and call it good for today.
I did 20/20/15/10/fall over. 5 less than last time. So, blowing off your primary workout routine for an entire week? Apparently not a good way to get stronger. Just sayin. 65 is still a lot better than zero, though. And a max of 20 is still better (slightly) than where I started.
I keep losing weight, steadily, as a side effect of the exercise (cw: 136). It's kind of ... weird.
At least, I really hope it's from exercise only and not from emotional distractedness making me forget to eat, but I'm pretty sure I've been eating. (Ponders pulled pork sandwich for lunch.) Yup, definitely eating, my usual 2 meals a day plus 4 cups of coffee. ;-)
I think it's definitely better to keep doing *something* rather than stop altogether just because I couldn't quite keep up. I'm going to give myself kudos for that, and also for remembering to eat meals, and occasionally to do yoga and to meditate and to SMILE.
February 15th, 2011
This is your ordinary day! You do this!