JWL's log

[gratefuldeb67]

Yeah, no matter how much variety you give the drum samples, they can get really tiring fast....
My friend Premik uses a drum program called "Stylus" which has the ability to "improvise" as it goes... Sort of a virtual drum intelligence....

Here's his joke on that..
How many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb?

None,
They use drum machines these days!

LOL..

Have fun Thor, and watch out that no one else tries to snatch that hammer when loaded on eggnog!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Executive decision: I'm no longer going to count days on these posts. I'm well over 100 days into this, and just don't see the point of it. Also, the frequency of my posts seems to be slowing down. I'm not making any commitments in terms of posting frequency, more like observing what's been going on.

Anyway.

It's been good. No major funny stuff happening lately, though I skipped shovelglove on Friday. We had a gig, and I went to the Halloween party to play it dressed as Thor. Yes, I took my 10 pounder.... heh heh heh. Mjolnir-in-a-pinch had fun....

Today is a No-S day, had a wonderful breakfast and I have a wonderful dinner waiting for me here at work.

I also shovelgloved today to make up for missing Friday; I added 2 more pounds to the ankle weights when I reattached it to the hammer; so now I'm using a 15-pounder. This is in preparation for when I buy a 16 pound sledge, hopefully this coming Friday (payday) I'll get that.

Time will tell, but I was able to finish my normal routine with the 15 pounder. It felt great! No residual soreness, but I only did the routine an hour ago. This is a good start! Slow, careful moves, but it didn't seem to upset me too much. It was obviously more difficult than the 13 pounder, but hard in a good way.

Thus Spake The God Of Thunder.... heh heh heh

[gratefuldeb67]

Thus Spake The God Of Thunder.... heh heh heh

LOL!
That's cute!

Glad you had fun at that party
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Hey, it's another my-pants-fell-down day!

Time for another notch!

w00t!

[carolejo]

Fantastic! I *love* it when that happens!!
C.

[reinhard]

Freakwitch, don't apologize for not continuing to keep such meticulous track. Being confident enough in habit not to have to check in daily/keep precise count of days on habit is a milestone in itself. My personal rule is: report funny stuff more or less immediately, post a "nothing to report" if nothing changes for a week or two. That way I get the benefit of logging, both as gentle pressure not to screw up, and as an example/encouragement to others, without it becoming a burden. Pants falling down incidents, must, of course, continue to be promptly reported

Thor, now why didn't I think of that? I *have* to do that next year...

I liked your mp3, though I have to admit, I'm more of the Schubert type... I'll give it another listen tomorrow at work.

[JWL]

Reinhard, our music is definitely rock and roll, albeit played with acoustic instruments. We definitely follow the "simple is good" maxim in terms of songwriting. We're all about the energy flow of playing and interacting with an audience. But, glad you liked it....

I get a good workout playing music, especially when we're playing with a roomful of grooving people. I think people are most beautiful when they're dancing to our music....

That's just a taste of what we do.... we're still working on the album. Slow but sure.

[JWL]

So today is Day One of my new purification program from Samhain until Yule (Dec 21 for any nonpagans in the house). Below is the essence of it, though there are other parts of it that I won't post here given that they are of a personal or sexual nature.

No S
The normal No-S rules will continue to be applied as they have been, with extra willpower to eliminate as much funny stuff as possible. By-the-book strictness for this time period is a good idea.

Detox
Verboten at all times (even S days) are the following: smoking, alcohol, artificial sweeteners (saccharine, aspartame, Splenda), refined sugar (honey, maple syrup, fructose are OK), meat, or binge eating.

Shovelglove
I will shovelglove with the 15 or 16 pounder, with the 10 pounder for backup if I get sore.

Morning Yoga
Upon awakening, I will write down any remembered dreams or ideas, go to the bathroom, and then do some yoga, the core routine I've been doing, downward dog, upward dog, breath of joy, etc, BEFORE I have my coffee. That's been quite difficult the past few days, I am SO not a morning person.

Morning Meditation
After my yoga routine, I will spend several minutes in meditation, contemplation, consulting various oracles, or just trying to quieten my brain.

Walking/Squats
Each day I will either do squats, take a walk, throw the frisbee, or do some other form of exercise involving the legs.


OK, that's quite a list. I realize that this is very ambitious, and I've thought a lot about sustainability, one of the beautiful aspects of No-S. But I'm comfortable enough in my routine to push the envelope a bit; worst case scenario is that I abandon this routine and go back to my normal No-S that I've been doing for months. Regardless of the outcome, I won't crash and burn.

This is largely a spiritual exercise for me, a marathon test of my willpower. My intention is to emerge stronger, and with more focus, at the end of it, at which point I will resume my normal No-S routine.

[JWL]

No funny stuff yet. Each day I've managed to stick to the routine, the one exception is that yesterday I skipped shovelglove because some lingering soreness from the weight upgrade finally caught up to me. Nothing major, I've certainly had worse since I started shugging, but I'm taking Reinhard's advice and cutting myself some slack there. I'll get back to it today, and since I shugged on Sunday I'll still get 5 days in this week.

[JWL]

OK, I just nixed the weekly juice fast from the list. That, I think, is probably unattainable for me at this juncture. If I was going to do it this week, today would have been the day. And it just didn't happen. I have enough on my plate through this, so I'll drop it.

I may try a fast a time or two, but I'm not going to make it part of the weekly regimen. I suspected this would turn out to be the case, so there it is.

[JWL]

Today was good, I shugged again with the 15 pounder, and while there is still a bit of lingering soreness, it's nothing major. I feel quite good, and strong....

[gratefuldeb67]

Yo James!
So payday today right??? Are you getting your birthday present????
LOL...

I wanted to write you because I just saw an ad about that movie you mentioned "What the bleep do we know?" (I think?)
It's now out in book form...
I think it's just called "Bleep" LOL...

Have a bleepin good day and a great weekend!
Love,
Deb
ps... I have made the promise to myself to do juice fasts or the like numerous times, and it has never happened except when I have a stomach flu!
But it's still worth trying some day, just maybe don't make a big permanent committment to it..
I've heard that simply by doing a few days of Raw Food and extra water, you can reap some very similar detox benefits...

[JWL]

Hi Deb,

Yep, it's in the budget, so I'm heading out to the hardware store this afternoon.... w00t!

I do wish someone sold a 16 pounder with a wood (as opposed to fiberglass) handle, but ah well. If I ever actually use it to smack something, the fiberglass will undoubtedly be stronger and absorb more vibration...

[gratefuldeb67]

Hey! I know of a local hardware store which sells 16 lb hickory handled sledges.... It's in Port Washington here on Long Island...
I don't know how much they would charge to ship it to Maine though..
Think the price was around $32....
Peace,
Deb

[JWL]

Hi Deb, too late, I just got home with my new 16 lb fiberglass sledge... w00t!

Also, I stopped by my doc's office to weigh myself...

335! This means I'm down 6 pounds since the beginning of September, with all the usual caveats of weight fluctuation. I should take my own advice and go weight myself again tomorrow, etc, plus last time I went on an empty stomach and I've already had 2 meals today.

Ah well, I'd hoped I'd have lost more by now, but at least I'm heading in the right direction... LOL.

But, I'm definitely stronger now, and down 2 belt notches since then.... so, I'm feeling good!

[gratefuldeb67]

That is soooooo great James!!!!!
Six pounds is excellent!!!
Woot woot woot!
I have said this to many people and probably sound like a broken record at this point, but since I know you have been doing a fairly regular regimen of Shovelglove, I'll say it again...
Muscle weighs three times as much as fat... If you are weight training, you will gain muscle... So, losing weight is fairly hard to do, but you will lose inches and transform that fat to muscle..
Have patience Grasshopper~
Use your belt notches or a tape measure to give yourself another progress indicator...

Keep up the great work!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

No funny stuff to report, things are going fine. I used the 16 pounder on Fri, and will use it again today. No soreness at all.

I did overindulge quantity-wise a bit on my S days this weekend; nothing too extraordinarily horrid, still far less food than I once ate.

The detox is going well too. Again, no funny stuff.

Oh, wait! A small amount of funny stuff... we have tic tacs in the car, and I popped a couple of those without thinking about it, and of course they have sugar.... ah well. Not gonna worry too much about it.

[Lisa Marie]

TIC TACS?!! What the hell were you THINKING?! I can't believe this. All hope is lost...

:: sigh ::

Lisa Marie, your now-ashamed wife

[JWL]

Well, there were tic tacs, the wild boar I slew with my bare hands, roasted over an open fire fur-and-all, and messily devoured, the 46 gallons of Ben and Jerry's PeaceGlutton I consumed, chased by 4 liters of Jack Daniels and 22 hits from my crack pipe. Other than that, I'm doing great.... no funny stuff at all....

[gratefuldeb67]

PeaceGlutton!!!
Yo James,,,,

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[navin]

I'm not sure, but I don't think there's any No-S restrictions against crack pipes, so at least you're OK in that regard.

[JWL]

Things are still going well, although I've had some stomach issues this week. The past few days (3 days) I skipped shovelglove because my stomach was queasy. Been doing No-S Ok, though, and I haven't indulged in any of the verboten items.

I was back to shovelglove today, with the 16-pounder.

I'm going to a retreat this weekend, and I've promised to do a "shovelglove workshop," so I'll be bringing all of our hammers (4lb, 8lb, 10lb, 16lb) for people to try the shovelglove moves.

Don't be surprised if there is a tiny spike in sledgehammer sales in southern maine next week.... heh.

[JWL]

OK, just wanted to chime in here again. Last week was kinda sketchy in terms of exercise as I wasn't feeling well. I need to step that back up. So this week will be an official crackdown on exercise, with the 16 pound sledge (going VERY well), my morning core exercises, and evening walks or squats. All three phases need more attention in my reality.

Also, I stepped on another scale (a digital scale) this weekend, and it said 330. This is good, though I'm taking the reading with a grain of salt because it's a different scale than I normally use. But with all this uncertainty about accurate weight readings, I think I'm going to invest in a digital scale that has a 350lb capacity, and take daily weight readings for a while. I don't want to obsess over numbers on a machine, but I actually think I'd stress less with daily readings; I could then get more accurate, consistent readings, especially given the amount that weight can fluctuate on a daily/weekly/hourly basis.

Ever onward!

[navin]

I don't want to obsess over numbers on a machine, but I actually think I'd stress less with daily readings; I could then get more accurate, consistent readings, especially given the amount that weight can fluctuate on a daily/weekly/hourly basis.

Plus if you're on the same scale, even if it's a little off it becomes irrelevant - the relative change in weight is what's most important.

Another antedote to obessing over day-to-day numbers is to focus on the trend over time. For a while, I actually plotted my weight on a graph, and it kind of looked like a stock ticker to an extent - there were little fluctuations here and there, but over time there was a trend (a slow, downward line, a very pleasant site to see. )

[Lisa Marie]

FW said: "I don't want to obsess over numbers on a machine, but I actually think I'd stress less with daily readings; I could then get more accurate, consistent readings, especially given the amount that weight can fluctuate on a daily/weekly/hourly basis."

You know what would be SO COOL? You should weigh yourself EVERY HOUR EVERY DAY to see how your weight would fluctuate! And then plot it on graph paper with a different-coloured pencil for each hour and then... >slap<

Wait a minute.

Maybe not. Maybe we should just keep this in perspective.

::laughing my ass off:: I love poking atcha, hunny. It's my favourite pasttime. (Of course, what everyone out in Reader Land doesn't know is that he usually STARTS all these pokes! ; )

Lisa Marie, FW's loving and devoted wife

[carolejo]

Hey Freaky and Lisa-Marie,

How 'bout you also make sure with your HOURLY readings to put a line marking when you ate each meal each day...?! You could collect data on whether or not lentil soup causes a bigger upwards blip than a cheese sandwich does......

Only kidding. I also started thinking about things 'leaving' the body too, but that's just going WAY WAY too far for real

That said, Navin's little downwards trend line is something I also did when I was dieting for the first time ever for Judo. There definately is something very satisfying about that downwards trend that also teaches you that the day-to-day fluctuations are irrelevant.

Seems like too much hassle to me though. Personally I weigh myself most Monday mornings, just after I come out of the bathroom and before I get dressed for the day, unless I just don't feel like it.

C.

[reinhard]

How did the workshop go? As far as I know, it'll have been the first. Worth a top level shovelglove posting, I think (no pressure!).

Congratulations on the 6 pounds (or more). One more thing to consider in your decision about whether to weigh daily or not: you're doing pretty darn well as is! But I don't want to push you either way. There's a lot to be said for taking more frequent, regular readings, if only defuse the awful power of a single isolated reading.

Reinhard

[JWL]

The workshop went well. Everyone involved is a close friend, and they obviously know that I've been doing/babbling about shovelglove for a long time. They seemed to enjoy it, and at least one of them is thinking of getting a sledgehammer. One woman there said that she's also thinking about it, given how my clothes are hanging off my body. Did I mention that I need new clothes, especially jeans?

Reinhard, that is precisely why I want to do daily weigh-ins; to remove the power of happening to weigh myself on a spike day. I feel I'll get a more accurate reading of what I actually weigh on a regular basis. Consistent accuracy is preferable to inconsistent spikes, in my view.

[JWL]

Nothing major to update, things are still going well. I just wanted to report that I extended my shuggage routine tonight, doing the full 21-14-7 routine, even though it took me closer to 20 minutes than 14.

I seem to have adapted to the 16 pounder with no ill effects at all, and I wanted to see how I respond to this.

At the moment (4 hours after the workout) I feel fine; immediately afterwards I was tired in that wonderful pre-sore kind of way. We'll see how I feel tomorrow....

[JWL]

I did another 21-14-7 routine yesterday, which was good.

But there was some funny stuff yesterday for No-S, I got a pack of peanut butter crackers out of the vending machine while I was at work. Plus I probably ate too much for dinner when I got home. I'm still feeling overful now, the next morning.

So today I'll continue with the stepped up Shovelglove, but will crack down on the diet. No funny stuff today.

[JWL]

I'm thinking quite a bit about where I am now. I seem to be following the 80% rule lately. This is a termed coined by my favorite astrologer, who when asked if he believes in astrology, says that he believes in it about 80%:

"I use the same 80-20 approach with every belief system that I love and benefit from: Qabala, science, paganism, transpersonal psychology, postmodern rationalism. I take what's useful from each, but am not so deluded as to think that any single system is the holy grail the quantum physicists call the "Theory of Everything." Total, unskeptical faith is the path of the fanatic and fundamentalist, and I aspire to be a rowdy philosophical anarchist, aflame with a passion for objectivity and committed to the truth that the truth is always mutating."

So yeah. I've been doing No-S/Shovelgove/squatting etc probably about 80% at best. Overall, I'd say things are reasonably good, but far from perfect. I've raised the bar, and I'm doing reasonably well, but I see countless opportunities to do better. But again, how many times have I said that even my worst days now are far better than my best days of sloth and bingeing in my past? It's all a matter of perspective.

The fact is, I've come a long way, yet I still have a long way to go. It's a journey. But opportunities to make better Little Choices abound.

For example. Shovelglove. I've adapted to the 16 pounder, and to doing the 21-14-7 routine regardless of time. This is good. However, I was slammed on Friday and didn't get the routine in, so that was only 4 days last week. Shoulda been 5 days.

Walking/squatting. I did 36 squats (for the first time in weeks) on Thurs. Tha felt very good, and I was pleasantly sore afterwards. I also walked up the hill on Sat and Sun. So in this area I've been OK the past few days, but that's a recent development. I've been neglecting my legs lately, up until the end of last week.

No-S: Here I've been pretty consistent. None of the verboten items have passed these lips since I began my detox program. This is good. But, I got some cheese nips out of the vending machine at work today (don't forget my S days are Fri/Sat), and I ate an apple tonight when I got home (I haven't had fruit in days). Not good. I've been eating too much cheese, and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables lately.

Core exercises/yoga: I've actually done fairly well at doing these exercises each morning, but I only do them for 5-10 minutes. I'd like to step it up to at least 15 minutes a day.

So you see, I'm doing OK, but lots of room for improvement. I think I'm moving in the right direction (ie, still losing weight, or at the very least sustaining my weight), but I need new focus and new consistency.

I think there is a correlation between this, and the fact that I haven't been posting here as regularly. While I wouldn't characterize things as a crash and burn, I think it is still very valuable for me to post daily. So, I'm thinking of returning to that, posting daily updates again on how I'm doing, what I've eaten each day, and what exercises I've been doing.

In addition to that, I still want to get a new scale. I think I want to try daily posts, along with a daily weigh-in for a while, because I'm very curious about how much my weigh fluctuates on a daily basis. I've never in my life done a daily weigh-in, and I want to try just to generate some numbers to look for patterns. So more detailed record-keeping is in order.

I think a trip to the store for a scale is in order tomorrow....

I want to feel like I put all the pieces together, and see how long I can sustain it. I remember a while back, I set a goal for myself of making it through a week with no funny stuff. And I made it! That's what I want to get back to. I've raised the bar, esp with the detox, but it's all good. There's no reason why I cannot do this. I've dropped a lot of weight. I'm stronger than I've ever been. I feel good about where I'm going.

Ever onward!

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi Freakwitch!
Wow you are sure thinking this through!
You have made fantastic improvements this year for yourself!!!!
If you don't really trust the scale at home, which is understandable, can't you just pop in to your doctors once a month and borrow his? Or do you have a gym nearby you can weigh in at?
I am going to discourage you from daily weigh ins... Of course you should do what you want to do...
But the real main reason I'd say it's not a helpful thing to do, especially, is because you are doing moderate weight training...
This really throws off the numbers and if you are gaining muscle, which no doubt, with a sixteen pound sledge, you are, those numbers might not budge for a while... But you will lose fat..
Why not measure your arms and waist every week instead?
When I was SG'ing regularly, I went from 16.5 inch arms in January, which were basically grandmas flabby bags, to 14.75 by the beginning of April... My waist went from 38.5 to 36.5 in that same time frame...
I wasn't weighing myself back then.. Don't know what that would have been like.. But it just was enough to show I was making progress...

Of course, the other annoying thing about the scale, is it can lead to an unhealthy obsession with numbers...
I think if you want to analyze your day to day behavior, on a check in, that would be way more helpful, and enjoyable...
If you know you did your best, no scale can diminish your joy and self esteem for making the effort!

Have a great day and keep up all the great work!!!
36 Squats!???? Wow, you will have quads of steel!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

I got my new scale, and I hope to use it to record my regular progress. This is not to obsess over my weight, but rather to just give me immediate, regular feedback on one aspect of how I'm doing. I've written before that I need to avoid psychological plateaus, I often get to the point of discernible progress and think "OK, I'm done." Not this time. This exercise is a tool to help me avoid such pitfalls. I've made quite a bit of progress this year, but I still have a long way to go. "After is when you're dead."

I also see the value in reporting my progress on a daily basis, a practice I've sort of moved away from lately. I think that's a valuable tool for me and I need to resume that process. When I stopped daily check-ins, I wasn't as focused on the plan, I didn't have that Jedi Mind Trick of saying to myself "I'll make this good 'little choice' so I can report well on the check-in." Without the daily check-ins, I let more slide. I don't want to appear as if I'm beating myself up here, quite the contrary. In the past, I'd have crashed and burned and completely resumed my old habits of sloth and gluttony. That didn't happen, indeed my weight loss seems to have continued. This is a good sign for the future, but for now I need to continue my daily check-ins to maximize my habit-building (and rate of weight loss) moving into the future.

Each day that I record my morning weigh-in, I'll report how the previous day went. I've also resumed numbering the days, with a W before each day to differentiate it from my previous day numbering.

So with that, let us launch the W-series.

DAY W1

Morning weigh-in: 331.3

Exercise yesterday was a bit light. I did an abbreviated shovelglove routine and my core/yoga routine. I didn't want to overdo it yesterday as we had a small gig last night. I also didn't get home until late so I skipped squats. I did get a very small amount of walking done (with my guitar on my back and my gig bag over my shoulder), but it was so short it almost doesn't count.

No-S was OK. For lunch I had a small bowl of split pea soup, and half a chik-patty (vegetarian "chicken" patty). It was a light lunch so I also virtual plated 3 small squares of leftover pesto pizza from the night before. Dinner was takeout Tofu Pad Thai, 2 stars (I've decided to allow the thai fish sauce used in the prep of Pad Thai, many people don't consider fish to be meat, which is sort of counterintuitive to me, but so it goes. One must draw the line somewhere.... life feeds on life).

Ever onward!

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 330.0

Exercise: I did a standard 14-minute shovelglove routine, as well as the core/yoga routine. I did not do anything squattish.

No-S: morning was a bagel with some falafel and a sauce my wife made. It was yummy, but kind of light for me. Usually I would have 2 bagels. Dinner was leftover beans and rice with some squash/onions that my wife made.

Funny stuff: wheat crackers with cheese out of the vending machine at work. I had a light lunch and needed something to tide me over until I had dinner, which was after I got out of work at 10:30. No squats.

Today is Thanksgiving day, obviously an S day. Speaking of which, I have to go check on the roasted seitan in the oven (making it for the half-dozen vegetarians we'll have at our gathering today....myself included!)

[JWL]

Oh. My. Goodness.

Well, I overindulged in that time-honored thanksgiving tradition, and absolutely gorged myself.

It amazes me that I still ate far less than I once did, and at the moment I'm so uncomfortably full.... this feeling is utterly unpleasant. Bleah. I can't believe this once seemed normal to me.

Thank you, once again, Reinhard. Your elegantly simple eating algorithm has transformed my relationship with food into something far healthier than it was.

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 329.8

Yesterday was an S day of course, and I utterly gorged myself and did no exercise whatsoever.

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 329.1

Yesterday was good. I did a shovelglove routine, trudging outside in the snow (!) to find a spot where I could see both Mars and Venus, both of which are glowing really brightly (though Mars is glowing less brightly than it was earlier in the year). I'd turn to face Venus, do a move, then switch to the other hand and face Mars. No particular reason for it, it was just fun. All's Shovelglove in Love And War. Or something.

Lunch was scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, and biscuits; Dinner was thanksgiving leftovers. I also had another biscuit and some cheese last night (Fridays are my S-days).

Today I work, and it's another S-Day.

[gratefuldeb67]

I'd turn to face Venus, do a move, then switch to the other hand and face Mars. No particular reason for it, it was just fun. All's Shovelglove in Love And War. Or something.

Very cute and clever! LOL...

With all that snow, however, it seems pretty funny to not just shovel it with a snow shovel! LOL..

How's your grand 16 lbder treating the mighty James?

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

the 16 pounder is going very well. I've fully adapted to it, I don't get sore at all anymore, but I feel very challenged when I do it. I can definitely feel myself getting stronger from it. It's quite cool! I imagine this will last a while before I put on the ankle weight or upgrade to the 20-pounder.

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 330.5. This is the first (inevitable) day that this number has increased rather than decreased. I've promised myself that I won't get too emotionally attached to these numbers, good or bad, elation or depression. I know there is quite a bit of fluctuation on a daily weigh-in, and that the point is to generate a lot of data to track how I'm doing. It's been no problem, and while I definitely prefer these numbers shrinking to expanding, it's not really bothering me.

That said, yesterday was quite the S-day. We were slammed at work, so they bought pizza for everyone so we could keep working. I overindulged, to say the least; I was once again reminded that my old normal overindulging just feels grotesque to me now. I also had some homemade lentil soup and breadsticks late last night when I got home; I didn't need to eat that at all, but boy was it yummy. I also had wheat crackers with cheddar out of the vending machine. So yeah, I definitely ate a lot yesterday, and didn't exercise. Lunch was 2 bagels with a bean/cheese mixture, kind of an unusual lunch but it was yummy.

So yes, I definitely ate too much food yesterday. Time to reset the system today, which for me is a No-S day. Back to my routine. And I'm looking forward to exercising tomorrow.

Ever onward...

[Kevin]

For what it's worth, FW, I had stopped exercising for a week or so when I hurt something or another a couple of months back. My weight d-r-o-p-p-e-d until I started resistance training again (it went from 178 to as low as 172...

When I started resistance training again, my weight jumped a couple of pounds in one day. I'm betting I could lose three pounds in two days by stopping resistance exercise.

I guess what I'm saying is this is counterintuitive: you'd think you'd weigh less when you exercise, but it isn't that way, at least for me. I always weight more on days that I do resistance exercise than on days that I don't.

So, when you SG in earnest, you might find your weight goes up.

[JWL]

That's interesting, Kevin. I haven't generated nearly enough data points just yet to be able to notice trends. I think I still have more than enough fat on my body, though, to counteract any muscle mass building. Who knows. Once I have a few weeks of data generated I'll be able to take a closer look at exactly what is happening.

[Kevin]

FW, the amount of weight I gain doing resistance exercise can't be muscle building, it must be additional fluid in the muscles or something. I don't think you can put on three pounds of muscle in three or four days... Well, maybe Mark Maguire or Barry Bonds could... :0)

[gratefuldeb67]

You guys should see what it's like to live through a period...
Talk about wacking out the numbers and your body with fluid!
That can cause up to three or four pounds difference some months..
It can screw you up!~
LOL...

Freakwitch.. Why not go to the weighing every two weeks or so, but for three consectutive days?
Justh a thought...
Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Hi Deb, yep, I've oftened wondered what that monthly cycle thing must feel like.... kinda glad I don't have to go through that.... bleah.

I want to stick with the daily weigh-ins, because I want to establish a detailed amount of data on how I do. I want to try to establish the relationship between my diet and exercise, and my weight, on a daily basis.

[Lane]

Didja know that Tanita makes a scale that measures, not only weight and percentage body fat, but percentage water content as well? I have one and I was monitoring all that for a while on an excel spreadsheet, just like you said, FW, to get a feel for trends and all.

After a while, though I noticed that it was LESS accurate in the mornings, when I tend to have lower percentage of water weight. So to get a more accurate body fat percentage reading, I would step on it in the evening. The body fat % and water % were more accurate, but as you can imagine, my actual weight was a couple of pounds heavier than in the mornings.

Anyway, thought you might be interested...
http://www.tanita.com/BodyFat_BodyWater.shtml

You can also find them at Target, at least that's where I saw one last week here in Boise.

TTFN!

[JWL]

Morning weigh in: 328.6

So yeah, my weight loss has continued. That's a good thing. Yesterday was a No-S day, and I managed to stick to it with no funny stuff. This would seem to support the idea that when I don't pig out on food, my weight will likely be lower the next day. Go figure.

I worked my customary weekend 12-hour shift, so I sat on my ass in front of a computer screen on the phones all day and did no exercise whatsoever. Bleah. I hate sitting so long that when I actually get up, my body is sore.

But No-S wise, it was a success. I took 2 meals worth of food with me in a bag, and munched on it all day. No funny stuff. When I got home, I was sorely tempted to eat some more, but managed to resist.

Today I get back to exercise, I can't wait. Also, I'm going to make a large pot of chili, so dinner will be quite yummy.

Ever onward!

[Kevin]

I have found it true that if I miss more than a day of exercise, my body hurts more. This is truer as I get older. Unfortunately, the contrapositive (?) is also true, if I exercise more by body hurts more too. :0)

[JWL]

I'll do my weigh in tomorrow, but I just wanted to give myself props here for going out to a sportsbar to watch Monday Night Football, and not ordering any food (I have a thing for onion rings) or drinking any alcohol (mmm, Guiness....). I was a good purifying No-Ser and sipped water all night long!

Yay me, for engaging the enemy in a hostile environment and not giving in! As a friend of mine says, "I can resist anything, except temptation...."

[Lane]

Great job kicking it's butt FW -- but ya made me hungry reading your post! Now I get to go to bed dreaming of onion rings & beer!

[gratefuldeb67]

Wow Mighty James!!!!!
You are master of your domain!!!!
LOL

That's some Will you have...

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Morning weigh in: 328.0
So far, only one day have I gone up in weight, the other 6 I have been steadily losing, an average of 1/2 pound per day (.47 lbs/day). I wonder how long this will keep up?

Yesterday was a good day. I did a full shovelglove, my core routine, and 25 squats. I keep saying it, but I still need to be more vigilant with the squats. So all in all, a good day exercising.

No-S: morning was leftover pizza, evening meal was my delicious homemade chili, along with some leftover carbs (mashed potatoes, dressing, etc still from thanksgiving). And as I wrote above, I did a good job avoiding temptation....

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 326.9
I think there's something to this whole eat-less-and-you-will-lose-weight thing. Heh.

Yesterday was a mixed bag. I didn't exercise at all. I was busy and spent a long time cooking and homeschooling at the time I normally exercise, and then the next thing I knew it was late. Ah well.

No-S was a great success, however. Morning meal was leftover chili, dinner was roasted seitan, mashed potatoes, gravy, and sauteed spinach and onions in butter. Yum. There are now a ton of leftovers in my refrigerator, all of which are very yummy (lentil soup, chili, seitan, mashed potatoes). And of course I felt these leftovers calling me all night last night, but I managed to resist their siren calls.

I think having the daily weigh-ins is a very, very useful motivational tool when it comes to making good little choices: I don't want to mess things up for my weigh-in the next morning.

I'm also finding that the weigh-ins are not as randomly fluctuating as I expected. By weighing myself at the same time every day and under the same conditions (after waking up and going to the bathroom, before eating, no clothes on) I seem to be controlling randomness. The one day last week when my weight went up, I utterly pigged out on pizza before. So that's encouraging, it does seem to be something of an accurate progress-o-meter, at least thus far.

So today, it's a wonderful day with my daughter (my wife will be out of town for work), back to exercise!

Ever onward!

[gratefuldeb67]

I think there's something to this whole eat-less-and-you-will-lose-weight thing. Heh.

Yeah Cool!!!!! LOL..

There are now a ton of leftovers in my refrigerator, all of which are very yummy (lentil soup, chili, seitan, mashed potatoes). And of course I felt these leftovers calling me all night last night, but I managed to resist their siren calls.

Rock on JWL!!!! You are our hero!!!
PS. I want some leftover chili.... NOW!!!!! LOL...
PPS.. Good job waiting for breakfast and not heeding the siren call of the leftovers till it was mealtime! No crashing onto the leftover rocks of the evil S sirens for YOU! LOL..

Hey! Actually, that's a good idea... why not make some sort of "refrigerator siren" which goes off like a car alarm waking up all the neighbors when you open up the fridge after 12 midnight! LOL.. It would be so annoying that you would have to break the habit, or move to a new neighborhood to avoid the angry neighbors who you wake up with the siren/alarm... LOL... Whaddaythink??? LOL...

I'm going to be eating a good breakfast from now on and it will probably be leftovers from now on...

For one, it's easy... Just nuke it and eat..
Two it's filling and more satisfying than a piece of bread and coffee (my usual weak breakfast of non champions...)
Three, it's a good way to resist through the night because you can keep telling yourself "only four more hours and I can have this for breakfast"..
I think you may, just have helped me here James, with a crucial coping mechanism and way of outsmarting my night time eating...

Thanks for your great example, and congrats on your four pounds down!!!
You have bounced back from Thanksgiving Slothglutfest in a big way!
Have a great day!
Keep up the positive energy!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Weigh in: 326.3

I took yesterday as an S day. That's stretching it, but I took my wife to the airport in the morning and had a wonderful day with my daughter. We went to a local movie theater/restaurant to see Harry Potter 4, and I ordered a yummy spinach salad with onion rings. I also had some leftovers yesterday, seitan/mashed potatoes and chili. So yeah, I ate a lot yesterday.

I also didn't exercise.... AGAIN. That's not good. But oh well. I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. I had a great day with my daughter.

Ever onward!

[gratefuldeb67]

Hey James! Don't beat yourself up about the exercise.. It's not productive thinking...
Really, even though Reinhard encourages us all to get some in every day, and it would be good to do something every day, sometimes you just get into something else... Most people average three to four workouts a week... That's kind of an exercise convention "norm" I think...
The main thing is not to let yourself go into complete Slothdom and have the days turn into weeks...
Whatcha think of Harry Potter 4?
I was pretty dissappointed at some parts..
Oh well! LOL...
Glad you had fun with your little cutie, I did the same with Richie !
Peace and Love,
Deb

[navin]

Don't beat yourself up about the exercise.. It's not productive thinking...

Hmm, or maybe you *should* beat yourself up. Beating yourself up is exercise, isn't it?

[gratefuldeb67]

Ha ha Nathan, you devil you!!!
I was just wondering when I'd see some of your special brand of sarcastic humor, just about 10 minutes ago! LOL...

Hope alls well!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Hi Deb,

I think HP4 is easily the best of the 4 films. But then I seem to have an uncanny ability to separate book from film. I don't expect a film to convey exactly what's in the book, ever. They are 2 totally different mediums in which to tell a story. So most of the criticisms I've heard of the film is that it deviated from the book. That doesn't really bug me.

Overall, I didn't care much for the 1st and 2nd movies. The first was OK, the 2nd was pretty dreadful I thought. I just don't like Chris Columbus' style. I thought the 3rd movie (directed by Cuaron) was light years ahead of the first two, and the 4th one is even better than the 3rd one in my view.

My biggest complaint has less to do with the film itself, and more to do with the Hollywood myth that audiences won't sit through a 4 hour film. For me, that's bollocks, and I'd love to see 4 hour films (LOTR extended DVD, for example). HP4 would have been much better at 4 hours than at the 2.5 it is, and they could have included much more from the book.

I thought Moody was very well done, perfectly casted. Michael Gambon as Dumbledore is growing on me. Snape was underused. The kids, pretty much all of them, are growing nicely into their roles and becoming more skillful actors.

Overall I enjoyed it, though it could have been better.

[carolejo]

I know what you mean about separating the book from the film. That never bugs me either, although it seems to drive most people crazy. I keep telling people "but it's better that they're different! Do you really want exactly the same story told twice..?" Similarly, I always wondered how people could say that the book or the film was 'better' of the two. They're completely different things. It's like saying I prefer eating cheese to going rollerblading! Wha..? It makes no sense to me at all.

I've not seen HP4 yet. I plan to go sometime in the next week or so though. We were going to see it last Saturday, but it had just opened over here in Holland (there are 2 versions - Dubbed into Dutch for the benefit of small children, and Original English soundtrack with Dutch subtitles for everyone else) and the queue was INSANE so we had a bit of a rethink.

C.

[JWL]

Morning weigh-in: 325.6. Steady as she goes. 5 1/2 pounds in 10 days. These numbers are having a nice effect on my mind, they are incredibly encouraging. Of course I'm happy emotionally about them (though I'm trying to limit my emotional investment in the scale either way), but more importantly, they are tangible, empirical evidence that this plan just plain works. I don't think this is water weight, since I'm not really altering my routine at all. I'm doing the same thing (more or less) that I've been doing for months, it's only that now I'm measuring my daily progress.

Did a full exercise routine yesterday, core exercises to warmup, 13 squats (my legs were feeling a bit tender so I stopped there), and a full 14 minutes shugging with the 16 pounder.

No-S was good: leftover chili for lunch; a bean, seitan, cheese, guac, tomato, lettuce, onion, sour cream, and fresh cilantro wrap (with some extra filling and chips on the side) for dinner. I actually virtual plated the chips and extra filling; I had to explain virtual plating to my friends (we were having dinner there, they all know No-S well and are very supportive), though admittedly I was pushing the virtual plating envelope a bit with a healthy pile of filling and chips. But we had rehearsal after dinner, and I know that I'll use those calories. Given that I allow myself 2 platefuls of food per No-S day, I make sure I get my money's worth on those 2 meals.

[JWL]

I also just realized that I'm down 20 pounds since August 26th (while budgeting for the fact that these numbers come from 2 different scales).

But either way. Cool. Yay me.

[Lane]

Congrats!!! Yay you is right. Great job.

[JWL]

Weigh-in: 326.5

Yesterday was an S day, which I celebrated by having 3 meals instead of 2. I had 2 meals of a yummy pasta I made with porcini mushrooms, and my first meal of the day was an egg and cheese wrap with some leftover chili. I actually couldn't finish that first meal and left quite a bit of chili in my bowl, which almost never happens to me.

However, I didn't execise again. It's been a very busy week, my wife just returned from a business trip, so I've been single-parenting this week, something I'm very much not used to. I've always had a huge amount of admiration/awe/respect for single parents, weeks like this definitely reinforce that. Next week I need to buckle down more with the exercise.

I did take a decent walk yesterday, and tried to do it briskly. We had a photo shoot for my band and walked all over town looking for places to take shots.

I'll also walk home from work tonight.

I'm missing my exercise, and I'm starting to feel a bit lethargic physically. I don't like this feeling and want to step things back up again.

[JWL]

Weigh in: 328.0. This was the first day that broke the pattern; I did pretty well yesterday, it was an S day but it went as a No-S day, yet I still am heavier. Hmm. Wonder what's up.

I didn't exercise, yesterday I had leftover pasta for meal #1 and Indian food (saag paneer and vegetable biryani) for dinner.

Next week I need to buckle down on exercise. Again. Sigh....

[gratefuldeb67]

Yo James... Indian food is super loaded with sodium...
Probably caused some water weight...
Don't sweat every day's fluctuations, and no need to "sigh"...
You are doing great.. Please, keep your eyes on the forest!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[Lane]

Water weight is the arch nemisis of a dieters!!! If you think of it, we'd have to eat 3500 calories OVER the 2000 or so our bodies burn each day to gain a pound. (Which just shows how we've all over-indulged in the past.) But now that we're living NoS, we'd really have to break all three rules to gain even one pound. So don't get yourself down, in a couple of days the salt will move on through and you'll see the results one happy morning!

Lane

[JWL]

Weigh in: 328.4

OK, time to buckle down again. Yesterday was OK from a No-S standpoint. Not great, but OK.

Today is a full S day, and I WILL exercise, including taking a walk downtown with my daughter to the library.

[JWL]

We took some band photos last week, you can see my favorite one on our band's site: http://www.freakwitch.net. That's me on the left.

[gratefuldeb67]

You be the real handsome one eh???

Cool pic man!
You really look phenomenal!!!
Definitely look like you've gone down around 50 or more pounds!
What a transformation!!!!

ROCK ON WITCH'YA BAD SELF!!!!!!

ps.. Oh what type of guitar is that???
An acoustic cutaway eh? LOL..
My Martin is sadly sitting in a case waiting for me to get enough money to get a new bridge put on!

You look like a new man I tell you!!!!
I am happy for you James!
You are doing sooooo great

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Thanks Deb! As always you are so encouraging....

The guitar is a Wechter Pathmaker 3120. It's a very unique design, it sounds OK acoustically, but sounds phenomenal when you plug it in. I'm very happy with it.

[gratefuldeb67]

I'm just really happy this is working for you James!
You are putting in the effort!!!!
And you look terrif!!!

I'll check out the site for the guitar later...
Gotta run and get my boy soon...

Peace and Love,
Deb

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi James
I'm going to start a three to five day cleanse soon involving some homemade lemonade with cayenne pepper and maple syrup...
Supposed to use good organic maple syrup..
I figured you'd have a good idea as to what brand to use?
Any favorites?
LOL..

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

heh, well the maple syrup I use is just the local Hannaford (major grock-ry store chain in NE) brand. I don't really use organic maple syrup, the "regular stuff" is expensive enough....

Plus I live in Maine, they make it here. Maybe try a local farmers market in the area? In general I'm a big believer in getting things locally, not sure if they make maple syrup in Luong Geyeland....

[gratefuldeb67]

As far as I know, Great Neck doesn't have any Maple syrup farms.. LOL..
But there's about 20 nail salons and hair salons in town...
I'll see what Whole Foods has to sell

Peace and Organic Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Weigh in: 324.2
I feel like I'm back on track. Or at the very least, all the sodium and water-retention has worked it's way out of my system. Heh.

No-S was perfect yesterday: chili cheese fries for lunch (1 plate of leftover Silly's fries with the last of my homemade chili over it, with grated smoked mozzarella/provolone) sprinkled on top. Dinner was a carryout eggplant parmesan italian, with an apple.

I also did a full exercise routine. First I took a long walk with my daughter to the library and videostore and back, down the hill, into town, and back up the hill with a backpack full of books. Including time spent looking for books and sipping hot drinks in the coffeeshop, we were gone for about 3 hours. It was great to get out and walk again!

When I got home I did a full shovelglove routine. I planned to do a full 21-14-7 routine, regardless of time, but when I got to the end of the 21 I realized 15 minutes were up already, so I just did a 21-7 routine. Probably about 20 minutes, but it was a nice workout.

I also did my customary core/yoga stuff as well.

All in all, a great day, a good start to my week. I want to sustain that for the remainder of the week! I definitely need a good week (or two) before the holiday madness hits!

And, only 15 more days of my purification ritual, which has been going really well (at least in terms of the verboten items, I haven't indulged in any of them one single time).

Ever onward....

[gratefuldeb67]

I am soooo going to have to avoid reading your checkin while I'm on the master cleanse thing... It is just too hunger provoking!!!!!

Chili cheese fries with homemade chili

(They don't have a drool emoticon so the tongue one has to suffice!)

See you later slim!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Weigh in: 325.0

Not a bad day yesterday. Dinner was Domino's Pizza, which is full o' sodium and I probably had too big a plate, which accounts for my weigh in today.

Exercise was good, did my core/yoga stuff and my shuggage. Didn't do squats or walking.

Ever onward!

[JWL]

Weigh in: 324.3

Yesterday wasn't great. Didn't exercise, didn't have time before I went into work and when I got home it was too late.

No-S, for lunch I had leftover Domino's pizza, dinner was General Tso's tofu delivered from the chinese place with an apple. When I got home I had the munchies big time and allowed myself a few small pickles.

So, back to it today....

[reinhard]

Freakwitch,

You're doing pretty great with your 80%. Trending downwards through thanksgivings is pretty amazing, even more so given the sanity and moderaton of what you're doing. You seem to be handling the numbers well, even upticks.

What kind of scale did you buy? I've been complaining about my scale to everyone I know, but I've heard "tanita" is actually pretty acurate.

Reinhard

[gratefuldeb67]

Hey JWL...
You are down two pounds since last week!!!
That is totally rockin!!!!!!!

Hey, I made a smoothie this morning that was to die for...
Richie and I shared it..

Unsweetened soymilk, one pack of hot chocolate mix, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and three teaspoons of maple syrup! LOL....
Add four ice cubes and frappe away...
Yummmmmmm.....

I am going to make some chili cheese fries some time soon...
I'd think I'll make the fries from scratch in the oven, like steak fries, with some olive oil...
Can you please post your recipe for Freakwitch Chili sometime?
I bet it's very good! I have a lot of cayenne pepper from the lemonade concoction recipe, just sitting around now, and I want to make something spicy!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Freakwitch Vegetarian Chili

1lb bag of dried "soup mix" beans (like, 16 different beans in one bag)
2lb bag of dried kidney beans

Combine these, sort them (make sure there are no small stones, etc), rinse them, and then let them soak overnight in plenty of water.

The next morning, drain them, rinse them well, put them in a large stock pot with a fair amount of bouillon (ie, 6 cubes or more, depending on how potent it is) and 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder and a bay leaf, bring them to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2-3 hours, until beans are soft.

While the beans are simmering, get another big pot (I use my large, deep 14" cast iron skillet) and chop the following ingredients, sauteeing them over medium-high heat in olive oil:

3 large onions, pref different kinds (white, yellow, red)
3 bell peppers, pref different colors
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 medium carrots, finely cubed
1/2 cup of corn kernels, frozen corn is OK
optional: firm tofu cubes or chunks
optional: pretty much any other kind of veggie you want to use

While sauteeing, I add at least 1/4 cup of chili powder and 1/8 cup of cumin and stir it well. You could also add your cayenne at this stage, but I usually avoid it so kids will eat the chili; you can always add hot sauce at the table.

Once the onions are brown on the edges, I add the following:

2 - 28oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 - 16oz bottle of a good, dark ale (I like Long Trail Double Bag)

At this stage, I also add 3 cups of dried TVP chunks, and let the liquid (tomato juice and ale) reconsitute them. Depending on my mood I may also sprinkle some tamari over them before I stir them in.

Anyway, I let the veggie/TVP mixture cook down until most of the moisture is gone, timing it so that this happens about the same time as the beans are done.

Once the beans are done, I drain them, and pour the contents of the cast iron skillet into the stockpot with the beans and mix well. I will also add either V8 or crushed tomatoes, to get the consistency I want. I like my chili very thick, and not very liquidy. A large serving spoon should stand up on its own when placed face down in the stock pot.

Serve hot with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, optional hot sauce, and preferably some tasty homemade bread to go with it.

This makes a huge stockpot full of chili, luckily it freezes well.

Anyway, that's it. I don't really follow a specific recipe, and I don't usually measure stuff. But that's what I do.... and it turns out very well. I tweaked and modified this recipe over years and years, and finally got it right literally earlier this year. I've made it this way a few times now and it works quite well. Best chili I've ever made by far.

It's funny, a good friend of mine and I pretty much combined our chili recipes to produce this one, now we both pretty much follow this recipe, having met in the middle. But then we pass recipes back and forth all the time, and are constantly improving on each other's ideas. Too funny.

[gratefuldeb67]

Oh boy this looks so great James!
I am making it for sure next week...
The link to the TVP didn't work for me somehow.. What does that stand for?

I like the addition of the ale too.. I bet it gives the chili a nice kick!

When I try it I'll let you know how it turns out...

Thanks!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

TVP is Texturized Vegetable Protein (try that link instead), same as TSP (Texturized Soy Protein). It's a "meat substitute"... the chunks I use are about the size of, say, stew beef (as opposed to smaller, like ground beef). In fact, you could easily substitute a pound (or more) of stew beef in place of the TVP chunks in the above recipe.

BTW, I forgot to weigh myself this morning until after I'd had breakfast, so I'm skipping the weight thing for today.

Also, there are more band photos on our myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/freakwitch, but I think you have to join myspace to see them.

[JWL]

Weigh in: 329.0. I seem to be rollercoasting a bit, on a very small scale. I suppose that is to be expected. But I imagine this is just another spike and it will probably settle in again in the next day or two. Regardless, some strictness is in order.

It was an OK weekend. I probably overindulged on my S days quantity-wise. Worked. I skipped exercise on Friday because during the time I had allotted to it, a friend of mine locked his keys in his car during/after a snowstorm and I had to go get him to get his spare set.

Yesterday was good, I had some pasta with sauce and cheese for lunch, and subway for dinner with a couple of sourdough pretzels.

I'm noticing a correlation between eating pizza and pasta, and weight spikes. heh. Lots of carbs. Also, I'm used to utterly stuffing myself on these two dishes, and though I've dramatically reduced the amount of these that I eat (as I have all across the board), I should still probably reduce the amount of these that I eat.

Ever onward....

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi James
You may also be very salt sensitive... But it's just a guess here...
Pizza, most bottled spaghetti sauces, and certainly, cheese are all pretty high in salt... Not to mention those pretzles...

My guess is that it's not necessarily the carbs here but the salty stuff, as with your Indian food spike last week....

I don't know about how many slices of pizza you had, but if you are stuffing yourself then that is probably not the most healthy behavior... Oh well.. (you know this anyway... heh heh...)

Darn pizza! Why must you be soooo delicious! There's always room for an extra slice! Rah!!!
I think I'll try out making the chili this Friday
Keep positive!!!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[Kevin]

Pizza is a very calorically intense food. It's high in everything, but very high in fat. Pasta, when loaded with sauce and cheese is also pretty caloric.

Is it the carbs or the calories? Who knows. I mean, a slice of pizza probably has as many calories as you need in a day. Too bad it tastes so darn good, and is so easy to eat!

[JWL]

Good observation, I hadn't thought of salt/water retention.

Though I do make my pizza and pasta from scratch, for the most part, I do sometimes eat carryout pizza, like say at work when it's busy and they buy it for is. So when it's my own stuff the salt is under control, I don't add a ton of salt to it.

We'll see. If it's water retention, my weight will likely go down tomorrow.

[gratefuldeb67]

Try out drinking several glasses of water with lemon....
Whatever happens,,, don't lose sight of the forest okay! LOL....

Love,
Deb

Oh damn.. Now I want some pizza~

[JWL]

Hi Deb,

Don't worry, I'm well aware of the forest.... heh

Another notch in my belt today! w00t!

[JWL]

Weigh in: 325.4. I think there may be something to this water retention thing.

Yesterday was good. I made egg/bagel sandwiches for lunch for my daughter and I. I had to work yesterday, so my wife made dinner. I came home to find ... pasta! LOL, after all my ranting yesterday about pasta/pizza.... heh. No funny stuff, though. It was quite tasty, and not at all salty.

I did a full shuggage, my core stuff, and 15 squats. I want to ease back into the squats as they hurt if I'm not careful. But I definitely feel better when I do them every day.

[gratefuldeb67]

Yo James... I thought as much!
LOL...

This kind of *totally* annoying water retention "thing" is what we gals normally go through on a monthly basis, but the water sticks around for about a week, which totally sucks big time! LOL..

Enjoy your lovely family!

Oh, ps.. I tried to join "My Space" last night but had some bs problem with my password not being accepted..
I tried three times and then abandoned all hope...
So see if you can post the pics here for us some day
You have become a big inspiration to me this year James!
You be tough!
Rah!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Weigh in: 323.3. My lowest yet.

No S was good yesterday. Leftover pasta for breakfast, and veggie burgers/salad for dinner.

I didn't exercise yesterday, I got a late start, and a good friend of mine and I went out last night to hang out and chat and get a coffee. She and I both decided that we aren't going to beat ourselves up over skipping exercise... she is doing a near-nightly yoga routine, and is doing a similar purification to what I'm doing.

So yeah, despite the lack of exercise, it was a great day! Hanging out with dear friends is good for you, too!

[JWL]

Weigh in: 328.0. My weight is fluctuating pretty wildly these past few weeks. I did make some homemade seitan this week, which is sodium-laden.

It's been a strange week health-wise. First of all, my sleep schedule is whacked. I've been fighting serious insomnia, not quite sure why. As a result, yesterday I was up at 6am, wide awake and ravenous, after only about 4 hours of sleep. So I got up and ate an extra meal (I had 2 more meals that day).

Also, I pulled a muscle in my back. That caused me to skip shovelglove the other day, though yesterday I did a routine with the 10 pounder so as not to aggravate it. It's still a bit tender, but well on its way to healing.

So, yeah. I'm not doing great lately, but I am sustaining. After all, it's the holiday season, and I have a 2 week vacation coming up next week. So I'll have to maintain, and I think when I return from vacation after the first of the year, I'll reassert a more sustainable routine as my reality becomes significantly less crazy.

I'm also nearing the end of my purification. It has gone well. No funny stuff in terms of indulging in forbidden stuff, which is good.

I'm thinking of modifying No-S slightly, and only giving myself 1 S day per week. I'm just not sure how to implement it: after all, S days are still "sometimes." So even if it's an S day it doesn't mean I have to eat more, which lately I've been taking full advantage of all S days. One thing I've noticed with the regular weigh-ins is that when I stick to my program, I lose about a half pound a day. Then S days ruin it and I have to undo the damage from the S days.

Don't get me wrong, I know No-S is sustainable. I've been doing it for half a year now, and it's habit. But I want to accelerate the weight loss, and I know that any tweaks I attempt will not result in a total backslide. Worst case scenario, I just return to the routine I've been doing all along.

I'm down quite a bit of weight, but I still have a long way to go....

Ever onward!

[carolejo]

Hi Freakwitch,

Have you plotted the weight out anywhere on a graph to see the trend line? I think it's a definate downward one, week by week, which is all you really need.

On the other hand, I can understand why you might want to speed things up a little bit. Perhaps you could do something like Spiralstares does, and make your regime much stricter than it has to be with NoS alone, but with the proviso that you're allowed to mess up without it really being funny stuff if you don't exceed the NoS limits. Sort of like 'additional optional goals' for each day.

Please be careful not to overdo it though and get fed up! Also, don't forget that you're a pretty powerful guy with a huge amount of (ever increasing thanks to that 20lb sledge!) muscle mass. I wonder what percentage of your bodyweight is fat now? I'll bet it's much lower than it was when you started out, and the change will have been even more dramatic than all that weightloss and belt notches could even suggest!

Anyhow, I think you're doing really great!
C.

[gratefuldeb67]

James, not to be negative or contrary, but I just wanted to mention that in a healthy weight loss program, most people average one pound a week..
This is an average ......
There will be days when one goes up or stays the same...
But, in reference to your mention of dropping half a pound per day, when you are "good", that, in my opinion, is an unrealistic long term expectation..
I feel you are truly setting yourself up for big disappointments, on a daily basis, if you continue wracking your poor brains out over every days minor, or even major, fluctuations...

Remember NoS is about maintainability and *SIMPLICITY*....
My humble suggestion, which probably you may not decide to do, is just weigh yourself once a week or even less... If you start to notice that you are having big binges, or your clothes are starting to feel a bit tighter, or you just feel the weight, you can then "tighten in the reins" on your NOS rules... How you look and feel are so much more important than a scale readout *especially* when it is a known fact that we vacillate and deviate so much from day to day...

Also, I really feel that instead of eliminating the extra S day, you just focus on having less indulgent ones...
It's not about "all or nothing" it's about moderation and getting down with your bad habits...
You tell them who's boss!!!!!
Anyway..
All this comes from a sincerely loving place so hope you aren't pissed at me for speaking my mind...
LOL...

Good luck!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Hi all,

OK, I'm officially in holiday/vacation mode. My purification ritual ends 23.5 hours from now (not that I'm counting), and for the next 2 weeks, I'll be in no-s vacation mode. Not as strict, enjoy my vacation and seeing family. No guilt.

I'm taking my sledgehammer, though...

I probably won't be posting much here for the next couple-three weeks. But I'll report back, and get back into my daily routine, upon my return.

I hope everyone has a most wonder-filled holiday!

Ever Onward!

James

PS- Don't worry, Deb, you'll have to try *much* harder than that to offend me.... didja try making the chili? How'd it turn out?

[gratefuldeb67]

Good!
Well actually, Richard came down with a cold a few days ago and we, basically, spent the whole time indoors... The chili will be made soon!!!
You will get a full disclosure on it's deliciosity factor!

Enjoy your vacation and we will miss you!
Peace and Love,
Deb

[JWL]

Well, my detox is officially over.

I made it. 7 weeks. It was easier than I thought it would be, though it got more difficult at the end.

I have several thoughts about it, which are currently somewhat fragmented.

I gained an appreciation for the sustainability of No-S. This detox is not sustainable. Not because I'd give in to temptation, inviting guilt and crash/burn, but because doing this cleared out my energy system, on all levels, consciousness, physical, metaphysical. By the end of 4 weeks I was ready to begin a new cycle. The last three I've had to keep grounded. Now I'm raring to go again.

Put another way, this detox is precisely what I'd hoped it would be: it's a way to gather energy, to be used later. It builds the energy. Now I have to figure out what to do with it.

I see the need for balance.
For example, I need to walk more. My legs aren't in as good shape as they were several months ago, despite the fact that I'm probably carrying 20 fewer pounds on my frame. Daily walks would do wonders for my system. I wonder why I haven't been able to sustain a daily walk? The fact that I live in Maine and everything is currently covered in ice is probably not the best time to think about this. I need to be walking briskly up hills again. Regularly. And I need to squat more often. Maybe 3x per week.

I want to have both my 16 pound and my 10 pound shovelglove. There is a good balance between them. However, I've realized something: the 10 pounder and I have a bond that I don't yet have with the 16 pounder. I think much of this is due to the fiberglass handle. The energy of the hammer is just different. I may look into removing the fiberglass handle and replacing it with a wooden one.

But it feels like the 16 pounder is a training bar for the tool, which is the 10 pounder. I could use the 16 pounder part time to build strength. But then I can improvise moves, ie, tai chi sword movements, with the hammer: it feels light enough in my hand that I can wield it very precisely, think martial arts forms. I'm reasonably conscious of energy flow, so I think I can come up with a few moves. I wonder if there is a martial art of the hammer? I remember seeing a video here a while ago....

I think from now on, I need to do shovelgloving with both hammers handy each day. I can do simple movements (ie, my normal routine, only perhaps shorter) and then improvise movement, ie, freestyle, paying attention to what works and why.

I can now use another "Jedi Mind Trick" when it comes to resisting sweets or alcohol (or any of the other forbidden items): I went without for 7 weeks, I can go without until $next_s_day; without problem.

Anyway, I'm babbling. Enough about exercise.

Later today is our Yule circle. We light a bonfire at sunset, and keep it burning all night until sunrise. Then after sunrise I will sleep, and get up and drive to the midwest. So I'm acclimating my system to staying up late.

Whee!

[gratefuldeb67]

Have a great Solstice celebration!!!
Eat drink dance and sing!!!
Stay close to that bonfire and bundle up dude!
Sounds like fun
Peace and Love,
Deb