Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:13 am Post subject: JWL's log
Ok, I see this thread as more of a log than anything. I've been shugging regularly for a few months, flirting with No-Sing, and I just started Urban Rangering within the past few weeks.
My schedule is a bit whacked; I work on Sat and Sun, and I walk 30min each way to work, so I count Sat and Sun as a "walking-No-S" day. This means I want to walk 3 days during the week.
I generally shovelglove M-F.
And I think sticking to the No-S will be my biggest challenge. So anyway, with this somewhat modified structure, here goes. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:50 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:24 am Post subject: DAY 1
Shovelglove
Today I shovelgloved for 14 minutes with a 15-lb sledge (my 10 pounder with a 5lb ankleweight). I managed to get through all 14 minutes with this sledge. Boy was it heavy, but I felt great afterwards. I also tried a new move today, chop the tree. Well, it was new for me.
Urban Ranger
I took a nice hike at Wolfe's Neck park with a friend. I'm not sure how far I walked, but I did a bit of rock climbing as well. It was a gorgeous, cool, misty, foggy night on the rocky coast of Maine. Saw some baby ospreys, and had a nice dinner on the rocks. Which brings us to:
NoS Diet
I made one bad choice today: I had some frozen yogurt with my family. I rationalized it because a) I did not have sweets the previous 2 S days this past weekend, and b) I got the next-to-0 calories-but-laden-with-who-knows-what frozen yogurt. That was my first meal of the day. Not much of a meal. I am clearly the king of rationalization. *rolls eyes*
For my 2nd meal of the day, I had a really good and healthy burrito with baby spinach, brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, salsa, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese, along with a leftover biscuit.
For my 3rd meal, I had another burrito identical to the above, with an apple.
Overall
Not a bad day. Gotta watch the rationalizing though. It's important to stick to the rules as clearly as possible, given that I have repeatedly demonstrated a strong ability to rationalize poor food choices for many, many years. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:10 am; edited 1 time in total
Good luck James!
You are doing great... You don't sound like the king of rationalization, just analytical...
Rationalizing is, at least, an attempt to think about what you are doing...
As long as you learn from what you do, you will succeed!
That burrito sounded mighty tasty
Glad the ankle weights are doing the trick for your SG'ing... A few months back I duct taped a 2 lb rock to my sledge! LOL... Then I took it off, at the polite request/suggestion of Rein and my other Sg friends, who were worried about the possibility of the thing either breaking off or the handle breaking, thereby causing unnecessary harm to me! But yeah, when I used it in addition to the "12 lb" which actually weighed in at 14, it sure felt majorly different and super heavy, but good...
Keep it up! You'll be swinging a 20 lbder before you know it!!!
Peace,
Deb
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:54 pm Post subject: DAY 2
OK, didn't get a chance to post last night.
Urban Ranger
Took a break from walking yesterday. Rest those legs.
Shovelglove
Did a routine with my wife's 8 pounder. I wanted a break from the heavier shovelglove, I don't want to overdo it. I think I'm going to lower the weights on mine to 13 pounds, down from its current 15. I think going from 10 to 15 is too big of a jump. Plus, there's something so... right about the number 13.
No-S
Meal 1: egg, spinach, and cheese wrap.
Meal 2: homemade pizza with broccoli, black olives, and mushrooms, corn on the cob, salad
Meal 3: more of the pizza, an apple _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:10 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 4:33 am Post subject: DAY 3
Urban Ranger
Didn't really walk much today either. It was a busy day. I'll have to take a walk tomorrow. Also, I discovered "Hindu squats" today; I tried a couple and to my amazement, they don't bother my knees at all. I want to try to incorporate these into my exercise regimen.
Shovelglove
Did my routine with both my new 13-pound sledge and the 8-pounder. Having both to work with feels really, really good. The 13 is more than enough weight to challenge, and when it gets to be too much, I can grab the 8 pounder. Cool!
Also, I found a new movement; I hold the tip of the handle like in the butter churning move, but I extend my elbow so that my arm is to my side, straight, at arms length parallel to the ground. Then I lift the arm up, while keeping it straight. No idea about a natural analogue to this, but it feels good in the shoulders.
No-S
Meal 1: pasta with tomato mushroom sauce and cheese.
Meal 2: Veggie/Tofu burrito (cheddar cheese, basmati rice, stir-fried tofu/broccoli/squash/corn/onions)
Meal 3: leftover pasta, an apple[/url] _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:11 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:44 pm Post subject: DAY 4
OK, quick update. I shovelgloved yesterday, did a bit of walking (we walked to dinner and back), I managed two set of 15 Hindu squats (trying to take it easy), and did the 3-meal No-S thing.
My biggest challenge is sticking with the No-S. I enjoy the exercise, but I also like to eat, particularly later in the day. I feel like I'm still eating too much, even with the 3 meals. So my solution would be to either reduce portions in the meals I do eat, or to cut down to 2 meals a day, something I've done successfully in the past.
Just sort of thinking out loud here. What I may do is try 2 meals/day for a while, even if I don't do it on every S day. See what happens. If anyone has any advice, I'd like to hear it. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:11 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 141 Location: Guelph, ON
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:48 pm Post subject:
I don't know - 2 meals a day sounds awfully light. What would you be doing, skipping lunch? Because I really don't recommend skipping breakfast, to anyone.
(For people who can't stand food first thing in the morning, wait an hour or two. One of my co-workers keeps a microwaveable bowl and oatmeal packets at her desk so she can have breakfast at ten, when she's capable of confronting food) _________________ "I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head".
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:54 pm Post subject: DAY 5
OK, yesterday (Friday) was an interesting day. I got to do lots of physical activity, a friend of mine needed some carpentry help on an addition to the in-laws house. So that was fun.
My legs are quite sore from the Hindu squats, so I took it easy on them. Didn't get much walking in either, at least in a marching sort of way, though I was on my feet pretty much constantly from noon until 5 pm, walking around, carrying wood, measuring and cutting, etc etc etc.
I did shovelglove in the evening, and stuck to the No-S plan as well. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:11 am; edited 1 time in total
To answer your question, Sibyl, I've been thinking more about it. I think the real problem is that I need to adjust the times at which I eat. I usually have my 3rd meal du jour fairly late in the evening, and that's the meal that has to go, because I usually eat more then than at any other time of day. I have a long history of binge-eating at night; so my body is used to getting a good chunk of its calories then.
So my immediate goal is to eliminate this old habit, as the quantity of food, as well as the timing of it (a big meal before bed is a bad idea, and a sure way to turn most of those calories into fat) are the biggest problem by far in my diet. In general, I eat healthy food, I just eat too much of it.
I've tried many strategies to deal with this problem over the years, and the one that seems to work best is when I impose a strict, no-eating-after-9pm rule. So my instinct is to return to that rule, a rule I abandoned when I adopted the NoS diet.
So here's my current thought: re-introduce that rule. No more eating after 9pm. As a result, I am quite likely to be hungrier in the mornings. So I may stick with the 3 meals/day, though I'll likely make the first meal of the day something small and light, ie fruit, smoothie, cereal, etc.
I'm going to consider this more carefully over the weekend and have some sort of Cunning Plan(tm) in place by Monday... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
OK, I've been thinking more about this issue. Here's what I've decided my routine to be:
N-days
1.Stick to the No-S plan, with the modification of no eating after 9pm. The idea is that I regulate my mealtimes to the extent that it's possible in my reality. I want to get my body used to a light breakfast in the morning, something like a fruit smoothie.
2. Shovelglove every N day.
3. Do as many Hindu squats as possible every N day.
4. Do the yoga "breath of joy" until I can see God (not really, but it's a good warm up; do it as long as I feel like it). I think it makes sense to try this movement as soon as I get up. Yes, even before I have coffee.
5. Walk as often as I can, with no specific commitments as to how often.
S-Days
1. Be sensible about my diet, while maintaining the no-food-after-9pm rule.
2. Walk to work and back home (30min each way)
3. Rest from squats and shovelglove.
So I'm counting today as an S-day, since I'm working and its a holiday. So I'll begin this N-day routine tomorrow. Watch this space. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Hi Jan, in the screen where you type, there are several buttons between the 'subject' line and the message body box. One of them says URL; what I do is highlight the text and click that URL button. You may have to then paste in the link that you want. There is a line of text just above the message box that explains how to do it. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:40 pm Post subject: DAY 9 (after 3 S days)
OK, yesterday was the beginning of week 2, with the modifications discussed above.
Shovelglove
Did a full shovelglove routine. I was also showing my daughter how to SG; we got her a 4lb framing hammer and she loves it! Cool... now all of us (me, my wife, our daughter) are shugging....
No-S
Had a great day eating yesterday. For lunch I made grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches with the homemade bread my wife made. Dinner was one plate with salad, biscuits, a fantastic mulitgrain casserole my friend made, and strawberries. That's it! 2 meals, 2 plates, nothing else. It felt good to eat so little, and allow myself to be filled up by it.
Urban Ranger
Didn't get much walking in, but I did 17 Hindu squats, and breath of joy for several minutes.
All in all, a very, very good day. Things feel like they have shifted after my ruminations over the weekend. Let's keep this up for a while... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:12 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:54 am Post subject: DAY 10
Nah, wouldn't work. Wrong coast, and I expect we're further North. 3000 miles minimum.
Today was good. Did 2 meals again. That seems to work well for me. A noontime meal and an evening meal. Lunch and dinner. I had two large meals today, the 2nd of which was at a restaurant. I got a steak, mashed potatoes, salad, and a spinach artichoke sauce. This obviously was a huge meal and completely filled my stomach to the brink of unpleasantly full. But, there is a time not so long ago when I would have had another appetizer on top of that, and a big dessert afterwards. Bottom line, I'm eating less than I was even a week ago, which is progress by any measure.
I want to experiment with making the first meal lighter. What I may do is split the big noontime meal up into a smaller morning meal and a smaller lunch. Smoothie and then leftovers are a good plan.
Our blender is broken (!) so I can't make smoothies at the moment. The base (the motor part) fell off the counter and shattered. So I hear, anyway. I'll need to replace that.
Did a full 14 min shovelglove with both the 13 and 8 pounder. Did a 21 set with the 13, and finished the last few minutes with a 14 set on the 8.
I did 18 squats today. I'm going to see how it goes if I increment the number done by one every day. iow, tomorrow I will do 19, 20 the next day, etc etc. I've set 100 as a goal, so it will be interesting to see if the curve to it is linear or not.
Didn't walk much. I need to walk more during the week. Tomorrow there is an outdoor concert in monument square that I'm going to take Mo to and meet up with some friends. Assembly of Dust and De Soul are playing, so it should be good. It'll be a nice 20-30 minute walk each way, downhill going there and uphill coming back. I live on top of Munjoy Hill in Portland, so getting downtown is just the right amount of work. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:13 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:15 pm Post subject: DAY 11, 12
OK, time for a quick update as I head into S-day work weekend....
My biggest success this week by far has been with the No-S dieting. I've managed to keep things to 2 meals per day, with the exception of yesterday where I went out again for frozen yogurt with my family. Apart from that, all my food choices this week were stellar. I had a realization that could easily become my new mantra: I feel better when I eat less. Mind, body, spirit; all are put at ease when I don't overeat. It's amazing.
I missed a day with shovelglove (Thurs), but that's been going well. It's still very good exercise.
Other exercise, I'll get to urban ranger this weekend to work and back. I did walk some this week, went to that show I mentioned above. I want to continue to gradually increase the number of squats I do...
Anyway, off to get ready for work now.... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:13 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 639 Location: California
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:13 pm Post subject:
Hi Freakwitch.
I read somewhere (who knows where, some magazine, diet book, internet) that we humans eat over 1/3 more then we need on average. So it doesn't surprise me to hear that you are fine with eating less food.
Also, I think when you stop growing and when you (God forbid) get older that your caloric need just goes down. My husband and I used to laugh at his parents because they would eat dinner at 5pm. But now we are kind of eating earlier too. (6 o'clock) I like going to bed without a bunch of food in my gut.
So, well done for you. I am impressed with all your exercise.
Freakwitch,
I am impressed with how much attention you are paying to all this and tweaking where you need tweaking for YOU. Within the Nos framework, we have to find what works for our individual physical and psychological needs, and it sounds like you are really workin' it!
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:00 am Post subject: DAY 13
thanks for the encouragement, cvmom and peetie. I sometimes wonder if I'm futzing too much. After all, the best part of these plans is their inherent simplicity. But as you say, I'm just figuring out how to fit this into my life.
I said in the earlier post, I'm the king of rationalization and like to mess with things. If it ain't broke, take it apart to see how it works. You know.
I wanted to do an update today, even though it's an n-day.
I had 2 meals today, and a couple of snacks. The first meal was 2 hummus/veggie wraps for lunch. The 2nd was a footlong subway club with all the veggies. The first snack was a nestle crunch bar. The 2nd was a bowl of potato chips. They had them out at work. Doh! Ah well, at least it's an S day...
I did better in the exercise department. I had 2 good walks today... 25 minutes each way to work and back. It's downhill to work, and uphill back. Surprisingly enough, I'm finding that the time difference is not great; I've been averaging about 24 minutes to, and 27 minutes from. I'm getting my legs back; I can hoof it up the hill but my legs are screaming at the end (and I'm breathing quite heavily). Good exercise!
I also did a shovelglove today, even though it's an S day. I did so because I skipped a day earlier this week (Thurs, I think) and wanted to make up the time. I hope I don't regret it; 2 days consecutive rest is nice. I did it with the 13 pounder, with a few 8 pounder moves at the end.
I've added "chop the tree" to my regimen as well. I love this one, because the arm movement is minimal; most of the work the way I do them is in the abs as you pivot your body back and forth with your legs rooted. Let your ab muscles turn your shoulders. I can feel the abs more in this movement than any other. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:14 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:07 am Post subject: DAY 14
Just a quick I Rock! moment: today was an N day, but I ended up not deviating from the S rules. I had a smoothie for breakfast, 2 tortillas, hummus, and veggies, and an apple for dinner.
I drank a ton of water today, and managed to avoid the beck of liquid candy from the soda machines, not to mention the actual candy in the vending machines. W00t!
I only got 1 walk in today though, as it was raining when I left work, and I wasn't dressed for it. So I got a ride home.
I also did a few chi kung exercises, some of which I've learned in the past and some of which I improvised. Get the energy flowing. Stagnation--bad.
Anyhoo, back to S-days and shovelgloving tomorrow! _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Last edited by JWL on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:14 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:41 am Post subject: DAY 15
today was good. Diet wise, I had chips and homemade hummus for lunch. I had a great dinner, stopping at the farmers market on the way home. I made the following dishes for dinner, and filled my plate with some of each of these:
- fried tofu, flavored with bragg's
- ziti with garlic, butter, basil, salt, pepper
- fresh cuke and tomato salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chives
- corn on the cob
- strawberries and blueberries mixed together with a bit of lemon juice and maple syrup
Lots of fresh food today; I could taste the earth in them. Yum.
Exercise-wise, I helped a friend build a stage for a big party/music show we're having in a month or so. If anyone is interested in coming out to a big Freaky and Witchy bonfire-and-live-music party in Southern Maine on Sat, Aug 6, let me know. A little secret, Freakwitch is actually the name of my band; we'll be playing along with at least 2 other acts. I'm sure there will be lots of drumming etc as well.
The labor today involved carrying lots of big logs (like, 8x8s that are 12' long), lots of hammering -- can you believe I forgot my sledgehammer? And I had some 15" spikes to drive.... the 8 pounder would have been perfect. Doh!
Also, I dropped a cinder block onto my leg, so there is a tennis-ball sized bruise on my calf. Ouch. 'tis but a flesh wound, but an uncomfortable one.
Picked up the shovelglove for a few minutes, but it was an abbreviated routine. My arms are already slaughtered from my work today.
But, I did 20 squats. These were hard, but not as hard as it was to do 18 the other day. My legs are getting stronger. Though the first couple of squats hurt as my calf muscles were compressed somewhat, causing the bruise to remind me of its presence.
I did some breath of joy as well. A very good day. I met my wife briefly this afternoon, and she gave me a double-take. "Wow, you really look remarkably smaller." It was awesome. Plus, I had to cut another notch in my belt the other day. This makes the 5th or 6th notch I've had to cut in the belt... I've had it for 10 years or so. Background: I've been at the same weight (within 10 lbs either way) for about 4 or 5 years. Before that, I lost about 70 pounds. So this belt has seen me at several different sizes.
I haven't weighed myself in many months. But, I have a doctor appt next week for my annual physical. So I'll get a chance then... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Hi Freakwitch...
Sorry about your leg! A cinderblock? Yikes!
You probably know this already, but incase you need reminding...
RICE...
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation....
Ice may stay on for up to 20 minutes at a time, then remove for at least 30... If you keep elevated above your heart, with some pillows or something, this will decrease the inflammation too... Obviously rest it... Today wouldn't be a good day to hike up your local hill, and if you have an ace bandage, keep a moderate amount of pressure around that area...
Personally, after a computer fell onto my foot last year and broke some bones, I found that the RICE method really helps...
Use heat only after a 72 hour period from the time of the accident...
I like to take large packs of frozen corn or peas for the icing part so it really forms a nice, form fitted blanket of coldness on the area...
Then you can just put it back in the freezer over and over....
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Peace,
Deb
Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 4514 Location: Cambridge, MA
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:45 pm Post subject:
Freakwitch, I can't believe I haven't popped in here yet. You are awesome.
It's hard to find the right balance between futzing and simple regularity. I try to give myself boundaries, but room to futz within those boundaries. Example: 14 minutes every N day is sacred but no micromanagement within those 14 minutes.
Sorry about the cinderblock... (was that part of some kind of useful movements routine, or actual useful work?)
FW -
I'm the same as you with the scale, except that I have to go to various doctors all the time. For the past few years I usually dread that part...but then I weighed 6 pounds less at my appt in June than I did in March (and we know how unforgiving the docs' scales are), which felt good. I bet you're down from your last accounting!
Your show sounds like freaky witchy fun. Sorry about your cinderblock casualty. RICE indeed.
Hi deb and reinhart, the cinderblock was part of Actual Useful Work(tm). We were building a small stage out of leftover lumber from an old barn.
The cinderblock was in the back of a pickup truck, standing upright on the edge of it. It fell out, with the top of it arcing downward as it fell; the top edge of the block grazed against my calf in an arc as it fell. So there is an abrasion about 5-6" below the back of my knee, which is right at the top of where my calf muscle bulges out.
As the cinderblock fell, it compressed the calf muscle downward at a slight arc, giving me a nasty bruise.
Right after it happened, I looked at it and thought, "wow, that's gonna leave a mark." Then I picked up the cinderblock (along with a 2nd one), carried them 30' away to where they were needed for the stage, looked at the bruise again, and in that short time it had swollen to 4x its size.
"OK, that's gonna need some ice...." so I went inside and generously applied ice and Reiki for 15-20 minutes.
Last night I put arnica on it. whenever I have a big bruise, I'm obsessed with gently massaging it, to help all the fluids work loose and get reabsorbed.
Still tender, but it's much better today.
Ah, the sacrifices we make for rock n roll.... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Very sweet photo!
That looks like a wonderful place to visit too!
Pinch your daughters cheek for me
Peace,
Deb
ps... just read your post about your selfcare regime... Arnica is a great muscle ache healing thingy... and self Reiki? Good call! Hope you're on the mend...
Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1886 Location: Minnesota
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:36 pm Post subject:
Chi Kung for bruises:
Put the palm of your hand over the bruise. Inhale deeply through your nose into your abdomen. Breathe out through your mouth, and at the same time, focus all your attention on your palm touching the bruise. You might say, "breathe out through your hand into the bruise."
Do this when you go to bed, just keep doing it over and over until you fall asleep.
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:27 am Post subject: DAY 16
Thanks for the tips. I discovered chi kung many years ago, and found it came intuitively to me. Then Reiki intensified that sort of energy er work; I found I was able to do it more readily without being drained of my own energy in the process.
That trip to the UK was in many ways an initiatory one in terms of Everyday Systems. We backpacked across the UK, so there was lots of rangering, urban and otherwise. We walked up the hill you see in the background (it's called Bathwyck Hill); the hostel we stayed at is at the top of the hill. We also walked up and down Glastonbury Tor, and all over London, Edinburgh, Inverness, and several other towns. It was great.
I also remember adopting no-S while on the trip, just trying it to see how it worked for me. It was pre-commitment; a test run. It worked well, and here I am today. Whee.
Today was spent largely in healing mode, music mode, and cooking mode. I made salsa, and pizza. So dinner was a plateful of pizza (or more accurately 2 half platefuls of pizza as the pizzas came out of the oven at different times). Lunch was chips with hummus. Lots of water, tea, and coffee.
Skipped shovelglove as I am still sore. My right forearm is still slaughtered from all the hammering I did yesterday.
Get back onto shovelglove tomorrow; I think I'll feel better then. And I get to walk around a new town tomorrow night with a friend. This is very good news.[/url] _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 639 Location: California
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:00 pm Post subject:
Okay Freakwitch....I will attempt to post a photo too. We went to England in April so I'll try to get a good one that shows the scenery like yours. I am technically challenged so it may be awhile.
I have been to Glastonbury too. My husband's brother has gone to the annual concerts there since he was 15. (He's around 45 now and he brings his teenage children.) I know my huband would go every year too if he didn't live in the US. For those of you who have not heard of Glastonbury it is an energy center (vortex?) in England. The town is full of witches and pagans and folks who love celtic mythology. Also it is believed that King Arthur is buried there. When you climb up to the Tor you get an awesome view of the surrounding farm area. There is also a beautiful Abbey that is so old they can't put a date on it. Fun, Fun Fun to know another Yank who has been there. I have not been to Scotland. I would like to get there one day.
England is a great place to do No S because not only is the food different (being polite here) but the portions are smaller.
Okay, thanks for letting me share. Sorry I can't make it to your concert Freakwitch. It sounds like fun.
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:33 am Post subject: DAY 17
I did a full shovelglove routine today, for the first time since last Saturday. It was good to move again. I'm still sore, my right forearm (from hammering) and my right calf (bruise) are quite tender. But at this point, they just need to be moved. And I need to stay hydrated. Back to it.
I also did 21 toe-squats today. (Somehow this term feels better than "Hindu squats." I'm not sure why. More descriptive, perhaps...) I think I want to align the number of squats to the day of the program. Let's see how it goes; I like the idea of squat++ on each consecutive day; at the moment I have 4 days for rest or slipup or whatnot before those two numbers are equal. This exercise is amazing. It does for the legs what shovelglove does for the upper body. If you haven't tried them yet, check it out. I'm amazed at how gentle it is on the knees.
Lunch: leftover pizza from last night. Veggie "pepperoni", mushroom, spinach, on sauce and dough made from scratch, baked on pizza stones. Good stuff. This may be the best dish I make now, though various burritos/wraps and homemade seitan are very much in the running...
Dinner, I went to Portsmouth to visit with a friend. It was good. We had dinner at what I would affectionately call a "hippie burrito" place. These places always have good food. I had a black bean/guac burrito with veggies on a wheat wrap, and chips and fresh salsa that was very good.
I walked a bit tonight. Not too much, more along the lines of leisurely stroll than blood-pumping workout. It was my first time visiting seacoast NH. Quite nice. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:01 am Post subject: DAY 18
Today (July 14) was an S-day. It was my 36th birthday.
I had pizza, birthday cake, ben and jerry's ice cream, a homemade black bean/rice/cheese/salsa/spinach burrito, and chips and salsa. I definitely ate more than I have been lately. It was a relative "pig out" day, esp by my recent standards. However, I can definitely remember a time when I'd have looked at what I ate today and felt good about eating relatively little. I'm stuffed tonight.
I did shovelglove for 14 minutes, and I did 22 toe-squats.
I also got a 90 minute massage today, which was lovely. I have the best massage therapist in the whole world (sorry Deb...! LOL).
Tomorrow is back to a N-day. I may take an extra N day this weekend as well. See how I feel.
Since I've reduced my food intake with NoS, I've noticed that food stays in my fridge longer. This is a good thing. I have a ton of leftovers in my fridge now... good food just begging to be eaten. Very cool. I'm hoping that as my family settles in to No-S, our grocery budget will go down. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Happy Birthday!
Here's wishing you a wonderful year ahead, full of prosperity, health, love and happiness...
Glad you have the greatest massage therapist in the world and treated yourself to such a first class gift!.. When you find a good one, it's like finding gold!
Peace,
Deb
Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 4514 Location: Cambridge, MA
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:19 pm Post subject:
Happy 36!
Loved Bath... one of the few pleasure trips I had time to take during my stay in London. Cute kid.
It sounds like you've got the soreness under control. One thing I'd recommend is sticking to the temporal aspect of your exercise routine, just taking it much easier. That way you keep the fragile habit part going, but don't risk hurting yourself.
Confession: I wouldn't have an easier time with No S in England. I love English food. Heavy, meaty, mysterious, it goes with the weather.
Thanks for all the well wishes, folks. They are appreciated.
Yeah, Ariel, this log is making me realize just how many burritos I eat! LOL It's definitely one of my favorite foods, esp. in the summertime. Quick, tasty, portable, nutritious, and filling. Can't go wrong.
English food didn't really strike me as being all that unusual. Lots of Indian restaurants in the UK, which was nice.
Reinhard, the soreness is definitely under control. The most soreness I've experienced recently was from the bruise (healing quite nicely, btw). I feel strong! And my legs are getting used to the squats, so they are feeling strong too.... _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 5:45 am Post subject: DAY 19
I messed with shovelglove today. I realized I hadn't yet attempted to do shovelglove the way it was originally done, ie, 50 reps of the shoveling motion. I got to 40 with the 13 pounder before I had to stop as my arms were on fire. I did other movements, including the new Churning Ghee move, but I could only do 13 reps of that. Then, I switched to the 8 pounder, and was able to do 50 reps on each side with the 8 pounder. But my arms -- mostly my biceps -- are buzzing pleasantly at the moment.
Back to NoS. Had a black bean, rice, cheddar cheese, salsa, and spinach burrito for lunch with chips and salsa, and for dinner I made a spinach, mushroom, and green pepper pizza with homemade french fries. Lots of coffee and water today.
I only did 13 toe-squats, as they were tired from doing 13 reps of churning ghee. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Hey FW
Yeah, Reinhard packs in a lot of reps for 14 minutes... That really cranks it up on the "burnometer"! Therein lays the secret to why he looks so bloody great and "ripped"! I tried to do his routine once, but it's too fast for me...
He did work up to those numbers though! It didn't happen in one day...
And I have to agree with Ariel, your burritos are making my mouth water!!!
Spinach and black beans... mmmmmmmmm...........
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:03 pm Post subject: DAY 20, 21, 22
OK. This weekend were S-days, and I ate accordingly. Not too bad, and by my old standards quite good, but I definitely am feeling better when I eat less. I did walk some this weekend.
Incidentally, Sunday marked Day 21 of this plan, so I suppose I should go post over in that thread....
Yesterday (DAY 22) was back to the grind. I was feeling very low energy, I think partially because of the moderate overeating fromt he weekend. The oppressive heat/humidity is a huge factor there, too. I did a shovelglove routine, but it was abbreviated. I also tried to do some squats, but my calf is still sore from the bruise. I now have bruising lower on the leg, below the calf muscle above the ankle. i think some of the deep bruising is draining straight downwards, from behind the calf muscle to where it is just below the skin lower on the leg. It's still quite sore, but it feels to me like it's healing normally. Yow. The soreness isn't alarming, it's just sore. If it persists, though, I may decide to go have it checked out just to be safe.
Diet-wise, yesterday I had a burrito (big surprise) from Granny's Burritos here in Portland, and yesterday evening I treated my family to a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant, a belated celebration of my birthday using some of the cash I was given. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:43 pm Post subject: DAY 23, 24
I've done a good job sticking to No-S these past 2 days. We got a new blender, so I've been having smoothies for breakfast. Last night I was babysitting 2 other kids with my daughter, and made a big spaghetti dinner. Yummy.
I skipped shovelglove the other day for a variety of reasons. But, now I'm back to my 21-14-7 routine. I find it to not be a coincidence that messing too much with the routine correlates with me skipping days.
I also haven't done squats in several days, as they compress my calf too much.... ouch.
My mantra these days is: stay the course, stick to what you know is healthy, stick to what you know works.
As such, I'm extraordinarily grateful to have something as simple, elegant, and effective as NoS/SG/etc. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:47 pm Post subject: DAY 25, 26, 27
Well, as you all can see I haven't been posting as much.
My adherence to my regimen has slacked a bit this week for a variety of reasons. I only did the shovelglove twice, and I didn't do any squats at all this week. I also had a couple of minor No-S violations, or actually it was the don't-eat-after-9pm rule I imposed.
I've not had much energy this past week. Clearly, there is a correlation, given my recent (lack of) activity.
But, the slackage damage is minimal. I actually feel pretty good today; I got a good walk in to work today, and a good walk home last night. I think I needed some rest this past week, what I call mind-body-spirit rest.
So, at this point my focus is twofold: maintain my healthy emotional state by not beating myself up with guilt over my slackage this week; and secondly, re-establish some healthy momentum by reining in my adherence to my diet and restablishing a good exercising pattern.
Dear James,
"Here here" or "Amen" to not beating yourself up... We are just not built to always be "on the go"... Maybe as kids it's doable, since there's usually soooooo much energy...
You hurt yourself last week, you are healing, it's hot out.. All this is real
It's okay to slack sometimes... (just as long as it's not all the time! LOL...)
As you know already, I am a pretty opinionated person, so here's my opinion... Feel free to mentally tell me to "bleep the bleep up" if you don't agree with this idea...
I think two meals isn't maintainable, and your body is telling you to switch to three... NOS is demanding enough without imposing even more rules to it... But many of us seem to try and do that (me as well, at least sometimes I hear myself saying "I should stop eating at 7 pm" or something dietary... blah blah...)
You said it yourself, you are a night owl.. so hey, maybe your getting hungry or something...
Well anyway, good luck with all of it! Hope your leg is feeling better and don't beat yourself up!
You are doing great!!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb
Thanks for your thoughts. Not sure if I agree with that or not, ie the 2-meals-isn't-enough theory. Because I'm generally quite full throughout the day. I think I will stick with the 2 meal plan, simply because that felt right.
But what I may budget for is a couple extra meals per week. In other words, rather than saying 2 meals per day, say something like 17 meals per week. That'd give me some flexibility to ensure I'm getting enough food.
But really, what it comes down to is this: I do want to lose weight. I do want to eat less, and I know I can get enough nutrition with 2 meals per day. So even if I get hungry I have enough willpower to know that my body can survive until my next meal in the morning.
Put differently, my issues with sticking to the diet are not bodily-needs related. They are psychological, as I have a long, rich history with comfort-eating, binging, etc etc etc.
I think that I still prefer the plan I settled into a few weeks ago, ie, NoS 2-meals-per-day, shovelglove and squats on N days, and walking as much as possible. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 4514 Location: Cambridge, MA
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:00 pm Post subject:
Freakwitch, congratulations on making it to the magic 21. Sorry you've run into a bit of trouble since then. Guilt is a healthy and useful emotion for murderers and rapists, not for stumbling dieters (except as a bogeyman to keep you from stumbling). Learn from what you did wrong, and get right back up.
You've got to know about 2 meals vs. 3 (though I think Deb's caution is worth considering carefully), but I'd be hesitant about doing something as complicated as "17 meals a week." It may not sound that complicated, but appetete is such a sneaky bastard. Think of how car manufacturers are now using hybrid gas engines *not* to get better gas mileage but more power plus "environmental" tax breaks. Your appetite is at least that sneaky. It will corner you into situations where you don't have enough meals left without enduring intolerable deprivation.
Complexity invites abuse. It's not always so obvious how, at first, but that's the whole problem.
Keep us posted and best of luck, whatever you decide.
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:54 pm Post subject: DAY 29
OK, I think I lost track of the days somewhere in my titles; kinda hard to keep up. I started on Monday as I recall, so yesterday (Mon) must be day 29.
It was a good day. Stuck to the No-S. Did a good shovelglove routine. And I did 15 squats... I meant to do another one but forgot as I was utterly engrossed in the new Harry Potter book. What a fantastic story.
I've decided not to futz with things. I'm just gonna keep it simple, defined as the regimen I had been on (shovelglove, NoS, squats, no food after 9pm).
I've also noticed that even when I "slipped" last week, the crash and burn wasn't nearly as bad as it had been for years for me. No binging, which is a huge psychological victory. Definite improvement. I've many times been manically excited about some new diet or exercise routine, but something still feels different this time. I still feel like I'm ready to take the next step to improved health and fitness; this isn't a diet or something I have to endure for a year, it's the way I eat and get my exercise now. It's part of who I am now; elegant, simple and sustainably healthy.
Ever onward... gonna go get my shovelgloving and squats in for today now. _________________ JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net
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But yeah, when I used it in addition to the "12 lb" which actually weighed in at 14, it sure felt majorly different and super heavy, but good...
Deb
I have not been to Scotland. I would like to get there one day.
