Fitness/Self Care Check In

Well my eating healthy lasted a day. I came home today and realized I had enough points built up on Papa Johns website from past orders that I qualified for a free 3 topping large pizza, so with delivery charge and a tip it came to only $5 dollars. Couldn't pass a deal like that up for self care I went to group today.

I'm ready to get serious about exercise and eating healthy again starting tomorrow. I'm going to speed rope in the mornings every day except Sundays. Starting college in January should help keep my mind occupied and off the topic of food all the time.

Its been raining so no speed roping for me.

Have been eating fairly healthy today (for me). I went to the gas station and resisted the urge to head straight toward the candy bar section or the little Debbie shelf and instead bought myself a Special K protein bar and a KIND organic fruit and nut bar.

For self care I started a new medicine for anxiety today

It helps so much to read what you're doing to take care of yourself. It feels good to just read about it and it changes the way I see exercising and eating well. It feels more like a caring thing and not a punishment.

I had a great lunch of basil, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. This is a minor miracle. I usually feel like I'm missing out if I can't have the most unhealthy item on a fast food menu for lunch. I'm trying to celebrate and notice any positive change. Thanks to all of you for setting such great examples.

Swim

I'm glad this thread is helping you just keep swimming! Also, sounds like a delicious lunch! Great job making a healthy choice

I'm going to try to go swimming this afternoon and get to bed early, OK maybe not early, I'll shoot for at a reasonable hour, before midnight. I read a headline on the PC site: "Early bedtime helps to reduce negative thoughts." I could use some of that.

Worked out today. 30:30. Not a huge amount, but hey-ho, it was late (about 10pm) and so, much better than missing it for a THIRD time. >.<

31-minute workout today. Almost missed it, but.. nope.. screw that noise, I ain't givin' up that easily! RAWR. Also, for my first pullup set (bicep/chest focused one) I can now do 12, rather than the previous 10... so yay!

I could probably squeeze in a few more if I push hard enough... or pull hard enough, I should say. xD So, getting stronger. That said, I'm also... about 194lbs... which blows me away. 4lbs away from the target I set a while ago. I can't believe I did it.

I weigh myself now and see that 16 stone mark so far away and I think to myself... how the hell did I let it get so bad?! But, I'm going furter.

I'm still overweight, still holding excess body-fat, so I'm gonna maybe head for 12 and a half stone, my old weight... or... 13 stone. 13 might actually be the sweet spot, 'though not as lean as some muscle guys get. I think I'll stop at 13, though, then start the bulking stage in whcih I'll grow a crap load of muscle, or so I'm told.

I'm utterly convinced I'm going to end up with a pretty decent-looking six-pack, to be honest; hell of a lot better than the one I just barely had years ago. All these situps, crunches, and leg raises I've done over God knows how long... FINALLY they'll get seen. When I feel for 'em, they feel pretty big... lol That sounds wrong. xD But like, belly kinda kills it. ¬_¬ Upper 2 are showing more than before, so that's something, but the lower one doesn't stand a chance in hell. Back in the day, it looked like I had a freakin' 8-pack, I was so lean, so I hope to get that back again, but better.

I don't know why I'm so into this. I don't know if I'm doing it for me or not. I just not that what I want, is to look the way I have it in my head. I want to feel attractive. I want to feel confident when I'm out. I want to feel like I have something to offer a woman, with regards to looks. It's important to me, for some reason... porbably because I'm insecure as all balls. I also want to feel strong... although I do kinda feel strong, these days... especially once I've worked out... feels amazing.

Oh well. A short walk for 15 on Thursday but not fri,sat,sun as very stormy weather, tropical monsoon like weather.
Exercise:Went for 50 min walk today so day one again.
Self care: doing a little foot care
Goal this week - to get to pool.
Thanks for encouragement

For self care going to get my eyebrows done today

Picked up some healthy snacks at the grocery store today, also purchased a daily planner for 2015 so it will help me stay organized, especially with college starting soon.

I was just looking at my workout log, the picture one I have kept for quite a while, most notibly, since I got back into fitness again, about 6 months ago, perhaps longer. I actually felt sick (genuinely, physically nauseous) seeing how I looked 6 months ago. I made a couple of side-by-side images directly comparing (same position) then from now, and the difference is astounding.

It's quite therapeutic, because now it's like I'm not living in the past, and I know I CAN and WILL lose more body-fat and get bigger. Not gonna lie, I'm proud of myself... I got myself out of a very ugly rut. Also, for what little BMI matters, I'm not "obese" anymore, and only just "overweight".

My BMI is something like 26.3, according to the NHS website, 'though my "activity" is innacurate, as I workout 4 times a week quite intensively, outside of that, I occasionally use my pullup bar or do some other random exercise, walk almost everywhere, BUT still am sedetary a lot of the time because I'm on the computer. According to the website, I can get away with 185lbs as within the "healthy range".

That is so cool!

Wow! I bet you feel totally different from when you got into the rut. Thanks for showing me that it can be done. It is possible to change. Did you ever get discouraged and were afraid that you would give up or were you pretty sure you would keep at it and succeed?

For self care, I'm going to close this computer before 11, put it in the other room and go to sleep. Yesterday I only got 2 hours of sleep because I got stuck on the internet. I do better at taking care of myself when I have enough sleep.

Goodnight

Glad to check in and report daily 50 min walk done for exercise today
also went for eyebrow shaping for self care and in my case the whole face needs tinkering bluebird
Zwangsstörung, lots of motivating ideas. Congratulations on your perseverance.
Just keep swimming.... I agree regular sleep time is a necessary habit , sometimes not enough hours in the day and easy it to have too much screen time.
All the best for tomorrow!

Well, I thoroughly brushed & flossed. I made tomorrows lunch. I am preparing for tomorrows therapy appointment.

xD I do feel very different. I feel lighter, stronger, faster. I even find myself jogging across roads, jogging (or even running) to my dad's when I visit him (at night with nobody around because I'm Mr. Composed xD) and I'm rarely getting shin-splints from cardio exercises.

Oh it can be done, it certainly can, and not just taken from my experience. There's a lot of people who've done well. I once knew this young woman... she was quite big, but you know what? She's skinny as hell, now! Looks fantastic. Dunno how she did it, (hopefully healthily) but well done to her. So yeah, it's doable. It's just difficult and takes persistance.

As for your last question? Yes, most definitely, several times. I still do, ... especially now that my focus is becoming slightly less on losing weight but now on gaining muscle, ... I'm aiming for super lean and epic muscles, because... well, it's like college... I'm aiming for an A... so if I don't get an A, maybe I'll at least get a B. Know what I mean? I'm determined as hell.

I think the thing that makes it easier for me, though, is that I've been there done that. I worked out for years before I gained weight and let myself go to crap. I was lean as hell and even had myself what looked like an 8-pack. Ha. (was obsessed with situps, to be fair) I biked everywhere, walked everywhere, went out a lot. I think the worst thing for gaining weight was that I never went out, or at least rarely. I hid myself away from the world which was unhealthy mentally and physically.

I can't stress enough how important your diet is, guys. If you don't eat properly it will not work. You won't see those lbs of bodyfat drop off if you're having huge McDonald's meals several times every day xD (sadly :P) Someone once said: "...don't think of it like a diet, think of it like a life-choice." - or something to that effect, and I totally get it now. If it's "just a diet", then you're liable to stop at some point, and nobody wants that! I don't think you have to know all about nutrition, counting calories, and living offa suppliments and celery, ... that's not what I'm saying, ... I'm saying that if you eat crap all the time, but still work out like a workhorse, then you'll still get lackluster results, if any.

It goes the other way as well! If you don't eat properly, ... if you don't eat enough, particularly carbs (complex), fats (not saturated), protein (white meat), etc, then your body is starved of nutrients.. what will it do? It'll cling onto the fat. You'll also get terrible results of gaining muscle. You gotta give your body what it needs, to let go of what it doesn't.

Ultimately, make sure your doctors knows the score. If you're "obese", you need to get checked over, particularly your heart, and get some advice from them. Personally, I would start with gentle weight stuff, walking, and strict dieting, then, as you lose weight, you can introduce more; the reason for this, as I think I mentioend earlier, is that your joints will get mangled otherwise, plus you gotta think of your ol' ticker. xD

Thanks so much. I've gotten the OK from my doctor and in addition to swimming, which I do mainly for stress reduction, I'm adding walking. Just a little at first, just to get into the habit. I've seen how well forming the swimming habit has worked for me. It really bother's me if I don't swim and I'm really grateful that I enjoy it so much.

I'm trying to do the same thing with food. I'm always amazed at how it's not as hard as I imagine to change my tastes and start to really enjoy vegetables. Unfortunately, it's also easy to slowly start slipping into old junk food ways.

Thanks so much for your post. It's just what I needed at the moment. I think I'll go for my walk now.

Great job everyone, keep up the good work!

For self care today I went to the doctor to see about my allergies which haven't improved since being on the medicine they put me on. They took me off that and put me on two new things, Zyrtec and Singulair, so I'll see how that goes.

I'm having a very difficult time eating healthy lately. Part of, or a major part of the problem is I don't usually have anything to do during the day other than 1 or 2 times a week I go to group. When I'm out doing stuff I don't think about food but when I'm at home all day it's nearly all I think about.

I think I may get a food journal. Writing things down really helps me get things done so maybe it will help me to record what I eat.

Yesterday went for 2x hour walks for exercise and took the stairs instead of the lift
Self care washed hair and remembered to drink water.Also booked a day off work today for some me time.

Need to think and do more healthy eating
Today hopefully more walking or swimming.
It's still raining

I'm going to start exercising again but doing it once every other day. Tomorrow I have to walk home from the pharmacy so that's about a mile, I think that's a good start. That will be my exercise for the day. Not a lot but its something. I'm going to check in here more often because it helps motivate me.

Well done everyone!
I'll check in again as I have exercised early today.
Feeling good after starting walking again in the last two weeks after a no exercise period of 5 months. It is early summer here so the days are long with eastern daylight saving.
I don't know the distance. It is a circuit near the river I think about 2 kilometres. Walked for about an hour this morning and included a cement staircase of 90 steps up and down- 3 times

BB I like your ideas about journaling but haven't done a lot of it. Do use use books or computer?
I also find it difficult planing and preparing healthy foods so I have them on hand
Always go for quick fix high calorie food usually.
Any suggestions?

Hi happywoman, for the food journal I think I'm going to buy one online. It has sections to write what you've eaten throughout the day, and has a part for writing in what exercise you've done. I like doing things in paper and pencil rather than on the computer. Although I'm sure there are apps that allow you to do the same thing. The one I'm going to buy is on the Amazon website and its called: DIETMINDER Personal Food & Fitness Journal (A Food and Exercise Diary)

For regular journaling about everyday stuff I just use a journal I bought at the store, you can use any notebook really.