RustyRaven

I'm at the vet with Miss Meow as she has been vomiting. We got to start with a fun game of hide and seek in the garden. Fortunately I managed to avoid claw marks. She is not impressed with the whole process.

Half a grapefruit and a cup of black coffee, please.

Morning harvest

The herbs needed a bit of a trim so I've picked some to dry.

This sounds a lot like me. Hopefully in the future I'll have some success of my own to share too. I've always struggled with weight, but the peri-menopause hormal changes have really heaped on extra struggle in the last few years which has been a bit discouraging.

Thanks for sharing your story, it does help 🙂

I've ordered a cheap Samsung one that will track steps for me. I've used the trackers in the past and found the way they are programmed to give rewards and things doesn't really work well for me, so I'm just going to use the data for my own system. Part of my neurodivergence is that most reward/punishment type systems really don't work for me, which is unfortunate as thats what most systems and programs work on!

That's the plan. I'm starting with some basic bodyweight exercises just to get moving, then I'll start to add in some weights and things over time. Although I have a lot of bodyweight, so everything I do technically involves a fairly high weight loading to start with!

I've had a tendency to over do things when I'm starting out and then burnout and lose interest (with everything, not just exercise). I've learned I need to focus on success as being regularly engaged, not on any specific results. "It's a marathon not a sprint". Getting the pace right is the most important goal.

I just got back from my morning stroll, the fog burned off while I was out and it very quickly went from pleasant to a bit too hot in the sun. I need a cool down break before I can tackle bringing in yesterday's washing from the line.

I've been thinking overnight about how to plan and track my exercise goals, and think I've come up with a system that should work without triggering demand avoidance or all-or-nothing thinking that has led to failure in the past. It's based on a system that's been working well for me in budgeting, cleaning and gardening, areas I've also had similar issues keeping to a plan long term.

The basic system is to have two levels of goals, with overall success tracked weekly (well, every 8 days because that's my work cycle, but week is easier to say!). The lowest 'pass' level is basically a participation trophy. It will have a steps goal each day that is fairly easily achievable, plus making an attempt at the strength training routine three times a week - but even if I just do one set and then stop it will be a pass. The higher 'distinction' level will be to do the strength routines fully and to reach a higher level of steps/cardio on three days.

The way I'm going to track the progress is using a program called Beeminder which tracks ongoing goals. Basically I will start with one week's buffer, which is maintained every week I 'pass' or another week's grace can be added if I get a 'distinction', with a maximum of two weeks buffer allowed. Which means there is a lot of room for failure as long as it is not consistent, and not too much pressure to achieve the higher level constantly - I need it to feel like an achievement I want to work towards, not something I have to achieve.

I think I'll also do some sort of ongoing chart with stickers too, so I can see progress. Gold and silver stars each week or something like that.

That looks great. I added nectarine to my salad tonight, it was definitely a good addition.

I think my sensor for 'full' is faulty, I'm pretty much always hungry at the moment. I'm blaming it on dodgy hormones.

I thought a timer was a good idea, but I almost ended up buying a full set of hourglasses and a fancy version that uses coloured water. Managed to pull myself back to just a standard, sensible timer, but it was a close call!

I think I have a touch of demand avoidance, too much accountability is counter-productive for me. I start to resist when I feel like I'm being pressured to do something, even when that pressure if coming from my and my own decisions. I'm starting to work out ways of navigating around my own silly psychological quirks, but it does make routines and consistency a problem for me. I have found breaking things down into small chunks so I can't use the 'don't have time' type excuses helps, and allowing myself choices about when I do something also helps. This approach has worked well with housework and similar things, hopefully I can successfully apply it to exercise too.

I've decided I really need to get serious about getting fitter & losing weight. I've spent a small fortune on exercise equipment, but can't find anywhere that sells either motivation or enthusiasm. If you know a place that has any in stock please let me know.

There have been a lot of improvements in home treadmill design since I last looked at them and there are a lot available for a much cheaper price than I was expecting. I'm pushing the upper weight limit on a lot of them at the moment though, so I've spent a bit more on something that is sturdier. It can be used under a desk or on it's own and can go up to 16km/h, although I'm not sure I can go up to 16km/h. It also folds up quite small when not being used.

I also ordered a bunch of heavy things - weights and bars that can be used for dumbell/barbell/kettlebell type exercises. I think I'll find it easier to keep motivated by doing more frequent short stints than trying to do a regular full gym routine. That approach seems to have worked better for my with chores and things like that so 🤞