Good for you, Laurie! I know the sugar cravings can be tough.

Here are some things that might help you (besides the water thing):

*eat sugar-free Jell-o
*chew sugar-free gum (especially if it's a "fruity" or "bubble-gummy" flavor)
*have a sugar-free fudge pop
*have a "dessert" of ricotta cheese blended with unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and a small dash of flavor extract (almond and coconut are good choices). Kind of "gritty," but it can sort of fool your body into thinking it's having cheesecake.
*Eat a piece of fresh fruit. This is especially good if you're not keen on sugar substitutes. Yes, the natural sugars in fruit are still fruit, but at least you're getting fruit. If you eat it slowly; perhaps elegantly sliced and presented with a creamy cheese (havarti, goat cheese, neufchatel, etc.), it will seem like dessert, and the cheese will slow the metabolizing of the sugar in the fruit. Plus the elegant presentation will make it seem more satisfying, mentally, which should help with the craving.

As to the "jello" muscles; are you sure you're getting enough carbs right before you work out? That might help you. Otherwise, I think you're right to listen to your body.

Go, you, on those pullups! Still waiting for mine.

Keep up the good work!

Yesterday (Thursday):
It was supposed to be a rest day, but I spent the day working on my pushups- GTG style.  I did random sets of pushups on the stairs (facing up the stairs, not down), pushups on the floor, pushups on the bathroom vanity, various isometrics, and so forth.

Since this is the part of my workout where I get "shaky" so easily, I figured it would be good to address it this way.  It paid off!  I was slightly sore today.  It was the good kind of sore, not the oh-man-I-over-did-it kind.  My muscles have never held out long enough in a normal workout to achieve this, so hopefully this means progress!  *fingers crossed*


Today (Friday):
Moved garage sale stuff into the (you guessed it) garage.  Only about a dozen bags, but some were pretty heavy.  Nothing else other than that, until I went out this evening and had a great workout.  It went something like this:

• A wimpy warm-up because I was so eager to get started...
• Kongs!  Okay, only over a barely waist-high wooden fence surrounded by thick, lush grass, but still.  It psyched me out for several minutes...  And then I showed that silly fence who's the [wo]MAN!  Ah, good drillin'...  I tried a wider, but shorter obstacle, too.
• Gaps/vertical jumps (on ground level only)
• Pull-ups!  I DID 3 IN A ROW!  A NEW RECORD!  Whew.  None of them were even close to consecutive after that.  7 total.
• Headed to church down the street to work with the entrance and handicap ramp there.  Tried a few turn vaults (thanks to Cloud and Ando for those invaluable pointers), but wasn't feelin' it.  Made big progress on my pop vault.  And...
• Did my first kong/monkey (whatever) over concrete!  Well, my first sense that fateful day that has left my kneecap so loose...
• Worked on flow combining vaults.  It felt like something was starting to click...
• 3 more pull ups! (not consecutive) just to make in an even 10!  Okay, my ultimate goal is still 10 consecutive, but 10 in one day is a milestone, for sure!
• 3 hill sprints.  They're easier on my knee than flat ground sprints.
• Good, long stretching when I got back from all that... Whew.

In conclusion, here are today's achievements:

• First kong over concrete.  (Fear made my takeoff sloppy/hesitant, but that will go away soon)
• 10 pull-ups in one day.
• 3 pull-ups in a row.
• Began to find my flow.
• Pop vault began to "click."
• At least attempted a turn vault.
• Lots of veggies today, including a delightful heaping handful(s) of snap peas.

And, in the interest of full disclosure (and, therefore, accountability) here are today's failures:

• Three cups of butterscotch pudding.
• Slept in.
• Didn't have enough water today.

Sleeping in is hardly a negative in your training. Sleep is a very important part of the recovery process.

Way to go on the goals, Laurie! Looks like your training is coming along nicely.

Regarding developing discipline, it is hard and takes a long time. Probably the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over it. Instead, just be matter-of-fact: "I chose to sleep in, therefore I didn't get as much training in," end of story. That way you're acknowledging the choice and the result of it, without putting a value judgment on yourself. It makes it easier to face the choice again the next day. Discipline is hard enough to develop, without also having to get over a mountain of negativity that you've heaped on yourself. Just make it a matter of choice and result.

Tomorrow is another opportunity to develop your discipline.

You're making more progress than you think!

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and encouragement.  I have nothing to post except to say... I am still alive!  I'm just swamped with the garage sale.  When Saturday is done, I think I'll take a long nap...  Waking up a little after 4AM is... wow.  I'm so sleepy.  I'm so exhausted.  Long days.

Ack! Long time, no post... Having mostly cell phone-oriented 'net access does not encourage much posting (T9=annoying).  So, while I have some time with my laptop at a coffee shop, here's the last week and half in review:

I'm in Kansas City, MO now.

How I've Been Sleeping:
I joined my friend in doing the "Nightwatch" at the International House of Prayer.  This means being in the Prayer Room from midnight to 6am, and also means I'm having a hell of a time adjusting to the schedule.  My friend is letting my crash in her room, so it works best with our schedule's being the same, but my body refuses to keep sleeping once the sun starts poking through the windows (we were never made to sleep in the day, after all).  Today I slept from 4am to 9am.  Yesterday it was 6:30am to 11:30am.  The lack of sleep is affecting my battle with depression and visa versa (e.g., I sobbed almost uncontrollably in the shower today for no apparent reason except that I was just that tired).  It hasn't even been two weeks yet, so hopefully I will adjust soon, or at least grow so exhausted that my body relents and allows me to sleep longer than 5 hours at a shot.  They say the human body can adjust to anything, so I'm testing that theory.  And as for handling the depression, I do my best to keep my attitude optimistic, even when I can't control my emotions (I can't explain how this is possible, but it is), and also by taking more B vitamins.  Friends and prayer also help, so does perspective.  Sleep, of course, would be ideal.  *sigh*


How I've Been Eating:
I'm the poorest I've been in a while, but I'm also eating the healthiest I have in a while.  I have successfully cut out junk food completely (with the exception of my guilty pleasure, Cinnamon Life cereal), and I'm eating my fair share of fruits and veggies every day.  Lots of fresh spinach, some kiwi fruit, bananas, blueberry juice blend, grapes, mmmmmmmango...., etc.  Water intake is still not where it should be, though... But I've completely cut out caffeine!  No more coffee, black tea, or soda.  And after only a week and a half, I feel so much better (despite my lack of sleep).  Detox was not pretty, though.  I was good friends with Mr. Porcelain for all of last week.  That's what I get for my poor (read: terrible) choices over the last month(s).


How I've Been Exercising:
Walking, push ups, pull ups, sit ups, pistols (I discovered them, too, Muse!  Aren't they great?  I think years of rollerblading and martial arts is what makes them so easiy), QMs, and messing around with an urban climber I met here.  I showed him some Parkour and he was impressed at the efficiency.  He would go to climb up something, and I would say, "Why not try it this way?"  Several times he laughed and called me a monkey.  It was a blast, and he's interested in Parkour.  We rarely get to hang out, so I don't know what will come of that, but we'll see.  I was trying to encourage him to practice rolls and safe landing.  He was good at going up, but not at coming back down, and that was making me a little nervous for him.  Then again, he's an urban climber.  It's easy to see why going up would be more his thing.  But what really struck me was the inefficiency of his movements, ones that I once used to use myself (I used to be more into climbing).  I was amazed at how my mindset towards the how of climbing had changed.

Oh, and speaking of climbing... I've been getting into (and out of) my friend's apartment by climbing the balcony.  Lots of fun, and a good upper body workout.  And my friend finds it amusing and doesn't complain, so I just continue to enjoy myself with that.  I did it just today on my way to the coffee shop, in fact.


I have a friend here who's into ninjitsu and climbing.  It would be pretty easy to get her into Parkour.  It would sure be nice to have someone to jam with, especially someone as good-natured and adventurous as her.

That's pretty much it. 


Now, as far as goals...

My push ups have increased dramatically.  I can do 20 in a row now, whereas before I could barely eek out 12.  I can do clapping push ups, and diamonds.  Diamonds, actually, feel easier than regular push ups, so that's weird.

I can very easily do 2 pull ups in a row, and am able to do 3 consistently, but I have to push myself and commit to it.  Soon 3 will be easy and I'll be moving on to 4...

I haven't tried a muscle up, but I can guess the results... Still, I recently tried some dips/muscle up negatives (on a shopping cart handle in line at Wal-Mart) and was surprised at my own strength, control, and balance.  I couldn't go all the way down into a full dip, but I got much closer (and with much more control) than I ever could before.  It's exciting when you begin to feel a noticeable difference.  Talk about encouraging!  I think it helped that I was having to be mindful that A) the cart had wheels, and B) I could tip it over and take a nasty fall (the cart was empty).  This forced me to keep my weight centered over the handle (and even slightly past it) much better than I ever have when trying this on monkey bars or other stationary objects.  Proper balance made all the difference and I'm making a mental note of that...


My rolls are getting slick.  Far from perfect, but far better than they were a month ago.  They're beginning to feel natural and second-nature.


I did a wall climb!  I did a catleap onto this wooden fence/wall and then popped right up on top of it.  I was stunned that my muscles actually responded when I sent the signal.  That never happened before!  It made me want to go do more push ups and dips right then.  Horray for a workout routine centered solely on bodyweight exercises.  It really works!

On a sad note, my kongs are all chicken-ish again.  *sigh*  Lack of practice has meant lost ground.  But, it's like playing "around the world" in basketball--hey, if you got there once and then get set back, you just have to trust that it wasn't a fluke and you'll be able to get there again.  And, if it was a fluke, work hard until it's not.


Alright, that's all you get for a while.  Peace out.

Nice, Laurie! Way to go!

Looks like some fabulous progress, there; keep it up!

As to the kongs... pffft. No worries. The critical thing is that your fundamental stuff is getting to be pretty slick: rolls, conditioning skills, etc. You can't build a house on a shaky foundation, after all. The kongs will come in their time. Your body is busy laying a solid foundation with the rolls et al, so it's likely put the kongs on hold for a bit. No need to hurry.

Remember how you used to struggle with diet? And now you're eating so well! Nice how you just sort of "did it." Good on you! I don't see a lot of protein in your list, though. Not sure if you just didn't mention it or if you're living on fruit and cinnamon Life alone. I hope it's the former. If it's the latter, please please please make sure you're getting lean protein. Fatty fish (tuna and salmon) are awesome as they also have Omega-3's; chicken and tofu are good too, and plenty cheap. Dairy products are also a great protein source; I eat 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 2 tablespoons of whey protein for breakfast every morning. Good stuff.

The water will come on its own too, as your body adjusts.

As to the sleep and the depression, I can totally relate. All I can suggest is that you keep doing what you're doing. Chamomile tea also helps (there is a wonderful chamomile-lavender blend out there called "Yellow and Blue" that is very calming). I would suggest a mindfulness practice as well, for the depression, but you're already engaging in that via your prayer vigils. Your body will adjust over time.

One thing I do for jetlag (when I travel east to west) is to force myself to stay awake through the time change, so I end up having a SUPER long day on my travel day, but then I crash hard at the "normal" bedtime in the new time zone and it sort of resets. That first day is really crappy though. So perhaps if you forced yourself to stay awake through a full day-night (which for you is reversed) cycle, it might help. Right now your body doesn't know when it's supposed to sleep so it's fumbling around with interpreting your body signals alongside the daylight signals it was used to working with.

Dud's suggestions about shutting out light are really helpful also. Invest in an eyebag or eyemask if you can. Even just a scarf lightly draped over your face (if it's a dark color) will help.

I'm sending good vibes your way in the meantime!

the prayer room last night of the top 11 good sides to not being able to sleep  number 11 was that i wouldn't have to wash my sheets as often, because i wasn't using them.

i also tried the tea suggestion, muse, and it really helped.  and as for your protein fears, i just didn't mention it.  cheese, peanutbutter, turkey, etc.  tuna is a good idea.  i'll take any excuse to eat tuna!

No, usually when I get up that early, I do a little bit of yoga so it loosens me up. But I only get up at 4 if I get a full 8-10 hours of sleep.

that said, today (tues) was legs.  i did squats, calf raises, pistols, jumping squats/landing practice, and one very pathetic wall sit.