# Lump Log



## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*Progress Photos*

I took some pictures today - expecting to be discouraged, but when I compared them to a month ago I think I see some improvement! I will share a crop of my stomach area, just because seeing is believing, and whatnot.

(also, I noticed I can now flex pectoral muscles in my chest. I never thought to look for those. Hahaha!)


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

I see the difference too!! It's a big difference! Nice work   hard work is showing


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

cuddle bun said:


> I see the difference too!! It's a big difference! Nice work   hard work is showing


Thank you for the affirmations. It really is surprisingly helpful to hear that.

Now you've seen my soft side. XD

*September 30*

*Lump Labor.*
Joggy jaunt:
1:30 run, 1:00 walk x3
2:00 run, 1:00 walk x2
2:30 run, 0:30 walk x1
0:30 run, 2:30 walk x1
1:30 run, 1:00 walk x1

Total: 13 minutes jogging, 9 minutes walking

That was really difficult. Next time I’m going to try to go for at least 2 minutes consistently. Yikes.

Fitness Blender:
Lower back stretching

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*Lump Digest.*
Brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

Roasted chicken (skin-on half breast + thigh) with goat cheese mashed potatoes & sauteed carrots (Blue Apron) - _estimated 790 calories_

Greek yogurt mixed with grape nuts, topped with mandarin orange - _estimated 400 calories_

Except for the coffee, I ended up fasting for 22 hours and only ate between 8pm and 11pm, and damn that chicken was spot-on. I definitely need to stick with higher fat, fiber and protein meals. It makes a big difference.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 1*

After yesterday’s run, my right hip hurt. I have a pronounced lateral pelvic rotation (you can even see it in the progress photos - the top of my hip bone is higher on one side), which pulls my right leg away from the hip socket. When I walk for extended periods my left leg is fatigued and my right hip hurts (I believe it is the iliofemoral ligament that is being hyperextended, as this ligament is stressed during hip extension). 

I’ve been going to a chiropractor, but so far he has almost zero advice for how to handle exercise besides “if it hurts don’t do it.” That advice doesn’t cut it for me. I’m going to get more serious about correcting this issue if I’m going to engage in high impact exercise.

I found a Pilates-based hip release routine where you *lay supine and press your femur into your hip socket from your knee, and rotate it inward and towards the opposite shoulder (adduct your leg into your hip) through a circular motion, first one direction and then the other, 10 - 20 times per leg*. I tried it, and it relaxed my hips substantially (a little painful on the left side, signaling tightness, which I’d expect due to the rotational tilt of the pelvis).

I should start holding stretches longer on my left leg and right side of my torso (such as obliques and glutes), and do more strength reps on my right leg and left torso to tighten those muscle groups. This should help correct my hips.

FUN FACT: From _The Anatomy of Exercise & Movement,_ weak hip abductors (specifically the tensor fasciae latae) cause the appearance of ‘saddle bags’ on the thighs - which I definitely have. *Hip abduction with the foot rotated inward* will specifically target that muscle (as well as the gluteus medius) to tone up the thighs. Whenever I do lateral leg raises rotated inward, the TFL burns like crazy after only about 8 reps! So, I guess that is something to work on if I want my thighs to be sexy instead of saggy.

In addition, targeting the gluteus medius can create a lovely pronounced ‘high’ hip. You can really see this shape in dancer Cheryl Burke as she is naturally curvy (my shape is very similar to hers, if I were fit at all).


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*Lastly, a note on squats:*

My femurs measure 21 inches (53 cm), my torso is 16 inches (41 cm), and my tibias are 15 inches (38 cm). I’m all femur! Looking into it, I found that long femurs can affect squat form (and also make you look terrible in maxi skirts). People with long femurs tend to:

-Do poorly on back squats, leaning forward to balance
-Do better with sumo squats (reducing the distance of the knees from the torso during the squat)
-Perform better on deadlifts

https://bretcontreras.com/how-femur-length-effects-squat-mechanics/
Picking the Squat thatâ€™s Right for You | Arnold Schwarzenegger

I check all those boxes. However, there are modifications for long-femured folk. If you stand on a platform to raise the heels (or simply raise your heels) during the squat, that allows for proper balancing, along with widening stance and turning out the knees.

Shit, I thought I was just super weak (well, I am weak, but not as weak as I thought!)

@cuddle bun how do your femurs look? Haha

*Lump Labor.*
Fitness Blender:
HIIT + lower body strength training

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20 seconds on, 10 seconds off x3 (tabata):
squats
 mt climber get ups 
star jumps 
squatted side steps 
reverse lunge

8 reps each, alternating:
ski squats/deadlifts (3 lbs... spaghetti jars...)
squats/deadlifts, hips rotated inward, 3 lbs
sumo squats/deadlifts, hips rotated outward, 3 lbs
curtsy lunges/side lunges

I did not get much benefit out of this routine. I wished I figured out the difficulties with squatting before I did this one. I seriously need to get some weights for deadlifts and arm exercises.

*Lump Digest.
*Brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

Steak on a bed of romaine with blue cheese dressing, tomato, cucumber, asiago and gorgonzola cheese; clam chowder, apple pie a la mode with caramel, hot tottie - _estimated 1,200 calories_

I fasted 24 hours, and I am so satisfied with that dinner - steak + greens is one of my favorites, and then that pie was a dream, and a hot alcoholic drink on a cold day... I am blissing out. One meal a day actually works very nice as long as it is not carb-heavy. The macros for my dinner work out to roughly 30-20-50 for carb-protein-fat percentages.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

Squirt said:


> *October 1*
> 
> After yesterday’s run, my right hip hurt. I have a pronounced lateral pelvic rotation (you can even see it in the progress photos - the top of my hip bone is higher on one side), which pulls my right leg away from the hip socket. When I walk for extended periods my left leg is fatigued and my right hip hurts (I believe it is the iliofemoral ligament that is being hyperextended, as this ligament is stressed during hip extension).
> 
> ...


RE: lateral pelvic rotation, I used to have that all the time and I hope u dont mind if I go off on a tangent about mine...I got mine to the point where it only appears under extreme stress (like after a very heavy workout) - not sure if yours will be like mine because I'm sure there are multiple causes but for me the thing that helped was to do trigger point release in every single muscle that attaches to my pelvis. It was a big project but it helped me a lot. for me the "keystone" problem muscles turned out to be my abs and psoas and when it comes back I can often make it go away by releasing those first. but on the first pass I had to release all the muscles that attach to my pelvis and then some more that don't- because the postural change in the pelvis has some postural side effect in my upper body too and then some upper body muscles wanted to be more stretchy to handle that change. and my chiropractor tells me one of my legs is a tiny bit longer than the other so that might be why I have to keep revisiting it.

long femurs yeah lol. I can touch my forehead with my knees if I round my back so that's about how long mine are. I would describe mine as moderately long compared to the rest of me. and my arms are long too. I have enough hip mobility and ankle mobility that my squat looks fine but of course my knees go way past my toes in the squat. I think people are gradually realizing that's a body proportion thing though. it was a bit frustrating for me when I was learning how to squat because people kept telling me anatomically impossible combinations of advice lol. like "your stance width is fine but your torso angle is too low and your knees go too far forward" - lol one or the other has to give. I don't get that advice from my current coach maybe because he also has long femurs which is great for me 

mine are long enough that my deadlifts will always be my best lift but not as long as, say, Kim Walford or Laura Rinke (they both have an amazing deadlift too). I have long arms too which also helps deadlifts.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

cuddle bun said:


> RE: lateral pelvic rotation, I used to have that all the time and I hope u dont mind if I go off on a tangent about mine...I got mine to the point where it only appears under extreme stress (like after a very heavy workout) - not sure if yours will be like mine because I'm sure there are multiple causes but for me the thing that helped was to do trigger point release in every single muscle that attaches to my pelvis. It was a big project but it helped me a lot. for me the "keystone" problem muscles turned out to be my abs and psoas and when it comes back I can often make it go away by releasing those first. but on the first pass I had to release all the muscles that attach to my pelvis and then some more that don't- because the postural change in the pelvis has some postural side effect in my upper body too and then some upper body muscles wanted to be more stretchy to handle that change. and my chiropractor tells me one of my legs is a tiny bit longer than the other so that might be why I have to keep revisiting it.
> 
> long femurs yeah lol. I can touch my forehead with my knees if I round my back so that's about how long mine are. I would describe mine as moderately long compared to the rest of me. and my arms are long too. I have enough hip mobility and ankle mobility that my squat looks fine but of course my knees go way past my toes in the squat. I think people are gradually realizing that's a body proportion thing though. it was a bit frustrating for me when I was learning how to squat because people kept telling me anatomically impossible combinations of advice lol. like "your stance width is fine but your torso angle is too low and your knees go too far forward" - lol one or the other has to give. I don't get that advice from my current coach maybe because he also has long femurs which is great for me
> 
> mine are long enough that my deadlifts will always be my best lift but not as long as, say, Kim Walford or Laura Rinke (they both have an amazing deadlift too). I have long arms too which also helps deadlifts.


Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into the trigger point release. 

Haha, I suspected you had long femurs. The first link about it I posted has a picture of a girl squatting with long femurs, and I felt so much better seeing that. I was trying so hard not to have my knees go over my toes, and would naturally lean forward. I learned that was wrong, so I tried to stay straight, and I'd fall backwards. I thought I was just supposed to compensate for being off balance through strength alone! After evaluating my posture for ski squat, "normal" squat, and sumo squat, I've decided I should stick with a sumo squat based on my current level of strength because I cannot do a full deep squat at all (mobility is not the issue, but quads strength), and/or use other exercises to target the quads/knee extensors for the time being.

Those two lifters you mentioned are all legs. XD


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

Squirt said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into the trigger point release.
> 
> Haha, I suspected you had long femurs. The first link about it I posted has a picture of a girl squatting with long femurs, and I felt so much better seeing that. I was trying so hard not to have my knees go over my toes, and would naturally lean forward. I learned that was wrong, so I tried to stay straight, and I'd fall backwards. I thought I was just supposed to compensate for being off balance through strength alone! After evaluating my posture for ski squat, "normal" squat, and sumo squat, I've decided I should stick with a sumo squat based on my current level of strength because I cannot do a full deep squat at all (mobility is not the issue, but quads strength), and/or use other exercises to target the quads/knee extensors for the time being.
> 
> Those two lifters you mentioned are all legs. XD


well...just be careful with that sumo squat. especially with the lateral pelvic rotation. I got an adductor strain a few years back because the person who was helping me with my squat was wayyyyyy too insistent about "knees behind toes" and the only stance where that's possible for me to do that is very wide, and after a few months of training that stance along with my lateral pelvic rotation which I had not fixed yet at the time, I had a lovely adductor strain. When the pelvis is not totally aligned on the spine then some muscles are stretched past their limit and the wide stance made that problem even worse for me.

if I could go back in time I would tell that person to fuck off with his "knees behind toes" advice lol. I mean Olympic lifters squat with knees past toes all the time even if their body proportions allow other options. and they are fine. I think "knees behind toes" advice is outdated or maybe I'm just unhappy with the person who used that advice to corner me into an uncomfortably wide stance and an adductor strain and then of course he blamed it on me even though I was relying on him for info about injury prevention at that time in my life.

since then I've read that the best squat stance for you is the one that you land in if you jump as high as you can and then land softly going into a full squat. that's my squat stance now and I'm much happier with it. my knees are about 6 inches past my toes in the bottom of the squat and my butt almost touches the floor and I am injury-free.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

cuddle bun said:


> well...just be careful with that sumo squat. especially with the lateral pelvic rotation. I got an adductor strain a few years back because the person who was helping me with my squat was wayyyyyy too insistent about "knees behind toes" and the only stance where that's possible for me to do that is very wide, and after a few months of training that stance along with my lateral pelvic rotation which I had not fixed yet at the time, I had a lovely adductor strain. When the pelvis is not totally aligned on the spine then some muscles are stretched past their limit and the wide stance made that problem even worse for me.
> 
> if I could go back in time I would tell that person to fuck off with his "knees behind toes" advice lol. I mean Olympic lifters squat with knees past toes all the time even if their body proportions allow other options. and they are fine. I think "knees behind toes" advice is outdated or maybe I'm just unhappy with the person who used that advice to corner me into an uncomfortably wide stance and an adductor strain and then of course he blamed it on me even though I was relying on him for info about injury prevention at that time in my life.
> 
> since then I've read that the best squat stance for you is the one that you land in if you jump as high as you can and then land softly going into a full squat. that's my squat stance now and I'm much happier with it. my knees are about 6 inches past my toes in the bottom of the squat and my butt almost touches the floor and I am injury-free.


I appreciate the warning. I am still trying to figure these things out, so hearing about your experience is helpful. Sumo is pretty comfortable for me because my hip adductors are very flexible - as a kid I could do the "butterfly" stretch and konk my head on the floor with my heels tucked all the way in. I can't go quite that far these days but pretty close. I don't know if that will make a difference, but I am trying to be cautious (fucked up on that today, though, trying to do curls with skillets - see below. Hahaha, I am a loser).

*October 2*

*Lump Labor.*
Fitness Blender:
Cardio warm-up, 50 sec on, 10 sec off:
warrior lunges
2 toe touch kicks + squat
3 high knees + high kick
walk down to plank + side planks, alternating
half push up move into child pose
bicycle crunches
back bows
3 flutterkicks + 2 leg pulls
bridge

Upper body
10x reps each:
lateral raises, 1.5 lb sauce jars
tricep extensions, 6 lb cast iron skillet
ventral raises, 1.5 lb sauce jars
bicep curls, 6 lb cast iron skillets
close shoulder presses, 1.5 lb sauce jars
tricep kick backs, 1.5 lb sauce jars
dumbbell (sauce jar) “jerks”, 1.5 lb sauce jars
over hand curls, 1.5 lb sauce jars
arm circles (forward and reverse), 1.5 lb sauce jars
tricep dips, bodyweight
stretching

50 sec on, 10 sec off:
tricep dips, bodyweight
side planks, alternating
reclined rhomboid squeezes
side push ups
arm circles, forward and reverse, no weight
half push ups
pike (downward dog) push ups

Pilates
imprint
toe taps
prone leg extensions
swimmers (level 3)
back bows (level 2)
hundreds (level 1, 2, 3)

cool down stretching

I’m not going to post the videos anymore because I want to see what I am doing, and sometimes I make modifications compared to the video. Using skillets was a bad idea - I hurt tendons in my elbow because I couldn’t hold them properly for bicep curls. I finally picked up some 3 lb weights to work with.

*Lump Digest.*
Brewed coffee with half and half - estimated 70 calories

Mom’s tuna noodle casserole, cranberry sauce, sauteed summer squash - estimated 620 calories

Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream - estimated 320 calories

I didn’t eat the way I’d have preferred today, but I’m not going to say no to mom’s dinner! She wanted to try Pilates with me, so we followed the first video I did for Pilates - surprisingly, I found that video to be super easy to follow, when the first time I did it a month ago I struggled with everything. My mom couldn’t make it through the entire set, but I’m inspiring her, which is so strange but also pretty neat. We had a good time.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

your mom's dinner sounds amazing   ugh I want it. lol. I guess I'm feeling my calorie deficit today because every mention of food sounds soooooooo good haha.

I am glad the sumo squat stance is comfortable for you


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 3*

I ate after midnight, so I’m including that in October 3rd. I felt like I didn’t eat enough and I really needed some food.










Don't worry, nothing happened.

*Lump Labor.*
Fitness Blender:
Pilates (10 reps)
Imprint
Toe Taps (Levels 1 & 2)
Hundreds (Levels 1-3)
Breast Stroke
Heel Taps
Heel Tap Pulses
3 Way Side Leg Raises - Toes down and up
Small Leg Circles
Large Leg Circles
Bridge
Seated Straight Leg Lift

Much needed Yoga-based stretching:
Wide stance toe touch twist
Twisted lunge
Downward dog steps
Pigeon
Modified pigeon
Cat to cow
Child's pose
Tuck with extension
Bird dog
Cobra
Torso twist
Full body stretch

I am pretty fatigued. I didn’t eat enough yesterday, and my body did not want to do the things - not for lack of motivation or because of exhaustion, but there was little to give. I wanted to run today, but thought I better rest. Tomorrow will be a rest day.

*Lump Digest.*
shredded wheat with milk, peanut butter - _estimated 310 calories_ (12am)

Brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

Beef and asparagus stir-fry with garlic sauce, egg drop soup with soy sauce, pork fried rice, unsweetened tea, fortune cookie - _estimated 500 calories_

Beef medallions, mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with gravy, water with a splash of cranberry juice - _estimated 680 calories_

“Lunch” was kind of a mistake (way too much salt) but I kept the portions small so I could recover from it. I was having trouble making decisions - again, I think I’m fatigued from not eating enough and doing too much yesterday, but I don’t want to get carried away overeating. Who knows how accurate my rough estimates for calories are.

I need to be patient if I’m going to both try to build muscle and also lose weight. Who came up with this system.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 4*

*Lump Labor.*
I didn’t want to rest - so I did a short, light workout anyway. I was glad I did because about half-way through I felt great again.. like America? :frustrating:

Fitness Blender: Cardio and upper body
warmup
30 sec on, 10 sec off, A/B strength w/ 3 lb weights, C cardio, x2:
tricep dips/bicep curls/half push up with shoulder touch
chest fly/reverse fly/plank rows
ventral + lateral raise/dumbbell pullovers/fly jack (stepping to avoid pissing off downstairs neighbors)
pike push up/arms circles forward + reverse/mt climbers (stepping - I’m so polite)
cool down stretch

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

leftover beef and asparagus stir-fry with garlic sauce, pork fried rice - _estimated 490 calories_

grape nuts cereal mixed with greek yogurt and topped with apple -_ estimated 440 calories_

The grape nuts and yogurt thing is pretty damn good for an instant fiber and iron boost with a bonus of probiotics in the form of lactic acid bacteria and yeast which can munch on said fiber to prevent bloating and inflammation, producing short chain fatty acids like acetate and shit that does all this good stuff for the GI tract, I’m told (thanks @Veggie).

I did this one day because I didn’t have milk for my cereal, but apparently research backs me up. For some reason, the texture is very satisfying as the cereal softens slightly in the acidic yogurt. Apples to sweeten it add more vitamins and fiber - maybe even @Sylarz fifty-two banaughnaughs he eats in a day would do. Yum!


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 5*

*Lump Labor.*
10x reps, 1 set:
lunges
“deadlifts” with 6 lbs (need more weight)
squats
side lunges
calf raises with 6 lbs
leg raises
bridge

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

pork satay with peanut sauce, stir fry prawns with cashews, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas and baby corn in oyster sauce, jasmine rice, rose petal tea - _estimated 670 calories_

I’ve been doing this Fitness Blender program which includes workouts that I simply cannot do. I suspect central core disease is why I have so much trouble with my quads and glutes; the exercises that engage them heavily.

Modifications for these exercises recommend going shallow if you don’t have the strength/flexibility for them, but when I do that I feel like I’m not doing anything to work those groups - but when I go lower I collapse. It feels totally different from other muscle groups, such are the core, back, lower legs, and arms. The calf exercises, leg raises, and bridge are the only ones that I felt a good burn on. Working them is hard but doable.

*Note on CCD *

It is difficult to describe the contrast in sensations - when my quads are worked, they don’t burn, they tingle like when a limb falls asleep. The mechanism of CCD is a calcium receptor disruption in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of the muscle cells that does not allow muscle fibers to contract correctly.

I haven’t researched into my disease for a long time, so I decided to check up on the current research. In the last two years, I’m seeing studies cropping up saying that a potassium leak is the reason for the muscle weakness. Before, the claim was calcium was “leaky” or improperly timed for release in skeletal muscle due to the RyR1 (ryanodine receptor 1) mutation. The findings are that a high potassium diet may alleviate symptoms. Researchers are even looking into medications that assist with “potassium homeostasis”. Huh. No one cared about this disease 10 years ago!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4309926/



> Serum potassium levels can be increased through diet (Christensen et al., 2010) or with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalapril (Cleland et al., 1985). Therefore, we asked whether these treatments might decrease K+ ion permeability in muscle and whether this could ameliorate the physiological and pathological symptoms of the myopathy in Ryr1AG/+ mice. To test these hypotheses, Ryr1AG/+ and Ryr1+/+ mice were weaned onto 0.6% K+ (level of potassium in standard mouse chow), and four weeks later, when muscle weakness is already observed (Figure 1B,C), they were given either 5.2% K+ diet or enalapril (0.02 mg/ml in drinking water) for an additional four weeks (Figure 6—figure supplement 1, for blood pressure readings). Examination of soleus muscle fibers from these mice showed that internal potassium concentrations were increased inRyr1AG/+ soleus fibers, similar to wild-type, following 5.2% K+ diet (145 ± 22 mM compared to 147 ± 20 mM; Figure 6A) or with enalapril (147 ± 18 mM compared to 148 ± 25 mM; Figure 6A). As noted in Figure 1, weakness in 2-month old Ryr1AG/+ mice on 0.6% K+ diets was clearly evident with an ∼50% reduction in grip strength and inability to hang onto the wire, but in line with our hypothesis,Ryr1AG/+ mice treated with enalapril showed a significant improvement in the wire hanging task (Figure 6B,C). *Most dramatically, the 5.2% K+ diet rescued muscle strength in Ryr1AG/+ mice (Figure 6B,C). Thus, potassium supplementation and an FDA-approved drug can rescue muscle weakness in mice carrying the Ryr1AG mutation.*


Where are those banaughnaughs? LOL. WHAAT.

Sure, they only did it on mice and rats, but I’ll take it. This warrants more investigation... too much potassium can be bad on the heart, so it's not like I can go out and slam a bunch of potassium supplements and see what happens. :nonchalance:


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 6*

*Lump Labor.*
Arms and shoulders
Warm up stretching
45 sec on, 15 sec off:
tripod rows, 3 lbs
bird dogs
tripod fly, 3 lbs
back bows, elbows pulled behind back
overhead press behind head, 3 lbs
bent over ventral raise, 3 lbs
cool down stretches for upper body

Pilates legs
12 reps:
single leg toe tap
ventral leg stretch (double pulse)
ventral leg stretch (single pulse)
quad extension + leg circles
side kick (double pulse) + side leg lift toes forward + toes upward + inside leg lift (10 pulses)
prone leg lift + hamstring curl
seated leg lift
cool down stretches for legs/hips

These exercises are very refreshing for me because they do not require me to lift or hold my own full body weight (which I cannot do well yet with exercises like squats, lunges, mt climbers, etc), but do involve stretching the antagonist of an engaged muscle as it does work from the opposite gravitational pull it experiences in the usual position of standing/sitting (lots of supine with legs up, and prone with arms down). This has a rebalancing feel to it.

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

west african peanut soup - _estimated 300 calories_

crispy buttermilk catfish, roasted delicata squash and sauteed kale (Blue Apron) - _estimated 650 calories_


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 7*

*Lump Labor.*
Pilates
warm up
10 - 12 reps:
toe taps, level I, II, II
supine leg extensions, single + double leg
swimmers, level I, II
back bow
breast stroke
heel taps
double leg lifts
leg pulses
double leg pulses
side leg raise, toes down, forward, up
leg raise + extension
inside thigh raise
bridge, 20 reps
bridge with 6 lbs weight on abdomen, 10 reps
cool down stretching

This workout took an hour, and I was spent. It was very hard. I feel like I’m learning how to modify exercises to make them work for me without going too far - it is a challenge to figure out how to push myself without making the movement impossible for me to handle at my current level, because just “trying harder” at the too-high level results in no gains what-so-ever. 

With the bridge, I added the weight after I realized I could not do a bridge on one leg, but doing a normal bridge was too easy, for instance. With the weight, it was the perfect level of difficulty (also funny, 6 lbs is about how much I’ve lost in the last 3 weeks).

I’ve been experimenting with trigger points after cuddle bun’s suggestions, and found rolling the (quite handy) dumbbells over the length of the hamstrings and calves iron out a lot of cramps that happen during these exercises on the “short” leg of my pelvic rotation. I have not found any release points in my hip area, but the hamstrings attach at both the hip and knee, and it is the knee end that tweaks out when the hamstrings are flexed (may be the secondary knee flexors).

I’ve been concentrating on keep my pelvis level when I stand and walk through the day, and I think it is working. The stretching and exercises I’m doing through the hips may be why I can “self-adjust”. I will be seeing a chiropractor tomorrow, and I’ll be curious if he validates this at all.

Another note: I weigh 134 lbs today, and lost 1 inch off my waist! My thighs, butt, and legs look totally different than they did a month ago. I have never been this “fit” looking, even when I weighed 120 lbs in high school. One thing I’ve discovered is I might be more of an hourglass shape than pear - my shoulders are pretty broad, and now that I’ve toned my thighs, my shoulders are wider than my hips, but my hips are still curvy. That is essentially hourglass, I guess (shoulders measure 38 in circumference, hips are 41 inches, but that includes my butt). Who knew.

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

cottage cheese with olive oil and cherry tomatoes, roasted almonds, shredded wheat - _estimated 460 calories_

stupid granola bar - _100 calories_

lamb ragu, caponata with crostini, tiramisu, glass of red wine - _estimated 1,030 calories_

I ate quite a bit going out to a nice restaurant, but I actually ate less than I normally would. I’m not worried about it because I haven’t eaten a lot over the entire week, and I did a pretty difficult workout today that had me sweating and shaking from the intensity of it.

The first meal I had was a bit of an experiment. I am developing an idea that a meal should be composed of “digestibles” and “indigestibles”, i.e. fat, sugar, but also plant-material and fiber, at an appropriate size meal for the time spent eating it. I’m reframing it this way because what I’ve discovered is that too much of either one (like a bowl of beans or a bowl of pasta) results in sluggishness, bloating, tiredness, feeling heavy, etc. 

The idea is that I’m feeding both myself and my gut microbes in such a way that no sudden proliferation of any one type of bacteria occurs that produces gas or creates a large load for my gut/liver to process at once, resulting in inflammation. The shredded wheat in the meal was the bulk of the fiber content, which I ate after evaluating how I felt eating the high fat/protein meal 15 minutes earlier. I started to feel heavy and nauseated, then I ate the shredded wheat and it went away.

I don’t know if this makes sense, but whenever I’ve done this (also with the yogurt and grape nuts), it works well for having no bloating or feeling bad after a meal - so I’m gonna keep doing it.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 8*

*Lump Labor.*
warm up
2 sets:
reverse leg lift extension, 20 reps
downward dog w/ leg arcs, 10 reps
bridge, 6 lbs weight, 20 reps
standing leg lift pulse, 40 reps
side leg raise + extension, 10 reps
pilates leg circles small + big, 10 reps

40 seconds on, 15 seconds off:
reverse leg lift
leg lift extension pulses
crossover leg lift
leg lift circles
hamstring pulls
back bows
hold back bow 40 seconds

cool down leg stretches

I really burned out on the glutes/hams/quads. My legs have bruises on them from yesterday which looks like random bleed spots in my quads, and my knee joints need some down time. And my butt is sore. I will focus on upper body tomorrow.

I’m still trying to learn trigger point release. I realized that even though I can consciously straighten my pelvis and it takes less concentration to do that, my torso is still compensating by leaning in my thoracic region, which I cannot detect by feel alone - so I need to release the tightness somehow. I am sensitive to touch in what appears to be the multifidus on the left “bunched up” side, and tried to release that today (it felt great and I can bend that side easier). However, I am not sure where this will go. Still processing...

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with whole milk - _estimated 40 calories_

steak and cheddar panini with tomato-basil bread, turkey cranberry spinach flatbread, squash soup, herbal tea, sipping chocolate made with almond milk - _estimated 1,020 calories_


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

multifidus- when I am sensitive or sore there then on me it's a symptom that I need to release my abs or psoas. (also my abs and psoas are usually the worst offenders when my pelvis gets stuck out of alignment don't know if it's the same for you though).

some other muscles that tighten up around my pelvis repeatedly are my TFLs, gluteus medius/minimus, and piriformis - those I can get by lying on top of a firm smooth ball either a 4" ball or a lacrosse ball size and it feels really painful but great - but then if I don't release my abs and psoas at the same time then the effect of working on the others doesn't last very long at all (hours vs. maybe weeks if I got my psoas and abs thoroughly released at the same time)

yours might be different though so I don't mean this in a "do it!" kind of way


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 9*

*Lump Labor.*
Rest day

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with whole milk - _estimated 40 calories_

greek yogurt with granola - _estimated 420 calories_

roasted Italian chicken sausage, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and anaheim pepper with farro and yogurt sauce, hot apple cider - _estimated 800 calories_

I needed to rest today. I felt like I might become ill if I didn’t rest and eat well. I’ve been pushing pretty hard the last few days.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

rest days are important! glad you got a good one 

Your food sounds amazing.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 10*

*Lump Labor.*
warm up
45 sec on, 10 sec rest:
lateral steps + reaches
“deadlift” + twists
side lunge toe touch
dumbbell chops (3 lbs)
stutter step pulls
high knee twists
twist + knee
standing jackknife

2 sets, 10 reps upper body strength, 20 reps ab/oblique exercises:
chest press 3 lbs + toe touch crunch
bentover row 3 lbs + back bow
overhead press 3 lbs + russian twist
dumbbell pullovers 6 lbs + bicycle crunch
overhead tricep extension 6 lbs + side hip raise (L)
bicep curl 6 lbs + side hip raise (R)
cool down stretching

I still felt out of it when I started this routine, but pushed through it was some extra total body warmup movements to remind my body that moving around is good. About half way through the strength exercises I started to feel like myself again. Phew.

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

banana, roasted Italian chicken sausage, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and anaheim pepper with farro and yogurt sauce - _estimated 775 calories_

macaroni & cheese, tuna with mayo and flax, spring mix salad with cherry tomatoes, roasted almonds and blue cheese with balsamic vinegarette - _estimated 700 calories_

I’ve been eating more lately, but I lost a pound today. When I hit 130 lbs maybe I’ll take a picture. I also ran into a desk today and bruised my leg something fierce. Apparently I'm not getting more coordinated, haha.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 11*

*Lump Labor.*
warm up
2 rounds, 50 sec on, no rest:
walk down burpee + front kick
back bow + toe touch crunch
ski squat + side leg lift
half side plank (L)
half side plank (R)
bicycle crunch
bridge, 6 lbs
lateral toe touch step
front + rear kick
cool down stretching

It doesn’t look like much, but with no rest and doing 2 sets my legs were like jelly, I was breathing hard and sweating (my body never sweats much - I physically give out before I start pouring out the pores, but maybe that is poor cardiovascular health, hoho).

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

banana, roasted Italian chicken sausage, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and anaheim pepper with farro and yogurt sauce - _estimated 775 calories_

greek yogurt with olive oil, grape nuts, strawberries, almonds and apple - _estimated 600 calories_

Back up to 135 lbs. Well, at least I’m hovering around 135 now instead of 140. That is still forward progress!


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 12*

*Lump Labor.*
warm up
40 sec on, 10 sec off, 2 sets:
bicep curl, 6 lbs / overhead triceps extension, 6 lbs
dumbbell drop, 3 lbs / overhead press bridge, 3 lbs
bent over ventral-lateral fly, 3 lbs / chest fly, 3 lbs
alternating warrior lunge / up dog + down dog
triceps pushup (half) to child pose / plank reach
downward dog knee tuck / rotating lunge

40 sec on, 10 sec off, 4 sets:
push ups (half)
reverse fly, 3 lbs
bicep hammer curls, 6 lbs
overhead press, 3 lbs
cool down stretching

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

dried banana and coconut bites, kale & butternut squash salad, thai chicken coconut curry soup, kombucha - _estimated 710 calories_

pork chops with mashed potatoes and collard greens - _estimated 740 calories_

I’m starting to feel heavy. I think I’m going to take it easy on the quantity of food again for a while. I’ve still been eating my first meal between 1 - 5pm and second between 6 - 9pm. I should shoot for around 1300 - 1400 calories but I’ve been eating more like 1500 - 1600, and it really makes a difference as to feeling too full. I haven’t had any problems with bloating lately, but last night after dinner the old feeling of “too much in my system” and bloating started to come back.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

*October 13*

*Lump Labor.*
warm up
45 sec on, 15 sec off:
tripod rows, 3 lbs
bird dogs
tripod flys, 3 lbs
back bow (elbows raised behind head)
overhead press behind ears, 3 lbs
bent over ventral raise, 3 lbs
Pilates, 10 - 12 reps:
single leg toe tap
leg stretch (double + single pulse)
supine leg extension
leg circles forward + reverse (small)
side kicks (double pulse forward)
side leg lift
inside leg lift (pulses)
prone leg lift + hamstring curl
seated leg lift

cool down stretching

It is really neat to go back and do exercises that I was unable to complete before and to find them significantly easier - those leg lifts left my thighs cramped and burning like a mother after only 5 reps a couple weeks ago, and now I can do 12 reps without much effect. I think it may be time to get ankle weights. It’s nice to have a little validation that I am getting stronger. Still can’t do one fucking squat properly though.

*Lump Digest.*
brewed coffee with half and half - _estimated 70 calories_

banana coconut bites, tom yum soup, thai basil chicken with mushroom, peppers, onion and carrot, rose petal tea - _estimated 730 calories_

beef bolognese with penne, cranberry juice - _estimated 600 calories_

I've been fighting the urge to eat large quantities. Too many carbs again, but ... I just want to keep eating no matter what I'm eating, even though I know it will cause indigestion if I do. I am focusing on getting back to that 1300 cal to keep this under control...


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

I've been thinking for the last few days of not logging in this thread anymore. The initial purpose was to help keep me accountable and motivated (I have to post everyday, and so I better do something!). However, since I've started, I have developed good habits for exercise that I didn't think I would develop. I've lost 7 lbs since the beginning of the log, too. Since I enjoy and crave exercise now, and I've gotten my overeating pretty much under control, I don't feel the need to log anymore (plus it is time consuming where I could just be exercising more, haha).

So from here, I will not be tracking my every move - although I might come back to it at a later time. I will still be reading other poster's logs! 

Thanks for the support @cuddle bun and @Veggie!


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## Veggie (May 22, 2011)

Squirt said:


> I've been thinking for the last few days of not logging in this thread anymore. The initial purpose was to help keep me accountable and motivated (I have to post everyday, and so I better do something!). However, since I've started, I have developed good habits for exercise that I didn't think I would develop. I've lost 7 lbs since the beginning of the log, too. Since I enjoy and crave exercise now, and I've gotten my overeating pretty much under control, I don't feel the need to log anymore (plus it is time consuming where I could just be exercising more, haha).
> 
> So from here, I will not be tracking my every move - although I might come back to it at a later time. I will still be reading other poster's logs!
> 
> Thanks for the support @cuddle bun and @Veggie!


Congrats on meeting goals so far  I appreciate the support too! It's nice to have some people on a journey with you.


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## Squirt (Jun 2, 2017)

A short update.

I am exercising every other day, for about an hour and half, doing a mix of strength, cardio and Pilates. I stopped IF, at least in terms of forcing myself to wait to eat, because I have a much better understanding of what it means to be hungry or just in the habit of eating. There were times with the IF where I was low energy and getting sick because I needed to eat but could not eat enough in the short time window, and that seemed to also slow my metabolic rate. I no longer restrict myself, either with macros or time, when I know I am hungry (I am still not overeating, and not overindulging in sweets, trying to eat "wholesome" foods mainly).

Since I have stopped restricting how I eat, along with exercising frequently, I find I have a lot of new energy. I don't want to be sedentary for long periods, and I jump around my furniture because it is fun. I am so much more flexible and nimble, like being a kid again. I remember the joy of movement.

I have been stable at 133 lbs, my goal is 130 lbs. I am getting pretty toned. I still want more definition through my thighs, calves, arms, back and stomach, so I am going to up the strength training part of my routines by adding more weight.

Chugga on, everyone.


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