JustStuffAndPicsToShare

helenpain

Heya ppl!

I guess a journal like this is a great way to keep track of my accmplishments and vent the feelings when I'm down in the dumps. I also feel like I lack the picture upload option so whatever I've got to show you I'll be showing it here. I'm starting the journal when I'm only 2 days in, but I hope it's gonna be a long-term relationship

So What do we have here?

- 73 kgs (161 lbs) with a kinda OK lower and bulky upper body. At least10 kgs (22 lbs) to shed. Not that much, still challenging.
- Eats too much chocholate and is on a 30day no candy challenge at the moment. Also likes nice beer with greasy snacks(
- Works out in the gym, likes to think she is strong and cool but as a matter of fact the weights are not that impressing and the looks would never make you think she lifts (or rather is trying to).

It's just the starting point and I hope one day this is gonna be my "before" picture

Chaagy

Rock hand sign. So cool!

helenpain

Today's the third day on MFP and the first day without sweets and unfortunatelly I still can do this with my belly.

kettiecat

^^^so I'm not the only one who does this

helenpain

Banya in a nutshell: the temperature is only 60-80 C (to compare: Finnish sauna 100-120 C, Turkish bath 30-50 C), but the humidity is 40-60% (to compare: Finnish sauna 20%, Turkish bath 90%). So it's hot and wet (LostCowBoy say hi if you're reading this and I find our banya the hardest to spend a lot of time in.
As a kid I would literary become short of breath and dizzy after a couple of minutes, but this time we spent there about an hour in 7 goes.

Also there's this birch or oak whisk which is an integral part of the process.
You whole body just gets slightly slapped with it and the smell is fantastic.

And finally the ice hole! Now most banyas will offer you just an outdoor pool, but this one was sorta cool because it has its located on the river bank and has its own river ice hole. The temperature was about 0 but the snow and the ice haven't really melted yet. It was terribly slippery though.

To be honst I was really afraid to dive for the first time but it turned out that when your body is hot after the banya and you have no time to hesitate it's not that hard to go for it. And sure you have to be tipsy)
So I did 2 half dives without head submerging and 2 proper ones. Not to get sick you have to spend enough time inside the banya before the dive and I guess it worked cause I feel totally fine today (except I'm a lil hungover and have bruises on both of my legs).

So now I feel really accomplished, even though the whole thing was no struggle at all and it was so much fun)

pansamanchada

Wow this is super cool. Thanks for sharing!

smiphette

I could not brave that ice. Congrats on your accomplishment.

50extra

Nice work. The annual river dive here (siberia) was about a week and a half ago. Some of the interpretors asked if I wanted to go but the idea of getting in 0 degree water in -38 didn't appeal to me even though I am sure they had the bonya heated right up.

Congrats on doing that, I was too chicken.

helenpain

I got this tracker band and now I feel way more motivated to walk when I would normally just lay around chilling. So today we were having a walk in the fields in the countryside and even though it's quite chilly now I really enjoyed it. Gonna walk more now!

pansamanchada

helenpain wrote: »

Very peculiar way of looking at the water but ok lol
Nicely done! so you are a convert now eh? I remember you had reservations about the whole activity tracker thing

helenpain

pansamanchada wrote: »

Nicely done! so you are a convert now eh? I remember you had reservations about the whole activity tracker thing

I still don't think it can actually make you lose weight faster, but it's fun and I wanted one since I saw everyone use Fitbit here, it's just that you probably shouldn't think of it as a placebo

helenpain

So it's been 50 days and here's some progress pics. I dunno but it doesn't look much different, yet I can def see a tiny bit of change)

PrimalJillian

I can see a shift in your arms, waist and upper back. Good job!

smiphette

Great progress!

helenpain

Took another countyside walk today, this time in the woods. Hope walking's gonna be an integral part of this spring and summer)

WifiresGettingFit

Love the pictures! The weather is still crappy here but once the sun shines again I plan on walking!

helenpain

Finally some pics from our Kalmykia trip. About 500 miles from where I live Russia is really different.
Got to see one of the most famous monuments in Russia "the Motherland calls" dedicated to great patriotic war. The whole place is just incredible.

Stayed in the prairie for awhile. It feels wierd when you know it's the only tree for miles. Actually it was supposed to be a tulop blossom festival, but we missed the date so locals trated us with some quality moonshine hahaha.



The fog was so thick in the morning and it was freezing so I felt like I was in Silent Hill or something.


And in the end we dropped in to Elista to check out the biggest buddist temple in europe.

During there 2 days I took about 40K steps and I slept almost 14 hours when we finally got home, but I'm so happy I had a chance to spend my weekend this way.

LottieStanley

Wow thanks for sharing

helenpain

So this is the progress on the 100th day on MFP. Not bad, but I can do better!

helenpain

It's 62.5 and I'm still not happy about the upper body ugh.

WifiresGettingFit

You look great!