Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Extreme Fat Farm 4

The Lake was too warm today. How bizarre. How can it be that a great big lake like Lake Simcoe can actually become warm???

Perhaps there is a good side to this....that if I actually feel the water being too warm, that this might just mean that my body is becoming more acclimated, in a good way, to spending significant time in lake water.

Perhaps also, this is the first day I actually have a tiny bit of understanding what Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss struggle with, in seeking out very icy water for ice cold baths, to shock their systems regularly into higher performance mode.

I never thought I would understand the attraction to going into ice cold water. To me it was always something to run away from. But my experience this summer with the mental and physical rejuvenation I attribute to regular walks in the cool lake water, has changed my mind.

Do you have extreme ways you use to boost you into a high performance mode?
Do share.

Peace,
Carla.

P.S. If you're looking for some entertainment that will also double as a motivational speech, try the two following biographical flicks currently on Netflix...by the names of "Kim Swims" and "The Iron Cowboy".


Extreme Fat Farm 3

Yes yes yes....you've noticed I am not politically correct when I talk about "fat-ness".
The reason being....that yes, I have been there and done that myself....live and in living color.


I have faced almost every obstacle that any other overweight human being has or is facing.

That's why I refuse to sugar coat it....for lack of a better word.

Here are some of the obstacles that are being overcome
as the Extreme Fat Farm Challenge continues with 
Epic Lake Walks.

DISCLAIMER: This blog post, as well as any other post in this blog is  intended for conversational purposes only, not for medical advice. Please always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner. Any exercise discussed in this blog post or any other post on this blog should be approved by your medical practitioner before undertaking. Use proper water safety and supervision
when in or near lake water at all times. Use a life jacket if recommended for your condition by your doctor and/or the lifeguards.

Obstacle: When humans are overweight or obese, there are usually blood sugar control issues that creep into the state of the body. These sugar issues can dramatically impact regular daily life and also the ability or willingness to participate in hard core exercise. When an obese person has trouble with his/her body regulating it's blood sugar levels, he/she may be extremely fearful of engaging in hard exercise because he/she may rightly fear the potential for a "low blood sugar crisis".
A low blood sugar episode can  trigger a fainting spell and a mental and emotional panic while he/she scrambles to supply to his/her body the blood sugar  boost it needs as quickly as possible.
Answer:
I don't know the proper medically correct answer for this......but for me, it has worked in my favor simply to power through that fear and do the exercise anyway.....but in the gentleness of cool lake water, while trying to make sure I have a sweet snack on hand to boost the blood sugar after the hard core exercise is done....such as with a melted freezie on hand in my bag by the lake.

Obstacle: Worrying about appearances when you may have been hiding from showing your body in public for years....or at least for what seems like years.
Answer: Do it anyway. Despite what we may feel about our "imperfect" physiques.....it
really doesn't matter what any other human mutters or thinks about yours or my appearance. Let them point and stare .....let them take photos if they so choose. Be proud of your beautiful human body....no matter it's current state. God gave your body to you. Wear your body with pride. Chin up.

Lake walking can help you remold your physique to function the way you need it to ....in order to support your life's goals and dreams.



Obstacle: What to WEAR??? Nothing fits or the things that do fit are so costly.
Answer: Suck it up, buttercup. Don't ever allow your lack of fashionable fitness attire dictate whether you exercise or not. Wear whatever you have and if you have to wear your own tshirt and cut off pants into the lake to start your walks....then do so. Just make sure that you are always safe and
that your clothes are not weighing you down too much as you walk in the lake. Clothing such as tshirts and cloth shorts are still going to weigh much more when they get wet than if you wear an old bathing suit. My current fave "lake walking attire" is an old one piece bathing suit with a small tshirt over top for modesty sake. Note that it will be easier to walk in a bathing suit that is designed for being wet and functional than in any clothes made from regular fabrics.


Obstacle: People or perhaps YOU might think that walking instead of swimming in a lake in public is weird. Kinda like those folks who are "mall walkers" and strut in their joggers round and round the interior of a shopping mall before the stores open.

Answer: Well, the point is one of the BIGGEST obstacles ALL of us face whenever we try to move ahead is overcoming the fear of what other people or even ourselves may think of us if we do something that is a little out of the ordinary.

My question is this....Do you really want to waste your life being ordinary? Have you been able to accomplish you goals by doing what you think "looks cool"????
I rest my case.

Well, that's enough chit chat for now. Embrace your goals. Write them down. Speak them outloud to yourself and God six times a week. Be proud of your goals. You deserve to accomplish very  Interesting things. Your body was given to you by God to permit you to accomplish wonderful things.
Be encouraged today. Small Changes begin with little steps in a brand new direction.

Peace,
Carla.

P.S. If you're looking for some entertainment that will also double as a motivational speech, try the two following biographical flicks currently on Netflix...by the names of "Kim Swims" and
 "The Iron Cowboy".





Saturday, July 20, 2019

Extreme Fat Farm 2

If the regular "watch your diet and exercise"theme song worked for most folks, all of us would be fit and trim as star athletes. We wouldn't be running around in oversized stretch pants and XXL tshirts.
We wouldn't be hiding from bathing suits and swimming pools and muttering about the folks who actually feel good about their bodies and have good energy.

But methinks that many of us, need an Extreme Jolt to get our bodies in motion again.


Jumping in the lake...yes literally.....provides that extreme jolt and then some. The cold wakes up, and
cleanses out the cosmic dust of the day. The natural aspects are just fun distractions from the sand that clings to everyone and everything.

The other day I saw a seagull fly with a live wiggling fish in it's beak ....the sideshow was the entourage of other gulls that came to poach his dinner.  I swoosh away the floating flying ants that dot the translucent green lake path. I try not to step on anything that doesn't look like sand.

So, what's the progress so far with the fat farm?

No weight loss yet. Like as in NONE.

I told you there were no guarantees.

But here's the good part, the good and noticeable improvements:

Accumulation of new muscle tone and noticeable firming of abdominal and leg muscle area. Skin is smoother as these muscles are being used in the water in a gentle and persistent transition. Starting to feel more "put together". Energy lasts longer throughout the day with fewer energy drops in late afternoon.What was 4 lengths is now 6 lengths of the buoyed off area. There is now Less morning stiffness of both leg and feet joints.

A "high" similar to what is called "runner's high" kicks in a few hours after the lake walks.
The positive mental and physical mega boost affects everything.....the ability to problem solve,
optimism towards life and one's own physical future. An ability to handle a little bit less sleep.

The lake drops our inner core temperature to a wonderful new low. It's like a huge RESET button is hit to the metabolism. The modern motivators Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss both are great fans
 of  dunking into freezing cold water. They loudly laud the positive effects of this temp "RESET".

Tim Ferris, if I am to understand his podcasts accurately, has installed an ice making machine in his home in order to be able to have icebaths whenever he needs that kind of "RESET". Tony Robbins jumps into very chilly water before he starts off his day to conduct one of his high powered motivational conferences.

Temperature jolts are  a new tool in my creative tool box. I  recall how being outside in winter weather often provided that jolt that created a positive mental stream, but I had really forgotten what it felt like to be in the lake and really enjoy myself.


Peace,
C.

P.S. If you're looking for some entertainment that will also double as a motivational speech, try the two following biographical flicks currently on Netflix...by the names of "Kim Swims" as well as  "The Iron Cowboy".