Trying to take flight

This is a sideblog, my main: @corvid-language-library Trying my best to eat healthy and lose weight the right way after struggling with binge eating / EDNOS bullshit for decades. I don't always get it right but I'm trying really hard. My posts contain details of food, calories and exercise. If you don't want to see that for whatever reason then do not follow this blog.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Navigation

About me

Current month's workout plan (to be updated)

Current month report card (to be updated)

Workouts I enjoyed

Questions to ask before binging

Previous challenges

Strengthtember

Coregust

Abtastic April

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

I'll be heading back to the UK in 3 weeks time. I've been really struggling with diet and exercise lately, and I think having a 3-week countdown will at least be helpful for the time being. Once I'm there, things will be tricky with jetlag and constantly being around family, but I can get back on the diet and exercise in September once I'm back in Japan.

For now, I just need some simple rules to follow to the best of my ability:

Intermittent fasting from 0800 - 1800. This is because the fasted state is really beneficial for the body, such as allowing insulin to return to baselines levels and helping to promote regular sleep.

10 mins exercise a day, minimum. Currently I'm alternating between abs and glutes. I'll stick to that for the time being until I start to get bored and feel like I need something different.

Aim for 1500kcal/day ±200 (if I choose to record this anywhere I will put it under a cut)

30 min walk most days (not necessarily every day!) - probably in the evening given the heat and humidity

1 liter of water a day (I REALLY need this, I drink waaaaay too much coke zero and my tummy is not happy about it)

And, of course, try to choose whole, natural foods over processed foods

I'm planning to keep a tally of days binge-free, where I stick to my calorie goal, where I exercise and where I hit my water goal. Hopefully I can get that 21-day streak!

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Things kinda fell apart this last week or so. I got sick a couple of weeks ago and felt super tired so the yoga just... stopped. I haven't really been enjoying it at all lately; it just feels like something I have to drag myself through for reasons. I don't even feel like I'm getting stronger or building my flexibility, and the lack of results that I might normally see hasn't helped at all.

July is fast approaching, and every year I set myself a challenge called "Just Move July," and I intend to do it again this year. Just move. Go for a walk, do some cardio, do 10 minutes of yoga, pick up some weights. Just do something.

I did find it helpful to decide beforehand what meals I wanted to prep. It's going to be a bit difficult this month though as I don't actually have my full schedule yet. I'm planning to make salads again this week though, and I want to try and get more protein in generally.

I want to come up with a morning routine for myself. Lately I've had no real routine at all, and I do feel like that helps with stuff, so I'd like to put the energy into developing a one again.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Things are going... okay, right now. I'm eating a bit more healthily, and the meal plan is helping with that. I've been doing yoga most days this month too. I've not stuck to it perfectly, there have definitely been days I skipped due to poor planning as well as just being ill, but I caught up some of the days I skipped and I'm continuing on regardless rather than just being like "well, I fucked it, no point doing it now." I've not been getting out for morning walks as much because I've not been sleeping well and I end up sleeping in, and my diet's still not great, even if it's better.

Drinking water is the main challenge. I just hate drinking water. Idk why. I'll get there, I guess.

I think I want to focus on losing fat. I've got a bit of a belly at the moment that I'm not too happy with (not for aesthetics reasons, but because increased visceral fat is associated with metabolic illnesses and cardiovascular disorders) so I'd like to trim that down. So I think my workout plan for July will need to contain some cardio, and I'll need to really focus on eating whole foods and staying in a calorie deficit (not a huge one, of course, but enough to see results). I don't have loads to lose thankfully, maybe just 2-3kg.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Moving forward

I really am trying to pull myself back on track with things here. I did Charlie Follows' 7-day Strength Challenge and I've been eating less sugar/trying to cook healthy meals for myself a bit more. I also went for a walk this morning :)

I really want to get back into proper exercise. I want to grow my glutes and I want to lose fat and get my abs back. But I also don't want to go too hard too fast and end up losing my motivation. I'm really trying to think of things in the long run for the first time in a while. So I'm planning to redo Charlie's 30-day challenge that I did in January. Get myself back into movement, improve my strength and flexibility a bit, and then in July I can think about adding in strength training and HIIT. I do want to include those things for my long-term health (HIIT for heart health, strength training to improve insulin tolerance + reduce risk of falls and bone fractures later in life, both for aesthetics and confidence too)

I also want to have some meal ideas planned so I don't have to figure out what I want to eat. So, this is what I'm thinking for the coming month:

Week 1: Salads (it's a very light work week, so I'll have time to cook up some chicken and chop lettuce/tomatoes/avocadoes, or maybe make eggs with sweet potato fries and a side salad, and then also do the dishes)

Week 2: Sweet & sour chicken with jasmine rice + stir fry vegetables (I'm only workiny 3 days, so I can take my time and make a mess of my kitchen + clean up)

Also: make a batch of pizza dough and freeze. I can then defrost the night before on days later in the month where I don't have anything prepped (because my fridge pretty much only has room for 5-6 portions and I'm terrible at estimating portions while making things, so there's inevitably at least 1 day a week where I have to wing it) and I can make myself an easy homemade lunch the following day.

Week 3: Chicken & sweetcorn soup (working six days, so I'll want something easy to prep on Monday night)

Week 4: Stir fry with whatever meat + veggies I can get cheapest (+ maybe eggs)

I tend to get home late and not eat dinner and usually just have a snack before work in the form of light meal cookies or a protein bar (not the best, but it suits my lifestyle). Breakfast has recently just been rice, but I'd like to add fruit and greek yoghurt into that.

As for snacks... baking more has meant I don't want to buy as much ultraprocessed junk from the supermarket or konbini because I know I can make it better at home. But also, if I make a big batch, I often end up eating too many of the things I made. I need to eat more fruit, nuts, seeds and raw veggies.

I'm feeling positive about June. I'm really feeling the upheaval in my life right now, pulling myself up out of a rut I've been stuck in for far too long and getting moving again. I had a bit of a wake-up call recently so I think I have enough motivation to not only start, but to keep going this time.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Habits I really need to change

1) Coke zero consumption

Artificial sweetners cause insuling spikes even without the presence of sugar. Those chronic insulin spikes will eventually lead to insulin resistance and cause long-term health problems.

Additionally, those drinking coke zero later at night/early in the morning even after I'm finished/before I've started eating means I don't get the same benefits of being in a fasted state. The fasted state is necessary for optimal sleep and brain health.

The gasses also leave me bloated, which makes me feel bad about myself.

I need to replace coke zero with water. I'm going to aim for a 12-hour window each day where I don't drink coke zero (9am-9pm), and gradually shrink it down to 11am-4pm, and eventually cut it out altogether.

2) Lack of exercise

A sedentary lifestyle is the worst thing you can do for your health, especially once you're over the age of 30. Resistance training is necessary to prevent sarcopenia, and it helps stave off insulin resistance/diabetes as your muscles mop up glucose. Furthermore, core strength, single leg strength and good agility help prevent falls, which in later life might lead to hip fractures that then indirectly cause an early death. Exercise is also vital for bone health, which as a woman is something I need to be mindful of.

Recently I've been terrible at making myself exercise. I don't like doing it, it feels like a chore, there are other things I want to do. I have to start prioritizing it so I can be happy and healthy long term. I absolutely never want to be dependent on another human for healthcare, especially as I'm likely to remain alone and childless.

3) Ultraprocessed food consumption

Along with not exercising, I've been eating too much ultraprocessed food, which is one of the worst things we can do for our health besides leading a sedentary lifestyle. Ultraprocessed food causes low-grade chronic inflammation and increases visceral fat, which both increase the risk of all cause mortality. By eating ultraprocessed foods I'm also foregoing nutritionally dense foods, foods packed with vitamins I need to keep my body's systems functioning smoothly. If I want to stay happy, healthy and independent into my later years, eating more whole foods with fibre, protein, healthy fats and proper nutrients is non-negotiable.

*

Currently I have no specific plan for how to tackle all this. Trying to change it all at once feels far too big a project and I'd probably end up getting overwhelmed within a few days. For now, I'm just focusing on commiting to a little exercise every day, and hopefully once I've built that habit I can work a bit more on the other things too.

[movementnudge]

Movement nudge, knee strength! No squat.

X

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

I've been watching this guy's videos as a way to review all the nutrition and physiology stuff I learned at uni like a decade ago and have since forgotten the details of, and I real feel like anyone who's interested in weight loss, health and longevity can benefit from checking them out. This video dissects a little bit the simple ways you can flatten glucose spikes after eating, which helps promote weight loss, prevent metabolic disease and also stay clear-headed in the afternoons and evenings rather than feeling sluggish and ready for a food coma.

Key takeaways:

A little movement after eating is one of the best things you can do for your body. Go for a gentle walk for 10-15 minutes (take your dog out, go a lap around the block, pace around your room etc), do some squats in the TV ad breaks or get a bit of the housework done. That's all you need.

The reason for this is that when your muscles are working – even just a small amount – you activate a metabolic pathway whereby GLUT4 transporters move to the surface of your muscle cells. These transporters take up glucose from your blood.

When your blood glucose increases, insulin is sent out to mop it up. Insulin signals to cells that they need to take up glucose. A lot of the time this ends up being stored as fat, especially if you've eaten a large meal.

GLUT4 works independently of insulin. By using your muscles and activating the GLUT4 pathway, more of the glucose from the meal you've eaten goes into your muscles to be stored as glycogen (or utilised as energy) without the need of insulin.

Activating this pathway flattens your blood glucose spike, meaning less insulin is released into the blood. This is good because chronically raised insulin levels lead to insulin resistance and then, ultimately, type 2 diabetes

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Abtastic April 2026

Last year I set myself an Abtastic April challenge and this year I'm doing the same, but I need a plan. Here's what I'm thinking (as usual, pay no attention to the numbers, they're just related to my work schedule)

✅ = done!

Week One [1977/1089]

Sunday - 25 min strength workout (4kg weights) I was ill

Monday - 15 min beginner abs ✅

Tuesday - Rest day (hella walking) ✅

Wednesday - Rest day (hella walking) ✅

Thursday - 10 min ab workout + 20 min power yoga ✅

Friday - 40 min backbends & core strength yoga ✅

Saturday - 20 min pilates ✅

Week Two [366/1552]

Sunday - 20 min rest day yoga flow ✅

Monday - 25 min deep core & abs ✅

Tuesday - 20 min power yoga

Wednesday - 15 min pilates abs

Thursday - 30 min HIIT

Friday - 15 min tabata abs

Saturday - 20 min full body stretch

Week Three [1347]

Sunday - 35 min core flow yoga

Monday - 30 min HIIT

Tuesday - 10 min lower abs

Wednesday - 25 min low intensity yoga

Thursday - 30 min intermediate-advanced backbend yoga

Friday - 15 min intense abs

Saturday - 15 min yoga for sore muscles

Week Four [1552]

Sunday - 35 min glutes + abs

Monday - 30 min pilates-inspired workout

Tuesday - 25 min restorative yoga

Wednesday - 25 min toned arms + abs

Thursday - 30 min creative core vinyasa

Friday - 15 min pilates workout + 15 min extreme abs

Saturday - Rest day

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

I've been watching more physiology videos and a couple have mentioned how a gentle 10-15 min walk immediately after a meal is a great way to 1. prevent blood sugar spikes and 2. lower cortisol, and has been shown to reduce the "afternoon slump" following lunch and help with weight loss. Following lunch today I paced around my flat while watching a different video and y'know what, yeah, I do feel a bit less sluggish than I might normally, and I'm actually super motivated to do stuff. Could be psychological, of course. I'll have to experiment more.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

I think this is the worst I've felt about working out in a long time, perhaps ever. Everything hurts, I have to pause a lot, I feel weak af and I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Not a fan.

Of course, the only thing to do is persist until I get stronger and then the feeling of being strong will make the workout at least feel rewarding, if not actually fun. For now it's just repeatedly torturing myself and hating myself for letting myself go so badly.

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Operation Goblin Slayer 03/03

Goblins slayed:

🗡 Cleaned my teeth (twice + used mouthwash) 🗡 Drank a bottle of water 🗡 Ate a healthy lunch 🗡 Didn't binge the chocolate I bought ⚔️ Hoovered ⚔️ Cleaned the oven 🗡 Took out the trash

Total goblins slayed: 5 Total hobgoblins slayed: 7

Not an amazing day for diet and exercise but I'm nursing a cold so I'm going easy on myself. Hoping to be back to my old self tomorrow!

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Operation Goblin Slayer 02/03

Goblins slayed:

🗡 Cleaned my teeth (x2 + used mouthwash) 🗡 Took a walk 🗡 Didn't buy discount sweets 🗡 Ate a healthy lunch 🗡 Didn't go out to buy chocolate/ice cream ⚔️ Cooked for the week 🗡 Ate a healthy dinner 🗡 Showered 🗡 Moisturised

Goblins slayed: 8 Hobgoblins slayed: 1

I need to make rough estimates/calculations to give me an accurate calorie/protein intake and I don't quite have the energy for that today. But hopefully I will tomorrow!

No exercise today (bar walking to a classroom and back) because I have an impending cold and it's better not to exercise when ill :/

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Spring Challenge

Making a challenge for myself to deactivate goblin mode, which seems to have been switched on to varying degrees for the past... ooooh idk, 6 months, at least? So I'm setting myself a challenge for the next 3 months to focus on fulling deactivating goblin mode and becoming a real human.

I am dubbing it...

Operation Goblin-Slayer!

The rules!

I get points for slaying my goblin habits (ie behaving like a human instead of a goblin)

Behaving like a human includes things like eating real food, drinking water, exercising, wearing people clothes, cleaning my flat, doing admin, paying my taxes, showering, washing my hair, cleaning my teeth

Each human behaviour I exhibit = 1 goblin slain!

However, there are no set tasks to accomplish, and what "counts" can vary from day to day depending on what my energy levels are doing (so on one day I might get points for eating konbini fried chicken because I had low energy and my other option was to binge on chocolate, but on another day I might not get points for that because a better option was available and I didn't take it due to laziness/poor planning)

For the first week or so I'm just gathering data and trying to make changes here and there. After that, I'll think about creating a target

For the time being, no penalties for not hitting certain targets or for "being naughty". Positive reinforcement only!

I also have calorie/exercise/protein goals because a slayer needs to properly fuel themself and stay in the best possible form to slay all those nasty goblins

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Maybe instead of making a workout plan, I'll just have a set time every day where I do 30 minutes of exercise. If I end up doing more, great. If all I end up doing is gentle stretches for 30 minutes while watching the clock and counting down the minutes until I can stop, that's also fine. No specific plan set in advance, just whatever takes my fancy.

9am every day. At 9am, I will do 4 rounds of sun salutations. Then I'll either continue to do yoga, or I'll switch to some other form of exercise. No postponing, no "I'll just finish this and then..." (if I don't think I'll have time to finish something before 9, just get started early). The hardest part is always getting started.

(Of course, there are days when I have to leave for work before 9. I'll take those days as rest days, because rest days are important)

[animentality]

[hapalopus]

#we need simulated endurance hunting for people like shit that's actually enriching for humans as a species#i would be so down for that. use this body the way its supposed to be used (tags via @falconheaded)

Do you have any idea how much I'd pay for a treadmill with a built-in persistence hunting simulator?? I would get on that thing every day

[flyingfitandsugarfree]

Rough outline for a bedtime routine

Initiate at 23:00 every night!

Change into pajamas

Clean my teeth (including mouthwash), wash my face and moisturize

Double check my schedule for the following morning and note down what train I plan to take and what time I need to leave the house. Set check-in/check-out alarms, then put my phone on charge if needed

Clear the table + wipe it down

Wash up (including PET bottles). Fill water bottles and put them in the fridge

Empty bedroom trash can into main trash

Put away any clothes

Write a to-do list/rought plan for the following day

Write in my journal

Be in bed by 00:00

Rough outline for a morning routine

General morning routine for when I don't have to cook or leave the house before 10:

Put breakfast rice in the microwave, change into workout gear while it heats up. Check my schedule + workout plan for that day

Do vocab and N2 kanji reviews

Set a timer for 45 minutes. Do as of my to-do list as possible in that time

Once those 45 minutes are up, exercise (〜30 min every day)

Shower

For other days, create a plan the night before.