Nyx

I need help with motivation! I haven't been riding my bike nearly often enough, and it's so hard for me to resist the temptation and convenience of fast food for lunch on work days and then eating out on the weekends. It also feels like I never have the energy to make the changes I want to make. I can always come up with some excuse for why I just need to lay down and be lazy and relax. I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day because it's really tough right now balancing a full-time job, two graduate level online classes (one has me reading 2 YA books a week), spending time with my boyfriend and friends, and getting 8 hours of sleep a night. By the time I get home on a work day it's already 5:30 or 6 o'clock, and I like to be in bed by 10 so I can get up at 7 for work. That leaves me barely 4 hours every work day to fit everything else in; it sucks. So of course I never want to ride my exercise bike when I could be doing something else with my precious few hours of free time. I need help! lol

Did my first session on Saturday while watching an episode of Castle Rock. Went pretty well I think. I had it on the second to lowest setting, but I kept up a pretty steady, moderate pace with some bursts of faster intensity. Might get a cushion for the seat though cuz my butt was definitely sore afterward! Haha. I'm gonna do another session tonight I think.

I just got the stationary bike yesterday! Can't wait to try it out. I'm gonna aim for 3 sessions a week to start out. 30-45 mins a session or so I think.

Thanks, you guys! Lots of great tips. My biggest problem is maintaining motivation and creating habits that I will stick to. I think I've tried to go too all out in the past, quickly burned out, and then went back to old habits like you mentioned! Another one of my biggest challenges is eating more healthy meals, because I usually feel too tired or lazy to cook so I end up eating out or getting carry out way too often! And the tough thing about veggies and fruits is they go bad so quickly. It will definitely be a challenge, but if I can create habits that I'll stick to it will help me a lot. My boyfriend got a stationary bike to use at home when he's watching YouTube or shows. I was thinking of getting one too so I can watch shows while I work out. That might be more doable for me in the beginning vs. going to the gym, which is so easy for me to skip out on unfortunately. But having it in my house and somewhere where I look at it all the time might help! Also, I'm 5'2''. Right now is the heaviest I've ever been, and even though I'm not morbidly obese or anything I can tell the extra weight really affects my sense of well-being. It's a drag. Literally, haha. And I can't even use the excuse of having baby weight cuz I've never had kids, haha. I've got a mom bod without being a mom. Before I turned 25 or so, it seemed like I could eat whatever I wanted and always maintain a normal weight, which for me, was around 120-130 lbs. But then I guess my metabolism decided to give up, and now I've gotta change my ways. Haha.

I'd like to nominate "Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas" by Josh Malerman, author of Birdbox. I recently read Birdbox, and it was one of the most frightening books I've ever read. Here is a link to Goodreads where you can read the synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36044967-goblin

I have some fitness goals too! I'm really bad at working toward them though. I can be such a slacker, and laziness is probably my number one flaw. I'm interested in trying to cut back on carbs and focus more on veggies and lean proteins so basically a version of the keto diet. For proteins I'll probably try to eat mostly fish and chicken so a little bit of the Mediterranean diet thrown in there too. Anyone have any experience eating like this? Any tips or advice? My ultimate goal is to get down to 120 lbs (54.5 kg). I currently weigh 180 lbs (81.6 kg). I don't want to just lose weight though or make that my primary focus. I really just want to become fitter and healthier and feel better in my body overall. ETA: As far as exercise goes, I currently walk my dog for 20 minutes almost every day. I have a gym membership, but I rarely go because laziness. I do want to get fitter. I'm horribly out of shape. I can't run a mile. It doesn't take me long to get winded and worn out, and it makes me sad that I'm spending my so-called prime years being out of shape!

You can do it, Val. I believe in you.

I'm really late to this, but I'm almost done with the book so I'll still post my thoughts when I finish. ETA: Not gonna add a whole lot, but I didn't enjoy the book as much as I expected to. Le Guin's writing style is very elegant and pretty, but the way she tells a story just did not capture my interest very much. I appreciate that she made Ged and most of the "good guys" people of color, and I understand that she imbues her work with a lot of philosophical subtext, but I guess it's just not for me. I'll still give her another shot later on; I've heard her sci-fi work is amazing.

Me

I'm late to the party, but I'm going to pick up the book at the library soon.

I actually voted for Earthsea since I've never read it before.

I wouldn't mind reading Lord of the Rings again! I was just thinking about that.

I've been trying to read more classics lately, and right now I'm slogging through The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. Faulkner is a brilliant author. His use of stream of consciousness is very innovative, but it can be quite hard to read and discern just what the heck is going on and when it's going in in the novel.