To Sora, her spy network is three parts her way of contributing to Val'Dhar's security and one part endlessly entertaining plaything. Just in case you were curious. :)
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Being a professional cartoonist is, by its very nature, a sedentary occupation. Coupled to that the fact that I have been heavy for most of my life and you can see how that can combine to make a "perfect storm" of poor health and a battered sense of self-worth. Some of you may be familiar with Chris Powell. If not, he's most known for being the star of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, where he helps morbidly obese people shed their weight and reclaim their lives. He has also written a diet and exercise book, which my wife and I purchased recently. We started the program this week. So far, it's been interesting. Right now, I weigh 284 pounds and you have no idea how hard it was to type that just now. I'm hoping to lose a total of 110 pounds by this time next year. I know that telling you all this doesn't really relate to the strip at all. I'm hoping that by putting this out there, being honest about the struggles and the achievements (hopefully) I encounter, something good might come of it, for both myself and others. If nothing else, it might help keep me honest. :)
Thank you very much.
~Rob
May you have good luck with the wight loss and be 60% the man you use to be. BTW: He said transfer control, she could still task spies on the side. Control is a nebulous thing for spies.
I was 250-ish. 3 weeks later I’m down 16.
So yeah, while we each have to fight our own battles, it is a comfort to remember many others face the same struggles.
Good interaction between those two. I’m glad you made his look bemused instead of angry or disappointed. And still, shame on them for keeping secrets! 🙂
I feel your pain sir. I drive a desk for a living, and I have recently reached an all time low (high?) regarding weight… 355 according to the doc scale. My GF and I are working on it, but giving up the foods I love is the hardest thing ever. I commend you for the effort and wish you nothing but the best. Oh yes, KEEP US POSTED! Sometimes accountability on a public scale is impetus enough to keep up the good fight!
Smuj Stormspear, defender of the realm and despoiler of the brothel
Hey!
Best of luck on the weight loss! All of us that sit in front of a screen for a living support you!
Time for my P90-X. I don’t actually do it, so much as watch it just to hear what the crazy man has to say!
There’s love there. If you look close you can see where Rob drew it in the last panel. It’s tiny and hard to see, but it’s there. 😀
Looks like Sora lost a useful toy for the time being.
If you can stop with the soft drinks; that will help you loose 10 pounds right off. I had some weight issues, but the army is good about fixing that. Don’t care much for the excessive formation runs, to easy to get injured in those things.
Great strip. Best of health to you.
To quote Jainal: “This has (Noral)’s micromanagement style written all over it.”
Sora’s obviously competant, and as a competant spymistress, if there’s anything in her network that she wants to keep away from Noral, then short of magical compulsion or another slip like that she’s probably going to be able to manage to. Might as well let her keep doing what she’s good at, possibly with the odd reminder that he does know what he’s doing himself.
Aha, I knew the Elves had Pre-Nuptial agreements as well,….lol. Also he said all control of her spy network,…he said nothing about singular control and full disclosure of composition,…I am sure she will be able to keep a few [or more] strands of her Spy web twanging under her fingers,….lol
As for your Diet Rob,…. just remember the difference between heavy and unhealthy. I myself am a bigger guy [220lbs] but my weight is not affecting my health,… my friend is 350lbs and his weight is not unhealthy,…his wife is 200lbs and that weight is adversely affecting her health. What is sauce for the Goose is not sauce for the Gander when it comes to weight,…speak to a professional about what is a good and reasonable weight [and speed of loss] for YOU specifically [both based on your desire and health],……
Suuuuuuuuure she’ll transfer all control over to him. Centuries-old elven queens ALWAYS do what’s expected of them…*cough cough wink wink nudge nudge*…. 😉
Congrats on the weight loss decision. There’s a big difference between saying “I need to lose some weight” and “I weigh X, and will way Y in one year.” I think if you change your eating habits, rather than go through a specific program, you’ll see much better long-term success. Switch to 2% milk, then 1%…maintain portion control, etc. Hang in there! 🙂
Losing a pound every three days for a year is unsustainable. Even if you could do it, the weight won’t stay off because your metabolism will have tripped over into starvation mode and be hanging grimly on to every calorie you take in. Look up the “after” stories for people who were on those extreme weight loss shows years ago.
Focus on quantifiable exercise goals and on eating only foods that satisfy without putting stress on your body* and things will get better. Also note that the BMI charts do not allow for a muscular figure.
*Stress can be a number of things. I note that I am hungrier on days when I consume foods that are mostly sugar, such as soda; other people may or may not have this reaction. Also eating anything, even “good” food, past a certain time of night will keep me awake, which makes my day harder; again, other people may or may not have this reaction. Plus I have to have a hearty breakfast or I get a pounding headache before lunch. It took me years to understand this and quit beating myself up for not being the good girl who is content with cereal and juice. Learning your body’s needs and setting your own standard of self-care is important!
Good luck to you, Rob – eating healthier is a great start, and most men find that they can lose weight just by eating better. Upping your exercise will definitely bring results, but find something that you LOVE to do – and can do – and enroll in a class with a certified instructor. I love that you and your wife want to try the exercises together, but I think you may be better off pursuing things that make you happy. Somehow, I think you’d get a kick out of checking out a local SCA heavy weapons practice. Your little girls could get into Youth Fighting and you can all be medieval together. 🙂
@Christiane: I’ve actually thought about fencing, but there aren’t any fencing clubs in my area. I might have to look into the SCA. Do they had organized classes that anyone can take without having to be a member? I have friends who are in SCA, but I’ve never investigated it for myself. Thanks for the encouragement!
Yay, Noral.
Good luck with your weight loss program.
@Rob
SCA is a really good idea,….. SCAdians enjoy showing others their knowledge. Most will help you get your blue card [allows you to fight] cheaply and would easily show you “Swishy poke” if you want fencing or “Bash a SCAdian” if you want heavy weapons. Further if , as you say, you have SCAdian friends then I am sure they have tried to entice you to a Gather many a time.
As a martial arts instructor and a fight director, I applaud your efforts. Good luck to you, and keep us posted. Good luck.
Ironic that the convo went to weight loss and fencing/fighting as I have a BBQ and Fight Practice in a few hours. Yeah, having a 4th of July BBQ with my Pirate Crewe,..we are gonna eat charred animal flesh, drink homemade cider, shoot off Blackpowder guns, and practice our Fight Show [not really in that order since we will not drink before shooting or fighting for safety reasons,..lol]. If you can get into a Fight group [either Rennie or SCAdian] you will see the weight drop off and you will feel so much better in general. Plus, the adrenaline rush you get when a crowd [of friends or patrons] is cheering your name [Stage name usually] or even booing you [I do sometimes play the villain] is almost unparalleled. I have learned that while I did not drop alot of weight doing this I have toned up some,….and since muscle weights more than fat I am perfectly ok with this,…lol
BTW, Sora is getting better looking. Glamour?
Good luck with the weight loss goals.
As a heavy guy myself ( well into middle age I might add ) I can guess what you’re up against.
On a lighter note… love the current strip. And I love how Noral is proving hes more than what the women in his life thought he was.
LOL I have a personal issue there.
Sora’s face is one that is plotting to add a little “extra” to Noral’s cup of whatever Elves use to wake up in the mornings.
Even starting off small can help. Try going for a walk with the family for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Woo, now I’ve read the whole thing! Just found your comic last week. It’s been fun so far, can’t wait to see how things end up.
Oh, and upon the topic of weight loss … knock it off with the sodas, if you drink them. All that extra sugar is great if you’re zipping around and burning calories like mad, but if you’re not (and, being a stay-at-home dad and cartoonist, most like not) than it’s playing hell with your body. Stuff basically just turns to fat, screws up your triglycerides and wrecks your insulin tolerance. I lost about 30 pounds (from 215 to 185, natch) just from cutting down (not even completely out, just down) on sodas and not stuffing myself every time I ate.
In as far as exercise … do what you can. Walk a lot. You haven’t got to run. Also shoot for a little resistance training. There are a lot of things you can do at home with no equipment that will help you strengthen your core and limbs, and once you strengthen and tone, boom … you’re burning even more calories. Start small and work your way up, and when things get to easy change it up. The important part is to keep at it, even if it’s just a few minutes every day.
Hi Rob, as FSilverman already pointed out, if you know local folks in the SCA, you’re already halfway there to finding a heavy fighting or fencing group near you with at least a monthly practice. A lot of local groups will have a weekly practice and the fighters will travel from location to location to practices hosted by other groups.
Start here:
http://www.sca.org/
Get in touch with representatives of your local groups and see who’s holding the fighter/fencing practices. There will be some loaner gear, and some people are always selling/giving away stuff.
I think you and your family, if you decide to join, will really enjoy all of the activities. I’m in the East Kingdom, and I play with a medieval music ensemble and teach and perform Middle Eastern dance, plus do fiber arts stuff (spinning, knitting, sewing) and cooking (when I have a chance).
Please feel free to directly e-mail me if you have any other questions!
May everything go swimmingly for what you aim for, and here’s to hoping things work out for everyone!
HI Rob,
Still enjoying the strip, and now am curiously looking forward to the mother/daughter reunion.
Regarding the SCA, while bashing other folks in armor may be fun, something as simple as walking for 30 minutes (while chatting with your spouse each day) can be enough in the beginning. After you’ve taken off a bit (and your heart has had a chance to “knock the rust off”), then start upping to more “vigorous” stuff if you like. If you find yourself “binging” or always ravenously hungry, I can share some tips gleaned from my personal struggle if you email me.
I have just found “Meat Shield” and have been laughing my butt off throughout it all, and I couldn’t stop reading until this page.
I love Meat Shield!
Now that I’ve gotten all of the gushing out of the way, I hope you don’t mind a few minor tips for losing weight. This was what I learned from my time in the Marine Corps (and I lost 75 lbs in 3 months) and I’m hoping it can work for you. I have been sedentary for more than 10 years since getting out of the military and know what it means to be overweight (I’m currently 300 lbs).
The first thing you have to know is that you have to take it slow. Don’t just go out and start doing vigorous exercise, because you can wind up hurting yourself. If anything, eat small meals a day and when you feel cravings, eat an apple or an orange, or perhaps carrots and celery with peanut butter for a snack. The major change is to walk everywhere. If you’re going to the corner store, make it a point to put down the keys, and just walk. I know my wife loves it when we walk places, because I enjoy having her on my arm, or wrapping my arm around her. Make it a point to walk everyday so that you’re doing it just out of habit. Just remember to drink water, lots of water, because that will actually help to flush the fat from your body. I also recommend lemonade (made with real lemons) because it’s a hydrating diuretic in that it breaks down fat faster for use.
If you do all that, I can guarantee you will reach your goal easily.
re: fencing in the sca (or heavy/rattan fighting)
be prepared to have less formal instructions than you will find in a fencing school/academy. SCA instruction is more often “hey, try this! It’s neat and it might help you with problem X” than it is “we will be drilling technique A, using method B, out of Instructor C’s manual.”
Hey Rob — sorry I’m behind, haven’t had time to read the strip until today because of mini-vacations. SO proud and impressed with the two of you and your new goals! And you know we’ll be talking on Sunday about local rapier practice!
Weight loss suggestion (if your wife will allow), put your computer on the kitchen counter and stand while drawing/typing. Standing burns a lot of calories!