#how does one's physique change over time to adapt to their surroundings and the situations they find themselves in

[terracottakore]

having early era etho thoughts again

[seki-no-kishiko]

[Kishiko Seki: About + LFRP]

NAME:  Seki no Kishiko | Kishiko Seki. NICKNAME:  Seki, Kiko (rarely). AGE:  Approx. 24 years. RACE:  Au Ra, Raen (?). GENDER:  Female. SERVER:  Balmung/Crystal Cross-World.

HAIR:  Oceanic tones of aquamarine. EYES:  Sea Green. SKIN TONE:  Porcelain, fair. HEIGHT:  4′5″, below average. BUILD:  Slender, nubile. DISTINGUISHING MARKS:  [○] A long thick tail equal in length to body height, with plate-like scales over the upper ridge that gradually shift to smaller, fish-like scales similar to those across convex locations of her physique.  [○] Albinoesque brows & eyelashes.  [○] Light, translucent webbing between fingers and toes.  [○] A maw of unusually pointed teeth.  [○]  Shell-like horns. COMMON ACCESSORIES:  Kishiko wears many an outfit accompanied by jewelry that is forged from natural components of sea-life; shells and pearls woven together in decorative unison. She tends to adorn herself in many trinkets unable to be displayed in game or on the character model. AESTHETIC:  Nature, the ocean, sea shores, sunset, storms, water, mischief, sweets, swimming, fae/fey, seascapes, pearl, shimmering scales, song, ethereal dance, the moon, the sun, open skies, tides, raen culture, sea witchery, elemental magic, sharp teeth, blue/aqua/green/white, myths and legends.

PROFESSION:  Sea-Witch cryptid. AFFILIATION:  None at present. HOBBIES:  Swimming, exploring, singing, hunting, collecting shells, petty theft, trickery and fishing. LANGUAGES: Hissing & clicks, broken Hingan/Common. RESIDENCE:  None at present, Nomadic. BIRTHPLACE:  The Ruby Sea. PATRON:  The Kami. FEARS:  Larger predators of the deep blue, being restricted in access to aquatic environments for extended periods of time, captivity or imprisonment, death.

SPOUSE:  None. CHILDREN:  None. PARENTS:  Nakanoin (Mother, deceased); Kawakami (Father, deceased). OTHER RELATIVES:  With a bloodline that can be traced back to forebearers driven from land to sea, Kishiko is the last remaining of her family; a clan split from mainstream brethren at behest of ancestral secret.  PETS:  None.

Social Level:  Gregarious, confident, playful, curious. One  Positive Personality Trait:  Spirited. One Negative Personality Trait:  Fickle. One Personality Warning:  Kishiko is often capricious and flighty - as unpredictable as the ocean itself - making her prone to coming and going as she pleases with little understanding (at this point in time) as to how this may affect others around her. Random Quirk:  Waterbreathing - for reasons undisclosed, Kishiko is as capable of breathing underwater as she is on land. Addictions:  None at present, sans her sweet tooth. Habits:  Kishiko habitually uses her over-sized tail as something of a ‘cushion’ when sitting, more often than not laying it down over applicable surface before claiming it for herself. There is also a tendency for seafood to be eaten raw... and off the bone.

POSSIBLE RP HOOKS - these are suggestions only! The choice for hook is entirely your own, should you wish to use one. I will never expect a particular reaction from you or your character.

WITCHERY:  Kishiko is skilled in the use of water-aspected magicks, both in a conjured (white) and destructive (black) sense. At a basic level, she can draw and manipulate water from a source (abilities that can both give or take from the environment) or conjure it from her own aether. The larger the body of water she has access to, the stronger her spells tend to be. Kishiko does not have any experience, nor skill, in other elemental magic but is proficient in generalized spell-work born of ritual and oceanic ingredients.

RAEN HERITAGE:  Raen with ties to the underwater village of Sui-no-Sato and surrounding areas may have been warned at young age or made wary of the Seki in the waters beyond the dome, labeling them monsters - dangerous and cursed. Such stories were embellished over time, exaggerated to include gnashing teeth and promises of snatching away disobedient children - myths that eventually died out along with their source. To this day, some Raen in touch with aquatic heritage may vaguely remember the stories told to them as children at behest of older ancestors. Those who may have migrated without aquatic ties may still find common ground in shared heritage - a friendly, scaled face of familiar race amidst a sea of strangers. 

Not Raen? No problem! A scientifically minded character may show interest in studying or experimenting on physical variance between she and her Raen kin, just as the money grubbing may seek a chance to exploit if the opportunity opportunities arise. This also provides avenues for darker rp - which I’m open to (but would like to discuss beforehand)! On a lighter note, others could target conflicting/curious views between cultures, professions or gender, and the superstitious rife with caution.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER: Most likely to be found in coastal communities, it is rare for Kishiko to be situated in regions akin to Gridania or Ul’Dah for extended periods of time (though not entirely impossible via roleplay). However, it is not unheard of to find her along any exposed coastline, including Vylbrand and Limsa Lominsa, with the possibility and frequency of an appearance increasing toward the Ruby Sea and Kugane. Sailors may encounter her in open water, applying the same premise. There are plenty of hooks to be taken advantage of here!

PLAYER’S CHOICE: I prefer to avoid more well-established connections with people I’m unfamiliar with (the fun is in forging these in roleplay, I find!), but I’m open to OOC discussion. All walk-ups are loved (especially when the ‘RP’ tag is up) - please don’t feel as though you need some grand plot or plan to approach with, a simple greeting or initiation will get the ball rolling! If you’re in the area, and are keen on a scene - let me know!

What Am I Looking For?  Friends, colleagues, rivals, contacts, connections of any kind! An FC, perhaps, if it fit her concept well enough!

Kishiko’s inbox is always open for interaction both IC and OOC, please feel encouraged to send asks, prompts or comments even if we’ve never spoken. I welcome cross-server asks and prompts as well, and will endeavor to do the same for you!

It’s rare for me to play a character like Kiko, but I hope you enjoy her! I am currently leveling her through the HW expansion and will likely update this in future, should things change or develop.

I follow from @kaliheart, but interact OOCly from @kalihearts and have been rping since 2013. I can be slow to type, at times.

I’m adaptable to many different stories, styles and situations.

+All RP themes from the dark, serious, and mature (violence, sexuality, murder, drug / alcohol use, etc.) to the light-hearted, humorous, and cheerful. I enjoy balance - I’m here to tell a story. Awesome dramatic plots. Heavy, feels-ridden plots. Elaborate, grand-scale, long-term plots. One-shot plots. Personal and private plots. Subterfuge and hidden plots. Rags to Riches. Serious injury. Temporary injury and incapacitation of mind or body. Temporary captivity or imprisonment. Combat. Ambushes. Assassination attempts. Rivalries. Deep platonic friendships. Romantic tension. Sexual tension. Coarse language.

As it stands, Kishiko is a character with room to grow as she learns more of ‘world customs’, and may grow or change depending on her experiences.

Very friendly, but an anxious and shy bean IRL... easily distracted! 

Asks, prompts and boosts are all loved and appreciated! ♥ 

Contact: In Game - Kishiko Seki or via tumblr DM!

[d-dumais-blog]

Keijo!!!!!!!! Review: I Like Big Butts & I Can Not Lie

Keijo is awesome! It’s insanely stupid and yet, somehow it succeeds at nearly everything it attempts. Keijo’s success is quite honestly an anomaly.  A quick glance at premise, studio, and staff would suggest this show should have been forgotten before it even finished airing, and yet somehow it stuck around and resonated with fans, particularly in the West, in a way that no one involved saw coming.  Its success in the West isn’t only a surprise to me, it appears to be a surprise to license holder Funimation that currently has NO merchandise available for purchase. No posters, no key chains, no announced bluray release.  So let’s talk about why it works and why I love it so damn much.

Let’s start with the basics; this show is not for everyone.  Keijo is a show about girls fighting each other in bathing suits using only their boobs and butts atop a variety of floats in an Olympic sized pool. Yes it is as dumb as it sounds. Yes there is an obscene amount of fan service focusing primarily on the girls’ butts.  I completely understand why some people might be turned off by its objectification of the women portrayed.  You might consider the show sexist, and you might consider me sexist for my enjoyment. A quick note on that, I’m a fan of all fan service both male and female.  I’m a straight male with a particular affinity for the female rear end, check the title of this review, but you bet I appreciate some well drawn men in various states of undress.  Anime has the opportunity to unrealistically portray human sexuality and I think artists are free to draw all manner of people however they’d like.  I hope this helps you to understand why I won’t be talking about the sexism debate that surrounded this show.

 Keijo’s fan service is excellent, and a show so focused on fan service would never succeed unless it was good, really good.  The show focuses on a few girls, but has a great ensemble cast full of all sorts of girls of varying shapes, sizes, age, and color.  Two points of clarification, there are very few different colored women, none of which are black, and that’s a bummer, and two while they vary in age all girls in the series are over eighteen years of age which we’ll discuss further down this post.  Back to the subject at hand, how to properly handle “tasteless fan service.” Keijo’s fan service is omnipresent, leaking into every scene.  This means it’s not a major shock when a butt fully envelopes the screen, it’s expected and not even that distracting.  This differs from a majority of shows that feel the need to randomly insert their characters in compromising positions so that the viewer gets a better look at their body.  It’s low hanging fruit but let’s compare this to Sword Art Online, it makes an easy comparison because pretty much everyone has seen it and most know its flaws.  SAO II episode one while introducing new female protagonist Xion pans up her body while she lays down in a sniper position.  The camera literally stops and does a quick zoom on her ass before finishing the shot.  It’s disgusting, it’s distracting, and it feels completely out of place in a show that intends to be about technology and coping with grief.  

The other most important thing about the fan service, aside from the age, is the fact that all of the girls are complicit in the fan service.  They might be shy, and a bit embarrassed, but they are never forced into a compromising situation against their will.  There seems to be this prevailing idea in anime that anime characters are cuter if they are pure, but we also need to see them without clothes on because of course we do.  This results in a number of horrible tropes that need to stop, the most prevalent, light novel guy walks in on light novel girl changing.  It’s almost always the establishing shot for their relationship over the series and I just hate it.  The other trope is somehow even worse, girls in fan service shows need to stop being raped! People generally consider Asuna’s rape scene in the second arc of Sword Art to be the beginning of the decline which is absurd considering Silica was sexually assaulted by a plant in the first twelve episodes and no one seemed to care.  It’s so gross and so often over looked.  There’s nothing wrong with a girl being okay showing her body, and if an anime character is going to be undressed, I hope that character is willfully undressed. This goes a long way to help make your characters actual characters and not simply objects.  I think the girls are surely still being objectified, but there’s a difference between looking at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and looking at leaked celebrity nude photos.  The context matters and Keijo gets the context right.  Our secondary protagonist Miyata even admits that she started Keijo because she wanted a cute swimsuit made custom for her and I think that’s something all of the viewers would also like!

 This show did far better in the west than in Japan, and that’s largely thanks to the way it was adapted. Xebec isn’t exactly known for its great adaptations; in fact I’d argue they generally suck.  Their best known for To Love Ru and Shaman King; two shows that don’t do a lot to improve upon their source material.  Most recently they were responsible for the horribly bad Clockwork Planet.  Apparently that’s actually a pretty good light novel, which should be no surprise considering it’s written by Kamiya Yuu, the celebrated author of No Game No Life. I can’t speak to the actual quality of the Clockwork Planet books because the first episode of the show turned me off of anything that has to do with it.  Point being adaptation is not a strength of Xebec, hell Xebec doesn’t honestly have a ton of strengths aside from their willingness to get smuttier than other studios if that’s your thing.  

This is entirely different in Keijo, the adaptation is immaculate, and makes it far more appealing to a western audience.  For starters, the anime skips the entire first arc where our two female leads are still in high school and under the age of 18.  The girls first appear in their bathing suits in the anime after entering the Keijo training school.  In the manga there are multiple battles that take place before this while the girls are learning Keijo for the first time at the stadium event shown at the start of the first episode.  This arc is also gross for western fans for a number of reasons on top of age.  For some reason at this point in the manga guys are allowed to compete in these non official Keijo matches.  Guys of course only compete for the opportunity to rub up against girls in swimwear.  Girls who, I’ll reiterate again because it’s important, at this point are underage.  There’s also a ton of guys in this manga, which is weird considering there’s really only one in the anime and he’s less of a creep more of a sports fan.  The men in the Keijo manga come to watch and gamble on Keijo and are depicted as perverse onlookers.  Nozomi’s teacher is one such male who has a gambling addiction and comments on his underage student’s physique more than once. The anime made the right decision removing him from the series.  This first arc also has an extremely uncomfortable and short lived love interest in the form of Nozomi’s brother.  They might actually be cousins, the translation I read wasn’t exactly clear on that, but still something western audiences always frown upon.  His feelings are never reciprocated by our star Nozomi, but the whole situation is uncomfortable, especially since he’s eager to jump in and battle her in her first mock Keijo match.  There’s also more preliminary try outs the anime totally skips and that’s to the show’s benefit because again the girls are underage, and it cuts out a plethora of characters that don’t matter at all.  The adaptation also does a great job with its references, choosing series that are particularly popular in western fandom. Attack on Titan and Fate/Stay Night are popular around the world, but really struck a chord in the states and Keijo very obviously references these shows multiple times to great effect. Other references to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, and Dragon Ball are all also greatly appreciated and largely absent from the manga.  

Keijo performed very well in weekly viewership numbers, both legally and illegally, but was quickly written off by most.  Everyone who watched it seemed to enjoy it, but wrote it off as “just another fan service show” and that’s unfair.  It stands out among its peers, and should be celebrated as such.  It was ranked the fifth most popular show according to Myanimelist, beating out shows with more popular appeal in pedigree like Occultic;Nine, Izetta the Last Witch, and season 2 of Ajin.  It also beat out several truly spectacular shows in Sound Euphonium season 2, Flip Flappers, and the fifth season of Natsume’s Book of Friends. This wouldn’t have happened if it was “just another fan service show.” If you’re still in need of proof that season had just another an service show, it was Brave Witches, a fairly tasteless follow up to a reasonably successful show about young flying military girls who don’t wear pants for some unknown reason.  People talk about Keijo as if it’s like Brave Witches, and no one talks about Brave Witches because no one cares.  It might be easy to right it off if you don’t watch a lot of fan service shows, but let me tell you Keijo is special.  I’ve lived in Trash Mountain for some time and am an expert in awful anime fan service, please don’t compare Keijo to that garbage; it’s far too good for that. Keijo is excellent! End of statement, no caveats no excuses, it’s really great.  The show is easily the best thing director Takahashi Hideya has ever helmed. It’s arguably the best series Xebec has ever produced solo, inarguably the best this decade.  I love Keijo, and I hope someday fans look back on it with the respect it earned.  

 8.5/10

[jesseneufeld]

Getting Back on the Wagon

Things are going great. You’re eating well, moving your body regularly, lifting heavy things, getting good sleep. Then wham! Something happens, and all your best laid plans are out the window. Maybe it’s a crisis at work, the loss of a loved one, a vacation, or, I don’t know, a global pandemic that changes everything. Sometimes it’s nothing memorable, you just sort of… stop trying.

What do you do when you realize you’ve fallen off the wagon?

It’s simple. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and climb back on.

Were You Really “Off the Wagon?”

Before talking about how to get back on the wagon, it’s worth asking yourself if you were really off in the first place. It’s one thing to lose your way for a while and make choices that erode the health gains you’d made. It’s another to allow yourself to enjoy a decadent dessert at a fancy restaurant, or to have one stressful week at work that leaves you with no time to meal prep or go to the gym.

There’s no set timeline where you can say, “Now I’m officially off the wagon.” There’s no set number of lenient meals, sweet treats, or sedentary days in a row that determine that you’re not “in” a healthy lifestyle anymore. It’s subjective. There’s no membership card.

The point of this exercise is to avoid the temptation to make a big deal over minor blips. Diet culture is all about “cheating” and “failing” and “starting over.” That’s not the spirit of living Primally. We strive to make day-to-day choices that support health while also allowing for life to happen.

It’s the 80/20 principle, remember? Self-flagellation or shame spirals aren’t part of the plan. Sometimes dessert is just dessert.

That said, there are times when you’ve well and truly fallen off the metaphorical wagon, and you’re ready to get back on track. Let’s break this down into three parts: what you need to do immediately, in the short term, and making plans for the long term.

Stay on track no matter where you are. Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Eating Out

What to Do Today to Get Back on the Wagon

Just start. Make your next meal a healthy and satisfying one. Pick one of the Primal Essential Movements and do one set. Set a bedtime alarm on your phone and actually hit the sheets when it goes off. Whatever success looks like to you, take one concrete step. That’s it.

Fasting to Get Back on the Wagon

“Start by fasting for a day”—it’s common advice. I’m of a couple minds here.

On the one hand, fasting offers a quick jumpstart. A 24-hour fast (eating dinner one night and then not eating again until dinner the following day, for example) burns through glycogen, accelerating fat burning and putting you on the road to ketosis if that’s your plan. It’s also symbolic, marking your commitment to making today a changing point.

On the other hand, this probably isn’t a good strategy for people who have struggled with disordered eating behaviors in the past. Fasting isn’t inherently problematic, but it can be, such as when someone gets into a cycle of “cheating” then fasting to atone. Also, if you’ve been eating a standard high-carb diet for a while now, you might not be equipped to fast comfortably, at least not for 24 hours. Don’t do it if you’re likely to get discouraged and quit again if you find yourself white-knuckling it through the first day.

If fasting isn’t your thing, no problem. A high-intensity exercise session also burns through glycogen and ramps up fat burning, especially if you don’t replenish with carbs after. You can commemorate your first day by starting a new journal, circling the day on your calendar in red marker, preparing a special meal, making a public commitment to friends and family, or hiring a health coach. Or, as I said, you can just take the first step and not look back.

If fasting does appeal to you, a shorter fasting window, say 16 hours, is also fine. There’s no reason to go longer; a three-day long fast is overkill for this purpose. Twenty-four hours is plenty.

Bask in Your Initial Victory

Once you’ve eaten one healthy meal or done one workout, congratulations, you’re back on track. Now you have to stay on track, but take a minute to commend yourself.

If your inner critic tries to tell you that you won’t really be back on the wagon until you string together 30 sugar-free days, or you’re deadlifting your previous personal best, shut that voice down. Those are great goals, but you don’t have to achieve them before you are allowed to feel proud that you took the first step.

What to Do in The Short Term to Stay on the Wagon

Once you’ve taken that first step, there’s more work to be done. You don’t want to immediately veer off course again! This means getting some systems in place to keep you moving in the right direction.

Start Building Better Habits

Building better habits boils down to this: Make it easier and more rewarding to do the things you want to do. Make it harder and less appealing to do the things you don’t want to do.

Simple, right? Sure, but not always easy. Start by identifying some basic things that, once done, will increase your chances of success. Things like:

Stocking your fridge with on-plan foods, and tossing or donating foods you don’t want to be eating

Picking a few basic recipes to get you through the first few days, or starting your week with a meal prep

Getting your home workout equipment out of the closet and putting it someplace prominent

Buying those new running shoes and leaving them where you see them first thing in the morning

Moving the TV and the phone and tablet chargers out of your bedroom

Ask yourself:

What is my biggest obstacle, and what can I do today to remove that obstacle, or at least make it easier to avoid?

What are two or three things that I can do today to make it easier to stick to my goal?

Do those.

For more guidance on building better habits:

6 Concrete Ways to Rewire Your Brain for Successful Habit Change

How to Develop Good Habits

The Definitive Guide to Breaking Bad Habits

Keep A Journal, Food Log, or Calendar

This is optional but recommended. Keeping written track of your behavior is uber-helpful for two reasons. One, it gives you a visual representation of your progress. Just like earning gold stars in kindergarten, you get positive reinforcement from seeing your “good days” accumulate. Two, it allows you to troubleshoot when necessary.

Basic food and exercise logs work well for accountability. They’re even better when combined with journaling about your internal states—hunger, stress, emotions—plus sleep, menstrual cycle, and any other relevant details. The more info you have, the easier it is to spot patterns and make connections. For example, you might learn that carb cravings increase at certain times of your cycle, so you decide to experiment with carb-ups. Or, you might realize you often eat poorly two days after a bad night’s rest. That tells you that you need to work on sleep, not just diet per se.

What to Do in The Longer Term to Stay on the Wagon

One silver lining to falling off the wagon is that it’s always a learning opportunity. That’s what we should all be doing—learning and adapting. It doesn’t mean you’ll never fall off the wagon again, but hopefully you can avoid repeating the same patterns over and over.

Sometimes it’s obvious what happened. You went on vacation, or got sick and stopped working out, but never returned to your healthy habits. Other times it takes some more digging and soul searching to understand how you got derailed (again). It’s never just a lack of willpower or desire. There’s a root cause that needs to be addressed.

Some common reasons people fall off the wagon are:

Caving to social pressure

It’s hard to stay on track when you’re surrounded by naysayers, or if you’re frequently in situations where your willpower is tested. Develop strategies that allow you to deal with these people or situations constructively, or avoid them if you must.

Not managing stress appropriately

If you change your diet, but everything else about your modern, high-stress life stays the same, you’ll inevitably falter.

Digging yourself into an energy hole

Not eating enough, not eating often enough (too much fasting for your body and activity level), and not sleeping enough will land you in the red, energy-wise. Your body will respond with hunger and cravings that become impossible to ignore. Motivation to exercise plummets, as does performance. Chronically depriving yourself of the fuel and rest you need is a recipe for disaster.

All-or-nothing thinking

You’re guilty of all-or-nothing thinking if you make one “bad” choice and then decide, “Forget it, I blew it. Might as well just give up.” The actual health consequences of your choices were probably small to negligible; the resulting guilt and shame spiral are what really hurt you. With all-or-nothing thinking, you create unrealistic standards of perfection, when what you should really strive for are progress and growth.

Trying to live a life that you don’t actually enjoy

Falling is inevitable if you don’t enjoy your food or your workout routine, your choices are causing friction with your partner, or you’re otherwise missing the joy in life. Sure, you might choose to suffer through a period of restriction to lose weight, especially if you have hardcore physique goals. Making short-term sacrifices in the service of a larger goal is one thing. Trying to commit to a “lifestyle” you hate is quite another. There are many roads to health. Find one that works for you.

Do the Deeper Healing Work

If self-sabotage is a repeating pattern for you, there is deeper work to do here. Therapy is fantastic for people dealing with unresolved past trauma, disordered eating tendencies, or feeling unworthy. You deserve to live your healthiest, most vibrant life. It’s your birthright as a magnificent human.

Psst, It’s Not Really a Wagon

This is where I admit that I’m not a fan of the whole “falling off the wagon” analogy. If you fall off a wagon — and I’m assuming we’re picturing a haywagon or something of that like, not a child’s wagon — it keeps going without you. If you don’t get back on quickly, you miss your chance. Your health gets more and more out of reach, and it gets more and more discouraging.

I think a better analogy is falling off a bicycle. When you fall off, the bike is still there, ready to be ridden at any point. Some falls are pretty gentle, like tipping over at low speed into soft grass. Some falls are pretty spectacular, like flying over your handlebars and tumbling down an embankment. In any case, though, you can usually climb back on and peddle away, if gingerly perhaps.

At the same time, bike owners know that the longer a bike sits unridden, the more work it requires to get it in tip-top shape again. It’s better to keep riding it and do regular maintenance.

It doesn’t really matter which analogy you use, of course, as long as you feel empowered to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and set your sights on the road ahead.

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Getting Back on the Wagon published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[lauramalchowblog]

Getting Back on the Wagon

Things are going great. You’re eating well, moving your body regularly, lifting heavy things, getting good sleep. Then wham! Something happens, and all your best laid plans are out the window. Maybe it’s a crisis at work, the loss of a loved one, a vacation, or, I don’t know, a global pandemic that changes everything. Sometimes it’s nothing memorable, you just sort of… stop trying.

What do you do when you realize you’ve fallen off the wagon?

It’s simple. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and climb back on.

Were You Really “Off the Wagon?”

Before talking about how to get back on the wagon, it’s worth asking yourself if you were really off in the first place. It’s one thing to lose your way for a while and make choices that erode the health gains you’d made. It’s another to allow yourself to enjoy a decadent dessert at a fancy restaurant, or to have one stressful week at work that leaves you with no time to meal prep or go to the gym.

There’s no set timeline where you can say, “Now I’m officially off the wagon.” There’s no set number of lenient meals, sweet treats, or sedentary days in a row that determine that you’re not “in” a healthy lifestyle anymore. It’s subjective. There’s no membership card.

The point of this exercise is to avoid the temptation to make a big deal over minor blips. Diet culture is all about “cheating” and “failing” and “starting over.” That’s not the spirit of living Primally. We strive to make day-to-day choices that support health while also allowing for life to happen.

It’s the 80/20 principle, remember? Self-flagellation or shame spirals aren’t part of the plan. Sometimes dessert is just dessert.

That said, there are times when you’ve well and truly fallen off the metaphorical wagon, and you’re ready to get back on track. Let’s break this down into three parts: what you need to do immediately, in the short term, and making plans for the long term.

Stay on track no matter where you are. Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Eating Out

What to Do Today to Get Back on the Wagon

Just start. Make your next meal a healthy and satisfying one. Pick one of the Primal Essential Movements and do one set. Set a bedtime alarm on your phone and actually hit the sheets when it goes off. Whatever success looks like to you, take one concrete step. That’s it.

Fasting to Get Back on the Wagon

“Start by fasting for a day”—it’s common advice. I’m of a couple minds here.

On the one hand, fasting offers a quick jumpstart. A 24-hour fast (eating dinner one night and then not eating again until dinner the following day, for example) burns through glycogen, accelerating fat burning and putting you on the road to ketosis if that’s your plan. It’s also symbolic, marking your commitment to making today a changing point.

On the other hand, this probably isn’t a good strategy for people who have struggled with disordered eating behaviors in the past. Fasting isn’t inherently problematic, but it can be, such as when someone gets into a cycle of “cheating” then fasting to atone. Also, if you’ve been eating a standard high-carb diet for a while now, you might not be equipped to fast comfortably, at least not for 24 hours. Don’t do it if you’re likely to get discouraged and quit again if you find yourself white-knuckling it through the first day.

If fasting isn’t your thing, no problem. A high-intensity exercise session also burns through glycogen and ramps up fat burning, especially if you don’t replenish with carbs after. You can commemorate your first day by starting a new journal, circling the day on your calendar in red marker, preparing a special meal, making a public commitment to friends and family, or hiring a health coach. Or, as I said, you can just take the first step and not look back.

If fasting does appeal to you, a shorter fasting window, say 16 hours, is also fine. There’s no reason to go longer; a three-day long fast is overkill for this purpose. Twenty-four hours is plenty.

Bask in Your Initial Victory

Once you’ve eaten one healthy meal or done one workout, congratulations, you’re back on track. Now you have to stay on track, but take a minute to commend yourself.

If your inner critic tries to tell you that you won’t really be back on the wagon until you string together 30 sugar-free days, or you’re deadlifting your previous personal best, shut that voice down. Those are great goals, but you don’t have to achieve them before you are allowed to feel proud that you took the first step.

What to Do in The Short Term to Stay on the Wagon

Once you’ve taken that first step, there’s more work to be done. You don’t want to immediately veer off course again! This means getting some systems in place to keep you moving in the right direction.

Start Building Better Habits

Building better habits boils down to this: Make it easier and more rewarding to do the things you want to do. Make it harder and less appealing to do the things you don’t want to do.

Simple, right? Sure, but not always easy. Start by identifying some basic things that, once done, will increase your chances of success. Things like:

Stocking your fridge with on-plan foods, and tossing or donating foods you don’t want to be eating

Picking a few basic recipes to get you through the first few days, or starting your week with a meal prep

Getting your home workout equipment out of the closet and putting it someplace prominent

Buying those new running shoes and leaving them where you see them first thing in the morning

Moving the TV and the phone and tablet chargers out of your bedroom

Ask yourself:

What is my biggest obstacle, and what can I do today to remove that obstacle, or at least make it easier to avoid?

What are two or three things that I can do today to make it easier to stick to my goal?

Do those.

For more guidance on building better habits:

6 Concrete Ways to Rewire Your Brain for Successful Habit Change

How to Develop Good Habits

The Definitive Guide to Breaking Bad Habits

Keep A Journal, Food Log, or Calendar

This is optional but recommended. Keeping written track of your behavior is uber-helpful for two reasons. One, it gives you a visual representation of your progress. Just like earning gold stars in kindergarten, you get positive reinforcement from seeing your “good days” accumulate. Two, it allows you to troubleshoot when necessary.

Basic food and exercise logs work well for accountability. They’re even better when combined with journaling about your internal states—hunger, stress, emotions—plus sleep, menstrual cycle, and any other relevant details. The more info you have, the easier it is to spot patterns and make connections. For example, you might learn that carb cravings increase at certain times of your cycle, so you decide to experiment with carb-ups. Or, you might realize you often eat poorly two days after a bad night’s rest. That tells you that you need to work on sleep, not just diet per se.

What to Do in The Longer Term to Stay on the Wagon

One silver lining to falling off the wagon is that it’s always a learning opportunity. That’s what we should all be doing—learning and adapting. It doesn’t mean you’ll never fall off the wagon again, but hopefully you can avoid repeating the same patterns over and over.

Sometimes it’s obvious what happened. You went on vacation, or got sick and stopped working out, but never returned to your healthy habits. Other times it takes some more digging and soul searching to understand how you got derailed (again). It’s never just a lack of willpower or desire. There’s a root cause that needs to be addressed.

Some common reasons people fall off the wagon are:

Caving to social pressure

It’s hard to stay on track when you’re surrounded by naysayers, or if you’re frequently in situations where your willpower is tested. Develop strategies that allow you to deal with these people or situations constructively, or avoid them if you must.

Not managing stress appropriately

If you change your diet, but everything else about your modern, high-stress life stays the same, you’ll inevitably falter.

Digging yourself into an energy hole

Not eating enough, not eating often enough (too much fasting for your body and activity level), and not sleeping enough will land you in the red, energy-wise. Your body will respond with hunger and cravings that become impossible to ignore. Motivation to exercise plummets, as does performance. Chronically depriving yourself of the fuel and rest you need is a recipe for disaster.

All-or-nothing thinking

You’re guilty of all-or-nothing thinking if you make one “bad” choice and then decide, “Forget it, I blew it. Might as well just give up.” The actual health consequences of your choices were probably small to negligible; the resulting guilt and shame spiral are what really hurt you. With all-or-nothing thinking, you create unrealistic standards of perfection, when what you should really strive for are progress and growth.

Trying to live a life that you don’t actually enjoy

Falling is inevitable if you don’t enjoy your food or your workout routine, your choices are causing friction with your partner, or you’re otherwise missing the joy in life. Sure, you might choose to suffer through a period of restriction to lose weight, especially if you have hardcore physique goals. Making short-term sacrifices in the service of a larger goal is one thing. Trying to commit to a “lifestyle” you hate is quite another. There are many roads to health. Find one that works for you.

Do the Deeper Healing Work

If self-sabotage is a repeating pattern for you, there is deeper work to do here. Therapy is fantastic for people dealing with unresolved past trauma, disordered eating tendencies, or feeling unworthy. You deserve to live your healthiest, most vibrant life. It’s your birthright as a magnificent human.

Psst, It’s Not Really a Wagon

This is where I admit that I’m not a fan of the whole “falling off the wagon” analogy. If you fall off a wagon — and I’m assuming we’re picturing a haywagon or something of that like, not a child’s wagon — it keeps going without you. If you don’t get back on quickly, you miss your chance. Your health gets more and more out of reach, and it gets more and more discouraging.

I think a better analogy is falling off a bicycle. When you fall off, the bike is still there, ready to be ridden at any point. Some falls are pretty gentle, like tipping over at low speed into soft grass. Some falls are pretty spectacular, like flying over your handlebars and tumbling down an embankment. In any case, though, you can usually climb back on and peddle away, if gingerly perhaps.

At the same time, bike owners know that the longer a bike sits unridden, the more work it requires to get it in tip-top shape again. It’s better to keep riding it and do regular maintenance.

It doesn’t really matter which analogy you use, of course, as long as you feel empowered to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and set your sights on the road ahead.

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The post Getting Back on the Wagon appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Getting Back on the Wagon published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[quandqry-blog]

Muse Sheet

Everything you need to know on Franklin Mendel/Quandary under the cut.

General Info

Full Name: Franklin Mendel

Name Origin: Franklin - liberally free-thinking (Middle English); Mendel - comforter, guardian (Yiddish)

Nickname: Frank/Frankie - self-explanatory, really; Mend-All - as one of the more...grounded associates, Franklin’s established himself as quite the handyman in Nygma’s ranks and a jack-of-all-trades, taking up various roles when required. 

Alias: Quandary - a state of perplexion and uncertainty over what to do during a difficult decision, typically of a moral nature.

D.O.B.: 19/07/87

Place of Birth: The Bowery, Gotham City East, USA - the lowest of the low, the worst Gotham has to offer. Bordered to the north by Crime Alley, the Bowery is home to Crown Point, a smaller inner-district ridden with crime, homelessness and prostitution. Underdeveloped and laden with the circulation of illegal drugs, police activity is at a minimum within the Bowery, while independent gangs rule the streets. 

Ethnicity: Sicilian - born to Sicilian immigrants, Franklin identifies strongly with his roots, identifying more with the culture and history he was born into than that of the US he was raised within. 

Religion: Roman Catholic - he was raised as such by his parents up until adolescence, where he started to assume a more casual degree of practice. While he acknowledges the concept of Catholicism as part of his heritage, Franklin isn’t an especially strict follower of the teachings, and would likely be considered a lapsed Catholic by most.

Place of Residence: The Cauldron, Gotham Central, USA - known for it’s organised crime, the Cauldron was run by Mickey Sullivan and the Irish mob - a sub-organisation of assassins who operated beneath Falcone - until Holiday wiped them out during Thanksgiving. As a gesture of goodwill, the territory was transferred over to the Sabatino crime family, Gotham’s oldest Italian mob, where it developed a reputation for housing and producing the city’s most feared hitmen.

Brief Description of Home: Franklin rents a top floor apartment on the outskirts of the Cauldron, consisting of a general living area and a sorry excuse for a bathroom tucked behind the door. He’s made a few repairs here and there to ensure everything’s functioning, but, if it weren’t for the blanket over the sofa - no bed, you see - or the coffee pot by the window, you’d be hard-pressed to believe anyone was living there. It’s poorly lit, cast in dreary greys and browns, and you’d be able to cross from one side of the room to the other in about three steps. Hardly ideal, but, in terms of putting a roof over his head and a minor base of operations, it serves its purpose.

Brief Description of Local Area: Much like your typical Gothamite, Franklin’s desensitised to the morbid ways of life within the city. Murder, theft, folk going missing overnight - hell, the middle of the day - are so commonplace, they’re scarcely worth fussing over - and, when you consider just how brutal the Cauldron can be, well, everything’s scaled up to eleven. Paranoia runs rampant in the streets, with friends turning each other over to the mob for a hefty fee, and blood will be spilled over petty disputes. Still, it’s ideally situated for ease of access to other areas of Gotham, and the Stacked Deck’s a fairly decent watering hole, if you can stomach the clientele. 

Current Occupation: Henchman - well, if we’re being official. It’s a fairly broad term, so he’s dabbled in his fair share of laundering, theft, murder, extortion, blackmail, getaway driving, etc. in his service to the Riddler. 

Income Level: Ehhh, it’s flimsy at best. He doesn’t have a conventional job, so there’s no money being made in his name. Whatever he does earn with Nygma tends to be split ten ways with other crooks, and deposited into cliched we’re obviously criminals swag bags, so, you can bet he’s not seeing a dime of that from all the times he’s spent behind bars...Good job he’s low maintenance, huh?

Education Level: As an orphan growing up in the East End of Gotham, Franklin never had access to nor the opportunity for a formal education. He was sitting around the sixth grade when his parents died, but everything he learned from that point on came from a significant degree of self-learning. Rarely would you find the urchin without a book, lost within the depths of literature and the human psyche. And, street smarts sure go a long way.

Do They Drive?: You’ve heard the saying like a duck to water, yes? Well, Franklin’s got a knack for that sort of thing, being able to adapt and account for numerous setbacks in areas he’s barely familiar with. He’s got a Mercedes S63 Coupe from Johnny Sabatino, as a gesture of their friendship and familial ties, but he’s rarely ever found himself needing to drive, when the labyrinth of Gotham’s a much more efficient means of crossing the city. He’s not beyond taking up the role of getaway driver when required, though. 

Sexual Orientation: Demisexual - while he’s not beyond acknowledging someone’s attractive and breaking into a sweat on the subway, Franklin predominantly experiences secondary sexual attraction, in that a foundation of trust and familiarity must be laid out before considering any partners. Unfortunately, this may come across as being fairly prudish, or not getting laid ‘enough’, but, for Frank, the attraction/appeal simply isn’t there until he’s made the connection, at which point, the notions become a tangible force.

Romantic Orientation: Aromantic - while the definition of aromantic varies between individuals, for Franklin, the concept of romance seems arbitrarily and inconsistently defined. It’s foreign territory, uncharted land. An entirely abstract notion. Now, he’s experienced passionate friendships which fall outwith typical ‘platonic’ boundaries, but the concept of romantic idealisation and elevating one person over another on account of some trivial feeling seems well and truly illogical. His love is based on practical conditions - constancy, loyalty, trust, action - not chemical highs and giddy emotions.

Physical Appearance

Height: 6′1″ [1.88m]

Weight: 187lbs [85kg]

Body Type: Franklin has a fairly lean, nimble physique - while proportionate and somewhat defined, he’s not especially athletic. Shoulders, chest, calves, quads - they’re all there, present, accounted for, but not to the extent of, say, a model or trainer. It’s a practical mass, gained through everyday labour and hardship, not the product of ego or vanity. 

Eye Colour: Dark Green.

Hair Colour: Light Brown 

Hair Style: Fairly short at the back and sides, with just enough heft to naturally quiff at the front.

Skin Tone: Light Olive - not as prominent as, say, other Sicilians, but definitively not white, either.

Prominent Features: He’s got an arrowhead-esque range of moles upon the head of the left deltoid, and a nasty scar on the inside of his bottom lip, courtesy of the Sabatino initiation process.  A tattoo of his parents’ initials on the inside of his left ankle, and one at the base of spine - domando, Sicilian slang that combines the Italian for query and demand. A few scars and bruises here and there from the previous week’s scrapes, but nothing too permanent or long-term, ‘til next time.

Dress Style: In spite of his line of work, Franklin isn’t a flashy sort of guy - if anything, his wardrobe’s the goldilocks zone of comfort and practicality, while maintaining that dreary pseudo-noir Gotham aesthetic. Long sleeved sweaters, cotton shirts, military jackets, grey denim, contrast jumpers, shirt jackets, leather boots, etc. etc. Greys, browns, greens. Everything you’d expect from a mobster-turned-Riddler henchman.

Accessories: He wears a brown leather watch on his left wrist, and used to carry his mother’s engagement ring around on a silver chain, but pawned it off in his youth for petty change during an all-time-low.

Grooming: Besides a light stubble every now and again, Franklin’s fairly well-maintained - not to the point of excess, mind you, or devoting too much time to his appearance; mostly the I woke up like this, groggily ran a brush through my hair and voila! look. You know the type.

Speech and Language

Rate of Speech: Franklin has a fairly fast, almost erratic, means of communication. It stems from finding difficulty in making the connection between his thoughts, what he wants to say and actually saying it in a way you’ll understand. By extension, if he’s ever explaining something, he’ll typically make a conscious effort to slow down, to ensure you’re keeping up - it may come across as condescending at times, but, hey, you’ll know all about it if he is.

Accent/Dialect: He boasts a fairly prominent New Jersey dialect, with the trademark diphthong and underlying slur. On paper, coffee and chocolate become ‘caw-fee’/’chawk-let’, park and dark become ‘pah-k’/’dah-k’. He’s aware of the negative stereotypes surrounding the dialect the ‘lazy’ pronunciation of vowels and absence of r’s, but he’s not going to go out of his way to mask or distance himself from it. Far as he’s concerned, it’s part of who he is.

Tone: The tone of his voice is comfortably within the middle ranges, not especially high, nor particularly deep; somewhat rasped in the lower regions, heavily accented when caught in the moment. Rarely will you ever hear him raise his voice, either, for there’s a distinct sense of control and reservation at play - it’d be illogical for him to be saddled by emotion and impulse, so you’ll find he conducts himself with a calm, authoritative air.

General Speech Pattern: For the most part, Franklin’s just your everyday Gothamite - he may be in Nygma’s employ, but he’s not going to run around using flowery language, accusing everyone of being imbeciles, flaunting his intellectual superiority through antiquated words. He values words, he values meaning, so he can often come across as being fairly reserved in terms of interaction, for he's pretty damn selective in what he says, speaks only when there’s a point to be made or a conversation of value.

Mannerisms/Demeanour: In contrast to Nygma’s theatrical flamboyance, Franklin’s much more...reticent. It may be mistaken for a brooding, stoic disposition, but he’s much more sure of himself and his ability to get his point across without the grandeur Nygma so readily employs. He’s calm, cool, collected. Patient. Not so easily riled. Truth is, he often finds himself cringing when Nygma gets in the zone, since the whole ordeal’s so painfully obnoxious, but, hey, gig of the century.

Typical Posture: He’ll typically stand straight and proportioned, but not rigid. Circumstance may see him slouch a tad if he’s been lingering for a particular length of time, but, generally speaking, he’ll remain upright to the best of his ability. 

Common Gestures: Franklin has a tendency to fold his arms so that each thumb rests under the bicep, while his fingers lightly tap upon the top. It’s not so much a sign he’s uncomfortable or anxious, more...a means of occupying himself, stimulating his mind and body, where it’s otherwise lacking. The occasional foot-tap makes an appearance, too.

Everyday Behaviour/Habits

Finances: As mentioned during the ‘income level’ section, every penny Franklin makes comes from his criminal activity with Nygma. There’s no need for him to be cautious or prudent with regards to his spending habits, for he spent so much of his life on the streets anyway that the concept of money seems pretty damn nonsensical. If he wants something, he can simply take it, for he’s already damned as far as a criminal record goes. Besides, he’s not exactly high maintenance - he’s pretty much living on microwave meals, take-outs, a few repair materials and strong black coffee.

Vices: Franklin’s partial to the odd glass or two of Amaretto, with a large bottle tucked away in his apartment. One’s kicking about somewhere in Nygma’s HQ, but its current whereabouts are, as yet, unknown. He’s also dabbled in weed from time to time, but nothing so extreme as to impair his judgement or performance. Nor does he bolster an addiction.

Daily Routine: It’s nigh impossible to map out a typical day for Franklin, since so much could change on the turn of a dime. He’ll roughly wake for around 8-9am, take a leak, brush up, etc. etc., keeping his phone nearby in the event Nygma calls, then grab breakfast on-the-go as he paces across Gotham to find intel of his own, people to extort, victims to test. Nygma’s not exactly running a criminal empire, so Franklin doesn’t need to be on his hands and knees 24/7 for him, he’s got a life outwith being a henchman. Having said that, should he not be required, he’ll be left with a significant amount of time to fill, prompting him to either make some repairs back home, check over everything at HQ, or take one of Nygma’s traps for a spin. Coming home, it’d be your standard washing away the blood of your victims, watching mostly-static over a microwave meal, then curling up on a ratty sofa with no remorse for the people he killed. Not his fault they didn’t have what it takes to survive. Clearly didn’t want to live enough.

Skills/Talents: Critical thinking; innovation; diplomatic; articulate; intuitive; adaptable; integrity; polyglot; mechanical engineering; woodwork; psycho-analysing; philosophical; light-footed; silk touch; quick-witted; driven. 

Weaknesses: Franklin doesn’t do too well when it comes to being called out or contradicted - his thoughts essentially haze over, struggling to overcome the sudden obstacle, leaving him pretty damn stuped. While boasting a mean right hook, he’s also not the most skilled fighter, meaning he could easily go down if outnumbered or overpowered. 

Hobbies: Woodwork; learning; geocaching; poker; hiking; orienteering; camping.

[More to add.]

[tonyb-blog]

If you want the answer without having to read any further then the answer is yes. If you want to know a bit more and why the answer is yes – then read on for my view on how the bike shaped up on a 2,500 mile trip to Spain and Portugal in September (2017).

Some background and context: I’m not writing on the suitability of the bike for touring from any lack of experience or with nothing else to compare it to. By way of providing some context I’ve toured Europe on a variety of bikes: K3 and K5 Suzuki GSX-R 600s; K7 Suzuki GSX-R 750; K8 Suzuki GSX-R 1000; RR9 Honda Fireblade; 2011 Honda CB1000R; 2014  Kawasaki Z1000 SX – and I reckon I’ve done maybe the best part of 50,000 miles on European trips.

Each of those bikes did at least two trips and some more than that and I think I probably did around 12,000 miles on road trips on the Z1000 and over the years I’ve used a variety of luggage options that have included various Kriega tail bags, backpacks, Givi Tank Bags and of course the OEM hard luggage option on the Z1000.

Now I know many motorcycle manufactures these days tend to make agreements with dealers to sell only their marque but just allow yourself for a moment to imagine a dealers that retails the full range of machines from say Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, BMW, Triumph, Ducati etc etc etc and you were to walk in and ask them to recommend the most suitable machine for two of you to take off on a European trip.

Then if you tell them  the trip is going to take in several thousand miles, will include mountains, back roads, superbly surfaced roads with wide and fast sweeping bends … to be honest I can’t really imagine a single dealer that would recommend the Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 as the pick of the bunch for touring on and that’s before you mention that it’s got to be capable of carrying a reasonable amount of luggage for two of you!

On our recent trip our route took us down the UK motorway network to Plymouth, then from Santander in Spain we spent three days in and around the Picos mountains before heading into Asturias, Galicia, down into Portugal. After that we headed across Spain down to the mountains of Siera de Gredos, then towards Segovia before returning to Santander.

Finally after crossing back to Portsmouth in the UK we completed the final 240 mile leg of the trip on the UK motorways.  All in all a total of 2,500 miles with a pretty varied mix of roads – certainly enough to provide an informed view on the bike.

Wind blast: Wind blast on any naked bike is always going to be an issue for some people. I’ve had a few naked bikes in my time and to be honest have never really found it a problem.

Obviously you’re more exposed to wind and rain on the Vulcan than behind the three way adjustable screen of something like a Z1000 SX, but I cant say that I ever got neck ache on the trip or was particularly conscious of wind buffeting.  Realistically some of that has got to do with physique – at 5′ 7″ and around 148 pounds then clearly I’m not a big guy, maybe if I was taller and bigger it would cause more problems – that and me keeping cruising speeds on the UK motorways to around the 75/80mph mark caused few issues.

Luggage: Despite the fact that the bike isn’t an obvious choice as a touring bike I don’t think I had quite anticipated how long it would take me to find some luggage that was suitable for the trip and that (in my opinion) ‘looked right’ on the bike.

There’s certainly plenty of options out there, we didn’t want soft luggage and we didn’t want something that was so big that it just looked odd. In the end we settled for the pannier and mounting set up from Shad and purchased the SH23 panniers.

I wrote a separate Blog post on those here if its something you want to check back and read. We also bought a Saddlemen roll bag that fits on the rack (model R1300XLE), and there’s pictures and a write up here about fitting that particular piece of luggage. So in total we had about 66 litres or so of space for the two of us, which actually was plenty.

One last item was the Givi Tank Lock bag – this was a piece of kit that I already had and had purchased it originally for use on my Z1000 SX. It had seen service on about three European trips plus numerous trips in the UK – its a pretty neat item and secures to the bike with a simple click fastening on a adapter plate that is fastened to the petrol tank surround.

The bag itself isn’t bike specific although the tank lock ring itself wont fit all bikes – in this case it was straight swap from one Kawasaki to another and its a great piece of gear for holding bits and pieces: cameras, sun glasses, loose change and so on. The pictures below show the luggage in use.

Overall comfort and handling: I’ve already mentioned that I check in at 5′ 7″ and about 148 pounds and my wife is 5′ 6″ and about 126 pounds – so neither of us are tall or heavy –  it’s a combination that seemed to work well on the bike.  We did modify the passenger seat shortly after getting the bike – see this Blog post for information on that and round about the same time we fitted a backrest and rack from Hepko & Becker – info here.

The final thing that made a significant difference to comfort and overall ride was adjusting the rear suspension. We moved it from the factory position to the number six setting (of seven).  I cant overstate what a huge difference this made in normal day to riding. Oddly enough other than one particular issue  it seemed that for the most part the bike even handled a little better with the luggage on and fully loaded – and that wasn’t something that I had expected.

There were no handling issues on the tight mountain roads, nor the long (at times very long) sweeping bends – and although we clearly were not taking corners and bends at the speeds I might have done on other bikes, we were not hanging about either – there are some ground clearance issues and I’ll come to that shortly.

The one issue that was impacted by the combination of riding two up and with luggage was the introduction of a slight steering wobble at low speeds (say between about 10 – 20mph). This was only slight and in fact was only noticeable with both hands off the bars, with hands on the bars it just didn’t happen under any other situation. So at the same time as not wanting to overplay this issue it does need mentioning as it would probably (in my opinion) be a potential limiting factor to the suitability of the bike for two up touring, If you’re a rider with a pillion and either of you are on the heavier side you would want to be aware of this and check it out. I’m 100% certain its a luggage/weight issue. But to be clear In our case it wasn’t a problem.

In fact and in terms of handling the bike was a complete revelation, it was better than good, the only limiting factor was the ground clearance of the bike, but there again if you buy and ride a bike like this then you know that and ride accordingly. In practice touching the foot pegs down is all too easy, and if you’re being lazy with the position of your feet, contact between the heel of your boot and the tarmac can be pretty frequent (and if I’m honest quite good fun as well). There seemed to be zero impact in terms of speed and handling being two up and with luggage – the bike is an absolute breeze to ride and a lot of fun.

Mileage/range: Prior to the trip we had seen the bike returning a pretty constant 65mpg – which makes for an impressive tank range. Not surprisingly fuel consumption dropped during the trip, doubtless impacted by the long drag to and from the south coast on the motorway network but it still returned just over 53mpg over the 2,500 miles – which is better than any bike I have ever toured on. Although the overall miles per gallon dropped then without doubt this was more than compensated by an increase in smiles per gallon.

Reliability: I didn’t expect any reliability issue and didn’t experience any – we lost a single allen bolt from the plastic panel on the left hand side of the bike, which was soon replaced when we returned home.

Tyre wear: An area that was impacted by riding two up and with luggage was rear tyre wear. Prior to the trip, the OEM tyres had done around 1,800 miles – we had to replace the rear tyre whilst away due to excessive wear, most noticeably on the left hand side, as you can see in the pictures below.

I cant imagine that we would have experienced this type of wear had we done similar mileage without luggage in the UK. Of course the constantly inviting curves on the Spanish and Portuguese roads played a part as well!

Summary: Ive said so many times in the past that you can tour on any bike – ultimately some of the choice comes down to what sort of compromises you want to make. Bottom line on this trip is that whilst the Kawasaki Vulcan S isn’t an obvious tourer, nor is it ever going to be the best – it is actually pretty good, has plenty of power for two up touring, is a breeze to ride and handled with some aplomb pretty much everything thrown its way. I suppose the final ‘test’ question is would you do a european tour on it again … the answer is a resounding yes and probably next year actually!

    If you haven’t read the blog posts or seen the pictures from the trip you can read see them at the following links: PART 1; PART 2; PART 3 and PART 4.

  can you really tour on a kawasaki vulcan 650 s …? If you want the answer without having to read any further then the answer is yes…