Consistency is the Key

[RocketbikeNinja]

So, I've been here a week, I've joined the Academy, I've done a ton of reading, and I've made some realizations.

 

Ultimately, I know, and have known, what I need to do to keep healthy for a couple of years now.

 

Ultimately, I have not been able to stick to my habits.  Not as much as I'd like to.

 

So it's time for a battle log.  A tracker with two favourite measures of all time:  Number Of Consistent Days, and % YTD (although % MTD is good too.)

 

Specifically, I'll be tracking Nutrition.  I'm so close to completing the Level 8 Nutrition quest in the Academy, except that I am not consistent.  So let's try to get that done, and then move to level 9.

 

But also, I'll be tracking my daily and weekly workout routines.  I have some Big Fat Hairy Goals in my signature that I'm not going to meet without some regular, consistent work.

 

That's it.  Today is day 1.  I'll post how I did at the end of the day.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 1

 

I figure I should start by laying out those things I need to track.  The list is long, but most of this is things not to eat.  Goal is to copy and paste this every day, with updates.  And if I've already been doing any of these things, I'll restart the counter at 1 for ease of comparisons.

 

Some of these will be easier than others...

 

Daily Routines:

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked

Days without Dairy

Days without Alcohol

Days of High Protein Breakfast

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice

Days with < 150g of Carbs

 

Exercise:

25 Situps

50 Pushups

10 Pullups

3 Karate classes / week

1 7K run / week

3 workouts / week

[Mitchilich]

Your 'why' in your signature is admirable.  That's good parenting.  Awesome on you.

 

Good luck with your training.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 1:

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  1/1

Days without Dairy:  1/1

Days without Alcohol:  0/1

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  1/1

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  1/1

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  1/1

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  1/1

25 Pushups:  1/1

10 Pullups:  1/1

3 Karate classes / week:  

1 7K run / week:  1/1

3 workouts / week

 

Big win today:  my kids were promised a special meal of burgers and fries.  We tried a new place, and I asked if I could get my burger without the bun.  No problem!  How about a salad substituted for fries?  No problem!  Managed to have a fast food paleo meal!

 

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 2:

 

Log kept:  2/2

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  2/2

Days without Dairy:  2/2

Days without Alcohol:  1/2

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  2/2

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  2/2

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  2/2

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  2/2

25 Pushups:  2/2

10 Pullups:  2/2

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week

1 7K run / week:  1/1

3 workouts / week:  0/3 out of 1 week

 

Big win today:  I had a brutal day at work.  The kind where you work all day at... something... and discover at the end of the day that it's actually been nothing.  My body aches from a week of pretty much constant movement.  My calves are so sore from the Darebee Daily Dare that I can barely make it up stairs.  

 

But I went to karate anyway.  90 minutes of good hard sweaty work.  And I'm really glad I went.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 3:

 

Log kept:  3/3  Longest streak 3

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  3/3  Longest streak 3

Days without Dairy:  3/3  Longest streak 3

Days without Alcohol:  2/3  Longest streak 2

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  3/3  Longest streak 3

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  3/3  Longest streak 3

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  3/3  Longest streak 3

Days with > 3 litres of water:  3/3  Longest streak 3

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  3/3  Longest streak 3

25 Pushups:  3/3  Longest streak 3

10 Pullups:  3/3  Longest streak 3

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  1/1  Longest streak (weeks) 1

3 workouts / week:  0/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  I've been inching up the size of my reps for pullups.  I started doing two sets of 5 about a week and a half ago, and increased to 6 and 5.  Today I felt good after 6, so I did a 7th, matching my personal best.  When I went for my second set, I pushed (pulled?) for 7 again.  New daily PB at 14.  Later, I was sitting downstairs thinking about it, and I headed up to my pull up bar, and did another set of 7.  21 in a day is awesome, and makes me think that my single set of 20 may not be as far off as it seemed when I made that target.

[Hyperion]

it's actually lot harder to get those reps to 10-12 range from below then, than to get them from 10 to 20

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 4:

 

Log kept:  4/4  Longest streak 4

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  4/4  Longest streak 4

Days without Dairy:  4/4  Longest streak 4

Days without Alcohol:  3/4  Longest streak 3

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  4/4  Longest streak 4

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  4/4  Longest streak 4

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  4/4  Longest streak 4

Days with > 3 litres of water:  4/4  Longest streak 4

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  4/4  Longest streak 4

25 Pushups:  4/4  Longest streak 4

10 Pullups:  4/4  Longest streak 4

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  1/1  Longest streak (weeks) 1

3 workouts / week:  0/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  I decided to step on the scale, and I'm down to 174 today.  Which is nice - I haven't been that light for at least a year.  170 is well in sight (even if it's probably mostly water weight.)

 

Decided to back off the pull ups - a little weak after pulling so hard yesterday, but I still got 2 sets of 5 in.  Slow and steady, slow and steady.

 

All that said, this weekend is going to be tough for nutrition.  Tomorrow night is a kids movie night at my daughter's school, complete with pizza.  I'll bring a salad with some kind of meat on top.  But then Saturday is a party with my wife's friends, which will mean more pizza and beer, and hosts who come from a culture where you MUST FEED YOUR GUESTS.  The food will be tempting, amazing, and I suppose that's just how it will go on Saturday.  So I'll break my streak, but just get back on it.

 

And my poor karate streak will stay at 0, as Thursday and Saturday are typically class days.  Maybe next week I'll get my 3 in.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 5:

 

Log kept:  5/5  Longest streak 5

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  5/5  Longest streak 5

Days without Dairy:  5/5  Longest streak 5

Days without Alcohol:  4/5  Longest streak 4

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  5/5  Longest streak 5

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  5/5  Longest streak 5

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  5/5  Longest streak 5

Days with > 3 litres of water:  5/5  Longest streak 5

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  5/5  Longest streak 5

25 Pushups:  5/5  Longest streak 5

10 Pullups:  5/5  Longest streak 5

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  1/1  Longest streak (weeks) 1

3 workouts / week:  0/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  actually, today there was so much win.

 

1.  I finally fixed my fitbit, thanks to this site.  Someone pointed out I can email fitbit support.  I'm now sporting my Charge HR again, which means sleep tracking, resting heart rate, and of course steps.  Whoo!

2.  Went to a kids movie night, where they were serving pizza.  School fund raiser kind of thing.  I took along an awesome kale salad with steak, and didn't even have a craving for the pizza (although to be fair, it wasn't my favourite brand anyway.)

3.  Another new personal best for pull ups - 8 in a row, and 34 in all done today.  After day 7, I'll re-assess the current target of 10 per day.

[Hyperion]

you know what. i might adopt your consistency log system. This seems all in all very smart way to make sure all goes well!!

[RocketbikeNinja]

I got the idea from Jerry Seinfeld of all people.  He said in an interview that he wants to write at least one joke a day.  So on his calendar, he keeps track of how many days in a row he's written at least one joke.  I liked the concept - I'm motivated to keep my streak getting as big as possible.  And the longer the streak, the less I want it to fail!

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 6:

 

Log kept: 6/6  Longest streak 6

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  6/6  Longest streak 6

Days without Dairy:  6/6  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  5/6  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  6/6  Longest streak 6

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  6/6  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  6/6  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  6/6  Longest streak 6

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  6/6  Longest streak 6

25 Pushups:  6/6  Longest streak 6

10 Pullups:  6/6  Longest streak 6

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  1/1  Longest streak (weeks) 1

3 workouts / week:  0/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  Actually, it's not so much something I did, as something I didn't do.  It was a long day.  A long week.  And tomorrow is the day when a bunch of my streaks are going to end on the nutrition side.  I opened the fridge, pulled out a beer.  Read the label.  Put it back, and finished off my 3 litres of water for the day.  

 

My no alcohol streak may end at 5 tomorrow, but it didn't end at 4 today.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 7

 

Log kept: 7/7  Longest streak 7

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  7/7  Longest streak 7

Days without Dairy:  0/1  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  0/1  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  7/7  Longest streak 7

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  0/1  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  0/1  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  7/7  Longest streak 7

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  7/7  Longest streak 7

25 Pushups:  7/7  Longest streak 7

10 Pullups:  7/7  Longest streak 7

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  1/1  Longest streak (weeks) 1

3 workouts / week:  3/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

So, tonight was my expected night to fall off the nutrition wagon.  I don't want to be the guy who brings his own food to a party.  And that pizza and beer was delicious, and the hosts had beer specifically for me and a couple of other craft beer aficionados.  And I'm not too worried - I may change the target eventually to 6 out of 7 days per week for a lot of the nutrition goals.  It's only realistic that there will be times when it's socially expected to eat and drink like a normal person.

 

That said, big win today:  this morning, while the kids were at swimming lessons, my wife and I worked out in the gym.  We didn't finish the workout, so we continued when we got home.  I came upstairs, and there was my wife and my two daughters doing planks in the living room.  

 

I love it.

 

I love that me taking the time and effort to stay in shape is encouraging my wife to do the same, and teaching my daughters that exercise is something that people just do, at home, whenever, even in the living room.  Huge win today! 

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 7

 

Log kept: 8/8  longest streak 8

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  8/8  longest streak 8

Days without Dairy:  1/1  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  0/1  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  8/8  longest streak 8

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  0/1  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  1/1  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  8/8  longest streak 8

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  8/8  longest streak 8

25 Pushups:  8/8  longest streak 8

10 Pullups:  8/8  longest streak 8

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  3/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  I set a baseline for my 1 mile run:  6:58!  Pretty good, although my wife immediately informed me that in high school she had run a 6:14.  She reminds me of this often, so I think I see a potential future Big Fat Hairy Goal:  beat a 6:14 mile.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 9

 

Log kept: 9/9  longest streak 9

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  9/9  longest streak 9

Days without Dairy:  8/9  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  7/9  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  9/9  longest streak 9

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  8/9  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  8/9  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  9/9  longest streak 9

 

Exercise:

50 Situps:  9/9  longest streak 9

25 Pushups:  9/9  longest streak 9

10 Pullups:  9/9  longest streak 9

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  3/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

I realized that yesterday i set the days wrong - it should be x days done out of x days tracked, then longest streak.  Fixed here.

 

Also, I think it's time to start raising my pushup, sit up and pull up targets by 20%.  So tomorrow, 60 sit ups, 30 push ups, 12 pull ups.  

 

Big win today:  Just got back from a great karate class.  We practiced a lot of knife defense (and judging by the marks on my body, I'm not there yet...)  But the best thing is that while I'm still learning defence against knives, I've stopped thinking about certain movements.  Certain throws, sweeps, joint locks and body manipulations have started coming completely naturally to me, which is awesome.  Now I just have to focus on gaining control of the knife first...

[E-ratik Madman]

Love it.  Are you tracking on an app or just through here as a journal?  

[RocketbikeNinja]

It depends - food I track through fitbit.  Everything else is here.  

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 10

 

Log kept: 10/10  longest streak 10

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  10/10  longest streak 10

Days without Dairy:  9/10  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  7/10  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  10/10  longest streak 10

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  9/10  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  9/10  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  10/10  longest streak 10

 

Exercise:

60 Situps:  10/10  longest streak 10

30 Pushups:  10/10  longest streak 10

12 Pullups:  10/10  longest streak 10

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  1/3 out of 2 weeks  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  new personal best for single set of pullups at 9!  I did 3 sets as part of today's workout, making 9, then 7, then 5.  

 

Also, I've increased the situp pushup pullup targets by 20%.  Feeling strong!

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 11

 

Log kept: 11/11  longest streak 11

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  11/11  longest streak 11

Days without Dairy:  10/11 Current streak: 4  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  8/11  Current streak: 1  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  11/11  longest streak 11

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  9/10  Current streak: 4  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  10/11  Current streak: 4  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  11/11  longest streak 11

 

Exercise:

60 Situps:  11/11  longest streak 11

30 Pushups:  11/11  longest streak 11

12 Pullups:  11/11  longest streak 11

3 Karate classes / week:  1/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  1/3 out of 2 weeks  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  A new PB for pullups at 10 in a row!  Also, I've cleared doing a 10K run on Sunday with my wife, which I'm both excited and terrified of.  I don't know why, but that extra 3K just seems daunting... 

[Hyperion]

nice! keep that going!

[Geek On Fire]

You're making great progress here, and I really like the way you're recording it. I may borrow it some time.

 

 

Also, I've cleared doing a 10K run on Sunday with my wife, which I'm both excited and terrified of.  I don't know why, but that extra 3K just seems daunting... 

 

 

I'm sure you can do this. Just back your pace off a little, and keep your breathing under control. Also, it does wonders for your stamina in the dojo.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 12

 

Log kept: 12/12  longest streak 12

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  12/12  longest streak 12

Days without Dairy:  11/12 Current streak: 5  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  8/12  Current streak: 0  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  12/12  longest streak 12

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  11/12  Current streak: 5  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  11/12  Current streak: 5  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  12/12  longest streak 12

 

Exercise:

60 Situps:  12/12  longest streak 12

30 Pushups:  12/12  longest streak 12

12 Pullups:  12/12  longest streak 12

3 Karate classes / week:  2/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  2/3 out of 2 weeks  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  Karate class tonight was an absolute blast.  Not so much for the physical exertion, but more for teaching throws.  There's a yellow belt at karate who outweighs me by 90 pounds, and I feel so strong when I throw him like a sack of pillows.  Strength and speed come from proper technique!

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 12

 

Log kept: 13/13  longest streak 13

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  13/13  longest streak 13

Days without Dairy:  12/13 Current streak: 6  Longest streak 6

Days without Alcohol:  8/13  Current streak: 0  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  13/13  longest streak 13

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  12/13  Current streak: 6  Longest streak 6

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  12/13  Current streak: 6  Longest streak 6

Days with > 3 litres of water:  12/13  longest streak 12

 

Exercise:

60 Situps:  13/13  longest streak 13

30 Pushups:  13/13  longest streak 13

12 Pullups:  13/13  longest streak 13

3 Karate classes / week:  2/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 0

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  2/3 out of 2 weeks  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  today, my big win wasn't anything physical; I was actually a bit of a slug today.  But suddenly, this afternoon, in a fit of inspiration, I figured out the solution to a massive problem at work, and made significant headway on it.  I was in the zone; so much so that I didn't want to stop working.  

 

That said, pull ups were crazy hard today.  I didn't eat enough, I didn't drink enough water, and I feel just exhausted.  This weekend promises to be crazy busy, so this is a bad night to be going to bed late (but I am anyway.)  

 

I signed up for and paid the fee for the 10K on Sunday, though.  I pick up the run kit tomorrow, and then off I go!  I just hope I don't get injured during tomorrow's 2 hour karate seminar... 

[RocketbikeNinja]

Correction!  Water just slipped in under the wire!  13/13.

[RocketbikeNinja]

Day 14

 

Log kept: 14/14  longest streak 14

 

Nutrition:

Days food tracked:  14/14  longest streak 14

Days without Dairy:  13/14 Current streak: 7  Longest streak 7

Days without Alcohol:  9/14  Current streak: 1  Longest streak 5

Days of High Protein Breakfast:  14/14  longest streak 14

Days without Pasta, Sweets, Bread, Rice:  13/14 Current streak: 7  Longest streak 7

Days with < 150g of Carbs:  13/14 Current streak: 7  Longest streak 7

Days with > 3 litres of water:  14/14  longest streak 14

 

Exercise:

60 Situps:  14/14  longest streak 14

30 Pushups:  14/14  longest streak 14

12 Pullups:  14/14  longest streak 14

3 Karate classes / week:  3/3 out of 1 week  Longest streak (weeks) 1

1 7K run / week:  2/2  Longest streak (weeks) 2

3 workouts / week:  2/3 out of 2 weeks  Longest streak (weeks) 1

 

NOTE:  New weeks begin on Sunday morning.

 

Big win today:  discovering apple slices and peanut butter (thanks to this site.)  What a fantastic snack!  Low carb delicious, a new favourite for sure.

 

Otherwise, I've started to extend a bunch of my nutrition streaks, which is great!  And tomorrow is my 10K run, early in the morning.  So, time for a good night's sleep (pleasekidssleeppleasekidssleeppleasekidssleep)