Eridian

Hi guys! I came across this in my internet travels. I'm not sure if you've seen it already, but it was kind of neat. A photographer did a series about what various foods look like in quantites of 200 calories. Photo Set Here: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm I particularily enjoyed the pile of super broccolli. As someone who uses it as a filling snack everyday, I have to say, "Looks about right."

Ooh! I love these! Time for some geeky jokes. A neutron walks into a bar. "I'd like a beer" he says. The bartender promptly serves up a beer. "How much will that be?" asks the neutron. "For you?" replies the bartender, "No charge!" Argon walks into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve noble gases here!" Argon doesn't react. Heisenberg and Schroedinger are driving and get pulled over. The cop asks, "Do you know how fast you were going?" Heisenberg says. "No, but I can tell you exactly where I was." The cop thinks this answer is warrant for a search, and finds a dead cat in the trunk. He asks, "Do you know you have a dead cat in the trunk?" Schroedinger says, "Pfft, well I do now." Two scientists walk into a bar... the first one says, "I'll have some H2O." The second one says, "I'll have some H2O, too." And then he dies. E-flat walks into a bar, The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve minors." A drunk goes into a bar. The bartender tosses him out as he is too drunk. The drunk walks back into the bar. Again, the bartender throws him out for being too drunk. Again the drunk walks into the bar. The bartender is just about the throw him out when the drunk looks at him and says, "How many bars do you own, anyway?" A screwdriver walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Hey, we have a drink named after you!" The Screwdriver responds, "You have a drink named Murray?" Charles Dickens walks into a bar and orders a martini. The bartender asks, "Olive or twist?"

Eridian's Vice to Virtue Challenge Greed to Charity: Diet Goal (+2 WIS, +1 CHA) Make new healthy meals 3 times a week. Also participated in Nerdi Claus challenge for 5 times a week. A = Thrice a week B = Twice a week C = Once a week F = No changes Week 1: A Week 2: A Week 3: A Week 4: A Week 5: A Week 6: A Final Grade: A Gluttony to Temperance: Diet Goal (+2 WIS, +1 CON) Cut out one junk food per week. Final week being soda. A = 6 foods cut B = 4 foods cut C = 2 foods cut F = No changes Week 1: Candy = A Week 2: Salty Snacks = A Week 3: Fruit Juice = A Week 4: Fruit Snacks = A Week 5: All of the gummies = A Week 6: Soda = Well deserved A Final Grade: A Sloth to Diligence: Fitness Goal (+2 STR, +2 DEX, +2 STA) Exercise 6 days a week. A = 6 days a week sticking to routine B = 4 days a week sticking to routine C = 2 days a week sticking to routine F = No changes Week 1: A Week 2: A Week 3: A Week 4: A Week 5: A Week 6: A Final Grade: A Lust to Chastity: Life Goal (+3 CHA) Do something nice for my partner once a day. A = Something nice once a day B = Something nice 4 times a week C = Something nice twice a week F = No changes Week 1: A Week 2: A Week 3: A Week 4: A Week 5: A Week 6: A Final Grade: A I think the most important takeaway for me is that I should do a little lighter challenge next time. I found myself very burnt out very quickly and was only able to get myself going with guilt. That's never a good feeling. I'm going to keep up with the exercise, keep generally being nice to E and keep eating healthy, but I think I'm going to happily drop my other goal for the time being. I found that one oddly stressful, and I don't need to do that to myself. I'm glad I made it, but I'm also glad it's over. I'm also happy to state that I'm now officially a level two druid. I also am pretty positive I am not eligible to win anything. I didn't post a whole lot during the holiday season.

Final Summary: After a fun birthday celebration (The Hobbit was a ton of fun!), I'm back to report my results. Chastity: I completed this every single day, and boy was it worth it. E has been really enjoying this and has been very encouraging in my attempt to get healthy. We've spent a lot more time together than usual and even managed to work out a few minor snags. Final grade: A Charity: I made it. I just barely did, but I made it. I learned a few new things and found a few recipes I liked...and some I really didn't. XP Final grade: A Number of recipes hated: 3 Not bad. Diligence: This was hard, but it was done. I got a kick in the pants from my doctor and that helped too. I find myself spending a few minutes here or there doing a few crunches or squats. It's quite nice! I just need to force myself to have time for it. I can squat and play Dishonored at the same time, so no excuses. Final Grade: A Temperance: This one was interesting as I made a few discoveries. Many of the things I loved, I don't actually miss that much. The lowered snacking has slowed my monstrous appetite a bit. I have a harsher addiction to soda than I realized. I actually went into autopilot and brought them to my desk twice during my giving up period. I have determined that I'm not going to forbid it entirely, but I'm going to greatly reduce it. GREATLY. Most of my snack cravings have been reduced by making sure to keep lots of fruit in the house. I've been able to satiate my sweet tooth during gaming by having some berries or apples on hand. I'm planning to start slowly replacing fruits with veggies as I can, and I've started bringing a lot of carrots and broccoli to work. That helps the need for munching without purpose. Final Grade: A I think the most important takeaway for me is that I should do a little lighter challenge next time. I found myself very burnt out very quickly and was only able to get myself going with guilt. That's never a good feeling. I'm going to keep up with the exercise, keep generally being nice to E and keep eating healthy, but I think I'm going to happily drop my other goal for the time being. I found that one oddly stressful, and I don't need to do that to myself. I'm glad I made it, but I'm also glad it's over. I'm also happy to state that I'm now officially a level two druid.

I'm back, sort of. Heading to doctor again today to talk about my weight loss. Yay... Week 5 Summary Meals (5/5)* Exercise (6/6): My exercise wasn't as strong as I'd hoped this week, but it was done. I'm finding myself getting really discouraged lately and not really wanting to push on with exercise. Did a great BBWR yesterday and finally made a schedule to put on my fridge. Hoping this helps a little. Gifts (7/7) Sleep (7/7): Got lots of sleep for the Nerdi Claus challenge! (+1 STA) Giving up: Success Total Week 5: A This week's sacrifice: Soda *Did the Nerdi Claus challenge! Lots of new things involving chicken, some beef, more spaghetti squash, eggs, and other fun ingredients! I just had to push it a little more, so this worked well in my challenge! (+1 CON) This week I'm planning to implement a solid plan of time management to get some long overdue assignments done for work! In an act of divine intervention, my area was hit by a horrible ice storm. I'm working from home today, which means that without the commute, I was able to get started 2 hours sooner. I've already gotten more done than I usually have done at noon.

Week 4 Summary Sorry, I just haven't been posting. There doesn't seem to be much time for it during the holiday season...It's so quiet on here. If I came off as snippy, I didn't mean to. I got some crummy and discouraging results from the doctor last week regarding my weight loss. Meals (3/3) Exercise (6/6) Gifts (7/7) Giving up: Success Total Week 4: A This week's sacrifice: Gummies

11/30-12/1: Quick Update Meals (3/3): Made rosemary pork loin cooked with olive oil and some healthy "fried" rice. Rice turned out quite delicious. I have some for lunch today! Pork was delicious, but could have used a couple more minutes on the stove. Exercise (6/6): I've started getting my husband to help me with some of my exercises. He's encouraging me to do actual situps instead of crunches, but he has to hold my feet down so I don't get stuck. He's also started putting me through some of the exercises he used to do in football practice. I think I opened up a can of worms here, lol... Gift (7/7): I had an all-around great weekend and was able to spend some great time with E. We played a lot of games and spent a lot of time together. Cutting back: This went well, but I did have a lot of temptation. Made it through without a hitch! Total 3rd week grade: A 12/2: Quick Update Meals (1/3): Made some oatmeal "cookies." The "cookies"....well, they kind of failed. I have a large container of cookie crumbs. They completely disintegrated for some reason. E claims he will eat them anyway, possibly as cereal. I guess I made accidental granola? That's what I get for trying to wing it with desserts... I chalk it up as a failure, but that doesn't mean I didn't try. Gift (1/7): I tried to make him cookies. We also spent some time making dinner together. Now for some additional good news. Ever since I started cooking healthier, it has generally improved E's disposition. He has a lot more energy, as I've started cutting up some veggies for his lunches on occasion. The combination of healthy food and kind thoughts has generally made it so that instead of us ignoring each other in the evening, he's incredibly social and snuggly. At this point, I already consider that I've won this challenge. I'm gonna keep it going for the next few weeks! Halfway there!

Thanks! I appreciate it! I've been trying pretty hard. Glad you like my avatar! It's one of the few pictures I've done that hasn't come out looking like crap. As for the brown sugar, I'm afraid not. The vegan friends I had were okay with brown sugar (I asked them specifically.). I know one suggested some of the no calorie sweeteners, like Splenda, Stevia, and other stuff. I'm not sure how I would replace it... I'm doing okay so far. It's still the making new meals goal that is tripping me up. The others are surprisingly easy, except the giving up unhealthy food one. I'm having a bit of trouble with that one, as I don't eat a lot of variety of junk foods, but the ones I do eat, I eat a lot of. I've gotten rid of the two biggest offenders. The only thing I have left is soda.... Now I'm not sure what to do for next week...

11/28 & 11/29: Quick Update Meals (2/3): Making a ginger spiced pork loin dish tonight! I'm excited. Exercise (4/6): Last night was some push-ups, crunches and stretching. Today, I feel like death warmed over. Our building had a fire drill. We had to go down then up the building stairs. I work on the 16th floor. X_X Gift (5/7): Yesterday, we played Castlevania together again and had a long chat about the politics of women's positions in video games (His idea, not mine, but that doesn't mean I didn't love chatting about it!). Today we're planning on playing a 2 player game that we purchased recently.

Hey, how's your challenge going so far? Is everything going well? (Also, I put up that recipe in my challenge thread )

11/26 & 11/27: Quick Update Meals (1/3): I made a green pepper spiced omelet this morning! It doubles as a gift, as it was also E's breakfast. He loves him some green peppers. Exercise (2/6): I did a BBWR last night and some stretching and such today. Yoga is starting right now. Gift (3/7): Yesterday, I spent a great deal of time playing games together with E. I also helped him with a project for school (just design and folding). Today I made him an omelet and we spent some good time together before he had to take off for an exam. I worked from home today, so that was easier. In other news, I made it through my doctor's appointment! The good news is that I've lost 10 pounds! Hooray! The bad news is that I passed out in the office after getting my blood drawn and they kept me there for an hour to make sure I was alright. I was also exhausted and sick afterwards, so E bought me a sub. Not the best nutritional choice on my part, but darn if I don't feel better. In the interest of DreadfulGirl (and others who enjoy easy cupcakes), here is my recipe for awesome cupcakes! Eridian's Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes: Ingredients: -1 2/3 cups flour -1 tsp baking soda -1 cup dark brown sugar -2 mashed bananas -1/3 cup vegetable oil -1/2 tsp vanilla -1/2 cup water -3 Tbsp cocoa Deluxe edition ingredients: -Fresh Strawberries -Cocoa -Water -Vanilla -Sweetener of your choice Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk brown sugar, banana, water, oil, and vanilla until mixed well. This mixture will be a little chunky. That's fine. Mix flour and baking soda and stir gently until all ingredients are moistened. Pour mixture into cupcake pan (with cupcake papers) until they are about 2/3 full. I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to put the batter in and it works well for me. You can also just use an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. It makes a lovely cake as well. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 - 35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Optional Deluxe Edition: Once you've completed the above steps, stab each cupcake twice with a butterknife. Turn the knife 90 degrees after the first stab so you have little X's on the cupcakes. Mix a glaze from cocoa, sweetener, a little water and a touch of vanilla. It's hard to determine the exact ratio of this, I do it by texture and taste. The glaze should be about the consistency of cream. When you find a balance that you like, pour about a tablespoon of it into the center of each cupcake and let it soak in for a minute. While the glaze soaks into the cupcakes, cap your fresh strawberries. Once they are capped, cut them in half. Shove half a strawberry into the center of each cupcake. Devour with gusto. These look adorable and are quite tasty according to my friends. I'm a dessert enabler. I hate the stuff, but I make great desserts for other people.

I have two cat beasts. Beast 1: Oswald He's a very large, absurdly strong, all grey kitty. I've never seen a 14 pound cat that can lift twice his body weight. Trying to get a toy away from him is actually hard. It is impossible to keep him out of anything. [ATTACH=CONFIG]6499[/ATTACH] Beast 2: Pleinair She's a tiny silver tabby with a desire to climb all the things. I recently taught her to perch like a parrot. She sits on my neck for hours while I do chores or read or whatever. Most of the time, it's adorable. It is incredibly annoying when I'm trying to do yoga or lift weights. [ATTACH=CONFIG]6498[/ATTACH]

I do the home gym thing right now too. I have an adjustable dumbbell set and it works pretty well for me. Mine is nowhere near that heavy though...I think it only goes up to 40 pounds each. I'll have to get new weights in the future.

Ha ha, I understand the frustration of the move. I did the same thing about 6 weeks ago...and I still haven't finished. It's one of those things I keep meaning to do. Best of luck with the cleaning!

Of course! I'd be happy to! I have a couple of vegan friends that LOVE them. I also have many non-vegan friends who don't even notice they aren't vegan. I have a lot of stealth meals like that, because I don't like to serve something completely different for one person, and I have yet to have a vegan meal kill one of my other friends. At any rate, I'm at work now and I'm terrible about getting on the forum on weekends. Since you asked so nicely, I'll even throw in my deluxe instructions for free! I'll post it up tomorrow morning! 11/23-11/24: Quick Update Oops. I was bad about updating over the long holiday. Meals (3/3): I made a lovely roast chicken and some mashed cauliflower. It tasted delicious, but it separated. I'm not sure why...I just steamed it, mashed it and added a little bit of milk and seasonings. Not to worry, it was delicious anyway. I also made my own chicken stock for the first time! It was really easy, easier than I thought. My cats were convinced that I was torturing them as they got none of the pot's contents. Exercise (6/6): I made this goal....barely. It was NOT easy to keep myself motivated over a long weekend. I didn't do the BBWR over the weekend, but I did move a bunch of heavy furniture. I guess that's something? Gift (7/7): Over a long weekend, this goal got easier. We spent a lot of time together playing games and actually eating at the table for once. Cutting back: This was easier than I thought. I found if I had some fruit around the house, I didn't even miss the chips or crackers. I haven't had any candy either! Doing well so far! Total 2nd week grade: A Hooray! Two weeks in a row! 11/25: Quick Update Gift (1/7): Played Castlevania together. It's E's favorite game, and I don't do it often, as I suck at it. This week's sacrifice: Fruit Juice I finally started noticing how bad this stuff was for me and my teeth. They provide boatloads of it at work. I'm going to start ignoring the tasty looking juice in the company cooler.

Oddly enough, my core muscles responded well to that many crunches. I've been able to repeat it! 11/21 & 11/22: Quick Update Exercise (4/6): I took Thanksgiving off. I admit it. I did some great BBWR work yesterday though! Plan to exercise on Saturday to make up for it. Gift (5/7): Made one of E's favorite desserts and cleaned entire kitchen after Thanksgiving meal. Also played a game together. Meals (2/3): I made mashed cauliflower and I roasted a chicken for the first time! The chicken came out beautifully, but my mashed cauliflower separated. Eww. Luckily, I didn't care about the texture and ate most of it anyway. Tomorrow, I plan to make chicken stock!

11/20: Quick Update Exercise (3/6): Did 40 pushups, 12 of which were traditional (moving up! Yes! I feel a level up coming on soon.). I also did 15 minutes of stretching and 85 crunches. I really wanted to do 100, but it just wasn't happening. Gift (3/7): Let E use PS3 again. Went out for nice dinner and packed some lunch for him today. He's being nice enough to drive a friend to the train station in another city in this hellish Thanksgiving traffic. The fact that he will be driving for 6 hours instead of 2 is making it difficult for me to not be a Thanksgiving Grinch. Argh.

Hey Nicca! How did your first week go?

Great job, Chanda! That's a solid week. I'm glad you're able to go into work with a great attitude! It makes it so much better.

Thanks for the congratulations! I appreciate it! LuckyMe: Argh. It's really discouraging. The good news is that I can see myself improving! I really pushed myself last night and I did 9 good form traditional pushups before I had to switch to knee pushups! That's some good progress! I'm hoping I'll be up to 25 by January. The whole situation just annoys me. It's hard to believe (based on my current fitness performance) that I used to spar, break boards, do reverse pushups, bench press my own body... Gotta keep working hard and get that muscle back! Gallant: Oh yeah, Wreck-It Ralph had a great story. One of the things I really liked was that it focused more on a platonic friendship. There was a love story, but it was secondary. I keep hinting I want to see it again, and E keeps thinking I'm joking. The system was the PS3 I've wanted since forever. Back in the day, we had to choose and we got a Wii. I'm finally starting to be able to catch up on games! I've got a copy of Lollipop Chainsaw, Dishonored, Uncharted, and Assassin's Creed just waiting for me. Right now, E has time off, so I've been letting him use it. He's been addicted to Disgaea 4. He's got an absurd amount of work due over Thanksgiving break, so I'll play then...once I finish cleaning and unpacking my apartment. As an ungraded mini challenge, E has been helping me out. I keep having absolutely no motivation at work and not getting all of my tasks finished. He's got a bet with me right now to see if I can kick it up a notch. If I can get 2.5 days worth of work done today, he's taking me out for a surprise dinner at a restaurant of my choosing tonight! I think I've lost a bit of weight just being healthier, as one of my pairs of dress pants keeps falling down on my waist. While annoying, I certainly can't complain about that! I don't have access to a scale, so I can't be sure. I guess I'll see what the doctor says next week. I finally kicked myself in the butt and got an appointment. Part of me still wants to run screaming though. I HATE going to the doctor... 11/19: Quick Update Exercise (2/6): Did 35 pushups, 9 of which were traditional. I also did 20 minutes of Yoga. I tried to meditate a bit, but my female cat chose to run laps around my neck. There's a reason I drew my avatar picture...I never should have taught her to perch like a parrot. I brought this on myself. Gift (2/7): Let E use PS3 again. Also picked up ingredients for a favorite dessert of his and devoted 20 minutes to just sit, talk, and actually pay attention to what he was saying. He really likes that. I feel terrible for not doing it more often. Meals (0/3): I've picked up enough ingredients to make 3 completely new things for Thanksgiving. I'm actually roasting a chicken this year. Agh! I have no idea what I'm doing! I don't even know what to put in it! Help!

Sorry all! I don't get online much at home. And it might have involved something to do with finding a trashy show on Netflix that was oh so much fun. Week 1 Summary Exercise (6/6): Luckily, exercise is quite easy to do, even when addicted to the TV! Got another BBWR in and did some extra pushups a few hours later. That makes it hitting every workout this week! Gift (6/6): Played a few more hours of Mage Knights with E! It's one of his favorite tabletops, so he had a great time. This final thing made it so I did something nice every day this week. Meals (3/3): Yep, that's right! Two new meals in one day! I still made it on this challenge! I'm finding this is the hardest goal...which is not something I expected. Argh. Now I need to start all over this week... Cutting back: A total sucess! It wasn't easy, as this particular week, everyone seemed to put out candy that I found delicious. I didn't have a single piece! I'm actually pretty proud of myself. Total 1st week grade: A Yay! 11/18: Quick Update Exercise (1/6): Did stretching and Yoga yesterday. Also about 15 pushups. It's getting frustrating. I remember being able to do 100 traditional pushups with a bit of hard work. Now I can do 5. Awesome. I also tried to do a headstand. That....didn't go as well as I remember. More core work is in order... Gift (1/7): Now, this isn't going to sound like a gift to everyone...but I let E use the new gaming system we bought yesterday without complaining or demanding I got a turn. Seriously, it was a sacrifice. Believe me. I also took care of all the chores and made sure that his beverage magically refilled while he was working on a research paper. This week's sacrifice: Salty snacks I did this as a large category, as I don't eat that individual types of these. It's usually a few chips here, a bit of popcorn there, that kind of thing. I decided to get rid of ALL of them in one fell swoop. The good news is, E's school is doing a food drive. I got rid of a LOT of junk food, so I think that will help me out a bit. Our cupboards are even more bare though... I gotta stop avoiding the supermarket. I'm aiming to plan some meals today over my lunch break and make a shopping list. That way, I'll be able to make sure I'm stocked for this weekend. Most of my new meals will be on Thursday. I'm making an entire real meal of things I've never tried before! Thanksgiving was never one of my favorite holidays, but since E is really missing his family, I decided to actually not be a Thanksgiving Grinch this year and make a meal and actually give thanks.

Argh. I was right. I was sick. Luckily, after some rest and healthy snacks, I'm doing well again! 11/16: Quick Update Exercise (5/6): Got some exercise done throughout the day. It involved 25 pushups, some planks and some stretching. Gift (5/6): Played E's favorite tabletop game with some Daily Show and Colbert Report playing in the BG. Awesome. As for meals, I'm not giving up yet! I'm going to make two new meals today: Chicken Chili and Parmesan Chicken Broccoli Pasta. Doing this on Hard mode, as I haven't gone shopping in two weeks... It's okay. I like a challenge.

Well, I'm probably biased, but it edged out my previous favorite movie. I completely loved it. It had a lot of great jokes for those of us who grew up with video games and practically lived in arcades. I think it is definitely worth at least a rental when it comes out on DVD! It was really funny and had a great story. Definitely going to see The Hobbit as well!

Aside from playing a D20 and snuggling? What else could be so fun? Unless I convince him to take me to see Wreck-It Ralph again...Hmm. I think that's the opposite of doing something nice though. XD

Dang... a whole dozen and 4 miles of running. Hats off to you, Erick. That's a heck of a challenge! I doubt I could eat the doughnuts and I KNOW I couldn't do the running. I usually gasp and wheeze and have chest lock-ups, thinking I'm going to die when I'm still within view of my apartment. Great job on getting up early and getting your fitness done! That's awesome!