radams2431

I have been a bit MIA as of late. The semester started again and so did my advising job. My days have been filled with class and work while my nights have been filled with signing study cards and planning out semesters and majors. It has been utterly exhausting. I tracked how I spent my days in 15 minute intervals and I barely had more than a half hour to myself (let alone to go to the gym and get enough sleep in the process). I did not go to the gym this week. I tracked my calories but barely stayed in my diet limit. This next week will be better. No crazy class schedules. No late night advising meetings. Me. Class. Work. Gym. That is it. On that note, here are my goals for the day. I plan on updating every day because it will keep me more focused than I have been. I will post back later tonight with my goals for tomorrow. Goals For the Day 1. Answer emails - I have slowly been plunking a way at this to the point where I am down from 40 drafts to 10. These are not time sensitive but will be good to get off my chest. I am going to intersperse this with my other goals today so I do not go e-mail crazy. 2. Write recommendations - a number of students have asked me to write recommendations for them. I need to get this done. I figure I will do an hour of recommendation writing and then a half hour of e-mails. 3. Do business proposal - One of the job offers is to develop my non-profit into a national program. To do this, I need funds. To get funds, I need to submit a business proposal to a number of different competitions and grant applications. One happens to be due tonight. I need to rework an older text based one into 20 slides with pictures. Negative Goals for the Week -DON'T make excuses about being active and going to the gym. I live ten minutes away from a gym on foot, I have P90x on my computer, and I can at least do the angry birds workout with my body weight. -DON'T over eat just cause it is <insert special time here>. No more shopping week. No excuses for shabbat. No excuses for the Super Bowl.

Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing well as we finish up week three and begin week four of the fitness challenge. Here are my work outs and break downs for the past week. I was hoping to have pictures for you of the body changes I have seen (i.e. I HAVE TRICEPS!) but not feeling well kinda put the kaibosh on that. Rest assured, I have noticeable shoulders and arms suddenly! Monday – Intended 3 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight & Calories for Day Clean and Press 10 10 5-10 @ 60lbs. 195lbs., 2100/2500 calories Weighted Step Ups on Each Leg – 10 10 10 @ 25lbs Assisted Pull Up – 6 7 5-7 @ 117lbs. Assisted Tricep Dips – 10 10 12 @ 110lbs. Push Up on Ball 10 10 10 Shoulder Roll – 15 15 @ 45lbs. Weighted Knee Raise - 15 15 @ 15lbs. 25 goblet Squats – 25 Kettle bell Swings – 25 Squat Thrusts – 25 Jumping Jacks * Done Before Dinner 5 minute Rowing Cool Down * Done Before Dinner Tuesday– Rest Day Wednesday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight & Calories for Day Squat – 10 10 10 @ 125 lbs. 194.5lbs., 1963/2500 calories Straight Leg Dead Lift – 10 10 10 @ 125lbs. Weighted Lunge – 10 10 10 @ 30lbs. Hamstring Curl – 10 10 10 @ 90 lbs. Leg Extension – 10 10 10 @ 140lbs. Thursday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Calories for Day High Impact Aerobics for 1 Hour 2187/2500 calories Incline Bicep Curls – 10 10 10 10 @ 22.5lbs. Incline Chest Press – 10 10 10 10 @ 27.5lbs. Lateral Raises – 10 10 10 10 @ 15lbs. Assisted Pull Ups – 5 5 5 5 @ 100lbs. Assisted Tricep Dips – 5 5 5 5 @ 100lbs. Power Yoga for 1 Hour Friday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight & Calories for Day Incline Bench Press – 10 10 10 10 @ 70lbs. 193.5lbs., 3110/2500 calories* Incline Dumbbell Flys – 10 10 10 10 @ 30lbs. in each hand (Over Ate At Shabbat Dinner) Assisted Pull Ups – 10 10 10 10 @ 100lbs. Incline Pushup – 10 10 10 10 on ball Weighted Knee Raise – 12 12 12 12 @ 15lbs. Stationary Rowing (Interval Cardio) – 15 minutes – 4 up, 1 down, 4 up, 1 down, 1 up, 1 down, 3 up Saturday – Stamina Training Weight & Calories for Day 5K Run (Stamina Training Cardio) – 35 minutes -- (5.3 mph) 193lbs., 1789/2500 calories 25 goblet Squats – 25 Kettle bell Swings – 25 Squat Thrusts – 25 Jumping Jacks Sunday – Light Cardio for 30 - 45 minutes Weight & Calories for Day 2 hour walk 193lbs., 2583/2500 calories Monday – Rest Day Weight & Calories for Day 2545/2500 calories Tuesday– Rest Day Weight & Calories for Day 1775/2500 calories And now for my mid-challenge update: 1. Faster Than A Speeding Bullet - I am running my 5K's in about 32 minutes. 2. More powerful than a locomotive - I can do two pull ups and am down to 190lbs. Not quite the progress I wanted to be at (3-4 pulls up and 188lbs.) but better than nothing! 3. Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound - I have officially kicked my coffee habit to one or none a day and drink a healthy amount of green tea. Now I just need to work on my water intake as a healthy replacement for the tea... 4. Develop Super hearing – I am getting better at this by catching myself when I do it and asking a ton more questions. 6. Learn the Ways of Krypton – I have utterly failed this goal. I have barely learned one prayer; I am far from the four I had hoped to master. The food consciousness has had the added benefit of making me pray over my food more often and more thoughtfully though, so while I am not learning the ways of Krypton, I am certainly reconnecting with them in a powerful way. Given how much I am trying to do, I think this is a more than acceptable place to go. WHAT HAPPENED TO FIVE (5.) YOU MAY ASK? Well I had to separate it cause it is pretty big news... Do you want to know what it is? 5. Create a secret identity – I GOT A JOB! I ACTUALLY GOT THREE OFFERS! I am currently negotiating how to get the best out of them all that I can (cause my situation is kind of a weird one). But the point is I have options that I am VERY VERY happy with... 3 goals down (job, coffee, prayer) 3 goals to go! (strength and weight, running, listening)... Lessons I Can Take Away From This Week: 1. I need to be more structured in my day-to-day activities. Still not making it to the gym in the mornings. Still wasting a lot of time. I am logging what I do in 15 minute intervals. I am just trying to get myself into a schedule. More on that below. 2. It is okay to rest. I have been working myself too hard. I am exhausted. This week is particularly hard because its the week I have to pick classes while advising students on what to take as well. Everyone is shopping different classes and no one has a set schedule. I am just trying to wake up at the same time every day to get a little bit of structure. @WeyrCat: Those are Superman cuff links and a Superman bowtie. There were also Superman socks in this ensemble. I do not know what the next challenge will look like, but I don't think the wardrobe will be as impressive if I change it, so maybe I should stick with Supes. Thank you also for the hugs.

Update to Come. Still sick and swamped with work. Still making it to the gym on schedule though.

Hey everyone! I am sorry for not posting. I haven't been feeling well this week and on top of it all, I got swamped with work. On the bright side, I still made it to the gym or workout at home every day! Woo. Here is week 2 of the Six Week Fitness Challenge: Sunday – Light Cardio for 30 - 45 minutes Weight & Calories for Day Cross-Country Skiing (Moderate Cardio) – 3.5 hours 2142/2500 calories Monday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight & Calories for Day Incline Bench Press – 7-5 @ 70lbs., 10 6-6 6-6 @ 60lbs. 192.5lbs., 1851/2500 calories Assisted Pull Ups – 10 10 @ 110lbs. Bent Over Dumbbell Rows – 10 @ 50lbs., 10 10 10 @ 35lbs. Incline Pushup – 10 10 10 10 on ball Incline Dumbbell Flys – 10 10 10 10 @ 25lbs. in each hand Stationary Rowing (Interval Cardio) - 15 minutes: 4 up, 1 down, 4 up, 1 down, 1 up, 1 down, 3up Aerobic Set - 20 squats, 1 min. plank, 30 jumping jacks, 30 squats, 1.5 min. plank, 45+45 jumping jacks Tuesday– Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight & Calories for Day Incline Bicep Curls – 10 10 10 10 @ 20lbs. 191.5lbs., /2500 calories UNASSISTED Tricep Dips – 2 // UNASSISTED Pull Ups - 1 Shoulder Press – 10 10 7-5 6-6 @ 22.5lbs. Weighted Knee Raise – 10 16 12 12 @ 12.5lbs. Lateral Raises – 8 8 8 8 @ 15lbs. Interval Running – 1 up, 1 down, 1 up, 1 down, 1 down. * Still tired from Cross Country Skiing Wednesday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Calories for Day Squat – 10 10 15 15 2275/2500 calories Hamstring Curl – 10 10 10 10 Weighted Lunge – 10 10 10 10 Weighted Step Ups on Each Leg – 5-5 5-5 7 @ 30 lbs., 5 @ 25lbs. Stationary Biking (Interval Cardio) – 25 minutes + 5 minute cool down Thursday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Calories for Day Weighted Step Ups on Each Leg – 10 10 10 @ 25lbs. 2025/2500 calories Assisted Pull Up – 6 6 @ 110lbs. Assisted Tricep Dips – 10 10 @ 10lbs. Chest Press – 10 10 6-6 @110lbs. Friday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Calories for Day 1 hour of Mall Walking 2600/2500 calories Saturday – Light Cardio for 30 – 45 minutes Calories for Day Hour of City Walking + 10 minute run to catch my train 2623 /2500 calories 2 hours of hard core dancing (Woo.) Squats- 10 10 10 Inverted Push ups – 10 10 10 Jumping Jacks – 60s 60s 60s Planks – 45s 45s 45s Sunday – Light Cardio for 30 - 45 minutes Calories for Day 2 hour walk carrying 15 pounds worth of luggage and groceries 1754/2500 calories Lessons I Can Take Away From This Week: 1. I need to be more structured in my day-to-day activities. I need to get to the gym in the morning and set my goals for the day the night before. If I do not do just one of these things, my productivity gets shot to hell. This is the easy part of the challenge; I will only get worse once classes start. 2. Home is where the heart is (and that heart has clogged arteries). I love my family, but they do not do healthy food. They do not even buy it. The only vegetables in my mom's house are starches... I was back home from Thursday evening until Sunday evening which is why there was a spike in my calories. I tried very hard but the combination of eating out (and going for drinks) really set me over. 3. http://youtu.be/-4g4nUE4ikE?t=50s Rule #76: No excuses, play like a champion. I need to stop compromising with my goals. I haven't learned enough prayers or applied for enough jobs. Getting all six jobs applied for and all six prayers learned before the end of the challenge is good, but it is not the same as having the discipline to do them on time every single week like I said I would. The point of this is to develop good habits and playing catch up is not one of them. Awesome Moments from my Weekend At Home That I Will Use As Motivation 1. Going to a bar and getting hit on - that has never happened to me before! I am lucky if I get a dance with somebody! I never expect someone to approach me, but they did and I was even complimented on my dancing ability. (I politely turned them down their further advances as I have a special lady friend - I was at the bar for another person's party anyway.) +1 Ego Boost 2. "You have shoulders... and triceps! When did that happen?" - A friend said this to me when I was changing into a sweater and they saw me in an white undershirt. They had seen me since the weight loss, but not since I started working out! It was awesome. +1 Ego Boost 3. "Where is your brother? I haven't seen him in a while... Oh my god! That's you!" - I was home for the weekend to go to a myriad of doctor's appointments. When I showed up to my physician's office, she didn't recognize me. I said who my parents were and she asked "Where is your brother?" It is amazing how different life can be after just a 50 pound loss. +1 Ego Boost

In response to Amandolin, no gym for me on Saturday or Sunday. They are my off days because I hit the weights every week day (and do focused cardio to finish up on those days). So while I still manage to get in some light cardio, it is just to keep me active. Everybody needs a day of rest...

Sorry for the delay in posting, but: http://youtu.be/GPo9OBrIOi4 . So here are the successes and failures for Friday and Saturday! I woke up a bit late on Friday so I didn’t get to do as much cardio as I would have liked, but after my super oatmeal, here is what my Friday morning work out looked like: Friday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Incline Bicep Curls – 10 @ 25 lbs., 10 @ 22.5lbs., 10 10 @17.5lbs. Assisted Tricep Dips – 10 @ 80lbs., 10 10 @ 70lbs., 10 @ 60 lbs. Lateral Raises – 10 10 @17.5lbs., 10 10 @ 15 lbs. Shoulder Press – 10 10 10 @ 22.5lbs., 10 @ 17.5lbs. Weighted Knee Raise – 10 10 10 10 @ 10lbs. Stationary Rowing (Interval Cardio) – 10 minutes (3 up, 1 down, 2 up, 1 down, 1 up, 1 down, 1 cool down) Check #1 off my to-do list! Woo. Quick question: is it better to eat before or after the work out? I remember reading on the Nerd Fitness body fat article that working out while in a fasting state is better for burning through fat. Thoughts? After a quick shower and a bit of greek yogurt for protein I was off to work at one of my jobs. I had a nice meeting with one of my fundraising jobs; they liked the two ideas I pitched to them and have approved them for further development. Woo. Again. The meeting ran long though, so by the time I headed to my other job after lunch (falafel, hummus, Israeli salad, and shredded red cabbage, carrots, and pickled onion), there wasn’t enough time to complete my ‘HDS Thinks Big’ project. Thus, this is going on the to-do list for Sunday (again, no work on the Sabbath). After work I headed to services. They were very nice and I budgeted my calories accordingly to keep the meal small but satisfying. I stayed within my limit (which was high, though that is hard to avoid when everything is being cooked in fat or oil… even the vegetables). I had the traditional slice of challah and cup of wine for blessing, and then two pieces of Gefilte fish, Matzah Ball soup, Cucumber Radish Salad, Sauteed Vegetables, Kosher beef cut, and more salad so that I only eat half a slice of sweet potato pie. All small portions served over the course of 2.5 hours. Check #3 off my to-do list. Woo. For a third time. To make sure I didn’t go to bed on stomach of oily fatty foods, I took a post-Shabbat walk for about an hour. It was a great way to think through the week, reflect on my success and what I am thankful for, and get let go of the failures and little bothersome things. I highly recommend this taking-of-stock once a week: it makes you feel very relaxed afterward. Before hitting the hay, I gave myself a to-do list for Saturday: 1. Go to services in the morning. This is harder than it sounds… Jewish services can start at 9AM and then go for the next three hours without stopping. Couple that with being out late for Shabbat and eating heavy sleep-inducing food the night before and you have a rough start on Saturday. 2. Get in an hour of light cardio. This one is pretty easy, especially when you have little to do on Shabbat… An hour of walking will do quite nicely. 3. Finish answering outstanding e-mails. I have quite a few outstanding e-mails in my drafts folder. I need to get this done. It will help clear my head and give me a clean slate for next week. An added bonus to this is that a few of those e-mails are job related ones, so I can cross off my job application for the week goal by doing this! Calories for Friday 2195/2500 calories Saturday morning and I made it to services on time! Woo! I was the Torah carrier too… which is a bit of a work out. Behold! The Jewish ‘Clean and Press:’ http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1504396/jewish/Lifting-the-Torah.htm (Great workout for the back and forearms). So the morning was good – the lunch was not. I binged. Pretty bad. I had the traditional slice of challah and cup of wine for blessing, followed by two pieces of gefilte fish, spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts, two small pieces of chicken schnitzel, a little spinach kugel, a little egg salad, a bit more noodle kugel. All of this was eaten in small portions over a period of two hours. It would not have been that bad, if not for the dessert: The rabbi’s wife made this delicious incredible looking and smelling (and tasting) Oreo cheese cake. I should not have had a slice, but I did. And it was good. It tasted amazing in fact, but when I counted my calories later… it was about 400 calories for that one slice, if not more. No woo. Saturday – Light Cardio for 30 – 45 minutes Post-Lunch 1 hour Walk + 40 minute walk to iLab After such a big ridiculous lunch, I went for a nice hour-long walk, so that is two things down on my to-do list. Woo. After Shabbat, I picked some more stuff for my super oatmeal from Trader Joe’s. I found a recipe with blueberries and pomegranate seeds this week, so I am super excited to try it. I had a small dinner of vegetables to keep me under my calorie limit for the day and then took a half hour walk to the Innovation Lab on campus to get focused and working on those e-mails. Progress is being made! Woo. Calories for Saturday 1836/2500 calories Lessons from the Sabbath 1. Working out in the morning keeps me happy. I am in a funk all day if I don’t, which made my Saturday walks kinda depressing. To stay positive and motivated, I need to make not just the work outs but the timing of the work outs more regular. Once I get a schedule going for the day, the sleep in the night will follow and I will be more focused and happy. Great incentive to work out, right? 2. Shabbat food is my Kryptonite. Nothing else to say about that, but maybe … less gefilte fish? To Do List for Sunday 1. Do not pig out at brunch. A friend of the family is in town and taking me on a half-day ski trip (because they are discounted due to weather and a slow season), but first we are getting brunch. I went overboard last week with my eggs, pancakes, and (kosher) sausage, but not this time! 2. Give cross-country skiing a shot before judging it. I give the friend of the family credit: he is a fitness beast. He is an avid cyclist (100 miles every weekend + rides during the week, despite a full time job), ran the Tough Mudder (despite being on the older side), and (unrelated to fitness) he’s a freaking Magician. Like a legit performer of Stage Magic. He brings new meaning to the term Nerd Fitness! And he wants me to try cross-country skiing despite never skiing, snow boarding, or anything of the sort before, so in the spirit of fitness and fun I will give it a try! 3. Get the ‘HDS Thinks Big’ Project done and emailed to boss before she arrives at work. I have been so unfocused this past week for any number of reasons: caffeine withdrawal, exhaustion from the work out, poor sleep schedule. It has started to affect my work so I need to stop putting this off and get this project done!

Feeling plenty sore last night, I decided to sleep in and give everything a rest. I slept great and had my super oatmeal and went to work. I was feeling a bit blah though. Working out in the morning makes a hell of a difference. Throughout the day, I snacked on fruit. After work, I made it to the gym: Thursday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Squat – 10 10 15 15 Straight-Leg Deadlift – 10 10 (felt weird doing it in my back so I stopped to avoid hurting myself) Hamstring Curl – 10 10 10 10 Weighted Lunge – 10 10 10 10 Stationary Biking (Interval Cardio) – 25 minutes + 5 minute cool down The straight-leg deadlift confused me. I watched videos and read instructions but it felt weird every time I did it so I stopped to avoid hurting myself. Any tips? Then I had a nice little dinner (beef stir fry and brown rice with sauteed summer squash and a little bit of tuna). Finally I went for a walk with a friend for an hour and just relaxed when I came home. I snacked a bit when making my oatmeal for the morning, but it was a handful of almonds and a handful of raisins, so I don't feel too bad. Plus, I was under quite a bit today at that point. Weight & Calories for Day 1946/2500 calories. Lessons from Today 1. Work out in the morning - it totally makes a difference in outlook and demeanor during the day. Without that endorphin rush in the morning, I found myself a bit depressed and worrying about my future enough to make me anxious and mopey. 2. To do lists ain't working for me. I make them too long - I am gonna use this article's tip (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/13/productivity/) and start getting more stuff done by doing less. 3 Major Things for the Day, decided the night before! Thus, Tomorrow's Goals 1. Go to the gym in the morning. 2. Finish design for HDS Thinks Big. 3. Do not over eat at Shabbat!

I technically started my diet a week ago, and added the fitness component for the Six Week Challenge, so Week 1 is done and I have lost 3 pounds! Woo. I woke up, had a delicious Banana Walnut Oatmeal with a dash of chocolate, and headed to the gym. I overslept a wee bit so I was only able to do three sets instead of four. I came back to the gym after work and did two more sets to make up for it. I also did 10 minutes of intense rowing and then an hour of Power Yoga for some fun cardio (and good stretching, which I needed). Work also called me across town twice so I got in a nice hour of brisk walking... Wednesday – Intended 4 Sets of 10 Exercises Incline Bench Press – 11 11 11 // 10 10 @ 60lbs. Assisted Pull Ups – 11 11 11 @ 100lbs. Incline Pushup – 11 11 11 // 10 7-5 (on ball) Incline Dumbbell Flys – 11 11 11 // 10 10 @ 30lbs. on each arm Weighted Knee Raise – 11 11 12 @ 7.5lbs. Stationary Rowing (Moderate Cardio) – 10 minutes // Power Yoga (Intense Stretching) – 60 minutes In terms of food, I was alright today. The breakfast in the morning was pretty standard and I am finally hitting a good balance between the actual oatmeal and the healthy (but sometimes high calorie) fixings for taste and bonus protein and carbs. Lunch was tofu and broccoli in a thai peanut sauce with a side of tuna. Dinner was three slices of turkey breast (with a tiny bit, literally a tablespoon of each) of cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes) with some left over tofu and broccoli. When I got hungry during the day, I would snack on fruit, drink water, and occasionally go to my tea for taste. The minor slip up was tonight when I was making the oatmeal for the morning: I snacked on what was left over from the oatmeal like the yogurt, raisins, and apple chunks. It was an extra 200 calories I did not need this late, but at least they were simple healthy ones! Weight & Calories for Day 193lbs., 2389/2500 calories Lessons From Today 1. Sleep is not for the week. I need to get more of it. Oversleeping in the morning and being tired in the evening are signs of this. Perhaps I should stop posting these updates at 12:30PM. 2. I need more will power. This will come with time, I know, but I need to say it out loud more because it makes it easier for me to turn things down when it comes to snacking. I managed to turn down bread pudding and rainbow cookies today! I am making progress, but the sugar and what not, before bed needs to stop. I may not be a Green Lantern, but I can try!

I signed up too! Hope everyone is doing well! Go Prismatic Fanatic!

Today went pretty well overall! I didn't fall back asleep like I hoped in the previous post, but instead of staying in bed I just went to the gym earlier (after my Fridge Oatmeal of course - this time with walnuts, pecans, and some honey)! Tuesday Morning – 25 reps each with 8 controlled breaths in between Goblet Squat – 25 @12kg Kettlebell Swing – 25 @ 12kg Squat Thrust – 8-8-6-8 Jumping Jacks – 30 5K in >35 minutes (Stamina Cardio) – 2.2 miles in 23.5 minutes (5.87 mil/hr. = 32 min. 5K) After that, I came back home and was PLENTY tired. I ate a banana, took a multi-vitamin, had a green tea, and took a two hour nap. I woke up feeling refreshed and headed off to work (I don't have a car so all my travel is on foot, carrying about 10 pounds). For lunch, I enjoyed my flaked tuna and salad combo. There was another temptation in the cafeteria: a big loaf of artisanal marble rye bread. I cut myself only half a slice with a small amount of egg salad and felt satiated. Later on, when I came to a plate of cookies, I managed to say "I can have it, but I don't want it" and it actually worked (probably because I already had my refined carbs earlier). At work, when I would need a sugar fix, I would eat some fruit I took with me (a banana and apple). I left my tea at home so I drank a ton of water at work, which also helped. I started to get hungry again and there were those damn cupcakes from yesterday. I managed to again, only eat half and someone else luckily finished off the other half, so now they are gone from the work place! Huzzah! After work and feeling guilty, I headed back to the gym: Tuesday Evening – 25 reps each with 8 controlled breaths in between Goblet Squat – 25 @12kg Kettlebell Swing – 25 @ 12kg Squat Thrust – 14-8-8 Jumping Jacks – 30 Stationary Biking (Light Cardio) – 35 minutes + 5 minute cool down. -1/2 Interval training = 20 mph for 1.5 minutes, 12.5 mph for 1.5 minutes -1/2 Constant Training = 16 mph After the workout, I ran to cafeteria but they had already closed. I came home and finished off the last of the oatmeal and whatever else I had. Dinner stayed under 500 calories so that was good! I worked on e-mails and completing my Job/Fellowship-A-Week goal to relax. Once, I secure two recommendations I can check that baby off for the week! Bet I will sleep well tonight! Calories for Day 2475/2500 calories Very close to my maximum limit, but hey! Two trips to the gym, each with cardio, and then an hour of brisk walking in total; I am proud of myself. Lessons Learned From Today 1. More intense stretching is needed. Before my workouts, I walk the 15 minutes to the gym, doing windmills with my arms and then, once I get there, do the 'balancing stick' yoga position to stretch my legs out. That was not enough today so I am going to do some research on more effective ways to stretch before workouts. 2. Water water water. Tea is good and all but it is a diuretic and not a substitute for water, so from now on I will not treat it as such. I will always be carrying my quart sized water bottle. @LexPhoenix: My goal is to be down to 175lbs. by mid-May. That is what I am focusing on as my main goal. I am at 18% body fat right now and would like to get down to an athletic level around 13% as well, but this is secondary and will hopefully come naturally with the weight loss and muscle building. I lost 50lbs. just by dieting and walking everyday; I know I can lose 10lbs. by being food conscious and active. Thank you for making me focus! @MissRackl: In terms of doing too much, please see above RE: LexPhoenix. With regard to your listening suggestions, I think you are right. I will try and implement a similar technique I use when I play sports to get me to be present and focused; ‘Stop, Think, Ask’ will be my thought process for conversations (for sports its generally ‘Spot, Think, React’). Am I supposed to post this here or in Daily Battles, by the way? Is this thread just for Weekly Updates?

DAY 1 Check-In Bad Night's Sleep - I still haven't re-adjusted my internal clock from the holidays. More on that later... Had a delicious pre-workout oatmeal! I make it the night before out of rolled oats, chia seeds, 1% Milk, Greek Yogurt, and then change up the fixings. Today was cinnamon, raisins, and some apple chunks. You mix it all up and the night before and the liquids get absorbed into the chia seeds and oats so by morning you have this healthy, high protein DELICIOUS oatmeal! Here are recipes for anyone who is interested: http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal, http://www.theyummylife.com/8_muesli_flavors Monday Work out– Intended 3 Sets of 10 Exercises Weight Clean and Press – 10 5-5 6-6 @ 35lbs. on each end + 40lbs. bar 192.3lbs. (not bad from 197lbs. 5 days earlier) Weighted Knee Raise – 10 10 12 @ 5lbs. Weighted Step Ups on Each Leg – 5-5 5-5 7 @ 30 lbs., 5 @ 25lbs. Assisted Pull Up – 5-5 10 12 @ 90lbs. Incline Pushup (On Ball) -10 10 12 Assisted Tricep Dips – 10 10 12 @ 90lbs. The '-' means that I tried to do a full set of reps, but got winded and took an 8 breath break and then restarted. Overall though, I was pretty proud of this work out. I know where I need help and I know where I can keep pushing myself. Progress! After this though, I was very hungry. I had a Subway Gift Card on me so I got a Chicken Sandwich with double meat on Honey Oat Whole grain bread with all their veggies. I did not need this but I felt like I deserved it. I could have gone back home, saved the money, and had some more Greek Yogurt with nuts and a teaspoon of honey. But I didn't. Instead I ate my Subway, picked up some decaf green tea (Thanks Jimmie65), and got ready for work. I came home and took my organic Men's Health multi-vitamin with a quart of water. For lunch, I had flaked tuna with a salad and some green tea. Work is usually pretty sedentary, though today was a ton of filing, so I did some more squatting than I anticipated. At work, I got hungry again and had a banana. I was still hungry a bit later and I grabbed a protein bar I had with me, left over from a sample pack. I was still hungry after that and some one from work had brought cup cakes... curse them. (Just kidding.) I managed the will power to eat half a strawberry shortcake muffin without any icing. It was an extra 250 calories that I did not need. I am no Green Lantern; Will power is far from my super power. After work, I ate dinner: Piece of grilled chicken breast with sauteed zucchini and steam carrots and a full plate green vegetables on the side (cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, etc.). I came home and made my oatmeal for the next morning (this time with walnuts, pecans, and a little bit of honey) and got ready for the gym, to do some light cardio (45 minutes on the stationary bike). I was feeling a bit tired though so I took a 15 minute nap ... that lasted 6 hours. I tried falling back asleep but it didn't work, even with some decaf Sleepy Time tea to soothe my nerves. I opted to do a little light reading and busy work (such as updating this). Once this is posted, I am gonna get three more hours of sleep and try and be better tomorrow. Calories for Day 2198/2500 Lessons From the Day: 1. I am overdoing it somewhat quickly. Too much protein and not enough grains. Trying to go cold turkey on refined sugars and coffee. Too much vigilance and internal guilt when I mess up. I am missing the core part of doing this the NerdFitness way: making it fun. If this was a video game, no one would play it! Who wants to spend 60 bucks on Grand Body Guilt 3: Vice City? Tomorrow's work out is lighter and I am going to try and make my outlook a bit lighter too. After all, who is more positive than Superman? (Answer: The Flash.) 2. Denial is not working for me and hasn't really in the past. I am trying the mantra "I can have it, but I don't want it" rather than "I want it, but I can't have it" but it isn't true. I want it! Instead I am going to try to replace bad food with good food. If my body wants it, it probably needs it given how hard I am pushing myself. These are signals and I need to listen to them, provided I am continually giving it the right things. So tomorrow, I am gonna eat good things when I am hungry: not Subway, Protein bars, or cupcakes (even if it is only half a cupcake with no icing).

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the support! I really appreciate it. I have two questions for the group: 1. Does anyone know if there is a point were too much green tea becomes a bad thing for your body? Is there a certain number of cups a day or should I just be listening to my body's reaction? I have been slowly easing into this plan since the 2nd and I find myself drinking a LOT of green tea (6 cups of green tea a day and 3 cups of water) though the plan as a whole definitely seems to be working. 2. Can anyone offer a better way to measure how I am coming along with the 'Super-hearing' challenge? So far all I have thought of is doing a percentage at the end of the day (how many conversations I felt I talked too much and listened too little in/how many conversations I had) and tracking for an upward swing. This seems a bit meticulous and well, creepy. Thoughts? Thanks for all the pull-up tips! I will definitely be working my way up from 5 assisted to 5 negatives to 5 dead hangs. Good luck tomorrow on the first day!

Some of my friends have a nickname for me: Superman. I have not turned back time by going in reverse, nor have I sacrificed myself to save the universe on any occasion. I haven’t even thrown my insignia at someone and have it turn into dangerous entrapping cellophane. I’m not sure why the name stuck, but it did; maybe it was the dark hair and glasses, maybe it was my dedication to ‘Truth, Justice, and the American Way.’ (pauses for grad school deconstruction of all those words) The fact is that I haven’t felt like Superman. At best, I have felt like Superboy: half the powers of Superman with twice as many problems. But I think that it is about time to change that… The good Superboy: not the bad Superboy: Like any good comic book, I have an origin story which I will term as my 'Smallville' Period. With health problems popping up in my family and just a general unhappiness about myself, I resolved to do something to stave off the end of my Krypton. I spent the summer getting serious about being healthy. I watched everything I ate and walked an hour everyday with weights to and from work. I lost 50lbs. over the course of 5 months, dropping from 240 to 190 pounds. Much like Superman, I was finding out I have powers! But I am still just a farm boy living with his parents. Thus, I resolve to turn Superboy into Superman! This Six Week Challenge is a part of a larger goal as I work towards finishing graduate school in June, but for now, here are my goals for the next six weeks: Physical Goals: 1. Become faster than a speeding bullet – Run a continuous 5K in less than 30 minutes (My current time hovers around 40ish minutes because I have to stop and walk). 2. More Powerful than a Locomotive – Drop down to 185lbs. and do 5 pull ups (I am currently at 195 and can do, well, none). 3. Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound – Replace 4/5 cup a day coffee habit with 6 glasses of water and 3 green teas a day. (I can currently leap tall buildings in a single bound, but only with the help of large amounts of coffee. I need to kick the habit because it is messing with my body and mental focus.) Personal Goals: 4. Develop Super hearing – Be a more present listener – Can’t talk as much as I do now if I have super breath, right? 5. Create a secret identity – Clark Kent needs a job (http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/23/superman-clark-kent-leaves-daily-planet/#/0) and so do I. By the end of this six week challenge, I need to apply to at least six jobs/fellowships, so I am shooting for one-a-week. Spiritual Goals: 6. Learn the Ways of Krypton – Few people recognize the Jewish roots of Superman! Both his creators were Jewish and designed him to be the ultimate immigrant (He comes from his homeland, which he cannot return back to, and anglicizes his Semitic sound name (Kal-El) to Clark Kent; As he struggles to fit into his new culture, he becomes a nebbishy Jewish stereotype). To honor my Kryptonian roots, I want to learn a prayer week in Judaism that I do not know. (Though according to this article, Superman was a Methodist.<http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/Superman.html>) I have got the gear, and the support network (a Justice League if you will, though for Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes would be more appropriate), so I guess the only thing left to say is... UP UP AND AWAY!