Silas Randwulf

Thorns, dude, what the hell. Just stop. You've done enough exercise to fill my entire life. Twice. Maybe even thrice. You straight up jumped out Bane's crazy jail. Some pizza? I'm surprised you didn't ALL the pizzas after that workout. You are a beast.

Awesome job so far Kat! i found the same thing with tracking last challenge. It made me eat a bit better because I knew I'd be posting, and that was the main benefit. NO refined sugars most of the time though? THAT will be a challenge. Good luck!

Glad you're feeling better and got out jogging! I'll be spending a lot of time at Queen's College on campus this fall which backs onto the same pond. If I'm able to, maybe I could jog with you some days! Regatta Day is only a holiday in St. John's though .

Keep it up!

Hey Rogaecia! Great goals! I especially like your motivation. Doing this kind of thing for yourself is an excellent motivation. YOU aren't going anywhere. You decide whether or not you disappoint yourself. YOU know what you've been able to do. 

And it looks like you're doing great so keep it up!

Thanks Odin and teros. I managed to bike to and from work tonight and my knee was fine (as in, no crunching) but it still doesn't feel right. As of right now though it's not a barrier to my biking so that's good.

Also, heard back from one of my profs who's also the honours advisor for anthro, and she tells me those two honours courses don't have to be back to back, so Dec '14 is what it looks like after  all Kat! So excited to finally be this close.

Hey Rogaecia! Thanks! I see this is also your second challenge (really liked your motivation btw) so good luck with your goals!

This week's going pretty good with the biking and protein, but still no BBW, veg day, or religious stuff (the week is young).

Well, Sunday did not go as planned. I woke up to a steak, and at that point it just spiraled into a heavy, heavy meat day. I didn't get the BBW circuit in either, because I did something to my knee biking home Saturday night and didn't want to make it any worse by slamming all 260 pounds of me onto it for the lunges and stuff.

I did get the hour of religious stuff in though! It was actually longer than that, just because once I started, I didn't want to stopped until I'd finished that mini project. I compiled all of my scattered genealogy research notes into a list of ancestors and the sources I have for each of them, so now I can go back to the archives at some point to re-confirm said sources and have them all in one, easily editable and printable document.

Overall, there was a bit of fail last week, but considering I only started on Tuesday (and only REALLY started on Wednesday), I'm satisfied with what I got in there.

Kat: Dec '14 is the goal, but since I'm planning on doing the honours program it might have to be Apr '15. I might have to split the last full semester into two slack semesters depending on course offerings. I'll put up a pic of my tentative schedule later! Grandparents are in now for a belated birthday dinner before work (yesterday was my birthday), so I'm off to eat a steak and bike to work for the night. Updates at 12 or so!

I am SO late to everyone's threads apparently, but you've got some awesome goals set-up Kat, good luck!

Also, card carrying? Do we have cards? We SHOULD have cards. somebody get on that haha. FotB!

Great goals Ben! You did great last challenge even with the "failing, you got this. Failing a little is all part of it, that's how you figure out exactly where your strengths and faults are when it comes to this stuff.

Following you man, good luck!

Hey Eli! Great goals! Hopefully now that the gluten deal is figured so you don't have to eat it, and you figured out that sneaky hidden gluten, you'll be feeling well enough to destroy these goals. Great progress so far! Keep it up!

Also, thanks for the email/ FB post recipes!

Holy crap, Thorns! I'm a little late getting to your thread and BAM, you're already killing it. Again. Love the goals, love the attitude, love the progress. You are such a boss, I can barely handle it. FotB!

Hey, glad to see you back! 

Paleo is on my eventually list. It is haaard. 80% seems like a good compromise though, good luck with it man!

Eli: Got your email and the facebook post, thanks!

Kat: Definitely biking still, but hikes have become a bit of an ordeal. I still might have a few, but we'll see. August is berry season though so there will probably be some decent hikes eventually.

Teros: Thanks for that protein link! I love beans, so I'll definitely give butter beans a go. And thanks for the invite, but I'm still a part of the Fellowship of the Bat, and I can probably only handle the one squad at a time.

Update

This week got off to a rocky start because of work craziness, but I've been getting the biking and protein in almost every day. Sunday is a day off, so probably getting the BBW, Veg day, and hour of religiosity in then. School starts next month again and I'm so pumped to be getting back to it. OH! I paid off my tuition after for those who were watching me fail at that last challenge, so I AM going back now! Awesome schedule too, so excited. Just 3 terms left and I'll finally have my bachelor's degree. Woo!

Hey! Yeah, I don't really know any good vegetarian sources of protein, so I'll have to look that up. I'll be getting a lot of my protein from protein shakes that we sell at work though, and protein bars too probably so I'm not too worried about that. I would LOVE some recipes though. I can't cook worth a damn really, so I might as well try and learn now lol.

Also, I just realized I left out the grading when I posted this, so that's incoming.

WOO! Second challenge!

Quickie run-down

Main Quest: Weigh 230 pounds by January 1st, 2014.

Goals:

     1.) 120 minutes of cardio a week. 

     2.) 80g of protein a day, 1 vegetarian day a week.

     3.) BBW once a week.

Life sidequest:

     -1 hour of deliberate religious stuff (meditation, prayer, study) a week.

Elaboration

Main Quest

I need to focus on weight loss, for a bunch of reasons, mainly to make it easier on my back. Also, it's just a number I can use to gauge my fitness, etc.

Goal 1

Last challenge, my goal was 90 minutes of biking a week. Some weeks I scraped by, some weeks I DESTROYED 90 minutes. Like 200+. So, I'm upping it to a 120 minutes minimum average.

Goal 2

I tracked my food last challenge, and tracked my protein for a week as part of the mini-quest. This challenge, I want to make sure I get lots of protein (without going overboard) to build some muscle. Muscle burns fat better (I've heard) so that's how this fits into my main quest. I went vegetarian for a few months a year or two ago, and really liked it, plus I want to eventually go paleo, so this is a step towards that long term goal.

Goal 3

I did the BBW last challenge, and ALMOST got through it three times in a row. Now, I just want to make it a steady part of my weekly routine.

Life Goal

This is a mental health thing as well as an I-really-need-to-study-my-own-beliefs thing. I may or may not have mentioned that I'm an Anglo-Saxon heathen, but it takes a lot of independent study. Which is something I've been failing on. Could be just meditation, prayer, writing, crafting, genealogy research, lore reading, whatever, as long as it's deliberate and in done in a certain mindset. I'd like for that one hour a week to be straight in a row as well.

Rewards:

Goal 1: 4 STA

Goal 2: 3 STR, 1 WIS

Goal 3: 3 STR

Life Goal: 4 WIS

So, some of you know me from last challenge, some don't. I was an adventurer then, and now, and might be for a while. We'll see. Regardless, I am back for round two, and pumped. Here goes.

-----------------------------

WEEKLY REPORTING

Week 1

Goal 1: 112/120 minutes

Goal 2: 497/560g 

Goal 3: 0 BBW circuits

Life Goal: Done!

Mini-Challenge: Done! +1 WIS

Week 2

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Mini-Challenge:

Week 3

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Mini-Challenge:

Week 4

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Mini-Challenge:

Week 5

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Mini-Challenge:

Week 6

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Mini-Challenge:

Thanks for the congrats guys!I'll definitely be applying what I've learned from this challenge in the next, which I expect will be much better. I definitely will be coming back as an adventurer Katia! For this and the next challenge probably. I may just stay an adventurer forever, who knows lol

Report of my first challenge!

Goal 1 - Hike once a week, bike 90 minutes a week: 6 Hikes (averaging 1/week), 729/540 possible biking minutes. Grade: A+. Reward: 4 STA, 1 CON.

Goal 2 - Get through the BBW circuit 3 times in a row: Made it through 2.75 circuits in a row. Grade: B+. Reward: 2.75 STR, .75 DEX.

Goal 3 - Track food everyday, weight every Monday: 33/42 days (9 days missed). Grade: D. Reward: .5 WIS.

Goal 4 - Save $1600 to pay off tuition: $500 in the bank. Grade F. Reward: Nope.

Mini-challenge 1: FOTB! Reward: .5 WIS, .5 CHA.

Mini-challenge 2: DONE. Reward: 1 CON.

Mini-challenge 3: DONE. Reward: 1 DEX.

Starting stats:

Level 1 Ogre Adventurer

STR: 4 DEX: 1 STA: 2 CON: 4 WIS: 3 CHA: 1

Post-Challenge stats:

Level 2 Ogre Adventurer

STR: 6.75 DEX: 2.75 STA: 6 CON: 6 WIS: 4 CHA: 1.5

Overall, I'm pleased with how this challenge worked out.

Yeah I totally failed the money goal, but that was a combination of miscalculating my income, the timeframe, some unexpected bills, and setting a bit of an unrealistic goal for myself. But, lesson learned.

I destroyed my first fitness goal in a way I didn't think was possible. It WASN'T possible when I first started this challenge. Bike for 2 hours? Hike for 5? Your crazy. But I did just that. A couple times. Bike to work? HA! That's a joke now. Barely breaks a sweat. When I first tried it, it wiped me. Very proud of that.

I also lost 12 pounds during the challenge, which is actually 22 since I first decided to join NF. Not too bad I think.

More important than any of these numbers though, is how doing this has made me feel. All of my tight pants fit now. I can wear a smaller size shirt and not feel AS gross. I had to put a new hole in my belt. I can carry myself better. I'm less fatigued by everyday life. My life IS better and is GETTING better. Because of that, this challenge has been nothing but a success. I'm fed up with accepting the state my life was in, and I'm doing something about it. This challenge, yeah I didn't do spectacularly, but I'm learning. Everybody's first few steps are faltering and tentative, but soon enough they're running right?

COME ON 2ND CHALLENGE!!

Soooo final update. This is gonna be messy.

Week 5, day 2.

Food:

     -2 glasses of water

     -pastrami sandwich

     -tortilla chips and salsa

     -banana

     -30g protein shake

     -2 bottles of water

     -2 hot dogs

     -2 bottles of water

     -cashews

     -ice cream sandwich\

Exercise:

     -bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 5, day 3.

Food: not tracked

Exercise:

     -Went trouting with my pop and younger brother. All together it was about 7 hours of hiking, standing, casting. And hiking in a bog when you're as big as I am, let me tell you, I'm just glad I've been building up my legs with the biking haha.

Week 5, day 4.

Food:

     -Southwest chicken wrap.

     -3 bottles of water

     -ham and egg breakfast croissant

     -small can of pizza pringles

     -2 glasses of water

      -apple

Exercise:

     -bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 5, day 5.

Food:

     -hot dog

     -bottle of water

     -deluxe club wrap

     -30g protein shake

     -4 bottles of water

     -apple

     -2 trout

     -hungry man sub

     -hot dog

     -vodka, rum, and beers

Exercise:

     -bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 5, day 6.

Food:

     -Apple

     -6 bottles of water

     -30g protein shake

     -pizza sub

     (It doesn't look like that much I know, but this was a hungover work/ recovery day. The amount of vodka, rum, and beers I had the day before should not be underestimated lol.)

Exercise:

     -not even biking to work, not that hungover.

Week 5, day 7.

Food:

     -10g protein shake

     -bottle of water

     -ham and swiss croissant sandwich

     -10g protein shake

     -ham and swiss croissant sandwich

     -peanuts

     -2 bottles of water

     -steak and cheese flatbread with spinach, avocado, cucumber, green pepper, southwest sauce

Exercise:

     -bike to and from work (24 min)

     -2 sets each of 20 shrugs, 20 shoulder presses, 20 curls, 10 flys, 10 push ups all with 20lb weights.

Week 6, day 1.

Food:

     -Pork chop

     -spinach salad

     -2 baked potatoes

     -glass of water

     -deluxe club wrap

     -30g protein shake

Exercise:

      -bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 6, day 2.

Aaaaaand this is where the food tracking stops. Completely. Had one bad day where I drank soft drinks, ate doughnuts and chips, but it was only one day when we had a D&D session. I've also gotten into the habit of having a 30g protein shake each shift, and I've trimmed the excess junk from my usual sub order (now it's always a flatbread, and I only get a little bit of a single sauce) so good habits have taken root.

Exercise:

     -About a 3 hour hike with Eli in that spot by Cuckold's Cove, plus about two hours walking around downtown after just for the exercise. SO sunburnt though.

Week 6, day 3.

Exercise: bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 6, day 4.

Exercise: Downtown for about 5 hours walking around. Counting this as a hike because I explored a bunch and our downtown is super hilly so it was quite a workout!

Week 6, day 5.

Exercise: Bike to and from work (24 min)

Week 6, day 6.

Exercise: Bike to and from work (24 min). Tried the BBW again finally and didn't quite get through 3 times. I had two solid go-throughs, but the pain in my back, shoulder, and wrist was just too much to keep going. On the third go through I still got all the squats and lunges, but half the pushups, half the rows, and like a 4 second plank. Doing that before work, then standing around for 9 hours and biking home basically knocked my back out of commission. It still hurts. But I still got further than I ever thought I would! Slightly pleased with that. Goal not fully met, but still an improvement.

Week 6, day 7.

Exercise: Just biking to and from work today with my back (24 min).

Alright, so I'll update my initial post I suppose!

Week 4 Day 1.

Food:

-Glass of orange juice

-2 glasses of chocolate almond milk

-2 glasses of water

-spinach omelette with cottage cheese

-1 porkchop

-1 bowl of oatmeal crisp

-1 bottle of water

-couple sips of slshie

Exercise:

-None, just standing and moving at work.

Week 4, Day 2.

Food:

-Chai latte

-Pulled pork turnover

-strawberry rhubarb tart

-bottle of water

-apple

-1 porkchop

-4 creamsicles

-1 glass of water

-chicken sandwich

Exercise:

-no goal related exercise, just a lot of walking around downtown.

Week 4, Day 3.

Food:

-Chicken Sandwich

-3 hot dogs

-3 bottles of water

-1 slice of turkey

-3 creamsicles

Exercise:

-Again, just work movement.

Week 4, Day 4.

Food:

-Tortilla chips and salsa

-Prime rib burger with bacon and cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion

-2 iced teas

-2 piece fish and chips with fries upgraded to a poutine

-1 brownie

-1 butter tart

-1 pint of Quidi Vidi 1892

-lots of jelly bean row wine

Exercise:

-None. Like at ALL.

Week 4, Day 5.

Food:

-Tortilla chips and salsa

-30g protein shake

-banana

-Deluxe club wrap

-1 hot dog

-2 bottles of water

-turkey sandwich

Exercise:

-Bike to and from work (24 minutes).

Week 4, Day 6.

Food:

-Tortilla chips and salsa

-glass of orange juice

-2 glasses of water

-garden salad with chicken

-Some grilled asparagus and 2 baked potatoes

-hungry man sub

-4 bottles of water

-bowl of ice cream

-glass of water

Exercise:

-3 sets of 10 each: chest flys and bench press with 20lb freeweights. 

Week 4, Day 7.

-no tracking.

Week 5, day 1.

-no food tracking, but holy exercise. I went on a 3 hour bike excursion, 2 hours of which was actual biking. All over Mount Pearl and in to St. John's and back. Awesome bike ride, and knocked out more than this week's total goal in a single day. More importantly I was ABLE to bike that long. That's new.

So I blew two days with no food tracking. I didn't eat anything terrible, but still, that knocks me down to a B at most for the challenge on that goal. This was mainly because I feel like I don't need to do it anymore. My eating is under control, I'm losing weight, I'm gaining muscle, I have more endurance, etc. I've been made more aware of everything I eat now, and even with a few stumbles I'm doing pretty good, making good choices. Still, I suppose I have to keep on top of it for the next two weeks just to finish out the challenge.

My feet were in fact sore, but not as sore as all the asses I kicked haha.

Vort: My back has been horrible some days, but alright on others. I find my shoulders hurt more because of the biking than my back does though.

So I didn't update at all last week or this week as you know, but I did track everything so brace yourselves for a mega update.

What survival - urban or bushcraft - skills does everyone here have?

I've shot rifles and shotguns, have some basic bushcrafting skills (fire making with flint and steel, basic shelter building, rabbit snaring, rabbit skinnning/ butchering), basic first aid, did some Tae Kwon Do for a couple years (but Krav Maga is something I'd love to get into), I can fish for trout and prepare them, pretty used to cutting wood and just being in the woods generally, took the hunters safety/firearms safety course to get my gun licence, and we're starting a small veg garden at my house next year (preparing the bed this summer).

Newfoundlanders in general, especially most people from the outports are pretty much good to go should anything happen that makes it necessary to hunt and survive in the bush. It's not hyperbole at all to say that most people hunt and definitely trout fish or know a dozen people who do. Although we are developing a weak, softened underbelly of people here in the capital haha.

Coming back and telling us all about your less than stellar week definitely counts toward the honesty goal too Essilore!

We're all having our own struggles, failures and temporary set-backs in this thing, so you're not alone there. Just keep pushing!! Keep making the right decisions as often as possible!! It's all up to you, and you will reap all the benefits from your efforts. If you push yourself, you will be a better person by the end of the 6 weeks. You will feel better because of the positive changes you've made, and you'll know that you had the strength to make those changes happen.

How was this past week? 

Some Swede has probably swept her off her feet already so she's too busy with that to update the internet I'd say haha.

Hope everything's going well Arkham! Give us an update when you get a chance!.

Woohoo Leksifer! Headstands blow my mind, way to get to 10 seconds, that's crazy long (I'd probably have passed out haha).

HA! That was pretty cute! Get 'er done this week Vort!

Don't sweat the binge, dude (I seem to recall an incident I had with mini-donuts recently). Just keep at it man. Kick this challenge's ass. HARD. We're over halfway now, power through man.

You got an update on those body measurements?