Amandaba

Amandaba's Quest for Half Dome Part 2 Photo of a part of Half Dome (not my photo) My last challenge I did well in remembering to bring my water bottle to work, brought lunch about half the time. Started off well with cardio but had a few set backs the last couple of weeks and only got a few strength training sessions in, so I'm going to try again with most of my goals. My goals are centered mostly around getting healthier so I can complete the Half Dome hike at Yosemite National Park next summer. My previous challenge goes into my injury history but long story short I've had back, knee, and ankle injuries in the past (all on my left side) that can make going up a steep incline difficult (not to mention my cardiac fitness not being up to snuff to tackle that hike) Incline trainer or hike twice per week. Now that the leaves have come in snakes won't be so common sunning themselves on the trails, so I can start hiking again. I know they really aren't a danger as long as I pay attention where I'm stepping. I cannot help that my monkey brain gets freaked out when I see a snake, so I tend to avoid the trail until mid-late June. However, since July can get hot and humid (and air quality has been an issue lately) I have the option to use the incline trainer at my gym. Strength Training twice per week. I am continuing on with the My Peak Challenge Ignite program. If I am not finished with the beginner month by the time this challenge starts I should be really close. Then I'll be starting the actual month one of the Ignite program. Bring lunch to work twice per week. In an effort to not only eat healthier but to save money for hiking trips I want to continue to work on bringing my lunch to work at least half the time. Use face treatment twice per week. -I've recently started an IPL treatment for my face. In order for it to be effective I need to use it twice per week consistently for at least 6 weeks. I was recently notified I won the parking lottery at work so I get parking from July-September so that should help with the exercise goals the ramp I will be parking in is the same ramp I use to park at the gym, so I will be walking past the gym to get to my car instead of taking the bus to my car then driving back downtown to go to the gym or walking in the opposite direction to a pay to park ramp to then drive out of my way to go to the gym. I might even try out my strength training at the gym so I don't have to rely on my being able to workout at home after driving 40 minutes. We'll see if it works out ok. The program I am following has videos to workout alongside-which is a big perk for me vs just going off a worksheet. I'm not sure if I'll be able to find an area, I would have everything I need in one spot either and the workouts thus far are timed rounds without much break between sets and pausing to move elsewhere each time also doesn't seem like I'd enjoy either. BUT I think I am going to try at least one at the gym to just get my workout done on my way to the car. Previous challenge: Amandaba's quest for Half Dome - Previous Challenge: 5/7/2023 to 6/10/2023 - Nerd Fitness Rebellion

Totals: Complete strength training twice per week. 3/10 Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. 6/10 Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. 4/8 Ride the park and ride bus to work 3 times per week - removed due to shifts worked and vacation this month Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week 14/8 I'm going to more or less repeat the exercise related goals and lunch goal. I won the parking lottery at work (FINALLY!) so I have parking privileges from July through September. Which is fantastic as I have a new car and hail is a big concern during the summer. Previous new car got hail damage as I was in route to officially buy so I'm extra nervous about hail. This should also help with at least the cardio goals as the parking ramp I will be parking in is the same parking ramp for the gym so no need to drive to the gym after work, I'll already be walking past it to get to my car.

Sorry everyone we got some bad news about a coworker and I really didn't have it in me to do much of anything all week. Took pretty much everything I had to just go to work and do my job properly. Only think I achomplished was the water bottle, and that was more because I brought it in with me at the beginning of the week and just left it there until Friday. The poor air quality this week has also prevented me from doing much. I tried walking to the store today (0.2miles) and it was a struggle to breath, the air even taste like dust and smoke. =(

WEEK 4 Complete strength training twice per week. 1/2 I planned on doing my second one yesterday but due to my cycle starting a couple of days earlier than I anticipated and learning how to use reusable option, I did not end up working out. Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. 2/2 I've been on vacation all week so the other goals arent' really relevant. I didn't go anywhere or do anything fun on vacation. Just relaxed at home, did some cleaning, and worked on several sewing projects. New Zealand- Tawa Walk

I don't have much to update since my last one was kind of late. BUT I've noticed my clothes already fitting a little better. I was going to wait until the end of the challenge to weigh myself, but I was super curious and I'm down 5 pounds! Complete strength training twice per week. 1/2 Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. 2/2 Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. 3/2 Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week 3/3 More New Zealand inspo pics! I think each challenge I'll post inspo pics from a different hiking trip. That should get me at least 4-5 more challenges (and by then I'll have pics from my September trip to Olympic National Park! This is from Rawhiti Cave! Probably my favorite hike on my NZ trip, even if I didn't have proper footwear and almost when flying off the side of the mountain because I had tennis shoes and it was raining REALLY heavily. Needless to say I bought a pair of Hiking boots as soon as I got back home. Nanananananana Nananananana BATMAN!

She saw me put my sports bra on.

Week 2 Sorry for the late reply. I was visiting my grandpa on the other side of the state this weekend. I try to make it up at least once to twice a month to for company and some homemade meals. He's 93 and widowed about 2 years ago and while he has learned how to cook eggs, hamburger, spaghetti, make tuna sandwiches and packets of instant potatoes, the meals he was accustomed to for 70 years are not something he knows how to do. Plus he loves seeing my cats and my cats LOVE going to his house (they've got big windows and a bird feeder to watch). I think if it wasn't for the meals, he's more excited to see the cats then me (🤣) Complete strength training twice per week. 1/2 Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. 1/2 Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. 1/2 Ride the park and ride bus to work 3 times per week well I apparently work early shift most of this month and have vacation next week so I'm probably just going to drop this one. Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week 3/3 More inspirational photos! Golden Bay New Zealand The lump on the right side is actually a mother seal and her pup. We watched them from behind the rock. Got the pup in trouble with his parents. He spotted us watching from behind the rock but apparently his parents did not believe us and insisted he take a nap. Zoomed in photo of the mom, presumably dad, and pup we kept our distance whenever possible but there was a young seal that was REAL curious on another area of the beach. We were being boogers (inevitably we end up either pretending we are boogers or picking a rocks nose on each vacation)

Bodyweight workout in! Ivy (named for Poison Ivy), got so freaking excited when she saw my mat. She LOVES to be my coach (then lick the salty sweat off my forehead when I'm all finished and laying on the ground. She started meowing up a storm and pacing around the mat. You'd think between Mr. Weasley loving spinach and Miss Ivy loving working out I'd be in the best physical shape ever. she actually got pretty mad at me. She walked behind me while doing squats- and courtesy of physical therapy after my knee was redone I am pretty damn good at them, so I ended up bonking her back with my butt, which she took great offense to and left. (She also throughly enjoys laying belly up underneath me when I’m doing planks and yoga poses whilst looking me in the eye) the workout is from a different fitness program so I won’t post it here but it was a warm-up of 2 rounds cardio and 4 movement types, 30 second rounds of 4 body weight exercises x 3 rounds and I did a nerd fitness cooldown

Week 1 update: I had a few curveballs thrown my way. Work was incredibly busy this week, between a being the early/lead shift person this week and heavy patient load I was exhausted after work each day. Also didn't help aunt flow decided this week was a great time to make an appearance which REALLY sapped my energy. My mother an aunt (my actual aunt) also unexpectedly spent the night at my place as well early in the week which did not help with trying to get a good night's sleep. Complete strength training twice per week. 0/2 Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. 1/2 Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. 0/2 I actually had it packed but leaving at 5am when already sleep deprived meant I ended up grabbing my lunch from the fridge. Ride the park and ride bus to work 3 times per week this week is null for that one. The hospital I work at opening a first come first serve parking ramp and one bonus of working at the crack of dawn means there's plenty of parking ramp space (looking at my schedule I'm early clinic shift this week which starts an hour and a half later- but I'm going to check it would Monday to see if there is still plenty of space for that shift as well). I didn't realize I'd be working so many early shifts this month. But I think next week I'm on a shift that will need use of the bus. Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week 4/3 I forgot it the first day, but remembered to bring it in the next day, since I was early shift and at the same place all week I just left it at my desk. It wasn't a goal of mine this month because I didn't want to get too many, but I did make myself chicken fajitas this week about 3 of my dinners this week instead of getting take out. Shameless past adventure photos to keep motivated: New Zealand 2013 (the trip that made me fall in love with hiking) One of several LOTR props we saw that trip. Our AirBNB was actually just up the hill from the jewelry store that was in charge of making the various jewelry. It was a pretty interesting (and exciting) visit to the store, see different screen used rings and necklaces as well as some prototypes they had on display and learn about not only LOTR jewelry but also New Zealand's gems. My friends actually travelled back there when they got engaged to have their wedding rings custom made by the man that made THE ONE RING. (the photo isn't from the store but a museum we had gone to, the store itself was actually quite small) A lot of the trails went through pastures. Here we were walking up a hill and a herd of sheep came running. One of my friends had already made it up the hill and was standing on a bench the farmer had placed for hikers; he saw the sheep well before I and his girlfriend did and thought it'd be funny to take pictures of us as we ran for our lives. I all I could here in my head was the Lion King score from that scene with the wildebeests. The shepherd was quite startled when he got to the top of the hill to find 3 foreigners standing on the bench, surrounded by the sheep he and his dogs were herding. And finally our first the Raptor pic, a tradition we have continued with every trip. Eventually I will have one of those multi photo frames hanging on my wall with nothing but Raptor pics Alright I'm off to the to use the incline trainer

Update to the update. but first back story my cat Weasley LOVES spinach like it is his all time favorite thing. I have laid down chicken next to spinach and he’s taken the spinach without blinking. I’ve laid down the equivalent of kitty Doritos and he goes for the spinach. But he can only have a limited amount at a time. Ok so story time: Got home, had to use the bathroom so put my groceries down, almost immediately hear the suspicious crinkling sound of a spinach bag, came out of the bathroom to find my cat frantically eating his spoils. The sh*tten even had the audacity to ask me for more when I took the bag away. Wouldn’t it be great if we all loved spinach as much as Weasley?

Day 1! Went to the gym today for incline training. They’ve gotten their programs straightened out since I was last there (Dec), so I did not watch Star Wars, instead I followed along on the first leg (of 7) of climbing Mt Fuji. Following a trainer as she climbs up the mountain, the machine changes pace and incline to match her’s. It got real tough for being beginner rating, the whole middle leg of it was 20-30% incline and I’m guessing it gets harder the further along we go. I’m thinking I’ll repeat that first leg a couple of times seeing as I had to grab the handle bars and hang on for dear life for that middle part. I despise going up, put me on a flat or lightly rolling surface and I and walk ALL day, those in a hill, stairs, or my arch nemesis SWITCHBACKS and I’m on the struggle bus. Oddly enough one of the friends I hike with doesn’t do well going downhill, her fear of heights hits when she’s looking/going down, so she encourages me going up and wanting to or thinking I’m gonna die, I encourage her going down, and her husband is usually ahead of us patiently waiting for us to catch up and taking pics (don’t get the wrong idea though when it gets bad and I have to stop and am truly struggling or when his wife legit starts panicking he’s right there to work us through it). Food for the week: shrimp with cocktail sauce and salad for lunch, chicken fajitas for supper. Going to try my hand at overnight oats for breakfast.

Sounds like you've got a good thing going!

Here for the home gym, rings, and back support! (Injured my back, let's see....4 times? 😬)

Hey Teros! It's been awhile (it's Tiggs86 back again). Have you looked into the Flexitarian Diet? It kind of sounds a bit like what you are trying to accomplishWhat Is the Flexitarian Diet? – Cleveland Clinic -of course the amounts they say to eat aren't one size fits all but more of a guideline I have a couple of close friends that are Flexitarian as well as some acquaintances through them that are vegetarian. If you'd be interested in some vegetarian recipes let me know I can ask about favorites, though I couldn't say how healthy some of them may or may not be- vegetarian (as with any diet) can be just as unhealthy as just about anything else if you're not paying attention. I'm glad your workplace is willing to give you a chance to switch out of something that isn't working to something that might fit better and that you now have a competent manager at the Nursing Home.

A little about myself to start, I joined Nerdfitness nearly 10 years ago after. I had promised my zombie loving friend I'd complete the Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k obstacle course with her. I was a year out from reconstructive knee surgery, wanted to get as prepared as I could for the race and when searching for tips how to do a pull up found Nerdfitness. I didn't progress far enough in time to do a pull up but I was strong enough to complete the obstacles. One of which were adult sized monkey bars-something I NEVER was able to do prior to this. (I'm on the far right, biting my INFECTED race medal. Between work injuries and personal stressors I've been off and on with Nerdfitness, working out and eating healthy (more off than on) these past 10 years., but I find when I have a goal with a deadline (like the 5k) I do so much better with being consistent. Last year was filled with stressors and I am at my largest and had, had grand plans to get back into a regular exercise routine the beginning of the year, but ended up with COVID and had very little energy to spare for a few months after. I am now in a place both energy wise and just caught up to everything that was neglected the first few months of the year and am ready to get going. My current motivation is the looming prospect of hiking Half Dome at Yosemite National Park next summer. I and my friends have gone on a few hiking trips over the past 10 years. In 2017 we went to Zion National Park and at the pleading of one of my friends, hiked Angel's Landing. I am still so proud I was able to complete it (even if I had to stop several times on the way up the switchbacks-in those moments I decided switchbacks were my arch nemesis). (pic if of me at the top of Angel's Landing acting like the superhero I felt) Upon return from that trip he told me he wanted to hike Yosemite's Half dome and proceeded to show me photos. With which I asked him if he was trying to kill me. That I'd have to lose about 50 pounds first. Well, it's been a few years now, we've been to Glacier and Acadia National Parks and I am in worse condition than before. He mentioned at our trip about year ago he really wanted to complete this hike before he is 40, so I need to get my butt in gear. Looking at photos there is no place for me to have a brief meltdown or rest. A big issue I have is my knee. Due to a snowboarding injury and the resulting surgery I do not have the endurance in my left leg as my right. At Acadia we hiked the Bee Hive and while I did not waver during that hike, I could barely walk the next day as my knee kept giving out and had to wait by the car while my friends hiked the Precipice trail the next day. I was pretty disappointed in myself. Half Dome *not my image We are going to Olympic National Park this fall so any improved fitness and weight loss I can get these next few months will benefit me . My main motivation is Half Dome next year. My diet is also a mess. I don't have much time to cook and many times will get food from the cafeteria at work and a drive through or frozen pizza at home. 1-2 weekends a month I travel across the state to visit my grandfather for the weekend and cook some meals for him that my grandma used to make. This makes it difficult to prep meals for myself for the next week, which is something I'll have to work on figuring out a solution for. OK so long backstory complete. My ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds by Yosemite and in the process of doing this be able to complete Half Dome (date not finalized but anticipating late May 2024). My goals this challenge: Complete strength training twice per week. I have a program I am going to follow. The start-up plan consists of warm up, 3 rounds of AMRAP exercises in 30 seconds intervals, cool down. Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. (pre-COVID I was using the various Star Wars series on Disney + as the carrot to getting on the incline trainer- I will not watch them without being on the machine-so I will be continuing this as it made almost like I didn't notice I was exercising until I was sweaty, breathing harder, or my glutes/quads were getting sore). Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. Ride the park and ride bus to work 3 times per week (unless working late shift as I wouldn’t be able to utilize the gym AND ride the bus back to my car) this will help save money for the trip instead of paying $5-14 each day for parking Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week I’ve keep forgetting to grab it and have to either go without water or buy a bottle which A) costs money and B ) is bad for the environment that I enjoy so much Rewards can help keep me motivated. My gym has a hot tub in the back of the locker room that I will be able to utilize after each incline training session. There also is a hydro massage available- of I complete both strength training workouts that week I will use the hydro massage. (I need to check into this to see if I need to make an appointment for it anymore or not) The third reward will be if I bring my water bottle AND ride the bus as stated in my goals I’ll put a sticker on my new water bottle.