Jefro

Sounds AWEsOME!!! Do you have access to a swimming pool? Scream therapy has been amazing for me when I get REALLY stressed. It takes A LOT of energy to scream underwater too! I really liked the bodyweight workout that Steve put together. It really seems foundational and it sounds like you've made some serious inroads in getting it done! Hope you are feeling better.

Thanks Donar- that means A LOT! You are a dependable source of encouragement and information. From what I have been looking at in previous comments in your last thread, my next step is finding my maintenance #'s - looks like that will be the specific format of my next challenge. Regarding calculations for Maintenance calories there are a couple of loose values that I am wondering about estimating. The first is my body fat percent. I think I am under 30, but I'm not under 25. Is it better to take a higher value (underestimating lean mass)? The second variable is my activity level. I have been lifting 3 times a week but it isn't intense- I am still learning how to do it. So I was going to use the lowest activity level. I will keep watching your blog for more info on that, but any recommendations would be welcome. I'll post my questions there too, I guess.

Thanks for the info- I wouldn't have even thought about batteries... that's a serious issue because those batteries usually cost as much as the contraption that they run. I am working on understanding my next goals so I can ask some more specific questions about recomp strategy.

I want to focus on the nutrition in this next challenge in a more specific way. My first step is getting a food scale. Do you have any recommendations on that- maybe it doesn't even matter. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Have you tried doing your computer work standing up? I work at a computer ALL day and I have a set up so I don't have to sit down except to do paper work. I really like it. My coworker and I have a set up call Kangaroo. Initially I built a work top extension- basically a bunch of shelves to see if I liked working standing up before any financial commitment was made.

Thanks for the encouragement Rachy! I don't suppose I am at all objective I do see change from the beginning of my time with Nerd Fitness though- and I LOVE IT!!! Your thoughts on navigating this feastive (not just festive) time of year is strong and something I need to hold on to. I am going to make it through better than I did last year, or the previous 10 years! Then, AND THEN, I'm going to ROCK 2014! with baby steps to the top! I am already on Christmas Break. I get two and a half weeks off! That is mostly awesome, but it has made the fitness goals for this challenge even more challenging. I have made my gym appointments though so I am proud of myself. I am working on a plan for the week that I will be out of town. AND I'm thinking through my goals/strategy for the next challenge. My food intake has been pretty good- although I just ate a bagel. I have had falters this week with sugar and bread. I am excited to notice that I don't crave fast food anymore. Things are changing with my food preferences. I still LOVE cookies though. I wonder if that will change someday? I have faltered totally with the software I was starting to learn. Getting ready for Christmas and all the social expectations that go along with that have made a difficult learning curve totally unattractive. I have failed that part of this challenge. I am not giving it up, but I am not conquering it this challenge either. I'll have some numbers tomorrow.

I am following what you are putting together for Alex. I know you have talked A LOT about all this in previous threads as well. I am going to try to put as much of that information together so I can ask you more specific questions. I want my next challenge to be nutritionally focused again, working with a weight lifting routine. You have recommended Starting Strength for me. I am still reading it so I can't say I have the greatest foundation in weight lifting yet. The information on form is great. It seems I can't really rely on anyone at the gym where I go- they don't even have a rack to squat in. I found a way to improvise one though. I am inspired to move forward by your work here- you are a BEAST! Looking forward to catching up on your blog too.

I had some time to do some photo editing and was hoping to see some motivating transformation. Well- not so much. The first pics are from October 13 and the other set with a different haircut is from Dec. 7th. Looks the same except for a haircut I am still moving ahead, but I sure would like to have some momentum! Maybe this is the wrong season to expect that- not just that it's approaching Christmas and gluttony is around every corner, but I'm really just new to this whole experience. I have to take a longer view of this to be content with where I am now. I guess a longer view is what I need anyway. I'm not giving it up- just lusting for more focus than I have right now. I was iced in for a few days. My dog got sick of me being around and I got sick of him- I think I'm allergic! I had to do bodyweight workouts and he wanted to be right in it with me. I also did some kettle bell swings and he thought he wanted me to release the kettle bell so he could chase it. That would have been really bad.

Seems like life just gets crazier as Christmas approaches. The last storm devastated us. I was didn't leave the house for three days, except to walk the dog! I decided to drive my car and get some groceries. It has been a pre-holiday, holiday break. I have been thinking about what I want to do on the next challenge. I have done well with eating paleo but it seems like things have plateaued. I think I am slowly gaining muscle definition and strength as weight and measurements seems to be static. Measurements 12/7/13 180 lbs +1lb Chest- 41.25" +.25" Navel- 37" -1" Waist- 39.5" +.25" L Bicep- 13.5" same R Bicep- 13.25" +.25" L Quad- 23" -.125" R Quad- 23" -.25" I don't really understand what is happening. I guess it is time to start graphing this stuff so I can see trends. I did some work on my pictures to see if I could tell a difference in pictures during these challenges. I can see some change, but it isn't as dramatic as I had hoped- visually. I do feel stronger and I believe I am making a difference. I am looking for a force multiplier here. I hope that tracking my macros specifically will give me that.

I am reading your blog now. You get stuff done!!! Strong Work and congratulations!

Wow- a little break in schedule kind of wrecked my "normal." I had a great Thanksgiving feast. I had some extra cookies that were supposed to go back to work- but they didn't make it. I gobbled down most of them before throwing the batch in the trash. They were manufactured, not really so tasty, BUT I wanted them! So my plan was mostly successful- I didn't eat crap ALL weekend! I had an AWESOME workout on Monday. Bigger squats and deadlifts every time. I need to get more psyched about that. My upper body isn't as strong so I am feeling more taxed at 135 lb. bench. I haven't done presses in about a month. I need to take some new pictures to see if I can tell a difference in my physical composition. That would be really exciting/motivating. Last night I went to a hot yoga class that a friend of mine was teaching. I had never done hot yoga before and I sweated SO much that it messed up my electrolytes! I woke up this morning with a mad cramp in my left calf. It was so sensitive that it moved from point to point as I touched my calf to try and massage it out. I felt like a puddle in every way after that workout! I really needed the intense stretching so it was perfect. I have not done any work on the software part of this challenge for a week. Time to get back on that!

Happy Thanksgiving after! I have no bad food left over from Thanksgiving- at least not cooked. I do have to something with chocolate that is off limits. I got rid of pie and cookies and cinnamon rolls! Awesome lifts! I appreciate the description of your squat form. That is helpful. I am continually amazed at all there is to think about. I didn't get any turkey leftovers, but I got a paleo cookbook as an early Christmas gift. Maybe even better!

Oh, I do love snow. I grew up with it. We could sled in our front yard! Now I like to visit it. Interesting that you say wintry precipitation sounds vague- I think the TV weather people were working that angle this weekend. "wintery precipitation" can come in a few forms before it is actually the lovely snow. Around here it is usually sleet, which is a kind of slushy rain- cold and nasty! Freezing rain is the worst wintry precipitation. Everything just gets layered in ice- like a cartoon! It is very dangerous and usually tears down tree limbs and power lines. They threatened us with this type of weather this weekend, but it didn't happen. It was just cold and rainy. I got caught up in the hype and thought I would get to have Monday off, but we don't get to stay home when it rains The sun is out again and the temp is moderating so it should be a much nicer weekend for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping. Sounds like you have found a really good rhythm with the calorie counting and food documentation. Great job! I might need some help with that next challenge.

Weird to quote you on your own page, but the link is hilarious- love Scrubs and Zach! Congrats on the additional life challenge! That usually costs me a lot of money as well as attention deficit- but never boring on the emotional roller coaster. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Wow- it's been so long I've forgotten my password! I should know that a week that is cut short gets packed with more work on the front end. I'm slow, I guess. Here are a couple straight forward recipes. There is a little pre-cooking before piling into the slow cooker, but it seems to be worth it. Fennel Beef Stew in the crock layer these ingredients: 2 fennell bulbs sliced about 1/8 inch thick (I don't core them because I like the whole thing minus the trimmed bottom) 2 carrots chopped 1 bell pepper- seeded and chopped 2 cloves of garlic- smashed in heavy bottomed pan: 1 onion saute'd in 1 Tbsp. butter 2 lbs. beef- brown with onions and layer on top of veg in the crock in the same pan (now empty) add: 1tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp thyme- dry 2 Tbsp tomato paste- as soon as this hits the pan it starts to stick and that's awesome- just add 3 C broth (or V8 juice or water with lemon) and then blend together. add the tomato mixture to the crock when it is homogenous stick in a few bay leaves and cook on low for 8 hours I have been halving the beef, fennel and broth in this recipe to make 3 of my size servings. Paleo Beef Casserole In the crock layer: 1 sweet potato peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick 1 C sliced mushrooms (I have used broccoli hearts too) in heavy bottomed pan: 1/2 onion saute'd in 1 Tbsp. butter 4 chopped garlic cloves 1 lbs. beef- add once the onions are translucent 1/2 green bell pepper- seeded and chopped 1/2 red bell pepper- seeded and chopped add this to the crock in the same pan (now empty) add: 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1/2 C tomato sauce add the tomato mixture to the crock when it smells sweet (add a little water if it thickens too much) cook on low for 6 hours I think these came out of this book: The Paleo Slowcooker I didn't make it to the gym last night because I was doing a guest lecture gig. It was a late night but I get to make up for it today. I can do weights two days in a row (I think) since I will be doing upper body stuff with the trainer. I'm going for it. Food is on track, but I am still emotionally eating- it's just almond butter or macadamia nut butter instead of cookies. I am aware, but not sure what to do with it. Right now I am just going to make it through the holiday feasts. I am really looking forward to a Thanksgiving day-long binge. I might be writing about how miserable I am on the 29th. Thanks for checking in! It helps me to know I have company in this.

It's been a good week! I am looking at a weekend where the weather will require me to stay at home. I can really use that to my advantage. I am going to get computer work done that I have been putting off for more than a month. Since winter weather invaded Texas yesterday, I am going to stay off the roads and there is no reason to spend time outside. My workout yesterday was great. New PR for squats at 155 lbs.! There was a guy in the gym that was using both bars- so inconsiderate in a super-small gym! -but he obviously felt he was worthy. I will stop being pissed off about it now. I used various machines to do my movements and got the work done! I am starting to wonder about changing things up. My running group is now over so no more huge distance running on the weekends for me. I need to start doing small, intense sprint workouts and regular yoga. I don't think I am stretching enough and loosing flexibility with the weight workouts I'm doing. The yoga is great stretching AND relaxing for me. My weight was up .8 lbs. this week. If the electrical bodyfat percentage device is correct that .8 lbs. is lean muscle because my percentage is exactly the same as last week- 22.4%. I am not excited or depressed about any of this- I guess I just want to maintain over the holiday feasting. That will be a big change in the way my physical health changes throughout the year. Dude- so nice to know I'm not the only almond butter hog! I have really been sad that I consume more than a jar per week. The amazing thing is that it doesn't cause weight gain. I just suspect there are healthier ways to get the protein and fat. By the way- your Subway/Jared comment was hilarious, and unfortunately I still have a good friend who holds Jared up as a healthy role-model. Subway is still a significant part of his nutrition. So I'm off to do some significant software work today. Looking forward to reporting on the marked progress.

We might get some "wintry precipitation" tomorrow night. We don't usually get snow- sometimes in February. The fall and winter are a roller coaster of temperatures. Last weekend I had to turn on my air conditioner to cool off the house. This weekend I won't be able to keep it warm enough. It will be like that until Christmas. Then it should stay cool into mid February. What is your diagnosis for playtime? I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the better weather with more intensity! Great job on the food tracking. I haven't written down the calories for the food I eat, I just write down the quantity and the description so I know when I eat too much almond butter or cheat on some cookies . I am going to get deeper into it after Christmas and track macros to see if it is worth it to have that info. It seems like a lot of work, but I know that tracking it helps. Keep it up!

I agree- I commend you again for your discipline. Thanks for sharing the victories and the challenges- and the food! Maybe more food? How much do you change things up? Do you usually eat with the family or do you have to eat your own food?

Great work on the career prep- hope that continues to flow. What's up with the blisters? That really sucks! I noticed something about changing your grip to avoid blisters when I was browsing Starting Strength. I'll see if I can find it and see if it would be helpful.

I have really enjoyed a beef and fennel stew and a ground beef casserole that has sweet potato in it. I'll add those recipes tomorrow. It is awesome winter food. I am going to make some chili tomorrow. It is supposed to get really cold here by tomorrow night. I had a great focused work out yesterday. It was biceps and triceps. I am starting to hurt, but not as bad as I thought I would. I am going to go home and do some yoga to stretch things out. Tomorrow I am back to the regular, foundational movements that I have been working on for just over a month- squats, bench press and dead lifts. It's interesting that I still find the challenge in focusing on doing the movement correctly. And I always am sweaty before I leave! Food is going well this week. I have been eating more meat because I have been hungrier in the afternoons. I had been using almond butter as a snack, but it was going away too fast. I am not sure it is the best thing to demolish every week (a whole can of almond butter) We had a work team Holiday Feast today. That was awesome because there were two kinds of meat- turkey and ham. The only veg was green beans in the namesake casserole. I abstained. I did have some mashed potatoes but I ignored the pie. I am imagining how much I will enjoy the pies next week! I am also making slow strides at learning the software. I am feeling good about this- even the small changes in how my gut looks and how I feel about food. I am in a good place.

Nice job holding out for the right food at the right time! Sorry you had to miss the pizza, but it will probably taste even better later. I get to start my first Thanksgiving Day feasts at work on Thursday. I don't know how much of it I will be able to eat. I am going to think of your discipline- maybe the food won't be that tempting

Get on that career prep goal! Are you working on the resume? Thanks for the update on the cross fit workouts. Do you see the same people every time you go? I imagine that could be cool. I don't see the same people when I go to the gym and I go about the same time during the same days of the week. I would imagine the continuity would be nice. Glad you are well.

My workout yesterday felt really good! The gym was busy, but I didn't have to make do with a machine. Squats 45x5x2 60x5 90x3 120x2 150x5x3 Bench 45x5x2 65x5 90x3 120x2 135x5x3 Dead lift 45x5x2 85x3 120x2 150x5 I didn't get into the routine of working on the software after work last week, but this week has gone well so far (Monday). The nutrition is going well. I am in good routine there and now I'm trying to find the best deals on quality meats and veggies. Trader Joe's has been my best overall source, but their grass-fed beef is limited at the store I go to. I heard today, and agree, that it is better to spend extra money on food so you don't have to spend it on medication. I like that perspective! Nick- I have been working on cooking with the crockpot and the pressure cooker. I don't know how creative it is, but it is more passive than standing over the stove as dinner cooks. I don't have any food options at work except for Subway so I pack my lunch or don't eat. I eat hormone free chicken, wild-caught cod and halibut and grass fed beef either ground or cut up for stew. The veggies at Trader Joe's are great! I get kale, spinach, arugula, brussle sprouts and avocados. I am going to try a persimmon tonight. I eat eggs and salsa for breakfast and usually some spinach. I always have the almond butter around too. Just getting used to going to the grocery store was a big barrier for me nutritionally- there are so many options that I am overwhelmed. Paleo really helps narrow it down for me. I also got some apple cider to mix in my fruit smoothie after workouts. I use frozen fruit, some leafy greens, some water and some fruit juice. I just started doing that yesterday.

Hey Lainisos- thanks for the Thanksgiving advice. I am leaving the desserts I am bringing and hope to exchange them for some turkey and the carcass (to make broth with). It will be really interesting to see how it goes. I would enjoy seeing more of your menu and the method of prep.

I noticed that the trees are finally changing color around here- thought of you. Are you able to enjoy the new season there? When do you have full on summer? I was in Sydney and Brisbane in April a few years ago and really enjoyed the weather and the water.