Machete

Shitty week. Couldn't get anything done, I'd just get home and play on my phone as I fall in-and-out of sleep. Kept forgetting to drink water, and it was too hot to sleep comfortably most days. Yuck.

Shitty eating; ended up eating too many popped beans and had a stomach ache so I missed Sunday jiu-jitsu. I'll try to go on another day.

Need to drink more water this week.

On 7/7/2022 at 3:34 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

You think the meme is your ally because you adopted it. I was there when the meme was nothing but Bumper Stickers and Tshirts. I watched the meme make the jump from chain letters to email forwards. I saw the BadgerBadgerBadger and the Dancing Hamster the day they were born. The meme is older than you and me put together. 

 

I mean, I just found your challenge, HOWDY!

The alleged original (though I do believe there are cave painting memes).

On 7/11/2022 at 1:28 PM, Kishi said:

Dude, welcome back! Had no idea you'd moved because I too am bad at social media.

 

Extremely busy. Hustle culture sigma grindset and all that. Haha

On 7/1/2022 at 7:25 AM, Rooks said:

First, I feel like I was following along on the 'gram and still didn't realize you moved. Granted, I'm pretty bad at social media in general. 

 

Second, I like the goals. Simple and and moving forward. Get after it. 

To be fair sometimes I tag ridiculous places, like Vault 22 and Whiterun. Haha

On 7/1/2022 at 7:59 AM, Sylvaa said:

 

Wait, your 'Gram isn't just funny memes and you eating? I've missed something (not really, I noticed the move).

 

I AM the meme. 😆

On 7/6/2022 at 3:49 AM, sarakingdom said:

Looks like it's you and me, buddy, all the Monks are down for the count. You up for rescue missions?

 

23 hours ago, Rooks said:

On 7/1/2022 at 6:14 AM, Maigs said:

@Marauder and @Machete - Due to some imbalances I have a very tight and somewhat painful right hip and some issues with my right shoulder. I'm also incredibly inflexible, as in I can't touch my toes and if my legs are straight the best I can get is a 90 degree angle at the waist. 

 

What I'm hoping to get out of Elements is getting my hip and shoulder back in good order, increased flexibility, and what I think of as light and slow gymnastics (back bends, handstands, walkovers, etc). From their website it sounds like it would do exactly that. In your experiences, do you think it would help get me in that direction?

They also have Focused Flexibility if you want to practice that, but Elements I think is a really good progressive movement practice that probably scales to your needs. Just be intentional about it. I believe they have a 30-day money-back policy, so you could totally try it out.

So for those not watching the Instagrams, it's been 9 months since moving across the country. Job is great but the pay is insultingly-low. I had to take a second job at a CrossFit gym, which is great and fun and easy, but it cuts into my jiu-jitsu time and leaves me pretty exhausted. I'm also in school because I need to finish this degree. I've pretty much filled my schedule out so I won't have time to entertain the negativity my brain tends to drift into--I just turn them into memes and release them into the wild. (Doc took me off amphetamines, which I kind of miss because it makes me productive and social for like 2 days, but crashes me for a week.) Anyway, I'm not even going to attempt to exhibit any semblance of self-control; I'm just putting one foot in front of the other, hoping the world ends before my next billing cycle. I'm thinking I'm just going to work on home SOPs that I can mindlessly follow every day so I can have bandwidth for all this shit I put on my plate.

I've been pretty much "winging it" with everything, and I'm finding that the basic stuff tends to get forgotten because it's not done intentionally. Just need to check whether I did it or not.

3 DAILY TASKS

• Track my sleep - it doesn't matter how many hours, as long as I have the estimated number on record
• Drink water - I just need to record what I'm drinking that's not energy drinks, coffee, or diet soda
• Exercise - even though I usually have the opportunity to get a workout in, it's been intermittent; maybe the intentional exercise help me with the studying

For the first time in my life I'm living in a furnished apartment. Dining table, couch, coffee table, bar stools. I have no idea how people maintain a clean living space; my space always degenerates into a dump. I'm trying to address this. Nobody's visiting, but I think ultimately it distracts me from being productive and I just end up lying on the couch playing Last Fortress: Underground for three straight days instead of studying.

3 WEEKLY TASKS

• Tuesday and Thursday laundry and dishes
• Sunday trash and junk mail
• Jiu-jitsu once a week - just show your face

03JUL - 7 hours sleep / trash

04JUL - 4 hours sleep, 2 drinks of water, jiu-jitsu

05JUL - 7.5 hours sleep, 1 drink of water / laundry, dishes

06JUL - 5 hours sleep, 6 drinks of water, CF WOD

07JUL - 9 hours sleep, 1 drinks of water,

08JUL - 5 hours sleep, 2 drinks of water, CF WOD / laundry

09JUL - 5.5 hours sleep, 4 drinks of water

SLEEP: 7/7, WATER: 6/7, EXERCISE: 3/7

CLEANING: 1/2, TRASH: 1/1, JIU-JITSU: 1/1

10JUL - 7 sleep, 4 water, jiu-jitsu / trash

11JUL - 5.5 sleep, 3 water, KB CF WOD

12JUL - 6.5 sleep, Row

13JUL - 9.5 sleep

14JUL - 5.5 sleep

15JUL - 4.5 sleep, 2 water, KB

16JUL - 8 hours sleep, 1 water, lift

SLEEP: 7/7, WATER: 3/7, EXERCISE: 5/7

CLEANING: 0/2, TRASH: 1/1, JIU-JITSU: 1/1

17JUL - 9 sleep,

18JUL

19JUL

20JUL

21JUL

22JUL

23JUL

SLEEP: /7, WATER: /7, EXERCISE: /7

CLEANING: /2, TRASH: /1, JIU-JITSU: /1

4 hours ago, Rooks said:

@Machete I seem to recall you tried GMB, didn't you? If so, any thoughts to share? If not, simply ignore my incoherent ramblings.

I did! I never completed the entire program as written, but it focuses on the bear crawl, monkey walk, and frog hop movements that eventually scale up to a spider-man crawl, cartwheel, and handstand kick-up. I kept the beginning progressions as a warm-up/assessment for my group classes back in Orlando.

On 6/12/2022 at 7:15 PM, sarakingdom said:

It is time to come back and post a new challenge. We're down a lot of monks, we need you.

 

(Live footage of me with the stick and you trying to chill.)

😔 May he ride forever through the night lands...

On 9/25/2021 at 11:02 AM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

That is a lot of change. I'll be here for support as needed.

Thanks!

On 9/27/2021 at 3:28 PM, sarakingdom said:

 

Huge changes! Very exciting.

Indeed! Much excite!

Big change of pace, I took a job and moved to WA. New apartment, new car, and a job that actually pays a salary--I'm actually feeling a bit optimistic. I'm going to have to set some appropriate goals and just live a minimalist lifestyle for as long as I can; maybe this is my chance to get my life back together.

A little better. I'm going to try to do a Wednesday check-in, as that seems to be when it goes downhill. I probably stop paying attention again.

SLEEP:
Mon - 8h

Tue -  7h

Wed - 5.5h

Thu - 5h

Fri - 6.5h

Sat

Sun - 8h

WATER:

Mon - 64oz

Tue -  64oz

Wed - 32oz

Thu - 32oz

Fri - 32oz

Sat

Sun - 32oz

FOOD:

Mon - 132g

Tue -  94g

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun 

On 8/16/2021 at 10:24 AM, Terra said:

I see progress...  Take care my friend!  

Thanks! Yeah, much smaller steps than I'm used to, but bigger than nothing (which are the ones I usually take). Haha

SLEEP:
Mon - 9.3h

Tue -  6h

Wed - 4h

WATER:
none

FOOD:

Mon - 175g

Tue - 145g

Week started out okay, got some sleep and able to hit some workouts, then I totally shit the bed. Trying to distract myself from the depresso by staying preoccupied, I hit like 48 hours of Skyrim and shared a bunch of memes. Did a bunch of tests which pretty much ate up Tuesday and Friday. I was able to mow the lawn and clean the garage today though. I'll try to finish those the rest of the week and maybe do some studying done.

I got the powdered Gatorade and Krampade for the drinky drink, and I've been getting my hydration subjectively better; I just need to keep track of what I'm drinking.

WEEK'S STRATEGIES:

• cook and store some meals on Monday
• 2300 bedtime
• carry my Nalgene around

Tough week. Lots of work, only able to hit the three meals on Wednesday and Thursday. Kept procrastinating on the grocery shopping, and my treasonous wife kept ordering food without me.

SLEEP:

Thu - 4h

Fri - 5h

Sat - 7.5h

Sun - 9h

WATER:
no tracking

FOOD:

no tracking

22 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

I'm here because I'm always here for you!

 

Question about your food goal: is your focus on eating three meals a day or eating food from home? Because you talked about how eating out is bad for your wallet, but your goal is about eating 3 meals a day. Meal planning is hard. Especially with mental health issues. Is there any meet in the middle solution that wouldn't be overwhelming, but would allow you to have more food available at home?

Haha right now the 3 meals a day, because I doubt I'll order out that many times (though I have been known to surprise myself). The planning's for making sure there will be meals that can be prepped within 20 or so minutes. The eating out is still an option, but if there's food here I probably won't resort to ordering nuggies.

2 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

Would those little drops that you can use to flavour water be helpful in the transition period?

38 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Hell, keep using them. Whatever works. A gallon is a lot of water, and you can probably get that shit with vitamins in it for added goodness, so have at it. In the summer, I'll do anything that gets the fluids into me.

 

I'm a believer in not choosing hard mode without a known benefit.  Insert quote about not letting perfect be the enemy of good and all that.

Yeah, I'll probably get some flavor mix in. I'm eyeing maybe Gatorade or some other electrolyte mix.

Same pattern in my last challenge; started with enthusiasm, and ended up dropping off. Honestly I don't even remember what happened the past month, but from what I can see at some point I saw a new psychiatrist out-of-pocket and I'm off my old meds and am just on one now. Liver's doing a lot better with it. Primary care put me on calcium blockers at some point, and I've been attempting to go to the gym more times but seem to fall off every other week, either from just feeling beat-up or injury. I don't recall being light-headed after practice for a while now, so that's probably good. Got a stress test coming up to see if the heart's functioning properly.

Wife's unemployed again, but I'm trying to not think about how the bills will be paid as I can barely remember to shower as is. I always barely make it on time for work, and everyone who used to train with me isn't there anymore. Lately I'm not even sure I still want to coach anymore. Hopefully it's just part of my current state of mind and will go away eventually, because without that I can't really see anything else for me. Best thing I can do right now is keep myself alive, keep holding on to my sanity, try to keep the house in order, and just hope for better days. It's a solo playthrough on hardcore mode, and I probably can't count on any NPC assistance.

THE WASTELAND SURVIVAL GUIDE

I notice I've been running out of steam after a week, and I imagine it's because I'm not taking care of myself. So I first things first--I need to take care of the basics, then I need to do them well. I'll have three basic goals which I'll have the option to either just achieve or crush. They'll be accompanied by strategies/habits that can help me achieve said goal.

SLEEP: I don't know how long a person can go without sleep, but we probably need it every day.

• Track my sleep (do the basics); 50 hours of sleep a week (do them well)
• possible strategies:
  • lights out time
  • no caffeine after 1700
  •  

WATER: I've been craving and drinking a lot of sweet drinks. This is probably because I don't drink enough water to begin with.

• Track my water intake (do the basics); drink a gallon a day (do them well)
• possible strategies:
  • drink a glass of water before the morning energy drink
  • carry a water bottle
  •  

FOOD: I've pretty much been eating out every day, probably because I don't ensure that there is easily-accessible food in the house. This is bad for my health and my wallet. I also only end up eating 1-2 meals a day, and that probably isn't enough to sustain my training, work, and recovery.

• eat and track 3 meals a day (do the basics); 150g of protein (do them well)
• possible strategies:
  • meal plan on Sundays
  •  

Here goes nothing...

Le follow

Week 2 not as good. Totally lost track. Can't even remember anything that happened, really. I know I covered a lot of shifts at work, so I was at the gym a lot, and only missed Sunday training. Otherwise it was one big blur.

Got my initial psych eval done on Sunday, and I'm glad to be under someone who seems to actually care for a change. We'll see how it goes.

This week started out bad. I just got off adderall and was pretty much in bed all day Monday and Tuesday. Went to the gym to teach, but couldn't manage much more. Barely even ate much, and missed taking my vitamins. I'll do better the rest of the week.

On 3/15/2021 at 10:24 PM, Machete said:

The Late 2021 To-do List:

 

Fitness:

• Timeless 36 kg
• GMB F1

Finance:

• pay off 1 credit card
• $2500 emergency fund

Family:

• accumulate 40 hours each (specifically) with the wife and the kid
• fix the house
  • water heater
  • shower
  • install drywall
  • backyard sod, fence, gate
  • attic

Education:

• certifications
  • CompTIA A+
  • CompTIA Network+
  • CompTIA Security+
  • Cisco CCNA

Midway through the year, and most of this has not been addressed. Damn. I guess I need to break these down into more steps.

I'm also adding jiu-jitsu here, because I'm trying to re-light the fire in something I used to enjoy doing, so I'm forcing myself to at least do one training session every day, and compete when I'm ready between September and December. 

Tasks:

• Jiu-jitsu daily
• S&S 3 days a week
• Do an IT module a day

Didn't check in all week, but I guess it's more because I was busy executing.

Vitamins: Missed Monday and Saturday

Workout: Jiu-jitsu every day except Friday, as I had to teach the class and wasn't able to roll.

Sleep:  61 total hours of sleep. Looks like it's depresso time, though it doesn't seem to be as bad as a few weeks ago (doc told me to get back on the meds, though I can discontinue my mood stabilizer). Watch out for the memes!

Got my annual physical, and I'm supposed to get scheduled for some labs, and a TBI appointment. I'm also supposed to see a VA psychiatrist (but I also scheduled a civilian one who was highly recommended by a friend).

On 6/16/2021 at 2:53 PM, Terra said:

I know where I am at.  I know where I want to be.  I know what I need to do to get there.  So why don't I make the choices I need to make to get to where I want to be? 

 

I have been learning about decision fatigue.  I make great choices earlier in the day but by the evening, I'm tired and mentally exhausted.  I don't make the best choices in the evenings.  I think that I need more encouragement to make better choices and build those habits that I want to have. 

 

Can you send me your favorite quotes, memes or other motivation media to help me through this challenge?!?!  Thank you in advance.

 

This challenge will be another simple one. 

• Keep tracking using Noom
  • I want to see my weight go down. 
  • I want to keep tracking food on a regular basis
  • Keep up with the Noom lessons - they help! 
• Eat better
  • veggies and fruit
  • filling foods with lower calorie density
  • less added sugars
• Do physical therapy as much as possible. 
  • I have 4 months to get back into shape before I get released to do BJJ again. 
  • Build strength and flexibility back
  • Increase stamina by walking or riding the stationary bike

 

Here are some initial motivation thoughts from me: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Vinur said:

Thanks so much! 

I still go almost daily to my box and just follow along with their training schedule, mostly because the community there is really beneficial.

Do you have any advice on increasing cardio capacity outside of my metcons?

Yeah, there's a huge variation in box programming. Mine had different skill levels, a "boot camp"-style program, and a competition team program. Our head coach uses OPEX programming. When it comezx down to it though, it is the community that makes the box.

I'd say if you're hitting your WODs more than 3 days a week and your strength levels are decent, work on straight skill training. Movement efficiency allows you to save your energy and put as much of your movements into the aerobic zone. Kelly Starrett and Brian Mackenzie re-certified for their CF1 together, and what they did for their day 1 workout (thrusters and burpees) was use light weights and only breathe through their nose the entire time. That ensured they stayed aerobic the entire time. (I think the other participants were wondering what the hell they were doing, going so slow.) You could do the same thing, adding long slow runs/rowing/assault bike/ski erg while nasal breathing the entire time. Zone 2 cardio is one of Alex Viada's secret weapons, and is a super under-utilized training method.

Vitamins: Missed Wednesday and Saturday

Workout: Attended Mon, Tue, Thu, and Fri Jiu-jitsu classes

Sleep:  Missed Tuesday for sleep. I'm ditching the water tracking for now.

I was planning on doing more strength training, but I kept forgetting. I think I need to do it in the morning for it to be done. Attended a birthday party on Saturday, missed workout and ate like crap. Sleep has been weird. I think I hit a manic episode on Monday, and that's what led to the kick-start, but eventually the sleep deficit caught up to me and I was pretty much napping on an doff all day on Saturday.  I was able to remember my vitamins most days except when I fell asleep immediately. 

Vitamin stack:

• multivitamin
• Vit D3
• Zinc
• magnesium citrate
• garlic extract
• curcumin
• ashwagandha
• boswellia serrata 
• olive leaf extract
• saffron
• SAMe
• TUDCA
• fish oil

Haha. Now that I write it down it looks like a lot.

On 6/14/2021 at 6:38 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I have a Smith and Wesson M&P Compact in .40. When I got it, I was a police chaplain and could get cheap .40 ammo from the armory. I stepped down from that at the beginning of the year and just realized I'm gonna have to pay full price for .40 again.

I have the M&P Shield, also in .40.

On 6/14/2021 at 5:56 PM, DarK_RaideR said:

I won't lie, I'm into your IG memery (and relate more than I'd like to with all the depresso stuff) but I'm glad to see you give this challenge a go.

Right? So many of us saddo right now, it it makes otherwise depressing memes rather funny.

On 6/14/2021 at 7:53 PM, WhiteGhost said:

I am a big fan, you have the best memes out there   Glad to see you back around here as well

Thank you, sir. Glad to be back!

When asked about my memes:

============================================================================================================================================

Missed my first day of both exercise and vitamins yesterday. Rats.

1 hour ago, sarakingdom said:

You made it! I suggest extra vitamin D. Can't hurt, might help. (A lot of us have been upping it in lockdown.) Also, you might want to slip showering onto the list as part of workouts. All the garbage in sweat can get rough on the skin in summer in a hot climate.

 

If the meds withdrawal is due to cost, there may be options. The reason is none of my business, but please be careful. You haven't been in a great place lately, and it can be a risky thing to do.

 

 

Showing up is plenty satisfactory. No challenge gets done without that key step.

 

I need to be able to beat up Borg by the end of this challenge and I'm really put of shape, so I'll have training questions. Don't bail on me, bro.

 

Yeah, I'm putting Vit D on the pillbox. I've also been getting more sunlight lately. Just need top stay consistent.

1 hour ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l133/riceslayer302/IMG_20161101_213751_zpswdzt3trh.jpg

 

 

Vitamin D and a B-complex vitamin have really made a big deal in managing my mental health issues over the past years.

Ah, caught me! (I mean I like my G27 as well, but .40 cals are soooo expensive.)

Interesting. I'll have to try that B complex.

1 hour ago, Sylvaa said:

I was debating whether or not I was going to put a challenge up this time, but you making one has convinced me I should do so! We can be newbies together!

 

Also, if there is anything you need, you know where to find me!

Yusssss!

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Glad you're here. I can't fix anything for you, but I can be by your side.

Thank you sir!