Sacculina

Okay so it's been a while since I was in here. I realized that I didn't like how the fitbit app worked with logging my food. I tried to do it the old fashion way, but I don't always carry around a bag so it got a little annoying. I finally went to myfitnesspal for logging my food. Also, it was a major eye-opener when I sent my personal trainer my log. Just typing it out made me realize how much crap I still eat. Here is my log from June 8th to June 14th. I'm going to try and update a little bit more. Monday - June 8Breakfast8fl oz coffee1 serving coffee creamerLunchDouble cheeseburger (no bun)Bacon ranch salad w/ ranch dressing Dinner1 - Pan-fried chicken thigh (no breading, coconut oil) w/ salt & pepper1 cup Normandy style mixed frozen vegetables Snack1 oz funyons Tuesday - June 9 Breakfast8 fl oz coffee1 serving coffee creamer2 slices bacon2 fried eggschedder cheeseLunch1 cup mixed vegetables1 pan fried chicken thigh1 cup strawberryDinner 1 cup smoked sausage and cabbage casseroleSnack1 pouch applesauce (sugar-free)1 small pecan roll4tbsp cream cheese16 grams ritz crackersWednesday - June 10Breakfast8 fl oz coffee1 serving coffee creamer2 slices bacon2 fried eggschedder cheeseLunch1 cup smoked sausage and cabbage casserole1 pouch sugar-free applesauce16 grams ritz crackers2 tbsp ritz crackersDinner1/4 lb hamburger w/ provolone cheese, grilled onions & peppers, tomato (no bun)steamed mixed vegetables1 cup raw cherriesSnack2 pitted datesThursday - June 11 Breakfast8 fl oz coffee1 serving coffee creamerfrozen pepperoni pizzaLunch1/4 lb hamburger w/ provolone cheese, grilled onions & peppers, tomato (no bun) 1 pouch sugar-free applesauce1/2 cup cherriesDinner1 cup chopped spinach w/ apple cider vinegar6 oz boiled beef smoked sausageAfter dinner4 tbsp homemade dairy-free strawberry ice creamFriday - June 12Breakfast8 fl oz coffee1 serving coffee creamer2 slices bacon2 fried eggsprovolone cheeseLunch1 cup strawberries1 cup chopped spinach 6 oz boiled smoked beef sausageSnack1 pouch applesauce2 tbsp cream cheese16 gram ritz crackersDinner6" turkery breast subway sandwich1 small bag doritosSnackstarbucks mocha frappacino (1/2 bottle)1 rainbow cookieSaturday June 13 (in Norfolk)Breakfast1 oatmeal raisin cookie8 fl oz coffee2 tbsp creamerGraduation Party1 NC style BBQ sandwich on bun2 traditional deviled eggs1/2 serving potato salad1 serving rice dressing (cajun dirty rice)1 serving baked beans1 cup raw vegetables w/ ranch1 serving pancit1 serving cucumber and tomato salad w/ italian dressing1 serving broccoli salad1 Belgian ale1 Pecan brown ale1 Cider3 shots rum1/2 serving Southern Tier Mokah1 blueberry cookieSunday June 14Breakfast6oz coffee1 tbsp creamer1 oatmeal cookieEarly Father's Day Lunch @ Captain George's 4 fried shrimp2 fried oysters4 fried scallops1/2 serving blakened mahi mahi1/2 serving roasted salmon.5 lb snow crab legs4 oyster rockafeller4 oz she-crab soup1/8 servings of banana pudding, chocolate mousse, cherry cheesecakeDrive homeStarbucks refreshers sparking blueberry acai drinkchocolate cookieSnack1/2 smokehouse turkey panini from panera1/2 grab bag panera chips Exercise Monday - 45min spin express class Tuesday & Thursday - Personal training (curcuits) Language Three day streak from Tuesday through Thursday. Spent Friday through Saturday driving/celebrating with family and lost track of time. Well, that's an update. There's a mini-challenge that I'll work on.

Mini 1 done... Let's see if I can do this. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Thanks! I have really consistent with logging food. My personal trainer is now involved in this challenge too. It is interesting how this challenge feels different already. Maybe it's because I am finally ready in my mind. I've got a true reason. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Hey! I realized that I have been doing my 6 week challenge without the help from my tribe. I will keep things short, but this is my 3rd challenge. I failed the first two because I didn't have the support I desired from home, so I decided that I need to come back and not rely so much on people close to me. I am also going to use the KISS method (keep it simple, stupid). When I am able to beat this challenging dragon's butt, I will be more confident about the others later. My goals are: 1. Log everything that I eat. I am currently doing this on my fitbit app. 2. Go to the gym three times a week. I already do two with my personal trainer. 3. Learn a second language on duolingo (at least 15 min a day). Why do I want to do this? At first, I thought I just didn't want to become my mom. Then, I realized that if I wanted to become a mom, I'd have to lose weight to conceive, but really, that's not it either. Really, I deserve to love myself as a person. I can't rewind time, so I need to learn to love me. Well that's it. Be back shortly. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

No goals yet, but activity wise: Water: 20 oz of water Food: I have fallen off the bandwagon. Ugh. Lunch: Leftover flank steak w/ basalmic vinegarette sauce and sauteed carrots and asparagus. Apple on the side. A handful of leftover skittles.Dinner: Meatball sub with skinny fries and a cider.Exercise: Had a complimentary personal training session. I really wish I could afford to have personal training for the next three months, just to get myself into gear. Had a good tiring workout though. Foam roll30 sec calf roll30 seconds calf roll with feet twisted to side then the other30 seconds calf roll with one foot on top of the other, vice versa30 seconds hamstring roll30 seconds of hip roll with foot on knee30 seconds lower back roll with hands outstretched in front30 seconds back roll with hands behind head30 seconds upper back with arms crossed over chest and roll to shoulders5 shoulder alignments (lay lengthwise on foam roller. Use 5lb dumbell and raise and lower just the shoulder)Workout15 goblet squats with 15 lb dumbells50 yard sled pull with 135lbs50 yard sled push/sprint 135rinse and repeat twice

Oh that's a good idea! I already have an alarm to remind me to take my vitamin D pills. I can just add another one for working out, wedding planning, etc. I should make one to remind me to drink while I'm at work too. I'm horrible at drinking water since I work in a lab and drinks are forbidden. This will give me an excuse to run out for a moment or two. Thanks! I've already started to set things up on my phone.

Hi guys! I couldn't find my old battle log. It's been buried under so many new people and months of other battle logs that I figured I would make a new one. This one will be better! I am working on figuring out my goals, but let me tell you something. I used to be a 240 lbs nerd who lounged around, complained about being lonely, and truly couldn't hand life. Now, I'm 197 lbs and I go on adventures. I spontaneously go hiking throughout the states of Virginia and Maryland. However, I am still wanting to level up. Tonight, food-wise, was pretty horrible. I indulged in a cherry blossom milkshake from BGR, ate diner food for brunch, and had pizza for dinner. I feel bloated and gross, but I think I had to have something like this happen before I realize that I am slowly going down into the spiral that I was in previously. I am trying to respawn. I decided to go on a 6 mile hike along the Mt. Vernon Trail in Alexandria. I started at Fort Hunt Park and walked down to Mt. Vernon Estates then returned. It's an easy paved trail, but I had to walk at a nice brisk pace because my fiance's long strides would have put me in the dust. I will be back to figure out my goals!

It's been a while, a rather long while, since I have been on the forums. Need that instant gratification that used to get on IRC and messengers. Anyways, after spending an awesome night with Alienjen, I think it's time for a major respawn. I was basically staying at status quo. I wasn't losing weight, but I wasn't gaining any either. I was still the weakling that I have been for years. I decided that my "batcave" wasn't working even though I had my yoga mat sitting in the living room all the time. I tried a few other things, but nothing seemed to remind me that I probably should do something other than watch Fairy Tale or read. Food-wise, I was starting to go back into my earlier habits. I had been relatively strict with my eating due to medical issues, but life changed and so my habits went out the window. The more I spend with my fiance, the more his habits became mine. So, instead of a protein shake after a long hike, I would get a milkshake because "it contains fruit and has calcium; I always need calcium!". I repeat what he tells me every time. At dinner tonight, I realized that I have had nothing but junk like pizza and country fried steak for my meals. I feel so betrayed by myself. In order to respawn, I have restarted the NFA modules. I started asking people to just check in with me with a word of encouragement or lend me their ear. I have removed all the junk food from my cabinets and bought vegetables and proteins for my meals next week. I have an appointment with the personal trainer at my gym on Wednesday. This week, I am going to start kicking my arse into gear. Thanks for listening. I'll make a new battle log (my previous one is so old, it's buried somewhere). I need to prep new goals. Goals that will work for me.

I just finished Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I would say that it was good, but it dragged on. Now, I started a book from a local DC publisher called "Dating" as Told by the Modern Whore by a local author. I am kind of excited about it. I got it when I went to the Virginia Book Festival.

Tuesday - 10/14/14: Went on a 6.11 mile walk at Manassas National Battlefield -- 2nd battle of Manassas trail. It took 2.5 hours to complete. Yoga - no Cooked - no Drink Water -- yes Felt wonderful as I woke up and got ready for my day hike. Was going to do yoga beforehand, but convinced myself that it would be better if I did it afterwards, even though I knew I would be exhausted that way. After the hike, as predicted, I was exhausted, so I started a chainmaille project until I headed out to John Strongbow's Tavern for bratwurst with the boyfriend, C. He convinced me to have a small blizzard before we headed home, then I fell promptly asleep. Wednesday - 10/15/14 Walk - no Yoga - no Cooked - Caribbean Jerk hamburgers and grilled romaine salad with home-made balsamic vinaigrette. Drink water - still working on it (work in a lab so no drinking unless on break) Need to work on my batcave. I did go ahead and lay out my yoga mat. Seeing it there may remind me to go actually use it. I am going to get a small calendar to mark off the days that I actually work out. I might be surprised to see if I find a pattern.

Alright -- I'm going to lay my heart out for you. I'm scared. I'm scared that I won't be able to do a proper squat. I'm scared that I'll never be able to hike that strenous trail in the Shenandoah. I'm scared that I am going to get into my own way, only half-assing my health because I'm too lazy and ignorant to do otherwise. But, I'm getting my 20 seconds of courage, revamping my whole outlook on this health thing. I've been on the rebellion boards for several years, but never seem to connect with anyone due to inactivity. I have failed my accountability buddies, promising to keep in touch, but never really do. Why have I suddenly changed? Well, I haven't. I've been lurking in the background, wishing I was like that person. I need to be honest with myself. I'm not THAT person, I'm me. I have medical problems that cause me to fail challenges that are based on weight. I need to stop thinking like that. I need to reach out for support from my fellow nerds. Motivation: I don't want to be like the rest of my family, living a sedentary life like a good hobbit. I'm an adventurer who dreams of that long quest to save the world from evil. I want to be able to fit into traditional hiking clothes instead of hiking in yoga pants. I want to backpack the Appalachian trail. I want to safely SCUBA dive the great barrier reef. I want to be able to explore places where few people have gone and I don't want my health to get into the way. I want to be comfortable in my skin enough to go cosplaying without caring about how other people me because I'm feeling awesome. I want to strut down the beach and only wear a t-shirt because I burn WAY too easily instead of trying to hide that part of me I'm embarassed about that day. This doesn't mean I need to look like a super model; instead, I'm working on trying to fix my mental perception of myself, my self-image. I have been known to make my goals a little hard to obtain. I easily forgave myself for failing challenges after challenges. Half-assing exercises so that I hurt myself. I'm going to start with yoga to loosen up my joints and my muscles, clear my mind of negativity, and teach myself to BREATHE! I will continue with my walking as I thoroughly enjoy the hikes I take, but until yoga becomes a habit, I won't pressure myself to do daily walks. After a while, when yoga is more a habit than a chore and my body is able to move more fluidly, I'll add strength training to the mix. Fitness challenge for the month: -- Hard-hat challenge (yoga 5x a week) -- Walk at least 6 miles 2x a week Nutrition: -- Cook 4x a week -- Drink at least 5 cups of water a day Life: -- Work on debt snowball to get rid of car loan and one student loan -- Become more active in the community with at a daily battle log update and speak up on other's 3x a week. This will be hard! I'm not used to it, but I hope that I'll make habits.

I can take Ibuprofen, but I have to make sure that it's not too often. Ibuprofen isn't good when you have kidney stones and I just passed one while at work on Saturday night (gah! I'm falling apart!). I knit and spin fiber as well as being an avid reader, so I'm keeping myself entertained and feeling somewhat productive. I was just enjoying the more active me. I got on the scale the other day because I thought I might be gaining weight instead of losing it. I've lost two pounds so far. I'm finding it hard to lose the weight, but it's kind of coming off. I wish I was like those guys who can just shed the pounds. I am just glad I got this far! I'm already planning my next challenge.

Oh dear, stuck at the dealership, getting my car some specially needed care. Thought abou going on a walk, but I've become gimpy. So, I started to do dips from their chairs to keep my entertained. Someone actually told me to stop and that "the furniture isn't your personal jungle gym". Sigh.

Thank you guys! I was feeling a little down because I couldn't seem to do one of my mini-goals. So update on the knees: Both knees are inflammed again due to work. I went to the doc and he basically said that until I lose weight and stop working on my feet, I will probably have problems. I asked about strength training and he thought it was a bad idea. Ha! I think that if I focus on building up the muscle and mobility, I would be like Steve and his bad back! I have some chicken carcasses in my freezer that I am saving for bone broth, so I think I'll make the broth and drink it in the morning. Maybe the cartilege will work. This news just has me down. I feel so dang lazy, sitting on the couch with both knees propped up on a few pillows. Last night, I went for a short stroll. My knees won't let me go too fast and I was pretty gimpy. I had a lot of tourists asking if I was alright (Old Town Alexandria was nuts last night). This is what happens when you work on your feet for 16 hour shifts, I guess. Never again, I think. Today, I will try to head to the pool and swim. Shouldn't bother my knees then. Food: Planning my meals as we speak. I'm a little later than normal, but so far, I have primal swedish meatballs, coconut lime mussels, slow-cooked roast, and a frittata. I am also playing around with the idea of Mel Joulwan's Scotch eggs and bora bora fireballs. I also still have a crapton of cabbage so I'll probably steam-sautee it and make a stir-fry. I have also been craving a really big steak and salad. Hrm, need to stop thinking "outloud" and actually get back to doing. Today, I plan on some pool time before going to pool (billiards) with C and his friends. It'll be my last time going with him as my schedule for work is changing.

I thought about doing that, but I am already uneven due to my knee issues and I don't want to exacerbate the problem. I think I am going to have to continue to just work on upper body and walking for now. Would that be cheating?

Should be fixed. Last night, C and I walked a mile to a shopping center. He wanted frozen yogurt. I had a very small (so small the lady looked at me strangely) portion of Taro yogurt. Yum! Today, I'm heading to the pool before going to work. Huzzah. I'll probably be missing in action for the next few days, but hopefully, there will be an update soon-ish.

Hi guys!! Okay update: Knee is getting better. Inflammation is down, but it's stiff so squats are still nigh impossible. I'm working on mobility and flexibility at this moment. I feel a little down because my exercise was to do bodyweights, yet my body just doesn't want to do it. On the other hand, this has giving me the opportunity to take long walks with my boyfriend. Saturday, we went on a 4 mile walk from Old Town Alexandria to Reagan Int'l Airport on the Mt. Vernon trail. Took us 1.5 hours, but it was great. Then, yesterday, we went on a 4.95 mile round-trip walk from Shirlington in Arlington to Potomac Yards in Alexandria. I think walking has become one of my favorite exercises besides swimming and dancing. Speaking of swimming, I have been going to the pool quite often. Last week, I went to the pool every day before running to work. I even went swimming today since it's my "holiday". It's been unbearably hot a lot of the days, but I'm thankful that I grew up in a place that was slightly hotter for longer so it doesn't bother me unlike my boyfriend and few coworkers who were raised in New England. Now to food: I am working strange hours this week. Tomorrow, I work a double from 1500 to 0600 and then Friday/Saturday, I work the graveyard shifts. Due to the need for sleep to be a priority during that time, I decided that I was going to do some "make ahead" meals from the cookbook I have. I didn't find out about my schedule changes until yesterday (thankfully, before I went to the grocery store), so I am currently tweaking my meal plan. The only thing that hasn't changed is Friday, I am making chili lime pork medallions to celebrate the Fourth of July before heading to work. So below is my prep (picture is a thousand words and all that). Tomorrow is the broiled chicken with quick steamed vegetables. Thursday is a sesame chicken salad with cabbage and a sesame dressing that I made. Friday is the chili lime pork. Saturday is leftover night. I'm sure we will have plenty. Sunday will be a crockpot beef with mashed cauliflower. These pictures are so LARGE! You can see my hastily written labels. Ew. Anyways, that's what is going on in the Sacculina court at this moment. I am hoping to keep tabs after "hell week" is finished with. Wish me luck!

Oh man! bacon egg muffins and food porn. Here is my food porn of the day. Seasoned and broiled skinless/boneless chicken thighs! It's my quick and easy meal for tonight. I also made Mel Joulwan's Moroccan lamb meatballs the other day so that's for lunch. YAY! Okay, heading to the pool now!

I have no table. It's still in storage. I did try to use a picnic table outside, but the structure made it hard for me to even use it. I think I found another place though. Good idea! I'm thinking about doing some sort of CSA program anyways. I think that that's going to be my next challenge for the food goal. I think I am overthinking this batch thing, even though I have heard people talk about how much it's easier on them. So this week has been simply awful. I planned my meals, but I had an unexpected surprise of my aunt coming up to visit. I ended up cooking two days worth of food and I had only planned about four meals since Saturday is a BBQ cookout. I am playing the "what is in my fridge" game today. My boyfriend and I went on a 2.5 hour walk on Sunday. The weather wasn't all that great to go play in the pool; it was just a bit too cool. I'm truly enjoying the bonding time we have. I think we are going to try to walk some of the trails around Alexandria this Sunday after I wake up from the midnight shift (especially since Game of Thrones is off the air right now). I hurt my knee at work the other day, running from the blood gas machines to the immunoassay analyzer for intraoperative parathyroid, so doing bodyweight exercises has not been very fun. I would get maybe half way through and need to give up. I don't want to make the knee worse. I have decided that this week will have to be a rest week until I can get the inflammation down a little. Instead, I am heading to the pool for some laps before work. It's still exercising and I'll be able to get some sun too. I was looking through some photos on my camera since I finally got a new battery charger so I can get into it. I am starting to see progress from December 2012 to today. I'm totally excited. I needed some motivation!

Oh man, I love general Tso's. I even ask for it to be extra spicy (which gets odd looks from several of the workers). I thought about batch cooking. I mean, I generally make sure when I cook, I cook a lot so that I have enough leftovers for a few days. Like the other night, I made lemon-rosemary chicken, so I made sure I made a few extra breasts so that I can have chicken salad lettuce wraps for dinner and midnight snack tonight (working the midnight shift as we speak). That's been really helpful. Maybe I'll hunt you down so we can discuss more about batching. Update: Today, my boyfriend and I went to a food and wine festival. I refrained from eating the cupcakes, but I did have a small thing of ice cream. We went on a three mile walk around Old Town. Tomorrow, I plan on going to the beach and walk around the neighborhood again. I want to find a bar to do inverted rows on and I think there's a park nearby that might have what I need.

I don't usually plan for lunch or breakfast mainly because I tend to cook a lot of food and my thyroid medication makes breakfast a chore to eat. As my Grandmother would say "We are from the South; we cook for large families and small armies". I probably make enough food for at least 3-4 people, sometimes 6-8 depending on what it is. I try to either reimagine something with my leftovers or I'll just eat as is. Nothing fancy. That reduces the number of meals I need and prep for. My prep stage, usually, consists of chopping vegetables, making mayo and/or dressings/dips, and, sometimes, pre-cooking protein, but most of my meals come together in less than 30 minutes. If I am cooking chicken breasts or thighs, I will cook more and make two meals out of it though. I do need to work on portion sizes, but again, I made enough to last me a few days and it only took me about 30 minutes, including prep time. I haven't done starches in a while. I found that if I started to eat starches, it led to other things like binging on french fries, but I'm sure it would taste good over sweet potato hash or something (maybe I'll try that next time). Here's the recipe. I'm sorry that I haven't convert it to metric or anything; I just sat here at work and tried to remember all that went in it and about how much I used. Taco Salad: Taco meat: 1 TBSP coconut oil (or other oil of choice) 1 large yellow onion – diced 1 large green bell pepper – diced 1 jalapeno or as many rings of pickled jalapenos as you want 1lb lean ground beef Garlic powder ½ tsp cumin ¼ to ½ tsp chili powder Salad: Lettuce 1 tomato – sliced ½ to 1 avocado – sliced 1 cucumber – coined A small pinch of cheese (if you want) Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until warm. Add coconut oil and wait until it shimmers. Add onion and both peppers. Sautee until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft. Crumble in ground beef and generously season with garlic powder. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Cook until the ground beef is browned thoroughly. Take meat off heat and let cool while you prep the salad Pile as much meat as you want onto salad and enjoy! I usually add Mel Joulwan’s Southwestern Cumin-lime dressing to my taco salads and fajitas beause its freakin' delicious. My home-made mayo is rather thick on most occasions so it tastes like flavored sour cream. It’s rather amazing.

I love the puppies!!!! Also, I am right there with you when it comes to the downward facing dog. I always come close and just can't get it (same with the rotation poses that feel wonderful on my lower back). I might have to steal parts of your challenge next time just like the pup below. I love it that much!

The taco salad was amazing. So amazing in fact that my boyfriend was raving about it and the crab concoction to his co-workers. I have really become a foodie/ cook hobbyist these last few months. Meal planning hasn't been that bad. I give myself 30 minutes to come up with something. I try to do at least 3 easy meals or meals that can have a different use as a leftover (such as chicken turned to chicken salad with home-made mayo). I, then, do one meal that requires some effort and it's usually a new recipe to try. Keeps me entertained in the kitchen. I also plan for leftovers because two people can only eat so much in one sitting. I also only use it as a guideline. Say that I made that taco salad and there were three days worth of leftovers, then I would push the other stuff to another day so that I use up the food already made or if I took out two days worth of meat to defrost, I make sure that I do whatever is defrosted first which might not be what was planned for that "day". Keeps things lively. Meal planning has also saved me a fortune in impulse buys because I have a grocery list. I also am less likely to buy a multiple of something like spices or have to run to the grocery store for something last minute. It's been pretty nice. Just finished Bodyweight brigade A (last time was tutorial). Managed to work through the entire thing without "cheating" (AKA doing all reps in the sets for the circuit). I'm totally happy with how I did it. Planks have always been the hardest for me, but I went :20 seconds instead of the prescribed :15. YES! Squat thrusts are my nemesis. My legs were jelly by the end and I was doing the beginner thrusts so no jumping. Don't think the people downstairs would appreciate that as much as I would. I think that once I get to really jumping around, I might have to find a hiding spot outside. I think there's sprints in my future so I need to find a place. I, also, need to work on flexibility. I was kind of ashamed at myself for not being able to touch my toes. I am going to take a "before" picture soon. I don't want to rely on the scale which I don't plan on getting on until the end of the 6 weeks. Next challenge, I will do measurements, I think.

Hi everyone!!! I'm a little off by a week since I'm such a recluse. I decided with the help of a few people pushing me to become more active in the forums. I think my problem is that I want instant gratification which doesn't happen except in chatrooms or PM.