peelout

I must be going to the wrong places.  I haven't seen spam yet.  Doesn't mean its not there.  Just that I haven't seen it. 

Motivation:  I want ot be able to develop good life-long habits that I can teach my children. My wife and I are also planning on going to Japan possibly long-term.

Welcome to the Recruits.  I saw "habits" in your comment.  Might want to read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg.  Teaches how to use the cue/routine/reward loop in developing new habits (the same process advertisers use to get you hooked on new products).

Awesome job logging.  I really like the detail.  And the "booby scrapers" comment.   I read a lot of logs where I have no idea what the person is really doing for fitness.

 

Week 1 - Let's Get SMART

 

 

Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge?  What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those?

Honestly, no I didn't, and it has already came up. I am going to be away on Friday for an occasion and unable to make it to my workout class that morning. I think I need to modify my goals to allow a day or two of wiggle room.

 

 

I'm actually a big supporter of a daily exercise goal.  My main focus is to create habits using a system by Charles Duhigg called "The Power of Habit".  Daily exercise was a habit I started using this system back on Jan 1 (I'm now on my 6th new habit).  Since then, I can honestly say I've exercised everyday w/o exception.  However, the key is to have different exercise plans.  I have 4 different plans:

Plan A is high intensity wt lifting - 3 days/wk (anydays I want but usually M, W, F)

Plan B is lower intensity - 10min treadmill + stretching - 2-3 days/wk

Plan C is participating in one of my sports - wall climbing or ww kayaking - 1-2 days/wk

Plan D is a placeholder - 10squats or short walk

I've only used Plan D 3 times since I started this.  It does nothing for fitness, but everything for building the habit process in the mind.  You can have daily exercise, you just have to have different plans available for days you are too busy, too sick, or life throws you a curve ball.  Plan D is for those times.  I've never been too sick that I could not do 10 free body squats or 1 set of arm curls.  Anything works, its just a method of reinforcing the habit in the mind.

Part of the Duhigg process requires the use of a "cue".  For me, the cue was moving my gym bag from the trunk of my car to the front passenger seat where I had to see it several times/day.  Others who have used this moved there gym clothes next to their main house door.  Another cue is to set up a large calendar in a conspicuous place like next to the main house door or in the kitchen and put a big X each day when they exercise.

Another recommendation:

I'm more of a supporter of focusing on only 1 thing at a time and getting that one thing right.  Its OK to work on different things at the same time.  When I started the exercise habit, I didn't let my eating go to hell.  But I only judged whether my day was a success by whether I exercised.  My motivation increased everyday because I was successful at sticking to that one thing.  If you gauge your day based on 5 different things, you have too many opportunities to fail.  By focusing only on 1 thing, you attack it w/ everything you've got and make sure you get that one thing right!  Once you have created the habit and feel comfortable w/ it (time can vary from 3wks to way more than that), you add a new habit and focus only on it.  The previous habit will not need focus because it is already a habit. 

Another new low wt this morning.  167.0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. Felt good to see another drop in wt this morning (dropped to 176.2).  Back is sore.  Doesn't feel like pain you get when you over lift or lift wrong.  At first I thought I just twisted wrong or something Sat when I installed a bathroom vent fan.  Now I suspect it might be due to the change in the way I do pulldowns.  Friday I switched from behind the next pulldowns to front pulldowns.  The pain started Sat. It kind of feels like the ribs themselves are sore, not as much the muscle.  I mean, lat soreness usually feels kind of good, you know the feeling the next morning after you've done a bunch of lat work like seated pulls.  Kind of weird.

KH1- 5 star desk 
KH2 - Exercise everyday 
KH3 - Manage home records 
KH4 - Eliminate night time crap 
KH5 - 1hr/wk job related training 
Wt - 176.2 
Snack last night after log in - 1 popcorn + soda 
Breakfast - protein shake, bacon
Lunch - 1 piece bacon
Dinner - salad, grilled chicken
Snack - 1 soda, 5 m&m's 
w/o - 10min tread + pullups +  stretch

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. Felt good to see another drop in wt this morning.  Back is sore.  Doesn't feel like pain you get when you over lift or lift wrong.  At first I thought I just twisted wrong or something Sat when I installed a bathroom vent fan.  Now I suspect the change in the way I do pulldowns.  Friday I switched from behind the next pulldowns to front pulldowns.  The pain started Sat.  Its kind of towards the outside of the back and mid height.  Might be the lats.   

That looks awesome.  What kind of beans are in it?

I hit 176.2 this morning.  Started challenge at 181.  Wt is trending down.

I

Yeah, I live in Poland, I'm learning Russian because I dig languages I live in Warsaw which is in central Poland (wojewodztwo mazowieckie). 

Is this picture familiar?  I think it is Warsaw.  The more I learn of other parts of the world, the more I realize how little I know.

Does Poland have its own distinct language?  

Michelle,

Found your battle log.  I'll be watching and encouraging.

Can't remember, but I think you said you were from Canada.  What part?

You said you were Polish and also said you were learning Russian.  So do you live in Poland?  If so, what part?  I don't actually know where anything is in Poland, but I enjoy learning about other parts of the world so I will look up where your town is if you tell me.

God's idea of a joke!

I'm always in awe at the thought of someone running 26mi.  That blows my mind.

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. Used a placeholder for w/o. Just a short walk in the woods. Why is it that I stretch 6 days/wk, do burpees and floor to above head presses during wt lifting nights 3 times/wk, but installing a shower fan today makes the sides of my back hurt. Thats when you know you are getting old.

KH1- 5 star desk 
KH2 - Exercise everyday 
KH3 - Manage home records 
KH4 - Eliminate night time crap 
KH5 - 1hr/wk job related training 
Wt - forgot to weigh in 
Snack last night after log in - 1 popcorn + soda 
Breakfast - protein shake 
Lunch - skipped 
Dinner - salad, bacon 
Snack - 1 soda, 5 m&m's 
w/o - placeholder (walk in woods) 

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. Used a placeholder for w/o. Just a short walk in the woods. Why is it that I stretch 6 days/wk, do burpees and floor to above head presses during wt lifting nights 3 times/wk, but installing a shower fan today makes the sides of my back hurt. Thats when you know you are getting old.

Thanks Xena.

This site is awesome.  I'm glad to have to force myself to pull back than to push harder.  Habit formation has changed my life so much.

albeus51 and Darwin,

Yes, the science is exactly what I was looking for, so thanks for your input.  It's my engineering curiosity to continue to want to understand the why.  I never heard of Fodmaps.  That will be one more thing for me to look into.  Research is fun, even if you know you will never find a definitive answer.  If there was a single answer, we wouldn't have so many different "experts" w/ different opinions.  

w/o - blitz (cut out the wood chops)

Wt 169.0 

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. 169.0lb this morning. That's OK, I expect some noise even while I'm dropping.

Dropped the 1set of woodchops from routine to compensate from adding 2 sets to both my bench and pulldowns.

Switched to front pull downs rather than behind the neck pulldowns based on some things I read. Next weeks KH will be eliminating bread and white potatoes except for 1 time/month. Have to leave room for the occasional roast on bread and potatoes all covered in gravy. Keeping the other grains for now as I'm not completely sold on no beans. Need more research.  

Tried almond butter.  Had it on a pear.  Tasted pretty rich but a pear is pretty sweet.  Going to try an apple or banana next.  Hope I develop a taste for it.

KH1- 5 star desk 
KH2 - Exercise everyday 
KH3 - Manage home records 
KH4 - Eliminate night time crap 
KH5 - 1hr/wk job related training 
Wt - 169.0 
Snack last night after log in - pear w/ almond butter (tasted so/so) 
Breakfast - protein shake, hard boiled egg 
Lunch - chick/egg sand, fruit/vegy bag 
Dinner - salad, 1 piece of pizza 
Snack - 1 soda, 5 m&m's 
w/o - blitz (cut out the wood chops) 

Was my day a success? Yes. Kept all KH's. 169.0lb this morning. That's OK, I expect some noise even while I'm dropping. Dropped the 1set of woodchops from routine to compensate from adding 2 sets to both my bench and pulldowns. Switched to front pull downs rather than behind the neck pulldowns based on some things I read. Next weeks KH will be eliminating bread and white potatoes except for 1 time/month. Have to leave room for the occasional roast on bread and potatoes all covered in gravy. Keeping the other grains for now as I'm not completely sold on no beans. Need more research.

I assumed that this was my Daily Battle Log, since this is where I've been posting my updates here. I've not been consistent in posting my food online, although when I do, I post it on a couple of other sites.

You are posting under 6 week challenges - Recruits.  Under Forums, there is another place you can go to called Daily Battle Logs.  I asked someone what the difference between posting on each was.  On the 6 wk challenges, your stuff is here for the 6 wks then gone (someone correct me if I'm wrong).  If you post on the Battle Logs, that continues forever.  So if you have a desire to be able to see every log you entered for all time, then you enter on daily battle logs.  I also asked if people post on just one or both and was told some do both, some do just one.  I post more info on my battle log and just give the hilite of the day on the Challenge page.  Really doesn't matter which way you do it.  This site has more secret rooms and passages than any fictional castle.  I discover new things everyday.  Still haven't figured out how to get the cool bar graph at the bottom of my post though.  Maybe you or someone could enlighten me.

Thought I'd look you up and say hi.  Do you have a daily battle log as well?  I find posting what I eat is as great a help as posting my exercise.  Keeps me focused.  Remember, Diet is 80% of losing wt, but exercise is 80% of motivation.  Hope to read about your success.

Peel