Dash_D

Thanks for mentioning TSFH. I'd never heard of them but they're great! I listen to quite a bit of different music when lifting and running (SoundGarden is awesome and gets you pumped, Tchaikovsky gives you that focus). If I really want to dig deep, I know I can always push myself with any part of the Halo soundtrack. Those songs take me back to my giant original Xbox, butt-stroking elites with my brother on split-screen, and just generally make me feel like such a badass. They are driving, triumphant, and aggressive. I guess there's no safer place to express these nerdy thoughts than here, but listening to the music sometimes puts me in the mood of the tireless, selfless determination and sacrifice of Master Chief sometimes gets me through some hard reps. A mellow but especially intense Halo song (and personal favorite) to share:

Yes, thanks. This community has been a lot of fun to explore and dive into. I'm trying to pace myself but I'm also eager to delve into all the guild/challenge/raid craziness that seems so exciting. Thanks for the hello!

Hi all, relatively new to the site and it seems that "West" is missing a Northern California group. I'm up in Eureka in Humboldt County - I'd love to hear from some other Rebels in the area. Maybe folks will want to meet up, train together, or even form a ToughMudder or other event team. If you're from the area, or even visiting, say Hi. -Dash

Had a talk with the Ex after work yesterday. Achieved 0 progress towards goals last night or this morning. Getting back in the saddle tonight and tomorrow.

10/21/15 Joined a colleague this morning for a cardio circuit. Felt good to sweat. Still on track with other requirements. Getting to bed at 9 has been nice; even waking up at 6:00 isn't so bad.

I think Raincloak nailed this one. A 16-ounce bottle of store-bought GT's Original kombucha has 4g sugar in it. Hardly anything to be worried about. I've recently become hooked on the stuff and have been making my own for a few months now. I can tell you that it takes quite a bit of sugar (about 1 cup per gallon) to make a gallon of 'buch, but most of it gets converted into other types of carbohydrates and, as Raincloak said, is devoured and transformed into something else. Sorry if this has already been covered to death, but I've been eager to find a thread talking about my new favorite drink. You can argue all day about whether or not it provides any actual, solid health benefits, but I don't think anyone would argue that it's not hands down better than drinking soda. As for the "overall sugar" question, my only advice would be to focus on eating fresh, solid fruits instead of liquid sources. Gram for gram, the sugar in an apple vs a glass of apple juice (or even a smoothie) will be digested more slowly by your body if your body first has to break down solid food, resulting in a slower increase in blood sugar (which, I've been told, is good). Best of luck to you!

10/20/15 Pack Gym bag and prep food before bed. - Done. Yummy eggs. Be in bed by 9:00 - 9:00 on the dot. Take "baseline" body picture. - Took a crappy bathroom selfie. Medical wasn't pleased. Might take better one tonight. Flossed - check. No Snooze - also check. (ok, sitting upright in a daze for 2 minutes still counts, right?) Good workout at the gym. Squats felt perfect for getting started again, bench might a bit light. Barbell row was good. Tried the "cricket powder" post-workout this morning that the Corp requested. Texture wasn't bad but the smell was a little unappetizing. I think bug mix might end up being a smoothie component and not a "drink it with almond milk." Weighed in at 165. And also at 168. And 163. Health center buys scales from these backwater asteroid-based manufacturers and then wonders why they're not worth a dam. Need to find a better place to weigh in.

10/19/15 Well, I've got work again. I wasn't going to take it but the pay is too good. More pay always means more trouble and as always, the Corp never gives you any details on the job until you've actually taken it. But like I said, the money's good. And I've been wasting my time here for too long anyway. Let's see . . . pretty standard stuff. "Waive any claims . . . death or dismemberment . . . provide own weapons and equipment." Covering their ass as usual, I see. I guess you don't make it as far as the Corp without having a some pretty airtight contracts. Hmm . . . the physical requirements are . . . well they're unusual at least. Weight Requirements? Strength Requirements? Dental Hygiene? I guess this would be a good time to re-boo the 5x5 program started in August.5x5_Schedule.pdf Goodness knows what I'm getting myself into . . . Mission "G L" Contract Requirements (December 3) Weight: 175 Squat: 250 Must maintain impeccable oral hygiene. Goals for the Week: Fitness: Lift on Tuesday and Thursday Don't hit snooze, at all. Floss every night. Be in bed by 9:00. Food: No more Coffee. No more Donuts. Not one bite. No skipping dinner. Prep breakfast the night before. Goals for tonight: Pack Gym bag and prep food before bed. Be in bed by 9:00 Take "baseline" body picture.

Where to begin. I'm obviously new here. I am very excited to find this site, however. I've always been comfortable pursuing and enjoying whatever interests me (I guess that's called being a "nerd" now) and I've been mindful of health and fitness my whole life as well. This site seems like a really great mix place for support, community, encouragement, and education. Let's get the stat-dump out of the way. Species: Human Age: 29 Sex: Male Height: 5'11 Weight: 165 lbs. Recent Picture: Here's me, looking tired, after helping a friend move As this community is the fusion of Nerdiness and Fitness, I'll introduce the two sides of me: Nerd: I've always loved Fantasy and SciFi. I've been a Dungeons and Dragons player since I was in high school (Thorin, level 1 Fighter) and I started playing PC games on our old 386 when I was about 6. I have played many (admittedly, too many) video games since then. Lots of Diablo II and Vanilla World of Warcraft as a teen. Favorites have been . . . opens Steam account Fallout 3, BF2142, Left4Dead, and DayZ, among many others. #1 spot goes to LoZ: Ocarina of Time. I love the Zelda series and OOT will always hold a very special place in my heart. Other "nerdy" interests, aside from the tabletop gaming that I don't think I'll ever give up, have been PC tinkering and recently quadcopters. Fitness: I am fortunate that I have grown up in a family that was generally healthy. As a result, for most of my life I have been rather conscious of health and fitness. I feel like I was also lucky to get pretty good "base stats." Good immune system, no significant medical problems, and a metabolism I can barely keep fed. I wrestled in High School for 3 years, and in my adult life I have lifted weights on-and-off with wildly varying regularity, focus, and intensity. I've been eating between 75% and 95% Paleo for longer than I know exactly. Over a year. I really believe in the principles of the lifestyle and it was already pretty close to what I was eating. I don't drink soda at all. Sugar truly is white death. Exercise aside, I feel fantastic on Paleo, my parents tried it for about 6 months and lost quite a bit of weight (not a goal for me) and had much more energy. My dad, for example, went from about 215 to 185. I am trying to convince myself to like running. I sit a desk all day (IT work) and I know I'm not doing my heart any favors just letting it sit around, so occasionally I'll put on shorts and run 3-4 miles. So, why am I here? -Lots of reasons. So far, this community seems really cool. I struggle with motivation sometimes (bed feels so good) and I think by connecting with other people, I'll challenge myself to stick with the plans I make for myself. So "making friends" is on the list. aww -Achievements! I know we "work out to improve ourselves" and all that, but the idea of getting EXP and leveling up for being healthy is just too cool to pass up. -Track my progress. Scribbling weights down on a paper in my gym shorts isn't nearly as cool as recording my progress on a forum. -Motivation. Lately, I'd started a new lifting schedule and was really enjoying it. Going pretty regularly, putting on some weight and really starting to feel a strength difference over a few months. I was cooking well, eating well, even running a fair bit (ok, like once a week maybe). Then I got dumped. It really took the wind out of my sails. My gym bag just sits there. My running shoes do the same. My "95%" Paleo diet has turned into "Paleo + Beer, donuts, and pizza." Beer for dinner, drinking coffee again, back to a terrible sleep schedule - the works. The whole ordeal really took the wind out of my sails, and while breaking up is always hard mentally, I know its been bad for me physically as well. Geez, I feel like I should have been laying on a couch for that sob story. Nothing like getting it all out, huh? So anyway, that's me. I'm going to poke around the forums and read about the guilds, check out some profiles, and hopefully start up my own little progress thread. If you made it this far, thanks for reading all this! Feel free to say hi! - Dash