Adash5000

Week 3 Checkin: Measurements Weight: 242.9lbs Fat%: 24.1% Neck: 45.5cm Shoulders: 123cm Chest: 106cm Biceps: 38cm Waist: 102.5cm Hip: 115.5cm Thighs: 62cm Diary: No progress on my tracking. I have noticed though that I have felt less stressed throughout the week which is a huge bonus. I have kept up my biking and exercise but I am grazing more so it probably cancels out. I think I am going to start meal prepping another meal starting next Sunday. This week I think I am going to increase my bike time by 5min and add a set to each exercise.

Week 2 Day 3 I thought I would post mid week since I did slip up my meal prep plans this week. I recovered on Monday by making the same thing I made the previous week except for 4 days instead of 5 and was not the muffins like I planned. Went for a long walk with a friend on Sunday but after I got back the rest of my day was spent lazy at the computer. Didn't have the motivation to plan to do anything. Eventually I decided I would not go to the store so I could make muffins and just make slow cooker porridge. Problem was I didn't plan for that either and realized I was missing some ingredients. I defs need some time management/scheduling/planning habits to work on, any advice?

Week 2 Checkin: Measurements Weight: 237.9lbs Fat%: 25.3% Neck: 44.5cm Shoulders: 128cm Chest: 103.5cm Biceps: 37cm Waist: 103cm Hip: 115cm Thighs: 62cm Diary Entry: Hmmm not sure about the fat percentage gain, perhaps its not significant enough on a not completely accurate scale. Also I sometimes binge eat or stress eat and this may be a fluctuation from that. I am not too worried, as I see more trends in long term data I can make adjustments to my diet. Last Sunday I made this Chai spiced oatmeal recipe for my breakfast for the whole week and wholly was it delicious, I got it from the Fit Men Cook meal prep cookbook. I kept with my biking, workouts and stretching all week except Thursday where I skipped the bike due to stomach issues. Proud of myself for continuing on Friday though! Today for breakfast this week I am going to prepare savory breakfast muffins. It will be my first breaded baked good. Wish me luck!

Week 1 Checkin: Measurements Weight: 240.8lbs Fat%: 23.9% Neck: 45cm Shoulders: 126cm Chest: 101.5cm Biceps: 37cm Waist: 100.5cm Hip: 115.5cm Thighs: 59cm Not really sure if I measure flexed or not for bicep and thighs, I guess I just need to keep it consistent between measurements. Diary Entry: Not much to talk of since this is ground zero measurements. Not really expecting results just hammering down the habit of measuring. I did follow my routine on Friday since that was the 1st, 15 minutes on the bike was enough to get a sweat going. I did not expect that 10 pushups would be enough to make my shoulders as sore as they were yesterday. I had to drop to knee pushups for the last 5 (Note: I am 6'8 so I am working with a huge lever when I do pushups). I have also added in stretches as needed, such as I woke up with neck pain this morning so have been doing neck stretches. Still just sticking to the 2 for completion status though.

I started realizing that the clean kitchen outweighed a messy space for me. Even if I don't get into a zen meditative cleaning state, the clean kitchen helps me get into one for other things and so its worth it for me. I made a rule for myself that I have to clean for 20min a day and after the timer goes off I allow myself to stop even if there is still a mess.

Awesome thanks. It was very well put. I have been doing meditation on and off for years, I need to get back into it consistently

Last year I started getting meal kits because I wanted to eat healthier. After I improved my skills in the kitchen I actually really started enjoying it. I kept on getting that resistance towards action though. I still do and whenever I do get around to cook the meal kit I always end up finding it enjoyable and relaxing. For whatever reason though there is still some invisible force field on that activity which make it hard to pursue. Not sure that will ever go away.

Exactly! meditation is exercise for the brain. It reduces mental friction so you expend less energy on mental tasks. I imagine will power is akin to lactic acid building up in your muscles when you work out. Do you have a link to this talk you speak of?

I seem to have found a kindred spirit. I have felt the same over the years constantly starting quests that were above my level. Currently working on effortless habits. IF did not work for me, I am a tall guy and I found it hard to take in enough calories but kudos to you. Looking forward to hearing of your successes, I will be an ally cheering on from the side lines

Happy Nerdaversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the analogy of growing will power I think it's like we have a certain max charge for life. But as we gain aptitude in skill and ability the resistance to action diminishes and so action becomes easier and we use less will power for those tasks. And by limiting ourselves to fewer activities we have more will power to spare for the things we really care about. I think all in all we don't grow our will power over time but instead we learn to manage it better!

I just wanted to say I am so flabbergasted by the number of people here with thousands of posts who have been around for several years. It's kind of neat the forum has such a rich long history and some people have been around for the long haul.

I don't know if this is good or bad advice, worked for me. I find when I am on the computer time just slips away, the internet is a procrastinators playground. I have put an evening cutoff on the computer and a list of tasks I try to accomplish while I am off. If that is hard to implement I use a computer application called Cold Turkey, you can set it to shutdown your computer automatically at the cutoff time. Won't work for everyone but it's been working the last month for me. Maybe I will report back in a year for true proof of concept.

Thanks, yah I am trying my beliefs of what I am capable of. I really feel that starting as small as possible will make it all stick more. Some of these habits are building off old habits. I have been cooking meal kits for a several months now and I feel really comfortable picking up new recipes. The meal prep is an evolution of that. Consistent exercise has always been a problem for me especially now. In the old days I used to be consistent for a few months before I lost track and stopped but now I sit at a desk way too much. Hoping to make some positive shifts

Looking forward to this New Year. I think I was last posting here consistently in 2018 but it died down because I failed to specify a process for posting. What brings me back? Well I have recently decided to scale back on my social media use so posting to Facebook or IG for accountability is not something I plan to do. So it is maybe better to find accountability in a community of like minded people for the specific purpose of improvement with a bunch of nerds. What brand of nerd am I? I am very much in love with anime. One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, Haikyu. Currently watching Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan final season, and Fire Force. I work as a software developer in the games industry and love playing them too. Currently playing Fall Guys and Far Cry 5. I am also a nerd in the way of niche sports. The least niche of which is partner dancing (been doing that for 8 years now, COVID19 ruined this of course). The most niche is unicycle hockey. I also dabbled in bike polo. And recently started playing frisbee golf. I also love boardgames (another thing ruined by COVID19). Recent Inspirations/Motivations Recently I have been reinvigorated by The 7 Habits by Stephen Covey (I have only read the first 2 habits) and recently finished Atomic Habits by James Clear (I am also pretty sure that Nerd Fitness is referenced in the book :)...). There is a quote in Atomic Habits I want to embrace for this challenge, So the habits are going to be small laughable pieces to build up a healthy lifestyle. Laughable in the sense that doing them is not overwhelming. The Habits Bike Trainer: [Mon-Fri] after I wake up get on my road bike for 15 minutes ensuring my heart rate goes above 120 BPM. Workout: [Mon, Wed, Fri] after biking, 10 weighted squats, 10 pushups, 30 second plank. Stretch: Hip Flexor lunge stretch and downward dog for calves [Sat, Sun] first thing in the morning [Mon, Wed, Fri] after workout [Tue, Thu] after bike. Meal Prep: [Sun] Prepare breakfast for Mon-Fri Posting Progress: [Sun] after stretching take progress picture, weigh in, and take measurements. Measurements consist of Neck, Shoulders, Chest, Bicep, Waist, Hip, Thighs. Post in my challenge thread all these measurements including fat % from scale. I will not be posting progress pics they are for my self. I will also be posting a diary entry of what went well? what I stuck to? What I did not stick to? And any amendments for scaling up my habits (this will not happen till week 3). I have other things I am working on outside of these but I will keep that to myself for now. I am not expecting huge results I am more focused on embracing the process and showing up so I can obtain the habits to scale up at a later date. My challenge is in consistency and not in intensity...so let the games begin!!

Feeling kind of like having failed thus far. In the process of blocking websites to be more productive I have found myself slipping on weekends that has spilled over into weekdays. Last weekend and this one I have found myself binge watching anime on one of the websites that did not make it through the blockage. Even though I could have patched it up I didn't because I felt I needed to watch One Punch Man as the season was going along. I didn't consider that maybe I could have watched it when it was all done. Although I haven't meditated since sometime last week my biggest failure was diet as that part of my goal went no where and I ate out way too often. But regardless of all this I am going to come away from this with knowledge: 1. As much as I find it difficult to journal for personal organization it is something I should be adopting as a daily routine to know what I have to do. 2. Replacing old activities with new ones isn't optional and I should be seeking to replace with engaging, rewarding and fun activities. 3. Back to journalling, while I think having a list of things I can do is okay, its better to know what I am going to and when instead of finding myself not knowing what to do and having too many options. 4. I am not sure about this one, but I formed a bit of a facebook problem on my phone where it was not blocked. I think this may be because in this last two weeks I didn't socialize enough and facebook seemingly replaces that. So for the last two weeks of this challenge I need to be a bit more social. 5. Putting off meal planning without moving it in my schedule is the same as saying it won't happen. So if it doesn't happen on Sunday then I MUST put it in my schedule for Monday night. Anyways these are my takeaways from the first half of this challenge

Hey Thanks @Tova the Vibrant for the tips! I definitely have used StayFocusd in the past another one that works great is LeechBlock. The one thing I hate about them though is that its not good enough of a wall. With OpenDNS I have to change my DNS settings and then reboot my computer which I find is way more steps to prevent me from deleting it temporarily. I like the Facebook trick will try it out, I seem to remember there was a way to extract your facebook eventfeed programmatically but I have yet to try. The TV part isn't hard because I don't have cable or Netflix and I currently can't use Youtube, so I am think I am safe there unless I remove the DNS for a peeksy!!

Woah your list is soo much more comprehensive then mine...I need to step up my game for next challenge or maybe even fix it up as I go (with your advice of course ). Woot woot you are doing great and I look forward to continuing following your challenege

Cold showers because they absolutely suck if you let them. It kind of forces a slow deep breath which is something I am not great at and it keeps showers shorter and lately I have been having trouble with staying comfortable in the warm water for like 15 minutes or too long sometimes! @Tova the Vibrant please tips!! I have tried these challenges in the past with varying degrees of success, currently I have extra stop gaps in place to enforce the elimination part (Using OpenDNS on high settings). That at least puts something in between my thoughts and my actions so I can be more mindful. You got any more suggestions?

Ahah got it working

I come with an animal gif offering Oh I kind of want to read this book Brain Over Binge, I am relatively healthy but still occasionally get a little tick in my brain which makes me compusively buy sweets and icecream. Ignoring that tick has become very difficult. Really excited that your efforts have worked out for you and I am excited to hear what happens on your low carb journey (I have thought and read about it a lot). Just a little 2 cents about low carb make sure you get enough salts and water, your body will have trouble retaining salt and water while in a low carbohydrate state. So be super generous with salt on food and make sure you get potassium through something like Salt Free Salt (I know its actually a thing) and maybe go on magnesium supplements. Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium are really the three salt you want to replenish. Good luck and I will cheer you on and come back with more animal gif offerings!!!

I have hard thought about this since my last challenge ended in the first timers group. Originally I was thinking Assassins and body weight exercises but I think what I would like to strive for is more mentally bound. I am looking for mindfulness in how my time is spent and looking for replacements for mindless activities. For what is more relaxing: watching youtube or reading a good book. Oh I remember the days as a kid when internet was not so distracting and had not advanced past the dialup tech and reading was so profoundly interesting. So with this challenge I want to eliminate a few wastes of time while introducing productive hobbies while maintaining a mindfulness practice and continuing the nurturing and physical practice of my last challenge. I also want to keep a list of activities I can look at whenever I am feeling bored or stuck so I don't default to old behaviors. What does this look like? Mindfulness Practice 1. Meditation for at least 5 minutes a day 2. Cold Showers at least 3 times a week 3. In bed before 10:30pm Physical Practice 1. Stretching & Core - Planks & Side Planks - Rolling Quads & IT Bands - Lunge stretch - Field Hockey ball on buttocks 2. Long training bike ride 1 a week, twice if possible 3. Unicycle practice twice a week Nutritional Practice 1. Meal prep lunches 4 days of the work week 2. Try to cook most nights of the week 3. Try cooking new things on the weekend Eliminate & Replace 1. Eliminate - Youtube - Facebook (to some extent may need it for event tracking) - Reddit - Identify others as they become apparent 2. Replace - Reading a good book - Art (Drawing or Watercolors) - Learning (Programming or Math) - Going for a walk - Trying something new Okay now I know this sound like an over commitment and thats because to some degree it is but it's intention is also as a stretch goal: eliminate and replace are the two most important things in the list followed by the first items in all the other lists and all the other ones are stretch goals with a specific practice of letting go of control and forgiving myself if I do not achieve them. Although I will forgive myself if I don't meditate on a given day it is something that I want to jump back on the wagon immediately whereas cold showers I won't mind missing a few days in a row. Anyways I am punped because this will actually be my first full 4 week challenge (first one came late). Challenge Accepted!!!

Oh yah @Acupunk when you pick a guild you don't need to stick with it forever it's just on a per challenge basis I just think I am going to try body weight exercises so Assassins makes sense for that.

Ok April 14th has come and will soon be gone. I have managed to maintain the situps and stretches every morning except for 4 of the mornings. The sleeping before 10pm was a great habt when I did it and definitely noticed how not getting enough sleep affected me when I didn't. Not enough sleep led to more cravings which led to me cheating on food. The packing lunch fell through on one of the weeks but I managed to have prepared lunch on 7 out of the 15 week days. Also noticed how I felt on consecutive days of eating poorly so more motivation there for the next challenge. Another thing I noticed is that my eating on weekends wasn't great and having more time on hand left more room for cheating or bingeing. Drinking tea has helped with the sugar cravings, I have been loving Bengal Spice tea from Celestial Seasonings I don't know how but its pure magic. Some strategies I need to work on are having something to tide me over between end of work and getting home, I have found it really easy to head on in to a corner store on my way home and buy a few chocolate bars. May not have stuck to all of the things I hoped I would but I have come out with useful intel and am excited for the next challenge...bring it on!! Also @Acupunk or any one else who has been following me and motivating me I will likely be joining the assassins guild for the next challenge.

Any other Vancouverites?