Wagyu Swag

Well Everything went sideways. Between school and work I didn't have time for anything else. Then, I had to totally withdraw from school because my mental health went to hell. I was working 50 hours a week, then the Virus happened, so I am laid off work. Now I have plenty of time to do whatever I want as long as it doesn't involve going outside. I'm fine with that, because I am introverted and somewhat agoraphobic. I am going to sit down with my planner and figure out an exercise routine, again. I am also binge eating badly, because stress. I had to get a box of food from the local food pantry and it's all processed stuff, bread, etc. Still, better than having nothing. Thanks to everyone for your responses. This is the first time I have had time to check the boards in months.

I want to clarify something- This isn't my first time in school. Sometimes I do not finish sentences when I am typing. This is my first time doing school and having an exercise plan (and working too many hours). I should do better proofreading. Update: I did my budget! It took ALL DAY but I believe I did a good job. I also developed a less calorically-dense snack of chia seeds and flax milk with cinnamon and lakanto. It's a psychological thing that I need something sweet and crunchy before bed. I used to live off cereal so maybe it's a throwback to that time. I'm also going to figure it into my diet plan. I know I'm gonna eat it so I might as well plan it in. We'll see how that goes. Also hello to all and thank you for your support and input!

Hello, I recently had the good fortune to move from a sub-sea-level urban swamp to one of the nicest places in Colorado. I am a self-proclaimed 'indoorsy gal' who doesn't know the first thing about hiking or backpacking. I want to learn how but to be honest I am intimidated. I don't know anyone here so I would be doing all of this (happily) solo. Are there any books I could read or good instructional websites? What about bears? Should I get a firearm? What if I lose track of time and it gets dark? Should I wear a helmet? These are the concerns that come to mind. I have till the spring to do my homework and get this stuff they call "gear". I could investigate trying to ski this winter but I don't have the wherewithal or the time. Thanks so much in advance for any assistance!

I relate to this alot. I know from experience that giving up will make things so much worse, and that fighting tooth and nail is the only way to improve things. But, the fight must be thought-out and strategic or else it's a waste of energy. Also, 100 per cent what fitnessgurl said, too.

When I lived in a place that during the summer is 100F/100% humidity I just broke down and got a window air conditioner from amazon. Before I did that I was so miserable not even taking a cold shower would help because "cold" in August was 80 degrees. I eventually moved to the mountains (for other reasons). It's -23F now and I couldn't be happier. It took a while to save for the air conditioner but my quality of life improved drastically. Worth it. If that's an option for you I'd say go for it. Often you can find used ones for less.

Cook Senior at a university cafeteria here, When I first started this job I had been in low volume restaurants for a while. Going from that to feeding 400 people a day was so brutal at first, but a couple of months in I am getting much stronger. Those giant pots of pasta water are getting easier to handle and I am better at handling the bix mixer bowl when it's full. So much mashed potatoes.

One day at work, explaining to an 18-year-old server how to make a long-distance call on a touch-tone phone. "Okay so once you hear the dial tone you push the number 1, then the area code..."

Congrats on your graduation!

I know what you're going through! Last time I was between jobs you don't even wanna know what I was eating. Nothing to do but move forward. I hope NF is a help to you!

Cy, Glad you were able to quit all the way esp on that timeframe- impressive. That's like multiple levels up in my book. Onward! Wag

So the Ultimate goal that ties into everything else is to develop self-discipline. Sub-goals are to get fit and lose weight, to get a 4.0 this semester, and to get a vehicle. SMART goals apply to Ultimate goals and Sub-goals, challenge tasks will be in support of SMART goals, or actual SMART goals. School starts on the 13th and this is my first time, so I am going easy on myself. I did the planning worksheet and it helped me figure out HOW to get there, and to my other big goals. I'm going to not go exactly with the guide's suggestions for diet and fitness since I got all my stuff planned out for now. Definitely going to be fine-tuning as time goes on. Diet x2 Stick with my meal plan (use my shopping list) Don't snack in the middle of the night or before bed. (hide the pecans and almonds) (My diet is solid, I'm just getting over binge eating and I still have some bad habits. Getting better tho.) Fitness x1 Stick with my workout plan (that I made from info on the site earlier) Level up life x1 Say 1 positive thing to myself in the mirror when I get up. (Affirmation!) Bonus!!! Develop a budget before the break is over. (just needs to get done to support other goals) Cheers!

Hi all, I am new to the site, new to internet forums in general so I am probably going to do things wrong for a hot minute. I ramble and my grammar is terrible. Writing is not my strong suit unless it's a lab report or a recipe. My mind wanders. This will be long. I'm a 30-something lady cook from New Orleans but I live in a remote part of Colorado now. Earlier today...yesterday...I was reading the articles on the site because it's that time of year again. Realized I could access the forums and I became really interested in the goal-setting process and the challenges, characters, etc. The whole gamification thing is brilliant. I am totally on board. In addition to working as a cook (I scored the Cadillac of cook jobs in CO), I am a biochem and biological sciences major with a minor in psychology at ASU. I want to go to grad school..maybe get a ph.D. I have to believe it can be done. It's super slow going but my GPA is almost a 4.0 and I work more than 40 hours a week. I am proud of that. That being said, I am exhausted, and my sleep isn't great. I'm pretty overweight (5'7'' 190 down from 215 last year) and really out of shape besides the brute strength it takes to work in a high volume kitchen. When I moved to this elevation I thought I was going to DIE. I got used to it. Anyway, all kinds of preventable health issues run in my family so I am at the point where enough is enough- I am not getting any younger. I want to get my cardiovascular health where it needs to be, start lifting weights and lose weight in the process. That's what brought me here. Then I found the worksheet for developing quests and was delighted. I have been needing to plan all my goals for a long time and I just did it. Sometimes you need a little help figuring out what to do in order to do what you need to do. This has been more effective than my therapist. I feel like I have a plan that's doable. I am very excited about that. My life hasn't always been like this, though. When I lived in NOLA I worked in fine dining. It was nice at first because it was better than my place of birth. But working 70+ hours a week for terrible wages in a city where rent is becoming more and more ridiculous every day was a living hell. Mental health services in Louisiana are worse than garbage. The fact that I drank way too much and was firmly embedded in the bar/kitchen culture didn't help. I wound up spiraling out of control and it's a wonder I am still alive. Before that, I'd been in abusive relationships...even growing up, and dealt with a lot of death. So much happened even before NOLA. MY point is I deal with a serious case of complex PTSD. I used to cope with alcohol and food and in my 20s other substances. Anything to make living in my head bearable (or so I thought). I've come a long way and I am very happy now. I am at peace and I have no drama, no big problems other than my health and I am grateful for every moment for what I have because for years I had nothing and my life was a living hell. Since I moved here I have made zero friends besides my work people, though. I had plenty back home, but NOLA is like the island of misfit toys. Doesn't matter how weird you are, you WILL find your tribe for better or worse, and they'll be like family. The culture here is so so different. Everybody skis, rock climbs, all kinds of outdoor stuff and I have no idea about any of that. I am indoorsy and I'd rather be doing homework than getting a sunburn - although I'd like to change that. This is an affluent area and I have 30 years of poverty to inform my thinking. I'm pretty eccentric too, which doesn't help. It's just hard for me to relate to people here, and the people I DO relate to get hammered every day, so that's a no-go. I'm at a cusp. So, 2 problems I want to address with this platform- Health and social isolation. In addition, I will use the platform for my other goals, academic and personal. Ya'll seem like nice folks so I am willing to give it a go. Nerds are the subculture I would say that I identify most with besides foodservice lifers. Oh and 5 fun facts about me (other than what I already mentioned) I love love love Star Trek Rush is my favorite band I've never played D&D cause I'm shy I collect t-shirts I danced with Eric Wareheim Well that more than wraps it up. I am looking forward to being a supportive group member and getting to know some of ya'll while not spending TOO much time in the forums. Peace n Chicken Grease/Onward!