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I'm keeping this one really simple and focusing on eating habits. For the last year, I've been trapped in this vicious workout cycle, where I push too hard because I want to do the things I used to be able to do, I strain something, and then I'm sidelined for a bit. So, I'm backing away from pushing myself in the physical arena and instead pushing myself with better eating. Also, the kids start (virtual) school next Thursday, so I need to keep things easy and loose this challenge. Goals: 1. Delay the meals. Whenever I have a yogurt and coffee at 7:00, lunch around 1:00, and dinner around 7:00, I end up not needing an evening snack. The evening snack has been a huge source of extra, unneeded calories, so eliminating it would be great. Right now, the kids and I swim around noon and around 5 or 6 each day, so that has helped tremendously with pushing back meals. 2. If I'm hungry, I need to drink a glass of water, wait 30 minutes, and then only get a snack if I'm still hungry. 3. Eat more veggies! My husband got a green egg, so we've been grilling. Grilling is a great way for me to fill up on veggies for dinner. I've also been trying to eat more salad, and we've also started our garden. So, the plan is to eat at least a couple servings of veggies for both lunch and dinner, and turn to carrots + hummus first as a snack. 4. Exercise wise- Do stuff, but don't push. In the last 4 months, I've had problem areas in my lower back, left elbow, and hip/glute. The plan is to continue trying to do things, but the moment anything hurts at all in an unhappy way, rest and let it heal. My back was finally okay enough to do some yoga today, a full 3 weeks after my first issues, largely because I didn't rest it right after straining it. 5. Complete things in my nerdy checklist: -Learn the piano part for the 2nd movement of the Breval sonata in C, so I can do the duet with my son. -Record at least some piano piece. Ideally, it will be the first movement of the same Breval sonata, but it might be something else. -Have at least 2 outings where I drive somewhere with less light pollution and stargaze. -Focus on Saturn with my higher mag eyepiece (already managed with the lower mag one). -Find neowise -Research other cool things to view with the telescope. -continue coaching my kid for math contests. He's also trying to self-teach high school level geometry. -Get antifog, nearsighted goggles so I can truly swim while still seeing things. -Research what my family needs to do to get scuba certified. -Get the 3d printer working again, and print cool things. -Finish my Norbert the Dragon crochet.

No one is obligated or expected to actually read all of this lol. Just wanted to log everything for my daily workouts and basic plans. It changes often, so I'll be updating and revising here and there. The more I do a routine, the more I find gaps, or things I need to adjust and will do so as they come. Also, any outdoor activities or swimming, or other adventures that happen away from home gym I will share in thread to keep track of my activities with pics 💖 'MOON'DAY - ELEMENT OF WATER 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Monday's Meditations: Moon energy, healing, self love, focus on feminine energy, and water energy. Accompanied by: Moonstone, rose quartz, snow quartz, clear quartz, selenite 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - Core, obliques workout (Coincides with Monday - Moonday, Goddess energy) 8:00 AM - Shower, then quick breakfast. EGGS. ALL THE EGGS. 8:45 AM - Leave for work 9:00 AM - Arrive at work 12:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 12:30 PM - Back to work 3:00 PM - 5 minutes of jumping jacks and stretching in back office to perk up and get blood flowing again. 5:00 PM - Released from the land of the dead - I mean work. (It's a cemetery. Literally the land of the dead so it's actually legit af.) 5:15 PM - Home. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Core focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Moonstone, rose quartz, snow quartz, clear quartz, selenite 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something inspiring and uplifting, comforting, and familiar. 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Tuesday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime 🌊Bonus points today for taking a swim indoors or outdoors or just spending time with or by a natural body of water. +8 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with La Luna +5 WARRIOR TUESDAY - ELEMENT OF FIRE 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Tuesday's Meditations: Warrior energy, Mars, Masculine energy. Focus on strength, courage, empowerment, honor, loyalty, protection. Accompanied by: Smoky quartz, black tourmaline, obsidian, carnelian, pyrite 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - Shoulders, Back, Arms (Coincides with Tuesday - Mars Day - Warrior Energy!!! YEA!!!) 8:00 AM - Shower, then quick breakfast. EGGS. ALL THE EGGS. 8:45 AM - Leave for work 9:00 AM - Arrive at work 12:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 12:30 PM - Back to work 3:00 PM - 5 minutes of jumping jacks and stretching in back office to perk up and get blood flowing again. 5:00 PM - Off work. 5:15 PM - Home. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Arms, shoulders, back focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Smoky quartz, black tourmaline, obsidian, carnelian 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something empowering, heroic, courageous 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Wednesday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime 🔥Bonus points today for having a sacred fire and/or fire scrying, incense making, smoke scrying +5 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5 MERCURIAN WEDNESDAY (Weigh-In Wednesday) ELEMENT OF AIR 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Wednesday's Meditations: Messenger, Intellectual energy, Mercury, Masculine and Feminine energy. Focus on outward energy. Promoting positive thought patterns, banishing negative thought patterns, contemplate how I use words with myself and others and if I do that in the healthiest most positive way and how I can improve that today. Accompanied by: Ametrine, obsidian, pink botswana agate, lepidolite, clear quartz 6:00 AM - Weigh-In 6:05 AM - Log weight, set new goals, make any necessary changes to nutrition and fitness plan, make grocery list and write out meal plan. (Wednesday's Mercurian Energy is great for all the intellectual, mathy, tedious stuff. Here's to Gemini's and Virgos!) 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - All limbs lifting and resisting today, and breathing exercises. (Coincides with Wednesday- Mercury Day - lungs, hands, arms, legs, feet) 8:00 AM - Shower, then quick breakfast. EGGS. ALL THE EGGS. 8:45 AM - Leave for work 9:00 AM - Arrive at work 12:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 12:30 PM - Back to work 3:00 PM - 5 minutes of jumping jacks and stretching in back office to perk up and get blood flowing again. 5:00 PM - Off work. 5:15 PM - Home. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Arms, shoulders, back focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Ametrine, obsidian, pink botswana agate, lepidolite, clear quartz 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something witty, clever, intellectual, thought provoking, science related topics such as theoretical physics, astronomy, etc. 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Thursday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime 🌌Bonus points today for writing a short story or poem. +6 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5 JOVIAN THURSDAY - ELEMENT OF AIR/FIRE 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Thursday's Meditations: The day of the "Luck Planet" Jupiter. Philosopher energy. Divine wisdom. Abundance. Wealth. Luck. Accompanied by: Amethyst, smoky quartz, clear quartz, Preseli bluestone, carnelian, obsidian 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - Hams and Butt day (Coincides with Jupiter- Jovian Thursday - Thighs and butt. I have to admit that the biggest planet getting butt day is hilariously ironic) 8:00 AM - Shower, then quick breakfast. EGGS. ALL THE EGGS. 8:45 AM - Leave for work 9:00 AM - Arrive at work 12:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 12:30 PM - Back to work 3:00 PM - 5 minutes of jumping jacks and stretching in back office to perk up and get blood flowing again. 5:00 PM - Off work. 5:15 PM - Home. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Hamstrings and butt focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Amethyst, smoky quartz, clear quartz, Preseli bluestone, carnelian, obsidian 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something philosophical, financial and budget planning, entrepreneurial 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Friday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime ⚡Bonus points today for participating in any kind of arts for 1 hour. +6 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5 VENUSIAN FRIDAY - ELEMENT OF WATER/EARTH 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Friday's Meditations: The day of love. Love, compassion, self love, marriage, friendship, mother energy, healing from water energy, stability and growth from Earth energy. Accompanied by: Amazonite, rose quartz, clear quartz, snowflake obsidian 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - Chest, abs, leg day (Coincides with Venus- Venusian Friday - Chest, breasts, do I even need to add womb here lol, legs) 8:00 AM - Shower, then quick breakfast. EGGS. ALL THE EGGS. 8:45 AM - Leave for work 9:00 AM - Arrive at work 12:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 12:30 PM - Back to work 3:00 PM - 5 minutes of jumping jacks and stretching in back office to perk up and get blood flowing again. 5:00 PM - Off work. 5:15 PM - Home. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Chest, abs, legs focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Amazonite, rose quartz, clear quartz, snowflake obsidian 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something romantic, or about friendship, companionship, motherhood (even though I'm not a mom, I can't resist a Gilmore Girls - esque tale. I do happen to still be a daughter ) 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Saturday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime ♥️Bonus points today for taking a bubble bath with essential oils, candles, flowers, music. Treat yourself. +6 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5 SATURNIAN SATURDAY - ELEMENT OF EARTH 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Saturday's Meditations: Father Saturn, Capricornian energy, the teacher Accompanied by: Amethyst, citrine, or ametrine, smoky quartz, rainbow obsidian, black tourmaline 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - Light Full Body Workout 7:30 AM - Focus on mobility and joint health today as well as breathing exercises (Coincides with Saturn- Saturnian Saturday- joint health, flexibility, breathability) 8:00 AM - Shower 9:00 AM - Breakfast - Chia bowl with berries, a mini-chaffle size of palm(an egg waffle) with tomatoes, peppers, onions. 1:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Flexibility and low impact focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Amethyst, citrine, or ametrine, smoky quartz, rainbow obsidian, black tourmaline 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something insightful, educational, motivational, self improvement, even home improvement! (Do some Dad things. Done.) 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Sunday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime ☮️Bonus points today for learning a new trade, or for researching *opposing* political views. +8 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5 SOL SUNDAY - ELEMENT OF FIRE 5:00 AM - Wake 5:10 AM - Sunday's Meditations: God, Sol, Sun, Divine Masculine energy, Leo energy, Fire, self love, ego Accompanied by: Citrine, smoky quartz, clear quartz, pyrite, shungite, lemon quartz, carnelian 6:30 AM - Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes or 5 Miles +2 for additional minutes or miles 7:00 AM - Strength Training - 10,000HP Full Body Workout!!! GO HARD BISH. YOU A STAR. Literally, be a star. It is "Sun" day after all ) 7:30 AM - Focus on total body, calisthenics, then follow up with something light and calming such as stretching, slow flow yoga, Qi Gong (Coincides with Sol- Sunday- perfomance, endurance, stamina, and cool down, plus a bit of "ego check" ) Fuel the fire, then cool the fire. 8:00 AM - Shower 9:00 AM - BIG BREAKFAST TODAY YES. 10:00 AM - Go say hello to the sun. Take in that glorious fk'er. Get outside and get some D. Vitamin D. 1:00 PM - Lunch followed by 10 minutes of meditation. 6:00 PM - Head to the home dojo. Recumbent Bike for 20 minutes with 3lb weights, 5lbs, and 10lb kettlebell. Strength training with kettlebell and body weight exercises for 15 minutes. Flexibility and low impact focused exercises for 15 minutes. 6:30 PM - Cook dinner/Eat 7:30 PM - MCT Protein Blast with Collagen >Insert mundane $#!% here< 8:30 PM - Recumbent Bike for 20 to 30 minutes with highest resistance for the day. Yoga/Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Meditation Accompanied by: Amethyst, citrine, or ametrine, smoky quartz, rainbow obsidian, black tourmaline 9:30 PM - Read for 20 minutes, something insightful, educational, motivational, self improvement, even home improvement! (Do some Dad things. Done.) 10:00 PM - Set intentions for Monday manifestations, review planetary orbits, visualize my day, write keywords for how I would like to "feel", and how I can do something with that day to improve that. Journal for 10 minutes. 10:30 PM - Bedtime 🌄Bonus points today for going on a hike, going fishing, bird watching, boating +10 If it's raining and you still do it, +3 more cuz you rock and stuff. 👽✨Bonus points for taking telescope out and spending quality time with corresponding planet +5

I recently had my 44th birthday and I recently realized that my mindset since the beginning of the year has changed for the better. I’m wasn’t sure what it was until I listened to The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast featuring Terry Crews. He explained what I had been thinking since the beginning of the year, you say what you are and your mind finds ways to make it true. Since the beginning of the year I’ve been saying “I am a yogi” and I’ve made more progress in four weeks than I did the entire of last year because of that one simple statement. I’ve been thinking about how to improve moves and to hold them longer, how to get more sessions in, and do them for longer. I even have a plan laid out for the year where my yoga sessions are broken out into 4 thirteen week sessions. So I’m using that simple phrase “I am” and then finding ways to make it true. At the same time I think it will also help me set my priorities. I’m thinking more about what I want to do and I am surprised by things I’m not saying also. Never once have I thought “I would like to watch more TV” or “I would like to eat out more”. So with this simple premise I’m starting to lay out my plan for the year with gradual increments. So without further ado: Bearlee is ... a Yogi! On January 2nd I started DDPYoga and have so far finished 4 weeks. When I made the decision in mid-January that this year I’m a yogi, my mind has been more focused on the task. I’ve added more yoga sessions, I’ve performed the moves better, and I’ve been doing longer sessions. The program is broken up into 13 week sessions which is perfect becuase the 4th 13 week session will end on December 30th. As of now I’m working through Beginner 2.0. On April 1st I’ll move onto Intermediate 1.0. Then on July 1st to Intermediate 2.0. And Finally on September 30th/October 1st onto Advanced 1.0. As I advance in the program I’ll be able to expand my workout base that I can chose from to add extra sessions. For example, currently I’ve recently added Fat Burner 2.0 which means that now I can also use Fat Burner 1.0 along with the easier sessions of Engergy 1.0 and 2.0. Next with be Below the Belt 2.0 which with unlock Below the Belt 1.0 also along with the four previously stated workouts. I can also add “live” workout sessions that are on the same level that I’m currently on meaning the beginner “live” workouts. “Live” means workouts that were live but are now recorded to be played back later. Bearlee is ... a Cook! I also have a goal of cooking more this year. Then people that seem to have the most success with weight management seem to be people that cook. Plus I want to make more meals for my kids that are healthier. So what does a cook do? They get a recipe, gather the ingredients, and cook. Seems simple but I haven’t been doing it. My goal was to cook something new every week and have 52 new recipes by the end of the year, but so far I’ve only cooked one new meal. So I’m modifying this goal to a new recipe every other week with 26 new recipes by the end of the year. I’ve found two books that I really like. The first is called the Ultimate Soup Book and the second is called Kitchen Counter Cooking School. I like the idea of learning to make soups because they are usually nutritious and hopefully easy to make. So the first part of my learning to cook willl be soups. But the other book breaks down cooking into really easy and understandable cooking skills. For. Example to make an alfredo sauce take two cups of heavy cream and reduce to sauce consistency and add herbs you like then add pasta and that’s it. Things I want to learn cook: Omelets (I cook fantastic scrambled eggs but not omelets) Scallops Steak cooked well How to cook hamburger correctly. I also have an issue where when I start something that I want to go and buy all the gadgets for that hobby. For example I would like to buy a food processor, an instant pot, immersion blender, grill, new cook wear, expensive knives, and so on. I’m going to hold off on that stuff until I use what I have properly. That is also why I want to start with soups since I have a pot. Bearlee is ... an Amateur Astronomer! Since the Great American Eclipse (that I missed due to weather) I’ve been obsessed with space. I caught the final days of Cassini before it plunged into Saturn and have read some of the fantastic things it’s done. I’ve been learning tons about our solar system and just how neat it is. I’m surprised by the number of space missions going on that I never knew about before: New Horizons, Osiris Rex, and Juno. I’ve been learning about what looks like the new space age happening right now with private companies getting into the space business, specifically SpaceX. The number of exoplanets that are being discovered is astonishing. Just so much to learn and be fascinated by. Since the eclipse I’ve visited my local astronomy club and viewed Saturn and the Moon through their telescopes. I visited my local planetarium and watched their “What’s in the sky this season” show. I joined the Planetary Society that was founded by Carl Sagan and is now headed by Bill Nye. And I’ve done some observations in the sky like on New Year’s Day super Moon and plan to watch January 31st’s Super Harvest Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse. This is also another hobby where I want to go out and buy the best telescope and laptop to view and photograph the night sky. But first there are other things that I will do. View a meteor shower Learn the constellations and be able to identify them in the night sky Learn the classification system for identifying objects Read at least one astronomy paper a week to learn more in depth about a topic Continue listening to astronomy Podcasts For now these will be my focus. I have other things I want to add to this list but I don’t want to overwhelm myself. If I can nail these down I’ll be off to a great start in 2018. And if I only get these down but do them really well I think it would still be a good 2018.

I'm a little surprised I haven't seen a thread dedicated to the eclipse on here, although I've seen it mentioned in other threads. Being in St. Louis, we're in the path of totality. I wish I were at home because I live south in Arnold, where it's an even better view. My company is throwing a party and giving out glasses to people. My wife's going out with her high school kids to watch it, my oldest is watching with a school event, and the youngest will watch on TV with his grandmas. We've been talking it up and feeding into the enthusiasm for the kids. If they're going to be interested in science, they have to see how excited we are as adults, right? They can get a lot of mileage out of their excitement this young. My first solar eclipse was (of course) only a partial viewed through a shoe box, but it cemented my mild obsession with astronomy. My oldest already wants to be an astronaut, and I want to encourage my kids at this age to explore and develop new passions. Is anyone else psyched for it? Do you have any special plans?

I saw this a couple hours ago and came on here to geek out with my fellow nerds, but alas there were no posts on it yet. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out on vimeo here --> https://vimeo.com/139407849. Don't let me down fellow nerds! Spread the geeky goodness.