Alanna does two things... wait, make that three

[CourtnieMarie]

i have heard good things about the brand, Siete, for cassava flour tortillas but it looks like they only ship in the US  are you still in the UK?

[RedStone]

2 hours ago, Alanna said:

I've decided to grade this based on total time spent over goal, rather than by the number of days I'm compliant, in order to avoid a, "eh, I'm already over, might as well stay up longer" reaction (which has been a problem in the past). I'd rather get off screens at 8:31 pm every night than spend one night on my computer until 9:30 pm, and be compliant the rest of the time.

 

Brilliant!!! Love this

[Alanna]

Batch cooked cassava muffin/cookies for my carbs for the week! Spoiler in case the photos are still huge after resizing.

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Alanna]

16 hours ago, Urgan said:

 

I tend to grade my goals on the "spirit of the thing," rather than a hard cutoff. Especially if I choose to go over curfew by Adulting rather than just say, farting around on Youtube until I pass out with the lights still on.

 

I think this will be a happy medium - even if I go over with good intentions, the effect is still the same (more active mind -> harder to wind down, + less sleep). And if I can get off my computer, I can do the adulting tasks that are more pressing (like dishes :P).

 

 

[Alanna]

16 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

i have heard good things about the brand, Siete, for cassava flour tortillas but it looks like they only ship in the US  are you still in the UK?

 

I use Tiana, which I like so far - you can get it at Holland and Barrett as well as the UK Amazon. And yes, I'm doing a PhD, so I'm here at least another 2.5-3.5 years, and hopefully longer after that :).

 

 

13 hours ago, RedStone said:

 

Brilliant!!! Love this

 

Working well so far! I know I only have ~4 minutes of leeway in order to still get an A this week, so I was on time last night.

[CourtnieMarie]

Those muffins look delicious!

[Alanna]

4 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

Those muffins look delicious!

 

Basic recipe for anyone interested:

• 300 g of tiana cassava flour
• 100 g of tiana coconut flour
• 2 TB (24 g) of great lakes gelatin (if you can I eat eggs - I can't - you could probably substitute with a couple eggs)
• 250 g frozen blueberries (or another fruit - mashed banana or raspberries should work well)
• a dash of salt
• a few dashes of baking soda (as you can probably tell, I don't bake much :P)
• cinnamon
• vanilla extract
• water as needed
• could probably also add milk and some sweetener (e.g., honey) if desired

1. Mix the dry ingredients (flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda) in a large bowl
2. In a separate bowl, add a couple cups of hot water and slowly add the gelatin, mixing to dissolve it. Add vanilla extract.
3. FYI - don't add the cold blueberries to the gelatin - it will make it coagulate around the blueberries :P. Speaking from personal experience.
4. Add the dissolved gelatin to the dry ingredients and mix in. Add the blueberries, then more water as needed to have a thick dough consistency.
5. Roll into large-ish balls (handful of dough), put on the baking sheet with foil, and then flatten. Oh, although you might want to grease the sheet first... though once mine cooled I could get them off with a spatula without too much trouble.
6. I can't tell you what temperature to cook them at or for how long because the temperature markings have worn off the knob on my oven. I'd just use moderate heat and check them about every 15-20 min. They will get crispy on the outside but remain gooey on the inside, though will solidify once they cool. That's the only thing I've found with this flour - the outside becomes crispy (whether baking on the stove top or in the oven) while the inside remains gooey.

My recipe (w/o sweetener or eggs), divided into 18 servings, makes each muffin 1 g F, 17 g C, 2 g P

 

 

[Alanna]

My squats are back! Amazing what needing a deload + a cold + shark week (yeah, that happened too) + not sleeping well can do to your lifts...

 

Lifting session, 10 February 2018 (weights in kg x reps x sets)

• squat (LB, paused): 20x5, 40x5, 60x5, 80x5, 95x5 (+ belt), 100x5 (+ belt), 90x5
• squat (HB): 90x5x3
• hip thrusts: short bar + 40x12, short bar + 50x12x3 (don't know how much the short bar weighs - probably 10 kg)
• belt squats on the cable machine: 50x12, 55x12x3
• back extensions: bw+20x12x3

Squats are feeling good! I've been experimenting with using flat shoes instead of heeled ones, and my form looks better - mechanically, I'm stronger with a more closed hip angle, which the flat shoes put me in. In heeled ones, my knees shoot back in the hole in order to change the back angle to a more favourable one --> a bit of a good-morning squat.

 

Also, I am finally going to compete this spring! I just need to decide when... (details here): HALP.  Now I'm kinda excited about possibly competing at nationals, but want to make sure it's because I want to, and not because the team wants me too... also, traveling to compete still makes me anxious.

[Alanna]

I'M GOING TO COMPETE AT UNI NATIONALS. Because it's going to be epic and travel anxiety is not going to get the better of me.

 

As such, a new goal and new lifting plan:

 

On 2/5/2018 at 2:49 PM, Alanna said:

 

3) Calm the monkey mind: meditate daily. I'm now preparing for a lifting competition, which will require traveling and staying away from home - both of which make me anxious these days. In order to prevent my mind from sabotaging me (I'd really like to sleep the night before lifting...) I need to develop skills for calming and focusing my mind.

 

 

 

 

Lifting-wise, I'm currently on a deload, which is convenient because I'm also sick. Hopefully I can start my next phase fully rested and recovered this weekend. After a few months in the 6-8 rep range, I'll be back to focusing on strength with sets of 5, making count reps much easier! And I used to think anything over three was a big number...

I'm now preparing to compete in 7 weeks, so I'll have a short strength phase (week of 5's, week of 4's, week of 3's) followed by a mini-deload and then tapering for competition.

 

No theme because I'm lazy - please send gifs. EDITED: Now with corgi gifs. EDITED AGAIN: Now with meditation goal and competition prep!

 

WEEK ZERO RECAP

 

Meal plan: Did a good job of getting the skeleton prepared in time for the week, but don't have alternative meals/substitutions worked out --> B.

Screen curfew: Followed over the weekend (minus the time I forgot that I shouldn't look at other people's screens either, and got distracted by my boyfriend's WoW mount for a couple minutes). Either way, I'm <15 minutes of screen curfew non-compliance, so A for the week.

Meditation: Added for the following weeks.

 

 

[Mike Wazowski]

On 2/10/2018 at 6:56 AM, CourtnieMarie said:

Those muffins look delicious!

Seconded.

 

And OMG adorable puppies. While we're being the flowers....

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

[RedStone]

ooooo what's your mediation method of choice?  

[Alanna]

On ‎2‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 6:58 PM, MikeWazowski said:

 

And OMG adorable puppies. While we're being the flowers....

 

 

14 hours ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

 

 

 

14 hours ago, RedStone said:

ooooo what's your mediation method of choice?  

 

Well, on Monday it was say, "Alexa, meditate!" on the off chance she had meditation guidance built in (and she does!). Alexa's default, and also what I'm using now on my itouch, is the Stop, Breathe, & Think app, which has worked the best for me in the past as well. Short guided meditations are what I need right now, and it's also nice how they suggest different meditations based on how you're feeling. Unfortunately a lot of the meditations are pay-walled, but there's enough free content to keep me happy :). When I want longer meditations, I'll probably look for some by John Kabat-Zinn (author of Full Catastrophe Living).

 

----------------------------------------------------

Challenge Update - Week 1, Monday and Tuesday

Screen curfew: complied with both days! (minus using my itouch for meditation, which is permitted)

Meal planning: no progress for next week yet, though the meal planning has been helping my boyfriend figure out what he needs to eat :). 

Meditation: 2x on Monday and 1x on Tuesday. It seems like my mind is actually craving it... it's just a relief to be a bit quieter and present.

 

Lifting-wise:

Sunday was bench day: worked up to 56 kg  x 5, followed by 50 kg x 5 x 4 back-off sets and accessories

Tuesday was relatively light deadlifts: 95 kg x 1 x 15 speed pulls (one every 30 s), then 110 kg x 5 and 115 kg x 5, accessories, and a bit more benching

 

I have a bit of bicep tendonitis because of low-bar squats, so I'm also focusing on my shoulder mobility.

 

[Scaly Freak]

3 hours ago, Alanna said:

 

Well, on Monday it was say, "Alexa, meditate!" on the off chance she had meditation guidance built in (and she does!). Alexa's default, and also what I'm using now on my itouch, is the Stop, Breathe, & Think app, which has worked the best for me in the past as well. Short guided meditations are what I need right now, and it's also nice how they suggest different meditations based on how you're feeling. Unfortunately a lot of the meditations are pay-walled, but there's enough free content to keep me happy :). When I want longer meditations, I'll probably look for some by John Kabat-Zinn (author of Full Catastrophe Living).

 

 

Headspace seems to be free on Alexa as well. 

[CourtnieMarie]

5 hours ago, Alanna said:

I have a bit of bicep tendonitis because of low-bar squats, so I'm also focusing on my shoulder mobility.

i think i also have this. but i ignored mine for too long and now i can't do press work without real pain  what are you doing for mobility/rehab?

[Urgan]

6 hours ago, Alanna said:

I have a bit of bicep tendonitis because of low-bar squats, so I'm also focusing on my shoulder mobility.

 

Looks like you use thumbless grip, so that's good. Are you forcing your elbows back on purpose by chance?

[Alanna]

3 hours ago, scalyfreak said:

 

Headspace seems to be free on Alexa as well. 

 

All of the content? Cool, thanks for the head's up - I'll have to check that out. I think I looked at headspace before, but never really used it... possibly because much of it was paywalled if I remember correctly. It's also possible I didn't like the voice of the narrator :P. 

 

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

i think i also have this. but i ignored mine for too long and now i can't do press work without real pain  what are you doing for mobility/rehab?

 

Yeah, it's affecting my bench some too, which is not good :/. I'm trying a few things:

• Trying not to worsen it by 1) limiting low bar volume (I'm doing some high bar squats instead), and 2) not taking a super wide grip for bench (also doesn't feel good). I'm also going to play around with using wrist wraps for squats so I can bend my wrists some without hurting those, too :P. I might also need to learn how to keep my back tight with a wider grip during squats (right now the bar doesn't feel secure if I move my wrists out).
• Trying to address the issue by loosening up the tight muscles that are limiting my shoulder mobility (probably mostly my pecs, also maybe lats and delts) with self-massage/ART and a lacrosse ball. I'm going to see a free bodywork/massage-ish person at the uni sports centre tonight, too... will let you know how that goes. I saw this person once in 2015 and he advised that I stop lifting :P. The person I usually go to for aches and pains is off until the 19th, but I'll probably pay him a visit at some point too.
• Trying to heal the bicep tendonitis, and here's where I'm less certain of what I should do, so don't necessarily do what I do: 1) occasional icing when it is actively hurting (I'll massage my bicep with a large ice cube as well), 2) I started taking a high quality fish oil supplement again, and 3) apparently eccentric hammer curls with a light weight can help, but that may be bro-science... they did make it feel better, though. I might try contrast showers (alternating hot/cold in quick succession) soon, as well.

 

25 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

Looks like you use thumbless grip, so that's good. Are you forcing your elbows back on purpose by chance?

 

No, the last step in my pre-squat prep is actually rotating my elbows underneath me, though that doesn't move them much (and apparently they shouldn't be able to move much if your back is tight). I think my shoulders are just tight... as I said above, though, I'll try squatting with wrist wraps, which may allow me to keep my elbows more forward.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Alanna said:

 

All of the content? Cool, thanks for the head's up - I'll have to check that out. I think I looked at headspace before, but never really used it... possibly because much of it was paywalled if I remember correctly. It's also possible I didn't like the voice of the narrator :P.

 

I don't know, I haven't made it that far yet. I was planning to start using the skill daily for this challenge, and then I was ambushed by nasty flu/cold virus hordes and absolutely nothing has been done.

 

On my phone the paywall was clearly advertised before installing the app. The skill description on Alexa doesn't mention a paywall at all, so I am cautiously optimistic that since I pay for Prime, it'll be included somehow. I will report back as I go deeper into the headspace.

[farflight]

On 2/6/2018 at 4:00 AM, Alanna said:

Unfortunately MFP's database isn't publicly accessible as a shortcut, but we might be able to access something like the USDA database or Tesco's (UK grocery store) nutrition info.

 

Sorry to quote an old entry (getting caught up)

 

Could you "run a report" through MFP's actual website? 

 

You could then copy and paste that info into the database. I just figured this out the other day and have been playing pivot table with my food logs since like...November...It's oddly satisfying. 

 

Might give you a headstart on the database entry. Others who MFP could copy and past their reports as well

 

and following!

[Grumble]

On 2/14/2018 at 9:21 AM, Alanna said:

On 2/14/2018 at 7:56 AM, CourtnieMarie said:

i think i also have this. but i ignored mine for too long and now i can't do press work without real pain  what are you doing for mobility/rehab?

 

Yeah, it's affecting my bench some too, which is not good :/. I'm trying a few things:

 

If it's affecting your bench, do DB work. Use resistance bands to do rotation work, light weight bicep pause curls with slow eccentric work. I've got rehab stuff for days on this if you're interested.

[Alanna]

On 2/15/2018 at 5:21 PM, farflight said:

Sorry to quote an old entry (getting caught up)

 

Could you "run a report" through MFP's actual website? 

 

You could then copy and paste that info into the database. I just figured this out the other day and have been playing pivot table with my food logs since like...November...It's oddly satisfying. 

 

Might give you a headstart on the database entry. Others who MFP could copy and past their reports as well

 

and following!

 

No worries, feel free to comment on anything I've brought up in the past!

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "run a report"? (I know the CSV exports are premium content only, and the daily summary won't work well.) Thanks for the suggestion, though!

 

The trick with the database assembly will be doing something that is mostly automated (minus user additions) and having the ability to put the data into a certain format (hence why cut and paste won't work well), with the required info. I think we have some good solutions on the horizon, though!

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Grumble said:

 

If it's affecting your bench, do DB work. Use resistance bands to do rotation work, light weight bicep pause curls with slow eccentric work. I've got rehab stuff for days on this if you're interested.

 

Any tips (both rehab-wise and upper body stuff I can still do without aggravating it) would be MUCH appreciated as it's being a pain at the moment (details below). My ART therapist gave me some isometric work to do, and said to move on to curls as it improves.

 

--------------------------------

 

So, belated update because I've been stressed about the bicep issues, which are now affecting ALL the lifts:

 

Week 1 Recap

Meal planning: A (have plans for lifting + two rest day versions. Variety ftw)

Screen Curfew: B. I went 29 minutes over on Wednesday after having a horrible experience with one of the uni bodywork people (waaaaay to much pressure, and in the wrong places (upper back, which I don't think is contributing to the issue). Seriously, I had to ice my back and take a couple rounds of ibuprofen because it was so bruised and swollen. And as a result I had to delay my squats a day, which I was not happy about). Meal planning was my way of de-stressing afterwards and taking control of SOMETHING.

Meditation: 6/7, I think?

 

As I mentioned above, the bicep has been getting worse in spite of the mobility work, though I did manage a huge squat PR (112.5 kg x 6) on Friday, before it flared up on Sunday. I was already scheduled to see my ART therapist (<rant> who I trust, will actually be helpful, and won't cause pain instead of relieving it </rant>) on Friday,  but added a last minute appointment today because my bicep has been constantly aching, even without doing anything to aggravate it. He confirmed that it's probably bicep tendonitis (vs. rotator cuff issues) since the ache spreads down into the mid part of the bicep (vs. just the insertion point at the top). He also said that it's good that the pain isn't in the bottom part of the bicep, at the elbow, because apparently that's even more of a pain to deal with. It's still achy, but feeling a lot better after the first round of treatment.

 

I'm also feeling better mentally about it... last night I freaked out a bit because I want to train hard right now (and can't). Messaged my coach about it (worrying that I won't be able to prepare properly for the competition), and he said to rest it (+ do hot/cold therapy), and I should be fine for the competition even if we have to work around it. My boyfriend was a bit smug since that's also what he said :P. I'd just be gutted if I'm not able to surpass PRs I set 1-2 yrs ago (even though I was several kg heavier for some of those PRs). Still had a bit of a crisis after that and wondered why I'm even doing this (competitive powerlifting and powerlifting in general). Should feel better once I can do some heavy deadlifts... #irontherapy

 

Also, some low bar squat mobility work that I found:

 

 

For anyone who is a new follower - the "Supple Lioness" link in my signature has a link to my pinterest boards, which are largely mobility themed - I save most of the helpful things I come across there.

 

As a result of the stress last night, I completely blew through my screen curfew... I obviously need to work on calming down and getting to bed when I'm stressed.

 

[farflight]

56 minutes ago, Alanna said:

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "run a report"? (I know the CSV exports are premium content only, and the daily summary won't work well.) Thanks for the suggestion, though!

 

Oh hells to the no do I pay for premium services...

 

On the myfitnesspal.com website follow these steps

-Food

--View full report (at the bottom of the page)

---Change the dates at the top of the page

----Click "Change report" (make sure you check/uncheck the different things you wanna see)

-----You can then copy/past the info into excel. With a little "cleaning" you can reformat the data fairly easily.

-------(Case in point, I was able to "clean" my data in a couple hours from early december to yesterday)

-

[Grumble]

21 hours ago, Alanna said:

Any tips (both rehab-wise and upper body stuff I can still do without aggravating it) would be MUCH appreciated as it's being a pain at the moment (details below). My ART therapist gave me some isometric work to do, and said to move on to curls as it improves.

 

Pec stretch in doorframe, put your forearms on either side of a doorframe and lean into it, keeping elbows at 90 degrees.

 

Single-arm shoulder flexion: Stand with your injured arm hanging down at your side. Keeping your arm straight, bring your arm forward and up toward the ceiling. Hold this position for 5 seconds. 

 

External rotations: Tie a resistance band to a bar about mid chest level. With the arm parallel to the floor and bent at the elbow 90 degrees, slowly rotate til the forearm is vertical. Start with a light resist band and up the resistance as you feel comfortable. Other version: Stand sideways next to a door with your injured arm farther from the door. Tie the band at waist level. Rest the hand of your injured arm across your stomach. Keeping your elbow in at your side, rotate your arm outward and away from your waist. Slowly return your arm to the starting position. Make sure you keep your elbow bent 90 degrees and your forearm parallel to the floor. 

 

Sleeper stretch: Lie on your injured side with your hips and knees flexed and your arm straight out in front of you. Bend the elbow on your injured side to a right angle so that your fingers are pointing toward the ceiling. Then use your other hand to gently push your arm down toward the floor. Keep your shoulder blades lightly squeezed together as you do this exercise. 

 

I still use these regularly as warmups and they without a doubt are perpetually beneficial.

[Urgan]

Question: I just saw you are deadlifting with a mixed grip. Which arm is giving you trouble, or is it both??

[Grumble]

17 minutes ago, Urgan said:

Question: I just saw you are deadlifting with a mixed grip. Which arm is giving you trouble, or is it both??

 

I posted a whole response to this, then realized it wasn't my thread. Were you talking to me or Alanna?