Agent9758's November Challenge

[Agent9758]

Using Alethea's challenge structure. Thanks!

Race

Dwarf. One that has led a very well fed and lazy life. Standing 5'9" and 305lbs.

Profession

Monk in training.

Flexibility

I've been attending a yoga class regularly for the last couple of months. I've seen huge changes in my flexibility already.

Measurable result: Be able to perform 9/10 "advanced" versions of the poses.

Strength

I started the "one hundred push ups" program (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/02/10/push-ups-do-it/) today. My initial test was 12. I'm also following the "couch to 5k" program (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/05/19/couch-to-5k-get-off-your-ass/).

Measurable result: Be able to perform 30 push ups without rest, and knock out 100 push ups throughout the day. Be on track with C25K.

Nutrition

Incorporate paleo eating into my life. I just discovered paleo eating this month, and have been slowly converting. I'm ready to make a commitment. I had been eating an Atkins diet since August (when I weighed in at 340lbs). For me, eating Paleo means eating cleaner and consuming "ethical" meat.

Measurable result: Be able to maintain an 80% paleo diet. Stock 100% paleo food at home.

Level Up

I am on track to be mostly debt free by the end of the month.

Measurable result: All debt aside from the car paid off. A simple, written budget.

This will be my first post on NerdFitness. I've been reading through Steve's archived posts and I am ready to get my ass in gear. My FB is http://www.facebook.com/Agent9758. I don't twitter. Yet.

-Rob

[Alethea]

Woo yoga!! Excellent goals, and congrats on your progress so far! You're going to love paleo. I find the biggest difference between it and atkins is the emphasis on healthy fats, i.e., they're not only okay to have, but are really good for you.

[Agent9758]

Thanks!!!

I'm loving Paleo so far. It's insane how far our culture has skewed what's "good" for you and what's "bad" for you.

My only regret about yoga is that I didn't start sooner. I find it not only stretches me out, but provides a great set of body weight exercises. We worked on our "core" last time, and I found myself gasping for air. But enjoying every minute of it.

[topherfangio]

Rob,

How are things going so far? You still keeping it Paleo? I'm trying, but it's really hard for me since I've eaten bread almost all of my life.

Glad to see that you lost 35 lbs on the Atkins diet! Keep it up :-)

[Agent9758]

I know exactly what you mean! I love bread. Thankfully, I've done Atkins enough that bread is no longer an issue. My biggest trip up with eating Primal is convenience. I very rarely prepare food. So when I get hungry, I'm usually reaching for whatever is in reach. This ends up being Taco Bell, ordering something from the local wing place with the rest of the office, or chowing down on the blueberry cobbler that a coworker brought in.

So my short list is the be better about preparing food in advance. I've stocked my cube full of Walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds. These still are not the best for trying to lose weight, as they are still packed with carbs when eaten en masse.

There was a recipe for taking a muffin pan and filling it with veggies and eggs. I'm planning on making a batch and seeing how long they last. Other than that, I'm focusing on eggs, salads, raw veggies (low carb servings). I'd like to start eating organic meat, but I'm not kicking myself if I grab some bacon or eat a double cheeseburger w/o the bun. Small steps.

I crashed hard this weekend with Thanksgiving, I'm writing that off as time well spent with family. I'm hitting it hard again today. Just picked up a pair of the Nike Free's and I'm looking forward to breaking them in tonight.

-Rob

[Alethea]

You will LOVE Paleo Muffins. They're delicious. I modded the recipe slightly - crack an egg into a bowl, whisk a bit, mix with veggies (I used mushrooms and spinach), then pour in bacon-wrapped muffin tin. Move onto next egg. It's a bit more time consuming, but otherwise I found that the veggies on the bottom had a habit of falling out when you were eating them.

[Agent9758]

That sounds delicious! Do you have any other recommendations for "prepare ahead" food?