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woodandbronze: Returning to Basics


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Hi, I’m woodandbronze - a retired university staffer and now retired professional cook. After yo-yo-ing between the same 4 kg for years, I joined the Nerd Fitness Academy last year and lost over 7 kg. I’m now on the second phase of my weight loss plan, but I’ve lost my momentum and cannot seem to get it back. So for this challenge, I plan to keep it simple and just focus on the two quests that will help me reach this year’s weight loss goal:

 

1. Lose approx. 8 kg by Dec. 31st

SMART goals: don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking

 

2. Lose body fat & get strong!

SMART goals: try out both level 3 bodyweight and gym workouts, then decide which will fit my routine best. Perform 3x/week (M-W-F) & do 20 min. cardio every day

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12 hours ago, woodandbronze said:

Hi, I’m woodandbronze - a retired university staffer and now retired professional cook. After yo-yo-ing between the same 4 kg for years, I joined the Nerd Fitness Academy last year and lost over 7 kg. I’m now on the second phase of my weight loss plan, but I’ve lost my momentum and cannot seem to get it back. So for this challenge, I plan to keep it simple and just focus on the two quests that will help me reach this year’s weight loss goal:

 

1. Lose approx. 8 kg by Dec. 31st

SMART goals: don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking

 

2. Lose body fat & get strong!

SMART goals: try out both level 3 bodyweight and gym workouts, then decide which will fit my routine best. Perform 3x/week (M-W-F) & do 20 min. cardio every day

 

Sounds good!

 

May I ask, what constitutes level 3 bodyweight and gym workouts?  Is there a program you're working?

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Adventurer, Half-Dwarf Chaotic-Good Paladin

Ne me dites jamais les chances!  ¡Nunca me digas las probabilidades!

Character Sheet Training Logs Challenges Prepping for Adventure PrepAdventure Prep Fall BabyWhen Are We Again, Anyway?WhirlwindThe Leaf's LocusHarnessing Hamingja New Roots More Beginnings, More Roots Cleaning Up Facing The Hailstorm Yo Ho Yo The... Keto Life For Me? Taming the Beast Another Step Towards the Future Baking, Suburban Homesteading, and Health, The Adventurers of the Lucky Vale IIIIIIIVVVI, VII VIIIIX

Spoiler

Perennial goals: Sleep 7+ hours a night, retain (and continue to learn) French and Spanish as a family, increase Spanish Proficiency for work and play,  read like a maniac on my own and with my kids, carry heavy stuff

Long term goals: Cut to 13-15% bodyfat, And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a baaaaarge! -> Someday I'll challenge a Disney world Gaston to a push up contest and win

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2 hours ago, Sciread77 said:

 

Sounds good!

 

May I ask, what constitutes level 3 bodyweight and gym workouts?  Is there a program you're working?

 

Thanks, Sciread77. I'm doing the Nerd Fitness Academy levels. This week I'm trying out the 3 bodyweight workouts - things like push ups, side planks, step ups, etc. and next week the 2 gym workouts (although I'll probably do them at home).

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Gotcha. That makes sense. I should probably meander on over and check those out. I haven’t regularly gone to a gym in years though we’re joining the local YMCA tomorrow. 

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Adventurer, Half-Dwarf Chaotic-Good Paladin

Ne me dites jamais les chances!  ¡Nunca me digas las probabilidades!

Character Sheet Training Logs Challenges Prepping for Adventure PrepAdventure Prep Fall BabyWhen Are We Again, Anyway?WhirlwindThe Leaf's LocusHarnessing Hamingja New Roots More Beginnings, More Roots Cleaning Up Facing The Hailstorm Yo Ho Yo The... Keto Life For Me? Taming the Beast Another Step Towards the Future Baking, Suburban Homesteading, and Health, The Adventurers of the Lucky Vale IIIIIIIVVVI, VII VIIIIX

Spoiler

Perennial goals: Sleep 7+ hours a night, retain (and continue to learn) French and Spanish as a family, increase Spanish Proficiency for work and play,  read like a maniac on my own and with my kids, carry heavy stuff

Long term goals: Cut to 13-15% bodyfat, And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a baaaaarge! -> Someday I'll challenge a Disney world Gaston to a push up contest and win

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On 8/6/2019 at 11:54 AM, Teros said:

How do you eliminate snacking?  I tend to batch cook but idk if that's something you tried.

 

I ask myself that very question every day, because lately it's just not working. I used to batch cook all the time when I worked, but it never impacted my snacking. How does that work for you, Teros?

 

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This week's stats:

1. Don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking - 50%, but at least I'm snacking on things like nuts and cheese... But God help me, I'm sick to death of logging my food intake and I WANT CAKE!!! :dejection:

 

2. Workout 3x/week & do 20 min. cardio - 90%. During prep week I tried the NFA level 3 bodyweight workout, then switched to the gym workout this week. I think a hybrid will work best for me. 

 

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On 8/11/2019 at 3:26 PM, woodandbronze said:

But God help me, I'm sick to death of logging my food intake and I WANT CAKE!!! :dejection:

 

Just thought I would let y'all know that I didn't succumb to eating cake :) - I did have a teaspoon or 2 of honey and that did the trick. I'm taking a break from logging my consumption, but am continuing to plan my meals, which already makes me feel a whole lot better.

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This week's stats:

1. Don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking - 71%

 

2. Workout 3x/week & do 20 min. cardio - 75%. One of the new exercises for me is a bar hang. Has anyone had any experience with these? I find that it's causing CRAZY emotional release. I spent the week in some discomfort because my shoulders are so tight, but I'm persevering because it's getting rid of some really negative crap that my body has been holding on to. Sorry if that sounds a bit "woo-woo", but I really don't know what else to make of it.

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On 8/18/2019 at 5:34 PM, woodandbronze said:

I spent the week in some discomfort because my shoulders are so tight, but I'm persevering because it's getting rid of some really negative crap that my body has been holding on to. Sorry if that sounds a bit "woo-woo", but I really don't know what else to make of it.

 

Doesn't sound like woo to me.  It has less to do with magic and more to do with actually getting yourself to relax in the places you carry your tension.

 

After the incident at Disney Land, my shoulders and arms were rock hard and I had nausea for a week.  It's part of how our bodies deal with stress and we're all different in how it manifests.

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Adventurer, Half-Dwarf Chaotic-Good Paladin

Ne me dites jamais les chances!  ¡Nunca me digas las probabilidades!

Character Sheet Training Logs Challenges Prepping for Adventure PrepAdventure Prep Fall BabyWhen Are We Again, Anyway?WhirlwindThe Leaf's LocusHarnessing Hamingja New Roots More Beginnings, More Roots Cleaning Up Facing The Hailstorm Yo Ho Yo The... Keto Life For Me? Taming the Beast Another Step Towards the Future Baking, Suburban Homesteading, and Health, The Adventurers of the Lucky Vale IIIIIIIVVVI, VII VIIIIX

Spoiler

Perennial goals: Sleep 7+ hours a night, retain (and continue to learn) French and Spanish as a family, increase Spanish Proficiency for work and play,  read like a maniac on my own and with my kids, carry heavy stuff

Long term goals: Cut to 13-15% bodyfat, And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a baaaaarge! -> Someday I'll challenge a Disney world Gaston to a push up contest and win

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On 8/18/2019 at 6:34 PM, woodandbronze said:

One of the new exercises for me is a bar hang

 

I have, and yes it can be "releasing," especially if you're able to just relax and hang without tension.

 

On 8/18/2019 at 6:34 PM, woodandbronze said:

getting rid of some really negative crap that my body has been holding on to. Sorry if that sounds a bit "woo-woo", but I really don't know what else to make of it.

 

That doesn't sound "woo woo" at all. There is a lot happening in your body when you exercise, including the release of "feel-good" hormones that can really impact your body and mind in powerful ways. Likewise, if you're have a lot of stress and tension in your life, that manifests in literal ways in your body.

 

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You've got the right idea. Practice gratitude every single day, especially in those moments when you feel the stress and tension growing. When you "change" your mindset from negative to positive, you literally change both your mind and your body, and the more you do it the stronger the effect becomes.

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Who am I? -- My NF Character

Current Challenge: WolfDreamer Returns (For Real This Time)

Past Challenges: 

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Winter is ComingWolfen Strengthens His Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit, Wolfen Becomes One of the PeopleWolfen Strengthens His ChakrasWolfen Welcomes Summer and Gets Primal, Soulcon and Spartan, Wolfen Develops Mental ToughnessWolfen Joins the Wander SocietySoulcon, Spartan, School, and Stranger ThingsWolfen Becomes a Warrior EliteWolfen Goes Here and There and Back AgainWolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior EliteWolfen Returns to His RootsWolfen Wanders in Soul, Spirit, and BodyWolfen Owns the DayWolfen Searches for His Wild Heart, Wolfen Runs for His LifeWolfen Hits the TrailsWolfen Becomes an Explorer and Joins the ResistanceWolfen Goes Back to the SourceWolfen Begins the Hero's JourneyWolfDreamer Returns to the People,  WolfDreamer Pushes BackWolfDreamer PrioritizesBurpees, Books, and BrainworkBurpees, Books, Brainwork, and BodyworkWolfDreamer Masters the Four ElementsWolfDreamer Continues to Master the Four ElementsWolfDreamer Returns to SpartaWolfDreamer Returns to Middle EarthWolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth AdventureWolfDreamer and the FallWolfDreamer Forges His Own PathWolfDreamer Has HopeWolfDreamer Returns to Middle EarthWolfDreamer Reads Harder, Breathes Harder, and Journals MoreWolfDreamer Embraces His Wild PoetThe Mad Poet Becomes SupernaturalWolfDreamer, The Mad Poet, Becomes SuperhumanWolfDreamer ElevatesWolfDreamer Becomes IronBornWolfDreamer Wakes the White WolfThe Mad Poet Recovers by Keeping it SimpleWolfDreamer Clears His Mind to Find His Wild HeartWolfDreamer ResetsWolfDreamer Strives to Become an Eminently Qualified Peaceful WarriorWolfDreamer Springs Forward

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Rising like a burning sun into the day..." -- Gungor, "Hurricane"

"...wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17b

 

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On 8/20/2019 at 9:58 AM, Sciread77 said:

Doesn't sound like woo to me.  It has less to do with magic and more to do with actually getting yourself to relax in the places you carry your tension.

 

On 8/20/2019 at 10:15 AM, WolfDreamer said:

I have, and yes it can be "releasing," especially if you're able to just relax and hang without tension.

That's what was so difficult - it hurt when I tried to relax. It's getting better though...

 

On 8/20/2019 at 10:15 AM, WolfDreamer said:

You've got the right idea. Practice gratitude every single day, especially in those moments when you feel the stress and tension growing. When you "change" your mindset from negative to positive, you literally change both your mind and your body, and the more you do it the stronger the effect becomes.

I'm thankful that a bar hang exercise taught me that my meditation practice was in a rut, because it wasn't helping me deal with all that negativity anymore. Fortunately, I found a guided Vipassana meditation that is helping me rediscover my practice and it's also helping me loosen up. It''s going to take some time.

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6 hours ago, woodandbronze said:

 

That's what was so difficult - it hurt when I tried to relax. It's getting better though...

 

I'm thankful that a bar hang exercise taught me that my meditation practice was in a rut, because it wasn't helping me deal with all that negativity anymore. Fortunately, I found a guided Vipassana meditation that is helping me rediscover my practice and it's also helping me loosen up. It''s going to take some time.

 

There can be a point in which traditional meditation is unhelpful in alleviating stress. I’ve noticed that my default is to just sort of disconnect when I’m stressed-a habit formed when I initially learned to meditate to reduce stress but failed to learn other coping strategies. 

 

Sometimes you have to shake things up. To keep getting the benefit. 

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Adventurer, Half-Dwarf Chaotic-Good Paladin

Ne me dites jamais les chances!  ¡Nunca me digas las probabilidades!

Character Sheet Training Logs Challenges Prepping for Adventure PrepAdventure Prep Fall BabyWhen Are We Again, Anyway?WhirlwindThe Leaf's LocusHarnessing Hamingja New Roots More Beginnings, More Roots Cleaning Up Facing The Hailstorm Yo Ho Yo The... Keto Life For Me? Taming the Beast Another Step Towards the Future Baking, Suburban Homesteading, and Health, The Adventurers of the Lucky Vale IIIIIIIVVVI, VII VIIIIX

Spoiler

Perennial goals: Sleep 7+ hours a night, retain (and continue to learn) French and Spanish as a family, increase Spanish Proficiency for work and play,  read like a maniac on my own and with my kids, carry heavy stuff

Long term goals: Cut to 13-15% bodyfat, And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a baaaaarge! -> Someday I'll challenge a Disney world Gaston to a push up contest and win

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This week's stats are completely skewed. I was house- and dog-sitting all week and ate a lot of things I shouldn't have. On a positive note, I got a lot more exercise looking after the pup.

1. Don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking - 36%

 

2. Workout 3x/week & do 20 min. cardio - 150% - where I would normally have just 1 20-minute session of cardio, I had at least 2 per day

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This week's stats:

1. Don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies, etc. & eliminate snacking - 50%. I received a gift of smoked salmon for minding my friend's house and dog last week. Cannot eat that without bagels, cream cheese & onion *shrug* 

 

2. Workout 3x/week & do 20 min. cardio - 40%. No excuses, I was L.A.Z.Y.

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This week’s stats:

1. Don’t buy bread/pasta/cookies etc.; eliminate snacking - 57%

2. Work out 3x/week and do 20 min. cardio/day - 60%

 

My overall stats for this challenge:

1. 54%

2. 83%

 

I’m not going to make my weight loss goal this year. I’ve been questioning my “big why” for wanting to lose the extra weight and it hasn’t changed - I want to like what I see when I look in the mirror, esp. as I grow older. But it’s not going to happen this year. I’ve done a quick run-down as to possible reasons why that may be and here’s what I’ve come up with and my comments/solutions for each (after the -> mark):

1. I’m in a rut and don't know how to get out of it yet -> guided meditation 2x/day

2. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done and am resting on my laurels for now -> Bulls*@!t

3. I just don’t feel like it -> "It's on my plan, so gotta do it"

4. All the small changes I've made to my eating habits over the last year have snowballed and there are now way too many to handle -> start again

5. I want my cake (or Rice Krispie squares) and eat it too -> my 60th birthday is coming up

 

See you on Sep 16th!

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