DJTrippyT: Worth it

[DJtrippyT]

 

 

Since there is nothing I enjoy more than mocking the terrible advertising and fashion of my youth, I give you: THE WORTH IT CHALLENGE.

 

It's basically the same challenge as last time but with cheesy commercials instead of dancing drawing patterns, and it's supposed to help me stick to things that get results (worth it) and stuff that is needless overthinking (not worth it). 

 

Onward!

 

Nutrition: Last challenge I worked really hard on portion control, and that turned out to be worth it, so that stays. Although I am dreading cutting back on coffee again.

 

WORTH IT: Portion control, not demonizing foods, packing lunches. Also: cheese.

 

NOT WORTH IT: Huge meal preps and shopping in bulk are wasted on me. I hate giving up my whole Sunday (and wrecking the kitchen) to do it, and I hate all the food by the end of the week. It makes more sense for me to prep my breakfasts, since I'm a zombie at that time of day anyway, and then make a couple of sides or a protein and a side, so I know there's something available but I'm not super locked in to something I don't feel like eating.

 

I'm also going to go outside my norm a bit and give myself permission to waste some food. I hate food waste, but I'm going to prep some sandwiches or wraps so I can keep on with packing my lunch. It saves a ton of money and time and I can control my portions better, and if I don't eat it I can give it to the cats or put it in the compost heap. I feel like I'll probably eat it though.

 

Bonus goal: I want to cook a full meal from a cookbook or a favorite recipe once a week. I used to love cooking, and there has to be a way to start doing it again without it becoming a source of unhappiness. If I go for once a week it won't seem too overwhelming with everything else I'm doing.

 

Scheduling: Last challenge I instituted a policy of two house chores (one of which is always the kitchen) per day, and tried to keep myself from multi-tasking all the time. This worked pretty well (I tended to lose control of the house mess toward the end of the week) so I'm going to keep up with that.

 

WORTH IT: Two tasks per day, making sure I schedule some "me time" when I plan my week as that tends to get lost, and working on one "focus area" per day so I don't multi-task myself into a catatonic state.

 

Also worth it: I have been experimenting with ways to get my boyfriend to help out with stuff. I've started sending text messages ("can you get paper towels on your way home?") and wildly over-praising when he spontaneously unloads the dryer or something. Baby steps. 

 

NOT WORTH IT: Spending entire days "catching up" on housework. This literally makes me want to throw myself in front of a train. Sometimes I'm just going to have to accept that the dishwasher will remain unloaded and the carpets unvaccumed. Really if I can keep up on the kitchen and the cat boxes I'm considering myself ahead of the game.

 

NOT WORTH IT: I have a terrible problem with trying to put too much stuff into one day, and that goes for fun stuff as well as work. I have to let go of always feeling like I'm running two days behind. Maybe I AM two days behind, but trying to cram three days of stuff into one day is just a disaster. LET IT GO, TRIPPY.

 

Workout: I have a cycle I'm on right now that's going well. I'm going to stick with it, and try to remember that I need rest days and not stress when I take them.

 

WORTH IT: Planning out my workouts in a two-week cycle so I don't have to solve for "x" every time I show up at the gym

 

NOT WORTH IT: stressing when I miss a day. My workout habit is pretty entrenched now and it's my nutrition I need to fix. Also, trying to "double up" workouts to get more in just burns me out, so I gotta resist that urge. Yoga in the morning is fine, but trying to "sneak in some extra cardio" is always a waste of bandwidth.

 

 

OH GOD THIS AD IS SO TERRIBLE HOW DID THIS HAPPEN

 

 

Anyway, this is a pretty simple challenge so I should be able to keep up ;-). I've set some goals for the end of the year gym-wise (second post) so this will give me a good launching pad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

 

 

God Damn, that is some BIG HAIR. Although Jerry Hall was from Texas, so...

 

Anyway here are my fitness goals for the last half of 2019. I made them based on what I would want to be able to do when the zombie apocalypse comes.

 

- 300 lb deadlift

- run a 5k without crying

- do the CF workout "Murph", although crying is allowed here

- climb a rope

- get to normal on my blood pressure.

 

The last one is important, I have been working on it for quite a while and I'm now within 20 points of a normal reading on a regular basis. I WOULD be within ten points, except the AMA moved the goalposts last year and lowered "normal" from 140 to 130, which I'm sure has NOTHING TO DO WITH SELLING MORE MEDICATION TO THE PUBLIC /end rant. If I can't get it within 5 points of "normal" by the end of the year I'm going to concede that I need some sort of pharmaceutical help and talk to a doctor about medication, but I really, really don't want that to happen so I'm motivated.

 

The other goals are just fun zombie apocalypse things, I do better with workouts when I have a goal.

 

 

[Raxie]

22 hours ago, DJtrippyT said:

 

I feel attacked by this ad, I literally just bought basically that necklace for an upcoming dance competition XD XD XD

 

22 hours ago, DJtrippyT said:

The other goals are just fun zombie apocalypse things, I do better with workouts when I have a goal.

 

Are you doing zombies, run?

[jstanlick]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:02 PM, DJtrippyT said:

do the CF workout "Murph", although crying is allowed here

Allowed? I thought it was mandatory.

[Elastigirl]

Woot for lowering your blood pressure! I'm with you on the rant. Makes me very skeptical when the goal posts keep moving, and every time they move more people need to by their drugs.

[jstanlick]

25 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

I'm with you on the rant. Makes me very skeptical when the goal posts keep moving, and every time they move more people need to by their drugs.

Makes you wonder how the "standard of care" is determined, or rather who is determining the standard of care. I know I'll sound like some loony conspiracy theorist, but follow the money and that will tell you what you need to know.

[DJtrippyT]

Prepping for my interview with the adventure race people tomorrow morning. I’m not expecting anything since I don’t think I’m actually qualified but it’ll be interesting either way.

 

I decided against the Lara Croft cosplay outfit for the interview. Tragic, I know. 

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

This should be your theme:

Good luck tomorrow.

[Xena]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:45 PM, DJtrippyT said:

but I'm going to prep some sandwiches or wraps so I can keep on with packing my lunch. It saves a ton of money and time and I can control my portions better, and if I don't eat it I can give it to the cats

 

 

On 7/31/2019 at 1:45 PM, DJtrippyT said:

Planning out my workouts in a two-week cycle so I don't have to solve for "x" every time I show up at the gym

 

I'm not as dedicated at the gym as you are, but I completely agree with this.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

This is my go to for bad hair product commercials:

 

[DJtrippyT]

15 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

This should be your theme:
 

 

Good luck tomorrow.

 

 

How could anyone forget Kelly LeBrock? She's the magic of Weird Science.

 

14 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

This is my go to for bad hair product commercials:

 

 

 

this is the mother of all earworm ads. It's the "It's a small world" of commercials. STUCK IN MAH HEAD

 

On 8/1/2019 at 12:17 PM, Raxie said:

 

I feel attacked by this ad, I literally just bought basically that necklace for an upcoming dance competition XD XD XD

 

 

Are you doing zombies, run?

 

You will look FABULOUS.

 

I should do zombies run but I'm afraid it will give me nightmares. I'm so fragile.

 

19 hours ago, jstanlick said:

Allowed? I thought it was mandatory.

 

Oh good cause I'll be crying

 

19 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Woot for lowering your blood pressure! I'm with you on the rant. Makes me very skeptical when the goal posts keep moving, and every time they move more people need to by their drugs.

 

18 hours ago, jstanlick said:

Makes you wonder how the "standard of care" is determined, or rather who is determining the standard of care. I know I'll sound like some loony conspiracy theorist, but follow the money and that will tell you what you need to know.

 

I too am deeply suspicious. I read somewhere recently that almost everyone's blood pressure rises as they age, and that 90% of people can be expected to be put on BP meds in their lifetime. To me, that sounds like they're treating a normal condition that's been pathologized, and we just don't fully understand the physiology. And the meds themselves are far from benign, there's all sorts of side effects.

 

15 hours ago, Xena said:

 

 

15 hours ago, Xena said:

I'm not as dedicated at the gym as you are, but I completely agree with this.

 

 

That's exactly what Cat #1 looks like when I'm eating.

 

Planning ahead is a huge help, although if I'm tired and the workout is hefty it's a risk that I'll just opt out.

 

My interview went well, it was about two hours and now I have to type up a proposal and send it to the guy. Will update.

 

 

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

Alright, I’m calling today the official start of the challenge (for me. You’re grown people, set your own rules)

 

And we’re kicking it off with... Alex Keaton’s mom!

 

 

today is going to involve a lot of domestic rangering so that I can start the week in a good place. I didn’t do much yesterday except eat and watch Shark Week; I was going to go to the gym, then decided to go do stadium steps instead. Then when I got to the park the sprinklers were on and the steps were all wet and it looked unsafe so I decided the universe didn’t want me to work out - er, thought I should take a rest day - and skipped it. I did heavy deadlifts Thursday so I felt okay about it. 

 

I did jump on my cooking goal - I made a crockpot version of beef stew with red wine, with some wild mushrooms in the sauce. It took forever to cook so it will be dinner tonight - last night was just leftovers. 

 

Today I’ll go to the gym or ride my bike depending on weather. I’d prefer to ride but it may rain all day. I’ll make that call at around 1pm. Gonna listen to that smooooth L’oreal Piano theme until then. 

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

Holy shit holy shit holy shit

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

1 hour ago, DJtrippyT said:

Holy shit holy shit holy shit

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

[DJtrippyT]

11 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

 

 

Thanks!

 

11 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

 

Thank you! My brain is still scrambled by the suddenness of it. I have to start tomorrow. Yikes!

[Teros]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:45 PM, DJtrippyT said:

NOT WORTH IT: Huge meal preps and shopping in bulk are wasted on me. I hate giving up my whole Sunday (and wrecking the kitchen) to do it, and I hate all the food by the end of the week.

Interesting.  I've never run into this because pretty much every day I hate doing any prep so it lets me zombie out for the week.  Although I will say that I get sick of stuff the last day or so each week.

 

I had to look up the 'Adventure Race' people. They have weeks-long competitions? That nuts.

 

[deftona]

Following! I hope your boyfriend also showers you with mad praise for doing the bare minimum of chores and if he doesn't I'm gonna.

[Raxie]

4 hours ago, Teros said:

Although I will say that I get sick of stuff the last day or so each week.

 

This is why I like to do big batch meal preps of super plain stuff and then vary sauces from day to day, and maybe the last day shred the already cooked/prepped chicken and throw it in some eggs or mix it into some beans or something for a quick meal but not the same old thing.

[DJtrippyT]

5 hours ago, Teros said:

Interesting.  I've never run into this because pretty much every day I hate doing any prep so it lets me zombie out for the week.  Although I will say that I get sick of stuff the last day or so each week.

 

I had to look up the 'Adventure Race' people. They have weeks-long competitions? That nuts.

 

 

Yes, the guy I'm working for is about to go do a 10-day race in Fiji (!!) where they basically get dropped off in the jungle and told to make their way out. They had to get a raft of vaccinations against all kinds of tropical diseases (typhoid, yellow fever, tribble infestation) just to qualify to go.

 

1 hour ago, Raxie said:

 

This is why I like to do big batch meal preps of super plain stuff and then vary sauces from day to day, and maybe the last day shred the already cooked/prepped chicken and throw it in some eggs or mix it into some beans or something for a quick meal but not the same old thing.

 

yes, a huge thing of roasted chicken breast is always a good idea.

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

okay, quick update. Life got very hectic for a second there. I wound up starting my new job today rather than Wednesday.

 

but first: Cybil Shepard thinks you're worth it. They must have made this ad at the height of her "Moonlighting" popularity because she's clearly channelling her character for this. I'm not sure why her hair is only curly at the bottom.

 

 

 

THAT SWEATER VEST THO. Straight out of the 80's preppy handbook.

 

Challenge stuff: 

 

Monday I found out about the new job; I was supposed to start Wednesday, but wound up starting today. It's just a part-time contract, which is what I had pitched to them, but I almost wish I'd gone with the full time thing. I started fantasizing over the weekend about never having to get up at 4 am for work so some hipster freak from LA could shit all over my team and complain about the lack of a vegan bee-pollen restaurant in Atlanta. Sigh. This is probably better though at least to start.

 

Nutrition: Having gotten the news in the AM that I got this job, there was some celebratory over-eating at lunch. And possibly also a daytime margarita. The rest of the day was okay. Either the celebratory food or the week-old water bottle I rinsed out and used at the gym gave me hideous indigestion at bedtime.

 

Schedule: Thrown for a loop by the job thing, but I got the kitchen and the bathrooms done, which were the assigned household tasks.

 

Workout: I got to the gym late (this day had a theme) so I did the first half of my workout. I feel like I got extra workout this weekend by streaming the crossfit games and screaming at the laptop about the horrible format. I was so happy for Noah Olsen though. And my other two favorite dudes came in 3rd and 4th. None of my girls even made the final round, which was horseshit.

 

Anyway I did a circuit: three rounds of Deadlift at 120 and dumbell thrusters at 50. The sets were laddered, so I did 10 DL/10 Thrusters, 12 DL/thruster, 15 DL/thruster. 

 

I was supposed to do another circuit after but it was already 8:30 and I had to get up super early so I cut it short.

 

Tuesday: 

 

Nutrition: skipped breakfast in a rush. Had a full coffee in the car. Chicken salad sandwich and a pickle plus an espresso for lunch. Tonight will be a pasta bowl post-workout, I think; I'm either going to get some tortellini or make some soba noodles and add some already-grilled chicken sausages and sauteed vegetables to it. I don't think I want a tomato sauce for it; I'll probably just eat it plain. I'll have to watch the serving size since tortellini is a bit heavy.

 

Workout will be the second half of yesterdays workout (circuit of wallballs, kettlebells, jump rope) plus back squats if I can get to the rack and front squats if I can't. I should do some pull-ups too.

 

Schedule: I have no idea what's on my list for today. Oh, it's the kitchen and the cats. Blergh. The kitchen is already done, so just cats when I get home later. I'm working right now on laying out a bunch of tasks for the week for my various work stuffs. 

 

Worth it/Not Worth it: 

 

- Having my workout planned yesterday was a huge plus; I just adjusted it for time. 

- Not having breakfast prepped this morning was a fail; although I had leftovers that I planned to eat, and I was just too tired to put it together, so maybe I wouldn't have eaten prepped breakfast either. 

- I haven't started the prepped sandwiches yet, and if I had I could have grabbed a sandwich and eaten it in the car. I do have some of those little tuna packets, but I didn't want to show up at the office with tuna breath.

- I decided last week I was going to eliminate setting up outfits on Sunday to wear during the week, as it's not that hard for me to get dressed (I've Marie Kondo'd my closet into obedience). I had been prepping gym outfits, and I think I'll go back to that - I like just grabbing a hanger out of the closet with all my workout clothes and not thinking about it. I don't like to throw any roadblocks in the way of gym; it seems dangerous.

- I've been doing breathing exercises that are supposed to help with blood pressure and I was listening to a podcast today that brought up the same exercises, so I felt encouraged to continue that. I also had another reference to forest bathing come across my radar, which reminded me to schedule that into my week. 

 

Okay, that's it for now. If anyone wants to come to Atlanta in October and do either an adventure race or an ultra-marathon, this is the company I'm working with and you can stay at my house! I won't make you do chores.

 

https://www.argeorgia.com/bear

 

https://www.argeorgia.com/blue-ridge-ultra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

Dinner update: after workout tortellini seemed too heavy, so I bought one of those steam-bags that had a quinoa, kale, and sweet potato mix in it. I put it in the microwave for a minute and then finished it off on the stove with some butter and some white wine; then I put half the package in a bowl (the package said the whole thing was one serving, which seemed like a lot, but maybe they mean for you to eat it as a vegetarian main dish?) added the reheated sausage, and it was quite good, even though I’m not the biggest fan of kale. 

 

I tried to be really present while I was eating, and just focus on the food and not be reading or dicking off on my phone or making tomorrow’s to-do list while I ate; it was less difficult than I would have thought. 

 

I was still listening to that same podcast on the way home from the gym/grocery store and the guest (Dr Andrew Weil) was talking about how relaxing he found cooking, and that he considered it a form of “practical magic”; I rather liked that. I’d like to get back that sort of headspace with cooking. 

 

It looked better before I ate some of it. 

[Raxie]

I love that "practical magic" idea around cooking.  Cooking is one of my favourite things to do - I definitely get totally meditative about it and in the zone. I hope you can get there! It's such a nice feeling, especially because the end result is feeding yourself deliciousness

[DJtrippyT]

I'm just hastily logging my food for today before I forget

 

breakfast: 3 oz pork chop and 4 oz sauteed plantain (pork was leftovers from last week I needed to eat up)

plus a peach. Half cup of coffee.

 

snack: 1 plum

 

lunch: wrap sandwich I made the night before (operation prepped sandwich begins) with sliced steak, banana peppers, and a bit of ceasar dressing in an 8 inch tortilla

 

late snack (4 pm ish) another very similar sandwich, but smaller (6 inch tortilla) and with a bit of goat cheese instead of the ceasar

 

dinner: 6 oz roast turkey breast ( I made this in the oven last night) some leftover quinoa dish (but not the stuff from yesterday) and 1 serving of mixed frozen vegetables sauteed. I could probably eat the whole box (I usually do) from a calorie standpoint - it's only 50 calories a serving, it's mostly broccoli - but I want to stay in the habit of doing the portion control.

 

I also had a glass of hibiscus tea this afternoon, that has no calories so it really doesn't count. And I ate another plum in there somewhere, because I was taking my vitamins and it's easier to digest them with food.

 

 

[DJtrippyT]

okay, where to start for updates... how 'bout we ponder this for a minute

 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/06/how-to-store-and-slice-cheese.html

 

Crimes against cheese are terrible, terrible crimes.

 

Wednesday:

 

Nutrition was pretty good.  I had a lot of cooked protein in the fridge so I was on a leftovers kick. I had a pork chop for breakfast. #notsorry

 

 

Workout: Rest day. I'm trying to do three on, one off so I recover. I planned to do a long walk at Stone Mountain as an active recovery but I waited until too late and then I was too lazy.

 

Schedule: kitchen and fridge clean-out. Got both those. Got all the trash out before the trash truck came. Win. Cleaned the cat areas.

 

 

I did not have a crimper as a teen and it's probably why I'm such a mess today. 

 

 

Thursday: 

 

Nutrition: I may have cleaned up my nutrition a little *too* much for the last couple of days as I tanked on my workout later in the day. 

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled, about 1 oz of keilbasa sausage that I wanted to use up, and sauteed spinach (about 3 oz raw, about a teaspoon once cooked). Plus a peach.

 

Lunch: last of the pork chops I cooked over the weekend. Not sorry to see the last of them. More fruit. I am going through peaches/plums like crazy because they are in season and great, I keep coming home with huge hauls from the farmers market. They ripen really fast in the warm kitchen and I feel compelled to eat them up so they don't go bad. I need to get some cherries today before their season ends.

 

Dinner: last of the roast turkey I made, last of the quinoa. I had like two batches made and they both had leftovers. I am about quinoa-ed out for a week or so. I had a more elaborate meal planned but I was too tired.

 

There was drive-thru fuckboi food after the bike ride and half a bonkbreaker bar (food of the gods) before the ride.

 

Workout: Crappy, crappy bike ride. I meant to do 30 miles, but work and stuff made me leave late (story of my life) so I cut it to 20. Then when I got there is was so freaking hot I cut it to 15. I wound up doing TEN. Jeez. My ride Sunday was so good, and I had two good gym days and a rest day, and then... bleargh. I felt like lead. I had a moment when I thought I wasn't even going to make it back from the turnaround. I think it was just the heat and maybe I cut my food back a bit too much. Either way a complete waste of a ride EXCEPT that I had some good work ideas while I was out there trying not to surrender to misery and crawl off into the woods and become one with the forest. 

 

After ride I hit the drive through. I felt bad about it. 

 

Schedule: Today was easier that usual because I had cleaned the kitchen really well the day before so I didn't need to do that, and I had gotten the trash out as well. I was supposed to vaccum but I decided not to care. I cleaned my office up again.

 

Friday (today) I'm hammering work out in a coffee shop. I skipped breakfast but had a whole coffee (I've been doing half coffees at home). I got to the coffee shop at lunch time and and had a chicken sandwich and an iced latte. It's the first latte I've had in two months; it was too hot to contemplate esspresso. I had chips with the sandwich.

 

I'm hoping tonight will be my nice recipe dinner for this week; I have a recipe picked out but I have to get done with my day in time to go to the farmer's market or it won't work.

 

Workout tonight will be strength work; I need to hit 200 lbs for singles for my deadlift and do assisted pullups at 105 pounds to stay on track. Then I have to run a mile. [vomits]