Vilkacis is back in action, after far too long..

[Vilkacis]

As the title suggests, it has been far too long since I participated in this forum, and since I actively tried to get my health and fitness under control.  

 

That ends now.  

 

While I haven't gone up in weight from where I had been back in 2016, I have noticed as I've carried around this extra weight these last few years, my joints are beginning to get more and more sore, and my breathing isn't as strong as it was.  I've also just been scraping by in the life and career department, but that's a topic for another day.

 

This challenge is going to bring me back onto the trail of hunting down my end goal, which has always been the same of 210 down from my current 305.  

 

To do that, I'm going to be getting back onto slow carb eating.  I did this last year for a spell and ended up losing almost 30# before falling off the wagon and putting it almost all back on.  This is an all or nothing, and it only works if I do the 6/1 days with it, which is made easier to stick to with the promise of a free for all day every week.

 

I'm going to do a 5 minute basic bodyweight routine to start the year as well.  This will include pushups, squats, hip thrusts, and probably lunges.  My legs are quite strong because of the construction work I do, but they could be stronger and able to last longer, and my shoulders desperately need to be exercised and stretched.

 

I always struggle with accountability, so I will be posting daily, even just to say "Hey look Ma, I made it!" 

 

Finally, on a life/mindset challenge, I'm going to be alternating days writing for a half hour from 2030-2100.  Day 1 will be braindumping in a free flow style to get story ideas out and work towards finishing a book/story this (2021) year.  Day 2 will be working on copywriting by practicing swipe files and basically just copying ads that caught my eye and titles that did too into a book to give my brain the feeling of writing those winning words.  These will be the stepping stones and building blocks of my future as a solopreneur or freelancer, so I can spend more time with my family.

 

If you made it this far, I commend you and appreciate you dedication to reading about my challenge, and I look forward to our journey together in this amazing world of Nerd Fitness.

[Manarelle]

Welcome back, and happy new year! Getting older definitely brings out those hidden aches and pains - the husband and I were laying in bed the other day, and he said "remember back when you could lie down at the end of the day and not still hurt somewhere?" Ha, would be nice to go back to those days, eh? What sort of story are you looking to write, if I may? 

[Vilkacis]

42 minutes ago, Manarelle said:

Welcome back, and happy new year! Getting older definitely brings out those hidden aches and pains - the husband and I were laying in bed the other day, and he said "remember back when you could lie down at the end of the day and not still hurt somewhere?" Ha, would be nice to go back to those days, eh? What sort of story are you looking to write, if I may? 

Happy New Year to you as well, and thanks for the comment!

hahaha Yeah, it's tough when everything causes aches and pains.. I definitely notice my knees don't hurt as bad when I've been doing my squats and stuff though, so I think there's still hope.

I'm still up in the air between a childrens book series or post apocalypse setting.  Maybe post-apocalypse setting childrens book series.  haha That's what I'm hoping the brain dump will help with.

[Manarelle]

2 hours ago, Vilkacis said:

hahaha Yeah, it's tough when everything causes aches and pains.. I definitely notice my knees don't hurt as bad when I've been doing my squats and stuff though, so I think there's still hope.

 

It seems so counterintuitive, but that's what's kept me working out as the years pass. 

 

2 hours ago, Vilkacis said:

I'm still up in the air between a childrens book series or post apocalypse setting.  Maybe post-apocalypse setting childrens book series.  haha That's what I'm hoping the brain dump will help with.

 

Haha! I am interested in seeing where this goes..... 

[Vilkacis]

On 1/1/2021 at 4:47 PM, Manarelle said:

Haha! I am interested in seeing where this goes..... 

 

Thanks, you and me both! haha

[Vilkacis]

So I did my writing brain dump last night, and while I didn't do the workout I intended, I did a 10 minute beginner yoga with my wife, which was a win still in my book.  And I completely forgot the challenge started yesterday and not today, so here I am posting this morning instead. haha

For diet, I kept well until supper when we decided to go meet up with my inlaws for a weiner roast.  I ended up having a few hotdogs and buns for supper, only because I had to use my small bbq in the back of our car and they were the only food we had with us.  Today is a new day though, and it's going to be a better one!

[Manarelle]

I mean, the point of a challenge isn't to get it perfect right off the bat, it's to improve over time til you can hit your target. You did good til dinner, that's a solid day. Next time you do a weiner roast, do 2 hotdogs per bun or something. 

 

How was the yoga? Is your wife onboard with that? 

[Vilkacis]

That's a good idea, and one I honestly hadn't really thought about.  My brain is trained for one dog/bun. haha Have to definitely keep that in mind next time!

 

The yoga was basic but felt really good.  My wife was down with last night, and I'm hoping to continue the trend.  She feels better too when she does things like that, so it would be great if I can have her fully committed to even something simple like that, even every other night.

 

Today and tonight was better.  I did some canned chicken and a bit of mayo (which I know isn't the healthiest but it's what I had) and some eggs for lunch,  then ground pork and eggs for supper.  Breakfast was coffee, which isn't exactly a slow-carb approved breakfast as there's no protein, but I'm seeing how I feel doing IF as well, 16/8.  I know I shouldn't push myself TOO hard (it didn't come on in a day, it won't come off that way either) but right now I feel comfortable doing it.  If I start to feel like cheating because I'm starving or having issues with the IF, I'll drop it and do strict slow carb for a bit.

 

Copy was written tonight, and exercise wasn't fully completed, but I did do some pushups.  I'm back to work again which is a lot of stand to squat and up and down stairs, so my legs were already sore.  Going to push through it tomorrow and try for at least a few squats, then do some hip thrusts.

[Vilkacis]

Good morning!

 

I missed yesterday completely and this morning will just be a short touch base as I have other things I need to get onto.

 

I fucked up and had a McDonald's chicken mcmuffin yesterday morning.  2 of them, actually.  I slept like shit the night before and my kid was up a few times, so I was exhausted and couldn't find the willpower to stop myself when I went there for my coffee.  Work was busy with a lot of stair climbing and running around, so that helped, but I couldn't shake the shittiness I felt from eating them,  Supper was a couple of small chicken pot pies.  I realized while hunting for supper that I am not actually equipped currently to start my slow-carb, so it's more of a modified and better eating thing until I get a meal plan figured out.  I didn't end up doing any exercise besides work, but I DID get my writing dump done, so definitely a win on that front.

 

Last night was much better, I slept a lot better, and when I got up this morning I did some counter pushups (my shoulders won't let me do regular yet), squats, and thrusts while my coffee brewed.  Feeling great though!  

 

Time to go rock some stuff!

[Manarelle]

Woot! Glad you turned the rough day into an overnight win! As you say, problems didn't creep up on you overnight, it'll take some time to get rid of them, too. The point of a challenge is to get better, not be perfect right off the bat. Hope the rest of your day was awesome, and yay for the wife joining you on yoga. 

[Vilkacis]

15 hours ago, Manarelle said:

Woot! Glad you turned the rough day into an overnight win! As you say, problems didn't creep up on you overnight, it'll take some time to get rid of them, too. The point of a challenge is to get better, not be perfect right off the bat. Hope the rest of your day was awesome, and yay for the wife joining you on yoga. 

Thank you for the words of encouragement, I appreciate hearing (reading?) them.  I's always good remembering I'm not the only one going through all of the things!

 

Got my copy practice done last night, though I almost didn't as I was practicing my photoshop instead and lost track of time.  Felt good to still push on and get it done instead of saying "Meh, it's all good, it won't hurt to miss a day.."

 

This morning I got my pushups, squats, and hip thrusts in again while my coffee brewed, and I'm back on my computer to get more practice in on photoshop.  It's going to be one of the ways I start making an income over the next while, so I want to have many of the "basic" retouching skills well under my belt and as second nature as possible.

 

My wife wasn't feeling great the last couple of days so there was no yoga, but I'm going to try again tonight.  Even a 5-10 minute session would do her great!

 

Thank you again to those that come and creep!

[Manarelle]

9 hours ago, Vilkacis said:

Got my copy practice done last night, though I almost didn't as I was practicing my photoshop instead and lost track of time.  Felt good to still push on and get it done instead of saying "Meh, it's all good, it won't hurt to miss a day.."

 

I hear you on this... time just goes away when you're focusing on something you want to do. 

 

Hope your wife feels better... and joins you for yoga.  

[Vilkacis]

14 hours ago, Manarelle said:

 

I hear you on this... time just goes away when you're focusing on something you want to do. 

 

Hope your wife feels better... and joins you for yoga.  

haha It really does, easy to get distracted.  Though at least if it's something productive, I don't have to feel as bad.

 

Thank you!  She's got a bad gut which is something I'm trying help her address, but sometimes she doesn't want help and eats things she knows will bother it, and then complains when it bothers her..haha   I think it's in her DNA that if I say or suggest something, it's a terrible idea  or something like that, but if one of her family or friends says the EXACT same thing, it's a brilliant idea.  🤣

 

 

Diet is a work in progress.  I haven't sat down and actually written out a meal plan, so that is what I'm going to do tonight after work, though next week I'm going out of town for work with my boss and they're providing meals all week, so it's going to be just me picking from what's available.  

 

Rocked out a couple sets of pushups this morning and a set of squats.  Chest and shoulders are starting to feel better already, hoping to shift from counter elevation to chair elevation soon.  Squats have knees feeling a bit better, I just find my balance is shite right now, so I wobble in the seated position.  It's coming though, and almost no pain in my knees during or after, so bonus!

 

Last night we had our power out for an hour and a half while they did maintenance.  I took advantage of the time to do my writing my candlelight, then my 6 year old and I took our dog for a walk.  As the power was out all over our town, it was pitch black (they were fixing the substation).  I had my flashlight to get us down the stairs and onto the road, but once we were on the road, I shut it off.  My daughters reaction was one of the highlights of my night.  She was blown away at all of the stars she was able to see and kept staring up and talking about them.  We live in a very small town (1200 people total) so it's not like we can't see stars, but the magnitude with NO LIGHT AT ALL was fantastic.  As we were walking back home, the power flickered back on, and she was so disappointed she kept begging the power to go back out again. hahaha I told her this weekend I'd take her for a drive down a back road away from town and we could star gaze for awhile.

 

-Vilkacis

[Teros]

On 12/31/2020 at 11:14 AM, Vilkacis said:

my shoulders desperately need to be exercised and stretched.

 

What are you doing for shoulders?  I know that my shoulders lag far behind all my other exercise with my OHP.

 

On 1/1/2021 at 3:09 PM, Vilkacis said:

Maybe post-apocalypse setting childrens book series

 

Little Timmy, the 3-armed Bandit.  A series of short stories about a nuclear fallout child that has an extra arm and he steals things.  What a rapscallion.

 

On 1/6/2021 at 7:49 AM, Vilkacis said:

so I was exhausted and couldn't find the willpower to stop myself when I went there for my coffee.

 

This is always what happens which is why I promote batch cooking so much.  We have a finite amount of willpower so having the food ready means that's one less reason I'll relapse.

 

16 minutes ago, Vilkacis said:

Chest and shoulders are starting to feel better already, hoping to shift from counter elevation to chair elevation soon.

 

I know for me, it took a LONG ass time to have a smaller incline.  I did wall-ups for like 2 months and then switched to a desk until I could do 30ish reps and then dropped down again to my tire for a while.  I stayed hovering at the tire because part of me thought there was no way I could do a pushup on the floor until I was challenged to do one.  Grats on the workout and glad to see ya back around.

 

[Vilkacis]

On 1/8/2021 at 7:06 AM, Teros said:

What are you doing for shoulders?  I know that my shoulders lag far behind all my other exercise with my OHP.

 

Right now my shoulder work consists of the push-ups on the counter, and stretches after and sporadically during the day.  I buggered my left up pretty good a few years ago ramming a snow shovel into ice and jarring it, and I find if I push it too hard it flares up again bad.  I've got to start incorporating more shoulder and knee work though.  My favourite stretch for my shoulders is clasping my hands together behind me and pressing them down towards my butt while lifting away from my back.  Don't know if that makes sense written like that, but damn does it work. haha

 

On 1/8/2021 at 7:06 AM, Teros said:

Little Timmy, the 3-armed Bandit.  A series of short stories about a nuclear fallout child that has an extra arm and he steals things.  What a rapscallion.

I will definitely have to check that out!  Sounds very interesting.  I keep bouncing around between a zombie survival guide for kids or a series of a band of survivor kids either as picture book or chapter book (like Geronimo Stilton style)

 

On 1/8/2021 at 7:06 AM, Teros said:

This is always what happens which is why I promote batch cooking so much.  We have a finite amount of willpower so having the food ready means that's one less reason I'll relapse.

Yeah, that's what I keep saying I need to do, but then I get overload trying to figure out what I want to batch cook and/or freeze.  I need to settle on a few recipes that I know and maybe try adding one or 2 each week until I've got a group of staples.  The food you posted on your challenge sound amazing, I might need to give them a go!

 

On 1/8/2021 at 7:06 AM, Teros said:

I know for me, it took a LONG ass time to have a smaller incline.  I did wall-ups for like 2 months and then switched to a desk until I could do 30ish reps and then dropped down again to my tire for a while.  I stayed hovering at the tire because part of me thought there was no way I could do a pushup on the floor until I was challenged to do one.  Grats on the workout and glad to see ya back around.

I think I remember reading that, it was huge when you finally decided to try the floor for the first time.  Are you still rocking push-ups?  Or more sticking to the weights now?  I think for myself I'm going to do the wait until 30 reps (I'm at 20 no pain on counter height) and then progress down to kitchen chair, then repeat.  I'm gun shy to push too hard because I know the pain that comes from fucking up my shoulders..

 

Speaking of, I did my exercises again this morning.  I'm enjoying the feeling I get, the pump in my chest even after my couple of sets.  My quads definitely need more work, they're sore after 10, which is slightly surprising after how much stair work I do in my job. haha There too, I know that if I push them too hard I'll be no good at work, and since that pays my bills, I need to be a bit cautious for now, until I'm up and running with my photoediting and writing and don't need the physical job anymore.

 

Writing was forgotten about last night, but I DO journal every night and have for almost a year and a half, so at least I had pen to paper.. Going to do a bit of writing this morning after my post to make up for missing my copy, then get down to brass tacks on the book, settle on a style, and hopefully get at least a character or 2 fleshed out.

 

Diet is where I'm struggling right now.  I'm fairly good at my protein intake, but I'm still eating some carbs and snacks that I shouldn't be.  I need to find alternatives for when I want a snack, change my habits.. 🤔

[Manarelle]

On 1/8/2021 at 7:47 AM, Vilkacis said:

Last night we had our power out for an hour and a half while they did maintenance.  I took advantage of the time to do my writing my candlelight, then my 6 year old and I took our dog for a walk.  As the power was out all over our town, it was pitch black (they were fixing the substation).  I had my flashlight to get us down the stairs and onto the road, but once we were on the road, I shut it off.  My daughters reaction was one of the highlights of my night.  She was blown away at all of the stars she was able to see and kept staring up and talking about them.  We live in a very small town (1200 people total) so it's not like we can't see stars, but the magnitude with NO LIGHT AT ALL was fantastic.  As we were walking back home, the power flickered back on, and she was so disappointed she kept begging the power to go back out again. hahaha I told her this weekend I'd take her for a drive down a back road away from town and we could star gaze for awhile.

 

This is freaking adorable. Love that you were able to turn the power outage to your (and her) advantage. 

[Teros]

On 1/9/2021 at 11:11 AM, Vilkacis said:

Yeah, that's what I keep saying I need to do, but then I get overload trying to figure out what I want to batch cook and/or freeze.  I need to settle on a few recipes that I know and maybe try adding one or 2 each week until I've got a group of staples.  The food you posted on your challenge sound amazing, I might need to give them a go!

 

If I do a week's worth of cooking, that amounts to 4 meals that I make a bunch of.  I always have at least 2 'easy' things: baked chicken thighs, meatloaf, burgers, meatballs (literally 1 step for those).  And then I have 1 or 2 'fancy' meals.  Those are my experimental trying out things.

 

For instance, I had burgers, steaks, balsamic turkey stir fry, and thai red curry.   Meatloaf was just 1 egg plus salt and pepper rolled into a ball and baked.  Steaks were thrown in the toaster for 25 min and then done (green beans were boiled for a couple min).  Turkey was a pack of ground turkey that I chopped up some onions and peppers with and then used a wooden spoon to break it all up while it cooked (then splash of balsamic vinegar).  Then the 'fancy' one was the thai red curry: cutting up scallions, shallots, boiling huge crown of broccoli, frying the chicken thighs and adding red thai curry paste, coconut milk.

 

That way, it's not overwhelming for me since I can make the 'easy' ones super super quick and then if I'm in the mood I make my 'fancy' thai later on or if I'm low on energy, I just make the fancy meal the next day.  There have been times that I wanted to make 2 or 3 fancy meals and after an hour was like, "fuck this...." and didn't even want to bother so I'm probably in the same boat as you with getting overwhelmed.

 

I keep poking around with the idea of making a cookbook binder and then every week, flipping to a random page to decide what I'm gonna make.  There are times I get into food ruts and end up eating the same things on repeat and then I'll need to mix it up so I think having the binder decide my fate would work well.

 

On 1/9/2021 at 11:11 AM, Vilkacis said:

Are you still rocking push-ups?  Or more sticking to the weights now?  I think for myself I'm going to do the wait until 30 reps (I'm at 20 no pain on counter height) and then progress down to kitchen chair, then repeat.  I'm gun shy to push too hard because I know the pain that comes from fucking up my shoulders..

 

When school was at it's worst, I started binge-eating again and packed on the weight.  Then 5 pets died and my mom died all when I was trying to work two jobs, do an internship, and go to school.  Let's just say my physical health went to utter shit because of the stress.  So I haven't gotten back to push-ups yet and instead am doing the dumbbells.  But I think as I drop more weight, I'll be more apt to incorporate a bodyweight workout on my exercise off-days.

 

On 1/9/2021 at 11:11 AM, Vilkacis said:

I'm still eating some carbs and snacks that I shouldn't be.  I need to find alternatives for when I want a snack, change my habits.. 🤔

 

For me, when the sun goes down; the food gremlin shows up and I want to eat constantly until I finally break out of the junk-food habit.  I think that trying to time my bigger meal when I have that antsy-peckish feeling can help.  As for snacking habits, the closest thing I have for alternatives are: rx bars, lara bars, cashews, and FREEZING prunes (super chewy and they don't technically freeze which I found weird as hell).  So if I have that antsy 'gotta snack' feeling, I tend to grab one of those.