Big_Show Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Hey rebels, welcome to a new challenge! The last challenge felt like it was going well, but I totally neglected part of it without realising so this I'm specifically targetting that area this time. As part of the UK's roadmap out of lockdown, gyms are finally allowed to reopen from 12th April. I've planned out my (wildly deloaded) programme for when this happens based once again on Wendler's 5/3/1 programme, but in the intervening three weeks I need to get my body used to moving in those patterns again. 1) Resistance workout three times per week - I don't need incentivising to run, but when left to my own devices I will find any excuse to not do home workouts because I just plain don't enjoy them. But I can suck that up for three weeks, so I need to make sure I get three workouts in per week until the gyms open again. I'm aiming for a simple mix of press-ups, military press, lunges, squats, etc. - hopefully this will somewhat prepare my body for the shock it's going to get... 2) Keep total calories within +/-500 of my weekly calorie total (exact figure depends on my weight that week) - this always needs focus. Current weight-loss target is under 110kg. 3) Hit my weekly step target - still aiming to average 7000 steps per day across the week, and now I'm back up to running 5k twice a week that helps. No running any further until I shift a bit more weight though, so I need to make sure I get the walks in as well. LQ) Read more books - currently got three books on the go, so I need to finish at least two of them during this challenge. I need to get onto my pile of physical books instead of the Kindle ones ready for when I can sit in the garden reading, as I won't be able to read the Kindle screen too well outside! No zero week for me, I'll be cracking on with these goals from Monday as I have a deadline looming - I know the plan works as I've lost so much weight and regained so much fitness already this year. it's just plain time to stick to the d*mn plan! 3 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Tanktimus the Encourager Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 DAMMIT BIG SHOW SITCK TO THE D*MN PLAN! 2 Quote Current Challenge "By the Most-Righteous-and-Blessed Beard of Sir Tanktimus the Encourager!" - Jarl Rurik Harrgath Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 Monday weight: 113.4kg - last night's dinner was a homemade chicken tikka saag with homemade chips, so I'm wondering if that's why my weight was slightly up again. On a proper mission to get this down to 110kg during this challenge. Sunday steps: 8791 (2864 over target for the week) - went for a bit of a wander in the afternoon, think I'm safely over target for the week now. Sunday calories: 2444 (838 over target for the week) - current daily target is 2508 calories, so it feels pretty doable to get this back under 500 calories over for the week, Kicked off the exercise for this challenge by going for a run after work. I've got my usual route figured out now - head over to the rugby pitches and run a couple of laps round the outside of the field before heading back home again. Today that got me to 3.16M in 29:56 @ 9:28/mile average - that seems quite quick for me at the moment, which explains why I felt so wildly out of breath at a few times. But the more I do it, the easier it will become and/or the faster I will get, plus it felt so good after a day's work to get outside and do something physical. 2 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Rurik Harrgath Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 Big_Show's thread: d*amn Meanwhile, mine: Spoiler 3 Quote [Level ??] Rurik, the Wayfinder Class: Gloomfall Gunslinger (Artificer/Gunslinger) BRUTALITY 11 | FINESSE 10 | VIGOR 11 | INSIGHT 14 | WILL 13 Equipment: The Alchemist greatcoat armor, Longshot adventuring rifle, Slicer & Dicer dual blades, with adventurer's pack containing an alchemist's kit. "Rangers have to at least give up on pants. It's a special rule we enacted after Rurik became a Guild Leader.” – DarK_RaideR "Did I just get my ass kicked by a member of Metallica meets History Channel's Vikings?" - Wild Wolf "By the Well-Oiled-and-Meticulously-Groomed Beard of Rurik!" - Tanktimus the Encourager Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Tuesday weight: 112.6kg - back in the 112s again! Monday steps: 7204 (3068 over target for the week) - got up early and went for a half hour walk before work, so this should have me nicely over target for the week by the end of today now. Monday calories: 2018 (348 over target for the week) - back in range! Set my alarm half an hour early today to get that walk in before work, so that after work I could have a start at a very beginner resistance workout. Turns out I was somehow even weaker than I expected! Simple circuit of squats, press-ups, lunges, and shoulder presses with 5kg DBs. 5mins warm-up on the exercise bike, then the plan was to pyramid my way up to 5 reps then back again; after 5 reps I had to stop as my left thigh/groin was already aching and sore enough from not being used to doing anything like this! Which is awesome. A grand total of 15 reps of every exercise done. So I did another 5mins on the bike as a cool-down. Still, that sets the bar really low for me to beat this effort when I do it again later in the week! Got to find the positives somewhere! Tomorrow after doing my parents' shopping I'll be doing a yoga session, so that should help reset everything to I can attempt a few more reps later next time... 2 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Rurik Harrgath Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Big_Show said: Tuesday weight: 112.6kg - back in the 112s again! Taking into account that weight isn't everything, what would be your 'happy weight' goal? Just out of curiosity. Quote [Level ??] Rurik, the Wayfinder Class: Gloomfall Gunslinger (Artificer/Gunslinger) BRUTALITY 11 | FINESSE 10 | VIGOR 11 | INSIGHT 14 | WILL 13 Equipment: The Alchemist greatcoat armor, Longshot adventuring rifle, Slicer & Dicer dual blades, with adventurer's pack containing an alchemist's kit. "Rangers have to at least give up on pants. It's a special rule we enacted after Rurik became a Guild Leader.” – DarK_RaideR "Did I just get my ass kicked by a member of Metallica meets History Channel's Vikings?" - Wild Wolf "By the Well-Oiled-and-Meticulously-Groomed Beard of Rurik!" - Tanktimus the Encourager Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 35 minutes ago, Rurik Harrgath said: Taking into account that weight isn't everything, what would be your 'happy weight' goal? Just out of curiosity. Good question! At the moment I've still got plenty of bodyfat to lose so it's a handy way of keeping score, but last time I was heading down to these weights was 2016 and I'm definitely carrying a bit more muscle underneath it than I was back then. I got down to 103kg in early 2017 and clearly still had more belly to lose. At the moment I suspect that if I got down to 105kg I would look considerably leaner than I did back then. So the first goal is to get down to under 110kg and then reassess - once I get to a certain point I'll move to ignoring the scales and going purely on how I feel about what I see in the mirror (although proably still taking daily weights to see what trends I see, because data). 2 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Rurik Harrgath Posted March 24, 2021 Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 4 hours ago, Big_Show said: Good question! That's exactly why I wanted to ask. I'm actually leaner looking now at 94kg than I was at 85kg years ago simply by virture of having more muscle mass these days, so that makes it trickier to decide on an 'end game' to aim for. I'd love to get down to around 87kg again and be content but who knows where this journey will take me! I imagine that sounds about right to yours given you're larger framed than I am overall. Quote [Level ??] Rurik, the Wayfinder Class: Gloomfall Gunslinger (Artificer/Gunslinger) BRUTALITY 11 | FINESSE 10 | VIGOR 11 | INSIGHT 14 | WILL 13 Equipment: The Alchemist greatcoat armor, Longshot adventuring rifle, Slicer & Dicer dual blades, with adventurer's pack containing an alchemist's kit. "Rangers have to at least give up on pants. It's a special rule we enacted after Rurik became a Guild Leader.” – DarK_RaideR "Did I just get my ass kicked by a member of Metallica meets History Channel's Vikings?" - Wild Wolf "By the Well-Oiled-and-Meticulously-Groomed Beard of Rurik!" - Tanktimus the Encourager Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 7 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said: I imagine that sounds about right to yours given you're larger framed than I am overall. This is true. I am currently quite wookie (lockdown hiarcuts have not been regular. The other consideration I forgot to mention is that I eventually want to try a bulking phase, and I don't think it would be good for my head if I got really really fat again in the process, therefore I need to get to a low enough weight first to minimise that risk. ------------------------------------------------ End of the week review! Wednesday weight: 112.7kg - two days in a row is always good to see. Tuesday steps: 6721 (2789 over target for the week) - pleased with this - I'm off work for the rest of the week after today (still using up my annual leave before the end of the tax year) so this should be a good total next week. Tuesday calories: 2423 (263 over target for the week) - I was soooooo hungry all afternoon but somehow managed to stay in target. Current weight graph for the year looks now like this: You can clearly see the blip a couple of weekends ago when I decided to take a long weekend off tracking everything properly for our anniversary treat weekend, but I seem to have got back on target since then. Now it's time to press on and get under 112kg! 3 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Rurik Harrgath Posted March 24, 2021 Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 8 hours ago, Big_Show said: The other consideration I forgot to mention is that I eventually want to try a bulking phase, and I don't think it would be good for my head if I got really really fat again in the process, therefore I need to get to a low enough weight first to minimise that risk. This was a mistake I made back in the day so I totally understand wanting to be cautious. Definitely approach bulking systemically and with a concrete plan in place is the smart way to handle things! I kind of just went full sub-2000 Paleo to 300g carbs overnight and I do. not. recommend. 🤣 1 Quote [Level ??] Rurik, the Wayfinder Class: Gloomfall Gunslinger (Artificer/Gunslinger) BRUTALITY 11 | FINESSE 10 | VIGOR 11 | INSIGHT 14 | WILL 13 Equipment: The Alchemist greatcoat armor, Longshot adventuring rifle, Slicer & Dicer dual blades, with adventurer's pack containing an alchemist's kit. "Rangers have to at least give up on pants. It's a special rule we enacted after Rurik became a Guild Leader.” – DarK_RaideR "Did I just get my ass kicked by a member of Metallica meets History Channel's Vikings?" - Wild Wolf "By the Well-Oiled-and-Meticulously-Groomed Beard of Rurik!" - Tanktimus the Encourager Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 Ugh, got well behind with posting over the weekend. Still, it was technically still Zero Week I guess? Challenge has started off ok, I'll do a proper update tomorrow. Need to go catch up with everyone else's threads before they get too long! 1 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 Right, quick summary of where my goals are since last week with a view to hopefully getting back to posting more daily-ish afterwards: 1) Resistance workout three times per week - I attempted the pyramid session and this time managed to get from 1 rep up to 5 reps and then back down to 1 again, but it did wipe me out. So last week I only managed two resistance workouts. But I did then do it again on Monday and get through it all again and it felt a bit easier, so I'm going to do this again either tomorrow or Thursday and then that leaves me time to get a third workout in at the weekend. 2) Keep total calories within +/-500 of my weekly calorie total (exact figure depends on my weight that week) - not gone right this week. I think over the weekend I had a fair few "just the one" moments that I forgot to log, things like finishing off the Welshman's portion of shakshuka that I made us for brunch on Saturday, a few snack attacks, that kind of thing. I'd like to think I'm still in a calorie deficit for the week, but it won't be a large one and my weight definitely isn't reflecting it. New tracking week starts tomorrow though! 3) Hit my weekly step target - smashed this one. Went for a long walk with my sister on Friday, and on Sunday cutting the grass added another 6000 steps to my tally (it's a surprisingly big corner plot for a rental property). LQ) Read more books - finished reading Fool's Quest at the weekend and immediately started on Assassin's Fate (currently about 15% of the way through), so somehow still got three books to finish by the end of the challenge... In other news, I have also managed to run 5k another couple of times (still feel wiped out by the end of it), and it turns out a Parkrun is starting up locally once lockdown restrictions ease enough so I've got a timed 5k practically on my doorstep every Saturday morning! And speaking of lockdown restrictions, as of this week we're allowed to have people into our gardens again (although still not into the house) so this weekend will involve a lot of catching up with family. Which will be really really nice to finally do in person. 1 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
miss_marissa Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 Stick to the damn plan and doing forget to do your damn abs! Could finding a YouTube video to help in the at home resistance workouts be good? That way it's more guided and might be easier to stick to it get 3 in. Also hopping in on bulking to add that between cut and bulk definitely do a maintenance phase so your body can adjust! Don't just swing from one to the other. I've seen in literature no more than 3 months in each phase, but no idea why or where that comes from. I also imagine your starting point plays into that as well (losing 20kg vs 5kg) Quote Current Challenge # 39 | #38 | #37 | #36 | #35 |#34 | #33 | #32 | #31 | #30 | #29 | #28 | #27 | #26 | #25 | # 24 | #23 | #22 | #21 | #20 | #19 | #18 | #17 | #16 | #15 | #14 | #13 | #12 | #11 | #10 | #9| #8 | #7 | #6 | #5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1 | Battle Log Instagram | Goodreads Link to comment
Big_Show Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 6 hours ago, miss_marissa said: Stick to the damn plan and doing forget to do your damn abs! It is literally the name of my challenge, isn't it... 6 hours ago, miss_marissa said: Could finding a YouTube video to help in the at home resistance workouts be good? That way it's more guided and might be easier to stick to it get 3 in. I'm going to stick with what I've got mainly because I iust need to get to the end of next week with it, and I picked the movements in it specifically to try to prepare myself for the gym. But if (when?) home workouts end up back on the menu I'm definitely finding something better to follow. 1 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
miss_marissa Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 6 hours ago, Big_Show said: I'm going to stick with what I've got mainly because I iust need to get to the end of next week with it, and I picked the movements in it specifically to try to prepare myself for the gym. But if (when?) home workouts end up back on the menu I'm definitely finding something better to follow. That makes sense 1 Quote Current Challenge # 39 | #38 | #37 | #36 | #35 |#34 | #33 | #32 | #31 | #30 | #29 | #28 | #27 | #26 | #25 | # 24 | #23 | #22 | #21 | #20 | #19 | #18 | #17 | #16 | #15 | #14 | #13 | #12 | #11 | #10 | #9| #8 | #7 | #6 | #5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1 | Battle Log Instagram | Goodreads Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2021 It's a new week for logging my numbers! Thursday weight: 113.2kg - this is up from last week for some reason, so it's time to properly knuckle down again. No missed tracking of food, no exaggeration to myself of my activity levels. Wednesday steps: 8189 (1189 over target for the week) - this was a bit of a change in approach - I can't do my usual commute or run on a Wednesday evening as that's the evening I do my parents' grocery shopping, but this week with the weather being warmer the Welshman & I decided to get up and go for a short walk before work to bump up the numbers. First time I've hit my target on a Wednesday since I got a job again back in October! Wednesday calories: 2395 (113 under target for the week) - had some hunger pangs but managed to work round them, got myself a slight deficit. This is a gour day bank holiday weekend for Easter but we've planned our way through it carefully to avoid any calorie splurges - not having rugby to watch makes that easier immediately! This is the first weekend we're allowed to visit people and sit in their gardens again (albeit still not allowed in the house) so we're visiting some family for a catch up during the day, then got a long walk planned on Sunday before making a nice roast dinner. Should be a good weekend! 3 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2021 Oh, I nearly forgot to mention today's efforts - after getting up and going for a pre-work walk again, after work I eventually (with a bit of prompting from the Welshman) got on with my planned workout despite feeling like I really couldn't being arsed to do it. Same format as the last few times - a pyramid circuit of squats, press-ups, lunges, and overhead 5kg DB press. First time I did it last week I only managed to go 1-2-3-4-5 reps before my body was hurting too much from the unfamiliar movements and threatening to implode. The last couple of times I've done 1 -> 5 -> 1 and it felt easier the second time, so today despite being supremely unmotivated I managed to get 1 ->5 ->1 -> 5 again! My arms nearly gave up on the press-ups I don't think I would have got back down the pyramid again, but I'm going to have a good crack at it next time round. Surprising how quiclly the reps mount up this way - first workout was 15 total reps of each exercise, the next ones were 25 total reps, and today I was up to 39 total reps of each. Not bad for a week's work, and now I want to see how much higher I can get those numbers in the next week! 3 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 2, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2021 The weekend has begun! Friday weight: 112.7kg - nice to be back in the 112s again. Thursday steps: 6736 (925 over target for the week) - didn't quite get up to target with this one, but I did my workout and that's what matters! Thursday calories: 2947 (326 under target for the week) - this looks worse than it actually was - had a couple of gins in the evening and then opened a bottle of wine to have a glass with dinner, and instead of measuring it all out I just logged the whole bottle at once. It'll all average out over the week, so it'll just be "free" calories for Friday instead. Friday has been a good day - we got up and went for a bit of a walk first thing (about 1.6 miles apparently), then I went for another 5k run while the Welshman baked cheesey bread. I think it was the quickest I've done that route, and I even managed a sub-9:00 mile which came as a surprise. Definitely a while since I've achieved that. This afternoon we went round to his Mum & Step-Dad's house for lunch as Boris has said we're now allowed to sit in people's gardens. Homemade pizzas were served, and despite the nice weather earlier in the week it was pretty damn baltic today so by the end of it all we were kinda freezing (I had lost all feeling in my big toes). But we were still there for the best part of four hours, which is better than going even longer without seeing family. Tomorrow is my family's turn - my parents are going to sit in our garden in the morning, and then in the morning I'm visiting my sister's family to view their garden. And I will definitely be wearing more layers when I do so... 3 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
miss_marissa Posted April 3, 2021 Report Share Posted April 3, 2021 Glad you are finally able to visit again! The morning walks sound like a nice change of pace Quote Current Challenge # 39 | #38 | #37 | #36 | #35 |#34 | #33 | #32 | #31 | #30 | #29 | #28 | #27 | #26 | #25 | # 24 | #23 | #22 | #21 | #20 | #19 | #18 | #17 | #16 | #15 | #14 | #13 | #12 | #11 | #10 | #9| #8 | #7 | #6 | #5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1 | Battle Log Instagram | Goodreads Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2021 Ok, so it's been a really nice weekend but my logging kinda fell to the wayside a bit despite my best efforts. Saturday morning my parents came round to sit in our garden for a couple of hours and Mum brought us some homemade cheese scones, which were delicious. I have really missed her home baking during all these lockdowns! Then after lunch (during which we spent an hour in the house and still hadn't entirely warmed up again) the Welshman & I headed over to my sister's house to sit in their back garden and slowly freeze again. Really good to catch up her and my brother-in-law though, and my nephew & niece dragged themselves outside for a brief time as well (and not just because I had brought Easter treats for them). For dinner I made us a big Keema Pie (from Pinch of Nom) and served it with some sauteed green beans & sugarsnap peas, which means we have leftovers for a lunch this week as well. On Sunday morning (after a smidge too much wine Saturday night) we ate Easter Eggs for breakfast then went for a walk - it was sunny and much warmer, and we did a reather pleasant 6.6 miles on a new route we've found over local countryside footpaths. Then when we got back I stuck a gammon joint in to roast for dinner and baked a victoria sponge - it wouldn't win any technical challenges in Bake Off, but oh my it tasted good! Today we went to the garden to get more plants & supplies for tarting up our back garden ahead of more visitors, and also dropped the remaining half of the cake round to my sister's for my nephew & niece to finish off, then I rustled us up a shakshuka-type brunch in order to use up some leftover chicken thighs and the sprouts from yesterday. I think I've finally worked out why I've been plateauing and struggling with compliance over the last few weeks - due to not using any of my annual leave last year (I only started the job in October and we went straight into yet another lockdown a few weeks later) I haven't actually worked a full five-day week since the beginning of February as it all had to be used up by the end of April, and then we got another four-day weekend immediately afterwards for Easter! Allowing a bit more of a treat at the weekend therefore causes problems when every other weekend is as long as (or sometimes longer than) the working week... Today does kinda have that feel of the end of the Christmas holidays, or the end of a summer holiday - it's been fun relaxing, but now it's time to knuckle down again and get stuff done. And actually finally manage to stick to that damn plan. One week until the gym reopens. I'm going to put in a solid week of training and eating well then get myself in there ready to smash it! 2 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Endor Posted April 6, 2021 Report Share Posted April 6, 2021 Oi Oi Saveloy! Quote Endor, LVL 45 Half-Elf Ranger PR and Motivation Log | Current Battle Log Feb-March 2022 Challenge Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2021 Tuesday weight: 113.7kg Monday steps: 6527 (15,209 over target for the week) - after the long walks over the weekend we gave ourselves permission to not have to leave the house if we didn't want to, but apparently I still managed to get a fair amount in between my workout and generally pottering around the house. Monday calories: 2185 Today was back to work again, and afterwards I headed out for my regular 5k route again. Starting to get a bit bored of doing the same route repeatedly, but I need the offroad aspect to protect my joints from the impact, and for similar reasons I can't really venture further afield yet. So on we plod! I broke my weight loss graph down into separate months and the it suddenly becomes a lot more obvious where this year's progress got derailed: No valid excuses for a month of so little progress. Want to get back to a much steeper slope again for April! Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2021 On with the new week! Thursday weight: 112.9kg Wednesday steps: 7273 (273 over target for the week) - went for a walk before work and then again this morning. Lighter, warmer mornings make this a more appealing way to get the steps in. Wednesday calories: 2266 (242 under target for the week) - kept a careful watch on what I was eating, and made sure I was scrupulously honest with the logging as well. Did the same today, so should be going into the weekend with a slight deficit. Dragged myself (eventually) into the spare room to do my workout this evening - I was coming up with various reasons why I could sack it off, then I realised I literally only had to do it twice more before the gym reopens and then it seemed ridiculous not to bother. Really looking forward to the weekend, even if it is just a regular two-day one (how did I ever cope before?) although the weather looks kind of rubbish - from next week it seems to finally get a bit warmer so we can finally start having people over to our garden without freezing in the process! 1 Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2021 Friday weight: 112.0kg - a new low! Thursday steps: 6004 (723 under target for the week) - the morning walks aren't quite as long as the evening "commutes", but with the gym restarting the evening ones should become more of a feature again. Thursday calories: 2443 (307 under target for the week) - nice deficit with which to head into the weekend! Very pleased to see my renewed diligence showing rewards this quickly - 112.0kg is the lowest I've weighed since 19/10/2017! April's graph is already looking better too: Friday has been a good enough day - calories have been controlled and therefore I can afford myself some wine tonight without breaking the calorie bank, plus I did another 5k run after work this evening so that's both of those ticked off for the week. Just one more home workout to do tomorrow (and the weather looks shite so I should actually get this done!) and then the week's complete in that respect. Reading-wise, I'm plowing on with A Short History of England at the moment - we just got up to the civil war, so that should be a fun chapter. There's so many large swathes that we didn't get taught in school (mainly because we were doing rather sketchy stuff* to various people) so we basically went Vikings -> 1066 -> Tudors & Stuarts -> Second World War repeatedly. Then I reached the point where I could drop history as I only had to take one Humanity for my GCSEs. Anyway, with the gym reopening next week I had myself a proper think about what my overall goals are, to make sure that my workouts actually reflect and work towards them. Turns out there's nothing that revelatory involved: Bodyweight squat (both by raising the weight I can squat and decreasing my bodyweight so they meet somewhere in the middle) Chin-ups & Dips - so I can get back to OCRs when they restart and in the meantime go have a proper run round The Playground when nerds come to visit Vanity goals: I just generally want a bigger upper body and to feel comfortable shirtless, even it's just in my own back garden. With all this in mind, for the first few months at least I'm going to return to Wendler's 5/3/1 programme while I ramp the weights gradually back up again, with ym accessory lifts focussing on these targets. Then at some point further on, possible when I hit what I deem an acceptable weight/wasitline/bodyfat target (to be determined later) I can start a programme more aimed at bulking up. For now, however, I'm off to enjoy the beginning of my weekend! *I am well aware this is somewhat of an understatement... Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
Big_Show Posted April 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2021 Saturday weight: 112.3kg Friday steps: 6719 (1004 under target for the week) - kinda expected the run to take me over the limit for the day, but it was close enough that I'll make it all up over the weekend. Friday calories: 2467 (348 under target for the week) - absolutely amazed to find myself still under target after a Friday night! Today has been nice - we went to a couple of garden centres this morning to get more stuff for the garden, then went for a bit of a walk. I got my last home workout done (roll on Monday's gym trip!), we watched the Grand National, and this evening I'm making us a Chicken Tikka Sag with egg-fried rice for when we setlle in front of the TV for The Falcon & the Winter Soldier and then RuPaul's Drag Race. I'm quite surprised with my current numbers for this week, but it loooks like I stand a chance of potentially ending up below target for the week as a whole? It looks like a very tempting target to try for now... Quote Big Show: Human Swift Hunter Respawning. One day at a time. Battle Log: Operation Wedding Suit - Take 2 Previous challenges: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Link to comment
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