Stronkey Kong: Actually getting stronk again.

[Stronkey Kong]

Hello. I am Stronkey Kong. I've been on NF for over eight years . I'm still fat and making the best of it. learning from my mistakes. 🤔

 

GOALS:

 

MEDITATION+: Still practicing the Buddhism. Still on a meditation streak since March 21st. That's all fine and good, and is habit. Now I need to step it up and memorize the "King of Aspiration Prayers: Samantabhadra's Aspiration to Good Actions." The prayer/mantra itself is a guide to the essential meditation preliminary practices we do. It is also 259 lines long. But for the benefit of all sentient beings I will memorize it... in English at least. Then I'll start on the Tibetan.

 

Settle in to the WIZARD TOWER: As some of you saw last challenge, I bought a house and moved in. While I'm almost done upacking, now is not the time to stop. So definitely want to get all that finished up this challenge. This weekend I got the bedroom in order by unpacking all the clothes, doing ALL THE LAUNDRY EVAR, and putting clothes away. There's one more box in there, then I need to get the office and kitchen done.

 

MOVEMENT: Now that the house moving and all is tapering off to just regular chores, I need to start working out again. So I'll be lifting weights and following the Greyskull LP... M, W, F or S. It'd be great to get a little cardio and yoga on top of that, but that'll be a bonus.

 

NOOM: Just showing up and getting it done. Weigh in, log food, read articles.

 

I think that's all. I thought briefly about a writing goal, but maybe I'll add one when the office gets settled.

 

And there will be pictures of and stories about this idiot...

 

[Jessebel]

Pets and Buddhism are pretty much all I need to sustain me. What type of Buddhism do you practice? I practiced Tibetan Buddhism for about 3 years and have been practicing Rinzai Zen for about the same. 

 

Much luck with your wizard's tower! I have been reorganizing things while my lady is away visiting family and it is a beast. Once your tower is in order, however, the real magic can begin. 

 

 

Aloha and good luck!

[deftona]

Here for the Stronkenating! 

[Yasha92]

Noom buddy!

 

[Heidi]

9 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

I thought briefly about a writing goal, but maybe I'll add one when the office gets settled.

The goal that can be stated is not the true goal.

Here for the Buddhism, the post-move solidarity, and definitely for stories of the cat.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along cause I like following your challenges.

[Stronkey Kong]

11 hours ago, Jessebel said:

Pets and Buddhism are pretty much all I need to sustain me. What type of Buddhism do you practice? I practiced Tibetan Buddhism for about 3 years and have been practicing Rinzai Zen for about the same. 

 

Much luck with your wizard's tower! I have been reorganizing things while my lady is away visiting family and it is a beast. Once your tower is in order, however, the real magic can begin. 

 

 

Aloha and good luck!

 

I'm doing it the other way around: I practiced (Soto) Zen on and off for years, now I'm practicing Tibetan Buddhism with the Gelugs. Thankfully I'm real close to done with settling in... then again I'm looking around and there's a pile of stuff that... well, it's in the right room, but it still needs to find a place kind of thing. So it won't be organized for quite a bit, but this place is functional.

 

11 hours ago, deftona said:

Here for the Stronkenating! 

 

 

10 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Noom buddy!

 

 

 

Though, right now I'm definitely not in 'The Honeymoon phase' and just doing it like a 9 to 5 I kinda loathe. But that's the point of habit building, at some point you just do it.

 

3 hours ago, Heidi said:

The goal that can be stated is not the true goal.

Here for the Buddhism, the post-move solidarity, and definitely for stories of the cat.

 

Words will always fall short of the ultimate truth, but we should always strive to improve the way we express the path to truth. Because words are, after all, a tool for the conventional mind that obscures the ultimate truth, and though they can't directly express the truth, they can illuminate the path.

 

RE: Buddhism -- I don't plan to discuss it much, only to brag about my meditation streak and complain about how hard it is to memorize a 259 line prayer.

 

RE: Cat -- Ruined a perfectly good, cool weather night by routinely jumping into the window that sits next to my bed. Every time I was about to fall asleep I'd hear a **THUD** as she jumped down on the nightstand. Ugh!

 

3 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along cause I like following your challenges.

 

Cool! Cause I like when you follow my challenges.

[Yasha92]

2 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Though, right now I'm definitely not in 'The Honeymoon phase' and just doing it like a 9 to 5 I kinda loathe. But that's the point of habit building, at some point you just do it.

Same, waiting for the next hype build up while just chipping away at it. Having meal “streaks” has definitely helped with keeping me logging where other trackings have fallen by the wayside.

 

RE: cats. If I don’t get up immediately to feed them Mayhem will flow through kisses, then grabbing my hand with her claws to try and drag me out of bed, to biting. Mischief just goes straight to the cannonball onto the bladder from the windowsill. Who would have cats 😂 

[Stronkey Kong]

1 hour ago, Yasha92 said:

Same, waiting for the next hype build up while just chipping away at it. Having meal “streaks” has definitely helped with keeping me logging where other trackings have fallen by the wayside.

 

RE: cats. If I don’t get up immediately to feed them Mayhem will flow through kisses, then grabbing my hand with her claws to try and drag me out of bed, to biting. Mischief just goes straight to the cannonball onto the bladder from the windowsill. Who would have cats 😂 

 

Have you finished all the NOOM articles yet?

 

I think I have her feeding schedule worked out well enough that there's always a little food left for the morning so the kissing, rubbing, and biting doesn't escalate to cannonball onto vital organs, but if my dresser was closer to the bed, it probably would. She mostly just lays next to me, purrs, loudly, and cuddles... with her claws.

 

Then there's spaz kitty, who once she gets enough pet and food energy runs back and forth across the house, and if you're in the way, or within reach anyway, she'll bear-hug your calves and bite.

[Stronkey Kong]

MEDITATION: The streak continues. I did it first thing in the morning (-ish) and recited the Samantabhadra prayer,  which takes like 10 min. to read through.

 

WIZARD TOWER: Did some more unpacking so all the kitchen boxes are done. Changed some light bulbs -- brand new 75 watt equivalent LED bulbs to replace the old 60 watt incandescents, burned out bulbs, and a couple dim CFLs that were on there last legs -- I now have enough light to cook and poop by -- not at the same time tho. Finished the laundry.

 

DIGGY DIGGY HOLE (sidequest):

 

Another sidequest I forgot to include yesterday... I need to bust through that concrete and install a sump pit in the basement... In other words, I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole. Diggy-diggy hole, digging a hole.

 

MOVEMENT: Did a half-assed Greyskull workout.

 

KB press: 36# [1,2,3,4,5]x1 each arm -- [] denotes ladder sets

Negative chinups: 1 -- this one was pretty good. I'm actually not dropping like a sack of shit, so progress.

Deadlift: 140# 8

 

Half assed because I should have done 2x as many KB presses and Negative chins. Half assed because I was doing lifts in between unpacking boxes and got distracted.

 

NOOM: Weighed in, read an article, tracked all the foods. Done.

 

HALLOWEEN CANDY (sidequest): I forgot about this. My neighborhood, as I may have mentioned, is really big on Halloween... like week long events and festival. People come from all over the city to Trick or Treat here. So, I'm going to need lots of Halloween candy, and I'm stocking up now and bought a few bags at the grocery store yesterday. Which means I have two months of trying to avoid eating HALLOWEEN CANDY.

[Yasha92]

Avoiding candy = hard mode!!!

 

I’m not finished all the articles yet, up to 301 “matters of the mind”

 

 

[Harriet]

All right! I'm here for the idiot! But also the strength and meditation. Happy unpacking! I hope putting things in their place sparks joy.

[Sciread77]

Following along for everything!

 

Also, I think it’s time to take that deeper look into Buddhism I’ve been meaning to take. 

[Snarkyfishguts]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:35 AM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along cause I like following your challenges.

I really liked this, and am seconding it. 

[Stronkey Kong]

10 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Avoiding candy = hard mode!!!

 

I’m not finished all the articles yet, up to 301 “matters of the mind”

 

 

 

Looks like we're in about the same place. I think I'm about halfway through 301 as of last week some time, and I haven't been keeping on top of it since. Yay Noom buddies!

 

10 hours ago, Harriet said:

All right! I'm here for the idiot! But also the strength and meditation. Happy unpacking! I hope putting things in their place sparks joy.

 

Yeah... most of you are here for the idiot. BTW... she makes meditation really difficult sometimes. She sees me sitting cross-legged with my hands folded and is like "That looks like a cozy place to sit and purr loudly."

 

3 hours ago, Sciread77 said:

Following along for everything!

 

Also, I think it’s time to take that deeper look into Buddhism I’ve been meaning to take. 

 

I'd recommend The Art of Happiness by HH The Dalai Lama and Howard C Cutler MD... it's still a secular book, but it's a good first step out of the shallow end.

 

1 hour ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

I really liked this, and am seconding it. 

 

Good. Cuz I really like when you follow my challenges too!

[Yasha92]

2 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Looks like we're in about the same place. I think I'm about halfway through 301 as of last week some time, and I haven't been keeping on top of it since. Yay Noom buddies!

You can do it! 5min, two articles, get after it! ✅ “preach what you practice” doneskis.

 

I will go do mine after posting this comment, but curious- what happened mid last week that wobbled you off the wagon? Have you kicked it and ready to get back onboard? At the very least are you keeping up with the daily weigh in? Mine looks like a heart rate monitor at the moment, I blame sharkweek, but still chipping away at it.

 

 

EDIT: boom, accountability.

 

[Harriet]

10 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Yeah... most of you are here for the idiot. BTW... she makes meditation really difficult sometimes. She sees me sitting cross-legged with my hands folded and is like "That looks like a cozy place to sit and purr loudly."

 

Mine, too. The big red one finds me very tempting when I'm meditating. And she never jumps on to my lap without a little razor sharp, clothes-ruining kneading. At least when she stops and settles down I can continue meditating.

[Stronkey Kong]

MOVEMENT:

 

Pushup: [1,2,3,4]x2

Negative. Chin up: 1 --forgot to do a second one 

Squat: 70# 2x5, 15

 

That's it for the week. No obligatory workouts until Saturday. Thursday and Friday are my rest days. On Saturday the greyskull week starts again. 

[sarakingdom]

On 9/7/2021 at 1:06 AM, Stronkey Kong said:

HALLOWEEN CANDY (sidequest): I forgot about this. My neighborhood, as I may have mentioned, is really big on Halloween... like week long events and festival. People come from all over the city to Trick or Treat here. So, I'm going to need lots of Halloween candy, and I'm stocking up now and bought a few bags at the grocery store yesterday. Which means I have two months of trying to avoid eating HALLOWEEN CANDY.

 

Directly into the chest freezer.

 

On 9/7/2021 at 2:20 PM, Stronkey Kong said:

Yeah... most of you are here for the idiot. BTW... she makes meditation really difficult sometimes. She sees me sitting cross-legged with my hands folded and is like "That looks like a cozy place to sit and purr loudly."

 

"Encourages better meditation habits".

 

PS Time to pay the pet tax.

[Stronkey Kong]

51 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Directly into the chest freezer.

 

 

"Encourages better meditation habits".

 

PS Time to pay the pet tax.

 

Double bagged, back of the fridge freezer... best I can do.  Freezing it won't deter me, but it might slow me down. 

 

[Teros]

On 9/7/2021 at 2:06 AM, Stronkey Kong said:

I now have enough light to cook and poop by

 

 

51 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

Directly into the chest freezer.

 

Uhm, when I was high, frozen reeces cups were BETTER than regular room temp ones. That wouldn't deter me at all.  Frozen m+ms are banging too.

 

 

[Yasha92]

Mr is the tall one and I am the short one, so if I need something hidden from me he will put it on the top pantry shelf, and if he needs something hidden from him I put it in the lowest cupboard at the back.

 

[sarakingdom]

2 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Double bagged, back of the fridge freezer... best I can do.  Freezing it won't deter me, but it might slow me down. 

 

2 hours ago, Teros said:

Uhm, when I was high, frozen reeces cups were BETTER than regular room temp ones. That wouldn't deter me at all.  Frozen m+ms are banging too.

 

You're not wrong, Teros, but at least it's under some broccoli that way. And will survive the September late summer heat

[Stronkey Kong]

23 hours ago, Teros said:

 

 

 

Uhm, when I was high, frozen reeces cups were BETTER than regular room temp ones. That wouldn't deter me at all.  Frozen m+ms are banging too.

 

 

 

I'd agree, high or not, frozen reeces are better, as are many chocolate candies... and cheap ass dessert snacks... frozen twinkies, ho-hos... dude. The list goes on.

 

They are however, harder to chew... so that helps buy me some time until the executive functions of the brain kick in and remind me how many I've eaten and that I should have eaten none.

 

21 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Mr is the tall one and I am the short one, so if I need something hidden from me he will put it on the top pantry shelf, and if he needs something hidden from him I put it in the lowest cupboard at the back.

 

 

I'm fairly tall and I have decent squat mobility. Neither of these is a solution for me. 🤔

 

21 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

 

You're not wrong, Teros, but at least it's under some broccoli that way. And will survive the September late summer heat

 

Double bagged = harder to see the candy. And it's sitting behind a bag of freezer burned whitefish, which is sad to look at and will knock any hunger urge down at least one notch.

[KB Girl]

Didn't really follow along last challenge, so bit late but still wanted to say congrats on buying your wizard tower, that's awesome