[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'm still working on most details for this challenge.  The basics:  

 

• Eating a slight deficit .... not so much that I'm hangry .... but not having snacks frequently.  I hate to say it, but WW has been working for me.  The possible alternative is My Fitness Pal, which gives me a better handle on macros.  Or maybe the LoseIt app and site.  But the emphasis on protein, veg, and fruit has been working.  
• Cardio 6 out of 7 days.  Using the MTG Forgotten Realms land cards so that I can mix up the types of cardio I'm doing.
• Strength train 2 or 3 days per week.  I'll be able to get to CrossFit more regularly once classes are done May 13th
• D & D solo campaigns for fun, flavor, and some creative expression

 

I was going to be learning Swedish, but hubby decided to book next summer's trip ..... to Iceland.    

 

 

[Waanie]

Following .

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

If you're in search of followers for your thread mission accomplished. 

[Elastigirl]

Why do you hate to say WW works for you? If it  works, that's great. I've always thought Iceland would be a cool place to visit.

[Loveable_Bouncer]

13 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

D & D solo campaigns for fun, flavor, and some creative expression

Continuing to follow as I work it out in my brain for my own journey. Something that just quite didn't make sense the past 6 years. 

 

13 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

  I'll be able to get to CrossFit more regularly once classes are done May 13th

 

13 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

I was going to be learning Swedish, but hubby decided to book next summer's trip ..... to Iceland.    

Interesting choice, and very jealous. 

[Jarric]

Ah, I'd love to go to Iceland. Are you going to try and learn Icelandic? Apparently it is an infamously difficult language.

 

15 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

I've always thought Iceland would be a cool place to visit.

 

Is that a pun? 

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

On 5/4/2022 at 3:40 PM, Elastigirl said:

Why do you hate to say WW works for you? If it  works, that's great.

 

It seems so ..... anti-Rebellion.   Although, if it works, then it is pro-Rebellion??

 

 

OK, time to firm up plans and put numbers on goals .....

 

Weight Loss Category:

• Weight by end of challenge: 156.5
• BF% back down to below 32%

Strength Training Category:

• Lat pulldown max at least 97.5 lbs
• Deadlift max 100 lbs

That's going to be a challenge!!  I'll be happy with any improvement.

 

Behavior changes (and how they are measured, with bonus D&D tie-ins):

• Stay within WW points limit each week.  That represents a balance between food and exercise, but also rewards vegetable and water intake.  In game, I'll pack rations for 35 days.  At the end of the week, I'll assess whether or not I'm dipping too far into stores with the forfeit of having to do extra cardio or strength training, representing taking time to do foraging or hunting.
• Minimum of 10 strength training sessions over the challenge.  I can always do CrossFit, my kettlebell workout, or my upper body training workout.  But I also pulled out my Pathfinder adventure cards and have a stack of barriers, traps, monsters and bad guys to inspire a workout.  Darebee, of course, has many themed workouts .... and I'll try to match those up, particularly after classes are done May13th.  
• For cardio, my land cards should arrive Monday.  Tomorrow, I might go run .... between Mother's Day brunch, a call from my daughter (I hope .... and hope she's in a better mood), and watching the new Dr. Strange movie.  
• D&D .... I'm using D&D Beyond for encounters and quests.  I'll write story snippets when I can.   

 

 

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Story ....

Spoiler

"You could go back, you know ...." Jorge observed from his deceptively casual position, leaning on my room's door frame.  " ... they have rebuilt and are looking for teachers ....."  he trailed off as I shut the chest and locked it.  Most of my stash of gold and jewels were tucked within - a testament to my trust in the building and its caretaker.

 

I sighed as I straightened and handed the key off to the stout dwarf in the livery of the Order.  "No.  I could return, but I could never go back," I said as I shook my head slowly.  "Besides, while I enjoy sleeping under a roof, I don't want to be confined by stone walls anymore.   And I did make a promise."  

 

The paladin nodded in understanding.  My promise was not as binding as his oath .... not quite .... but it was just as serious.  "Are you ready to go?"  

 

I glanced around my room.  Jorge had purchased one of the abandoned houses in Phandalin and made it our base.  It was habitable, barely, but the quiet, privacy, and security made up for creaky floorboards and the occasional drip from the roof.  I'd spent some time already in repairing the fence around the stable.  Jorge's gelding, Tucker, would not stray, but a good fence would be needed if we acquired more mounts.  Honestly, with the marshall here, I dared to hope that I would not be confined to foot travel much longer.  

 

"Just about .... " I waved at the gear piled on the rough bed.  "I'm just sorting through what can be left behind."  Since we were merely running more errands to warn locals of the dragon, I didn't think we would have need of rope and torches.  And with a paladin on hand to scare off bandits looking for easy pickings, I was planning to wear my leather armor and leave the heavy ... and hot and noisy .... scale mail behind.  

 

Jorge seemed satisfied and nodded.  "Well, bring your bow.  I don't intend to eat hard tack for a week."

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

On 5/5/2022 at 7:02 AM, Jarric said:

Ah, I'd love to go to Iceland. Are you going to try and learn Icelandic? Apparently it is an infamously difficult language.

 

 

Probably not going to tackle Icelandic.  We'll be there with a tour group, and I doubt we'll get far from major centers where English is common.  

 

We have been watching nature documentaries about Scandinavia, and looking forward are planning Norway and Sweden in 2024.  So, Swedish is back as a goal.  100 XP in Duolingo for +1 influence point.  

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

And .... I am feeling better.  Got in a walk today (just around the block ... 1 mile) and did my upper body workout:

 

Chest press: 70 x 8, 75 x 8, 70 x 5

Lat pulldowns: 87.5 x 8, 90 x 5, 90 x 5

Shoulder press: 50 x 8, 50 x 5, 50 x 3

[Waanie]

18 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

• stay within WW points limit each week.  That represents a balance between food and exercise, but also rewards vegetable and water intake.  In game, I'll pack rations for 35 days.  At the end of the week, I'll assess whether or not I'm dipping too far into stores with the forfeit of having to do extra cardio or strength training, representing taking time to do foraging or hunting.
• Minimum of 10 strength training sessions over the challenge.  I can always do CrossFit, my kettlebell workout, or my upper body training workout.  But I also pulled out my Pathfinder adventure cards and have a stack of barriers, traps, monsters and bad guys to inspire a workout.  Darebee, of course, has many themed workouts .... and I'll try to match those up, particularly after classes are done May13th.  
• For cardio, my land cards should arrive Monday.  Tomorrow, I might go run .... between Mother's Day brunch, a call from my daughter (I hope .... and hope she's in a better mood), and watching the new Dr. Strange movie.  
• D&D .... I'm using D&D Beyond for encounters and quests.  I'll write story snippets when I can.   

I like your plan! What are land cards, if I may ask? Anyway, it seems like a nice balance between being active and having a real life .

 

Do you really get rewards for vegetable intake, as in can you earn points if you add vegetables to your meals? That sounds a bit strange for someone who slathers her vegetables in oil (or butter), but I guess the oil would cost points again 🤔. It does make sense though if most people struggle to get enough fiber in...

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

13 hours ago, Waanie said:

What are land cards, if I may ask?

 

Ah, the Magic the Gathering card game has cards that represent terrain.  I don't know how the game is played, but they are a category that you can purchase separate from the rest of the cards ... and they looked like a great way to randomize exercise with a little fun .... and less computer.  Honestly, I sit down at the computer to look up where my characters are going, and an hour goes by .... I'm not sure why I'm scrolling through Facebook (!) ..... and I have to start the original task all over again.  

 

 

[Silmarilliane]

I agree with others that if WW works for you then all good. I wish I had the self-control to not have to count calories, but 12 years after my initial 'oh I need to lose weight' here I am...

 

Also would love to visit Iceland, looks so beautiful!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

22 hours ago, Waanie said:

 

Do you really get rewards for vegetable intake, as in can you earn points if you add vegetables to your meals?

 

You get an point added back into your allotment for the day, and they don't count against the allotment of points.  That is, most veggies.  Starchy veggies (potatoes and such) require points.  Fats take quite a few points .... so I don't put much butter or dressing on veggies and salads.  

 

Mother's Day was surprisingly pleasant.  We went to a tea house (finger sandwiches and scones sort of place) for brunch after church.  I read fiction (Legends & Lattes is a fun, light twist on sword and sorcery stories.)  Our daughter called and had a nice chat for 1 1/2 hours.  Watched the new Dr. Strange movie.  Did minimal work.   The hummingbirds and orioles suddenly re-appeared in our garden ... so we put out the feeders.  I got tomato and pepper plants to plant as we suddenly shift to summer temperatures this week.  

 

But, it also means that I didn't do any intentional exercise.  

 

Week 0 was a good rest for mind and body. 

 

I gained not quite 2 pounds, but that was squarely my fault because I chose to eat favorite foods in unrestricted amounts.  It was probably not a coincidence that my skin started itching the same time I started eating chocolate and sugars.    We'll see if that abates this week .  I sure hope so.

 

I rolled the dice -- literally --- and today is a rowing day.  

 

Happy Monday, all!!

 

[Jarric]

16 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

 

Ah, the Magic the Gathering card game has cards that represent terrain.  I don't know how the game is played, but they are a category that you can purchase separate from the rest of the cards ... and they looked like a great way to randomize exercise with a little fun .... and less computer.  Honestly, I sit down at the computer to look up where my characters are going, and an hour goes by .... I'm not sure why I'm scrolling through Facebook (!) ..... and I have to start the original task all over again.  

 

 

 

I love this idea; I didn't know you could get those separately but they sound useful...

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

3 hours ago, Jarric said:

I love this idea; I didn't know you could get those separately but they sound useful...

 

Amazon.  And they are the same size as my Pathfinder cards .... so, this is definitely shaping up as a solution.

 

Today .... ate at a work meeting and was not paying attention to the potato chips and cookie (!) that I scarfed down.  Gonna be rowing (or running if the rowing machines are not accessible because of a class).  

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Yesterday, I rowed 2K in 11:20, which was a new PR!  

 

I drew cards for the journey to and from the game destination .... and drew two forest cards on the route to the ranch.  Hum.  I don't have time to go do a hike early in the week.  So, I will be walking the long way around the forest with 4 walks instead of 2 hikes.  

 

Yesterday, logging honestly, I ate 42 points out of the daily allotment of 23.  So, I drew an opponent: a Traitor.  Have to think about an appropriate workout for that.  

 

The sudden summer and recent 2-week break from CrossFit makes me think that I should do a workout that is a little less likely to over-motivate me to over work.  I still have two more class meeting days to get through this week.  

[Waanie]

34 minutes ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

Yesterday, logging honestly, I ate 42 points out of the daily allotment of 23. 

Whoops. Do you have plans to make today better again?

 

On 5/9/2022 at 4:38 AM, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

Ah, the Magic the Gathering card game has cards that represent terrain.  I don't know how the game is played, but they are a category that you can purchase separate from the rest of the cards ... and they looked like a great way to randomize exercise with a little fun .... and less computer.  Honestly, I sit down at the computer to look up where my characters are going, and an hour goes by .... I'm not sure why I'm scrolling through Facebook (!) ..... and I have to start the original task all over again.  

Oh, those land cards! They're like mana/energy that you can use in game. There's a few colours, so it is nice to have them instead of looking up something on the computer. I know all about getting stuck online... I was almost caught in the trap earlier today as well 😅.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

23 minutes ago, Waanie said:

Whoops. Do you have plans to make today better again?

 

LOL .... yeap.  Avoiding eating free food in a semi-social work-meeting that is stress inducing.   Lunch meetings were something I missed during the pandemic, but now that they are back, I wonder why I missed them.  Free food??  Not a benefit, especially since it is always heavy in sugar and carbs.

 

Story ...

Spoiler

After the heavy rains, the river at the ford crossing was in full flood, and it took assistance from all of us to haul the barge across, pulling on the heavy ropes and using long poles to steady the craft against the current.   Thankfully, Tucker is a steady, reliable mount who considered the whole adventure a nice chance to relax and munch on his feedbag while we did all of the work.  

 

We were grateful to have the long, strong arms of a young scout, who joined us shortly after leaving Phandalin.  Will is gathering information for the lord mayor of Neverwinter, and was grateful to hear that points south of Phandalin had already been warned about the white dragon's incursion.  He will continue on with us to the Butterskull Ranch and then swing north back to the city to make his report.  

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Tuesday, I ran on the treadmill about 2 3/4 miles.  It was suddenly so hot that I didn't want to run outside, and I missed CrossFit because students had questions, and I couldn't get away in time.  

 

Today, I drew a card and mixed it up with the strength training.  I did 3 sets of the BandIt workout because I drew a Bandit attacker.  We have lots of different resistance bands at the gym --- so hubby and I urged each other on to get to the gym and not give in to the heat-induced sleepies.  I still have the Traitor to figure out what workout goes with it .... might do the Dark Side from Darebee.  

 

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

And .... we just got the bad news today.  Our CrossFit box is closing at the end of June.  Small town and the pandemic have made it really hard for them to break even; so I understand.  But urgh!!  

 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

7 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

And .... we just got the bad news today.  Our CrossFit box is closing at the end of June.  Small town and the pandemic have made it really hard for them to break even; so I understand.  But urgh!!  

 

Damn... sorry to here this especially for how much you enjoy it when you could go  

[Jarric]

16 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

And .... we just got the bad news today.  Our CrossFit box is closing at the end of June.  Small town and the pandemic have made it really hard for them to break even; so I understand.  But urgh!!  

 

 

Oh that's really sad. Do you have other options for gyms nearby?

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

26 minutes ago, Jarric said:

Do you have other options for gyms nearby?

 

Thankfully, we do have a well-equipped gym right next door.  The CrossFit box was renting space and equipment from the fitness center, and we could actually go between them through a couple of doors when coaches were there.  

 

The fitness center does have lots of great classes and personal trainers.  There was just something badass about going to CrossFit, and they really pushed me to try new things and go beyond my preconceptions of what I can do at 60+.  

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

4 hours ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

There was just something badass about going to CrossFit, and they really pushed me to try new things and go beyond my preconceptions of what I can do at 60+.  

 

 Unfortunately, at times, I pushed myself too hard.  So, the closing is a mixed blessing.    I printed out the old workouts from my personal training sessions last summer.  I have 8 great workouts that Grace had created for me to fill the gap.

 

Today, did a Zombies, Run! 5K training workout and will be gardening this afternoon.  

 

Story ...

Spoiler

A few miles out from the ranch, we walked through the abandoned town of Conyberry.  Old, burned down ruins are scattered here and there, but nothing living can be found except for rodents and other wildlife slowly reclaiming the area … that is, except for a few of Big Al’s horses and livestock.  Osborne was able to coax the spooked horses into accepting a leading line so that they could follow behind Jorge’s mount as we worked our way further east, to the Butterskull Ranch.  

Cresting a rise, we could see smoke still rising fitfully from several outer buildings, although the ranch house itself seemed intact.  We set the horses loose in the orchard and carefully approached the house itself.  Corpses of orcs and humans laid around the ruined barn, confirming the news that the surviving ranch hand had brought to Phandalin.  None of the humans seemed to be Al Kalazorn, and from the sounds in the house, it was obvious that some orcs had survived the initial battle.  So, we drew weapons and stalked toward the house …..