[Silmarilliane]

Bingly-bingly-beep!

 

I completed my last challenge and levelled up, and have spent the last two weeks essentially undoing all of that by eating all of the foods and not really exercising. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

 

Anyway, onwards and upwards. So what I learned from my last few challenges:

1. Daily logging and two-day-bonus works for me

2. Plotting out what 'overeaty' days I've got coming up is super de-stressing for me

Things I've become more aware of recently:

1. I don't do anywhere near the amount of walking or general exercise I previously have in my life

2. Despite strict calorie counting with occasional 'over' meals, I'm not shifting any fat which is immensely frustrating and makes me want to eat food to cheer myself up (and also, why not if it makes no difference...)

3. I feel gross and sick when I overeat, however food is still delicious and makes me overeat (sigh)

 

Ok, maybe I'm in too down a mood to be writing this right now

 

Well, I'm going to start on Sunday anyway, and drafting out the challenge now - if anyone has any suggestions for me to shake things up I'd really appreciate it.

 

Some stuff that I already have decent grip on the habit:

Spoiler

• Run up a local hill every morning before work
• Pilates once a week
• Home dumbbell/barbell weights routine 3x a week
• 2min squat brushing teeth

 

THE CHALLENGE

 

Food

• Under 1600 calories a day = 10pts
• Two days in a row = 5pts
• Only overeating one meal = 0pts
• Overeating dinner and then eating more for the sake of it = -10pts
• Overeating the whole day for the sake of it = -50pts (this may seem overly harsh, but unless it counters the walking/phone points, it's not enough of an incentive)

Total possible = 520pts

 

Sleep

• No phone scrolling before bed = 10pts
• Two days in a row = 5pts

Total possible = 520pts

 

Walking

• 2.5+ miles per day = 10pts (this means I have to do a walk both in my lunchbreak and after work when wfh because I've been getting slack)
• Two days in a row = 5pts

Total possible = 520pts

 

Other exercise

• Any additional cycling, HIIT, Zumba in a day = 5pts
• Week Sun-Sat without doing at least two additional exercises = -10pts

 

1200pts are required to pass this challenge.

[Silmarilliane]

Oh, I forgot to list out all the days I have potential overeating coming up... I feel this is going to be long

• This Sunday potentially going to watch the football at a friend's with takeaway
• 01/08/2022 Meeting a friend for dinner
• 03/08/2022 Birthday dinner for the fella
• 05/08/2022 Potential birthday karaoke for a friend
• 10/08/2022 Getting pasta before theatre (how that can EVER be under calories unless I don't eat anything the rest of the day I do not know)
• 13/08/2022 Wedding
• 14/08/2022 Christening and Nibling birthday
• 20/08/2022 Being bought a belated birthday takeaway
• 21/08/2022 Boardgames which will invariably involve takeaway
• 29/08/2022 Christmas dinner (tradition since covid)
• 03/09/2022 Wedding

Fuck.

[Harriet]

Hmmm. Tricky. When you get takeaway, can you put half in the fridge immediately?

[Elastigirl]

I like the -50 for overeating for the day. It's way too easy to say I already overate so the day is wasted. 

I hear you on the overeating days. I'm trying to find a balance where I enjoy those special times, but don't let it derail my progress. Some things I am working on when eating with others: Try and slow down, spend a good part of the time just enjoying the conversation instead of eating, take time to enjoy all the sights and sounds if I'm eating out, Not coming home and eating later even though I'm not hungry

[deftona]

I like the idea of two christmas dinners. You're living life in 3000 over there, girl.

[Silmarilliane]

22 hours ago, Harriet said:

Hmmm. Tricky. When you get takeaway, can you put half in the fridge immediately?

 

The takeaways are at other people's houses... I could suggest sharing some of the things (or bring a tupperware to take some home...)

 

21 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

I like the -50 for overeating for the day. It's way too easy to say I already overate so the day is wasted. 

I hear you on the overeating days. I'm trying to find a balance where I enjoy those special times, but don't let it derail my progress. Some things I am working on when eating with others: Try and slow down, spend a good part of the time just enjoying the conversation instead of eating, take time to enjoy all the sights and sounds if I'm eating out, Not coming home and eating later even though I'm not hungry

 

Yeah, I'm hoping the -50 is enough of a negative for me to avoid it! Especially on like days for weddings - I don't HAVE to eat a massive breakfast, snack throughout the day etc. Also yes I definitely eat when I get home if I've had an overeaty dinner or something, so that's definitely something to watch out for...

 

19 hours ago, deftona said:

I like the idea of two christmas dinners. You're living life in 3000 over there, girl.

 

Yeah boi, especially as in 2020 it ended up being my actual Christmas!

[Silmarilliane]

I actually missed another event off there - bf's birthday drinks too. Eeps

[Sovalis]

Here to cheer you on! 

[Silmarilliane]

Thanks folks - the working day is already nearing the end and I really wanted to get into the habit of posting here first thing for the previous day. Ah well!

I had a good start yesterday - I got up and out to take stuff to the charity shop (~1mile away up a hill) and did an extended route home to get the miles up to above 2.5 (successfully). I'm trying to go for no phone at all in bed, but had to set a reminder to write out my list of 'things I need to do when I don't think I have anything to do', instead of writing it all out when I was in bed. I then read for a bit before bed - still working through Wheel of Time re-re-read (alongside a WoT re-read blog haha), but think I might start reading book books at home and WoT on kindle on the tube as I've been gifted a few books recently. I also ate when I was hungry yesterday and successfully stayed well within calories. Today is my first 'meal out' of the challenge but my friend is happy to go to Nandos as it's easy for calorie counting, and then have a wander afterwards, woop!

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️10pts 🥗 10pts 📵 10pts

Total: 30pts

[Silmarilliane]

Hmm, I've realised though that being out every evening this week (and potentially Friday) I'm going to struggle getting my weights in - usually I bench on a Monday (which needs the other half spotting) and he's out this eve too. Might have to do some wfh lunch weights!

[Silmarilliane]

We did indeed go to Nandos so I was able to calorie count (and stay under), and then walked from Victoria to Blackfriars which was lovely in the Summer evening air.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🥗 15pts 📵 15pts

Total: 75pts

 

I've also already started to feel better from not overeating all the time - why do we do it to ourselves huh 😅

[Silmarilliane]

Tuesday is office day as I have the ole barbershop singing in the evening, there was a new human in the office this week and we bonded over a) me sorting out the alarm beeping that's been going on since the power cut last week and b) the joke on the back of a penguin. It was nice to have someone in the office to talk to after last week's solo-open-plan-office-birthday*

I am off to Carluccio's this evening and am definitely not staying under calories as the meal I like (Giardiniera) is 1000+ calories itself, but I knew there would be over-days, and I've been sensible so far today. I did also get a cycle in, woo.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🥗 15pts 📵 15pts

Total: 120pts

 

*but someone was sat down the other end so I couldn't pump out music sadly

[deftona]

I am so glad there are still jokes on Penguins.

[Sovalis]

4 hours ago, Silmarilliane said:

the meal I like (Giardiniera)

Ooh? This sounds fancy! What is it? Was it as amazing as you'd hoped? 

[Silmarilliane]

13 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Ooh? This sounds fancy! What is it? Was it as amazing as you'd hoped? 

 

It's big rigatoni with grated courgette, chilli and cheese and then has deep fried spinach balls on top. It was yuhmm, but did make me realise how much it's swimming in butter... It's not like I licked the plate though  

 

So I was sensible in the day, and with dinner I had a G&T and shared some cheesy focaccia and olives. What was interesting is I bought a pistachio brownie from the King's Cross market stalls for pudding at home - when I got home I thought, I'll have half, and once I started eating it I realised I didn't need it after a few bites, so only actually ate a quarter. I think I'll portion it up and put it in the freezer.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🍝🍸 0pts 📵 15pts 🚲 5pts

Total: 155pts

[Elastigirl]

Woot for pausing and deciding you really didn't want the brownie at that moment.

[Sovalis]

Sounds delicious! And congrats on the pause with your brownie, that's such a skill to have! 

[Silmarilliane]

Thanks folks, it seems to be a one off as I'm wfh today and want to eat ALL THE FOOD 😅 I'm tracking though so am only having stuff if it fits. I did have a quarter of the brownie for lunch, but as replacement for a penguin bar, so that's all good. I also got a cycle in today, but definitely need to do some walking after work to get over 2.5miles. I'm also noticing the phone use sneaking back in (though not in bed, it's still kinda in the bed-going-time-window) so I need to actually just not.

I was in the office again yesterday and had to say bye to New Human who was only on a week stint, sad times. I had IRL boardgames after work though with good peoples and good games - Colt Express Stagecoach was a partic highlight ❤️ 

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🥗 10pts 📵 15pts

Total: 195pts

[Silmarilliane]

Swift update!

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🥗 15pts 📵 15pts 🚲 5pts

Total: 245pts

[Silmarilliane]

Went out for birthday curry and beers for the other half yesterday, are pretty sensibly in the day time before and didn't overeat for dinner, but def had a few too many beers and today has been very hungover... Will do my walk shortly and going to attempt to track what I've eaten to see how bad I've been today... As for yesterday's food, I don't think it was a -50 level day but think -10 is justified.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 📵 15pts 🍛🍻🍻🍻 -10pts

Total: 265pts

[Silmarilliane]

So surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly) after a morning of hungover vomming and then eating not great, I still came in under calories. The other half got pizza hut so I got a medium thin base margherita and ate half, as well as a couple of packs of crisps, two penguins and some fruit juice. Not my finest eating day, but I couldn't stomach eating or making much else. Once the sun got low and I was feeling human I did a 2.5 mile walk, and read before bed instead of phone.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 📵 15pts 🫓 10pts

Total: 305pts

 

Fun thing - I remembered I got a balance board for Christmas which I've never actually used beyond a couple of two min stints. I've moved it to my working space now so I can balance board at my standing desk - probably won't during calls when I have my camera on(!) but feel like it'll be good to practice on now and then!

[Sovalis]

A balance board? What wizardry is this? May I see a picture, please? 

[Silmarilliane]

12 hours ago, Sovalis said:

A balance board? What wizardry is this? May I see a picture, please? 

 

 

This kind of thing, with an aim to improve my balance and stability, though yesterday was the first time actually looking up exercises! e.g. The Best 15 Balance Board Exercises to Try Today (greatist.com)

[Sovalis]

That looks really challenging! Let us know how it goes! 

[Silmarilliane]

Wfh yesterday, with the added annoyance that I've done something to my thumb which means weights are not fun at the moment. It was feeling off when I did bench on Wednesday last week, and then subsequent weights have potentially made it worse. Boo. There's nothing visible at all, a slight dull ache and then certain movements exacerbate it, like putting on clothes or straightening rucksac/bra straps. Very annoying. I might put myself on the GP waiting list as I figure if it's still going on in December (when the next appt will likely be available) I'll probably want it checking out. I did get a little cycle in after work and before pilates, as well as enough walking.

 

Yesterday: 🚶‍♀️15pts 🥗 15pts 📵 15pts 🚲 5pts

Total: 355pts