[Stronkey Kong]

 Hi. I'm Stronkey Kong. I've been on NF for 9 years now. I am still fat big. I will probably always be big... but I think I can choose what kind of big I am.

 

I tried a bit of running this summer... it didn't really work out. Walking was good, but I kept hurt my calf the more I tried to run. I'm just too heavy for my leg muscles at the moment. I need to get some daily cardio in though.

 

I am actually 290 lbs. right now. I'd be freaking out a little bit, but I've been lifting weights and following Greyskull LP. I shot up about 5-10 lbs since I started that. I haven't really changed the way I've been eating, as far as I can tell, so I'm thinking it's because of 'da pump.' My muscles should be retaining more glycogen and water at they repair and grow.

 

For a variety of reasons, I've been eating a mostly vegan or 'bad vegan' diet. That is, mostly plants and almost no meat or dairy, though, I let myself indulge in cravings a couple times a week, and don't nitpick minor animal based ingredients... hence 'bad vegan.' Most of the time it's because I didn't prep, and I went for convenient options. It's hard to go over on calories when I plan ahead and keep it healthy, but when I get lost in the mid-week chaos, and/or have available junk food, I can go off the rails and undo any calorie deficits fast.

 

I've also been spending a lot of time thinking about the next move(s) in my career. I have a good, well paying job, and am staged to be out of (extraneous) debt within 3 years. Though I still need to work about 45 hours/week on average to meet those goals. And, when that 3 years is up, I want to be moving on to something new. Preferably something where I can be my own boss, and do something creative... don't we all... I've been thinking a lot about writing again, or failing that web development... but since I prefer writing and have three years to go, I might as well see if I can start getting words down and get a novel out.

 

Goals:

Daily Cardio -- walking, stationary bike, heavy bag, jogging (if/when that becomes possible)

GreySkull LP -- stick to the program ( 'plug-ins' optional)

Bad Vegan Meal Prep -- buy/prep meals for the work week and avoid snack/junk food

Write a Novel -- Write daily

 

I have everything I need in order to get these goals done. Including a power cage and workout buddy:

 

 

I also live near a bike path for walking/biking/jogging. I have the stat. bike in the living room, and a heavy bag in the basement. Meal prep just takes some time on Sunday, and organized grocery shopping. All I need to write is a computer, a desk, and some time.

 

That is a lot, though, and as I mentioned I work 45 hours a week -- Noon-10 pm (ish) M-R, Noon-(as late as 8pm) F

 

How will I do it all?

 

Get organized and follow through with my plans.

 

Plans:

Daily Cardio -- first thing in the morning (fasted even) (about 10 am)

GreySkull LP --  Lift M, W, F, every evening when I get home from work. T,R are for stretching and ab work. Sunday is rest.

Bad Vegan Meal Prep -- Get a hold of that vegan casserole recipe list and make one every Sunday. Make a grocery list every week and stick to it. Meal prep every Sunday.

Write a Novel -- Write every evening from 1-2 am. Sit at the computer, open my novel, and type away. (not sure which novel yet 😕 )

 

Preliminary stuff:

Yes, I saw the mini-challenge... I'll be doing the walking, but I saw some things posted about other stuff involving posting things somewhere, and was like meh, I'm not gonna bother.

On Wed. Sept 13, I'm taking the day off of work to attend an online writing class with my local writing center (meet some local writers, connect, get advice). After that I will definitely be hacking away at writing and tracking word count. Until then I'll mostly be plotting, outlining, and sketching scenes. Reviewing old material. Etc. But I'm gonna put an hour or so into that every night until the class.

The following weekend, Fri-Sun, I'm going up to Wisconsin to visit friends, eat cheese, and drink beer. So I'll miss those days on the schedule but whatever. It's fine.

 

After that weekend, I will be back on the mostly straight and mostly narrow path of walking, lifting, eating plants, and writing.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following 

[h3r0]

Following 

[Stronkey Kong]

Tonight's workout is done.  (Copied from my greyskull app).

 

========

 

Feeling strong. Workout completed today:
Greyskull (better back), Day 1, Week 2
9:59 PM (15 min) - 2100 lb
Overhead Press   
        2x5    60 lb
        1x10    60 lb
Front Squat   
        2x5    45 lb
        1x10    45 lb

...using Personal Training Coach - The best app for training - https://maxtrainingcoach.com

 

=======

 

I've added front squats to the mix... for better posture.

[Conquius]

Following.

 

It's pretty righteous that you live near a bike path.

[Stronkey Kong]

I got up at 10 am and walked 1.61 miles. That's 1777.39 left to Mordor.  I'm going to complete that challenge before I try to run again. 

 

And like a good hobbit, I made a good wholesome, tasty breakfast of a veggie scrambler* with peanut buttered toast. 

 

Unfortunately,  that all made me 20 min late for work. So now I have to choose between being up earlier or having quicker breakfasts. 😕

 

*good hobbit, bad vegan

 

 

[Snarkyfishguts]

Following along to see what happens next in your adventures!

[Conquius]

1 hour ago, Stronkey Kong said:

So now I have to choose between being up earlier or having quicker breakfasts

I've recently had some success in the quicker breakfast department. Happy to share, if you're interested.

[sarakingdom]

1 minute ago, Conquius said:

I've recently had some success in the quicker breakfast department. Happy to share, if you're interested.

 

Also, thermos food jars. They can keep warm things you cooked last night, and also cook certain things (things that like boiling water) while you walk or drive to work.

 

As a non-grain-eater, this is of limited use to me, so I pass it along to others.

[Sovalis]

Following! Looking forward to your writing adventures. I haven't written in a while, I should get back to it. Have you watched Brandon Sanderson's writing lectures on YouTube? I found them very interesting. 

[Stronkey Kong]

10 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

Following along to see what happens next in your adventures!

 

 

9 hours ago, Conquius said:

I've recently had some success in the quicker breakfast department. Happy to share, if you're interested.

 

Delicious solutions to get me to breakfast faster... nah, not really intere.... OF COURSE I'M INTERESTED... NOW SHARE!

 

9 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Also, thermos food jars. They can keep warm things you cooked last night, and also cook certain things (things that like boiling water) while you walk or drive to work.

 

As a non-grain-eater, this is of limited use to me, so I pass it along to others.

 

So... overnight oatmeal. Thermos jar seems like a much better way to go than having the instant pot running all night, then have to clean that. Capital idea!

 

Breakfast in the car? <smh>

 

Already I'm making excuses to buy Pop-Tarts. But I need to not get these, or breakfast sammiches, or cereal, because I just wind up finishing them off ahead of schedule on the weekend just from boredom.

 

This does get me thinking too, that I can also eat when I get to work... I get there at noon, most of the shop is at lunch anyway so I have a while to be lazy, make coffee, wake up, nuke something and eat before anyone I'm accountable to is aware that I'm there.

 

I need to plan my work-week breakfasts better. I see some breakfast casseroles in the near future. Bake 'em. Cut 'em into portions. Eat daily.

 

8 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Following! Looking forward to your writing adventures. I haven't written in a while, I should get back to it. Have you watched Brandon Sanderson's writing lectures on YouTube? I found them very interesting. 

 

I have... not sure I saw them all though. They were helpful the first time I did NaNo... which was how my main novel got started.

[Stronkey Kong]

Shoulda done some stretching and some writing...

 

Instead I'm watching Better Call Saul and shopping for teapots and shit on Amazon. <sighs>

 

This is because I realized, after my fourth cup of coffee gave me GERD, that I need to  quit seriously curtail my coffee intake, and preferably become a full-time tea man. And I'm gonna get into it, like hard core too. I ordered a nice electric kettle, a fancy tea mug, and a tea sampler. Everything to make this as easy, interesting, and enjoyable as possible. Because it's gonna take a lot of tea to make up for the amount of coffee I drink.

[RES]

Overnight oats and breakfast casseroles for the week are lifesavers, though none of the recipes I have are very vegan, or even bad vegan, friendly.

Green tea helped me cut down on my coffee consumption (which used to be measured in pots, is now two 12 oz tumblers a day) https://a.co/9uCexiZ is the one I preferred, D drinks it now instead of coffee, though she was never as hooked on coffee as I was/am apparently.

 

[sarakingdom]

9 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

So... overnight oatmeal. Thermos jar seems like a much better way to go than having the instant pot running all night, then have to clean that. Capital idea!

 

Overnight if ya like, though make sure your selected Thermos is rated to keep things warm for 12 hours for that. (Some are, but most tap out around 7-8 hours of hot.) But I gather it only takes 20ish minutes for most oatmeal/rice/pasta things. Maybe a bit longer on the rice. If you prepped oatmeal, nuts, raisins, and brown sugar the night before, and added boiling water from your fancy new kettle before going for a walk in the morning, I suspect you'd come back to piping hot cooked oatmeal.

 

Breakfast casseroles are awesome, I just don't know many that aren't all about the eggs. They're a good fast alternative to veggie scrambles, though.

[Stronkey Kong]

Feeling strong. Workout completed today:
Greyskull (better back), Day 2, Week 2
11:10 PM (22 min) - 3600 lb
Bench Press   
        2x5    60 lb
        1x20    60 lb
Deadlift    1x10    115 lb
Barbell Row   
        2x5    65 lb
        1xSkipped    65 lb

...using Personal Training Coach - The best app for training - https://maxtrainingcoach.com

 

Felt like I could have rep'd Bench presses all day.

 

Rows were supposed to be 85 lbs., but I tried 65 lbs. as a warmup set, and it turned out to be a decent work set. I was pinching a nerve or something in my forearm though. Had some weird, tho mild, shooting pains in my forearm on later reps. <smh>

 

=================

 

I slept in and didn't walk this morning. Breakfast was a protein shake and two slices of toast with almond butter.

 

Work was goddamn shit show.... Or at least I walked into one. I don't know where to begin, but it will be inspiration for the novel.

 

Once it calmed down, I found some time to screw around on the internet and found some inspiration to get better at walking long distances:

 

https://www.hillwalktours.com/hiking-scotland/speyside-way-whisky-trail/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwguGYBhDRARIsAHgRm49heOxGGG42Rucx9FD_8YddmPVEpfLr03JQk3_O1Fexilj61xTI6s0aAuZDEALw_wcB

 

This is also to do research for my novel, a significant portion of which will take place in Scotland. So vacation in Scotland next summer?

[Stronkey Kong]

16 hours ago, RES said:

Overnight oats and breakfast casseroles for the week are lifesavers, though none of the recipes I have are very vegan, or even bad vegan, friendly.

Green tea helped me cut down on my coffee consumption (which used to be measured in pots, is now two 12 oz tumblers a day) https://a.co/9uCexiZ is the one I preferred, D drinks it now instead of coffee, though she was never as hooked on coffee as I was/am apparently.

 

 

Everything's bad vegan friendly... I'm really only trying to keep it to a respectable (or at least not shameless) rate of recidivism. And I can probably find a substitute for most non-vegan ingredients. A good idea is a good idea.

 

13 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Overnight if ya like, though make sure your selected Thermos is rated to keep things warm for 12 hours for that. (Some are, but most tap out around 7-8 hours of hot.) But I gather it only takes 20ish minutes for most oatmeal/rice/pasta things. Maybe a bit longer on the rice. If you prepped oatmeal, nuts, raisins, and brown sugar the night before, and added boiling water from your fancy new kettle before going for a walk in the morning, I suspect you'd come back to piping hot cooked oatmeal.

 

Breakfast casseroles are awesome, I just don't know many that aren't all about the eggs. They're a good fast alternative to veggie scrambles, though.

 

 The one issue with oatmeal though is that I only like it with (soy) milk, and I'm not putting that in my fancy new kettle. But yeah, this seems like a great way to get ahead on cooking lots of things. I could at least use it when I want rice for lunch, but only have like 5 min before I need to leave for work.

 

I can always use egg substitutes.

 

Also, this week I made a potato/chorizo/bean casserole thingy that I would totally eat for breakfast also. I've been having it for lunch, topped with cashew creme fraiche. I have a bunch of oven safe, lunch dishes. Just baked 'em in those. Let em cool and put lids on, and put 'em in the fridge for the week.

[RES]

9 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

So vacation in Scotland next summer?

Sounds good! 

 

7 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Everything's bad vegan friendly... I'm really only trying to keep it to a respectable (or at least not shameless) rate of recidivism. And I can probably find a substitute for most non-vegan ingredients. A good idea is a good idea.

5 oz of spinach, 16oz of mushrooms, and about 12 eggs with some milk of your choosing, baked at 350 F for 30 minutes is one of my favorites...I also liked to add bacon or breakfast sausage, and onions if I was particularly adventurous. Shredded sweet potato if I really wanted to live on the edge...

 

[Conquius]

On 9/7/2022 at 1:02 AM, Stronkey Kong said:

Delicious solutions to get me to breakfast faster... nah, not really intere.... OF COURSE I'M INTERESTED... NOW SHARE!

I hope you like breakfast sandwiches as much as I do.

 

Take a block of extra firm or superfirm tofu, slice it height-wise into "planks", throw some flour over it, some spices, then airfry it. What you get is an airfired plank of protein-y goodness. Throw a bunch of them into a tupperware in the fridge, then in the morning, throw one onto a bagel half or a slice of toast, nuke it, put some sauce on it, and that's an open faced breakfast sandwich, b a b e y y y. You don't even have to season it when you're short on time, the sauce will deliver most of the flavor.

 

Seasoning is up to you, but I like to stick to dry-rubs. I've found that the tofu cooks quicker & easier if it doesn't have a bunch of extra moisture from a marinade. You can also throw a slice of vegan cheese on top when you nuke it if that's your speed.

[Conquius]

11 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Also, this week I made a potato/chorizo/bean casserole thingy that I would totally eat for breakfast also. I've been having it for lunch, topped with cashew creme fraiche. I have a bunch of oven safe, lunch dishes. Just baked 'em in those. Let em cool and put lids on, and put 'em in the fridge for the week.

 

Hot dang, this sounds delicious.

[fearless 2.0]

loving it over here! love your goals regarding writing a lot. have you thought about NationalNovelWritingMonth in November? some nerds and I are doing the challenge to get ahead with writing.

am hungry now after reading here.... off to cook  

[Stronkey Kong]

Feeling strong. Workout completed today:
Greyskull (better back), Day 2, Week 2
11:10 PM (22 min) - 3600 lb
Bench Press   
        2x5    60 lb
        1x20    60 lb
Deadlift    1x10    115 lb
Barbell Row   
        2x5    65 lb
        1xSkipped    65 lb

...using Personal Training Coach - The best app for training - https://maxtrainingcoach.com

[MaeradCase]

On 9/6/2022 at 12:05 PM, Stronkey Kong said:

I got up at 10 am and walked 1.61 miles. That's 1777.39 left to Mordor.  I'm going to complete that challenge before I try to run again. 

I have a similar mindset. Not necessarily that I want to walk to Mordor and then run home. But that I'm exercising daily for a year before I invest in a bike.  I am hoping to see progress before the year's work has gone by, and since I'm on board for the walk to Mordor, I'm keeping track of my distances to see how far I get before I upgrade from walking to biking.

 

On 9/6/2022 at 12:05 PM, Stronkey Kong said:

And like a good hobbit, I made a good wholesome, tasty breakfast of a veggie scrambler* with peanut buttered toast. 

 

Unfortunately,  that all made me 20 min late for work. So now I have to choose between being up earlier or having quicker breakfasts. 😕

 

*good hobbit, bad vegan

 

Tasty! I am enjoying the food recommendations you're getting. Good hobbits do make good foods!

[Stronkey Kong]

On 9/8/2022 at 8:40 AM, RES said:

Sounds good! 

 

5 oz of spinach, 16oz of mushrooms, and about 12 eggs with some milk of your choosing, baked at 350 F for 30 minutes is one of my favorites...I also liked to add bacon or breakfast sausage, and onions if I was particularly adventurous. Shredded sweet potato if I really wanted to live on the edge...

 

 

Sub eggs for crumbled tofu and this is just a baked version of my usual tofu scrambler. I'll have to try it baked one of  these days.

 

On 9/8/2022 at 12:42 PM, Conquius said:

I hope you like breakfast sandwiches as much as I do.

 

Take a block of extra firm or superfirm tofu, slice it height-wise into "planks", throw some flour over it, some spices, then airfry it. What you get is an airfired plank of protein-y goodness. Throw a bunch of them into a tupperware in the fridge, then in the morning, throw one onto a bagel half or a slice of toast, nuke it, put some sauce on it, and that's an open faced breakfast sandwich, b a b e y y y. You don't even have to season it when you're short on time, the sauce will deliver most of the flavor.

 

Seasoning is up to you, but I like to stick to dry-rubs. I've found that the tofu cooks quicker & easier if it doesn't have a bunch of extra moisture from a marinade. You can also throw a slice of vegan cheese on top when you nuke it if that's your speed.

 

I typically cut extrafirm tofu into slabs, press out the excess water (towels+baking pan + weights), cut it into cubes, coat with cornstarch and pork dry rub and bake it. So this seems well within my bounds. I've never tried air frying tho... I've been resisting getting one for several years.

 

On 9/8/2022 at 12:44 PM, Conquius said:

 

Hot dang, this sounds delicious.

 

On first read, I thought that said 'Hot dog'... I miss tofu pups. The best tofu hot dogs... haven't been able to find them anywhere.

 

On 9/8/2022 at 12:57 PM, fearless 2.0 said:

loving it over here! love your goals regarding writing a lot. have you thought about NationalNovelWritingMonth in November? some nerds and I are doing the challenge to get ahead with writing.

am hungry now after reading here.... off to cook  

 

NaNoWriMo is within the realm of possibilities. I tried one a couple of years ago, but failed. I just couldn't sustain 1667 words per day with a full time job, etc. If by the beginning of Nov. I'm up to a daily word count of 1200+, I might try to give that extra push and do it this year.

 

On 9/10/2022 at 12:12 AM, MaeradCase said:

I have a similar mindset. Not necessarily that I want to walk to Mordor and then run home. But that I'm exercising daily for a year before I invest in a bike.  I am hoping to see progress before the year's work has gone by, and since I'm on board for the walk to Mordor, I'm keeping track of my distances to see how far I get before I upgrade from walking to biking.

 

Tasty! I am enjoying the food recommendations you're getting. Good hobbits do make good foods!

 

Oof. I did the math, it would take me three years to walk to Mordor at the rate of 1.6 miles, 6x per week. 😕  I definitely want to be running before that.

 

I will definitely be well fueled for the walk if I do start getting to it.

[Stronkey Kong]

 

I'm making some adjustments here for week one.

 

I'm dropping the daily cardio goal. Walks will be optional, tho much welcomed.

My weight went down a couple pounds this week, or seemed too.

Sticking to Greyskull will be the main focus for exercise.

Bro day (which I skipped this weekend) is also optional, tho much welcomed.

I'm going to try to get up early, and write first thing in the morning. Every day.

Sticking to bad veganism... whatever that is. I had chicken and vegetable potstickers for lunch and dinner yesterday. 🤷‍♂️

And I splurged on a nice bottle of Scotch: MacCallan 12, sherry cask aged. It's vegan, and delicious.

 

For the sake of getting organized and following through, I'm going to try to stick to a schedule.

 

Adjusted Goals/schedule:

 

8 am: Get up, make tea and a quick breakfast, WRITE

9 am: Tea/pee break

10 am: Free time -- keep writing if it's good, start a hobbity breakfast, go for a walk (with audiobook), read something, etc.

10:30 am: Breakfast,  MEAL PREP lunch.

11 am: Get ready for work.

11:30 am: Leave for work.

12 pm -- 10 pm: Work, or weekend activities

10:30 pm: GREYSKULL (or stretching and such on rest days)

11 pm: Protein shake, quick snack, get ready for bed. Read until bed time.

12 am: BEDTIME

 

I can fudge this around by minutes here and there no problem. The point is to keep my GOALS in there, and DO NOT ALLOW TWO BAD DAYS IN A ROW.

 

For this week's meal prep, I boiled a bunch of rice, and portioned it out in 5 meal prep dishes. I'll add cubes of tofu, frozen veggies, and a sauce as to suit my tastes each day. I also bought four cans of vegan soup (various bean/lentil soups), and I have bread and vegan sandwich fixins.

 

For the sake of writing, during this challenge, I'm going to carry a book and a notepad everywhere I go. Just so I always have something to read (because you should be reading as much if not more than writing), and I always have something to write and idea down with. For now I have my writing app on my phone, and I know I have at least a couple of e-books on my kindle app. So that will do for now, but since I tend toward paper and ink, I might change that in the future.

 

I'm also going to cover my TV with a sheet before I go to bed as a reminder not to plop down in front of it with my cup of tea and watch shit on YouTube in the morning. And the computer will be set up with my novel open, and ready to go.

 

[MaeradCase]

9 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

NaNoWriMo is within the realm of possibilities. I tried one a couple of years ago, but failed. I just couldn't sustain 1667 words per day with a full time job, etc. If by the beginning of Nov. I'm up to a daily word count of 1200+, I might try to give that extra push and do it this year.

That'd be awesome! Hope to see you on there!

 

9 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

Oof. I did the math, it would take me three years to walk to Mordor at the rate of 1.6 miles, 6x per week. 😕  I definitely want to be running before that.

 

I will definitely be well fueled for the walk if I do start getting to it.

I dare not estimate where I'll be by Spring, let alone in five weeks. I'm doing it for the fun of knowing how fast my little hobbit legs are going. 😅

 

8 hours ago, Stronkey Kong said:

I'm also going to cover my TV with a sheet before I go to bed as a reminder not to plop down in front of it with my cup of tea and watch shit on YouTube in the morning. And the computer will be set up with my novel open, and ready to go.

Good confirmation of plans. Wishing you the best!