Erick the Red comes in from the cold.

[Erick the Red]

I participated in one and a half challenges last year as a Scout, but got overwhelmed with chronic injury and stressed out by the need for frequent updates, and dropped out of the game for a while.

 

Meanwhile, I have transitioned from running to lifting (and am slowly applying Rippetoe's Starting Strength as I digest each chapter).

 

I want to be active without being hurt.  That is not too much to ask.

 

38 year old male, 175 lbs (79 kg), up ten pounds from a year ago and mostly not in a good way.

 

Goals:

1. Exercise 3 times per week.  At least two lifting weights.  I will post highlights from my workouts here.

Every workout missed from either category cuts a letter grade (A to B, etc.).

Current (31 May) working weights after warmups (I started 3 April 2013 with empty 45 lb bar):

Squat 155x4x5

Bench 110x4x5

Bar row 105x4x5

Overhead barbell press 80x3x5

Deadlift 155x1x5

Working an A/B schedule like Stronglifts 5x5

 

2. Eat real food. Whole foods or home-processed foods only.  Translation: you can see what it is by looking, or you cooked it at home. 

Fruit is in, fruit roll-up is out.  Chedder cheese is in, Cheez Whiz is out.  Pizza with homemade crust is in, pizza from the place down the street is out. 

Exceptions are condiments, protein powder, and vitamins and supplements. 

Not strictly paleo or primal, but in that neighborhood.  My regular diet is pretty good, I just buy "easy food" way too much (and I need to save money too). 

Either one processed meal or a small treat per week as a buffer, then lose a letter grade per incident.

 

3. Meditation and spiritual study, about 20 minutes total per day.  I plan to break it up morning, afternoon after work, and evening most days. 

This is an area in my life that has slipped dramatically in the last few months, and I have really noticed the lack in my mental focus and mood.

I won't bother with the stopwatch, but intent and daily practice is key.  Lose one letter grade per day missed.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 1:

1. 0/3. Workouts will come Tu, Thu, Sat this week.

2. 1/7. Passed on the chocalate covered raisins.

3. 1/7. Made time in the afternoon after work.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 2:

1. 1/3. Tuesday lifting went well.  After warm ups, top working weights were: squat 160 lbs x 4 sets x 5 reps, overhead press dumbbells (2x35) x 4 x 5, deadlift 185 x 1 x 5.

2. 2/7.

3. 2/7. Feeling better.  It might also be the extra magnesium I started taking - it is always hard to separate out the mental and the physical.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 3:

1. 1/3. Rest day. Walked when I could.

2. 3/7. Nothing too hard today.

3. 3/7. Stressful day at work and busy evening, but pulled through. 

[wildross]

Welcome to the Warriors!!  You've got a good start on things.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 4:

1. 2/3. High working sets: Squat 165 x 4 x 5, Bench 115 x 4 x 5, Barbell row 115 x 4 x 5. Did not walk/run before to save time, but I felt the difference. Should not do that again. 

2. 4/7. Someone in my work area brought in doughnuts for breakfast. I would have normally eaten four, even though I had already eaten a three egg omelet before work.  Lunch was an office picnic, and my group was expected to bring desserts.  So I brought cookies, ate lots of vegetables and fruit and a hamburger patty (naked) (the hamburger, not me) and drank water.  I would have normally eaten a big piece of cake and at least six cookies and brownies.  For dinner the family had bean burritos and I had leftover chicken and green beans.  I expect to have a "cheat" meal later this week, just on my own terms, not dictated by convenience.

3. 4/7. Morning before work has worked out so far, but I probably should have spaced throughout the day.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 5:

1. 3/3. Went out to do a little trimming on my trees, and a few hours later I had cut a pile of branches as tall as me and twice as wide.  Using saw, loppers (long-armed scissor blades), up and down ladder, dragging branches to the curb.  Tough "metabolic conditioning" workout.  I would have had a hard time going in to the gym the next day (today) anyway, because my sawing tore open blisters on my hand, and this next workout is a deadlift day.

2. 5/7. Breakfast: four egg omelet (no cheese), Lunch: raw carrots, brocolli, and leftover chicken, Dinner: steak and peas, After workout: Blender "ice cream" mixed 1 cup frozen berries (especially strawberries, which add a smoothness), 1 scoop protein powder, and 2 cups milk.

3. 5/7.

Today is riding herd on kids cleaning the house in the AM, then playing Dungeons and Dragons (Pathfinder, specifically) with friends in the PM. Both families now have 12-year olds playing as well.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 6:

1. 3/3, 2/2 lifting weights.

2. 6/7. Burned my buffer at our D&D game.  We broke the game for dinner, which was a jambalaya.  The dessert was a big berry cobbler, something like this recipe, and I had two bowls. Our recipe was actually healthier than this one, with less sugar.  I am not ashamed. 

3. 6/7. Put off until too late. Let's just say that sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed, after 9pm, is not the best time for anything useful besides falling asleep.  Still counts, but I learned my lesson.

 

Week 1, Day 7:

1. 3/3.

2. 7/7.

3. 7/7.

 

This week turned out very well.  I kept my goal in mind and that helped me to avoid foods that I would have overconsumed, but I still got to "splurge" once with friends and have a good time.  Noticed that my arms are getting thicker, which is a start.  Wish I could say the opposite for the waistline!

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 1:

1. 0/3. Plan to work out on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

2. 1/7. Running later Monday morning, decided to skip lunch.  By noon, realized my error.  Ate about twelve prunes I had in a bag in my desk.  Lesson learned.

3. 1/7. Getting more consistent.

 

Terrible Monday all around, at work and at home.  Frustrating peope, broken dishwasher.  I hope the rest of the week pulls up, even if I have to buy a new dishwasher.

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 2:

1. 1/3. Good workout. After 2 minutes walking and an 8.5 minute mile, top working weights were: squat 170 lbs x 3 sets x 5 reps, overhead press 70 x 3 x 5, deadlift 195 x 1 x 5.

2. 2/7. No serious issues with diet.  Was mocked by a co-worker that "cheese is processed", but I had to draw a line somewhere and I think that I am doing a lot better than earlier.  I can restrict more as I get used to the new normal.

3. 2/7. Strengthening the mental/spiritual side is harder to quantify, but I am felling a lot better than a fewweeks ago, even with some tremendously stressful days at work.

 

Dishwasher is still broken, won't power on at all.  Debating going retro and washing by hand for a while.  Paying for a new item, and then having to figure out how to install it (or pay someone) is just too much right now.

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 3:

1. 1/3.

2. 3/7. Sorely tempted today, but used the idea of my buffer to avoid making mistakes.

3. 3/7. Morning and afternoon sessions.  Evening sat up talking to my wife, which is important too I suppose.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I'm liking this challenge.  I suck at the whole eat real food thing, trying to do better.

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 4:

1. 1/3. Planned to lift on Thursday evening, but had to watch kids instead becasue my wife has another obligation. Should have doen some bodyweight work at home. Instead sat around. Plan to make time this evening (Friday) to do some jogging, and then lift on Saturday to meet goal.

2. 4/7. Burned my buffer meal for dinner: I ate a whole pizza, and drank 20 oz. of Dr. Pepper. Not my proudest moment.

3. 4/7. Getting more consistent and better.

I still have hope to pull out this week. One bad day isn't gong to make me fail the whole challenge.

[Schmopey]

Great challenge. I'm trying to avoid injury this time as well. I find that getting up early to workout helps me avoid the disruptions associated with childcare, but also makes it very difficult to stay awake past 9:30PM.

[Erick the Red]

Great challenge. I'm trying to avoid injury this time as well. I find that getting up early to workout helps me avoid the disruptions associated with childcare, but also makes it very difficult to stay awake past 9:30PM.

 

I used to wake early (4:30am) three or more days per week to go run or work out in the house.  I would like to go to the gym to lift weights early as well, but I have childcare commitments at home in the morning before I go to work, and I can't go and get back in time.  Evenings had been working pretty well two or three weekdays per week, plus Saturday is usually more flexible.  I'll keep looking out for ways to make the schedule work. 

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 5:

1. 2/3. HIIT before bed, 30 seconds of pushups, then air squats, then jumping jacks, then burpees, then repeat.  Not as good as hitting the weights at the gym, but you do what you can do.

2. 5/7. Planning has been key, and lack of planning is the number one reason for my failures.

3. 5/7. Before work and after work seems to be working.

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 6:

1. 3/3. Worked hard getting the house clean in th morning (more than half the effort was keeping kids on task).  Worked hard in th egym in the PM.  Watched a lifter work up to a set of four 400+ lb deadlift (that's four pairs of the large 45 lb. plates, for those like me that are new enough to this that I had to do the math).  Looked like another regular workout to him.  Good motivation.

2. 6/7. Nothing special to report about food.

3. 7/7. Afternoon and evening sessions.

[Erick the Red]

Week 2, Day 7:

Posting early, because I will be driving to a Scout Camp early Monday morning, and may not have good internet for a while.

1. 3/3. Sunday is day of rest.

2. 7/7. Cooked pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, recipe from "Practical Paleo" - mostly eggs and pumpkin puree, with seasonings.  I had with cinnamon, the rest has with maple syrup and/or cinnamon sugar.

3. 7/7. Afternoon and evening.  Getting a decent habit going.

I may not be able to post until later in the week, depending on signal strength in the wilds.

[Schmopey]

Have a good time at Scout Camp. At least you'll know you're paleo if you have to forage!

[Erick the Red]

Week 3, Day 1:

1. 1/3.  I walked a lot today, over ten and a half miles by my pedometer phone app.  A lot of up and down hills as well.  Walking is not normally a workout for me, but this is my challenge and I am making the call that in this case quantity makes up for quality.

2. 1/7.  I made the best choices I could with the food at hand.  Passed on the sugary things.  Ate my home-roasted almonds when I needed a snack.

3. 1/7.  Limited duration but something is better than nothing.

[Erick the Red]

Have a good time at Scout Camp. At least you'll know you're paleo if you have to forage!

 

Did not have to forage.  Unfortunately, the scouts are fed three meals in a cafeteria setting, which means that almost all the time I am trying to make the least-worst choice.  I brought some backup food from home for when times get desperate.

[Erick the Red]

Week 3, Day 2:

1. 1/3.  I will count the hiking all round camp yesterday as a workout, but since I only got 8 miles on Tuesday I wil pass.

2. 2/7.  More making the best of the worst, plus my one weekly buffer meal (there is no way that I can twist my goal to justify a hamburger and onion rings with Dr. Pepper).

3. 2/7.  Good session in the PM.  Very busy otherwise.

[Erick the Red]

Back home.

 

Week 3, Day 3:

1. 2/3.  Good lifting session. Working weights: Squat 185x3x5, Overhead barbell press 80x3x5, Deadlift 205x1x5.  Good to know that I squat more than my weight.  Both squat and deadlift felt very heavy, but focusing on good technique helped tremendously with all three lifts.

2. 3/7.  Eating a lot, but it is "cleaner", and my weight is either plateaued or slowly going down.  I would prefer the plateau, becasue then I would be more confident that I am putting on muscle as  Iam losing fat.

3. 3/7.  Before bed, and probably not a full twenty minutes.  I need to make time throughout the day for my meditation and spiritual study (prayer, sripture study, mindfulness practice, etc.) or else  Ifeel like I am just going through the motions to get something done.

[Erick the Red]

Week 3, Day 4:

1. 2/3.  Spent a lot of time walking around cleaning/sorting in the garage.

2. 4/7.  Nothing to report about food.

3. 4/7.  Again right before bed.  Bad habit to fall into.

[Erick the Red]

Week 3, Day 5:

Friday! This week has been very busy, and I have been off work! Spend another couple of hours cleaning in th garage, including scrubbing floors this time.  But we can actually put away all the boxes, bikes, and other stuff and still have plenty of space to walk around the vehicle.

1. 3/3. Great lifting session at the YMCA gym.  Working weights: Squat 190x3x5, Bench 125x3x5, Barbell row 125x3x5. Still working on technique.  The squat was right at the edge of my capacity.  The bench could have been a little heavier - squeezing the bar and "bending" it seemed to really help.  The rows were too fast, and I think that I am cheating too much with momentum.

2. 5/7. Tempted throughout the day, especially as I walked through two supermarkets.  But no Twizzlers or other bags of processed sugary failure ended up in my basket.

3. 5/7.  Better, this time worked in some time in the afternoon.