Darkfoxx: Seven Is The Number of the Dwarves

[darkfoxx]

And the number of dwarves is seven. 

 

So far during challenge, I’ve come up against - kicked the ass of - and danced victoriously over the corpses of - (more than) seven dwarves of crappitude (but this is challenge cycle 7 and I’m running with this seven dwarves thing, dammit).

 

Let’s revisit, shall we? 

 

Challenge 1: Recovered from the dreaded ‘using the holidays as an excuse to do jack shit and eat like crap’ time of year. Got back to eating right and working out twice a week. Dwarf 1: Lazy

 

Challenge 2: Lost enough weight to just about fit back into my skinny pants, pushed myself harder with my workouts, and worked on leveling up my wardrobe. Dwarf 2: Chubby 

 

Challenge 3: Slayed the demon of dehydration, pushed myself further with working out, started on my long metrics journey, and forced some crafts out of my head and into the world. Dwarf 3: Thirsty

 

Challenge 4: Kept going with metrics in fitness & food, worked to find other employment, and leveled up my food photography. Dwarf 4: Photo-y

 

Challenge 5: Kicked the ass out of workouts by starting a 90-day warrior challenge, kept up with my metrics + went even further with a Whole30 challenge, tried to de-stress where possible, looked for a damn job and researched ways to have even more metrics in my life. Dwarf 5: Stress-y

 

Challenge 6: Finished my 90-day warrior challenge, kept going with my food metrics, added more metrics for supplements, fell down on a pushup challenge, made my food blog more user-friendly, and consulted a professional re: kettelbells. Dwarf 6: Warrior 90-y

 

I’d say I’ve been steadily building my arsenal over the past 11 months and working toward being more badass overall. 

 

 

Main Quest

 

This hasn’t wavered in the past 2 cycles and won’t be changing until it’s completed. I have signed up to participate in Mudderella NY/NJ this spring (May 10) and am working toward being fit and capable enough to not only finish - but finish without dying. This is my first time even thinking seriously about accomplishing anything even remotely close to a fitness activity and I'm equal parts excited and scared. 

 

 

Goal 1

 

This challenge cycle, I’m taking a little break from my HasFit video routine and giving the Nerd Fitness Academy program a try. I’ll be doing the Dumbbell Division Lvl 1 workouts 3x a week. This is going to be hard for me (it already is - I started last week) as I am not good at self-directed workouts in the slightest. I get confused and suck at counting reps. So, this isn’t going to be my favorite or the easiest thing. Drama leads to growth. 

 

 

Goal 2

 

Continue on with my Zombies, Run! 5k trainer app. I’m on week 3 right now and these workouts run 3x a week. I can do this - I bought some cold weather pants & tops and I can totally kick this dwarf's ass. I just have to remember that I can do this when it’s 30 degrees and dark. Dark and cold won't kill me - and neither will intervals. 

 

 

Goal 3

 

Keep it going with the diet metrics. Eating no more than 100 grams carbs, 70+ grams protein, and around 1500 calories seems to be working for me - I’m going to keep it up. I’m darkfoxx on My Fitness Pal, too, so check out my stats if you wanna. 

 

 

Life Side Quest

 

Borrowing from NF friends’ past challenges, I really need to address the monster(s) in my closet(s). Really. It’s kind of ridiculous. My living room closet is a black hole, the pantry is Hong Kong level crowded, a closet built to house a washing machine has been dubbed the ‘closet of shame’, the linen closet is pretty much a solid wall of crap, my office closet is full of things I haven’t seen in the 2 years I’ve lived in this apartment, and my bedroom closet always needs some TLC. 

 

 

Fitness Side Quest

 

Since my 6 week program won’t take me all the way through to the end of challenge, the side quest here is going to be to immediately start up with something else. Most likely the HasFit Hero 90 program. I may allow for a week of zombies only here - I haven’t decided. I'll be finishing up my 5k app at the same time as the NF Academy program and I might just jump to a week or 2 of regular zombies, run app to advance the story a bit. 

 

 

Starting Measurements (taken 11.11.13)

 

Neck at narrowest: 11 3/4" 

Bust under breast: 31" 

Waist at narrowest: 27"

Hip at widest: 40"

Thigh at thickest: 20"

Arm at widest: 10" 

Weight at wakeup: 126.8 

Height: 5ft. 2 3/4 inches (5'2" for measuring purposes) 

 

According to my FitBit scale, my BMI is:  23.19% (mid-normal). 

According to my calipers, my BMI is 28.2%/18.5mm avg. of 3 (lower end of average range for my age).

[darkfoxx]

Easy-to-locate Post for grading purposes

 

Week 1

 

G1 - B - I skipped a workout 

G2 - A - I did all 3 workouts, and keep adding distance

G3 - A - Even though I went over on carbs 1 day, I'm cool with that

LG - NG - no work; no grade

FG - NG - no work; no grade

 

Week 2

 

G1 - A+ - I did all my workouts + got my walking in

G2 - A - I did all my workouts + kept shaving time

G3 - B - I was over on calories & carbs Friday, was probably over somewhere on Saturday, and was over on calories + slightly under on protein on Sunday

LG - A - I did a little here

FG - NG - no work; no grade

 

Week 3

 

G1 - A+ - I did my workouts and got my extra walking in - at least one day.

G2 - A - I did all three workouts and finally made it to the beach.

G3 - C - This weekend was full of holiday overindulgence - but not by a crazy amount (barring Friday). 

LG - A - I got a bunch done here. 1.5 closets to go!

FG - NG - no work; no grade

 

Week 4

 

G1 - A+ - I did my workouts - even though I didn't really go up much weight, and went back some on one workout - I still completed my goal. 

G2 - A+ - I did all my workouts and got my extra walking in. 

G3 - A - -This weekend was pretty damn good - except for that one indulgent meal. Totally worth it, though. 

LG - NG - no work; no grade

FG - NG - no work; no grade

 

Week 5

 

G1 - B for the week. I'm happy this NFA business is over and I can move on

G2 - A- for the week. I got my 5k trainer workout in 1x, then it snowed and I did some replacement cardio - and I got a third workout in regardless of the snow (even though it wasn't a 5k trainer workout)

G3 - C- for the week - Not only did I go over on carbs 3 days, I also went over on calories for 2 of those days

LG - A. Complete

FG - NG - no work; no grade

 

Week 6

 

G1 - A+ Done with this workout

G2 - A+ I finished my Zombies, 5k app and rolled with the punches where I needed to

G3 - C - this is a guesstimate because I know I suxored on carbs while my peeps were in town

LG - A - Complete

FG - A - I rolled with weather punches and came out on top here

[Mikroftt]

Nice job on the creativity of this post.  I enjoy reading themed posts.  Also I like the idea of putting the scoring as the second post so that it is easy to find.  Might have to do that next time

[JessFit]

Your goals look great! It is amazing how much you have done already

[UH60guy]

Nice set of goals! I don't think I have the courage to venture into my closets, I'm hoping that one turns out well too!

[Fonzico]

I enjoyed your recap of successes.. it's so good to look back and see how far we've come, especially because it's so hard to notice those incremental changes in the moment.

 

Good goals - nothing surprising, but as usually you seem to have set yourself up for success

[darkfoxx]

@Fonzico: Yeah, after last challenge's failed push-up goal, I scaled back the amount of crazy. I should have thrown a 'finish some crafts' goal in there, too, but there wasn't room.

 

Before challenge ends, I need to:

 

Make (or buy if I'm too lazy) 3 birthday cards

Make & send this year's holiday card

Make & send this year's cookie/some other staple box

 

And I should probably make the rest of those chain letter esque crafts I said I'd send before the end of the year this past January. I have 3 sets left of something (probably tea towels) to do and not a whole lot of time in which to finish them. I should really get on that. 

 

@UH60guy: Thanks! I'm fairly terrified of at least one of my closets, so this should be a big challenge - and I might need some yelling at at zero hour. 

 

@JessFit: Thanks! It's nice to have it all laid out in one place  

 

@Mikroftt: Thanks! I started posting a grading post at the top last challenge, and it really worked well to cut down on the amount of searching and sidetracking at the end of challenge. Final grading & recapping is much more of a streamlined process now! 

[Skywalker]

Nice colour-coding

Subbed

[thekatisalie]

<3 the theme! And I may actually be around to motivate this time

[darkfoxx]

W00t! W00t!

[direrael]

Excited to follow you again!

[darkfoxx]

I'm excited that challenge finally started! This two weeks off business kills me!  

[darkfoxx]

Week 1 Day 1 Recap

 

Goal 1 (NF Academy workouts)

 

Today was the start of my second week of Nerd Fitness Academy Dumbbell Division 1 workouts. I did workout A, which consisted of:

 

5-7 minute warmup routine

 

5 sets of 5 - Goblet Squats - 20 pound weight

5 sets of 5 - Dumbbell Bench Press - 15 pound weight + 2 with the 20 pound weight

3 sets of 10 - Incline Pushups - with little rest between sets

10 reps x 5 - Knee Pushups - I did them; I wasn't speedy, but they got done

25 reps x 5 - Bodyweight Squat - Again, I wasn't speedy but they got done

:30 x 5 - Plank - A little shaky but good

:30 on/:30 off for 5 minutes - Burpees - I hit 8 on all but 1 interval, when I hit 7

 

And I forgot to stretch afterward

 

 

Goal 2 (Zombies, Run! 5k Trainer workouts)

 

This wasn't a Zombies, Run! day - no workout here. 

 

 

Goal 3 (diet metrics)

 

Breakfast: DH's green smoothie

Lunch: 1/4 of a kabocha squash, roasted, with Kerrygold butter, a sprinkle of maple syrup & smattering of kosher salt

Dinner: A pork chop with brussels sprouts/bacon/red onion/vinegar mustard side - recipe coming soon

The 'Oh Shit, I'm Not Going To Make My Protein Goal Snack': 1 ounce unsalted almonds

 

Calories: 1,245 

Carbs: 70 (whoo hoo!)

Fat: 70 

Protein: 70 (whoo hoo!)

Sodium: 620

Sugar: 36

 

Calories looked great, carbs were well within the acceptable band, fat was decent, and protein was dead on. I'd call this a successful first day - especially given that during our two weeks off of challenge, I wilded out on calories twice; gorged on carbs 5 times; and skimped on protein 5 times - carbs & protein were both off usually on the same days. 

 

 

LQ (closet monsters)

 

I actually got a jump on this goal last weekend. We hit up IKEA unexpectedly on Sunday and I grabbed a shelving unit for the second pantry/where a washing machine is supposed to live/what was formerly our 'closet of shame'. 

 

I organized the existing pantry:

 

Before - a crazy mess with crap stacked upon stacks and nothing easy to find. And loads of grains & pastas we don't eat any more + 'pantry staples' I'd bought 2 years ago, moved with us from Miami, and still haven't used. This is days after the massive amount of empty dog food bags was removed from between the hot water heater & the wire storage rack. There must have been 20 bags back there. 

 

After 1 - a side view of our new baking bin, spices + sundries bins, large snack/dried fruit/nuts bin, my much-loved almond box, a whole mess of seaweed snacks I haven't gotten to yet, and my sauces/fats bins. I'm not 100% happy with the back portions of the top and second shelves; but I'll find a workaround in time, I'm sure. 

 

After 2 - a head-on view of our Kombucha station, "junk drawer" baskets, liquors, and new cleaning supplies shelf - no longer is the water heater piled with so much crap it's an avalanche hazard. 

 

And I set up the dryer closet with a beer brewing shelf + found a home for some now-empty containers, since I got rid of a large portion of the food we don't eat any more from the pantry (I kept some dried black beans, lentils, half a bag of farro and assorted rices in case of emergency).

 

Before - and this was even clean-ish for this closet. We had just taken the recycling out last week. Nothing like the months of accumulation we'd amassed before that. 

 

After - Beer supplies are corralled and easy to reach in their own container; an under-utilized recycling thing is housing IKEA bags + will probably house paper shopping bags; the trash can we weren't using now houses our bottle recycling; the Lego Imperial Shuttle we have half-assembled is now off the floor; we have plenty of containers for pantry food; and lots of room for anything else that needs a home. 

 

 

SQ (jump to new fitness when main goals are complete)

 

It's not time for this goal to come into effect yet. 

[JessFit]

Great start on this and fantastic workout!

[darkfoxx]

Week 1 Day 2 Recap

 

Goal 1 (NF Academy workouts)

 

This wasn't a NFA day. No workout here.

 

 

Goal 2 (Zombies, Run! 5k Trainer workouts)

 

I completed Workout 1 for Week 4. My username on Zombies, Run! is darkfoxx - check out my stats if you want to stalk. 

 

5 minute walk

5 minute "free run" - combo of jogging & walking

Repeat 5x - 10 knee lifts (per leg) / 1 minute slow walk / 1 minute fast walk - mostly fast walks because it was 30 degrees

Repeat 5x - 1 minute walk / 1 minute jog

15 minute "free run" - combo of jogging & walking - a lot of jogging, since it was freezing

 

Distance: 3.17 miles

Duration: 50:44

Average Speed: 3.75 mph

Average Pace: 16:00 min/mi

Calories: 267

 

Even though it was 30-something, I had a good training session. I bulked up on layers and ended up being not too uncomfortable for most of my time out. I can see the need for a gaiter & maybe some clear glasses -- walking/jogging into the wind was brutal at times. But, I was happy to see that the amount of layers I chose was appropriate - sports bra, long sleeve wicking shirt, REI semi-fleece pullover thing, North Face fleece jackety thing, thin hat, thin gloves, UnderArmor wintery material pants, regular socks, regular shoes, running phone holder belt & all-important blinky light so I don't get mowed down. My nose was a little runny and my thighs didn't thaw for about 45 minutes after I got home, but it was a good session. 

 

 

Goal 3 (diet metrics)

 

Breakfast: DH's green smoothie

Lunch: Leftover brussels from last night beefed up with some rotisserie chicken

Dinner: We were supposed to have pot roast, but after cooking 8 hours, it still wasn't done - so the DH defrosted some burgers and we had sweet potato fries & burger

The 'Gnawing Hangries' Snack: 1 ounce unsalted almonds

 

Calories: 1,467

Carbs: 89 (whoo hoo!)

Fat: 78

Protein: 101 (whoo hoo!)

Sodium: 1,120

Sugar: 27

 

Calories were right at the line, carbs were good, fat was good, and protein was over in a good way. Whoo hoo! 

 

 

LQ (closet monsters)

 

It's a weekday - no work expected or completed here.

 

 

SQ (jump to new fitness when main goals are complete)

 

It's not time for this goal to come into effect yet. 

[JessFit]

Great run! really impressive

[BlamedCat]

Wow, that was a great run, glad you got to get it done!

 

Good deal on the food too, even the improvised dinner plan, much better than my choice on Monday for sure!

[darkfoxx]

What did you do on Monday? I don't remember seeing any 'bad' dinner ... 

 

I'm just glad the hubbs stepped in to help. My best laid dinner plans being sidetracked generally sends me into a panic tailspin - and I'm thankful we had burgers & sweet potatoes so he could step in and make something he is comfortable with. Right now, he's so beside himself that I'm electing to move quickly on purpose (the delusional man has dreams of tandem runs in his head) that he's more than happy to jump on dinner while I go do my thing. This has not always been the case, but I'm thankful that for now it is. It's really a big help and allows me to do what I want to do without worrying about our 7:30 cutoff time for dinner. 

[BlamedCat]

What did you do on Monday? I don't remember seeing any 'bad' dinner ... 

 

I'm just glad the hubbs stepped in to help. My best laid dinner plans being sidetracked generally sends me into a panic tailspin - and I'm thankful we had burgers & sweet potatoes so he could step in and make something he is comfortable with. Right now, he's so beside himself that I'm electing to move quickly on purpose (the delusional man has dreams of tandem runs in his head) that he's more than happy to jump on dinner while I go do my thing. This has not always been the case, but I'm thankful that for now it is. It's really a big help and allows me to do what I want to do without worrying about our 7:30 cutoff time for dinner. 

Oh I didn't post it... don't think I posted anything on wretched Monday... So we came home sis-n-law made a crockpot of shredded BBQ chicken.  simple, right?  Well there wasn't enough for the whole fam... like half a sandwich each and even then my wife didn't get any dinner... Veggies weren't even made (sis-n-law NEVER thinks of veggies.. she's eternally stuck in high school eating mode I think).  So I offered to go get us something... pizza was the only thing that came to mind, so I got some pizzas for the fam... they were the good quality kind from a mom & pop Italian restaurant, but still... 

 

Wow, well I'm glad he's helping out, even if he is delusional

[darkfoxx]

Wow. Ok, you weren't kidding - that's pretty far off the wagon for you (especially with all the gains you've made on that front the past couple of challenges). But, emergencies happen and life sometimes gets in the way - just don't let that one meal dictate the week, balance that one crap meal out with some great meals, and you'll be fine. 

 

Who doesn't make veggies with dinner? That can help stretch a small pot of meat waaaaayyyy further. 

[BlamedCat]

Wow. Ok, you weren't kidding - that's pretty far off the wagon for you (especially with all the gains you've made on that front the past couple of challenges). But, emergencies happen and life sometimes gets in the way - just don't let that one meal dictate the week, balance that one crap meal out with some great meals, and you'll be fine. 

 

Who doesn't make veggies with dinner? That can help stretch a small pot of meat waaaaayyyy further. 

yeah... well, like we all say it's a one-off, it's not typical, so that's good.  Trying too, but it's very difficult this week... the same sis-n-law made tacos last night, but also mixed in leftover taco meat to make it go further... but it was rancid... /facepalm.  My poor daughter threw up (rightly so) and we tossed the food... /sigh.  This doesn't always happen, but two meals in a row is trying on my patience...  not much I can do, getting home after 6 and long drives ta boot...  But we'll get back on track.  I know chili will be served this week and I will insist on veggies and beans in it.

 

hah, I used to not make veggies with dinner... I know a lot of people who just make the 'main dish' and throw in bread or pasta as a filler... I used to be that way and THAT is why I was 282.2 lbs at one point in my life.    But yes, veggies really do help meals

[darkfoxx]

Awww... poor little thing. That's terrible! 

 

Check out this link for a sampler .pdf of the book Well Fed. I'm not a fan of the chick who wrote it's recipes (too bland by half), but you would benefit from her meal planning advice.

 

Also, you would benefit from this book - there is a lot of good menu planning and make-ahead stuff here so you'll always have something on hand. A good friend of mine with 2 small children got it and she said it really helped her turn a corner and not feel like she's spending her whole damn life in the kitchen. 

 

This site is intriguing - Cook once a month? Interesting. 

 

And there are some other cook-ahead links in this article. Lots of good stuff you can implement here & a lot of things you can have on hand for just such nights - when it's late and what is available is crap. 

 

And there's always the have plenty of almonds on hand + jerky  tactic .. I've ended up eating that for dinner before with some fruit when there wasn't anything in the house that was 'on plan'. Hubby wants pizza for dinner? Fine, jerkface - I'll just grab something from my emergency snack stash: some jerky, then some almonds an hour later, and maybe something fresh to nibble on - some carrots or fruit. Maybe some eggs (especially if there's bacon in the house). 

 

Remember in those instances: no one is forcing food down your throat. You're a grownup and get to decide what makes it past your lips and in your stomach. It's sometimes not easy, but it's necessary to see the results you want to see. Dinner can be had in 15 minutes if you want it bad enough - I've had many nights back when I was having meat light nights when I took a bag of frozen veggies, cranked a skillet to high, added a little oil, stir-fried the frozen veggies with a little garlic & whatever else I had in the house "Asian-y" and topped it with two fried or scrambled eggs. Viola. Dinner in 15 minutes from stuff I had in the freezer/fridge. No brainer. 

 

I do remember the 'I can't have dinner unless there is a starch component' days - I was a slave to the pasta or grains bowl with veggies & little if any meat. Meat + a vegetable used to freak me out and I thought I'd never be full. And I might die without a potato. 

[darkfoxx]

Week 1 Day 3 Recap

 

Goal 1 (NF Academy workouts)

 

Today was Week 2 Workout B of Nerd Fitness Academy Dumbbell Division 1 workouts. My workout consisted of:

 

5-7 minute warmup routine

 

5 sets of 5 - Dumbbell Deadlift - 20 pound weights

5 sets of 5 - Weighted Hip Raise - 20 pound weight

3 sets of 10 - Incline Pushups - with little rest between sets

25 reps - Jumping Pull Ups - I did them all; I wasn't speedy, but they got done

10 reps x 5 - One Arm Dumbbell Row - 20 lbs.

10 reps x 5 - Jump Squat - Done and done

10 reps x 5 - Hanging Knee Tucks - This freakin kills my hands. My abs feel okay doing them, but my hands ... that's a different story.

 

Finisher: :30 on/:30 off for 7 minutes - Shuttle Sprints - Didn't do them. Didn't want to take the time or expend the effort.

 

And I forgot to stretch afterward -- I should stop doing that.

 

 

Goal 2 (Zombies, Run! 5k Trainer workouts)

 

This wasn't a Zombies, Run! day - no workout here. 

 

 

Goal 3 (diet metrics)

 

Breakfast: DH's green smoothie

Lunch: 1/4 of a kabocha squash, roasted, with an asiany tahini sauce

Dinner: Some of the pot roast that didn't pan out for last night with a side of brussels baked until crispy with fennel, apple and Honey Jack

The 'Lunch Needed Protein Snack': 1 ounce salmon jerky I picked up in Seattle quite awhile back that had been unearthed by the pantry clean and should probably be consumed before the apocalypse

 

Calories: 991

Carbs: 67 (whoo hoo!)

Fat: 48 

Protein: 71 (whoo hoo!)

Sodium: 1,446

Sugar: 23

 

Calories look suspiciously low, carbs look great, fat looks great, protein is just 1 point over the line of greatness, and salt is kinda killer. A good day. 

 

 

LQ (closet monsters)

 

It's a weekday, so no work expected or completed here.

 

 

SQ (jump to new fitness when main goals are complete)

 

It's not time for this goal to come into effect yet. 

[thekatisalie]

Nerd Fitness Academy Dumbbell Division 1 workouts... I may have skimmed over this, but where did you find these? I love a good new workout.

Nice day three!! I had suspiciously low calories yesterday, too... But I was still under on protein.

[darkfoxx]

I signed up for Nerd Fitness Academy when it launched. I think signup is active again? Maybe? It's a pay program, but there is a lot of good info available + a bazillion videos of workout moves and workout programs for barbells, dumbbells, bodyweight, and endurance conditioning. It's geared toward women and I'm liking the amount of info packed into the site. 

 

I hate those days! I had a bunch of those days in the beginning of sticking to my metrics goals and had no idea how to fix it. Then I started craving nothing but meat. And now life is more balanced. I still have days where I just can't hit the mark (mostly on weekends where I may be skipping a meal), but overall getting enough protein isn't too hard. Calories fluctuate - but I rarely go over 1500 if I'm not eating something I'm not supposed to be eating.