Erick the Red: You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

[Erick the Red]

My main quest has not changed from the last couple of challenges.  To recap:

 

Reading through the Nerd Fitness blog a while back, the A Beginner's Guide to Getting Bigger Muscle and Bulking Up post really struck home, specifically this part:

If you are skinny fat (you have skinny arms and legs but have a gut), I would recommend strength training while following a healthy diet to decrease your body fat percentage.

Get yourself down to roughly 12% bodyfat (~20% for women), and then start packing on size.

This has been me forever -- thin enough, except when the shirt comes off.  My "soft midsection" is what got me into running.  I am lifting now in large part to build up the rest of me to help shrink the belly.  So after doing a little research and asking for help in a few places, I have a Main Quest: Get below 15% body fat by the end of 2013.

 

I am going to share with you one of my "power songs" that sometimes helps me get through a rough patch.  Because I am such a giver, you get three ways to experience it: 

1. "It's My Life".  It was released on May 23, 2000.  Watch it for the parkour (which I don't even know if that was a thing back then, but jumping off overpasses certainly was). 

2. For the folks wanting something more mellow: "It's My Life" Unplugged version. 

3. Just the lyrics.

 

Fitness Goals:

Goal 1: It's now or never/ I ain't gonna live forever

Keep to my calorie goal to reach one pound of fat loss per week.  Aim for 130 grams of protein per day.  When I get to the protein goal, STOP with the eating.  Record daily in MFP and report here.

 

Goal 2: I just wanna live while I'm alive

Practice parkour moves for at least five minutes, at least five times per week.  Starting with the forward roll, then if I get that I will see what makes sense. Report here daily.

 

Goal 3: Hold on to what you've got (yeah, from a different song.  Sue me.)

At least two days heavy lifting per week.

At least two days running per week, for at least twenty minutes each time.

Report here.

(I have run in a couple Warrior Dash races and a 10K, I am wanting to do a Spartan Race and/or half marathon in the next year.)

 

Life Goal: Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake/ Luck ain't even lucky/ Got to make your own breaks

At least ten minutes every day of focused, un-distracted meditation and scripture study.  Report on this thread.

I lost this habit somewhere.  I can make time in the morning before the rest of the family wakes up. 

 

Good luck to all.

 

'Cause it's my life!

[cavemom]

I'm really excited to follow along with you on your parkour goal.  I think it looks awesome, and I would love to be able to do it, but I feel like my body is too old.  I don't move like I used to.

[rowan]

I LOVE BON JOVI NO ONE CAN DESTROY MY LOVE

 

I fully support your theme for this challenge.  Sounds like some good solid assignments - I like that you balanced it all out with study and reflection time. Very important! 

[Erick the Red]

I'm really excited to follow along with you on your parkour goal.  I think it looks awesome, and I would love to be able to do it, but I feel like my body is too old.  I don't move like I used to.

 

I can't move like I used to either.  But I never moved very well.  I am trying to learn how to do things like a forward shoulder roll because I have never been very coordinated.

 

I ran a little this morning before the kids got up ( I have the day off for Veteran's Day).  After the run I was in a park near the house and tried some forward rolls following this tutorial.  After the third one I was dizzy and nauseous.  Walked home and ate breakfast.  I will try again later today.  Great start, right?

 

I LOVE BON JOVI NO ONE CAN DESTROY MY LOVE

 

I fully support your theme for this challenge.  Sounds like some good solid assignments - I like that you balanced it all out with study and reflection time. Very important! 

 

I'm glad that you could see that I was trying to find more balance.

[Erick the Red]

Day one measurements to get a baseline for progress:

• Sex: male
• Height: 59 inches / 175 cm
• Weight: 160 pounds / 73 kg
• Neck: 15.12 inches / 38 cm
• Waist: 32.5 inches / 82 cm
• Hip: 38.75 inches / 99 cm

(Metric measurements are rounded estimates)

 

Body Fat Estimate (US Navy formula) from BizCalcs.com: 16%

Military Body Fat Percentage from something called Fat2Fit: 14.6%

Accu-Measure Body Fat caliper: 12mm at 38 years: 16%16.8%

 

The measurements with the tape are probably more dependable than the online calculated percentages or my plastic caliper, but I figure between the three methods I get a consensus.

 

Two of the three say I need to lose at least another percent by New Year's Eve.  Looking at myself, I tend to agree.

[Squeege]

Agreed. Great balance to your goals! Subbed. Good luck!

[Twibbly]

I used to listen to that song when I was working out or in studying in between slamming racquetballs back in college...

[Foxfinding]

YOUR CHALLENGE IS SONG LYRICS. YOU ARE OFFICIALLY MY HERO.

 

I love how wide of a range your goals cover. Good luck with them all!

[Erick the Red]

Agreed. Great balance to your goals! Subbed. Good luck!

 

Working on balance.

Thanks.  You too!

 

 

I used to listen to that song when I was working out or in studying in between slamming racquetballs back in college...

 

Careful, you are dating yourself.

No worries, I am older.

 

YOUR CHALLENGE IS SONG LYRICS. YOU ARE OFFICIALLY MY HERO.

 

I love how wide of a range your goals cover. Good luck with them all!

 

Thanks.  You too!

[Twibbly]

 

Careful, you are dating yourself.

No worries, I am older.

If I'm married, would dating myself be considered cheating?

I'm not concerned about dating myself. I have to do math to figure out how old I am most of the time anyway.

[cavemom]

On my walk today I went past an elementary school, and saw some girls doing gymnastics and handstands.  It reminded me that I used to be able to walk on my hands, and easily do handstands.  Those girls don't know how good they have it right now. 

 

You're so close to your body-fat percentage goal.  I think you can for sure do it by New Years.

[Foxfinding]

I have now officially spent far too long staring at your pictures. They're just...really interesting. Possibly even better as a pairing. I'm not sure why, but I could see them being posted together in art museum exhibit. *Has officially over-analysed this.*

 

 

If I'm married, would dating myself be considered cheating?

 

(That's what I thought at first too... )

[rowan]

Yaaay the pictures are back! I missed Eric's pictures.

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 1:

1. 90 calories under daily budget cap (1763 food - 303 running and walking = 1460 vs 1550).  135 g protein.

 

Added for historical (hysterical?) record:

Breakfast: 6 eggs, scrambled.  Seasoned salt. 420 cal

Lunch: Baby carrots 3 ounces, warmed-up steak from the night before 3.7 ounces. 231 cal

Dinner: Baked salmon 8 ounces (caught by a friend in Alaska); Raw red bell peppers, about 1 cup. 494 cal

Snacks: Homemade cookies, 2% milk. 618 cal.  It was family game night.

As we can see, if I could just lay off the treats I bet the pounds would just fall off.  *sigh*

 

2. 0/5. Lame attempt at forward rolls in the AM, then never made the time.

3. 0/2 lifting, 1/2 running. Nothing fancy, twenty minutes around the neighborhood.

Life: 1/7. First thing after waking, ten minutes to get my head on straight.

I felt a little "bad" missing work for the holiday, but we rakes leaves and worked around the house quite a bit.

[Twibbly]

If they told you it was a holiday, why do you feel bad?  Or did you call in "sick"?

[Erick the Red]

If they told you it was a holiday, why do you feel bad?  Or did you call in "sick"?

 

Irrational desire to be in the office even though the office is closed is irrational.

[cavemom]

Don't those lame attempts at forward rolls still count? 

[Erick the Red]

Don't those lame attempts at forward rolls still count? 

 

Lame attempts for a minute?  No.  Lame attempts for five minutes would have worked.  Later today, I'm confident that my attempts will be lamer than lame.

 

 

Oh, and I walked down the street from the building where I am working today for lunch.  In a moment of weakness I ate four pieces of pizza, a large cup of Barq's root beer, and a garden salad with italian dressing  Ack.  There went my calories for the day.  We will see what I can do to salvage this mis-step.

If I am not careful I will re-pudgify.

[Twibbly]

The real question is, what steps are you taking go avoid doing the same thing in the future?

Sent from my N800 using Tapatalk

[Foxfinding]

Oh, and I walked down the street from the building where I am working today for lunch.  In a moment of weakness I ate four pieces of pizza, a large cup of Barq's root beer, and a garden salad with italian dressing  Ack.  There went my calories for the day.  We will see what I can do to salvage this mis-step.

 

I am convinced that pretty much everybody occasionally succumbs to the sweet siren song of pizza. I think it may posses some kind of dark magic like that. :/

[Erick the Red]

Week 1, Day 2:

1. 74 calories over daily budget cap (2015 food - 391 running and walking = 1624 vs 1550).  131 g protein. 

 

Breakfast: 1 cup dry oatmeal, water, cooked in microwave, 2 scoops vanilla whey powder (540 cal)

Lunch: The aforementioned pizza, salad, and soda (1230 cal)

Dinner: 7 ounces baked chicken with lemon (245 cal).  I put the chicken breasts and lemon in the oven, and then helped the kids cut up fresh broccoli, peppers, and carrots as sides, since my wife was teaching a dance class this evening.  My kids have learned to eat paleo and not think it is weird.  They still would prefer something like Sugar Honey Cocoa Bombs cereal (whatever it is called) when they can get it, but we don't buy it.  They get enough empty calories working on their Halloween candy, which we limit to a few pieces per day.

 

2. 1/5. More lame attempts at forward rolls, more nausea, interspersed with some handstand preparation (really just elevated leg planks at this point).

 

3. 1/2 lifting, 2/2 running. Squats, bench press, and seated shoulder press at the gym in the evening, then treadmill for 20 minutes at 7 miles per hour (8:30 min/mile).

 

Life: 2/7. Again first thing after waking.  Just making it a part of the morning routine.

[Erick the Red]

I am convinced that pretty much everybody occasionally succumbs to the sweet siren song of pizza. I think it may posses some kind of dark magic like that. :/

 

Amen sister.  Amen.

[Elastigirl]

Cool that your kids are Paleo and they help with meal prep. On the nausea, Ryan Hurst from GMB says to pick a spot and look at it while you roll, it helps with orientation. Also for warm up, do log rolls, where you lay down on the ground like a log and roll, it helps with getting your body ready for motion. 

[Twibbly]

Cool that your kids are Paleo and they help with meal prep. On the nausea, Ryan Hurst from GMB says to pick a spot and look at it while you roll, it helps with orientation. Also for warm up, do log rolls, where you lay down on the ground like a log and roll, it helps with getting your body ready for motion. 

That's what we did for spins in ballet when I was little.  You look at the same spot every time you turn.

[Foxfinding]

  I put the chicken breasts and lemon in the oven, and then helped the kids cut up fresh broccoli, peppers, and carrots as sides, since my wife was teaching a dance class this evening.  My kids have learned to eat paleo and not think it is weird.  They still would prefer something like Sugar Honey Cocoa Bombs cereal (whatever it is called) when they can get it, but we don't buy it.  They get enough empty calories working on their Halloween candy, which we limit to a few pieces per day.

 

I just want to throw this out there- it's really cool that you cook paleo with your kids, because when I was young, vegetable matter wasn't really a priority on the dinner table, and when I moved out, I had absolutely no idea how to pick fruits or veggies at the market. Knowing when food is ripe/ready for cooking/good quality just wasn't ever a skill set I acquired.

I'm learning it now, but I think it's something that fewer and fewer young people are learning as eating habits have changed. It's really neat that you are involving your children in the life-skills that are food and cooking.