Jonesy's 2014.1 Challenge #9

[Jonesy]

This will be my 9th challenge on NF and as you can see, I'm still Level 6. My last challenge did not go well, so I plan on kicking butt with this new challenge. Since I started on NF my ultimate goal has always been to lose weight. While most would think that is motivation enough and a good main quest, I consider it my EPIC quest. I've learned that just wanting to lose weight is not enough for me and to help with the motivation I'm keeping my main quests smaller and consider my main quest to be a short term quest.  
 
 
Main Quest - Next 2 challenges
Run a 5K & Keep up with the exercise after- Hot Chocolate 5/15k is on March 2 & Seahawks 5k on April 13

Missions
1 - Fitness - Complete Couch 2 5K - Week 3 - Week 8 (Week 9 & the race will be part of the next challenge)
Stats - 3 STA & 2 DEX
Grading -
16-18 days completed = A
12-15 days completed = B
7-11 days completed = C
0-6 days completed = F

 
2 - Diet - Move to a more Paleo food plan (Reduce or eliminate gluten, dairy, legumes, sugar & alcohol), prepare meals in advance and meal plan.
Stats - 3 WIS & 2 CON 
Grading -
250-400 points = A
151-249 points = B
101-150 points = C
51-100 points = D
0-50 points = F

How will I earn points? Each day I will tally up my points based on the numbers below.
 
Daily points
+3 points for full paleo meals
+2 point for healthy or healthier meals (examples Brown rice & Quinoa)
+1 point for 1 cup of water
-3  points for fast food (Mcdonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc)
-1  points for 1 cup of soda
-1  point for snacking
 
Weekly Points
+3 points for meal planning
+1 point for pre-making meals
-3 points for NOT meal planning
 
3 - Health - Sleep : In bed by 11pm on work days, 8 hours of sleep before a morning workout. Tracking & Recording : keep it simple. Part of my 3rd mission is going to be not stressing about tracking and recording. I need this in order to stay on track but in the past I've taken it a little too far and overtaxed myself. I don't want to burn out on tracking! 
Stats - 5 CON
Grading -
20-30 days in bed before or by 11pm = A
10-19 days in bed before or by 11pm = B
6-9 days in bed before or by 11pm = C
0-5 days in bed before or by 11pm = F

 
Motivation
I have 2 for the next 2 challenges. I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5K and you need to have a 15 min mile pace and I'll be flying to Florida in April and I'd like to have lost some weight/inches by then April 1st.
 
Starting Stats
Weight - 297.4
Hips - 57.5
Waist - 54.25

[ChristArtist]

Hey, jonesy, I live in Florida... Where are you coming?

[Jill Beat]

Great goals.  Simple, and achievable!  I love making food ahead of time, it make stuff so much easier.  I'll be blogging what I made on Fridays on my DIY blog and posting in my thread.  Here's what I've been eating this week:

http://www.envirocraftiness.com/2014/01/food-friday.html

[Jonesy]

I'm going to surprise my mom with a visit on her birthday! My step dad and her live in Kissimmee. They both work at Disney World so I plan on taking advantage of their free park passes.

[Jonesy]

Great goals.  Simple, and achievable!  I love making food ahead of time, it make stuff so much easier.  I'll be blogging what I made on Fridays on my DIY blog and posting in my thread.  Here's what I've been eating this week:

http://www.envirocraftiness.com/2014/01/food-friday.html

 

Thanks! When I did the Whole30 challenge food prep was a life saver! I have at least 5 Paleo meals in line to make for this challenge and I'm always looking for new and easy meals to make!

[TennisGeek]

It's all about food. In my past challenges, I started putting pictures of food I cook. 

It's been fun and a couple of people tried them. If interested, dig out my old challenges in my sig and ask me recipe.

They are all super easy and pretty yummy.

 

Have a good challenge!
 

[Tateman]

Having gotten through that whole 30 as well, you would think it would be easy to switch over to a paleo style eating  I haven't quite got it yet, but working on it.  I want to get in some 5k races eventually too.  Like a normal one.  Also looking to run this one with my sister http://5kfoamfest.com/Location/Index/63 in San Jose.

[Teros]

Thanks! When I did the Whole30 challenge food prep was a life saver! I have at least 5 Paleo meals in line to make for this challenge and I'm always looking for new and easy meals to make!

whole 30 food prep!

 

[GingaNinja]

Hey Jonesy! Welcome back, your challenge looks good! I am looking forward to following you! Good luck with working up to your 5K!

[Red1263]

Heya Jonesy! I'm glad you've turned your goals into an Epic quest! I look forward to seeing you progress on this quest!

[Clarys]

Your missions are very good! My goals are similar!

In the last 2 challenges I had a sleep time goal, but I can't follow them and become upset... this time I have a wake up time, I want to see if I can stick with this one...

Do you have any before bed routine? I realize that it is very helpful to have a routine...

[Jonesy]

It's all about food. In my past challenges, I started putting pictures of food I cook. 

It's been fun and a couple of people tried them. If interested, dig out my old challenges in my sig and ask me recipe.

They are all super easy and pretty yummy.

 

Have a good challenge!

 

 

Thank you! I would agree but also food prep/planning is equally as important. I think that for a person who is lazy such as myself, if I don't have a plan or food pre-made then I slack off and turn to back to old habits. 

 

Having gotten through that whole 30 as well, you would think it would be easy to switch over to a paleo style eating  I haven't quite got it yet, but working on it.  I want to get in some 5k races eventually too.  Like a normal one.  Also looking to run this one with my sister http://5kfoamfest.com/Location/Index/63 in San Jose.

 

You would think right??? I thought that as well but it just never switched over for me. Food is a problem for me.

Ohh that race looks great! You might want to look at local charities that do 5ks. The Heart Walk (American Heart Association) is free, which makes doing a 5k that much more fun. Haha. 

 

Hey Jonesy! Welcome back, your challenge looks good! I am looking forward to following you! Good luck with working up to your 5K!

 

Thank you! I'm not proud of falling off the challenge wagon so early last challenge but it happens. I have a running pressure this time so I know I'll kick butt. 

 

Heya Jonesy! I'm glad you've turned your goals into an Epic quest! I look forward to seeing you progress on this quest!

 

Thank you! 

 

Your missions are very good! My goals are similar!

In the last 2 challenges I had a sleep time goal, but I can't follow them and become upset... this time I have a wake up time, I want to see if I can stick with this one...

Do you have any before bed routine? I realize that it is very helpful to have a routine...

 

I've done a sleep goal before and it was not too hard for me. My last sleep goal was to get to bed by 10pm and I had to change it because I have monthly meetings that tend to make it REALLLLLY hard to be in bed by 10pm. I still get enough sleep by going to bed by 11pm. I have a sleep routine that takes me about 30 mins or more. My problem is just stoping what I'm in the process of doing and ACTUALLY getting ready for bed.  

[Jonesy]

Food prep for this week! Asian Meatballs and homemade larabars
 

8 Servings - Walnuts, Almonds, Coconut flakes, Dark Chocolate powder, Pure Vanilla Extract & Dates. I added in Chocolate chips because I hate wasting food and I had some left over from Christmas cookies I made. These are so stinking easy (5 mins) and I'm so happy to have gotten a food processor for xmas from my mom!
 

10 Servings - 3.5lbs beef, 1 bag frozen sweet potatoes, 6oz tomato paste, 1/2 sweet onion, cilantro, fish sauce & 8 mushrooms.

[Jonesy]

Just signed up for my 2nd 5K for 2014! 

 

Seahawks 12k & 5k 

[captncid]

Subbed!!

Note: No trees were harmed in the sending of this message, however a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

[Jill Beat]

Just signed up for my 2nd 5K for 2014! 

 

Seahawks 12k & 5k 

Whoooot! Way to go!

[Jonesy]

Whoooot! Way to go!

 

Thanks! My goal this year is to do 3+ 5ks and I'm already signed up for 2 and know of 2 free ones in Sept/Oct. 

 

Updated my challenge with grading and stats. I'm trying something a little different for my food goal. I'm not sure if it will work in the end but I'm going to give it a try. Each day I will get points added or points taken away based on what I eat. At the end of the week I'll keep a running point count and at the end of the challenge, I will add them all together to get my total points earned. 

 

How will I earn points? Each day I will tally up my points based on the numbers below.

 

Daily points

+3 points for full paleo meals

+2 point for healthy or healthier meals (examples Brown rice & Quinoa)

+1 point for 1 cup of water

-3  points for fast food (Mcdonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc)

-1  points for 1 cup of drink besides water/tea

-1  point for snacking

 

Weekly Points

+3 points for meal planning

+1 point for pre-making meals

-3 points for NOT meal planning

 

Example of 1 day

Breakfast - 1 cup tea, 2 hard boiled eggs (+3)

Lunch - 1 cup water, Asian Meatballs, Green Beans & Brown Rice (+3)

Dinner - 1 cup soda, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Mushrooms & Broccoli (+2)

Snack - 1 cup Hot Chocolate & 1 Apple (-2)

Point total = 6 points

 

 

This will be an interesting point experiment! 

[Clarys]

I've done a sleep goal before and it was not too hard for me. My last sleep goal was to get to bed by 10pm and I had to change it because I have monthly meetings that tend to make it REALLLLLY hard to be in bed by 10pm. I still get enough sleep by going to bed by 11pm. I have a sleep routine that takes me about 30 mins or more. My problem is just stoping what I'm in the process of doing and ACTUALLY getting ready for bed.  

I Know what you mean!! I have this problem too! So for me is easy to set a time to get out of bed, when I`m really tired I can`t do anything so I go to bed at a decent hour!

The one thing that I think that may help to stop what you are doing, or at least remember you of the hour (I sometimes forget the clock when I'm entertained or focused), it is set a reminder in our phone!

 

Thanks! My goal this year is to do 3+ 5ks and I'm already signed up for 2 and know of 2 free ones in Sept/Oct. 

 

Updated my challenge with grading and stats. I'm trying something a little different for my food goal. I'm not sure if it will work in the end but I'm going to give it a try. Each day I will get points added or points taken away based on what I eat. At the end of the week I'll keep a running point count and at the end of the challenge, I will add them all together to get my total points earned. 

 

How will I earn points? Each day I will tally up my points based on the numbers below.

 

Daily points

+3 points for full paleo meals

+2 point for healthy or healthier meals (examples Brown rice & Quinoa)

+1 point for 1 cup of water

-3  points for fast food (Mcdonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc)

-1  points for 1 cup of drink besides water/tea

-1  point for snacking

 

Weekly Points

+3 points for meal planning

+1 point for pre-making meals

-3 points for NOT meal planning

 

Example of 1 day

Breakfast - 1 cup tea, 2 hard boiled eggs (+3)

Lunch - 1 cup water, Asian Meatballs, Green Beans & Brown Rice (+3)

Dinner - 1 cup soda, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Mushrooms & Broccoli (+2)

Snack - 1 cup Hot Chocolate & 1 Apple (-2)

Point total = 6 points

 

 

This will be an interesting point experiment! 

This point system is very interesting!! It is way more fun that the usual way of grading!

[Jonesy]

I Know what you mean!! I have this problem too! So for me is easy to set a time to get out of bed, when I`m really tired I can`t do anything so I go to bed at a decent hour!

The one thing that I think that may help to stop what you are doing, or at least remember you of the hour (I sometimes forget the clock when I'm entertained or focused), it is set a reminder in our phone!

 

This point system is very interesting!! It is way more fun that the usual way of grading!

 

Yeah I have a reminder on my phone! It helps but at the same time i'm starting to hate that little timer. Haha. Last night I barely made it to bed by 11pm because I was on the phone with my step dad and I was researching flight prices. 

 

Since it's only day 2 I don't really have a experience with the points system but it's new and something I've never done before so  you are right, it is fun!

[Red1263]

You can always assign points to your goals after the challenge is over, but you basically just think "OK, so does this goal give me, Str? Wis? Dex? etc" If you need help simply ask.

[Teros]

larabars look interesting. It's just a shame that I hate coconut and whole30 wont allow some of those ingredients.

[Jonesy]

You can always assign points to your goals after the challenge is over, but you basically just think "OK, so does this goal give me, Str? Wis? Dex? etc" If you need help simply ask.

 

Thanks Red! The stats are the easy part for me but figuring out how to grade a food goal that's not super strict is always hard for me. I think I've worked out a good way to do it even if it's a little more mathy than I wanted.

 

larabars look interesting. It's just a shame that I hate coconut and whole30 wont allow some of those ingredients.

 

It is a shame you hate coconut but I know you are not alone in that aspect. And you can make them with anything you want, that's the beauty of the larabars. To make it Whole30 complaint use the best nuts they say to eat (Hazelnuts, cashews & Macadamia) or the occasional ones (Almonds), sub out the extract for 100% vanilla bean powder and don't add in the cocoa. I'm not really sure how that would taste but I'm going to experiment with different mixtures soon. Oh and not using it to satisfy your sugar cravings is another thing.

[TennisGeek]

Food prep for this week! Asian Meatballs and homemade larabars

 ...

 

I book marked it, and I'm going to make one this weekend.

Thanks for sharing!

[Jonesy]

I book marked it, and I'm going to make one this weekend.

Thanks for sharing!

 

You are very welcome. My mom is making the Asian Meatballs tomorrow as well!

 

 

So far this week

 

Foods Points -

22 points

Exercise -

C25K 3.3 : 1.36miles in 30:50mins

Bed -

3 days before 11pm

Productivity -

3 days of doing SOMETHING productive! 

[GingaNinja]

Sounds like it is going well so far Jonesy! Well done!