Targilnar - The Road Goes Ever On

[Targilnar]

Main Quest
Fit into size 40 pants before the end of 2014. As odd as it may sound I just want to be able to buy my clothes off the rack in any normal store.

 

Supporting Quests
1) Trim the Fat (STA +5) - Loose 12 lbs of fat
2) Muscle Bound (STR +4, STA +1) - Strength train 3x a week
3) Healthy Habits (WIS +1, STA +2, CHA +1) - Track a number of smaller habits for overall health

 

Motivation
I've reached a point where I am disgusted with myself for being so badly out of shape. Add to that the fact that I hit 30 last year and began to really feel it physically in how much I could do and how fast I recover. It's a new year and I think it's time for a new me.

 

Life Quest

Rested and Ready - Get 7 hours of sleep per night (CON +1)

 

Mini Quests

The Dietician is Back! (Complete) - Drink only water (no other drinks at all) for 4 days. +1 CON

The latest plot - Take appropriate rest days. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. No hitting the snooze button. Do one of those 4 days this week. +1 CON

 

Additional Background
I'm a Computer Programmer and avid gamer (If you play League of Legends my summoner name is Targilnar). These are not the best occupations to encourage being in shape. I've tried dieting and working out before with some success. I went from 270 to 240 at one point in time. Then a job switch killed my workout schedule and I let it die off. My last 6 week challenge was a success and I hope to continue off of that.

 

Current Stats (taken 02/23/2014)
30 year old Male

299.8 lbs

Neck 17"

Waist 53.5"

Hip 53"

 

Points System

Trim the Fat

I will be tracking the fat loss by using the number I run at the beginning of the challenge and a body fat % averaged from 3 sources.

Calculator 1

Calculator 2

Handheld Electric Measurement

- Each day of food recorded is 2 pts (My Fitness Pal)

- Sunday weight in and measuring 2 pts

- Each pound lost is 17pts

- Max per week is 50 points

 

Muscle Bound

- Each 5x5 workout is worth 10 points

- Each workout with a 20 min cardio section (walk 3.5 or faster) is worth 10 points

- Max per week is 50 points

 

Healthy Habits

Because brushing once a day isn't enough and I really don't want carpal tunnel surgery.

- Brush teeth morning 1pt

- Brush teeth night 1 pt

- Floss 2pts

- Carpal Tunnel Stretches 3x a day 3pts

- Max 49 points per week

 

Rested and Ready

- Get 7 hours of sleep 1 point

- Get 6 hours of sleep 0.5 points

- Max 7 points

 

Grading

Trim the Fat - 270 or better for A

Muscle Bound - 270 or better for A

Healthy Habits - 265 or better for A

Rested and Ready - 38 or better for A

[T2sarahconnor]

Like the calculators! Thanks. I don't have access to an electronic device. Using this will at least show me progress.

Look forward to seeing your progress.

[elinox]

Seems you enjoyed your Challenge #1 enough that you're doing another one, which is awesome. Keep it up, you can do it for Challenge #2!

[Erick the Red]

Good theme, great goals.

 

In pursuit of supporting quest number 1, I would suggest either using an application to track your food like myfitnesspal, or aiming for a paleo-style diet.  I have newfound respect for the fat-loss progress you can make by simply staying active and cutting out the empty calories for a while!

[Blaidd]

Welcome Targilnar.  Your goals look pretty cool, however i would caution against making weightloss a quest (it is an eventual goal, but your other quests will support it).  As Erick mentioned, rather make it a dietary or exercise quest which will further support the weightloss.  Weightloss could your rating.

 

Also i feel you on wanting to be able to shop in a normal department store and buy clothes straight off the rack without looking for the XXL section. 

 

Good luck

AB xx

[Targilnar]

Added link to my fitness pal for goal 1. I also increased the number of points that daily entries are worth since points really help me make sure something happens.

[Countess D'If]

Heya! Good luck with this challenge! I'll sneak over and stalk you at MFP, once my phone and I are finished with the little spat we've been having, grrrrrr.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[Targilnar]

First weigh in.

 

299.8 lbs

Neck 17"

Waist 53.5"

Hip 53"

 

Calc1 - 41%

Calc2 - 40.6%

Device - 33.1%

Average is 38.2%

 

Well I'm guessing I'm at around 35% from the visual test so I'm going to go with the avg of 38%

[Erick the Red]

I'm excited to see the changes on those numbers in six weeks!

[Munqi]

I have to say Targilnar, Your goals are nicely made and looks to be quite systematic/quantifiable with the use of calculators.

 

(slight admission on my part, after seeing how well you made your goals I modeled mine a bit like yours. Good job )

 

Good luck on your challenge, 1 day down .

 

Side note on your mini challenge.:

 

I got a few tips during my last challenge to make it easier for drinking water. 

• Things which make it easier would be making it available everywhere or making the water obvious to see and the opposed would be hiding soda or others...heh, I'd say to take it out of the fridge even, then you would be discouraged as you would have to pour it into cups get ice and what not whereas you can get cold water in plenty of places.
• Another tip I got is to hide the water in a cup with a straw (apparently its easier to drink when using a straw and it hides the fact its water)
• My big deterrent from soda is actually slightly visual. I recently cleaned rust off my weights with Coke...Whenever I see it now I think of liquid rust remover...Mmm tasty  

[Librarian of Doom]

Great goals! I can totally dig your main goal...being able to just buy "regular size" pants would be amazing and wonderful!!! And the great news is that with strength training, you don't necessarily have to lose a lot of weight to see big gains in that area. I, personally, have gone down more than two sizes in the past while only losing about 5-10 lbs. Fat vs. muscle is an amazing thing!

[Targilnar]

2/24/2014 - Week 1, Day 1

 

Trim the Fat 2/300
Muscle Bound 0/300
Healthy Habits 5/294
Rested and Ready 0.5/42

 

Missed 2 Carpal Tunnel Stretches

I recorded 3282 calories yesterday.

 

My BMR according to this calculator is 2658 a day so I really need to keep my intake to about 2158 a day if I want to loose 2 lbs a week. Now working out may make me loose body fat faster but that won't be reflected on my scale weight. Hence the measurements every sunday.

[Erick the Red]

Good first update.  I measures calories for a long while with some success.  With a week or two to figure out what foods are good and fit in your new normal, I am sure that you can be satisfied with just over 2K calories per day.

[Targilnar]

2/25/2014 - Week 1, Day 2

 

Trim the Fat 4/300
Muscle Bound 10/300
Healthy Habits 11/294
Rested and Ready 1/42

 

Missed 1 Carpal Tunnel Stretches

I recorded 2452 calories yesterday. Getting there but I'm not surprised its taking me a bit to get to my target eating number. Still on track with only drinking water.

[Erick the Red]

Those numbers are starting to add up quick!  You'll be at three hundred in no time.

[Librarian of Doom]

Those numbers are starting to add up quick!  You'll be at three hundred in no time.

 

What he said! Great start to the challenge!!!

[Munqi]

Great job today on your eating, Hit your goals on myfitnesspal pretty dead on

[Targilnar]

2/26/2014 - Week 1, Day 3

 

Trim the Fat 6/300
Muscle Bound 20/300
Healthy Habits 17/294
Rested and Ready 2/42

 

Workout

Squats 5x5 135

Bench Press 5x5 135

Barbell Rows 5x5 110

EZ Bar Curl 5x5 70

 

 

Excellent day yesterday. Hit the gym, got 7 hours of sleep, company sponsored BBQ lunch so I didn't spend any money. Downside is that I ate my entire days calories at lunch. Total of 2,396 calories yesterday. Missed 1 Carpal Tunnel Stretch, that one when I get home from work keeps not happening. Still only water, last day of the mini challenge. It's been a long delay since my last workout, felt good to be back.

[Erick the Red]

Looks like a good workout.  Glad to hear that it was a good day.

[Harika]

Could you move the after work stretch to before you leave work? That might help motivate you to do it - do it or don't leave.

[elinox]

Workouts, at least weight lifting for me, seems to get addicting. I enjoy it and feel good once I get to the gym to do it. And one of these days I should ask you to explain in simple terms how your scoring works.

[Targilnar]

 

Could you move the after work stretch to before you leave work? That might help motivate you to do it - do it or don't leave.

 

I think I need to. Plus it's sort of doctor mandated so my boss wouldn't get upset about the time.

 

 

Workouts, at least weight lifting for me, seems to get addicting. I enjoy it and feel good once I get to the gym to do it. And one of these days I should ask you to explain in simple terms how your scoring works.

 

There is nothing quite like finishing a hard workout with heavy weights. I usually feel more energetic after than I did before.

[Librarian of Doom]

Still going strong! Great work! And I second Harika's suggestion...Is there a way to move the after work stretch so that you're more likely to do it?

[Targilnar]

2/27/2014 - Week 1, Day 4

 

Trim the Fat 8/300
Muscle Bound 20/300
Healthy Habits 23/294
Rested and Ready 2.5/42

 

 

Still missed one stretch. Basically as the work day winds down I'm trying to finish up all the little stuff and then all I want to think about is getting home.

6 hours of sleep

Ate 2,365 calories yesterday.

 

I've been weighing myself in the morning but I'll save the official news for sunday after measurements. Looks good so far.

[Erick the Red]

Sleep issues?  Or late-night WoW raid?