Targilnar - The Road Goes Ever On

[elinox]

Gonna have to buckle down a bit this week and make sure I get all the workouts in.

 

Going is half the battle. If you can get to the gym, even if it's only for a short workout or a lite workout, it's still better than sitting at home watching TV. 

[Targilnar]

3/10/2014 - Week 3, Day 1
Ate 4,067 calories. Very bad day as far as food goes although fairly typical for me prior to this challenge. Adding a new rule for the Trim the Fat goal. Each meal from a place with a drive through window is -5 points starting tomorrow. Not a great day for habits either.

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      88.6    300
Muscle Bound        0       50      60      300
Healthy Habits      3       49      64      294
Rested and Ready    0.5     7       9.0     42

[Librarian of Doom]

Sorry you had a bad day. Don't let it derail the rest of your week!!!

[Munqi]

Sorry you had a bad day. Don't let it derail the rest of your week!!!

 

Second. Just leave it in the past and its done.

You have been doing well and it looks like your making progress so don't let that bad day deter you.

 

...deadlift 185x5... very good...you could easily pick me up and throw me around with the kinda weight...(please don't)

[Targilnar]

3/11/2014 - Week 3, Day 2
Ate 2,468 calories. Given that I ate quite a bit of junk food that is pretty good. Took a 25min walk outside to enjoy the 70 degree temperatures before they disappear again. Only got like 5.5 hours of sleep so missed the rested and ready goal. Got all the healthy habits today. Third week, like third try, is the charm for me.

 

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        10      50      70      300
Healthy Habits      10      49      71      294
Rested and Ready    0.5     7       9.0     42

[Harika]

Yay!

[Librarian of Doom]

Good day! We were having 70-degree weather here on Tuesday as well; you must be somewhere in my general weathery region

[Erick the Red]

Great work on the calorie goal and the walk.

Thanks for reminding me.  I need to walk more.

[elinox]

Hey dude, any updates? It's been awhile since you last checked in.

[Targilnar]

So yeah kinda stopped tracking most things there for a bit. It's been a bit of a rough week both at work and emotionally. I know I didn't way over eat on any of the days (I know exactly what that feels like) but I also know I didn't hit my goal on any of the days I didn't report on either. So following is the reconstruction of my week. Now I just have to get back in the saddle.

 

3/12/2014 - Week 3, Day 3
In good news got all the healthy habits again and a 20 minute walk.

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        20      50      80      300
Healthy Habits      17      49      78      294
Rested and Ready    1.0     7       9.5     42

 

3/13/2014 - Week 3, Day 4

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        20      50      80      300
Healthy Habits      23      49      84      294
Rested and Ready    1.5     7       10.0    42

 

3/14/2014 - Week 3, Day 5

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        20      50      80      300
Healthy Habits      29      49      90      294
Rested and Ready    2.5     7       11.0    42

 

3/15/2014 - Week 3, Day 6

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        20      50      80      300
Healthy Habits      36      49      97      294
Rested and Ready    3.5     7       12.0    42

 

3/16/2014 - Week 3, Day 7

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        21      50      90.6    300
Muscle Bound        20      50      80      300
Healthy Habits      42      49      103     294
Rested and Ready    4.0     7       12.5    42

 

 

Weekly Wrap-up
295 lbs change -1 lbs
Neck 16.75" no change
Waist 53" change -0.25"
Hip 53" no change

Calc1 - 41%
Calc2 - 40.4% down
Device - 33.0% up
Average is 38.1% no change

Visual around 35% so still using average of 38%. My weight loss is hovering right around where I should have been at the end of two weeks. That can be attributed directly to my eating habits and secondly to the fact that being on a cardio only exercise program saps my desire to do anything. I can start doing upper body work again this week but still have to stay away from squats and the like.

3/17/2014 - Week 4, Day 1
Ate 2,735 calories today. Way over the limit and most of the overage was snack foods.

 

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      109.6   300
Muscle Bound        0       50      80      300
Healthy Habits      6       49      109     294
Rested and Ready    1.0     7       13.5    42

[elinox]

Good to see you haven't given up! You got this, so keep it going!

[Librarian of Doom]

Good to see you haven't given up! You got this, so keep it going!

 

What she said!!! It's the fact that you keep coming back to it that will get you where you want to go!

[Erick the Red]

We have all been there and had hard weeks.  You are still moving forward, so we'll all keep going together.

[Targilnar]

3/18/2014 - Week 4, Day 2
Ate 2,901 calories. I am gonna try really hard to stick to 2,000 or less for the next couple days. That's really where I need to be for this to work.

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        4       50      111.6   300
Muscle Bound        0       50      80      300
Healthy Habits      12      49      115     294
Rested and Ready    1.5     7       14.0    42

[Erick the Red]

Ate 2,901 calories. I am gonna try really hard to stick to 2,000 or less for the next couple days. That's really where I need to be for this to work.

 

I have been high on my calories per day as well.  Poor food choices mostly.  While I don't personally feel that there is anything magical about the paleo diet, I have found that if I focus on getting volume from vegetables and eggs and meat then it is easier to eat as much as I want without busting my calorie budget.

[Librarian of Doom]

Sorry you're having trouble with your calories...hope it went better yesterday!

[Targilnar]

3/19/2014 - Week 4, Day 3
Ate 2,430 calories. Did have fast food so -5 points for me. Not bothered by the calorie overage at all due to a really good workout before dinner. I think part of my slump has been just not getting enough exercise since I felt way better after the gym than I had for the previous couple days. So glad I can lift weights again, even if it is limited to upper body.

 

Dumbell Curls - 25x8, 30x8, 30x8, 30x7, 30x6
Dumbell Rows - 55x8, 55x8, 55x7, 55x7, 55x8
Arnold Press - 30x8, 30x7, 30x6, 30x6, 30x5
20 minutes on treadmill at 3.5 mph

 

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        1       50      108.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      100     300
Healthy Habits      17      49      120     294
Rested and Ready    2.5     7       15.0    42

[Targilnar]

I have been high on my calories per day as well.  Poor food choices mostly.  While I don't personally feel that there is anything magical about the paleo diet, I have found that if I focus on getting volume from vegetables and eggs and meat then it is easier to eat as much as I want without busting my calorie budget.

 

I would probably really enjoy paleo but it requires a good bit of effort to make sure you have the food on hand or planned. I just haven't spent the time to make it work for me. Maybe that will be on my next challenge. 

 

Possible Goals for next challenge. Suggestions or comments welcome.

 

Fuel the Fire - Eat modified paelo diet at least 50% of my meals

Unleash the Beast - Get bench press to 225 lbs for a single rep

Time is Money Friend - Get particular projects around the house finished

 

Living the Life - Combo healthy habits and sleep thing (minor points)

[elinox]

Possible Goals for next challenge. Suggestions or comments welcome.

 

Fuel the Fire - Eat modified paelo diet at least 50% of my meals

Unleash the Beast - Get bench press to 225 lbs for a single rep

Time is Money Friend - Get particular projects around the house finished

 

Living the Life - Combo healthy habits and sleep thing (minor points)

 

I think focusing on one specific set of goals, either diet, weight, hobby, or house, is the way to go. If you focus too much on multiple quests it may take away from achieving them since you may be spread too thin. Maybe try for either better diet with weights next challenge or money with house. But I think grouping them all together is going to be hard to succeed at everything. 

 

For example, figure out what your main health goals are. Loosing weight? Being stronger? Lifting a certain amount of weight? Feeling better about yourself? Then focus on achieving that during the next challenge. After that, work on something else until you achieve it and so on. Work towards one or two big things until you succeed, then work towards something else.

[Targilnar]

So my overall goal was to fit in pants I can buy at a regular department store, thus being in at least decent shape if nothing else. 

 

The house goal is actually in support of that since the sheer number of unfinished projects causes me extra stress. It's always in the back of my mind that I have X left to do in the basement or on the roof, etc. That impacts my sleep, my desire to workout, and when I hit a certain threshold of stress I tend to start eating to deal with it.

[Librarian of Doom]

Those goals look workable to me, but I don't live your life, so I can't tell you for sure

 

Re: the diet goal, something I've found helpful is to batch cook protein on the weekends. For a typical weekend we cook up a batch of carnitas, about 5 lbs of burgers, and several pounds of chicken. Then all we have to do is add veggies during the week (I usually have frozen broccoli, cauli, carrot mix with breakfast and lunch and some kind of starch for dinner, usually sweet potatoes). YMMV, but it's been really helpful to not have to go through the  "Oh, God, it's 6pm and we haven't started dinner, what do we have stuff for, oh, we don't have enough for anything, let's just order pizza or Chinese" cycle.

[elinox]

Planning meals ahead definitely makes it easier to then eat healthy. We typically do it day by day: what shall we do for dinner tonight, go to the store and buy chicken. Just be sure to plan food before you're hungry. Otherwise, going to the store is just going to be tempt-city. 

[Targilnar]

3/20/2014 - Week 4, Day 4
Ate 2,589 calories. Weight on the scale is looking good, so I'm excited for sunday.

                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      100     300
Healthy Habits      23      49      126     294
Rested and Ready    3.0     7       15.5    42

 

 

 

Those goals look workable to me, but I don't live your life, so I can't tell you for sure

 

Re: the diet goal, something I've found helpful is to batch cook protein on the weekends. For a typical weekend we cook up a batch of carnitas, about 5 lbs of burgers, and several pounds of chicken. Then all we have to do is add veggies during the week (I usually have frozen broccoli, cauli, carrot mix with breakfast and lunch and some kind of starch for dinner, usually sweet potatoes). YMMV, but it's been really helpful to not have to go through the  "Oh, God, it's 6pm and we haven't started dinner, what do we have stuff for, oh, we don't have enough for anything, let's just order pizza or Chinese" cycle.

 

I like the idea of mass protein cooked on Sunday. My roommate and I burn though leftovers like you would not believe so it will have to be cooking in major bulk. Carnitas actually sounds delicious so that will have to go on the list.

[Librarian of Doom]

This is the recipe we use. Usually with fresh jalapenos instead of chipotles bc we're weird like that. You can do it with pork chops or country style ribs if those are on sale. HoD does not recommend using the pork picnic shoulder because it's so marbled it's hard to cut up well, but the boston butt roast is really great for them. Takes about 4ish hours to cook...totally worth it. We usually cook 8-10 lbs of pork at a time. 5 lbs of pork, about 8 lbs of chicken, and that'll do for a week or so for us and the kids.

[Targilnar]

So I'm not actually dead but I did drop the ball on this challenge pretty badly. Work picked up to the point where I couldn't do more than check my personal email and when I'm in work mode I don't want to do anything else. Catching back up again because I still have a shot at getting some the goals. I will do a final weigh in and measurement at the end of week 6 anyway just to see.

 

@LoD - The carnitas recipe was great and worked really well for me not getting random food.

3/21/2014 - Week 4, Day 5
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      100     300
Healthy Habits      29      49      132     294
Rested and Ready    3.5     7       16.0    42

 

3/22/2014 - Week 4, Day 6
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      100     300
Healthy Habits      35      49      138     294
Rested and Ready    4.0     7       16.5    42

 

3/23/2014 - Week 4, Day 7
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        2       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      100     300
Healthy Habits      42      49      145     294
Rested and Ready    5.0     7       17.5    42

 

3/24/2014 - Week 5, Day 1
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        0       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        0       50      100     300
Healthy Habits      6       49      151     294
Rested and Ready    0.5     7       18.0    42

 

3/25/2014 - Week 5, Day 2
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        0       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        0       50      100     300
Healthy Habits      12      49      157     294
Rested and Ready    0.5     7       18.0    42

 

3/26/2014 - Week 5, Day 3
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        0       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        10      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      17      49      162     294
Rested and Ready    1.0     7       18.5    42

 

3/27/2014 - Week 5, Day 4
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        0       50      110.6   300
Muscle Bound        10      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      24      49      169     294
Rested and Ready    1.5     7       19.0    42

 

3/28/2014 - Week 5, Day 5
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        -5      50      105.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      30      49      175     294
Rested and Ready    2.0     7       19.0    42

 

3/29/2014 - Week 5, Day 6
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        -5      50      105.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      35      49      180     294
Rested and Ready    3.0     7       20.0    42

 

3/30/2014 - Week 5, Day 7
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        -5      50      105.6   300
Muscle Bound        20      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      41      49      186     294
Rested and Ready    4.0     7       21.0    42

 

3/31/2014 - Week 6, Day 1
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        0       50      105.6   300
Muscle Bound        10      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      5       49      191     294
Rested and Ready    0.0     7       21.0    42

 

4/1/2014 - Week 6, Day 2
                        Week          Overall
Quest               Total   Max     Total   Max
Trim the Fat        -5      50      100.6   300
Muscle Bound        10      50      110     300
Healthy Habits      11      49      197     294
Rested and Ready    0.0     7       21.0    42