Third Challenge - Silkie Hits The Books

[Arcanis]

Well, fellow adventurers, I've come to a pretty huge milestone in my life. I'm about to graduate from law school. I'm a bit of an achievement collector, and I need to maintain my grades to graduate Summa Cum Laude. What I do for the next 6 weeks will determine whether or not I achieve this. As such, the theme for my challenge is born.

As we've always been told a healthy body is necessary for a healthy mind. This ranger knows he has to rest adequately, eat right, and stay diligent with his exercise regiment in order succeed. This challenge is dedicated to fitness sustainability throughout work/school demands. After all, life is a little unpredictable in that regard.
 

Main Goals:

 

My system: Health (5), Hunger (5), and Sanity (5). Every day I lose 3 of each. Every day is aimed at replenishing. 5 is max stat. Each week will get a grade, the final grade being the average.

 

Don't Starve (Scavenger Diet: + 2 Con + 2 Sta): I love paleo. It has served me so well in achieving my weight loss and fitness goals. I've done it for two challenges now and it is officially my preference, my habit. This is great, but it gets in the way all the time. I have to cook everything. Eating out is impossible. I miss out on so much free food at the school. I have to go make food instead of socialize like a normal human being. So, I'm debuting the scavenger diet.

 

- Paleo Meal(+1 health and + 1 hunger)

- Take-out/Protein Shake/Free Meal (+1 hunger)

- Junk Food (- 1 health and + 1 hunger)

 

The ideal ratio will be 2/3 paleo meals and 1 non-junk food meal. An additional meal will be required on the days I exercise.

5 Hunger = A, 4 Hunger = B, 3 Hunger = C, 2 Hunger = D, 1-0 Hunger = F

 

Don't Stop Moving (Scavenger Fitness: +2 Str + 2 Dex): I love working out regularly. Yet, when one is busy, one must squeeze a workout into the strangest of times. Everyday I spend figuring out when to workout takes twice as much time out of my day than just using opportunities that present themselves to "find" exercise.

 

- Full Workout (+2 health, -1 hunger, + 1 sanity) : Strength + Cardio + Full Stretch
OR

- Half Workout (-1 hunger, + 1 health): Strength or Cardio

- Full Stretch (+ 1 sanity)

 

The ideal ratio will be to do the half workout/stretch daily, or do the full workout for every day I miss/ to make up for junk food/drinking.

 

5 Health = A, 4 Health = B, 3 Health = C, 2 Health = D, 1-0 Health = F

 

Don't Give Up (Scavenger Wellness: + 2 Wis + 2 Cha): Winter is ugly. School is a chore. Self-medication is dangerous. I've got to stay motivated and make time for myself each day. As such I will dedicate some time to feeling good!

- 8 hours of sleep (+1 health, + 1 sanity)

- Spend Time on my Hobbies (+ 1 sanity)

- Drink (-1 Health, + 1 Sanity)
 

The ideal ratio will be to sleep, and make sure I am still productive when I don't work out.

 

5 Sanity = A, 4 Sanity = B, 3 Sanity = C, 2 Sanity = D, 1-0 Sanity = F

Life Goal:

Don't Slack (Summa Cum Laude: + 3 Wis): If it isn't obvious already, this goal will require A LOT of tracking. I will have to be meticulously organized in order to track all my statistics. I will kill two birds with one stone and meticulously plan and track my academics. I have two papers to write, two final exams, and a trial to prepare for. It goes without saying much work must be done in advance.

For those of you who do not know, law school is graded on a curve. Not everyone can get an A. You must literally defeat your opponents in order to get the best grades. I've done well enough so far, placing myself in the top ten percent of my class, and I want to keep it that way.

Here is a rough outline of my desired progress: Week 1) Research/Outline Paper A (1/3), Week 2) Research/Outline Paper B (1/3), Week 3) Write Paper A (2/3), Week 4) Write Paper B (2/3), Week 5) Edit Paper A (3/3), Week 6), Edit Paper B (3/3).

The weeks following these will be spent preparing for my exams. Throughout all these weeks I will be juggling various projects from my other classes. Should be fun.

Wish me luck!

[DinoBytes]

okay! good luck! I'm really excited for you! so close to such an awesome goal! summa cum laude or bust!

[Arcanis]

I gotta say this version of a challenge has been pretty interesting. I feel that by wild luck I've managed to nail on the head what I need to do to balance work, diet, exercise, and leisure. Having to consciously process what I've done in a day, and what I need to do to make up for certain transgressions, is quite useful to leading a balanced life. It has also revealed where my good habits are, and where my bad habits are.

Its been almost a week now. I seem to be doing really well on "Don't Starve." I end each day with 5 Hunger. Also, because I'm generally eating Paleo, I'm staying healthy too. The days I don't get a full nights rest, or don't workout, require perfect eating. Its served me quite well as measuring how good or bad I've been to my body in a day. I ended each day with 5 Health, except yesterday when I drank. As expected on weekdays, I was struggling to keep my sanity up. I never finished a day with 5, but now I have the weekend to focus on restoring that.

Again, my goal will be to end the week with 5 in each category, demonstrating that I've led an optimally balanced life. Eating right, being healthy, and staying sane; and making up for any unhealthy actions with healthy countermeasures. I should mention that if I ever hit 0 in one of these categories, I will fail myself on the category for the week. Its not as easy as it sounds. I woke up many  mornings to having only 1 in the category.

When you risk dying for health or going insane, that workout seems a lot harder to skip...

[DinoBytes]

hahaa your system seems to be really keeping you in check! awesome work Silkie!

[Arcanis]

Week 1 Summary:  I'm learning quite a bit about myself by tracking my daily actions. I need to workout more if I expect to get away with having a few drinks in the evening.

 

Don't Starve : I certainly don't have a hard time eating enough. However, the consequences for eating less than healthily are felt more harshly on my health stat. On the bright side, 2/3 paleo meals a day keeps me working out and sleeping enough to make up for the third, less healthy meal.

Wk1: 5   Wk2:    Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:  

 

Don't Stop Moving: No excuses here. While I've been eating right, sleeping enough, and working out, I've been having a few drinks at the end of each day. Spring break has a lot to do with it, and I think I simply must force myself to do Full Workouts instead of Half+Stretch on the days I drink to make up for it.

 

Wk1: 4   Wk2:    Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:

Don't Give Up: The reality here is quite shocking. I don't have as much time for my healthy hobbies on weekends as I thought. When my girlfriend is in town (as she is this weekend and next for Spring Break) the range of hobbies I can really engage in is limited to what we can do together. By the time she is done working/working out for the day (she's very busy), the only thing she really is in the mood to do is to play video games, watch television, and have a drink. My sanity isn't suffering, as I'm having plenty of fun, but these certainly aren't my healthier, more productive hobbies. As I've repeated several times, I'll have to workout more to compensate for this.
 

Wk1: 5   Wk2:    Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:

Life Goal:

Don't Slack (A) My trade secret paper (A Magician Should Never Reveal His Trade Secret) is officially outlined. This next week I'll be focusing on writing a script to download a random sample of patent bibliographic data to further my second research paper. (I'm verifying my earlier research findings. My hypothesis is that a Supreme Court decision has had a detrimental effect on rates of allowance and administrative delay at the USPTO on all patent applications).

Next week, Spring Break: If I'll be partying daily, I need to earn it daily. If only I had an easier time being Major Buzzkill. Instead, I'll workout. Sometimes vacation is harder than ordinary weeks by virtue of being surrounded by other people with different goals than you. At least I'll get enough sleep.

[DinoBytes]

I like your determination to break even with workouts/unhealthy it's a great balance to keep you in check. And it is very difficult to keep up a fitness regimen while keeping a relationship fresh at the same time. But don't be discouraged! It's that kind of problem solving that both enhances your training and strengthens the relationship. Not that I would know anything about that... In the least. Just Try to consider yourself encouraged haha

[Mikroftt]

I like your system!  Very creative way of doing things.  Good luck with the rest of this challenge and I look forward to seeing you keep up the good work!

[Arcanis]

Spring Break Report: Nothing wrong with hunger and sanity, but boy was I bad to myself.
 

Don't Starve : I ate plenty this week. Still relatively healthy, but I wish I could say the same about my fitness.

Wk1: 5   Wk2:  5  Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:  

 

Don't Stop Moving: I made it through about half of spring break before I realized this would be my last spring break ever. That's when I abandoned the daily exercise and began partying daily. Needless to say, I failed this week. I'll need to work harder to keep my average up for the final grade in this category.

 

Wk1: 4   Wk2:  0  Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:
 

Don't Give Up: On the bright side, spring break was just what I needed for my sanity. While I drank more than I'd like to admit, I also quit my MMORPG and filled my time with board games. I think it will be enough to keep me going for the remainder of the semester.
 

Wk1: 5   Wk2: 5   Wk3:   Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:

Life Goal:

Don't Slack (A) Yet again I have succeeded in my scholastic ambitions. My program went off with little problems and I officially automated a process that took me ALL of last spring break in one day.

This week I have to start writing my trade secret paper. I also need to get back on the exercise bus. On the bright side, it has been two days above freezing. Truly, spring is coming.

[Mikroftt]

There was all that positive energy toward spring and then BAM snow hits again...  Glad that you had fun on spring break!  I tend to lose track of time easily also when I don't have a schedule for the day.  Keep it up on the school work, the end is near!

[Arcanis]

I'll post an update soon! School business has kicked in rather fiercely!

[Mikroftt]

Not surprised to hear your last term is hard.  I know there were a lot of projects for mine.  You can do it though!  You are so close!

[Arcanis]

Past Week's Report: Hanging in there. It's crunch time.
 

Don't Starve : I've been scavenging like a pro. Many free meals, but few healthy ones. Blech.

Wk1: 5   Wk2:  5  Wk3: 5  Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:  

 

Don't Stop Moving: I've been totally slacking on working out. I fail again. Clearly my fitness it the first thing to go when I've got too much on my plate.

 

Wk1: 4   Wk2:  0  Wk3: 0  Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:
 

Don't Give Up: Far less play than normal this week. At least I got enough sleep.
 

Wk1: 5   Wk2: 5   Wk3: 3  Wk4:   Wk5:   Wk6:

Life Goal:

Don't Slack (Falling behind on my intended plans. Still working on my trade secret paper. It is very close to done. I think I will dedicate this week to finishing it and editing it in advance of the next week's plan. This week's plan will be next week instead.

[Mikroftt]

Keep going!  So close!  I agree school work is more important than working out for you right now.  That being said, it might stimulate your brain a little if you stop working right now and do 10 push-ups.  Just saying, it might help

[Arcanis]

I should do that. I've also pretty much stopped keeping track of my stats. I think I'm going to focus on school. There is way too much going on. As of now, I will concede failure at everything but my life challenge. Bloody law school.

[Mikroftt]

Concede is such a negative term.  I like to think of it as temporary postponement.  You don't have that much longer so it is temporary at best

[Mikroftt]

Last week of the challenge! You can make it!

[Arcanis]

Almost the end of this challenge. Last month of law school to go T.T

[Mikroftt]

Woot!  You can make it through that also!

[Arcanis]

Wow, I've been gone for a while. Just so everybody knows, I did in fact graduate summa cum laude, so victory in that regard. Then I spent the summer studying for the bar exam, and didn't keep track of my health then either. Then I went home for a month and didn't keep track of my eating, though I did pretty regularly exercise. In short, I need structure. I'll be back next challenge!