The Swampling's 5th: Something old, something new...

[Swampling]

I am continuing on my way to a healthier and stronger me, and the basic building blocks for this will remain the same (that's the "old" part):

• bodyweight training
• yoga
• working towards my first real chin-up
• tracking my food intake

Since I have become a bit bored with the former routine and have also had little to no progress for the past couple of weeks, I have decided to change things a little. So here's what's "new" (or at least different than before):

• a slightly different BW routine (including leg raises and dips), 3x / week
• squats will remain kneehab squats for the time being - I'm still in physical therapy, and will probably stay there for a while, and I will need to do some homework
• chin-up practice only 2x/ week, focusing on slower negatives, not on volume
• not only tracking my food, but aiming for a specific kcal range

Goal 1: Chin-up practice 2x / week (STR +3, STA +1)
Starting with (hopefully) 2 sets of 2 reps, 15 sec each, aiming for 2 x 2 x 20 secs at the end of this challenge (raise duration 1 sec every week).
A: 2x chin-up practice per week, 12x total
B: at least 10x total
C: at least 8x total
D: at least 6x total
F: anything less

Goal 2: Kneehab exercises 5x / week (STR +2, CON +2)
Can be either a PT session with the Drill Master, or kneehab exercises done at home (as part of the BW routine or solo)
A: 5x kneehab exercises per week, 30x total
B: at least 25x total
C: at least 20x total
D: at least 15x total
F: anything less

Goal 3: Food tracking 7x / week, averaging 1400 - 1600 kcal / day per week (CON +2, WIS +2)

I'll continue tracking on myfitnesspal, even if I'm not happy with the quality of their food database.

A: track food 7x per week, 42x total AND weekly average 1400 - 1600 kcals / day
B: at least 5x per week, 35x total OR average between 1600 - 1650 / day
C: at least 3x per week, 18x total OR average between 1650 - 1700 / day
D: at least 1x per week, 6x total OR average between 1700 - 1750 / day
F: no tracking OR average over 1750 / day

Life goal: Try at least three new recipes in the next six weeks (WIS +2, CHA +1)
The biggest problem here will be the FC, since he's not that adventurous where his food is concerned. So I can either convince him to try something new, or it's going to be something I make for myself.
And no, cookies or brownies don't count.
A: 3 or more new recipes
B: 2 new recipes
C: 1 new recipe
F: nothing at all...
 

Have a great challenge, y'all! Here's a little Happy Dance to start things off properly... 

:triumphant: :triumphant:

 

Status:

Goal 1: xx | xx | xx | xx | xx | xx

Goal 2: xxxxx | xxxxx | xxxxx | xxxxx | xxxxx | xxxxx

Goal 3: xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx

Goal 4: xxx

 

Mini Quest 1: xxxxxxx (60 oz plain water / day) + 1 CON

Mini Quest 2: xxxx (goal: 1 x rest day, 3 x go to bed at a reasonable time) + 1 CON

Mini Quest 3: x (goal: trust my wussies (wrists) with a (wall) handstand as a first step towards a press handstand) + 1 STR

[GingaNinja]

I feel you on the physio, I should still be doing the stuff for my ankle!

 

Good luck though your goals sounds solid!

[AshPS]

Whooooooo Hoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :triumphant: :triumphant:

 

Sounds super awesome my friend!

 

Lol, now you aim for a specific number on the nutrition and I have decided NOT to.

 

I say that you have to post the new recipes and tell us if they are good or suck! (nodding) 

 

Looking forward to this new challenge together!

 

(now I just need to get mine up......cough..... :barbershop_quartet_ )

 

SUB'D ......OF COURSE!

[TennisGeek]

I am continuing on my way to a healthier and stronger me, and the basic building blocks for this will remain the same (that's the "old" part):

 

...

Goal 1: Chin-up practice 2x / week (STR +3, STA +1)

...

 

Hey Swampling, welcome back.

 

I invested in a suspension trainer. (like TRX but cheaper)

Since this is very adjustable and portable, it might be a good option to do the inverted row, which is a good training for pull/chin ups.

 

Good luck with the challenge!

[T2sarahconnor]

Good luck with the old and new! Look forward to seeing what recipes you share with us. If I come across a good one I will share. Are you full Paleo?

[drunkensnake]

new recipes are always fun! but allow a self taught cook the indulgence of advice (you get what you pay for, keep that in mind....just saying) but I place less emphasis on RECIPES and more on METHODS, such as stirfry, or roast, learn the underlying methods, and you can spin everything into a new recipe, experimentation is key to success with that one, and you will be surprised at the massive number of recipes you can derive once you learn a single method and begin toying with the variables...like programming...ex.:

you can learn a recipe which is analogous to:

public static food BeefBrocolli()

{

       return new food(broc.steam+beef.brown+salt+pepper+ brownsauce)

}

 

now this is a terrible function, it only does one thing, we should make it more adaptable so we can write less code! (memorize fewer recipes)

public static food StirFry(var meat, var veg, var sauce)

{

        meat = meat.brown;

        veg = veg.steam;

         return new food(veg.steam+meat.brown+salt+pepper+sauce);

}

see now we just pass in our various ingredients and we have a multitude of potential recipes we can call with a single function!!

(programming nerd....if enough people figuratively look at me like I'm crazy I will hide in a hole....but probably not really)

Additional: Keep up the work with pull ups! I'm there with you trying to get them done!

[Swampling]

I feel you on the physio, I should still be doing the stuff for my ankle!

 

Good luck though your goals sounds solid!

 

Hi, Leeroy! *waves*

Thank you!

 

 

Hey Swampling, welcome back.

 

I invested in a suspension trainer. (like TRX but cheaper)

Since this is very adjustable and portable, it might be a good option to do the inverted row, which is a good training for pull/chin ups.

 

Good luck with the challenge!

 

Hi, TG!

 

Great idea, especially since we've been toying with the idea of getting a set of gymnastics rings for inverted rows and stuff, anyway!

At the moment I'm abusing our dining room table for those rows, but that's less than ideal and not as flexible as a suspension trainer or rings with adjustable bands.

[Swampling]

Lol, now you aim for a specific number on the nutrition and I have decided NOT to.

 

I say that you have to post the new recipes and tell us if they are good or suck! (nodding) 

 

 

I know... But I am still not trying to hit macros, that's way too complicated for me - and the recommended ratios are not easy to meet without eating meat or fish for every meal or using a kind of protein powder (either of which I really don't want to do).

Although my current diet seems to be pretty heavy on fats, I have still lost a bit of weight and flab since the beginning of this year, so it can't be all wrong. I think.

 

And of course I'll share the recipes along with my verdict.

This week's candidate will probably be a tomato soup with white beans and chorizo.

[Swampling]

Good luck with the old and new! Look forward to seeing what recipes you share with us. If I come across a good one I will share. Are you full Paleo?

 

Nope, I am not even half paleo. I try to stick to mostly unprocessed foods, though.

But the FC (aka my husband) is mostly primal / paleo, so I'll be looking for something veggie / meat-centric (legumes are ok in moderation). At least if he's willing to be my guinea-pig for this goal.

 

Recipe sharing is always welcome!

[Swampling]

new recipes are always fun! but allow a self taught cook the indulgence of advice (you get what you pay for, keep that in mind....just saying) but I place less emphasis on RECIPES and more on METHODS, such as stirfry, or roast, learn the underlying methods, and you can spin everything into a new recipe, experimentation is key to success with that one, and you will be surprised at the massive number of recipes you can derive once you learn a single method and begin toying with the variables...like programming...ex.:

you can learn a recipe which is analogous to:

public static food BeefBrocolli()

{

       return new food(broc.steam+beef.brown+salt+pepper+ brownsauce)

}

 

now this is a terrible function, it only does one thing, we should make it more adaptable so we can write less code! (memorize fewer recipes)

public static food StirFry(var meat, var veg, var sauce)

{

        meat = meat.brown;

        veg = veg.steam;

         return new food(veg.steam+meat.brown+salt+pepper+sauce);

}

see now we just pass in our various ingredients and we have a multitude of potential recipes we can call with a single function!!

(programming nerd....if enough people figuratively look at me like I'm crazy I will hide in a hole....but probably not really)

Additional: Keep up the work with pull ups! I'm there with you trying to get them done!

 

Good advice! I'm a big fan of:

 

public static Food OvenRoast(var VegArray anyVeggies)

{

    fat = Fat.random();

    spice = Spice.random();

    totalVeg = 0;

 

    foreach(veg in anyVeggies)

    {

        totalVeg += veg;

   }

    return new Food(totalVeg + fat + spice);

}

 

 

Pull-ups? Chin-ups first... Pull-ups will follow. Some day. Hopefully.

[Swampling]

Day 1:

I had my first session with the Drill Master for this week. We only did half the exercises we did the last time, my legs were only half as wobbly afterwards, so I hope that the DOMS will also only be half as bad as it was last week.

 

Food tracking is done, and I even had to eat an apple after dinner to reach more than 1200 kcals. Either the MFP database is way off, again, or I should simply eat more / something else than I did today. (Although it didn't feel as if I was eating too little...)

 

Water intake (Adventurer's Mini Quest #1): roughly 60 oz.

[bluekiwi1]

Rawr!  Rawr!  Go, Swampling!  Rawr! 

[MudPhuddled]

Glad to see you again!  I hope your knees start feeling better.  What exactly is a kneehab squat?  

[Swampling]

Rawr!  Rawr!  Go, Swampling!  Rawr! 

 

KIWI!

 

RAWR back atcha!

[Swampling]

Glad to see you again!  I hope your knees start feeling better.  What exactly is a kneehab squat?  

 

Hi MudPhuddled!

 

You start at the lowest point (as low as you can, which in my case is butt-almost-on-the-floor), then you go up until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then go back down.

I do these in two variations: Either hold for a couple of seconds at parallel, or do 10 or so in a row, without a pause. Both ways kick my butt (or rather my leg and butt muscles), big time.

 

The Drill Master is of the opinion that in that range most people are lacking strength, and that the upper half of a squat (from parallel to standing) is usually not that big of a problem.

In my case he is spot on.

[AshPS]

Day 1:

I had my first session with the Drill Master for this week. We only did half the exercises we did the last time, my legs were only half as wobbly afterwards, so I hope that the DOMS will also only be half as bad as it was last week.

 

Food tracking is done, and I even had to eat an apple after dinner to reach more than 1200 kcals. Either the MFP database is way off, again, or I should simply eat more / something else than I did today. (Although it didn't feel as if I was eating too little...)

 

Water intake (Adventurer's Mini Quest #1): roughly 60 oz.

 

So how's the DOMS?

 

And you know, I have many days when I felt like I eat enough and realized I was coming up short. Makes me wonder if maybe sometimes the body just feels like its doing ok on less. Don't know....hmmm

 

The Mini Quest is water? I might should do that one. Didn't add it to my goals this time. What are you aiming for total?

[Swampling]

So how's the DOMS?

 

And you know, I have many days when I felt like I eat enough and realized I was coming up short. Makes me wonder if maybe sometimes the body just feels like its doing ok on less. Don't know....hmmm

 

The Mini Quest is water? I might should do that one. Didn't add it to my goals this time. What are you aiming for total?

 

The DOMS is not even half as bad as last week. Just a gentle reminder that I have, indeed, been doing something. Really good!

 

I'm pretty sure that my food / calorie intake will average out over the course of a week. And there will always be days when I'll eat less or days when I'll eat more.

I need to find a healthy balance once more (in contrast to what I've been doing in the past couple of years). My problems (especially with portion control) first started when I began stress eating during college, and they got really out of hand in the past couple of years while I had an extremely stressful job.

It has become much better since last summer, but there is still the danger of slipping back into the bad old habits when things get more stressful for me. My body might know how much or what kind of food it needs to work at its best, but my brain has still problems letting go of the "Stress! Eek! I need chocolate and sugar!" mentality.

 

I don't have a specific number I aim for, regarding water. I usually drink 8 - 10 glasses of the stuff anyway, plus herbal tea, so the 40 oz per day should not present much of a problem.

[AshPS]

Awesome for feeling like your making progress!

 

When I am upset or depressed I can't eat, but when I am tense or anxious I get the same 'eek I need chocolate!' issue too, lol. Reese's PB cups....... well....cough....really anything pb/ chocolate related.......very dangerous, lol.

 

40 oz??!! Wow, I will definitely do it!

 

I should tell Vilkacis about that, he put doing a Mini Quest as a life goal and I know he does that!

[iatetheyeti]

Yay for chin-ups, right there with you on that one

 

Your challenge is looking pretty awesome, and I'm looking forward to seeing which new recipes you're going to try out!

[Swampling]

Yay for chin-ups, right there with you on that one

 

Your challenge is looking pretty awesome, and I'm looking forward to seeing which new recipes you're going to try out!

 

Thank you, Yeti!

Tomorrow will be my first official "slow negative" practice - I'm both looking forward to it but also dreading it (at least a bit). This is going to be tough...

[Swampling]

 

When I am upset or depressed I can't eat, but when I am tense or anxious I get the same 'eek I need chocolate!' issue too, lol. Reese's PB cups....... well....cough....really anything pb/ chocolate related.......very dangerous, lol.

 

 

Hm. Since I have been a chocoholic all my life, I'm mostly in "need chocolate"-mode, when something is out of the ordinary, it doesn't matter much if I'm upset, stressed, anxious, sad or even happy...

(Well, maybe except when I feel really nauseous or something like that.)

[Swampling]

Day 2:

Since DOMS wasn't so bad, I did some more kneehab squats today: 2 sets of (5 x with pauses + 10 x without pauses).

 

I also did a BW routine:

- 3 x 6 pike push-ups (with an extremely wussy right Wussy)

- 3 x 6 supine leg raises (straight legs)

- 3 x 6 knee push-ups (not so wussy Wussy)

- 3 x 4 one-legged warriors (form, form, form... *sigh*)

 

Food tracking is done, well below TDEE.

 

Water intake (Mini Quest #1): 60 oz again.

Since I drink a lot of water anyway (and herbal teas, and a bit of black tea), I aim for 60 oz of plain water every day, I won't count the tea.

[AshPS]

Awesome work (wussy and all) my friend!  

 

hugs

[Vilkacis]

Hi Swampling!!! Congrats on getting that BW workout in! Sounds like a good one! Now hopefully DOMS don't come full force from more kneehab squats!

Any big plans for today?? Have a great one regardless!

[Swampling]

Awesome work (wussy and all) my friend!

 

hugs

 

Thank you, Ash!

Hugs back