Lexi Cal Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Hello, Dear Reader! I'll be chronicling here my humble journey to healthier living. I much prefer "journey" to "battle". I understand that the way to healthy diet and active living isn't all pink ponies and purrty butterflies, that it requires grueling effort and lifelong dedication. But "battle" means fighting myself. "Journey" entails challenge, discovery, learning, surpassing myself. Why would I fight myself if I'm the good guy? So this good guy will log 3 things daily:1 - Nutrition2 - Exercise3 - Goals "The unexamined life is not worth living," wrote Socrates. By examining these 3 aspects of my life, I aim to supercharge my physical, personal and spiritual growth. Let the epic adventure begin! Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted May 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 So let's start with today! 1 - NutritionBreakfast: 3 toasts (peanut butter, cream cheese, honey), 2 coffees with milkSnack: some mozza cheeseLunch: Quesadilla, banana, pear, coffee with milkSnack: Greek yogurt, dried mangoSupper: Honey-Dijon pangasius with roasted veggies (peppers, sweet potatoes and onions), banana, almond milkI usually have only 2 coffees per day, but I was somewhat sleep deprived today. 2 - ExerciseThis afternoon, I did dynamic stretching + 45 jumping jacks, followed by a bodyweight workout. 15 secs between exercises, 1 min between sets, 2 sets.Isometric squat, 35 secsBulgarian split squat, 8 repsInverted rows, 8 repsPush ups, 12 repsBridge with leg lift, 10 repsHanging bent-leg lifts, 8 repsAssisted pull ups, 5 repsFollowed by one set of these:Plank, 30 secs1-leg plank, 2x10 secsSide plank, 2x15 secsThen, cool down of dynamic stretches.The whole thing took me roughly 25 minutes and felt good. No soreness or unhappy joints. 3 - GoalsI'm a translator by trade and aspiring fiction writer by night. One of my goals is to get better at the craft of writing. The best way to do this is practice, practice, practice, and honest feedback. This last, I already have: my wife is an avid reader and will tell me frankly what works and what doesn't. I also have a couple of literary-minded friends (a playwright, a) who happily do the same. What I need is to dedicate more time to writing itself. I don't lack the ideas: I have an ever-expanding collection of prompts and what-ifs and character sketches just waiting to be developed. It's not a case of the dreaded writer's block, but of commitment. I want to give writing the same level of commitment and energy I've given to my first 6-week challenge. So I'll be including this in my next challenge:Spend 1 hour daily getting better at writing. I'll get a head start on this by including it in my routine starting tonight. On to writing! Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted May 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 Dwarf's log, date 20140523 at 2100 hours: 1 - NutritionBreakfast: 2 toasts (PB and honey), latteSnack: coffee and cream, greek yogurtLunch: 11 pieces of spicy sushi (salmon and tofu)Snack: coffee and cream, yogurt with raspberries, egg salad sandwichSupper: pork chop, pork sausage, grilled onions and green peppers, a handful of rice, 1 cup of fruit juice2 - ExerciseWalked outside for 30 minutes around the workplace, in downtown Montreal. Beautiful sunny day, couldn't stay cooped up in the office. 3 - GoalsI worked on a short story last night, as planned. I'm submitting it to a contest. It closes next Friday, so gotta get it done!Tonight, I wrote a bit of my memoir. Sounds fancy, but it's really more of a writing exercise when I'm not feeling particularly inspired. No need for inspiration as I'm just reminiscing, but I still need structure and clarity. Another goal I want to work on is decluttering. With 5 boys and generous family and friends, we've accumulated quite a lot of toys and clothes. We're getting creative at putting stuff away, but it's getting ridiculous. Closets and cupboards barely closing, risk of avalanche every time I open the shed... My goal: Get rid of 1 thing daily. I've already started today: got rid of a busted trike, an equally busted bike, and an old plastic seesaw for toddlers. My youngest was too big for it, so it was time for it to go. I'm pretty sure they were picked up by recyclers or upcyclers - lots of DIY minded folks in the neighborhood Quote Link to comment
AMPish256 Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 You're rockin' it! Keep it up. Looks like you have well-balanced goals that are going to help you in all aspects of life. And write on, brother. Write on. 1 Quote AMPish256 Lycan Assassin Level 0 Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted May 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Saturday's menu:Naan bread with peanut butter and honey, coffee & milkOrange, coffee & milkBowl of basmati rice with grilled veggies, raw baby carrots, pear, coffee & milk8 dates, cup of almond milkShawarma and shish taouk plate with fries, rice and salad, fruit nectarBaklava and cup of milkNo exerciseWrote another part of the short story. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Whelp! Not as daily as a daily should be, but here I am. Today's menu:2 toasts (PB & honey), coffee & milkCoffee & milkSandwich roll (ham, egg, salad, cheese)Coffee & milk, banana & chocolate chip muffin (uh oh!)Munchies and cake (my boys' end of year Scouts' celebration... not the best time to have supper)3/4 cup Greek yogurt with honey (post-workout snack) Hm. I'll curb my coffee intake back to 2 per day and cut the milk from it. I'll replace it with more water. I have a fountain right next to my desk, so I have no excuses.I'll also up the amount of lean proteins and cut some carbs. I'll ditch the morning toasts for eggs or Greek yogurt instead. Workout (1st of the challenge!)(~15 sec pause between each exercise)Wall sit 35 secondsHalf shrimps 8xWall rows 8xPike push ups 8xWeighted (5lbs) straight leg lifts 8xPush ups (arms in) 8x- 30 sec pause -Deep squats +10lbs 8xDumbell rows (10lbs) 10xPike walk 8xBridge with leg raise 20xPush ups (regular) 8xPlank 20 sec1 leg plank 2x10 sec Got rid of old clothes with holes or rips that were beyond repair. I wrote short essays Sunday and Monday, and also did some story brainstorming. I'm one day ahead on my weekly goal, so I skipped today without guilt Quote Link to comment
Eddievenom Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Good log. I once asked Richard Kadrey (a favorite author of mine) how I might be able to increase my writing skills and get over the block. His answer to me was "write, write, write, and just keep writing. Even if you think it sucks just keep plugging along and don't ever give up. Sometimes we are our own worst critic." I share your passion and wish you luck. 1 Quote "a cleaved head no longer plots." -Viking proverb "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the content of your wallet. You're not your f#$king khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world." -pay me no mind I've seen the fight club about 28 times... Hakuna Ma-frickin-tata Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Yesterday's log Menu1 pb toast and Greek yogurt, coffee and milk Coffee and milk, banana Tomato and lettuce sandwich, coffee and milk Cup of milk, mozzarella and Swiss cheeseSpaghetti with meat sauceChocolate chip cookies, cup of chocolate milk No exercise (rest day - still sore from the day before) Got rid of old half-finished art projects that were collecting dust. Wrote a haiku Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 June 12 log:Menu2 toasts, coffee and milkcoffee and milkVegetarian Samosa, basmati rice, curry chicken, lemonadeMango, kale, spinach and fruit juice smoothieHuge buffet for supper (friend's engagement party) Exercise - 30 minute walk God rid of some busted toys Wrote another haiku. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 June 13 log:Menu not notedNo exerciseGot rid of extra upcycled containers I was going to use for seedlings. We got cowpots instead.I wrote (in English and French) why I registered for the Run for the cure. I pledged that if my 5K race time on October 5th is over 30 minutes, I double everyone's donations on my page. Go check it out! Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Today's log:Menu2 PB toasts, coffee and milkCoffee, bananaSalad from my garden (5 types of lettuce, 2 types of kale, radishes)Power shake (vanilla Greek yogurt, banana, peanut butter, kale, fortified almond and rice milk, dash of coffee)Pork roast with more salad, roasted sweet potatoes, onions and carrots.McCain chocolate cake. Exercise - bodyweight workout ~25 minutesDynaminc stretching + jumping jacks2 sets of:Assisted pull ups 5xPush ups 10xPike push ups 8xWeighted squats (20 lbs) 10x (2nd set were lunges)Hanging leg raises 8xBridge with leg raise 20xDumbell rows (20 lbs) 10x (2nd set was Inverted rows 8x)Then:Wall sit 45 secsPlank 45 secs (25 secs regular + 2x 10 secs one foot)Side plank raises 2x 5 repsDynamic stretching + cool down Creation - The beans in my garden needed tutors, but I didn't have enough for all the plants. So I made one in the shape of a ladder with dowels and string. No writing. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Today's log:Menu2 toasts, coffee and milkPulled pork sandwich and a chocolate milk1/2lb burger with the works, french fries, pint of pale ale, apple crisp and coffee (Fathers' day supper at the restaurant)Yogurt and a banana Exercise - 16-minute run (5 min warm up, 2 min sprint at 5 min/km, 2 min jog, 2 min sprint at 5 min/km, 5 min jog) God rid of a dead plant. Worked on two songs with a friend. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Yesterday was a rest day.I did set my plank PB at 1m 29s. Today's menu:2 toasts (PB and honey)Fruit salad, coffeeSpinach quiche, carrot soup, orange juice, brownieChicken pesto wrap with saladPost workout shake (kale, banana, greek yogurt, almond and rice milk, PB) Workout:Dynamic stretchesShadow boxing 30 secs50 jumping jacks50 squats x25 assisted pull ups x212 pike push ups x210 hanging knee raises x214 push ups AMRAP 1min + 10 knee push ups12 dumbbell rows (20lbs) x2Plank 45 secsMore stretching Got rid of another dead plant and some boxes we were keeping in case we needed to return the items (the warranty has long expired). Wrote part of a song. More to come. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Today's menu:2 toasts (PB and honey), coffee and milkFruit salad, butter pecan mini pie, coffee and milkSpinach, kale, mango, fruit juice smoothie; protein barChicken pesto wrap with salad, chocolate chip cookiePost run snack = greek yogurt and peanut butter Exercise: Run 3.88 km in 22m 31s. Wrote an essay outline. I need to finish what I start. That's my goal for the rest of the week. I will finish the projects I started in the past few days. Got rid of a whole lot of weeds and unwanted plants in the backyard. There's so much space all of a sudden! Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Today's menu:Chocolate milk, Greek yogurt, coffee and milkCoffee and milkVeggie soup, banana smoothie with yogurt and almond milkGreek yogurtRice, pork chop, angel's food cake with vanilla pudding, strawberries, blueberries and whipped creamPost workout shake (milk, greek yogurt, PB, strawberries, blueberries) Exercise:Dynamic stretchesPlank 1m 45s -- PB, oh yeah!Shadow boxing 30 secs50 jumping jacks---2 sets of---50 squats +5lbs5 assisted pull ups12 bridge leg lifts12 pike push ups10 hanging knee raises11 push ups12 dumbbell rows (20lbs)5 leg lifts side plank + rotation---------------More stretching No writing today. Got rid of more stuff in the backyard (old tire, broken furniture, the rest of yesterday's weed hacking) Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Friday was a rest day. I had hints of ankle fatigue, so I took it easy. Didn't log my menu, but nothing out of the ordinary. Saturday:Menu:Smoothie (pear, mango, banana, pineapple, guava juice)coffee, Greek yogurtNaan bread with cream cheese, ham and lettuceRed wine vinegar glazed chicken breast, roasted bell pepper, carrots, onions, salad from the gardenDonut Exercise:Assisted pull ups 5xPush ups 8+8+6Inverted rows 8+7+7Hanging bent leg lifts 3x 10 Wrote a Fleshed out version of a short story = 1st draft! Got rid of 2 old baby bath thingies to sit a baby in. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Today's menu:Oatmeal with Greek yogurt and honey, coffee and milkSports drinkCheeseburger, chocolate milkAnother cheeseburger, fries, orange juice, donut. Ouch, that sounds terrible. It WAS terrible :/ Exercise:6.26 km in 47m 49s. Ran with a friend on the paths crisscrossing Mount Royal, which is the "mountain" (it's a small hill, really) that gave the name to Montreal, Canada. It was a beautiful day, a fun run, and a grueling succession of hill sections. Wrote a short book review. Got rid of school paperwork from the past year. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 Yesterday = rest day.Wrote a new song.Got rid of an old board missing too many pieces. Today's workout:dynamic stretching2m 10s plank (PB!)--- 2 sets of ---Assisted pull ups 5xAssisted pistol squats 6x (2nd set = side lunges +23lbs)Decline pike push ups 10xHanging bent leg raises 10xDecline push ups 8xDumbell rows (23 lbs) 8xLeg lifts side plank + rotation 5x-----------------Cool down Wrote another song Got rid of my 2 laptop's boxes. Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Eeesh, haven't logged on for a week :/ Quick recap: Ran sprints on 25/06 (3.73km in 22m 5s) and 28/06 (3.49km in 20m 39s).Swam 500m in 20 mins today, and 200m paddleboat.Bodyweight workouts on 24, 26 and 28/06. Wrote the end of a short story (1st draft = done!), mini essay, 2 poems. Got rid of 2 sofas, a busted bed frame, and an old cooler (all freecycled). Quote Link to comment
Lexi Cal Posted September 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Totally dropped off the face of NerdFitness...But I'm back for more!Goals:Run a 5k under 30 minutes on Oct 5Get poetry published by ChristmasNew Challenge:Start every day with exercise (running or bodyweight)End every day with writing 1 Quote Link to comment
Eddievenom Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 You can do it!!! said in my best guy from the waterboy accent... Quote "a cleaved head no longer plots." -Viking proverb "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the content of your wallet. You're not your f#$king khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world." -pay me no mind I've seen the fight club about 28 times... Hakuna Ma-frickin-tata Link to comment
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