Chapter 2: WXStormer Prepares for the Journey

[wxstormer]

This is my second challenge.  I'm sorry for being so late, but I have been trying to keep up with everything, even though I've had a ear/sinus infection that is still kicking my butt.  This challenge is to prepare me for the Journey - to Camp NerdFitness, of course.  I'm making a few modifications that I found important in the last round...

 

I know this post sucks and hopefully I'll be able to update it and make it more exciting.  Now off to sleep and hope my head stops pounding.

 

My Character:  I'm an Ogre Adventurer

 

My Main Quest:  I need to lose 150 pounds by the end of next year (I would prefer faster, but I need to remain realistic and 10 pounds a month is realistic).  This will allow me to complete a surgery that will greatly improve my quality of life but is currently too dangerous for me to do (and no, it isn't a weight reduction surgery).

 

My (Shorter) Term Quest:

Not make a complete fool of myself at Camp Nerd Fitness and to march for Alumni Band in October.

 

Challenge Quest 1:  

Swim Walk/Aerobics twice a week (at least) and walk/jog for averaging 2 miles each day I don't do the gym work.  I currently do this for 4-5 days a week, but I need to extend the time and intensity.  At least once a week, add in 10~15 minutes of Cardio on the treadmill to try to increase my speed in a controlled environment.

Grading:  

A - Completed for at least 39 of the 42 days

B - Completed between 30-39 of the 42 days

C - Completed between 25-30 of the days

F - Less than 25 days

Reward:  +STA (3 for A, 2 for B, 1 for C, 0 for Failure)

 

Challenge Quest 2:  

Angry Bird Fitness Workout.  As often as I can do it.

Grading:

A - Strength Training for 3 days a week

B - Strength Training for 2 days a week

C - Strength Training at all

F - I'm a wuss.

Reward:  +STR (3 for A, 2 for B, 1 for C, 0 for Failure)

 

Challenge Quest 3:

I need to change my diet more.  I will eat a vegetable and a fruit every day (this will be a harder challenge than 1 and 2 for me) and continue to strictly limit sugar and carbs from my life. (Continued from last time)

Grading:

A - Completed 90% of the time.

B - Completed 70-89% of the time.

C - Completed 50-69% of the time.

F - Less than 50% of the time.

Reward: +CON (3 for A, 2 for B, 1 for C, 0 for Failure)

 

Life Quest: (Carried over from last time)

I'm tired of being a lonely single shy guy.  I want to make new friends that I can go do things with.  This will involve me actually talking to people.  If I find a girl I like, ask her on a date.  

Reward:  +CON (1 for new friend, 3 for date)

 

Real Life Reward for Completing Challenge (Part 1 of 2):

I'll do this reward if I complete two challenges (this being part 1 of 2).  Fly to Seattle and hang out with a friend who has just moved there and do some hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park.  It was fun when I last did it 8 years ago.  Plus it will get me out of the house.

 

Though it isn't a reward, Camp Nerd Fitness is going to be freaking awesome.  HvZ here I come...  

 

My Motivation:

I've been like this for way to long.  I have a need to have surgery to correct an internal issue, but the seven plus hours of anesthesia would be extremely risky for me in this step.  Losing the weight will make this surgery possible and would reduce an irritant that I must live with daily that interferes with me living a happy life.  I'm also unhappy with the effect of my weight on my self esteem.

 

Starting Measurements (some are estimated):

 

Body Weight:  378.2 pounds (Down 20 pounds since April)

Resting HR:    74 bpm

Waist (measured just below belly button):  53 inches 

Shoulders:      64 inches

Hip:                 50 inches

[Coyotekin]

Thanks for sharing all of that. It seems like you have very specific goals in mind and know what you want in the long run.

 

A few things:

-Walk/Swim Challenge: Would it be possible for you to get several 10-20 min walks each day instead of doing it all at once? Depending on how comfortable you are, doing it all at once might be setting up yourself for failure, or at least be demotivating. I do the walking thing every day, usually once in the morning when the world is still waking up and I haven't eaten yet (that time will vary for each person ), and then later in the evening (usually an hour after dinner) I do another walk with my GF. Using my Galaxy Gear 2 Neo's pedometer and exercise app. I am able to note how long I've walked for and for what distance. Either way, I think it might be more enjoyable to break it up into smaller sessions. I know I enjoy them more that way.

-Angry Bird Fitness: I like that you were able to be more specific as for how often you want to do this exercise in your grading.  What is in this workout? What sort of exercises are involved, and for how much time? Is this a reasonable exercise set for you to do at your comfortability and fitness level? I'm only asking to make sure that you are not setting yourself up for failure or the bar too high. (I have no experience with that workout you mentioned, so I had to ask.)

-Challenge Quest 3: I see the vegetable/fruit entry and it is very specific, but than you throw in the Carbs aspect that is very vague. How will you know if you have succeeded when it comes to the carbs aspect? My recommendation would be too focus just on the fruit and veggie aspect for now. If you have trouble normally eating your veggies or fruits than this is an admirable goal to work on, and it will only benefit you. Save the carb-reduction goal for later. Who knows, people can sometimes notice that by taking care of one good thing that another gets worked on a little bit as well. 

 

Keep up the good work. You've got this.

[Teros]

Looks solid. How goes it?

[wxstormer]

Unfortunately, bad news.  I'm already going to say that I have failed this challenge.  I'm going to continue to do what I can, but I have had to miss 1.5 weeks of the challenge by having an infection that has progressed to sepsis and a 4 day hospital stay.  I'm fairly sure that I will be limited to walking only for the next 7 to 10 days, which will limit what I can get done...

 

I was doing relatively well walking a fairly good amount per week.  I was averaging about 20 miles per week with at least three days with 10,000 steps.  I actually prefer the longer walks because I wait until it is pretty early night-time (around 10~11 PM) in order to avoid the oppressive Texas heat.    My main limiting factor is my dog (he has hip dysplexia and distances greater than 3 miles bothers him).

 

On the diet, the goal is to pretty much eliminate all non-essential carbs from my diet.  One of the good things that came from my hospital stay is that I got my A1C results back early and I am now at 5.9 which is an excellent value for a Type-2 diabetic..  

 

For the next week or so, I'm going to follow the recommendations of my doctor.  I'll enjoy Camp Nerd Fitness (and have joined the Academy whenever I get back in shape enough to continue).

 

The real motivation is to lose enough weight so that I can have the surgery necessary that would fix the problems that caused my hospitalization this time (and last October).  I tired of being here and having to stay in the hospital for something that I can control.

 

More later....

[Teros]

I wouldn't say that you failed. Plenty of people have big events that come up during the challenges. It's only natural that something like that will derail you for a bit.  People get injured, get sick, have a death in the family, etc; and still work on the challenge. It's not about winning/losing- it's about putting the effort in to work on yourself. If you are doing that- then you didn't/aren't fail/ing.