Gentle_Mystic's Quest to Restore the Balance

[Gentle_Mystic]

Introduction:  This is such an awesome concept and I'm stoked to be here! I'm here because I'd like support in taking a structured and balanced approach to my physical and emotional health and fitness. I'm 25 years old and I think I should (and totally could) be in the best shape of my life right now! I want it all-- to be physically strong, hella flexible, full of energy (sans caffeine,) and more emotionally and spiritually at peace with myself, society, and nature. (To that end, I have always admired and wanted to be more like the wood elves...)

 

Main Quest:  To develop and sustain a balanced approach to my physical fitness and personal well being

 

Quest 1: Complete Beginner's Body Weight Workout 3x/week

Measurement: A = 3x/week, B = 2x/week, C = 1x/week

Reward: A = +3 STR, +2 STA, B = +2 STR, +1 STA, C = +1 STR

 

Quest 2: Do at least 20 minutes of cardio (on off-days) 3x/week. This includes activities like swimming, biking, dancing and any other activity that gets my heart rate up.

Measurement: A = 3x/week, B = 2x/week, C = 1x/week

Reward: A = +3 STA, B = +2 STA, C = +1 STA

 

Quest 3: Use my CSA veggies to cook at least 2 "batch meals" (enough for a few meals worth of leftovers) from scratch each week. I know that if I have more food that I made, I will eat it instead of eating out.

Measurement: A = 2 Batch Meals/Week B = 1 Batch Meal/Week C = No batch meals, but eating out 2x or less/week

Reward: A = +3 WIS, +2 CON, B = +2 WIS, +1 CON, C = +1 WIS

 

Life Quest: Practice yoga for at least 15 minutes a day.

Measurement: A = 42 days, B = 36 days, C = 30 days

Reward: A = +2 DEX, +1 WIS B = +1 DEX, +0.5 WIS, C = +0.5 DEX

 

Motivation: Improve my mindset and energy level over the next six weeks, enabling me to think more clearly about my life and feel more motivated to continue making positive lifestyle changes.

 

[TwoToneWA]

You already knew this since I was sitting here as you typed this up, but I'll be following your challenge!

 

We're gonna have a kick-ass 6 weeks, promise!

 

 

-TT

[deerskin]

Balance is really important! It looks like your goals are really solid. Good luck these next six weeks!

[Gentle_Mystic]

Thanks for the encouragement, folks!

Day 1: So far, so good. :-D

Woke up early today and did my yoga-- it felt great not to still be half-asleep on the bus (where I encounter many folks from work.)

Ate home-cooked fried rice for lunch which was delicious, (though it made me sleepy; I prob don't need all the starch...) Also ate some avocado in the morning and some trail mix and a juicy red bell pepper as snacks throughout the day.

After work, @TwoToneWA and I kicked off our challenges by doing our first Body Weight Workout and cooking a big ol batch of veggie stir fry as well as some delicious balsamic-roasted beets. Let's see if I can get through the week without eating out!

Cardio workout tomorrow, and tonight I'll be joining the CutLasses accountabilibuddy group aboard the Queen o' Swords!

Now... Bring me that horizon. :-P

[Anaticula]

Fellow CutLass here checking in on your challenge.  Glad to see your first day went well! Looks like you have some good goals, keep up the good work!

[Ornata]

Awesome start to a really well-set-up challenge, fellow CutLass apprentice! I'll definitely be subbing to cheer you on.

[lullaby88]

Welcome Gentle_Mystic! I'm Lullaby, one of the Ambassadors for the Assassins' Guild. You have quite a few qualities that will fit in with the Assassins. Body weight training, dancing, yoga. I'm doing yoga for the first time this challenge, for balance and flexibility reasons.

 

Here's a link to more information about the Assassins' Guild. We also have a Q&A chat thread for Level 1's where you can stop by and ask any questions you might have. We also have an Assassin Phonebook that lists the skills of our Assassin so be sure to check it out.

 

There's also a chat thread called the Assassins' Den where we hang out and chat. If you have any questions, I as well as the other Assassins are happy to help you out. You can reach me by using the private messenger system (click the envelope at the top right of the screen) or you can post on my thread.

 

Looking forward to your updates.

-Lullaby

[JazzyM]

Ahoy there, lassy! Looks like you're doing a great job so far. Go you!

 

Looking forward to seeing you progress!

[ShadowLion]

Aye, ye looks like ye likes "all the things!" Ye may be a Ranger at heart, lass. And Rangers make very good pirates, by the way! Lookin' forward teh sailin' wi' ye!

[tundralily]

Ahoy fellow cut lass! Checking in to say hello and to say that ye goals look awesome! Seems like we have some similar goals and motivations, I love your goal for doing yoga. Give're hell this week, ye'll do awesome!!! Subbed.

[Gentle_Mystic]

Aye, ye looks like ye likes "all the things!" Ye may be a Ranger at heart, lass. And Rangers make very good pirates, by the way! Lookin' forward teh sailin' wi' ye!

Aye, y' may be right, at that, ShadowLion. I'm certainly int'rested in pursuin' all-'round health n fitness (as well as me mental health n mindfulness practice,) an' while I think it a tad unrealistic to tackle 'em all at once, I can't imagine specializin' much or pursuin' just one path at the moment. I'll be settlin' fer incremental progress no matter what I work on, so I be takin' the broad approach this challenge and waitin' to see what feels right n sustainable!

 

T'anks fer the recommendation, matey.

[PiRX]

Good luck with your challenge!

 

Your note about energy sans caffeine got me curious. Are you hooked on coffee right now?

 

Was a big coffee addict myself (drunk some 10 cups per day), but have cleaned in last couple of months. Wasn't easy, but now overall energy level is so much better that I'm sure it definately was worth it!

[Gentle_Mystic]

Day Two:

 

Still feelin' good and stoked for this challenge! 

 

Yoga Challenge: Yoga was decent this morning; I was feeling a bit stiff/sore after my Bodyweight Workout last night (good sign,) so it felt a bit more like a good stretch! No complaints there. Seems I'm getting more sore throughout the day, so we'll see how I feel for tomorrow's yoga and workout, heh heh.

 

Cardio Challenge: Slight deviation from the plan... I didn't eat much and then had a meeting in the morning, so I was quite hungry at lunch hour-- I opted to chill in the sun and eat a good lunch over going to the gym to swim for my cardio. :-/ I ate a healthy dinner and rode my bike to/from my meeting downtown tonight, but I don't think I'll count that as my 20 minutes... I'll have to find another time to fit some in if I want to stick to 3 cardio seshes this week! I think I can do it, though.

 

On track for the Bodyweight Workout and Cooking Challenges... Both of those on the agenda for tomorrow night! Maybe cardio too, who knows? 

 

I'm still getting used to the whole forum thing... I found that I wanted to be on it all day and talk to people :-P I'm loving my new Accountabilibuddy group, the CutLasses, and would seriously recommend the group so far! I'm probably subscribed to too many people already lol I'll have to be careful and smart with settings in order to not get swamped with notifications.

 

That said, I so appreciate everyone who is following me and I love reading your stories and updates! I want to do my best to give constructive feedback and encouragement, and I may settle for "likes" sometimes in the interest of time. I need to get to bed now, but I'm looking forward to connecting with more of you soon! 

 

Gentle_Mystic, signing off. <3

[Gentle_Mystic]

EDITED: Accidental double-post... My bad.

[Gentle_Mystic]

EDITED: Gah! Triple post! Sry

[Gentle_Mystic]

Your note about energy sans caffeine got me curious. Are you hooked on coffee right now?

 

Eh... I wouldn't say I'm addicted to coffee, but I certainly have an inclination toward caffeine. I have been drinking caffeinated tea most days, sometimes coffee, using it to treat tiredness or give me extra energy, and sometimes I find myself going for it out of habit and thinking "Hey, I'm not tired, I don't need this!" and drinking it anyway... 

Also, I've developed a habit of going to the cafe when I have a free weekend morning, getting a 16oz dirty chai, getting super caffeinated, and devouring a book, biking, cleaning, whatever my overstimulated mind drives me to... It's kind of fun, but also leaves me pretty tired the next day and sometimes even makes my kidneys hurt a bit. (Sounds unhealthy... like a different kind of drug, right??)

I truly enjoy the taste and the soothing effect of a hot beverage, though... Maybe I should start switching to decaf. 

BUT!!! I haven't had any caffeine the past two days. And I didn't feel tired at all today! I know that drinking more water, getting more exercise, and getting up early enough to do some yoga will all continue to help. :-D

[deerskin]

Lol, I totally get wanting to be on the forum all day! I have it on my phone, which is a thousand times worse. I'm all like, "OMFG Deerskin get off your damn phone and actually work out!"
 

You are super smart for doing yoga for your challenge. Everyone who did yoga for their challenge is super smart. I'm just now realizing this as I get more and more sore. Keep it up!

 

Also, I know you're trying to cut down on caffeine - have you tried green tea at all? I am trying to switch to more green tea. (I work at Starbucks, so it's super easy to be like, "Oops! I had six cups of coffee today!") It has less caffeine than black tea, and a lot of the same nutrients you get from eating greens.

[Gentle_Mystic]

Also, I know you're trying to cut down on caffeine - have you tried green tea at all? I am trying to switch to more green tea.

Totally; I do love green tea! I'd like to be at a point where I don't rely on caffeine for energy, though, and I'm concerned that if I keep drinking it, I will stay "hooked" and keep feeling like I need it day to day. I've heard when folks cut out caffeine, their natural energy level balances out.

Do you know if decaf green tea still has all the good stuff?

[deerskin]

Do you know if decaf green tea still has all the good stuff?

 

I don't know! I know you make it decaf by washing it. Most of the caffeine comes out in the water. But I don't know if the other nutrients come out as well or not. Something to research I guess!

[Charlie_Quinn]

Ahoy matey. Another CutLass checking in. Great start, looking forward to following your progress. 

[Gentle_Mystic]

Day Three:

 

Yoga Challenge: On Track (Done 4 of 6 days this week)

Yoga's going well! It feels great to feel my blood rushing around my extremities and warming me up in the morning, and tuning in to my sore areas so I can focus my practice and continue stretching throughout the day! I've noticed that, while I can hardly touch my toes when I get started, by the end I can forward-fold with my hands flat on the ground. :-D I wish I could do yoga for like an hour a day... I have to say that 15 minutes feels like a very short time to "drop in," as it were. I tend to resist anything that makes me get up earlier in the morning, but I think I'll experiment with increasing the time and potentially with practicing at another time of day (and I'll keep this in mind for future challenges.)

 

Bodyweight Workout Challenge: On Track (Done 2 of 3x this week)

Workout went really well! Switched to "Workout B" tonight, which involved a bit more tricep engagement... I think I've found my edge there. In high school, I played tennis and volleyball and I could do literally hundreds of push-ups, but now I'm finding that my arm strength has declined to virtually nil. Close-hand push-ups were a real challenge for me and I took to my knees to complete them. I didn't have what I needed to do inverted rows on, so I instead attempted "negative" pull-ups:

 

Jumping/pulling myself up to the first position was really tough for me, but the controlled-release part felt awesome and super hardcore. :-P I tried my best and my workout buddy, @TwoToneWA, insisted on watching my form and encouraging me instead of averting his eyes like I asked... Which I'm actually grateful for. I might try adding some tricep workouts with my free weights as I have time to speed my progress in this area (and keep this in mind for future challenges.)

 

Cooking Challenge: On Track (1x left this week)

Monday's 5-spice stir fry has made for lovely and aromatic lunches, and I'm on track to cook one more time tonight! I'm headed out of town this weekend and probably won't be eating what I make right away, so I think I'm going to use my CSA veggies to make a roasted tomato/red pepper sauce that I can freeze and use next week with spaghetti squash!  

 

Cardio Challenge: Behind (Done 0 of 3x this week)

I'm a little behind on this one (which is funny because before, cardio was what I did most consistently!) I still think I can make it, though! I'm going for a swim on lunch this afternoon, perhaps tomorrow I'll hit the cardio room, and I'll be dancing hard for sure and probably spinning some fire at my friend's wedding Saturday(!) Like a true hippie, I'll be sure to use my arms a lot and send some love to my sore triceps. :-D

 

 

(That's me spinning on the beach!! Maybe have more photos after the weekend.)

Peace, love and beauty follow you all today. <3 Don't forget to breathe!

[Charlie_Quinn]

Way to go! Sounds like you kicked day 3's ass!

Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

[deerskin]

Ah! I want to come do fire dances with you!! It sounds like everything is going really well even if you're a little behind on the cardio.

[Gentle_Mystic]

Week One, Day Four (Thursday)

 

Yoga Challenge: On Track (Done 5 of 6 days this week)

Yep yep yep, totally on top of it. :-D I'm really glad I'm doing this one-- 15 minutes in the morning helps me wake up, alleviate some early-morning tightness, and feels great when I'm sore from my Bodyweight Workouts! That said, this isn't exactly what I was thinking of when I chose this as my "life" goal... I want yoga to be a key part of my spiritual practice. It will definitely take longer periods for me to reach a meditative state, especially first thing in the morning. I also think longer periods and a more structured practice will be needed in the future to contribute toward my other goal of increased strength and flexibility.

 

Cardio Challenge: On Track (Done 1 of 3x this week)

I was disappointed yesterday to find the gym at my work is closed till next week, so no swimming or elliptical for me. I got some good bike-riding in, though, and instead of getting off and walking when I reached the tough hill up to the office, I switched gears, focused on my breath and my music, and power-pedaled my ass all the way up it! :-D 

 

If any of y'all are in the market for good workout music, or EDM or psytrance fans, seriously check out Infected Mushroom! This is the song I was biking to. I think their albums "Converting Vegetarians" (Disc 1) and "IM the Supervisor" have the best beats for working out, but the other albums are definitely worth a listen! They have made a lot of music, from really beautiful melodic/psychedelic, to low-key/ambient, to incorporating heavy metal-style guitar, to hard dubstep and glitch. I luuuuurve them. <3

 

I was concerned and feeling behind on cardio because I'm headed out of town and somewhat busy this weekend, but today I realized my "week" goes from Monday-Sunday!!! I still look forward to dancing up a sweat at the wedding tomorrow, and I bet I can get my sister (who you could say is engaged in her own fitness "quest") to do some cardio with me on Sunday morning! Cardio challenge in the bag... :-D

 

Cooking Challenge: On Track (Done 1 of 2x this week)

I was a bit concerned about this one because I didn't end up cooking my sauce last night and I'm headed out of town this weekend... But since my "week" goes from Monday-Sunday, it's all good! Sunday evening when I get back home will be the perfect time to batch cook something for the week. ON TRACK.

 

Bodyweight Workout Challenge: On Track (Done 2 of 3x this week)

On track and feeling it, friends! Workout B did work on me... My triceps, pecs, and all up in my armpits (idk what muscles those are) are super sore today, as well as my quads. This is all good though! Since the gym at my work is closed today, I'm free to do my third bodyweight workout in my office on my lunch hour! Today I switch back to Workout A (just what the doctor ordered.) I'm going to slay it!!!

[ShadowLion]

Yer doin' great, Gentle_Mystic!

 

I saw ye was concerned o'er on Ornata's thread about fallin' behind on the CutLass mini - don't worry. We're gettin' enough leads fer now. The minis are optional. Don't let them get in the way o' yer challenge.

 

I'm findin' triceps dips are helpin' me get ready fer pullups.

 

Awesome fire dance!