Another refugee? Gods really have abandoned your people, Dark Elf.

[Doaheem]

Round 1! First time in the hole so fingers crossed! I've been doing most of this for the past week in accordance with the Blog Post about a week ago so I figured it'd be a good idea to make it official! I've never really stuck to a regimented program since highschool football close to ten years ago now and hope to change things around.

 

I like outdoorsy stuff, I like physical activities but never have the energy or endurance to pursue or enjoy them. I work a desk job with a bit of walking around and try to move around during the day even if it's just aimless walking for the sake of walking. I joined NF because I'm working on a (pretty nerdy) project to help better myself and a lot of information on it is already available here. I wanted to be a part of the community and give as well as take. Will keep you all posted as time goes on!

 

Main quest : lose 15 pounds

I'm currently 5'10" 191 pounds and am at the lightest point I've been since probably my sophmore year of highschool. My goal is to have a BMI within the 25 range (175-181 pounds for my body) which will put me at my lowest weight since probably freshman year or maybe 8th grade.

 

Goal 1: Book End the day

Morning:

0630-wake up and drink a cold glass of water

0640-walk around the block barefoot (will progress weekly to around two blocks, then will incorporate jogging 10-15 minutes every Monday/Wednesday/Friday)

0700-stretch for five minutes, meditate for five minutes, handstand practice for five minutes (unofficial goal to be able to do a handstand!)

Start Day

 

Night:

1030-hygeine

1040-read (specifically the Warrior Diet, Convict Conditioning, and Enter the Kettlebell), review day, think on projects

1130-lights out

 

Goal 2: Intermittently Fast

Devote fully to the Warrior Diet and do nightly readings of both that book and of Convict Conditioning absorbing the principles and ideals. Pursue the New Blood routine focusing on Monday and Friday directly after my morning routine.

Measurements

 

Goal 3: Kettlebell training every Wednesday

Practice Kettlebell work on Wednesday for 15 minutes after the morning routine slowly starting with just the stretches and then progressing into the break in program by the end of the routine.

Measurements

 

Motivation:

I've been fat pretty much as far back as I can remember. I've never had a girl friend for it because I have the self image of a lose and it affects everything I do. I want to be able to look at a goal accomplished and a better image in the mirror and set up a solid start to the rest of my life.

 

Thank you all and Gods smile on your own endeavors. Will have a picture posted tonight.

[Blaidd]

I'm sure they haven't abandoned your people but they're just getting a little harder to distinguish Also congrats on your weightloss so far.

 

You might notice that i've added an Adventurers' tag to your thread.  This isn't to pigeonhole you into particular guild, but rather to bring one of their ambassadors here to offer you encouragement, support or advice.  Your goals this challenge fit well with the overall spirit of their guild and you are more than welcome to pop into their Tavern and introduce yourself to them.  You are also more than welcome to pop me a message anytime. 

 

Good Luck

AB xx

[Doaheem]

Oh! I didn't even think to do that. Yes'm I had sided with the Adventurers although I didn't think to add any special tags to this thread. Thank you for the advice!

[GingaNinja]

Awesome there are lots of cool elf folks down in Level 1!

 

Nice to meet you and good luck with your challenge! Congrats on your weight loss so far amazing progress!

 

I am an Adventurer Veteran so if you have any questions don't hesitate to drop me a line on my challenge page or in a PM if you have any questions about anything! Here is my current challenge and some wee tips for using the forum on this tutorial.

 

Good luck with your challenge and see you around!

[Doaheem]

Hey thanks for stopping by Leeroy!

 

I appreciate the sentiment and the extra links to lurk through.

 

Well funnily enough I started up my challenge in response to the 5 daily quests blog post without realizing that A. A challenge had been started up on the 15th and that B. I was sorta being a part of the challenge. I started all of the Sub Goals on Sunday so I guess I've completed the first week so far.

 

Goal 1 has been going well, I've been reading every night for at least ten minutes, I've walked every morning, stretched, practiced my handstand although for whatever reason I get a stabbing pain in the middle of my back on the far left side right about where the rib cage ends at the 1 minute 30 second mark and haven't been able to get past that yet.

 

Overall week 1 I feel a solid A.

 

Goal 2 has been good overall, I've been adhering to the fast the whole week except for yesterday. Yesterday I took my mom out to lunch and she kinda forced food on me (Weak WP sorry!) but other than that I've been adhering to the Warrior Diet and have been loving the extra mental clarity and energy.

 

Overall week 1 has been a B I think

 

Goal 3 is pretty easy to say, I've just been stretching a bit and trying to get my body back in the habit of things, haven't done any actual kettlebell work yet and expect to work it into my routine for week 2

 

Overall week 1 has been a B I guess?

 

PROGRESS!!!!

[Doaheem]

The beginning of week two hasn't been the strongest. I'm still pushing and outperformed Week One for bodyweight exercises yesterday. (Should I post what I did and how much?) The motivational charge has worn off a bit and I'm working more off of discipline and a desire to live up to the Rebellion that I joined and to continue the path of being a Hero. If it weren't for the Warrior Diet I probably would've already dropped it I love the simplicity of it and the energy/focus that it gives me!

 

Ran out of protein powder this morning and decided to try a new source today. If anyone is familiar with Bulk Apothecary I enjoyed the theme, prices, and general devotion to more wholesome products and gave them a shot this morning (pure unflavored whey protein isolate? fingers crossed!) my lactose intolerance makes those shakes just beastly in general. Regardless I worked out yesterday, extended my walk to two blocks this week and am (very faintly) stretching the limits of my flexibility, pun woefully intended

 

I've been talking with Teros about my project (Which unfortunately has been enjoying a few days of writers block but oh well. It will come!)

[RES]

Stopping by to say hi, adventurer and RPG Fanatic as well...glad to have you! 

[Doaheem]

Thank you for taking the time I appreciate it

 

Well week two is just a short time away and overall more progress. I felt some slippage and the "I dun wanna!" come on but went through it and kept going.

 

Goal 1 has been the recipient of the I dun wanna more than others. The whole "wake up at 0630" isn't too fun but it's getting to be. If only I could convince my fat little dog to come with. Regardless I did it every day and am charging through!

 

I rate it a solid A

 

Goal 2 has been shaky again just because I'm not eating as fully well as I should (I live at home and have a weak will to the "Come on eat!" adage from mom. . . ) I've done a good job of fasting all day, it's mainly the quality of food going in during the eating period. Workouts have been good and I've been adding more reps to them so that part is a good A.

 

I rate it a solid B

 

Goal 3 has flown into gear this week. Did a basic workout earlier. I have no idea why but my hamstrings just suck. A few kettlebell swings and they feel like guitar strings ready to pluck. Regardless it happened and I feel better for it.

 

Solid A!

 

 

 

At the end of the week I'm somewhat confused but not for the worse. I'm still clicking right at 190 and haven't lost any weight but have noticed my clothing being a bit baggier so what the hell that still seems like progress to me we go to week 3!!!

[Teros]

At the end of the week I'm somewhat confused but not for the worse. I'm still clicking right at 190 and haven't lost any weight but have noticed my clothing being a bit baggier so what the hell that still seems like progress to me we go to week 3!!!

That tends to happen.  I noticed that things started 'tightening up' and therefore clothes were a little better fitting before the lbs started dropping off. Just remember that this is a grueling marathon, not a sprint.

[Doaheem]

Body feels like one big sore muscle today after yesterday for some reason. Participating in the accountability groups has not helped that haha. I welcome it because it makes me better but ugggghhhh.

 

The only thing that really sucks is my order got delayed for another week so I'll be two weeks without protein powder which has been my go to morning energy shot. On the bright side the morning routine is becoming more robotic than anything else. I just. . . do it. On the downside I've almost fallen asleep during meditation because of that robotic nature. Not sure what to do with that yet.

 

The current challenge in my group deals specifically with protein intake so I've tried to sway my daily nibblings more in that direction to chick peas, peanuts, and plain yogurt with flax seed. I never realized how little protein I get outside of the powder supplement so maybe that'll help out.

 

With this being week three my next phase of altering was to do a quick run around the block (always in vibrams) and then work my way up to full running maybe by the end of the challange or beyond. Right now it'll be on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays because that's when I work early and it'll ease up time.

 

Why am I telling you this? Hell I don't know. Probably just for my own records more than anything else. Oh yeah, I officially started up the thread for my Project for more accountability and to welcome criticism. It's a long ways off from even being a rough draft but maybe someone will offer a bit of light that will greatly impact the way it unfolds.

 

Iron Within,

Douglas.

[Toxophilite]

Oh protein powder, how I miss you...

 

I got these for a few months when I was just starting out and they were like magical calories. I struggle to get my calorie and protein requirements and just mixing up a tasty chocolate drink was so easy I could happily sink 2 or 3 a day. Then a few months ago we were really tight on finances (like, "oh shit, how am I going to pay the energy bills") and I stopped them with the intention of starting again after things levelled out. Unfortunately, after about 6 months of saying "maybe next month" we're still just keeping our heads above water and protein powder just isn't a priority. Oh well, maybe next month

[ChristArtist]

subbed!

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

[Doaheem]

Life does come first. Always.

 

I remember glorious times in college involving nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and what meat I could snarf from the discount section. Ironically those were times I look back on very fondly, I guess it's in the same vein as soldiers reminiscing after they leave the service. The hard times are the crucible for greatness of spirit if nothing else. I made it a point to try to always have powder because it actually functioned as a solid meal in itself.

 

Anywho, thank you one and all for deciding to follow this misadventure! I assure you that you will come to regret it but appreciate the naivety all the same and will keep you updated. 

 

On a related note I weighed in the other day and behold I'm clicking in at 189 lbs. That's the first time I've been sub 190 since maybe 2004/2005. . .So yeah that's kinda bad ass.

 

Keep chugging people!

 

Iron Within

Douglas

[Toxophilite]

That's great news, congrats!

 

I'm coming at the weight thing from the other end and hoping to reach my next milestone of 12 stone (168 pounds) in the next couple of weeks. Another few months and we'll be meeting in the middle

[Doaheem]

Ha! Maybe we could swap some and call it a day lol.

 

Well the end of the week was harsh. Two really hard days at work left me pretty drained and I missed my normal 0630 wake up time and stretching today. Diet is still intact though so that's good.

 

Goal 1 Continuous and accomplished with running Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, reading at night going well too (almost finished Warrior Diet) The only downside is Sunday (is that last week or this week?

 

Eh A!

 

Goal 2 will continue to be problematic as I try to balance healthy eating with parents coooking. I just try to substitute better things into the meal like Barley for rice etc.

 

B!

 

Goal 3 continues onward. The only problem is it's leaving me pretty empty for the friday workout so I'm focusing now on just going through the motions, building muscle memory and increasing flexibility for easier squats.

 

Definitely an A

 

 

So yeah, go team!

[Teros]

Anywho, thank you one and all for deciding to follow this misadventure! I assure you that you will come to regret it but appreciate the naivety all the same and will keep you updated.

No one is expecting an epic quest of awesomeness. Sometimes just surviving is a noble fight.

[Doaheem]

Well chugging along things are still going. Funnily enough I almost didn't do my workout this morning. Some things came up and I was just like "Welp! So more for this Wednesday!" and just wrote it off as a loss then all of a sudden I found I had about 30 minutes before work if I rushed getting ready and was able to bust it out. I'd never had that happen where I was legitimately pissed that I couldn't work out and found a way to squeeze it in. It wasn't the best workout but dammit it happened!

 

On an unrelated note my order finally arrived the other day from Bulk Apothecary (2 weeks wow!) They're moving their office so whatever.

Ordered:

Now Adam Superior Multivitamin (have had experience with it before and seems like a fantastic encompassing multi that doesn't break the bank)

Now Full Spectrum Minerals

Now Whey Protein Isolate Pure (unflavored)

 

Now I'd never tried their minerals or protein powder but have LOVED their multivitamin. Never left me with an unsettled stomach so I gave it a shot. I'm trying to reduce the overall number of supplements to a very small core that's not breaking the bank and generally pointless. Still haven't tried the minderals because I have other mineral supplements that are filling the hole. However the powder! Wow! I was using a different brand I'd gotten from Body Building loaded with artificial flavoring so it tasted like birthday cake. I've been trying to eliminate artificial this and chemical that and COMPLETELY overlooked that "Hey this tastes REALLY good I wonder why?" So 86 the tasty powder and bring in Now Whey Isolate Pure.

 

It's unflavored which is to say it tastes pretty bland, not chalky just bland. So I mix it up with blueberries and strawberries and it becomes a LOT more palatable. I should note that I'm lactose intolerant so protein powder usually tears me up like no ones business and leaves me sick to my stomach for at least an hour or so afterwards. Not so with this! I've felt a lot more at ease. I would go into a fancy discussion about other things but I'd just be talking over my head and out my. . .well you know.

 

Now if only I could get NOW to sponsor me

[Toxophilite]

Isn't it funny how quickly you can go from not wanting to workout to not wanting to miss a workout. Missing one actually ruins my day. I get grumpy, and not burning off my workout-day calories makes me feel like Mr Greedy

 

[Teros]

I was using a different brand I'd gotten from Body Building loaded with artificial flavoring so it tasted like birthday cake

The one that I use (blue bonnet original) is pretty awesome. It has a very faint vanilla smell.  I use them for protein pancakes. (1 scoop + 1 mashed banana + 1 egg)

[Doaheem]

Welp fell off the wagon pretty hard this week. Started off strong just didn't end it strong for certain reasons. I hope to jump back onto the saddle next week.

 

Goal 1 - Did pretty well up through Thursday night, Friday night, and all of Saturday. The only bright side is I finished reading Warrior Diet

Result - D

 

Goal 2 - Missed Friday in terms of work out and slumped off a bit in the fasting portion of things. I'm back on it now and will re-engage this week.

Result - D

 

Goal 3 - Still did that! Had to rush it a bit but I got it in on Wednesday

Result - B

 

Yep learned a lesson that I don't wish to discuss publicly but will come back strong for this week!

[RES]

Those lessons are tough to learn...good job!

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

[Toxophilite]

Hey mate, how's the week going?

[Doaheem]

It's been fantastic until today. I had been churning along every day doing my thing. Monday and Wednesday I worked out and it'd been generally good. Today I've hit a brick wall. It's my only day off a week and it just seems like I don't have any motivation to do diddly. Had the same problem last Friday too. Still, will work out today, read tonight, and grind tomorrow. It just seems like on the day off it's like "screw everything I'm being lazy."

 

bleeeeh

[Teros]

 "screw everything I'm being lazy."

Gotta have a rest day.

[Doaheem]

Well the end came not with a bang but with silence. Whatever wind that was in my sails left and I fell into the finish. The last week I don't think I did anything I just felt this colossal emptiness that consumed everything.

 

I'm clawing my way back up now and am cutting back completely on video games which I think might have been a contributing culprit (I was introduced to and obsessed with Pay Day 2 just before the final week). Either way it was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing this again!

I guess I need to do a final review and will research a little more into the final judgment and go from there!