Chris-Tien Expands Her Base

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I had a pretty good year in 2014 and am starting 2015 with the aim of building on last year's successes and surpassing them.  Heck, I'd like to sink the battleship with how well I'm going to blow my goals out of the water in 2015!!  

 

 

This first challenge of 2015 is aimed at locking in on what worked so that I can do more of it .... and gathering up tools that will support my progress toward attaining at "normal" weight of 149 lbs by the end of the year.  And about 30% body fat .... which should be a very nice, feasible goal that I hope to sweep past long before we're thinking about egg nog again.

 

1) Major goals for this first challenge to lose weight & body fat to get down to 164 lbs and 33.4% BF by:

• keeping to my macros (from IIFYM.com) and calorie goals as reported on loseit.com (link in signature)
• Maintaining my running plan - doing some cardio at least 6 times each week, but usually working on components from 5K training plans - I'm an experienced runner; so 6 days a week is feasible, and I know when to let the body have a break.
• Strength training 3 times per week … doing a mix of bw, free weights, and oddball things in preparation for obstacle course races. Check out my plans at Fitocracy.com (see link in my signature)

At stake: 1 WIS, 1 CON, 1 STA, 1 STR, 1 DEX

Scoring: a percentage based on how close I come to meeting the weight and bf% goals.  No score for effort - gotta achieve the endpoint!!

 

Other goals in support of the major goal

 

2) Do something fun & adventurous each week.  I need to get out of the house, challenge myself to meet people, and do things to get out of my cocoon. Keep in mind that my life is pretty tame.  If I got out to geocache or do some wall climbing, that's an adventure.

At stake: 2 CHA

Scoring: percentage of how many times I get out for an adventure out of the goal of 6.

 

3)  Wear my contacts!!!!  I'm going to try daily wear contacts since I really don't want to do obstacle courses (or karate class) wearing glasses.  I need to pick up the new prescription, but I can slip in my old monthly pairs until I get to the eye doctor's clinic.

At stake: 2 DEX

Scoring: percentage of the number of days I at least wear them at least some of the day.

 

4) Expand the garrison!! Get/make stuff I need in order to do the rest.  I've already started!!!

• Pullup bar installed
• LoseIt! premium membership
• 750words.com
• Clean out and organize the kitchen - then use it!
• Basement workout area
• Make a sandbag

At stake: 2 WIS, 1 CHA

Scoring: percentage completion

 

5) Write 750 words per day.  One big theme is how to get my mojo back, but I may wander anywhere I like with those 750 words.  I might even start to write on my research again!!

At stake: 3 WIS

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Great goals! I keep saying I am going to make a sandbag, maybe you will finally inspire me to actually do it. And the adventuring sounds fun. I like the idea of tame adventures. Too many times I think they have to be something BIG. But just thinking of getting out of the house and doing some fun things is good. I

[Thister]

Sub'd just to see you rock another challenge like a boss!

 

Hey, we're both writing this time around. I'll check in with you on that from time to time.

[Balthazar]

found ya

[Hornbeam]

Subbed! Good to see you!

[vengefulpear]

These are some great goals and seeing as you kicked 2014's ass I'm sure you're going to do the same to 2015

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Great challenge and goals!!

[hybrid756]

Subbed! Awesome goals, I'm sure you'll kick the ass out them!

[lillucia]

Nice!

On the contacts front, yay for laser surgery.

I honestly never think about my eyes anymore... no more tired/dry eyes from contacts, no more steamed/rained on glasses!

[mediaguy99]

Very cool to see you focusing!  And you've got a pull up bar!  I have to say, my pull up bar changed my life.  No, really!

[antro]

Very nice thread, did you get some fancy pull up bar and how did you install it?

[nightlight]

i love all of this.

this also reminds me that i need to get new contacts too!

[karinajean]

Hey! In for amazing ness!

Sent from my iPhone while riding a unicorn through the cosmos.

[Rav]

Love your goal 2!  I'm now hoping to experience obstacle races through your challenge until I get the nerve to try one myself.

[mediaguy99]

How's it going?

[Balthazar]

hey CTJ everything going well?

[karinajean]

happy friday! hope you are not a frozen icicle but are just instead merrily going about your normal and exceptionally productive routine.

[Randa Rooskie]

Hey there, wall-climbing-adventure-having-assassin friend of mine!  How did this week go?  Were you able to get out and have any mini-adventures?  Just in case all didn't go quite as planned...

 

 

You're still awesome.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Very nice thread, did you get some fancy pull up bar and how did you install it?

 

It's not a fancy one at all.  It mounts on the inside of a door frame.  In this case, it's on the doorframe to the basement bathroom, which is near where my indoor workout stuff is.  I'm still enjoying the assisted pullup/dip machine at the gym when I can get there -- but it WAS really nice to have it installed this week so I didn't HAVE to go out in the dangerous wind chills just to do pullups.  

 

Where does the time go when you have a full-time job??  I've been doing pretty well on meeting goals, but I have been doing a LOT of catchup on miscellany and workouts and housework now that the holidays are over and our family members have gone home.  

 

I should be better about checking IN most days now that the backlog is mostly cleared.  My office is still a freakin' mess of post-semester clutter.  Lots of books and papers piled everywhere, but I'll chip away at it slowly.   Since I work online, I do get to a point at the end of the day where I just walk away from the computer and then ignore it the rest of the night.  

 

But ... so far so good with the challenge!!!

 

I've lost 1.5 pounds this week!!  

 

Most days, I have stayed under my calorie goal.  I'll have to see how the BF% is because I have trouble getting in as much protein as IIFYM recommends (111 g/day).  Carbs are usually under their max number too.  Fat tends to be a bit high ... in part because I like to eat eggs.

 

I've been running or doing the Nordic Track every day.  I've only done two serious strength training sessions, but I do fit in some BWW training exercises most days (Fit Deck Office).  It was just SO cold ..... and the pets where very fussy last week when everyone but me left.  They'd gotten used to having people around to pet and fuss over them --- the sudden quiet seemed to freak out the dog and cat.  And when I would start leaving the house to go to the gym or choir practice, the cat started chewing power cords.  (I have now re-cat-proofed the house).  

 

Adventure this week:  we got my new car.  I vacillate between loving and fearing all of the cool new bells and whistles.  

 

Contacts: I got the new daily-wear contacts, but I haven't worn them yet.  I've been occasionally wearing my old extended wear soft lenses and remembering how much I prefer contacts.  I'll just have to bite the bullet and wear the new ones.  I feel that, since they are disposable, that I need to wear them all day to get my money's worth.  About as dumb as thinking that I need to finish an entire meal when I order out (which I don't).  This is a work in progress.

 

So far, I've  gotten a few things done to support my workouts:

• Pullup bar installed
• LoseIt! premium membership
• 750words.com
• Clean out and organize the kitchen - then use it!
• Basement workout area
• Make a sandbag

I'm not sure I'll shell out for the premium version of 750words.com.  It's nice to see points add up, but the whole gamification thing is losing its allure.  Will work for t-shirts.....put points are leaving me cold.

 

And ... so far, I have been writing 750 words per day.  Seeing some themes develop re: the hunt for my mojo.  Most were not unexpected.  When I workout, I feel more confident.   No surprise.  But I realized this morning that often when I "should" be excited about something (like getting my new car), I am instead scared and anxious.  Need to keep writing and thinking about how to work around some of these issues.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

I'm glad you're still around and I'm glad things are going well for you.

If you're looking for an adventure next weekend, The Ski Hut is having a fat bike demo. Riding one of those on a snowy trail would be a great adventure.

My first sandbag was one of those canvas bags teachers tend to accumulate. I put a thick garbage bag inside, filled it with sand, tied that shut and sewed the whole thing shut. Weighed almost exactly 25#. It was an easy project. Hardest part was getting the bag of sand out of my trunk.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'm glad you're still around and I'm glad things are going well for you.

If you're looking for an adventure next weekend, The Ski Hut is having a fat bike demo. Riding one of those on a snowy trail would be a great adventure.

My first sandbag was one of those canvas bags teachers tend to accumulate. I put a thick garbage bag inside, filled it with sand, tied that shut and sewed the whole thing shut. Weighed almost exactly 25#. It was an easy project. Hardest part was getting the bag of sand out of my trunk.

 

Thanks for the tip!!  We've been admiring some of those bikes ... and the crazy bikers who are out on them at -10F. 

 

The NF article on sand bags recommends pea gravel instead of sand.  Do you have much leakage in yours, SL??

 

 

And MILESTONE TIME ..... I'm up a bit on weight (166), but am down to 32.9% BF.  Booyah!!!

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

No, no leakage. I used the really thick garbage bags and I don't slam them. You could also use rubber mulch if you're worried about leakage, it'd be lighter of course.

Every so often my wife preemptively reminds me that I can't get a fat bike because I have too many bikes already [emoji22]

[pjc]

Your goals are really impressive and you have accomplished a lot already. Reading your update has been inspirational to me. I also experience anxiety/stress in situations where I should be feeling happy. Writing was not part of my goal but I have found myself doing some writing as part of tracking my progress. Its been helpful, along with reading threads like yours, thanks!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Your goals are really impressive and you have accomplished a lot already. Reading your update has been inspirational to me. I also experience anxiety/stress in situations where I should be feeling happy. Writing was not part of my goal but I have found myself doing some writing as part of tracking my progress. Its been helpful, along with reading threads like yours, thanks!

 

Keep at it!!!  I'm finding some practices that have helped in the past ... or help now:

• workouts, especially walking and karate practice
• meditation, especially zazen
• avoiding both caffeine and alcohol.  
• limiting carbs, especially refined carbs

I don't want to take anxiety meds.  Some of my friends and colleagues have given in and take a pharmacy in order to relax and sleep and then perk up and work. Others have had wonderful results by going paleo or doing a sugar buster approach.  Sugar can be a real problem for many people .... who get their lives back when they adopt a new way of eating.  

 

Then, there's always singing the Underdog theme to beat back the nagging dread ....

 

[Balthazar]

You should be fine with sand unless you are slamming them

 

I just got a sandbag, wrapped rope round it and covered it in duct tape