Hacking the Matrix, and other nonsense

[jdkc4d]

In the last challenge, I focused on eating more Veggies.  While I will be continuing this during this challenge, I am also adding a daily physical activity requirement.

 

To Review:

 

Goal 1: Eat more Veg.

Goal 2: Daily physical Activity.

 

I have been debating over the last few days the best way to track this.  Last challenge, I posted every week the things I had for meals.  I think this is a good start, but maybe I can improve on it a bit.  I have seen all the fitness trackers out there. I don't like them.  They only seem to work if you eat name brand things.  After spending one morning trying to figure out all the nutritional stuff in my morning smoothie, I gave up.  It's too much work.  Instead, I am going to give writing something of my own a go.  Web only, no smartphones.  I would like everyone's input on ways to make it better.  

 

I am going to try to assign points to different things I eat/do.  

 

Any meal that I eat at least one vegetable: +5 points. 

Any time that I eat some kind of crap: -5points

Any physical activity at or greater than 10 minutes: +5 points.

 

I also want to add some point multipliers in there as well as bonuses. After all the points are there in an attempt to motivate me to do better. I am trying to come up with a multiple veg incentive and a multiple day without junk/crap multiplier. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them.  Until I get this thing created, I'll continue to log everything on this challenge log.  

[jdkc4d]

• Monday (15 points)
  • Breakfast: Smoothie -- 0 Points

• Lunch: Smoked Chicken and Broccoli -- +5 Points

Dinner: Chicken cooked in a lemon and wine sauce, mushrooms(are mushrooms veg? I'm counting them) +5 points

Activity: 12 minutes on the stationary bike. It's been months since I've gotten on this thing. I might actually be sore. + 10 points

Daytime Snack: Had some of those snickers mini's. Need to remember to bring something snacky tomorrow. Smoothie won't hold me over till lunch if I ride bike in the AM. -- -5 points

Tuesday (10)

• Breakfast: Smoothie - 0 Points

Lunch: Chicken in wine sauce, can of peas +5

Dinner: Bagel Bites +0

Activity: 12 Minutes on the bike -- +10

Morning Snack: Who brought in donut holes? Bastartds!!! -5

Wednesday (5)

• Breakfast: Smoothie

Lunch: Pizza Rolls, Can of green beans + 5

Dinner: 3 frozen pretzels, some mozzerella, and some pepperonis.

Activity: I really didn't feel like doing anything yesterday. I think it has something to do with being on call until 10pm.

Thursday (0)

• Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch: Chicken tenders with honey and hot sauce

Dinner: Pizza

Activity: Shoveling snow. Ugh. Last night of on call for this week...just have to make it til 10p

Friday (-10)

• Breakfast: Mini donuts (-5)

Lunch: Cheeseburger & Fries (-5) I am not counting the fries or anything on the burger as a Veg. Lets be real.

Dinner: Grilled Chicken covered in hot sauce

Activity: None

Saturday (35)

• Breakfast: Dortios. (-5) Had a splitting headache and had to eat something with my pill. This is what I had. Lunch is planning to be better.

Lunch: Baked Salmon, baked asparagus. (+5)

Dinner: 2 Baked Potatoes (+5)

Activity: An hour shoveling snow (6* 10 minutes = 30 points)

[Mekong]

Following! I like your point system, sounds interesting.  It sounds similar to the HabitRPG app, which I downloaded and promptly have ignored ever since.  I use My Fitness Pal and save a lot of recipes to make it easier, but I agree it's still a huge pain. 

Maybe it's just me because I didn't grow up riding a bike, but I did a spin class once and couldn't believe how much my butt hurt afterwards.  For days! I don't assume that's what you meant by sore, but that's what I thought of.

[jdkc4d]

Hmm...interesting page that habitRPG. But after playing with it for 5 minutes...it just seems too involved.  I've never been a big fan of the RP part of RPG games.  The G part is good though.  

 

My butt did not hurt yesterday. My hamstrings did.  Which is probably a good thing, I feel that they are always overly tight.  Today, my butt does hurt though.  Only 3 more rides to go this week. My hope is to stick to around 10-12 minutes on the bike all this week and then next week I can start increasing that.  I used to do 20 minutes on the bike every morning.  I want to get back to that.  

[Mekong]

I think that's why I haven't really gotten into the app.  I'm cool with RP stuff but they have dailies and quests and to-dos and habits and I'm never sure how to categorize what. But I think their habit thing is the same as what you were talking about, +/- every time you do a good/bad habit. 

I'm glad for your butt!  Leg soreness sucks, but it's so satisfying.  Like you really did something, because you're just awesome like that.  "Can't take the stairs bro, my hammies are swole.  I'm gonna grab a tilapia creatine smoothie, don't wait up."

 

20 minutes seems quite reasonable.  Do you fiddle with the resistance much?

[jdkc4d]

I have done it both ways actually.  Both fiddling with the resistance and not.  The problem with fiddling with it is that it makes it hard to watch a show or read a book while I'm doing that. Right now, its just about getting into the habit and getting to a point where my hams are not sore.  I can add back some fiddling later.  I do try to do like 2 minutes of warm up and 2 minutes of cool down where I'll fiddle a bit, but not much. 

[Mekong]

The spin class I did was all fiddling.  An entire fiddling class, fiddling for a whole hour.  I didn't fiddle nearly as much as other people, who were pro fiddlers.  Also I'd wager their butts were calloused and unfeeling, which makes it easier to fiddle.  Your goal makes sense, though. I tend to go fast and furious and burn myself out.  Which is not the way to build a long-lasting habit that can be incorporated into your daily life.

[jdkc4d]

One more day left in week one. I am totally not killing it on points for this week. Only 20 points?! 

Dunno how much I'll be able to add to this tomorrow. Guy is coming to run the gas line for the new stove. So I can't really leave the house after 10:30.  What's worse, there is supposed to be a snow/ice storm Saturday night, so I might be snowed in Sunday too. Ugh.  The worst is that the local gas company has to make the final connection, so even though the gas line will be in, I still won't be able to use the stove until the gas company comes. Boo.

[Spark]

Glad to see you back, man.

 

And hey, even ONE point is an improvement. Sure, it might not be what you want now, but it's a start! You got this.

[Elisha]

Following! I like your point system, sounds interesting.  It sounds similar to the HabitRPG app, which I downloaded and promptly have ignored ever since.  I use My Fitness Pal and save a lot of recipes to make it easier, but I agree it's still a huge pain. 

Maybe it's just me because I didn't grow up riding a bike, but I did a spin class once and couldn't believe how much my butt hurt afterwards.  For days! I don't assume that's what you meant by sore, but that's what I thought of.

 

Spin classes make every beginner's butt sore! I rode bikes all the time as a kid and even in my early 20s. Those spin seats are the worst! 

 

• Monday (15 points)
  • Breakfast: Smoothie -- 0 Points
  • Lunch: Smoked Chicken and Broccoli -- +5 Points
  • Dinner: Chicken cooked in a lemon and wine sauce, mushrooms(are mushrooms veg? I'm counting them) +5 points
  • Activity: 12 minutes on the stationary bike. It's been months since I've gotten on this thing. I might actually be sore. + 10 points
  • Daytime Snack: Had some of those snickers mini's. Need to remember to bring something snacky tomorrow. Smoothie won't hold me over till lunch if I ride bike in the AM. -- -5 points
• Tuesday (10)
  • Breakfast: Smoothie -  0 Points
  • Lunch: Chicken in wine sauce, can of peas +5
  • Dinner: Bagel Bites +0
  • Activity: 12 Minutes on the bike --  +10
  • Morning Snack: Who brought in donut holes? Bastartds!!!  -5
• Wednesday (5)
  • Breakfast: Smoothie
  • Lunch: Pizza Rolls, Can of green beans + 5
  • Dinner: 3 frozen pretzels, some mozzerella, and some pepperonis.
  • Activity: I really didn't feel like doing anything yesterday. I think it has something to do with being on call until 10pm. 
• Thursday (0)
  • Breakfast Smoothie
  • Lunch: Chicken tenders with honey and hot sauce
  • Dinner: Pizza
  • Activity: Shoveling snow. Ugh.  Last night of on call for this week...just have to make it til 10p
• Friday (-10)
  • Breakfast: Mini donuts (-5)
  • Lunch: Cheeseburger & Fries (-5) I am not counting the fries or anything on the burger as a Veg. Lets be real. 
  • Dinner: Grilled Chicken covered in hot sauce
  • Activity: None
• Saturday

 

Hmmm, I meant to quote your original post, but I hit the wrong one! 

I use myfitnesspal to make recipes, then I add them to my fitbit. It's really annoying, but I eat the same things a lot (which makes tracking boring as well) so at least I get a lot of use out of one recipe addition. I love that the new fitbit app upgrade lets you log more than one thing at a time to a meal. I wanted to slam my head into the wall dealing with the old one.  Someone without ADD developed the older version. 

Great job this week! I look forward to spanking you on the weekend warrior challenge. It's about to get real. 

[jdkc4d]

Great job this week! I look forward to spanking you on the weekend warrior challenge. It's about to get real. 

 

Giggity

.

[jdkc4d]

Saturday snow shoveling really helped up up my points for the week. 

 

Week 1: 55 points.

 

Now all I have to do is break that next week!

[jdkc4d]

Week 2 Stats:

 

Points to break (from last week): 55

A perfect week would be: 15 * 7 = 105

 

• Sunday (35)
  • Breakfast: Poptart (-5) Yeah ok, so not off to a good start, but I needed something carby before going out to shovel. 
  • Lunch: None
  • Dinner: Tuna salad, and green beans (+5)
  • Activity: An hour of shoveling (6*10 minutes = 35)
• Monday (-15)
  • Breakfast: Poptart (-5)
  • Lunch: Pizza hut (-5)
  • Dinner: Bowl of cereal (-5)
  • Activity: Yelling at my coworkers (no points)
• Tuesday (-5)
  • Breakfast: Rice Krispie and a banana (-5)
  • Lunch: Chicken Tenders and Green Beans (+5)
  • Dinner: Ice cream (-5)
  • Activity: Not a thing
• Wednesday (10)
  • Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, a banana, and some grapes
  • Lunch: Doritios, Steak bites, green beans (+5)
  • Dinner: Pizza (This was home made pizza, so I am not going to count it, cause its way better than delivery [or digornio])
  • Activity: 12 minutes on the stationary
• Thursday (10)
  • Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, a banana, some grapes, 4 small chocolate eggs.
  • Lunch: Baked Potato (microwave), can of green beans.
  • Dinner: Buffalo Chicken
  • Activity: 10 minutes on the stationary.
• Friday (-15)
  • Breakfast: Brought my 2 hard boiled eggs and banana in to work for breakfast today. I got those eaten and then someone brought in donuts.  I had a donut or 3 (-5)
  • Lunch: We got free lunch catered by this noodle place. (-5)
  • Dinner: Leftover noodles (-5)
  • Activity: None
• Saturday
  • Breakfast: none
  • Lunch: none
  • Dinner: Ribs & chicken, potato (+5)
  • Activity: None

[jdkc4d]

Based on my calculations, a perfect week would be 105 points. That's based on:

 

1 vegetable for lunch and for dinner (5 points each) + 5 points for every 10 minutes of activity = 15 points a day * 7 days = 105 points.

[jdkc4d]

Today was really rough. From the moment I got to work until the moment I left work I only got up from my desk twice. The first time was to pay the pizza guy. The 2nd was to use the bathroom.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day!

[Elisha]

Today was really rough. From the moment I got to work until the moment I left work I only got up from my desk twice. The first time was to pay the pizza guy. The 2nd was to use the bathroom. Hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day!

I do not miss those days. Now if I spend all day working without moving it is on something I love and I don't even notice the time fly by.

[jdkc4d]

If this week continues like this, I don't know what I'm going to do. Work has been hell this week, and I get home, and I am just so apathetic towards everything. I got home last night and decided to make some chicken boobs.  I always cut them up into little pieces about half way through the cooking process.  I noticed they were really tough while I was cutting them.  It didn't make any sense, but I thought, well maybe they are still a little frozen in the middle. But they were a weird texture when they got done, so I ended up tossing them out.  What a waste. I think maybe they were freezer burnt or something. I don't know, I have never had that problem with chicken before.  

 

I didn't have anything else to eat in the house though. Ugh. So I had some sherbet ice cream instead.  I feel like I am failing this challenge. 

[jdkc4d]

So nice to have a working stove again. It's nice to be able to cook eggs in the morning.

[Mekong]

If this week continues like this, I don't know what I'm going to do. Work has been hell this week, and I get home, and I am just so apathetic towards everything. I got home last night and decided to make some chicken boobs.  I always cut them up into little pieces about half way through the cooking process.  I noticed they were really tough while I was cutting them.  It didn't make any sense, but I thought, well maybe they are still a little frozen in the middle. But they were a weird texture when they got done, so I ended up tossing them out.  What a waste. I think maybe they were freezer burnt or something. I don't know, I have never had that problem with chicken before.  

 

I didn't have anything else to eat in the house though. Ugh. So I had some sherbet ice cream instead.  I feel like I am failing this challenge. 

 

Don't give up! It's not even week 3! Actually, your early adversity (and mine) could be a good thing because now you'll get back on track and power right through the week 3 slump everyone else gets.  And because life is never perfect and it's good to learn how to get through tough crap without dropping everything else.  And it might help get through work stuff if you can get your other goals in because you'll feel like a badass that can do anything and maybe that'll carry over to work.  So. Do it!!

 

In other news, sherbet is an awesome dinner.  I love orange pop and vanilla ice cream floats, I wonder how orange sherbet and cream soda would work?  Please experiment for me during your next breakdown.

[jdkc4d]

Week 1 I had 55 points. 

Week 2 I had -7 points.  Holy Crap what happened?!?

 

I seem to have an issues with sugary things.  This week I am going to try very hard to substitute fruits where I have had sugary things in the past.  The upside of a really crappy week 2 is that It should be easier to break.  I also think I am going to move to a daily log as opposed to a weekly one. 

[jdkc4d]

Starting off week three with a failure. I am not Dominating Monday.:

 

• Sunday (10)
  • Breakfast: Fresh mango.  Mangoes, like watermelon are best eaten outside. 
  • Lunch: Pizza (-5)
  • Dinner: Steak, Broccoli, Salad (+5)
  • Activity: 20 Minute Walk. Daylight savings + random 60 degree weather ftw!!! (+10)
• Monday (5)
  • Breakfast: 3 Donuts, chocolate milk, banana (cause that banana makes it slightly more healthy) FAIL (-5)
  • Lunch: Vegetable Beef Soup (its soup-er Monday) +5
  • Dinner: Steak + Broccoli + Mango (+5)
  • Activity: Does walking around at the grocery store while its partially under construction count? I'm going to say no.

[Mekong]

Looks pretty good to me, assuming you follow through with dinner.  My gym café has breakfast specials and the Monday one is a banana, a bagel, and an orange juice for a billion dollars (this café is pretty overpriced).  I always think that for a place that freely embraces it's own version of Paleo-esque clean eating, that's a really huge sugar spike to inflict on your clients.  I don't knock bananas anyway, but at least your breakfast had some fat and protein in the milk to cushion the sugar impact. 

Even with pizza, you had a really good Sunday, though.

[jdkc4d]

I added a mango to my planned dinner. There just wasn't enough broccoli left over.  Mangoes are great, except then I had to floss for like an hour. Oh well, it was good.

[jdkc4d]

Tuesday: 10

 

 

Breakfast: 3 Eggs, Scrambled w/Asparagus. Then I had a banana after I got to work. +5

Lunch: Chicken Tenders w/local honey + green beans -- I am not counting honey as bad.  +5

Dinner: Grilled Buffalo Chicken

Activity: Why do I have such a hard time with activity?

[Mekong]

Mangoes are great, except then I had to floss for like an hour. Oh well, it was good.

 

This is how I feel about steak and ribs.

 

 

 

Activity: Why do I have such a hard time with activity?

 

With eating, you were already eating before the challenge (presumably), so you're just tweaking/replacing a bad habit (eating junk) to a better habit (eating honey).  With adding activity you're conjuring a whole new habit out of thin air, and that's a lot harder to integrate into your routine and maintain.  Your best bet might be to tie it to something already integrated into your routine, like biking while watching a specific show or something.

 

Man, that's some decent advice.  I should really follow it.