Ken the Brave: Into the Wastes

[KenTheBrave]

I find it easier to plan if you do it on a day off.  Plan everything you can for the week while leaving yourself some wiggle room for when Murphy inevitably strikes.  As far as meals go you can plan ahead to make sure you have what you need for dinner then I usually batch cook something for lunch so I'm not scrambling if something comes up.

 

That's a very good point. I need to make sure I allow myself a 'day off.' I'm one of those people who always tries to fill my down time with something. No wonder I feel so busy all the time!

[Einar]

I've always found that I need a day to reset myself mentally or I will end up shutting down socially and emotionally and withdraw from friends and family.  Turns out they don't like that.  But I too find that sometimes I need to force myself to step back from always trying to do something so that I can reset.

[KenTheBrave]

I've always found that I need a day to reset myself mentally or I will end up shutting down socially and emotionally and withdraw from friends and family.  Turns out they don't like that.  But I too find that sometimes I need to force myself to step back from always trying to do something so that I can reset.

Have you ever read the Jason Bourne books? There's a part in one of them where Jason is remembering his training and they teach him that "Rest is a weapon." I've always loved that philosophy. You can't keep burning yourself out trying to make progress and not take time to recharge in between. You really do start shutting down and it's not obvious why. I'm very glad you brought this up!

 

Sounds like I need some play time! 

[Einar]

Yes I've read those books, and that is a very important statement.

[KenTheBrave]

6-22-15:

 

Busy weekend, but with a lot more down time for once. We both decided to take Friday night off and went to see a movie instead. We saw Inside Out and both enjoyed it. The voice acting was great but the story was a little out there to really keep our attention the whole time. Saturday we went to an Aerials Workshop all Saturday afternoon and had a blast! Learned some new tricks, some lifts, and even how to do a flip. There we a few people there who we usually have lesson with and as a nice surprise I was able to remember a name! We were planning on going out afterward to a free dance and band, but by the time we got home and showered, we were so tired that we decided to stay home and have a movie night at home instead.

 

Sunday was Father's Day and I didn't get anything done and it was everything I thought it could be   Hung out with a friend in the morning at the driving range and then spent the afternoon with my dad over some Fat Tires. A much needed break.

 

Today, I meet with a trainer at the gym. I'm hoping to get some good pointers about my form and maybe some help with my diet. Haven't gained a pound since I started this whole journey at the beginning of the year. Maybe I'm afraid of just going for it and eating as much as I should. It's not that I can't eat enough, but I'm concerned that it'll just end up on my gut and not in my muscles. Irrational fear?... I dono.

 

Total XP Earned:

+15

 

[KenTheBrave]

6-23-15:

 

Had a pretty good Monday yesterday! Worked late and met a personal trainer at the gym. He’s really nice and helpful. Turns out I wasn’t lifting nearly enough (which I knew) and that my form was pretty solid (which I was glad to hear). He’s also going to meet with me today to watch me do the second half of my 5x5 and give me notes and he said he’d run some calculations to help me get my macros dialed in. I feel bad for not being able to pay him as much as he really deserves, but he understands that money is really tight when you’re planning a wedding. Drifted a little bit and started browsing stupid sites, but I still worked out and met my protein goal. Today, need to make another log to include all the new moves and aerials we learned last weekend!

 

Total XP Earned:

+10

 

[KenTheBrave]

6-24-15:

 

Never thought I would ever utter these words, but Tuesday was a pretty good day!

 

I had to work late, but I still made time to make another full length log. Included the new moves and aerials from last week (isn't YouTube awesome?) and brushed up on some of the new ones we learned. Balboa is one of those dances that's so simple, it's hard. I find myself losing count and stepping on the wrong foot even though it's one of the easiest dances! Gotta concentrate on not thinking so much.

 

I was so busy I didn't have time to watch TV, and I even made it to the gym in the evening and cranked out another session of the 5x5. My Overhead Press is something to be desired. By far my weakest workout (only 60 lbs  ) and I seem to putting a lot of strain on my wrists. I need to slow down and make sure I do it right! 

 

Also found a new protein powder that has a few more grams than what I was using and eating a lot more nuts and beans, so I made my protein goal again too! Almost at the halfway mark in only 44 days!! Pretty happy with those numbers! 

 

Total XP Earned:

+25

[KenTheBrave]

6-25-15:

 

Didn't get anything done yesterday. Had a bad day at work and needed some comedy to cheer me up. Went to the dentist and that took up all afternoon (and a lot of money  ) and I didn't have the energy to get much done after that besides chores. We're going to our lesson again tonight so hopefully that'll help make up for it. *Sigh*

 

Total XP Earned:

+0

[KenTheBrave]

6-26-15:

 

Had a bad night, but got a lot of points (No TV, danced with my fiance, and with 6 other partners). Very conflicting. Didn't get enough sleep, so I don't anticipate getting many points today either. Oh well.

 

Total XP Earned:

+42

[KenTheBrave]

6-26-15:

 

Went dancing on Friday night and remembered a name. Didn't get to stay as long as we usually do, but learned a few new moves to work on. (+15)

 

Didn't get anything done Saturday, but we both needed some time to rest and recharge. 

 

Sunday was nice, but not as productive as I would have liked, but I maxed out on Bench Press and Rows. Looking back, I'm glad I found my limits, but at the time it was very frustrating. Limits are good! Now I have a clear goal and I'm damn sure going to push those limits! Literally! And I made my protein goal, which was nice for such a busy day. (+10)

 

Total XP Earned:

+10

[Einar]

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[KenTheBrave]

6-30-15:

 

Not much to report from yesterday. We're having company over for the 4th so I spent most of the afternoon cleaning. Had a frustrating day at work and turned on the comedy station. Didn't get enough to eat because I had some wicked gas, which I've read is kind of a problem with vegan diets cause of all the beans and nuts that can cause distress. The bad news is I'm still not getting enough. I just recalculated my calorie and macros on MyFitnessPal and I need another 500 calories per day than what I've been shooting for and 130 grams of protein per day. 

 

Any suggestions for some good nutrient and protein rich foods that are easy on the guts? I'm glad I'm making gains at the gym, but I need to be sure to get my intake dialed in too. 

 

Total XP Earned:

+0

[KenTheBrave]

7-1-15:

 

Made it to the gym and met my protein goal! Still struggling with the overhead press, but I'm making good gains with all my other workouts. Starting to really enjoy deadlifting. A sentence I never thought I'd say...

 

Also, I'm officially half way to my goal!!   And still about 60 left days to go! Pretty damn good progress in only 50 days! Feelin' very happy with myself right now  BUT, I'm not done yet...

 

Total XP Earned:

+10

[KenTheBrave]

7-2-15:

 

Busy cleaning house yesterday, but so busy that there wasn't any time for TV. Tried to make a new Lindy Log, but didn't have time to record it. Not going to count it, but we're (hopefully) going to our lesson tonight.

 

Total XP Earned:

+5

[KenTheBrave]

7-6-15:

 

Busy weekend again. Luckily, I got the 3rd off for the weekend and got to take some much needed R&R. Here's a quick point breakdown:

 

7-2: Went to our dance lessons, kept the TV off, and danced with two partners. +14 points

7-3: Went to our other dance lessons, again no TV, and danced with three partners. +16 points

7-4: Ate waaaay too much, but was so busy spending time with family that the TV stayed off. +5 points

7-5: Had an upset stomach all day (for some reason...), but still made it to the gym and set some new records! +5 points

 

Need to be more diligent about pre-planning meals and I found out the hard way that certain foods don't sit very well with me. No more bananas, beans, or almonds (at least for a while). It's going to be a lot harder to start making my protein goals, but luckily I still have some protein powder that doesn't taste half bad. Oh, and I need to start drinking more water. Maybe I'll dig out the ol' Nalgene  (do they still make those?). 

 

Does anyone have a good meal planner that they like to use? I'd like to try on that can remember recipes and ingredients for me. Still trying to stick to a budget with my food. Starting to get tired of my usual staples... 

 

Total XP Earned:

+40

[KenTheBrave]

7-7-15:

 

I found out something yesterday dancing with my girlfriend. I cannot take constructive criticism.  She's tried everything; being nice, being firm, being polite, talking to me after, before, during. Turns out the problem was that I was getting defensive and upset, which made her upset, which made me upset, etc.

 

Big bump in the road. Luckily we recently bought an ebook about just such an issue: Constructive Conflicts, a book for dancers. 

 

I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time, but it's something I look forward to figuring out. More updates to come!

 

Total XP Earned:

+10

 

 

 

[KenTheBrave]

7-8-15:

 

I think I may have over done it a bit because my right knee is stiff today. Feels like I may have hyper extended it so I'm icing it and stretching it and hopefully that helps. I was hoping to make some progress yesterday on my Overhead Press, but no luck :-( I think I'm going to switch to dumb bells for the time being, the barbell is really hard to balance and I think it's affecting my form. And until I can make it over this hump, on my off days I'm going to start doing push ups, one for each pound that I can't seem to lift. That'll add some bulk to the ol' chest! 

 

A little discouraged that there aren't as many comments on here as there used to be. Was it something I said?...

 

I am starting to feel like I'm in a slump, even though the numbers show progress. Maybe I need to re-evaluate my calorie intake. I started wearing my fit bit again and I need about 200 more calories per day than what I have set up in My Fitness Pal, which would explain the lack of weight gain. Just worried about eating the wrong thing and getting fatter instead of stronger and slowing myself down. Maybe that's an irrational fear. Any thoughts?...

 

Total XP Earned:

+10

 

 

[Einar]

As long as you eat smart you shouldn't have to worry about gaining fat instead of muscle.  Not eating enough is probably a major factor in your OHP not progressing.  That or not getting enough recovery in.

[Einar]

Also I'd stick with the barbell personally.  As far as being hard to balance it, do you think its because of stance/grip or a muscle/strength imbalance between your arms.  If it's the latter then dumbbells would be good to try and correct that but as far as getting your body to work as a unit I prefer barbell.

[KenTheBrave]

As long as you eat smart you shouldn't have to worry about gaining fat instead of muscle.  Not eating enough is probably a major factor in your OHP not progressing.  That or not getting enough recovery in.

 

Yeah. I'm thinking it's time to start getting more smoothies in. I'm not sure if you're vegan, but do you have any good calorie boosters that you like?  

 

Also I'd stick with the barbell personally.  As far as being hard to balance it, do you think its because of stance/grip or a muscle/strength imbalance between your arms.  If it's the latter then dumbbells would be good to try and correct that but as far as getting your body to work as a unit I prefer barbell.

 

I'm fairly certain that my right arm is stronger than my left. If I switch to dumb bells, each arm has to do its own work and not rely (or put unequal weight on) the other arm. Once they catch up to each other, then I'll switch back to the barbell. But this lack of progress is frustrating 

[KenTheBrave]

7-9-15:

 

Not a bad day yesterday. Had to stay late at work, but set aside enough time to do some detailed review of all the moves we learned in the past few weeks. Made a few videos, one was about half an hour long! And I made my protein goal and didn't even realize it! Still have a lot of work to do on my dancing. It feels to me like there's a lot of small pieces that I'm well aware of, but for whatever reason, can't seem to make them fall into place while we're dancing. Maybe it's just practice, practice, practice. But maybe there's a more thorough way to do it and make sure it sticks...

 

Total XP Earned:

+15

[Einar]

Yeah. I'm thinking it's time to start getting more smoothies in. I'm not sure if you're vegan, but do you have any good calorie boosters that you like?  

I'm about as far from vegan as you can get, so I'm no help there.  I'd look to see what there is available as far as protein powder goes that is vegan, I've seen some but since that's not a restriction I look to I can't recall any off hand.  Nuts are a good source for calories and protein as well if you don't have an allergy. 

[KenTheBrave]

I'm about as far from vegan as you can get, so I'm no help there.  I'd look to see what there is available as far as protein powder goes that is vegan, I've seen some but since that's not a restriction I look to I can't recall any off hand.  Nuts are a good source for calories and protein as well if you don't have an allergy. 

 I don't have any allergies, but I've noticed that some of them don't sit very well. I get some pretty wicked gas if I haven't had enough water or have too much or something. This it going to take some experimenting.

[KenTheBrave]

7-10-15:

 

Got some good points yesterday, went to the gym to practice with my fiance and we even recorded ourselves. Unfortunately we both got frustrated working on a new move and had a fight that came back later that evening. Not feeling great today and we're supposed to go to our other lessons tonight. Hopefully that'll give us some breathing room and time to get out and have fun again. I'm going to go back over that book about Constructive Conflict with a bloody fine tooth comb. The way we are trying to practice now is not working. At all. 

 

There's more to life and quests than points I'm starting to realize. It's always the things that you can't put a number on that mess me up. *sigh* 

 

Total XP Earned:

+15

[Einar]

There's more to life and quests than points I'm starting to realize. It's always the things that you can't put a number on that mess me up. *sigh* 

No truer words have been spoken.  It's the things you can't put a number to that are the real challenge friend.