Zeeko finds her Fists

[zeeko13]

My name is Zeeko, and here is my story:

In years past, I traveled. I trekked up and down mountain peaks, I I dove under the waves of the ocean, and using two wheeled vehicles, I traversed distances my own two legs could not do alone. Adventure was in my heart and the sun was on my skin. Then everything changed.

In my young years, I grew up in a war camp. My elders raised me as a dark knight, using my strength and wisdom against innocent people. Once I was old enough to stand against the elders, I escaped the war camp to become a simple traveler. Once I fled the camp, my life became filled with joy.

As my years of traveling went by, I found the mother of a old friend in need. She had no home, and her son was far off, traveling his own path. I gave her my tiny house, and returned to the war camp out of necessity. The elders, dissatisfied with my behavior, begrudgingly opened their doors for me, but not without a price.
 

I was not to travel to unknown territory. I could only partake in limited, poisonous rations. I was not allowed visitors. I was not allowed space to exercise. So many freedoms were taken as the cost of living in the war camp. 

Over time, I became weaker in soul and body. Only my mind remained sharp, patiently waiting for opportunity to strike. In my new life, every coin counts. Without knowledge of the elders, I save up over time. I fear they may confiscate my savings. 

I do not see the sun as often these days, but I feel its fire in my heart. My muscles yearn for a reawakening. My stomach growls for the tender meats and green leaves of my travels. My soul misses my companions. The fighter within me, the fighter hibernating for years, has awoken. It is time. 

 

My Goals:

Since I'm at ground zero, my goal is to follow the Nerd Fitness emails. Today marks day 3, the day I choose a class. I will be a monk, because I have no equipment other than myself, and because I need to punch something to disperse the tension of my living situation. 

 

Goal #1: Walk outside for at least 10 minutes, at least 5 days week, preferably all week. 

 

Goal #2: No more soda. Extra: no more sugar drinks at all. 

 

Goal #3: Begin the body weight strength training routine, Straight from the NF article. 

 

Goal #4: Keep the mind sharp by studying at least 1 hour a day. 

 

I picked these goals because they work. When I began my health journey years ago, all I did in the beginning was walk and give up soda. I lost 30 lbs doing that alone.  After I lost those 30 lbs, I started doing the body weight routine, and I liked how complete it felt, not to mention I lost another 30 lbs. After the move, I regained that second 30 lbs. I am now the same weight as I was when I began the routine years ago, so I feel it's a good time to pick it back up (also because it's in the emails).

 

I'm also currently a computer science student, and I have a procrastination problem. I usually give it a free pass since I still get good grades, but now that I realize this is really the career I want, I would like to be more serious about making learning a priority. It gives me something productive to do while I wait for my muscles to repair. 

I'm not going to give myself stats for this challenge, because 1) I don't like starting halfway through, and 2) Until the next challenge comes up I'm simply building habits. Once the next challenge rolls around, I'll start doing things more specific to Monks (and more changes to my diet).

So far, I'm on day 3 of walking and no soda (+ taking vitamins. a mini-goal?). Tomorrow, I will start day 1 of the body weight training. 

[Kishi]

Hey, good to see you anyway, though. I like the opening story, and I'm glad you came to be with us.

 

It sounds like you've had some past success, which is wonderful, because it means you've had a chance to see what works and what doesn't. This is very good, and it will help you to press forward and succeed.

 

Feel free to join us for these last couple weeks! We're glad to have you. What kind of martial arts are you thinking about getting into, down the road?

[zeeko13]

Hi Kishi, nice to meet you

 

You're definitely right about the past paving the way to the future. If I didn't already try and succeed with this set-up, I probably wouldn't have enough motivation to pick it up. Good thing that's not the case

Back before I lost any weight at all, I tried a trial run at my local Muay Thai school. I loved the intensity of it, and the teacher was a successful fighter in Thailand who is very kind and knowledgeable, and he trains real fighters. They didn't make me feel bad for being obese. But, I was too self-conscious at the time and couldn't really afford it (student status), but it's a goal of mine to return with determination. 

I'll play along and shadow the end of this challenge. I'm not going anywhere but I'll save the fun RP stats for the next run. 

[zeeko13]

Day 4.

Body Weight Set 1:

20 body weight squats

10 knee push-ups

10 walking lunges (1 rep = both legs)

10 dumbbell rows (1 rep = both arms)

25 second plank

30 jumping jacks

 

Set 2:

 

20 squats

10 knee push-ups

6 walking lunges (I was laughing so hard at my failure)

10 dumbbell rows

35 second plank

30 jumping jacks

 

Set 3:

 

Maybe next time. I am so out of shape oh my god.

 

No sugar drinks: 100%

daily walks: 100%

Studying: Haha nope. 0%. (I have the rest of the day ahead of me though!)

 

Wow okay so I was hoping that the regular 10 mile bike rides I was doing earlier in the semester would have kept me from going too far off the deep end, but I was wrong. I stopped riding my bike about a month ago, so I guess the bike wasn't really doing much for my legs at all. Great for heart rate and breathing, though. But that's not my priority.  In a way, that makes me glad that my goals are what they are. I know they work! 

Before (re)joining NF, I had a head start reducing my total carb / sugar intake. I was guzzling soda, but for the past two weeks I think I had 2 20oz bottles. It also helps that I recently quit my fast food job. I'm so tired of coworkers being pushy about eating the extra food they make. Good intentions, bad for my bod. Glad it's in the past once and for all. I'm starting to feel a little mellow from the carb drop, brain fog and all that, but I know it'll go away soon enough. 

Had to end at set 2 because the urge to vomit was a little too strong. So out of shape...

I wrote down my inches, took my before pictures, wrote down my starting weight. The road to progress has been paved.  

[Kishi]

One of the tricks about aerobic fitness is that it's a quick adaptation. It comes on relatively fast compared to strength in the long term, and unfortunately it comes off relatively fast too. ;

 

I also definitely feel you on being glad to be out of food services. Had to deal with the same thing a lot on my end too, ie people foisting off extra food on me.

 

Glad to hear you didn't push yourself to the point of being sick and that you were able to laugh at yourself. Very good. Joy is what the journey is all about.

[zeeko13]

Checking in to stay current. 

 

No sugar drinks: 100%

daily walks: 100%

Studying: 50%. (1/2 days)

Went to the grocery store today and bought some veggies + different proteins. I made some taco meat that turned out not what I expected. I didn't get to eat any because class was about to begin when I finished cooking, but it was pretty spicy. Good thing I like spicy. When I get home I'll make some awesome guac. 

Because my goals are to easy to manage, I've been thinking a lot on what my next goals will be. I'll keep the strength training as one because I really need to condition myself. If I'm successful with the drinks, I'm going to make a more advanced nutrition goal. Probably a no fast food rule, as that is my crutch for many reasons. If I don't eat out, I naturally make paleo foods because i just don't enjoy starches that much. I'm trying to get more used to cooking. 

Until then, I won't give myself too much to change at once. I do better with small, humble changes. 

On another note, I am so sore. Pretty much every body part is sore. The first workout always hits the hardest ;

One thing I noticed was that I was able to do more push-ups than I could the last time I tried the routine. They're still knee push-ups, but considering I'm 195 lbs, I felt pretty good about that. 

[zeeko13]

Day 7.

 

No sugar drinks: 100%.

 

This morning I woke up with the strange sensation that I was dreaming about holding empty soda bottles. Maybe my brain is wondering where that ritual went? My stomach isn't craving sugar, though. It makes me think it was a psychological habit above all else. 

 

Walking: 6/5 days for week 1.

 

I didn't take a walk yesterday because my legs were so sore I didn't think I could manage it. Today's walk helped a lot with the tightness. I think tomorrow I'll be set. I'm just glad I hit my weekly goal.

 

NF beginner body weight routine: 1 this week.

 

I was originally planning to start day 2 yesterday but my muscles were telling me it wasn't going to happen. The same could be said for today, so I figured at least take the walk, and try tomorrow. I think I'm doing my body a favor this way. I need to remember that this is truly ground zero in practically every way, and I have to start slow and steady. 

 

Studying: 75% (3/4 days)

 

I found this great youtube channel of a guy writing a professional level game from scratch using C (I'm learning C++ so this is awesome). All of his videos are about an hour long, and in just one video I found more helpful debugging tips in that video than I have for a year of computer science at school. Now i know what I'm going to be doing over winter break! If any fellow CS/game dev types are interested, here's his channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/handmadeheroarchive/featured

I've been eating higher quality foods lately. I realized a reason why I'm so sore is I didn't eat enough protein that day. I'm going to try to balance my macronutrients. I'm going to toy around with some recipes and make it a clear goal starting next challenge. I need to remember to stop replacing food with liquids. Sometimes I just drink tea instead of eat and I realize that's because I used to drink soda instead of eat. And when I did eat, it was fast food. Since starting the no soda thing I've just stopped going to fast food altogether because that and fries was really the whole reason I wanted fast food. I don't like the "entrees" all that much to begin with. 

 

There's a lot of work to be done in the next few months. I'm glad this semester is almost over.

[zeeko13]

Day 8.

 

No sugar drinks: 100%

 

I actually find myself craving tea from time to time. Sugar drinks aren't even on my mind today.

Walking: 100% for Week 2 (Week 1: 6/5)

 

Walked to the grocery store. Walked back with groceries. Didn't get enough groceries. Went back. More stuff to carry home.

 

NF Body Weight Routine: Not today.

My leg muscles actually still feel pretty sore. Sitting down is still a chore, but less bad than before. I want to take the exercise slowly. Walking is my main focus at this point.

 

Studying: Not today.

 

I basically spent all day cleaning out old food from the kitchen and stocking up on paleo things. I used to cook paleo all the time, but I lived with a roommate back then so today I didn't have most of the staples I'm used to. That might have been part of why I stopped eating right. It feels good to be cooking again. I think it's fun. And I make a mean stir fry > I'm hoping by always making enough for leftovers I'll stop trying to "grab a quick bite somewhere". Those "quick bites" are why my muscles are being little whiners! 

 

[Kishi]

Cooking is fun. It really, truly is. There's something about picking out the things you choose to eat and then making them awesome. Granted, if left to my own devices, I'll stick to boring old staples and slather them in salsa, but to heck with it. I like what I like.

 

Walking is good focus, and as sore as your legs may be, walking is generally good recovery for them. It doesn't even have to be much - it can be as little as five to ten minutes, and if you can do that multiple days per week, it will help.

 

I seriously mean to figure out stirfry at some point. It can totally be done paleo style and I think I might do it with my parents as a Sunday idulgence kind of thing. You got any pointers?

[zeeko13]

I am 100% a salsa slatherer. When people ask me what my favorite food is I say salsa. 'Cause it is.

The good thing about walking is that I never have an excuse not to. Even if I procrastinate, by the time it gets dark I still have to take that walk because I dig being a night person. I live in LA so it never snows, and if I'm chilly it always goes away after 5-10 minutes of walking. It's a bonus that I live in a part that turns into a ghost town except for the occasional dog walker or jogger after 10. It's cool to see such a busy part of town just... turn off. Sometimes, there's mist. Or friendly, goofy cats. Maybe a raccoon. I wouldn't see that during the day. 

Let's see... Use high heat and coconut oil, put in your veggies and half your garlic/ginger/what-have-you before the meat and cook them until they're cooked but still crisp (except spinach; that would go with the meat), and the other half of the garlic/ginger/what-have-you goes in with the meat. I like using chicken because cooking it stir fry keeps it tender with enough coconut oil. Veggies I like to use are broccoli, onions, bok choy, and zucchini. I haven't tried it with bell peppers or tofu, but I want to. Don't do carrots. I tried carrots, and it made it weird... Spices I like are garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and lemon juice. Soy sauce isn't paleo but you could use that, or you could use coconut aminos (but I haven't found that anywhere local yet). Maybe there's a paleo teriyaki recipe somewhere but I don't usually use teriyaki. You can marinade your meat beforehand to give it something distinct. I usually like my food to have a clean taste.

[zeeko13]

Day 10.

 

NF Body Weight Routine:

Set 1:

 

20 squats

10 knee push-ups

10 walking lunges

10 dumbbell rows (10 lb of cat litter)

40 sec plank

30 jumping jacks

 

Set 2:

 

20 squats

10 knee push-ups

10 walking lunges

10 dumbbell rows

40 sec plank

30 jumping jacks

 

Yeeeeeeeeaaaauuyyyaa 

 

Next time I'll see what happens when I try 3 sets :]

 

Walks: Every day - 1

 

Thank you walks. You made my improvement possible. Today was a 40 minute walk. I haven't been keeping track until now. 

 

No Sugar drinks: Every day

 

Still strong on this front. 

Studying: Bailed but starting to get back on track

 

Finals are next week. My procrastinating self won this time, because now it's crunch mode. There's always next semester to try again. And winter break will be easier because I'll get to work on my own project for once.

Still eating paleo. Using a lot of olive oil + coconut oil, and it's making me full way faster than my eyes expect. This is good news. Today when I woke up I skipped the caffeinated tea and went with raspberry. It was nice~

[zeeko13]

Day 11.

 

No Sugar Drinks: Nobody's stopping this train

Walks: My feet know no bounds

Studying: Still shaky but picking up speed

[zeeko13]

Day 13.

 

NF Beginner Body Weight Routine:

 

Set 1

 

Squats: 20

Knee Push-ups: 10

Walking Lunges: 10 (per leg, first time using no emergency support)

Dumbbell Rows: 10 (per arm, 10 lb cat litter. Need to buy more cat litter)
Plank: 50 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 2

 

Squats: 20

Knee Push-ups: 10

Walking Lunges: 10

Dumbbell Rows: 10 

Plank: 50 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 3

 

Squats: 20

Knee Push-ups: 10

Walking Lunges: 10

Dumbbell Rows: 10 

Plank: 50 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Yay! My body is getting used to this. This time I really got to focus on form with pretty much everything.  I'm surprised I can do push-ups better now than I could when I used to do this. It used to be my weakest point. I'm sure it'll be my weakest point again while I'm trying to work up to traditional ones. I get the feeling that i retained some of my core strangth from working at the pizza place. I carried around a lot of frozen shipments and giant sauce buckets, so my upper body strength overall isn't so bad. I've regressed on the back pull muscles, though. I think my high point was 28 lb, after maybe 6 weeks or so. I'm really excited to work on that. The pull-up is the prize. 

The soreness I felt the first time was different than the soreness I felt since then. The first time was... really painful. I might have messed up form so bad that I made it worse on myself. Or maybe it's just the result of being rusty. But now it's kind of like a warm, slight feeling. I can sit down without wincing XD 

Walks: 5/5 This week

I took a walk before the workout today, but I din't take one yesterday. Tuesday is my busiest day of the week and I forgot to make time for it. 

 

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

 

Studying: Past three days have been good. 

 

Today was my last lecture of the year. Next week is finals, and I get to learn whatever the hell I want to. I'm tired of you, Linux! I want to learn how to write good collision! Soon.

Still eating Paleo. My mood levels are starting to stabilize. Every day feels 1% better, and it's starting to add up. Things that usually really get to me are becoming acceptable instances of life. It does hurt to see my family continue to be negative and generally unsupportive of my efforts, but with them, I've mastered the show-don't-tell technique.  But I wish my grandma would at least try my cooking after she's been cooking for me for a year. She always shrugs it off and leaves to buy a burger or pizza. It's ironic considering how much she lectures to other people on how to eat right. Either way, I'm not stopping any time soon. 

[zeeko13]

Day 14.

 

No sugar drinks: 100%

 

I'm officially craving sugar today. Too many baked goods on the mind. I also ate late meals today, so I'm chalking it up to that.

 

Walking: 6/5 this week, 6/5 last week

 

Studying: 4/7 this week, suck last week

 

Today was a, "everything is late" day. Woke up late, got to eating late, got to walking just right now. It's because I started studying right away, got sucked into it, and fell asleep for a few hours at some point. This is more typical of me than I've been the last two weeks. Something about today is just weird, though. Maybe it's the diet changes starting to have those growing pains of brain fog and stuff. Still eating paleo. Grandma silently bought a knife sharpener and foil for the toaster oven. Maybe she's starting to see that I'm serious about this. 

[zeeko13]

Day 15.

 

NF Beginner body weight routine:

 

Set 1

 

Squats: 20 + 8 lb backpack

Knee push-ups: 12

Walking Lunges: 10 each + 8 lb backpack

Dumbbell Rows: 10 each + 12.5 lb cat litter

Plank: 55 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 2

 

Squats: 20 + 8 lb

Knee push-ups: 12

Walking Lunges: 10 + 8 lb 

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 12.5 lb 

Plank: 55 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 3

 

Squats: 20 + 8 lb 

Knee push-ups: 10

Walking Lunges: 10 + 8 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 12.5 lb 

Plank: 55 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Challenging but not vomit status. Lunges are my weak point. Was failing on the last couple reps of the last set. Couldn't pull off 12 knee push-ups in the last set. Cat litter is a great dumbbell substitute. Just add more litter as needed. Once I pass 20 lb I'll need to think of a new method. Probably replace the litter with water. 

My form in lunges is much better, however. Before, I couldn't pull off decent form at all but now I feel more controlled. The same goes for the rows and squats. I still need to work on my push-up form. 

Planks are always more of a mental challenge to not look at the timer, ignore the struggle, and listen to the tunes. It's the mental therapy part of my workout. For jumping jacks I think they're on the plan for explosiveness, so instead of adding weight, I try to jump higher every time. First workout, I was barely leaving the ground. I'm working up a nice spring, now. 

No sugar drinks: 100%

 

Walking: 1/1 this week

 

Studying: 1/1 this week

 

Still eating paleo. Tonight I made a chili tomato sauce, and poured it on some of those big portobello mushroom tops, put some paleo-friendly italian sausage on it, made a paleo pizza. I'm kinda proud since I didn't look up a recipe, it was just a result of using up old veggies before they go bad. Definitely going to be one of my signature dishes. 

 

The past couple days I've felt tired in the morning, energetic at night. This is typical of me. I'm usually borderline nocturnal. Sleep is something i work with a lot. I've changed the setup of my bed maybe a month ago and since then I've been getting a full 8 hours. I get enough sleep, just not at convenient times... I have a big feeling it's because it takes forever for me to eat my first meal of the day. All of my classes / work this year have been at night so I got used to having free mornings and busy nights. Next semester, I'll be mostly online, with a night class once a week and Archery classes during midday. I dunno if I should make an effort to change my sleeping times, or just change when I eat my first meal. Something to think about this week.

[zeeko13]

Day 16.

 

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

 

Walks: 2/2 this week

 

Studying: 2/2 this week

 

I ate right after waking today, walked to the grocery store and carried everything home. Got my all my cooking done long before nightfall. It gave me good time to study and good time to nap because I wasn't used to it lol...
Today was my grandma's birthday but she was gone all day. I asked her if she would like to eat dinner with me tomorrow. I mentioned meatloaf and asparagus (stuff I know she likes) and she seemed open to the idea. 

[zeeko13]

Day 17.

 

NF Beginner Body Weight:

 

Set 1

 

Squats: 20 + 13 lb

Knee Push-ups: 11 + proper form

Walking Lunges: 10 + 13 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 16.5 lb

Plank: 60 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 2

 

Squats: 20 + 13 lb

Knee Push-ups: 9 + proper form

Walking Lunges: 10 + 13 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 16.5 lb

Plank: 60 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 3

 

Squats: 20 + 13 lb

Knee Push-ups: 9 + proper form

Walking Lunges: 10 + 13 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 16.5 lb

Plank: 60 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Really got the sweat rolling today. Form is shaping up. I read the push-up article on NF and realized I was doing it wrong. Today I did it right. It felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be this whole time. Every exercise feels more stable and less wobbly. I made the mistake of weighing my backpack after the workout instead of before. I wanted it to be a bit heavier. Oh well. 

 

Walking: 3/3 This week

 

No sugar drinks: 100%

 

Studying: 3/3 this week

 

Today I didn't let myself lounge in bed and got busy as soon as i got up. I have trouble downing breakfast sometimes so I drank a smoothie I made from berries and coconut milk. I got to try out the rotisserie function of the oven my grandma got a month ago and I gotta say that was the best chicken I've ever had. i just seasoned it with a bit of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and dill. 

As I'm writing this, my grandma came home and she said she was in a bit of a hurry for the meatloaf, but she asked of she could have some of the chicken I made for her and my cousin. OH GLORIOUS DAY. HOW THE LIGHT SHINES UPON THEE. THE WARMTH THAWS MY LONELY HEART. It's a good day.

[zeeko13]

Day 18.

 

Walking: 4/4 this week

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

Studying: 4/4 this week

 

Finished my last big project for the semester. I have all the 'hard' tests tomorrow, and a fairly easy one day after that. So close to freedom. I can taste it. 

Still eating well. A lot of salad today to make time for the project. I finished it maybe 15 minutes before it's due. Way to go on that procrastination, me...

[Toshimi]

Good luck on your tests today! 

 

Salads are a great/easy way to go

[zeeko13]

Day 20. 

 

NF Beginner Body Weight Routine

 

Set 1

 

Squats: 20 + 23.5 lb

Knee Push-ups: 10 

Walking Lunges: 10 + 23.5 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 20.5 lb

Plank: 70 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 2

 

Squats: 20 + 23.5 lb

Knee Push-ups: 8

Walking Lunges: 10 + 23.5 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 20.5 lb

Plank: 70 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

Set 3

 

Squats: 20 + 23.5 lb

Knee Push-ups: 3, then 5

Walking Lunges: 10 + 23.5 lb

Dumbbell Rows: 10 + 20.5 lb

Plank: 70 seconds

Jumping Jacks: 30

 

I did NOT feel pumped. I felt really crappy the whole time. Normally I would be fired up, but today I was barely hanging in there. The push-ups failed pretty quickly. I'm not on my A game today. I couldn't tell you why. Even my walk was slower paced and way more mellow than i'm used to. I don't feel like I'm getting sick, though. I also did my routine a couple hours after eating. It didn't help, I could feel it in my stomach being all uncomfortable and acidic. 

 

Walking: 6/5 This week + previous weeks

No Sugar Drinks: 100% 

Studying: 7/7 this week, suck previous weeks

 

Yesterday was a strange day. I went to my final, but my professor never showed up. The whole class had to walk to Academic Affairs to smooth things over. When I got home, my professor emailed us saying we have to take the test online within 24 hours, and he changed it from multiple choice to a working program. He then 'tested' us on things he never taught us. I know, I was there. and he emails us constantly several times a day so I couldn't forget if I tried. He then assigned us 5 homework assignments he forgot to assign last week. At least I have a week to turn them in but.... I wanted to be donneeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! :[

 

So this debacle threw my schedule off, I didn't eat enough, and I ended up skipping my walk/ workout because I spent all day trying to get this class over with. I still have 3 programs to write, but I'll be more steady with them. My vacation isn't going anywhere. The last couple of days I've really missed soda, and I realize it's the being busy & stressed that makes me want to drink it. It's convenient, fast calories to burn right away. It didn't help that I ate considerably less than I should have.

 

Edit: Added Routine

[zeeko13]

Day 23.

 

Walks this week: 0/3

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

Studying this week: 3/3

Body weight Routine: missed 2 workouts

 

Aw, shucks. The "I hate my life and I don't want to do anything except the bare minimum obligations" bug bit me this week. Stress. Stress is the enemy. A lot of family drama bubbled up, I had to extend my schooling longer than expected, and several financial dangers are looming over my head (might lose my financial aid after just quitting my job to be full time...). My anxiety hits me hardest when it comes to family and finances. 

 

In order to deal with it all and not mess up everything I've been doing, I just told myself keep eating right and everything else is optional. So I kept eating right. Once this stuff blows over I'm sure I'll be up to speed. Trying really hard not to beat myself up. Blarg. 

[zeeko13]

Day 25.

 

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

Eating Paleo: 100%

Studying: 4/5 this week

Walking: 0 this week

Body Weight Routine: 0 this week

I've decided to return to the body weight routine at the start of the next challenge. My main focus has become consistently cooking and, even though I failed this week, consistent walks. Since I have a ways to go with my fat loss goals (need to lose about 40 lbs of fat), Body weight routines feel more like extra credit. Starting Jan, it will change into a focused goal. I just wanted to get the ball rolling first. 

So after eating like this for a few weeks I've realized it costs me ~$50 a week to feed myself. This is great news, because I was spending way more on unhealthy food before I started. That, plus no longer buying soda every day is slowing down the drain of my bank account. This eases my mind on a pretty deep level. 

 

Also, my disabled uncle offered to help pay for my college, which is the first time any member of my family outside my grandma has offered to help. Like, at all. For anything. I was so moved that I asked to work for it. The agreement helps us both, and I've been wanting an opportunity to help him with recovering from his stroke. We haven't discussed details yet, but he asked me to come over after Christmas to talk it out.

[sarakingdom]

You're doing really impressive stuff, and I just want you to know that.

[zeeko13]

Day 31.

 

No Sugar Drinks: 100%

 

Safe to say the habit has been established! I celebrated by buying a a nice bottle of lime Perriere

Studying: 3/4 days this week

I ended up studying more about space than anything else, but I find that perfectly fine since I'm space-challenged, and I found out some things that inspired ideas for my video game Thanks Dr. Tyson!

Walking: 1/4 days this week

My pre-existing mental condition has been kicking my ass. Unfortunately my real-life support has been... unsupportive and that brought me down. It's very lonely. I got into a fight with my best friend and she hasn't responded to my texts for days. I said some mean things that I shouldn't have. We were in a big christmas shopping crowd and that can be a trigger for a panic attack and I needed to get out but she wasn't having it and wanted to stay, and I ended up blowing up. Now I just have to wait until she's willing to accept my apology.

I know walking will help. I managed to take a walk yesterday and will probably take one after this post(remember to edit). 

NF body weight: none this week

 

I'm still eating paleo, day 28 of doing that. I'm grateful to myself for keeping that up when life is throwing punches. 

So with the new changes to the challenges and guilds, I've been formulating what I want to do. I'm glad they changed it to 4 weeks because I tried 2 challenges a couple years ago and I always lost steam after 4 weeks. 

Maintaining my diet changes should be a goal. I want to figure out what I should allow myself to eat in emergencies, and I need to learn how to stand firm with my eating while still being polite when I eat out with friends and family. There is a big social hurdle for me to learn to overcome. If I fall off the bandwagon, I know that will be the reason why. I have one friend who accepts my eating style, but virtually everyone else in my life thinks I'm not doing it right or I'm going to hurt myself. My grandma is convinced I'm headed for a heart attack and she's trying to convince me to eat differently. It wears me down sometimes.

In February, I start my archery class. But before that, I'll have the January challenge. I find the most mental stability when I regularly travel, by hiking, motorcycle, or bicycle. So I want a challenge to get me to go outside more and smell the flowers. I really need to smell the flowers. I don't care how cold it is. So I might switch over to the Adventurers next challenge. 

A non-fitness goal of mine is to keep my mind sharp, so studying will be a returning goal. I need to call it something other than studying, cause that makes it sound like a chore. Maybe 1-hour learning session?

Last but not least, I want to do a real push-up. It might (most likely) take more than 4 weeks, but I have to start somewhere.

All of this put together gives a great theme. Hiking = climbing the peak. Eating habits = bounty of the soil. Push-ups = praying to the earth. Learning = communicating with the natural world. So for my first Challenge, the element of earth will be my sensei.  

 

[zeeko13]

Thank you SarahKingdom. I needed to hear(read?) that.