Zho Climbs the Mountain

[Zho]

The word mediocre come from Latin: medius, meaning "middle," and ocris, which is "mountain."

In other words: mediocrity is stopping halfway up the mountain.

Screw that. I'm reaching the top, one tiny step at a time.

 

 

Fighting a hundred tiny battles, and looking badass doing it.

 

 

I joined Nerd Fitness for the challenges, but it's another two weeks before the next one starts on January 4th. So, I'm getting a little head-start here with a battle log.

 

I've been mediocre for a long time now. It's because I've faced some difficult times: loss, abuse, debt. Depression, anxiety, self-hatred. For years, I forgot that I can do anything I put my mind to; I let myself wallow in pain.

 

Enough is enough. I'm fighting back.

 

My first mini-challenge starts today, and runs through January 2nd. Short, yes, but that's the point. I'll be running minis here in my battle log between real challenges. They might be less fitness-based and a little more life-based.

 

Not tagging this yet until I get a better grasp on my early goals.

[Zho]

Mini-Challenge 01

 

1. Work out 10 total times.

That's enough for once a day, minus Christmas. 20 minutes each, minimum. Anything goes!

 

2. Net 1400 calories/day or less.

I've been doing pretty well with keeping it around 1200, but the holiday season's treats, feasts, and longer work hours might make the wiggle room a must. I'm also planning to fail, sensibly, on Christmas day. Cheesecake is just so calorie dense, and I won't be getting a workout in that day.

 

3. Draw every day.

Minus Christmas. (Noticing a pattern?) I have many sources of inspiration (RSS feed of artists, some comic books, Pixelovely, etc) so really no excuse not to get it done. I'll also be offering proof on my threads each day!

 

4. Side Quest - Get Nerdy

Play games at least three hours/week. Yup. I've lost my hobbies, and these days I waste a lot of my time on stuff I don't care about. I barely play games anymore! I want to get through my Steam & console backlogs, slowly but surely, without making my new-old hobby something that takes over my life.

 

Let's do this!

[Foo]

Good luck with your goals.  I'm eagerly awaiting challenges too, and it sounds like I'm going to be in good company.  Mini challenges seem like a good idea, and certainly a way to pass some productive time.

[Zho]

Good luck with your goals.  I'm eagerly awaiting challenges too, and it sounds like I'm going to be in good company.  Mini challenges seem like a good idea, and certainly a way to pass some productive time.

 

Thank you! And yes, I decided to go with the minis to keep me productive and to take some of my early goals for a test-run. I don't want to give myself the wrong goals and then feel like I'm stuck with them for six weeks, or feel down about having to change something halfway through. Good luck to you too!

[Zho]

12/22 - 12/23

 

1. Workouts - 2/10; today I did 60 minutes of walking in place (a silly looking way to get my screen time), and a 29-minute HICT session.

 

2. Calories - 1/11, though today looks like it will be another easy win.

 

3. Drawing - 2/11

 

4. Gaming - 0/3. I've been dawdling on the internet instead of spending my free time gaming! I may be able to squish some Fallout 4 in tonight. I'm not looking forward to spending a bunch of time on my settlements, but I don't want them raided either. Bleh. It just needs to be done.

 

 

So, I've been drawing! It's not much, but I'm only just getting back into my groove. These are mostly 2-minute life drawing sketches, with a few poses referenced off of some of my favorite artists peppered in there. I've hidden them behind the spoiler for minor artistic nudity, even though these are grainy phone pictures lazily sharpened in photoshop with very little actual detail.

 

NSFW - Mild artistic nudity below

 

 

I might go back over these tomorrow; I generally don't like to leave my red sketches without a little detailing in regular pencil and/or ink. They're gestures, meant to capture the idea, but they don't actually reflect my knowledge of anatomy, or how I would want the finished piece to look.

 

One day soon, these sketches and workouts won't be my whole day's work -- they'll be my warm-ups!

 

Anyway. That's it for today! Time to finish wrapping my presents.

[Zho]

12/24

 

Another good day!

 

1. Workouts - 4/10. Today I did 20 minutes of walking and a 29 minute HICT session.

2. Calories - 1/11. I failed yesterday because I wanted a late night snack and reached for a burrito. Oh well. I was still only at maintenance.

3. Drawing - 3/11. Maybe I'll upload on Saturday? Most of my gestures were crappy today, but I did make some breakthroughs on how I used to draw.

4. Gaming - 1/3. Last night I played an hour of Fallout 4. I wanted to do more, but it was getting late.

 

Today I am eating one of my old favorite quickie meals for lunch -- dressed up ramen! Found some spicy chicken flavor in the pantry. Threw in a bunch of mixed frozen veggies, broccoli, and spinach. Gave it a tablespoon of wheat germ for a tiny extra kick of protein. A little drizzle of sriracha and I'm in heaven! The whole thing is delicious, colorful, and only 450 calories (which is great, considering I get to indulge in my love of noodles). I'm only getting about 15g of protein, so I might snack on some lunch meat or a bit of cheese before I head in to work (I'm trying to play with protein levels to see if it keeps me satisfied better than fiber or fat). Next time I make noodles, I'm going to toss in more veggies and break the ramen block in half first. I'd add egg but something about wet eggs is really unappetizing to me. Maybe on the side?

 

I overate a bit twice this week, but it's still a win -- I weighed in today at 139. Considering how long I spent toiling over getting that number below 142, I'm still ecstatic, even though my lowest in the last week was 137. The weight has just been falling off lately! I know it's just a number and doesn't reflect much, but I'm still 25 pounds overweight. If it gets stuck, I won't sweat it, but for now, I'm enjoying the sight of that number dropping. My goal for this month, before starting this mini, was just to be below 140 at New Years -- and now I know it's going to be easy.

 

Merry Christmas!

[Zho]

I'm back! Man, what a weekend. Work was crazy. I'm exhausted.

 

Here's my stats as of right now:

 

1. Workouts - 4/10.

2. Calories - 4/11. 

3. Drawing - 4/11.

4. Gaming - 3/6. Supposed to be three hours a week.

 

I'm really excited for the new challenge stuff. Four weeks each sounded too short at first, but I'll admit that the six-week ones always did seem a bit too daunting. With the shorter breaks between challenges (only two days each!), I wonder what will become of my battle log? I'll probably just use it for review & setting new goals.

 

I also feel like the four-week thing will help me explore the guilds a bit. I feel that long-term, my goal is to become an assassin -- or maybe a ranger. But right now? Physically, I'm no assassin. My training will not look very assassin-y. I'm trying to lose weight and build muscle. I'm looking into home weight-lifting programs, HIIT, and staying off my ass. I'm starting my handstand practice with this challenge, but it won't be my top priority. I just don't want to dilute a guild because I'm still -- well, I'm not a newbie knowledge-wise, just practice-wise. I guess that counts. I don't walk the walk, y'know?

 

Anyway, just rambling. I'm off tomorrow so I should be back on my game.

[Zho]

So, I've been using MFP for my calorie counting. Is it weird that I never wanted to use it because I hate the name? It's obviously very popular though, so I gave it a shot and I like some of the features. I'll probably continue to use it.

 

I was feeling sick for a couple of weeks and thought it was because I wasn't eating enough (I'm 4'11", 138 pounds, and eating at 1200), so I let it sync with Google Fit's step counter to see if maybe I was moving around way more than I thought in a day. MFP's calorie counts for my steps seem outrageous, but I can still lose about a pound per week if I leave it in the green.

 

For now, though, I'm turning steps off. I want to check some other variables. On weekends, when I work day shifts instead of nights, I'm exhausted and have a hard time eating healthy because nobody in my house cooks but me -- so we always end up picking up junk food. And I admit, I crave fast food, so I let it happen. This has me eating an entire day's worth of calories in one sitting, and it's all crappy food my stomach isn't used to after a week of awesome healthy stuff. After that, I switch back to high-fiber food and veggies, and my stomach has to re-adjust. I think the stomach cramps have more to do with this than my calorie counts.

 

So what's a girl to do? I like eating WITH my family on the few days a week that I can. A few options:

 

- Buy the ingredients for something easy that Boyfriend can make (like spaghetti) and have him cook

- Throw a bunch of stuff in the slow cooker pot the night before, leave it in the fridge, and in the morning when I leave for work, cook it at low

- Make a batch of freezer-friendly dinners that I can throw in the oven when I get home

- Deal with having an easy, unconventional dinner night (like sandwiches). I used to love sub sandwich night growing up; we'd make our own submarine sandwiches and cook half a bag of frozen curly fries on the side. The fries are still an indulgence, but the sandwich takes up most of your plate. It's an easy way to cut down on fast food.

 

Good stuff.

 

So, NF guilds. I've been poking through them. Starting out, I would have fit in best with the Adventurers. When I start next week(!!), I guess I'm going to be a Rebel -- and it looks like that's where the current Adventurers will be since the class is changing slightly? I want to focus on building a healthy routine... kind of. In my head I want to. In my head it makes sense. When I think about actually getting up and going through the motions, though, I feel resistant.

 

My other attempts at changing haven't worked well. And I promised myself that this was my last try. I want to give it my all and really try to help myself -- and if I fail this time like I have every other time, I'd finally accept that I might need outside help.

 

I can't make up my mind, which probably means it's time for me to step away from the computer for a while.

[Zho]

12/30

 

I haven't kept up on my calorie goal. 

 

1. Workouts - 6/10. 60 minutes today. Started a new regimen. Some of it was strength work, some was handstands.

2. Calories - 4/11. Today won't be successful, I guess? I don't have enough calories left unless I eat a tiny dinner and no snack before bed. We'll see.

3. Drawing - 4/11.

4. Gaming - 0/3.

 

I have 3 days left to squeeze in everything. Technically I could complete every goal but the calorie one, but I might be miserable when I finish. I think I'm going to cut my losses, focus on getting through another highly stressful work week, and put my extra time towards the 4-week challenge that picks up on the 4th.

[SnowOwl]

You don't have to be anything fitness-wise to join the Assassins, or any guild. That's the point, to make friends and get support while you reach for your goals!

Starting out with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout is perfect for assassinry, that's where I started and I'm still working towards being able to do the full routine. Plus, you don't have to buy anything or go anywhere to get started.

 

And your goals don't all have to line up with the guild you're in all the time - I might set a housekeeping goal, but I am still an Assassin! Find where your "people" are and where others are hanging out who do the things you want to do someday - that's the best guild for you to start in.

[Zho]

You don't have to be anything fitness-wise to join the Assassins, or any guild. That's the point, to make friends and get support while you reach for your goals!

Starting out with the Beginner Bodyweight Workout is perfect for assassinry, that's where I started and I'm still working towards being able to do the full routine. Plus, you don't have to buy anything or go anywhere to get started.

 

And your goals don't all have to line up with the guild you're in all the time - I might set a housekeeping goal, but I am still an Assassin! Find where your "people" are and where others are hanging out who do the things you want to do someday - that's the best guild for you to start in.

 

I was really torn about the whole thing! If nobody is really bothered that I can't do x or y thing yet, then that's a relief. I thought it was... a qualification, y'know? Obviously there aren't any tests you must pass to enter each guild, but I still felt like I was just cluttering up the space for people who were ahead of me fitness-wise. It could be a long time before I'm strong enough to do any of the cool stuff, but if the better athletes are happy to have me around, then I'll gladly join the fray.

 

So, thank you. :)

[Zho]

12/31

 

Today I weighed in at 138! Woo. I'm ending the year under 140, which was my goal for this month. It could have been lower, but I'm not really upset about having a new plateau that's 5 pounds lighter than my old one. ;) If I make progress in small spurts like this, then so be it!

 

I woke up today with incredibly sore arms, but still managed to do my workout today. In fact, I did it about 45 minute earlier in the day than usual. I'm hoping I can slowly make it part of my morning routine. I'm hoping I can slowly make a morning routine. Y'know, one that's better than drinking coffee and sitting on my butt in front of the computer.

[SnowOwl]

lol..I'm working on a morning routine too, cause on my rear in front of the computer is happening way too often!

 

Way to go on the weight loss!

[SnowOwl]

And you'll be with all the other new recruits for your first challenge, so you'll have your whole first challenge to learn how things work, make friends, and figure out which guild is the best fit for you. (Assuming that hasn't changed with all the new stuff!)

[Zho]

lol..I'm working on a morning routine too, cause on my rear in front of the computer is happening way too often!

 

Way to go on the weight loss!

 

Thank you!! And man, I am having the same problem... though, lately it's because I'm poking around the NF forums ;) It might be easier for me to make a computer-free morning routine once all the excitement dies down.

 

It sounds like they don't have the recruits anymore! I'm not sure, though. We might get lumped in with the Rebels, whether they like it or not, hehe. Or maybe we're allowed to skip the recruit phase and hop right into the classes? Maybe we'll see when the forums go live today.

[Zho]

1/1

 

Happy new year! Today's weigh-in: 136.6!! *tosses confetti*

 

This is my newest low-weight (not counting my early teens). I am so excited!! I told myself I'd buy a skirt as my reward at 130 but I'm starting to feel nervous about that, haha. It felt like a far-off goal before! I haven't worn a skirt in at least ten years.

 

Anyway, I'm going to take a shot at my goals for the next challenge. I've already been thinking about them this whole time. ;)

 

1. Continue Strong Curves.

I have a hard time admitting to using this program because the cover makes me cringe, haha.

There's a lot of ladies on the xxfitness subreddit who love the program, and the book openly admits that it's a program for both vanity and strength. 

I'm in the middle of beginner week one right now, so the challenge will cover weeks 2-5 out of 12.

At least 2x/week, though the program calls for 4x/week.

 

2. Practice handstands, 20min/day, 3x/week.

My goal is to set a timer for 20 minutes and get to it. During rest time, I'll stand up and do a little bit of cleaning. 

Hopefully it adds up, because my house is a freakin' mess right now.

Anyway, I'm nowhere near a handstand yet, but I want to be able to hold one for 30 seconds by the end of my second challenge!

 

3. Eat 1,400 calories/day (net) or less, 6x/week.

MFP has me at 1,200, but I gotta be honest: it's freakin' hard. However, I've been setting up a weekly journal (maybe I'll post pictures?) that's meant to track and perfect my weekly meals and meal timing. So far, it's been pretty successful! Basically, I eat more on stressful and difficult days, and less on my days off and such. Easy-peasy. 

So, I might change this goal to "stick to my journal" instead of "stick to my calorie goals." If the journal is a success, I'll be cooking dinner about 3 extra nights a week, which is monumental.

 

4. Life goal - Post a drawing every day.

I lost drawing when I lost myself. I want to be an artist. Instead of focusing on the time I spend drawing, I'm going to try having a "complete" drawing each day. I want to start an art blog on my second challenge, so this will be good practice. To me, complete will just mean something I'm okay with showing publicly -- so it can still be a sketch, or just inked, but it must be... definable? No lumpy, mysterious, squint-and-tilt-your-head-to-tell-what-it-is warm-up doodles.

 

I'm running late today! I've already guzzled my pre-workout and I need to hop to it. Tomorrow I'll set up my challenge thread! I'm so excited.

[Zho]

My first challenge thread is up! Here it is. Things will be quiet here for now -- or forever? I'm not sure how much I'll be updating here since challenges are very close together. Maybe I'll leave summaries here so I have a place to quickly look at how I've been progressing.

 

Some things I would want to look at each time:

 

- Stats. Weight, measurements, photos, etc. Did I notice any changes, like new belt loop, baggy clothes, etc?

- How the challenge went. What worked, what didn't? Why, why not?

- What was difficult? What was easy? Why?

- Did I make any other (positive or negative) changes that weren't necessarily part of the challenge? Maybe cleaning more, waking up earlier and going to bed on time, changes to eating schedule, less computer time, more sociable, money saved, etc.

- Any other thoughts, notes, etc.

- Future challenge stuff. What will the next challenge be about? What are my new goals?

 

I want to start thinking more about my epic quest and my goals for the next 6-12 months, but I'm trying to very patiently wait for the new character stuff here on NF to go live first. I feel like I don't have time to mull it over so I'm just pushing it until the new feature launch. Maybe I'll sit down and try tonight.