EternalJourno is Back for the First Time

[FatboySuave]

Introduction: I joined the last challenge very late (with about two weeks left), so this is technically my first REAL challenge. In my last challenge, I surprised myself with how much success I had and lost about 5 pounds in a week. I started to lose my way though and gained a bit of that weight back, but I'm still better off than where I started before. I even accomplished one of my goals of stopping drinking Rockstar energy drinks. I'm still not drinking them, and I don't feel a pull to drink them, so I'm going to consider that one a success and remove it from my goals. I haven't yet decided which guild I want to join, so I'm going to give this another go as a rebel recruit. However, I'm leaning toward the Druids, primarily because of the introspective, self-discovery aspect.

I am 5 feet 7 inches tall and weigh 240 pounds. I like to play basketball and tennis but haven't done either in quite a long while. I enjoy hiking and jogging (at least I used to and would like to relearn to enjoy them). I am an editor for a local, daily newspaper, so I spend quite a bit of time sitting in front of a computer. Even when I'm home, I'm prone to surfing the Internet and watching Netflix on the couch. I spend a lot of time feeling sorry for myself, but I know that I need to stop that and me some positive changes in my life.

Main Quest: I want to weigh 200 lbs before the end of 2016. When I started the first challenge, I was at 240. I'm currently around 236.5.

Quest 1: Complete the Beginner Bodyweight Workout 3 times a week. I gave myself a pretty soft goal last go-round, so I'm going to really challenge myself this time.

A = Complete workout 3 times a week.

B = Complete workout 2 times a week.

C = Complete workout 1 time a week.

D = Complete at least one circuit of workout a week.

F = No workouts in a week.

Quest 2: Drink less alcohol. Whenever I'm with friends, we drink. And I'm with friends a lot because I live in a small town and it keeps me sane. I noticed during my last challenge that drinking too much definitely got in the way of my success. I tend to go a little overboard, so I need to learn some moderation.

A = 2 drinks per outing. 1 outing per week.

B = 2 drinks per outing. 2 outings per week.

C = 3 drinks per outing. 2 outings per week.

D = 3 drinks per outing. 3 outings per week.

F = Anything more than that.

Quest 3: Cook more often, eat out less. Sometimes I'm too lazy to cook, so I often eat a fast food lunch at my desk at work. But if I do eat out, make sure it's a low-carb meal.

A = Eat out no more than 2 times a week.

B = Eat out no more than 4 times a week.

C = Eat out no more than 6 times a week.

D = Eat out no more than 8 times a week.

F = Eat out more than 8 times a week.

Life Quest: One of the benefits of my job is that I have more free time these days. I want to start using that time to do some active volunteering for local organizations — at least once a week and work my way up to twice a week. I say "active" volunteering because I want to do something that requires a bit of physical labor. I used to volunteer at the local food pantry, so I'm thinking of going back. I promised them I would someday.

Also, I need to learn to save money. I spent a little overboard this holiday season. I will budget my funds for the year and review my spending once a month. I currently have my bank set to automatically transfer $60 a month into my savings. I'm going to try to make that at least $100 a month.

Motivation: Like Lester Burnham in American Beauty, I want to look good naked. Kidding! Mostly. Really though, I want to meet the love of my life and start a family someday. I've convinced myself that my unhealthy lifestyle is getting in the way of those goals. I believe that if I can lose weight and build my confidence, I can better connect with people without doubting myself so much.

[fleaball]

Solid goals! Welcome to your first official challenge.

[jrosto]

Hi EternalJourno, welcome to the Rebellion

 

Your Main Quest for 2016 is most definitely doable, and your mini quests do support your main goal of reaching 200 lbs.  

 

The NF Beginner Body Weight Workout (BBWW) is a great way to restart your fitness journey, it is where I started also.  I would highly recommend that you keep a journal of your workouts, something simple.  I have a notebook where I list reps/sets, and sometimes time to completion, of each workout with notes.  My log is a great motivator.  It really helps to be able to look back and see how far I've come and how quickly I've progressed.

 

Your cooking and drinking goals are also very doable.  When you do eat out, plan your meal before you get to the restaurant.  When you know what you are going to eat before you even walk in the door you really increase your chances for success.

 

One of my Epic Goals is/was to look good nekkid, and I am pretty much there  That is another very achievable goal on your list. 

 

As you can see by my avatar,  I'm one of the Assassin ambassadors.  I see you mentioned thinking about the Druids, and they are an awesome guild, but let me offer you an official invite to come on over and check out the Assassins.  

 

Here is the Den, where all the Assassins hang out and support each other.  The Assassin Phonebook is a cool place that we keep updated with who is working on what.  You can check out their threads or ask questions.

 

Here is the Assassins' Scullery food chat thread.  It is full of good Paleo, Primal and conventional recipes.  This may give you an idea or two for your cooking quest.

 

And probably most importantly, here is the Assassins Initiates chat thread where you can learn more about the Assassins and find answers to any questions you may have.

 

I'll be following along with your challenge, I'm really looking forward to seeing your successes.

 

Happy Day 1  

[SnowOwl]

@jrosto, the initiates chat link is incorrect. Do you have the right one?

[jrosto]

Thanks SnowOwl, I fixed it.

[jrosto]

Hey EternalJourno, how is Week 1 going for you?

 

Check in when you get a chance and let us know how you are doing and if you have any issues or questions about reaching your goals.

[FatboySuave]

Whoa! I didn't realize people had commented on this thread. I used to get notifications in my email, but for some reason didn't think I was getting any action. Thank you for the support, @Antagonist and @jrosto! 

Week 1 Update: Based on the Quests I set for myself, I would grade my workouts with a B, my drinking with a C and my diet with a D (which might actually be better or worse, but I lost track of my meals). 

 

I got off to a slow start and it was a little hard to motivate myself to get the workouts done, but I finished two last week.

 

I had two "outings" this week. Once at the bar Saturday to celebrate with a friend who got a new job and then again for a board game night that I hosted Sunday. I definitely had more than 3 drinks each night. But I did have a moment during game night where I realized I was drinking a lot and slowed down a bit. 

 

As for my meals, like I said, I lost track. I did OK throughout the week, but I definitely slipped up some. It's nowhere near as bad as my previous eating habits, so I guess that's sort of a victory. 

 

I'm going to take your advice, @jrosto, and start a log of my workouts as well as my meals. I think it'll help to keep track of what I'm eating and see what impact those meals are having on me. I briefly tried MyFitnessPal a while back. I'm going to reinstall it right now on my phone and start using it tomorrow. 

 

And I will definitely consider your offer to join the Assassins  

 

Week 2 (so far) update: I'm only two days in, but figure I should give an update while I'm here. I actually just finished a workout, so that's one for the week.

 

I'm off to a bad start on my meals. If I don't wake up early enough, I tend to go to McDonald's for breakfast and I get two egg McMuffins and a hashbrown, so I did that two days in a row (bad, EternalJourno!). I'm gonna get to sleep early tonight so I can wake up early and cook an omelet (do it!). For lunch yesterday, I had two slices of leftover pizza that a friend left at my house after game night (oops!). Today I had a salad with chicken breast (yay!). I didn't really have dinner last night but ate some flaming hot Fritos (bad!). Today's dinner was the remaining pizza and more Fritos (D'oh!). But the pizza and Fritos are gone, so tomorrow will be much better (woohoo)! 

[fleaball]

Have you thought about breakfasts you can make ahead? Like smoothies you can freeze, overnight oats, frittatas and such that you can stick in the fridge and just heat up the next morning? Probably takes the same amount of time as a trip to McDonald's, if not less. 

[jrosto]

Fleaball has a great idea about making up a breakfast the night before.  Heck, you can make a bunch of breakfasts all at once and be good for a few days.  Egg muffins can be eaten on the run, warmed up or straight out of the fridge.One  breakfast I make ahead often is a cup of plain yogurt, 1/4 cup frozen berries, a scoop of protein powder and some pumpkin seeds.  I mix it up the night before and it is ready to go in the morning.  Easy Peasy.

 

Here's an omelet that you can make that does not require you to be standing by the pan so you can get ready for work while it's cooking  

 

A little bit of pre-planning will go a long way towards success.

 

How has the rest of Week 2 gone for you?  You are half way there

[SaltyDragon]

Meal planning definitely makes a big difference so a big +1 from me on that idea. When you have a plan and feel prepared, you'll be less tempted to cave when you get in a rush. If it's a problem often enough, you may need to start getting up earlier (gasp! I know, I'm not a good morning person either).

 

Glad to see you sticking with it. You sound like you're keeping your enthusiasm up, and that definitely helps. Check in as often as you can for that good feedback and motivation!