Take this, it may help you on your journey

[Red Dragoon]

Well, been a while. *blows off dust* Now that I've completed my challenge, I'm back here again. Its also a new year, so maybe take a look back at what all I've accomplished last year. Not a whole lot, but you know, every little bit counts.

 

Over the last year, I...

 

* As of March I weighed 240, I'm down to 191.

 

* Cut most excess sugar out of my diet. It was one of the big things left after I'd cut liquid calories, pasta, bread and rice out sometime back. I found better alternatives to the last few sugar heavy things still on my regular menu, and reduced to chocolate to a very rare treat that I indulge in lightly when I do.

 

* Figured out how to add exercise to my routine. I'd reached my limit losing weight with diet alone around the summer.

 

* Finished the Zombies Run 5k training, finally, on the third try.

 

* Established a daily walking habit (three months now)

 

* Started doing bodyweight workouts (two months now)

 

* Moved from level 1 to level 2 in Nerd Fitness Academy. (that happened during my challenge)

 

* Completed two four week challenges here.

 

* Pushed my upper body strength to where I can manage knee push ups better now (that was holding me back before)

 

* Went from barely being able to jog to being able to jog seven minutes straight (and to repeat that three times over a fifty minute walk)

 

* Finished my first novel, started on book two.

 

* Switched to minimal shoes.

 

* Started going outside more often. Even if its just to walk. Doesn't sound like much but I began the year (and spent many years previous) never leaving the house for months at a time. Part of it might be weight loss, feeling less like lumbering oxen in a very image conscious and judgmental city, some of it might just be a second wind that came about in October that made depression less paralyzing. I still don't speak to anyone, but its a small improvement.

 

That's all I can think of right now. And that's not bad for a year's accomplishments.

 

I don't do new years resolutions, I never saw the point to them and I won't now. I'll take a little bit of time to wind down from the challenge just past and come up with some short term goals I can keep track of here. Also, I've felt like hell the last two days and I might be coming down with something, so taking it easy here today, might walk instead of run if it doesn't improve.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 1.5 miles

NFA bodyweight 2a plus additions

 

Ugh, I've been out the last few days. Didn't feel great the first day, enough to want to remain as stationary as I could; the next day that feeling had passed, but I was exhausted, not awake long enough to get any activity in, but I also wasn't awake long enough to eat much so I suppose that all balances out. And now I feel okay, I think the bug has been beaten back and I've caught up on rest, so now I'm getting back into the swing of things. So far so good.

[peelout]

Started at the beginning of your log thinking it was a challenge which is why there are so many likes way back at the bginning.  Great job walking today even though you didnyou had a bug.

[Red Dragoon]

30 minutes interval training.

 

That was yesterday. Going through some sleep hell here.

 

I made my last post, my workout update, at the end of my day, I'd done my exercise, ate dinner, all that, should've had nothing else to do. And then...I was awake for ten more hours. No particular reason, just never felt tired, and I was absorbed in whatever activity I was doing so I didn't realize how much time had gone by until the exhaustion suddenly hit me. I was also hit with hunger at the same time, since I also hadn't eaten anything in that time, and taking care of that had me awake an additional hour, hour and a half. I only was asleep about five hours after that, too, before waking up. I had a fairly normal day yesterday, not awake too long, slept a full night even if it took a little while to get there.

 

This doesn't happen as much anymore as it used to, way back when, before my brain and I came to an agreement where I would stop trying to tell it when to sleep and it would keep the torture to a minimum. Though a rarer event now, I still have to go through it every now and then. If I hadn't spent months making daily walking a habit, I almost definitely would've skipped it.

 

Though I do need to work on not always putting it off to the last minute.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 1.5 miles

NFA bodyweight 2b plus additions

 

That's for yesterday again. Spent much of the rest of the day writing and didn't pull out of it until near sleep. Not what I should be working on, dicking around with a not so new idea and seeing how it looks on paper. Not terrible for a start, I suppose, and its far less complicated than the behemoth I've been wrestling for years. Work is work, and having something on the side might help (assuming it continues), as long as I don't stay away so long my two fans start getting restless.

 

Sleep was fine.

[peelout]

On 1/3/2017 at 1:16 PM, Stranger Things said:

Well, been a while. *blows off dust* Now that I've completed my challenge, I'm back here again. Its also a new year, so maybe take a look back at what all I've accomplished last year. Not a whole lot, but you know, every little bit counts.

 

Over the last year, I...

 

* As of March I weighed 240, I'm down to 191.

 

* Cut most excess sugar out of my diet. It was one of the big things left after I'd cut liquid calories, pasta, bread and rice out sometime back. I found better alternatives to the last few sugar heavy things still on my regular menu, and reduced to chocolate to a very rare treat that I indulge in lightly when I do.

 

* Figured out how to add exercise to my routine. I'd reached my limit losing weight with diet alone around the summer.

 

* Finished the Zombies Run 5k training, finally, on the third try.

 

* Established a daily walking habit (three months now)

 

* Started doing bodyweight workouts (two months now)

 

* Moved from level 1 to level 2 in Nerd Fitness Academy. (that happened during my challenge)

 

* Completed two four week challenges here.

 

* Pushed my upper body strength to where I can manage knee push ups better now (that was holding me back before)

 

* Went from barely being able to jog to being able to jog seven minutes straight (and to repeat that three times over a fifty minute walk)

 

* Finished my first novel, started on book two.

 

* Switched to minimal shoes.

 

* Started going outside more often. Even if its just to walk. Doesn't sound like much but I began the year (and spent many years previous) never leaving the house for months at a time. Part of it might be weight loss, feeling less like lumbering oxen in a very image conscious and judgmental city, some of it might just be a second wind that came about in October that made depression less paralyzing. I still don't speak to anyone, but its a small improvement.

 

That's all I can think of right now. And that's not bad for a year's accomplishments.

 

I don't do new years resolutions, I never saw the point to them and I won't now. I'll take a little bit of time to wind down from the challenge just past and come up with some short term goals I can keep track of here. Also, I've felt like hell the last two days and I might be coming down with something, so taking it easy here today, might walk instead of run if it doesn't improve.

Awesome list of accomplishments.  The wt drop of 50lbs is great.  Do you have an end target?  Also congrats on developing the exercise habit.

What is the "judgemental" city?

[Red Dragoon]

Okay, a few days off now, but let me give my report.

 

Walked 2 miles on Sunday. That was a running day, but I did not feel I had the energy at the point in the day when I got to the treadmill to actually run. So I walked longer instead.

 

Yesterday walked 1.5 miles and did the NFA bodyweight 2a plus additions.

 

Yes, I missed Monday. Monday was an aggravating day, where a lot of stress just boiled over and it didn't feel like I had five seconds to myself until it was too late to do anything. Hit a point where I had it with being around people, I need some time to myself or I start ripping throats out - and funny thing is we're only talking one person here, as I've been spending the last several years training for my life's calling of being the sole occupant of that weird house all the neighborhood kids make up stories about. And yet, it still happens after a while.

 

(Friday might prove to be a difficult day, too. We need to have the maintenance guy installing something in the apartment that's apt to take most of the day. With luck it won't be so long as to interfere with exercise plans, but it is possible)

 

Some of my enthusiasm is starting to fade, and some of that old depressive apathy starting to creep back in. Which is probably normal after several months (or, well, normal if that's something that you deal with). I really don't think the challenge had anything to do with it, this time. I think writing was where it began, since that was the first thing to slack even over the course of the challenge. That's been fracturing since the start of book two, little by little - I've said before (maybe here, maybe not), it is possible to do things without support, especially if that is what you're used to doing, but its still difficult to maintain, long term, sometimes. Although I've been working on this project for many years now, with some small measure of support at one point in time, but if I'm only starting to have a harder time with it now that's nothing to be ashamed about, I put my time in. Either way, when that door opens in one area, it can creep into others.

 

Walking. If I have to hold on to one time, a bare minimum to get me through, it'll be that. But let me try to shore up this area, if nothing else.

[Red Dragoon]

16 hours ago, peelout said:

Awesome list of accomplishments.  The wt drop of 50lbs is great.  Do you have an end target? 

 

Thanks. I have a flexible end target. If I can lose 100lbs that should get me back into a healthy weight. After I've reached that beginning goal, I'll revise, focus on getting into better shape maybe.

 

16 hours ago, peelout said:

What is the "judgemental" city?

 

I could PM you that if you want to know.

[peelout]

4 hours ago, Stranger Things said:

 

Thanks. I have a flexible end target. If I can lose 100lbs that should get me back into a healthy weight. After I've reached that beginning goal, I'll revise, focus on getting into better shape maybe.

 

 

I could PM you that if you want to know.

No, I was just curious.  When I think if judgemental, some California towns come to mind.  Although judgemental people exist in all cities.

[Red Dragoon]

1 hour ago, peelout said:

No, I was just curious.  When I think if judgemental, some California towns come to mind.  Although judgemental people exist in all cities.

 

No problem. There's a few reasons I'm a little reluctant to make public announcements, but its not a secret. You're not too far off there, at any rate, not quite but close.

 

I'm also a transplant from the other coast, with a personality that very much comes from there, living in a place where that does not go over well. So there's that, too. With some luck, I'll move back to where people make sense to me.

[Red Dragoon]

Walking/jogging 2 miles.

 

Skipped interval training for a full Zombies Run episode. For the first five minute run, I went at a speed that was .5 faster than I had been; I wouldn't have thought it would make that much of a difference, but christ it did. I made it, but it left an ache in my lungs and throat that was hard to shake, and for the next two five minute jogs I went back to the lower speed.

 

Not running related, but I managed to add another knee push up to the add ons to the body weight routine. That is what I was pushing for, in the beginning. Its a slight strain, further in I have to pause and really push up to finish it, but progress.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 3.15 miles.

 

Didn't get my bodyweight work out in, but I got thrown for a loop mid day.

 

My room mate got laid off today, unexpectedly. Victim of company downsizing. You've seen me making plenty of noise about how much we both hate living where we are, a city we came to six years ago and which just simply never worked out for either one of us - I've been almost completely socially isolated during that time, except for a few brief moments that ultimately caused more harm than good in degrees varying from annoying to nightmare, her less so just because she had a job so she had people to talk to, but she never really made friends either. Welp, that job was the last thing really keeping us here, and now its gone.

 

We've wanted to move for a while now, so we do have money saved up, that might get us where we want to go if only just. If we do want to move, we'll have to make that decision quickly to make the most of her unemployment in a new city. And if we stay here and she doesn't find a job in that amount of time, we'd still be in trouble, maybe more so because its too expensive to live here anymore (not like it was when I first arrived) and apartments are scarce, plus the whole don't know anyone who would help out. Its fitting though, in a way, those are the exact circumstances that moved us here in the first place (unemployment, leaving a dead end to try our fortunes elsewhere), it might as well be the note we leave on.

 

I think life is about to get busy...

[peelout]

Bummer.  I lost my job in Sept due to company restructuring (downsizing).

[Red Dragoon]

On 1/12/2017 at 8:20 PM, peelout said:

Bummer.  I lost my job in Sept due to company restructuring (downsizing).

 

That sucks. Hope you found something else.

 

It was nice not having to worry about money for a few years there. Hopefully its just an invitation from the universe to finally leave, and we'll bounce back quick enough (or at the very last minute, that is usually how it goes).

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 1.23 miles - made a circuit of some neighborhood stores, doing a few errands. Not very long, but its awful out there right now.

NFA bodyweight 2b plus additions

 

And so begins Project Get the Hell out of Dodge.

 

When we sat down to talk about it, there really wasn't much question. And when we out of curiosity looked around at other local living options, there wasn't much choice. So back across the country again. See what we get first, a job or an apartment, and how quickly we'll need to rush out. Wish me luck.

[peelout]

I'm not really looking right now.  Decided to take a some time off and take some additional classes at a local college.  I've been a big saver all my life (56 now) so it's not a huge hardship for me.  Lesson for all:  When times are good, live below your means and save.  I know too many people who were making good money where I worked and got let go, but they never saved that much and are now paying the price.  Nice weather never lasts forever.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 2.58 miles

 

No running today. I didn't mention when it happened two days ago (had other things on my mind by the time I saw down here, but I had a space heater fall on the back of my ankle, its been a lovely mess of bruises and I can feel it when I walk - I can still walk, but I thought it best to give running a break at least for now. So again, I walked extra to make up for it.

 

I'd also forgot to mention two days ago, I'm down to 189. Now halfway to beginning goal.

[Red Dragoon]

On 1/13/2017 at 8:51 PM, peelout said:

I'm not really looking right now.  Decided to take a some time off and take some additional classes at a local college.  I've been a big saver all my life (56 now) so it's not a huge hardship for me.  Lesson for all:  When times are good, live below your means and save.  I know too many people who were making good money where I worked and got let go, but they never saved that much and are now paying the price.  Nice weather never lasts forever.

 

Sounds good. Good luck with it.

 

Yes, we learned the savings lesson after a series of unfortunate events a few years back (just managed to stay on my feet the whole time, but it could've easily gone the other way). Thankfully that was a job where we were able to save money (it wasn't the case before), not the sort where we have enough to take an extended break, but if nothing else, we can facilitate our own escape, and maybe have some left over.

[Red Dragoon]

Yesterday:

 

Walked 2 miles (one of which was uphill - or an inclined treadmill, I don't know why, just started that way and decided to see how far I could go)

NFA bodyweight 2a plus additions

 

Today:

 

Interval training 30 mins.

 

Not much more to say right now, I was up way too late yesterday and right now I'm exhausted.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 2.5 miles yesterday

Walked 1.65 miles today

 

Ugh...

 

I have been completely absorbed in a project the past couple days (and with another person absorbed right along with me, which always makes it that much more), I don't come out of it until the end of the day when I'm so damn exhausted. It is done now, so there's that.

 

I admit, its not the sole reason, my enthusiasm is slipping lately. Maybe this is normal after a few months. I'm trying to reorganize my thought processes and get that rolling again - my weakest point in this whole thing, I admit, my very damaged mentality is not so good with enthusiasm, inspiration and holding onto the belief that long term goals can be accomplished. I accepted a long time ago much of that damage is permanent, and any change will never result in an overflowing well of positivity taking its place; I learn to work with what I got, and I have figured out a few times how to hack my brain by presenting matters to it in a way that will appeal. In the last few months of trying and developing some activity routine, I think what I get out of it more than anything is a sense of self control, making my body do what I want it to do - I'd wasted near all upper body strength away, it was a problem I wanted remedied, I work at it and I can see improvements, better and better. That does appeal to my mind, if my mind frequently forgets and neglects what it enjoys and needs constant reminders. I also admit, I kind of wish sometimes that I had a reason as immediate and impossible to ignore as, say, I'm getting healthy for my kids/family/loved ones (there was such a story in my inbox a few days ago, so the example is fresh in mind). Hell, I can't even really use the need to lose weight because likely relocating back near relatives and don't want to put up with their shit anymore, as that will now be happening a little sooner than I would've liked (but at least I'm 50 pounds lighter first).

 

There's one other issue, too. The running. I enjoyed the running when I was doing the Zombies Run program, when I had certain assignments, things that changed and progressed and I had to work for it and could see the improvements very clearly - now that the program is over, it just feels so directionless, just get on there and run as much as you can, however many times. I think that's why I like the bodyweight stuff, getting through Nerd Fitness's level system, and even after that (or maybe, later, alongside it) I've found other such courses on the internet that are both fun and give me something to actually do. If I could find something else for interval training, maybe I could get back into it again, but as of right now its a noticeable drag and I'm not sure if I should keep it or replace it.

 

And walking, my one solid habit that I have kept even during my down time. Asleep on my feet, I'm still getting my walk in before I go to bed. That can be directionless, because it doesn't take any effort. Might be nice if I could work a little more of it into my daily routine.

 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will get the bodyweight stuff done. I should have no excuse this time.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 2 miles

NFA bodyweight 2b plus additions.

 

Ha, did it.

[Red Dragoon]

Walked 3.66 miles.

 

Not sure how that happened...

 

Started out on the treadmill, but then decided to go outside. Haven't been able to do that for a while, its been terrible out there, very pedestrian unfriendly.

 

Scale is down to 187.2

[peelout]

Great job on the extra miles. 

[Red Dragoon]

Yesterday, walked 1 mile.

 

Yeah, no good. Believe me, I know. Sleep and food have been problems all week and both really caught up to me yesterday.

 

I had fixed my diet originally for little activity, so I got used to eating rather low in calories (that's one thing I like about paleo, you can do that and not feel like you're starving yourself) and that was all good until the scale hit 208 and then stayed there for three months, prompting me to get off my ass. I need to make little adjustments every now and then, mostly its fine and then sometimes its not, like this last week. Because I walked further than I thought I had one day, because I ate less than I thought I had another, it was like a build up that plagued me most of the week and added to my natural sleep problems (my body will take any excuse not to sleep, the slightest discomfort or thing out of place, no going to bed hungry, won't happen).

 

I almost dread getting to the point where I have to shift from losing to maintaining weight, adjusting diet all over again.

 

Also going through a period of feeling suffocated by this apartment and brain dead from all the nothing I got going on. A lot of the time I am...content isn't the right word, but I accept it is what it is and learn to live with what I can not yet fix, find small ways to keep myself occupied within my limits and that's it. And I can go like that for a while, better than I used to be able to. It got easier when I accepted that living in this city wasn't going to work out, when I stopped expecting anything to change it was less frustrating, it all just washed over me, every other disappointment that came after; it got better when the plan was formulated to leave, even if the plan moved at a snail's pace for two years at least there was one. Even still, I do go through these moments of wanting to smash everything around me with a sledgehammer just to escape it, where things around me slow down so much that I desperately need some small spark of something different, before I go nuts. And that's where we are right now. And I'll figure it out, even if its just spending a few days hiking (when sleep cooperates, and as long as weather continues to do so) and it'll be enough to keep me going a little while longer.

 

Also not helping, writer's block. Been stuck on the same part for way too long now, no matter what I write I hate it, I'm just trying to outline it on paper so I can move on to the next and fix it later (I don't normally like doing that, but sometimes its the only thing I can do) and even that is like pulling teeth, inching along a few words at a time. Even the one pass time I rely on the most isn't working right, its not much of a wonder things aren't going so well. I've poked and prodded at another project in the time between, but I know its not what I should be working on. I've picked up another fan, too, so now that's three. And people are finicky, especially on the internet, don't get it out in time and they move on, forget you existed. Though even without that small added pressure, this would still be frustrating.

 

I'm trying to find other things. Learning a second language has long been on my bucket list, and I've been looking into that, again, not for the first time. My discipline sucks, but maybe that's something else I can work on, maybe even here.

 

In some better news, I have a small set of weights coming, Christmas gift. Should get here today, hopefully. I'd grown out of the weight substitutes I had around here, and don't have too many immediate options for upgrade, so this will be good for the regain upper body strength quest. Not going to be able to get much else as far as equipment goes, not in the immediate future, not until things settle again, but this should be enough to keep me going for now.

[Red Dragoon]

Two days ago...um, well, treadmill said 1.85 miles, step counter said 2.5. So, yeah, you tell me.

 

Yesterday, 8.11 miles.

 

Yeah, how's that? Had to go out a while yesterday. Probably shouldn't have gone quite as far as I did, after walking about sixty blocks I still felt okay, so thought I can go further, why not cross the river? The exhaustion hit pretty quickly, and when I was at a place where I had to walk quite a bit further to get to another bus. I was more dead than I had ever been by he time I got home, I just ate something and crawled into bed, leaving my reporting until now. I am very sore right now, had been thinking about hiking today but that's going to have to wait another day or two. Taking it a bit easier today.

 

I don't love that I've been slacking on bodyweight, but walking eight miles does balance things out a bit more.

 

On that note, weights came yesterday. They're not yet in the apartment, still down with the mail, by the time we got home there was no even trying to lug that box upstairs. I'll wait until daylight to go down, rather than risk making too much noise in the hallway at three am.

 

Scale was at 186 yesterday.