In Which Sarah Barr Stays on the Forest Path (Challenge 17)

[Sarah Barr]

The punishment system I had in place last challenge did me the world of good – I got at least a B in all my goals (and 3 A+s) out of fear of having to eat only my least favourite raw vegetables for a whole day, and provide photographic evidence, if I failed a goal more than 3 times in a week.

The stakes are being upped this time, same rules, same forfeits, but I’m only allowed two strikes before I’m out.

Consider it like a narrow path through a cursed forest – if I stay on the path, no harm will come to me, and I can ignore all the man-sized many-legged things that scuttle about in the undergrowth on either side. And if I stumble once or twice, and fall off the path, it’s not that big a deal, but it draws the attention of the scuttling things so that the next time, they’re waiting. And they’ll make me eat raw, unseasoned cabbage or something. I do see some possible fallen logs blocking my way, so I’m trying to list what they might be now so I can work out contingency plans.

Yesterday (28^th March) the scales said 101.8kg, and last challenge, I started off at 104.2kg. If I stick to the path, I could expect to get under 100kg, something I’ve not been in a long time now.

 

Goal 1: 1600kcal of good-quality food per day

• 1600kcal. 1800kcal permitted on strength training days, but only if the extra 200kcal comes from protein consumed straight after training.

• Must include a minimum of 5 freggies, and 1 litre of water, as has been my standard for a while.

• No more than one measured serving size of junk per day (poorly defined, I know. I mean chocolate, bread, pasta, rum, and other things that don’t count as a freggie and don’t contribute much other than calories).

POTENTIAL FALLEN LOG 1: Food at work. It’s usually high-calorie. Avoid bringing money when I have a packed lunch; try and always have a packed lunch.

+4 CON

 

Goal 2: Strength Training

I’m trying to develop some sort of split with the workouts: one with horizontal upper body and glute work, the other with vertical upper body and quad work. Yoga daily except Mondays, with difficult poses being incorporated into my warm up and cool down on lifting days, and flexibility related poses being enjoyed on Thursdays and Sundays.

• Monday: Complete Rest (Theatre group in evening)
• Tuesday: Bench Press, Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Flyes, Front Squat*, Lunges
• Wednesday: Lat Pull-Down**, Overhead Press, Goblet Squat, Deadlift
• Thursday: Yoga at home.
• Friday: Bench Press, Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Flyes, Front Squat,
• Saturday: Lunges Lat Pull-Down, Overhead Press, Goblet Squat, Deadlift
• Sunday: Yoga at home.

*I have squats in both sessions, but I like squats, and I have three rest days, so I’m not all that fussed about that.

**Bent-arm dumbbell pullovers if it’s busy and the lat machine I can actually reach isn’t free. I prefer the lat machine, because I can get heavy without fear that I’ll cave my skull in if my grip slips.

POTENTIAL FALLEN LOG 2: I’m getting an implant removed from my arm on the 11^th. When it went in, I couldn’t use that arm for about 6 weeks. Removal may be fine. If it isn’t fine, I’ll clamber over that log when I come to it.

+2 STR, +2 DEX

 

Goal 3: BQ

Long, euphemism-ridden story short, my back HURTS and I desire the lifting of a great weight from my chest. So, I have embarked on a mission to make it so. BoobQuest, as it decided to name itself despite my protestations, is threefold:

• Lose weight, thereby almost certainly reducing breast tissue, as should result from Goal 1.

• Do some extra work to the back and chest, as detailed above in Goal 2 (expanding my lifting routine beyond Squat + Press + Deadlift).

• For self-esteem reasons, take good care of the skin in that general area with massage and moisturiser, daily.

+1 CHA

 

Goal 4: Self-Care

This is particularly important to me right now, because shark week is consistently every second week. I will have whatever chocolate fits my Goal 1 rules, but my womb is not the boss of me and I refuse to let it rule my stomach. I’m not making an activity-specific goal, because I hate it when relaxation becomes a chore. Strength training has been giving me enough enjoyable time to be alone and not think. But I am going to grade myself on the yes/no question “Have I done an extra kind thing for my body today?”

Examples:

• It could be choosing a soft drink over rum at the pub after writing class,

• or a bubble bath,

• or a face mask,

• or swapping out something junky for a sixth freggie,

• or doing some bedtime yoga (the kind described as yummy, that mostly involves breathing and cracking your back)

• or having an extra glass of water.

Things I have to do anyway for Goals 1-3 don’t count.

+1 CON

 

Goal 5: PAIN

• Update thread every day, or £1 goes into the Idiot Jar and I have to reveal an embarrassing fact upon the next update. The money in the Idiot Jar gets spent on something atrociously hideous in a charity shop* at the end of the challenge, as a reminder of the fact that I am an Idiot to some degree. If no money is in the Idiot Jar, I can spend up to £10 in a charity shop on a proper reward, and any remainder on something awful to amuse LadyShello. Either way, at least £1 goes to charity this challenge.

• If I miss two goals in a week through laziness (i.e. not through illness or injury), then I have to suffer a forfeit. The following Monday, I am only allowed to eat raw veggies that I find unpleasant raw, like broccoli. All day. And provide proof.

• To up the stakes this time, every time I miss one goal through laziness, my next meal can't contain any seasonings. No salt, no pepper, no condiments, no butter, no interesting cooking methods, just plain bland boiled protein and vegetables. If you saw how much peri peri sauce I go through in a week, you'd see how much that makes me tremble.

+2 CHA, + 1 STA

 

Life Goal: Writing

It's less than a month till the Scratch Night for the playwriting course I'm doing. We each have a 5-10 minute play to write that'll be performed on the 22^nd of April. I am second guessing myself a lot. It’s a very common thing to never think your work is good enough, and I’m trying to remind myself of that, but I could really use a beer after this.

• Work on writing, as and when needed or wanted, but I must have a new draft of the play by the end of each week.

+1 WIS, +1 CHA

 

Tracking:

• Monitor goals daily, with a yes/no checklist (I made a paper chart)

• Weigh self, weekly. If weight loss plateaus, double-check calorie totals, recalculate BMR, and adjust intake accordingly.

• A for Goal 1: Something fancy from the fruit section

• A for Goal 2: A new vest I can do downward dog in without flashing everything – under £5.

• A for Goal 3: Better moisturiser.

• A for Goal 4: Something pleasant for the bath

• A for Goal 5: As dictated by whatever’s in the charity shop

• A for Life Goal (by which I mean getting to the end of the Scratch Night alive): BEER.

 

ONWARD!

 

 

 

[Terah]

Following for awesomeness

And hoping for more weird animal story's  

 

6 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

but my womb is not the boss of me

I must print this and look at it during PMS week. This is important wisdom

[deftona]

I love the way you set up your challenges these days with the Idiot Jar and forfeits! Following along for usual Sarah awesomeness!

[SomeGuyFromScotland]

I volunteer my acting services to play the role of Man-Sized Scuttling Thing #3.

 

YOU EAT DE CABBAGE!

 

Ahem. I'm in.

[jmk]

Here's a gift to battle your way through! Following!

[LadyWitch]

I always love your challenges, they are so honest and well thought out  Good luck with avoiding the raw veggies!

[Sarah Barr]

It's beautiful, JMK! I shall name it... Glam-nyam-nyam-dring. My pun game is weak today. It was that or Excaliburnt.

 

Hi LadyWitch!

2 hours ago, SomeGuyFromScotland said:

YOU EAT DE CABBAGE!

I can only read this in an adorable toddler voice. Which would be pretty unsettling coming from a six-foot spider. 

 

Secured a couple of volunteers to read over my script before I submit it, and they're the kind of people who'll give me solid, honest criticism, so I'm feeling much more confident that whatever I eventually submit will be comprehensible. 

 

[Shello]

I really love your challenge but I must admit that this is my favorite part..

6 hours ago, Sarah Barr said:

Update thread every day, or £1 goes into the Idiot Jar and I have to reveal an embarrassing fact upon the next update. The money in the Idiot Jar gets spent on something atrociously hideous in a charity shop* at the end of the challenge, as a reminder of the fact that I am an Idiot to some degree. If no money is in the Idiot Jar, I can spend up to £10 in a charity shop on a proper reward, and any remainder on something awful to amuse LadyShello. Either way, at least £1 goes to charity this challenge.

 

Although I'm with Terah and I really love this bit too..

6 hours ago, Sarah Barr said:

my womb is not the boss of me and I refuse to let it rule my stomach.

 

[Archon]

Awesome challenge Sarah! If negative reinforcement is what works for you... let me go dig out the whip from the closet :-P

 

I like that you are supporting G3BQ & G4SC with constructive punishments and that that is working well for you! Keep up the awesome!

[Sarah Barr]

Day 3 Update:

 

All hail ibuprofen, I found some so I can get through this shark week without imploding.

 

Forgot packed lunch, but also didn't bring money so at least I'll not have junk. 

 

Brain's still not quite on track in the mornings with the clocks changing, but I woke up early enough to have a decent breakfast (A boiled egg and toast is really underrated sometimes). 

 

I swapped my Monday rest day to Tuesday this week because I did so much on Monday, so looking forward to gym tonight.

 

My kind-thing-for-myself yesterday was having earl grey and cornflower tea instead of sugarfree mountain dew when we were playing D&D. Other people wanted some too so I got to use my fancy teacups. Nothing like floral-pattern bone china to make you feel like a grown up when trying to decide whether or not to go along with the pig-sized mushroom telling you to rub its ichor all over you. It was a strange game. (I decided not to. I missed out on a +15 to WIS saving throws but I am also the only party member not under its influence, which might be helpful if it indeed backfires like I suspect. Or I'll die. One of those.)

 

[Sarah Barr]

VITAL ADDENDUM:

 

 

[Terah]

6 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

Brain's still not quite on track in the mornings with the clocks changing

I'm with you on this. It always takes me over a week to get used to it

 

7 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

Nothing like floral-pattern bone china to make you feel like a grown up when trying to decide whether or not to go along with the pig-sized mushroom telling you to rub its ichor all over you.

LOL

If we ever get to meet we need to hold a D&D session!

[SomeGuyFromScotland]

29 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

VITAL ADDENDUM:

 

 

 

[ExpectJade]

Here to stalk along

KORPIKLaANI!

[spooky]

Following for Sarah Barr awesomeness <4

[Tyburn Lil]

7 hours ago, SomeGuyFromScotland said:

 

Seals!

And wonderfulness!

You have it all! 

 

"Update thread every day, or £1 goes into the Idiot Jar and I have to reveal an embarrassing fact upon the next update." -You

Well now you have to be stalked. Embarrassing facts are always good for a giggle

 

 

[Sarah Barr]

Hey Tyburn! Happy emergence from the grave!

 

Day 4 update: (Wait, what day is this? Three?)

 

Calories, freggies, water all on track. 

 

Someone didn't pay our company on time so I might not get paid till a few days after I was expecting.  If that's the case, my gym membership is screwed, and I'm late for all my bills, so I really hope the money from the client goes through by tomorrow. I don't have money for food either, so I'm going back to intermittent fasting in order to stretch out what I do have. Also having to swap strength training for walking so I can save bus fares, and my leg is not happy about that. Grateful that what I do have includes plenty of rice and that I remembered to buy some frozen veggies. I thought having a full time 9 to 5 job was supposed to stop this nonsense from happening. The job centre have finally got round to giving my partner an interview where they'll decide whether or not to give her any money or help looking for work, but I think I have to seriously consider getting a second evening job. I can't operate without a safety net any more. 

 

Feeling kind of grim today and the sharks aren't helping, so I'm feeling quite proud that I managed to stay on track today. I think my kind thing for my body today will be an early bed.

[deftona]

This all really sucks, Sarah. I'm really sorry to hear about this. And I am sorry your partner is having issues too, you'd think they'd deny her either money OR help getting a job. Denying someone both is the height of stupidity. I hope something comes up for her soon. 

[Terah]

16 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

my gym membership is screwed

Just go to the front desk and explain, I'm sure it has happened before.

 

And I'm sorry things look so bad right now. Here, have a cute gif to feel better:

[LadyWitch]

Most gyms will happily put your membership on hold for a month or two, it shows that you're still a customer and that they haven't lost you permanently. I hope that your partner finds a job soon, I'm in the process of job hunting atm and know how hard and demoralising it can be, just don't give up (or let them) as things can and will improve. *hugs*

[Snarkyfishguts]

I'm following along!

 

Ibuprofen IS wonderful!

 

I hope your partner can get a nice job soon so you won't have to take on another one. fingers crossed it all works out for the best

[MichiruSedai]

Good job following your goals during a challenging day.  I hope those particular challenges get resolved quickly!

[Sarah Barr]

Thanks everyone <3

 

My Mum's kindly lending me enough money to get me out of the deeper water, so I'm feeling less stressed today. I'm going to visit her and Dad the weekend after this, and I'm going to do so much gardening for them. Was going up to do that anyway, but now it's going to be full-on Man Vs Wild to say thankyou. 

 

Day 4 Update:

 

On track with food - skipping lunch rather than 23hr fasting today, and brought coffee that doesn't taste quite so much like Bisto as the free office coffee does, so I can be alert and on the ball today. Leg is okay after walk home yesterday, probably because it was mostly downhill, so I should be fine doing that again today. The weather's pretty lovely right now if still a bit chilly. On track with BQ - yoga today will include a nice lizardly plank pose to make up for missing out on chest exercise yesterday.

 

In the delirium that came with sleep deprivation yesterday I may or may not have started planning an art project where I get even more sleep deprived, put on some scuba flippers, mix up a couple of gallons of sea-coloured paint, try and get into the mind of a whale, and create Art (differing from lower case art in that upper case Art is generally bloody awful) by throwing the paint at a blank wall with the flippers. Now that I've had sleep and coffee, I still think that'd be fun. Just missing a blank wall.

 

 

 

[Sarah Barr]

Day 5 Update:

 

Redrafting going well on my back up play. Well enough that I might use it as my first choice. Running it by my volunteer critics this evening.

Calories on track.

Hair kind of went... roooound today. Need conditioner very badly. It is entertaining. 

Woke up with a cough. Nothing dreadful but I'm not gymming today since I'm worried about exacerbating it. 

Need to remember to drink water. 

[ExpectJade]

On 31-3-2016 at 1:49 PM, Sarah Barr said:

Thanks everyone <3

 

My Mum's kindly lending me enough money to get me out of the deeper water, so I'm feeling less stressed today. I'm going to visit her and Dad the weekend after this, and I'm going to do so much gardening for them. Was going up to do that anyway, but now it's going to be full-on Man Vs Wild to say thankyou. 

 

Day 4 Update:

 

On track with food - skipping lunch rather than 23hr fasting today, and brought coffee that doesn't taste quite so much like Bisto as the free office coffee does, so I can be alert and on the ball today. Leg is okay after walk home yesterday, probably because it was mostly downhill, so I should be fine doing that again today. The weather's pretty lovely right now if still a bit chilly. On track with BQ - yoga today will include a nice lizardly plank pose to make up for missing out on chest exercise yesterday.

 

In the delirium that came with sleep deprivation yesterday I may or may not have started planning an art project where I get even more sleep deprived, put on some scuba flippers, mix up a couple of gallons of sea-coloured paint, try and get into the mind of a whale, and create Art (differing from lower case art in that upper case Art is generally bloody awful) by throwing the paint at a blank wall with the flippers. Now that I've had sleep and coffee, I still think that'd be fun. Just missing a blank wall.

 

 

 

my hair was long enough to this.. i recommend the blank wall idea.

43 minutes ago, Sarah Barr said:

Day 5 Update:

 

Redrafting going well on my back up play. Well enough that I might use it as my first choice. Running it by my volunteer critics this evening.

Calories on track.

Hair kind of went... roooound today. Need conditioner very badly. It is entertaining. 

Woke up with a cough. Nothing dreadful but I'm not gymming today since I'm worried about exacerbating it. 

Need to remember to drink water.