Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[Mistr]

On 8/3/2017 at 11:38 AM, Urgan said:

Until we figure out that more government involvement is not a good reflexive response, a real marketplace force can't settle the problems created by the temptation to game the "system". And that's what breeds the cronyism that is so often treated as THE problem rather than one of several that we're dealing with. Can't have cronyism if there's no one to pay off and tilt the board in your favor (and against the competition as well, usually, creating a feedback loop straight from Hell). And that's the big reason why less government control and letting individuals make their own choices can never be allowed to be an option. Too many people make a better than decent living off of this arrangement. 

 

I agree with you that the whole system is a mess. The insurance companies and drug companies have no sympathy for real humans at all. I think that doctors have lost most of the control they once had. There are fewer and fewer small clinic run by a team of doctors. Most doctors work for big HMOs or medical associations and have little or no say in how the organization runs. It's a good sign that some are willing to get out of the mega-healthcare trap and set up on their own.

 

Health care is an area where personal choice is difficult and often impossible. Sure, you can shop around and read reviews before an elective procedure like Lasik. You can investigate birthing centers and OB/Gyns before having a baby. Expectant parents know they have months to decide. People can't do that for most things. A person with appendicitis or a broken arm can't take the time to compare providers. The best they can do is get to a hospital that will accept their insurance.

 

Clearly our current government cannot be trusted with health care. Too bad we can't just sign on to the Canadian system. Their problems are minor compared to ours.

[Urgan]

8/3/2017  - 8/6/2017  + WEEK 1 DEBRIEF

Gut to Brain talk

 

Lift

 

 

Recover

Calorie AVG: 2293 / 2294 + 2419 + 2224 + 2258 + 2189 + 2278 + 2387

Iron Maiden: 7/28

Curfew: 2/19

The Ides: 8/7 - 8/12

 

 

 

Week 1 Averages:

          Cals   /   Carbs   /   Fats    /  Protein /  Sugar

AVG    2293        231         89          142             54

TGT    2500        281         97          125             50

 

 

 

 

Aikido

Review techniques - 2/8

 

Weekly To-Do

Buy flea meds for the cats

Schedule doc appointment - DONE

Buy frame for green belt cert - DONE

MAIL REVISED TAX RETURN - DONE

 

I really surprised myself in several ways this week. Sorry I did not see fit to communicate after Thursday, but ya know. Foruming is hard. 

 

I scored a sweet 10lb PR on deadlift, for one. On top of a 180lb squat, which gives me renewed hope that this program will work for me. I failed hard on curfew, having FORGOTTEN about it entirely for half the week, and I took off a curfew day seeing as how I have PTO tomorrow and no need to wake up early for that! Although not being totally nuts would be a plus.....

 

You can see my calories have been consistently lower--I need to work on that--but my weight has been inflated by a pound of Gut Angst over whey and sour cream usage. I think it hates sour cream more than cheese and milk variants most of all. Hopefully with the arrival of Carnivor a la @shaar's testimonial will help level this off. I have tried it. Question: Do you feel it needs the max amount of water recommended (or more?) to taste "right"? It has that I Just Ate Straight Cocoa Powder, Didn't I? flavor to it. It seems like there is completely workable solution to this in the form of more water or the inclusion of a bit of sugar, since the taste is not bad. Just Intense? This fooding thing is tricky. I have been eating a lot of cherries, because it seems I have a slight addiction issue. Bathroom functions are A-okay normal, I am not going too crazy with my intake. I haven't had that bloaty angry I Just Did A Bad feeling this weekend yet, and that includes cheese and burrito eating--and that burrito featured sour cream--so we may be easing back into normal territory. I will stay away from the dairy-filled drinks and try to keep the chaos to the occasional burrito and cheese (Laughing Cow, easily portioned) to see if that is acceptable.

 

Aikido is awesome, blah blah blah.

 

PS: I'mma just let all the remaining comments re: health insurance stand.  I'm not not replying to you guys for any other reason than it's a problem bigger than us and we all are gonna have slightly different experiences tackling the behemoth. I appreciate the support 10000% and didn't want anyone to think I was annoyed or anything, which would be reasonable given the awfully long silence there. Nope. I just didn't have the energy to properly address all the stuff that happened this week 'til now, sad to say.

[Sam Ashen]

Yay PR!  I would not have spotted it, except you mentioned it!

[Jord]

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MOTHERTRUCKIN DEADLIFT PR!!

[shaar]

FRICK YEAH 10LB PR, that is huge!!!! WOOOOOO GET REKT OLD PR

 

So with the Carnivor I found it was kind of an acquired taste.... it doesn't really blend very well so I won't make a shake out of it, I'll add just enough water to stir it up and make a pudding-like consistency on its own, OR add a little bit of banana pudding mix for... well actual pudding.  The taste grew on me but at first I felt like I was drinking a really chocolatey... steak... like you know coming from whey and all of its Magical Delicious Taste Sensations, this was a a little "hmmmmm", and I could really notice that 'beef' tinge at first because it was a big jump.  But it got better and now I can't even tell, even on its own. It is kind of intense in its own bizarro way.

[CourtnieMarie]

CONGRATS ON THE PR! sour cream fueled?  

[Urgan]

4 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

Yay PR!  I would not have spotted it, except you mentioned it!

 

4 hours ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MOTHERTRUCKIN DEADLIFT PR!!

 

2 hours ago, shaar said:

FRICK YEAH 10LB PR, that is huge!!!! WOOOOOO GET REKT OLD PR

 

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

CONGRATS ON THE PR! sour cream fueled?  

 

It's funny how my deadlifts are all or nothing. Smooth or no lift at all. They sure don't FEEL smooth, I assure you.

 

Actually I had coffee, preworkout, cherries, and cheese prior to the session, so some dairy WAS involved.

 

3 hours ago, shaar said:

So with the Carnivor I found it was kind of an acquired taste.... it doesn't really blend very well so I won't make a shake out of it, I'll add just enough water to stir it up and make a pudding-like consistency on its own, OR add a little bit of banana pudding mix for... well actual pudding.  The taste grew on me but at first I felt like I was drinking a really chocolatey... steak... like you know coming from whey and all of its Magical Delicious Taste Sensations, this was a a little "hmmmmm", and I could really notice that 'beef' tinge at first because it was a big jump.  But it got better and now I can't even tell, even on its own. It is kind of intense in its own bizarro way

 

Hrmmm. I found it was damnably hard to mix, too. Two rounds of shakes + 30~ minutes of fridge time did the trick. Just one more incentive for bench PRs??

[Kishi]

2 hours ago, Urgan said:

Just one more incentive for bench PRs??

 

What. Bench PRs aren't enough for you on their own?

 

Sigh. This generation, I tell you.

[Mistr]

Congratulations on the PRs!

 

Happy to hear that aikido is awesome. And that you got a day off.

 

I'm watching your dairy experiment with interest. I took a break from dairy this weekend in an attempt to reduce gasiness. My dairy intake is mostly yogurt and a little cheese. I have other potential suspects including cacao nibs and cruciferous veggies.

 

I put together a spreadsheet comparing protein powders after reading the discussion here. Costco had the Cytosport 100% Whey on sale for $30 for 6 lbs. That is crazy cheap for protein powder, so we are trying it. My first reaction was that it was waaaaaaay too sweet and has a funny artificial flavor. This is the vanilla, mixed with yogurt and fresh fruit. Chocolate might not be as bad. It mixes well. So far I have not had any unpleasant aftereffects.

 

What I learned about protein powders in an entirely unscientific sampling:

They all have cocoa (if you get the chocolate flavor) and flavors. The organic kinds stick to natural flavors. Other ingredients can include:

lecithin (all except MyProtein Impact)

Artificial or natural sweetener(s):

acesulfame potassium

sucralose

stevia

sugar

honey powder

Gum(s):

cellulose

xanthan

gum blend

± salt (NaCl, KCl)

± enzymes - mostly proteases.

± lactase (Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard and Muscle Pharm Combat have it)

 

One of the common criticisms of putting enzymes in food is that the enzymes get digested in your gut, just like any other protein. If you make your protein shake ahead of time, the enzymes might be active and do some good. That is a big "if" because enzymes are most active at body temperature and much less effective at fridge temperature. I haven't heard anyone recommending protein powder hot chocolate. Lactase sounds like it would help for dairy intolerance. I wonder if it works in practice.

 

Makes me wonder if anyone sells plain whey powder with nothing added. Then we could use it without worrying about artificial sweeteners. It would be easy to add flavor and a little sugar if it needs it.

[Sam Ashen]

22 minutes ago, Mistr said:

What I learned about protein powders in an entirely unscientific sampling

 

Darkside Fitness, of course, sells their marked-up brand of powder.  I have not given much thought to what the difference might be between cheap powder and expensive powder.

 

I remember telling MB that I just use the cheaper powder from Target and she shot me a  look.  That was almost a year and a half ago and I remember it well.  I have not seen her push the expensive stuff after that.

 

I am also curious what kind of commissions are involved.

[CourtnieMarie]

ooo thanks for your write up! will have to check out that brand at Costco.

 

15 hours ago, Mistr said:

One of the common criticisms of putting enzymes in food is that the enzymes get digested in your gut, just like any other protein. If you make your protein shake ahead of time, the enzymes might be active and do some good. That is a big "if" because enzymes are most active at body temperature and much less effective at fridge temperature. I haven't heard anyone recommending protein powder hot chocolate.

this is interesting and i wasn't aware of it! during the winter I mix my powder with a bit of milk before adding my hot coffee to it. but in the summer it's cold brew coffee. I should really pay attention to see if i notice any changes when I switch to hot coffee this fall...

[Kishi]

I mean, as lattes go, you could do worse than protein, right? Of course, not that it's doing any good if the heat kills off the good stuff...

[Urgan]

16 hours ago, Mistr said:

I'm watching your dairy experiment with interest. I took a break from dairy this weekend in an attempt to reduce gasiness. My dairy intake is mostly yogurt and a little cheese. I have other potential suspects including cacao nibs and cruciferous veggies.

 

I think at some point, after a buildup of abuse, my stomach yells for no dairy, not even cheese. But if I can ever get to a place where I don't continue to press the issue, I think a certain type/amount is acceptable. Milk is flat out, tho. A simple glass quickly turns Unpleasant.

 

16 hours ago, Mistr said:

One of the common criticisms of putting enzymes in food is that the enzymes get digested in your gut, just like any other protein. If you make your protein shake ahead of time, the enzymes might be active and do some good. That is a big "if" because enzymes are most active at body temperature and much less effective at fridge temperature. I haven't heard anyone recommending protein powder hot chocolate. Lactase sounds like it would help for dairy intolerance. I wonder if it works in practice.

 

FWIW, whey with the enzymes goes down better than milk, but then cheese comes along and it's like ALRIGHT EVERYBODY OUT OF THE POOL.

 

16 hours ago, Mistr said:

Makes me wonder if anyone sells plain whey powder with nothing added. Then we could use it without worrying about artificial sweeteners. It would be easy to add flavor and a little sugar if it needs it.

 

You want unflavored protein powder, then. It does exist, but no bets on quality. 

 

15 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

Darkside Fitness, of course, sells their marked-up brand of powder.  I have not given much thought to what the difference might be between cheap powder and expensive powder.

 

I remember telling MB that I just use the cheaper powder from Target and she shot me a  look.  That was almost a year and a half ago and I remember it well.  I have not seen her push the expensive stuff after that.

 

I am also curious what kind of commissions are involved.

 

Y'all were made for each other. I would get quickly annoyed at getting pitched all the time. Ain't nobody got time for that. Maybe I'm just hypersensitive to marketing lately. SO MANY ADS in ny life and I don't even have cable.

 

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

ooo thanks for your write up! will have to check out that brand at Costco.

 

this is interesting and i wasn't aware of it! during the winter I mix my powder with a bit of milk before adding my hot coffee to it. but in the summer it's cold brew coffee. I should really pay attention to see if i notice any changes when I switch to hot coffee this fall...

 

23 minutes ago, Kishi said:

I mean, as lattes go, you could do worse than protein, right? Of course, not that it's doing any good if the heat kills off the good stuff...

 

These are the studies we need and deserve. Winter Is Coming.....

[Sam Ashen]

3 hours ago, Urgan said:

Y'all were made for each other.

 

I thought it was really funny when Tank said God brought us together so that I could teach her to have a sense of humor!  Then there is the contrast between the picture I paint and real life!

[Urgan]

26 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

I thought it was really funny when Tank said God brought us together so that I could teach her to have a sense of humor!  Then there is the contrast between the picture I paint and real life!

 

Because God Himself has a sense of humor. 

 

Something something grain of salt something something sodium-skeptic panda. 

[Urgan]

8/7/2017

 

Lift

 

Recover

Calorie AVG: 2045 / 2045

Iron Maiden: 8/28

Curfew: 2/19*

The Ides: 8/7 - 8/12

 

Aikido

Review techniques - 2/8

 

Weekly To-Do

Buy flea meds for the cats

 

So......yesterday I took a day off. You'd think that having a whole day to lift, go to chiro, and aikido would mean flying colors success. And you'd be WRONG. I did get up vaguely early relative to typical days off. I did get out the door roughly when I had planned. But wow did I feel meh. Bench wasn't strong at all. I completed the sets, but bar path was a squiggle. OHP felt stronger, but form was garbage on fire. Squats felt too heavy. I am very prone to being disgusted by the very notion of meals prior to lifting, no matter the actual hour. I do this all the time on Saturday lifting, and even wait longer to lift on the weekend.

 

I came home and had some sushi, because large amounts of beef and rice or pasta sounded just awful. Made dinner prep for Mike, showered, and drove to the chiro because I had the fantastic forethought to plan it this way you guys.

 

I had to wait 45 minutes for <15 minutes of chiro-ing because Aikdo Time is Now. Only redeeming thing about that cluster is scared-but-curious chiro let me do technique on him. That's right, he Full Nelsoned me for pay, I kotegaeshi'd him for free. Then improvised some shit when he inquired about how to handle a choke. Above my pay grade ATM. 

 

Aikido was working kaitenage. And I got kicked in the head during randori after nage had taken me down to the mat. Soooooo for those of you keeping score at home, I can now authoritatively compare anything against digging a ditch AND correctly identify whether X is in fact a kick in the head. 

[Urgan]

Addendum: my hormones were screwed up by forgetting to take my meds once. I am not crazy about food, but better than yesterday. I'm possibly at the junction of hormonal flux and gassing out from Intensity Day efforts. 

[Kishi]

18 hours ago, Urgan said:

Soooooo for those of you keeping score at home, I can now authoritatively compare anything against digging a ditch AND correctly identify whether X is in fact a kick in the head.

 

Just remember: in Japanese grappling arts, any strike is legal as long as it's got gi around it. Can't punch someone? Okay, get a fistful of gi, then try it. See? Totally legal.

 

Usually when you kicked, though, it's in the leg. Dude must have missed.

 

Hope this hormonal buggery passes sooner rather than later~!

[Urgan]

48 minutes ago, Kishi said:

 

Just remember: in Japanese grappling arts, any strike is legal as long as it's got gi around it. Can't punch someone? Okay, get a fistful of gi, then try it. See? Totally legal.

 

Usually when you kicked, though, it's in the leg. Dude must have missed.

 

Hope this hormonal buggery passes sooner rather than later~!

 

Yeah, the sad thing is, he wasn't even attacking me. This was just some other dude doing technique on his uke and he kinda kicked me while spinning around, I guess? I was face down on the mat and literally never saw it coming.

[Kishi]

10 minutes ago, Urgan said:

Yeah, the sad thing is, he wasn't even attacking me. This was just some other dude doing technique on his uke and he kinda kicked me while spinning around, I guess? I was face down on the mat and literally never saw it coming.

 

Aw, lame. He should have been practicing his awareness.

[Sam Ashen]

49 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

Yeah, the sad thing is, he wasn't even attacking me. This was just some other dude doing technique on his uke and he kinda kicked me while spinning around, I guess? I was face down on the mat and literally never saw it coming.

 

38 minutes ago, Kishi said:

 

Aw, lame. He should have been practicing his awareness.

 

I was on the sending end of that one time.  My back kick went wildly out of control and hit another kid right in the kidney.  He went down hard.

 

I have no idea what happened.

[Urgan]

5 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

 

I was on the sending end of that one time.  My back kick went wildly out of control and hit another kid right in the kidney.  He went down hard.

 

I have no idea what happened.

 

At least you were successfully attacking....

[Sam Ashen]

1 minute ago, Urgan said:

 

At least you were successfully attacking....

 

It more resembles a friendly-fire incident.  We were lined up kicking.  As I said, I have no idea what happened.  Normally my back kick is accurate.  This one was off by a full 45 degrees.

 

He is actually on my FB friends list.  I reconnected when I joined FB.  He has moved on to become a yoga guy and is always posting handstands in places.

[Urgan]

4 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

It more resembles a friendly-fire incident.  We were lined up kicking.  As I said, I have no idea what happened.  Normally my back kick is accurate.  This one was off by a full 45 degrees.

 

He is actually on my FB friends list.  I reconnected when I joined FB.  He has moved on to become a yoga guy and is always posting handstands in places.

 

Didn't say if you were hitting the intended target! Lol. But these things happen.

[Kishi]

7 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

It more resembles a friendly-fire incident.  We were lined up kicking.  As I said, I have no idea what happened.  Normally my back kick is accurate.  This one was off by a full 45 degrees.

 

He is actually on my FB friends list.  I reconnected when I joined FB.  He has moved on to become a yoga guy and is always posting handstands in places.

 

4 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

Didn't say if you were hitting the intended target! Lol. But these things happen.

 

They do. Striking's weird like that. Probably some trick of proprioception and timing.