ixaera picks up a battleaxe~

[ixaera]

 

The Challenge

Focus more better, be less all-over-the-place. Take challenge both less and more seriously, at the same time. (Simpler goals for the purpose of more consistently building habits.)

 

Workouts

3x lifts per week

3x cardio per week

3x yoga per week

(No points off for injury, walking 20+ minutes counts as "cardio", and yoga only needs to be low impact & 20+ minutes.)

 

Diet

1600 calorie weekly average (not grading this, but tracking it)

95g+ protein daily (grading this)

85% whole/nutritious foods at least 6 days a week (grading this, 15% leeway is pretty doable as it adds up to about 240 calories of free eating a day)

Get better at going out. 2 drink maximum. No unplanned massive plates or desserts. Applies to ordering in as well.

 

Life

Study 2 chapter from the MS 70-461 book per week

(Writing goals to come back once MCSA Sql Server is acquired.)

 

Start stats

Weight 104.8 lbs

Height 5'0" (almost)

waist: 25.5"

at navel: 29"

hips: 34.5"

widest spot: 35.5"

r. thigh: 20.25"

l. thigh: 20.25"

r. calf: 12.25"

l. calf: 12.5"

r. bicep: 10.5"

l. bicep: 10.25"

chest: 30"

bust: 32"

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

Both less and more seriously.   Love it.  

[Flex Luthor]

 

Time for gains! (I'm guessing based on your size and calorie amount)

[Trewest]

*fellow Assassin watching from the shadows*

 

Enjoy the gain-train m'dear

[ixaera]

1 hour ago, Flex Luthor said:

 

Time for gains! (I'm guessing based on your size and calorie amount)

 

I've been maintaining on this amount (even though calculators are saying it's a slow bulk, maybe just REALLY slow. As in, too slow to see over 3 challenges??)

But yas, I am attempting GAINZ! I am still lifting novice #'s.

 

(As soon as my back is better, anyway. I somehow injured it while sleeping on Friday night and it is SUPER not enjoying my office chair today.)

[RedStone]

Following for awesome smallness!!

[ixaera]

Today is technically my day 1 (skipping this zero week), but I admit I mostly just nursed my back. The original plan was go home early for early horizontal couch time with sporadic short walks. However, Bad Things happened at work and I was chained to my desk too much to do any of that, even walk much. :/ (All hands on deck sort of situation.)

 

I did eat okay, scored a tentative point in that category. The donut put me pretty borderline. Everything else was on point, though. Oh stress donut, you understand me.

 

Anyway, first lifting session I've skipped since starting 5ish weeks ago, because literally butthurt (well, back hurt? It's semi-buttish.)

Skipping made me annoyed and antsy.

 

Back is progressing though. It seems to be bouncing back more quickly (8 hours of office chair sitting did less damage than 3 hours did on Saturday). I think at worst I'll at least be able to do bench on Wednesday.

 

I also am being made aware I need to pay more attention to mobilizing my back even when it feels good, since this is the second time recently. (The first was a lot less nasty.) Note: I've snarled it many times in the past, with all kinds of activity, it's not just the new lifting routine, though I'm sure that's helping to tighten up hamstrings, etc and I need to take care of it.

 

Going to try some super gentle yoga in the morning (will stop if it's too much for my dumb ole back) and roll quads & hamstrings before work.

[Pat G]

Aggressive sleeping and office chairs huh. Thats a page out of my book. Good onya  

[Trewest]

Oh thank god I am not the only one who gets injured by sleeping weird....

[Sam Ashen]

Hi!

 

Checking in for gains!

 

18 hours ago, Flex Luthor said:

 

17 hours ago, ixaera said:

I've been maintaining on this amount (even though calculators are saying it's a slow bulk, maybe just REALLY slow. As in, too slow to see over 3 challenges??)

But yas, I am attempting GAINZ! I am still lifting novice #'s.

 

Same here.  Maintaining at 3400.

 

1 hour ago, Trewest said:

Oh thank god I am not the only one who gets injured by sleeping weird....

 

And ya.  My sleeping habits do not help my shoulders.

[Trewest]

19 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

And ya.  My sleeping habits do not help my shoulders.

 

I used to sleep exclusively on my stomach. My chiropractor told me to stop that so now I sleep on my sides in the fetal position. Not all that much of an improvement to be honest..

[ixaera]

38 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

Same here.  Maintaining at 3400.

 

O.O

I mean, eating that much every day actually sounds hard to me lol

I feel sick-full on 2000+

 

19 minutes ago, Trewest said:

 

I used to sleep exclusively on my stomach. My chiropractor told me to stop that so now I sleep on my sides in the fetal position. Not all that much of an improvement to be honest..

 

I AM a stomach sleeper, but I'll just roll onto it in my sleep anyway, I'm not sure I have much control there XD

If I'm on my back, the cat uses me as a trampoline~

 

My back ALMOST feels normal today, so I might clear myself for at least bench & light weight squats tomorrow. Maybe no rows. Might try and see how it feels.

[RedStone]

UGH, I'm a toss and turner, just did this to myself a few weeks ago. Hope you can get your lifts in tomorrow!! 

[ixaera]

Update to challenge on day 2--

Lost my office and my boss is getting a lot of the runaround about lots of things since the acquisition.

 

Dropping writing goals for now and bumping up studying to 2 chapters a week, instead. Need to get the MSCA Sql Server done ASAP.

[ixaera]

1 minute ago, ~RedStone~ said:

UGH, I'm a toss and turner, just did this to myself a few weeks ago. Hope you can get your lifts in tomorrow!! 

 

Me too! I was agawk when I started that I actually managed to get out of bed at 6 am and go do them in general, and I'm sad when it doesn't happen, so I feel pretty confident I've found what I want to do~

 

(I AM NOT AN EARLY RISER.)

[RedStone]

1 minute ago, ixaera said:

 

Me too! I was agawk when I started that I actually managed to get out of bed at 6 am and go do them in general, and I'm sad when it doesn't happen, so I feel pretty confident I've found what I want to do~

 

(I AM NOT AN EARLY RISER.)

 

98% same!!! I am def not an early riser, and thankfully my work schedule makes it better for me to do it midday for now. But yeah, when I was sick a few weeks ago I had to take a solid week and a half off. I was bummed, then I panicked, then I remembered that I want to be doing this for years to come and a week is just a drop in the bucket so it's all good. Would rather be lifting lol, but still  

[ixaera]

Trying to remember that I don't have to throw up big numbers at lightning speed and a tiny break won't kill me. It IS a very very therapeutic way to start the day, though!

[RedStone]

50 minutes ago, ixaera said:

Trying to remember that I don't have to throw up big numbers at lightning speed and a tiny break won't kill me. It IS a very very therapeutic way to start the day, though!

 

Totally, I'm trying to convince myself all the time LOL  

[Suzaqu]

Following for gainzzzzzz! 

 

[Jord]

Following! But in a nice friendly, oh hello there, kind of way. 

[Urgan]

Look what I found....following~

[ixaera]

3 hours ago, Urgan said:

Look what I found....following~

 

yassss

[ixaera]

 

Week 0, Day 2

I Did Things Today~

I studied, I walked a lot, I yoga'd, I roll roll rolled my boat (gently down my hamstrings, and other parts), I ate pretty darn well (about 200 calories of dark chocolate, which isn't awful in any way for the purposes of this challenge), I cooked things, I even listened to podcast while rolling which is not a part of the challenge. AND I figured out how I want to divvy up studying over the week to avoid awakening the bitchy and stressed version of me. 104g of protein on the nose.

 

Back is at 90%. I can stand up, sit down, use office chairs with wild abandon, and I only just feel the twinge, but it's not actually affecting life anymore. I did a yoga video targeted to lower back pain and found that while on a normal day, I can touch my toes, I was SO FAR AWAY FROM IT earlier this evening. My hamstrings were like piano wire, and my hips were all gnarly too. After yoga and rolling, I could touch my toes once again. 50 minutes very well spent today.

 

Tomorrow's plan is bench + low weight squats (think I'm on 65 lbs tomorrow, shouldn't aggravate the back at all), then gingerly test a set of rows. If no twinge, full speed ahead.

Must focus on sitting back during squat. Video to check if improvement.

[Urgan]

And awaaaaay we go~ 

[SpecialSundae]

SO MUCH BUFFY LOVE!