Valkyrie Practices Discipline

[x Valkyrie x]

My time with my love is drawing to a close, we had an amazing time, though the Irish food and drink definitely got me the last week!  I'll be going back to the daily grind and every day routines when I go home on Tuesday. The rugby matches I watched while in Ireland inspired me to buckle down and get somewhere with my fitness.

 

I know I can be an athlete, I just need to show up for every workout every week, no excuses. Easier said than done, sure. But  that's where discipline comes in. Discipline is what makes me get up and go to work every day even when I don't want to.  I know I have to, lest there be negative consequences, and because people are counting on me. That is the mindset I must have regarding my fitness. The negative consequence is a lack or regression of progress, goals unmet, a body that isn't given a chance to run at optimum settings or given the best shot it can at aging gracefully. Who's counting on me? I am, my family is, my future kids are. They're  counting on me to do what it takes to be healthy and strong so I can live my best life with them, and for myself. 5 days a week seems daunting , and some days I will war with myself, with that dark voice that says another hour of sleep is more important than the gym, or that pizza is a lot handier than cooking, but I will not bow down to that voice. I will steel myself against laziness, against complacency, against fear of discomfort, and I will do what needs to be done. Every. Single. Day.

 

Goals:

1. Weekly meal plan and stick to it (saves on stress and the  wallet, too!)

 

2. Vigorous exercise 4 days a week + personal training session.

 

3. Proper prior planning  to prevent Christmas treat overindulgence: 3x a week or less, plus implement strategies for success(I love Christmas food so, so much. I don't want to go without, but I want to try to be reasonable and not just eat it because it's there.)

 

Plan of action:

1. Meal plan utilizing Yummly and my bullet journal each Friday, grocery shop on Friday or Saturday. Aim for 1800 calorie days or less to maintain, emphasize protein and veggies.

 

2. 2 fast sled push days with upper body,  2 heavy sled push days with leg circuit. 1 personal training session. Agility every workout day, push ups every morning.(I'd like to include a sprint interval day, cause that kicked my butt so hard, but I'll start with this and maybe do an easy run on my recovery day just to keep the mileage up.)

 

3. Keep yummy fruit/dried fruit/small sucker/roasted carrots etc.  (seriously, roasted carrots are like candy when they caramelize!) on hand to help stave off the sweets cravings at work and evenings. Lighten up baked goods, and be mindful of portion sizes and frequency. 

 

Once I've successfully worked out 5 days a week for a month, I'd like to maybe give soccer another try. So that's an overarching goal of my exercise goals, to get my fitness to a level that I could play and not be dying in the first 10 minutes. 

Edit: a team is forming up next week, so dammit, I'm gonna play! ready or not!

 

I'd like to start including more protein in my meals, because at the moment my usual diet is very carb heavy and I wonder if I'd have more energy throughout the day on days I work out if I ate a  greater percentage of protein, so that'll be a consideration for my meal planning.

 

 

 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following again.

[Wild Wolf]

Following

...and, um, roasted carrots?? Whaaaaaaaaaa?!

Yes please [emoji39]

Wolf

"Maximum Effort!"

[OddlyOtter]

What is Yummly? That's a new thing to me. 

 

Your post is very inspiring. I also have a problem with discipline. So I feel you strongly. I'll be following and encouraging you!

[Elastigirl]

Super impressed that you made time to write up your challenge. I'm planning on doing pushups in our front yard tomorrow, which means you need to do pushups at the airport Tuesday-

[jonfirestar]

Amazing challenge and a great write up! I know things are going to be rough when your vacation ends and you will need that discipline to see it through. I'm rooting for you all the way!

[x Valkyrie x]

10 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following again.

Glad to have you!

10 hours ago, Wild Wolf said:

Following

...and, um, roasted carrots?? Whaaaaaaaaaa?!

Yes please

Wolf

"Maximum Effort!"

Seriously, though! Cut into smallish sticks, Olive oil, a tbsp of balsamic vinegar, toss it with some salt and pepper, arrange in a single layer and roast for 30 or 40 minutes, till they're soft and delicious! (I think I did it at 350 f)

 

9 hours ago, OddlyOtter said:

What is Yummly? That's a new thing to me. 

 

Your post is very inspiring. I also have a problem with discipline. So I feel you strongly. I'll be following and encouraging you!

Yummly is an app that acts as a recipe search/place to save recipes (and you can create  folders for different categories to help organize them) , and you can make shopping lists from the recipes' ingredients. I make meal plans by having a "current" folder that I put that week's recipes into, make my shopping list from that, and then assign meals to days in my bullet  journal meal planner that I made. 

 

Thanks, we'll cheer each other on when motivation fails amd we just gotta get it done anyway!

8 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Super impressed that you made time to write up your challenge. I'm planning on doing pushups in our front yard tomorrow, which means you need to do pushups at the airport Tuesday-

Aw thanks! I kind of screwed up on my vacation, but I feel ready to kick some butt this time!

Yes, I'm going to, no excuses this time! (I totally chickened out last time...not this time!!)

3 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

Amazing challenge and a great write up! I know things are going to be rough when your vacation ends and you will need that discipline to see it through. I'm rooting for you all the way!

Thanks Jon!! I'm planning to hit the ground running and give my brain no time to balk, but I know that first day back at work is going to be a doozy! Working out before work was going well for me, so I'm going to use the jet lag (I always wake early when I get home from ireland!) to my advantage and just get up early from the get go. 

[OddlyOtter]

1 hour ago, x Valkyrie x said:

Yummly is an app that acts as a recipe search/place to save recipes (and you can create  folders for different categories to help organize them) , and you can make shopping lists from the recipes' ingredients. I make meal plans by having a "current" folder that I put that week's recipes into, make my shopping list from that, and then assign meals to days in my bullet  journal meal planner that I made. 

 

Thanks, we'll cheer each other on when motivation fails amd we just gotta get it done anyway!

Ooooo I will have to look into this! That sounds like it would work perfect for me. Thanks for giving me the heads-up about it! Super appreciate it! 

[x Valkyrie x]

On 11/28/2016 at 9:01 AM, OddlyOtter said:

Ooooo I will have to look into this! That sounds like it would work perfect for me. Thanks for giving me the heads-up about it! Super appreciate it! 

Of course! I find it super handy! 

 

Trip home so far has been nice. We both teared up at the airport, but we booked his flight for February , so it's only 2 months this time, which is amazing.

I made friends with an awesome Indian lady who is the type of kind I want to be when I get older, and who basically adoped me and gave me her phone number so I can call her now and then.

 

I have drank no alcohol, stopped when I was full instead of eating every morsel they gave me on the plane, though I also ate some cookies, gummy bears and cashews I brought. I'm in my final layover and I did 20 squats and 20 heel raises in the airplane toilet, and 20 squats at my gate, thanks to EG's PvP!

 

Now I'm at the bar near my gate and I ordered a salad, omg alert the presses!

[Maggie-Miau]

Doing great so far, Valkyrie! Glad you had such a good time with your Someone <3 Cheering for you!

[Agnarr]

Great to see you so hyped!

[x Valkyrie x]

22 hours ago, MiaulinTheCat said:

Doing great so far, Valkyrie! Glad you had such a good time with your Someone <3 Cheering for you!

Thanks Miaulin! Cheering for you too, my dear!

 

8 hours ago, Agnarr said:

Great to see you so hyped!

Thanks! I'm hoping to keep it up!

 

Today has been a good day! I got in last night and woke up refreshed and not jet lagged at all, ready to hit the gym! Also, by magic or miracle, I somehow maintained my weight, I'm .4 lbs up from where I was when I left for Ireland. I reckon it's time to do another set of measurements though, it's been a couple of months so I'd say I'm overdue.

 

I got the old meal plan sorted out and went grocery shopping after the gym. I just need to unpack and I'll have been as productive as I've ever been in me life...

 

Warmup:

Agility drills x6 

Elevated Pushups x15 (better than in weeks even though I haven't practiced...I'll take it!)

Jumping jacks x15

Jj squats x15

Skipping, backward skipping, side shuffle, grapevines 2x100' each

 

Workout:

Agility circuit x3:

Side steps>sprint x200'>sidesteps>in n outs>bear crawls 2x30'>jj squats 

 

Leg circuit x3:

15"/15" squats to jump squats

30" Alternating lunges

30" Side lunges (noticing an improvement in my mobility, especially the right hip adductors!)

 

Heavy Sled push #305 2x100' (I think I should add squats 2x6 #45 because putting on and taking off the weights from the sled was a workout on its own! :p) 

 

It felt great to get it done, and I was rather proud at the sight of all those plates on my sled! It's also cool that I'm working out for nearly an hour now, when I could barely last 30 minutes before.

 

[Agnarr]

Awesome meal plan  mind if I follow your instagram?

[x Valkyrie x]

17 minutes ago, Agnarr said:

Awesome meal plan  mind if I follow your instagram?

Thank you, it helps me to stay on track! Of course not, I mostly use it for nerd fitness sharing!

[Elastigirl]

Wow, look at all those plates! You're a beast. Way to go on getting home and not hitting post vacation slump, but getting right back into it. I love the sticky notes for meal plan idea. I plan a week, but then I sometimes switch days, and I have to remember which I've done, and it's confusing. Sticky note would give me some flexibilty.  When my son was a kid, I would drive him crazy by switching oth the meals. I had the list for what day we were having each meal, but then I'd decide I wanted Tacos Wednesday instead of Tuesday, and my son would  get all twitchy because I wasn't following the plan. #howtodriveyourkidcrazy

[x Valkyrie x]

23 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

Wow, look at all those plates! You're a beast. Way to go on getting home and not hitting post vacation slump, but getting right back into it. I love the sticky notes for meal plan idea. I plan a week, but then I sometimes switch days, and I have to remember which I've done, and it's confusing. Sticky note would give me some flexibilty.  When my son was a kid, I would drive him crazy by switching oth the meals. I had the list for what day we were having each meal, but then I'd decide I wanted Tacos Wednesday instead of Tuesday, and my son would  get all twitchy because I wasn't following the plan. #howtodriveyourkidcrazy

Thanks, EG!! 

Haha that sounds so much like my brother when he was a kid too! I got the sticky note idea from pinterest, and it really saves time with the layout, and keeps things neat and easy! 

[x Valkyrie x]

The gym didn't happen this morning. :/ cat got sick and woke everyone up at 4 am, so we had to take care of her, (did you know that rubber resistance bands arent for ingestion? She apparently cant get that through her dopey little head) and I ended up going back to sleep and decided not to go to the gym.

 

It's my first day back at work, and it's going well so far, but I reckon I'll get out late cause I'm overbooked with patients, but I'm sort of planning to go to the gym after work....I'm saying "sort of" because I really can't want to right now, I'm sore (holy batman DOMS! ) and tired, and can't I workout tomorrow and Saturday and call that good??*whine whine excuses excuses*

I don't know. so I'll see what I get up to...

[jonfirestar]

Someone once told that when you feel like that just go to the gym and say to yourself. I'm just going to do a warm up. Just to get myself moving and we'll see after that. It usually works to hook me in and at least get something out of the workout day  

[x Valkyrie x]

6 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

Someone once told that when you feel like that just go to the gym and say to yourself. I'm just going to do a warm up. Just to get myself moving and we'll see after that. It usually works to hook me in and at least get something out of the workout day  

That's a really good strategy !  if i had used it...I deliberately bypassed the freeway exit for the gym, but I can still get my 5 days in if I go tomorrow, saturday, Monday and Tuesday, which is reasonable to achieve.

 

I tracked every bit of food I ate today and clocked in at 1375, 200 of which were delicious amaretto cookies from Boston that my coworker brought, everything else was real food, so I liked that. 

 

Sweets: 1/3 for the week so far

 

I drank almost no water, like a fool. Its not an official goal, but I shall do better with that tomorrow!

 

I got a call out of the blue from my indoor soccer place saying a team was looking for players and was I interested. I missed the call and got the message, so I shall call back tomorrow for details...the part of me that wants to go straight home after work to watch the West Wing and do nothing  is usually a about 1,000 times stronger than the part of me that wants to play, but maybe it would be good for me to sacrifice one tv evening for a fun soccer match... 

Even as a kid I was the worst for not going to things, like I was in AWANAS, this kids bible group thing every Wednesday, and I'd go like once a month cuz I couldn't want to. I quit sports, gymnastics and music cause I didn't like that I had to do it every week...I've been a commitment phobe since the dawn of time, and very selfish with my downtime. But I want to want to, if you know what I mean? And its what im trying go train for, and i always have fun when i play. so, I'll call tomorrow after work and see what's the craic. 

 

Tomorrow's Workout:

Warmup plus agility

 

Fast sled push circuit x3:

Fast sled push #45 x200'

Kb swings #30 x15

Skater lunges x20

Plank x>30"

 

Pushups AMRAP

Trx rows 3x15

OHP #15  3x15 (it makes me nervous but I'm gonna try it and try not to drop it on my head)

Bench press #10-15 (the bench press makes me more nervous about dropping a hand weight on my face cause both hands are occupied and it'd be harder to catch if I lost it...) 3x15

Pushups AMRAP

Foam roll and hip adductor stretch

 

Going to bed now so there's no excuses about getting up early and getting it done. My overnight oats are jelling as we speak...they're a bit high in calories (300 per serving) but it's so delicious and loads of protein and healthy fats, and it lasts me through til lunch, so it's worth it!

[x Valkyrie x]

Went to the gym this morning, but about 20 minutes later than i meant to, so I skipped the upper body workout except for pushups.

 

Sled circuit times are improving lots! 

Previous times: 

4:30

4:10

3:30

 

Today's times:

3:20

2:16

3:15

 

I didn't rest between exercises on the 2nd go, but I had to on the 1st and 3rd goes.

[x Valkyrie x]

Grrrrr I forgot to call the soccer lady back! *cursesrawr* I'll call first thing and leave her a message.

 

If I do 3 gym days before work (maybe 2 heavy sled days, 1 fast sled day?), 1 soccer evening (which would be my 2nd cardio day), 1 PT session on Saturdays , that'd work pretty well, I think..?  I could work in the KB swings and planks into one of my heavy days so I'm doing those twice a week still. There's almost not enough days to do all the things, and still get rest days...I'm kind of thinking of doing a half hour of  yoga before my lighter workouts, too, or on my off days(I'm paying for the gym membership with classes, but my training regimen is so full I haven't tried any, so I feel kind of wasteful, though it's only ten bucks extra)...I must do ALL  the things!!!

 

(Sorry guys, this challenge is very much "Valkyrie posts a bunch and thinks out loud and rambles a bunch", it helps me process stuff I guess)

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

8 hours ago, x Valkyrie x said:

(Sorry guys, this challenge is very much "Valkyrie posts a bunch and thinks out loud and rambles a bunch", it helps me process stuff I guess)

Then that is exactly what your challenge needs to be. Process away, we are happy to be the RAM chips to the Processor that is your challenge thread.

[x Valkyrie x]

5 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Then that is exactly what your challenge needs to be. Process away, we are happy to be the RAM chips to the Processor that is your challenge thread.

Thanks Tank! It takes the whole motherboard sometimes! *knows nothing about computers, hopes that was an apt aphorism*

 

 

PT session was this morning! I couldn't want to go, because I had cat on my lap and Hawaii 5-0 on the Netflix, but I ousted the cat, paused the show and I went anyway. 

 

Today was our first arms day and boy howdy he got me good!

 

The rundown:

Warmup: all the agility things, ran through them two or three times, pushups, squat jumps , skipping forwards and back, side shuffles, side lunges (!)

 

Workout:

1. Bench press x10 #15, x15 #15, x10 #20 (we were figuring out what weight I ought to be at, landed on 20 as my max, twice what I've been doing!)

2. bent over rows: 3x10 #25 (B)

3. OHP 2x10 #15 with elbows out to 90 and x10 #15 with elbows in because I couldn't keep my arm in alignment, so that's how I'll do it on my own to protect my shoulders while I get stronger.

4. bicep curls 3x10 #10, holy cow that was so hard. I had to take breaks during the last 2 sets cause I couldn't do it! fun fact, my left arm is gotten stronger than my right, even though I'm right handed, because at work I use my left hand to guard more frequently!

5. lat pulldowns x10 (will do 3x next time) #60

 

I called and let the soccer girl know that I want to play. she's gonna get back to me next week with cost and game times.

 

I gotta write down all the gym stuff and figure out what days I'm doing what things , to make sure I get them all done, and I think I'll try to just add a soccer night rather than sub a gym day, and if i need more recovery then I'll adjust things. 

 

Now I'm gonna make totally not healthy mollasses gingerdoodles and I'm not even one bit sorry. #christmascookies

 

(!): I've had a little contracture in my R hip adductor for at least a couple years now, and side lunges to the left side were slow and careful lest I injure that right leg. I've been working on stretching and moving that leg for a few weeks, since i started with my new PT,and today I could leap from side lunge to side lunge, full ROM without any pain!! 

 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

6 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Then that is exactly what your challenge needs to be. Process away, we are happy to be the RAM chips to the Processor that is your challenge thread.

Very well said. I agree. I often use my challenge thread to process.

[jonfirestar]

41 minutes ago, x Valkyrie x said:

Thanks Tank! It takes the whole motherboard sometimes! *knows nothing about computers, hopes that was an apt aphorism*

*knows too much about computers* close enough   But seriously this is your thread and if you need to use it to think aloud and maybe get some outside input on your ramblings than that is exactly right. 

 

Sounds like you are going to be getting pretty busy if you get a soccer night as well as all the stuff you are doing! It's not bad that you are playing it by ear if you can add an extra active day and be ok. You don't know if you don't try if you can deal but I'd just encourage you to listen to your body and cut back if you are struggling to recover. Do you know how long the games and/or training sessions are going to be? 

 

47 minutes ago, x Valkyrie x said:

Now I'm gonna make totally not healthy mollasses gingerdoodles and I'm not even one bit sorry. #christmascookies

 

ohh do we get photos or did they get eaten?