KaitSith - from art nerd to Amazon - Level 1

[KaitSith]

Hi! I'm KaitSith and I have dreams of power-lifting like a fantastically hot Amazon Warrior / Lady-Gaston. (TMI? Ah well.)

 

This is my first challenge so my goals are pretty simple.

 

Warrior-to-be KaitSith's LEVEL 1 REBEL CHALLENGE:

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30

 

Fitness

• Go to office gym during lunch M/W/F
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend

 

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday

 

I dove into the worksheets last week, digging really deep into my quests. I'm a mother of two, supreme art nerd, and I work a full time job.  I've  prioritized my work schedule and family schedule above my health. (I work as an admin for an IT company and I spend over 40 hours a week at my computer/desk, plus 2 - 3hours daily for my commute into the office, then I have my kids until bedtime, and after that I work on my side business.  I tried and failed to make time to go to a gym before or after work for two years and beat myself up over it constantly.) 

 

My most inspired idea in the planning stage is to use the office gym on my lunch break. Spending my lunch break with my coworkers and friends is some of my only social so it was very important to me, but lately I've been eating and working through my lunches so I am not going to be giving up that time by working out.

 

[fleaball]

Wow you've got a crazy packed schedule. Good job finding a way to squeeze in the gym though. All of your goals look good.  Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

[Mon Mothra]

Hi, KaitSith! Welcome to the challenge

Your challenge looks pretty good - I particularly like that you are starting out your Lady-Gaston (!) dream by going to the office gym 3x a week. That's super achievable.

I imagine that your life is quite busy with a full-time job and a family, but starting out with manageable goals is how you fit "me time" back into your life.

 

I love powerlifting and will be fitting it into my workouts a couple of challenges from now, so that I'll have better stamina by then to pump iron with. I look forward to reading more about your journey to powerlifting godess-ness!

[KaitSith]

Day 1 and Day 2 Recap

 

BIGGEST SUCCESS:

Two of my Quests from the planning week are Get Stronger and Prioritize Quality Family Time.

After spending a week planning, I impulsively purchased annual passes to a local theme park for my family on Day 1. (instead of buying a gym membership that I would never use) it turned out to be the best decision because it multitasks as a family fun time, date night, and sneaky exercise activity. 

It also helps to satisfy Mr. Sith's big goals, so it is a win-win-win.

Excuse me while I pat myself on the back a million times.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

Monday morning meeting went long, into my lunch, completely ruining my plans to go to the gym.  I went late and it was packed. Went on a walk instead.

The amount of people in the gym could lessen into later January? I might need to change to a Tuesday/Thursday gym habit because Monday and Friday in the office can get brutal.  What do I replace M/W/F with?

 

Day 1 Recap:

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday - did not apply to the weekend
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - Nailed it!

Fitness

• Go to office gym during lunch M/W/F - did not apply to the weekend
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - I roped Mr. Sith into trash duty, win!  KidSith is in charge of unloading the dishwasher nightly, second win!
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - NAILED IT! Everything is in GoogleDocs but maybe start tracking with 750words.com to get all that lovely metadata

 

Day 2 Recap:

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday - I brought the ingredients for lunches for the week into work so I have no excuses nor can I leave my lunch at home.
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - Nailed it! (Barely.  I looked at the coffee pot longingly all day.)

Fitness

• Go to office gym during lunch M/W/F - Failed it.  Meeting took up my lunch >_< and I took a walk instead.  This will be my biggest challenge.
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD. Plus, I got to see a baby rhino up close.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - Nailed it! Family Powers activate! Mr. Sith took care of trash duty, KidSith unloaded the dishwasher so I could load it.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - NAILED IT!
• Wrote: 1768 Cut: 4382 Total WC for First Draft: 32798 Wordcount isn't my gauge of success because edits will cut entire pages, but I'm still considering using 750words.com to get all that lovely metadata

[KaitSith]

37 minutes ago, Mon Mothra said:

Hi, KaitSith! Welcome to the challenge

Your challenge looks pretty good - I particularly like that you are starting out your Lady-Gaston (!) dream by going to the office gym 3x a week. That's super achievable.

I imagine that your life is quite busy with a full-time job and a family, but starting out with manageable goals is how you fit "me time" back into your life.

 

I love powerlifting and will be fitting it into my workouts a couple of challenges from now, so that I'll have better stamina by then to pump iron with. I look forward to reading more about your journey to powerlifting godess-ness!

Aww thanks! Lifting never really entered my radar until last year, and like a lot of ladies (I assume, anyway) I spent a lot of time doing cardio and failing at regular exercise because I hate cardio.  

I was recruited to join our company at a huge corporate beach day and they put me on the Tug Of War team.  We're an IT company but we completely kicked butt! We made it to the semi-finals and only lost to a professional team sponsored by a gym - afterwards I was like YES I WILL DO THIS NEXT YEAR and I started strength training vs cardio in the gym.  With my schedule it has been sporadic but I really enjoy it.

[Br0din]

I approve of you lifting heavy things.

[KaitSith]

DAY 3 RECAP:

Holy Mother of Squats, y'all. I can't take stairs today. I have been humbled by 20 chair-assisted squats.

 

BIGGEST SUCCESS:

Meal prepped and bulk cooking at home for 4 meals: Roasted chicken and pork, just add some green veggies nightly and dinner is done! Saving time and no excuses to order pizza because I don't want to cook.

 

KidSith helped with the cooking and is super inspired to start a kid's cooking show on YouTube. He wants it to be just like Good Eats: silly, with puppets and science, called So Easy A Kid Can Do It.  KidSith is 7, you guys.  We have to make this happen.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

My BIG GENIUS IDEA to work out during lunch has been waylaid:  Lunch time is packed in the office gym.  We only have a few ellipticals, treadmills, and weight machines so I have to change my Fitness Challenge plan, and quick! After some research it looks like a beginner body weight work out meets my goal of finding something simple, convenient, and results-oriented. Plus it travels well, right? I added the circuits to my fitness tracking spreadsheet.

It sounds great in theory but I only got through 1 complete circuit. Holy Mother of Squats, how am I going to do this every other day?  My new goal is to get through 2 (!yeah only 2, cringe!) circuits by the end of this challenge. 

 

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday - I brought the ingredients for lunches for the week into work so I have no excuses nor can I leave my lunch at home.
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - So, I didn't refill my coffee after my first cup, but I did nurse it all day, in addition to all the water I was supposed to drink. I'm still calling this a win because I wasn't taking in any additional calories from more cups coffee + cream and sugar.

Fitness

• Beginner Body Weight Work Out 3x a week - 1 of 3. Taking the elevator in the parking garage and telling everyone how I survived 20 squats.
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD. Plus, I got to see a baby rhino up close. Going again next weekend.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - Mr. Sith took care of this because KidSith and I passed out before 9pm.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - NAILED IT! I squeeze this in during my two 15 breaks at work, and sometimes while KidSith is doing his reading homework.
• Wrote: 750 Cut: 0 Total WC for First Draft: 33548
• Made a very rough draft book cover to reward myself.  (This took longer than the squats, I should keep this in perspective)
• 

[Mon Mothra]

10 hours ago, KaitSith said:

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

 

My BIG GENIUS IDEA to work out during lunch has been waylaid:  Lunch time is packed in the office gym.  We only have a few ellipticals, treadmills, and weight machines so I have to change my Fitness Challenge plan, and quick! After some research it looks like a beginner body weight work out meets my goal of finding something simple, convenient, and results-oriented. Plus it travels well, right? I added the circuits to my fitness tracking spreadsheet.

 

It sounds great in theory but I only got through 1 complete circuit. Holy Mother of Squats, how am I going to do this every other day?  My new goal is to get through 2 (!yeah only 2, cringe!) circuits by the end of this challenge.

 

WOW! What an awesome book cover! Love it

 

It's awesome that you came up with an alternative to the office gym, considering that you weren't the first person to dream up working out lunch.

As for the squats, you may want to take a pyramid approach. Build your way up to mega-squat completion using gradual increases in reps and sets.

[shadowmoonsedai]

12 hours ago, KaitSith said:

DAY 3 RECAP:

Holy Mother of Squats, y'all. I can't take stairs today. I have been humbled by 20 chair-assisted squats.

 

BIGGEST SUCCESS:

Meal prepped and bulk cooking at home for 4 meals: Roasted chicken and pork, just add some green veggies nightly and dinner is done! Saving time and no excuses to order pizza because I don't want to cook.

 

KidSith helped with the cooking and is super inspired to start a kid's cooking show on YouTube. He wants it to be just like Good Eats: silly, with puppets and science, called So Easy A Kid Can Do It.  KidSith is 7, you guys.  We have to make this happen.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

My BIG GENIUS IDEA to work out during lunch has been waylaid:  Lunch time is packed in the office gym.  We only have a few ellipticals, treadmills, and weight machines so I have to change my Fitness Challenge plan, and quick! After some research it looks like a beginner body weight work out meets my goal of finding something simple, convenient, and results-oriented. Plus it travels well, right? I added the circuits to my fitness tracking spreadsheet.

It sounds great in theory but I only got through 1 complete circuit. Holy Mother of Squats, how am I going to do this every other day?  My new goal is to get through 2 (!yeah only 2, cringe!) circuits by the end of this challenge. 

 

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday - I brought the ingredients for lunches for the week into work so I have no excuses nor can I leave my lunch at home.
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - So, I didn't refill my coffee after my first cup, but I did nurse it all day, in addition to all the water I was supposed to drink. I'm still calling this a win because I wasn't taking in any additional calories from more cups coffee + cream and sugar.

Fitness

• Beginner Body Weight Work Out 3x a week - 1 of 3. Taking the elevator in the parking garage and telling everyone how I survived 20 squats.
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD. Plus, I got to see a baby rhino up close. Going again next weekend.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - Mr. Sith took care of this because KidSith and I passed out before 9pm.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - NAILED IT! I squeeze this in during my two 15 breaks at work, and sometimes while KidSith is doing his reading homework.
• Wrote: 750 Cut: 0 Total WC for First Draft: 33548
• Made a very rough draft book cover to reward myself.  (This took longer than the squats, I should keep this in perspective)
• 

 

Hello! I love all your goals and will totally watch the S out of So Easy a Kid Can Do It - please share it when it's ready! 

 

You're doing awesome by being flexible so early in the challenge. Body weight exercises are great for office jobs - keep it up! 

[KaitSith]

12 hours ago, Mon Mothra said:

 

WOW! What an awesome book cover! Love it

 

It's awesome that you came up with an alternative to the office gym, considering that you weren't the first person to dream up working out lunch.

As for the squats, you may want to take a pyramid approach. Build your way up to mega-squat completion using gradual increases in reps and sets.

Aww thanks! I'm an artist so I reward my daily success with free range art time.  (Before I would have used food to reward myself for doing squats, dishes, and weaning myself off coffee, because I deserve cheesecake for simply breathing!) 

 

Thank you for the info on the pyramid approach, I did have to google it lol  I'm pretty much the most beginner you can be -- I was just doing cardio and lifting using the gym machines before this challenge.

[KaitSith]

11 hours ago, shadowmoonsedai said:

 

Hello! I love all your goals and will totally watch the S out of So Easy a Kid Can Do It - please share it when it's ready! 

 

You're doing awesome by being flexible so early in the challenge. Body weight exercises are great for office jobs - keep it up! 

Thank you!  He's practicing writing a script now and trying to convince me to buy new knives for the show. I can't even imagine what the teenager years are going to be like.

 

As for the body weight exercises -- I didn't even know they were a thing!! I was just using the weight machines in the office gym.  My pushup/pullups are the most laughable thing in the world.  I can lift heavy things that are not myself. lolz

[shadowmoonsedai]

6 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

Thank you!  He's practicing writing a script now and trying to convince me to buy new knives for the show. I can't even imagine what the teenager years are going to be like.

 

As for the body weight exercises -- I didn't even know they were a thing!! I was just using the weight machines in the office gym.  My pushup/pullups are the most laughable thing in the world.  I can lift heavy things that are not myself. lolz

I feel ya on the push ups/pull ups. I can do pretty well with free weights but pulls ups - yikes. I've been looking into improving my hand grip strength, because I think that's part of the issue. So far, the advice on the internet has been, "Do more pull ups", so... there's that, lol.

 

A good, sharp knife is the best thing for a chef! Dull knives tend to slip and then people get cut. Maybe get him to save his allowance for a smaller chef's knife? Big bucks doesn't always equal better - heck, I've heard good things about the Ikea knives for general day-to-day use. 

[KaitSith]

5 minutes ago, shadowmoonsedai said:

I feel ya on the push ups/pull ups. I can do pretty well with free weights but pulls ups - yikes. I've been looking into improving my hand grip strength, because I think that's part of the issue. So far, the advice on the internet has been, "Do more pull ups", so... there's that, lol.

 

A good, sharp knife is the best thing for a chef! Dull knives tend to slip and then people get cut. Maybe get him to save his allowance for a smaller chef's knife? Big bucks doesn't always equal better - heck, I've heard good things about the Ikea knives for general day-to-day use. 

 

I actually have IKEA knives!  

 

Some backstory: KidSith reads and researches things that he is obsessed with, like Titanic, Minecraft, Fantasia, Old computer/video game stuff, 80s kids toys, and cooking tools. For this particular subject he watches smelting/forging videos, reads reviews of chef's knives, watches YouTube reviews/performance tests etc, and presents his evidence in favor of my parting with $500 for a Japanese knife which is basically a katana for vegetables.  

 

This kid has argued for adding honey to his strawberries by lecturing me about the dopamine reward system in your brain. So, he's basically a mini Alton Brown.  That does not mean that he is getting a vegetable katana, he was allowed to pick out some honey from a local beekeeper.

 

We have two very good, regularly sharpened knives that are the workhorses of our kitchen, and one smaller, sad lonely paring knife that gets no attention because its not as fun to use to chop veggies. KidSith loves IKEA with a passion and I end up there weekly... so maybe I can convince him to research some of those knives and see if bribing him with some smaland play time/new IKEA knives is a double feature that he can't refuse.

 

Also, I need to find the overweight newbs guide to being able to do a single push up/ pull up - but internet advice looks like it is a matter of strengthening my upper arms + losing weight so I don't break my dining room table (also IKEA) trying to do an assisted version.

[Mon Mothra]

53 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

Thank you for the info on the pyramid approach, I did have to google it lol  I'm pretty much the most beginner you can be -- I was just doing cardio and lifting using the gym machines before this challenge.

 

YOU CAN DO IT!

Since you're kind of new to this, I highly recommend reading The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler. It has a progam that a beginner can follow

13 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

We have two very good, regularly sharpened knives that are the workhorses of our kitchen, and one smaller, sad lonely paring knife that gets no attention because its not as fun to use to chop veggies. KidSith loves IKEA with a passion and I end up there weekly... so maybe I can convince him to research some of those knives and see if bribing him with some smaland play time/new IKEA knives is a double feature that he can't refuse.

Baby, you need more knives! Get your smarty-pants KidSith to research some

[shadowmoonsedai]

7 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

 

I actually have IKEA knives!  

 

Some backstory: KidSith reads and researches things that he is obsessed with, like Titanic, Minecraft, Fantasia, Old computer/video game stuff, 80s kids toys, and cooking tools. For this particular subject he watches smelting/forging videos, reads reviews of chef's knives, watches YouTube reviews/performance tests etc, and presents his evidence in favor of my parting with $500 for a Japanese knife which is basically a katana for vegetables.  

 

This kid has argued for adding honey to his strawberries by lecturing me about the dopamine reward system in your brain. So, he's basically a mini Alton Brown.  That does not mean that he is getting a vegetable katana, he was allowed to pick out some honey from a local beekeeper.

 

We have two very good, regularly sharpened knives that are the workhorses of our kitchen, and one smaller, sad lonely paring knife that gets no attention because its not as fun to use to chop veggies. KidSith loves IKEA with a passion and I end up there weekly... so maybe I can convince him to research some of those knives and see if bribing him with some smaland play time/new IKEA knives is a double feature that he can't refuse.

 

Also, I need to find the overweight newbs guide to being able to do a single push up/ pull up - but internet advice looks like it is a matter of strengthening my upper arms + losing weight so I don't break my dining room table (also IKEA) trying to do an assisted version.

KidSith sounds like an awesome kid, while also being somewhat overwhelming haha. He actually sounds a lot like my husband, so I have a feel for what that's like. We currently have 7 gallons of local honey in one of our closets because he's into homebrewing and read that local honey is the best for mead and hey, maybe it will help with my allergies because local honey is basically the cure-all for everything, which justified buying 10 gallons when he only needed, like, 3. TL;DR - if KidSith needs more honey, I got your hookup. 

 

I can also understand the lure of the vegetable katana - I want one too! But, because I'm an adult, I have to agree with the good, regularly sharpened knives. Maybe having a knife that's just his will help soothe the wound of being denied the glory that is Japanese steel. 

 

I'm not at all sure who thought it would be a good idea to suggest push-ups assisted by a dining room table. I've done that too and nearly gave myself a concussion when the table slid out from under me. I just use the counter now - it's a little taller but bolted to the floor, which is a plus. 

[KaitSith]

25 minutes ago, Mon Mothra said:

 

YOU CAN DO IT!

Since you're kind of new to this, I highly recommend reading The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler. It has a progam that a beginner can follow

Baby, you need more knives! Get your smarty-pants KidSith to research some

Oooooooooooh thank you for the recommendation!  That is a super inexpensive book and I have a $25 Amazon gift card so I can grab that for kindle and as a paperback. Winning!

 

KidSith needs no encouragement on that front: he also wants to build a forge in the backyard so we can make knives out of lawnmower blades.  Instead I constantly have to be all Mom-like and tell him, "Maybe you should do your spelling homework, dude." 

[fleaball]

Stairs are also good for push-ups. As you get stronger you just move down a step. 

[KaitSith]

28 minutes ago, shadowmoonsedai said:

KidSith sounds like an awesome kid, while also being somewhat overwhelming haha. He actually sounds a lot like my husband, so I have a feel for what that's like. We currently have 7 gallons of local honey in one of our closets because he's into homebrewing and read that local honey is the best for mead and hey, maybe it will help with my allergies because local honey is basically the cure-all for everything, which justified buying 10 gallons when he only needed, like, 3. TL;DR - if KidSith needs more honey, I got your hookup. 

 

I can also understand the lure of the vegetable katana - I want one too! But, because I'm an adult, I have to agree with the good, regularly sharpened knives. Maybe having a knife that's just his will help soothe the wound of being denied the glory that is Japanese steel. 

 

I'm not at all sure who thought it would be a good idea to suggest push-ups assisted by a dining room table. I've done that too and nearly gave myself a concussion when the table slid out from under me. I just use the counter now - it's a little taller but bolted to the floor, which is a plus. 

KidSith is both Pinky and the Brain, for sure.  He still can't tie his shoes and cries when he has to talk to pretty girls, so he's not all super genius all the time.  Every time I think he wants to do something properly nerdy like be a professional gamer or network engineer he's all, hey I just want to play with my sister's doll house right now, or let's buy some bookcases from IKEA so I can build them.  

BUT Ooooh I might have to get hooked up with some of your honey, Mr. Sith is also a fiend and we started cutting out refined sugar in all the things.

 

AND!!!! I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT USING THE COUNTER! YESSSSSSS!! NOW I WILL NOT DIE OF GRIEVOUS HEAD INJURIES. <--- that is still debatable I am pretty clumsy.

 

[KaitSith]

7 minutes ago, fleaball said:

Stairs are also good for push-ups. As you get stronger you just move down a step. 

That's a fantastic idea because I have stairs in my home and at work! I'm not embarrassed to admit that this kinda blew my mind and its sooooo obvious!

[fleaball]

41 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

That's a fantastic idea because I have stairs in my home and at work! I'm not embarrassed to admit that this kinda blew my mind and its sooooo obvious!

Been there, done that. I think sometimes we get stuck on the "right" way to do things and forget to think out of the box. But that's why you're here right? So we can all help each other. =P

[Br0din]

 

just keep practicing!!

[shadowmoonsedai]

22 hours ago, KaitSith said:

KidSith is both Pinky and the Brain, for sure.  He still can't tie his shoes and cries when he has to talk to pretty girls, so he's not all super genius all the time.  Every time I think he wants to do something properly nerdy like be a professional gamer or network engineer he's all, hey I just want to play with my sister's doll house right now, or let's buy some bookcases from IKEA so I can build them.  

BUT Ooooh I might have to get hooked up with some of your honey, Mr. Sith is also a fiend and we started cutting out refined sugar in all the things.

 

AND!!!! I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT USING THE COUNTER! YESSSSSSS!! NOW I WILL NOT DIE OF GRIEVOUS HEAD INJURIES. <--- that is still debatable I am pretty clumsy.

 

 

I feel like your son and my husband MUST be related somehow, because a forge sounds exactly like something my husband would start planning if he ever went down the knives rabbit hole. 

 

If you're in the Michigan area, we can definitely figure out how to share this bounty with you. I know honey never expires but, seriously, I want my closet floor back. >_>

22 hours ago, fleaball said:

Stairs are also good for push-ups. As you get stronger you just move down a step. 

 

I totally forgot about stairs - I used to do stairs push ups at my old job. I would actually take the stairs up to the top floor and then do push ups - it's like a double workout. Definitely should do that again. 

[KaitSith]

DAY 4 RECAP:

Stairs are my mortal enemy.

 

BIGGEST SUCCESS:

I did not weep as I took 3 flights of stairs to my car, instead of the elevator....Why does it hurt so much more the 2nd day after my work out?

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

Not feeling so tired that I want all of the coffee, next week I am changing my Level up your Life goal from dishes to going to bed earlier.  Mr. Sith and KidSith have been taking care of dishes and trash and I can't feel guilty.

 

 

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday -  Mr. Sith surprised me for lunch with a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick Fil A.  Almost healthy, lol, I ate my 3oz of turkey breast as a snack with my apples.
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - Failed.  I was so tired that I zombie drank coffee without even thinking about it.

Fitness

• Beginner Body Weight Work Out 3x a week - Day off.  I have to work on upper body strength for Tug Of War in April, but getting some ibuprofen for my thighs. Stupid Squats.
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD. Plus, I got to see a baby rhino up close. Going again next weekend.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - Mr. Sith took care of this because I made dinner.  I should probably stop taking credit for making him do chores.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - NAILED IT! I wrote 400 words in my Plot Points document that lead me to cutting almost an entire chapter.  I have to break this habit too: The first draft should be a sprint to the finish and I am not allowed to write and edit at the same time.
• Wrote: 400  Cut: 2311  Total WC for First Draft: 31237

 

Day 5 Recap:

Cutting back on coffee isn't working.  Here's why: I don't drink coffee at home/ on the weekends unless Mr. Sith and I go on a writing date.  At work I sit in front of a computer all day and I go through a cycle of mindlessly drinking + refilling my coffee. We have real sugar and half & half, which I don't measure when I add to my coffee, and I drink at least 3 cups/day.  These mostly empty calories are (I'm guessing) some of the biggest culprits of my weight gain over the past two year of having this job.

 

 

BIGGEST SUCCESS:

I have to quit coffee the same way I quit smoking.  I will mindlessly continue the habit if I have it available.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

Seeing all creative times as equal and not acting like GrumpyKait.  I DM our family D&D Campaign.  I realize that people wanting to play a game with me is not nefarious, but they were manipulative and belligerent about it and I am bitter and resentful.  This is my first foray into D&D at all, and I'm the &!^%%!*%! DM.  I do enjoy parts of it for sure, but mostly it is a giant looming thing that steals a lot of my time, patience, and attention.  One does not simply show up to game night and roll some dice.

 

 

Diet 

• Pack and bring lunch to work everyday -  Enchilada day.  Bringing all the veggies tomorrow.
• No coffee, just water, after 10:30 - Nailed it! I had 1 cup on the commute and then none at work.

Fitness

• Beginner Body Weight Work Out 3x a week - 2 of 3. EXCUSE ME WHILE I WHINE: I added in Stair-Assisted Push Ups and I couldn't finish 5 without needing a break because my arms were shaking and failing to complete the motion.  I took a long break and did 5 more... then a long break and 5 more.  I couldn't finish 20, my arms seriously wouldn't lift my body weight again.  This is part of the process, right? Right?? It was maybe 12 minutes of my life and I have no idea if this is helping.
• 3 miles of walking on the weekend - Nailed it! NAILED IT SO HARD. Plus, I got to see a baby rhino up close. Going again next weekend.

Level Up Your Life 

• Keep the kitchen clean! Dishes and trash out every night. - Mr. Sith and KidSith took care of this because I made dinner and hosted our D&D night, which lasted until 10:30. This is still getting done, but only with support from the family.
• Finish that book! 15 minutes - 1 hour of writing everyday - Biweekly D&D duties ate this right up.  I wrote plenty of things, but not for the book.

[KaitSith]

17 minutes ago, shadowmoonsedai said:

I feel like your son and my husband MUST be related somehow, because a forge sounds exactly like something my husband would start planning if he ever went down the knives rabbit hole. 

 

If you're in the Michigan area, we can definitely figure out how to share this bounty with you. I know honey never expires but, seriously, I want my closet floor back. >_>

We live in Tampa, Florida but are planning a trip to MI to visit a friend.  It is still up in the air, though, so I can make no promises about your closet floor.

 

Our top floor is the 11th floor.  I barely make it up 3... that could be a new challenge for me, though!

[shadowmoonsedai]

3 minutes ago, KaitSith said:

We live in Tampa, Florida but are planning a trip to MI to visit a friend.  It is still up in the air, though, so I can make no promises about your closet floor.

 

Our top floor is the 11th floor.  I barely make it up 3... that could be a new challenge for me, though!

Make sure to bring your winter clothes but also an umbrella and rain boots because our weather is even more non-nonsensical than usual. Thanks, climate change!