The Legend of RhiaWolfe - Late to the Party

[RhiaWolfe]

I'm late to the party, but that's ok. I got back from my cruise and then got sick. I'm still fighting the illness and it's driving me nuts. I want to get back in the gym. I'm still trying to eat healthy though. This challenge (or what's left of it) I will be focusing on getting back on track with nutrition and fitness. I will pretty much have the same goals as last time: 

 

Level Up Cooking: I will cook my meals all week and limit my eating out to 2 times per week.

 

Level Up Fitness: I will go to the gym 4 times a week.

 

Level Up Snacking: I will choose healthy snacks and limit sugar intake. 

 

I've been sick, so my Level Up Fitness will not be on par until I recover. Until then, I need to get back to healthy eating. 

 

 

[Fonzico]

Welcome back!

 

I kept being like "oh no, I haven't checked in with Rhiawolfe!"

 

No..

She's not here yet.

 

How was the cruise?!

Sorry you've been sick, but glad to hear you're on the mend!

[RhiaWolfe]

Week 2: Sunday:

 

I sadly didn't realize that the challenge started last week, so I'm working on week 2. Bear with me. I got sick on the last day of my cruise and I'm STILL fighting the bug. UGH! Didn't do great on Sunday. But I'm ready to do better and get to it!

 

 

Level Up Cooking: I ate some peanut butter crackers and a banana for breakfast. For lunch I made some hot dogs (not bad on calories). However it was game night, so I ended up using the vanilla I brought home from mexico to make some vanilla ice cream (YUM!) and we ordered pizza. So, not so great. 1/2 Pending...

 

Level Up Fitness: So I was feeling so much better on Saturday that I was like, "Yes!!! I'm going to the gym tomorrow (Sunday)! I'm excited to get back into it!" and then I woke up Sunday. I felt terrible. My throat hurt, my head was congested... but I still got up and put on my work out clothes. Then after talking to some people on NF, I decided against it. Instead, I started cleaning the house a bit. I'm glad I didn't go to the gym, because after just a little bit of cleaning I was exhausted. So tired. So I tried to take it easy. 0/4 Pending...

 

Level Up Snacking: I don't remember eating any unhealthy snacks. For a snack I had some popcorn (stove popped) and an apple. I did good here at least! 1/7 Success!

 

Clearly I still have a lot of work to do. Hopefully I can kick this illness and feel well enough to really tackle my goals. I'm afraid to step on the scale. 

 

The cruise was fun overall... but the food was terrible. OMG so many carbs. The food was like cafeteria food. I picked up an apple to eat and it was brown and mushy. Oh, it was horrible. Most of their fruit came out of a can. UGH! I was at least able to get some steamed broccoli and carrots with dinner. 

 

So, since I ended up eating all of their fried, greasy, buttery food, I'm addicted to bad food again. It's going to take some work to get back to where I was. 

 

 

[RhiaWolfe]

3 minutes ago, Fonzico said:

Welcome back!

 

I kept being like "oh no, I haven't checked in with Rhiawolfe!"

 

No..

She's not here yet.

 

How was the cruise?!

Sorry you've been sick, but glad to hear you're on the mend!

 

Haha! Yeah, since I was sick all last week I spent a lot of time just sleeping. Haven't kept up with a lot. Hopefully I'll be better soon!

 

I haven't checked on anyone else's challenges yet. That's next on my todo list! Hope yours is going well! I shall see shortly! 

 

Cruise was fun overall. The best part was going to Chichen Itza to see the Mayan Pyramids and temples. It was super cool. (I love things like that). 

 

As I mentioned above though, the food was terrible. The gym on board the ship was kinda small too. I spent a lot of time laying out on deck in the sun with my friend and just reading. That part was awesome.  

[Elastigirl]

Laying out in the sun reading sounds awesome, and you got to see pyramids, super cool. Take care and feel better soon. Eating healthy will help you heal.

[RhiaWolfe]

12 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

Laying out in the sun reading sounds awesome, and you got to see pyramids, super cool. Take care and feel better soon. Eating healthy will help you heal.

 

Yeah, I'm trying to eat healthy again... all last week it was "I feel horrible and don't feel like cooking... let's just get something." Bad Rhia. That may be one reason it's taking longer for me to recover and why I have no energy. I'm trying to do better this week though. 

 

I actually caught the reading bug from my cruise. It seems like any free time I have now I'm reading a book. I"ve read like 6 books in the last two weeks. I haven't been this book crazy since I was in highschool. lol!

[RhiaWolfe]

Here's a few photos from my cruise for those of you curious!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Yay pic's. I agree, it's super hard to be motivated to cook when you're sick.

[RhiaWolfe]

You know what to me the coolest part was though? The entire trip, I didn't once feel ashamed of my weight. I walked around in my bathing suit, shorts, and even a tank top one day and didn't feel the least self-conscious. Even looking back at these pictures I'm not comparing myself to my friend (who is super fit). I look back at these photos and think "I look better than I have in a long time!" I also bought XL t-shirts instead of the XXL I was wearing. 

 

Seeing results and owning it!!!!

[starpuck]

28 minutes ago, RhiaWolfe said:

You know what to me the coolest part was though? The entire trip, I didn't once feel ashamed of my weight. I walked around in my bathing suit, shorts, and even a tank top one day and didn't feel the least self-conscious. Even looking back at these pictures I'm not comparing myself to my friend (who is super fit). I look back at these photos and think "I look better than I have in a long time!" I also bought XL t-shirts instead of the XXL I was wearing. 

 

Seeing results and owning it!!!!

 

Yay so glad you have a thread going, because, selfishly speaking, your threads are super motivating for me!   Probably because we're trying to do similar things and we have a few of the same (gaming) hurdles!

 

This bit above here?  Oh man, I am so so so so so happy you feel this way and even more importantly, SEE IT.  Because my first comment on the photos was going to be,

"Girl you are beautiful!  And you are owning it in every one of these pics!  I LOVE IT!"

Seriously great pics.   It looks like you had a blast, and yeah, those kinds of situations are hard to keep disciplined through- and I'm not even sure it's worth it to be 100% perfectly disciplined through special events like that.   When you're doing amazing, indulgence like things, I very much thing indulging in the culinary side is okay.    I guess the real trick is finding that moderation.    And man that's so tough.

 

I'm super excited to follow you along again!    And I hope you kick the rest of that cold's butt, so you can get back to kicking all the other butts!

 

[RedStone]

Hey girl  you def look like you had a wonderful time, and yes, the progress shows!!!! Worst thing about being on holiday is having it end  

 

Ever onwards!  

[RhiaWolfe]

4 minutes ago, Starpuck said:

 

Yay so glad you have a thread going, because, selfishly speaking, your threads are super motivating for me!   Probably because we're trying to do similar things and we have a few of the same (gaming) hurdles!

 

This bit above here?  Oh man, I am so so so so so happy you feel this way and even more importantly, SEE IT.  Because my first comment on the photos was going to be,

"Girl you are beautiful!  And you are owning it in every one of these pics!  I LOVE IT!"

Seriously great pics.   It looks like you had a blast, and yeah, those kinds of situations are hard to keep disciplined through- and I'm not even sure it's worth it to be 100% perfectly disciplined through special events like that.   When you're doing amazing, indulgence like things, I very much thing indulging in the culinary side is okay.    I guess the real trick is finding that moderation.    And man that's so tough.

 

I'm super excited to follow you along again!    And I hope you kick the rest of that cold's butt, so you can get back to kicking all the other butts!

 

 

Oh yes, I'm ready to do some butt kicking!!!! Stoopid cold. 

 

Your thread motivates me too! We both need to continue kicking those butts and defeating the dreaded snack dragon! 

 

Thank you for the compliments!!!! It's a wonderful feeling to not be ashamed of how I look. That dress I bought specifically for this cruise, I LOVE the way I look in it! Usually I don't do sleeveless because I'm self conscious about my arms, but I didn't care. I loved the look and it was super comfortable! 

 

*fistbump* Let's do this!!!!

[RhiaWolfe]

1 minute ago, RedStone said:

Hey girl  you def look like you had a wonderful time, and yes, the progress shows!!!! Worst thing about being on holiday is having it end  

 

Ever onwards!  

 

Oh yeah, it was quite fun. Definitely wasn't ready to return to the real world. I want to go back on the ship and lay out in the sun with a good book.  

[RhiaWolfe]

So, I'm taking a leaf out of @Starpuck's book and am going to post updates on my Pathfinder game that I'm running. I've got to explain a lot to set up the scene though, so bear with me. See below if interested:

 

Spoiler

So, first, explanation of world:

 

So, in my world there are of course the races that are typical for Pathfinder, elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. So, the primary religion dates back to the creation of these races. Pretty much everyone agrees that once upon a time there was a master race. This race was perfect. It was so perfect that the race became unhappy with little to no change in their daily lives. Already being perfect they had nothing to work towards or achieve. The gods decided to split the perfect being into several different races that became elves, dwarves, humans, halflings, etc. 

 

Now as time progressed, the lore became different. Different races started to believe that the split was a punishment for something done wrong by the master race and a few of the races like the elves and the dwarves believe they are the most beloved of the races and fight to uphold their honor. So the Elves and Dwarves are constantly at war with a few moments of uneasy peace. Some of the other races like the halflings just don't understand why everyone can't just get along. The humans have accepted that they are not the 'most beloved' because they don't have any specific strengths, but as such, they see the fighting to be annoying and just plain stupid. They decide instead to just do the best that they can. Gnomes couldn't care less whether or not they are most beloved. They just want to be left alone to their inventions. 

 

There are only two ways you see races working together as a whole. One is under the worship of the Sun God, Minas and the Moon Goddess, Namine. Male paladins follow the order of the sun while females follow the order of the moon. Race does not matter as long as you dedicate your life to your deity and do good to protect those weaker and less able. 

 

 

The second way to see races working together are in the desert. A long time ago, criminals, cutthroats, and thieves were exiled to the desert. Over time, the people of the desert weeded each other out until only the strongest females remained. After years of hardship, rape, and being treated like possessions in the desert culture, the women rose up and claimed the land for their own. It is a harsh environment, so these women are hardened warriors. To Procreate they will kidnap men and use them to have children. The female children are raised to be warriors. The male children are brought up to serve their betters and eventually sent through they light curtain when they reach a certain age. 

 

The light curtain is the boundary of the forest. No one who has ever gone through the curtain has returned. It is unknown if the people who go through survive. It is, however, a chance of living. 

 

Men, once they have been used for procreation, are then sent to play in gladiator games with desert creatures. If they win (survive) they are sent through the curtain. 

 

Then the cast:

 

Lucien - Female Elf Paladin (played by a guy). Lucien, as a female, follows the order of the Moon. She was a true believer who had achieved a high rank. Then due to corruption within the order she was framed for the killing of the leader of the order. Unable to plead her case, she ran and hid outside the city. Now a friend has contacted her for help within the order. Her friend claims that there is a slight against the queen and they are trying to find out who is leading the New Moon Knights (the name given to the traitors). 

 

Zard the Bard - Zard is a pretty boy human (played by a female). He was a part of this little group where he left to find his fortune and learn to play instruments and entertain people. A very happy go lucky sort of character who is always wanting to impress the females. He also lost his mother when he was very young. The only thing he remembers about her is her voice. He is not sure what happened to her... if she was kidnapped, if she's dead, or what. 

 

Rowen (? I may have the name wrong) - Male Half-elf fighter (played by a female). He lived in a tribe with his family when he decided to go off and seek his fame and fortune. He is now the right hand man to the King and Queen of Athemy (the main kingdom). He is a protector and investigates possible threats to the throne. 

 

More to come! 

 

[starpuck]

Ooooh excited to hear more.    Did everyone pre-plan to play opposite of their RL gender?     I've played tons of male characters on my MUSH's, even ones that end up romantically involved with other PC's!  But I have only ever played male PC's in tabletop when forced (Deathwatch... Space Marines are ONLY female.)

[RhiaWolfe]

15 minutes ago, Starpuck said:

Ooooh excited to hear more.    Did everyone pre-plan to play opposite of their RL gender?     I've played tons of male characters on my MUSH's, even ones that end up romantically involved with other PC's!  But I have only ever played male PC's in tabletop when forced (Deathwatch... Space Marines are ONLY female.)

 

It actually just happened that the girls wanted to play a guy and the guy wanted to play a girl. It wasn't until we finished making character sheets that they realized. It's been a lot of fun. We make fun of Zard when he calls Lucien "dude" because she's talking kinda to the player and not the character. Zard went from "dude" to "oh, why fair maiden..." lol

 

[Fonzico]

You know what to me the coolest part was though? The entire trip, I didn't once feel ashamed of my weight. I walked around in my bathing suit, shorts, and even a tank top one day and didn't feel the least self-conscious. Even looking back at these pictures I'm not comparing myself to my friend (who is super fit). I look back at these photos and think "I look better than I have in a long time!" I also bought XL t-shirts instead of the XXL I was wearing. 

 

Seeing results and owning it!!!! [emoji5]

You look so happy in these pics, I can see everything you've said shining through your face! And you look freaking smashing in the dress by the way!

 

I'm so glad you are appreciating yourself for all the hard work you've put in and progress you've made. I love it!

[RhiaWolfe]

9 hours ago, Fonzico said:

You look so happy in these pics, I can see everything you've said shining through your face! And you look freaking smashing in the dress by the way!

 

I'm so glad you are appreciating yourself for all the hard work you've put in and progress you've made. I love it!

 

Thank you! I'm rocking my XL Cozumel, Mexico t-shirt today at work. lol. 

 

After the bad habits I went to on the cruise, I'm having trouble getting back into my routine. Mostly, on the cruise, it felt like we were always eating. now, it's hard for me not to snack on something constantly. Need to work on that. 

[RhiaWolfe]

Week 2-Monday:

 

Didn't do horrible, but didn't do great. Still working on it. By the end of the challenge I will be back on track though!

 

Level Up Cooking: 

Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in olive oil & handful of grapes with water.

Lunch: Turkey sandwich & an apple with water

Dinner: Baked chicken breast, baked potato, & corn

 

I cooked dinner. Simple, yet tasty. I tried this new seasoning called Kickin' Chicken from a local spice shop. It was actually pretty good. So, I went into the spice shop and got their 11 samples for $8, so I'm trying all kinds of new seasonings. This one I might actually buy the whole seasoning bottle. 1/2 Success!

 

Level Up Fitness: Still haven't been to the gym. Still sick. However, starting today, I am going to stretch for at least 15-20 minutes every day instead of going to the gym. I can stretch while I'm sick! So tonight, I will count stretching as my level up to fitness this week. Keep me accountable guys!  0/4 Pending...

 

 

 

Level Up Snacking: Didn't make this one. So, overall my snacking was healthy, but I had some chocolate Cadbury mini eggs from Easter. I also had some of my homemade ice cream after dinner. Even more than that though, I felt like I couldn't stop eating. I think it's because of my cruise where it felt like I was eating all the time. In between meals I had cashews, rice cakes, mandarin oranges, popcorn, a banana, and pretty much anything I could grab. I need to fix this. 1/7 Pending...

 

 

Still working on it. It's going to take me a little bit to get back on track, but unlike before, I'm not worried. I know I can do this now and I'm not looking for fast results. I'm in this for the long term! 

[starpuck]

I love the stretching alternative for the gym time!  That's a great way to adapt around LIFE HAPPENINGS!     Good plan!

 

Is there something you can distract yourself with when you have the urge to snack?    Could you sip on a calorie free beverage, through a straw, to trick your brain into thinking your mouth is doing something with food?

 

You'll get there, and I love the fearless attitude!

[RhiaWolfe]

Actually, my water cup for work is one of those that have the straw in it. As a bonus, it's also a Legend of Zelda cup.

 

 

 

I try to drink more water when I'm thirsty. A cup of tea in the morning also helps to curb my appetite a bit. I'm trying to play with my fidget cube today at work when I start feeling like I need to munch on something. Hopefully some of these help so I can get back on track.  

[starpuck]

Dunno if it's a good suggestion or not, but sucking on a sucker or lollipop (Dumdum type, or Tootsie Pop) used to be a thing I'd try.   Rather than eat 10 handfuls of whatever, my mouth was occupied for however long on the Sucker.    This was a strategy I briefly used for gaming... I might try that again this week.    If you're avoiding sugar, I bet they have sugar free lolli's somewhere!

 

[RhiaWolfe]

Pathfinder game continued! 

 

Spoiler

First session:

 

So, when the characters first got together, it was hard for me to figure out a way to bring them together. So, I made up an NPC which was Lucien's best friend when she was still in high favor of the Lunar Knights. This NPC, Elizabeth, had sent a letter to Lucien asking her for help. She says that she is working towards outing the corruption in the Lunar Knights and informs Lucien of a plot against the Queen. So, Lucien comes back to the city of Athemy and goes to an inn to wait the arrival of Elizabeth. 

 

Rowen also got a letter letting him know about a possible threat to the Queen and so he too came to the inn to find out what is going on and what he can do to help. 

 

Zard just happened to be in the inn entertaining some guests when he thought he'd walk over and hit on the hot elf sitting by herself in the corner (Lucien). 

(This is especially funny because my female friend is portraying Zard using all the stereotypical pick up lines and advances that a confident playboy might use, and the one being accosted is actually a guy playing the female elf. Hilarity ensued.)

 

So, Elizabeth give them a quest to go to this old abandoned house. Somewhere inside there is a hidden chest that contains mithril armor. According to Elizabeth, they need that armor to continue her part. (funny part is, they didn't ask why she needed the mithril. They are blindingly trusting her, which works in my favor). 

 

So they go to the old house and start off by giving the house a good look over, circling around outside trying to find the best way in and if there is anyone lurking. Their perception checks revealed that there are some dogs growling inside of the house, but little else can be found. There are some flickering candle light so it's clear that someone has been in the house recently. 

 

Lucien suggests burning the house down. No, seriously, that was his/her answer. I totally would have let them do it because I never would have thought of doing that. His reasoning is that mithril is resistant to dragon fire... so why not burn the house down and just sift through the ashes afterwards. The others vetoed him though and they all decided just to walk through the front door.  If they had burned the house down, I would have had to pull something out of my ass because that dungeon was all I had planned so far. lol. 

 

So they go into the house. Now, only one of my players has played D&D before... but the campaign she was a part of was heavily dungeon crawling focused. I"m more story driven. I could tell that she was used to the dungeoning because she was checking for traps like every five minutes. I gave them some puzzles to figure out like finding a key in the fireplace ashes and whatnot. They continued into the house and ran into some ROUS's or very large rats. They had to fight them. Since it was their first battle, it took the rest of the session learning battle mechanics. 

 

I'll post the next session (last Sunday's session) soon! 

 

[Elastigirl]

Agreeing with Starpuck on the pic's you look so happy, and really rock that dress! I was just gone on a long weekend, and snacked more, and now I'm fighting the urge to snack again. 

[RhiaWolfe]

8 minutes ago, Starpuck said:

Dunno if it's a good suggestion or not, but sucking on a sucker or lollipop (Dumdum type, or Tootsie Pop) used to be a thing I'd try.   Rather than eat 10 handfuls of whatever, my mouth was occupied for however long on the Sucker.    This was a strategy I briefly used for gaming... I might try that again this week.    If you're avoiding sugar, I bet they have sugar free lolli's somewhere!

 

 

I'm not a fan of the sugar free lollies, but it is a good idea! I may try some gum. I've tried to at least substitute the snacks for something less calorie-heavy... like nuts instead of candy. Hopefully once I kick the sugar addiction again I can also lower my snack cravings too.