SkiBlue Shakes the Dust Off

[SkiBlue]

Hey there! No matter how many times I stumble around, I always find myself returning, so here I am, still attempting to figure out a rhythm for myself. I've taken a bit of time off-line to try out some things on my own. I've learned a few new things, and I believe I've gotten a solid idea of where I want my foundation to be. I know I've tried in the past to pave one and haven't had much success with lifting off it once it's there. However, I'm beginning to think that was due, in part, to being afraid to build on it, not trusting myself to keep the foundation, when I know that I'm more than capable of doing so. I also think I get stuck in my head too much; too much planning/analyzing/thinking, not enough doing (case in point: everything I post here). So here's to more actions and less head time; less time to doubt, to analyze & paralyze.

 

My goal for this challenge is simple: drop my weight below the 200lb mark. I've been hovering between 210lb and 200lb for what seems like forever (hitting the 200lb mark was a bit of a rude awakening). I know what I need to do in order to get there, so this challenge is about making it happen in action, with all y'all crazy Rangers (and other friends ) to hold me accountable; when you get down to it, doing things for others is what drives me (doing these things for others, by proxy, gets them done for me).

 

Here's how we're going to accomplish this goal:

1. Hit my daily macro goals. Extra effort required during weekends.
2. Walk 8-10k steps daily. Bring the Ranger companion whenever possible. Obligatory Ranger Companion photo: 
   Spoiler

   

    

3. Attend regular Capoeira class weekly (2x per week, Monday & Wednesday).
4. Be a more responsible adult (choose-your-own-adventure, see below).

Choose Your Own Adventure (4th quest):
Every week, I will choose one task (either from one group or both, provided two tasks are not overwhelming) from the provided list of adult tasks. I will do what I can within that week to complete the chosen task(s). If I complete it early, I will strike it out and pick another one to work on for the remainder of the week. If I do no complete it by the end of that week, then I will carry it over to the next week. I will set a minimum requirement of four completed tasks for this challenge.

Spoiler

 

Vehicle Maintenance Tasks:

• clean interior
• change oil
• replace headlight
• get error code read
• repair, as able
• get inspected, when able

Cleaning Tasks:

• make trip to recycling center (recycle Rock Band equipment, small appliances, used motor oil, etc.)
• donate boxed up food staples
• clean out & organize "craft" room
• clean house interior (downstairs & upstairs, all rooms)
• clean house exterior (including garage, patio, & grill)

Financial Tasks:

• reapply for IBR
• apply for student loan consolidation (for CFNC loans)

 

All right. Thread up. Time for action (afternoon walk) before I ramble on about this week's choose your own adult adventure decision. Yes, you guessed it! More weeks = more actions. I start TODAY.

 

Goals rant (because I can't help rambling):

Spoiler

I've settled on attaining NF Diet Level 2 (from NF Yoga's Diet Cheat Sheet) by using a daily cycling macro goal provided by ETP (stolen from Rurik & Marauder). Whenever I try to overhaul my diet to focus on clean eating, I always end up under-eating, but I still need to limit what I am currently eating, so to focus on learning meal-planning and developing the awareness to whether I'm fueling up enough, this is where I decided to go. It makes me pro-actively track my food, which in turn makes me plan meals ahead of time and be aware of what I'm eating so that I can sort out my macro puzzle. I think this foundational habit will help me progress through the NF Diet Levels to get to Level 7 more easily and effectively (using the cheat sheet will help me avoid mental fatigue by taking out that guess work). My ETP coaches have repeatedly reminded me that my lack of low-impact activity, mainly walking and such, is the weak point to reaching the <200lb benchmark. Seeing as I have a very lively Ranger companion who'd love nothing more than to smell everything outside, I'm going to make a conscious effort to walk enough every day and let him drag me along whenever possible. My Capoeira attendance needs to be a priority; I have a tendency to skip classes when I feel like I have no other time to do anything else (chores or otherwise). I've been consistently attending Monday classes, but with Acrobatics being postponed until school starts again, I can easily make it to Wednesday class regularly as well. Planning around those two days should be easy. Deciding on the last goal was hard; I wanted to add yet another fitness goal there instead of a life level up, but I didn't want to take away focus from other things because of overload. Instead, I opted for something that I really, REALLY wanted to do and focus on making time for. Believe it or not, one of the few things that makes my stress level go up is unfinished business/things left undone (namely procrastination). So, I'll be focusing on getting responsible adult stuff done on a weekly basis to quell that stress. Cleaning helps me de-stress. I kid you not. But a lot of those things need to be done by June. I have extended family coming to visit and the registration on my car is due, both in the same month. The Husband is very chore-adverse, due to upbringing, and as it's difficult for me to get stressed, I have no qualms picking up the slack so he doesn't have to worry. It makes me feel accomplished, satisfied, and competent.

 

[Evicious]

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Welcome back! I'll be following again.

[Terra]

 

So excited to see you back!!!  hi!

[SkiBlue]

16 hours ago, Evicious said:

 

I feel like this should be the theme song for this challenge. You only truly fail when you give up, right?

 

15 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Welcome back! I'll be following again.

 

Awesome! I'm in good company, then!

 

14 hours ago, Terra said:

 

So excited to see you back!!!  hi!

 

HIIII!!!! 

 

Day 1:

Macros: Check!

Steps: Check!

Class: Check!

Adulting: Check for plans!

 

I managed to get all green numbers for my macros and walking yesterday, without including steps from Capoeira class. Class was a bit different; attendance seems to have dwindled a bit. There's not nearly the same number of people at Intermediate Class as there usually is, but that's okay! More breathing/kicking room! We did mostly drills and skill work, on top of an early roda. I'm getting a LITTLE better in there; low game still needs to be a thing for me. Unfortunately, most of my walking was done at work, and with class being in the evening, I did not manage to take the Ranger Companion with me. That's okay; it was raining for a good part of the day, and he does not like rain. At all.

 

As for adulting, I've decided that the first two tasks will be getting the error code read on my vehicle and cleaning the interior of the house. I'm taking the day off Wednesday for a dentist appointment & a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, on the other side of town, to discuss the results of a recent blood test (I'm getting tested for hormonal imbalance). Sounds like the perfect day to stop by the Autozone by the house to get the code read (they'll do it for free, if you don't already know). The sooner I get that code, the more time I'll have to get it repaired in time for its inspection. I'm also hoping to spend some time on Wednesday getting the cleaning process started. Staff Appreciation event is on Friday, which always turns into an unofficial half-day, followed by the last paid holiday of the fiscal year; 3.5 day weekend is perfect for cleaning.

[JediNickD]

Glad you're back!  Great setup for your challenge.  Keep testing yourself and find what works for you, but remember to commit fully to the current test.  This challenge is your current test.  Stay inside the lane and focus on the goals you set.  Analyzing your results and adjusting your foundation is for the end of the challenge.

 

Good luck!  May the Force be with You!

[SkiBlue]

On 5/23/2017 at 11:16 AM, JediNickD said:

Glad you're back!  Great setup for your challenge.  Keep testing yourself and find what works for you, but remember to commit fully to the current test.  This challenge is your current test.  Stay inside the lane and focus on the goals you set.  Analyzing your results and adjusting your foundation is for the end of the challenge.

 

Good luck!  May the Force be with You!

 

Thank you! I couldn't agree more. I always get caught up in whether or not what I'm doing is working for me before I even give it a full four/five week chance. Focusing on hitting these daily goals will be the focus. I'll worry about what's working at the end.

 

Day 2:

Macros: Check!

Steps: Miss. 5.2k.

Class: Pass.

Adulting: Check!

 

Macros is always easy when you plan the day before.  However, I came home from work with a headache for the first time in weeks. It was also raining. All. Day. So, my steps didn't get as high as I was hoping. BUT, I did get the dirty/clean dishes rotation done in the evening, so they don't end up piling up. I'd count that as a bit of adulting, even if it's not on the official list. I did also get the new cleaning supplies out of their boxes, but the cabinet under the kitchen sink definitely needs to be cleaned out and reorganized. I'll put that under the clean the house task for today in between appointments. No Acrobatics class last night; budget is tight this week, so I didn't have the cash to show up. Apparently, classes won't end until June. I forgot that the gymnastics place follows elementary school schedule, not college schedule. >.<

[SkiBlue]

Day 3

Macros: Check!

Steps: Complete miss. 2.3k.

Class: Miss.

Adulting: Check!

 

Macros were met, even after the change. According to my scale yesterday morning, I dropped to 198.2lb. Coach decided to change macros based on finally getting under 200lb, so I went with the changes. I'm not sure how much I trust that scale though. This morning, it said 200lb even, after "calibrating" it with the ammo box from the closet. The OTHER scale and the doctor's scale yesterday read around 203lb. *sigh* The numbers don't bother me. It's the accuracy issue. I dunno if I should stick with the under-estimating scale, or "screw up" all the other measurements by switching to the seemingly more reliable one. Going to pose the question to my coach and see what happens.

 

Adulting happened. Cleaned out and reorganized the cabinet under the sink. There was A LOT of dishwasher detergent powder EVERYWHERE and quite a few empty bottles. Tossed those out, placed not often used supplies in the back and made sure daily stuff was easily accessible in the front. Even made a few homemade supplies as well to give a try. We've got some serious spider issues in the house recently. Hoping some of the homemade stuff will help with that. Went to both dentist and doctor's appointments. Rant below:

Spoiler

Dentist was dentist. Need floss more, like the rest of the populace. However, my *only* cavity filling from when I was 16 has cracked, so I've gotta get that replaced Friday afternoon. I'm kinda not looking forward to that. Having seven teeth pulled in your teens will make you a little anxious about that kind of stuff. Considering calling today to talk about nerve-calming options. 

 

Doctor's appointment was more enjoyable and informative. The people at that office are awesome and super friendly. Turns out this gentleman is a hormone expert(ish). I had been avoiding getting this done because I didn't want some doctor to look at my numbers without analyzing the situation and just saying "yep, you've got low progesterone, take these synthetic hormones AGAIN." This guy, he understood my concerns and talked me through his method (plus, I trust him with treating the Husband; that's a big deal). I feel considerably less skeptical about trusting him now, as he understands the hormone balance for women and hates synthetic hormone replacement. I do indeed have a low progesterone issue, so I'm on a mild treatment with bio-identical hormones to see how that goes. If it helps, losing weight should get easier, believe it or not. I made sure to do my own research before talking to this guy.

 

Due to the fact that the doc and I would not stop talking, my 3:30pm appointment ran longer than anticipated. I didn't leave the office until 6pm, so after hitting the pharmacy and getting home, there wasn't enough time to get my stuff, eat dinner, and made it to class in 15 minutes. I'm actually tempted to pack my class gear in a bag and keep it with me all the time, so I can compensate for those emergency situations. I did walk as much as I could around the pharmacy to try to get steps up, but that dang rain man. I'd have taken the Ranger Companion out after I got home if it wasn't pouring. I'm quite glad that this week is only Week Zero. The only way to go from this week's performance is UP.

 

I also didn't get the error code read on my car. I still have a few more days left in the week to do so, but the oil needs to be changed as soon as the rain lets up, so I'm actually hoping to get both of those things done before the weekend is out.

 

SUNSHINE TODAY! TOTS WALKING EVERYWHERE!

[Virago]

Hi! LOVE your Ranger companion! And the "choose your own adventure" goal is excellent - I may have to borrow that in the future

[SkiBlue]

26 minutes ago, Virago said:

Hi! LOVE your Ranger companion! And the "choose your own adventure" goal is excellent - I may have to borrow that in the future

 

Don't tell the Husband; he'll try to pawn him off on you. He may be a bit of a baby, but he's my baby. <3

[SkiBlue]

Day 4

Macros: Check!

Steps: Check! 10.6k!!

Class: Pass.

Adulting: Check(ish).

 

Yesterday was a mostly good day. Walked around and cleaned a lot at work, trying to set myself up to be in a good place before the 3.5 day weekend. Again, SO EASY to hit macros when you plan the day before.  I dunno why I never thought to log my food the day before so I know I'm hitting the right numbers. No class though. I also got caught up in trying to restore my computer at home that I didn't have much time to do any cleaning other than dish rotation. My custom-built desktop stopped booting up properly after a recent update (Windows 10); I've tried every recovery option available, outside of clean installing the OS again. Trying my hardest to avoid that; a lot of the files and such I can live without, but with the external back-up dead, I can't get to a few select files I REALLY don't want to lose. Might have to bite the bullet there. *sigh* BUT, it'll give me a chance to put Windows 7 back on it. 10 wasn't terrible, but I still prefer 7.

 

I keep thinking YAY half day of work, only to remember... dentist. -.-

[SkiBlue]

I'm still here, doing my thing!

 

Day 5
Macros: Miss.
Steps: Close! 6.5k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Check.

 

Day 6
Macros: Check!
Steps: Close again! 6.1k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Check!

 

Day 7
Macros: Check!
Steps: Miss. Not even 1k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Pass.

 

Day 8
Macros: Check!
Steps: Miss. 1.7k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Check!

 

So yeah. Dentist. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes. I was surprised. Having had 7 teeth pulled during my younger years and only one cavity ever so far, that would be where the anxiety stemmed from. Plus, it wasn't until the last minute that I realized I could've gotten the Husband out of work early to give me a ride so I could get gassed. But, I Rangered through without. Again, the worst part for me is always the administration of the local anesthetic. On the plus side, no more metal in my mouth. However, after the anesthetic wore off, the injection sight was pretty sore, so the rest of my meal plan for the day did not get followed. 

 

Extended weekend of cleaning? Yeah, nope. Always hard for me to clean when the Husband is home (am I the only one?). BUT. He had a friend from out of town visiting on Sunday, so convincing him to help me clean the downstairs was relatively simple and, with his help, didn't take too long. So SOME of the house interior has been cleaned. Still working on the rest (which will probably have to happen during this week). I'm starting to think I should've broken down the cleaning into parts. Sunday was spent with out of town friend who bought himself heavily into Star Wars Destiny, so we played that a good deal while he was here. Fantasy Flight really screwed the pooch with the release though, so finding places with them in stock has been a pain. But it's still a really fun game. 

 

Monday was spent relaxing, chilling, and wasting a bit of gasoline trying to find Destiny packs, AFTER the oil got changed in my car (didn't get the error code read, but the oil change was also a big priority; poor thing was going on 7k miles on that oil). And miniature painting. I've gotten two models finished in the past like, five days?  Also helped the Husband finish painting a unit of six models (because he actually hates painting). Card games + painting + RAIN = not much walking. -.- Zumbi also wanted to have a holiday off work like the rest of us, so officially no class yesterday either. But cooking was had. Now to plan ahead so macros will be met for the rest of the week! 

[SkiBlue]

Day 9
Macros: Check!
Steps: Check! 9k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Check!

 

Day 10
Macros: Almost. Only protein was low.
Steps: Miss. 5.5k.
Class: Pass.
Adulting: Check!

 

It really needs to stop raining. Both instructors are out of town this week (apparently Zumbi wasn't lying), so there hasn't been class to go to. I was going to take the Ranger Companion for a walk when I got home from work yesterday, but this is what it looked like outside when I walked out of the store (for emergency cleaning and dish washing supplies).

 

Spoiler

 

While it's sunny today, I probably won't be doing much walking outside at work. It's time to finally clean up the chaos that was left behind by Advanced lab students...

[SkiBlue]

So, I've discovered/realized two huge reasons why cleaning the house (whether inside or outside) has become such a chore (when I usually never have issues with it).

 

One, the house is filled with too much stuff. Purging/decluttering has been sizzling in the back burner of my brain for over a year now, so I'm not entirely surprised. The only decluttering I've done this past year has been four out of the seven closets in the house (and my clothes). They've yet to revert back to their original states (not so much luck with my clothes), but some of the stuff I pulled out of them to get rid of is still sitting on the dining room floor (I swear I did this back in JANUARY). The "sewing" room has become a closet itself in the state that it is, and unfortunately, another closet is full of stuff that is not mine. On top of the fact that junk is just thrown into random places that don't get looked at until I want to clean clean; corner tables, bookshelves, lower cabinets. Not to mention how many things are broken around the house that aren't getting fixed (either because of lacking knowledge on how to fix it or reason # 2 that I'll elaborate on later). What was once a great and productive way for me to relieve stress has now become a source of stress itself, due to the Snowball Effect. Bah!

 

Two, not calling it out as a bad thing, but more of something to work around, is the Husband. Most of the free time that is available to me to clean, the Husband is around for as well. The reason why I don't see this as a bad thing is the fact that he actually likes to spend time with me and do things with me (whether it be playing games, talking, watching movies). I wouldn't trade that for anything. BUT he sees chores, like cleaning and decluttering, as work. So, where I would find it relieving and fulfilling to clean or purge something together, he would not. Work = stress, and he has a hard enough time dealing with stress as it is (I could give countless examples, but I won't). As you can probably guess, I don't have the heart to convince him to do anything other that something enjoyable during his free time (I really wish he could let me mow the lawn).

 

I have until next Sunday to get the house in a presentable state with just basic cleaning, but I'm starting to think that some of my vacation days this summer will need to be taken in order to tackle some of those bigger projects for my peace of mind. And I don't feel bad about the predicament with the Husband; a colleague of mine has the same one and has used the same tactic to compensate before.

 

/rant

[Terra]

I know the scale post is from last week but I wanted to drop my thoughts here.  Every scale will be different even with good calibrations.  So pick one and go with it, who cares which one you choose.  I'd pick the home one to make it easy.  The direction of the change is much more important than the actual number, right?  Of course I would encourage you to toss the thing altogether.  They don't tell a very good story and there are much better metrics out there to monitor your progress.  Scale rant done!!!  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

3 hours ago, SkiBlue said:

Two, not calling it out as a bad thing, but more of something to work around, is the Husband. Most of the free time that is available to me to clean, the Husband is around for as well. The reason why I don't see this as a bad thing is the fact that he actually likes to spend time with me and do things with me (whether it be playing games, talking, watching movies). I wouldn't trade that for anything. BUT he sees chores, like cleaning and decluttering, as work. So, where I would find it relieving and fulfilling to clean or purge something together, he would not. Work = stress, and he has a hard enough time dealing with stress as it is (I could give countless examples, but I won't). As you can probably guess, I don't have the heart to convince him to do anything other that something enjoyable during his free time (I really wish he could let me mow the lawn).

Ok, why not present this information to your husband and see if there is some kind of workaround compromise that will help both of you out and make the situation a win/win. That way it's not cleaning vs. quality time with the husband, it's the two of you together against the problem. Give him the chance to listen to you and weigh in on ideas. We men love to fix things, maybe he'll present something the two of you can toss back and forth and turn into a solution.

[tourennatrix]

FOUND YOU <3

 

[SkiBlue]

20 hours ago, Terra said:

I know the scale post is from last week but I wanted to drop my thoughts here.  Every scale will be different even with good calibrations.  So pick one and go with it, who cares which one you choose.  I'd pick the home one to make it easy.  The direction of the change is much more important than the actual number, right?  Of course I would encourage you to toss the thing altogether.  They don't tell a very good story and there are much better metrics out there to monitor your progress.  Scale rant done!!!  

 

I agree there. I'm mainly using the scale for my coaching; they like to get a feel for what your daily fluctuations are so they can help adjust macros and such to better accommodate your activity levels and goals. The number and trend don't bother me emotionally/mentally like they used to, I'll admit. But it's still not something to rely on completely. I'd like to use measurements and photos to track progress, but I always end up forgetting to do those on a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly basis. -.-

 

18 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Ok, why not present this information to your husband and see if there is some kind of workaround compromise that will help both of you out and make the situation a win/win. That way it's not cleaning vs. quality time with the husband, it's the two of you together against the problem. Give him the chance to listen to you and weigh in on ideas. We men love to fix things, maybe he'll present something the two of you can toss back and forth and turn into a solution.

 

I honestly didn't think about it that way. His tendency to want to fix things usually boils down to him thinking that someone wants him to do it for them, even if they say otherwise, so I usually have to phrase things in such a way that he can't hear "I want you to do this" in between the lines. But he's always much more receptive when I approach him with a positive, accommodating attitude. Thanks for the awesome advice.  

 

8 hours ago, tourennatrix said:

FOUND YOU <3

 

 

 

 

Day 11

Macros: Miss. 

Steps: Miss. 4.7k.

Class: Pass.

Adulting: Pass.

 

My macros were carefully planned, and then a colleague offered to pay for lunch (which is happening again today). Plus, I'd forgotten that it was Game Store night. Oops. I've been waiting a bit too long to plan for the day this week. I'm thinking I should spend some time this weekend planning out all the days for the next week to avoid not having the time or forgetting to plan ahead. I did my best to walk around as much as possible, but I got quite distracted in the afternoon and forgot to turn on a GET UP AND MOVE alarm. 

 

Currently trying to plan out food for the day...

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

1 hour ago, SkiBlue said:

I honestly didn't think about it that way. His tendency to want to fix things usually boils down to him thinking that someone wants him to do it for them, even if they say otherwise, so I usually have to phrase things in such a way that he can't hear "I want you to do this" in between the lines. But he's always much more receptive when I approach him with a positive, accommodating attitude. Thanks for the awesome advice.  

The phrase, "I'm not asking you to do anything, I just want your advice" will work wonders.

[SkiBlue]

Uhh, what day is it?

 

[insert Jim Carrey's Riddler throwing up a stack money in the get-away van, exclaiming, "I LOST COUNT!" gif] - the Internet failed; the gif does not exist (but then again, I also just don't have the patience to find it).

 

Macros have been a bit sporadic. I'll hit green numbers for a good solid string of days, then feel the need to break lose (or wake up without enough time to plan macros for the day), only to return to green numbers again after a day. Walking has been tough; I've been having issues with my sleep lately, so I've been uncharacteristically tired. And rain. So much rain. I've been going for small walks myself, but I haven't been able to take the Ranger Companion; sidewalk has been too hot for paws and with his coat, he doesn't handle humidity well. There was class on Monday, but I passed out after dinner. -.- Planning on going tonight. I also managed to clean the bathrooms downstairs on Sunday evening.