[Georges] Accountability supports my goals.

[Georges]

Wednesday, 1 April

 

First morning workout.  Not as bad as I'd feared.  Skipped cardio, because I didn't want to feel rushed between workout and work.

 

Worked.

Didn't drink enough water, didn't bring enough food.

Other than that, the only bad thing was that the day seemed to go on foooooorrrrrrrrevvvvvvvverrrrr.

Possibly in part because I was hungry.

 

Skipping cardio probably means I'll be over target calories.    But I won't know until later.

 

(will edit #'s in)

 

mfp:
Thursday - 697 above target
Friday - 576 below target
Saturday - 211 below target
Sunday - 9 above target
Monday - 19 above target

Tuesday - 409 below target

Today - 89? below target.  I had to guess a bit about dinner.

7 day average - 80 below target.

 

Also, weight spike this morning (169), probably due to yesterday's pizza.  Wasn't the nicest way to start the day, but I know it's a temporary spike (by how I feel and by mfp #s).

 

I'm looking forward to this weekend - partly to have the first week of the new work schedule done, but mostly because Saturday is a date day.  Also, family visit Sunday for the holiday.  I haven't figured out when/how to fit in my weekend run yet, though...

[Georges]

Thursday, April 2

 

rest day

 

worked.

 

not much else to say.

 

morning weigh in was 167 lbs.  Woke up hungry.  Got hungry at work.  Kind of hungry while typing this, despite eating All the Calories today.

 

mfp stuff:
Friday - 576 below target
Saturday - 211 below target
Sunday - 9 above target
Monday - 19 above target

Tuesday - 409 below target

Wednesday - 89 below target.  I had to guess a bit about dinner.

Today - 468 above target.  Probably.  More un-measured stuff at dinner that I have to guess at.

7 day average -  112.7 below target.

 

Tomorrow is another morning workout.

Also, I still haven't figured out when I should get my weekend run in.  It may have to happen tomorrow, late (after work/dinner).

 

 

edit because I forgot to count: 4.5 out of 5 for veg

[Georges]

Friday, April 3, 2015

 

off the rails today

 

Worked out.  In the morning.  >.<

Increased weight on Squats, OHP, Deadlift.

Squats are finally back to the big kid plates (135lbs)

OHP - need smaller increments.  Didn't get all my reps.

Deadlifts are now 95% of bodyweight.

 

Worked.  So. Much. Paperwork.

There are not even words to describe how much I need a weekend.

 

Didn't have time to pack food for work.  I could feel my blood sugar by the time I got home.

And then couldn't figure out what to eat.

So, finally, ended up eating too much.

 

I feel better now, except for undoing the work I've been doing to maintain a deficit.

 

whatevs.

 

mfp stuff:
Saturday - 211 below target
Sunday - 9 above target
Monday - 19 above target

Tuesday - 409 below target

Wednesday - 89 below target.  I had to guess a bit about dinner.

Thursday - 468 above target.  Probably.  More un-measured stuff at dinner that I have to guess at.

Today - 536 above target.

7 day average -  46.14 above target.

 

Also, about 2/5 for veg, 2nd day of missing veg.

 

I'ma just not think about today's food, and move on.

[idealistinfire]

Getting caught up and all I can think is "dang, you do A Lot!" Impressed with your progress, even with or more like, especially because of the set backs you've had. Keep going!

[Georges]

Getting caught up and all I can think is "dang, you do A Lot!" Impressed with your progress, even with or more like, especially because of the set backs you've had. Keep going!

Needed to hear this today

This weekend has been really great socially, but I let it become an excuse to ignore my goals.

Monday starts a new week, and I'll be back to it.

 

Hopefully, one weekend of poor eating choices won't have undone too much of my work!

[cleo]

Hi georges,

 

I just scanned this, but it's great you're sticking with it. I realte to a lot of your feelings about mfp. I also react negatively to it, it makes me want to eat more. I'm trying to use it again and control that reaction. And yes it's dumb that homemade foods are harder to track. I'm also chronically low on protein, iron, and calcium. I try to avoid supplements but may have to re-evaluate.

 

Great job with the weights.

[Georges]

Monday, 6 April

 

AM - weighed in at 170, actually higher than when I (re)started tracking on mfp.  I'm going to give it 3 days to see if it's a temporary thing from the weekend before I make any changes to my progress bar, but if I need to, it'll be back down to 10%. 

[Georges]

Hi georges,

 

I just scanned this, but it's great you're sticking with it. I realte to a lot of your feelings about mfp. I also react negatively to it, it makes me want to eat more. I'm trying to use it again and control that reaction. And yes it's dumb that homemade foods are harder to track. I'm also chronically low on protein, iron, and calcium. I try to avoid supplements but may have to re-evaluate.

 

Great job with the weights.

Thanks

 

mfp can be such a great tool, and my problems with it are all caused by things I'm trying to change, so I'll stick with it a bit longer.  But I know we're not the only ones who struggle with it.

[Georges]

Monday, 6 April (PM)

 

worked, which went well.

home, cereal, change, and to the gym

worked out.

home, dinner.

 

I didn't track calories today, but I feel like I was somewhere near target.  I'll restart tracking tomorrow.  I really just didn't feel up to making wild guesses about leftovers from Easter (food other people cooked), nor did I want to quiz Mr.Georges on tonight's dinner.

 

Day off tomorrow - I'll be going and doing my treadmill run that I didn't do Saturday.  Step Aerobics has been cancelled, as our instructor is sick.  (Yoga is still on, different instructor.)

[Georges]

Tuesday, April 7

 

Oh, hey, everyone's starting their new challenge threads for next week.

 

I did a "look back" pretty recently (March 19), but here's another one.

I was pretty discouraged because I felt like I'd been "treading water" (or even losing ground) instead of making progress.

 

Since Then

 

Goal: lose some weight

Status: I lost some weight, and then gained a whole bunch last weekend.

Next Step: Back to logging calories, aiming for my 250/day deficit so I lose some weight without it wrecking my life. 

 

Goal:  power clean

Status: I learned that I can't power clean until I can manage the racked position, which requires some meat on my deltoids.

Next Step:  Postponed.

 

Goal: improve bench press form, overhead press form

Status:  I've been doing better on both, and working to maintain good form with squats and deadlifts.  Just because I learned the right form at the start for squat and deadlift doesn't mean that I don't need to focus on maintaining that good form as the weight goes up. (learned the hard way.)

Next Step: keep at it as weights go up

 

Goal: cardio

Status: maintained 2 days/week right up until last weekend's crazy-schedule.  No crazy scheduling planned for the near future, and when it happens again, I'll do the same thing: move it to another day if I can, and if I can't, prioritize.  (Family came in at a higher priority last weekend, and I still feel I made the right choice.)

Next Step: It snowed this morning, but soon, I'd like to be running outside and biking.  Also, I'd like to add in Thursday for a 3rd day of cardio, especially after my next doctor appointment.

 

Goal: keep up with bills.

Status: bills are kept up with.

Next Step: keep at it.

 

Goal: pay down debt.

Status: Debt actually grew a little (did not measure with numbers).

Next Step: I don't know. 

 

Goal:  eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruit each day.

Status:  Was finally getting it, until last weekend's derail.

Next Step: Back to it.  Especially since I now know I can.

 

Goal: carry my fair share of the housework.

Status: mostly fail.

Next Step: I'm going to try a schedule. I think that may help, if I treating like a training plan.

 

Goal: Work - I'd like to be happy and productive and make money.

Status: mostly fail.

Next Step:  Job searching elsewhere, either for an additional part time job or a replacement full time job.

 

Goal: 2 vehicles

Status: pulled the car off the road when the insurance ran out.

Next Step: Mr.Georges is planning to buy a used car.  I need to have some patience for a couple months, and re-evaluate if it doesn't happen.

 

Goal: Sewing

Status: Have done a little work on mending/altering, but nothing finished.

Next Step: Finish something.  I need that feeling of accomplishment!  And maybe add sewing time to the schedule I make for housework, so there's some progress on a regular basis.

 

Goal: Fix my deficiencies (lol because I try not to be that judgmental, but science and doctors have determined that my blood iron and Vitamin D levels are deficient)

Status: been supplementing iron and taking Rx level Vitamin D per doctor's recommendation.  Also, been eating more animals for iron.  Also, also, getting outside a little more now that it's not 3-minutes-until-frostbite weather.

Next Step: follow up tests on 24 April. Keep going outside.

[Georges]

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/62980-if-georges-had-a-challenge-this-is-what-it-would-look-like/

 

Battlelog is great for those 'keep on truckin' goals, but I've stalled out here, and some of my goals are doing new things, so I'm going for the challenge this time around.

[Georges]

lol post:

Went to the bank, got asked how much I bench.

(First time someone's asked without irony.)

[Georges]

So, pondering... it fits more in a battlelog than my challenge thread, I think, since it's about the longer term...
Also, because I'll probably ramble on a bit, possible for longer than this challenge lasts...
 

While we wait... let's work on defining your level 50. Do you have a clear cut direction of where you want to go? how about goals for the next challenge? We are in the 4th week of this challenge do you have an idea how your next challenge will take you towards your level 50? How about THIS challenge? Is it going well? What can we keep for the next challenge? What can we change? If it's not going well is it because you need different goals or because you need more accountibility?
 
Lemme know how I can help you define your goals for the next challenge to help you get one step closer to level 50!!!!

I thought I had done some sort of Level 50 list and just not posted it, but the closest thing I have is a List of Buckets.  I'm not a big fan of bucket lists.  I find the idea of them to be a bit morbid, unless they're written by someone who actually knows they're nearing death.  Also, I dislike anything that turns "things I'd like to do" into a "to do" list, because then it feels like chores, and why would I turn things I want to do into crap I have to get through?

 

Anyway, here is the List of Buckets I had on the computer.  It's a few years old, so I'm going to put it in it's own post and then edit it to update, because I've gotten to do some things.
 

[Georges]

Physical
    â–«    hike knife's edge
    â–«    pullup
    â–«    climb a rope
Learn How to...
    â–«    swim
    â–«    crow pose
    â–«    handstand
    â–«    split wood (defined by splitting 5 pieces at a go... not just 0-1)
    â–«    lift with a barbell (squat, bp, ohp, dl)                                                            >Yay!  I do this now!
    â–«    make a friction fire (with found materials?)  (have learned theory, need to practice)
    â–«    ride a motorcycle
    â–«    flip
    â–«    backflip
    â–«    jump... like onto a box
    â–«    swiftwater rescue    
    â–«    make (sew) an entire outfit
    â–«    learn to jump rope    
    â–«    go over a wall.  like in an obstacle course.    
    â–«    slackline
    â–«    solder a circuit
Shallow?
    â–«    be comfortable in a 2-pc swimsuit again
    â–«    clean up pretty    
    â–«    achive a healthy body composition, whatever that ends up meaning.
Re: Monies
    â–«    get paid for some programming
    â–«    get paid for something I made (glass)
    â–«    find a job I don't hate  (I just got a new job... we'll see!)
    â–«    get (back) out of debt (I did this, but need to do it again.   )
    â–«    lasik
    â–«    buy a car i don't hate (I'm not counting our work truck, because I really want a car.)
    â–«    do splits
    â–«    4000 footpeaks in new england
(Other?)
    â–«    finish wiring the damn house

• make the house insurable

    â–«    get off the grid, or pretty close to it
    â–«    have a dojo to go to
    â–«    have honeybees
    â–«    meditate
    â–«    work with Habitat for Humanity, or something else I like
    â–«    have chickens (layers)
    â–«    build a pedal-powered machine
Running
    â–«    10k                                                                                                      > I didn't race this, but I've run it!
    â–«    half marathon                                                                                      > I did this!  Twice!  Although both times were awful, so I'm doing it again in Nov 2015!
    â–«    marathon again                                                                                   > I did this!  2013!  Doing it again Oct 2015!
    â–«    sub 30  5k ( I think that's a 9:36 pace?)
    â–«    marathon under 4h (I think that's a 9:09.6 pace?)
    â–«    antarctica marathon
    â–«    Mt.Washington road race

• Pike's Peak Ascent (requires sub 2:25:00 half to qualify)

    â–«    R2R
    â–«    Copper Canyons ultra
    â–«    Big Sur marathon

• A Lost World ultra

Almost Running
    â–«    sprint tri
    â–«    olytri
    â–«    ironman
    â–«    century bike ride
    â–«    hike Pike's Peak
    â–«    bike to parents' house
Hometown
    â–«    Have a gym within 10 miles                                                                >It's there, and it's a thing of rough beauty.
    â–«    Community gardens? or CSA
    â–«    Farmers' market
    â–«    Have a 5k
    â–«    Build at least one other job
Places
    â–«    visit my sister in Belize
    â–«    finally go to Europe
    â–«    Hawaii
    â–«    Japan
    â–«    Section hike in the Smokies
    â–«    See the redwoods
    â–«    See the northern lights in Alaska.  Because it's Alaska.
    â–«    Australia
    â–«    Trans Canada via Rail

• Iceland

 

green: I did this!

 

Purple:  I'm working on this!

[alienjenn]

Looks like a good list of buckets

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

[Georges]

Looks like a good list of buckets

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

Thanks!  It's a work in progress   

 

Since it's at least 2 years old, I'm going to think on it a bit and update it before I use it to help me define my Level 50 & guide my next challenge.  I guess I've been caught up in the short term for a bit longer than I'd realized, so I'm glad you prompted us to think a little about the bigger picture!

[Georges]

Thought a bit, posted the list, but never actually answered any questions...

 

"Do you have a clear cut direction of where you want to go?"

I know I want to be stronger and healthier, in mind and body.  I also know that that is incredibly vague.

 

"how about goals for the next challenge? We are in the 4th week of this challenge do you have an idea how your next challenge will take you towards your level 50?"

The next challenge will include speedwork for running, continuing to lift, continuing to lose weight, and adjusting to my new job.  I'm toying with some financial goals, but I might not make them a priority until I have a better idea of how the new job changes income.  Scheduling will become a major focus, with more work hours comes fewer free hours to get things done (including workouts).

 

"How about THIS challenge? Is it going well?"

:/  The easy parts are going well: logging calories, eating veggies and protein, keeping a deficit (although not as large of one as I'd set as goal), running, and lifting.  The hard parts aren't going as well: following a schedule to make sure I get housework and other boring adult crap done, minimizing and defeating fat talk (and other negative thinking/talking).  The part I had least control over (Job Searching) is a success, with the small possibility of even more success.

 

"What can we keep for the next challenge? What can we change?"

Keep: maintain my current eating strategies, keep running 2-3 times/wk, keep lifting 3x/wk.

Change:  job search (eventually will become debt reduction goal)  Fighting fat talk (will become more general, about negativity)

Alter?: adulting goal needs some kind of overhaul.

 

"If it's not going well is it because you need different goals or because you need more accountibility?"

Good question.  I'm not really sure why my adulting goal is such a fail.

[alienjenn]

Have you tried flylady.net for doing the houseworks? It's changes my life. ...

For negative self talk maybe a challenge goal to day three positive things about yourself daily?

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

[Georges]

I have tried flylady.... It's probably time to go back there and try again.

 

I'll think about the 3 positive things method.  In the past, it hasn't felt good - it felt fake and caused a bit too much cognitive dissonance.  :/

Maybe 3 positive things in general, instead of specifically about myself would work better. 

[alienjenn]

You make it work for you

Flylady is awesome but i don't do EVERYTHING according to her rules. ... i made it mine

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

[Georges]

You make it work for you

Flylady is awesome but i don't do EVERYTHING according to her rules. ... i made it mine

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

 

Yep, I had to make changes from the get-go.  I can't claim the kitchen sink as my territory, since Mr.Georges is the cook in the family.  And the first time I started following, I was barefoot almost all the time to rehab my knee, so "getting dressed-to-shoes" would have been a deal-breaker.  I think I'll head back there during the week (or 2?) between challenges and start adapting it to fit my life.

[alienjenn]

Yeah i don't shoes either

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

[Georges]

CrossPosted from http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/65463-may-25th-june-7th-the-bye-weeks-challenge/
 

Quest One
Try something new this two weeks that you have always wanted to try but never gotten around to because of money, time or because it didn't fit in with your challenge

50/50 Squats Challenge... sort of.
See, during the last 6 Week Challenge (Feb 23- April 5), I missed out on this: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/62092-mini-challenge-5050-squats/
I was struggling with low iron and non-existant levels of vitamin D, and had only been using barbells for a couple months.
Now my bloodwork is within normal limits, I'm comfortable with my squat form at 50% bodyweight, and I've got a two week break between challenges, so I don't have to worry about wrecking my program if (hah!) it takes more than 48 hours to recover.
So, on Monday (the 25th) I'll see how many reps I can get at 80-ish lbs. (I might neurotically use 50% of that morning's weigh in, if it works well with my little 1&1/4 lb bat weights.)


Quest Two
...
Or you could use it as the opportunity to try out a goal you are thinking for your 6 week challenge, to see if it is going to work for you or not.

Flylady adaptation. I'm pretty sure I'll be using this in the next challenge, but I also know that I'll need to tweak it to fit my life, so this is a nice chance to start that process without worrying about "failing" my challenge as I work out the details.
(For those who don't already know about it, Flylady.net is a website that a lot of Rebels have found useful for Life Goals that center on housework or organization. There's a strong basis of small, sustainable changes... a focus on progress rather than perfection... and use of routines (habits) instead of willpower/discipline. Sound like successful tactics to anyone else?)
So, for the 2 weeks, I'll be starting the 31 Beginner Babysteps... at a bit of an accelerated pace, but skipping or adapting the things that don't fit my life. How far I get will determine how I frame my non-fitness goal in the next 6 Week Challenge.

Quest Three
Even pro athletes deserve a bit of fun between seasons, so I want you to pick one thing that gives you unadulterated joy and do it or buy it.

I, uh, guess I need to remember what it means to be me a little more that I realized, because I have no idea what I want to do for this quest.
It's a little bit sad-making.
I'll come back and edit something in if I think of anything, but really, right now, I'm a little terrified that I've forgotten how to have joy.

[Georges]

May 26th, 2015

 

First day after the 6 Week Challenge

 

Weigh in: 161.0 Lbs.

 

Barely made it to work on time... not having a weekend really wore me down.  It's already a little frustrating that I haven't had a paid holiday since... 2009?

Couldn't do some of the most pressing wrap-up-before-I-leave tasks at work because the rest of the world was shut down for Memorial Day.

Was busy all day anyway, just didn't make much progress.  Mood suffered because I didn't take time to make/pack/bring lunch... so I had a protein bar and a granola bar and fretted about it.

Went home, tried to figure out what to eat, gave up, went to gym.

Couldn't really get as excited about trying 50/50 Squats as I was when I planned it.  Got 34 reps (plus 2, but I felt like the length of pause meant those 2 weren't part of the set). 

I was surprised that cardio was my limiting factor, even after so many other people had said it was theirs, because running is a thing I enjoy.

I'm a little tempted to try again on the last lift day of the 2 Week Break... but we'll see how I feel then.

Home, didn't do anything productive for the rest of the day, but ate better.

So Very Ready for a day off tomorrow.

mfp:  1442 cal (1331 net), 98g protein, extra iron, extra fiber, extra (>5 servings) veg.  Win.  I may reset my "goals" this week.  I'm not sure yet.

[Georges]

May 27th, 2015

Finally, a day off.
Weigh in was 160.0

I did some laundry, went to yoga, and did a short run (3 miles, 12:10 pace).
I'm a little sad that my new work schedule conflicts with the yoga class, but maybe there will be more classes in the future.
I also spent some quality time on Bye Weeks Quest 2: adapting Flylady to fit my life. Tomorrow, I have a plan.
Other than that, I spent the day relaxing.
mfp: 1725 cal (1184 net), 106g protein, extra iron, extra fiber, 5 servings of veg. Win.
2 low cal days in a row, but tomorrow will be a high cal day, so I'm okay with it.

Plan for tomorrow:
(FlyLady Babysteps)
Get dressed first thing in the morning (after weigh in).
Read the daily plan on the flylady website (I added it to my morning bookmarks).
Use my Control Journal (I'll be altering it from what I used last time as I go along).
Check my thoughts/self-talk and make sure it's positive.
(Other stuff)
Coffee/Breakfast
Lifting Workout, sneak in some cardio if there's time.
Home/Wash up/Eat/Pack Lunch
Work
Home
Dinner/Netflix with Mr.Georges
Update here/make a plan for Thursday.