Reset at Level One

[Syrius]

Friday, 16 February Wins: (125 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 19 (13,857/12,000) Trust me, I already have all the steps.
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today! I didn't stick to the plan. Again. Totally skipped lunch outright, but mostly because I wasn't hungry and focused on cleaning.

I spent all day cleaning my house. Finally, all the floors are clean, the bathrooms are presentable, and I am much more relaxed because my space is clean. (Except for the dusting. That is still not figured out.)
I am fully counting this as my workout for the day, thought I did also do 120 high knees because I was trying to do a microworkout, but I'm just too tired for all that.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Syrius]

Saturday, 17 February Wins: (126 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 20 (8,944/5,000) Trust me, I already have all the steps.
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today! I did good on breakfast, so that was a win.

Morning: cumulative 1 hour of fencing and Katana Warmup
Afternoon:
Gaming microworkout totals - Frontiers of Pandora
4 Bellsprig + 4 Tarsyu -> 80 alternating bicep curls (5lb)
13 New locations -> 130 step jacks
7 RDA encounters -> 70 hooks
30 Clan contributions -> 30 weighted punches (5lb)
7 Dapophet -> 70 flutter kicks
1 Memory Painting & 1 Computer Terminal -> 20 knee to elbows
3 Feral encounters -> 30 front kicks
2 Fast travels -> 80 high knees (+ 120 from yesterday = 200)
10 Ikran flights + 2 direhorse rides -> 240 high knees
Note: this was from 4 sessions over the week that I was very bad at keeping up on. But hey, I'm caught up now!

200 calf raises
60 heel taps

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Syrius]

Sunday, 18 February Wins: (127 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 21 (5,744/12,500) probably not today, but maybe tomorrow.
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today! It was another weird one. I've only had one meal today and it was actually fairly good. But all the chips I had were not...

Pathfinder+ 8 I took in the lost souls. They messed up, but this is a turbulent world. Okay Art and Luca, don't disappoint me.
De-stress 12 (100 punches)

Weird day - will resume all challenges tomorrow. I am mostly just putting the whole set here so it's easier to grab tomorrow.
CoS 30 (2x1m30s calf raise holds) ==maintenance mode==
Epic Glutes 20 (4x34 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
Knee Push-ups 27 (3x11 knee pushups)
Epic Cardio 7 (5x28 high knees slow + fast)
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank)
Upperbody Light 9 (3x50 shoulder taps + 50 bicep extensions)

Friends have gone home. Love spending time with them, but I always feel bad about trying to squeeze my workouts in while they are visiting.

I am doing some gaming, so I'll probably come back with a micro workout, though I am making some main quest progress because the bug got cleared up and I'm now invested in finding out what happens... so I'll probably have some leftovers for tomorrow. I'll put up a separate post when I'm done. In other news, I am thinking about writing again. I really want to try my hand at some sci fi, because I adore sci fi, but as usual, I am super apprehensive about the endeavor. That is when I usually fall back on to my usual of fantasy romance writing. I am just not sure what is holding me back.

As for the quality of my workout today, it felt like it was lacking, but I know that a part of that is that I have been thrown off my schedule. That class happened and because of it, I was able to workout at earlier, more convenient times that didn't interfere with dinner. Then, upon going back to work and changing my meal structures, I was so hungry for dinner that I found it hard to workout right after getting home. I know that the next few weeks will be tough to get back into the groove, and even though today is Sunday, I still feel that struggle. I have tomorrow off, thanks to a holiday, so I'm going to try to orchestrate my workout to be at the desired time, but if we go for the walk that M has been talking about doing for the last two days, I might just do it after that so that I can shower and relax the rest of the day.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Syrius]

Microworkout Totals:
20 step jacks
100 flutter kicks
240 high knees

+ A lot of carryover for tomorrow.

 

[Nevetharine]

What held me back from writing sci-fi was the big names... but then I just decided to make up my own.

 

[Syrius]

Monday, 19 February Wins: (128 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 21 (5,902/12,500) This will be what it is. I fully accept that I'm not doing this challenge right, but I am using it as goal points. Hasn't been as motivating as I wanted, but I am still going to keep at it until it is done.
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today! I guess the breakfast burrito was healthy? It was covering two meals and it was small. The chips, maybe not so much? I'll count it good if we do good on dinner tonight.
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m45s not bad for being as inconsistent as I have been. My form was slipping, and I was getting the muscle shakes early, so I let it go. I'll do better tomorrow.
Warmup: Quick Warmup
De-stress 13 (100 punches)
Epic Cardio 7 (5x28 high knees slow + fast)
Upperbody Light 9 (3x50 shoulder taps + 50 bicep extensions)
Pathfinder+ 9 - 7 sets modified reverse lunges
Knee Push-ups 27 (3x11 knee pushups)
Epic Glutes 20 (4x34 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
Microworkout leftovers from yesterday (details below)
AoSCE 27
CoS 30 (2x1m30s calf raise holds) ==maintenance mode==
Cool down: Unwind I'll give it interesting. I missed the change sides point on #5 because I wasn't watching the timer.

Today's Featured Workout Cards:


Gaming microworkout totals - Frontiers of Pandora
6 Bellsprig + 2 Tarsyu -> 80 alternating bicep curls (5lb)
12 New locations -> 100 step jacks (+ 20 from yesterday)
12 RDA encounters -> 120 hooks
34 Clan contributions -> 34 weighted punches (5lb)
10 Dapophet -> 0 flutter kicks (+ 100 from yesterday)
1 Death -> 20 calf raises + 20 negative calf raises
1 Sarentu Totem, 1 Aeolian Wind Flute, & 1 Memory Painting -> 30 knee to elbows
3 Feral encounters -> 30 front kicks
4 Fast travels -> 400 high knees
16 Ikran flights -> 80 high knees (+ 240 from yesterday)


Once again, I noticed that I had been missing some people's logs. Somehow they got dropped off on my notifications, probably when I was using the phone instead of my computer.

What held me back from writing sci-fi was the big names... but then I just decided to make up my own.

I think that is a good point. I think I need to figure out how to give myself permission to play in that space. I also need to take the time to figure out what my starting point is. I want this. I have wanted this for a long time and I think I am about ready to do it. I just need to now learn to make the space for it in my schedule without it being all consuming like NaNo.

Today started out with a headache, but I managed to chase it away. So that's a good thing for today. Alright, almost dinner time.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Syrius]

Tuesday, 20 February Wins: (129 days)
:?: Journalling
:?: Walkabout 21 (XXX/12,500) Well, I've already done more steps today than yesterday. That's a win to me!
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today! Okay, lunch, not so good, but overall, it was a good food day.
At work: AoSCE 28 lvl 3
At work: Upperbody Light 10 (140 arm circles)

Big sigh - I had to completely rehash my workout plan. My ankles have decided to swell quite uncomfortably, so I am going to spend the rest of the evening elevating and drinking water. After the following:

De-stress 14 (100 punches)

Above, with 5lb weights. Not so bad, but I don't think I could have completed it with my 8lbs yet.

Okay, off to take care of myself.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Big sigh - I had to completely rehash my workout plan. My ankles have decided to swell quite uncomfortably, so I am going to spend the rest of the evening elevating and drinking water.

Hope your rehab works and you are right as rain again tomorrow!

 

[Anek]

Sorry about your ankles!

 

[MadamMeow]

Hope your ankles start behaving again!

 

[Syrius]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon @Anek @MadamMeow Thank you!! They were fine when I woke up this morning and haven't misbehaved yet today.

Wednesday, 21 February Wins: (130 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 21 (12,620/12,500)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today!

Went to the gym at work today (because we have some sort of program that allows for us to use working hours to workout, as long as we get our work done)

Gym: 30 min elliptical
Gym: I Do Not Yield lvl 3 || set 1 10lb || sets 2-7 5lb
Gym: Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m45s to be honest, this was so weird to do a) not at home b) where other people could see me & c) with shoes on.
Gym: Farpoint

Today's Featured Workout Cards:


Next time I do the gym thing, I need to write down that part of the post somewhere. I was way too worried about forgetting what I did. Also, now my right elbow is a little angry, but I know what I did wrong. A little TLC and it will be right as rain in a day or two. Bad thing is... I can't hold full plank right now. So, no climbers for Pathfinder+, Zero Hero, or Epic Cardio. No knee pushup hold either.

So, I did some march steps in place for like 10 minutes... because Walkabout. I'm still 800 short right now, but I'll do some more so that I can make it today.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Deadoks]

Some more healing vibes needed I guess

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[Syrius]

@Deadoks @Mamatigerj Thank you!!

Thursday, 22 February Wins: (131 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (6,887/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today!

Okay, today was not my day for so many reasons. Some complaining to follow.

Spoiler: Some Complaining

My knee has bothered me today, so I taped it for support. I had a training all morning that honestly felt like a waste of time, but at least now I am halfway to being licensed to drive the work vehicles. This is ridiculous for so many reasons, the best being that I have worked at this job for 5 years and now they are getting freaked out about people who didn't get licensed. My name change paperwork at work was not processed properly, so my email reverted to my maiden name. So now, I am back to worrying about what I am going to lose when it gets processed properly. This also explains why my stuff hasn't all gotten changed over in the system. I felt like my opinion wasn't important in the meeting today and that I have been prevented from contributing to the project. My pants tore and my bra broke. I got a nosebleed before my last meeting of the day. And to top it off, I tried to lift a bag of apples at the store and found out that my elbow is still hurt, even though it didn't bother me all day. I am pretty sure that I hurt it on the hammer curls yesterday, and know what I need to do to not do it again.

So - no climbers, no plank, no high knees (trust me, I tried)... etc. So, stretching? I was hoping for something better than this, but it's just not meant to be today.


Right now, the elbow is only barely hurting, so is still an improvement over last night. No worries, I'll bounce back strong tomorrow after some more sleep and icing of the affected regions.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

 

[Nevetharine]

I have to say... that workout's name fits so perfectly with the day you've been having...

 

[Syrius]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon @Nevetharine Thank you

I have to say... that workout's name fits so perfectly with the day you've been having...

Yup, that's part of why I picked it. It was just that sort of day.

Friday, 23 February Wins: (132 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (8,680/13,000) Not there, but not bad considering how my day started!
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today!

Okay, started the day with a nasty headache. It didn't really go away until a few hours ago. But, I was marginally productive and at least got my laundry done. This evening, I did the microworkouts that I have been generating from game play from the last few days. So, that's what I've done today... err, over the last hour-ish. I've gotta get better at spreading them out. OOH, maybe set a timer to go off every 30 minutes and I do whatever I've generated in that time period? Maybe.

Gaming microworkout totals - Frontiers of Pandora (3 sessions worth)
13 Bellsprig + 4 Tarsyu -> 170 alternating bicep curls (5lb)
15 New locations -> 150 step jacks
6 RDA encounters -> 60 hooks
60 Clan contributions -> 60 weighted punches (5lb)
5 Dapophet -> 50 flutter kicks
1 Death -> 20 calf raises + 20 negative calf raises
2 Data Collectors, 1 Ikran Gear Basket, 1 Computer Terminal, 1 Kame'tire Doll, & 1 Budding Watcher -> 60 knee to elbows
7 Feral encounters -> 70 front kicks
10 Fast travels -> 1000 high knees
16 Ikran flights -> 320 high knees

Took weighted exercises slowly and it so far feels like my elbow is okay with all that. In other news, I made Chickpea Zucchini Nuggets. So good!!! I love these so very much. I also did some chainmail and stitching today, so that was nice.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[CODawn]

 

[Syrius]

@CODawn Thank you!!

And thank you everyone for being supportive. I had a rough week and I am looking forward to it turning around.

Saturday, 24 February Wins: (133 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (8,765/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
Fencing practice/Newcomers day - no fencing, but did observation and some walking. Have remnants of yesterday's headache still hanging around.
Microworkout scattered throughout - doing a casual training type day today (afternoon & evening). I'll get back to business tomorrow.
Knee Push-ups 28 (50s knee pushup hold)
De-stress 15 (100 punches)
Knee Push-ups 29 (3x12 knee pushups)
Knee Push-ups 30 (60s knee pushup hold) Oh good, because I did not enjoy those push-up holds.
Epic Glutes 21 (4x36 bridges +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m30s Not bad, but I need to get back to doing it at the beginning and every day (except superman day)
AoSCE 29
Epic Cardio 8 (5x18 climbers fast)
AoSCE 30
CoS 29 (200 calf raises) ==maintenance mode==
Upperbody Light 11 (3x50 shoulder taps + 50 bicep extensions)


Gaming microworkout totals - Frontiers of Pandora
9 Bellsprig + 1 Tarsyu -> 100 alternating bicep curls (5lb)
5 New locations -> 50 step jacks
9 RDA encounters -> 90 hooks
70 Clan contributions -> 70 weighted punches (5lb)
7 Dapophet -> 70 flutter kicks
1 Memory Painting, 1 Budding Watching, 1 Aeolian Wind Flute, & 1 Bladewing Trail -> 10 knee to elbows & 30 squats
14 Feral encounters -> 50 front kicks & 90 turning kicks
8 Fast travels -> 800 high knees
21 Ikran flights -> 420 high knees

I decided that it was time to wrap a few things up. So, now I have 6 Challenges & 4 Programs currently active. Which is good, bringing my focus back in a little tighter. My friend today reminded me that I do need to strengthen my knee. So, filtering in some more squats. It felt good to make some progress. It was also nice to knock out some of the climbers because Epic Cardio, Pathfinder+, & Zero Hero all had climbers on their next. So, tomorrow, I plan on Pathfinder+, since it is my primary program.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Happy Badge Day

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Congratulations on completing the Knee Push-ups Challenge and Arms of Steel CE!

 

[Anek]

Congrats!!

 

[Syrius]

@Fremen @Maegaranthelas @Laura Rainbow Dragon @Anek Thank you!!

Sunday, 25 February Wins: (134 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (7,516/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m10s
Warm up: Precursor
De-stress 16 (100 punches)
Epic Cardio 9 (5x28 high knees slow + fast) all in one go
Upperbody Light 12 (160 raised arm circles all in one go)
Pathfinder+ 10 pt1: modified renegade rows to knees after the first 10 pt2: 6/2/3 full pushups
Epic Glutes 22 (4x36 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
Coordination: Gravity Hold II
1m20s elbow plank
CoS 30 (2x1m30s calf raise holds) ==maintenance mode==
Cool Down: Limitless

Today's Featured Workouts:



Phew, that was nice. I thought about doing Zero Hero, but I think I'll save those climbers for Tuesday. Maybe, we'll see what my impulsivity has to say about that tomorrow, or what Pathfinder+ has in store for me. Off to prep snacks for tomorrow and lunches for the week.

I'm actually looking forward to my doctor's visit so that I can start getting some answers about whether or not something is wrong with my thyroid. Because my continuing weight gain has been dramatic and while I know that some of it should be muscle gain, I'm concerned. I can only hope that he listens to my concerns and will help me to figure this out because I don't want to be 250lb and that's what the scale told me today. (I've gone up about 20lbs since October.)

I might be back around later with a microworkout update, because I am trying to beat my game's main quest today. I really want to know what comes next in the story.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Deadoks]

Belated congrats!

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats on your two challenges!

 

[Syrius]

@Deadoks @MadamMeow Thank you!!

Gaming microworkout totals - Frontiers of Pandora
1 Bellsprig -> 10 alternating bicep curls (5lb)
1 New locations -> 10 step jacks
3 RDA encounters -> 30 hooks
28 Clan contributions -> 28 weighted punches (5lb)
2 Dapophet -> 20 flutter kicks
1 Computer Terminal, 1 Budding Watcher, & 1 Comic Book -> 10 knee to elbows & 20 squats
5 Feral encounters -> 30 front kicks & 20 turning kicks
4 Fast travels -> 400 high knees
7 Ikran flights -> 140 high knees

 

[Nevetharine]

Very belated congrats!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

I hope things go well with your doctor's appointment and that he listens, as you say, and is able to help you find useful answers.

 

[Syrius]

@Nevetharine Thank you!!
@Laura Rainbow Dragon Thank you. I'm even going to go having fasted so that if they give me lab work, I can just walk over to the lab next door and get it done.

Monday, 26 February Wins: (135 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (5,607/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
note: My knee bothering me a little. I taped it.
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m10s this felt hard today
Warm up: The Prep
Pathfinder+ 11
Epic Glutes 23 (4x36 bridges +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
De-stress 17 (100 punches)
Power HIIT 1 lvl 3 took the squats slow and I made sure to have intention... and yes I know, I have a problem. This looked like fun. ADHD impulsivity won today.
Epic Cardio 10 (5x20 climbers slow)
Upperbody Light 13 (3x60 shoulder taps + 60 bicep extensions)
Knee care: Knee Saver
Zen 1 It felt right to start over
CoS 29 (200 calf raises) ==maintenance mode==

Today's Featured Workouts:


Quiet day today. Very busy at work, so I didn't move as much as I should have. I'll try to take a walk tomorrow.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Syrius]

Tuesday, 27 February Wins: (136 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (7,175/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
At work: Zen 2 I tried walking meditation today - 17m walk - it was interesting.
note: My knee bothering me a little. I taped it.
It's been a day, so I'm just going to Walk it Off on Level 3.


I'm exhausted. Today was go to the doctor day. Yay! The doctor listened. Yay! We did blood tests. Boo! I had to get two vaccines and schedule two more for a series. Boo! I got my labs back already and the nurse that called me told me that they were normal. I had two high levels that related to white blood cell stuff, but that was it. (yeah, it was after this that I went on my walk) Boo! Not only did I gain 17 pounds in 6 months, I looked at my FitBit data and I've gained 45 since this time last year. Yay! He agrees that this is a problem.

So, I feel a bit like I'm back at square one. Hopefully the doctor will reach back out to me (or else I'll reach out to him) and give me an idea of next steps.

Also, both of my shoulders hurt from the vaccines, and I've been nauseous, so it was better to take it easy. I am going to go drink more fluids, continue recentering myself (because everything WILL be okay), and enjoy a chill night before I fall asleep early again.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

 

[Deadoks]

Also, both of my shoulders hurt from the vaccines, and I've been nauseous, so it was better to take it easy. I am going to go drink more fluids, continue recentering myself (because everything WILL be okay), and enjoy a chill night before I fall asleep early again.

it'll be better soon then!

Not only did I gain 17 pounds in 6 months, I looked at my FitBit data and I've gained 45 since this time last year. Yay! He agrees that this is a problem.

Do I understand good, you gained 45 pounds in a year? Time for a nice and manageable diet?

 

[Syrius]

I have been working on improving my diet. I have mostly removed snacking, and when I do, it usually on the leftover veggies/fruit from a meal or an bag of jerky. This is mostly done to prevent low blood sugar problems, which is why I have a hard time fasting. I refuse to do meal replacement shakes ever again, because I did those for a year during the COVID lock down on the Isagenix program, which also involved calorie counting. So, that was how I started convincing myself that high calorie things = bad ... which is wrong. I did get down to 180 on that program, but it was not sustainable in the long run because shakes make me want to go throw up and it is not worth it to feel that way twice a day every day. Besides, real food is just better. Over the past year, when I decided things needed to change, I started by decreasing my high protein intake and substituting in more vegetables. I also realized that I haven't been drinking enough water, so that has been a struggle. Over the last couple of months, I was able to rediscover the Modern Hero Meal plan, which looked coincidentally a lot like a handout I got from a nutritionist back around the start of COVID as well. Since then, I have been working towards that. My breakfasts have improved, though I don't always finish eating my fruit in that sitting because I'm hurrying to get to work. My lunches are back to looking like things I want to eat and I have moved my afternoon veggie tray snack (usually a mix of cucumbers, baby carrots, and bell peppers) into being a part of that meal. Dinner is a work in progress, but overall, my eating is way better than it has ever been in my entire life. (See dinners of my teenage years where we had meat and maybe some rice.) I rarely eat junk, but when I do, I make sure that I have to make the effort to go get it and 90% of the time, I don't come home with it anyway. I have a hard time just enjoying an adult beverage on the weekend because I'm so paranoid about eating healthy. Which is a great shame because I have some really nice mead that I would like to enjoy.

 

[Deadoks]

I have been working on improving my diet. I have mostly removed snacking, and when I do, it usually on the leftover veggies/fruit from a meal or an bag of jerky. This is mostly done to prevent low blood sugar problems, which is why I have a hard time fasting. I refuse to do meal replacement shakes ever again, because I did those for a year during the COVID lock down on the Isagenix program, which also involved calorie counting. So, that was how I started convincing myself that high calorie things = bad ... which is wrong. I did get down to 180 on that program, but it was not sustainable in the long run because shakes make me want to go throw up and it is not worth it to feel that way twice a day every day. Besides, real food is just better. Over the past year, when I decided things needed to change, I started by decreasing my high protein intake and substituting in more vegetables. I also realized that I haven't been drinking enough water, so that has been a struggle. Over the last couple of months, I was able to rediscover the Modern Hero Meal plan, which looked coincidentally a lot like a handout I got from a nutritionist back around the start of COVID as well. Since then, I have been working towards that. My breakfasts have improved, though I don't always finish eating my fruit in that sitting because I'm hurrying to get to work. My lunches are back to looking like things I want to eat and I have moved my afternoon veggie tray snack (usually a mix of cucumbers, baby carrots, and bell peppers) into being a part of that meal. Dinner is a work in progress, but overall, my eating is way better than it has ever been in my entire life. (See dinners of my teenage years where we had meat and maybe some rice.) I rarely eat junk, but when I do, I make sure that I have to make the effort to go get it and 90% of the time, I don't come home with it anyway. I have a hard time just enjoying an adult beverage on the weekend because I'm so paranoid about eating healthy. Which is a great shame because I have some really nice mead that I would like to enjoy.

Thank for sharing and full respect on all you already did hope you didn't take wrong my remark it was not intended to be harmful!

 

[Syrius]

Thank for sharing and full respect on all you already did hope you didn't take wrong my remark it was not intended to be harmful!

No, I certainly didn't take it that way! I just got on a roll responding and didn't check my tone.

 

[Anek]

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Syrius]

@Anek Thank you!

Wednesday, 28 February Wins: (137 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (6,787/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
At work: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves
At work: Standing Desk
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 3m15s Hey, that's much better!!
Warmup: Quick Warmup
Pathfinder+ 12 5 sets I took reverse lunges slow because my knee was not happy, but not hurting
De-stress 18 (100 punches)
Power HIIT 2 lvl 3
Upperbody Light 14 (180 raised arm circles all in one go)
Cool down/knees: Before Bed

CoS 30 (2x1m30s calf raise holds) ==maintenance mode==
Epic Glutes 24 (4x36 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set after Pathfinder my knees said no
Epic Cardio 11 (5x32 high knees slow + fast) ... I want it but no, not tonight.

Today's Featured Workouts:



I feel melancholy this evening. I was feeling down and tired at 7. But then I had Disney music on for my elbow plank (because I wasn't going to skip that today) and it carried me through the rest of my workout and now I feel better and more stable emotionally than I have felt all day. Not that today was a bad day, but it was full of frustrations and introspection. I know that I am in a tough place right now, especially given the uncertainty of direction from my doctor and the pressures of expectation from work. I am taking it one day at a time and that's okay. I am okay and I need to learn to cut myself some slack. I also need to be proactive and reach out to my doctor tomorrow to find out what our next steps are, because I am not waiting until I see him in 3 months.

So, thank you for listening and for letting me have this space to talk.

Have a good day/night Bees.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

I'm sorry your blood work did not yield any useful answers to your questions.

Kudos to you for all the dietary changes you have made over the past year! I know it is frustrating that you are still gaining weight in spite of all the work you have already done. But I would urge you to consider the fact that you gained a lot less weight over the past 6 months than over the previous 6. This is evidence that you have made positive changes! You're not there yet. But you are taking steps in the right direction.

shakes make me want to go throw up and it is not worth it to feel that way twice a day every day.

Is it possible that you are lactose intolerant? I'm not advocating for the use of meal replacement drinks. Those things are for people who don't like eating, or who have a medical condition that makes eating sufficient food physically difficult for them. For the rest of us, I agree with you: real food is better. But those drinks do tend to be milk-based. So a lactose issue could be what was going on there. (Lactose intolerance isn't like severe food allergies where one has to avoid a product entirely. Lots of people can tolerate milk products in small quantities with other food, but not when taken in excess or exclusively, on an empty stomach, which is pretty much what you're doing with a meal replacement drink.)

Over the past year, when I decided things needed to change, I started by decreasing my high protein intake and substituting in more vegetables. I also realized that I haven't been drinking enough water, so that has been a struggle. Over the last couple of months, I was able to rediscover the Modern Hero Meal plan, which looked coincidentally a lot like a handout I got from a nutritionist back around the start of COVID as well. Since then, I have been working towards that.

I know everybody is different, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for the next. But following Modern Hero definitely helped me when I was trying to lose weight a few years back. For me the key factors were:

1. No snacking. This could be tough if you have issues with hypoglycemia. But if you can do it, three meals a day, with nothing in between, goes a long way towards curbing excess calorie consumption.

2. Eating 50% fruit and vegetables, with most of this being vegetables, and choosing lower-sugar options when I did eat fruit. (For example: raspberries and rhubarb, both of which contain more fibre by weight than sugar, as opposed to grapes, which contain over 16 times more sugar than fibre.)

3. Eating raw veggies as much as possible, including eating a massive salad for lunch every day containing a huge pile of dark leafy greens. It's really hard to overconsume raw vegetables, because they contain so much water. They will go a long way towards your quest to consume more water too! Cooked veggies have a lot of their water boiled/baked/pressed out of them. But raw veggies are very hydrating. Yet it takes a while for your body to break down the fibre surrounding all that water--so you don't need to immediately pee it all back out. (When I go out on my paddleboard I try to always take raw veggies like carrots and/or tomatoes with me for this reason.)

4. Eating homemade food as much as possible. The typical North American diet is stupidly high in sugar and salt. It's high in these things because processed food manufacturers add a tonne of them to their products, because they know sugar and salt are like cocaine to our brains, which evolved to help our species survive in a time when food was scarce. They put that shit in their products deliberately to make us eat more! We are all habituated to eating food that is far sweeter and far saltier than is good for us, and it's extremely hard to get away from this unless we prepare our own food from basic ingredients. (Which is also hard to do because it's so time-consuming. But it does help.)

My breakfasts have improved, though I don't always finish eating my fruit in that sitting because I'm hurrying to get to work. My lunches are back to looking like things I want to eat and I have moved my afternoon veggie tray snack (usually a mix of cucumbers, baby carrots, and bell peppers) into being a part of that meal. Dinner is a work in progress, but overall, my eating is way better than it has ever been in my entire life. (See dinners of my teenage years where we had meat and maybe some rice.) I rarely eat junk, but when I do, I make sure that I have to make the effort to go get it and 90% of the time, I don't come home with it anyway.

You are doing so many good things already! I wish for you strength to stay the course, and wisdom to figure out the missing ingredient(s) that will get you the rest of the way to where you want to be!

I have a hard time just enjoying an adult beverage on the weekend because I'm so paranoid about eating healthy. Which is a great shame because I have some really nice mead that I would like to enjoy.

 

[Nevetharine]

I have a hard time just enjoying an adult beverage on the weekend because I'm so paranoid about eating healthy. Which is a great shame because I have some really nice mead that I would like to enjoy.

I'm like this with everything. So I totally feel your pain.

 

[Maegaranthelas]

I also had a touch of orthorexia.
It took me a while to begin to internalise that food is not the enemy, and eating something 'unhealthy' is still far healthier than not eating anything when my body clearly needs it.
I know a lot of people talk about having 'cheat meals,' but I really don't like that kind of negative framing.
I prefer to think of it as treats; you're giving yourself something nice and special specifically because it makes you happy, and you deserve to be happy.
So maybe you should plan to have a certain amount of treats in your week?
It sounds like a cup of nice mead on the weekend would be a very lovely gift to yourself

 

[Syrius]

But I would urge you to consider the fact that you gained a lot less weight over the past 6 months than over the previous 6. This is evidence that you have made positive changes! You're not there yet. But you are taking steps in the right direction.

Thank you, I hadn't looked at it that way. It has truly been an adventure to try to piece all of it together.

Is it possible that you are lactose intolerant?

I am fairly certain I am. I get upset stomach from pizza with regular cheese (I always order it with light so that I can still enjoy it). I don't really even eat cheese very much as it isn't a flavor that I love. I do enjoy freshly shredded parmesan, some provolone, and mozzarella on occasion. But mostly, I avoid cheese.

I know everybody is different, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for the next. But following Modern Hero definitely helped me when I was trying to lose weight a few years back. For me the key factors were:

1. No snacking. This could be tough if you have issues with hypoglycemia. But if you can do it, three meals a day, with nothing in between, goes a long way towards curbing excess calorie consumption.

2. Eating 50% fruit and vegetables, with most of this being vegetables, and choosing lower-sugar options when I did eat fruit. (For example: raspberries and rhubarb, both of which contain more fibre by weight than sugar, as opposed to grapes, which contain over 16 times more sugar than fibre.)

3. Eating raw veggies as much as possible, including eating a massive salad for lunch every day containing a huge pile of dark leafy greens. It's really hard to overconsume raw vegetables, because they contain so much water. They will go a long way towards your quest to consume more water too! Cooked veggies have a lot of their water boiled/baked/pressed out of them. But raw veggies are very hydrating. Yet it takes a while for your body to break down the fibre surrounding all that water--so you don't need to immediately pee it all back out. (When I go out on my paddleboard I try to always take raw veggies like carrots and/or tomatoes with me for this reason.)

4. Eating homemade food as much as possible. The typical North American diet is stupidly high in sugar and salt. It's high in these things because processed food manufacturers add a tonne of them to their products, because they know sugar and salt are like cocaine to our brains, which evolved to help our species survive in a time when food was scarce. They put that shit in their products deliberately to make us eat more! We are all habituated to eating food that is far sweeter and far saltier than is good for us, and it's extremely hard to get away from this unless we prepare our own food from basic ingredients. (Which is also hard to do because it's so time-consuming. But it does help.)

Hypoglycemia has been a problem since I was a kid. It isn't as bad as it used to be, but maybe I've just gotten better at detecting the signs before I get to the nausea-headache-angry part of the cycle.
Today I made it to lunch with no snacking! I also made it a point to eat my fruit with breakfast, munching on it while I was cooking my eggs. That worked out really well, so I'll probably keep doing that. I am currently on a blackberry & strawberry kick, though I'll probably do apples this weekend. Yay! I am so glad this will help with my water quest, because I am still really bad at drinking all my water (I think I might actually make it today, I'm already on my second cup of tea and my bottle of water is half gone!)
Well, M will be so excited to eat a large salad. I'll probably mix in my veggie tray with some lettuce.
Homemade food is so much better. I did have a microwave meal today with my veggies, but that was only because we underestimated and didn't have enough to finish out the set of homemade lunches for the week. I knew the processed foods were terrible and always left me still feeling hungry, but I didn't realize that was why!

You are doing so many good things already! I wish for you strength to stay the course, and wisdom to figure out the missing ingredient(s) that will get you the rest of the way to where you want to be!

It has certainly been an adventure! And thank you so much for all your advice & support!

 

[Syrius]

I'm like this with everything. So I totally feel your pain.

 

[Syrius]

I also had a touch of orthorexia.
It took me a while to begin to internalise that food is not the enemy, and eating something 'unhealthy' is still far healthier than not eating anything when my body clearly needs it.
I know a lot of people talk about having 'cheat meals,' but I really don't like that kind of negative framing.
I prefer to think of it as treats; you're giving yourself something nice and special specifically because it makes you happy, and you deserve to be happy.
So maybe you should plan to have a certain amount of treats in your week?
It sounds like a cup of nice mead on the weekend would be a very lovely gift to yourself

I didn't realize there was a term for this. I think I'm overcoming a lot of those healthy/unhealthy boundaries that I placed on myself, but it is still a struggle.

I love the idea of calling them treats!! I have never liked the term "cheat meal" because I have always seen it as an excuse to overindulge.

We all deserve to be happy. Thank you, I think I really needed that. I will very happily enjoy a cup of mead this weekend as I work out how to incorporate some treats in.

 

[Syrius]

Thursday, 29 February Wins: (138 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (5,652/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
At work: Office Yoga
At work: De-stress 19 (100 punches)
At work: CoS 30 (2x1m30s calf raise holds) ==maintenance mode==
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m35s But that's okay!
Power HIIT 3 lvl 3
Upperbody Light 15 (3x60 shoulder taps + 60 bicep extensions)

Skipped today for knees
Pathfinder+ 13
Epic Glutes 24 (4x36 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set
Epic Cardio 11 (5x32 high knees slow + fast)

Today's Featured Workout:



Still tired today. And I think a little emotionally drained. Going to go elevate and ice and possibly take an ibuprofen.

 

[Deadoks]

Still tired today. And I think a little emotionally drained. Going to go elevate and ice and possibly take an ibuprofen.

 

[CODawn]

and belated congratulations on your challenges!

 

[Syrius]

@Deadoks @CODawn Thank you!

Friday, 1 March Wins: (139 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (4,960/13,000) I finally updated the ones from this week in previous posts
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
:~: Healthy foods today - all in all, not the worst. Burrito, half sub, pizza. But, no overindulging, and no snacking.
Five Minute Plank 23 (3m50s elbow plank) 2m30s
Warmup: Quick Warmup
Pathfinder+ 13 || let kid join || pt1: 200 climbers || pt2: 14/4/5 full pushups!!
Power HIIT 4 lvl 3
Epic Cardio 11 (5x32 high knees slow + fast)
De-stress 20 (100 punches)
Upperbody Light 16 (200 raised arm circles all in one go)
CoS 29 (200 calf raises) ==maintenance mode==
Cool Down: Farpoint
Lower Body Blast 1

Epic Glutes 24 (4x36 squats +10-count hold) + 1 extra set I'll try for this one tomorrow I think

Today's Featured Workouts:


Dentist day. Got the second half of the deep cleaning done, so yay? My mouth is a little sore, but she said the first half was looking a lot better, so I'll take that win. Also finished a book today, so also good. (Dinosaur Planet Survivors by Anne McCaffrey) I did play some video games, but as they changed how contributions work, I had to do a lot of running around to complete certain contribution quests to be able to clean up my inventory, and I think I'll spread those high knees over the weekend. Freebee tonight on that front, but still adding up the tally.

Hang in there Bees and have a good one!

E: to add Lower Body Blast. I almost forgot to do it!

 

[Mamatigerj]

Very belated cheers for the Knee Push-ups Challenge and Arms of Steel CE!

 

[Syrius]

Saturday, 2 March Wins: (140 days)
Journalling
Walkabout 22 (10,280/13,000)
First Thing Water ==maintenance mode==
Healthy foods today
TREAT - Sangria when we went out for dinner
Ended up going to a car show with M and some other people. So, that was a lot of walking and standing.
Lower Body Blast 2

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Ooh, that's a tasty treat