2014 TypeC Health and Exercise Challenge

[Udog]

I'd like to take a moment and welcome our newest participant, Kasper!

Also, I'd like to repeat Ivy's question: Who here is interested in extending this past April 6th?

Week 8 Participation List
AngelLight2012
Coriolis
INTJMom
Ivy
Kasper
kyuuei
Qlip
Udog
Urarienev
[MENTION=206]Randomnity[/MENTION]
[MENTION=9883]Redbone[/MENTION]
How did you guys do this week?

 

[Kasper]

Yay, I was wondering why you hadn't shown up yet! I'll add you to the list that I'll be posting in a few minutes. I don't know if you read the OP, but the gist is: We aren't tracking "cheats" this time around, and all we really ask is that you post a weekly summary on how you are doing. Every two weeks I'll Mention the people that we hadn't heard from in more than 7 days.

What are you currently doing for your fitness program?

All good, cheats don't work for me, I'd rather set goals and if I fail use that as motivation to do better he next time.

Currently doing cycling for cardio and weights for upper body muscle growth, as well as crunches and the likes for core strength, and yoga when I get to it for de-stressing, although the cycling de-stresses enough most if the time. I'm finding plenty of motivation for cycling as I'm really enjoying it, need to ramp up the other though.

I'd like to take a moment and welcome our newest participant, Kasper!

Also, I'd like to repeat Ivy's question: Who here is interested in extending this past April 6th?

\o/

My personal deadline for goals is August so would be stella for me to extend.

 

[Kasper]

Right, Goals! \o/

My goal is to reduce body fat, increase muscle with a focus on upper body, and improve overall fitness levels. Food wise things are just dandy so long as I shop for food often enough as the biggest weakness (excluding tastytasty beer) is not eating enough/often.

My weeks will be logged from Mon through to Sun.

Cardio
1. Ride to work minimum 3x a week (exceptions for 30+ degree weather)
2. Log 40 bike rides by 7 April (min distance must be over 5kms)
3. Log minimum overall distance of 45kms per week (if the temp is too high all week, indoor 3 x 30 min high intensity weights/medicine ball sets can replace)

Strength/core
4. Daily push ups (not sure on target number yet, may switch to every other day)
5. Daily ab set
6. Weights sets, minimum 2x per week

Diet
7. Market shopping once a fortnight
8. Add one new option to meal plans each week
9. Limit beer to max 7 per week
10. Consume 3 meals per day min (meal replacement shakes can replace 2)

 

[wolfy]

What supplements, if I may ask?

Fish oil
Creatine
Multi vitamin
C4 (Pre workout supplement)
Protein
Amino drink powder.

 

[Randomnity]

[MENTION=206]Randomnity[/MENTION]
[MENTION=9883]Redbone[/MENTION]
How did you guys do this week?

For the last completed week (week 8?) I did well on the bodyweight (3/3) and skipped 1/2 yoga nights again.

However I'm not doing so hot this week - missed my first bodyweight routine Sun, which is a very big danger sign. I tend to drop things all at once. I also predictably skipped yoga yesterday. I had some life stuff going on and could make excuses but the point is I didn't try hard enough. I absolutely need to get back on track tonight and get the bodyweight done, so I don't totally fall off the wagon.

For some extra motivation, I'll answer [MENTION=4722]Udog[/MENTION]'s question from awhile back about why I'm participating. I want to be healthy so that I will (have a greater chance to) live a long time, I guess, and I would like to slightly improve how I look, but probably my main reason is so I'm fit enough to do anything that I want to do. I haven't had the chance yet to do most of the travelling/adventure stuff that I've always wanted to do, but I fully plan to as soon as I'm able, and I want to be strong enough to do everything I want to do - multi-day challenging hikes, rock climbing, skiing, surfing, etc etc. That stuff isn't out of my reach now, but I want to be more fit so I can really make it count when I start putting down some real cash into trips like that. I have a short trip to BC coming up in late May and I have a lot of physical stuff planned so I want to be fit enough that I can do everything I want to do on that trip (mostly a lot of hiking, ziplining and sea kayaking).

On a more day to day level I want to be more fit because it makes me happy to feel strong, and I want to avoid being held back from things I feel like doing because I don't have enough strength/energy. I guess a lot of it is a control/independence thing - it seems like increased fitness gives me more freedom to do whatever I want.

I'm not sure the limited workout program I'm doing really makes that much of a difference to any of those goals, but it's a step in the right direction. I do feel stronger since starting, whether that's just psychological or not. I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I don't want to lose that progress by stopping now. So I'll get in my workout before I leave for volleyball tonight. Oh and I'm cool with continuing for 6 months (or indefinitely, really, since that's my own plan). I'll keep modifying my goals whenever it makes sense to do so.

 

[Udog]

Fish oil
Creatine
Multi vitamin
C4 (Pre workout supplement)
Protein
Amino drink powder.

Whey protein? Or do you favor a different protein supplement?

I'm not sure the limited workout program I'm doing really makes that much of a difference to any of those goals, but it's a step in the right direction. I do feel stronger since starting, whether that's just psychological or not. I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I don't want to lose that progress by stopping now. So I'll get in my workout before I leave for volleyball tonight. Oh and I'm cool with continuing for 6 months (or indefinitely, really, since that's my own plan). I'll keep modifying my goals whenever it makes sense to do so.

One thing I've been doing, even during my worst weeks, is being AWARE that I'm not meeting my goals. I would go from being OK with that to feeling bad about it, but I never quit trying. So if for some reason you do begin falling out, don't lose sight of where you want to be. Persistence is key.

Oh, and you know the 80-20 principle - where 80% of the results comes from 20% of the effort? That applies to exercise as well. Even 30 minute workout sessions a few times a week can have some significant health benefits. It isn't enough to train for major physical challenges, of course, but it still makes a big difference. So it's definitely worthwhile.

 

[INTJMom]

I'm game to go 6 months!
I need to do it long enough to develop a good habit.

 

[Evo]

Also, I'd like to repeat Ivy's question: Who here is interested in extending this past April 6th?

YES! Please!

I have so much to work on lol

I have revised my goals here:

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66955&p=2245158&viewfull=1#post2245158

 

[wolfy]

Whey protein? Or do you favor a different protein supplement?

Whey. I used Gaspari before that had casein as well as whey. But lately I use Optimum Nutrition.

 

[kyuuei]

[MENTION=2]Ivy[/MENTION] Beef jerky is really awesome! I used to eat it a ton when I was in the desert because it was such a convenient form of heavy food+portability+precious sodium. A piece of beef jerky and water could tie me over for hours when I knew I needed to eat but never felt hungry because of the heat.

March 4th: I had a kind of frowny-faced day yesterday with the icy roads, icy rain I had to walk through, and a test I had to cram for. I did, however, make time to go to the rodeo so I walked around there for a while. It was fun. I also ate horribly awful... I cannot even remember what I ate, but I'm almost sure 90% of it was junk food.

March 5th: However, today I ate pretty decently. It's amazing what having an extra few hours in the morning does for me starting things off right. I had a home cooked green soup (broccoli, onion, garlic, celery, spinach, cilantro and parsley pureed with some lemon meat and herbes de Provence and juniper berries) with basmati dill rice, orange, banana, and some thin-sliced high quality bacon for breakfast.. sufficient hydration during school.. and vietnamese food for dinner. (some chicken broth with green onion, cilantro, lime, and hot sauce broth.. steamed rice with lots of hot sauce and hoisin sauce.. char-cooked chicken with an awesome hoisin-based sauce, vinegar carrots and cauliflower and a dipping sauce made from pepper, salt, and lime juice.) I still need to remember to eat breakfast. @_@ I did do my stretches for my hips too.

Overall: Yesterday, I sucked. Today, I rocked. And I'm okay with that if I can just keep rocking it out. Tomorrow is clinicals, so I'll probably chew on some oats and fruit for breakfast, stop by the grocery and grab some fruit and a thing of sushi for lunch, and eat a fig bar sort of thing while driving home to cook up a soup and salad for dinner.

It's the start of my spring break after tomorrow, and plenty of time for me to get things in shape for myself. I plan on at least hour-long work outs for the times I have off, and while I'm not really into extreme diets.. I was thinking it'd be a good time to test out something new diet-wise. I'm still working on the research for it.

 

[kyuuei]

Today I worked 10 hours of clinicals but spent 14 hours there total. Still I didn't get much out of it exercise-wise.
- I'll be jamming out to a quick 30 minute work out before I shower and call it a night. ... Which I better do soon before I get super sleepy...
- Breakfast was celery and peanut butter and raisins, a banana, and an entire package of pineapple chunks.. Not much but I didn't have much leftover either.. Lunch was pinwheels (turkey and boozy brown ale cheese with some lettuce and kefir cheese leftover), an apple, an orange, and some baby carrots and hummus. Dinner didn't start out healthy--pork chops.. but breaded with panko, cooked in the oven instead of in oil, with mushrooms and onions sauteed in some white wine and kefir cheese, some stir-fried brussel sprouts with paprika, lemon, and cooked in a bit of bacon grease from a couple pieces of cheap bacon, and mashed potatoes made with chicken broth and light sour cream.. it didn't end so bad either. A pretty happy mesh of healthy and not-so healthy. If I hadn't intervened I'd have been a sad faced person right now from fried foods and full cream potatoes. Ended that meal with a chocolate smoothie made with a few thin mints, milk, a banana, 2 squares of special dark chocolate, some spinach, and a frozen strawberry.

Tomorrow I'm going to do a little evaluating of my kitchen and figure out what I actually want to eat in the near future. I need to start meal planning better so I don't waste so much money on last minute meals during the week.

 

[Firebird 8118]

Okay, time for an update from me:

I've noticed again that I've been running back and forth on campus quite a bit this week (whether because of running late for class, or because I'm trying to reach the Tower safely on my own at night, or simply because I like the rush it gives me ). Still don't have much stamina though, so I'll need to work on that for the rest of this month.

I've also been giving up on meat little-by-little each day, replacing it with more veggies (yay for spinach and cauliflower! ) and fruits during the day. Been drinking a lot more water now than ever before, especially after running to and fro - ah, I've forgotten to try that detox experiment with apples and cinnamon. Need to remind myself to make a test sample of it this weekend.

And I decided to look up some stuff on Mom's Kindle regarding my PCOS condition, to see what else I could do to minimize my health risks and current symptoms... let's just say that I've given myself a week's worth of nightmares in one reading. But anyhow, at least I'm starting to figure out what I need to do to prevent the worst of it.

EDIT: My old briefcase bag seems to be killing me. I can feel the strain it's giving my left arm, from the wrist to the shoulder. Should I be concerned about this?

 

[wolfy]

I gave three lessons today. Two 45 minute lessons and one 60 minute lesson. Fun, but I am wrecked. In other news I am competing in powerlifting comps later this year.

 

[Redbone]

How did you guys do this week?

Good despite having a cold (or something...geez...I haven't been this sick in ages! Is it the lack of sunlight here?). I started exercising in the shower. It sounds weird but it works well for me. I started doing crunches, too because I cannot continue with the amount of back pain I've been dealing with. That is working very well! That, coupled with a new drug I'm on seems to be helping me get better sleep (I'll have to wait and see...I could be extra tired because of this infection and getting to sleep b/c of that).
I also found a diet plan that seems it will work well for me. A modified Mediterranean diet. I noticed that getting older means that I need to eat a lot less. This isn't so much of a problem as getting the right combination of foods so that I don't feel hungry, dissatisfied, or just overall bad. I'll see how it goes.

 

[kyuuei]

Today I woke up at a glorious 9:30am in long johns from yesterday.

Exercise: I wanted to go running, but events of the day mandated I recycle scrap metal during peak running hour times (aka sunlight). I'm SOOOO Happy that DST is coming up soon! I need my extra sunshine!! Instead, I worked out to good old fashioned P90X with an ab workout.

Food: Breakfast was a salad and half a piece of pita bread with kefir cheese on it with some hot green tea.. Lunch was sushi and I tried a date chocolate milk substitute recipe that turned out pretty good even though I lack carob powder and used cocoa instead.. it was really yummy actually. Slightly gritty in the sense that it's thicker than pure liquid and clearly was broken down solids, but the taste was good and it drank like thick chocolate milk. Then I cooked a black bean brownie recipe with coconut sugar, and that came out awesome! I had like 2 pieces of it. Dinner was 93% lean ground beef hamburger with lettuce and some ketchup. Coconut water post workout.

Edit: I've been doing a lot of research, and I've decided to try a vegan diet 75% of the time. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks.. With dinner up for interpretation still. Mostly because of the cost/time savings of just cutting up some vegetables and eating fruit, and because I feel better when I eat mostly fruits and vegetables. I'm still going to cook food, so I can't say it's going to be raw or anything, but it will be a huge time saver for me. Starting off with a salad today was more refreshing than I thought it'd be. I don't typically eat salad for breakfast since it's too savory for me..

 

[kyuuei]

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html?start=16 Anyone looking for some cool new workouts?!

Today I am going running! Whoo! Even though I dont have any headphones!

I got WAY too much sleep, almost 12 hours.. which isn't really good. I need to wake up in the mornings and move around earlier. So a goal for this week is to wake up at a decent hour even if I don't get up right away.

For breakfast I ate a date-chocolate-milk recipe (dates, water, chocolate stevia, coconut sugar, and cocoa powder), a banana, an orange, and a 93% lean ground beef and whole wheat hamburger with some ketchup and mustard and pickles on it. For lunch, some coconut chia seed granola cereal with the rest of the date-chocolate milk for milk. I need to fit in a liter of water in here soon so I'll be well hydrated for running. For dinner I want a salad, a green smoothie, and some red german cabbage with a bit of protein. But I might end up with sushi and a seaweed salad. Depends on how the evening goes.

My meal plan I created in a nutshell for Mid-to-late march:
- Salad, fruit, and a drink for breakfast
- Ploughman's lunch with pickles and leafy greens for my parents and a single piece of each and a green smoothie for me, and everyone gets a bit of sweetened oats with dried fruit
- Coconut water after working out
- Vegetable soup, steamed vegetables, a starch, and a protein for dinner
- Ready on hand snacks and desserts.

.. We'll see how it actually flies with everyone though.

 

[Coriolis]

9th weekly update.

1. Improve eating habits, specifically eating between meals.
I concentrated more on this this past week, and did a better job of being aware of when and what I eat, and consciously deciding: No, I'm not going to eat that now. If I can manage the "not now", often it becomes "not at all", which is what I am after.

2. Get more exercise: at least three times each week, in addition to martial arts practice.
Still keeping up with 3x per week, and looking foward to outdoor time as the snow finally goes.

3. Weight loss.
No change, but that's OK since my main purpose in this 3 months at least is developing and maintaining better habits.

I'm hoping we'll be able to extend this to 6 months.. anybody game? I've found it so valuable as a part of maintaining awareness of where I want to go and how I might get there.

I'm in for 3 more months.

 

[Evo]

Week 9

Weekly Rate: 9/10

I did pretty darn awesome this week.

-veggies
-yoga
-tea
-meditating

all of it....

(I'm going to bed right after this...so it's close enough to going to bed on time.)

- The only thing I didn't do was listen to someone.

I'm engaging when I'm conversing with ppl...so I listen, but I am still thinking about what I'm going to say. lol I would like to work on that. I'm pretty sure it will bring me into the moment more.

 

[Kasper]

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html?start=16 Anyone looking for some cool new workouts?!

Bahahaa.

Your updates are making me crave coconut water!

 

[Kasper]

Cardio

Cycling	Distance	Time
Wed 5-Mar	5.6	23:00
	5.7	16:40
Thu 6-Mar	6.0	26:40
	5.8	16:50
Fri 7-Mar	5.2	19:50
Sat 8-Mar	5.4	21:20
	10.4	48:15
Sun 9-Mar	5.2	18:30
	49.3	3:11:05

Was a short week as I joined halfway through Tue but I think this target is about where it should be, I expect to meet it every week and slam it in on some (excluding hot weather) however it's not a given so serves as encouragement on mornings I wake up and don't feel inspired to ride to work.

1. Log 40 bike rides by 7 April: 32
2. Ride to work minimum 3x a week:

3. Log minimum overall distance of 45kms per week:

Strength/core

	Push-ups	Abs	Weights
Tue 4-Mar	30	10 mins	30 mins
Wed 5-Mar	55	5 mins	-
Thu 6-Mar	-	-	-
Fri 7-Mar	55	-	-
Sat 8-Mar	-	-	-
Sun 9-Mar	60	-	40 mins

Have swiped the 100 push up challenge from Qlip's blog in order to have a structure to follow, have changed my goal to every other day in order to be able to push harder the following day without early fatigue due to not being recovered enough. Have completed W1 of the challenge and feel inspired to keep going with it each week, repeating any week where I can't get the required reps out. Am working on setting weights goals.

4. Push ups every other day:

5. Ab set 4x per week:

6. Weights set 2x per week:

Am finding the ab exercises boring which is an issue as boring means I may be pushed initially however in the end, I just won't do it. The only reason I have them on my "to-do" list is because I want to have some kind of strength and core work on a regular basis and I'm not going to lift weights more than 3 times a week. The push-up challenge works so need to find something else like that maybe and will probably make it lunges instead.


Diet

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Tue 4-Mar
Wed 5-Mar
Thu 6-Mar
Fri 7-Mar
Sat 8-Mar
Sun 9-Mar

On days without interruptions I tend to be able to stick to the plan, Friday was all messed up and the weekends are an issue. Need to work on having simple options available for times when I don't feel like eating. It kinda feels to me like never ending eating, and this is only 3 small meals a day, have to work out something better here.

7. Market shopping once a fortnight:

8. Add one new option to meal plans each week:

9. Limit beer to max 7 per week: 5

10. Consume 3 meals per day min:

but it is still an improvement, I have eaten when I was uninspired because of this challenge