The 2016 Healthy Habits Thread

[kyuuei]

[MENTION=7254]Wind Up Rex[/MENTION] if you ever wanna level up that not-spending-tons-of-money-on-food bit let me know. Typically <$200 a month for us if you don't count take-out food.

 

[violet_crown]

[MENTION=7254]Wind Up Rex[/MENTION] if you ever wanna level up that not-spending-tons-of-money-on-food bit let me know. Typically <$200 a month for us if you don't count take-out food.

Tell me your secrets, sensei!

That said, I almost wonder if I should leave my food habit alone as there's something to be said for redeeming vice. I otherwise don't spend a ton of money on things. I bought new bras today for the first time since like...junior year in high school?

Food and dresses. I will spend my last dollar on the right mini-dress and feel good about it every time.

 

[kyuuei]

Tell me your secrets, sensei!

That said, I almost wonder if I should leave my food habit alone as there's something to be said for redeeming vice. I otherwise don't spend a ton of money on things. I bought new bras today for the first time since like...junior year in high school?

Food and dresses. I will spend my last dollar on the right mini-dress and feel good about it every time.

It is the Art of Frugal Lazy Chefsu.

Everyone has some vices.. Books are one of mine.. but I still managed to eventually curb to buying books to cheap ones and hunting down cheap buys. The hunt has sort of become its own vice, but overall it's better on my wallet.

 

[violet_crown]

It is the Art of Frugal Lazy Chefsu.

Everyone has some vices.. Books are one of mine.. but I still managed to eventually curb to buying books to cheap ones and hunting down cheap buys. The hunt has sort of become its own vice, but overall it's better on my wallet.

Have you considered a kindle and an oyster subscription?

 

[Riva]

Don't know whether I am too late for this.

I want to lose weight/fat and end up weighing 82Kgs by the end of the year. Started at 88Kgs. Currently am at 85.5Kgs. Losing weight is easy, but I don't want to do so without gaining muscles, so the time I spend on cardio isn't as much as I spend on lifting weights. Lifts weights thrice a week, cardio twice per week. I am confident though that I can get to 82Kgs by the end of the year but I am not sure whether I'd be able to build muscles (on shoulders, arms) as fast as I would lose weights. It I lose weight without building arms and shoulders, there is a threat of looking skinny as I am 6 feet tall.

Also I measure the food I eat.

 

[EJCC]

What I have not had trouble with thus far:

- Eating more fruit (I now have three go-to breakfast recipes, all of which involve both oats and fruit, and one of which is a smoothie)
- Eating more protein (meat, eggs, quinoa)
- Eating nutritious snacks at work
- Being significantly more tidy and more on top of things overall (thank you Habitica!)

What I have had trouble with thus far:

- Eating fewer grains/starches. Per the above, I've added in more protein, vegetables, and fruit, but I love oats, I love pasta, I love bread, I love rice. And I am SO BORED by recipes that are just a piece of meat with some veggies on the side. Plus, while I think some salads are delicious, it is not salad season IMO. Way too cold out.
- Keeping snacks around the house for when I get hungry after dinner
- Being consistent with exercise (I still exercise once a week minimum, but my goal is 3-5 days a week)
- Not being hungry for dinner as soon as my hour-long commute home is done. :/ That frequently gets in the way of exercise in the evening.
- Some tasks, even Habitica isn't keeping me proactive about...

 

[kyuuei]

Have you considered a kindle and an oyster subscription?

I do have prime and I rent books for free that way, and I do use the kindle for traveling, but there's less eye strain reading from an actual book. Maybe one day I'll be gifted a paperwhite.

I thought at first about getting all digital books, and selling my real books as I did it one at a time, but it actually is more money for me to re-buy all the books I have (if they're even in digital format). Plus, frequently I get books for a quarter, or free... and online it'll cost $8 for me to buy it.

 

[Bush]

Chose the path of the Healer. With Crothers MD by your side, you can all set up more challenging shit and I'll be your spotter, basically. I totally encourage that!

I also wanted to embrace HARD MODE, which means that I need a shit load of strategy when the end of the day looms and I haven't gotten around to everything: Habitica Hard Mode

And I wanted to be different

And I'm not doing that CONSTANTLY WATCHING YOUR HP thing

 

[kyuuei]

Don't know whether I am too late for this.

I want to lose weight/fat and end up weighing 82Kgs by the end of the year. Started at 88Kgs. Currently am at 85.5Kgs. Losing weight is easy, but I don't want to do so without gaining muscles, so the time I spend on cardio isn't as much as I spend on lifting weights. Lifts weights thrice a week, cardio twice per week. I am confident though that I can get to 82Kgs by the end of the year but I am not sure whether I'd be able to build muscles (on shoulders, arms) as fast as I would lose weights. It I lose weight without building arms and shoulders, there is a threat of looking skinny as I am 6 feet tall.

Also I measure the food I eat.

You're Never too late! It is 2016 still ain't it?! Welcome Aboard matey!

- Eating fewer grains/starches. Per the above, I've added in more protein, vegetables, and fruit, but I love oats, I love pasta, I love bread, I love rice. And I am SO BORED by recipes that are just a piece of meat with some veggies on the side. Plus, while I think some salads are delicious, it is not salad season IMO. Way too cold out.

I am a carb fiend as well.. and it is a balance. The calories and quick energy you try to kick from carbs tend to leave a void. If this is helpful at all:

- I 'cut' carbs sometimes. For example, I use some zucchini noodles and spaghetti noodles with regular noodles, so that I still have a ton of bulk but less pasta overall. With rice I do a mix of blended cauliflower (or broccoli, whichever is cheaper) and carrots with the rice. That sort of thing. For bread there isn't much replacing it.. Everything I have ever tried pretty much sucks.
- Soups are just as effective as salads when made at home for winter season. And even then, those can be tiring.. so... I'm a big fan of, again, incorporating veggies into meals. I make half-vegetarian sloppy joes and load the burger up with veggies. Black bean hamburgers with beef sliders. Lentil gravy and biscuits. A green smoothie. Cereal made out of beans (it exists and it rocks). If you just slip vegetables into your meals and let them stand on their own, the salad isn't always necessary.

- Not being hungry for dinner as soon as my hour-long commute home is done. :/ That frequently gets in the way of exercise in the evening.
- Some tasks, even Habitica isn't keeping me proactive about...

Maybe you can try what I have been doing lately, and that's eating during or just before your commute home? I found that I was skipping breakfast when I got home from work because I didn't have much time to sleep when I ate it at home. So, I've been keeping packets of oatmeal + a TJ nut mix and an orange or something in my backpack.. when I am off of work, I fill my disposable cup with the oatmeal + hot water and I eat it on the way out the door. 30 minutes of getting home later it's had plenty of time to settle in and I'm not cutting into my sleep time. There's a lot of cheap portable food out there.. so maybe you can make lunch your "dinner" food with decent lovely things and make dinner the sort of quick lunch-type meal.

Besides, Rome wasn't built in a day. You've made a lot of improvements with that pros list there! It takes time to build a habit. That work on list is just that.. a work on list. Room for improvement is not a negative thing.

 

[Bush]

I actually have a "Swear jar" Habit set up.

Thia is going to be really, really difficult.

Some tasks, even Habitica isn't keeping me proactive about...

I'm sure there are ways to totally break the Habitica framework to make this happen. Any good specifics on those tasks?

I've been reading quite a few articles on how to make the most of Habitica. I guess I'm elbow-in..?

 

[kyuuei]

I actually have a "Swear jar" Habit set up.

Thia is going to be really, really difficult.
I'm sure there are ways to totally break the Habitica framework to make this happen. Any good specifics on those tasks?

I've been reading quite a few articles on how to make the most of Habitica. I guess I'm elbow-in..?

Oh maan I was thinking about researching some colorful language to replace the normal stuff just the other day!

 

[Bush]

Oh maan I was thinking about researching some colorful language to replace the normal stuff just the other day!

How to Swear Like an Old Prospector | Mental Floss

Enjoy.

 

[EJCC]

I'm sure there are ways to totally break the Habitica framework to make this happen. Any good specifics on those tasks?

The only commonality between them all, is that they'd need to be done in the evening after work, when I'm ready for dinner and/or running out of energy and/or ready for bed. So what's getting in the way is tiredness and hunger -- two things that impede rational thought and productivity.

I've been reading quite a few articles on how to make the most of Habitica. I guess I'm elbow-in..?

Nice

What articles have been most helpful so far?

 

[Frosty]

[MENTION=2]Ivy[/MENTION]! You need to accept our challenge before the monster gets us!

 

[Ivy]

I'm sorry!! I thought I had accepted.

 

[Ivy]

I forgot to check off some of my most blue dailies on Saturday. The most frustrating thing is I actually did them, just forgot to check them off. So I'm a little mad at Habitica rn.

 

[Bush]

[MENTION=2]Ivy[/MENTION]: At least, you can edit the "Streak counter" below the task. Just take your old streak and add 1 to it. Streaks are significant in Habitica.. something about something something experience. I forget.

I'd say that you can also give yourself the flexibility to check off some task of the same difficulty in the future even if you haven't done it. (I won't tell anyone that you did, unless we need fuel for a mutiny.)

 

[Bush]

What articles have been most helpful so far?

Lots. Pretty much in order of helpfulness:

• Habitica Wiki - Wikia (duh)
• In-game guild chats have lots of Q&As for specific needs
• Class guides (useful because class changes the way you play the thing in the first place): Warrior + Rogue + Mage + sucker Healer
• Vanilla Habitica Tips & Tricks
• Using Habitica (a Game) to Improve My Productivity in Grad School but Mostly in Life
• https://www.reddit.com/r/habitrpg/
• some pretty good post about how soeone else uses it
• HARD MODE http://acrobolix.com/habitrpg-hard-mode/
• AGONIZING MODE http://habitica.wikia.com/wiki/The_...rder_-_migrated_by_AlphaRevi?t=20150913031623

 

[Ivy]

[MENTION=7254]Wind Up Rex[/MENTION]- I bought a BellaBeat! I had looked at them before, and the one thing I was iffy about was the syncing to other apps (e.g. Withings and Myfitnesspal) which is limited. But this is the only legit pretty tracker I've seen and if I'm honest that's important to me. Also I'm eager to try out the breathing exercises, and can't wait to get rid of the ugly P Tracker app I use for cycle tracking.

Also based on what I saw when I researched the app syncing issue this time, they listen to their customers and add features when they can, so I'm hoping it'll get added.

 

[violet_crown]

[MENTION=7254]Wind Up Rex[/MENTION]- I bought a BellaBeat! I had looked at them before, and the one thing I was iffy about was the syncing to other apps (e.g. Withings and Myfitnesspal) which is limited. But this is the only legit pretty tracker I've seen and if I'm honest that's important to me. Also I'm eager to try out the breathing exercises, and can't wait to get rid of the ugly P Tracker app I use for cycle tracking.

Also based on what I saw when I researched the app syncing issue this time, they listen to their customers and add features when they can, so I'm hoping it'll get added.

Ahhh! You got off the waiting list already???? So jelly. :<

Did you get the bracelet or the necklace?