Wow. Two Weeks. Two freaking weeks have passed since I last posted. Needless to say, I am again in the middle of a no games week, though I haven't really had any desire to play recently anyway. Not sure if that is good or bad, as it makes the "punishment" much less severe. It might be time to change things up because I am seriously waning in motivation here.
The past two weeks have been... uneventful. I should qualify that by mentioning that things have been happening, but nothing I care to go into on this public blog. Certain aspects of my life seem to be in a constant state of entropy, making the once stable aspects of my life less stable by virtue of the second law of thermodynamics.
Lately, I've debated just completely giving up this list idea. Parts of it have become a tedious chore, while others are already integrated into my life enough to not require constant reminder. I enjoy blogging, but not when it is a weekly requirement whether or not I have anything to say. I enjoy reading, but feel rushed towards the end of the month if I am not far enough in my book, making it more akin to reading textbooks than reading for pleasure. This list was intended to help me integrate things into my life that I thought were lacking or could use improvement. I think it has accomplished that goal to some degree, but lately has felt like a self-induced weight upon my shoulders. Alas, I am not yet to the point of giving up completely, but if anyone has ideas on how I can regain some of the initial momentum I once had for this concept, please feel free to share...
On a more cheerful note, I am starting the motorcycle safety course tonight. Tonight will be lecture only, but Saturday morning I get to go for my first ride. Wish me luck! I am really looking forward to it and, assuming I like it as much as anticipated, will probably be getting a bike within the next month!
That's all for now. I will try to be more proactive in my postings, but I know I've said that before. Maybe I should just let the chaos consume me...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Weight Creep
So my weight has slowly been creeping back up, hitting 169 just a few days ago. It started off slowly at first, reaching around 165 after a brief dip down to the 161-162 range. I have been eating out a LOT, and missing several classes, so it's not really a surprise, but it does kind of suck to have gotten so far down only to let it get back almost to my max weight of 170. I was 167.4 this morning, as I have been trying to eat a bit better (finally went grocery shopping) and get to more classes this week (already at 3 this week and 1 workout down). Hopefully I'll be back below 165 by next week...
It is really amazing how much difference those extra pounds make when working out or doing forms. Even an extra 5 pounds can make it seem like you are wearing a weight vest or just make you feel all around sluggish and lethargic. It's almost hard to believe that I once maxed out around 203 or that just 6 months ago my mean weight was around 175-180. I hope to never go back to that, but it is a constant struggle to not let myself eat whenever and whatever I want. Especially because I absolutely LOVE food. Luckily, I have been taught how to shop smarter and been given some great advice on how nutrition actually works, both of which have played huge roles in my new routine. I will definitely have to do some more research into nutrition, though, as I know my knowledge in that area is still sorely lacking...
Anyway, just wanted to write a quick update, as I've been pretty lax with the whole blogging thing the past few weeks. I've noticed the number of readers has gone down quite a bit lately, and I blame myself for not really giving many updates, so I'll try harder to keep everyone current on my progress.
It is really amazing how much difference those extra pounds make when working out or doing forms. Even an extra 5 pounds can make it seem like you are wearing a weight vest or just make you feel all around sluggish and lethargic. It's almost hard to believe that I once maxed out around 203 or that just 6 months ago my mean weight was around 175-180. I hope to never go back to that, but it is a constant struggle to not let myself eat whenever and whatever I want. Especially because I absolutely LOVE food. Luckily, I have been taught how to shop smarter and been given some great advice on how nutrition actually works, both of which have played huge roles in my new routine. I will definitely have to do some more research into nutrition, though, as I know my knowledge in that area is still sorely lacking...
Anyway, just wanted to write a quick update, as I've been pretty lax with the whole blogging thing the past few weeks. I've noticed the number of readers has gone down quite a bit lately, and I blame myself for not really giving many updates, so I'll try harder to keep everyone current on my progress.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Week of Failure #2
This week was a bust. I missed nearly every goal though I had plenty of time and no good reason not to do everything on my list. I made only 4 classes this week, worked out only once outside of class, practiced only once and didn't even get a blog in at all (this one is late by about 2 hours). Pretty much a week of failure.
Not to say that I did nothing at all. I did get to hang out with friends, made a small trip to SA, got a lot of work done, and finished up my book of the month. It has been a while since I've missed my weekly goals, so I'm not really looking forward to a week with no video games. This past week I didn't play at all, and had no real desire to even fire up WoW or my 360. I am, however, human, and easily fall prey to the human weakness of wanting what I can't have. Thus, I can expect unusually strong cravings for WoW and Guitar Hero this coming week...
On a side note, I have been using FitDay every day since my last post and have grown to like it quite a bit. It does an excellent job of helping me to more accurately track my caloric intake, as well as a plethora of other nutritional tidbits I would never be able to keep tabs on with my written journal. I also use it to track my weight and daily activities, though I still have to start making notes of specific exercises, weights, and reps for my workout days. If you're interested in seeing what I'm eating and doing, you can view my public FitDay log at this link.
Also, I've decided to do away with actual book reviews. I've been dreading writing up this last review, mainly because I see it as such a chore. I enjoyed the book, but writing up a witty commentary on exactly why I liked it just makes me want to avoid blogging. I will probably mention some things in passing (yea or nay, quotes, etc.) but no official reviews anymore. Just too much hassle.
And with that, I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll get back on track this week...
Not to say that I did nothing at all. I did get to hang out with friends, made a small trip to SA, got a lot of work done, and finished up my book of the month. It has been a while since I've missed my weekly goals, so I'm not really looking forward to a week with no video games. This past week I didn't play at all, and had no real desire to even fire up WoW or my 360. I am, however, human, and easily fall prey to the human weakness of wanting what I can't have. Thus, I can expect unusually strong cravings for WoW and Guitar Hero this coming week...
On a side note, I have been using FitDay every day since my last post and have grown to like it quite a bit. It does an excellent job of helping me to more accurately track my caloric intake, as well as a plethora of other nutritional tidbits I would never be able to keep tabs on with my written journal. I also use it to track my weight and daily activities, though I still have to start making notes of specific exercises, weights, and reps for my workout days. If you're interested in seeing what I'm eating and doing, you can view my public FitDay log at this link.
Also, I've decided to do away with actual book reviews. I've been dreading writing up this last review, mainly because I see it as such a chore. I enjoyed the book, but writing up a witty commentary on exactly why I liked it just makes me want to avoid blogging. I will probably mention some things in passing (yea or nay, quotes, etc.) but no official reviews anymore. Just too much hassle.
And with that, I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll get back on track this week...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Lazy Days
I have been way too lazy this past week. Like, borderline comatose lazy. Although I made it to conditioning class on Sunday, I skipped all of Monday, Tuesday noon class and all of last night. Thursday is my "day off" but I feel like I should be doing something just to shake off the feeling of apathy. I need to make it to 2 classes tomorrow AND Saturday morning black belt class just to barely scrape by with 5 classes for the week. Not to mention, I have to practice guitar/piano every day for the rest of the week, work out again tomorrow, and keep my steadily increasing weight under 170. I'm not really so much worried about hitting 170 as I am disappointed that I let myself slip so much after hitting 161 just the other week (168 as of this morning). Sigh.
I have also been putting off writing up a book review of last month's book, making some more changes to the list, and starting this months' research topic (I'm thinking stretching techniques). Apparently, I am just a list of complaints and self pity today. Sigh.
On the plus side, I am slowly but surely getting used to eating multiple smaller meals a day. I average 4 meals a day, sometimes 5 or 6 if I really try, and all around 200-600 calories. I still have a ways to go before getting completely accustomed to eating like this, and an even longer way to go before I can accurately calculate the calories I'm taking in without having to constantly read nutrition labels. I'm actually thinking of signing up for an online site called fitday.com that is supposed to be an excellent way to track meals and workouts. It may even replace my workout log if I like it, but I want to give it a decent test run before fully committing to it on the list. Anyway, I'd best get back to work, seeing as how I actually made it in to the office today (only the second time this week). Those excel sheets won't update themselves. Sigh...
I have also been putting off writing up a book review of last month's book, making some more changes to the list, and starting this months' research topic (I'm thinking stretching techniques). Apparently, I am just a list of complaints and self pity today. Sigh.
On the plus side, I am slowly but surely getting used to eating multiple smaller meals a day. I average 4 meals a day, sometimes 5 or 6 if I really try, and all around 200-600 calories. I still have a ways to go before getting completely accustomed to eating like this, and an even longer way to go before I can accurately calculate the calories I'm taking in without having to constantly read nutrition labels. I'm actually thinking of signing up for an online site called fitday.com that is supposed to be an excellent way to track meals and workouts. It may even replace my workout log if I like it, but I want to give it a decent test run before fully committing to it on the list. Anyway, I'd best get back to work, seeing as how I actually made it in to the office today (only the second time this week). Those excel sheets won't update themselves. Sigh...
Thursday, April 3, 2008
New Workout Routines!
So here are my new workout routines. There are a few main points I tried to hit when creating these and I've already seen some major improvements since starting last week, so hopefully this will be a good change up. I added pull ups as a major component of both routines, as I've found that they are bar none the best total upper body workout you can give yourself. On my best day, I've gotten in 3 sets at 13/8/6 reps, which isn't too shabby, but I'd like to get that to 3 sets of 12 minimum. I also added a decent sized push up set to both routines because, again, they are a key strength builder, and with so many varieties, you get a great overall workout doing them. I have three ab sets which I will rotate in for my 2 workout days a week. Eventually, I'd like to get all 3 ab sets in one week, just adding in the last one after a class or before bed. So, without further ado, here are the new routines. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment. Or, better yet, go and try them out, and then tell me what you think!
Workout 1
Workout 2
Workout 1
| Exercise | Weight | Reps | Sets |
| Jump rope | 2 min | 1 | |
| Dynamic/Active stretching | 5 min | 1 | |
| Jump rope | 2 min | 1 | |
| Pull up | 12 | 3 | |
| Curl | 75 | 12 | 3 |
| Lunge w/ weight | 25 | 20 | 3 |
| One leg knee bend | 15 | 3 | |
| Shoulder lift | 25 | 12 | 3 |
| Inverse Curl | 75 | 12 | 3 |
| Ab workout 1, 2, or 3 | |||
| Push up - Normal | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Side to Side w/ MB | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Vertical or Incline | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Diamond | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - One Hand | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Plyo (Clapping) | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Tricep | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Row | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Offset Hands | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Lateral Hand Raise | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Wide | 10 | 1 |
Workout 2
| Exercise | Weight | Reps | Sets |
| Jump rope | 2 min | 1 | |
| Dynamic/Active stretching | 5 min | 1 | |
| Jump rope | 2 min | 1 | |
| Pull up | 12 | 3 | |
| Rear Delt Raise | 65 | 12 | 3 |
| Knee bend (fingers touch) | 20 | 3 | |
| Calf raise w/ weight | 25 | 50 | 3 |
| Bench Press | 155 | 12 | 3 |
| Bentover Row | 40 | 12 | 3 |
| Ab workout 1, 2, or 3 | |||
| Push up - Normal | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Side to Side w/ MB | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Vertical or Incline | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Diamond | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - One Hand | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Plyo (Clapping) | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Tricep | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Row | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Offset Hands | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Lateral Hand Raise | 10 | 1 | |
| Push up - Wide | 10 | 1 |
| Ab Workout 1 |
| Crunch w/ weight |
| Leg Lift w/ weight |
| Knee bent crunch |
| Crunch twist w/ weight |
| Oblique V-up |
| Flutter kicks (fast and slow) |
| Situp and punch |
| Supermans |
| Oblique crunch |
| Froggy crunch |
| Ab Workout 2 |
| Leg pull ins |
| Double crunch |
| Leg up crunch |
| Leg climb |
| Finger to heel oblique touchers |
| Bicycle |
| Cross leg situp |
| Supermans |
| Oblique V-up |
| Froggy crunch |
| Ab Workout 3 |
| Lower ab crunch |
| Decline situp w/ weight |
| Crunch twist |
| Hanging knees to chest |
| Hanging knees to side |
| Leg Lift w/ thrust |
| Leg climb |
| Back lifts |
| Side to side w/ weight |
| Froggy crunch |
Monday, March 31, 2008
Change is Good
After a few months of following the guidelines set forth on my list, I have a few minor tweaks that will hopefully allow me to keep up with the list better without getting overly frustrated or constantly making me feel burned out. So, without further ado, here are some of the changes...
OLD: Drink more water and green tea (at most one diet coke).
NEW: Drink more water and green tea.
I'm trying to actually count the number of calories I take in now and since diet cokes have 0 calories, I'm not as concerned with drinking only one coke a day as I am with drinking enough fluids to keep my appetite down without adding excess calories.
OLD: Eat at least one healthy meal.
NEW: Eat at least 4 times a day and hit current calorie count.
Along with the calorie counting, I'm trying (yet again) to increase the number of meals I eat in a day and reduce the caloric intake per meal. So eating one healthy meal a day becomes less important than eating at least 4 times a day (preferably 6) and making sure I hit my calorie count for the day. The number of calories will change periodically as I workout more/less and my weight and body fat changes. For now, around 2000 calories a day is what I'm aiming for to trim down, then I can up that when I try to gain more muscle mass.
OLD: Lift weights at least twice.
NEW: Work out at least twice outside of kung fu class.
With my new routines, I have the option of not actually lifting weights but still getting in a great workout, so this will change to working out at least twice a week outside of kung fu class.
OLD: Attend church at least bi-weekly (once I find one).
NEW: Removed
Taking this one off the list until I actually find a church. It just irks me to have something on my list that I am not currently doing.
OLD: Do at least 2 items from the Eventually list.
NEW: Do at least 3 items from the Eventually list.
No explanation needed...
NEW: Add three Eventually items to my list each year.
Gotta keep things fresh and you can never really run out of things you need/want to do.
NEW: Additions to the Eventually list.
1) Get first patent
2) Do something with garage (training room, gym, tool area)
3) Take motorcycle safety course
NEW: One day off a week.
Give myself one day a week where I can cheat on anything or everything. Everyone needs a day off, so this gives me a chance to spend one day a week eating horribly, getting only 3 hours of sleep, and not doing anything physically or mentally stimulating. Yeah, I know it sounds bad, but I'd rather this than quit entirely in 3 months due to burnout.
OLD: Drink more water and green tea (at most one diet coke).
NEW: Drink more water and green tea.
I'm trying to actually count the number of calories I take in now and since diet cokes have 0 calories, I'm not as concerned with drinking only one coke a day as I am with drinking enough fluids to keep my appetite down without adding excess calories.
OLD: Eat at least one healthy meal.
NEW: Eat at least 4 times a day and hit current calorie count.
Along with the calorie counting, I'm trying (yet again) to increase the number of meals I eat in a day and reduce the caloric intake per meal. So eating one healthy meal a day becomes less important than eating at least 4 times a day (preferably 6) and making sure I hit my calorie count for the day. The number of calories will change periodically as I workout more/less and my weight and body fat changes. For now, around 2000 calories a day is what I'm aiming for to trim down, then I can up that when I try to gain more muscle mass.
OLD: Lift weights at least twice.
NEW: Work out at least twice outside of kung fu class.
With my new routines, I have the option of not actually lifting weights but still getting in a great workout, so this will change to working out at least twice a week outside of kung fu class.
OLD: Attend church at least bi-weekly (once I find one).
NEW: Removed
Taking this one off the list until I actually find a church. It just irks me to have something on my list that I am not currently doing.
OLD: Do at least 2 items from the Eventually list.
NEW: Do at least 3 items from the Eventually list.
No explanation needed...
NEW: Add three Eventually items to my list each year.
Gotta keep things fresh and you can never really run out of things you need/want to do.
NEW: Additions to the Eventually list.
1) Get first patent
2) Do something with garage (training room, gym, tool area)
3) Take motorcycle safety course
NEW: One day off a week.
Give myself one day a week where I can cheat on anything or everything. Everyone needs a day off, so this gives me a chance to spend one day a week eating horribly, getting only 3 hours of sleep, and not doing anything physically or mentally stimulating. Yeah, I know it sounds bad, but I'd rather this than quit entirely in 3 months due to burnout.
Monday, March 24, 2008
From Blah To Eh...
Last week sucked. This week is looking a little better, but still rather eh... I took some friendly advice and took last week off from my regimen of tasks and tortures. It was nice to have a few days where I didn't have to journal my food and workouts and didn't have to practice or workout x times during the week. I think the concept of this blog is still sound, I just have to work out some of the kinks, like burnout and times when I really just need a day off. It's still a work in progress, but I'm open to suggestions and I already have a few good ones I will probably implement soon, so expect another blog this week with some minor tweaks to the list and rules.
Overall, though, the week off did help a lot. I am feeling much more motivated to continue training and working on some of the other list items that I seem to procrastinate on until the last moment. I have been spending all my time on guitar, so I think I will start mixing it up with some piano as well. I am just about finished with my new workout routines, so I'll post those up when I think they are ready for public criticism. And the weather has been on and off perfect the last week or so, so I think I will try to get out more this week and weekend, and maybe take some pics or just hang out with friends. After all, this list is supposed to be helping me improve my life, not make it a daily/weekly/monthly chore.
As always, comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome. I think over the next month or two, I will finally have a list and routine that doesn't kill me, but makes me stronger. That's the goal anyway...
Overall, though, the week off did help a lot. I am feeling much more motivated to continue training and working on some of the other list items that I seem to procrastinate on until the last moment. I have been spending all my time on guitar, so I think I will start mixing it up with some piano as well. I am just about finished with my new workout routines, so I'll post those up when I think they are ready for public criticism. And the weather has been on and off perfect the last week or so, so I think I will try to get out more this week and weekend, and maybe take some pics or just hang out with friends. After all, this list is supposed to be helping me improve my life, not make it a daily/weekly/monthly chore.
As always, comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome. I think over the next month or two, I will finally have a list and routine that doesn't kill me, but makes me stronger. That's the goal anyway...
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