Nerd Fitness – whiskybaker

Getting Healthy 001

A few years ago (2016) I signed up for NerdFitness. It looks all different now but I signed up for a lifetime plan so I still have access to the basics that I want, and need, right now.

I don’t know if these posts will make it on the blog or not but I definitely needed a place to also type out what I was doing, along with my little notebook.

So here’s the plan: on Sunday 27 August I will step on a scale and I will take all sorts of measurements. I have a chart in my notebook for both. Measurements will be redone every two-ish months. Weight will be redone every two weeks. I’ll see how that goes.

The chart for measurements is complete – it’s just boxes to fill in.

The chart for weight is gonna be a dot graph. So the X axis represents the dates – every two weeks from 28/8 to 29/1 fits on a single page of my notebook (this is gonna change though; I want a big enough notebook for 1 month of lines on a page so I will have a longer time scale for this graph too; I’m gonna pick up a new notebook as soon as we’re home). The Y axis is gonna be the weight.

Petty annoyance: I prefer thinking in KG but my scale is in pounds BUT now I figured out how to switch it to KG. So now the petty annoyance is just going to be that it seems like everyone else in the world thinks in pounds for weight. I’m still gonna stick to KG. So I’ll fill in the Y axis with whatever I weigh on the 28th and then each line will either be 0.5 of a kg or a kg – knowing I can put the damn dot for the weight anywhere in there.

The next is supposed to be finding my “Big Why” – I’m supposed to find the motivator for changing what I’m doing. The idea is that articulating the reason(s) will help when you get stuck: “Those who have a ‘why’ can bear with almost any ‘how.” The more personal, the more “deep” the better or something. So not just “It’s good to be healthy” – of course it is, we all know that but it’s not enough to have had me change up till now so it’s definitely not gonna be enough going forward.

And then I’m supposed to share the big why(s). I’ll have to think about how best to do that. I have a lovely group of online friends I’ve known, heck for over fourteen years now, and I have shared my start with them. We’ll see if I get around to sharing that part publicly or not. But for now, I guess it’ll suffice to say I’ve come up with a couple of Big Whys and shared them with Toby and a small group of friends.

Then my plan for the week from a health perspective:

– find time for mindfulness every day

– move a little bit more than yesterday

– drink water and take my iron & vit d

I did write all that up there before August 27, 2022.

And I started off well.

And then life happened and Toby went to BC for a couple of weeks and I just did my best to get the basics done while he was gone.

So now he’s back and I’m gonna re-start and so I am going to post this now as a way to help keep me accountable. By Sunday October 2 I want to re-read my notes from back in August and see how I can plan out a re-fresh starting on October 11 – yes, a Tuesday but that’s when I will be back from almost a week in PEI!

One foot in front of the other

I found a website called Nerd Fitness. And tomorrow, Tuesday August 2, 2016 will be Day 1 (yes, it’s probably my 52nd day 1 but hey, at least it means I’m still trying right?)

I’ll get Toby to help take pictures and do measurements tonight AND I’ve made a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow so I have an official, unbiased, third party that I’m going to report in to in about 5-6 months. I need that accountability right now and I’m good with that.

My Big Why

Part of the groundwork for Nerd Fitness is coming up with your “big why” – the reason I’m doing this. Right now my “big why” is just that I’m tired of being overweight, of not fitting into my nice clothes, of feeling squished on the streetcar. I want to not be too tired to run around with Q. To be able to continue to run. That sort of thing.

Me in 5 months

Next is to think of who the new me will be a short time in the future – I’ve picked 5 months ’cause that will take me to the end of the year. I’ve decided that my new me will be someone who is (physically) stronger, faster, and more flexible. Personally, I’ll be someone who doesn’t procrastinate (as much) and who makes taking care of myself a priority.

Which leads to the creation of five smaller goals – things to do to get to where I am going to be by the end of the year (so 5 months really)

1. I will continue to run every day. At least once every two weeks I will run faster (at 10k race pace (about a min or two faster than my current easy pace); at least once every two weeks my workout will incorporate running up one of our local hills.

2. I will strength train 2 – 3 times a week and do yoga 1 – 2 times a week. I haven’t done strength training in ages and will start off small. Right now I have a lunch time yoga once a week and will incorporate the NF yoga too.

3. I will cook one healthy meal a month with enough left over for a couple of lunches. I will help Toby plan meals. This should be fun. Y’all know I don’t like to cook – so I see a lot of casserole or slow cooker things in our future.

4. I will get 7ish hours of sleep a night; cutting down on “screens” so that by the end of October (3 months) I won’t be on my phone/TV/Computer within 45 minutes of bedtime.

5. And one I think of as most important – “I will make considered choices.” Meaning, if I want the beer I have the beer but it’ll be a damn good beer not just a beer ’cause it’s there. Same with other foods or spending time online or hunting Pokemon etc.

The first bit food-wise is just tracking food. Not necessarily changing anything really but tracking what it all is. So back to My Fitness Pal I go and because tomorrow is Day 1, I’m making plain slow-cooker oatmeal tonight to have for breakfasts this week 🙂