Day 30

Woke up and made some real oatmeal today. It was delicious. I don't really know why i went all those years eating cereal when i could have been eating oatmeal. What a shame.

I skipped school today, (i.e. couldn't actually afford to go) and turned in my assignments online. It was a good day, a little bit lazier than it should have been though.

I did my exercises while the sun was in the sky, this is the first tuesday i've been able to do that. It was pretty nice. My little niece watched me jump rope with some curiosity. She'd sit up on the couch, i'd ask her if she was ready, and when she nodded i'd start to jump. Eventually she started bouncing on the couch with the rhythm of the jumps. A good and cheerful distraction from the actual exercise. In fact, i had almost everyone in the house come and watch me exercise at least once. I'm not one to enjoy being on display, but i didn't mind so much as i thought i would.

I worry a little about my ankle, it's not the PCP's fault by any means, it's always been in a state of disrepair, but i've got to play around stretching it better, and maybe use some tiger balm so it doesn't distract me during jumps.

Alright, until next post

1300

I can't jump rope any alternate way to save my life. It may have something to do with my not being able to skip either. No really, i've tried, ...many times.
But i guess there is still a little bit of hope left, as i actually pulled off one of those cross over jumps. It's just the jumping normal after that part that trips me up. Even after so many jumps, i don't really have a good sense of timing, or any leg coordination when it comes to jumping rope, so, i'm looking forward to working all the kinks out and "gettin' me land legs"

Indulgence!

That my dear friends, is taro flavored frozen yogurt, with mochi cubes and kiwi and banana.
And it was very delicious. After considering my ice cream options, i decided to go with frozen yogurt, not only is it pretty close to something i could eat anyways, there was so much more of it. The ice cream idea was looking more and more like three tables spoons of ice cream, and i knew that would only end in agony. Yogurt was a much better choice. Plus, i didn't have any bad after effects from it, no headache, nausea or extreme sugar rush and crash.

I remember i decided a couple of years ago to cut out all that extra sugar from my diet, and then one day i drank some soda, and ate some skiddles (relax, i was among friends) and i had a pretty big sugar rush on my hands. Literally, it was difficult to think. So, even though this indulgence wasn't incredibly sugary, i expected something of that sort just based on the nature of my never eating these types of things anymore. But, nope, it fit right into my day.

Day 27

Today i finally pulled out my little steamer and made some brussel sprouts and zucchini, to add some diversity to my until recently raw vegetable portion.

It's been a long couple of days, but despite doing my exercises late at night, they are still refreshing. This in particular is what i enjoy about the exercises the most. It's a great mood changer.

I can smell people's food better now, but i don't crave it. It's a big house, so i occasionally catch scent of grilled cheese sandwiches, or pizza, and others. And i was just now offered some cheesy fries, but i don't want them, and i'm really happy about that.


Alright, this post is short so that my sleep may be long.




Valete

Day 24

Odds and ends day. Spent long portions of my day reading and doing laundry. Shopped for some vegetables, and a mother's day gift. Got to talk to Jason for a while.

Got my exercises out of the way in a timely fashion, and realized that it's much easier to count jump ropes when not listening to music, that i shouldn't get into conversations with the nightlife of the house while i'm exercising, but... it's hard to not become a captive audience.
Jump ropes are back to normal. Planks went alright, i like it more than most exercises actually. But, the third set was tough of course. Pull-ups are still my challenge. After the first set and a half, its like doing isometrics. Pull, breath, nothing. Then hop a little, pull, breath, and basically stay in one place the entire time. It's getting better, but i never expected to get to muscle failure so fast on an exercise.

As for my indulgence, i'm not sure what i'm going to eat yet, but i know exactly what i want. Ice cream. And not because i'm hurting for it, but i that's just what sounds good. Any form will do, as long as it's good quality, but i specifically want green tea ice cream on black rice. The kind you can usually get at a Thai restaurant. Now i have to see if i can find it in Sacramento.


Well, that's all for today.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Jason.



Valete

Day 23

"Whats with your step-brother?"
"He's a Zen"
"A what?"
"a zen, um, you know, a Buddhist"

So, doing exercises in the living room at 12:40 gets some weird responses from the house's nightlife, but i never expected to be accused of Buddhism. And that was the last little glimmer of joy in a whole day that's been wholly good. Well, perhaps second to last, last will be sleep. Glorious sleep.

Today was a good day.

And i'm pretty spent. I was worn before the exercises, but, despite it all, they too proved to be calming, setting me towards a good long sleep. Oh, but it was a little odd, and this sort of thing tends to happen to me in most walks of life: i couldn't for the life of me swing that jump rope right. Part of me suspects conspiracy, as if the jump rope would rebel against me, it's benevolent and all-knowing dictator. But, it will probably be fine tomorrow. I do wonder sometimes though, why our bodies go through little quarks in skill or technique, but i guess i can't expect something organic to act according to a linear logic. Some days i'm decent, or "decent plus" even, and other days its like a deer in the headlights.

I'm loving the decreased portions by the way. Dinner has never been so easy, i don't have to spend so much time on it, and i'm finally not so full all the time. I find myself looking forward to meals now, preparing a little in advance, and finding a good place to eat them. In other words,
"Things is workin' out"

Alright, time to go exercise my sleep function.



Valete

Oh yeah, a little bit of kenjutsu to start the day out right.



Donn Draeger and Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu

Days 20-21

Happy [belated] Spring Equinox, and Persian New Year.

This is my last night in Sacramento, soon i head back north along with all my various food-stuffs.
And that lovely meal you witness above is some pcp friendly anniversary dinner. Turkey meatloaf, gnocchi, and some roasted cauliflower, all made my girlfriend. Good stuff!

But, i'm definitely looking forward to eating less next week.

Exercises went alright, and my back is getting a little better.


Alright, until next time.

Day 18-19

(breakfast: Egg, Eggplant, Salad, Oatmeal w/ cinnamon, toast and sandwich thins.(milk is in the coffee))

Today i got the exercises out of the way early. Unlike yesterday, which, was early... technically.
I screwed my back up a little bit, nothing i haven't seen before, but, it has me wishing i had brought some tiger balm along so it would be a little less distracting.

I finally decided to break out the oatmeal today, i've been saving it for a time when pasta didn't sound so good. It's good stuff, though i guess the next step is boiling it myself, instead of using the just-add-water kind. I love eggplant, but i think i'm going to opt it out of breakfast from now on, in favor of the salad, or maybe a cucumber.

All in all, it's been an interesting couple of days, but despite the dark stuff, things are looking alright.

Requiesce In Pace, Frater

Day 17

Today's exercises went alright. I used the workout room at my girlfriend's apartment complex, which, besides smelling like it hadn't been ventilated in a while, was pretty nice. It had a wall covered in mirror, and it was a good chance to examine my own form. I noticed just how much i favor my right side over my left, and it makes the rope swing unevenly. It was also easier to tell when i was about to trip up by the tension in the rope. I've noticed it in my push-ups too, right side does a tiny bit more than the left, and the same with the sit-ups. The whole thing is not incredibly surprising to me, but it's something i'll have to work on.

Pull-ups were the main challenge today. I got the first two sets done, but the third set wasn't happening. I had to hop a little to get anything out of my muscles, i figured a partial pull-up was better than not. I was a little surprised, since i didn't have any trouble with my incline pull-ups.
But, just something i'll have plenty of time to get better at i guess.

Gotta make it short tonight.

Happy St. Patrick Drove the Pagans out of Ireland Day.


Valete

Day 15 - Ides Martiae

Well, a decreased diet plan is certainly welcome in my book. I find i have to tell myself at lunch and dinner "eat through the pain!" and wonder if my jaw muscles are going to be in peak condition by the end of this. But the whole thing has a good side - it's making me buy a lot less prepared meals, as in, no prepared meals, which is saving me a lot of money. "I don't need to buy my vegetables from the man, i can prepare them myself!" i guess my next step on the scale of revolution is to grow the stuff myself, which come to think of it, is at least partially possible. And really, it's not that i couldn't have prepared them myself all along, i just never did. So funny that there are such illusory barriers between what we currently do, and what we can do. People just tend to get stuck following their own tracks.

Right, so here i am, having just finished dinner at the ripe hour of 12:18 am, for some reason i can't quite get it to click on work days, when i have to drive from Sacramento. I should have woken up with the sun. Luckily it's spring break, so i have tomorrow off to sleep a decent amount, and set things back into rhythm. At least in theory.

I tried lentils today, which, i am a little ashamed to say that, with the exception of lentil soup, i had never eaten. But i can at least say that today is the beginning of what will be a long friendship between Lens culinaris and me.

Oddly enough, rice is one of the things i really know how to cook, ( i used to make short-grained sticky rice all the time) but i haven't cooked any since i started the project. Perhaps i'll dig that old bamboo basket out and make some portable, pliable carbs.

Alright, i'd better get going on my exercises. Time to burn it up.

Oh yeah, and Happy Ides of March everyone. Pour out some of your drink for the God of War yeah? Yeah.. me neither.


Valete (be strong)

Day 13

Well things have been going well on the cooking front. With some help from my grandmother, i've managed to get quite a bit of fish in me. Finally, some tasty meals. I used to be not so excited to eat fish, but I've developed a new found appreciation for it.

My little sister came up this week. She stuck around while i was doing my exercises, counted my jump ropes and read poetry to me. (not to mention acting as "assistant" in my new cooking endeavors) For the most part so far, i've been doing my exercises alone, and usually at the threshold between the days, and it was really nice to have some company for once.

I'm in Sacramento now, and tomorrow i set out for Trader Joe's and the Farmers' Market (huzzah). This is a great event in selection compared to the odds and ends available in thriving downtown Willows.

Anyways, i'm greatly looking forward to this Spring Break. Much more time to focus on peak condition, read and catch up with school, spend time with loved ones, and maybe even time to play that version of Final Fantasy III in Latin.

Day 11

Not much to say about today, meals were much easier, both to measure and to make. I Cooked some real meat for once, and that was so much nicer. I'm adapting, even if it is slowly.

Tonight, i awoke to a new found appreciation for pears. I ate part of one of the few i have been saving, and it was delicious. I'm looking forward to future pears. I think that my body is starting to anticipate the food intake, i don't feel over full anymore, and no longer have to labor to shovel it all down.

Spring break is here! Which means a lot of time spent in Sacramento, where everything will come along much easier.

All right, now for the sleep part of the project.

Here's to peaceful spring days.

Day 10

This will be the last wednesday i work for a while. Which means i will have the time and space for everything to fall into place, time to study, and clean, and do my exercises in the morning, and sleep at a reasonable hour (writing this at 12:42 am)

Sleeping at a reasonable hour, and getting a full 8 hours of sleep is going to be a big challenge, but if i get myself up at 8 or 9 it should work itself out. In fact, that has been my main problem all around lately. Working till 11pm, doing exercises and eating dinner around until around 1am, and waking up at 7 am to drive to school. There has to be a way, and i'll find it.

I'm pretty slow going when it comes to being creative with food. Most of my meals have consisted of piling the raw ingredients into a piece of tupper ware and eating it while im driving, but i finally expanded the range today by cooking a massive amount of whole wheat pasta for future use. That will get me away from eating 8-9 pieces of toast for lunch, and something similar for breakfast and dinner. Oh, and olive oil makes my world go 'round. And something has to change about my protein intake, and by that i mean i have to learn to cook meat, because this lunch-meat-because-its-quick thing is not sustainable. Way too salty too.

It is quite a lot of food. But i find that i don't feel nearly as full or sick than when i would stuff myself with the food of my past, and i feel quite a bit more awake after a meal as well. Good stuff.

The jump-ropes have become the most welcoming of exercises, i like the other stuff as well, but i'm really developing a liking for the jumps.

Ah, well, i'll leave the rest for day 11.


Valete Amicis

Day 8

Mondays are complicated.

I drove back from Sacramento and didn't eat breakfast, well, actually i had an egg to hold me over for the trip. I didn't have internet over there (hence no day 7 blog, and no pic) and no idea what i should be eating.

When i got back home i immediately checked my email to find out what i could eat, and proceeded to measure and then stuff myself full of bread and the vegetables i'd bought yesterday. Good stuff. Though it is a lot of food. I can't wait till i actually sit down and make something out of the ingredients instead of just eating them straight.

Then work.

Then exercises. 500 jumps yesterday was a little bit of a push, but 600 today wasn't bad at all. I was a little surprised. The rest of the exercises went fine. Though in order to do my incline pull-ups i laid a crow bar across two 5 gallon buckets. I'll have to search out something a little more naturally occurring.

The weather today was crazy, it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be sunny and clear, or hail. It was good to get a little of both.

...alright, i really must sleep. 4 hours till i have to get up.


Valete Amicis.

Day 6

Day six is going alright. My right shoulder is bothering me a little bit, but i think if i take some extra time to stretch more often it will even back out.

This will be a short one because i still have to make to Sacramento tonight.

Hope everyone is doing well on their projects!



Valete Amicis

Captain's log - star date: fifth day

Woke up at a reasonable time today, and actually got my exercises done early. Which, i must add, was very nice. There is generally less to do pre-work on work days, and this way i'm not jump-roping in the middle of the night and running the risk of having things thrown at me.

I ate well, and perhaps the highlight was some Pomegranate Juice. I really love that stuff.
I know it's all sugar, but i kept my dosage in order, so i think i'm alright.

I misread, or didn't read, to do 60 x 5 jump ropes on day 3, so i did 60 x 5 yesterday, and the 70 x 5 today, and realized i would really have preferred the adjustment time. The new additions to the other exercises didn't bother me to much. This pacing myself thing is really working out, since before it was more of "lets see how many push-ups i can do ...10" but 4 sets of 8, or the idea of sets, is much more economical.

And that leads into my whole discontent about the state of physical education in schools, at least in the ones i went to, but i imagine in fairly common. In P.E. i was never taught about muscles, about how to do push-ups properly, or even about what exercise did what to the body, and how to avoid injury in doing it, and certainly not stretching. Sure, we stretched, but it was more of a time-killer. Instead, the greatly underplayed area of physical education was ruled by a hidden class, which we may call "Survey of American Sports". And what gets me is the teachers are all educated individuals, often pretty fit, and have done their time working on their bodies and learning all the complexities, but.. they didn't teach it. All that knowledge was sacrificed to the gods of flag football.

So, i fiddled with my new jump rope a little bit today, and apparently it is adjustable, but... only once, as you have to cut off the excess cord. And i think i may have cut too much.. i followed the guide line for it, and where it should be on my body, but... i kind of wish i had tested it somehow before i made such a final decision. It seems like its just on the edge of too short. I can still jump it, but it will clip me 1 out of 4 times. So, i went back to my old cheap jump rope.

I found that i have a lot more energy throughout the day after i had done the exercises, so, im going to make an effort to do them in the morning everyday from now on. Though, school days is going to be tricky. My girlfriend Amineh was telling me she read something to the effect of "strength training doesn't burn a bunch of calories in and of itself, but for the next 24 hour period or so, your metabolic rate is higher" and that's about how it felt. Energizing.

Alright, it's 2:30 am, im going to bed now.

Valete Amicis

Day 4

Whats the most powerful day of the year? March Fourth! ...Yeah, its usually not worth it to tell that one.

Day 4 went alright. It was filled with school and eating an alright amount, i never felt hungry like i did on day 2. Got a work out three times today (Karate and Kobudo at 9am, Jujutsu at 6pm, and exercised at 10:30 pm) but, i don't feel incredibly tired.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day, i'm pretty sure i did well on my Latin test, had some great discussion in Environmental Economics, and it didn't flood on the roads back home, which is always a plus.

So, that's pretty much it.

Valete

Day 3

Today was great. Amazing what a day off from the usual time-takers will do. I spent my day searching out my list of things for next week. Found the food scale, and bathroom scale, thus freeing up time to search for resistance bands. (i already have a pull-up bar / push-up bar)

I got a new jump rope too, but i don't know if we are going to get along that well. I couldn't seem to get more than one jump with it, and about the 8th time i whipped myself in the toes i was starting to contemplate Rudenticide (the murder of a rope), but some how i don't think it would have quite the same effect.

I ate well today, starting out with a packet of oatmeal (instead of the usual 2) and a piece of toast, then for lunch i had half the usual amount of Cashew chicken. "Mmm chinese food" i thought. But that kind of food is a huge contrast to what i've been eating for the last few days, so afterwards, i was pretty full feeling. It reminded me of when i had to mark down the chinese food i'd eaten for a nutrition class project. As soon as i ate any of that stuff, my sodium level rose to an amount that probably could have lasted me a few days.

Anyways, i thought it only fitting to consume only half of my fortune cookie, and half of my fortune.

"You could prosper in a fe..."

And the suspense reigns in. I "could prosper in a"...Few? Fellowship? Ferrous Environment? Felonious Organization? Federal Profession? This is important information here, this message could be the defining factor of which path i ultimately take in life.

So, six hours later i ate the other half, and read the other half, and i must say it wasn't nearly as exciting as any of my idea's.

I find myself looking at my food trying to figure out which half of the meal looks more fulfilling.
Oh, and i ate 9 Jelly Bellies (out of a serving size of 35, and against my usual of three fistfuls), pretty fulfilling at the time, but, not fulfilling now. And that's really the trick, for me at least, is remembering that i won't be enjoying those later. It's just the greed of the moment that takes hold of you, or rather, tells you that it has hold of you (it's your choice whether or not to believe it)

The rest of my day i spent doing Latin homework, getting my oil changed, avoiding looking at my place of employment, and enjoying the rain. Apparently it snowed up in the mountains today. Beautiful stuff. I had planned on listening to The Last Zen is Stupid today, but it'll have to wait for tomorrow. I don't mind putting it off a little longer.

Valete Amicis

Day 2

• Jump Rope 5 x 50
• Lunges 3 x 8-10
• Push-ups 3 x 5-8
• Leg-ups 3 x 8-10

Today was something different. My usual Tuesday & Thursday eating habits consist of going hungry for most of the day, as im pretty much in class or driving from 8 am to 9 pm. There are a few little places to eat, and i eat as much as possible in those little periods.

I ate today ofcourse, and only half of the normal amount, only a little less since i've decided to cut out eating any chocolate or espresso drinks right from the start (which is probably where most of my calories were coming from). I also forgot the trail mix today, which was a bummer. So, on the whole, i was pretty hungry, but looking back on it i think most of this is mental. I didn't suffer any major loss of energy or have any problems doing the exercises, so, if i can keep my moral up or keep distracted, i wont concentrate on being hungry.

In actuality, i don't miss my bi-weekly mocha or daily portion of chocolate, but rather, its the moment i miss. I used to think about this when i ate chocolate back in the day (you know, like 3 days ago), about how chocolate in and of itself isn't really all that great. It's just the high it gives you, that two-headed caffeine-sugar rush that leaves that particular 20 mins or so feeling complete. Well, so much for all that.

Tomorrow should be good, its my one-time day off of work and school. So, i'll be able to do my exercises when i like, eat at regular times, and get plenty of sleep!

The First steps

Well, despite getting off to a rocky start ( i did my exercises at 11:40 pm), overall they went pretty well. I found i had more skill with a jump rope than i thought, though i had bought a jump rope a while back so i could practice. I got all of that whipping my toes out of the way early, so i only missed a couple jumps near the end.

At first i wasn't looking forward to exercising at all, (especially jumping rope after having been standing on concrete for 8 hours) but my ankles seemed to be relieved rather than in pain.

I'm hoping to get some better stretching in before hand and do my exercises earlier in the day next time, today was just a weird one.

So, with a feeling of relief rather than tension, bring on day 2!