Coldrun Fitness - Day 1

Heh.  January was rough.  Let's try again.  I've done this successfully before, and I can do it again.  I got this.

If I'm honest, I feel ashamed that I have to restart this again, but screw shame.  It's useless in this situation, and counterproductive.  This can work.

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Starting weight: 246.4 lbs
Week's calorie goal: 2,400/day

FFVIII – Part 43: Button Mashing

Summary: The group splits into two teams. Selphie Squad heads to the missile silo to do their best to stop the missiles from going off at Balamb. Their degree of success is uncertain. They’re alive. Right? Yeah, they’re alive. They have to still be alive.

Wildstar - Level 5: Tree Doctor

Summary: Forlla tries to cure the Elderoot Tree.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 28

Things have been going badly.  I've been putting tons of pressure on myself, and guilting/shaming myself as I fail under that pressure with heavy binges.  So I'm going to chill and get back to basics.

No more of this elaborate planning and stages and progression and hierarchy.  The basics.

What's the most basic element of my success over since I started this phase of the project last fall?  Count calories, stick to weekly goals, and when that calorie count doesn't net me 1-2 pounds lost per week, change it.

That's what I'm going back to.  Start at 2,400 calories per week, probably shift shortly to 2,300.  Today is when I start it, so Thursday will be the new weigh-in day.

I will not use a finely-tuned "caloric debt" system where if I eat 100 calories more than my cap on a Monday I'll have to eat 100 calories less on a Tuesday.  Instead, I'll stead to the cap each day as best I can.  If I go over, I'll try to stick to the cap better the next day, maybe eating a bit less if I can but not sweating it.  Do my best.  When it doesn't work, move on and do my best the next day.

Note to self: pressure and shame are my biggest binge triggers.  Do my best to minimize them.

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Oh, one more thing about exercise: I'm going to keep up trying to walk three days per week, but tabling the push-ups and planking body weight exercises.  My goal is to drop to 190 lbs.  Walking builds towards that, but the body weight exercises seem to be energy spent towards a different goal.  I'll worry about building strength once I get closer to the 190 lb mark.

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Starting weight: 244.0 lbs

Wildstar - Level 4: Elderoot

Summary: Helping reckless alchemists wake up an ancient mecha-tree.  Can't see anything possibly going wrong.

FFVIII – Part 42: Prison Break

Summary: The team escapes from the confines of Figa… ahem, D-District Prison.

FFVIII – Part 41: D-District

Summary: The team spends time in the D-District Prison. Seifer returns. (Unfortunately.) Biggs and Wedge return. (Fortunately!)
TW: torture, prison guard brutality

Wildstar - Level 3: Planetside

Summary: Finished up on the main Exile ship, the Gambler's Ruin, and flew down to Everstar Grove on the planet Nexus.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 24

Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day. [end of day: 3/5]

FFVIII – Part 40: Galbadian Pastoral

Summary: Laguna in Winhill. Small but beautiful chapter of the FFVIII story.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 22

Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day.

[Complete! 2/5]  I was on the verge of binging, and then remembered that I could eat to 3,000 calories in one day without failing this stage.  Knowing I built in this outlet specifically prevented me from going closer to 4,000.  Small victories.

FFVIII – Part 39: Quiet Little Mountain Town

Summary: A relaxed domestic session of Laguna’s life in Winhill. We meet Ellone and Raine and wander the town. Reunion with Kiros.

Wildstar - Level 2: Veggie Tales

Summary: Fought off Dominion invaders.  Met the Aurin queen.  Saved sentient food.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 21

Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day.

[Complete! 1/5]

FFVIII – Part 38: Gatecrash

Summary: The SeeDs execute their attack on the Sorceress and her knight. It… doesn’t go well.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 20

Stage #2: Eat 2,600 calories per day max for two days in a row." [2/2 - complete]

Wildstar - Level 1: Waking Up

Summary: Starting out on the Exile ship above Nexus, waking up from cryogenic stasis.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 19

Two lessons I learned from failing stage #3:

1) I cannot keep a box of Oreos or similar cookies at home.  I have significant trouble moderating myself knowing it's there.

2) Eating constantly leaves more opportunities for failure than eating fewer times per day.  I've heard that kind of regular eating called "grazing."  I'll try to not do that, having instead 4-5 eating times per day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one (maybe two) snacks.

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Stage #2: Eat 2,600 calories per day max for two days in a row." [success - 1/2 complete]

FFVIII – Part 37: The Beginning

Summary: HAHAHAHAHHAHA YESSSSSSS SORCERESS EDEAAA OH GOD LET’S GO LET’S FUCKING GO!!!!

FFVIII – Part 36: To Kill a Sorceress

Summary: The team meets Caraway, learns the plan to kill the Sorceress. Inventory management.

Wildstar - Level 0: Forlla Unfurled

A new project!

I like WoW, and my Final Fantasy project isn't going anywhere, but I decided to take on something new.  I dabbled in Wildstar when it came out but haven't really touched it.  It looked fun and is now free-to-play.  Time for another try.

(Part of what got me revved up for this was a First Impressions video by the Lazy Peon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdAntKMOTcM )

The gist of this new project: I create a character in Wildstar and every time I hit a new level, I post about the stuff I do at that level.  The zone I'm in, the story, the mechanics, the difficulty, the professions, the dungeons, the new abilities I get or choices I get - WHATEVER.

Also, I don't really care about spoilers too much for Wildstar.  MMOs are different in that way to me than the FF project, where I hate even the smallest expectation spoilers.  If you post, just try not to reveal massive story spoilers for Wildstar.  Mechanic discussion and expectation spoilers are totally fine.


When in doubt: use rot13.com.

The pace for this project will be super casual.  I plan 2-3 posts per week, Monday and Friday with Wednesday if time allows.

LET'S GO!!

Coldrun Fitness - Day 18

Today's goal: finish stage #3.

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day." [start of day: 4/5 complete]

[end of day: fail.  Back to stage #2.]

FFVIII – Part 35: Tomb Raider

Summary: A delightful session in the Tomb of the Unknown King. Adventure! Excitement! Deadly minotaur bros! The Coldrun craves these things.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 17

Today's goal: continue stage #3.

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day." [start of day: 3/5 complete]

[end of day: 4/5 complete]

FFVIII – Part 34: When Puppies Fly

Summary: SeeD test level 2. Diabolos goes down (somehow). A new quest before we can meet with General Caraway.

FFVIII – Part 33: Shut Up, Irvine

Summary: Irvine annoys me and we enter Deling City.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 16

Today's goal: continue stage #3.

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days in a row." [start of day: 2/4 complete]

Updated:

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days within a five day period, not exceeding 3,000 calories on the other day." [end of day: 3/5 complete] 

Coldrun Fitness - Day 15

Today's goal: continue stage #3.

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days in a row." [start of day: 1/4 complete] [end of day: 2/4 complete]

FFVIII – Part 32: Past Tense

Summary: The team copes with the “death” (sorry, not buying that for a second) of Seifer. We meet the Galbadia Garden headmaster and set out on a new goal with the help of a cowboy sniper.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 14

Today's goal: start stage #3.

"Stage #3: Eat 2,500 calories per day max for four days in a row." [end of the day: 1/4 complete!]

FFVIII – Part 31: Galbadia Garden

Summary: I get sucked into exploring the wonders of the Galbadia Garden and forget that there’s a story to be progressing with.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 13

Today's goal: finish stage #2.

"Stage #2: Eat 2,600 calories per day max for two days in a row." [1/2 to start the day] - [2/2 to end the day - complete!]

Coldrun Fitness - Day 12

Today's goal: start stage #2.

"Stage #2: Eat 2,600 calories per day max for two days in a row." [success - 1/2 complete]

Coldrun Fitness - Day 11

Yesterday started okay, but then went off the rails.  I stopped tracking in the evening and kept mindlessly eating.  Probably like 3,600 calories, but that's just a guess.

Posting early and updating as I go today.  Won't be complete until tonight.  Will try to talk through my choices in order to eat less impulsively.


Goal: a stage #1 day.
 
"Stage #1: Track what I eat, regardless of calories for one day." 

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Written at 7:30am the next day: This was successful.  Ate more than I'd normally want, but the goal of stage #1 is honesty.  For me, that's a challenge.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 9

Feeling better.  I have new direction, and met today's goal. 

Stage #2 [active]: Eat 2,600 calories per day max for two days in a row. - [1/2]

FFVIII – Part 30: Close Encounter at Mandy Beach

Summary: Exploring the Timber and Dollet overworld.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 8

I've been in a bad spot.  Not just this week, but really since mid-December.  The last few weeks.  The last month.  Alternating binges and attempts to eat better.  Analysis and strategy going forward.

Buckle in.  Long post today.

FFVIII – Part 29: Centra Excavation

Summary: Our team reaches the forest to Galbadia. Three of them go back into the dream state, riding along with Kiros, Ward, and Laguna who are on patrol at “Centra Excavation Site.” What’s being excavated isn’t spelled out.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 6

More binging this week, more getting down on myself.  Rinse, repeat.

Not going to restrategize.  Keep going.

I'm curious what the 220s are like.  I want to get there within a couple of months, and consistency is the only way.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 3

End of (abbreviated) week #1: 240.0 lbs
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January 1st (starting weight): 240.6 lbs

Coldrun Fitness - Day 2

An abbreviated week to start the year off, but I'll still weigh-in tomorrow.  Whatever weight it is, it's cool. :D

FFVIII – Part 28: Escape from Timber

Summary: The team takes refuge with the bar owners then leaves Timber for another Garden.

Coldrun Fitness - Day 1

Welcome to 2016!

January 1st (starting weight): 240.6 lbs