Neila's Journal

[neilarey]

New Year, New Log! Happy 1st of The Month! Happy 1st of the Year!

Exercise:

Morning Workout Part 1:
Exercise of the Day
7 Ninjas Workout (2 ninjas, the rest got me probably), video recording
From the Ashes Workout (1 set), video recording
30 minutes stepper (setting #20), fasted steady state cardio

Morning Workout Part 2:
Clean & Press Workout (5 sets)

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill / planned

Food:

Breakfast: two tortilla wraps with mashed chickpea & avocado filling, two smashed potatoes with pickles. 22 g protein
Lunch: roasted pumpkin & broccoli with mustard yogurt dressing 19 g protein
Treat #1: one cinnamon roll cookie with tea
Treat #2: two chocolate stuffed dates with coffee 5 g protein
Dinner: creamy chia tofu with kiwi + apple slices 48 g protein

Total protein today: 95 g (I am a bit short)





Sleep Score: 75 (good) I am feeling a biiiiit grumpy today It's nothing big, I just find myself redirecting my instant reactions / thoughts. I have to work more on staying upbeat and positive, it's not effortless today. Although I went to bed at 10PM as planned and I fell asleep fairly quickly, my sleep quality was not so great. The fireworks woke me up at 12 but I am pretty sure I was only awake for like 15 seconds. My best guess is that I got overtired yesterday and I am still recovering.

I am working all day today. I've got lots to do! I'll take a break at some point and remove all of the Christmas decorations. When do you remove yours? I do it band-aid style. The holidays are over and I am focusing on getting stuff done now That Christmas tree is flying off the 5th floor today!!!


I also re-shuffeled my macros this morning. I am going to give this split a try: 110g protein, up to 300g carbs (less is better) and up to 62g fat.
I will try to stick with 2200 Calories budget per day but I'll see how that goes first.

I am using cronometer to track my macro and micro nutrients so I don't end up malnourished honestly, if I could get away with it, I would just eat bread, peanut butter and popcorn all day every day. Instead, look at me being all responsible, adulting and stuff.

I have a lot of things I want to accomplish this year. I set my vision board as my lock screen on my phone, tablet and laptop. There are personal goals, professional goal, some mental health goals. And although some are quite challenging, it's all doable. It just takes work. 2024 was a good year for me but I didn't set many targets. I just wasn't ambitious enough. I realized that deep inside I was afraid to ask for more - from myself and from the Universe. I am going to see what happens if I do.

Maybe my problem is not being ambitious enough


That's all for now! This is my first entry for this year. I'll probably come back with more updates later. As I mentioned in my old log, one of my goals is to check in here every day.

How is everyone feeling today? What are your goals / hopes for 2025?

 

[NightWolf714]

Happy new year! Looks like you're off to a good start!

 

[FlowersandPetals]

Happy New Year!

Fitness goals: finally get rid of this menopause (potato chips?) belly . I don’t have a goal weight, because muscles are heavy too! Start eating smaller portions and cut back on the chips- my biggest food weakness.

Finally move out of this apartment and learn how to make socks with my knitting loom kit I got for Christmas.

 

[JCU]

Happy New Year!

I hate the societal expectations of the New Year, so I wait until late March to see how things are and recalculate then. I find it's much easier to focus on change as the seasons start changing again!

 

[NancyTree]

Happy New Year & Log!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

How is everyone feeling today?

Blessed.
Hopeful.
Determined to stand strong in the face of the scary things.
Determined to do what I can to be the change I want to see in the world.

 

[Syrius]

How is everyone feeling today? What are your goals / hopes for 2025?

Today, I am exhausted. Terrible sleep. But still optimistic about my goals for the year. I am ready to face the new challenges on the horizon.

 

[ibd warrior]

Happy new year!!!
This is so inspiring
I am new here so I am going to introduce myself soon

 

[TopNotch]

All Christmas decorations were usually down by 12th night. Bad luck if they are up later, so superstition says. But this year, by myself, they came down on, I think, the 27th.
You're adulting? Hey, I've got to try some of that for myself since you're setting the example! And you're telling me that a diet of bread and peanut butter is not good?

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Happy new year, Queen Bee!

 

[neilarey]

Exercise:

Morning Workout:
30 minutes stepper (setting #20), fasted steady state cardio
Second Spring Workout
Cowboy Workout, video recording
Exercise of the Day x 2

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walking on the treadmill

Food:

Pre-workout: spirulina protein shake 10 g protein
Breakfast: oats with yogurt and blueberries (x2 blueberries, x2 yogurt) 29 g protein
Snack: 200 g tofu, sliced 27 g protein
Lunch: broccoli gratin 19 g protein
Treat: one fig cookie!
Snack: air-popped popcorn 13 g protein
Dinner: creamy chia tofu with oranges & apple slices 30 g protein

Total protein today: 129 g



I woke up at 5AM today so I had time for meditation and gratitude practice before walking the boys. I also made a carafe of lemon and ginger tea ~ 1lt and drunk it as I was getting ready for the day. I had to get all of my morning exercise done before 9AM today (other team members booked the gym after 9). So I did fasted cardio to warm up first, had a small protein shake, then did my DAREBEE workouts and the exercise of the day.

I took a break before lunch and baked fig cookies. I had ONE. I am proud of myself! I am trying to include some type of treat to go with my tea or coffee every day now. The goal is to teach myself not to freak out over snacks and stop feeling like I failed the day just because I had a cookie or some chocolate. I don't know if this will work yet but I am trying. It is especially difficult right now because I've gained weight over the holidays and it's driving me nuts. I just want it gone, tomorrow at the latest The fact that I know better doesn't help that much so... I need to show myself that I can get and stay fit while having small pleasures in life, regularly. Otherwise I end up in a cycle of dieting then binging, over, and over, and over again. It is hell. I don't want to live like that because it's not funny anymore. Baby steps...

Speaking of, I listened to a good podcast today while working: "Dopamine Expert: Doing This Once A Day Fixes Your Dopamine!" with Dr Anna Lembke. I read her book "Dopamine Nation" when it came out, and I loved it. So when I saw the podcast with her in my feed, I figured it was going to be good, too. And it was! It was a very good listen. I too had a minor addiction to romantasy just like her so I could relate to that one even though it's so niche. It was a minor thing for me, though, my real problem is with food. It isn't something you can just stop doing or give yourself a break (even though I even tried that). It's a very long, very painful process that requires daily (and sometimes hourly) work. And no, just admitting you have a problem doesn't help all that much. Some days are good, and then there are DAYS.

Today... is a good day

Work wise... it's been a long but a very productive day. After 6 hours of non-stop work my brain started to melt so I took a 30 minute break, had some popcorn and watched the beginning of Wicked. It was a nice little break. Another 4 hours or so and I am done for the day



See you all tomorrow!
I hope everyone had a good day

 

[Lady Celerity]

Kudos for only having one cookie! I think it's important to leave room in our diets for occasional treats. After all, who wants to live in a world without chocolate?

 

[WolfDreamer]

Your meals look delicious! I'm also glad to see that someone else likes to x2 the yogurt and berries in their oatmeal. Off to a great start to the year!

 

[neilarey]

Exercise:

Morning Workout Part 1:
30 minutes stepper (setting #20), fasted steady state cardio

Morning Workout Part 2:
Battle Maiden Workout
Exercise of the Day

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walking on the treadmill

Food:

Breakfast: oats with pineapple + carrot salad 12 g protein
Lunch: zucchini with peas, smashed potatoes, roasted mushrooms (used the BBQ) 16 g protein
Treat: two dates stuffed with black chocolate (no nut butter) with my coffee
Snack: frozen yogurt with blueberries 16 g protein
Dinner: creamy chia tofu * with oranges + apple slices 47 g protein

* added extra protein powder

Total protein today: 91 g



I woke up at 5:20 AM and it took me 15 minutes to get out of bed this morning. It was so cold! I don't do so well with cold. Cold plunges? NO THANKS! I can do saunas no problem though. Once I was up, I made some tea, meditated and did my gratitude practice. I had an appointment at 9AM so I had to move everything by 30 minutes in my schedule. I did the second part of my workout when I came back. At least my sleep score is EXCELLENT today 87!

I did lots of admin stuff today, some work for DAREBEETS but nothing major was accomplished I like to get major stuff done or I don't feel like I am being productive enough. This is a note to self: minor stuff is also important. Attention to details, Neila!

Two things wreaked my mood today: talking to our accountant (3rd of the month is when we pay our bills) and, I don't know what possessed me, I checked my weight and body fat. After a coupe of hours of death and despair, I bounced back I refuse to be defeated or feel down... for longer than a couple of hours that is

The day picked up after I had my second coffee. I had the pep in my step again. Listening to upbeat music also helped.

I am also thinking I should create variety with my daily treats. Having the same thing every day will give me smaller dopamine spikes = less pleasure. I should be more creative in this to truly feel like I am treating myself without resorting to larger quantities. I also started planning my meals using chronometer every day after breakfast so I hit all of the micronutrients for the day. I add meals I can make / feel like to the diary and see how I can adjust or shuffle them. It's actually a lot of fun, sort of like a game. Being plant-based often requires you to be creative since you need to eat a large variety of food (money-wise, storage, cooking time and techniques etc). I enjoy it

I got a few hours of work left in my day, then my evening walk, then (possibly) a 20-minute sauna session and then sleeeeeep.

I hope everyone had a good day today! And thank you for stopping by

 

[neilarey]

I'm also glad to see that someone else likes to x2 the yogurt and berries in their oatmeal.

Everyone I know always goes on about the size of my meals ... And I don't understand suggested portions sizes. Are they for ants?

 

[neilarey]

After all, who wants to live in a world without chocolate?

Sociopaths.

 

[wjs]

And I don't understand suggested portions sizes. Are they for ants?

Come to the US for a while, you won't feel that way anymore. Even so, I still often double* portion sizes to have enough to actually fill me. Fourteen M&M's are just going to make me want more. >.>











*Or, y'know, just eat the entire package of vegetables in one sitting, because the whole bag was just steamed in the microwave. Quad veggies for the win?

 

[Syrius]

*Or, y'know, just eat the entire package of vegetables in one sitting, because the whole bag was just steamed in the microwave. Quad veggies for the win?

Hey, me too. "These are my veggies, go steam your own!" I'll eat the whole bag!

 

[Maegaranthelas]

I don't know what possessed me

My brain does this when I am feeling stressed.
"Oh hey I notice you are on the precipice of feeling bad. How about we think about things that will DEFINITELY make you feel bad?"
See also: "I notice you are trying to get an early night. That's so sweet. CATASTROPHISING TIME!"
Brains are such trolls

 

[wjs]

Brains are such trolls

Precisely true. Mostly to oneself*.














*I speak from experience, after all.

 

[neilarey]

Day 4 of the new year! Day 4 of making better choices. All I want is to be 1% better today than yesterday


Exercise:

Morning Workout Part 1:
30 minutes stepper (setting #20), fasted steady state cardio

Morning Workout Part 2:
Hunter Workout (recording)
Hunter Plus Workout (recording)
Second Spring Workout (5 sets)


Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill / planned

Food:

Breakfast: oats with bananas (x3 yogurts & protein powder) + a cup of frozen blueberries 49 g protein
Lunch: green bean gratin, two tofu fillets (Taifun, Japanese Style), three smashed potatoes + pepper sauce 46 g protein
Treat: 20 g white specialty chocolate by Benjamissimo with my coffee
Dinner: creamy chia tofu with kiwi + apple slices 31 g protein

Total protein today: 126 g



I woke up at 5:50 AM today, washed my face and Gua Sha-ed the hell out of it. I didn't have a lot of time but I squeezed a 10-minute meditation in before hitting the shower. One of my goals for this year is to level-up my self-care because up until now it was the I-don't-care, and it shows. I'll be 40 in a year and I would like to begin a new decade of my life in a better condition overall. So, I am doing all the things and I am making it stick. Technically, I started a few days before the new year but I started counting from January 1st. I once set a goal to run every day for a year, rain or shine, and I did exactly that. That was the year Covid hit and I still did it. So I know I can do difficult things if I am stubborn enough about it.

Training wise, I switched from the Just Walk Challenge to the 12.000 steps a day challenge. So far I am keeping up with it. I realized that I won't be able to walk for an hour every evening and, since it's something I want to stick with for the rest of the year, I'll count steps instead. I could do it for a month, maybe, but a whole year... unlikely, my lifestyle changes every season so I am going to stick with the step count.

The Mindset Mentor, one of my favorite youtube channels, posted this video today:

Loved it. It goes with my new 1% better every day mantra.

It's after 4 PM here now so I still have about 4 hours of work left. Today I am just grinding. I have a million little tasks that need doing. I ate all the big frogs this morning so I am left with more exciting and creative stuff now. I am going to put some nice music on and enjoy the rest of the day, grinding away.





Long live the Hive!!
And thank you for stopping by

 

[princess_sarena]

I took a break before lunch and baked fig cookies

I really want to try the fig cookies recipe but with gluten free flour! I was looking at it earlier and making secret baking plans, because I love fig cookies but they're ridiculously expensive to buy gluten free... we'll see how (or if) it goes!

 

[neilarey]

I really want to try the fig cookies recipe but with gluten free flour!

I didn't have any gluten-free flour but I had ground oats. I made these this morning:



You know, I think I actually prefer them with oats I think pretty much any flour will work with this recipe. You may need a bit more or less depending on your nut butter density (mine varies) and how much fluid your flour absorbs. I had to use a bit extra to make these. Just get the dough to a point you can roll it out and it will work.

I hope this helps

 

[neilarey]

Exercise:

Morning Workout Part 1:
30 minutes stepper (setting #20), fasted steady state cardio

Morning Workout Part 2:
Clean & Press Workout (5 sets)

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill / planned

Food:

Breakfast: oats with yogurt and cherries (x2 yogurt and protein powder) 39 g protein
Treat: two fig cookies (made with ground oats)
Lunch: cucumber avocado sushi 10 g protein
Dinner: cashew tofu curry with two cauliflower flatbreads 41 g protein
Snack: kiwi & orange salad

Total protein today: 95 g




I was listening to an audiobook last night and I got really into it. When I finished it, it was almost 1AM. I was hoping to sleep in this morning because of that but nooooo. At 6:30 AM I was aggressively pawed from two sides. I had to get up, do everything at lightning speed and take the terrorists my beloved puppies for a walk. It was actually nice, there is no one around at 7 AM on a Sunday here. I later checked my sleep score and, whaaa - it's 76 (good). I managed to get 90 minutes of REM sleep and 50 minutes of deep sleep in 5 hours. Go figure.

It was not a particularly good decision to listen to an audiobook all the way into the night but it looks that there is no { significant } harm done. I got away with it! Muahahaha! It was "When we were kings" by A. H. Hadley, btw. It's free on Audiable if you have a subscription. I finished it last night and then realized there are two more books. I am not even mad Love stories with lots of combat in them is kinda my thing.

You would think that someone who started DAREBEE would be super extroverted considering how much admin stuff I have to do on a daily basis (and it can be very socially demanding at times) but nope, I am very introverted. My ideal day is when I don't leave the house, have books and snacks and maybe a good movie or series to watch. The fact is, DAREBEE was born because I didn't want to go to a gym - or see people. It was created for people like me who want to exercise but ON OUR TERMS. That's the whole point. We control the sets, the rest time, when and how we'll perform the exercises - in our underpants, if we so choose. We can adjust on the fly, and that's my favorite thing about it.

Aaaanyway, today was a long but productive day. I almost always work on Sundays. It's nice and peaceful and I can just grind away. Today I even have some extra time in the evening to dedicate to DAREBEETS

Day 5 of the new year is in DA BOOKS. I had a few touch and go moments and a couple of trigger warnings but it was not as difficult to power through, like a few days ago for example. I can get better, I WILL GET BETTER.

Neila 2.0 I've got this.

I hope everyone had a good and relaxing Sunday! Long Live the Hive!
And thank you for stopping by.

 

[wjs]

You would think that someone who started DAREBEE would be super extroverted considering how much admin stuff I have to do on a daily basis (and it can be very socially demanding at times) but nope, I am very introverted. My ideal day is when I don't leave the house, have books and snacks and maybe a good movie or series to watch. The fact is, DAREBEE was born because I didn't want to go to a gym - or see people. It was created for people like me who want to exercise but ON OUR TERMS. That's the whole point. We control the sets, the rest time, when and how we'll perform the exercises - in our underpants, if we so choose. We can adjust on the fly, and that's my favorite thing about it.

I, for one, greatly appreciate you developed this. I don't know that I would have started my fitness journey without you designing the concept of DAREBEE. Thank you.

 

[Germanamazon]

I am so so thankful for darebee. I know for a fact I hate gyms. Boring place, stuck up noses a lot of the times, music so not my taste and on full blast.
No my house, my rules my workout works for me perfectly

 

[Maegaranthelas]

in our underpants, if we so choose

Bathrobe workouts are definitely a thing here xD
It costs so many spoons to get dressed, especially in sporting gear (that I then have to change out of again!)
I know it's a good energy day when I do my basic workout and then change into something more sporty for some more working out

 

[FlowersandPetals]

I’ve always loved working out, etc. but Darebee has taught me so much. Thank you for starting this. I used fitness apps to track my meals when I was “moderately obese” at one time (a doctor described me as obese) but Darebee has been my go to for workouts and those guides as well. So thank you !

 

[princess_sarena]

I didn't have any gluten-free flour but I had ground oats. I made these this morning:
You know, I think I actually prefer them with oats I think pretty much any flour will work with this recipe. You may need a bit more or less depending on your nut butter density (mine varies) and how much fluid your flour absorbs. I had to use a bit extra to make these. Just get the dough to a point you can roll it out and it will work.

I hope this helps

Thanks for the tip!!! Luckily I have a 1-to-1 gluten free flour so I don't have to think too much. Hopefully. Usually it works more or less okay... that is, if I haven't completely messed up the recipe by my lack of baking experience

It was created for people like me who want to exercise but ON OUR TERMS. That's the whole point. We control the sets, the rest time, when and how we'll perform the exercises - in our underpants, if we so choose. We can adjust on the fly, and that's my favorite thing about it.

That's what pulled me into Darebee in the first place... a community supporting your fitness journey but where every step of that journey takes you is 100% your choice

 

[Syrius]

When I found Darebee, it wasn't even Darebee yet. It was recommended to me by one of the other fencers in my SCA barony when I first started fencing. They have lots of good strength exercises, you'll love them. Little did they know the path they were setting me on. Darebee and the Hive kept me doing new exercises during university, saved me from depression while unemployed, and have been a major part of my path back to being healthy and fit once more. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being awesome and taking us all along on this journey.

And one of my favorite parts of Darebee is that I can listen the music I want without having to drown out the awful music that gyms like to "pump you up" with.

 

[NightWolf714]

You would think that someone who started DAREBEE would be super extroverted considering how much admin stuff I have to do on a daily basis (and it can be very socially demanding at times) but nope, I am very introverted. My ideal day is when I don't leave the house, have books and snacks and maybe a good movie or series to watch. The fact is, DAREBEE was born because I didn't want to go to a gym - or see people. It was created for people like me who want to exercise but ON OUR TERMS. That's the whole point. We control the sets, the rest time, when and how we'll perform the exercises - in our underpants, if we so choose. We can adjust on the fly, and that's my favorite thing about it.

One, your food pictures always look so tasty!

And while I'm more extroverted, I totally get it. But for me, I didn't want to pay for a gym membership and never go, haha. And as long as my social battery is filled, I do enjoy a nice day inside. (Especially when it's cool.) I also appreciate the flexibility of it. Being back on night shift, having a plan of attack I can do at 3am is nice. Plus, it's fun. I can't wait to do another of the RPG fitness programs and I love that everyone is at least mildly geeky/nerdy like me it feels like. ^_^

 

[GentleOx]

I am both introverted and someone who has been going to the gym since I was in my teens. As a result, I'm rather addicted to pumping iron, though I confess to tuning out everyone else with my headphones (I actively avoid talking to people there)... I do understand the need for people to be able to do exercise as they see fit, and not be beholden to going to the gym, however.

 

[neilarey]

Day 6 out or 365. 360 days left to make this year the most meaningful yet.

Exercise

Morning Workout Part 1 / recording
New Year Reset Workout
1% Better Today Workout
No Joke Cardio Workout
Daily Grind Workout x 2
Exercise of the Day


Morning Workout Part 2:
30 minutes stepper (setting #20)
+ 200 crunches (50, 50, 50, 50)
+ 22 pull-ups ( 5, 6, 6, 5 )

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill / planned

Food

Breakfast: roasted mushrooms, smashed potatoes and tofu egg Benedict 17 g protein
Snack: carrot salad 3 g protein
Movie Snack: 100 g popcorn 13 g protein
Snack: frozen yogurt with berries 19 g protein
Dinner: creamy chia tofu with oranges + apple slices 48 g protein

Total protein today: 112 g




I did my meditation this morning, made tea, walked the babies - did all the things. The natural light in the gym was good so I recorded the new workouts for the week as my morning training session. After breakfast I went back for some extra cardio (stepper) + crunches and pull-ups (I am trying to get back to those). Overall, my morning started pretty well Instead of lunch I had snacks at my desk today but I did take a break around 3 PM and watched a little more of Wicked. I almost finished it but it's a long movie so.. next time.

Nothing particularly interesting happened today. Everything is shut here since it's a religious holiday. It's a ghost town out there! So I am just enjoying working at my desk in peace No deliveries and no disruptions. It's a good thing too because tomorrow I am on the go all day.


Tonight I will do some walking before bed and then listen to an audiobook for an hour or so. I'll need to get some quality sleep tonight because for some reason my sleep score was atrocious: 61. And I went to bed early yesterday and everything! I have two suspects that may or may not have walked all over my face as I slept (my dogs sleep on top of me).

So, an ordinary working day today. I hope you had a wonderful day yourself!
Long Live The Hive!
And thank you for stopping by.

 

[neilarey]

Exercise

Morning Workout Part 1:

20 pull-ups ( 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 )
200 crunches ( 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 )

Here & Now Workout / recording
Ice Age Workout * / recording
Brave New Me Workout / recording
Exercise of the Day** x 4

* I love this one! It's a real dopamine booster!
** I always do the EoTD for the following day (for YouTube).

Morning Workout Part 2:
Second Spring Workout x 5
200 crunches ( 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 )

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill / planned

Food:

Breakfast: tofu fillets (Taifun, Japanese Style), sweet potato flatbread, cucumber and pepper slices & avocado mayo 37 g protein
Lunch: chickpea & walnut patties, broccoli gratin 34 g protein
Dinner: creamy tofu (extra tofu, extra protein powder) + 2 apples 58 g protein


Total protein today: 130 g
I didn't feel like I needed snacks or treats today Success!



I went to bed early last night, as planned, and then I woke up at 4 AM I was awake and alert and I was considering getting up and meditating for an hour but then I told myself not to be stupid and go back to sleep. Whenever you have a choice between extra sleep or meditation, choose sleep. I slept another hour and got an extra 17 minutes of DEEP sleep. Yay! Sleep score today: 77 (good).

+1 smart choice today.

I was full of energy when I got up and felt hyper all morning. I felt INCREDIBLE: full of energy, positive, happy On top of the world.

Some of my plans were cancelled today so I got to pour all that energy into being productive today

I was craving broccoli so I made broccoli gratin for lunch again. I love broccoli but it hasn't always been the case. When I was in my teens my diet was... "terrible" isn't the word. I never drunk water, I drunk coca cola only ~ 2lt a day. I never ate anything with onions, carrots or mushrooms in it. I primarily survived on bread and cheese. My taste buds only accepted fried or baked food, preferably with a ton of fat and/or sugar in it. When I was about 16, I came across "The Miracle Of Fasting" By Paul C. Bragg. Back then it was a biiiit out there but it resonated with a teenage me so much that, right after reading it, I did a 7-day water fast. You can imagine what a transformative experience that was, physically and mentally In many ways, in changed my life. I spent two weeks after slowly coming out of it eating primarily vegetable soups. It has completely reset my taste buds. If you think you hate broccoli, try it after not eating anything for a week It was so tasty I almost cried. After that one experience I developed a taste for vegetables. I am not saying that it was all sunshine and rainbows from there... I had plenty of ups and downs where my diet is concerned, but it was a major leap forward for me.

Of course, this is just an anecdote from my life. I am not saying everyone should go and fast for a week. I've never managed to repeat it since that first time, the longest time I fasted after that was 72 hrs but I still do it from time to time ~ twice a year. I believe in fasting for health. I've always seen a major positive impact after each one of my fasts. It's like a full body reset. I don't think it's for everyone, though. And the timing has to be right, too, I've had plenty of failed fasts when I had severe headaches and I couldn't continue just after 24 hours. Hmmm... I should do another fast soon


Current short-term goals: get my sleep score to 90, on a regular basis
Current long-term goal: ... take over the world?

Long Live The Hive! Have a wonderful rest of the day!
And thank you for stopping by

 

[Maegaranthelas]

I occasionally have these days where my body is just like "no thanks on the food, we're still full"
So a couple of days a year I just barely eat and feel much better for it (if I force myself to eat anyway I feel so much worse!)
It's nice to get to the point where I can learn to listen to my body and what it thinks is best =)

 

[princess_sarena]

Current long-term goal: ... take over the world?

CAN I HELP???

 

[Lady Celerity]

CAN I HELP???

Great emoji choices

 

[Lady Celerity]

@neilarey how long do spend prepping meals each day? I get up early to have a decent breakfast but have to take my lunch to work (which I make the night before). I cook the evening meal most nights but it can be a challenge to fit that in sometimes. I rely on a lot of leftovers too.

 

[princess_sarena]

Great emoji choices

...for completely non-nefarious purposes, of course

 

[neilarey]

@neilarey how long do spend prepping meals each day?

Hmmm... It's ~ 10 minutes of contact time per meal. Snacks usually take about 5 minutes. I do partial prep every week when I have time, too. I batch bake regular and sweet potatoes then store them in the fridge after that, peel onions and garlic, sometimes I batch cook veggie patties and then freeze them. Half of the vegetables I use I buy frozen and they don't need any washing / chopping. I always have bags of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, greens beans, peas and sweet corn in the freezer. I usually just preheat the oven, dump the entire bag of frozen veggies on the tray and let them roast (I set a timer and walk away).





When you have something more complex with 3-4 phases (chopping, blending, boiling, baking) - that takes time since you go from one task to the next. For daily meals, though, yeah, it's about 5-10 minutes. I don't do the whole "caramelize onions and crush garlic, add spices, then add this and that", unless it's ABSOLUTELY required. I am more of "dump, stir and nuke" type of gal

I like using tofu a lot because it's so easy to work with. I can blend it and add any flavor I want. I can make breakfast or dinner in under 5 minutes. And it's only that long because I also need to wash and chop fruit or fresh vegetables as well.

Oh and I buy ready salad greens with baby greens, we have really nice ones here now. They are already washed so I just need to quickly shred them.

I use every shortcut in the book in other words. I got it down almost to an art form I love food and I really enjoy cooking but I also don't have a lot of time for it. Sometimes when I don't time it well, I just grab a pair of tortilla wraps and stuff them with some tofu and veggies and call it a day. I am trying to be more disciplined this year and eat a more balanced diet. Right now I plan most of my meals the day before so it takes any anxiety out of it.

I hope this makes sense and helps

 

[Mamatigerj]

Day 6 out or 365. 360 days left to make this year the most meaningful yet.

Love this perspective!

 

[neilarey]

Exercise

Morning Workout Part 1:
Journey Before Destination Workout
Combat Light Workout
Shredder Workout
Shredder Plus Workout
Exercise of the Day x 3

Morning Workout Part 2:
Battle Maiden Workout x 5
200 crunches ( 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 )


Evening Workout:
60 minutes walking on the treadmill
20 minutes sauna

Food

Breakfast: chocolate oats 20 g protein
Snack: 250 g baked sweet potato, from the fridge 5 g protein
Lunch: green bean, mushroom and onion gratin + cauliflower flatbread 19 g protein
Teat: date stuffed with carob Benjamissimo chocolate
Dinner: creamy chia tofu with oranges & apple slices 48 g protein

Total protein today: 93 g (I am short)



I woke up at 5 AM today because someone was licking their paws right next to my face. I dream every night and my dreams are always highly involved (action-adventure style - or I get killed by a tsunami). It takes me sometime to re-center myself if I wake up during one By the time I remembered who I was and where I was, it was already 5:15, there was no point in trying to get any more sleep. So I made tea, meditated for 15 minutes and did my gratitude practice. I recorded a handful of scheduled workouts after I came back from the walk with the doggos, had breakfast and went back for some strength training. I had chocolate oats for breakfast today and OMG, this thing should be illegal. How is this breakfast? It was so delicious I tried to stretch it.

While my lunch was roasting in the oven today I cleaned my fridge and rendered videos for YouTube. I took out each drawer, cleaned it with a swiffer duster, wiped it dry with paper kitchen towel and placed it back in. It's all nice and clean now! And empty I need to restock asap but there are shortages of everything in the supermarkets right now. No tofu, no fruit, no vegetables. At least when I went to LIDL later in the day I managed to get some carrots

Today's sleep score was "good" 83, but it felt more like 53. I'll try going to bed early today again. I am writing this after dinner and I still have a couple hours of work left. Then I'll do my walk and then stay in the sauna for 20 minutes or so before bed.

In Greece when you have a house on the top floor sometimes you can also get exclusive "air rights" to a part of the rooftop. That is the case for me. Although my apartment is small, there is a lot of balcony space + the roof over my head. I have some plants and a sitting area there. There was a small broom closet there too but since I didn't need it, I converted it into a sauna a few years ago. I was worried I'll never use it but I love it. Unfortunately, it runs on electricity and electricity is VERY expensive here. It's a treat, essentially. I can afford to run it once or twice a week, tops, in winter.

I hope I will be able to sleep better tonight!
Have a wonderful rest of the day, everyone!
Long Live The Hive!
And thank you for stopping by!

 

[Tranquil_warrior]

woke up at 5 AM today because someone was licking their paws right next to my face. I dream every night and my dreams are always highly involved (action-adventure style - or I get killed by a tsunami)

My sister totally cries whenever she sees a Tsunami dream xD
She is very scared of water.

Also I am curious about the sleep score. Where or how do you get these scores?

And wow, how did you convert a part of the rooftop to a Sauna :0
Did you like hire someone to do it? I don't know if I have any services of such kind in my country. But that sounds so cool.

 

[neilarey]

My sister totally cries whenever she sees a Tsunami dream xD

I live very near the sea and, although, we don't get tsunamis here, I have this dream at least once a year

Also I am curious about the sleep score. Where or how do you get these scores?

A fitness tracker. I have a Samsung Galaxy Fit3. It shows my sleep score every morning ~ 5 minutes after I wake up.

And wow, how did you convert a part of the rooftop to a Sauna :0

It's a 1 x 2 room And no, you don't need anything special. You can buy a sauna unit that you plug in (mine is wired in) and you cover the walls with wood. That's it. It's super basic. I found someone here who makes saunas for people but they just put wood on the wall and the ceiling, and that's it. I also honestly expected it to be more complicated. Nope. It's just wood on the walls and an electrical unit... that eats MONEY LIKE CRAZY My sauna is awesome, though, because the closet originally had a window. You can see the mountains through it. In winter the mountains are covered in snow. It's epic! It's probably the best thing in my house.

 

[Maegaranthelas]

The sauna sounds awesome!

So do the chocolate oats! I found a cool muesli brand from Germany that does a "raspberry dark chocolate" one and I am in love.
Plus I no longer have to think about what to eat for breakfast (which on bad days would be too difficult so I just wouldn't).
there are a few dark chocolate covered cranberries in there too and

 

[TopNotch]

I use chocolate protein powder in my morning oats. Goes very nicely with (by now defrosted as I prepare the night before) blueberries and raspberries.

 

[neilarey]

I am starting the day before it starts me

Exercise

Morning Workout Part 1:
Sculptor Workout
Sculptor Plus Workout

Morning Workout Part 2:
Clean & Press Workout x 5 sets
200 crunches ( 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 )
4 minute run

Evening Workout:
60 minutes walk on the treadmill

Food

Breakfast: oats with yogurt and cherries (x2 yogurt and protein powder) 39 g protein
Lunch: big salad with tofu fillets (Taifun, Japanese Style) 36 g protein
Movie Snack: 100 g popcorn 13 g protein
Dinner: creamy tofu with apple slices 28 g protein

Total protein today: 116 g (acceptable)



I could barely keep my eyes open when I sat in the sauna yesterday. I was so tired, it wasn't even funny. When my head hit the pillow last night, it was lights out. And YET, despite sleeping 8 FREAKING HOURS, my sleep score is 76 (good) today. I managed to get some deep sleep in the beginning of the night but it was all mostly light sleep after that. I may need a pre-bed routine, I am doing this all wrong. Evidently, just exhausting yourself doesn't mean you will sleep well. Note to self: pay more attention to recovery... and get a pre-bed ritual.

In good news today, Men's Fitness published an article about DAREBEE today We are on the front page and everything. Thank you

Speaking of news. Since the beginning of the year, I cut off all news and trash TV consumption. I like being informed and I also like to park my brains sometimes and watch a silly show. Then I noticed how much it started to affect me. I even gave up watching The Philip DeFranco show on YouTube (I used to tune in in the mornings while I make breakfast). It's not your fault, Philip, you are doing a GREAT job! My mental state is just too fragile right now and I need time to heal Soooo, no news, no trash shows, no negative content - until further notice.

Everything we consume on a regular basis affects us a LOT. We may not notice it right away but it does. All media content, people we listen to, ideas we are exposed to - it adds up. Since I disconnected myself from all things that don't lift me up, I am a lot happier and - waaay more productive and focused.

I am trying a new technique of Closing Loops. Anything I need to do that will only take me 5 minutes or less, I am finishing it. I have so many things that are just there, at the back of my mind - itching away, and it's so easy to get rid of them by just getting them off my plate. Otherwise they just keep piling up. So, today I finished every task I remembered and: CLOSED. THOSE. LOOPS

I exercised hard today and I ate well. I was happy and optimistic all day. I get the star

Have a wonderful rest of the day, everyone! Long Live The Hive!
And thank you for stopping by

 

[graoumia]

Long Live The Hive!, congrats for your star

 

[NightWolf714]

In Greece when you have a house on the top floor sometimes you can also get exclusive "air rights" to a part of the rooftop. That is the case for me. Although my apartment is small, there is a lot of balcony space + the roof over my head. I have some plants and a sitting area there. There was a small broom closet there too but since I didn't need it, I converted it into a sauna a few years ago. I was worried I'll never use it but I love it. Unfortunately, it runs on electricity and electricity is VERY expensive here. It's a treat, essentially. I can afford to run it once or twice a week, tops, in winter.

-Insert Hamiton's "I wasn't aware that was something a person could do." Here

And congrats on being on the front page of Men's Fitness! That's awesome!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on getting written up in Men's Fitness!