Life, the Universe and Everything | 2024

[neilarey]

Yesterday I managed to fit a bonus workout at 4PM!



For lunch I had roasted zucchini with black beans and corn. We updated the recipe yesterday as well.



And for lunch I made a simple tomato salad with air-fried tofu. I love, LOVE spicy food so I sprinkled mine with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. Muahahaha!
I walked for 45 minutes with my new weighted vest before bed and watched the Double on Netflix. I was only going to watch ONE episode... I am all out of episodes now

---

Today my day started at 6:05 today. After walking with the boys I did my strength training for the day: The 50 Pull-Up Workout. Then I did the workout of the day (2 sets) and the exercise of the day (10 raised leg push-ups). Since I was recording, it was a biiiiit more than 10. I suck at framing videos so I had to do a few takes.

Our video studio is under construction right now. We are cleaning the space tomorrow so things are progressing, slowly, but surely. I look forward to recording more programs and reshooting our video library (the time has come!).

I ended my session with stretching, meditation, gratitude practice and a self-hug. I know, I know, it sounds super cheesy but it really helps re-center me. Next thing you know, I’ll be journaling, too… or, wait

My workload is crazy today but hopefully I’ll find time for a bonus workout toward 4PM. Now, breakfast and work. Breakfast is going to be beetroot creamy tofu with fruit and walnuts.

See you later and have a wonderful day!
Hugs!
xoxoxoxox

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

That sounds like another program I will enjoy, thank you @neilarey !

 

[neilarey]

We left the house at 5:57 this morning aaaand triggered the alarm So yeah, we woke everybody up. I came back with the same number of dogs I left with: 2. I counted.

6:30 AM



Morning Workout:
The Orion Workout
Exercise of the Day: Scorpion Twists (60, two video takes)
Workout of the Day (1 set)
Gratitude Practice
Self Hug
15 Minutes Meditation

Breakfast: creamy tofu with mushrooms + fresh blueberries
Lunch: sliced tomatoes and Japanese-style tofu + carrot salad
Dinner: broccoli salad with {tempeh bites instead of tofu} + fruit salad

Bonus Workout:
none, I had a dentist appointment

Evening Workout:
45-minute walk with weighted vest (10 kg)

 

[CODawn]

Hi. Since you mentioned SOMA +40, I can't stop thinking about it. Will the Hive get an early release? Thank you for everything.

 

[neilarey]

@CODawn yes, definitely I am hoping we can complete the layout & editing by the end of this month. It's out of testing already and I'll be working on it myself from next week. As soon as we have it ready, it'll be posted here in the Early Releases

 

[neilarey]

July 19:

✔ Strength Workout of the Day: Battle Maiden (5 sets)
✔ Exercise of the day - double: 60 seconds scissor chops
✔ Workout of the day (2 sets): The Do Over
✔ Stretching
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with blueberries
Lunch: roasted zucchini with beans
Dinner: tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

I did some lower body work at 4PM: leg extensions and squats x 50 reps each.
In the evening before bed I walked for 45 minutes with the 10 kg vest on the treadmill while watching the next installment of the Double on Netflix.
It was a good day

 

[neilarey]

July 20

✔ Strength Workout of the Day: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Exercise of the day - double: 20 leg raises
✔ Workout of the day: Suckerpunch x 3 sets
✔ Stretching
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

Breakfast: scrambled tofu with cucumbers
Treat: banana bread muffin + banana oat cookie
Lunch: air-fried tofu with tomato salad
Dinner: broccoli Caesar salad with air-fried tempeh and a ton of garlic!

Bonus workouts:
✔ Daily Legs Workout
✔ 500 double kicks (side and turning kicks)

Evening Cardio:
✔ 1 hr elliptical at “15” resistance

Currently watching: The Double - Episode 32 - on Netflix

 

[CODawn]

@CODawn yes, definitely I am hoping we can complete the layout & editing by the end of this month. It's out of testing already and I'll be working on it myself from next week. As soon as we have it ready, it'll be posted here in the Early Releases

Thank you so much! I am looking forward to it!

 

[neilarey]

I had a pretty good Sunday. I walked the boys at 6AM and then did all of my morning workouts before breakfast. Breakfast was in two parts: I made a quick smoothie bowl using frozen mixed fruit and vegetables I had in the freezer and pumpkin protein powder. I was about to pass out at 9AM from low blood sugar

Then I went for a swim and had the rest of my breakfast at the beach: coconut cream tofu with carrots and fresh figs.

It was an amazing break but, yeah, I was back at my desk at 12PM. We have an orange warning for extreme heat here, too, so just as well. I can’t stay in the sun for long or I get overheated. I live near the sea so I can get there and go for a dip, technically, any time (I use a scooter to get there) but I don’t actually get to go that often. This year I only managed to go 5 times in total. Today though I got to go and even see my friends

This Sunday rocked!

Morning workout:

✔ Exercise of the day: 20 Seconds Pacer Steps
✔ Workout of the day: Balance workout
✔ Weights: Second Spring Workout (upcoming)
✔ Good Morning, Beautiful! Yoga Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude Challenge

Breakfast:
Part 1: smoothie bowl with pumpkin protein powder
Part 2: coconut cream tofu with carrot sticks + fresh figs
Lunch: creamy eggplant with black beans
Dinner: tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad



Bonus workout:
✔ Blade Workout

Evening Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes treadmill walk with 10kg vest

Currently watching: The Double - Episode 34 - on Netflix

 

[neilarey]

I woke up at 5:45 today. By the time I finished all my errands and actually got to the gym it was already 7:30. After breakfast I was pretty much chained to my desk all day (with a couple of snacks here and there) but I made a lot of progress work-wise. I am happy to report that we are 25% in on the SOMA 40+ editing. It always starts slow while we are finalizing the layout and the graphics and then we pick up speed so I am excited we are at this stage now. I’ll be also pitching in on the Power Split design work later this week.

Today...
- I drank too much coffee, too much even for me.
+ I got to sit in the sun for 40 minutes while working and topped up Vitamin D.

Morning workout:

✔ Exercise of the day: 60 seconds backfists
✔ Workout of the day: Just Keep Swimming Workout (3 sets)
✔ Weights: Battle Maiden Workout
✔ Good Morning, Beautiful! Yoga Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude Challenge



Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with fresh figs
Snack #1: tofu & cucumber slices
Snack #2: protein green smoothie, a can of beans (it was a weird day)
Dinner: cucumber Caesar salad with tempeh + fruit salad

Bonus 4PM workout:
✔ Tendons & Core Workout

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr elliptical

Currently watching: The Double - Episode 35 - on Netflix

 

[neilarey]

Today I struggled. I had ~20% less energy than I needed to do everything I wanted today. I still managed to complete all the major tasks but I really, reeealy had to push it. SOMA 40+ is 50% there. Another couple of days and we’ll finish it. Then it’s just proofreading, final adjustments, programming and it’ll go live. I am happy with the current progress!

At about 3PM I had to take a break and go sit in the dark room with a bucket of popcorn and the finale of The Boys. I was saving it for the Friday movie night but I really needed this today. It was epic, as usual. This season of The Boys was their best season yet, in my opinion.

An hour later I could function again. Good thing, too, because today’s 4PM bonus workout was Boxing Endurance Drills. If I didn’t take that break I would have probably skipped it. I am not against taking it easy (big fan of it, actually) but I already had it planned and I was looking forward to it. I am trying to do more combat oriented routines during the day, when I can, because it’s the best type of training you can do - it’s full body work, it requires agility, flexibility, endurance, coordination and technique. Most of all, though, it’s super fun.

My evening cardio for today is walking with the vest on for 45 minutes. It’s not as impressive as it sounds. I do cardio before bed because, apart from my workouts and walking the dogs, I sit at my desk ALL day. This way I also get to exercise and park my brains for a little while. I am all out of the Double episodes right now (until Thursday) so I am watching the Princess Royal today instead.

Overall, today was 8/10 (because of the break).

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 20 jumping lunges
✔ Workout of the day: Captain on Deck (3 sets)
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout

Morning self-care:
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Everyday Stretching Workout
✔ Morning Mobility Workout
✔ Daily Gratitude Challenge
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes



Breakfast: creamy protein tofu with blueberries + bell pepper slices
Lunch: roasted cabbage with kidney beans and yogurt sauce (recipe: darebeets.com)
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad



Bonus 4PM workout:
✔ Boxing Endurance Drills Workout (5 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill with 10kg vest on

Currently watching: the Princess Royal - Episode 1 - on Netflix
Bedtime audiobook: Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself

 

[neilarey]

Another productive day in the books! I managed to rest well last night so my energy levels are back to 100%. And look: we finished SOMA 40+ today! We still need to integrate it, test the pages etc but it’s pretty much done. We’ll have an early release in the Hive tomorrow. Officially, it’ll be up on August 1st. For context: it’s a program designed specifically for women with a cycle (or women who used to have one) over 40 years old (or just under, like me!).

In other news… drumroll… Today I got the first draft of the first DAREBEE non-picture book! And - it’s glorious. I am not allowed to talk much about it in general buuuuuut, it is happening! If everything goes well, you will hear more about it in September. If everything goes really well, it’ll be available in November/December 2024. And it’ll be available as: a download, a paperback and an audiobook.

Today I finally made butternut squash with black beans for lunch. I tried to test the new recipe version forever but now twice in a row I had a bad butternut squash and had to abort the mission. Well, today I had two squashes! Ha! And sure enough, one of them was bad but the other one was perfect. So, fiiiinally, I got to try the new version of the recipe. It’ll go live later today or tomorrow. Some of the recipes we have at darebeets.com are now on their 4th iterations. This one is going to be its 5th!

Overall, it was a good day. 9/10. It’s not a 10 because there were next to no breaks today and it was just work and exercise, exercise and work. I did have breakfast on the roof this morning and although it was short (~10 minutes) - it was still great.

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 50 jumping jacks
✔ Workout of the day: The Wing Leader (1 set)
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout
✔ Good Morning, Beautiful! Yoga Workout
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude



Breakfast: tofu chia pudding with (defrosted) berries
Lunch: butternut squash with black beans
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad



Bonus 4PM workout:
✔ 50 leg extensions (10x5) and 50 barbell squats (10x5)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr elliptical

Currently watching: The Princess Royal - Episode 3

 

[MadamMeow]

Very cool sounding things in the works. Looking forward to their launches!

 

[neilarey]

Another good day. I was feeling a bit low today so we packed lunch and went to have it by the sea.




I was back and at my desk an hour later but I felt much better. SOMA 40+ is done and scheduled for August 1st and I am switching to the Power Split from tomorrow. Tomorrow I am also getting the challenge for August (I’ll just have to put it in and make sure everything works ok).

We had quite a bit of feedback on our banana oat cookies since it was published. So today I also did some baking. We literally just added an extra banana to the recipe but it made a massive difference. The cookie is now chewy, soft and sweet. The recipe is now updated to 2 bananas. It’s simple, quick and very filling.



I try not to have sweets during the week right now (only on weekends) but I did eat half a cookie so I could pronounce my verdict! It was delicious.

I write this after dinner every day and I am going to go out and walk the boys in a few minutes. And then I am soooo looking forward to my evening walk and the next installment of the Double on Netflix. I waited all week for this! YAS.

Today’s rating: 9/10

See you all tomorrow!
xoxoxox

Morning workout:

✔ Exercise of the day: 50 back leg raises
✔ Workout of the day: Rest & Rec Workout
✔ Strength Training: Battle Maiden Workout (5 sets)
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Morning Lower Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: tofu scramble with cucumber and pepper slices
Lunch: roasted green beans with chickpeas tofu & mustard dressing + pineapple slices
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad

Bonus 4PM workout:
✔ Alpha Protocol Workout (7 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill with 10kg vest on

Currently watching: The Double On Netflix!!!!! YES! Episode 36

 

[neilarey]

I took it relatively easy this morning and saved the workout of the day for 4PM. I was looking forward to it! Friday is also my official “movie” day. Since I had nothing specific planned I went for “park my brains” and watched the first episode of Too Hot To Handle on Netflix. There was popcorn, obviously. I love popcorn. I have an air popcorn maker and I don’t put anything else on it, it’s perfect as it is.

Then it was time to face the workout of the day. Fortified by a bucket of popcorn, I managed 5 sets before I ran out of time (that’s what I am telling myself anyway). It’s an awesome workout and I’ll definitely do it again. It was my first time trying it and I think I’ll add it to my rotation. See if I’ll be able to walk tomorrow. Or lift things. Ha.

Dinner was the same as the rest of the week. It’s quick to make and it’s nutritious. The only thing that changes is what type of fruit I add to the fruit salad otherwise it’s pretty much the same.

Today’s rating: 8/10

Morning workout:

✔ Exercise of the day: 60 seconds shoulder taps
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Morning Lower Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with (defrosted) berries (and protein powder)
Snack #1: ¼ medium watermelon
Snack #2: coconut creamy tofu with carrots (with protein powder)
Snack #3: popcorn!
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad




4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the day: Wow, That’s Hard Workout (5 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr elliptical

Currently watching: The Double On Netflix!!!!! YES! Episode 37

 

[neilarey]

Just working through my list today! I walked the boys at 6AM then did some light training. I am taking it easy on weekends in general but I was also a bit sore from yesterday. I still managed to do some testing of one of the upcoming workouts at 4PM but that’s about it. I received the drafts yesterday and I can confirm, the Stomach Vacuums Workout is officially scheduled for next week. I’ll know the exact date tomorrow.

I made tofu curry for lunch and then the same dinner as I made everyday this week (lately, it’s my go-to). The recipe was adjusted, again, but yeah I like it more now. Less… tomato-y? 10/10 would make it again but then, I LOVE CURRY. I would make it anyway.

Today’s rating: 7/10

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 60 seconds balance hold
✔ Workout of the Day: Stray Workout (2 sets)
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with blueberries + 2 oat banana cookies
Lunch: tofu curry + cucumber salad
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with roasted tempeh + fruit salad

4PM workout:
✔ Daily Dumbbell Workout (coming soon) 2 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr walk on the treadmill, no vest
While watching: The Princess Royal on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

So, the Stomach Vacuum Workout is coming out on Thursday, it’s confirmed. Also, today I received the challenge for August. I’ll give you 3 guesses I was not surprised. P.S. The community is getting an early release Monday/Tuesday!

There are only a few days left in July, and August is looking intense workload-wise. Today I started on some of the backlog from 2023! We are fixing timers on yoga & stretching workouts. Me and two other team members will be on that until the end of next week. Plus, some of the workouts in the two sections are getting updates. I’ve seen some of the later ones and they look good! and much more user-friendly in my opinion. I’ll let you know once we are done so you can clear your cache (not cookies!).

Today was a productive day but I didn’t do anything special outside of work. I am looking forward to getting some good rest tonight and face the week with fresh enthusiasm. The audiobook I am listening to is getting interesting so I am also looking forward to that

Today’s rating: 7/10

Morning workout:

✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout
✔ Exercise of the day: 60 side-to-side chops
✔ Workout of the Day: GLOW yoga workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with figs
Lunch: roasted broccoli with mustard sauce, tofu + watermelon
Dinner: cabbage corn salad with tempeh + fruit salad

4PM mini workout:
✔ 50 leg extensions on the Grinder (39kg) 5 sets or 10.

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr elliptical while listening to music

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

Me and the boys came out at 5:45 today and then roamed the streets for half an hour. We saw two people. The people saw us. Everyone was cool.








I made matcha tea when I came back (with creatine, amla and ginseng) and then did my morning routine (strength, stretching, yoga and meditation). Aaaand then I worked pretty much the entire day with a few breaks here and there.

The challenge for August is done. We also made good progress in the stretching section. I’ll be very happy if we can finish it tomorrow so we can work on the Yoga section next. I am also planning on cleaning the video studio tomorrow and see if we can set things up in there (the lights and the equipment primarily). I have a whole list of videos to shoot for the exercise library but I am taking on the Foundation program as well. The illustrations we use in the program are not clear enough and it'd be great if we had follow-along videos to go with each day. That’s the plan anyway.

The meals were somewhat improvised today because I had very little time to cook. It was all pretty much soy in different forms, fresh fruit and vegetables. I’ll try to do better tomorrow!



Today’s rating: 9/10

Morning workout:

✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 twist lunges x 2
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Morning Lower Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: creamy basil tofu with tomatoes (with protein powder, used dry basil)
Lunch: cucumber slices with roasted Japanese tofu in homemade tomato sauce
Dinner: cucumber slices with tempeh in homemade tomato sauce + fruit salad

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the Day: Bite Me! (7 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest, while watching The Princess Royal on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

How is it only Tuesday? It feels like a Friday, I already need a break!

Today we finished revising the Stretching section. It looks great, lots of updates, we’ve done well and I am very pleased with the results. I didn’t realize it was going to be this much work but I am happy we did this. If you pick workouts from the section often, I highly recommend that you clear your cache for darebee.com (not your cookies). We override the files when we update them and you often don’t see the changes until your browser refreshes the cached images.

Next up: wellbeing and yoga sections.

I was not feeling 100% today so I am limiting myself to one training section today. I had lots of errands and I also spent some time cleaning the video studio. It’s still a mess but we can work there now. I just need to get a couple of diffusers for the lights and we’ll be good to go.

Breakfast and dinner were pretty basic but I put some effort into lunch today. I roasted eggplants in the oven, spread some hummus over them and topped the whole thing with lentils. It tasted devine. It’s my high Calcium and high Iron go-to dish. It’s quick, too, since I used canned chickpeas and canned lentils.



I am taking it easy for the rest of the day today. I might watch a movie or listen to an audiobook. I am also planning on having a cold non-alcoholic beer later (I stopped drinking alcohol 5 years ago).

...Ok, I guess I’ll raise today’s rating from a 6 to a 7 then.

Today’s rating: 7/10

Morning workout:

✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout
✔ Strength Training: 10x5 leg extensions on the Grinder (39kg)
✔ Exercise of the day: 10 jump squats x 3 sets
✔ Workout of the Day: Sloth Workout (1 set)
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: tofu scramble (with protein powder) + cucumber slices
Lunch: lentils over hummus over roasted eggplants
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

4PM mini workout:
✘ taking a break

Before-Bed Cardio:
✘ taking a break

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

I am sort of taking it easy today, sort of. I am skipping resistance training to let my body heal. Today I woke up swollen everywhere because my body was trying to repair itself. It was the right call since towards lunch I felt fantastic.

I took this opportunity to record the Stomach Vacuum workout video this morning and also test out the new studio. The studio sucks at the moment (not enough light) but the video came out ok. It’ll go up along with the workout on Thursday. It’s only ~ 4 minutes. I highly recommend you add it to your daily routine - it has everything you need: breathing, stretching and core work. And it’s relatively easy to do every day.

We’ve also done some restocking today: printer paper, lamination sheets, folders etc. We bought a new printer for the HQ a few days ago so we can now finally work properly. Our bandwidth should allow us to raise the quality of the PDFs we upload soon. And that should also improve the printing quality.

Overall it was a good day. I wish I had time to do more but I am happy with what I did do.

Today’s rating: 8/10

Morning workout:
✘ Strength Training: taking a break
✔ Cardio: 30 minutes elliptical
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 second one-arm plank hold x 2
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout x 2
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

Breakfast: beetroot creamy tofu with figs
Lunch: roasted butternut squash with white beans (sans cranberries & sauce)
Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

4PM mini workout:
✔ Workout of the Day: Atlas Workout (7 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest, while watching the Princess Royal on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson
...The Mark of the Fool 6 is out so I may switch it up soon.

 

[neilarey]

I made chia tofu pudding for breakfast the night before so I only had to cut some figs to top it and I was good to go this morning. Today was a day of meetings, reviews and content scheduling. We have so many things in the works and so little time to get everything done… Overall, it was a productive day because a lot of things got organized and planned out. I am happy with it.

Also.. Happy 1st of the month, everyone! We have a new challenge and a new program out for you. Both are great! I’ve been doing stomach vacuums regularly now and I can definitely feel the difference in my muscle control. On the workout’s page you can also now find a 4-minute video of my exact routine. I highly recommend it, it is now part of my daily MUSTs. I love it.

See you all tomorrow! And have a wonderful day!

Today’s rating: 8/10

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: tofu chia pudding with figs
1PM Lunch: green beans in mushroom cashew sauce + roasted tofu
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 60 seconds punches
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the Day: Wipe Out Workout (5 sets)

5PM:
✔ Emergency meditation session - 30 minutes

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest, while watching the Princess Royal on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[graoumia]

On the workout’s page you can also now find a 4-minute video of my exact routine. I highly recommend it, it is now part of my daily MUSTs. I love it.

Will give it a try, many thanks @neilarey

 

[graoumia]

I tested stomach vaccums workout, it is fine, i think i will try to do it daily and will let you know my thinkings about it (if you want )

 

[neilarey]

Another glorious day is over! I didn’t do anything particularly interesting today: just some errands, my regular work and duties for DAREBEE and DAREBEETS. I tried the new recipe version for the lentils with mushrooms and it was delicious. I like it more because you can use any type of fresh mushrooms for this rather than the dried shiitake (which are a pain to find sometimes). So my lunch was somewhat fancy.

I watched an episode of the Arc (season 2) for my movie night. I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It’s my favorite genre in movies and books. My favorite series of all time? Battlestar Galactica. Favorite movie? The Matrix. Favorite book? The Court of Thorns and Roses (specifically book 2). I ALWAYS NEED MORE.

I also spent 30 minutes putting together an exercise trampoline I bought at a discount store today. I spent a month looking at it. Today I was sure it was already gone but I figured, if I saw it again, and it was still available...I had to take it home. OMG, that was a major workout just assembling it (who needs thumbs anyway).



It was so much fun testing it afterwards, though! I didn’t have time to use it properly today but… hopefully tomorrow morning.

I hope you had a good day today yourself and the odds were in your favor!
Hugs!



Today’s rating: 8/10

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with figs
1PM Lunch: lentils with mushrooms and arugula
3PM Movie Snack: popcorn, lots of popcorn
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 40 knee-to-elbows
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Morning Lower Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the Day: Super Legs Workout (5 sets)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 1hr elliptical while watching the Princess Royal on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

I tried rebounding today! It was so much fun, I loved it.
And how cool is that, today’s workout of the day (Quicksand Workout) was perfect for it!

I shifted some things around today training-wise since I took half a day off to see my friends. I did strength training later in the day and split cardio in 3 installments. Sure, I could just skip a couple of sessions, nothing wrong with that… BUT I could also just do them differently. I felt great today and I felt like I could do it all. Muahahaha. And look at that, I could!

Since I make the Creamy Beetroot Tofu recipe so often I decided to record it this morning. And now I know it takes me about 8 minutes to make. The only thing I do differently is that I add chia or flax seeds to mine for extra fiber content. Also, my protein powder has xanthan gum in it so my cream tofu comes out thicker.

Overall, it was a good day. I’ve done more than I hoped and my workload doesn’t look too bad for tomorrow. I may even be able to go swimming in the morning

I hope you all had a good day, too! Hugs!
xoxoxo

Today’s rating: 8/10

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with blueberries
12AM Snack: yogurt with protein powder
2PM Lunch at friends’ place: yemista (Greek stuffed peppers), spinach pie, fruit
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 20 push-ups x 2
✔ Workout of the Day: Quicksand Workout (7 sets), rebounding
✔ Willow Yoga Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

4PM workout:
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ 30 minutes walk on the treadmill with 10kg vest on

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 30 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest

Bedtime Audiobook: Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson

 

[neilarey]

 

[neilarey]

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 60 elbow clicks x 2
✔ 5 minutes rebounding: 1 minute on, 1 minute off
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout x 3 sets
✔ 2-Minute Yoga Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

4PM workout:
✔ Star Master Workout
✔ 30 minutes walk on the treadmill with 10kg vest on while working

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60min elliptical while watching The Princess Royal

Food Log:
10 AM Breakfast by the sea: coconut cream tofu with carrots + figs & kiwi
2 PM Lunch: roasted zucchini with black beans and corn
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh


Bedtime Audiobook: “Heretical Fishing” by Haylock Jobson
Worktime Audiobook: “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté

 

[neilarey]

Another productive day! We managed to finish updating 3 sections: Yoga, Stretching & Wellness. The number of workouts with busted timers was alarming… but it’s all fixed now, at least in these sections. We updated ~ 50 workouts in total, some had minor cosmetic changes, some were completely restructured. And 6 workouts were retired. It was brutal. And we only just started the annual revision (we do this every August). We’ll add the update notice to the homepage tomorrow or the day after.

I had no time for myself today at all. I made sure I exercised to keep myself sane and that’s about it. This morning I wanted to check what my MAX for pull-ups was. It was not a good day for this… I felt really tired but I got one more rep than my previous best. I am up to 23 pull-ups in one go now (regular, not wide grip). I’ll try again when I feel better.

I had breakfast made the night before, then lunch and dinner were basically salads with tofu and tempeh, that I just needed to air-fry.

I will take it easy tomorrow if I can. Looking at my to-do list it is unlikely.

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30sec side plank hold x 3
✔ Rebounding Workout x 3 sets, on trampoline
✔ Max pull-ups: 23
✔ Strength Training: 10x5 barbell squats, 50x5 crunches
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Daily Gratitude

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the day: Just Like Fire Workout x 5 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest, while watching The Princess Royal

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: tofu chia pudding with kiwi fruit
1PM Lunch: roasted tofu with cucumber and avocado slices
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

Worktime Audiobook: “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté
Bedtime Audiobook: “Heretical Fishing” by Haylock Jobson

 

[JCU]

Congrats on your new PR!

 

[graoumia]

23 pull-ups is awesome

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats for your PR!

 

[Fremen]

A PR is a PR

 

[neilarey]

Thank you so much @graoumia , @MadamMeow & @Fremen

---

I had a low-energy day. It just kept going up and down. I normally can pace myself but today was just a complete mess. I usually walk everywhere (and I had lots of errands I had to run today) yet today I actually rented a scooter on the way back to HQ and then… the horror, I took the elevator

I do have a sore throat so I may be coming down with something. Despite all that, we managed to almost finish reviewing the HIIT section today (just a couple of pages left now). It was not as bad as I thought. We only had to make a few adjustments. I’ll finish it myself tomorrow before moving on to the next section (probably cardio). I should be balls deep in the middle of the Power Split editing by now but that’s just how these things go. Oh, and I just received the final draft of the 30 Days of Cardio (Hello, September!) so my August is now officially… full

I am enjoying the book I picked up to listen to during light editing hours (in case you were wondering why we have so many idiotic typos all over the place) - “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté. It’s all anecdotal but it makes sense... sooooo…. I am penciling some extra meditation into my day

Aaaanyway, I did not win the day but it was not a total washout either. I refuse to be brought down by “I just ain’t feeling it today”. And that protein berry ice-cream I had for dinner (with chocolate chips no less) certainly did help


Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 60 seconds tree pose hold
✔ Rebounding Workout x 3 sets, on trampoline
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout x 5 sets
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the day: Maxima Workout x 3 sets
✔ 45 minutes walk while watching The Princess Royal

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk while watching The Princess Royal

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: tofu scramble with roasted green beans in tomato sauce
3PM Lunch: butternut squash with black beans and cashew sauce
6 PM Dinner: mixed berry protein ice-cream with chocolate chips | made using Ninja Creami


Worktime Audiobook: “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté
Bedtime Audiobook: “Heretical Fishing” by Haylock Jobson

 

[graoumia]

Ninja creamy is calling me too, do you find it is worth it ? IT is quite expensive but it seams to give good results.

And so sorry for elevator, i am sure you won't do it again

FYI your stomach vacuum workout routine is inspiring me, i am mixing it with the monthly challenge and enjoy it, thanks again

 

[neilarey]

@graoumia I was honestly skeptical about it initially myself. I used to just blend frozen fruit with protein powder in a blender and it was good enough for me - but Creami did take it to another level. It is legit amazing. There are certainly pluses (and minuses) to it: It's bulky - and I have a small kitchen. You need multiple tubs and you need to make the "ice-cream" in advance - at least 24 hours.

So, the answer is: it depends. I bought it as a Christmas gift for my family so I didn't feel too bad about the expense (and yeah, I ate ice-cream in winter). Then I basically turned it into the "I have no time to cook breakfast/dinner" solution. I make 8 tubs in one go (they take up an entire freezer draw) and then use them as meal replacements. I rarely use it to make rich ice-cream. I use fruit and berries, soy milk and vanilla protein powder so I don't feel too bad about using it often. And if you use it often then, in my opinion, it's worth it. I wouldn't get it for just an occasional ice-cream, though, it's cheaper to buy one from a supermarket.

In terms of taste and experience... it's amazing. It is as advertised.

P.S. I highly recommend adding a tiiiiny amount of xanthan gum to your mixes if you do get it. Since I don't add any extra fat to mine, it makes a difference in how smooth the final result is.

 

[graoumia]

many thanks for this detailed answer it is helpfull

 

[neilarey]

I was not feeling 100% today so it was not a very productive day. We have finished reviewing the HIIT section and even added a new (small) feature to the site: “Celebrate” confetti button. You will see in the “Exercise of the day” and the workouts’ pages. So far it seems to work fine. I didn’t want to start any of the new projects, though, due to low energy levels

I managed to get through half of my to-do list and then took a break at 3PM and watched a movie. Oh, but the movie was MAGNIFICENT. Netflix has finally released Rebel Moon the director’s cut (both parts) and finally, FINALLY, I got to see it. Well, at least the first hour of it - I don’t have 6 hours to watch the whole thing so I am doing it in installments. It’ll be sweeter that way anyway. I am loving it so far, it was worth the wait!

I opened a can of white beans by mistake so I had to use it up. I used it instead of tofu for the creamy beetroot tofu recipe this morning. And you know… it worked for me. The protein powder and the dried figs masked the taste and it was very filling. It kept me going until lunch. Then I had some nuts and popcorn while watching the movie so dinner was light: I had another tub of protein berry ice-cream with chocolate chips.

I am going to bed early today so I can be more productive tomorrow!
Hugs!!!



Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 calf raises x 4
✔ 5 minutes rebounding, free-style, on trampoline
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✔ 30 minutes walk on the treadmill
✔ Workout of the day: Cronus Workout x 3 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill while watching The Princess Royal

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy white tofu beans with beetroot and blueberries (I am perverted, I know)
1 PM Lunch: roasted zucchini and green beans with Japanese-style tofu + spicy tomato juice
3 PM Snack: popcorn and nuts
6 PM Dinner: mixed berry protein ice-cream with chocolate chips | made using Ninja Creami




Worktime Audiobook: “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté
Bedtime Audiobook: “Heretical Fishing” by Haylock Jobson

 

[graoumia]

Hope you will feel better tomorrow, have a nice sleep night

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Hope your energy level lifts back up ; BTW you made me pick "when the body says no"" - discussion of immunity, immune diseases, and stress levels are topics I find very interesting. I manage my irritable colon with one light supplement , meditation / self-hypnosis, and taking gluten mostly off my foodlist. And alcohol. It may also be my recent change in betablocker, but I deal with alcohol less and less well digestively speaking.

 

[neilarey]

Thank you so much!! @graoumia, @PetiteSheWolf

---

I am still feeling low so I am actually taking it easy today - no strength training and no 4PM workout. The hardest thing is to not feel like a failure when this happens. I know I can just push through and do it but intellectually I know how stupid it’d be. So, here I am trying to deal with my low mood / low energy by focusing on work.

We now finished revising the combat section. Only two left: Cardio & Strength but they are the largest. I will be able to switch to more important work once that’s done. Sigh. Someone has to do the grunt work, too, and I am it right now. I hope I feel better tomorrow!

"Tomorrow is another day".

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 crunch kicks
✔ Workout of the day: Stakeout Workout
✔ Muscle Recovery Yoga Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✘ skipped, feeling low

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill while watching The Princess Royal

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy tofu with lentils and air-fried mushrooms
1 PM Lunch: coconut creamy tofu with carrots + pineapple and kiwi
6 PM Dinner: tomato salad with roasted tempeh



Worktime Audiobook: “When the Body Says No” by Gabor Maté - 60%
Bedtime Audiobook: “Heretical Fishing” by Haylock Jobson - 80%

 

[neilarey]

I am feeling a LOT better today! My energy levels are back up and I feel amazing again. My old self would have rushed into hardcore training today but this is how we run ourselves into the ground trying to do too much too soon after a dip - all we end up doing is getting burnt out again. Just because we feel good it doesn’t mean our body has fully recovered. Instead, I took it easy today and kept checking on how I felt throughout the day. I did strength training this morning but I lowered the weight. Instead of my usual 12kg kettlebell I picked up the 10kg one. I also took my time completing the workout. It was challenging but not exhausting and I am easing myself back into my full strength, again




After work today I went out for a coffee and had a nice fruit salad at TamToom (seaside bar/restaurant).



And instead of my 4 PM training I had a movie night with popcorn and nuts. I feel fully recharged now and ready to work (and work out) over the weekend!

I really needed this today!

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 squats
✔ Rebounding Workout x 1 set
✔ Strength Training: Battle Maiden Workout x 5 sets
✔ Workout of the day: Core & Balance Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✘ skipped

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 30min minutes walk on the treadmill with the 10 kg vest on
✔ 30min minutes walk on the treadmill without the vest
- while watching The Princess Royal (the final episodes were just added today, yay!)

Bedtime Audiobook: “Mark of the Fool 6” by J.M. Clarke - 0%

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy tofu with roasted broccoli
1 PM Lunch: Pikilia (Greek: Ποικιλία): a little bit of everything. I made hummus and chopped up some vegetables. I also made some buckwheat flatbread and served it with a side of giant beans in red sauce (ready from a can, traditional Greek dish) + kiwi fruit
2 PM snack: fruit salad
4 PM movie snack: popcorn & nuts
6 PM Dinner: protein berry ice-cream with chocolate chips (made using Ninja Creami)


Pikilia (Greek: Ποικιλία):

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

That plate is calling my name, yum!

 

[neilarey]

We scheduled the workouts for the upcoming week today. I love two of them in particular. We were just discussing internally that we need more stretching workouts in the database and next week, we have two new ones. I also liked the new plyo box hiit workout but I do not have a box to test it out. I wonder if I can do it using my trampoline… hmm, I’ll try it tomorrow. Today I found an alternative use for it already. It’s excellent for taking naps

I didn’t sleep so well last night so it took me forever to wake up this morning. As in, I walked the dogs, exercised, had breakfast, worked for 4 hours straight before I actually felt awake enough to function at 100%. It was tough because today I couldn’t take any breaks except meals and exercise. I feel alright physically… but mentally, I feel drained. I am hoping I’ll feel better tomorrow - I am planning on going to bed right after my evening cardio. I will definitely sleep and definitely not listen to an audiobook for hours. Definitely.

Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 20 side-to-side lunges
✔ Rebounding Workout x 1 set
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Morning Upperbody Stretching
✔ Morning Lower Stretching
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✔ Workout of the Day: Rover Workout x 3 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes elliptical while watching The Princess Royal

Bedtime Audiobook: “Mark of the Fool 6” by J.M. Clarke - 5%

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: tofu scramble with cucumber slices and mashed avocado + tomato juice
1 PM Lunch: green beans in mushroom cashew sauce + roasted tofu
6 PM Dinner: tomato tempeh salad

 

[neilarey]

I had a nice start to the day. I walked the boys at 7AM and we roamed the empty streets. Everything just stops in August in Greece (at least in my town) so that’s pretty normal for this time of the year. Everyone is away, at the beach or in their villages. I used to find it weird.. Now I just enjoy the peace and quiet

I made matcha tea with a bit of vanilla protein powder to keep me going when I came back. Then I did some strength training, finished up with a mini yoga workout (Ladybug), stomach vacuums and meditation. I felt good but I didn’t want to push it so I took my time.

Overall it was a relaxing Sunday. I had brunch by the sea and enjoyed the sun for about 2 hours.




I put a breadmaker on early in the morning so for lunch I had roasted zucchini with wine (non-alcoholic) and freshly baked bread. I then worked until 3PM and took a break to watch the rest of the Rebel Moon part 1. I had some popcorn and nuts and then for dinner I had a tub of frozen sorbet with protein powder.

If I had to describe my perfect day - this is pretty close. The week ahead is going to be pretty tough work-wise so I am glad I could relax so much today.

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday, too!

Hugs! See you tomorrow!




Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 40 side kicks
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout x 5 sets
✔ Workout of the Day: Ladybug Yoga Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 45 minutes walk on the treadmill, no vest

Bedtime Audiobook: “Mark of the Fool 6” by J.M. Clarke - 6%

Food Log:
10 AM Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu (savory), carrots and kiwi fruit
1 PM Lunch: zucchini in tomato sauce with fresh bread and a glass of wine (N/A)
3 PM movie snack: popcorn, nuts and raisins
6 PM Dinner: protein fruit sorbet with chocolate chips (Ninja Creami)

 

[neilarey]

I barely remember anything about today. I worked all day and only took breaks for meals and exercise. I even managed to work during a walk today. To be fair, I was powered by the pasta I had for lunch so I felt like a superwoman at the time

I had some errands to run this morning after breakfast so I stopped by a flower shop and bought some fresh basil. I’ve been meaning to make the tofu basil pasta dish from the DAREBEETS waitlist for ages and today was the day. It was delicious! I had some chickpea fettuccine in the pantry so I used that. I also had some bread leftover from yesterday. It felt like a real treat! I was going to make my usual salad for dinner but later in the day I really felt like curry so that’s what I made instead

One of the best perks of working from home is that you can have home cooked meals every day. My apartment is very small and it’s open plan (kitchen / living room + bedroom). I work two steps away from the kitchen so cooking while working is the norm for me. I pretty much cook all my meals but that’s OK! I love cooking as much as I love eating. And I like eating a LOT, a lot

Tomorrow is going to be another difficult day (and the day after that, and the day after that) so I am looking forward to my evening cardio and then sleep. Oh, glorious oblivion, I pine for thee


Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 10 hop heel clicks
✔ Strength Training: Battle Maiden Workout x 5 sets
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 1
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 2
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

2PM workout:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill, while working
✔ Workout of the Day: Cardio Code Workout x 3 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill, while watching Netflix (in between shows right now)

Bedtime Audiobook: “Mark of the Fool 6” by J.M. Clarke - 6%

Food Log:
10 AM Breakfast: savory beetroot cream tofu with roasted mushrooms
1 PM Lunch: basil tofu pesto pasta + bread leftovers from yesterday
6 PM Dinner: tofu curry

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

I appreciate cooking my lunches when telecommuting too, full agreement with you on that! I often do some quick prep (like veggies dicing, steaming whatever veggie may serve as cold starter, and such) during breakfast, then I know when I have to "assemble" to be ready for lunchtime. Nothing very elaborate, but at least fresh, balanced food! Kitchen / living room (which includs my workstation) are open on each other, bedroom is separated though (that was one of my goals when I bought my new appartment 3 years ago, a closed "adult" bedroom, LOL).

 

[neilarey]

This week I am aiming for 2 hours of walking per day (2 sessions, while working or watching Netflix) all the way until Friday. So, five days in a row. I don’t know if I can keep it up but that’s the goal. I’ve been upping my training and adjusting my nutrition lately because I want to get in the best shape of my life by the time I hit 40. I have about a year and a half to get there

I am not super strict when it comes to diet and exercise but I do have rules. I watch what and how much I eat. I work out every day. Some days are harder, some are easier but I have to show up no matter what. I am doing DAREBEE exercise of the day and the workout of the day as a standard and then I add extra strength training and slow-burn cardio, whenever I can and whenever my workload allows.

I had a pretty good day today. I managed to get a lot of work done but I also took breaks and spent some time with friends and family. It was just work, meal breaks and training sessions but I also took an hour out of my schedule to go for a dip in the sea. It’s so hot and windy outside right now that you really don’t want to be out for long. I feel like Lady Cassandra from Doctor Who right now: "Moisturise Me! Moisturise Me!"



Overall, that was an A++ day. I even found a new series to watch: Miss Night & Day on Netflix. I wasn’t sure about it at first but it grew on me after the first episode. I am also all caught up on the Ark series (4 episodes so far). I still have a bit of the Rebel Moon left for Friday movie-night but honestly, it got really boring after the initial hour - it was a letdown. Good fight scenes, though.

I need to go and walk the boys now and then finish up the day with before-bed cardio. See you all tomorrow!!!

Hugs!




Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 10 diver push-ups
✔ Strength Training: 50 Pull-Ups Workout
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

4PM workout:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill
✔ Workout of the Day: Sculptor Workout (recorded a video, added to the page)

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill

Bedtime Audiobook: “Mark of the Fool 6” by J.M. Clarke - 7%

Food Log:
10 AM Breakfast: creamy tofu with kiwi and figs
1 PM Lunch: tofu bites with roasted broccoli with mustard dressing + tomato avocado salad + apple + pomegranate juice
6 PM Dinner: spicy tomato salad with air-fried tempeh

 

[neilarey]

Nothing interesting to report today. I spent most of the day working with breaks for meals and exercise. I tried a new recipe today from the DAREBEETS waitlist: zucchini and peas with cashew basil sauce. It was really easy to make and it was just the thing for this weather. I need to edit the photos and I’ll put the recipe up… probably tomorrow.

Today I went through the exercises of the day and the workouts of the day for the rest of the month. We schedule them in advance as they form an ongoing {no-equipment} program. They need to be checked, approved and set up. It usually involves several people and a couple of days of back and forth drafts. We take a ton of things into account: current events, the weather (I mean, what the actual hell?), pacing, balance and variety, overall load etc etc etc. DAREBEE runs like clockwork because we do

I hope you had a good day today! See you tomorrow!
Hugs!



Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 W-extensions
✔ Rebounding Workout x 1 set
✔ Strength Training: Second Spring Workout x 5 sets
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 1
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 2
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes
✔ Gratitude Practice

3PM workout:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill
✔ Workout of the Day: Instant Dungeon x 3 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill, while watching “Miss Night & Day” on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: “He Who Fights With Monsters” Book 11 by Shirtaloon, 1%

Food Log:
9 AM Breakfast: creamy tofu / lentils with roasted mushrooms (50/50 tofu & lentils)
1 PM Lunch: zucchini and peas with basil cashew sauce & roasted tofu (recipe coming soon)
3 PM Snack: 3 kiwis + raw energy bar
6 PM Dinner: tomato salad with air-fried tempeh + spicy tomato juice (video recipe)

 

[neilarey]

Today I feel magical but also stabby. I had to give the boys a half-wash after we came back from the walk this morning so I didn’t have time to do my full morning routine. I am only doing cardio today so I just did 7 sets of the Rebounding Workout on the trampoline, then Stomach Vacuums workout, gratitude practice and meditation (even cut it back to 10 minutes). After breakfast I just sat down and worked until lunch.

I tried a new recipe: buckwheat and oat flatbread. I wanted to pack something crackers-like to go with hummus for the beach today and it fit the bill. It took just a few minutes to make and it turned out really tasty. 10/10 will make again. I had lunch at the beach but the weather was so bad (very hot and very windy) that I left right after. I couldn't finish all the carrots I packed fast enough! I love the sun and love heat but this is just too much of a good thing. BTW the beach I go to is a local counsel beach called PLAZ. It’s about 5km away from my home and I use a scooter to get there and back (we have a new bicycle path I can use safely).

The rest of the day was just work and more training. Enough training but definitely NOT ENOUGH WORK. I feel that unless I have actual projects finished I’ve achieved nothing of consequence. Even if I move the needle forward it’s just not enough. I just can’t truly relax until I have enough boxes ticked to justify the rest. Aahhh, I am hoping for a more productive day tomorrow. Stab. Stab. Stabby stab.


Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 30 seconds superman stretch hold
✔ Rebounding Workout x 7 set
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Gratitude Practice
✔ Meditation - 10 minutes

3PM workout:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill
✔ Workout of the Day: Abs, Please! Workout x 5 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill, while watching “Miss Night & Day” on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: “He Who Fights With Monsters” Book 11 by Shirtaloon, 2%

Food Log:
Pre-Workout: protein shake
10 AM Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu with figs (figs are in season here now)
1 PM Lunch: buckwheat & oat flatbread, hummus, carrots, pineapple and kiwi
3 PM Snack: energy bar + nuts & raisins
6 PM Dinner: tomato tempeh salad + spicy tomato juice

 

[neilarey]

My small DIY project today that was supposed to take half an hour tops took me 4 hours instead and it’s still not finished because the last set of shelves I was putting up is not straight. Because none of the walls here are straight. Because there is a reason people hire professionals for these kinds of jobs. I do know my limitations. I am bad at this. I do pixels, not MDF. Even after years of putting furniture together (or making my own) because I was too broke to hire someone or buy quality stuff, I still struggle to do a good job. Eh, I’ll have to try again tomorrow and see if I can salvage this. Oh, and I am putting together shoe cabinets for the hallway. 2 out 3 are just perfect but the last one is all crooked because I had to shorten it to fit the space.



Since my entire morning went to …. DIY hell, I fell behind with work and I will have to catch up tomorrow.

It’s Friday so I had a movie night break at 3PM and watched another hour of the Rebel Moon Director’s Cut. OMG, it was so boring. They collected grain and exchanged carpets for 60 minutes. 60 minutes! I wanted action, I wanted blood and guts. I wanted explosions. I got carpets. And by the time the spaceship came to kill everybody (and take their carpets) my time was up and I had to pause. The cold beer I had (non-alcoholic) and the nuts were great, though.

Also, today I discovered that I could just blend frozen berries with soy milk and protein powder in my Ninja Creami without blending and freezing the tub beforehand (I was out of tubs and I wanted ice-cream). It was even nicer! I’ll be skipping the entire prep step in the future. Hooray for finding another way of making my life easier.


Morning workout:
✔ Exercise of the day: 20 jumping lunges
✔ Strength Training: Pull-Ups & Squats + Workout
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 1
✔ Ultimate Morning Stretching Part 2
✔ Stomach Vacuums Workout
✔ Gratitude Practice
✔ Meditation - 15 minutes

4PM workout:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill
✔ Workout of the Day: Watch Your Six Workout x 3 sets

Before-Bed Cardio:
✔ 60 minutes walk on the treadmill, while watching “Miss Night & Day” on Netflix

Bedtime Audiobook: “He Who Fights With Monsters” Book 11 by Shirtaloon, 3%

Food Log:
Pre-Workout: protein shake
10 AM Breakfast: creamy beetroot tofu (savory) with kidney beans
1 PM Lunch: zucchini with peas + roasted tofu
3 PM Movie Snack: nuts & cranberries + cold beer (N/A)
6 PM Dinner: frozen berry protein ice-cream with chocolate chips (Ninja Creami)