Mango's Journal

MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
# Overview
## Introduction
Hello everybody, I'm Mango! I've been using DAREBEE's resources for a bit over a year, and have really enjoyed the things I've been able to accomplish so far.

I'm a 30-year-old software engineer living with my wife in Iowa. I got into running back in college, but didn't really find any approachable ways to focus on strength until I found this site. I've enjoyed trying out all sorts of different workouts, and have found a few I've really latched on to.

Thanks for having me here! I'm open to any questions/suggestions that people may offer. Have a great day!

## Motivation
I've never been great at writing, much less doing it consistently. However, I've been thinking about setting this up the entire time I've been here. I like trying new things, but will often find myself floating aimlessly after a certain amount of time; unsure of what I should be doing. It's a frustrating pattern, and hopefully recording things can help build some accountability.

I'm also not exactly sure what I should be including, so for this post I've opted for verbosity. Apologies in advance, both for this and for the lack of consistency in future posts.

# Goals
## Exercise
Cardio
For a few years, I was running a route through my town that was about 2 miles, with a stretch of walking in the middle. I've been trying to work back up to running a 5k (or maybe attain a 10k?), and have been running about 3 times per week. I've also been getting into birdwatching this year, and will occasionally replace a run day with hiking some local trails.

Strength
General Strength: Lifting heavy things is really satisfying. This is more of an abstract goal.

Pushups: At the start of 2023, I set a minimum goal of 10 consecutive pushups per day. I've slowly been increasing that count, and have been doing 30/day since the beginning of August. I think I'd eventually like to do one-handed pushups, so I've been considering trading pure quantity for some specific variants.

Pullups: I got a pullup bar earlier this year, and I can barely manage a single pullup right now. I'd like to increase the quantity of that, to the point of being able to do workouts on here that call for a pullup bar.

## Diet and Nutrition
Historically, my main goal for fitness has always been to get my weight a bit more under control. The main issue has generally been making impulsive decisions when I don't have anything lined up (the old "shopping while hungry" issue). To fix that, I've been trying to find a rotation of dishes that meet most of the following criteria:
  • Vegetarian
  • Nutritionally complete and filling
  • Easy to make
  • Can be prepped/stored for 5-6 days of meals
  • I won't get tired of eating it all week
I've got a few recipes "locked in" right now, and I'm hoping to build on that to the point where I can roll some dice and have meal planning for the week taken care of. It's an ongoing process, but one I'm hoping to steadily improve over time.
 
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MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-11-17

Mage Workout

2200+ free workouts: cardio, strength, HIIT and abs by DAREBEE
darebee.com darebee.com

This was one of the first workouts I did on here. It's a great way to start out the week.

I've adjusted it a little bit, both to help me stay focused and to keep pace with my goal of uninterrupted pushups. Instead of doing 7 sets, I've been doing 3 sets with 3x the number of reps - 30 reverse lunges, 30 calf raises, etc.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

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from CentralTX, USA
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Posts: 4,892
:hi:Welcome to the Hive!

MangoTux said:
I'm also not exactly sure what I should be including, so for this post I've opted for verbosity. Apologies in advance, both for this and for the lack of consistency in future posts.
Click to expand...
It's your thread/journal, so feel free to post as much or as little as suits you.

MangoTux said:
I've been trying to find a rotation of dishes that meet most of the following criteria:
Click to expand...
Have you checked out Sister site: DAREBEETS - plant-based recipes for fitness?
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
Mamatigerj said:
:hi:Welcome to the Hive!


It's your thread/journal, so feel free to post as much or as little as suits you.


Have you checked out Sister site: DAREBEETS - plant-based recipes for fitness?
Click to expand...
I have, thank you! I've definitely got a few food-related idiosyncracies, but some of the things there have encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
Thanks for the warm welcomes, everyone!

2025-11-19
Cardio: Back in ~2013, I got into running by doing the C25K program. After spending most of the summer going for walks instead of runs, I decided to use it again to get back to distance running. Today, I got through 5 minutes running/3 minutes walking, 3x, for a total of 15 minutes of running. Feeling great, but I want to pace myself and eventually build up to distances longer than a 5k.

Battle Mage
Pushups: 30

Food: Meal plan got adjusted a bit. My wife and I both had long days of work yesterday, and wanted to get out of the house a bit. We tried a new place and got black bean burgers that were really good. I had half for dinner and half for breakfast this morning. Prepped food is still in the fridge, so I'll get back to that starting with dinner tonight.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-11-20
Abs Hypertrophy+
Sculptor+
Pushups: 35

Thursdays always feel like a great day to push myself a little bit more. Maybe it's to really feel like I'm gliding into the weekend?
Either way, today is the first time I've done either of the above workouts. I had to give my hands frequent breaks, so I can probably spend some more time dangling from the pull-up bar.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
agc said:
Unrelated to the workouts but cool profile picture of (I'm guessing) you as a mage! Great attention to detail with all the outfit components.
Click to expand...
Thank you! :ss:

I made the costume to wear at renaissance faires. I love the general wizard/witch/magical aesthetic, but I've never been able to find things online that are cohesive shades of green.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-11-21
Cardio: Continuing C25K, Week 5 Day 2: 8 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running. I'm grateful to have a treadmill so I can run during the colder months!
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 1 / 30: I did this right after my run. Ten seconds seemed easy, until I grabbed the bar and realized how sweaty I was. My next run is on Sunday, so I'll be sure to have a towel nearby :sweat:
Pushups: 30
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
2025-11-22
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 2 / 30
Pushups: 30

Additionally, I went on a 3-mile hike at a local prairie/forest preserve this morning. Saturdays are my recovery days, and watching birds is incredibly cathartic. I was blessed with large numbers of nuthatches, juncos, and waxwings this morning - all personal favorites!
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-11-23
Cardio: Continuing C25K, Week 5 Day 3: 20 minutes of running. It's been quite awhile since I've run for that duration without a walking break, but I made it through!
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 3 / 30
Pushups: 30

Holidays are coming up, which means I'm getting back into baking for a few months! Some family stuff has happened within the past year, so I'll just be making things for my in-laws and a few neighbors. Still, it's a great time of year to get back into running longer distances - between extra days off and copious amounts of food, it's nice to put the energy to use.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
2025-11-25
Bandit Workout
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 5 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 1 / 30 (Thanks for the recommendation, @agc !)
Pushups: 30

Thanksgiving is this week in the US, so meal prep is shifting around a bit. Breakfast is continuing without interruption, but I won't need to account for 5 lunches and 5 dinners. Instead, I prepped three-bean chili for the week, and I'll be having that as my lunch and dinner until Thursday. Through this, I've been thinking that I should set up a weekly planner for exercises, meal planning, and any notable events that may impact these. Historically, it feels like my main issue with routines is that I plan it out in my head, and continue with decent momentum until something unexpected pops up. At that point, things just spiral out of control -- I overcorrect, forget things in the process, get frustrated or burnt out, and drop more things in order to recharge. I've never been able to stick with planners or agendas, but I'm hoping that I can just set an alarm each week to fill things out, and have it act as a conduit between short-term and long-term planning.

Mental Health: As an aside, I was diagnosed with ADHD last week. There are so many things I've done (or failed to do) that I've always considered moral, personal failures. It's freeing to know there's a reason behind them, and that resources exist to help navigate those with precision beyond a vague "why can't I do what I know I should be doing?". As a result, I've been doing a lot of introspection about challenges I've faced -- hobbies I've dropped out of nowhere, tasks at work that feel insurmountable, home projects that give me anxiety every time I walk past them -- and have spent time breaking down my feelings and experiences into something actionable. I know I want to exercise. I know I want to eat healthier. I know I'll regret the impulsive snacks. I know I can be successful in these pursuits for short periods of time (at the very least). My focus, then, is to find methods of translating these pieces of knowledge about myself into sustainable, actionable goals - even if that means revisiting things that haven't worked in the past. Hopefully, viewed through a new lens, I'll not only understand what things do/don't work, but why they are that way for me. That way, failures become a data point; not an indictment of my character.

I've unwittingly made progress in various aspects of this over the years. I hope to never stop growing as a person, so I suppose I can think of the diagnosis in part as a resolution to some foreshadowing from the last 30 years, and in part as a focal point for some new goals of personal growth.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great day!
 
NightWolf714

NightWolf714

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Berserker from Nashville, TN, USA
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Posts: 1,603
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers"
Oh, that is definitely some big news. I'm glad you have answers but sorry that you've definitely struggled in the past before because of it. Hopefully, since you know now, it'll be easier for you to figure out systems that work well.

Weekly planners can definitely help. Especially time blocking (actually marking the amount of time it will need, like on Google Calendar). Though if you do time blocking, be sure to include the set-up and clean-up time for tasks afterwards.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
@NightWolf714 I appreciate the thoughts, thank you!

2025-11-25
Cardio - C25K, Week 6 Day 1: Run 5, Walk 3, Run 8, Walk 3, Run 5. Still going well, and I've been increasing angle+speed on these last few days of shorter running durations.
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 6 / 30: Not as bad as Day 4. The Achilles Paradox has no power if I simply refuse to watch the timer tick down.
Power Grip Challenge - Day 2 / 30
Pushups: 30

Pushups have been a nice constant over the past two years, as something I can do with a spare minute and without overexerting myself. However, to start 2026, I think I'll start pushing (hah!) myself a bit more on that front. Maybe some roll tables with pushup variants, sets, and reps? I've got a month to plan things out, but I think this would be a fun extension rather than just aiming for 40, 50, 60 consecutive pushups. I tried doing Push-Up Master Challenge earlier this year, but very quickly realized the progression to one-arm was not something I could do in 30 days.

Idunno - I've got a lot of ideas for goals, so maybe my first task is to organize those for the upcoming year. Happy Wednesday!
 
Spikings

Spikings

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Paladin from UK
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Posts: 27
Read your previous post regarding your news, and for what it's worth, my husband went through the exact same thing. It's liberating to put a name to a lifetime's worth of frustration and anxiety, and knowing that there are clear options out there on how you want to tackle that makes things way easier down the line.

Have fun organising the goals going forward, sounds like you have a lot of enthusiasm to push yourself further! :D
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
Thank you for the sentiments, @Spikings ! I really appreciate it.

2025-11-27
Pull Day Workout
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 7 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 3 / 30
Pushups: 30

I had some "fun" cardio last night, as well. I don't know if any of you are familiar with Shiba Inus or their vocal talents, but apparently our dog was trying to go under the couch and got her paw snagged. She let out a bloodcurdling scream, and I ran down the stairs as fast as I could.
She was fine, by the way. She ran back upstairs like nothing happened. I love her.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
2025-11-28
Cardio - C25K, Week 6 Day 2: Run 10, Walk 3, Run 10.
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 8 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 4 / 30
Pushups: 30

I spent yesterday baking pies for Thanksgiving - Coconut Cream, French Silk, and Cinnamon. I was able to try a bit of all three, but not to the point of excess. Exercise was manageable today, and I'm back on regularly-scheduled meal planning instead of a holiday leftovers.

We're slated for snow throughout the weekend, so I'm expecting that tomorrow's rest day will actually be a shoveling day.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
2025-11-29
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 9 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 5 / 30
Pushups: 30

It's still snowing outside, but I was able to shovel our driveway and sidewalk. We get a lot of wind that causes snow drifts, so our driveway ranged from three inches to a foot in some places. I honestly really like shoveling - it's good exercise, it's a nice way to be outside when the weather's not inviting, and there's the satisfaction of warm food and drinks to look forward to once you're done.
 
GentleOx

GentleOx

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Warrior from Hong Kong
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"So sleepy!"
Hey there. So I got around to reading your thread, and came upon your mentioning the diagnosis. It instantly struck a chord with me. You wrote beautifully about the struggles many of us with mental health/learning disorders face, and it is indeed an odd liberation we feel, not to mention having past questions answered. I've had long struggles with anxiety, anger, and depression, and I operated off of the presumption that I my behaviour was due to moral failings and weakness.

So it was a bit of a shock when I was diagnosed eventually with Bipolar Disorder, though not a bad thing. It totally changed my life, allowing me to move forward, while also shining a light into my past.

Here's hoping that this leads to further understandings for you; and may your journey continue amidst the challenges to come.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
@GentleOx Thank you so much! I really appreciate the sentiments - I don't get much practice with putting my thoughts to text, so I'm glad it resonated with you.
2025-11-30
Cardio: C25K, Week 6 Day 3: 22 minutes of running.
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 10 / 30: I'm not clairvoyant (I don't even know anybody named Claire), but I'm guessing Day 12 will be the first day I slip off. The last few seconds were much tougher than any previous day.
Power Grip Challenge - Day 6 / 30
Pushups: 30

Snow continued throughout the evening, so I shoveled again this morning! The snow was wet today, so it was a bit heavier than what I was moving yesterday. Still, it got done, and I've got at least one day to recover. Four separate instances of snow in the forecast for the upcoming week, so that might impact some regularly-scheduled exercise plans.

I hope everybody has a great day!
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-12-01
Mage Workout, modified quite a bit. I felt a bit rushed this morning, so I was bouncing between different exercises rather than moving through them linearly. End result was about the same; 270 total Reverse Lunges and 90 of everything else.
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 11 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 7 / 30
Better Abs Challenge - Day 1 / 30: Wanting to give this a try as a way to round out the year.
Pushups: 30 (by way of Mage Workout)

Happy December!
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

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Posts: 375
2025-12-02
Upper Body Works+ - Level 1
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 12 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 8 / 30
Better Abs Challenge - Day 2 / 30
Pushups: 30

I slipped off of the bar about 30 seconds into today's dead hang, and the bar+hands were both slippery enough that I couldn't really get a good grip. I made up time in 5-10s intervals, but crossing the finish line felt unsatisfying. However, I was reading other threads during breakfast, and saw @agc mention the idea of using paper towels to help wick up sweat. I immediately went back to the bar, and was able to make it through the entire duration.
I'd still like to improve my unassisted grip, so I'm considering increasing the 10s duration to something like 20s? That may change later in the challenge if I need more recovery time, but as of right now 10 seconds feels fairly inconsequential. I suppose that's a win in its own right?

Mental Health: Following the ADHD diagnosis, I'm starting new medication today. I really wish the intended effects would be written in a larger font. Seeing one line about "This will help with executive dysfunction" followed by pages of side effects really skews my expectations. It's been a few hours sincr I took the first dose, and I'm feeling a bit weird. Hoping it's just psychosommatic or something I can sleep off, but my exercise routine might be reduced for a few days.

Birds: There are three roads behind my house that are empty plots scheduled for development, with farm fields further beyond. I took a walk back there yesterday, and saw a flock of horned larks and lapland longspurs - two species that I haven't seen before! We also had an American tree sparrow visit our feeder yesterday, which is the first time I've seen one of them in our yard.
 
Laura Rainbow Dragon

Laura Rainbow Dragon

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Bard from Canada
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"Striving to be the change."

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MangoTux

MangoTux

Well-known member
Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-12-03
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 13 / 30
Power Grip Challenge - Day 9 / 30
Better Abs Challenge - Day 3 / 30
Pushups: 30

For today's dead hang, I tried two sets of 20 seconds, instead of the challenge's 10 seconds. It's still reasonably within my comfort range, and will hopefully build up my unassisted grip strength a bit more.

Unfortunately, no cardio today. I was feeling a bit lightheaded, and didn't trust myself to do 25 minutes of running on the treadmill without some risk. Hope to be back in the routine by Friday.
 
MangoTux

MangoTux

Well-known member
Mage Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 375
2025-12-05
Cardio: Walking at incline, 4mph for 3 miles. Medicine still making me a bit lightheaded in the morning. It's getting better, though.
Dead Hang Challenge - Day 15 / 30: Continuing to do two 20-second holds. I think this will be a good idea to build up just a bit more stamina for the coming days.
Power Grip Challenge - Day 11 / 30
Better Abs Challenge - Day 5 / 30
Pushups: 30

Halfway through the Dead Hang challenge (by days, at least). It's been great to see the discussions and experiences other people have been having on this.

The room where I exercise has a pullup bar, treadmill, some weights (adjustable dumbbells and a bar) and resistance bands, and... a piano. It seems a bit out of place at first, but once I'm done exercising it's nice to do something that focuses on finger mobility. That's especially true on days that are testing grip strength, I've noticed. I don't really consider myself a "proper" piano player; I tend to just pick music I enjoy and see if I can learn how to play it. There's no pressure of a timeline or performance (or technique, admittedly); it's pure catharsis of making pretty sounds. Over the past few days, I've been tinkering through parts of Choral Chambers from Hollow Knight: Silksong. Specifically, I love the shift in tone at 1:09. I have my hands outstretched to play through that part, and I think it's been helping with the recovery after gripping the bar.

Happy Friday!
 
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