Everyday Systems

Hi all,

I've decided to create a daily check-in for accountability purposes. I've had a bunch of S days piling up lately (some appropriate, some not) so I plan on using this check-in to hone and focus my intent!

Thurs. 03/30/06

Exercise: JR(jump rope)/SG/JR/Stretch

Breakfast: Banana+Smoothie(=oats,walnuts,cinnamon,yogurt,soymilk,froz. peaches,ground flax seeds)

Lunch: arroz con pollo and frijoles negros

Dinner: two small sandwiches and an apple


Urban Ranger: ~2.75 miles, 1mile of which I did while wearing a ~12 lb. backpack

Aikido: two hour class, not very strenuous

--David

Friday, 03/31/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minute combo of dumbell lifting, hammer swinging, bodyweight stuff, and rope jumping

Breakfast: my typical smoothie, a handful of almonds, and a banana

Lunch: Thai buffet=one normal sized plate+small bowl of tom yum soup

Dinner: pasta with chicken and broccoli, 1/3 apple


Urban Ranger: 1.6 miles with backpack, .6 miles without

Evening Exercise: ab wheel, crunches, back extensions, pull-ups

Monday, April 3rd 2006

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes of pushups, hammer swinging, and rope skipping

Breakfast: smoothie and some almonds

Lunch: spinach salad with 1/2 apple, kidney beans, and veganaise

Dinner: baked salmon, baked plantain, couscous, baby carrots

Urban Ranger: 1.6 miles

Evening Exercise: weighted crunches, ab wheel, back extensions, pull ups


Weekend went well--I indulged in a lot of S-ing (and gained some wt. to show for it). Sunday aikido class was pretty vigorous.

Hey David,

Hope you don't mind my sneaking in here to your check-in page. I'm just starting to feel out the community here and appreciate your comments in regards to my starting the workouts. I'll be checking in as well to keep myself accountable over the next few weeks so am interested to see what others, like yourself, are doing and saying to check in and keep up to speed.

All best,

Tuesday, April 4th, 2006

Morning Exercise: 3 minutes jump rope, 19 pushups, 14 minutes SG (SG involved one set of movements as I normally do them followed immediately by another set w/increased leverage--very difficult, but fun!)

Breakfast: banana, smoothie (I have decided to virtually plate my breakfast almonds to save them for later in the day, if needed)

Lunch: guisado de res, arroz, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz

Dinner: 2 sandwiches and 1/2 apple

Urban Ranger: 1.8 mile w/pack, 1 mile w/o

Aikido: moderate intensity

Note: I have lost all the weight I gained over the weekend. It was mostly H2O, I'm sure.

Wed. 04/05/06

Morning Exercise: 19 push-ups, 20 Hindu squats, 10 minutes stretching (I needed a recovery day from all of the extra volume I've been doing--it was the right choice.)

Breakfast: pb&j, banana, virtually plated almonds later on

Lunch: spag.+meatballs, salad

Dinner: red leaf salad w/ chunk chicken and yogurt dressing, strawberries

Urban Ranger: .75 miles w/pack, 1.1 miles w/o

Evening Exercise: hang from chin up bar, roll to tuck--3x5

Thurs. 04/06/06

Morning Exercise: push ups, hindu squats, "toss sack" w/30# DB, Persian meel w/10# + 12# hammers, then 14 minutes SG---whew!

Breakfast: banana, smoothie, almonds later

Lunch: chicken nachos

Dinner: two big macs (yuck)

Urban Ranger: 1.25 miles

No aikido tonight--parent-teacher conference then NCAA Men's Gymanastics Championships.

Friday, 04/07/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes SG (hard work and big pump)

Breakfast: Banana, Smoothie (forgot about the virtually plated almonds--I guess I didn't need them!)

Lunch: Thai buffet=1 plate+small bowl of soup

Dinner: 3 slices of pizza on one plate

Urban Ranger: 1.75 miles w/backpack

Funny stuff this week: A peppermint on the way to the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships--only marginally funny, I guess.

April 1--April 7=SUCCESS!!

By the way, we often write about unified body strength in relation to Shovelglove--by that count (by every count, really) the college gymnasts I saw over the last two days were AWESOME!!! Also awesome is that the University of Oklahoma, my alma mater and employer, won it's fourth national men's gym championship in five years last night! OU..OU...OU...OU...OU!!!!

Mon. 04/10/06

Morning Exercise: 20 pushups, 20 hindu squats, 14 min. SG, waiter walks, stretching

Breakfast: Apple, peanut butter, almonds

Lunch: grilled pork, potatoes, cabbage, beans, roll

Dinner: chicken thigh, pasta, veggie sauce

Doing fine, no funny stuff.

Tue. 04/11/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes SG

Breakfast: smoothie, banana, almonds

Lunch: guisado de res, frijoles negros, tortillas, a few chips

Dinner: sandwich, carrots, apple

Wed. 04/12/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes pushups, hindu squats, SG

I'm taking today as an S day since I'm accompanying my daughter's class to the zoo and I don't know what the eating situation will entail.

Zoo Ranger: at least 2 miles

Thurs. 04/13/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes SG

Breakfast: smoothie, banana

Lunch: arroz con pollo, etc.

Dinner: tilapia, broccoli, peaches

Urban Ranger: 1.25 miles

Aikido: moderately tough

Fri. 04/14/06

Morning Exercise: 14 minutes SG with some Persian meel swings, pushups, and squats mixed in

Breakfast: smoothie, banana, almonds

Lunch: Thai buffet=one plate+soup

Dinner: sandwiches, apple

Urban Ranger: 1.75 miles

Evening Exercise: pullups

Mon. 04/17/06

morning ex: 14 minutes SG

breakfast: smoothie, banana

lunch: chicken burrito loco

dinner: fish sandwich, spinach salad

urban ranger: 2 miles

evening ex: pullups, stretching

Tue. 04/18/06

I've been doing pretty well, so I'm going to ease off on the check-ins.

Good luck everyone!

--David

Thurs. 04/20/06

Well, crap.

No-S wise, every day was a failure since my last check in. I think I need to keep checking in every day!

Exercise wise, every day was a success! My 14-or-so minute morning habit is very solid for about three years now. This morning my biceps were sore so I left my hammers in the corner (sorry, guys!) and instead I skipped rope, squatted, ab-wheeled, side pressed and stretched. It was good stuff.

So, tomorrow (and the rest of today, actually) I'm back on the No-S track.

--David

Monday 06/05/06

I'm back to checking in again! My habits haven't been so consistant over the past two months, so I'm using this check-in to re-engage the sublime trifecta of: No-S, Urban Ranger, and Shovelglove!

Actually, my exercise has been consistant save for a few weeks off to heal a minor ab strain. I'm still not 100% so I'm starting up SG again slowly.

Morning exercise: SG, jumprope, and Indo Board

Breakfast: smoothie, banana

Lunch: beef burrito

Dinner: pasta, chicken, garlic bread w/goat cheese

Urban Ranger: 2.6 miles

Tuesday, 06/06/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, split squats, jump rope, crunches, stretching

Breakfast: smoothie, almonds, banana

Lunch: two slices veggie pizza

Dinner: two cheese toasts w/olive tapanade, salad

Urban Ranger: 3 miles

Go David!!!!!!!!!

What's a split squat???
Is that like walking with low lunges??

Have a great day!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Deb,

To do a split squat or Bulgarian split squat, face away from a low bench, then put your left foot on top of the bench behind you (toes or instep touching the seat of the bench. Squat to parallel and then return to standing using right leg only. Switch legs when you get shaky. I find that this one is a good knee stabilizer.

--David

Wednesday, 06/07/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, 14 min SG w/ 10# hammer

Breakfast: almonds, banana, smoothie

Lunch: Thai buffet=one plate+small bowl soup

Dinner: 3 slices pizza

Urban Ranger: 2.5 miles

Evening Exercise: dips and body rows on gymnastics rings=3 sets of 5+

Thursday, 06/08/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, squats, crunches, jump rope, plyo leaps

Breakfast: almonds, banana, PB&J sandwich

Lunch: arroz con pollo, chips, tortillas

Dinner: homemade chicken and bean soup

Urban Ranger: 2 miles

Friday, 06/09/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, 14 min. SG with 10#--slow reps with big leverage disadvantage

Breakfast: almonds, banana, morning smoothie

Lunch: beef burrito, chips

Dinner: buffet restaurant---way overdid it=failure (was celebrating wife's job success)

Urban Ranger: 2 miles

Monday, 06/12/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, SG, upright rows w/DBs, jump rope

Breakfast: banana, almonds, smoothie

Lunch: beef burrito

Dinner: turkey drumstick, apple, baby carrots

Urban Ranger: 2 miles

Yay David!!!
P&L,
Deb

Tuesday, 06/13/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, split squats, crunches, jump rope, burpees, stretching

Breakfast: banana, almonds, PB&J sandwich

Lunch: Thai buffet=one plate+one bowl soup

Dinner: soup, sandwich, nectarine

Urban Ranger: 1 mile

Wednesday, 06/14/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, push-up complex, 14 min. SG with DB work mixed in, waiter's walks

Breakfast: almonds, banana, smoothie

Lunch: pork quesadilla, few chips

Dinner: pasta/chicken/tom. sauce, coconut

Urban Ranger: 1 mile

Thursday, 6/15/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, squat complex, jump rope, stretching

Breakfast: almonds, banana, smoothie

Lunch: chili relleno, beans, corn tortillas

Dinner: deli wrap, apple, banana

Urban Ranger: 3 miles

Friday, 06/16/06

Morning Exercise: Indo Board, 14 min SG w/12# hammer, stretching

Breakfast: almonds, banana, smoothie

Lunch: Thai buffet

Dinner: let's just say dinner equalled FAILURE

Urban Ranger: 1.5 miles

Monday 06/26/06:

Exercise=SG and body rows on Elite Rings, some Urban Ranger=Success

Food=Success::3 meals, no S-ing involved!


Last week was successful exercise-wise. Food-wise it was about 95% successful. I'm learning that I'm prone to funny stuff on Friday evenings.

Me too. Friday evenings are very difficult for me because it tends to be a social night. I often will have some drinks but try to keep them non-sweet, like vodka and soda. Food-wise its OK. Keep going - you're doing great!

Thanks for the support Cynthia!

Tuesday 06/27/06:

Exercise= squats, jump rope, and some urban rangering

Wednesday, 07/05/06

Exercise: squat complex, shovelglove (14 minutes w/12#) this was super-tough because my legs were shaking the whole time from all the squats. In the evening I did pullups, chinups, and crunches.

Food: No-S all the way=SUCCESS

Hi David
I just started doing squats this week, and yeah, they pack a punch!!!!
If you are shaking, maybe you could alternate days for squats with days for SG?
I guess I'm just concerned that you should be feeling very very grounded when you do your SG... If the legs are shaking, that then could translate into something weird where you then enlist the help of muscles in your back which might get nastilly tweaked in an effort to overcompensate for the shakiness...

And God forbid you should just lose it altogether and really slip up...
No flying sledges please!
Our skulls don't likes them...
And neither do little seven year olds wandering past

All this said in (naggy) good intention!
Love,
Deb

ps. I can do fifty squats, but by the time I'm done, my heart is pounding like a kettle drum and I am really starting to sweat!!!
Yeah!!!!

Deb,

Thanks for the concern! I usually do alternate days but yesterday I put everything together. From now on I'll SG first and then do the squat complex. Squats followed by leaps are a killer, but I am much less sore in the quads today than I have been on other "day afters."

Be proud of 50 squats, Deb! I doubt most Americans our age could manage it very well!

thanks,
david

Thursday, 07/06/06

Exercise: Indo Board, 14 minute SG mixed with some dumbbell swings, bridges/stretching

Monday, 07/17/06

exercise: Indo Board, worked on jump rope skills

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: chicken, beans, tortillas

dinner: chef salad

SUCCESS!

Tuesday, 07/18/06


exercise: Indo Board, squat complex

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: guisado de res, beans, rice, tortillas

dinner: chicken, apple, broccoli, bread

SUCCESS!!

I'm only on day three but No-S already feels like a familiar old friend again. I tend to go away from No-S after a week or two of success because of "the grass is greener" syndrome. I think that it must be better to graze or be a vegan or whatever else I start obsessing about. Then No-S goes by the wayside until a few pounds gained later I feel pretty dumb for not sticking to the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). (Simple=No-S, naturally.)

So, my goal is to hew to No-S and calm my frenzied thinking that there must be something "better" out there. There isn't anything better out there. I've researched the issue extensively and used myself as a nutritional experiment subject for almost three years now. No-S is definitely where it's at. It worked for my grandparents and it works for me.

Wednesday, 07/19/06

exercise: jump rope, ring push ups, crunches

breakfast: banana, cheese toast

lunch: puerco en salsa verde, frijoles negros, totillas de maiz

dinner: chicken/pasta/marinara, plum, banana


I flossed, scaled, and brushed my teeth directly after dinner to give myself a cue that eating is OVER for the day.

SUCCESS!!

Thursday, 07/20/06

exercise: 100 burpee challenge TIME=15'59"

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: pizza

dinner: roast beef, cheese, apple, carrots


SUCCESS!!

Friday, 07/21/06

exercise: body rows on rings, jump rope

breakfast: banana, bread, smoothie

lunch: mushroom swiss burger, 1/2 order fries

dinner: sauerbraten, potatoes, red cabbage, a bit of bread, a beer--everything except the beer fit on a normally-sized plate and I was not tempted to have more even though it was yummy Bavarian restaurant fare.

SUCCESS!!!

david wrote:I'm only on day three but No-S already feels like a familiar old friend again. I tend to go away from No-S after a week or two of success because of "the grass is greener" syndrome. I think that it must be better to graze or be a vegan or whatever else I start obsessing about. Then No-S goes by the wayside until a few pounds gained later I feel pretty dumb for not sticking to the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). (Simple=No-S, naturally.)

So, my goal is to hew to No-S and calm my frenzied thinking that there must be something "better" out there. There isn't anything better out there. I've researched the issue extensively and used myself as a nutritional experiment subject for almost three years now. No-S is definitely where it's at. It worked for my grandparents and it works for me.

Sounds like we have a lot in common, David. I've experimented with almost every nutritional regimen out there. At one time, I used to keep meticulous track of calories, weight, body fat percentage, and took notes on my athletic performance under each regimen. As I look back, it seems to me that I un-learned how to eat, if that makes any sense. Trying to get back to normalcy after such obsessions has been difficult. I have bounced off No S in the past for similar reasons as those you write about. Good to have someone else posting here who has done the same.

Samurai,

It's even more confusing because one can find multiple studies to back up whatever kind of eating is being touted. There are perfectly good reasons to go vegan, low carb, paleo, etc...

My thinking lately is that I'm going to eat GOOD food (nutritionally dense and tasty) within the guidelines of No-S and the satisfaction derived from quality eats is keeping me quite satisfied. It's working well so far. I just ate a really good cheeseburger at a 1950's type diner. I left really satisfied and happy with what I ate. A fast food hamburger would have likely left me wanting. So, sane amounts of good food is pretty much my motto now.

I'll keep reading your log to see if I can steal any of your No-S ideas.

thanks,
david

Monday, 7/24/06 (day eight)

exercise: jump rope, burpees, shovelglove (Samurai's fence post scenario--I did five posts)

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: Thai buffet=one normally-sized plate+water

dinner: two small baked tilapia fillets, salad, nectarine

SUCCESS!!

David, what do you put in your smoothies? Do you stuff enough food in there to make it a meal? Protein powder, yogurt, etc? I like smoothies but find that I get hungry too soon after having one to make a meal of it.

I'm glad you like the fence-building. So far my land continues to go unprotected.

Yeah, there is plenty in one of my smoothies for a meal!

This morning I had:

quick oats (uncooked)
dash cinnimon
soy milk
walnuts
ground flax seeds
rice protein powder
frozen blueberries

The liquid varies from week to week as does the types of fruits and nuts. Often I skip the protein powder. Sometimes I add nutritional yeast or peanut butter. I often put yogurt in but this morning I forgot.

I usually end up with about 1 liter of smoothie. Most of all, I use it as a way to deliver a bunch of nutrition right after exercise. I try to eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. throughout the rest of the day but if I fall short I know that I have consumed a good profile of nutrients in my smoothie.

I suggest trying it--it only takes about 10 minutes to prep and that includes clean-up.

--david

Tuesday 07/25/06

exercise: 200 jump rope, 5 slow burpees, 14 minutes SG, 50 pushups spread over 5 minutes

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: carne de res en chile colorado, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz

dinner: turkey drumstick, plum, bean salad, banana


SUCCESS!!

Wed. 07/26/06

exercise: 14 minutes SG with pushups and squats integrated

breakfast: smoothie, banana

lunch: 2 slices veggie pizza

dinner: chicken sandwich, vegetables, plum


SUCCESS!!

Thursday, 07/27/06

exercise: 14 minute SG alternating between 12# and 10# hammer

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: chili relleno, beans, tortillas, chips (the chips were sort of overdoing it, but they all fit on the plate)

dinner: green salad w/chicken, cheese, apple & "mayo"


I did not go to the dojo last night due to scheduling issues. I rode my Indo Board a good bit and my 1/2 body varials are shaping up well.

I've decided to whittle down my exercise routines. Basically, I'm going to stick with the 14 minute SG protocol every N-day morning with a bit of degraded beast (pushups) and picking up the pieces (squats) thrown into the 14-minute mix.

In the evenings I'll do a few pullups and ride my Indo Board, but 5-days-a-week shovelglove plus urban ranger will be the core of my program. When I have done this high-frequency SG program in the past I have made the most noticable muscle gains in my life.

--david

I can believe it man!!!!
Go David!
Long live the Glove!

Peace and Love,
Deb

Friday, 07/28/06

exercise: 14 minutes SG with some pushups integrated--SG was slow and leverage-y

breakfast: apple, pb, banana, nuts

lunch: beef burrito, about 5 corn chips

dinner: pasta w/scallops & garlic, 1/2 small melon



This is No-S day 12. I haven't had any break in No-S habit so far. I weighed myself today for the first time in two weeks. On 7/14 the weight was 237 lbs. and today it was 231 lbs. This is good news but even better news will be if I can sustain habit and drop about 3 or 4 pounds per month. I don't have a goal weight, per se. I'm starting to understand that No-S has benefits beyond simple weight loss and I want to stay on habit to get these benefits' full effect.

This was consecutive Shovelglove day 5. I'm starting to think that maybe 14 minutes on EVERY N day really is magic. wow. just. wow.

I came across an article by strength coach Mike Mahler in which he lays out his ideas on high-frequency training. He by no means advocates shovelglove (I doubt he knows about it) but he does advocate a full-body routine done each weekday. He states that if you manage it appropriately that each workout is actually a dynamic recovery session for the previous-day's workout as well as a strength building workout. I do know that today's shugging session banished yesterday's leftover soreness. I also know that I feel a positive training effect already. There is just a big difference between shugging M/W/F and shugging M-F.

Yay David!!!!!!!!
I'm thrilled for you bro!!!
Peace and Love,
Debs

Mon. 07/31/06

exercise: 14 minutes SG

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: rajitas de res, frijoles negros (no rice, no tortillas)

dinner: chicken, tomato, grapes, bread


I think this is No-S day 15.

S days are interesting for me. When I don't have the N-day rules, I think about food much more often throughout the day. Also, since I'm eating more junk, weekends mean I feel sort of lethargic. I'm sure that over time I will be able to manage my weekend eating better while still keeping the spirit of S-days.

Tue. 08/01/06

exercise: 14 min. SG with some DB lifts mixed in

breakfast: banana, a few grapes, smoothie

lunch: chicken, carrots, grapes, almonds

dinner: steak, potatoes, plum, tomato, cheese

Wed. 08/02/06

exercise: 14 minutes SG=3 rounds of 7rep/5movement/one side protocol+pushups and some DB lifts

breakfast: roast beef, apple, almonds, cheese, banana

lunch: puerco en salsa verde, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz, a few chips with a small amount of salsa

dinner: grilled bacon/cheese/apple sandwiches (small), salad, grapes


I think this makes 17 days of SUCCESS!!!

This time around on No-S I'm really focusing on making my N-day meals pleasurable and nutritious. I'm eating a wide variety of foods which have good nutritional value. I'm steering clear of the empty calories (chips, etc.) by eating healthy stuff which I enjoy. I seem to be on a fruit and meat kick and I'm largely avoiding the simple carbs. It's just untenable to do No-S and expect to follow the guidelines while eating nutritionally deficient meals. I theorize that a good bit of the overeating which occurs in our society is due to poor nutrition. It's obvious to me when I go to the grocery store that most people don't have a clue what to eat.

Thurs. 08/03/06

exercise: 14 min. SG with pushups, broad jumps, and vert. jumps incl.

breakfast: smoothie, banana

lunch: arroz con pollo, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz

dinner: chef salad (greens/cheese/ham/beef/grapes/mayo), banana



I'm really liking the exercise lately. I've reduced my exercise time in the mornings from about 25 minutes down to 14 minutes but I make those 14 minutes quite intense. The bulk of the 14 minutes is hammer swinging but throwing my body weight around in various ways is a nice change-up and it certainly gets the blood pumping. Today I did some of the broad jumps holding my 10# hammer--tough!

Most evenings I do some other random physical activity like riding my Indo Board, pullups, stretching, etc... I keep the evenings variable and loose and I charge hard in the mornings.

Friday 08/04/06

Day 19!

exercise: 14 minute SG with 7rep/5move/1side protocol--made 4.5 rounds

breakfast: apple, walnuts, cheese, banana

lunch: beef nachos (one plate, but still too much food--I'll probably go with quesadillas next time.

dinner: pork steak w/mushrooms & onions, broccoli


My weight today was 231 lbs. This is the same as last Friday. Also, I'm getting that "loose pants feeling." Mostly, though, I feel good and I'm not having any trouble staying with the No-S rules. So, after three weeks of N-days it's........ SUCCESS!!!

Monday 08/07/06 (day 22)

exercise: 14 min. SG with pushups and squats in there

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: rajitas de res, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz(2)

dinner: tilapia fillet w/tomato, melon, 1 slice toast, a few potato chips


Hitting 21 days was really a cruise. Of course, I'm pretty experienced with No-S at this point and I know how to circumvent the pitfalls (flipping them the bird as I walk on by...). Last weekend I did a bit too much on the sweets, but it was managable. As per usual, last night(Sunday) I was more than ready to get back to No-S and SG.

Twenty-one days, people! And this is just the beginning!

Tuesday, 8/8/06

exercise: 14 minute SG, including pushups, squats, and burpees

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: chicken breast w/spinach & mushrooms, small salad

dinner: chef salad (greens, cheese, beef, ham, radish, plum)


We had a boring meeting at work today where they gave out free colas. I planned ahead by bringing my iced tea so I wasn't much tempted to partake of the Devil's Candy.

Wed. 08/09/06

exercise: 14 min SG with pushups, ring pushups, lunges and vertical jumps mixed in. Today I did my "basic eight" hammer routine which includes shovel, churn, drive posts, paddle, pitch hay, tuck bales, diagonal chop tree, and overhead thrust. I also had time to throw in a few extra moves but by then I was sort of screwing around.

breakfast: almonds, granola bar(yuck), apple, PB, banana

lunch: puerco en salsa verde, frijoles negros (I left the tortillas and the rice behind--I didn't feel like eating them)

dinner: pork steak w/ onions, mashed sweet potato, salad, peach


Looking in the mirror, I'm noticing that I'm gradually getting smaller around the middle, but it could be an optical illusion due to SG making my shoulders grow. Then again, my wallet went in my hip pocket really easily today so either my waist, my butt, or both must be shrinking.

Thurs. 08/10/06

exercise: SG 7/5/1 with 7 ring pushups between each round

breakfast: banana, smoothie

lunch: arroz con pollo, frijoles negros, tortillas de maiz(4)

dinner: cheese toast, pork & beans, bite of salmon, melon, peach

Friday, 08/11/06

exercise: 14 minutes SG--I didn't work too hard at it today.

breakfast: apple, nuts, cheese, banana

lunch: Thai buffet=one plate+one small bowl of soup

dinner: I already know tonight's dinner will be an S dinner because an old friend is in town and we're taking he and his wife out tonight.


I'm at the end of four weeks of N-days. Today was weigh-in day. I was 229 lbs. soaking wet (literally, since I had just gotten done with no-umbrella Urban Ranger). That's an eight-pound loss since I started this latest round of No-S about 25 days ago.

Monday, 08/14/06

exercise: 14 min SG-high reps w/ 10# hammer, 30 type-1 burpees in 3 sets of 10 mixed in

I have the house to myself this week, so the plan is to save part of my lunch each day and eat it for dinner along with some extra salad, fruit, cheese, etc. This saves on the grocery bill and also saves me from cooking.

No-S=SUCCESS

Tuesday, 08/15/06

exercise: SG in 7/5/1 protocol with 10 type-1 burpees between each round. Made 4 rounds of hammer and 3 rounds of burpees

No-S=SUCCESS!

WED. 08/16/06

I think this is Day 31. Or so.

exercise: not enough sleep last night so I skipped morning exercise. I'll probably do something tonight.

I did end up doing quite a bit of exercise at night. 30 burpees, pullups, chinups, jump rope and some playing around on Indo Board and with hackey sack (not simultaneously).

No-S: SUCCESS


Hunger. I feel hunger on No-S, of course. Some people say that once they get in the groove No-S they don't feel hunger any more. Those people ain't me! However, hunger, though I feel it physiologically a couple of times a day, is not a big deal anymore. Last night I got the tummy rumbles and I briefly considered snacking. But, when I actually imagined eating something it didn't seem that exciting so I just dropped it. For those people who can't do No-S because of the hunger, I have no sympathy. Just quit being such a wimp. (That goes double for me if in the future I get wishy-washy!)

Thurs. 08/17/06

exercise: 14 minutes with hammering, 3x10 burpees, 3x5 ring pushups, 10 DB swings l/r, 7 DB windmills l/r, DB waiter's walk l/r----good stuff, very good....

No-S: SUCCESS


I'm not consciously trying to low-carb my meals but lately I would much rather have a pound of meat than a pound of cake, cookies, etc. Historically, this is very odd for me. During the work week most of my carbs come from fruit. I eat a little bit of rice and a few tortillas here and there but not nearly the volume of refined grain products I used to ingest. I'm also big into cheese this week.

Well.. focus focus focus on your goal. Daily check in is helping me. I wish you success. Sounds like you are doing great on your excercising! YAY!
Keep it up my NO S friend.

Friday, 08/18/06

exercise: 10X3 type-1 burpees, Indo Board, planks

No-S: Success. (Dinner involved a bit of virtual plating--I'll have to nix that in the future.)

I have budgeted for the end-of-summer party here at work today. I will likely have a bit of ice cream. (The bit of ice cream turned out to be a tiny little cup which didn't even equal a scoop.) It happens rarely enough that I'm calling it approved.

Today was weigh-in day. I maintained at 229#. I'm wearing some old jeans today and a shirt I haven't worn in a while. The jeans are a bit loose and the shirt is way too big. It's probably time to give a bunch of my clothes away.
Update: strangely enough, after I wrote about the clothes, my job gave us all new polo shirts to wear on the first day of classes on Monday. They automatically gave me my usual size which is XL, but it was way too big on me so I traded it in for an L. Progress!

YAY! So glad to hear about the clothes. Good going David!
~Christi~

Monday, 08/21/06

I believe this is day #37.

exercise: 14 minutes SG=7/5/1 protocol with 2x15 burpees(T1) and some pushups and squats. Next time somebody posts a question about shovelglove and ab work I'm going to suggest that they do a few sets of fireman every day for a week--that will shut them the F$%K up.

No-S: SUCCESS

Tuesday, 08/22/06

exercise: 14 min. SG w/a few pushups and broad jumps. The hammer swinging was very intense today! Last night, I coached my daughter through some gymnastics drills, then she turned the tables and coached me through some stuff--it was really cute!

No-S: SUCCESS!!

I was hungry last night but I just ignored the tummy rumbles. They abated after a few minutes and I didn't even think about food anymore until breakfast.

Wed. 08/23/06

exercise: lots of stretching

No-S: SUCCESS!


Did pullups, chinups, and ring pushups during the evening. I was a bit tired but I did OK.

Thurs. 08/24/06

exercise: 14 min. SG: 15 pushups, 10 squats, 7/5/1 SG protocol with 10 burpees (T1) between each round--made 4 rounds of SG and 3 of burpees.

No-S: SUCCESS!

You are doing so well, good for you!!
Anna

Thanks for the support, Anna! How is No-S going for you?

--david

Friday, 08/25/06

TODAY IS DAY 40!

exercise: 14 minutes=20 pushups, 20 shovels w/light leverage then 20 with practically max leverage, did the same w/wood chop and also did 20 churns...then did 15 DB swings w/30# l/r, then held DB locked out above head w/one arm while doing Persian meel type swings w/sledgehammer in other hand, finished w/10 diag. chop tree. It was a good, intense ending to the week.

No-S: SUCCESS!!!


Today was weigh-in day. I remain at 229#. This is no problem as my total 40-day No-S loss is 8 lbs. which averages out to one pound every five days--pretty good! I feel quite light and my pants are getting looser so I'll probably ease down off the plateau in another week or two. Since I've done No-S before I understand the plateauing effect and since I've mentally budgeted for it I'm not getting all panicky. All in all, a very good 40 days!

Monday 08/28/06

Today is day 43.

exercise: I did this 7-minute thing I saw in Outside Magazine: http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywor ... ide-6.html

It's actually pretty tough. Me like!


No-S: SUCCESS

Tuesday, 08/29/06

exercise: 200 rope skips, 30 wood chops L/R, 8 upright rows w/ 30# DBs, 20 diagonal chop tree L/R, 10 vert. jumps holding DBs, 10 fireman L/R, 10 DB swings L/R, 20 drive post L/R, 8 upright rows, 10 chop tree L/R, 10 jumping shrugs w/DBs, 10 fireman L/R, 10 DB lockout/hammer meel combo both sides, 100 fast rope skips (everything done at medium-quick pace w/ no rest between exercises)

No-S: SUCCESS!



I'm finding that I don't have much in the way of cravings on N-days. When I get hungry I want a basic, hearty meal. A basic, hearty meal lately seems to be some combo of meat, veggies, and fruit with cheese occasionally. I no longer am left wondering "what's for dessert?" at the end of meals. When there is no more food on the one plate, I'm done. The empty plate is almost like some sort of reverse Pavlovian signal.

I toyed with the idea of dropping iced tea on N-days. I do put a couple of teaspoons of sugar in each glass. I decided that the tea (even w/sugar) is so overwhelmingly better than the soda pop I used to drink by the liter that the iced tea is OK.

Also, I researched and toyed with the "Paleo Diet" over the past few weeks. I think for most people it is a healthy and balanced way of ingesting nutrients but as an eating plan it won't work. I think the big message from the Paleo camp is that overly processed food of any type is detrimental. My personal take is that I would rather steer clear of "empty" calories and eat something with more bang for my buck. So, my intake of simple carbs is way down.

Wed. 08/30/06

exercise: 200 rope skips, 7-minute routine (10 reps of all except 6 rounds clock lunges), 100 rope skips, sun salutations

No-S: SUCCESS

Thurs. 08/31/06

exercise: 5 rounds dog series, 5 hindu push-ups (dands), 10 hindu squats (bethaks), SG shovels, chops, DB swings, and some other stuff thrown in.

On a negative exercise note, I'm finding that pullups and/or chinups are messing with my elbows in a bad way. I'll try subbing body rows on my rings. On a positive note, it seems that I can now do dands without causing shoulder pain.

No-S: SUCCESS! (even with rumbling night tummy after aikido)

Dude you are always like a bastion of discipline. I love all your input I see all over the forums. I envy your strength & determination. Good for you. Send some motivation my way; obviously my big fat arse aint enuf at times!

Christi,

This is like my third or fourth time to do No-S! I certainly didn't feel disciplined before. On the other hand, I needed those previous "failures" to learn how to do this thing. No-S is simple, human behavior is not!

Stick with it, pay attention, and be easy on yourself. You can do it if I can! (and Reinhard can, and James can, and Deb can, etc....)

best of luck,
david

Thanks!

Friday, 09/01/06

This is day 47 on No-S habit.

exercise: I did some Indo Boarding to warm up my legs, hips, and lower back. Then a few rounds of dog series then some dands and bethaks. Then I did 10 reps each side of shovel, churn, and chop. After some stretching I called it a morning. I'm hoping that three days off plus some home rehab will clear up my elbow/ulnar nerve issues. After that, I'll pretty much stick with the Indian wrestling exercises (dands, bethaks, and maybe sun salutation) plus shovelglove and some stretching. Shovelglove never causes me any problems beyond soreness--I think it was the chinups and the plank slides that did my elbows a disservice, so off with their heads! The summer is becoming milder here in OK so I've been able to get more urban ranger done--it's been quite welcome!

No-S: SUCCESS

Today was weigh in day. I was 227 lbs., down 2# from last week. So, the count is ten pounds total in 46 days, an average of one pound lost every 4.6 days. I believe the loss has been almost exclusively fat and water. We'll see where the next plateau down is and go from there!

Tuesday, 09/05/06

exercise: 14 minutes--dog series, dands, bethaks, hammer swinging

No-S: SUCCESS!


The three-day weekend was good, but as usual I was ready to get back to N-days.

Wed. 09/06/06

Today is day 52.

exercise: 14 minutes=dog series, pushups, plyo leaps AND 7 on the left shovel, one-handed churn, chop, fireman, then the same on the right. Then 7 DB swings l/r. Then the same SG series with 14 reps. Then 14 DB swings l/r. I did a few side foundation busters then beepbeepbeep. Tough today, I was sore before I left the house!

No-S: SUCCESS!

My stomach was growly last night after aikido, which is common enough. I actually tried to imagine going to the fridge for a snack and my brain just couldn't quite engage with the concept. It's almost as if my food drive is saying, "what do you mean, eat? you've had three chances--you are done!" In any case, my No-S habit seems very solid right now but I remain vigilant!

I think that with my height (6'1") and build (pretty solid) a good weight for me would be around 200 lbs. If I can maintain or increase my current musculature and lose the 30 lbs. or so of fat required, 200 lbs. would be good. According to the BMI charts I would still be overweight, although I don't think I would feel or look that way. We'll see.

Thurs. 09/07/06

exercise: Indo Board, 20 dands, 40 bethaks, bridge for 7 breaths. A year ago I could not have done this workout.

No-S: SUCCESS

Friday, 09/08/06

This is day 54.

exercise: None this morning--my mother-in-law was sleeping in my "home gym." UPDATE--after I got home from work I did 14 minutes SG with 21/14/7 protocol and then I mowed my yard.

No-S: SUCCESS!!!


Today I weighed 228 lbs. I didn't expect to make any downward progress this week since Monday was an S day. On the other hand, my clothes feel a little looser each week regardless of what the scale says. A big difference for me this time on No-S is that I'm not so entranced by the poundage coming off. If I feel "light" and my clothes are fitting well I figure I'm doing OK. Today, I'm wearing a size L t-shirt (not XL like before) and I'm wearing it tucked in to jeans. A smaller shirt that I'm not afraid to tuck in---I call that progress!

Hi. Was checking out your thread since it ended up right below mine...

Your dedication is impressive and inspirational. (thanks) I'm still working the exercise angle (well, the food angle, too - ha). Good to see such progress for you. Tucking in a shirt!!!!! Hoooooray & congratulations.

Thanks, flsunshine!

Progress is good, but what I'm really missing right now is my morning shovelgloving! Maybe I'll fit a session in tonight before I mow the lawn.

It seems like you are making some willpower progress too! What are you doing for exercise?

--david

David, that is GREAT. Can't wit to see pics of your shirt tucked in
Keep on keepin on.
~Christi~

Monday, 09/11/06

Thanks for your comments, Christi! You seem to be doing very well one month in!

Today is day 57.

exercise: 14 minutes=dog series, 10 dands, 20 betahks, then shovelglove 21/14/7 protocol with new 16 lb. hammer. I love my new hammer! I'm going to have to restrain myself a bit so I don't overdo it!

No-S: SUCCESS

I was pretty indulgent on Saturday and then Sunday was more like an N-day. Predictably, I felt like crap Saturday evening and Sunday I felt OK. All in all, my S-days are within reason and I seem to have left behind my tendency to carbo-binge.

Tuesday, 09/12/06

exercise: a short warmup then a routine I got off of Jeff Martone's web site: used 30# DB's---5 one-handed swings L/R, 5 clean & press both handed, 10 alternate hand cleans, 10 jump shrugs w/quarter squat. I did four rounds with about a minute rest between rounds. This was easier on the arms and shoulders than SG but way more intense in terms of breathing hard and sweating. Plus, my butt is sore--this workout really goes at the hips and thighs.

No-S: SUCCESS!

Wed. 09/13/06

exercise: 14 minutes with 16# hammer: 21 pushups, 21 shovel (L/R), 21 churn, 21 chop (L/R) then the same with 14 reps and 7 reps. Got in 7 hoist sack each side then 7 diag. chops on the left then beepbeepbeep. Very tough! I had to really bear down to get through it.

No-S: SUCCESS

david wrote:Tuesday, 09/12/06

exercise: a short warmup then a routine I got off of Jeff Martone's web site: used 30# DB's---5 one-handed swings L/R, 5 clean & press both handed, 10 alternate hand cleans, 10 jump shrugs w/quarter squat. I did four rounds with about a minute rest between rounds. This was easier on the arms and shoulders than SG but way more intense in terms of breathing hard and sweating. Plus, my butt is sore--this workout really goes at the hips and thighs.

No-S: SUCCESS!

I just tried the dumbell swings this morning 2 handed with a 40 pounder. Wow what an exercise. I hope my butt isn't sore later I can feel it now.
Steve

Once I got the hang of using hip snap to move the DB and just letting my arm be a rope (mostly) DB swings moved up my list of favorite exercises.

My current theory is Shovelglove+pushups+DB/KB swings+squats=mucho strong for very little time investment.

Congrats on your awesome workout today. It's a fun rush, huh?

--david

I need to work on my technique a bit. I'm close to doing it correctly but I am pretty sure my arms and shoulders are doing more than they should.
Quite a rush for sure.
Steve

Thurs. 09/14/06

exercise: same DB routine as Tuesday. I made 4 rounds with 1 minute balancing on my Indo Board between each round.

No-S: SUCCESS!