Well, a whole week has passed since I moved to Myrtle Beach and started my new routine. I’m pretty happy with how things are going so far. I’ve been doing a lot of measurements (because I like data) and I took some notes on how I’m feeling and such. I also decided not to include pictures this week, but I’ll probably do monthly update photos. I am taking pics each week and will store them in this public google doc (Warning: Nudity Inside). This weekly update will probably be much longer than most due to all the changes. Anyway, here are the numbers and the change since last week:
- Weight: 175 lbs (-.5)
- Waist: 35.5 inches (-1)
- Neck: 15.75 inches (+.25)
- Chest: 39.5 inches (-.5)
- Left Bicep: 13.5 inches (-.5)
- Right Bicep: 13 inches (-1)
- Left Thigh: 24 inches (-.25)
- Right Thigh: 24 inches (-1.25)
- Left Calf: 14.75 inches (+.25)
- Right Calf: 14.75 inches (+.25)
- BMI: 26.76 (-.3)
- Body Fat %: 23.04 (-1.98)
- Average Daily Calories: 1763.43
- Average Waking Mood: 3.29 out of 10
- Average Midday Mood: 7.43 out of 10
- Average Evening Mood: 7.29 out of 10
- Average Morning Sex Drive: 5.43 out of 10
- Average Midday Sex Drive: 6.86 out of 10
- Average Evening Sex Drive: 5.71 out of 10
- Walked: 18.75 Miles
- Ran: 5.5 Miles
- Biked: 5.0 Miles
- Pull Ups: 51
- Push Ups: 340
- Plank: 8.5 minutes
- Meditated: 70 minutes
- Average Nightly Sleep: 7.86 hours
- Daily Orgasm: 5 out of 7
- Blog Posts: 6 out of 7
- Daily German: 5 out of 7
- Resting Heart Rate: 58bpm (-1)
Notes
Daily Life: Overall, the new daily routine is pretty awesome. I feel like I am getting a lot done and I am happy with my progress on all fronts. There have been some struggles though… going to bed around 10pm and waking up around 7am has been tough for me. I’m really groggy in the mornings, but after my morning meditation and a cup of coffee I do much better. The meditation practice is tough, it always is for me, but I love the app I use (Headspace) and I’m proud of myself for meditating every day this week.
Living in one place for a while has allowed me to get some silly aesthetic things taken care of. I’ve been able to consistently treat my tinea versicolor with Selsun Blue and it is clearing up nicely. I’m now on a thrice a day teeth brushing routine which is whitening my teeth. And I can go to the beach a couple times a week to even out my terrible cycling tan. Unfortunately, Myrtle Beach is kind of puritan and doesn’t allow nude sunbathing. I’ll need to settle for a surfshort tan until we get to Wilmington and I can rig something up in our back yard.
My sex drive is way up compared to the bike ride. I think this has a lot to do with not exercising 6 hours a day in a high stress environment and getting a good night sleep every night (even if it is about an hour shorter than I’d like). This is good though, I wanna get those daily orgasms to help prevent prostate cancer. Strangely, my sex drive is highest in the middle of the day. That is abnormal for me, I tend to be a morning banger. I guess these things change. It is good that Anna and I both have online jobs and are around during the day so that we can knock out some afternoon delight. Also, porn and lube exist. It has also been nice to be able to reciprocate sex pics with some of our friends. There are several people who help get out our voyeurism and exhibitionist side using the magic of text messaging and SnapChat. This is also going to give us the chance to explore more BDSM and our other sexual interests that require a stable location.
I’m trying to get my monthly expenses to under $1,000, ideally closer to $800.With that budget I should be able to save for the final leg of the bike ride, save for Burning Man in 2017 or 2018, max out my Roth IRA, donate money to charities and friends in need, and maybe start paying off my student loans. So, I’m cutting out a lot of unnecessary spending (like my Audible subscription) and looking for cheaper alternatives (like going to the library). I love the library and I really am happy to have a nice reading routine again of one fiction and one non-fiction (which will probably be selected from Naropa Universities recommended reading list for the grad program I’m interested in). I’m currently reading “The Great Hunt” by Robert Jordan and “The Heart of Learning: Spirituality in Education” edited by Steven Glazer.
I have found myself really craving beer on a few occasions. I think it is a Pavlovian response. I’ve spent years drinking beer while I work, and now my body/mind want it when I sit down at the desk. So far, I’ve been able to resist, and I hope the cravings get weaker. Maybe I’ll even crave Earl Grey tea instead someday.
This week my bowel movements have been really off. I used to be pretty regular, but not anymore. I don’t think it is anything unhealthy, I think my body is just adjusting to lower calories and unprocessed food (though, the high fiber in veggies should speed things up. Oh well, I’m sure things will get into a new routine relatively soon.
I’m also excited to start scheduling time to work on my book. Now that I have a feel for what my week is going to be like for the next few months I can make it work.
Diet: I’m not consuming the 2,000 recommended calories each day, but I’m also not hungry and I am getting all the nutrients I need. This seems to match up with research that has seen a the body get more efficient the more you exercise. I’ve been cycling for months and my base metobolic rate is pretty efficient, I just don’t need 2,000 calories to operate. In fact, I’d bet I only need about 1,500 calories to maintain weight if I wasn’t exercising. Luckily, fruits and veggies are really nutrient dense and I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need.
I’ve been trying a new meal technique where I eat a huge breakfast and then have incrementally smaller meals throughout the day. It seems to work really well to prevent me from being hungry. My breakfast is about 750 calories, lunch is 400 calories, dinner is 300 calories, and I eat plain almonds and fruit in between meals as snacks. I have really enjoyed cooking my meals, it gives me a lot of control and makes me feel like I have a more intimate relationship with my food (not in a sex way, I don’t like mixing food and sex, it just isn’t my thing).
Exercise: My running has been pretty consistent this week, but we’ve taken it pretty slow so that our bodies can ease into running. It definitely uses different muscles than cycling and I don’t want my lungs and mind to try and work to their max, which will damage my legs. I’m not trying to be “a runner”, but I want to complete the half marathon. The event is something to motivate me to stay in shape and not slack on my diet and lifestyle. Things like that work well for me, but I’m not sure if just setting up a new half marathon or marathon every 4-6 months is going to work longterm. I need more variety than that, but I’m not sure where to get it…. maybe Tough Mudder’s and such? I wish I wasn’t so “badge oriented”, and maybe as I get more fit that won’t be as much of an issue. Or maybe I’ll find something that I really love and awards won’t be necessary.
In addition to running I’ve been doing pull-ups and push-ups to add some muscle variety. If I find a free or cheap gym I will probably stop using those as a workout and just sprinkle them in throughout the day. It certainly can’t hurt to knock out some reps during commercial breaks, while waiting for webpages to load, or just when feeling ‘bleh’. I’ve been walking a lot too, mostly thanks to Pokemon Go, having a dog, going grocery shopping every other day, and not owning a car. Those things all kind of catalyst into me wandering around in the hot sun regularly, but walking is good for you so I’m not complaining. I like wandering near the beach.
I am on the look out for more organized fitness classes. At the top of my list right now is Barre, Yoga, Kickboxing, or Rock Climbing. Myrtle Beach has limited options in the latter two, so it really is between Barre and Yoga. I need to see what classes are offered and at what price before committing.
Wandering Oak 