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5May2019

| Charlie Alford

Activity Log

#fail. I didn’t leave the house and I didn’t do a workout. The only movement seen from this sloth was to go downstairs for food.

Food Log

Tea and Alpen for breakfast. Breakfast Burger and Latte from Cheshire Cafe. Dinner, at 8pm I haven’t eaten yet, although I am starting to get hungry. I might go seek out the chicken and sweet potato sitting in the fridge.

Sleep Log

Woke up somewhere around 7.30am today and got up relatively straight away. It was a cold morning so tea and breakfast was a high priority. Went ice skating late on Saturday so didn’t watch television when I returned, it was straight to Bedfordshire albeit way after my “bed time”.

Masters Log

Spent dawn to dusk reading about qualitative content analysis. Need to gather my thoughts and draft another version of the Methodology and Methods section. Also need to put together slides for presentation and complete data analysis #mondaygoals.

4May2019

| Charlie Alford

Daily Log

This is the part where I hold myself accountable in all areas I am tracking as part of my NF Journey. I’ve also added in another section today, called ‘Masters’. I am currently in my final semester, final project and so far behind it’s not funny. Therefore, I need to hold myself accountable and will note every day what I have achieved, and then feel guilty if I have nothing to write about. So here goes…

Food

Winter is the time for comfort, and the source of that comfort for me is food. Unfortunately, I wasn’t on my best form today. Left over Nachos for breakfast, a Youfoodz meal for lunch, and Macca’s for dinner. I justify the Macca’s because I got the grilled chicken without the sauce. It wasn’t a great idea, because it tasted bad. The coffee helped though. Tomorrow, I have no excuse. I need to keep to my schedule.

Active

Today’s fitness activity was at Homer Simpson. I forfeited my morning work out because I was too cold to get out of bed, and when I was ready to go for my walk, it was pouring down with rain. It was a day of excuses. Most of activity was walking up and down the stairs between washing loads.

At 7.50pm all might be saved. Ice skating will be the extent of today’s exercise.

Sleep

Yesterday I was up before the alarm and asleep before the alarm. I didn’t hit snooze but did engage in a lot of unapproved television watching. They added Nashville onto Stan, and I’ve always been hooked. It’s an addiction, one episode isn’t enough! I didn’t fall asleep with tv on though. I managed the conscious albeit very hard decision of when to shut it down.

Masters

I started to make a plan of how I am going to achieve this and I have all the readings open, ready to be conquered tomorrow. By night fall I will be a master of content analysis.

3May2019

| Charlie Alford

Food Log

It’s nacho your problem, but that’s what I had for dinner. Sometimes you just crave the crispy crisps and hot melted cheese amongst the jalepeno’s and salsa. I feel like it was deserved having had coffee for breakfast and Boost juice for lunch.

Sleep Log

Sleep = 7 hours

This morning I woke up by myself at 4.30am and then snoozed until the alarm went off at 4.50am. It was at that point I shut off the alarm, and reset for 5.20am. Blissfully sleeping through my workout time. I’d spent most of the evening watching television but had pulled the lid down when my iPhone app reminded me it was time to sleep. I’m pretty sure I was out like a light.

This was aided by installing f.lux on my Macbook. It’s a software program that adjusts the lighting of the screen according to the location and time of day. I’ve also started using the BedTime App on my iPhone, this way I can ensure I get enough sleep by adjusting my ‘bed time’ according to when I need to wake up. For example, tomorrow is the weekend and beginning of four weeks annual leave, so I have adjusted my wake up time to 7.30am.

Activity Log

As mentioned before I skipped the morning work out. But made up for it in the walk to work. I’m thinking I might need to reevaluate where I disembark the tram as the morning stroll along Collins is getting easier each day. Step count is at 8,254 today.

Tomorrow Goals

In addition to the plethora of work I have to do for my thesis, I intend to complete a full work out and go for a walk up to the lake and back.

2May2019

| Charlie Alford

Activity Log

Between 5am and 5.20am I did Body Workout 1A: Assisted Body Weight Squat, Elevated Push Up, Door Bodyweight Row and Farmers Walk with 6kg weight. Today I achieved two sets but was pushed for time.

Despite the rain and missed tram, I managed to get to Parliament by 7am which meant I could walk the line along Collins Street. There’s nothing more satisfying than reaching half the daily step goal before I reached work. Unfortunately, I left work with the threat of storms so trammed all the way home. Step goal for the day not quite met.

Food Log

Breakfast was at 7.30am. Vanilla Chia Pod and Latte.

Lunch was at 12pm. Weekend Warrior.

Dinner was 7pm. YouFoodz MacDaddy.

Calorie count met but, it’s 8pm and OMG I’m hungry today.

Sleep Log

Last night I turned on the BedTime App of my iPhone. I was awoken at 4.50am. After turning off the alarm I closed my eyes for a few minutes and listened to the rain outside. By 4.55am I turned to the MacBook sleeping next to me and began writing this. So no official snoozing. I was dreaming that I was searching for my keys on my front porch, while an old friend was watching television down on the street… random.

I have a terrible television habit. From work, I came home face planted on the bed. Literally out like a light. When woke up at 7pm, on went Stan, and played in the background until pulled the MacBook lid down around 9.30pm. I think I lay in the dark quiet for about 10min before I was out like a light again. The next sound I remember was that of my alarm.

1May2019

| Charlie Alford

Liquid calories. My new nemesis. Today I tried to forgo my morning coffee and I’m been in a state of weary loss. It truly felt like the longest day.

I took a rest day from the strength training work outs and enjoyed the extra 30 minutes sleep. However, it made the climb up the hill to the tram quite tiresome. I was a little stiff and it was unseasonably warm.

30Apr2019

| Charlie Alford

Daily Log

13,365 steps. Smashed those goals today. It all began this morning when I enjoyed my stroll to the highway under an imminent sunrise, couldn’t help but notice the crescent moon lighting my way. I was tramming early today so disembarked at one end of the city and then walked the line of Collins Street to work. This afternoon I followed my footsteps back from the Docklands then up to Melbourne Central. As the sun set across the university campus I climbed the stairs and hit the 10,000 step marking, meaning my session started on a very happy note.

Food goals kinda somewhat met. Breakfast was a latte. Morning Tea was a Chia Pod. Lunch was a Weekend Warrior and Dinner was Nandos. The latter would have tipped the scale on the calorie count. Although, I feel it was earned in the step count and morning work out.

Nerd Academy

Using a BMR Calculator my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) = 1495.3. To maintain weight at current activity level, calories should be 1,800, to lose weight around 1,500 and to lose weight fast 1,100.

In the spirit of not drinking calories, tomorrow I will not buy coffee but will drink water. Just writing that sounds crazy to me.

29Apr2019

| Charlie Alford
Edited version of a speech made by Arya Stark in GOT.

Arya is a bad ass! Anyone who watches Game of Thrones knows this. From a young age this little warrior stuck her finger up at the social expectations, instead turned and faced the trials and troubles of the world, with one attitude: Not today!

This image yoinked from Elle, completely encapsulates the warrior princess that is Arya. Having just watched the latest episode I am so proud of her whilst being completely and utterly traumatised. She is a modern day hero for all young females.

So tomorrow, when I don’t want to wake up and do my work out, I will ask myself WWASD?

To the Daily Log

It was an active Monday. I managed to crawl from the bed around 5am and get one set of strength training in, with my new weight. I felt the burn. Having left the house early, I power walked to the highway, snoozed 20min on the tram, before disembarking and powering my along Collins Street. The FitBit is still out of action and my iPhone doesn’t want to play, but I estimate it to be about 5,000 steps. My post work walk was cancelled due to obvious reasons. If not obvious, look above.

Since 11am AEST (when it aired in the U.S.) I have avoided social media like the plague. It made for a very long commute home. On the plus side, my Apple TV / AirPlay decided to work today, so we got the wide screen experience.

The stress, anxiety and heart wrenching anticipation called for Macca’s. So I indulged in a burger… and justified to myself, it was okay because it was grilled. I was very hungry also. Breakfast had been the Chia Pod, and Lunch a Weekend Warrior from Boost. So despite being naughty I was well within the calorie targets, just not on par with the Paleo lifestyle.

Tomorrow Goals

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Tomorrow will be the longest day, work then uni, then home to study. Food goals remain the same, chia pod for breakfast, boost juice for lunch and dinner will be a cheeky Nandos or super food salad from the salad bar if it is still open when I leave the office. Steps goals will be achieved as I’ll be walking from SouthWest corner of the CBD to the NorthEast corner.

28Apr2019

| Charlie Alford
A little Sunday Poem

Yesterday, in my naive state of mind, set goals for Sunday. The day of rest. “I’ll awake at dawn and do a 30 minute work out”, I said. Well, I did wake at dawn, long enough to run off the alarm clock and keep hitting snooze, oh until about 7.45am when nature called, and you can’t hit snooze on that.

Did I work out? Hell, no. I ran downstairs, made a huge cup of tea and grabbed a huger bowl of Alpen, nestling into my heap of blankets and turning on Youtube. And just like that it was 9.30am. Then I did my 30 minute work out.

Learning Japanese, walking along the creek, and ice skating with the housemate was deleted from my mindset mid-afternoon. Two movies, and two hours Youtubing (this time in for my Masters Research Project) happened. There was also online shopping and researching day trips out of Melbourne. I have a month off work coming up and I refuse to stay at home.

I don’t think I had lunch as it was lost in the above haze. But I do remember lots of tea, naps, and dinner was the same as yesterday.

It was a definitely a lazy Sunday.

Nerd Academy Quest – Customise the Batcave

To conquer the pre-dawn wake ups, my phone has been relocated off the edge of the bed and onto the bed side locker. That means I have to roll/leap at least two times to turn it off. The song remains a slow awakening of It’s a Beautiful Life. So I should be able to start the day awake, out of bed, and surrounded by awesomeness.

Because baby, it’s cold outside. Especially before sunrise. I’ve started sleeping in my active wear or keeping it to the end of the bed… so it’s the first thing I see. I’ve also been sleeping in hoodies and socks. Tomorrow, I break out the mink blanket.

Food is my weakness. So I have signed up for Dinnerly. Starting from first week of May ingredients will be delivered to my door, so I can channel my inner chef with some structure. I was careful to go through the recipes and pick all the Paleo friendly ones. While I wait, I did a cheeky Youfoodz order, so I can balance long working hours, uni supervisor sessions and workshops.

27Apr2019

| Charlie Alford

Daily Log

When my eyes opened this morning I was curled in a ball all snug and warm. The beeping of the Woolworths van (sorry neighbours) roused the street. Not longer after the sun came up and I made a mediocre attempt to stretch out the night before. By 8am I was back in bed with a cup of tea scrolling through Youtube. It was the rational thing to do on such a cold Autumn morning.

At 9am I was dressed and power walking up the hill to the post office. The sun was out, and the neighbourhood was buzzing. I’d recently discovered Luke Comb’s Beautiful Crazy and have been playing on a loop most of the week. Felt a moment of serenity and joy to be outside, to be able to acknowledge the majesty of this country.

My enthusiasm for the day was boosted by the lack of queues in the post office. The lady took my licence and scurried into the back. When she returned she dropped my parcel on the desk and I couldn’t help notice the plethora of warning labels: heavy, handle with care. *gulp*

It wasn’t that bad though, only 6kg. My arms didn’t start burning until I’d reached the end of my street #saved. As I clambered through the front door I collapsed onto the couch and stretched out the weary arms. I also place my new 6kg kettle bell by my bedroom door ready for the workout… that never came.

Bit of fail most of today. Sat on the couch surfing the internet. I think a little studying was done, or there was at least some consideration and tabs opened.

Weekend grub was achieved. I now have three meals of chicken mince, cabbage, and sweet potato/pumpkin mash. Tastes better than it sounds, and was the perfect indulgence on a fresh afternoon.

Winter is coming. I need to face the fact. But I’m quite in denial. Motivation is going to get harder before it gets easier.

Finding the Big WHY

I’m tired of being tired, and struggling for energy. I’m happiest when I’m out there in the world connecting with other humans. So I’ve joined the Nerd Academy to give myself a chance to breathe, to be alive, and to belong again.

Setting Goals

Do or do not, there is no try.

Yoda

One of the first challenges of the Nerd Academy is developing my journey.

So I will become a person:

  • who trains at least three times a week
  • will get eight hours of sleep a night
  • will cook and eat home made meals at least three times a week

My Epic Quest

Travel to Osaka, Japan is the dream. It’s the most scary thing I could do because it so far from the reality I live in. To get there, I need time, money, courage, and language skills. So the tiny wins will be saving $400 per month, finding a flexible job/career and rejuvenating my DuoLingo access.

Tomorrows Goals

Sunday, the day of rest. But not for me. I’ll awake at dawn and do a 30 minute work out. I will then shower, dress and practice my Japanese. Breakfast will be a bowl of Alpen, followed by a morning walk along the creek. When I return I shall get my head stuck into studying. I have so much work to do and time is running out. Lunch and Dinner will be the left overs from today. Depending on the progress of my studying, I might squeeze in a ice skating session with the housemate.