Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Diet, nutrition and fasting

 So since Thanksgiving I’ve been increasing my WW (Weight Watcher’s) logging and following the easy point system.  I have lost a total of 15 lbs since start.  I also broke my foot a month ago, removing any and all attempts to be more physical as I had planned.  (I’m going back for a follow up on tomorrow, so I’m hoping this will ‘release’ me so I can walk and do more things.) In addition to just being keen on my diet… (FF when I can, really conscience on how much I eat, just really reducing overall intake and processed foods), I’ve been fasting.  The last 2 weeks, I’ve been doing a 12/12, which fasts zero caloric intake (water only) for 12 hrs, eating my “WW” diet for the other 12.  Last weekend, unbeknownst to us, we attended a dear friend of our’s a funeral - which lasted 5+ hrs.  My 12/12 turned into a 18/6.  It was then I decided to increase my fasting time to a 16/8.  These last few days I’ve noticed I really like how it makes me feel.  I have a ‘happy’ feeling.  I’m alert.  I accept and welcome the hunger feeling. - All knowing that while fasting it’s healing my body.  I’m starting to pay attention to what my body is telling me. 

Rather than eating because it’s “time to eat breakfast”, I don’t.  I eat when I’m hungry.  I stop when my body says I’m full.  (Which, may just be a half a sandwich.). It really intrigues me to see and learn just how much of an open trough we have available to us to just eat and graze and graze and eat all day, every day.  No wonder we’re over weight and obese.  No one is listening to what their body is telling them, they only listen to what they want - ooh Doritos, cookies, tacos and pizza!  

While that’s all well and good - and I do eat that still, I’m limiting what I eat.  Not only to help save money because we don’t NEED 3 pizzas, but I want to bit lean and fit for the cruise and I keep telling myself I’ll eat that on the ship!  It’s not about what we eat, but how much we’re eating.  I’ll explain.

I’ve not had any sweets in 3-4 weeks.  Not milk chocolate anyway.  Might be longer, I honestly can’t recall the last time I had milk chocolate.  My husband finds us some Cadbury eggs at the store the other day.  I ‘reward myself and eat mine and it was disgustingly sweet!  Like too much.  I now understand when forgeiners complain about American Chocolate.  It’s gross!  But more to my point, while I want this to be a lifestyle… the life style should not be about limiting and completely removing foods from my life.  I like Doritos and pizza and cookies and cake.  But I’m not needing the whole thing (not that I ever did.)  You get my idea.  

Fasting has given me some clarity to what my body says and needs.  It’s not about shoveling food in my mouth because it’s time to eat or because it’s in the cupboard.  It’s about making choices to eat when you need it and to include foods that will fuel you rather than just scratch an itch.

I will say the first few days on the 16/8 plan were a bit messy.  I’d come to my fasting finishing time and I would feel so famished I’d want to binge eat.  I nearly did the other day, going to bed with a tummy ache.  Luckily I ate things like fruit and veggies and not things that would ruin my diet.  I need to really pay attention to what I’m eating and how fast I’m eating it.  I need to allow my body the time to take and send proper signals to tell me that I’m full or I should not get anymore food.  I did good tonight. I was hungry about an hr after I stared my fast.  Maybe I’m a little light on the caloric intake for the day, but that’s ok.  I’ll work off what I put on from overeating.







Sunday, January 28, 2024

New Year, new… Nevermind

 Well, I am focusing on myself.  However, the last few weeks, while it hasn’t stopped me, has brought less focus on that specifically.  My goal is to lose 5lbs/month until we leave for a cruise in December of 2025.  I’ve successfully lost 12 lbs since after Thanksgiving.  However, a week ago we learned my sister-in-law, my brother’s wife, suddenly left this world.  No words are enough to the questions that now remain.  She IS like a sister to me, because my brother has known her since High School.  My niece is 10, a birthday coming next week and she gets this…

I am nowhere near where my brother is on emotion, questions and having to return to life.  I get that.  

I do have so many questions.  Why was it so selfish to think this was the only answer?  Why did you feel you were so alone to the point you couldn’t say or do anything other than this?  If the ‘reasons’ you left are the ‘reasons’ used to excuse this, why not just face the music?

1. I fully understand I’ll never get the answers I’m looking for.  And I also understand these are my questions, my thoughts and not hers or her justifications to her actions.  I’m not wanting to paint a bad picture here to who she is or that I think she was weak for what she did.  Everyone grieves and in my grief I want to understand, knowing that I’ll never get to.  So that’s why I’m angry.  I’m angry because we won’t ever understand and we’re left with more questions than solutions.

2. My sister-in-law was very knowledgeable and strong on the outside.  I admired this, as she could put up with my brother and his shenanigans willingly.  I have to put up with him -he is my brother. She opted to and put him in line when he didn’t behave.  

3.  She’s good with kids and her own.  She always was fun to be around in the eyes of a kid.  She made it fun and worth it.  So much patience and shared time.  

I’m sure there is more to put here, but I’m really tired.  Yesterday was the funeral so that was on my mind, plus 24 hrs of Daytona and a lot was spent awake watching that.  Not to mention getting up early for church and not really having much of a nap anytime today.  

I know I have my thoughts on suicide and what I think it means when someone does such an act.  I think though in light of it being so close to home, it’s time we stop pretending to talk about things and start doing actions.  If someone is having a problem, we need to talk about it or make sure they get help.  Now in this case, we don’t know if that would have changed anything here - again, so many questions remain.   I think though it is important to walk away from this learning something or at the very least changing who you are in the light of what they were.  Yes, I thought suicide as cowardly and selfish.  It hurts me to say that when it’s your own family.  But was she?  Normally I’d say anything but - so let me eat my words by saying it’s important to be mindful of everyone.  What may be a simple fix for me, may not be so simple to just anyone.  It’s time to be accepting of their thoughts and feelings and just be there for them when they need it.  It may be just that simple.












Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Alone

 I thrive on being alone.  I feel I physically need it a times.  I'm not depressed or lonely.  I'm de-stressing myself or just putting myself in a less busy space.  I find myself getting very anxious, short with communication, or just not wanting to be around anyone (including family) when I need this time.  I don't really do anything in my recharge time.  Maybe I'll listen to a song, draw, write, or even do a cozy game that requires very little thinking or involvement on my part.  Once I have my time - it could be hours, or it could be a day or so, I'm fine.

I've been like this for as long as I can remember.  I enjoy just being alone.  There are times when I just want zero interruptions and I can remember getting in trouble for kicking a sibling out or just trying to ignore my spouse or (adult) kids.  It's not that I don't want to help them.  I do.  It's not that I don't love them.  I do.  And I enjoy spending time with them and having them in my life.  I enjoy going to places, shopping, or visiting friends.  BUT there are just times when I want to be alone.

Now is one of those times.  I can't handle the over-stimulation of communication or chatter in my bubble when I'm trying to be alone.  Sadly my spouse is just the opposite.  So I think they quite don't understand.

It's kind of hard to explain.  But it really recharges the mental state of who I am.  It puts back a focus (which I strongly have anyway), and it clears my head of all the stuff weighing me down.  It refreshes my brain in a way a nap would or a good vacation.  Only this time it's just me.  No other distractions.  No other sounds.  No other thoughts or interactions.  Just me.

I don't have to do this all the time.  Not really even once a month.  But there are times when it comes to a point that I just need to do this.  And I wish people would just leave me alone.

Christmas is near.

Some new events are going on in games for the holidays.  And I find it hard not to want to just play everything!

Phasmophobia has a Christmas event.  You collect pieces of a snowball-nerf gun and launch snowballs at mini snowmen across the marked maps.  Each map lists how many snowmen are within each map and will update as each snowman is eliminated.  Once you eliminate the snowmen on the map, a very special Christmas-themed hunt occurs.  Complete this for each marked map and you get a 2023 Christmas trophy and a new badge with a corresponding sticker.  

World of Warcraft.  Each year around the holidays, the Christmas event comes, with presents to be opened on Christmas day!  Last year I finally looted the Yole Tide hearthstone (something I collect), which actually took me a few years to obtain.  I'm not 100% sure what new items, if any will be provided.  I've already completed the Traveler's Post for the Christmas-y items I'm currently interested in.

Diablo IV.  I do believe there is an event going on in this game, but I know very little about it.  I have finally completed season 2 but I will go in and see what entails for this event to get a better understanding of that.

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet.  The 2nd DLC - The Indigo Disk releases tomorrow!  I'm excited to finish this and complete the game.  

I'm sure there are others and there are games that have recently been released, like Avatar Frontiers of Pandora and others that I'm enjoying.

I found out today I don't get as much time off at work to enjoy gaming as previously thought.  They took away 2 days we normally have off and are asking for OT the Saturday before.  Now we don't have plans this year for Christmas and the extra money will be nice - but the idea of this being dropped on us as a bomb 2 weeks before Christmas is really shitty.  I will do what it is I have to do... but I don't have to like it.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Halloween Wrap

Here are some screenshots of my recent achievements.  I'm working to complete my season pass for Diablo IV and completing the chapters.  Nearly done 68/90 on the pass and I'm mid-way through Chapter 5.

I decided to buy the Invincible Mount for DIV for my birthday and I bought it with no time to lose.  I noticed today after reset the mount was no longer available.



Doing some tiered dungeons, I ran into an old friend.  The Butcher from Diablo.


Moving on to Phasmophobia, this year's Halloween event involved going around to several of the maps, and finding a carved pumpkin, and in the pumpkin was a recipe card with a listed ingredient for a potion you were to make.  While we did go around each map, finding the pumpkins and ultimately the ghosts for that map, turns out, you didn't need to do that.  If you had the list of ingredients and the locations of where they were found on the newly introduced camp Woodwind map, you could just go straight there and make the potion.  Completing the potion released this animation that put this skull in the sky like Voldemort and turned the moon/sky red.


Coming back to your lobby and trophy room, you are awarded this year's trophy.  I just started playing this game this month, so I don't have last year's trophy or the other past holidays.


These trophy cases contain the cursed items you find on the maps.  Each map (with current settings) only contains 1 cursed item and it's random each time.  However, the location of the cursed item on that map is static.  I am missing a few Tarot cards, (but there are 6 in each 'attempt' and I've just not had the RNG to get the ones I'm missing.)  And I finally filled the section for the summoning circle.  You have to light the candles, which suprise!  Summons the ghost.  And then book it to a safe location before they catch you and kill you.


Hidden Halloween fun!


The Ghosts eventually move in on you if you're standing in the center.  This is the full image of what it looks like.


Lastly, for WOW, here is Arfus.  Apparently, this is a low-chance drop.  3 of us were trying to get it during the halloween event and I was the only one who was able to obtain one.


 

Friday, October 27, 2023

Holiday games fun.

So with the holiday of Halloween near, a lot of games have holiday-specific events going on.  
  • World of Warcraft: The Headless Horsemen. - Now I've gotten this mount several years ago.  In fact, I remember getting this mount, I believe the year we moved down to Texas, which was 2010.  This year, however, there were some new things added, including dragon armor and a Lick King pup, Arfus, which I was to finally successfully loot earlier this week!
  • Phasmophobia - a new ghost-hunting game I'm thoroughly addicted to.  For Halloween they added a potion-making event where you would go around to various maps, collecting recipe cards containing the necessary ingredients to make the potion on the final map.  I completed this tonight with a buddy awarding us with a special specific Halloween '23 trophy for our trophy displays AND also getting a new badge showing we've completed the event.  These unlocked items and trophies are only available during the event and change yearly and with each new holiday.  It's best to get them while you can!
  • Diablo 4.  I'm sad that I didn't really catch on to season 1 and really missed out on it.  I only completed maybe Chapters 1 or 2 and really only a handful of season journey rewards.  For Season 2, I'm happy to say I'm almost completed with Chapter 4 and almost to level 70 in the season pass.  I will be completing this for sure as I want the armor unlocks and the mounts.  (Plus, I paid money for this, it will be best to complete this to not waste that.)
Ark, usually has a holiday event but due to Ark Acsended and the debacle going on with Snail games and their attitude toward limiting the players to where they want you to play (hosted services, etc) I will not be buying that game.  I've already bought enough of Ark - season passes, maps, and other various games over the years I rightfully deserve the game as they originally intended, for free with Ark 2 Purchase!  But the devs became greedy and now want to charge for every little thing, Ascended and Ark 2. 

So I've not been playing Ark sadly.  Not that I've had time really.  Between Phasmo, WOW, D4, Mario and pokemon - I still must go to work and "peoplize" myself. 

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Trying something

 With World of Warcraft HC out on classic.  I’ve decided to try that - slowly.  But also level a new character on retail, as if I were a brand new player.  

1.No heirloom gear (minor leveling bonus, but gear that you can use and never really have to swap out or upgrade as it will always be slightly better than any reward given.)

2. No bought gear/weapons from Auction House (anything that would give me an advantage while leveling.)  I bought 2 glyphs, which are visual changes only.

3.  I’m leveling the way the game wants me to - as a brand new player.  The developer revamped Battle for Azeroth for starting player and I was curious how or what they did.

My Mag’har Orc Shaman, dressed with wolf attire

This was taken at level 35, attributes and gear.

What I find surprising, is how fast I’m leveling.  I’m level 40 as of last night before I logged off to go to bed.  At level 50 I will be able to get the Mag’har heritage armor.  At level 60 I can go to current content.  And - I’m not done leveling where I am at.  I still have half the zone I’m in, plus a whole second zone.

If for some reason, that’s not enough, I still have 7 other expansions to gain more levels in!


Showing zero deaths

My log of quests that I’ve done.

My log of kills.


I have shared the last few images to show that I am leveling.  You can cheese this game in buying or paying someone gold to have them earn the xp for you to level, while you just stand there and soak it all in.  You can even leave your computer running and go do something else while you’re ‘leveling.’  I wouldn’t say this is good practice, especially if you’re new to the game or new to the class you’re wanting to play.  (Because you wouldn’t learn how to play it, if you allow someone to level for you..)

While I do have another shaman on the alliance faction, it’s been a while since I really played with that character and I figured I’d refresh my brain leveling and playing with a new one.  They are really fun.

I will say I’ve only come close to death 1x.  While I am reading the quests, apparently I missed the objective on one particular one.  A lot of quests require you to be in a “vehicle” doing something for the objective and I wasn’t in the vehicle.  I wasn’t getting credit either so I figured it out quick… but historically when they have you do that, the mobs are 10x harder than they should be requiring that vehicle.  I was killing everything no problem.  My issue was there were some groups that were just bigger than I could handle solo.



Diet, nutrition and fasting

 So since Thanksgiving I’ve been increasing my WW (Weight Watcher’s) logging and following the easy point system.  I have lost a total of 15...