So, in case it wasn't horribly apparent, this blog has been on an extended, unintentional hiatus. I've been in a pretty poor headspace for a while, including the unique irritation that comes from being injured once you've grown used to a certain fairly high level of physical activity. Thankfully, I'm back on the horse with exercise, and taking a different tack to it. I noticed that my overly aggressive pace seemed related to my desire for variety: in a lifting program, improvement just means bigger numbers, which is boring to me. In a calisthenics/gymnastics/movement-focused program, improvement means entirely new techniques and skills in most cases.
My desire to push on ahead to some of the truly amazing feats currently out of my reach needs to be tempered with a realistic progression scheme. So, I'm dialing back the intensity on my strength training and rebuilding my foundation, but I'm also putting more emphasis on shoring up weak spots (grip strength and core strength) and building more flexibility, mobility and balance.
My biggest physical concern in the physical department is, honestly, meeting my daily caloric needs while keeping costs down. I'm a hard-gainer to be sure. Based on the results of my current diet and the results, I'm aiming for 3200 kcal every day, with the following break down:
Carbohydrates: 8 to 15% - 256 to 480 kcal - 64 to 120 g
Protein: 16-22% - 512 to 704 kcal - 128 to 176 g
Fat: 67-76% - 2144 to 2432 kcal - 238 to 271 g
Doing that on a budget is not the easiest thing in the world. Making sure I get my necessary micronutrients from produce (with low calories-per-dollar ratios) while doing so is a challenge. Coming up with things that can be made in bulk to save cooking time each week is not quite so hard, but becomes much harder when you also add the stipulate of trying to make it tasty. Oh, and I'm also trying to make this work with an intermittent fasting plan.
On the larger life-goals front, I've rethought my strategy with regards to writing--again. I'm still pinning most of my hopes on novels and other long-form works, but having come across Patreon, I'm no longer thinking of smaller works as a total wash. Instead, I think they can return to being useful projects to keep my momentum up and keep me thinking while also still yielding some financial return. My intention is to create a regular online literary supplement of sorts, featuring short stories, poetry, and serialized work, and to offer that up for free while encouraging Patreon and/or PayPal Donation support. It can serve as a way to generate immediate buzz and thereby strengthen my position when the time comes to start publishing larger works, and also to chip away at my financial woes and free up more time for the things I want to do.
Realism demands, of course, that I acknowledge that Patreon is still relatively unknown (compared to its large-project cousin, Kickstarter), and that writing is no match for music or video content in the popularity department, so I do not expect the staggering returns that a few of the most well-known Youtube creators are seeing through the service. Even so, every bit helps towards building a personal brand.
This week is going to be a bit of a calibration process as I figure a few variables out, but regardless it's good to be back in action. Cheers.
Learning again,
~L
