Good Morning, my friends! Happy new year! After taking the last two weeks off for the holiday season, GoodAttitudeFood.com and the Workout Workout of the Week post is back! To kick off the new week and the new year on the positive, this is the Workout of the Week. This is The Return From the Outer Worlds Workout.
The Outer Worlds a really fun video game that I purchased for myself on PS4. I have spent hours of the last week roaming the planets of this interesting virtual world. I did not spend my whole break gaming while I was away from the blog:
- I went ice fishing at Red Lake with my buddies
- I went to my Mom’s 60th Birthday – Love you mom! HAPPY 60TH!
- I spent Christmas with family
- I hung out with friends
- I went disc golfing
- I went to the gym several times
- I walked outdoors when I could
- I saw Star Wars… 🙂
But I did log some time in-game on The Outer Worlds. A very cool game, much like the Fallout games but so far with no bugs. It has been fun “exploring the immersive world in this game, but it is time to get back to the real world!
Tomorrow (as I am writing this Sunday Morning) I return to work. Tomorrow, I am back into the real world. Hence the aptly named title of this post – Return from the Outer Worlds.
Mindset
To get back into the swing of work again I am focusing on my mindset. One way I do that is by listening to motivational videos on YouTube. I found a great compilation video from the YouTube channel Absolute Motivation. Check out their channel! They have hours of awesome free content.
Mel Robbins
The compilation video from Absolute has a section with one of my favorites: Mel Robbins. Her book, The 5 Second Rule, was a great listen on Audible. In the video, she speaks from about 3:23 to 10:45. Mel’s simple concepts are great to help with overcoming some anxieties.
“5.4.3.2.1 – Drive forward!”
Another great point that Mel makes is she doesn’t think the human brain ever stops learning.
Does The Human Brain Stop Learning?
There is some evidence that the brain continues to develop through life. This article on PBS.org is interesting! Check out the link for more.
Most research tp now suggests people’s brains stop “developing” at age 25.
Are “developing” and “learning” the same thing?
Can a fully developed brain still learn?
I don’t have those answers.
All I know is what I lived.
My Experience
I got mostly As and Bs in grade school and high school with very little effort to learn. I graduated high school, went to a semester of college, and then dropped out before completing the first term.
I did not attempt to learn much of anything from age 18 to age 24, besides maybe the skills needed to work entry-level jobs.
Around age 24 I started trying to learn guitar. I also started to read books. Mainly Stephen King novels – The Dark Tower Series. Then all kinds of fiction books.
I attended online college from age 28 to 34 while working a full-time job. While in college, I got an A in all but three classes, earned two degrees, graduated with a 3.92 cumulative GPA, and have the words “Summa Cum Laude” printed on my second degree.
Music, Reading, and Exercise
Around when I returned to school I was practicing guitar an hour a day. I was reading about a novel a month depending on the length of the book. I had also just purchased a spin bike and started exercising more frequently.
The combo of trying to play music, reading books, and going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active lifestyle like “re-woke” my lazy brain.
Learning Goal Setting Changed the Game in School.
Once in school, I took a class that was all about goal setting. I had never known how to really set real goals until this class. Learning to set goals changed the whole game!
I developed what I call LPSAGs – said like “lip-sags”. LPSAGs are my key to getting any goal!
Little Puny Specifically Aligned Goals.
The Brain is like a Muscle
The brain is like a muscle. It can be developed.
Like exercising a muscle, we get back what we put in.
I think we can make it so our brains never stop learning. All we have to do is choose to keep trying to learn new stuff!
No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire”
L. Frank Baum — HE WROTE THE WIZARD OF OZ! 🙂
While I cannot say scientifically there was a change in my brain development during this period of time, I can 100% say that I don’t think a brain ever stops learning unless you let it stop learning.
I think we are the captain and the brain takes orders. If we keep the brain working it stays strong and can continue to learn. If we are lazy and let the brain be lazy, it will stop learning. The best part though, and the reason I talk about my past, is because I think that with effort any brain can keep learning and it is never too late to start!
I think my experience shows that a brain is never too old to learn something new!
On to the food!
The Food – Kodiak Cakes Oatmeal
This week I am highlighting a new food I am trying out. It is the Kodiak Cakes brand instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is one of my go-to “training foods”. I have been doing bike work – HIIT and FIIT intervals on a spin bike, and oatmeal is great food for me when doing this type of training.
One thing to worry about with many instant oatmeals is the added sugar.
More Protein Than Sugar
One of my rules for “quick” boxed foods is more protein than sugar. While the Kodiak Cakes have 10 grams of sugar, they do have 12 grams of protein – **When using milk. So they fit the rule – more protein than sugar. Anyone on a sugar restricted diet should look elsewhere for oatmeal I think.
I like that it has a list of real ingredients. Mostly “non-chemically” sounding stuff. Read the labels of some other instant oatmeals. There is some weird stuff in those little pouches. I like that this brand has real ingredients. I purchased mine at Target but I think they are available at most grocery stores.
Overall I think they have a good product.
But is there too much sugar???
The sugar is really what has me on the fence with being all-in. I would like to see them come out with a sugar-free option. Maybe stevia?
Otherwise, the oatmeal is good! I like it with milk instead of water. I also like to add a banana and/or a tablespoon of peanut butter.
This is great “training food” for when I am doing HIIT and FIIT workouts. I like to eat 20 minutes or so before a workout. Or it’s good for an after workout snack too! It’s a good idea to eat about half an hour after a workout. This is import for the body to replenish the energy is lost during a workout.
Other Kodiak Cakes Foods
I have also tried a Kodiak Cakes brand “muffin in a bowl”. It was ok. The same thing stands for me with the oatmeal, I would like to see a sugar-free option from them. I like the list of real ingredients. I like the food. I just need less added sugar.
For taste and “real” ingredients, I give Kodiak Cakes a plus rating. If you are looking for sugar-free options, keep looking. Overall I like the food. The oatmeal is good. The muffin in a bowl thing is good too. For quick meals with mostly real food stuff, I think this is a decent brand. I think they also have pancake mixes and other products.
My only complaint is the amount of added sugar. If they do have a sugar-free option I will be checking it out for sure!
The Workout
The Gym Stuff
Warm-up – Anyone who reads the blog knows I always do a dynamic warm-up before a workout, or disc golf, or even a walk! I like this one from Fight Tips. This is pretty much a part of my everyday routine. I do this at the gym, in the disc golf parking lot, or wherever I am!
The Abs Workout
I like to do this right after the dynamic warm-up – 30 seconds to 1 minute of rest. Then into the abs routine.
Interval timer – 8 x 20X10
- crunches,
- sit-up, twist, opposite toe touch,
- full Sit-up
- leg lifts
- flat plant
- side-plank left
- side-plank right
- slow push-up – DDPY style – like 5 seconds down, hover for 5-seconds in prone, explode up and hold for the rest. Go slower and hold longer in prone if you can.
Rower
Row machine. 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy on for 10 minutes. Interval timer – 10 x 30X30. FIIT principles.
FIIT= Flow Intensity Interval Training. It’s a lot like the concept of FTP – functional threshold of power or the output of power you can sustain for 1-hour of work – for the hard effort. Or on a scale of 1-10, work at an 8 out of 10 for the hard, and a 5 out of 10 for the easy effort.
GCN Bike Video
GCN bike videos helped me go from a dude who weighed over 240lbs to a dude who weighs currently about 168lbs. I love doing their workouts. I just play these on my phone at the gym and ride along with them. I will be doing a GCN workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Last week I just picked random videos as I sat on the bike. I think I will do that again this week. Here is a great example video. These GCN workouts changed my life and the videos are free! You don’t need to spend a ton of money to get a bike workout! Thanks GCN!
Walking/Step Goals
On the days I am not riding a spin bike to a GCN video I will be walking, either on a lake path or on a treadmill.
We will see how the weather is and play the location accordingly.
The goal – 4 days of 7,000 steps or more this week!
Still Counting up to 1,000 miles walked.
At last count I was at 384.27 miles walked on my way to 1,000. I did a lot of walking over the last few weeks while away from the blog, but I don’t feel like going back and counting through them all so I am just starting the count again this week.
Adding Miles Biked Count!
I am also going to add my miles biked count to the post and start a new toll on that.
The Workout Schedule
A workout schedule is a key tool when you want to achieve fitness goals.
It’s a good personal accountability tool. Here is mine for the week:
Go Farther in Lightness
As I return to the normal world it is time to get back and focus. A huge thank you to Absolute Motivation for the awesome videos! Thanks to GCN and FightTips too! Please check out their channels!
In closing this week I leave you with the words from the band Gang of Youth – “Go farther in hope. Go farther. Go farther in lightness.” I hope your hero walks in hope and lightness (when returning from the outer worlds!). Be happy and healthy my friends! Be the hero in your story!