Hmm... 10K calorie challenge?

 Well... the intake:

Let's take Hafþór Björnsson's diet. That's about 10.000 kcal :-D

Breakfast:
6 fried eggs, lots of bacon, french toast, and orange juice.

Second breakfast:
Rice, spinach, bison, stock, and an orange
(About 200 g meat, a cup of rice (boiled), 1 tbs butter, and 1 tbs dextrose. Yes. Sugar.)

Elevensies:
the same as 2nd breakfast

Lunch:
the same as 2nd breakfast + carrots and eggs

Afternoon tea:
the same as lunch

Dinner:
Steak and potatoes, carrots, spinach

Supper:
French fries and chicken wings

that's seven meals, and to get to 10.000, each should be about 1500

Some changes to add calories:

Change the breakfast to modified full English

6 slices of bacon, 4 fried eggs - in butter - 2 links of sausages, 1 fried tomato, 3 slices French toast, with 1 tbs orange marmalade on each, washed down with a large cup of milk tea, and a glass of orange juice

About 2000 kcal.

- pastries, the fatter the better. Lots of cream and sugar, like caramel. Chocolate. There's about 300 kcal in a croissant. Eating two croissants with filling, like bacon and cream cheese shouldn't be too hard. Wash it down with juice or a milkshake. Some 600 kcal in cookies and cream milkshake. 

So, what to do? 

It's easier to eat through 10.000 calories than to burn them. A marathon burns about 3,500 kcal. Ironman competition burns about 8.000-10.000 kcal. That's a marathon, 4k swim and 180k biking. The current record is about 8 hours for men and 9 for women. It will likely take 12 hours for an average person. 

Especially if you are eating all that stuff! 

Basically, all the aerobic exercises, like running, biking, rowing, dancing, whatever makes you sweat and breathe harder, burn calories. So - choose 12 hours of your favorite aerobic exercises. If you don't like biking, don't go biking. Just remember it's not leisurely jogging, you have to work to burn those babies. :-D

Let a search engine decide...

 

My breakfast:

Smoothie bowl

Cardio exercise: The Best Fat-Blasting Cardio Exercises You Can Do in Your Living Room

Yoga sequence: Yoga Sequence for Core Strength by Jason Crandell

Lunch: Buddha Bowl

Strength building exercises: 

Dinner: Carbonara

Afternoon stretches

supper

Frankly, I don't know what that is, except that it's plantbased and soup. I wonder if "supper" means soups here, or supper... I assume it's soups. :-D

So... carrot soup? Pumpkin soup? I think I'll make some vegan golden soup. (And then fry some bacon on it... >:->)

The progress so far

 I'm doing good with the languages 

I am struggling with the food, though. 1 kg per week weight loss is good, but I am not keeping the diet, and that bugs me. Also, the exercises aren't happening :-(

Well, well, I have the rest of my life to do this :-D

I was watching the "Eat 10.000 kcal, burn 10.000 kcal" and I'm having difficulties understanding the thinking of these guys.

Ok, so they all have problems with sleeping because they start eating at midnight - something they don't usually do - and don't get enough sleep, the sleep isn't too good (because of the unusual, huge meal at midnight), and they are tired and not rested the next day. All these guys are good at exercising, so why do they change something so important the night before something so important?

Also, they don't drink/eat the way they usually do for heavy workout days. Which causes the exercise not to go as well and easy as it should. 

They also all eat just things like junk food, pastries, and candy, so their body isn't fuelled as well as it could be. 

Now, Dwayne Johnson is said to eat about 5000 kcal every day. 

“Power Breakfast” (meal #1)

According to his Instagram, the Rock enjoys a “Power Breakfast” after he finishes his first workout of the day:

flank steak (8 ounces)

eggs (whole and egg whites)

brown rice (1.5 cups)

sautéed mushrooms, onions, and peppers

Mid-morning (meal #2)

cod (8 ounces)

sweet potato (12 ounces)

vegetables (1 cup)

Lunch (meal #3)

chicken (8 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

vegetables (1 cup)

Mid-afternoon (meal #4)

cod (8 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

vegetables (1 cup)

fish oil (1 tbsp.)

Late afternoon (meal #5)

steak (8 ounces)

baked potato (12 ounces)

spinach salad

First dinner (meal #6)

cod (10 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

salad (leafy greens)

Second dinner (meal #7)

egg white omelet (10 eggs)

vegetables (1 cup)

fish oil (1 tbsp.)

whey protein (30 grams)

The Rock gets a bulk of his calories throughout the day from protein and carbohydrates and a moderate amount of fat. His diet is balanced with lots of vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates.

Post-workout shake

The Rock also sometimes consumes a post-workout smoothie within 10 minutes of finishing his workout.

According to his Instagram, his post-workout smoothie contains:

65–70 grams of whey protein

1 apple

30 grams of carbohydrate powder

1 scoop of electrolyte powder

creatine

water

ice

I would use this as the base for the 10.000 kcal diet, just choose the fatter alternative (like salmon instead of cod, whole eggs instead of egg whites, chicken thighs instead of breast filets), add sauces, oil, butter, add nut butter to the workout smoothie, throw in a couple of dates, spoon in coconut oil in everything, it doesn't taste much but adds calories. 

I think I'd also divide it further, eat more often, small meals, to help my stomach deal with the amount of food. 

And then I would do a variation of the Iron Man race. Apparently, swimming 4 km, biking 180 km, and running a marathon burn about 8000-10.000 kcal. :-D

A year ago...

 I posted "101 things in 1001 days - one more try". And then I promptly proceeded to forget everything about it and this blog. :-D

Do you think it's going to be better this year?

Nah. :-D

I'm in the mood to learn languages, so I found "Improve Your German in January 2024", and the first prompt was to find three things I look forward to this year. 

I have nothing.

Then I started thinking, what would a perfect year look like?

I just had a very disappointing Christmas. The Christmas Spirit just didn't appear, even when I was trying to do all kinds of things to make it do that. I suppose it's that I'm not 10 any longer and youngest of 6 children. When I was a kid, I had a big family to celebrate Christmas with, and now we are only two, and my husband is Jewish and doesn't celebrate Christmas. A bit hard to get into the Christmas spirit, isn't it :-D

So that is one thing I'd love to change. I want to look forward to Christmas and other holidays of the year, arrange great parties for each of them, and have the home decorated and filled with holiday spirit. And then, after dinner, cuddle in a comfy chair with a book, a cat, a cup of tea, and a plate filled with baked goodies, and nibble away... though that's a wintry delight. Something else for Spring and Summer.

Another thing on my mind is that I would like to travel. And I would like it to be as comfortable as possible. Which means, that I need to be fit. And I need to have my travel wardrobe in perfect working order. I want to be able to eat anything and enjoy it, too, and I want to be able to speak the language and feel at home wherever I go. I think I'll plan a bus tour of Europe with my hubby. 

Being fit and light, having a working wardrobe, being able to eat and enjoy food, and being able to speak several languages fluently, that's a good plan.

Then I want to be a reading person. I really want to read at least 124 books this year. And I want to read books in different languages, not just English. I CAN read books in French and German, and I KNOW that is the best way to upkeep languages, and not only to upkeep them, but improve them. Yet I don't do it. :-( Stupid me.

I also want to be an artist and an artisan. There, too, I CAN, but I don't do anything. :-(

Another thing would be to get my home in perfect condition. To have a home I'm proud of, that I can invite people in, at any moment. Open my door to everyone. I would LOVE to be so rich that I could buy me a Jugend apartment in Stockholm, and a big one, with 3-4 rooms. And to be able to hire a housekeeper and secretary. 

That's another dream I know I could make real. I want to write. Write, translate, illustrate. And get really, really rich :-D So that I can do all those things I want to do. 

101 things in 1001 days - one more try

I tried to do "101 things in 1001 days" already back in 2006, but I didn't do much. It's hard to understand that 2006 was almost 20 years ago :-D 

Creating your own 1001 Day Project

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal-setting tips:

1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Now, I am a slightly different person today than 17 years ago, so all the 101 things on my 2006 list won't be on my 2023 list, but it is a good place to start.

1. Read a book every week, a book I haven’t read before, from the “lists”

I want to get all the books I've ever read in a reading journal somehow... I wish I could get my library records from the time I was little, because I have just a vague memory of the book, and that's not enough to find the book.

2. Keep a reading journal

3. Visit the library every month

Visit the library once a month and hide a surprise in a library book every time you visit. With your home page URL, and invitation to visit and leave a note. "I loved this book, so if you like it, too, we might become good friends. Come see me at --- and contact me. 

4. Hide a surprise in a library book every time you visit

5. Buy me a fairytale book every month and learn one fairytale by heart from it

I want to learn kouji to add to my storytelling

6. Write every day

7. Keep a writing journal (at least once a week)

8. Keep a dream journal – write every day, even when I don’t remember the dream

9. Write a book this year and get it published by a “real” publisher

10. Translate 2 books this year

11. Get a laptop

12. Finish NaNoWriMo

13. Write an art journal page every day

14. Make a good picture every week with colored pencils – not a sketch but a finished picture, with background and all

15. Frame one piece of art every two months

16. Buy a fin de siècle graphic piece or a piece of original modern art twice a year

17. Practice portrait drawing

18. Finish the family portraits

19. Send a message with a balloon

20. Send a message in a bottle

21. Drop 10 toys in town during this time

22. Click free every day

23. Become a better blog pal: Visit 10 blogs every month, and leave a comment when you visit

24. Fix the website

25. Empty the mailbox

26. Meet an internet friend

27. Write a letter to siblings every month

28. Celebrate holidays – all of them

29. Send self-made cards on holidays

30. write the sabbath books

31. Get 8 sabbath boxes

32. Clean the apartment

33. Give away 100 items to a charity shop

34. For every new item that enters the home, give or throw away 2

35. Do the dishes every day

36. Do the laundry every week

37. Decorate the house to fit our personality and lifestyle

38. Go to 2 picnics this summer

39. Have a tea party

40. Celebrate the 40th properly

41. Keep the economical plan

42. Learn to play D&D

43. have a game night with friends

44. replace our plants – 1 a month

44. 100 species challenge

45. learn to make preserves, sweet and savory

46. plant a tree every year

Grow at least one tree every month, raised from the seeds of the fruit you've eaten, and plant them in the forest during the summer. Choose domestic fruit or nuts.

47. learn to make cheese, yogurt, quark

48. learn to bake Danish rye bread

49. learn to bake Danish pastries

50. Learn fruit carving

51. Learn to trim the dog

52. Get a professional trimming machine and scissors

53. Train the dog well in basic obedience and some tricks

54. Do one craft from “the blog archive” every month

55. Finish Summer of Socks, 52 pairs and Socktober with honor – more than 3 pairs of socks, thank you 

56. Make a dorodango of Kangaslampi dirt

Make a dorodango of the dirt from every place you have lived in. 

57. Make two dozen handkerchiefs to reduce the paper waste

58. Make reusable pads to reduce the waste

59. Keep a health journal

60. Make a kite and fly it

61. Learn 10 card tricks

62. Learn to read cards well and read cards to a stranger

63. Learn to do my own Gothic make-up and wear it in public

64. Learn to use high-heel shoes

65. Take my shoes to a cobbler

66. Get a corset

Make myself a corset

67. Get a tattoo

Learn to make tattoos

68. Fix the sewing machine

69. Design and make a summer wardrobe

70. Plan the world round trip

71. Fix passports

72. Learn 10 languages well

73. Learn sign language

74. Learn shorthand

75. Learn speed reading

76. Learn 10 different mnemonic techniques

77. Get to the law school

78. Move to Turku, Finland

79. Take photo booth photos with Henric

80. Visit one exhibition, art gallery, or museum every month

81. See a hockey game live with Henric

82. Go to a theater with Henric

83. Keep a dream journal – write every morning something, even when I don’t remember the dream

84. Learn to play guitar well

85. Learn to play accordion well

86. Sing karaoke in public

87. Give a speech in public

88. Treat me with things from my wishlist

89. Trace my family back 6 generations

90. Take a first aid/CPR course

91. Donate blood 5 times

92. Loose 40 kg (target 70 kilos)

93. Exercise more

94. Sleep 8 hours every night

95. Learn to control panic anxiety and social phobia

96. Learn to control overachieving, unreasonable expectations, perfectionism, and stress

97. Learn to control codependency

98. LIVE

Now, this one... I had a "live instead of existing" on my 43 things list. And I was thinking about what it means. 

One thing is using the senses. To see, listen, taste, smell, and touch something beautiful every day.

Another thing is experiencing things. Do new things, do things that scare me, go on adventures.

A third thing is a mindfulness. Seeing and experiencing the holy in everyday things, like cleaning. Focusing on things I do. I mean, there's nothing wrong having a movie night with hubby and just potate on the couch, but I should be doing that, and not doing internet and other things like that on the side.

A fourth thing is keeping this body in as optimal peak condition as I can. And that means a lot. I should be able to do Iron Man, parkour, contortionism, and Wim Hof. :-D

99. Keep an illustrated blog about this list and how it goes

100. write a new list

101. have a party 

If I start 1/1-23, the last day will be September 28th, 2025. 

Day 3 of Autumn

 The maple outside our window is starting to blush. It's just a hint, just a whisper, but it's there. The sky is high and clear, and it's slightly windy. Yes, this is Autumn. I love Autumn.

Today I'm going to talk a little bit more about journaling. 

On my Bucket List, there's "sharpen your observational skills by drawing". During the Victorian times, upper-class children were taught to draw and illustrate their journals because photography wasn't as normal as it is today :-D We have "the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady"

You can also practice some other skills with this:

- watercolor painting

- to observe and deduct like Sherlock Holmes

- drawing from memory (It's mostly a practice thing, but I have always wanted to be able to draw from memory, for example people's portraits - to draw accurate portraits of people I just saw once in the bus, or things like that. So that if I witness a crime, I could give the police a drawing that's as good as a photograph... But that would be useful with drawing animals as well. Wild animals don't tend to pose for a portrait :-D)

August 3rd is the International Beer Day and the Watermelon Day. There's plenty of beer related bucketlist goals, to me, brewing beer is the most interesting. On my bucketlist, and Autumn bucketlist is "learn to brew mead, ale, cider, wine". It takes about 4-8 weeks to brew beer from scratch, so if you start now, you can feast with your own homemade beer on October fest. (Also, August 6th is the Mead Day. Two flies with one swat, huh? :-D)

About watermelons. Learn to pick the best watermelon, and learn to conserve watermelon rind. There's plenty to do with that, both sweet and savory conserves. 

Day 2 of Autumn

 The best thing today was seeing a wild rat playing with two magpies. First I thought the magpies were harassing the rat, but then I saw how the rat stopped to wait for the magpies to catch up. :-D

In my October 2019 posts I'm talking about getting better with photographing. Start with October 1st, if you want to go through three different 30 days photography classes :-D Some links might be dead, but - that's internet. I'm sure you'll find something equivalent online.

Then some words about the Autumn Daily

- It is Ali Edward's December Daily, but adjusted for Autumn, so browns, oranges, reds and yellows, with a dash of burgundy, instead of green, red, white, silver and gold. Leaves instead of snowflakes. Forest animals, pine cones, and other Autumn imagery. You get the picture

- It is also for three months and not for one month

- Don't wait for the first day to begin it. Prepare it in good time beforehand. Get inspiration from Autumn themed scrapbooking pages and December Daily pages, collect Autumn themed imagery and scrapbook papers and other things you can think of using in your journal. It is totally fine to make the pages before, and just add the photos and journaling in December. Actually, it's better, because then you can make the pages when you have time and inclination, and it makes it easier, and thus more realistic, to journal the days. 

- Write a preliminary plan for what you want to photograph and journal about. For December Daily, there are several lists about Christmas traditions, like cookie baking and Christmas tree decorating, that can be planned on a certain day of December, and then, of course, you will have your December Daily page about that. 

- You can also leave the photographing for one day of the week... when you look at your journal many years later, no-one will remember or know about you "cheating". I suppose the only thing to change this is the weather. If snowfall is a rarity in where you live, you must go out and take photos of it when it happens. If there are some events on certain days, you have to photograph them when they happen. This is self evident, but most of the days can be photographed on the same day. (If you want to keep your "cheat" a secret, just see that the people in the photos aren't wearing the same things all the time :-D)

- Journaling is best done every day, because you will forget. It doesn't need to be complicated and fancy, just write something short about the things that made you happy that day. If you can't find anything that made you happy, make yourself happy. It could be anything, like the luxury of clean sheets on the bed. (We change the sheets every week, and it's still a luxury :-D). Or getting a special breakfast. Having a movie night. Finding a new, lovely book to read. You could also write quotes in your journal, like song lyrics or Autumn quotes you find online. 

Beginner's Guide to Creating a December Daily Album