I have a lot to talk about. I'll start with the art stuff, then move onto a new 4-month fitness goal.
FBX Art Bloc
Have you ever sat back, observed your local art scene, reflected on what it has been in the past, and wondered how to change it? I did that. I decided to create a facebook page and group called FBX Art Bloc. Bloc, as in, a group of likeminded people. I started discussions back in November. I felt like I was onto something, but I wasn't quite sure what. I just had this idea that the local art scene in Fairbanks was not super cohesive and NOT like it once was.
The idea is to have a jumble of various types of artists talking to each other to form a more cohesive arts scene. I was talking to a fellow artist about an art show idea and inviting some local taxidermists to have some pieces featured. I think that would be fabulous. You don't often see a lot of mixing; I mean, it's usually a photography show or a particular painter or something like that. There's a feeling of disjoint, of disconcertion.
One thing that I have missed are poetry slams. We just had the first one on 12/3/2020 and it was fantastic! We were all masked. The venue was small, but that's fine. It was a nice space. I should give a shout out (for any locals or interested parties) to The Oscar Wilde Memorial Book Society - an LGBT+ friendly cafe that just opened up September 2020 over by UAF. It's a quaint little spot and the owner invited us to have another poetry slam in January.
I'd absolutely love to set up some art shows and even set up a small film festival.
The Road to Physique
The last week of November, I weighed myself to find that I had officially dropped 25lbs since last year. That's with all the covid bullshit shutting down the gyms for a while, allergies (thanks birch pollen), and getting on track. If you have read past posts, then you know I'm big on fitness.
I just found out about the Judgement Day bodybuilding competition earlier this week. It's 4 months away.
I'm going to try my hardest to get competition ready for this.
What this means is that I have to drop 12-15% body fat. I have to eat a certain way every day. I have to be strict on my workouts (twice a day M-F, cardio only on Saturday).
I think I might be able to get myself to either a figure or physique state. If not, then I know they have other shows later on and I can make one of those.
I have a hard time reducing body fat; but it's not impossible - just a little slow. My lean body mass is at 133lbs - which is an extra 33lbs above the average. That means I literally just have to reduce body fat for already established muscles to show. That doesn't mean that I should stop lifting weights, quite the opposite. I've never had a spray tan or a bikini wax (which I think you kind of need).
I spent this last week working out a readjustment for my diet. Nothing major, but I wasn't really reaching my protein macros. As it ends up, I'll have to add in a fourth meal. I was thinking that it might be a neat idea to do a vlog sort of thing, especially since I'm currently at 200lbs. I think I need to get down to roughly 150lbs or so.
If you aren't sure of the current categories for women's bodybuilding or what they mean, here is a basic overview.
Today was a cardio-only day. I ran for 35 minutes, burned 374 calories, and stuck to my diet plan. It's also my birthday. I'm notoriously bad at starting things right on my b-day. No cake, no pie, no special dinner. Dinner tonight, like all other nights, is going to be turkey and cauliflower. I generally have turkey, fish, or seafood with either broccoli or cauliflower for dinner.
My schedule is not for most people. I'm up at 3:30am to hit the gym, then I go to work (kind of early because of the construction industry), off by 3pm, then it's time for a 30-45 minute run at home. I use a gazelle glider. They don't cost a lot and don't take up a ton of room. I have mine situated on a 3'x5' rubber mat from Home Depot. I tend to NOT eat after 5pm (or I might push it to 5:30pm), but I do finish the night with a pot of tea.
I don't usually go out, and now with covid I really don't venture out much, so it's a really great time to focus on myself.