Ann's Immaterium

Mostly physical culture but also writing, gaming, and other dark procrastinations

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Work Outs: Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2020 (A meatloaf and a spider.)

Sun, November 29th

I made a planted-based meatloaf today using this recipe from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen.* I made a double batch and went somewhat by the recipe, but with some differences:

  • I used dried, minced onion because we were out of onion powder.
  • I used Panko bread crumbs.
  • I went half and half with Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce because we were almost out of the former.
  • I mixed the ketchup into the loaf before cooking instead of putting it on top as the recipe suggested. Additionally, I brushed a tablespoon of barbeque sauce on top before cooking.
  • I cooked the loaf in a Pyrex loaf pan instead of on a baking sheet.

We enjoyed the finished product and I also liked how easy it was to make. (Meatloaf in general is a pretty easy recipe.) I used Impossible Burger meat this time. The next time I might try Beyond Beef, which we highly favor for taco night. The only possible negative I noticed this time was that it had a somewhat compacted texture. This did make it easy to slice and would make for good sandwiches.

Mon, November 30th

Morning Walk: 3.30 miles. Calories: 2054, Protein: 135 g.

Tues, December 1st

Morning Walk: 3.10 miles.

I didn’t like how my left index finger felt today when I was doing some warm-up sets with the hand grippers, so I decided to give the Captains of Crush a miss today. One thing I’ve learned over the years is not to “work through” small things like this.

Deck of Cards Workout

SuitNumber CardFace Card
HeartsWalking Lunges + Front Kick Stretch (2-ct)10 Hindu Squats
ClubsStair Incline Push-ups10 Cossack Squats (Partials)
DiamondsBent Over FB Rows + Side Kick Stretch (2-ct)10 FB Shovels (2-ct)
SpadesEven: Leg Raises
Odd: Standing Side Crunches (2-ct)		10 FB Rom. Dead Lifts
Aces (any suit)/Jokers20 Full Squats

I found a pair of exercise handles at the thrift store the other day and used them for the first time today for push ups.** I won’t use them all the time, but I like having them and the price was certainly right. I used them to do push-ups with my hands in a neutral position, where the palms are facing each other.

These also might be useful for my husband, because he is prone to having wrist problems when he does push ups in the usual way with his hands flat on the floor.

Calories: 2115, Protein: 134 g.

Wed, December 2nd

Morning Walk: 3.28 miles. Calories: 2223, Protein: 113 g.

Thur, December 3rd

Morning Walk: 3.16 miles.

Captains of Crush Gripper (T):

  • (Set 1): Right = 6mm x 5 reps, Left = 12mm x 5 reps
  • (Set 2): Right = 4mm x 3 + 2 reps, Left = 12mm x 5 reps
  • (Set 3): Right = 6mm x 5 reps, Left = 10mm x 3 + 2 reps
  • (Set 4): Right = 6mm x 5 reps, Left = 10mm x 5 reps
  • (Set 5): Right = 6mm x 5 reps, Left = 10mm x 5 reps
  • Arnold Press: 20 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps
  • DB Bench Press: 20 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps, 25 lbs. x 12 reps
    • I did this today instead of incline push-up’s I’ve been doing lately. The cellar stairs were unavailable because of an on-going home improvement project.
  • Light Spring Bar (over head): 8-P, 5-S, 8-P, 5-S
    • P = pronated, S = supinated. Doing this with the bar over my head instead of at around chest level makes the exercise a lot harder.
  • Super Set
    • DB Flies: 10 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps
    • Tricep Pushdowns (tricep handle): 40 lbs. x 15 reps, 45 lbs. x 3 sets x 10 reps
  • (Super Set) One-Handed Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns (d-handle, ea. arm) 10 lbs. x 15 reps, 12.5 lbs. x 3 sets x 12 reps +
    • (Set #1) Dead Bugs (2-ct): 20 reps
    • (Set #2) Standing Side Crunches (each side): 20 reps
    • (Set #3) Small Shoulder Circles (each way): 50 reps
    • (Set #4) DB Front Raises 10 lbs. x 15 reps
  • (Exercise Complex) Wrist Pronation and Supination (light wood axe) 12 reps, DB Hammer Curls 15 lbs. x 15 reps, DB Lateral Raises 12 lbs. x 12 reps, DB Shrugs 30 lbs. x 12 reps, Alternating One-Handed KB American Swings (2-ct) 15 lbs. x 15 reps, Full Squats 20 reps, Calf Raises 30 reps, Spread and Raise Hands (light orange band) x 25 reps, External Shoulder Rotation (black band, ea. arm) x 12 reps

I found this little sprite lurking on the resistance tubes that I often use as part of my warm up. So I did what anyone would do and asked if I could work in for a few sets and then did my thing. All went well until I noticed the spider crawling on my arm when I was in the middle of doing some light external shoulder rotation work. Had a little laugh and relocated the beastie someplace better for all concerned. Silly sprite!

My little friend, as far as I can tell is some sort of “grass spider” or funnel web spider of the genus Agelenopsis. It looks a bit like a hobo spider, but the markings as well as the shape of the thorax and abdomen seem off for one of those. I’m not a spider expert though by any means.

Calories: 2303, Protein: 114 g.

Fri, December 4th

  • Morning Walk: 3.09 miles.
  • Standing Cable Rows (straight bar): 65 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps
  • Straight Arm Pull Downs (purple band): 4 sets x 12 reps
  • Super Set
    • Fitness Bag Bicep Curls: 4 sets x 12 reps
    • Face Pulls: 10 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps
  • Exercise Complex: Wrist Roller (cable) 15 lbs. x 1 winding, Bell Tower Crunches (ea. side) 17.5 lbs. x 12 reps, Fitness Bag Cleans x 12 reps, Side Kick Stretch (ea. leg) x 12 reps, Internal and External Shoulder Rotation through frontal plane (orange band, ea. arm) x 12 reps, Reverse Flies (purple band) x 12 reps, Bicep Curls (fitness rock) x 12 reps

Calories: 2540, Protein: 141 g.

Sat, December 5th

Morning Walk: 7.11 miles. (I was down 3.2 pounds for the week, so my total loss is 17.2 lbs. so far.)

* My husband went plant-based a little under year-and-a-half ago. I consequently also eat a lot of plant-based meals, though I remain a mostly plant-based omnivore.

** Technically, it was the second time. The first time was when I wanted to make sure they weren’t cracked or otherwise compromised, so I tried them out by knocking out a few push ups on the thrift store floor, much to the amusement of a lady and her daughter, who were further down the aisle looking at glassware.

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21 responses to “Work Outs: Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2020 (A meatloaf and a spider.)”

  1. I was a vegetarian for 2 years, but options were way too limited during that time/place in my life. So I ended up going back. Sometimes I still think about it. That veggie loaf certainly looks delish!

    That’s a crazy looking spider, not sure how big it is, but I imagine it would freak out most people.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • That is pretty neat. Two years is a fair amount of time. They certainly do have a lot of really good options now, I’ve found. I never tried going full on vegetarian though I do eat a lot of vegetarian meals and pretty much have for many years. I’d say that right now my diet is mostly consistent with being a so-called lacto-ovo vegetarian, though I’m perfectly happy to eat a nice bit of fish or chicken or lobster or whatever. Some people talk about protein being a problem for vegetarians but I’ve never noticed that it is a problem with a little thought and planning.

      I would say that spider was moderately on the large side. I see a lot of them where I live and most of the time they are smaller, but I’ve seen some really big ones too. I don’t know, you might be right about a lot of people being afraid of them. I spent a lot of time on a farm as a child and got an early education and a lot of practical exposure to creepy crawlies. The corn borers kind of grossed me out, but I never said anything about it. 😐

      I very much enjoyed the meatloaf. I’m hoping to make it again with a different brand of meat to see if that influences the texture at all.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • I always liked bugs as a kid, and spiders were some of the coolest. I’ll have to look up Corn Borers, as I’m not sure I’ve seen those. Definitely some really odd ones out there, and even though I’m not skittish about most of them, there are a few where I’ll just say ‘no thanks!’. Haha!

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          • I forgot to look those up, but just did. Look sorta like a caterpillar? Partially translucent? I’d be okay with those, wouldn’t want to eat one though. We had some slimy little worms on some lettuce we got awhile back, now those were disgusting!

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            • Yes, they looked like a brown caterpillar though they weren’t translucent. Yeah, I was ok with them too, just didn’t like seeing them in side of one’s corn. How did you get rid of the slimy worms on your lettuce? Seems like there are sure a lot of creatures in the world that want to share one’s dinner! 🙂

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  2. That veggie loaf looks good to me! 🙂 I don’t think I’ve actually had vegetarian meatloaf which is weird because I’ve been a vegetarian for probably close to ten years now (its been long enough that I’ve lost track!). I salute you for eating vegetarian food with your husband even when you still eat meat as well. My fiancée tried to join me at one point and realized that she is too much of a carnivore to eat much vegetarian food as it turns out 😀

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    • I’m not surprised. Meatloaf isn’t the first thing I think of when I think of vegetarian food. 🙂 I enjoy it and grew up eating a lot of it, so when this recipe came up on my radar I had to try it, especially since we usually have a package or two of Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger in our refrigerator.

      I know what you mean about “carnivores,” I have quite a few of them in my family, which isn’t a surprise since my grandparents kept a nice herd of cattle when I was a child. As for me, I like a good steak or bit of fish as much as most people, but it isn’t a big deal and I’m pretty flexible in what I’m willing to eat so long as it is helping me do what I want to do. I find it easier, for the most part, for both of us to eat the same dinner instead of trying to make two different meals. As for my husband, the switch to plant-based eating for him has resulted in diminished joint pain, cramps, no more problems with lactose intolerance, etc. If I had or develop such problems in the future, I’ll probably try cutting out animal products completely too, though so far I haven’t noticed anything like that.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • I used to enjoy meatloaf growing up and then by the time I was a teenager (and still ate meat), I rarely ate it. I kind of want to have some again now 🙂

        My fiancée and I often have different meals and it is a bit of extra work but it ends up being the best way to make sure everyone is happy. I found that vegetarianism made me feel better physically as well which I’m sure is one of the reasons I stuck with it. With that said, some people think it will be a miracle diet and that isn’t the case. It may have little impact on how you feel and you can still eat junk food while being a vegetarian or vegan so people who hope to lose weight might be disappointed with that as well. But all in all, it does help you introduce more variety in what you eat and I think that is probably my favorite thing about it.

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    • It was pretty good. The only negative thing I thought about it was that it was a bit more compacted than I would have liked, though it was plenty juicy. Still, as I said in the post, the compact nature of it does make it better for slicing to make sandwiches and the like. Still, I’d like to try it again soon with Beyond Beef instead of Impossible Burger meat to see if there is much of a difference.

      Liked by 2 people

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    • It wasn’t too bad. I think there is some room for improvement with the texture, at least with the loaf I made, but I liked it and would definitely make it again. I had originally planned on making the vegan meatloaf for Thanksgiving, but ended up making something else instead.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Hi John, I’m glad spiders hold no particular terrors for you. I put “spider” in the title because i know a fair number of people are afraid of them and I didn’t want to surprise anyone with a transition from meatloaf to bugs.

      I think if the spider had a failing it was it was a bit too friendly for its own good. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Great progress Ann, nice that you partake in your husbands food choice, but still remain true to yourself as well. Great colours on the spider, not seen one like that before

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Thank you very much, Dave. I has worked out pretty well so far. It is funny that when I met my now husband back in the ’90’s I was going through a TVP phase in college where I had this little green book of TVP recipes that I’d make stuff out of. There was also this one health food store, locally, that carried the flakes, chunks, and so on, which was good because that kind of stuff was a lot harder to get online back then. Anyway, I introduced him to TVP when I made a sweet and sour TVP recipe that featured several different kinds of peppers. (We were at that phase in our relationship where I was trying to impress him with my culinary capabilities.) I wasn’t a vegetarian then but I do like a lot of foods that typically are eaten by vegetarians/vegans such as TVP. So it all seems to work out pretty well, and I must say they have some pretty tasty stuff these days that just wasn’t around back then.

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