Planning exercise and food for a 24 hour event (Hackathon)?

neldabg
neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
edited November 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey. I'm a little nervous right now. I decided to attend a 24 hour hackathon this weekend, and it'll be the first time where there'll be some change in my daily lifestyle routine since I started this journey over four months ago.
If you don't know, this is a hackathon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackathon
This is where I'll be:
http://gotechnica.org/

I leave Friday morning at 6am, and I don't return until Monday at 6am. The event is 100% free, but there's going to be A LOT of food. I figured that I'd just cook up my meals, put them in a cooler, and heat everything up during my stay there, however, I'm not even sure if there'll be microwaves available (I'm waiting for an e-mail response). If microwaves AREN'T available, I'm not sure what I should do. The key to my success and happiness in this journey has been my dedication to meal planning and weighing my foods. I'm finally at a healthy BMI, and I just want to lose another 10-15 lbs. I'm terrified of falling off-track with so much food around, and no calorie charts to help, and it's still hard for me to eyeball portion sizes.
For exercise, I don't know what to do. I'm in the middle of Insanity, and this week begins the recovery week. I love Insanity, and I REALLY don't want to skip any day of the recovery videos, but I'm not sure how I'll be able exercise there. I usually workout from anywhere between 5am-7am, and the event officially starts from 12pm Saturday to 12pm Sunday, meaning that my Sunday morning workout is kind of impossible/hard to fit in. I've reached a point where I feel bad/guilty all day if I don't get in my scheduled workouts, and honestly, I'm tempted to just not go anymore.
Do you guys have any advice or thoughts? Thanks.

Replies

  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited November 2015
    I would make prepackages of (dry) oats with fruits which i only have to add water too. A couple for each day. Here a link of how to make your own oat bags http://www.thesimpledollar.com/making-your-own-homemade-oatmeal-packets-a-visual-guide-and-cost-analysis/

    btw what i like to do also to them is make them with applesauce. Also very yummie

    Than some salads in a jar ( because you have a cooler that is a good option)
    Some snacks in the form of nuts and protein bars

    Some jars with fruit and yogurts etc

    And some jars with cut up veggies and stuff.

    Further when they do have microwaves, soups are good too in a jar :)

    95069916.png
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    This is a topsy-turvy day where rest, exercise, and food are all on their heads. It won't be a "normal" day, nor will it disrupt your hard work all that much. It's-one-day.

    How about packing the scale, and take advantage of all the free food? I suggest putting yourself on a timer to move every fifteen minutes and eat every two hours, to keep yourself on some sort of schedule and properly fuelled for all that brain work.

    If the food isn't free, pack portable food like fruit, cheese, high energy protein bars, hiker's mix, and protein shakes. And a water bottle.

    This could be an excellent lesson where you find that perfection is not needed for success, and you can handle events like this without falling off the wagon.
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    Its one day. Not a big deal.
    I just got back from a 10 day vacation only gained one pound.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »
    I would make prepackages of (dry) oats with fruits which i only have to add water too. A couple for each day. Here a link of how to make your own oat bags http://www.thesimpledollar.com/making-your-own-homemade-oatmeal-packets-a-visual-guide-and-cost-analysis/

    btw what i like to do also to them is make them with applesauce. Also very yummie

    Than some salads in a jar ( because you have a cooler that is a good option)
    Some snacks in the form of nuts and protein bars

    Some jars with fruit and yogurts etc

    And some jars with cut up veggies and stuff.

    Further when they do have microwaves, soups are good too in a jar :)

    95069916.png

    Thanks for the ideas!!!! I was wondering about how I'd store my veggies, and jars are definitely the way to go.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited November 2015
    jgnatca wrote: »
    This is a topsy-turvy day where rest, exercise, and food are all on their heads. It won't be a "normal" day, nor will it disrupt your hard work all that much. It's-one-day.

    How about packing the scale, and take advantage of all the free food? I suggest putting yourself on a timer to move every fifteen minutes and eat every two hours, to keep yourself on some sort of schedule and properly fuelled for all that brain work.

    If the food isn't free, pack portable food like fruit, cheese, high energy protein bars, hiker's mix, and protein shakes. And a water bottle.

    This could be an excellent lesson where you find that perfection is not needed for success, and you can handle events like this without falling off the wagon.

    @jgnatca
    @sunandmoons
    *sigh* I know~~ I did think this was a lesson-learning time; it's just that my weight has been falling off like clockwork, and it's because I go strictly by CICO. I have a goal to reach by my Birthday this December. I see it as some sort of gift to myself as I enter my 20's.
    Oh, yes. The food is indeed free, but events like this almost ALWAYS have the unhealthiest options on hand. I've been doing so well keeping far away from junk food, and I feel so much better without junk food, so I want to stay strong and not eat whatever bad things might be served. I'd love for junk food to remain an old habit.
    Maybe I'll just workout a half hour longer than usual this week to make up for Sunday.
  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
    Terror at falling off track is not a healthy sign.

    You did not find yourself in an unhealthy body from a single day, or single weekend, of bad habits. Just as it will take a while to get healthy again, it would take a while to undo the good you've already done.

    My recommendation, enjoy yourself this weekend. Engage in the event with those around you. Relax your concerns about diet.

    That doesn't mean go overboard. Make the healthiest decisions you can with the foods that are readily available. Cut a few calories by sticking to water, eat moderate portions.

    But don't be terrified. Don't let your focus on being healthy turn your developing good eating habits into a unhealthy eating disorder.

    Be well!
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited November 2015
    wonko221 wrote: »
    Terror at falling off track is not a healthy sign.

    You did not find yourself in an unhealthy body from a single day, or single weekend, of bad habits. Just as it will take a while to get healthy again, it would take a while to undo the good you've already done.

    My recommendation, enjoy yourself this weekend. Engage in the event with those around you. Relax your concerns about diet.

    That doesn't mean go overboard. Make the healthiest decisions you can with the foods that are readily available. Cut a few calories by sticking to water, eat moderate portions.

    But don't be terrified. Don't let your focus on being healthy turn your developing good eating habits into a unhealthy eating disorder.

    Be well!

    Thanks for the kind words of advice. I'm really trying to keep it mind that it is indeed true that a weekend won't ruin everything, even if things get slightly out of hand. <3
  • ElleMarieRose
    ElleMarieRose Posts: 37 Member
    First of all, have fun! This is on my campus I was actually very close to participating as well but something came up. I will probably stop by though, I know some of the other people participating.

    Second, it’s okay to take a few days rest and eat at maintenance. It’s probably not healthy to skip something as fun as a hackathon because you are afraid of missing a single workout. There will probably not be any microwaves in Richie (at least I haven’t seen any) However, the event does take place in a gym. There are also many many different and healthy places to eat close by.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited November 2015
    ElleMarieRose wrote: »
    First of all, have fun! This is on my campus I was actually very close to participating as well but something came up. I will probably stop by though, I know some of the other people participating.

    Second, it’s okay to take a few days rest and eat at maintenance. It’s probably not healthy to skip something as fun as a hackathon because you are afraid of missing a single workout. There will probably not be any microwaves in Richie (at least I haven’t seen any) However, the event does take place in a gym. There are also many many different and healthy places to eat close by.

    Wow. It's just my luck that someone from the campus has stumbled across my post!! :D
    Thanks for the reply!!
  • wendymoira
    wendymoira Posts: 40 Member
    Hackathons are great -- have fun! I'm attending a retreat this weekend with some of the same issues: food all the time, I'm not in charge and can't get menus ahead, etc. My plan is to pack my favorite water bottle and a few healthy snacks just in case (basically fruit and popcorn, since I won't have access to a fridge), bring a couple of instant oatmeal packets I like in case breakfast is terrible (but I bet there will be plain eggs somewhere), and then browse the inevitable platter of veggie crudites and drink all the diet soda I want for once. :)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Wow...reaching your twenties....wanting to be in control when you get there....I'm having a nostalgia moment.

    You want out of control? Try being a parent. That's riding the wave, baby, and what a wild ride that is. And we survive it. That's the joy of maturity, knowing that one day won't break your life. Go, enjoy, hack, invent something nobody has come up with before. You have my blessing.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    wendymoira wrote: »
    Hackathons are great -- have fun! I'm attending a retreat this weekend with some of the same issues: food all the time, I'm not in charge and can't get menus ahead, etc. My plan is to pack my favorite water bottle and a few healthy snacks just in case (basically fruit and popcorn, since I won't have access to a fridge), bring a couple of instant oatmeal packets I like in case breakfast is terrible (but I bet there will be plain eggs somewhere), and then browse the inevitable platter of veggie crudites and drink all the diet soda I want for once. :)

    Thanks^^ That sounds like a great plan. I recommend adding beef jerky. It's a tasty snack with a crazy amount of protein. Good luck!!
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited November 2015
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Wow...reaching your twenties....wanting to be in control when you get there....I'm having a nostalgia moment.

    You want out of control? Try being a parent. That's riding the wave, baby, and what a wild ride that is. And we survive it. That's the joy of maturity, knowing that one day won't break your life. Go, enjoy, hack, invent something nobody has come up with before. You have my blessing.

    You've read me like a book. Haha. Thank you! :smile:
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    Update: I took a bit of everyone's advice! I *did* end up bringing my own food and stayed within my calorie goals, but I didn't stress about doing Insanity. Fortunately, they offered yoga to us hackers, so I got some of my usual stretching in. Thanks again for the kind words! :)
    This event was so awesome, and I'm glad I didn't skip it just because of food and exercise issues. I learned that I've gained so much strength and willpower in this journey. There were tons of desserts and calorie dense foods offered throughout the day, but I found that I actually DIDN'T want to eat them. After seeing how healthy food positively affects me, other foods just aren't as appealing. It's amazing how my tastes have changed, and this past weekend confirms that I probably don't need to worry much anymore about going crazy when food is offered in abundance.
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