Well Trained Bodies (Diet & Exercise) - Dec. 2017

[Laurie4b]

So, after 5 hours in ER I was discharged with diagnosis dizziness. According to the doctor, they can tell the reason for it in less than half the cases. The blood pressure dropped enough while I waited that they didn't feel comfortable giving meds, but it was still ER high when I came in. U bought the monitor, and today it's fine. If I didn't go to the med booth, I would have just slept it off. I don't even know what to think about it. Several days of stress?

 

Weird. I would continue with home blood pressure monitor, record your data,  and also make an appointment with a cardiologist and get a continuous blood pressure monitor to see if it's switching into hyperdrive. What was your pulse like? Was it also high? 

 

I don't think preceeding days of stress would cause an acute dramatic spike like that but really a cardio should evaluate this to be on the safe side. 

[wintermom]

Olga - So sorry you had to go through the dizziness, stress of the ER., and unexpected experience with your fencing competition.  :grouphug:   I really hope you can find some answers. Sometimes these weird medical episodes help point the finger at issues we haven't noticed. Even if they don't they are at the very least learning experiences. I hope everything works out really well overall. 

[OlgaLA]

Thanks, ladies!

 

I just took a nap and measured it again. 105/66. After a few jumps it went up to 120/70. At competition it was 164/115 about 30 minutes after I finished fencing. 179/96 at ER, 146/85 when they sent me home. Pulse was 84 at competition, 70s in ER, so slightly elevated. I'll check with a cardiologist because I want to be sure I can push myself physically without cardio risks, but frankly, I am not sure I'll hear anything. It's just a weird experience. And my DD had to skip the competition because she managed to get a huge splinter vertically into her heel the night before, which I couldn't even see until after the competition. Oh well, there is always next time. :)

[IvyInFlorida]

Wow Olga, that's scary!  Sounds like a stressful weekend, sorry.  :(

[IvyInFlorida]

Happy Monday everybody.  It's great reading everyone's update.

My goals for this week are to maintain eating habits, drink more water, and REST.

 

Martial arts belt test is Friday, and since I've been having trouble with a painful muscle knot in my quad that flares up whenever I do front kicks, I'm going to try to baby it as much as I can until after the test.  I'll have 3 classes this week, all of which will most likely focus on endurance (extended bouts of attacking a punching bag, etc).  So that plus whatever else moderate exercise I feel up to.

 

Most of all I want to get enough sleep!!  We'll see...

[SparklyUnicorn]

Happy Monday everybody.  It's great reading everyone's update.

My goals for this week are to maintain eating habits, drink more water, and REST.

 

Martial arts belt test is Friday, and since I've been having trouble with a painful muscle knot in my quad that flares up whenever I do front kicks, I'm going to try to baby it as much as I can until after the test.  I'll have 3 classes this week, all of which will most likely focus on endurance (extended bouts of attacking a punching bag, etc).  So that plus whatever else moderate exercise I feel up to.

 

Most of all I want to get enough sleep!!  We'll see...

 

That's super cool!  I hope it goes well.

[Greta]

Olga, I'm so sorry to hear about your scary blood pressure spike!  That's so strange.  I'm glad that it's back within normal range, and I hope it stays there.  I'm surprised they didn't give you a cardiology referral just to be safe, but if you can pursue it without a referral, I think that's a great idea.

 

BeckyJo, I'm sorry about your kitty.  :grouphug:  Losing pets is really tough.  

[Greta]

I had a crap week as far as my exercise goes, and it wasn't even because of my usual excuse (migraines) it was just because of a combination of business and laziness!  In other words, no excuse.  So this week in order to stay on plan, I'm going to try to check in every day.  My diet was fine, though.  As much as I whine about it, the reality is that it's do-able.

[SparklyUnicorn]

back from the gym...woot

 

 

[Greta]

Happy Monday everybody.  It's great reading everyone's update.

My goals for this week are to maintain eating habits, drink more water, and REST.

 

Martial arts belt test is Friday, and since I've been having trouble with a painful muscle knot in my quad that flares up whenever I do front kicks, I'm going to try to baby it as much as I can until after the test.  I'll have 3 classes this week, all of which will most likely focus on endurance (extended bouts of attacking a punching bag, etc).  So that plus whatever else moderate exercise I feel up to.

 

Most of all I want to get enough sleep!!  We'll see...

 

Deep massage and some magnesium supplements?  It might just be me, but I've learned that muscle craps are my body's way of telling me I need more magnesium (and VitD).

 

Good luck on the test!

[SparklyUnicorn]

I noticed today that my thighs do not touch when walking.  WHOA.  I did not expect that to happen.  I think maybe it hasn't been like that since I was in my early 20s?

 

 

[Laurie4b]

Went for my usual walk with jogging intervals. Got in almost an hour and 21 min of jogging intervals I quit early because I was having unrelated pain (I still intermittently have really painful GI gas after an episode of food poisoning that resulted in reactive IBS)  and just decided to bag it. I think going was a good decision and stopping early was as well. 

 

I've shared before that my Zumba instructor has posted: Monday is the most important workout of the week. For me, it is a good feeling to get the week started off with something on my workout goals for the week!

[OlgaLA]

I am back home! It's much more pleasant to post from the computer :)

 

SparklyUnicorn ~ Yay!

 

IvyInFlorida ~ Good luck on Friday! That bag punching is one thing I miss from my martial arts days. I even considered getting a heavy bag, but cannot find a good place for it.

 

I didn't do anything today, and plan to take it easy the next few days. I'll try not to overeat.

[PinkTulip]

Yesterday was a great day for me - I rowed 9000 meters, and did really well with my eating.

 

Today my plan is to row again once I get my kids off to school, and to plan out my meals for the day. My kids have a swim meet tonight which usually means a not-great dinner. By the time it's over, my kids are starving and need a large amount of food right NOW, so it usually means something like pizzas or take out. I think today I'll start something in the Instant Pot before I leave and have it just sit warm until we get home so I've got something healthy ready the second we walk in.

[Greta]

Had a very busy day yesterday (lame excuse, I know!) so I only managed to get in half an hour of cardio on the stationary bike.  My goal is always a full hour, so I'm hoping I'll be able to make up for it later in the week.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I made it to tennis in the Cities today. I played 90 mins of 4.0 ladies doubles and then 60 mins of cardio tennis. Any caloric benefits were erased because I stopped by Wendy's and got some fries. It was pure comfort eating.

 

I"ll eat a salad for dinner and drink lots of water to flush the salt.

[Laurie4b]

Today was the last day of school (Kids are grown; I no longer homeschool but work in a preschool/kindergarten) and with that comes "goodies" as Christmas gifts. I ate 1/2 a spinach/cheese croissant, 1/3 of a brownie, and 4 gingerbread cookies (pretty big ones.) All my candy gifts are waiting to be opened until my sons are around to eat them. 

 

I got to the gym tonight for a very basic strength-training workout on machines. I'm doing that as a break from lifting free weights, which I had been developing some mental resistance to. The machines are easy (it doesn't take nearly as much concentration to do a leg press as it does to do a weighted squat or deadlift for instance) and it should keep me progressing, so I think it's a good interim move. I got a PR last week on the leg press: 300 lbs which is over 2x my bodyweight, which is super good, especially for a 61 year old! 

[OlgaLA]

I did 10 minutes on the stationary bike today, taking it super easy. Measured BP, and it was up immediately after the exercise, and went down to normal within 5 minutes, which I think is how it is supposed to be. I do still feel like HR and BP go up way too fast too high, as if I suddenly lost all my conditioning. Later I did 2 sets of push ups. Didn't measure anything after, but I felt very tired and shaky. I hate it.  Of course, it is this time of the year when it is impossible to make an appointment with anyone. Cardiologists are not available till the end of January, and the first appointment to order a full blood test is December 27.

[Laurie4b]

I did 10 minutes on the stationary bike today, taking it super easy. Measured BP, and it was up immediately after the exercise, and went down to normal within 5 minutes, which I think is how it is supposed to be. I do still feel like HR and BP go up way too fast too high, as if I suddenly lost all my conditioning. Later I did 2 sets of push ups. Didn't measure anything after, but I felt very tired and shaky. I hate it.  Of course, it is this time of the year when it is impossible to make an appointment with anyone. Cardiologists are not available till the end of January, and the first appointment to order a full blood test is December 27.

 

One thing I have done when I wanted an appointment sooner than one was available was to ask the scheduler if it was okay if I called regularly about cancellations. Scored 2 dentist appointments for my kids that way just last week. But I've used that to get in to see specialists as well. 

 

I think Monday morning is a good time to call as people who may realize an appointment later in the week won't work for them are apt to call then or people who got sick over the weekend with a Monday appointment call and cancel. 

[Soror]

Trying to eat well because my weight is trying to creep up. Sigh. I'm trying not to have a pity party and not really succeeding. Mentally I'm in the dumps and physically I feel blah. I think I need to start exercising in a group but my budget is tiny and I'm concerned I'll struggle because the issues I've had this fall. I might try the planet fitness that is opening up, they have a $10 a month promo. I've also thought about another fitness center, the classes are only $6 and the ladies are super encouraging and nice. I think it would help my mood but it is this horrible cycle that I can't seem to break :( I have one good friend that works out a lot, she mostly does group classes but does some lifting on her own, I've told how I've been struggling and she is very sweet so maybe I could get over the embarrassment (although I don't want to do group classes with her b/c they are like Cross Fit and my body can't handle that stress). I know part of my pains are caused by not moving enough and exercise helps with depression but it also makes it incredibly hard to do anything at all. I wonder if it has been worse this fall emotionally b/c I've not been exercising, last year I did yoga teacher training and was super active, I initially cut back this summer because of money but I've been in this horrible slide downhill ever since. There has been so much stress from so many places and physically I still don't know what the heck is going on. I feel anxious even thinking about going to work out in public, depression and anxiety aren't a good mix at all :( It gets better for a bit then it is worse than before, it is a horrible roller coaster.

Tennis was fun tonight. My ladies partner and I rocked our match. Then I played mixed doubles with my dh and I totally tanked. I made so many simple errors. I'm thinking it's related to the fact that I've not done more than walk around the house or lay in bed all week. I'm just thrilled I could hold it together for the first match this evening.   It's frustrating to be sick. 

 

At least you were able to do one match, you'll get back to yourself.

Fencing was fun yesterday, but not fun at all today. Started competition feeling off, a bit dizzy and shaky. Fenced terribly, but finished it. Still felt bad, stopped by the medical booth. Turned out my blood pressure was through the roof. Spending the evening in emergency room :(

(hugs)

 

I checked out the one class I was interested in at my gym--the Latin dance----and good golly. It was as a remembered. Who would think that Latin dance could be boring?  But yeah. 

 

So I am resigned to the treadmill. But that is boring, too. There is nothing to look at out the window but the trunks of some pine trees.  :001_rolleyes:  Even if I play games with intervals, etc. it will be torture. 

 

I need music. I am a tech Neanderthal. Ds installed Spotify on my phone but I don't know how to use it!  Not even sure that is the best thing to use anyway. 

 

What do you do for music while exercising? 

LOL, boring lating dance, that's sad! I have my son take care of my tech too, then he teaches me. I'm still not good though, he needs to give you a lesson on it. I've never really done much music while exercising though, at home I like to exercise outside or with kids or to a video, I'm not much for music. I finally figured out how to much playlists on my phone and listen with bluetooth but only use that sometimes when teaching.

 

Happy Monday everybody.  It's great reading everyone's update.

My goals for this week are to maintain eating habits, drink more water, and REST.

 

Martial arts belt test is Friday, and since I've been having trouble with a painful muscle knot in my quad that flares up whenever I do front kicks, I'm going to try to baby it as much as I can until after the test.  I'll have 3 classes this week, all of which will most likely focus on endurance (extended bouts of attacking a punching bag, etc).  So that plus whatever else moderate exercise I feel up to.

 

Most of all I want to get enough sleep!!  We'll see...

Good luck on your testing, hopefully, your leg doesn't give you any grief.

 

I noticed today that my thighs do not touch when walking.  WHOA.  I did not expect that to happen.  I think maybe it hasn't been like that since I was in my early 20s?

Woot!

 

Had a very busy day yesterday (lame excuse, I know!) so I only managed to get in half an hour of cardio on the stationary bike.  My goal is always a full hour, so I'm hoping I'll be able to make up for it later in the week.

At least you did something!

 

I made it to tennis in the Cities today. I played 90 mins of 4.0 ladies doubles and then 60 mins of cardio tennis. Any caloric benefits were erased because I stopped by Wendy's and got some fries. It was pure comfort eating.

 

I"ll eat a salad for dinner and drink lots of water to flush the salt.

 

Good job! 

 

I did 10 minutes on the stationary bike today, taking it super easy. Measured BP, and it was up immediately after the exercise, and went down to normal within 5 minutes, which I think is how it is supposed to be. I do still feel like HR and BP go up way too fast too high, as if I suddenly lost all my conditioning. Later I did 2 sets of push ups. Didn't measure anything after, but I felt very tired and shaky. I hate it.  Of course, it is this time of the year when it is impossible to make an appointment with anyone. Cardiologists are not available till the end of January, and the first appointment to order a full blood test is December 27.

I had something similar happen and I never did figure out why. It seems to be better now but then again I'm not doing much. I couldn't do any exercise without feeling hot and sick. I don't know that I ever checked my BP. I got an order for an EKG but it is too much money and my symptoms improved. 

[lynn]

I am now down 30lbs. I plan to start training for a half marathon soon.

Edited December 13, 2017 by lynn

[PinkTulip]

Soror, I'm so sorry you're having a rough time right now. I have been in a similar position, so I empathize with what you're going through. I will make a plug, though, for checking out your Planet Fitness. I was a member at ours for several years before buying some equipment for home. When I first joined, the thought of working out in front of other people made me want to curl up in a ball. But when I finally got the courage to go, I realized that the people there were just normal people. My gym wasn't full of all the "beautiful people" that I think of when I think of the gym. You know - super skinny, super fit, young, perfect hair, etc. It was full of just normal people with the full range of body types and ages. Probably the most common patron was my same demographic: mid-40's, trying to lose 20+ pounds, hoping to be anonymous. I felt very comfortable there and looked forward to going.

[Soror]

Soror, I'm so sorry you're having a rough time right now. I have been in a similar position, so I empathize with what you're going through. I will make a plug, though, for checking out your Planet Fitness. I was a member at ours for several years before buying some equipment for home. When I first joined, the thought of working out in front of other people made me want to curl up in a ball. But when I finally got the courage to go, I realized that the people there were just normal people. My gym wasn't full of all the "beautiful people" that I think of when I think of the gym. You know - super skinny, super fit, young, perfect hair, etc. It was full of just normal people with the full range of body types and ages. Probably the most common patron was my same demographic: mid-40's, trying to lose 20+ pounds, hoping to be anonymous. I felt very comfortable there and looked forward to going.

Thanks for the hugs :( I don't know where I fit in the demographic. I had been regularly working out for years and in really good shape until August when my health nosedived. So, I feel like a poser now and like I will embarrass myself. I've got no idea what I can even do right now, I don't know what strength and endurance I've lost and am scared to find out. I don't want anybody to see me struggle, so being anonymous sounds really good right now. I'd prefer to do it at home but it seems I can't work up enough motivation on my own and I was working out an hour plus a day at home plus outside stuff. I know there are bigger struggles but it sucks :( 

[Greta]

I got a PR last week on the leg press: 300 lbs which is over 2x my bodyweight, which is super good, especially for a 61 year old! 

 

Heck yeah, that's super good!   :hurray:

 

 

I did 10 minutes on the stationary bike today, taking it super easy. Measured BP, and it was up immediately after the exercise, and went down to normal within 5 minutes, which I think is how it is supposed to be. I do still feel like HR and BP go up way too fast too high, as if I suddenly lost all my conditioning. Later I did 2 sets of push ups. Didn't measure anything after, but I felt very tired and shaky. I hate it.  Of course, it is this time of the year when it is impossible to make an appointment with anyone. Cardiologists are not available till the end of January, and the first appointment to order a full blood test is December 27.

 

I think taking it super easy sounds like precisely the right thing.  I'm sorry about the delay with the appointments, though.  That really stinks.

 

 

Trying to eat well because my weight is trying to creep up. Sigh. I'm trying not to have a pity party and not really succeeding. Mentally I'm in the dumps and physically I feel blah. I think I need to start exercising in a group but my budget is tiny and I'm concerned I'll struggle because the issues I've had this fall. I might try the planet fitness that is opening up, they have a $10 a month promo. I've also thought about another fitness center, the classes are only $6 and the ladies are super encouraging and nice. I think it would help my mood but it is this horrible cycle that I can't seem to break :( I have one good friend that works out a lot, she mostly does group classes but does some lifting on her own, I've told how I've been struggling and she is very sweet so maybe I could get over the embarrassment (although I don't want to do group classes with her b/c they are like Cross Fit and my body can't handle that stress). I know part of my pains are caused by not moving enough and exercise helps with depression but it also makes it incredibly hard to do anything at all. I wonder if it has been worse this fall emotionally b/c I've not been exercising, last year I did yoga teacher training and was super active, I initially cut back this summer because of money but I've been in this horrible slide downhill ever since. There has been so much stress from so many places and physically I still don't know what the heck is going on. I feel anxious even thinking about going to work out in public, depression and anxiety aren't a good mix at all :( It gets better for a bit then it is worse than before, it is a horrible roller coaster.

 

 

 

Oh soror, I'm so sorry that you're feeling so awful right now.  I've never had a Planet Fitness membership - do they have classes?  If not and if you really like that group dynamic, maybe the $6 classes would be the way to go?  If they do have group classes, then $10 per month is pretty unbeatable.  

 

I am now down 30lbs. I plan to start training for a half marathon soon.

 

 

:party:   Good luck with your training!

[solascriptura]

I ran for 3 miles and did weights. I’m really struggling to keep my good habits in place and to hold on to all the of fitness gains of last year. I wish I had a workout buddy. Do any of you have one? Does it help?

[Laurie4b]

I ran for 3 miles and did weights. I’m really struggling to keep my good habits in place and to hold on to all the of fitness gains of last year. I wish I had a workout buddy. Do any of you have one? Does it help?

 

I don't for my walks with jogging intervals unless you count my dog, who can be annoying! 

 

Zumba class gives me that because the instructor is a friend. 

 

However, for showing up at the gym, I am definitely trying to arrange meet-ups with a friend who goes there because that is much easier to just not do. So far, we haven't managed any!

[Laurie4b]

I am now down 30lbs. I plan to start training for a half marathon soon.

 

Woot! Woot! Congrats!

[OlgaLA]

I had something similar happen and I never did figure out why. It seems to be better now but then again I'm not doing much. I couldn't do any exercise without feeling hot and sick. I don't know that I ever checked my BP. I got an order for an EKG but it is too much money and my symptoms improved. 

 

Checking your blood pressure is pretty cheap, especially compared to EKG. I think you can do it at a pharmacy and a decent monitor is about $50, probably less. I am surprised it wasn't checked: BP variations, both high and low, can cause such symptoms. OK, so I didn't think about it myself, but it was the first thing the doctor at the competition think about after I complained and ruled out dehydration and low blood sugar.

 

 

I am now down 30lbs. I plan to start training for a half marathon soon.

 

This is great! Congrats!

 

Thanks for the hugs :( I don't know where I fit in the demographic. I had been regularly working out for years and in really good shape until August when my health nosedived. So, I feel like a poser now and like I will embarrass myself. I've got no idea what I can even do right now, I don't know what strength and endurance I've lost and am scared to find out. I don't want anybody to see me struggle, so being anonymous sounds really good right now. I'd prefer to do it at home but it seems I can't work up enough motivation on my own and I was working out an hour plus a day at home plus outside stuff. I know there are bigger struggles but it sucks :(

 

((Hugs)) You will NOT embarrass yourself, plus, the people are mostly concerned with themselves anyway. Give it a try!

 

I ran for 3 miles and did weights. I’m really struggling to keep my good habits in place and to hold on to all the of fitness gains of last year. I wish I had a workout buddy. Do any of you have one? Does it help?

 

I fence with my kids. It does help. I need to feel really bad to skip driving them to the class, and once there I might as well fence. I do my home exercises alone - for the mark in my bullet journal :)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Soror~

I have chronic depression so I get it. All of it. It has taken me years of self-reflection, counseling, medication, etc to figure out that I need at least two hours of exercise a day in order to fight of my depression. I know that. I still can't do it every day. Some days the depression wins; other days, it loses.  Lately, it's been winning a lot.

 

Can you get out and walk? For me walking an hour does wonders. The exercise, the air, the sun - all are therapeutic. The best therapy for me (other than tennis) is a walk in the woods. There is some scientific evidence showing that walking through a pine forest has maximum benefits (read the book The Nature Fix if you get a chance).

 

I also understand about being reluctant to go to classes. I still can't bring myself to go to exercise classes. I can go play tennis with a group of strangers but ask me to take a zumba or spin class and I'll need an Atavan. Maybe we can make that a goal for 2018.

 

Anyway, reading through your posts, I get the impression you are a strong woman and you will overcome this. You've also got your WTM sisters to help you. Use us!!

[Laurie4b]

 

((Hugs)) You will NOT embarrass yourself, plus, the people are mostly concerned with themselves anyway. Give it a try!

 

 

 

This is SO true!  Most people are very focused on the instructor and trying to get their own stuff right . They don't have the bandwidth to evaluate other people.  :001_smile:

 

I remember once when a woman apologized to me for not getting the moves right in Zumba and I was like, "Honey, (I'm in the South, haha) I never even saw you!  My eyes were on the instructor and trying to get my feet to do what hers were doing!"  

 

Just hang out in the back of the class and then you can't even imagine that people are looking at you!  ;)

[Laurie4b]

Zumba tonight! A friend met me there so I got Zumba plus some socializing. (I can tend to be a recluse.)  

 

Tomorrow, plans are to go to the gym for strength training. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

made it to the gym last night...which was good after a whole day of studying

 

 

[Soror]

Soror~

I have chronic depression so I get it. All of it. It has taken me years of self-reflection, counseling, medication, etc to figure out that I need at least two hours of exercise a day in order to fight of my depression. I know that. I still can't do it every day. Some days the depression wins; other days, it loses.  Lately, it's been winning a lot.

 

Can you get out and walk? For me walking an hour does wonders. The exercise, the air, the sun - all are therapeutic. The best therapy for me (other than tennis) is a walk in the woods. There is some scientific evidence showing that walking through a pine forest has maximum benefits (read the book The Nature Fix if you get a chance).

 

I also understand about being reluctant to go to classes. I still can't bring myself to go to exercise classes. I can go play tennis with a group of strangers but ask me to take a zumba or spin class and I'll need an Atavan. Maybe we can make that a goal for 2018.

 

Anyway, reading through your posts, I get the impression you are a strong woman and you will overcome this. You've also got your WTM sisters to help you. Use us!!

Thank you so much. I appreciate the support I need all I can get. It is nice for commiseration too. Walking is great and I love it, we did go outside every single day but I've not managed it much lately. I live in the woods but have mostly avoided them since the fall b/c of allergies. It was much better last time I went out but my motivation is not. I did talk to dh though and he said he would walk with me when he got home. He also said we need to find room in the budget for me to work-out but I got to figure out where and what to do, I talked to my one friend but she mostly does her classes and they are super hard, I know I will push myself and my body can't do high-intensity activity at this point. I don't know what I can manage right now and I'm afraid to push myself and end up worse off physically. Maybe I should get dh to do the ball room dancing class with me? I don't think it is too intense (from what I've seen)

 

I haven't been depressed since post-partum with my oldest and before that was when I was on birth control, that combined with my cycles going wonky makes me think that my hormones are playing at least a partial role. I really hope I don't have to battle depression through all of peri-menopause. Since this last baby I've had off and on anxiety, it gets worse around my cycle and sometimes virtually goes away. I think the other part is situational, I've had a crap ton of stress this fall, well the last year was pretty damn stressful but things had been better and then bam, August hit and it knocked me down one too many times. My mood stayed good even though I felt bad but at some point, it took a nosedive, probably exacerbated by my ever-worsening hormones and lack of movement and activity due to feeling crappy. 

The part that feels even crazier and more embarrassing to me is that I was teaching classes, I last taught adults in July and I taught oddles of kids classes. So, I feel like people would wonder what the heck is up with me getting stressed out and anxious about attending an exercise class.  

 

Anyway, dh is finally grasping what is going on and stepping up, not that he is a slouch he just has a lot of his own stuff going on and doesn't have much free-time as it is. But I need him now. Not so much with the house cleaning and such, if anything I'm more on top of that, I clean when I'm stressed, I find it soothing. I need emotional connection and I need to exercise. I just came off of this 2 yr streak of doing all these things. I drove to take Aerial classes for 9 months, then I did yoga teacher training and then children's yoga training back to back. And then nothing, I stopped it all of a sudden. Now, I don't know what I want to do. I'm very goal and purpose-oriented and I can't figure out what the hell to do. What can I work towards that isn't too physically intense and has some meaning? I've got no clue. I need to have something to work on but all my old goals won't work for where I'm at now. Or maybe I need a goal or purpose that is not related to exercise? I've got no clue. I love my kids but I need to interact with others too but it has to be low stress. I wish we had some cooking classes around here, I love cooking but I'm in the middle of nowhere. Maybe some art classes? I'm in the least talented but I've enjoyed doing various art pursuits in the last couple of years, I need to message an art teacher I know.

 

I didn't make it out of bed yesterday. I was just exhausted. 

 

Checking your blood pressure is pretty cheap, especially compared to EKG. I think you can do it at a pharmacy and a decent monitor is about $50, probably less. I am surprised it wasn't checked: BP variations, both high and low, can cause such symptoms. OK, so I didn't think about it myself, but it was the first thing the doctor at the competition think about after I complained and ruled out dehydration and low blood sugar.

 

 

 

 

This is great! Congrats!

 

 

((Hugs)) You will NOT embarrass yourself, plus, the people are mostly concerned with themselves anyway. Give it a try!

 

 

I fence with my kids. It does help. I need to feel really bad to skip driving them to the class, and once there I might as well fence. I do my home exercises alone - for the mark in my bullet journal :)

 

I actually have a home bp moniter. I just never used it when I felt really icky or was out where I didn't have it. I have a blood glucose monitor too but was out of strips. I think there was some connection to glucose and stress.

I ran for 3 miles and did weights. I’m really struggling to keep my good habits in place and to hold on to all the of fitness gains of last year. I wish I had a workout buddy. Do any of you have one? Does it help?

 

No, Ii've never really had a buddy. I did workout with my mom years ago and doing yoga classes was with people I trained with but otherwise it has mostly been solo. 

I'm not sure if PF will have classes, they are just opening so they have a special going.

 

Oh soror, I'm so sorry that you're feeling so awful right now.  I've never had a Planet Fitness membership - do they have classes?  If not and if you really like that group dynamic, maybe the $6 classes would be the way to go?  If they do have group classes, then $10 per month is pretty unbeatable.  

 

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Traveling today - I have my travel foods, my food plan, and my audiobooks. I do not have an exercise plan. Okay, maybe I do. The hotel I plan on staying in has a workout room. If I get in early enough maybe I can use the treadmill. Tomorrow I plan on walking around the area. I am taking my hiking gear and maybe I'll get to the AT for a couple of miles. I just need to do it and quit thinking about it. Since I'm not on a time crunch I might stop at a few places along the way and see some sites.

 

 

[Greta]

Soror, I want to apologize.  I remembered you teaching and attending a lot of classes before, so I was just thinking you would probably feel better when you get back into that atmosphere.  I failed to pick up on how much anxiety you have about going back, so I'm sorry for being oblivious.  It can be very hard to get your groove back generally, and as a super shy and easily embarrassed person myself, I can sympathize with the dread of walking into a fitness class.  My experience, however, does align with what others here have said:  everyone is concentrating on their own workout, and not evaluating or judging anyone else.  I suspect and hope that you will indeed feel better once you have faced down this fear and taken back something that you once enjoyed.  

 

But given your circumstances, I agree that you probably don't want to jump right into those super-intense CrossFit-like classes that you mentioned your friend attends.  Something gentler is probably in order, at least at first.  If your hubby will go to ballroom dancing classes with you, I'd say go for it!  I've been wanting to do that for YEARS but my husband has no interest.

[Greta]

(read the book The Nature Fix if you get a chance).

 

 

Thank you for mentioning this -- I'm ordering it!

[PinkTulip]

I've done well for the last few days - rowing every morning and eating well throughout the day. The mental health benefits of exercise are my greatest reward right now. I have had a lot of stressful things lately, and some anxiety about other things, but I always feel sooooo much better about everything after some heavy-duty rowing.

[wintermom]

Soror - Have you considered attending yoga classes as a participant? That form of activity is pretty gentle, rather than trying something completely new.   Teaching fitness classes is so much more stressful than simply attending them. It was phenomenal that you worked hard to achieve your instructor certification for teaching adult and children's yoga. Sometimes that extra level of stress to lead an activity just isn't a good fit over the long-term. 

 

For my own experience, I have a Physical Education degree and have been coaching/instructing and participating in various sports and activities most of my life. My most recent instructing experience was in Taekwon-Do. I was a participant only for several years, before I achieved my black belt and began doing a lot more instructing. Eventually all I was doing was instructing and not doing any personal training at all. I eventually quit the sport altogether because I wasn't focusing enough on my own skill development. My confidence in my own skills decreased, and my confidence in teaching the skills decreased. Then my enjoyment and comfort level at instructing decreased.  I tried to cut back on the instructing, but the head instructor wasn't happy about that. He needed assistant instructors. I eventually just quit Taekwon-Do and moved onto a new sport - tennis. I'm being very careful NOT to move into a leadership role, and just enjoy playing and improving my own skills. Yes, it is rather selfish, but I really want tennis to be a life-long activity so I want to be careful not to expand into roles that become too demanding for me.

 

 

[Laurie4b]

Soror, I vote for ballroom dancing. It will give you social contact (which you've mentioned that you need) and partner dancing has very strong cognitive benefits: cardio combined with music is one aspect but so is the quick decision-making needed. Your dh has to decide exactly where you're going and what move is next and you have to react to his lead with little time. Anyway, those are the theories on why it's so good for your brain!  Dh and I don't ballroom dance but we do swing dance. :) 

 

Hormonal mood issues are really the pits. Hope you get some relief soon!

[Soror]

Soror, I vote for ballroom dancing. It will give you social contact (which you've mentioned that you need) and partner dancing has very strong cognitive benefits: cardio combined with music is one aspect but so is the quick decision-making needed. Your dh has to decide exactly where you're going and what move is next and you have to react to his lead with little time. Anyway, those are the theories on why it's so good for your brain!  Dh and I don't ballroom dance but we do swing dance. :)

 

Hormonal mood issues are really the pits. Hope you get some relief soon!

 

 

Soror - Have you considered attending yoga classes as a participant? That form of activity is pretty gentle, rather than trying something completely new.   Teaching fitness classes is so much more stressful than simply attending them. It was phenomenal that you worked hard to achieve your instructor certification for teaching adult and children's yoga. Sometimes that extra level of stress to lead an activity just isn't a good fit over the long-term. 

 

For my own experience, I have a Physical Education degree and have been coaching/instructing and participating in various sports and activities most of my life. My most recent instructing experience was in Taekwon-Do. I was a participant only for several years, before I achieved my black belt and began doing a lot more instructing. Eventually all I was doing was instructing and not doing any personal training at all. I eventually quit the sport altogether because I wasn't focusing enough on my own skill development. My confidence in my own skills decreased, and my confidence in teaching the skills decreased. Then my enjoyment and comfort level at instructing decreased.  I tried to cut back on the instructing, but the head instructor wasn't happy about that. He needed assistant instructors. I eventually just quit Taekwon-Do and moved onto a new sport - tennis. I'm being very careful NOT to move into a leadership role, and just enjoy playing and improving my own skills. Yes, it is rather selfish, but I really want tennis to be a life-long activity so I want to be careful not to expand into roles that become too demanding for me.

Wow, that is good insight. I have very little confidence in my own skills right now, that is why I don't want to go to yoga b/c I know all the teachers and there is a certain expectation when you are a teacher too. I don't want to discuss why I'm so out of it or embarrass myself. I'm also a little disillusioned right now. I've not been a yoga purist for a good while, in my kid's classes I mix in other stuff. Coincidentally I'm taking the kids to TKD (ds did it before but quit and the girls haven't done it) and I was thinking maybe I should try it out because that would work well to do it together but I'm not really interested in it. I am conflicted too b/c I want to just do something and have fun but I struggle with sucking at things. 

 

I've done well for the last few days - rowing every morning and eating well throughout the day. The mental health benefits of exercise are my greatest reward right now. I have had a lot of stressful things lately, and some anxiety about other things, but I always feel sooooo much better about everything after some heavy-duty rowing.

 

 

Soror, I want to apologize.  I remembered you teaching and attending a lot of classes before, so I was just thinking you would probably feel better when you get back into that atmosphere.  I failed to pick up on how much anxiety you have about going back, so I'm sorry for being oblivious.  It can be very hard to get your groove back generally, and as a super shy and easily embarrassed person myself, I can sympathize with the dread of walking into a fitness class.  My experience, however, does align with what others here have said:  everyone is concentrating on their own workout, and not evaluating or judging anyone else.  I suspect and hope that you will indeed feel better once you have faced down this fear and taken back something that you once enjoyed.  

 

But given your circumstances, I agree that you probably don't want to jump right into those super-intense CrossFit-like classes that you mentioned your friend attends.  Something gentler is probably in order, at least at first.  If your hubby will go to ballroom dancing classes with you, I'd say go for it!  I've been wanting to do that for YEARS but my husband has no interest.

Goodness, you don't owe me an apology. I don't expect you guys to keep up with my details, I truly appreciate the thought though. I don't know that my dh wants to go either but considering everything I might be able to talk it into it. 

Traveling today - I have my travel foods, my food plan, and my audiobooks. I do not have an exercise plan. Okay, maybe I do. The hotel I plan on staying in has a workout room. If I get in early enough maybe I can use the treadmill. Tomorrow I plan on walking around the area. I am taking my hiking gear and maybe I'll get to the AT for a couple of miles. I just need to do it and quit thinking about it. Since I'm not on a time crunch I might stop at a few places along the way and see some sites.

I hope it is a nice trip and you get some nice time in the woods.

[Soror]

Laurie. The swing dance sounds like a blast. I would love to try that if we had it

[Soror]

So, I was thinking maybe I could go to the indoor walking track on the days ds has math class. He prefers I am gone anyway, the walking track is free to use and if I want to have access to the pool or workout equipment it is $30 for the whole family, I think it is pretty dead there, and if I can work it into my schedule it might help me keep with it.

[duckabell]

This week is going fairly well. I've lifted twice this week already, and hope to lift tomorrow morning. Running didn't happen this morning, and I may have to just be okay with running once a week during winter when it's so cold and gets dark early. The problem with running on Thursdays is that for various reasons Thursday is the only weekday morning I can run, and I'd have to get up at 5:30 and go to our local indoor track. Plus, Wednesday night I usually stay up late due to my husband having a late activity. So on Thursday mornings the motivation just isn't there. Lifting during the week isn't as hard because we have the equipment at home.

 

As far as sweets, I haven't been the best, but not the worst, either. 

[Soror]

My friend messaged me back that she would walk with me, it makes me cry thinking about it, she is already busy and has her own stuff going on and she said she would do whatever I needed or wanted her to do. So, I think we are going to try to do Mondays and maybe I can do Fridays with the girls.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

The hotel work out room was closed when I checked in; I missed it by 10 mins.

 

It's quite cold here today way below freezing and I didn't bring a balaclava. There is a Y across the street so I might go over and see if I can work out there.

 

 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I’m checking in but really don’t have much to share. I’ve gone to my usual karate classes and worked out with DH on Monday but other than that I haven’t exercised. I’ve tried to make healthy dinners on days we’re home but we’ve had three parties in the last week. The rest of my meals have only been ok...not great. There’s been treats around and I’ve eaten them, not as much as usually would but still too much. It’s been really cold out and the road has too much ice on it for me to feel safe walking. The days are short. I saw pictures of myself from last night’s party...ugh...I need to lose 20lb and I need a haircut. We are still planning to move but the buyer for our house isn’t having much luck getting a buyer for hers. I’m excited for Christmas and my shopping date with DH tonight but everything else...blah

[Soror]

Oh, and the kids tried out the new TKD place last night, they all loved it. I think it is going to be a good fit. When it is decent I can hit the park and do some walking while they are there. 

[solascriptura]

I need to get rid of the snacks and treats in the house!

[wintermom]

Wow, that is good insight. I have very little confidence in my own skills right now, that is why I don't want to go to yoga b/c I know all the teachers and there is a certain expectation when you are a teacher too. I don't want to discuss why I'm so out of it or embarrass myself. I'm also a little disillusioned right now. I've not been a yoga purist for a good while, in my kid's classes I mix in other stuff. Coincidentally I'm taking the kids to TKD (ds did it before but quit and the girls haven't done it) and I was thinking maybe I should try it out because that would work well to do it together but I'm not really interested in it. I am conflicted too b/c I want to just do something and have fun but I struggle with sucking at things. 

 

 

I can totally understand this.  Trying out a completely new physical activity sounds excellent!  I hope you feel a new surge of energy and enjoyment in whatever that activity is. Walking with a friend is a wonderful start!  It's so great to have that time to walk and talk at the same time. 

[wintermom]

Hooray!! I just got word from the dr that I can NOT have to cut out all gluten immediately. So I'll be enjoying Christmas cookies, at least for the next 4 weeks (when I have an endoscopy done). I'm apparently testing weak positive for celiac, so after that I may be saying good-bye to the regular eating and hello to a much different life-style. So ladies, forgive me if I thoroughly enjoy all kinds of holiday treats this year. I promise I won't post about it. ;)