Well-Trained Bodies January 2020- Ring in the New Year with Exercise

[Soror]

30 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Happy Saturday morning!  I've got a special training class for folks working toward black belt this morning, which promises to be a sweaty, intense hour and a half.  That'll probably be the only time I'll have to put to actual exercise today...must grocery shop and food prep.  I read over the site that hosts the 800g challenge and it has definitely inspired me to up my veggie game a little.  The plates of colorful produce just look so good!  Hope everyone has a relaxing, fun weekend.

Good luck on class today. I know it does look so pretty!!

18 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

I managed two cups of veg at breakfast, but in weekdays I don't manage that. I like to have oats for breakfast because of the cholesterol effect, but I drink oatmilk, so may not need the oats.... Maybe something like ratatouille plus NF yoghurt.

 

5 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

Yeah, breakfast is hard for me... I'm the only one awake and I like to keep it that way so I can get work done before 7am, haha.  I was thinking about my snacks though.  I usually have f.f. greek yogurt with 1/2 TB honey for morning snack and a smoothie of protein powder, banana, and almond milk for afternoon snack.  I can swap berries for the honey and add produce into the smoothie.  I already eat a ton of veg at lunch and supper, but I think snacks have room for improvement.

I often make a hot breakfast, I can usually get that done without waking the girls. Half the time I have oatmeal with some fruit, when I have eggs I usually have some veggies but not always. My lunch and dinners really vary, my kids cook 3 nights a week so I always tell them they have to have at least 1 veggie or fruit but they don't make as much as me. When I have salad for lunch it is easy to get in the veggies but I don't always feel like a salad, especially in the winter. I need to make a big pot of soup this week, last week I ran out of time and didn't have ingredients I wanted. My snacks can use work too, sometimes they are great, others not so much. Ratatouille with yogurt sounds delicious, that would be a good lunch for me.

__________________

Lifting with my friend today, woot!!! Just lifting planned today, no intervals. We'll work on pull-up stuff and play around.

[Soror]

13 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

There was a 1-mile benchmark at OT today.  I don't even usually go on Fridays, but this week's schedule has been all topsy-turvy.  Anyway, I ended up running it, just to see if I could.  I did!  I did most of it at 6.2mph, which is apparently a 9:40 pace, but for the last little bit I upped it to around 7mph, so my time was just under that. I was so excited to be done that I turned off the tread without checking the exact time. 🙄  We shall see how my knees do - I've still been mixing walking and running.  Yesterday I walked everything but three 30-sec. all-outs.

Hope the knees are fine, congrats on the new record!!

14 hours ago, wintermom said:

I got in my hike in the woods with friends. It was still very cold. My entire body was covered except for my nose and mouth (so I could talk with friends), and that was the only body parts that became numb. This got me thinking that perhaps some of the facial numbness is simply damage from years of being super cold.

Hmm, that is an interesting observation, seems like it could cause that.

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, soror said:

Hmm, that is an interesting observation, seems like it could cause that.

I think I'll go with this simply possible answer. With all the blood tests and other diagnosis testing my dr has done, nothing else has popped up besides allergies and very low-range celiac. We'll stick with the KISS theory.😉

[wintermom]

4 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Happy Saturday morning!  I've got a special training class for folks working toward black belt this morning, which promises to be a sweaty, intense hour and a half.  That'll probably be the only time I'll have to put to actual exercise today...must grocery shop and food prep.  I read over the site that hosts the 800g challenge and it has definitely inspired me to up my veggie game a little.  The plates of colorful produce just look so good!  Hope everyone has a relaxing, fun weekend.

So exciting that the black belt is within reach! Hope your work-out was satisfying! 

I love the look of colourful veggies as well!

[wintermom]

I'll be going for a hike in the woods today. Hopefully this will happen before the predicted snow storm hits us. We're supposed to get up to 1 foot of snow. I may be snowshoeing. 😉

 

Question about vegetable count:  Is this the same as "plant based" food? How are vegetables separated from plant based foods?  For example, are oats, rice, coconut, potatoes, mushrooms considered veggies? How about nuts and seeds? 

In the big picture of healthy diet, if you have a balanced and wide variety of plant-based foods and animal-based fats and proteins, isn't this reasonable? Seems to me that a diet which includes a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, with accompanying vitamins and minerals, should be optimal.  What are your thoughts?  (That is assuming you don't wish to go vegetarian or vegan.)

[Soror]

5 hours ago, wintermom said:

I'll be going for a hike in the woods today. Hopefully this will happen before the predicted snow storm hits us. We're supposed to get up to 1 foot of snow. I may be snowshoeing. 😉

 

Question about vegetable count:  Is this the same as "plant based" food? How are vegetables separated from plant based foods?  For example, are oats, rice, coconut, potatoes, mushrooms considered veggies? How about nuts and seeds? 

In the big picture of healthy diet, if you have a balanced and wide variety of plant-based foods and animal-based fats and proteins, isn't this reasonable? Seems to me that a diet which includes a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, with accompanying vitamins and minerals, should be optimal.  What are your thoughts?  (That is assuming you don't wish to go vegetarian or vegan.)

No, veggie count is not the same as looking towards a plant based diet but those striving for plant based are generally looking to keep their fruit and veggie intake high. Plant based is focusing on all plant foods including grains to the exclusion of animal products. The 800 gram challenge doesn't count grains, nuts, seeds, coconuts as they aren't veggies or fruits and it isn't a particular diet. It is not saying you can't eat this or that, it is eat whatever else you want but strive to get in 800 grams a day, that's it. You can do it while omni, veggie, low fat, Mediterranean, doesn't matter. Just trying to up fruit and veggie intake. It does not preclude eating grains, meat, fat, or anything else. Barring health issues (like you have) research tells us that eating a large amount of fruits and veggies is good for us in a myriad of ways and is one thing the vast majority of health researchers agree on even if they don't agree on what diet is optimal. 

I had my whole grain gf toast and almond butter w/ my banana this am before the gym(fat, carbs, and a bit of protein). After workout I had a protein shake w/ strawberries- which was a bit of carbs but mostly protein (no fat to help w/ quick digestion after work out). Brunch of homemade potatoes and bbq rib. Lunch w/ taco meat, brown rice, beans, cabbage, salsa, guac, and bell pepper (proteins, fat, and carb). Etc- it is not eating just fruits and veggies, at all. Over the day I aim to keep fairly balanced w/ my macros although some meals might have more of one thing or another and eating a wide variety of whole foods to get the nutrients I need. 

Also, personal preference I prefer to think about adding good things to my diet to crowd out less healthy options then focus on restricting foods. I am trying to up the nutrient density of my diet, focusing on increasing fruit and veggie intake naturally reduces my consumption of less optimal choices and as I said I know I feel best when eating more. Ideal for me is eating 10 servings or so a day but haven't been quite hitting there lately (most of the time anyway) so I'm trying to up my game.

I had a very nice workout + chat with my friend. We did the pull-up program but changed some moves up just for variety- did hip thrusts instead of landmine deadlifts for example. Thrusts felt hard today after climbing those hills yesterday. We also did tire flips, the first time since I hurt my shoulder over doing it. We only did the 100# tire and only 3 sets of 10, so hopefully it doesn't bother me. We also practiced carries with sand balls, kettlebells, and 45# plates(1 in each hand) and I added in hand position change in between to fatigue my grip. 

I went outside to do some raking as it is unseasonably warm but it is also crazy windy, so that is out.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow for a nice slow day and the start of a much less stressful week.

[wintermom]

46 minutes ago, soror said:

No, veggie count is not the same as looking towards a plant based diet but those striving for plant based are generally looking to keep their fruit and veggie intake high. Plant based is focusing on all plant foods including grains to the exclusion of animal products. The 800 gram challenge doesn't count grains, nuts, seeds, coconuts as they aren't veggies or fruits and it isn't a particular diet. It is not saying you can't eat this or that, it is eat whatever else you want but strive to get in 800 grams a day, that's it. You can do it while omni, veggie, low fat, Mediterranean, doesn't matter. Just trying to up fruit and veggie intake. It does not preclude eating grains, meat, fat, or anything else. Barring health issues (like you have) research tells us that eating a large amount of fruits and veggies is good for us in a myriad of ways and is one thing the vast majority of health researchers agree on even if they don't agree on what diet is optimal. 

Thanks. What about mushrooms and potatoes/corn that tend to be more "starch" and often used similar to grains?  I still think that there is a lot of grey area with the promotion of "fruits and vegetables."  There is also a HUGE variation of grains from around the world. Seems pretty limiting to discriminate against grains altogether.  It starts to smell like a political/financial push from California to promote the buying of fresh fruit and veg. 😉  Just like the dairy market has done in past decades.

[Soror]

34 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Thanks. What about mushrooms and potatoes/corn that tend to be more "starch" and often used similar to grains?  I still think that there is a lot of grey area with the promotion of "fruits and vegetables."  There is also a HUGE variation of grains from around the world. Seems pretty limiting to discriminate against grains altogether.  It starts to smell like a political/financial push from California to promote the buying of fresh fruit and veg. 😉  Just like the dairy market has done in past decades.

Girl, you're over thinking it, no discrimination against grains. It is purposely not excluding anything you can eat all the grains you want, just adding more fruits and veggies. As with anything, take what works for you leave the rest. I generally eat as many grains as I want to eat so that is not something I need to focus on increasing. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by soror

[wintermom]

3 minutes ago, soror said:

Girl, you're over thinking it, no discrimination against grains. It is purposely not excluding anything you can eat all the grains you want, just adding more fruits and veggies. As with anything, take what works for you leave the rest. I generally eat as many grains as I want to eat so that is not something I need to focus on increasing. 

Hey, I got nothing but time and snow on my hands right now! 😂   I'm procrastinating decluttering the house.

[Laura Corin]

Yesterday went pretty well. I Nordic Walked for half an hour, and then Husband and I walked the dog but only for about a mile because.....

We are back to showing the house again, so I spent around six hours tidying and cleaning.  Husband's back is not good at present, so he could only do some specific tasks. 18,000 steps in all.

The viewer comes late morning today, so I'll do some last minute tasks then take the dog out of the way and go for a five mile hike. The weather is due to be crisp and sunny, so good for hiking and showing the house. I am about to do one yoga session and I'll do another tonight.

Veggie count yesterday:

1 cup each of: lentil sprouts, tomatoes, bak choi; 150g of cauliflower; two cups of green beans; two apples.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Laura Corin

[IvyInFlorida]

Black Belt Club training was really interesting yesterday--we worked on spinning kicks, which are pretty difficult and require a lot of focus to keep your balance and hit your target.  At the end we hit the air shields a bit.  I used gel padded gloves but could still feel that my knuckle was tender, ugh.  Then I tweaked my ankle, UGH.  It was swollen last night and is still sore this morning, but better than yesterday.  I was on my feet a lot yesterday so I'm sure that didn't help.

My mom made lunch for us so I was a little off my food game, but ended up eating an orange, an apple, a pile of roasted veg, a carrot, and a pile of spaghetti squash.  I have enjoyed spaghetti squash before, but this one was remarkably bitter, not sure why.

Rest day for me today, except I'm going shopping with my mom in "the city" so will be walking miiiiles (or at least it will feel like it!).  I weighed in and was happy to see that I had maintained my new low of 138.2.  We're still in the middle of birthday season right now (my husband's is Thursday and mine is the 3rd--we'll both be...DUN DUN DUUUN... 40!) and if I can get out of it without gaining I will be very happy!  Not so much from cake or whatever, just so much entertaining and being off my plan, etc.  This is going to be a busy week and I am trying not to let myself get stressed about it.  Folks from out of town will be coming and going a lot (which means I'm cooking for them) and my belt test is on Saturday and of course I will be having PMS (bah.).

Anyways, so I'm glad to get out today and have a nice shopping/lunch day with my mom to start the week off on a good note!

[Soror]

12 hours ago, wintermom said:

Hey, I got nothing but time and snow on my hands right now! 😂   I'm procrastinating decluttering the house.

LOL, get to it!!!

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Yesterday went pretty well. I Nordic Walked for half an hour, and then Husband and I walked the dog but only for about a mile because.....

We are back to showing the house again, so I spent around six hours tidying and cleaning.  Husband's back is not good at present, so he could only do some specific tasks. 18,000 steps in all.

The viewer comes late morning today, so I'll do some last minute tasks then take the dog out of the way and go for a five mile hike. The weather is due to be crisp and sunny, so good for hiking and showing the house. I am about to do one yoga session and I'll do another tonight.

Veggie count yesterday:

1 cup each of: lentil sprouts, tomatoes, bak choi; 150g of cauliflower; two cups of green beans; two apples.

WTG on all the steps and yummy veggies. Good luck on the showing, let us know how it goes.

9 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Black Belt Club training was really interesting yesterday--we worked on spinning kicks, which are pretty difficult and require a lot of focus to keep your balance and hit your target.  At the end we hit the air shields a bit.  I used gel padded gloves but could still feel that my knuckle was tender, ugh.  Then I tweaked my ankle, UGH.  It was swollen last night and is still sore this morning, but better than yesterday.  I was on my feet a lot yesterday so I'm sure that didn't help.

My mom made lunch for us so I was a little off my food game, but ended up eating an orange, an apple, a pile of roasted veg, a carrot, and a pile of spaghetti squash.  I have enjoyed spaghetti squash before, but this one was remarkably bitter, not sure why.

Rest day for me today, except I'm going shopping with my mom in "the city" so will be walking miiiiles (or at least it will feel like it!).  I weighed in and was happy to see that I had maintained my new low of 138.2.  We're still in the middle of birthday season right now (my husband's is Thursday and mine is the 3rd--we'll both be...DUN DUN DUUUN... 40!) and if I can get out of it without gaining I will be very happy!  Not so much from cake or whatever, just so much entertaining and being off my plan, etc.  This is going to be a busy week and I am trying not to let myself get stressed about it.  Folks from out of town will be coming and going a lot (which means I'm cooking for them) and my belt test is on Saturday and of course I will be having PMS (bah.).

Anyways, so I'm glad to get out today and have a nice shopping/lunch day with my mom to start the week off on a good note!

I'm so sorry about the knuckle. Enjoy your shopping day, I hope that you get some chill time too, shopping is exhausting.

Happy early birthday so funny you are nearly the exact same age! You've got this week. Make your to do list conquer one task and one day at a time. Is this the black belt test? I was thinking is was still a bit off but my memory isn't the best.

_______________________________________

 

[IvyInFlorida]

10 minutes ago, soror said:

I'm so sorry about the knuckle. Enjoy your shopping day, I hope that you get some chill time too, shopping is exhausting.

Happy early birthday so funny you are nearly the exact same age! You've got this week. Make your to do list conquer one task and one day at a time. Is this the black belt test? I was thinking is was still a bit off but my memory isn't the best.

_______________________________________

 

 

Thanks!  Yep, it's neat that we're so close in age and that we went to elementary/middle school together.  Even born in the same hospital.  It's fun to have so many shared experiences!

This'll be the brown belt jr test, brown sr will be in March, then black in May.  ACK!

 

[Soror]

Ok, week in review and next week's plans---

This was not my best week, the beginning of the week was really stressful- with dd's procedure, epic friend stress for me, dh going up for a new position,. All of that coupled with period hormones and fatigue and stress messing with my sleep sucked my energy and mood. But I have recovered. Dh got the job (ya!), I had a very hard talk with a friend, and dd1 made it through her procedure without issue. 

I nearly made it to my 10k a day average, my step count at the beginning of the week was abysmally low with all the driving, sitting, and then fatigue but I did what I could.

I got in my strength and interval work as planned, and my hike.

I did a couple days of mobility/recovery work and a couple of short exercise sessions w/ dd3 (light intervals- classifying that as active recovery as it didn't break a sweat or get heart rate up much)

I wanted to do more stretching than I did but I have been very strictly getting in my stretching after my workouts and warming up well. I'm trying hard to prioritize rest and recovery as I know that it is just as important.

I missed my hill work- I had planned to do it last Sunday but the day got away from me- Monday was just too busy and then I didn't feel like it.

Next week's plan- same as last week but hope to get in all planned workouts. 

Mon- hill bucket carry(10 minutes- It is hard!!!)+ 20 min mobility and recovery

Tues- PM- lifting + intervals on the stair climber

Wed- Rest- light stretching/mobility + foam rolling (skipping the shoulder area though it felt good at the time my shoulder felt a little off afterward)

Thurs- PM- longer session+ lifting + 10% incline walking intervals (3 miles total)

Fri- AM- mobility- stretching- hike- 

Sat- longer lifting session

Sun- Rest

During the week I'll probably do a few workouts w/ dd3, again, these are light and easy she really enjoys them, it is good time together.

Food: continue fruit and veggie challenge and keeping protein up

Food today- probably a veggie omelette with toast for breakfast. Lunch- baked sweet potato, leftover Moroccan chicken, brown rice, and a quick curried cabbage stir fry.  Dinner- homemade gyros!!!! to die for homemade gf naan, tomato, cucumber, onion salad and lamb w/ feta and Greek yogurt sauce. I'll have a fruit salad snack at some point- I've been adding a couple of tablespoons dried rolled oats and chopped pecans, yum. 

I'm making curry veggie soup batch today for lunch this coming week, I found some fresh stir-fry veggie mixes on sale so that will make it much quicker to make.

Oh, and dh's schedule is changing so he is planning to go to the gym some with the other engineers (he is taking the position of an engineer but doesn't get that title until he finishes school of course). He wants me to go with him some time and show him around so I'm looking for simple routines for him, he'll be going to planet fitness so they have limited weight supplies and I think he is a bit intimidated by the weights anyway but he's lost some strength from doing a lot more desk work. 

Geez that is a novel...

Have a great week ladies.

[Soror]

19 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

Thanks!  Yep, it's neat that we're so close in age and that we went to elementary/middle school together.  Even born in the same hospital.  It's fun to have so many shared experiences!

This'll be the brown belt jr test, brown sr will be in March, then black in May.  ACK!

 

Wow, how fun. And I'm glad that I'm not losing my mind, you are however getting very close.

[Soror]

On 1/12/2020 at 5:40 AM, soror said:

Weight at 121 (up from 120) this week- could be PMS bloat, or increased intake. I'm going to continue on as I have- focusing on healthy yummy food and fueling activtiy, we'll see where I land next week.

And weight back down to 120 (119.8 to be exact I've been hitting between 119.9=8-120.2 previous few weeks so on track for maintenance). Proof that one bad afternoon doesn't ruin a week and sometimes things just fluctuate. I counted portions a few days but with being so busy and stressed I mostly just did mindful eating focused on increasing fruits and veggies w/ plenty of protein. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Week sum-up:

I'm sitting at 3 runs right now, but hope to go out today.  But DH and DS are running a bit late at the judo tournament, so I'm not sure!  

Food was good.  Lots of veggies and fruit.  The Daily Dozen app is really helping me think through how to get in lots of them.  

 

Happy week, everyone!  

 

[wintermom]

8 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Yesterday went pretty well. I Nordic Walked for half an hour, and then Husband and I walked the dog but only for about a mile because.....

We are back to showing the house again, so I spent around six hours tidying and cleaning.  Husband's back is not good at present, so he could only do some specific tasks. 18,000 steps in all.

The viewer comes late morning today, so I'll do some last minute tasks then take the dog out of the way and go for a five mile hike. The weather is due to be crisp and sunny, so good for hiking and showing the house. I am about to do one yoga session and I'll do another tonight.

Veggie count yesterday:

1 cup each of: lentil sprouts, tomatoes, bak choi; 150g of cauliflower; two cups of green beans; two apples.

I'm picturing the difference in volume between all these veggies raw and then cooked. I hope that 6 cup thing is for the raw volume! 😂  There is so much water in fruit and veggies. I start out with a full fry pan of veg, and end up with a small plate to actually eat. Oats are the opposite, and pretty satisfying that way! 😉

Edited January 19, 2020 by wintermom

[wintermom]

The snow finally stopped and I'm venturing out for a hike or probably snowshoe. The temp is still cold, but not freezing. Yipee!  So fuzzy dog and I will go for a morning walk, and then I may get out for a short skate ski later on. 

I'm still spreading the decluttering out nice and wide. Can't overdo things. 😁

[Laura Corin]

25 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm picturing the difference in volume between all these veggies raw and then cooked. I hope that 6 cup thing is for the raw volume! 😂  There is so much water in fruit and veggies. I start out with a full fry pan of veg, and end up with a small plate to actually eat. Oats are the opposite, and pretty satisfying that way! 😉

1 cup each of: lentil sprouts, tomatoes, bak choi; 150g of cauliflower; two cups of green beans; two apples.

That's a mishmash of raw and cooked measurements. The cauli, beans and bak choi were eyeballed once cooked. The tomatoes, lentil sprouts and apples were eaten raw. Sorry, can't get rid of the bold type.

[FarmingMomma]

Finished up week 7 of 80 day obsession.  I struggled a bit with motivation this week, but I'm feeling back on track now!  Today is rest day and sledding.  Tomorrow is my son's 13th birthday, and he loves snowshoeing, so he and I might go for a bit of a snowshoe hike tomorrow.

[wintermom]

Back from my first hike. The snow is really deep! Over a foot of fresh powder on top of whatever was already there. I opted to hike with gaiters instead of snowshoeing as the fuzzy dog is a puller and I like staying on my feet, and wearing snowshoes forces a wider stance that can get really tiring. It was a really tough work-out, but gorgeous out there! 

Dd and I are going to do a little snowshoeing without the dog. My legs will be pretty much done after that! 😉

[wintermom]

1 minute ago, FarmingMomma said:

Finished up week 7 of 80 day obsession.  I struggled a bit with motivation this week, but I'm feeling back on track now!  Today is rest day and sledding.  Tomorrow is my son's 13th birthday, and he loves snowshoeing, so he and I might go for a bit of a snowshoe hike tomorrow.

Congratulations to your ds!! Enjoy the day and the snowshoeing. How are your temps now? It's been really cold out west. Are you getting any relief yet?

[Laura Corin]

52 minutes ago, FarmingMomma said:

Finished up week 7 of 80 day obsession.  I struggled a bit with motivation this week, but I'm feeling back on track now!  Today is rest day and sledding.  Tomorrow is my son's 13th birthday, and he loves snowshoeing, so he and I might go for a bit of a snowshoe hike tomorrow.

Happy birthday to your teenager!

52 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Back from my first hike. The snow is really deep! Over a foot of fresh powder on top of whatever was already there. I opted to hike with gaiters instead of snowshoeing as the fuzzy dog is a puller and I like staying on my feet, and wearing snowshoes forces a wider stance that can get really tiring. It was a really tough work-out, but gorgeous out there! 

Dd and I are going to do a little snowshoeing without the dog. My legs will be pretty much done after that! 😉

I'd like to try snowshoeing - it's not going to happen around here though.  I imagine it's really hard work even in the best conditions.

Good 5+ mile hike with the dog; two yoga sessions.  Veggies: one cup of grated apple and half a cup of mixed berries for breakfast; a cup of broccoli and mushrooms and half a cup of tofu for lunch.  Another apple.  Husband will make me a least a cup of veg for supper, but it's still looking low.  Maybe some raw carrots later.

I made a new concoction for breakfast: baked 'ratatouille' oatmeal. I think it's worked our really well: a cup of oats, two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, one cup of passata, one cup of water, a large aubergine, a large leek, a large green pepper, half an onion, mixed herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil.  All baked together and divided by five.  So that's a least a cup of veg each day, around half a tablespoon of whole flax seed equivalent, 1/5 of a cup of oats.  I'll warm it up and eat it with a big dollop of fat-free Greek yoghurt.  Sounds really comforting to start the day.  I skipped adding garlic for the sake of my co-workers.  It feels quite medieval - oats used to be added very commonly to savoury dishes in Britain in the middle ages.

 

[DawnM]

I have now done 4 twenty min. spin rides with my bike.  My rear end is doing better, but it still hurts.  I am reading that 10 rides is max needed to adjust to using it.  If it still is sore by 10 rides, I will order a more comfortable seat. 😘

 

[IvyInFlorida]

31 minutes ago, DawnM said:

I have now done 4 twenty min. spin rides with my bike.  My rear end is doing better, but it still hurts.  I am reading that 10 rides is max needed to adjust to using it.  If it still is sore by 10 rides, I will order a more comfortable seat. 😘

 

 

That's awesome, good for you!  I have never done much biking at all, but I remember that the seats hurt my rear.

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

 It feels quite medieval - oats used to be added very commonly to savoury dishes in Britain in the middle ages.

 

 

I learned about this from that show Tales from the Green Valley.  They were always adding oats to things and it looked so good!  Oh, in the Christmas episode, they served this liquor they made by steeping anise and other spices, plus figs and other dried fruit in spirits and I spent forever tracking down the recipe and ended up making it!  I love all those Victorian Farm-esque shows.

4 hours ago, FarmingMomma said:

Finished up week 7 of 80 day obsession.  I struggled a bit with motivation this week, but I'm feeling back on track now!  Today is rest day and sledding.  Tomorrow is my son's 13th birthday, and he loves snowshoeing, so he and I might go for a bit of a snowshoe hike tomorrow.

 

That sounds fun!

[IvyInFlorida]

10 hours ago, soror said:

Ok, week in review and next week's plans---

This was not my best week, the beginning of the week was really stressful- with dd's procedure, epic friend stress for me, dh going up for a new position,. All of that coupled with period hormones and fatigue and stress messing with my sleep sucked my energy and mood. But I have recovered. Dh got the job (ya!), I had a very hard talk with a friend, and dd1 made it through her procedure without issue. 

I nearly made it to my 10k a day average, my step count at the beginning of the week was abysmally low with all the driving, sitting, and then fatigue but I did what I could.

I got in my strength and interval work as planned, and my hike.

I did a couple days of mobility/recovery work and a couple of short exercise sessions w/ dd3 (light intervals- classifying that as active recovery as it didn't break a sweat or get heart rate up much)

I wanted to do more stretching than I did but I have been very strictly getting in my stretching after my workouts and warming up well. I'm trying hard to prioritize rest and recovery as I know that it is just as important.

I missed my hill work- I had planned to do it last Sunday but the day got away from me- Monday was just too busy and then I didn't feel like it.

Next week's plan- same as last week but hope to get in all planned workouts. 

Mon- hill bucket carry(10 minutes- It is hard!!!)+ 20 min mobility and recovery

Tues- PM- lifting + intervals on the stair climber

Wed- Rest- light stretching/mobility + foam rolling (skipping the shoulder area though it felt good at the time my shoulder felt a little off afterward)

Thurs- PM- longer session+ lifting + 10% incline walking intervals (3 miles total)

Fri- AM- mobility- stretching- hike- 

Sat- longer lifting session

Sun- Rest

During the week I'll probably do a few workouts w/ dd3, again, these are light and easy she really enjoys them, it is good time together.

Food: continue fruit and veggie challenge and keeping protein up

Food today- probably a veggie omelette with toast for breakfast. Lunch- baked sweet potato, leftover Moroccan chicken, brown rice, and a quick curried cabbage stir fry.  Dinner- homemade gyros!!!! to die for homemade gf naan, tomato, cucumber, onion salad and lamb w/ feta and Greek yogurt sauce. I'll have a fruit salad snack at some point- I've been adding a couple of tablespoons dried rolled oats and chopped pecans, yum. 

I'm making curry veggie soup batch today for lunch this coming week, I found some fresh stir-fry veggie mixes on sale so that will make it much quicker to make.

Oh, and dh's schedule is changing so he is planning to go to the gym some with the other engineers (he is taking the position of an engineer but doesn't get that title until he finishes school of course). He wants me to go with him some time and show him around so I'm looking for simple routines for him, he'll be going to planet fitness so they have limited weight supplies and I think he is a bit intimidated by the weights anyway but he's lost some strength from doing a lot more desk work. 

Geez that is a novel...

Have a great week ladies.

 

Congrats to your husband!  And it sounds like you really rallied after some hard days.  You're brave for having a hard friend talk.  Those are tough.  You've got a good week of training lined up!

Oh man, the thought of gyros makes my mouth water.  YUM.  So YUM.

[SKL]

Hi guys.  I wanted to check in again.  Can't say I have been good this month ... I lost my momentum with the yoga and haven't done much else.  The wonky weather isn't helping.

I have made it to TKD class a couple times and practiced my form at home.  I know it pretty well, but the master says I need to make bigger movements, which is hard to practice in your living room with a broomstick as a staff.  😛  I need to force myself to go outside in the weather and practice properly.  But, yesterday I got my "black stripe," which means I can apply for the February 1 belt test.  After that, assuming I pass, I will be able to go to the higher level class with my kids.  Working the test in with all the other stuff I have that day will be interesting ....  Kid1 has a cheer gig that may or may not end in time for the belt test.

Another thing - I found a weekly 5K on Saturday mornings.  (I don't think there is any cost, I think it is just for practice / exercise, though you have to register.)  I would love to get my eldest to do this "with me" (though she is twice as fast).  But she doesn't love getting out of bed on Saturday mornings.  I still struggle to get my kids to do any exercise with me, which means all of us are less motivated than we could be.

In general, I try to do some activity every day, but it isn't as much as I want it to be.

Food wise, now that all the birthdays and holidays are over, I am trying to be a bit responsible.  Still consuming a lot of leftover sweets ....  Also my kid has been baking delicious treats.  But I will try to be strong.  😛

[wintermom]

@SKL Congratulations on your black stripe!! That's huge. All the best on the countdown to black belt test! 

[IvyInFlorida]

12 hours ago, SKL said:

Hi guys.  I wanted to check in again.  Can't say I have been good this month ... I lost my momentum with the yoga and haven't done much else.  The wonky weather isn't helping.

I have made it to TKD class a couple times and practiced my form at home.  I know it pretty well, but the master says I need to make bigger movements, which is hard to practice in your living room with a broomstick as a staff.  😛  I need to force myself to go outside in the weather and practice properly.  But, yesterday I got my "black stripe," which means I can apply for the February 1 belt test.  After that, assuming I pass, I will be able to go to the higher level class with my kids.  Working the test in with all the other stuff I have that day will be interesting ....  Kid1 has a cheer gig that may or may not end in time for the belt test.

Another thing - I found a weekly 5K on Saturday mornings.  (I don't think there is any cost, I think it is just for practice / exercise, though you have to register.)  I would love to get my eldest to do this "with me" (though she is twice as fast).  But she doesn't love getting out of bed on Saturday mornings.  I still struggle to get my kids to do any exercise with me, which means all of us are less motivated than we could be.

In general, I try to do some activity every day, but it isn't as much as I want it to be.

Food wise, now that all the birthdays and holidays are over, I am trying to be a bit responsible.  Still consuming a lot of leftover sweets ....  Also my kid has been baking delicious treats.  But I will try to be strong.  😛

 

January has been very uneven for me as well so far.  We're also in birthday season and just in general I haven't been able to get in the routine groove as much as usual.  But we are pushing through and that's what counts!  Congrats on your black stripe!

[Laura Corin]

13 hours ago, SKL said:

Another thing - I found a weekly 5K on Saturday mornings.  (I don't think there is any cost, I think it is just for practice / exercise, though you have to register.)  I would love to get my eldest to do this "with me" (though she is twice as fast).  But she doesn't love getting out of bed on Saturday mornings.  I still struggle to get my kids to do any exercise with me, which means all of us are less motivated than we could be.

  😛

It it's Park Run, it's free, but they require registration so that you can measure yourself against other (anonymous) people, by age, sex, etc.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Soror]

13 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

Congrats to your husband!  And it sounds like you really rallied after some hard days.  You're brave for having a hard friend talk.  Those are tough.  You've got a good week of training lined up!

Oh man, the thought of gyros makes my mouth water.  YUM.  So YUM.

Thank you so much!

14 hours ago, DawnM said:

I have now done 4 twenty min. spin rides with my bike.  My rear end is doing better, but it still hurts.  I am reading that 10 rides is max needed to adjust to using it.  If it still is sore by 10 rides, I will order a more comfortable seat. 😘

 

Hey, that is progress. I'd guess it probably took that long for me not to feel it, I started in with 60 min spin classes, it was brutal. 

 

13 hours ago, SKL said:

Hi guys.  I wanted to check in again.  Can't say I have been good this month ... I lost my momentum with the yoga and haven't done much else.  The wonky weather isn't helping.

I have made it to TKD class a couple times and practiced my form at home.  I know it pretty well, but the master says I need to make bigger movements, which is hard to practice in your living room with a broomstick as a staff.  😛  I need to force myself to go outside in the weather and practice properly.  But, yesterday I got my "black stripe," which means I can apply for the February 1 belt test.  After that, assuming I pass, I will be able to go to the higher level class with my kids.  Working the test in with all the other stuff I have that day will be interesting ....  Kid1 has a cheer gig that may or may not end in time for the belt test.

Another thing - I found a weekly 5K on Saturday mornings.  (I don't think there is any cost, I think it is just for practice / exercise, though you have to register.)  I would love to get my eldest to do this "with me" (though she is twice as fast).  But she doesn't love getting out of bed on Saturday mornings.  I still struggle to get my kids to do any exercise with me, which means all of us are less motivated than we could be.

In general, I try to do some activity every day, but it isn't as much as I want it to be.

Food wise, now that all the birthdays and holidays are over, I am trying to be a bit responsible.  Still consuming a lot of leftover sweets ....  Also my kid has been baking delicious treats.  But I will try to be strong.  😛

Congrats on the stripe!!! Remember, progress not perfection, 1% improvement is still improvement.

17 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Happy birthday to your teenager!

I'd like to try snowshoeing - it's not going to happen around here though.  I imagine it's really hard work even in the best conditions.

Good 5+ mile hike with the dog; two yoga sessions.  Veggies: one cup of grated apple and half a cup of mixed berries for breakfast; a cup of broccoli and mushrooms and half a cup of tofu for lunch.  Another apple.  Husband will make me a least a cup of veg for supper, but it's still looking low.  Maybe some raw carrots later.

I made a new concoction for breakfast: baked 'ratatouille' oatmeal. I think it's worked our really well: a cup of oats, two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, one cup of passata, one cup of water, a large aubergine, a large leek, a large green pepper, half an onion, mixed herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil.  All baked together and divided by five.  So that's a least a cup of veg each day, around half a tablespoon of whole flax seed equivalent, 1/5 of a cup of oats.  I'll warm it up and eat it with a big dollop of fat-free Greek yoghurt.  Sounds really comforting to start the day.  I skipped adding garlic for the sake of my co-workers.  It feels quite medieval - oats used to be added very commonly to savoury dishes in Britain in the middle ages.

 

Hmm, that sounds yummy, I would have not thought of oats with it, you'll have to report back on the taste. 

I am trying a new dish myself, I saw mention of a Bircher Muesli so went to look it up. From what I've read originally it was a whole lot of grated apple, with a bit of rolled oats, soaked overnight, with some condensed milk (because of concerns of TB). I'm following this recipe, without the juice and more nf greek yogurt for protein,  2 TBS of chopped pecans, cinnamon and dried cranberries for the dried fruit (raisins would be better but I don't have any), no honey.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/oct/23/how-to-make-perfect-bircher-muesli-recipe

This am plans- light yoga for recovery. Some bucket hill carries at lunch (hopefully the sun is out then and a bit warmer).

And I noticed I did not get sore from my lifting Saturday. We worked pretty hard and did the tire flips, which made me very sore when I did them before. I am getting stronger and improving recovery, very happy with that.

Yesterday I took a 3 mile walk, mostly on the road, with a bit tromping through the forest.

bfast- bircher muesli, before yoga toast, almond butter and banana

lunch- coconut curry veggie soup w/ chicken over brown rice- I measured 10 cups of veggie before cooking so that will hit my 2 per serving for lunches this week

dinner- beef and veggie(cabbage, broccoli, onions, carrots, bok choy) stir fry w/ rice noodles

snacks- whatever I feel like 🙂 tomato, cucumber, and leftover tzi. sauce yum! berrries and orange, ??? 

[wintermom]

19 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I'd like to try snowshoeing - it's not going to happen around here though.  I imagine it's really hard work even in the best conditions.

Good 5+ mile hike with the dog; two yoga sessions.  Veggies: one cup of grated apple and half a cup of mixed berries for breakfast; a cup of broccoli and mushrooms and half a cup of tofu for lunch.  Another apple.  Husband will make me a least a cup of veg for supper, but it's still looking low.  Maybe some raw carrots later.

I made a new concoction for breakfast: baked 'ratatouille' oatmeal. I think it's worked our really well: a cup of oats, two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, one cup of passata, one cup of water, a large aubergine, a large leek, a large green pepper, half an onion, mixed herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil.  All baked together and divided by five.  So that's a least a cup of veg each day, around half a tablespoon of whole flax seed equivalent, 1/5 of a cup of oats.  I'll warm it up and eat it with a big dollop of fat-free Greek yoghurt.  Sounds really comforting to start the day.  I skipped adding garlic for the sake of my co-workers.  It feels quite medieval - oats used to be added very commonly to savoury dishes in Britain in the middle ages.

 

Snowshoeing isn't hard especially in dry snow, but the wider stance just forces different muscles to activate. And we all experience how using new muscles = soreness! 😁  There is also the added weight of the snowshoes, but that isn't much added to the typically heavier boots required.  I enjoyed using poles, as they help move branches out of the way when bushwhacking!

The savoury oatmeal sounds great! Smart to make up a week's worth at a time. I've been using oatmeal as the base of my pumpkin pie. This is my own sweeter, non-eggplant version of your ratatouille. I could probably throw in some eggplant, though. 😂

[wintermom]

The plan is to go for either a skate ski or a hike/snowshoe this morning. It looks sunny and beautiful outside, but that is just a big, fat lie! It's -25 C with the windchill. 🥶

[Laura Corin]

@soror I make a similar Bircher muesli. Mine is grated apple, oat milk, oats, no fat yoghurt. I microwave some frozen berries to pour over sometimes.

The oaty ratatouille pottage was really good.

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, soror said:

Thank you so much!

Hey, that is progress. I'd guess it probably took that long for me not to feel it, I started in with 60 min spin classes, it was brutal. 

 

 

Oh my gosh!  My butt hurts just thinking of a 60 min. class.

Dh and I were talking about it last night and I said I was trying to get used to it in case I wanted to take a class outside of the home or went on vacation and wanted to use a spin bike in the hotel gym or something and he looked at me and said, "When have you ever wanted to do a spin class or used a bike at a gym?  You tend to do other types of classes or use a treadmill."

He is right.  I may go ahead and order a more comfortable seat.

[Soror]

30 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

@soror I make a similar Bircher muesli. Mine is grated apple, oat milk, oats, no fat yoghurt. I microwave some frozen berries to pour over sometimes.

The oaty ratatouille pottage was really good.

I ended up adding ground flax to the muesli too, as that was an easy way to get it in. Nice good breakfast option, would be especially good in summer for a cold breakfast. So, we're your oats stirred in or on the bottom for a crust of sorts?

8 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Oh my gosh!  My butt hurts just thinking of a 60 min. class.

Dh and I were talking about it last night and I said I was trying to get used to it in case I wanted to take a class outside of the home or went on vacation and wanted to use a spin bike in the hotel gym or something and he looked at me and said, "When have you ever wanted to do a spin class or used a bike at a gym?  You tend to do other types of classes or use a treadmill."

He is right.  I may go ahead and order a more comfortable seat.

No sense in suffering but it will likely improve to, I can see going either way. It makes a big difference on your motivation if it hurts. 

________________-

I did Yoga w/ Adrienne this am- 30 min I just jumped in with Day 19 as it was the first to pop up. Her video quality has really improved from the early days! It was a nice gentle class and felt good. I skipped the yogi pushups (as they just don't feel good on my shoulders). I did not like the way she had us go into crow but otherwise it was a great class. I also took a few minutes for meditation and prayer, which is a nice quiet start to the day. Currently enjoying some time to myself waiting for the children to wake up.

[Laura Corin]

1 minute ago, soror said:

I ended up adding ground flax to the muesli too, as that was an easy way to get it in. Nice good breakfast option, would be especially good in summer for a cold breakfast. So, we're your oats stirred in or on the bottom for a crust of sorts?

________________-

I did Yoga w/ Adrienne this am- 30 min I just jumped in with Day 19 as it was the first to pop up. Her video quality has really improved from the early days! It was a nice gentle class and felt good. I skipped the yogi pushups (as they just don't feel good on my shoulders). I did not like the way she had us go into crow but otherwise it was a great class. I also took a few minutes for meditation and prayer, which is a nice quiet start to the day. Currently enjoying some time to myself waiting for the children to wake up.

The oats were in the bottom of the oven-proof dish, with the passata and water poured over them, to make sure they got the moisture they needed.  The veg was on top. The oats didn't form a crust, because of the moisture from the veg, but I wasn't really expecting them to.  It's moist and quite yummy.

The 30-day Adriene series has been pretty gentle so far - I'll do day 19 tonight.  I'm enjoying it - very peaceful.  I'll probably work on some more strength-based stuff in February.  I looked at how she goes into Crow - I don't usually rock back and forth like that, and I find it easier to get almost into position and then lift both toes together - it seems more balanced.  How do you do it?

[Soror]

34 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

The oats were in the bottom of the oven-proof dish, with the passata and water poured over them, to make sure they got the moisture they needed.  The veg was on top. The oats didn't form a crust, because of the moisture from the veg, but I wasn't really expecting them to.  It's moist and quite yummy.

The 30-day Adriene series has been pretty gentle so far - I'll do day 19 tonight.  I'm enjoying it - very peaceful.  I'll probably work on some more strength-based stuff in February.  I looked at how she goes into Crow - I don't usually rock back and forth like that, and I find it easier to get almost into position and then lift both toes together - it seems more balanced.  How do you do it?

Yes, that makes sense they would not crust with the liquid, but still provides some texture though. 

I start in malasana(feet wide, not together like she has), plant hands in front, come up on tippy toes and lean knees toward back of the arms, keep leaning until weight of knees are on back of arms and lift toes. 

In the spirit of trying new things I'm considering a chia pudding for a snack. I've bought the seeds but don't know that I've braved making one yet, I believe I'll try a recipe that has them blended as I don't think I will like the texture otherwise.

[FarmingMomma]

23 hours ago, wintermom said:

Congratulations to your ds!! Enjoy the day and the snowshoeing. How are your temps now? It's been really cold out west. Are you getting any relief yet?

Still cold but much better than it has been.  We had a sledding party yesterday, but we built a bonfire at the bottom of the hill so we could warm up between runs 🙂 

[Laura Corin]

Has anyone eaten bug flour for protein in cooking?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

12 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Has anyone eaten bug flour for protein in cooking?

 

I haven't tried it yet, but they have some burger-ish things made of bug protein at our local grocery.  My kids are HORRIFIED that I want to try it.  😂

[wintermom]

21 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Has anyone eaten bug flour for protein in cooking?

Any bugs I eat are entirely unintentional!! There are always the bug that flies in the mouth while playing tennis and cycling.  😁

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Has anyone eaten bug flour for protein in cooking?

I've never seen it.  It sounds like what you get after letting the pantry moths hae a go at the flour for a while, then baking with it instead of tossing... 😂

[Soror]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Has anyone eaten bug flour for protein in cooking?

I've not tried it, I've looked into cricket flour and recipes but haven't had the guts, plus it is expensive (or at least it was).

[IvyInFlorida]

I am sort of infamous for accidentally eating bugs while running, haha.  Then I get the added exertion of trying not to gag while I run...

No lifting for me this morning.  The ankle I twisted during CKD Saturday has been very swollen and I decided to rest it.  Hopefully I can go to class tonight.  I think I will and just aim for taking it easy.  I wish I wasn't injured...I'm kind of stressed and could really use a good sweaty workout.  But, as long as it is well by the test Saturday, I'll be happy. 

Food has been good though.  Veggie-wise I've had a bell pepper, 1/4 onion, a huge pile of salad (HUUUUUGE), a few strawberries, and a banana.  I'll have some green beans with supper.

[Soror]

13 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

I am sort of infamous for accidentally eating bugs while running, haha.  Then I get the added exertion of trying not to gag while I run...

No lifting for me this morning.  The ankle I twisted during CKD Saturday has been very swollen and I decided to rest it.  Hopefully I can go to class tonight.  I think I will and just aim for taking it easy.  I wish I wasn't injured...I'm kind of stressed and could really use a good sweaty workout.  But, as long as it is well by the test Saturday, I'll be happy. 

Food has been good though.  Veggie-wise I've had a bell pepper, 1/4 onion, a huge pile of salad (HUUUUUGE), a few strawberries, and a banana.  I'll have some green beans with supper.

Oh, no, yes, best to rest and hope it recovers quickly, not worth the risk. I hope it feels better very soon. I think Trump every time I hear the word huge, 'UGE salad, lol. 

I did my bucket carry walk, 35# I think although I'm not certain if my scale is accurate- 0.4 of a mile, around 11 minutes. I had to take a break part way through. Holy heck I don't understand why it is so much harder to carry the weight in the bucket(no handles allowed) than to farmer carry. I keep reading varying info but I know I have to be carrying much more weight, like 50-80 pounds but over a much shorter distance. 

Then 2.1 miles walk on the road.

 

[Soror]

Awake at 3:30 but with early bed time that was nearly 7 hrs of sleep. Sleep has been much better, not sure which tweak did that but I'll take it. I am aiming for a nap however as that is a hair shy of how much sleep I'd like. 

Today's plan:

lifting w/ stair climber intervals

outside walk at lunch- I'm wondering if part of sleeping better is that I've been getting outside to walk daily the last several days- certainly good for me regardless.

[IvyInFlorida]

@soror I'm so glad you've been getting better sleep!  Hope you have fun lifting today.

 

CKD went fine last night, although trying to make sure I didn't re-twist my ankle was annoying and made me uncoordinated.  No lifting for me again this morning...not only bc my ankle is still swollen and tender, but it's 29 degrees outside and that's just ridiculous, lol.  I have my limits!  I'm planning to do some careful CKD drill practice this afternoon, though.  Definitely missing my usual level of physical activity. 

OK I have an embarrassingly basic calorie/metabolism question that maybe someone can explain to me in simple words, ha.  You know how, as you lose weight, you have to keep decreasing your calorie intake (or your app does it for you) to continue losing since, in a smaller body, you burn fewer calories just by existing?  How come, when you get to whatever goal weight, your maintenance calorie amount is larger?  Why doesn't it continue to be your last deficit amount?  Just curious and I hate not thoroughly understanding something, lol.

[Soror]

32 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

@soror I'm so glad you've been getting better sleep!  Hope you have fun lifting today.

 

CKD went fine last night, although trying to make sure I didn't re-twist my ankle was annoying and made me uncoordinated.  No lifting for me again this morning...not only bc my ankle is still swollen and tender, but it's 29 degrees outside and that's just ridiculous, lol.  I have my limits!  I'm planning to do some careful CKD drill practice this afternoon, though.  Definitely missing my usual level of physical activity. 

OK I have an embarrassingly basic calorie/metabolism question that maybe someone can explain to me in simple words, ha.  You know how, as you lose weight, you have to keep decreasing your calorie intake (or your app does it for you) to continue losing since, in a smaller body, you burn fewer calories just by existing?  How come, when you get to whatever goal weight, your maintenance calorie amount is larger?  Why doesn't it continue to be your last deficit amount?  Just curious and I hate not thoroughly understanding something, lol.

LOL, I know it is sure cold here this week. I'd prefer an am walk but not happening.

I'm not sure I understand the question. I think I'd say it depends on the app how much of a deficit are they giving, going back to a previous deficit might not be where you need to be because that depends on a lot of factors and none are going to be 100% accurate, besides the fact that you have continued to add activity (NEAT and exercise) so that in itself is going to increase your needs, not to mention your increased muscle mass.