February 2020 Well-Trained Bodies

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, soror said:

For all those waiting... I did NOT manage any full pull-ups last night but all my pulls were strong and consistent, just quite not over the bar. I was actually really pleased. Usually after a really good session I'll have one that bombs. I've never had that many pulls so good, so still progress and I didn't choke🙂

I added reps to my renegade rows and my deadlifts (bodyweight) I upped the intensity on my stair climber intervals and really kept the HR up and ended with a feel good stretch.

 

I'm very much looking forward to stretching this am and trying out Les Mills on demand.

That is wonderful!!!  Awesome that you are feeling really pleased with the results of all your hard work. Sounds like you are doing amazing! You will be very well prepared for your upcoming events, I'm sure.

[wintermom]

20 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

It's not nearly as cold here as what @wintermom experiences, but it is dark. At this time of year my heart starts to leap as the days get longer and I no longer spend all the daylight hours at work.

The darkness factor is really huge, as it effects mood and also temperature.  You are that much further north than I am, so the daylight differences throughout the year are very noticable. Norway (Canada as well), even further north, sets up a lot of outdoor activity areas (i.e., nordic and alpine skiing, skating) with electric lighting. It makes a huge difference when people can still be active outdoors throughout the winter. Do they do this in Scotland?

Edited February 12, 2020 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

46 minutes ago, wintermom said:

The darkness factor is really huge, as it effects mood and also temperature.  You are that much further north than I am, so the daylight differences throughout the year are very noticable. Norway (Canada as well), even further north, sets up a lot of outdoor activity areas (i.e., nordic and alpine skiing, skating) with electric lighting. It makes a huge difference when people can still be active outdoors throughout the winter. Do they do this in Scotland?

Not that I've seen.  I think there are a few artificial ski slopes that are lit, but not near me.  We don't get enough snow in Scotland for serious winter sports most years.

I can Nordic Walk on the playing fields of the University in the evenings because the floodlights are kept on for the running track and the light bleeds onto the rugby pitch - it's not fully lit, so no matches are played at that time, but there's enough light to walk.  It's not very inspiring but it is possible.  Otherwise, I fairly obsessively walk at lunchtime in all weathers.

One advantage of a cool climate is that most swimming pools are indoor, heated and available year round.  I have two within half an hour, and if I weren't such a wimp about the boredom of lane swimming, they would be a decent winter exercise option - no daylight, but at least it's exercise.

[Matryoshka]

9 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Passata is pureed tomatoes, so it's not concentrated like tomato paste. I would substitute canned tomatoes.https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-tomato-passata-and-how-156321

Thanks, that's very helpful. Canned non-cooked tomatoes come three ways here mostly - whole, diced, or crushed. I think the crushed would approximate a chunkier passata...

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Checking in... I just got back from a 7k, first run of the week, sigh.  I went in the evening with a headlamp, which is not my favorite, but I got it done!  

I got my invisalign put in, wowzers, this is harder than I thought it would be.  But it looks like the treatment is estimated for 6 months, which is crazy fast, IMO.  So that's good at least!  

Eating is going well, and now that I've got these things in my mouth which require insane maneuvers to remove... I'm back to doing early time restricting eating to cut down on the number of times I need to wrench them from my teeth.  🤣

[IvyInFlorida]

My dad will be coming home from rehab Friday!  He's done really well--all his therapists talk about how strong he is and how that has helped with recovery.  Speech is still affected and he will come home with a walker and a wheelchair, but he will be stable enough to take care of his needs with some help from my mom.  Things won't really ever be the same, but it could have all been much much worse.  Anyways, we are all happy for things to settle down to (new) normal.

Now that life will be a little more predictable again, I am going to work on spacing out my intense workouts to try and be more consistent about alternating them with lighter sessions.  I actually have had a decent couple of weeks fitness-wise, despite all the craziness and stress.  I love low hormone phase...I went up in reps on basically all my movements/sets.  Unfortunately the high hormone phase goblins are right around the corner, ready to make all my weights heavier and my brain foggier, lol.

Last night at CKD, the chief instructor had us doing speed drills in intervals--20 secs of max speed effort, then 40 secs rest, repeat through all the speed drills.  I was really pleased to see that my cardio endurance has increased since the last time we did it.  I think the combo of more frequent runs, plus doing my strength training as a circuit with kb swings or jump rope in between sets is really working.

Today I'm planning on doing CKD technique work (gotta nail those stupid spinning kicks!) and work at my parents' place this afternoon to finish clearing up all the windstorm debris.

[Laura Corin]

@IvyInFlorida I'm glad your dad is progressing so well.  You are holding it together amazingly through all of this.

We have horizontal sleet here on a cold east wind this morning, so I'll be shutting my office door and doing some yoga at lunchtime.  The sleet is meant to ease by 4pm, and as there's a high tide then I have an excuse to avoid the wind for my after-work exercise.  I'll do a fast walk from end to end of the path along a burn that runs through the town.  That will be five miles but it's pretty level. 

I just found myself dancing to Vivaldi at my standing desk.....  We might still get my dream house....

[Soror]

19 hours ago, wintermom said:

That is wonderful!!!  Awesome that you are feeling really pleased with the results of all your hard work. Sounds like you are doing amazing! You will be very well prepared for your upcoming events, I'm sure.

Thank you for the kind words, I'm trying.

18 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Not that I've seen.  I think there are a few artificial ski slopes that are lit, but not near me.  We don't get enough snow in Scotland for serious winter sports most years.

I can Nordic Walk on the playing fields of the University in the evenings because the floodlights are kept on for the running track and the light bleeds onto the rugby pitch - it's not fully lit, so no matches are played at that time, but there's enough light to walk.  It's not very inspiring but it is possible.  Otherwise, I fairly obsessively walk at lunchtime in all weathers.

One advantage of a cool climate is that most swimming pools are indoor, heated and available year round.  I have two within half an hour, and if I weren't such a wimp about the boredom of lane swimming, they would be a decent winter exercise option - no daylight, but at least it's exercise.

We only have 1 indoor pool here but laps are often taken up by the swim team that doesn't have its own pool.

16 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Checking in... I just got back from a 7k, first run of the week, sigh.  I went in the evening with a headlamp, which is not my favorite, but I got it done!  

I got my invisalign put in, wowzers, this is harder than I thought it would be.  But it looks like the treatment is estimated for 6 months, which is crazy fast, IMO.  So that's good at least!  

Eating is going well, and now that I've got these things in my mouth which require insane maneuvers to remove... I'm back to doing early time restricting eating to cut down on the number of times I need to wrench them from my teeth.  🤣

LOL, I'm sure it is an incentive not to eat!

29 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

My dad will be coming home from rehab Friday!  He's done really well--all his therapists talk about how strong he is and how that has helped with recovery.  Speech is still affected and he will come home with a walker and a wheelchair, but he will be stable enough to take care of his needs with some help from my mom.  Things won't really ever be the same, but it could have all been much much worse.  Anyways, we are all happy for things to settle down to (new) normal.

Now that life will be a little more predictable again, I am going to work on spacing out my intense workouts to try and be more consistent about alternating them with lighter sessions.  I actually have had a decent couple of weeks fitness-wise, despite all the craziness and stress.  I love low hormone phase...I went up in reps on basically all my movements/sets.  Unfortunately the high hormone phase goblins are right around the corner, ready to make all my weights heavier and my brain foggier, lol.

Last night at CKD, the chief instructor had us doing speed drills in intervals--20 secs of max speed effort, then 40 secs rest, repeat through all the speed drills.  I was really pleased to see that my cardio endurance has increased since the last time we did it.  I think the combo of more frequent runs, plus doing my strength training as a circuit with kb swings or jump rope in between sets is really working.

Today I'm planning on doing CKD technique work (gotta nail those stupid spinning kicks!) and work at my parents' place this afternoon to finish clearing up all the windstorm debris.

I'm so happy for your dad. I'm also glad to hear of your plans to dial it back some. Congrats on improving your speed drills!

________________

Looking very forward to some stretching this am, I think I'll do a bit of Tai Chi flow, maybe some upper body stretching, and maybe try a small dance workout? We'll see what I feel like when I get done teaching.

My sleep score was 87 last night, new record!! And that was with dd3 waking me up with a bad dream and then sleeping with me. Woot! My rhr is going down with good sleep, definitely makes a difference.

Tonight is lifting and 3 miles walking- but just moderate- no high intensity.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, soror said:

Looking very forward to some stretching this am, I think I'll do a bit of Tai Chi flow, maybe some upper body stretching, and maybe try a small dance workout? We'll see what I feel like when I get done teaching.

My sleep score was 87 last night, new record!! And that was with dd3 waking me up with a bad dream and then sleeping with me. Woot! My rhr is going down with good sleep, definitely makes a difference.

Tonight is lifting and 3 miles walking- but just moderate- no high intensity.

Good for you! I am really lax on my overall body stretching, though at least I'm getting in my required daily physiotherapy stretches. Do you have Tai Chi training, or are you following a video.  I need to find something more consistent to do stretching-wise. 

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

We have horizontal sleet here on a cold east wind this morning, so I'll be shutting my office door and doing some yoga at lunchtime.  The sleet is meant to ease by 4pm, and as there's a high tide then I have an excuse to avoid the wind for my after-work exercise.  I'll do a fast walk from end to end of the path along a burn that runs through the town.  That will be five miles but it's pretty level. 

I just found myself dancing to Vivaldi at my standing desk.....  We might still get my dream house....

Yikes! I can picture that kind of weather. Not pleasant outside at all! Great job finding alternatives to keep active.

2 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

My dad will be coming home from rehab Friday!  He's done really well--all his therapists talk about how strong he is and how that has helped with recovery.  Speech is still affected and he will come home with a walker and a wheelchair, but he will be stable enough to take care of his needs with some help from my mom.  Things won't really ever be the same, but it could have all been much much worse.  Anyways, we are all happy for things to settle down to (new) normal.

Now that life will be a little more predictable again, I am going to work on spacing out my intense workouts to try and be more consistent about alternating them with lighter sessions.  I actually have had a decent couple of weeks fitness-wise, despite all the craziness and stress.  I love low hormone phase...I went up in reps on basically all my movements/sets.  Unfortunately the high hormone phase goblins are right around the corner, ready to make all my weights heavier and my brain foggier, lol.

Last night at CKD, the chief instructor had us doing speed drills in intervals--20 secs of max speed effort, then 40 secs rest, repeat through all the speed drills.  I was really pleased to see that my cardio endurance has increased since the last time we did it.  I think the combo of more frequent runs, plus doing my strength training as a circuit with kb swings or jump rope in between sets is really working.

Today I'm planning on doing CKD technique work (gotta nail those stupid spinning kicks!) and work at my parents' place this afternoon to finish clearing up all the windstorm debris.

That is wonderful news about your dad returning home!! Will he need a walker and/or wheelchair on a daily basis for long-term, or are these supports to help during a short-term recovery stage? So glad to hear that his underlying good health has made his recovery that much quicker.  Great job to you for keeping up all your physical training. High intensity intervals were my absolute favourite thing about martial arts training. Spin kicks were fun, but seemed to be the most technical of the kicks and always required extra work. There are just so many factors to try and control when doing them. They always seemed to be the first thing to fall apart. Keep polishing them and you'll nail them for sure!

[wintermom]

It's mild and snowing giant, puffy flakes today. Just beautiful outside. I went for an early morning snowshoe hike in the woods - my new favourite way to start the day! It was great, and I intentionally left the poles behind so I didn't over-work my fragile little arms. 😂 Apparently they don't like vigorous movement 2 days in a row. They are looking pretty muscular, though, so every second day work-out is doing some good.

I'll also go for my weekly walk in the woods with friends this afternoon.

Edited February 13, 2020 by wintermom

[Soror]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

It's mild and snowing giant, puffy flakes today. Just beautiful outside. I went for an early morning snowshoe hike in the woods - my new favourite way to start the day! It was great, and I intentionally left the poles behind so I didn't over-work my fragile little arms. 😂 Apparently they don't vigorous movement 2 days in a row. They are looking pretty muscular, though, so every second day work-out is doing some good.

I'll also go for my weekly walk in the woods with friends this afternoon.

A lovely start to the day, I have been such a wimp this winter with the weather. I generally try to get out every day regardless and have not done that this year, I don't know how much is my lack of resolve or the lack of sun and so much rain bringing me down. I bet your arms are getting strong with all that work!

re: Tai Chi- I only took 1 class one time but my Beachbody program had some taichi in one of the workouts so I've been doing some here and there. YouTube has a ton of workouts. This week I'm doing some on LesMills on demand. This am it was 10 min. dancing (fun!) 10 min TaiChi style warm-up and 10 min deep stretching. 

I think I'm going to do lower body today and give the upper body a break since I've been hitting it so hard. 

Food has been better after hormonal cravings last week (and too many cookies) and a bit of slacking on protein at some meals. 

[Soror]

Good workout at the gym- barbell hipthrusts (95#), TRX rear foot elevated split squat, hanging leg raise, scap pullups (the only upper body I did), OH squts w/ weighted ball, single leg squat to bench- so mostly bodyweight or light weight with the OH squats. I felt like I gave it all I could but am not sore so far today. Ended with 3 miles on treadmill, hardly any incline but at the fastest speed I can walk.

Today- we'll see what I feel like doing, maybe a combo of kickboxing and stretching for 30 min? I plan a 2 mile (easy) walk at some point. 

[IvyInFlorida]

@Laura Corin I love Vivaldi and I hope you get your house!

@soror You are killing the whole sleep thing this week!  That's awesome!  And your gym workout sounds tough and fun (the best kind).

@wintermom We're not really sure what to expect in terms of my dad walking and the other parts of his recovery.  I'm assuming the wheelchair and walker will be temporary, but I'm pretty sure he'll never get back to his usual tree-felling, log-splitting, tractor bush-hogging, roof-repairing normal.  Apparently the dr is rethinking letting him go so early and he is very angry and agitated about that.  But if he falls in the middle of the night, what exactly is my tiny mom supposed to do about it?  I don't think he is thinking about that part.  They have a lot of property that is about 3/4 wooded with paths, plus several outbuildings and complicated "landscaping" (basically a lot of tropical/rare plants grouped everywhere, lol).  It requires a lot of upkeep and I'm pretty nervous about taking over a lot of the stuff he used to do, like bush-hogging the paths with the tractor, etc.  This is going to be a tough transition for everybody!  Hopefully my parents will be receptive to my suggestions about changes we can make to the property to make upkeep easier but still have the property be enjoyable for everyone since we all love to be outside.

Re: spin kicks...there's so much going on in the movement that I often get a third of the way through it, lose my balance, and mentally yell, ABORT ABORT, haha.  But every new kick feels impossible for awhile before it clicks.  I worked on them hard yesterday until suddenly my outdoor mat just got randomly drenched with dew.  I guess it's so warm and humid that the dewpoint came at a weird time?  Anyways, too slick for that.

 

I drilled CKD in the morning as planned, ate well all day, but was feeling very spent while working outside in the afternoon.  I think the heat got to me.  There was a thunderstorm building and the humidity was like breathing through a wet rag.  Feeling a lot better after a good supper and a good sleep, but I think I will make today a rest day.  There's no class tonight anyways and I want to be well recovered for tomorrow's weight lifting session.

[Laura Corin]

34 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

@Laura Corin I love Vivaldi and I hope you get your house!

The offer has been accepted verbally and we hope that the lawyers will have agreed by the end of the day.

--------------------------

Trying for yoga again this lunchtime, then another long riverside walk after work.  Then maybe a wee drinky.

[Soror]

24 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

The offer has been accepted verbally and we hope that the lawyers will have agreed by the end of the day.

--------------------------

Trying for yoga again this lunchtime, then another long riverside walk after work.  Then maybe a wee drinky.

Gah, I missed the sentence about you getting the dream house earlier, is it the oneyou showed? That is very exciting, congratulations!!!!

1 hour ago, IvyInFlorida said:

@Laura Corin I love Vivaldi and I hope you get your house!

@soror You are killing the whole sleep thing this week!  That's awesome!  And your gym workout sounds tough and fun (the best kind).

@wintermom We're not really sure what to expect in terms of my dad walking and the other parts of his recovery.  I'm assuming the wheelchair and walker will be temporary, but I'm pretty sure he'll never get back to his usual tree-felling, log-splitting, tractor bush-hogging, roof-repairing normal.  Apparently the dr is rethinking letting him go so early and he is very angry and agitated about that.  But if he falls in the middle of the night, what exactly is my tiny mom supposed to do about it?  I don't think he is thinking about that part.  They have a lot of property that is about 3/4 wooded with paths, plus several outbuildings and complicated "landscaping" (basically a lot of tropical/rare plants grouped everywhere, lol).  It requires a lot of upkeep and I'm pretty nervous about taking over a lot of the stuff he used to do, like bush-hogging the paths with the tractor, etc.  This is going to be a tough transition for everybody!  Hopefully my parents will be receptive to my suggestions about changes we can make to the property to make upkeep easier but still have the property be enjoyable for everyone since we all love to be outside.

Re: spin kicks...there's so much going on in the movement that I often get a third of the way through it, lose my balance, and mentally yell, ABORT ABORT, haha.  But every new kick feels impossible for awhile before it clicks.  I worked on them hard yesterday until suddenly my outdoor mat just got randomly drenched with dew.  I guess it's so warm and humid that the dewpoint came at a weird time?  Anyways, too slick for that.

 

I drilled CKD in the morning as planned, ate well all day, but was feeling very spent while working outside in the afternoon.  I think the heat got to me.  There was a thunderstorm building and the humidity was like breathing through a wet rag.  Feeling a lot better after a good supper and a good sleep, but I think I will make today a rest day.  There's no class tonight anyways and I want to be well recovered for tomorrow's weight lifting session.

I was just coming to post asking about your dad, it sounds good they are waiting to let him go, although I'm sure he is disappointed. Rest day sounds like a very good idea, I hope today is a better day. We have awful humidity in the summer but right now it is dry. The high temps with the humidity are so draining.

[Soror]

Oh, and I saw the book rec. by someone I follow- it is about habits for maintaining healthy weights, written by an actual RD not just some random blogger- looks well done, I am going to see if I can find it at the library and what more I can pick up, I much prefer developing good habits over dieting.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Habits-Lifelong-Weight-Loss/dp/1624141129

[wintermom]

Ok ladies, now it's time to stop feeling jealous of my glorious snowshoe hikes and picturesque skiing in the woods. I went for a hike in the woods this morning and it was -37 F with the windchill!!! 🥶  BUT... it was sunny. So that makes all the difference, right? My eyelashes were frosted over and I must have looked like a yeti. It was absolutely gorgeous outside, though. And 8 deer came over to me hoping I was the "Food guy" who comes and feeds them everyday. I felt so bad about not being the food guy. I hope he comes and they find each other.  

[wintermom]

32 minutes ago, soror said:

Oh, and I saw the book rec. by someone I follow- it is about habits for maintaining healthy weights, written by an actual RD not just some random blogger- looks well done, I am going to see if I can find it at the library and what more I can pick up, I much prefer developing good habits over dieting.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Habits-Lifelong-Weight-Loss/dp/1624141129

I like the idea, however the cover photo looks suspicious for "life-time" weight maintenance. I'd rather see a few bodies of various ages. 😉 I have seen some very fit older men and women in the gym and at my tennis club, and frankly, they are WAY more inspiring to me than the typical young 20s photo of "the perfect body." 

[Laura Corin]

39 minutes ago, soror said:

Gah, I missed the sentence about you getting the dream house earlier, is it the oneyou showed? That is very exciting, congratulations!!!!

Thanks. Yes, that's the one. We won't take possession for a couple of months though.

[SKL]

I've been pretty good, but dang ... last night I fell asleep unintentionally, light on and all, leaving part of my yoga routine undone.  So that broke the perfect record I've been keeping for almost a month.  However, I did it just after waking up and will again later today.  Plus, I did part of it and a bunch of other stretchy things yesterday.  So I'm gonna treat it as done.  But it will feel like a white lie.  😕

This is one reason why I need to get into a habit of doing it at the same time daily - preferably in the morning, like I used to before kids.

[wintermom]

32 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Thanks. Yes, that's the one. We won't take possession for a couple of months though.

Congratulations!! So exciting for you. That house looked so amazing. You'll have to let us know when you are up for some visitors from North America. 😉

[wintermom]

7 minutes ago, SKL said:

I've been pretty good, but dang ... last night I fell asleep unintentionally, light on and all, leaving part of my yoga routine undone.  So that broke the perfect record I've been keeping for almost a month.  However, I did it just after waking up and will again later today.  Plus, I did part of it and a bunch of other stretchy things yesterday.  So I'm gonna treat it as done.  But it will feel like a white lie.  😕

This is one reason why I need to get into a habit of doing it at the same time daily - preferably in the morning, like I used to before kids.

Which yoga move were you doing when you fell asleep? I need that one! 😁

[SKL]

3 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Which yoga move were you doing when you fell asleep? I need that one! 😁

I wasn't doing the yoga at that moment, but I had done parts of it earlier in case I didn't get time to do the whole thing all at once.  It's a really busy time for work right now, which means fewer stretches of free time + more likely to forget what I planned to do!

I had gone 3 days without decent sleep, so I am actually glad I got some last night.

Edited February 14, 2020 by SKL

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

I wasn't doing the yoga at that moment, but I had done parts of it earlier in case I didn't get time to do the whole thing all at once.  It's a really busy time for work right now, which means fewer stretches of free time + more likely to forget what I planned to do!

I had gone 3 days without decent sleep, so I am actually glad I got some last night.

Here I thought that a certain yoga move was so relaxing that you fell asleep doing it!   It could have been a "super power yoga move" to enhance falling to sleep. 😂

[SKL]

So this morning I already did the routine 2x just to make sure I didn't forget!

[IvyInFlorida]

@Laura Corin YAY!  So exciting!

@wintermom I was telling my fam about your winter escapades during lunch today--the boys can hardly believe it since they've never even seen so much as a snowflake.  Their biggest excitement is when the bird baths freeze over...

@SKL You have been so consistent!  Don't get down on yourself for missing part of your routine though.  The best part about working out most days is that when life occurs and you miss something, you don't have to stress.  You're just automatically right back at it next time.

@soror my library actually has that book (it's a miracle!) so Imma check it out. 

 

I also have a fitness book I'm interested in: Unplugged, by Andy Galpin .  I listened to Joe Rogan interviewing him today and I thought he was a really learned, thoughtful, non-reactionary fitness expert.  Of course my library doesn't have that one, so I will poke around the interwebs to find the most cost effective means of reading it.

ETA: it looks like the book got poor reviews.  Maybe I will just recommend the podcast instead.

Edited February 14, 2020 by IvyInFlorida

[Soror]

1 hour ago, IvyInFlorida said:

@Laura Corin YAY!  So exciting!

@wintermom I was telling my fam about your winter escapades during lunch today--the boys can hardly believe it since they've never even seen so much as a snowflake.  Their biggest excitement is when the bird baths freeze over...

@SKL You have been so consistent!  Don't get down on yourself for missing part of your routine though.  The best part about working out most days is that when life occurs and you miss something, you don't have to stress.  You're just automatically right back at it next time.

@soror my library actually has that book (it's a miracle!) so Imma check it out. 

 

I also have a fitness book I'm interested in: Unplugged, by Andy Galpin .  I listened to Joe Rogan interviewing him today and I thought he was a really learned, thoughtful, non-reactionary fitness expert.  Of course my library doesn't have that one, so I will poke around the interwebs to find the most cost effective means of reading it.

ETA: it looks like the book got poor reviews.  Maybe I will just recommend the podcast instead.

The book sounds interesting, might be something to glean some info. It is always disappointing when you think a book is about one thing and it ends up not as good as expected. I was going to come back and say the book I mentioned has some poor reviews- 88% are good but the bad ones say although she says she is anti-diet she has all these food rules in the last part of the book, like no potatoes. Now, I really like setting up my life in a way that weight maintenance and healthy eating is a matter of habit but that absolutely includes splurges here and there and is certainly not about strictly following any 'diet', so I'm not sure. like with anything you take what works and leave the rest.

[Soror]

Only 15 min stretching today, I thought I'd have more time before I had to leave but alas I did not. Just finished a 2 mile walk outside.

[wintermom]

5 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

I was telling my fam about your winter escapades during lunch today--the boys can hardly believe it since they've never even seen so much as a snowflake.  Their biggest excitement is when the bird baths freeze over...

There is something pretty amazing about water freezing, but snowflakes are special. You can't make them in a freezer; they have to be experienced outside. You should take a trip north at some point and have some fun with snow. Sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, skating and building snowmen and snow forts bring so much joy to people. They make you feel like a kid again. 

[IvyInFlorida]

9 hours ago, wintermom said:

There is something pretty amazing about water freezing, but snowflakes are special. You can't make them in a freezer; they have to be experienced outside. You should take a trip north at some point and have some fun with snow. Sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, skating and building snowmen and snow forts bring so much joy to people. They make you feel like a kid again. 

 

One of my favorite memories as a kids was seeing snow for the first time in North Carolina--and the icicles hanging from the rocky roadsides! 

[IvyInFlorida]

Weightlifting this morning, which I am very much looking forward to after Friday's rest.  I've bumped up my calories slightly and must have hit maintenance level bc my weight has been rock steady for the whole week.  Also I have been eating so that my macros are closer to even.  Protein still wins out, but it's much more even in general and it seems to be working pretty well.  Been getting good sleep, which always helps.  I'm def in high hormone phase now, though, blaaaah.  Can't I just fast forward until it's over?!  Anyways, my dad is home and resting comfortably, next week should be fairly routine, all good stuff.  Here's hoping things will start looking up from here on out!  So far I have not been overly impressed with 2020, lol.

[Laura Corin]

15 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Weightlifting this morning, which I am very much looking forward to after Friday's rest.  I've bumped up my calories slightly and must have hit maintenance level bc my weight has been rock steady for the whole week.  Also I have been eating so that my macros are closer to even.  Protein still wins out, but it's much more even in general and it seems to be working pretty well.  Been getting good sleep, which always helps.  I'm def in high hormone phase now, though, blaaaah.  Can't I just fast forward until it's over?!  Anyways, my dad is home and resting comfortably, next week should be fairly routine, all good stuff.  Here's hoping things will start looking up from here on out!  So far I have not been overly impressed with 2020, lol.

Well done on the fitness and eating, and I'm glad to hear about your dad.

........

Slept very well last night after previous days of poor sleep. Today I hope to do one or two long yoga sessions, and walk the dog.

[Soror]

54 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Weightlifting this morning, which I am very much looking forward to after Friday's rest.  I've bumped up my calories slightly and must have hit maintenance level bc my weight has been rock steady for the whole week.  Also I have been eating so that my macros are closer to even.  Protein still wins out, but it's much more even in general and it seems to be working pretty well.  Been getting good sleep, which always helps.  I'm def in high hormone phase now, though, blaaaah.  Can't I just fast forward until it's over?!  Anyways, my dad is home and resting comfortably, next week should be fairly routine, all good stuff.  Here's hoping things will start looking up from here on out!  So far I have not been overly impressed with 2020, lol.

I'm happy to hear your dad is home. And I hear you!!! on this year the end of last and the beginning of this year kicked my ass. I am excited for your diet changes, I think energy and recovery will be much improved with the tweaks. I'm getting ready to enter high hormones, ya!

34 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Well done on the fitness and eating, and I'm glad to hear about your dad.

........

Slept very well last night after previous days of poor sleep. Today I hope to do one or two long yoga sessions, and walk the dog.

Ya, for good sleep. Are you still enjoying Yoga with Adrienne?

______________________

I slept pretty good too although dh woke me getting out of bed at 4 when I didn't need to be up until 5:15 (sleeping in!). I couldn't go back to sleep although I tried, I'm so used to getting up.

Today I have 3 hrs of travel time but I believe I'll have a chunk of down time while there. I have to take the Scouts to a Merit Badge Uni. mostly Scoutmasters sit around and play on their phones I'm planning on hitting a gym and taking a walk, I am hoping that doesn't put me too out of place. So, fingers crossed! 

Sitting here trying to figure out meals. I generally have a snack a bit after 7, workout, and then breakfast at 8:30. I've got to be on the road at 6 am and arrive at 7:30. Annoying.

[IvyInFlorida]

2 minutes ago, soror said:

 

Today I have 3 hrs of travel time but I believe I'll have a chunk of down time while there. I have to take the Scouts to a Merit Badge Uni. mostly Scoutmasters sit around and play on their phones I'm planning on hitting a gym and taking a walk, I am hoping that doesn't put me too out of place. So, fingers crossed! 

 

 

I get so restless sitting killing time waiting for kid activities to be done!  And parents don't talk to each other, because--like you said--they are on their phones.  I'm pretty sure 50% of my motivation for joining the CKD class was not being able to handle all that wasted time, lol. 

[Laura Corin]

20 minutes ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

I get so restless sitting killing time waiting for kid activities to be done!  And parents don't talk to each other, because--like you said--they are on their phones.  I'm pretty sure 50% of my motivation for joining the CKD class was not being able to handle all that wasted time, lol. 

When we first arrived in Scotland, I remember dropping a child at Scouts and deciding to walk for a couple of hours. It was dark and my phone didn't have a torch option or Google maps. I walked out along a road above a beach which soon had no street lights. I was pretty sure that it was a dead end, so traffic would be minimal. It was a great walk in almost complete darkness.  Only later did I learn that it was a boy racer haunt, and I could have had 70mph Golfs mowing me down.....

@soror, yes, I'm enjoying Adriene. I love Austin-style Texans - they are many things I am not. I'm married to a UT Austin alumnus, after all. Adriene doesn't have many more advanced options, so I need to download those so I can find them easily. She tends to go long, rather than advanced.

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

One of my favorite memories as a kids was seeing snow for the first time in North Carolina--and the icicles hanging from the rocky roadsides! 

I LOVE looking at frozen waterfalls. It seems like time is standing still, and with the snow absorbing a lot of sound, sometimes it feels like you are in a vacuum of time and space. 

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

I get so restless sitting killing time waiting for kid activities to be done!  And parents don't talk to each other, because--like you said--they are on their phones.  I'm pretty sure 50% of my motivation for joining the CKD class was not being able to handle all that wasted time, lol. 

I never sit a wait anymore. I usually find a nearby park or area to walk while the kids activity is on. There is also a small group of moms who walk together while homeschool hockey is on. It's a great way to stay connected with other moms.

Joining the dc's activities is a great way to get active. There were many parents at our martial arts club who participated with their children intentionally. They usually continued to train and move up the belt levels longer than the parents who just dropped off their dc.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

When we first arrived in Scotland, I remember dropping a child at Scouts and deciding to walk for a couple of hours. It was dark and my phone didn't have a torch option or Google maps. I walked out along a road above a beach which soon had no street lights. I was pretty sure that it was a dead end, so traffic would be minimal. It was a great walk in almost complete darkness.  Only later did I learn that it was a boy racer haunt, and I could have had 70mph Golfs mowing me down.....

Yikes! That would have been me, too. Walking around totally oblivious to the potential danger. 🤪

[Laura Corin]

21 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I LOVE looking at frozen waterfalls. It seems like time is standing still, and with the snow absorbing a lot of sound, sometimes it feels like you are in a vacuum of time and space. 

I remember walking up to the Falls of Clyde one year fro New Lanark. It was really treacherous underfoot but extraordinarily beautiful. Like this

https://images.app.goo.gl/sS4L5pKMu3AzSxrf9

[wintermom]

I went for a lovely skate ski along the river this morning. The city grooms the trails, and the conditions were excellent. I think I skied about 30km, and it felt wonderful at the time. Now my body is starting to feel it! 😉

It was nice to see various families and individuals out on the trails. There was one kind of weird thing that occurred, however. I was skiing along and a lady asked me to stop. She pulled out her cell phone and I thought she was going to ask me to take a photo of her. Nope, she just wanted to take a selfie with me out of the way and not in her photo. How strange! People really do think only about themselves at times. 😂

[lynn]

Checking in.  I am onto beach body on demand, Body Beast Lean Calendar I'm onto the bulk phase but I am not eating near enough to bulk hoping to just continue to tone and challenge myself to lift a little heavier.  I do mix in some various beach body, Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels workouts.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[Soror]

9 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

When we first arrived in Scotland, I remember dropping a child at Scouts and deciding to walk for a couple of hours. It was dark and my phone didn't have a torch option or Google maps. I walked out along a road above a beach which soon had no street lights. I was pretty sure that it was a dead end, so traffic would be minimal. It was a great walk in almost complete darkness.  Only later did I learn that it was a boy racer haunt, and I could have had 70mph Golfs mowing me down.....

@soror, yes, I'm enjoying Adriene. I love Austin-style Texans - they are many things I am not. I'm married to a UT Austin alumnus, after all. Adriene doesn't have many more advanced options, so I need to download those so I can find them easily. She tends to go long, rather than advanced.

Oh, that could have been scary, lucky you missed the races. There used to be a group of ladies that walked around the church parking lot while they had Cubscouts downstairs but they made them stop for 'security reasons' I was annoyed on their behalf. Now, I'm always leading meetings so I can't leave them myself but I thought that was a great use of time. 

It always slips my mind that your dh is from the US and I didn't remember he was from Texas. She doesn't strike me as a stereotypical Texan but maybe I just don't know what an Austin Texan is like.

10 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

I get so restless sitting killing time waiting for kid activities to be done!  And parents don't talk to each other, because--like you said--they are on their phones.  I'm pretty sure 50% of my motivation for joining the CKD class was not being able to handle all that wasted time, lol. 

LOL, yes! Using the kid's TKD time to workout has been awesome for me too even though I don't do it with them (there is just kids at their school).

7 hours ago, wintermom said:

I never sit a wait anymore. I usually find a nearby park or area to walk while the kids activity is on. There is also a small group of moms who walk together while homeschool hockey is on. It's a great way to stay connected with other moms.

Joining the dc's activities is a great way to get active. There were many parents at our martial arts club who participated with their children intentionally. They usually continued to train and move up the belt levels longer than the parents who just dropped off their dc.

 

4 hours ago, wintermom said:

I went for a lovely skate ski along the river this morning. The city grooms the trails, and the conditions were excellent. I think I skied about 30km, and it felt wonderful at the time. Now my body is starting to feel it! 😉

It was nice to see various families and individuals out on the trails. There was one kind of weird thing that occurred, however. I was skiing along and a lady asked me to stop. She pulled out her cell phone and I thought she was going to ask me to take a photo of her. Nope, she just wanted to take a selfie with me out of the way and not in her photo. How strange! People really do think only about themselves at times. 😂

What a nutjob! How rude!

I did not just have to sit today, thank goodness. Dh had said that there were some kind of sessions for me and seemed to think it was a bit odd I was going to be leaving to go workout but I did anyway. If people can play on their phones or go shopping I can go to the gym. I ran out of time for a walk. Lifting was ok, felt funny being in a different gym and I had the place entirely to myself I felt like I couldn't mentally get into it. I guess with being a different place and having such a busy morning it threw me off but lifts went fine enough. I got 2 pull-ups today. Woot! Woot!

Currently looking at workout plans for lower body. I've primarily focused on upper body for the last year. I do some lower body but mostly upper and I'm wanting to shift that some. I think I want to keep to what I did this last week and split my Tues/Thurs workouts into upper/lower body since I'm limited on time (have to wait for ds to get home from school and they have this class in the gym where I do most of my lifts). Also, on that note I've been considering that I want to grew my booty muscles some, I'm looking a little leaner than I think I like.

[IvyInFlorida]

12 hours ago, soror said:

 I got 2 pull-ups today. Woot! Woot!

Currently looking at workout plans for lower body. I've primarily focused on upper body for the last year. I do some lower body but mostly upper and I'm wanting to shift that some. I think I want to keep to what I did this last week and split my Tues/Thurs workouts into upper/lower body since I'm limited on time (have to wait for ds to get home from school and they have this class in the gym where I do most of my lifts). Also, on that note I've been considering that I want to grew my booty muscles some, I'm looking a little leaner than I think I like.

 

YES!  Way to go on the pull-ups!  That's awesome!

I love to work out lower body.  Kettlebell swings have a huge impact on booty for me, highly recommend.  Hamstrings, too. 

 

So I am giving my scale the side-eye because it's reading nearly 2 lbs lighter this morning.  I am torn between wanting to jump up and down seeing that 135.6 and resignedly going to get some batteries, lol.  I think my husband changed them recently though.  In my mind 135 is a really great weight for me considering my frame and build and I'm happy to maintain here indefinitely.  My weight tracker says 129 is my "ideal weight" but I don't know if that's all that feasible with the strength training I do.  Also I would have no boobs.  Pretty sure that's where the last 2 lbs came from!

Usually I rest on Sundays, but the weather is gonna be yucky a lot this week, so I think I will do a session of running intervals.  I should practice CKD, but I am having PMS brain fog and that just seems waaay too mentally demanding.  Oh well!

[Soror]

2 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

 

YES!  Way to go on the pull-ups!  That's awesome!

I love to work out lower body.  Kettlebell swings have a huge impact on booty for me, highly recommend.  Hamstrings, too. 

 

So I am giving my scale the side-eye because it's reading nearly 2 lbs lighter this morning.  I am torn between wanting to jump up and down seeing that 135.6 and resignedly going to get some batteries, lol.  I think my husband changed them recently though.  In my mind 135 is a really great weight for me considering my frame and build and I'm happy to maintain here indefinitely.  My weight tracker says 129 is my "ideal weight" but I don't know if that's all that feasible with the strength training I do.  Also I would have no boobs.  Pretty sure that's where the last 2 lbs came from!

Usually I rest on Sundays, but the weather is gonna be yucky a lot this week, so I think I will do a session of running intervals.  I should practice CKD, but I am having PMS brain fog and that just seems waaay too mentally demanding.  Oh well!

Hmm, so you evidently did not hit maintenance this week! Forget the blooming tracker you are already very lean. I know before this recent lose you were at the size of some of the leanest women in showbiz(who are known to be small) and you've lost inches and pounds since then. You have such a good amount of muscle it is not accurate to look at just weight considering the density of muscle. The questions are- how do you feel about your physique? How do you feel in general? Is this a physique you can maintain with ease and without continuous deprivation? Can your body perform the way you want in life and exercise?

The scale is such a small picture but it is easy to use. As I said I have reflected on that this week, we live in a culture that values smallness for women above all else. And I found myself with a tiny bit guilt at times that I wasn't aiming to lose more fat. Why shouldn't I try to be even smaller? Was I being lazy and undisciplined? Then I saw pictures of myself and I thought, hmph, well I really am already as lean as I would like to be. And even though my hips measure a bit bigger than they used to I don't want to lose anymore butt and think I'd like to have a bit bigger one at that. One thing I've appreciated about the Les Mills online is the trainers don't look like a lot of American trainers (it is New Zealand based). Women can age and have some wrinkles and they have muscles and strength but aren't crazy lean. I want to keep some curves, I don't want to be just wiry with muscles. So, that was a good reflection. If that is how I want to look leaning out more won't get me there. It is hard to ignore our culture and look at our individual goals and take account our unique bodies. I'd have to starve myself for a long time to look like Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift would have to put tremendous work into get curves even approaching that of the Kardashians, we got to work with what we have.

_________________________

I'm starting with week 5 of the Strong Curves and putting it with Phase 4 of the pull-up program. I'm skipping the first 4 weeks of Strong Curves since I have a base of strength. There is a lot of overlap between the 2 programs but this will give me more complete work for the lower body. I'll be subbing some of the upperbody and core core from UPUP program into Strong Curves because it is stronger for that. I expect it will take longer but I'll be doing some work in different parts of the gym so I think I'll be ok on time with the class at the gym.

There will be kettlebell swings 🙂 Ivy, I've wanted to add them in but try to not keep adding on too much. I'm excited about that. I am doing push-ups instead of bench press, I've been wanting to up my push-up game and there is not enough carry over between the two to make the bench press worth my time. I videoed myself yesterday doing push-ups and they do look better but I think I'm going to go back to incline push-ups for a bit as I'm still not getting the depth I want and am not keeping the core as high and tight as I'd like.

If all goes well I'll be doing 4 weeks of this plan and then moving on to the next phase.... we shall see.

---------------------------------

This week's plan:

Tues/Thurs/Sat- Strong Curves- Booty-ful Beginnings (with some Ultimate Pull-Up program substitutes)

Les Mills- in the am- mostly stretching-BodyFlow- Tai Chi/Yoga- and a day of BodyCombat(kickboxing/MA) and a day of dance 

3 walks/hikes- easy outdoors-

I may or may not do stairstepper intervals, we'll see how my workouts go for time and also what I think of the Les Mills BodyCombat and dance for cardio. I am not doing the 3 miles on the treadmill, there is no way I'll have the time and honestly I'm already bored of it, gosh I hate the treadmill. Kickboxing and dance is way more fun, as long as I get my HR up I'm happy with that. 

That gets me- Strength training, Cardio training, and Stretching and walks for recovery and mobility.

 

 

[IvyInFlorida]

16 minutes ago, soror said:

Hmm, so you evidently did not hit maintenance this week! Forget the blooming tracker you are already very lean. I know before this recent lose you were at the size of some of the leanest women in showbiz(who are known to be small) and you've lost inches and pounds since then. You have such a good amount of muscle it is not accurate to look at just weight considering the density of muscle. The questions are- how do you feel about your physique? How do you feel in general? Is this a physique you can maintain with ease and without continuous deprivation? Can your body perform the way you want in life and exercise?

The scale is such a small picture but it is easy to use. As I said I have reflected on that this week, we live in a culture that values smallness for women above all else. And I found myself with a tiny bit guilt at times that I wasn't aiming to lose more fat. Why shouldn't I try to be even smaller? Was I being lazy and undisciplined? Then I saw pictures of myself and I thought, hmph, well I really am already as lean as I would like to be. And even though my hips measure a bit bigger than they used to I don't want to lose anymore butt and think I'd like to have a bit bigger one at that. One thing I've appreciated about the Les Mills online is the trainers don't look like a lot of American trainers (it is New Zealand based). Women can age and have some wrinkles and they have muscles and strength but aren't crazy lean. I want to keep some curves, I don't want to be just wiry with muscles. So, that was a good reflection. If that is how I want to look leaning out more won't get me there. It is hard to ignore our culture and look at our individual goals and take account our unique bodies. I'd have to starve myself for a long time to look like Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift would have to put tremendous work into get curves even approaching that of the Kardashians, we got to work with what we have.

_________________________

I'm starting with week 5 of the Strong Curves and putting it with Phase 4 of the pull-up program. I'm skipping the first 4 weeks of Strong Curves since I have a base of strength. There is a lot of overlap between the 2 programs but this will give me more complete work for the lower body. I'll be subbing some of the upperbody and core core from UPUP program into Strong Curves because it is stronger for that. I expect it will take longer but I'll be doing some work in different parts of the gym so I think I'll be ok on time with the class at the gym.

There will be kettlebell swings 🙂 Ivy, I've wanted to add them in but try to not keep adding on too much. I'm excited about that. I am doing push-ups instead of bench press, I've been wanting to up my push-up game and there is not enough carry over between the two to make the bench press worth my time. I videoed myself yesterday doing push-ups and they do look better but I think I'm going to go back to incline push-ups for a bit as I'm still not getting the depth I want and am not keeping the core as high and tight as I'd like.

If all goes well I'll be doing 4 weeks of this plan and then moving on to the next phase.... we shall see.

---------------------------------

This week's plan:

Tues/Thurs/Sat- Strong Curves- Booty-ful Beginnings (with some Ultimate Pull-Up program substitutes)

Les Mills- in the am- mostly stretching-BodyFlow- Tai Chi/Yoga- and a day of BodyCombat(kickboxing/MA) and a day of dance 

3 walks/hikes- easy outdoors-

I may or may not do stairstepper intervals, we'll see how my workouts go for time and also what I think of the Les Mills BodyCombat and dance for cardio. I am not doing the 3 miles on the treadmill, there is no way I'll have the time and honestly I'm already bored of it, gosh I hate the treadmill. Kickboxing and dance is way more fun, as long as I get my HR up I'm happy with that. 

That gets me- Strength training, Cardio training, and Stretching and walks for recovery and mobility.

 

 

 

Yeah, I was really suspicious about the number on the scale because I for sure ate more this week.  Not sure what that's all about!  I had wings and a beer last night, yo.  Lol.  Regardless, I've been feeling pretty positive about my actual physique recently in terms of body fat and musculature, etc., and I like how I eat overall.  I don't feel deprived or anything but I'm for sure a lot more open to eating more to sustain energy and performance than I used to be.  I definitely have gone through the "I'm just being lazy and undisciplined if I don't go farther" stuff, but I worked through that and am over it, thankfully!  For now, ha.  Growing up chubby in the 80s and early 90s doesn't do great things for a girl's overall mentality about weight!  But I really, really, really, hate feeling weak, tired, or hungry in the middle of a workout* so I have a ton of motivation to maintain for performance rather than continue to make getting smaller a goal.  *This doesn't happen on a regular basis, I just mean when it does happen, I'm like, nope, this ain't worth it.

I read an article from Nia Shanks around the new year about how bad it is to constantly keep shifting your weight loss goals back and it resonated with me.  The nutrition/health stuff I want to work on now doesn't have anything to do with fat loss, which I think is positive.  Maximizing energy levels, getting better at intuitive eating, keeping blood sugar stable (stupid hypoglycemia!).  I think maybe I'm a little bit like a cargo ship.  It takes me a looooong time to make a turn, if that makes sense!  I've been going in one direction for so long.  I really appreciate having this space and you ladies to talk through it with, though!

Re: the treadmill--truer words were never spoken!  Pushups...my power tower has these little handles for pushups and good gravy the extra depth makes them harder.  Such a core exercise!  I just wish I could find a nice position for my arms to keep my elbows from cracking so painfully.  I'm finishing up my current training plan and the next one will swap in floor press and OHP instead.  My elbows need a break!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Bad week for me!  On Thursday I woke up feeling like a truck hit me, and haven't improved much since.  I've mostly just been sleeping.  No fever, but general cold symptoms and this morning I got the tight feeling in my chest that I'm guessing means bronchitis.  I'M THE ONE THAT NEVER GETS SICK!!!  Grrrrr.  The house, of course, falls apart completely when I'm not managing the troops, so it looks like a bomb went off in here.  Exercise is not happening.  I have eaten very well this week, though.  Here's hoping I perk up in a few days.  Google tells me 7-10 days for bronchitis.  

[Laura Corin]

I've just discovered a 'power yoga' month plan and videos on the subscription Adriene site. That'll be me in March!

Today: an hour of yoga, two hours pruning shrubs in the garden, and dog walking.

[FarmingMomma]

Finished another week of 80 Day Obsession yesterday, only two weeks to go!  I also went snowshoeing with my husband and the dogs, so my legs and butt were dead last night. 😂

I'll probably do some snowshoeing this afternoon as well, but probably just for a bit because I think we're going to take the kids out to shoot targets and sight in my newest rifle better.  I got it for Christmas and have only shot it a couple of times.

[wintermom]

Completed a whole bunch of decluttering, dropped it off at the charity, and picked up some painting supplies. Feeling great that I got so much accomplished! 

Now dd and I are going for a walk in the "balmy" weather. It's warmed up over 30 C since Thursday.

 

[FarmingMomma]

Got in some solo snowshoeing in the sunshine, then 15 minutes of stretching.