June 2020 - well-trained bodies

[Laura Corin]

Supportive thread for recording and discussing fitness and health.  All are welcome to post, at whatever level of fitness and activity.  Please feel free to set up fitness plans for the month, if you would like.

[Soror]

Hey ladies, I'm working on goal setting but aiming to be flexible.

As of today I have 1 more month of school break (I start hs'ing in July) so I hope to make the most of it. I do still have some outside projects to complete and general yard work.

I will be continuing to take it easy on formal exercise.

This month I plan to:

- take more time to play (we've been working so hard and been too exhausted for much play in our little bit of freetime)

-prioritize sleep (ongoing goal- keep with good sleep hygiene, outside time, supplements, progesterone etc)

-10k+ avg steps per day (some days and weeks are way over but sometimes I need a break when we have lots of hard work days)

-short flexibility and strength work- 3x week

-mostly whole foods diet w/ plenty of fruits and veggies

-keep weight in maintenance range

[Soror]

Today's plan: 

More hole digging. I felt like such a wimp yesterday digging. Even helping aim the tractor auger was working my triceps like crazy. We had hoped to get 4 holes dug, we managed 1. So, revised plan for today is to get 1 more dug (we had planned to take the day off so don't want to work all day). We had some set up work we had to do in the am that took time but when digging a 3x3ft hole, 2 ft deep in ground full of rocks and clay it is a lot of work. We had 4 hrs of just digging and in the end couldn't get one side as deep as we wanted as we hit rock, dh broke through a ft of it with the spud bar but there was no end in site. 

Afternoon: take kids to local creek, mini water fall to swim around.

am exercise: short tai chi session done; push-ups, pull-ups and squats planned for after teaching

food: 

breakfast: roasted potatoes, squash, onions; bacon and scrambled eggs; whole grain gf toast; green juice (green apple, celery, lemon, spinach); nectarine

lunch: minestrone soup w/ gf crackers

dinner: zuc and rice noodle pasta; w/ sauce and meat; maybe gf rolls

snack: dark choc; fruit nuts

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by soror

[Laura Corin]

Yoga - I'm thinking of following Adriene's June calendar.  It seems to be stronger practices, so that suits me.  I can always swap things in if the level or length isn't right:

https://mcusercontent.com/b387e5263f0a244eb08128a0a/files/961fc4fc-f0c1-454d-98e9-27dceaa931d5/YWA_June_2020_yoga_calendar_with_links.pdf

In a few days, I'll start going to the beach for Nordic Walking - I didn't this weekend because I didn't want to deal with weekend crowds.  Our run of amazing weather is due to break on Wednesday, so the people might be more manageable then.

Otherwise, I'm going to carry on with my 'something at lunchtime, something after work' rhythm - so either (Nordic) walking or yoga in each of those time slots.

This month I'm hoping (again) to get back into maintenance range - I've been bobbing in and out of it, which doesn't feel good.  I've been mostly eating well, just too much.

My sleep isn't great - a bit of potential-house-move-related stress.  Things are looking a bit more possible, so the stress/excitement is getting in the way a bit.  My planning brain is kicking in, which isn't very restful.  I'm looking forward to having a (flower) garden that is small enough that every plant is actually something I want, rather than having so much space to cover that I am just thankful that I'm not looking at dockweeds.

[Soror]

3 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Yoga - I'm thinking of following Adriene's June calendar.  It seems to be stronger practices, so that suits me.  I can always swap things in if the level or length isn't right:

https://mcusercontent.com/b387e5263f0a244eb08128a0a/files/961fc4fc-f0c1-454d-98e9-27dceaa931d5/YWA_June_2020_yoga_calendar_with_links.pdf

In a few days, I'll start going to the beach for Nordic Walking - I didn't this weekend because I didn't want to deal with weekend crowds.  Our run of amazing weather is due to break on Wednesday, so the people might be more manageable then.

Otherwise, I'm going to carry on with my 'something at lunchtime, something after work' rhythm - so either (Nordic) walking or yoga in each of those time slots.

This month I'm hoping (again) to get back into maintenance range - I've been bobbing in and out of it, which doesn't feel good.  I've been mostly eating well, just too much.

My sleep isn't great - a bit of potential-house-move-related stress.  Things are looking a bit more possible, so the stress/excitement is getting in the way a bit.  My planning brain is kicking in, which isn't very restful.  I'm looking forward to having a (flower) garden that is small enough that every plant is actually something I want, rather than having so much space to cover that I am just thankful that I'm not looking at dockweeds.

Sounds like a good plan, I hope it isn't too busy at the beach today. I really hope the move gets going here very soon. I've been closer to the upper range of my maintenance zone and it is annoying, I've shifted down some but  not as much as I hoped but have realigned my expectations to just in range is good enough for now!

2 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

Well, I am going to post here today.  I may or may not be back lol.

My local pool opens at noon.  I am planning to take the kids for an hourish after lunch, but then when DH gets home, I plan to head back and do some laps.

The problem is......it's like *cold* and this is an outdoor pool that isn't heated.  It is currently sitting at 48*F, it's only supposed to get up to 75*F, and that's going to be at like 3 or 4.  Yesterday, it only got as warm as 71, and Saturday was only 73.  Lows were in the low 50s overnight, so that pool water is going to be really chilly.  The kids have been counting down the days till the pool opens so I can't not take them today, but man, I don't know if I am going to be able to bring myself to go back if the water is too cold.

Anyway, my plan is to be doing some laps 3 to 4 days a week.  Saturdays and Sundays, there will be adult only lap lanes available from 11 to noon, so I will try to hit those up and then I only have to do evenings like twice a week.  

I put together a little graph for myself to track total distance for each day for laps, and my only real goal is to see that generally climb upward towards the end of the month. 

Welcome! Geez, that pool does sound cool, brr! Hope it warms up for you.

[Laura Corin]

@happysmileylady I used to wear a short wet suit sometimes when we used an open air pool in Hong Kong.  The water would slowly get soupy-warm, then a typhoon would come through and dump a pool-worth of cold water in.

[Soror]

Speaking of the pool I'm considering more lessons for myself at the outdoor pool, waiting to see when lessons are scheduled (reg. is supposed to open today). The big issue is scheduling and if it conflicts w/ TKD that is resuming. My gym is open now but I don't want to go just yet, too many sweaty people in an enclosed environment and I don't trust their cleanliness standards.

[barnwife]

@happysmileylady I am sort of jealous you have a pool available. When we found out baby #5 would be joining us in Sept., one of my first thoughts was, "oh good, I can swim for exercise when I am huge and hot." Of course, that was at the end of Dec. By the time I was out of 1st tri., I knew that wasn't likely. There are only 2 pools sort of near us that haven't announced they will be closed for the whole summer. Neither will open before July. One is an indoor pool, which I am not sure I will be comfortable with this year. If the other opens, we will see how things stand around here pandemic-wise.

Anyway, I hope you are able to enjoy some (cold) pool time today.

As for me, I definitely need to be willing to be flexible in my exercise. At 25ish weeks (I think?), I am slowing down and awkward in all things. So my goal is basically "something is better than nothing." I definitely want to walk every day, weather permitting, even if it's just 10 minutes with the kids. 

Today I did a short upper body strength workout, followed by a few minutes of cardio. Hopefully the rain is gone by late afternoon, so the kids and I can go for a walk. 

Breakfast: fried eggs, 2 prunes
Lunch: veggie wrap with chickpeas, fruit, 2 prunes
Dinner: Leftovers (brats, burgers, hot dogs, with salad on the side)
 

[Soror]

38 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I did a short session of adult swim lessons, small group, back in Feb at the indoor pool before everything went crazy and it was SO helpful in refining my stroke.  But my local pool won't be offering swim lessons at all this summer, and the indoor pool still isn't open (and has no planned opening date listed yet....the gym facilities are open, but not the pool 🙄)

I have never been a good swimmer and have taken swim lessons a few diferent times, maybe one of these I'll get decent enough I can swim for exercise, maybe. We are in a rural area and have had few cases so most sumemr things are going as scheduled except camps here. I've not checked on the indoor pool though, not sure if it is open but lessons are always done outside anyway.

16 minutes ago, barnwife said:

@happysmileylady I am sort of jealous you have a pool available. When we found out baby #5 would be joining us in Sept., one of my first thoughts was, "oh good, I can swim for exercise when I am huge and hot." Of course, that was at the end of Dec. By the time I was out of 1st tri., I knew that wasn't likely. There are only 2 pools sort of near us that haven't announced they will be closed for the whole summer. Neither will open before July. One is an indoor pool, which I am not sure I will be comfortable with this year. If the other opens, we will see how things stand around here pandemic-wise.

Anyway, I hope you are able to enjoy some (cold) pool time today.

As for me, I definitely need to be willing to be flexible in my exercise. At 25ish weeks (I think?), I am slowing down and awkward in all things. So my goal is basically "something is better than nothing." I definitely want to walk every day, weather permitting, even if it's just 10 minutes with the kids. 

Today I did a short upper body strength workout, followed by a few minutes of cardio. Hopefully the rain is gone by late afternoon, so the kids and I can go for a walk. 

Breakfast: fried eggs, 2 prunes
Lunch: veggie wrap with chickpeas, fruit, 2 prunes
Dinner: Leftovers (brats, burgers, hot dogs, with salad on the side)
 

Flexibility is especially good when pregnant, I hope your storm clears today.

[Soror]

Strength work done. Felt good to just do a set and be done (thanks for wintermom for the inspiration there) it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I'm feeling so much better this week, I guess because I didn't completely kill myself working outside.

green juice drank, veggies and bacon cooking

[EmilyGF]

Well, we had extensive looting happen within eye-shot of our front porch yesterday. We heard gunshots last night. Things are up in the air. We packed our car for camping today, in case we decide we can't handle it anymore here and need to leave and let things cool off. I broke down last night sobbing. I could take the lockdown. I could take DH's absence when he was helping his mom before her death at the beginning of May. I was handling her death alright. But last night was too much. We have things we'd like to get done Mon / Tues / Wed, so we'll likely leave town Wed afternoon until the following Monday, unless things get worse today.

However, I know from experience that I handle severe stress best when I have a regimented schedule that keeps me doing the next thing without having to think. I've printed out weekly schedules for the kids (as I always do), but rescheduled important things to the beginning of the week. I'm keeping up with 3x/week yoga (as long as I have internet) and I have a DVD player that runs via batteries that I may take with us if we go camp for a few days. If we camp, we'll go some place with good hiking.

On the food side of things, I ordered the South Beach Diet book.

Emily

[wintermom]

17 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

Well, we had extensive looting happen within eye-shot of our front porch yesterday. We heard gunshots last night. Things are up in the air. We packed our car for camping today, in case we decide we can't handle it anymore here and need to leave and let things cool off. I broke down last night sobbing. I could take the lockdown. I could take DH's absence when he was helping his mom before her death at the beginning of May. I was handling her death alright. But last night was too much. We have things we'd like to get done Mon / Tues / Wed, so we'll likely leave town Wed afternoon until the following Monday, unless things get worse today.

However, I know from experience that I handle severe stress best when I have a regimented schedule that keeps me doing the next thing without having to think. I've printed out weekly schedules for the kids (as I always do), but rescheduled important things to the beginning of the week. I'm keeping up with 3x/week yoga (as long as I have internet) and I have a DVD player that runs via batteries that I may take with us if we go camp for a few days. If we camp, we'll go some place with good hiking.

On the food side of things, I ordered the South Beach Diet book.

Emily

So sorry you're going through this now. Big hugs to you all. 

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin Thanks for starting us off on a new month. So glad your move is coming along! Exciting stuff. Enjoy all your gorgeous walks on the beach and in the countryside, as well as your outdoor yoga session. Sounds wonderful!

@soror  Digging holes in rock and clay is brutal! That's the same as our ground here. Takes forever and is very frustrating. All the best with your hole today. Great job getting in a set of strength work! It's great that we can inspire each other here. 😃

@happysmileylady  Thanks for popping in and joining us! Hope you enjoy/survive the 'polar bear swim' today. At least the dc will have a blast. 

@barnwife  Great job staying active despite all the upheaval in the world. Very sorry you haven't been able to swim. That was definitely a favourite activity during my pregnancies. 

[wintermom]

My monthly goals:

- Keep up the daily morning yoga and push-ups. It's usually only about 20 min of activity, but it's a wonderful mental and physical boost to have it done no matter what the weather.

- Try to walk, bike or play tennis everyday just for the pleasure of it. 

- Keep up with similar eating plans and try not to stress about the weirdness of weight maintenance in menopausal women. 🤪

[Laura Corin]

Today has been good. Yoga in the garden at lunchtime; a new and idyllic walk near our probable new house after work. The walk will be too overgrown with nettles in a week or two, but will be perfect in winter and spring. 

An exciting event: Husband started C25K! He's unlikely to do the muscle strengthening alongside that would support his joints, so I just hope his ankle holds up. He's a bit overweight at present, so not ideal. Fingers crossed.

Breakfast - berries, porridge, fat free Greek yoghurt; lunch - half an avocado, tomatoes, an apple, savoury oatcakes and pumpkin seed butter; supper - quiche plus salad; snacks - yoghurt with berries, raw veg, almonds.

[lmrich]

Happy June! 

Went to for a thirty minute run and walked for another 45. Will need to walk the dog again tonight. I did strength yesterday so am resting today. 

Breakfast: eggs and turkey sausage 

Lunch: Smoothie bowl - Kale, frozen strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, collagen powder, coconut yogurt and granola 

dinner: trying something new - California roll stack - for the family - white rice, shrimp, avocado, cucumber, spicy sauce - I will have to figure out the version I can eat since I am allergic to rice and shrimp. - might just make a salad or something 

Thanks for starting this again! 

[Laura Corin]

@Dreamergal how wonderful! I'm so glad for you!

[wintermom]

@Dreamergal  So glad you enjoyed your first swim back! 

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

My tennis match was fun and the weather was crazy! We started out great, then it rained moderately hard and we kept playing. The rain stopped and we kept playing on the wet court, with the balls wet and heavy, bouncing in strange ways. During normal times, we would probably stop the match, but in these times the match goes on no matter what. 😉  The funniest thing is that there were people on the  court beside us also playing in spite of the weather not be optimal. You know that people are motivated to be out of the house if they're happily playing in these conditions! 😅

Edited June 1, 2020 by wintermom

[IvyInFlorida]

Hi friends, just wanted to check in on the new thread!  I'm still in the land of the living over here, and honestly doing much better, though I still have bouts of nausea and dizziness.  Most food aversions are gone except chicken and garlic.  I've got a little baby bump going on, which is both neat and disconcerting, lol.  Exercise has been limited to walking, but at least I'm able to do that.  I do find that I am overheating easily so I am looking forward to our pool being ready to swim in (in the next couple of weeks).  I haven't been weighing myself because I was finding it too stressful, but so far I think I'm doing decently.  Still eating fruit like crazy and can drink regular water now and eat salads for lunch again (yay!).  I am doing well with getting enough sleep and keeping my mood in balance, which were 2 big goals for me last month.    My next OB appt is on the 10th, and we may find out the sex at that visit.  It's a little early, but the dr said he was going to try to see.  If so, I will be sure to report in for that! 

I enjoy reading y'all's updates, ladies!!

[Laura Corin]

6 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Hi friends, just wanted to check in on the new thread!  I'm still in the land of the living over here, and honestly doing much better, though I still have bouts of nausea and dizziness.  Most food aversions are gone except chicken and garlic.  I've got a little baby bump going on, which is both neat and disconcerting, lol.  Exercise has been limited to walking, but at least I'm able to do that.  I do find that I am overheating easily so I am looking forward to our pool being ready to swim in (in the next couple of weeks).  I haven't been weighing myself because I was finding it too stressful, but so far I think I'm doing decently.  Still eating fruit like crazy and can drink regular water now and eat salads for lunch again (yay!).  I am doing well with getting enough sleep and keeping my mood in balance, which were 2 big goals for me last month.    My next OB appt is on the 10th, and we may find out the sex at that visit.  It's a little early, but the dr said he was going to try to see.  If so, I will be sure to report in for that! 

I enjoy reading y'all's updates, ladies!!

Gorgeous wee bump! Glad you are doing better.

[Soror]

17 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Today has been good. Yoga in the garden at lunchtime; a new and idyllic walk near our probable new house after work. The walk will be too overgrown with nettles in a week or two, but will be perfect in winter and spring. 

An exciting event: Husband started C25K! He's unlikely to do the muscle strengthening alongside that would support his joints, so I just hope his ankle holds up. He's a bit overweight at present, so not ideal. Fingers crossed.

Breakfast - berries, porridge, fat free Greek yoghurt; lunch - half an avocado, tomatoes, an apple, savoury oatcakes and pumpkin seed butter; supper - quiche plus salad; snacks - yoghurt with berries, raw veg, almonds.

There are stinging nettles on the path, ouch! We have some sporadically here but not generally close to walking trails or roads. Ya, for hubby, that is great!!

16 hours ago, lmrich said:

Happy June! 

Went to for a thirty minute run and walked for another 45. Will need to walk the dog again tonight. I did strength yesterday so am resting today. 

Breakfast: eggs and turkey sausage 

Lunch: Smoothie bowl - Kale, frozen strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, collagen powder, coconut yogurt and granola 

dinner: trying something new - California roll stack - for the family - white rice, shrimp, avocado, cucumber, spicy sauce - I will have to figure out the version I can eat since I am allergic to rice and shrimp. - might just make a salad or something 

Thanks for starting this again! 

Great job getting exercise in, how was dinner?

16 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

just thought I would share, here’s my little tracker.  Assuming the pool is 25yrds, I marked up the lengths in 100yrd incidents but the paper has a dot grid so each dot is 25yrds, so one pool length.  I am not sure how it is going to go trying to do laps during open swim in the evening, but adult only times on the weekend should be ok.  

Very good idea for motivation, hope you can get swimming soon.

_______________

@Dreamergal I'm so happy for you that you got to go swimming, even with all the restrictions.

@IvyInFlorida So happy to see you and your little bump. Glad you are feeling better and getting some walking in. 

___________________________

We did not get any digging done yesterday, prep work took all morning (long story short) and we didn't want to work in the evening.

We took the kids to a little swimming hole, it is technically a canyon and has all these little water falls and pools. We only saw someone there as we were leaving. Mostly a great time except the snakes, we had to move up the water a ways.

Today's plan: 

short yoga and strength; walking w/ a friend in the afternoon

breakfast: banana muffins (homemade no sugar just bananas); scrambled eggs w/ peppers and potatoes

lunch: leftover beef stew

dinner: big salad w/ chicken

snacks: dark chocolate, fruit, nut, might make a healthy dessert (almond butter blondie)

[IvyInFlorida]

1 minute ago, soror said:

There are stinging nettles on the path, ouch! We have some sporadically here but not generally close to walking trails or roads. Ya, for hubby, that is great!!

Great job getting exercise in, how was dinner?

Very good idea for motivation, hope you can get swimming soon.

_______________

@Dreamergal I'm so happy for you that you got to go swimming, even with all the restrictions.

@IvyInFlorida So happy to see you and your little bump. Glad you are feeling better and getting some walking in. 

___________________________

We did not get any digging done yesterday, prep work took all morning (long story short) and we didn't want to work in the evening.

We took the kids to a little swimming hole, it is technically a canyon and has all these little water falls and pools. We only saw someone there as we were leaving. Mostly a great time except the snakes, we had to move up the water a ways.

Today's plan: 

short yoga and strength; walking w/ a friend in the afternoon

breakfast: banana muffins (homemade no sugar just bananas); scrambled eggs w/ peppers and potatoes

lunch: leftover beef stew

dinner: big salad w/ chicken

snacks: dark chocolate, fruit, nut, might make a healthy dessert (almond butter blondie)

 

That swimming excursion sounds really neat! 

[wintermom]

@IvyInFlorida  Wonderful photo! You look amazing. So glad you're able to walk and eat comfortably. All the best at the next OB appointment!

@soror Your family trip to the swimming hole sounds like a lot of fun! I want to take my dc to our favourite outdoor swimming place soon. It has to warm up a little more, though.

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

I'm up super early this morning. Slept well, but had a head-ache and hunger pains at 5:30am. Feeling better now after breakfast and coffee. 😉  I'm getting more and more frustrated about my new 'normal' weight. I'm hoping that it's due to increased muscle mass, though there is definitely some other, less thrilling bulges. 

My plan today is to meet a friend for a walk while I find out all I can about on-line homeschool classes for my youngest ds. I need to beef up his program as he heads into grade 9 in the fall. Otherwise, I'll get in my yoga, push-ups and hopefully a bike ride if the rain stops. 

[Laura Corin]

Terrible sleep last night (head all buzzed still about the move, plus June is always hard because of the light - despite three layers of curtains/masks).  But then I had to go to the spare room this morning to get some clothes and got dressed in there to avoid disturbing Husband.  I got to see myself full-length in the mirror.  And I found myself thinking: okay, for age 57, that's pretty good, even though I'm carrying an extra kilo at present.  A bit of squidge in the belly, but some definition otherwise.  Pretty pleasing.

Today: brisk walk at lunchtime, then yoga after work.

Food: breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, strawberries; lunch - veggie sausages, salad, some kind of veg, oatcakes and pumpkin seed butter; supper - mackerel with harissa and orange plus asparagus and kale; snacks - raw veg, low-fat cheese, nuts.

@soror the stinging nettles were only waist-high, and we were wearing long trousers, so not a problem.  In a week or two they will be taller and hard to avoid.  And the swimming hole sounds like fun.  Eeek snakes - the UK only has one venomous snake, and it's very, very shy.  I'd like to swim in the sea, but  there aren't life guards in place yet and people aren't buddying up.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Soror]

12 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Terrible sleep last night (head all buzzed still about the move, plus June is always hard because of the light - despite three layers of curtains/masks).  But then I had to go to the spare room this morning to get some clothes and got dressed in there to avoid disturbing Husband.  I got to see myself full-length in the mirror.  And I found myself thinking: okay, for age 57, that's pretty good, even though I'm carrying an extra kilo at present.  A bit of squidge in the belly, but some definition otherwise.  Pretty pleasing.

Today: brisk walk at lunchtime, then yoga after work.

Food: breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, strawberries; lunch - veggie sausages, salad, some kind of veg, oatcakes and pumpkin seed butter; supper - mackerel with harissa and orange plus asparagus and kale; snacks - raw veg, low-fat cheese, nuts.

@soror the stinging nettles were only waist-high, and we were wearing long trousers, so not a problem.  In a week or two they will be taller and hard to avoid.  And the swimming hole sounds like fun.  Eeek snakes - the UK only has one venomous snake, and it's very, very shy.  I'd like to swim in the sea, but  there aren't life guards in place yet and people aren't buddying up.

I remember how late it was bright in Ireland, I feel for you, the light bothers me. Your hard work is paying off, congrats! We have a few venomous snakes here but usually they leave you alone, it is disconcerting to swim with them there!

13 minutes ago, wintermom said:

@IvyInFlorida  Wonderful photo! You look amazing. So glad you're able to walk and eat comfortably. All the best at the next OB appointment!

@soror Your family trip to the swimming hole sounds like a lot of fun! I want to take my dc to our favourite outdoor swimming place soon. It has to warm up a little more, though.

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

I'm up super early this morning. Slept well, but had a head-ache and hunger pains at 5:30am. Feeling better now after breakfast and coffee. 😉  I'm getting more and more frustrated about my new 'normal' weight. I'm hoping that it's due to increased muscle mass, though there is definitely some other, less thrilling bulges. 

My plan today is to meet a friend for a walk while I find out all I can about on-line homeschool classes for my youngest ds. I need to beef up his program as he heads into grade 9 in the fall. Otherwise, I'll get in my yoga, push-ups and hopefully a bike ride if the rain stops. 

Sorry about the weight, I'm certain you have more muscles. I've got school planning to do too but don't feel in the mood yet. I have to adminster standardized tests for dd1 this week since she is going into PS this coming year, ugh!

I didn't sleep well either ladies, I remembered when I woke up in the night I forgot my progesterone, I won't do that again!

[wintermom]

18 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Terrible sleep last night (head all buzzed still about the move, plus June is always hard because of the light - despite three layers of curtains/masks).  But then I had to go to the spare room this morning to get some clothes and got dressed in there to avoid disturbing Husband.  I got to see myself full-length in the mirror.  And I found myself thinking: okay, for age 57, that's pretty good, even though I'm carrying an extra kilo at present.  A bit of squidge in the belly, but some definition otherwise.  Pretty pleasing.

Today: brisk walk at lunchtime, then yoga after work.

Food: breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, strawberries; lunch - veggie sausages, salad, some kind of veg, oatcakes and pumpkin seed butter; supper - mackerel with harissa and orange plus asparagus and kale; snacks - raw veg, low-fat cheese, nuts.

@soror the stinging nettles were only waist-high, and we were wearing long trousers, so not a problem.  In a week or two they will be taller and hard to avoid.  And the swimming hole sounds like fun.  Eeek snakes - the UK only has one venomous snake, and it's very, very shy.  I'd like to swim in the sea, but  there aren't life guards in place yet and people aren't buddying up.

Oh yes, those lovely, long days of spring in the north. They are both fantastic and a little annoying. 😉  I'm feeling exactly the same as far as body image - loving the muscle definition, wishing the squidge was less obvious. I try to remind myself that the squidge is my 'energy reserve for times of illness.' Sadly, I have to pack it around with me instead of storing it at the bank. 😂 

I've been loving watching the BBC Springwatch 2020, as well as the past programs of Fallwatch, Winterwatch, etc. I wish we had something similar in Canada with our native birds and animals.

[lmrich]

Just finished an hour long walk - already hot. Glad I have my treadmill now 😀!

Need to do strength training today and some hip stretching. 

Breakfast will be eggs and turkey sausage 

lunch - smoothie bowl again 

dinner - daughter is making a creamy pasta dish before her wisdom teeth come out tomorrow - I am allergic to everything in that dish so probably a salad for me.. 

snack - ? I need one. I would love some watermelon but don't want to go to the store. 

 

@soror - the stacked California "rolls" were a big hit for the family. They enjoyed making their own stack with the different offerings.  I mixed together chicken, avocado, mango, and spicy mayo and munched edamame - pretty yummy!

 

[Soror]

1 hour ago, lmrich said:

Just finished an hour long walk - already hot. Glad I have my treadmill now 😀!

Need to do strength training today and some hip stretching. 

Breakfast will be eggs and turkey sausage 

lunch - smoothie bowl again 

dinner - daughter is making a creamy pasta dish before her wisdom teeth come out tomorrow - I am allergic to everything in that dish so probably a salad for me.. 

snack - ? I need one. I would love some watermelon but don't want to go to the store. 

 

@soror - the stacked California "rolls" were a big hit for the family. They enjoyed making their own stack with the different offerings.  I mixed together chicken, avocado, mango, and spicy mayo and munched edamame - pretty yummy!

 

Sounds yummy! I'm walking this afternoon because that is when my friend is available, the park doesn't have much shade so I'm afraid we're going to be roasting but walking with a friend is so much more fun than walking alone.

____________

A bit of yoga and strength work done, man my inner thighs are really sore, really didn't expect that.

[wintermom]

My friend and I walked in a park along the river. We encountered a lot of different birds. One of my favourite birds is the Pileated Woodpecker. There were several different sizes of Canada Geese chicks - these were the most cute and colourful. There was a lot of activity and noise at the Purple Martin house.

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

Lovely @wintermom

[Soror]

@wintermom that is for the lovely pics, we have those woodpeckers here too. I've been thinking of putting up a purple Martin house!

@Dreamergal some whining is ok, it is a year of disappointments. I hope you can at least get in there some days. 

___----_---_

I ended up working on organizing school books all morning instead of outside work. I have a lot inside I have been putting off but still feel guilty skipping outside work, there is always more work to do. 

I got in a really nice walk with my friend and didn't totally melt, hoping we can meet again Thurs. AM. Hunger has been much better today. Ive been aiming for bigger meals to keep snacking at Bay and keep food quality up. It has worked for that very well though sometimes meals seem too big I'm not feeling the need to stuff my face with crap. 

[barnwife]

I'll declare today an okay day for exercise and food here. The kids and I walked for about 15 minutes this morning, before it got super hot and humid. This afternoon we headed to a nearby lake with small creek. There's only one small place for swimming, and I can't do it with the kids. (It's hard to access, water gets deep fast, and I am too pregnant to properly supervise all 4 kids, especially the 3 yo). But the creek is perfect, and today we walked further up it than before and found a section that was knee-ish deep on me. So they could "swim" for 4 or 5 strokes before it was too shallow. 

I am counting the hour and a half of standing there as sort-of-exercise. It was too rocky for me to sit comfortably in the creek and the banks were full of high weeds, so I had to stand so I was close enough to supervise the 3 yo.

I am adjusting to needing to snack more/eat more smaller meals every day as I get further into this pregnancy. Not-pregnant me tries hard not to snack. But I can tell I am eating less at meals, and need to make that up somehow.

@soror Organizing school stuff always gives me such a mental boost! I hope you find time for some outside stuff too!

[Laura Corin]

@barnwife I remember that feeling of 'no space left to eat' very well.  I got sick towards the end of both my pregnancies rather than the beginning - the midwives said it was just lack of space.  I'm very short in the torso, which probably didn't help.

Slept for a long time last night - quite restless though.  Although this move is exactly the right thing, and the new house is lovely, it's still a wrench to move.  Husband would prefer to delay the move by another few weeks to enjoy the summer here, but the best weather is usually June anyway and we've had an amazing spring, plus I fear a second wave of coronavirus and everything being shut down again.

Today - I'll do yoga at lunchtime (day 3 of Adriene's Courage calendar) then go to the beach to Nordic Walk.  If I go at 4.30, there should be a decent amount of beach as it's between low and high tide, and as the weather is a bit more iffy today, there shouldn't be crowds.  There's one path onto the beach that is wider.

I came across this study on Nordic Walking, which confirms the benefit in being able to exercise harder than by walking alone: https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(12)00710-6/fulltext

Breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, strawberries; lunch - lentils, maybe frozen grilled veg and a veggie sausage or two; supper - husband is grilling a spatchcocked chicken and we have kale.  Snacks - raw veg, nuts, low fat cheese.

[Soror]

37 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

@barnwife I remember that feeling of 'no space left to eat' very well.  I got sick towards the end of both my pregnancies rather than the beginning - the midwives said it was just lack of space.  I'm very short in the torso, which probably didn't help.

Slept for a long time last night - quite restless though.  Although this move is exactly the right thing, and the new house is lovely, it's still a wrench to move.  Husband would prefer to delay the move by another few weeks to enjoy the summer here, but the best weather is usually June anyway and we've had an amazing spring, plus I fear a second wave of coronavirus and everything being shut down again.

Today - I'll do yoga at lunchtime (day 3 of Adriene's Courage calendar) then go to the beach to Nordic Walk.  If I go at 4.30, there should be a decent amount of beach as it's between low and high tide, and as the weather is a bit more iffy today, there shouldn't be crowds.  There's one path onto the beach that is wider.

I came across this study on Nordic Walking, which confirms the benefit in being able to exercise harder than by walking alone: https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(12)00710-6/fulltext

Breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, strawberries; lunch - lentils, maybe frozen grilled veg and a veggie sausage or two; supper - husband is grilling a spatchcocked chicken and we have kale.  Snacks - raw veg, nuts, low fat cheese.

I'm sure, even if things go off how they are supposed to moving is still a big stress.  Thanks for the study.

11 hours ago, barnwife said:

I'll declare today an okay day for exercise and food here. The kids and I walked for about 15 minutes this morning, before it got super hot and humid. This afternoon we headed to a nearby lake with small creek. There's only one small place for swimming, and I can't do it with the kids. (It's hard to access, water gets deep fast, and I am too pregnant to properly supervise all 4 kids, especially the 3 yo). But the creek is perfect, and today we walked further up it than before and found a section that was knee-ish deep on me. So they could "swim" for 4 or 5 strokes before it was too shallow. 

I am counting the hour and a half of standing there as sort-of-exercise. It was too rocky for me to sit comfortably in the creek and the banks were full of high weeds, so I had to stand so I was close enough to supervise the 3 yo.

I am adjusting to needing to snack more/eat more smaller meals every day as I get further into this pregnancy. Not-pregnant me tries hard not to snack. But I can tell I am eating less at meals, and need to make that up somehow.

@soror Organizing school stuff always gives me such a mental boost! I hope you find time for some outside stuff too!

Sounds like a great day! That is how the creeks are here, very rocky and not deep. Taking multiple kids swimming is hard and stressful. 

I love organizing too. I have tons more books to go through but made big progress on most of the curriculum, now to just sell some of it.

__________________

yoga and strength work today; Might do yard work or outside jobs

breakfast: oats and berries w/ yogurt and sliced almonds or scrambled eggs and veggies (we'll see what I feel like)

lunch: minestrone w/ gf crackers; dark chocolate

dinner: chicken shwarma; roasted cauliflower (from the garden); brown rice & sweet potato

snack: gf bagel w/ slice cheese; figs and nuts; Might make gf almond butter brownie 

Edited June 3, 2020 by soror

[lmrich]

Glad I got in hour of walk/jogging before my dd came back from her wisdom teeth removal. She is going to keep me busy this am... 

Hope to get another walk on the treadmill this afternoon. I got a treadmill that has programmed walks through the woods or cities, etc... This afternoon I am going to explore a small town in Mexico while I walk for 20 - 30 minutes. My girls both had walks in Hawaii yesterday. It does it make it more fun. 

[Laura Corin]

54 minutes ago, lmrich said:

Glad I got in hour of walk/jogging before my dd came back from her wisdom teeth removal. She is going to keep me busy this am... 

Hope to get another walk on the treadmill this afternoon. I got a treadmill that has programmed walks through the woods or cities, etc... This afternoon I am going to explore a small town in Mexico while I walk for 20 - 30 minutes. My girls both had walks in Hawaii yesterday. It does it make it more fun. 

Your poor daughter - I remember that being miserable.

Your walks sound fun!

[wintermom]

@lmrich  Hope your dd has a quick recovery! The walking program sounds like fun. Is there video so that you get to see the sites?

@happysmileylady  Oh, those sore muscles from a new activity can be rough! The great thing is that you often get to experience a very noticeable improvement as you keep doing the new activity. The soreness goes away and is completely forgotten and toned muscles emerge. 😉  I'm loving how my 'push-up muscles' are visible now in my arms. It's a great destraction from the squidgy parts of my body. 😄

@Laura Corin  Enjoy your yoga and Nordic Walk on the beach!! I have trouble keeping a quick pace when walking in beautiful settings, as I continuously stop to enjoy the plants and animals. I'd wouldn't walk far on a beach if there were lots of interesting things to see.  I understand your dh's desire to stay put and enjoy your current house. I'm in the same boat right now - relieved to be relaxing and enjoy my own beloved home. Your new place is amazing, too. Such weird times to have to live through these days. 

@soror  Enjoy your yoga, strength work and outdoor work today! How is your sleep these days?

@Dreamergal Hope you are able to get some swimming in over the next few months. I little is better than none. Good for you mixing in other forms of physical activity with a great attitude!

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

I've completed my yoga and strength work. I've added in a couple new components to my strength work. I hope to get in a bike ride or hike this afternoon. 

 

[Soror]

30 min yoga nd strength work done. I've been mixing it up with progressions and regressions hoping to stay away from repeititive use issues. I really had a hard time finishing it today. We are anxiously waiting on a call for dh about a possible position at a new company. I'm having a hard time doing anything.

Sleep has been better with progesterone wintermom, REM is still not enough but better than it was at the beginning of last week.

[Laura Corin]

@wintermom the beach is very wide and open, so most of the interest is in the views. That makes it easier to keep going.  It felt good to get my heart rate up.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Laura Corin]

26 minutes ago, soror said:

 I really had a hard time finishing it today. We are anxiously waiting on a call for dh about a possible position at a new company. I'm having a hard time doing anything.

That's nerve-wracking. Fingers crossed.

[barnwife]

19 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

 

I am back again on the fitness smorgasbord ,

I like this. I am going on the fitness smorgasbord for the rest of this pregnancy. Therefore, the 10 or so minutes I chased the 3 yo around the kitchen table this morning (he was very insistent on us doing this), counts as exercise. We managed a walk earlier, too. I am hoping to fit a little strength or cardio in tonight, but that'll depend on the kids (DH won't be home to help until late). 

This week's food will be...okay, I hope. DH is going to be gone a lot, and that makes me really lazy in the kitchen. Today has been fried eggs for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwich for lunch (with some fruit), and who knows what dinner will be. It's hot, so maybe a salad for me and something easy (quesadillas?) for the kids.

[Laura Corin]

Feeling good after NW last night.  Today will be a brisk walk at lunchtime and some more serious yoga after work. I have a long departmental Teams meeting this afternoon, so might need some good yoga afterwards!

Breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, local strawberries; lunch - maybe salad and poached eggs lentil sprouts and leftover chicken; supper - locally smoked haddock with wine, mustard and sage, plus kale and courgette from the farm, and maybe garlic mash.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Soror]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Feeling good after NW last night.  Today will be a brisk walk at lunchtime and some more serious yoga after work. I have a long departmental Teams meeting this afternoon, so might need some good yoga afterwards!

Breakfast - porridge, yoghurt, local strawberries; lunch - maybe salad and poached eggs; supper - locally smoked haddock with wine, mustard and sage, plus kale and courgette from the farm, and maybe garlic mash.

I hope the meeting isn't too bad!

12 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Yay!  I didn't get skunked out!  I got to the pool about 5 minutes before kids rest period and did some walking around to warm up a bit and then got some laps in for the whole 15 minutes. 

Unfortunately, my fitbit still hasn't indicated that it automatically tracked the swimming, so I don't know how many yards I did....I wasn't counting laps.  My best guess was that I was averaging like 2 laps per 5 minutes, so that would be approx 300yrds.  Sometimes the fitbit takes a while to update though so I will hold off on marking it down.  

I think I am going to be sore again tomorrow lol.

One problem I had was that I couldn't find my goggles.  And that makes it really hard for me to do any other stroke but breast stroke.  I hope I can find the goggles before Friday.  And I am going to have to bite the bullet and spend a bit more than I wanted to get a new suit.  This one just sags too much in the chest.  

My Fitbit counts laps but it is so confused, it is always counting laps when I'm not in the water. I've never tried to have it purposely count them though (as I've not swam with it). Fingers crossed you're not too sore.

16 hours ago, barnwife said:

I like this. I am going on the fitness smorgasbord for the rest of this pregnancy. Therefore, the 10 or so minutes I chased the 3 yo around the kitchen table this morning (he was very insistent on us doing this), counts as exercise. We managed a walk earlier, too. I am hoping to fit a little strength or cardio in tonight, but that'll depend on the kids (DH won't be home to help until late). 

This week's food will be...okay, I hope. DH is going to be gone a lot, and that makes me really lazy in the kitchen. Today has been fried eggs for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwich for lunch (with some fruit), and who knows what dinner will be. It's hot, so maybe a salad for me and something easy (quesadillas?) for the kids.

Yes, with pregnancy there are so many variables and it constantly changes, do what you can and keep on. A week of easy meals is ok, maybe add in some pre-prepared or frozen veggies for some extra nutrition here and there?

17 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

@sorormany. 😞

I am back again on the fitness smorgasbord ,picking and choosing and not doing anything well.  Our elliptical is delivered sometime after June 15th. So until then back to land exercise except for the elusive swimming. I am going to hunker down and make a plan. I may look at bootcamp videos, not sure. Any suggestions ? I work better with a plan, I feel better with a plan. This winging it has totally thrown me off track. Oh well, that's that. Weather is getting hotter so must get up earlier and play. That's the consistent "exercise" in all this. Have a good one ladies ! 

You know some is better than perfect, any kind of moving is good.

________________________

The call we were waiting on, never came because evidently the lady wasn't even there yesterday, so here's hoping she is today so we can find out some more. Several people dh works with have went to this place. Everything about it is better- pay, benefits (better insurance for less, 401k match again (dh's was just cut), 100% of college paid (dh's is just 75%), pension (none at dh's work)). Of course, there are some cons, like leaving 5 wks of yearly vaca and getting 1 for just 3 yrs and driving further, those lists of pros keep growing through and to have stability at a place that is both well established and growing instead of this roller coaster of will the plant stay and now will the company survive would be nice. Dh and I are both a bit on edge. I was not the most productive yesterday to be honest. I chatted with a friend too long. Listed some books for sale, mowed the grass, cleaned the kitchen, and helped dd cook dinner- that was it. And a nap.

Today I'm meeting my friend to walk again, very excited about that (assuming we don't get rain).

I'll do some strength and yoga.

Sleep was very good last night, woke up early but still got in nearly 7.5 hrs so that is a win, didn't wake up during the night. I'm still getting oxygen fluctuations here and there even on the zyrtec, I need to see an ENT and allergist to get it figured out, I know that would help immensely with sleep quality but I'm a bit scared of needing sinus surgery and the inveitable bills.

food:

bfast- oatmeal w/ homemade turkey sausage, berries and dollop greek yogurt w/ almonds and drizzle of honey

lunch: salad(lettuce, lots of tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta) w/ chicken and roasted potatoes/sweet pot and onions (I have so many to use up and love them)

dinner: beef stir fry w/ broccoli, onions, peppers w/ brown rice

snack: almond butter blondie, smoothie

Edited June 4, 2020 by soror

[Laura Corin]

@soror my fingers are still crossed for your DH.  Over long and bitter experience, Husband and I have had to realise that filling a position is almost never as important for the company as it is for the poor applicants, so frustrating delays are very common.  The reduction in vacation time stinks - there's a legal minimum here - but it looks good overall.

Be gentle to yourself - you can't be expected to be at your most productive.

[Soror]

1 minute ago, Laura Corin said:

@soror my fingers are still crossed for your DH.  Over long and bitter experience, Husband and I have had to realise that filling a position is almost never as important for the company as it is for the poor applicants, so frustrating delays are very common.  The reduction in vacation time stinks - there's a legal minimum here - but it looks good overall.

Be gentle to yourself - you can't be expected to be at your most productive.

Thank you for the kind thoughts and advice. Luckily we've had little experience with any of this, dh has been at his job for nearly 26yrs so before we were married. I've not worked since kids so not had to deal with this in awhile. We know that  the process for this place is evidently very thorough and draw out, so there is the stress of him going through that and making sure it is the right decision, hard when you don'tt have a crystal ball. Dh likes his job now, if he got his pay cut reinstated and the company stays but those are big ifs.

[Laura Corin]

1 minute ago, soror said:

Thank you for the kind thoughts and advice. Luckily we've had little experience with any of this, dh has been at his job for nearly 26yrs so before we were married. I've not worked since kids so not had to deal with this in awhile. We know that  the process for this place is evidently very thorough and draw out, so there is the stress of him going through that and making sure it is the right decision, hard when you don'tt have a crystal ball. Dh likes his job now, if he got his pay cut reinstated and the company stays but those are big ifs.

Husband has been laid of three or four times (finance industry) and I have changed jobs three times since I started to rebuild my career ten years ago.  We have more experience than we would like.

[Soror]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Husband has been laid of three or four times (finance industry) and I have changed jobs three times since I started to rebuild my career ten years ago.  We have more experience than we would like.

How incredibly stressful, that seems entirely unfair. I know we have been lucky so far so I should not complain!

[Laura Corin]

6 minutes ago, soror said:

How incredibly stressful, that seems entirely unfair. I know we have been lucky so far so I should not complain!

Complain away! It's a stressful time, whether first or fourth time.

[wintermom]

@soror  All the best for your dh. Really hope this new job comes through. Sounds like a good fit. Change is hard! And during these crazy times, it all seems worse. Big hugs to you all

@Laura Corin  Glad you had a wonderful NW on the beach! Hope the meeting today is positive. Enjoy your yoga!

@happysmileylady  That's wonderful you were able to get some swimming laps in! I'm horrible at counting laps. 

 

[wintermom]

I'm playing some tennis today, then going for a bike ride with a friend. Just completed my yoga and push-ups. I also have a teleconference with a health agency I completed an evaluation for last year. I'm hoping to do another one for them this year.

This little guy was in my backyard this morning. He was joined by a sibling, and they ran around the yard chasing each other. Then a third bunny came in and they needed more space to run around. So they ran across the street to run in the neighbour's yard, and then across another street to another yard. Crazy bunnies. 😂  That was my 'springwatch' for the day.