July Well-Trained Bodies

[Laura Corin]

All are welcome, whether you have an established routine or are just starting out.  Feel free to post daily, weekly or just occasionally.

@Soror@wintermom@lynn@Ali in OR@YaelAldrich@Lucy the Valiant@hshibley@Harriet Vane@Jenny in Florida@Amethyst@MissLemon

[Soror]

Thanks Laura for getting us started!

My July goals:

-get stronger

- keep on working on balanced meals and balanced intake over the day- with an eye toward adequate protein and plenty of fruit and veggies and watching portion sizes on things it is easy to over indulge

- increase gratitude and positivity

The workout plan I had started is not working so I'm trying out some different things this week and plan to start something new on Monday. I will be aiming for a shorter workout(35-45 minutes) as we are starting back to school and my older ones are still at home. I will be primarily focused on strength work with some cardio in there.

I will be using the Daily Dozen checklist to count my fruit, veggie, and whole grain intake. It is quick and easy to use.

I will be using a gratitude journal.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Soror

[Jenny in Florida]

Mostly focused on the same goals as last month:

• Keep up with enough intentional, exercise-type walking to complete my 500K by the end of the summer.
• Alternate sets of floor-based and standing leg/arm exercises (about 20 minutes) at least six days a week.
• Ride the stationary bike for at least 20 minutes/at least three times a week. 
• Log a total of at least 14,000 "steps" per day. (My Fitbit isn't good at differentiating between actual walking and things like riding the stationary bike, but I just let it all count toward this goal.)
• Continue swimming two or three times a week.
• Continue pushing back my morning alarm time until I am consistently waking up (and moving) by 5:00.

Things I'm adding:

• Buy a new scale. (Mine was apparently lost or seriously misplaced in the move.)
• Weigh regularly, even if I don't like what the scale says, and try not to let it become the focus of my whole day.
• Get back to being intentionally reasonable about what I'm eating (without getting too focused or restrictive).
• Start nudging my weight back down towards 135.

[YaelAldrich]

I'm running and ellipticalling every day. I was doing squats I need to get back to as well as crunches. My husband is bugging me to join him in some workout videos. Now that school is over I think I shall. Wish me luck!

[Soror]

I did 10 min of core; 10 min of stretching and a HIIT workout. Today I tried out Caroline Girvan from YouTube(from across the pond in Ireland). I'm considering one of her series after seeing many rave reviews. I was definitely feeling it today. Cardio is my weakness. I've been doing tabata style Hiit the last month or so but not one that was straight through (the one I was doing had tabata breaks to do core) so this was more challenging. I survived! I'll try one of her strength videos tomorrow. I tried out a Sydney Cummings (also YouTube) yesterday. I'm trying to decide between the two. 

 

[Ali in OR]

July Goals: I'm focusing on food this month--tracking it, limiting it, optimizing it. I think I have the time to focus on this in July, even though summer school starts on the 6th and I'll be working full time. I will keep up with my current exercise plan. I hope to lose 3 pounds from today's weight (first pound should be easy since it just showed up overnight), but if that doesn't happen in July I'll just continue into August. So specifics:

-track and plan food on My Fitness Pal 6 days a week
-aim for 1500 calories per day
-try to hit my goal numbers for protein, fiber, and saturated fat (MFP goals are 58 gm protein and 25 gm fiber; sat fat I aim for 12 gm but often miss)
-aim for 4-5 fruits/veggies per day
-exercise 6 days/week
-planning to do 1 meatless week, though family members may be choosing to add meat to my meat-free dinners!

Did my regular dumbbell workout this morning. I have most of today's food planned in MFP--I have 200 calories left but also need another 5 gm fiber.

[Amethyst]

My July goals:

Continue eating right.
Walking 11,000 steps per day

I recently came up with a workout routine (about 20 minutes) which combines arms, legs, and butt exercises. My goal is to do it 4 days per week. 
 

I’d love to be down to my first goal weight by the end of July.  As of yesterday, I’m only 3 pounds away, so it sounds doable, but every half pound is a real effort. 🏋️‍

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Amethyst

[Laura Corin]

Just a dog walk today.  Running tomorrow I hope.

[lynn]

10 hours ago, Soror said:

I did 10 min of core; 10 min of stretching and a HIIT workout. Today I tried out Caroline Girvan from YouTube(from across the pond in Ireland). I'm considering one of her series after seeing many rave reviews. I was definitely feeling it today. Cardio is my weakness. I've been doing tabata style Hiit the last month or so but not one that was straight through (the one I was doing had tabata breaks to do core) so this was more challenging. I survived! I'll try one of her strength videos tomorrow. I tried out a Sydney Cummings (also YouTube) yesterday. I'm trying to decide between the two. 

 

That looks insanity challenging.  Must try.  thanks for sharing.

[Soror]

9 hours ago, lynn said:

That looks insanity challenging.  Must try.  thanks for sharing.

Have fun!

______________

Today I'm doing full body strength training.

23 hours ago, Soror said:

Thanks Laura for getting us started!

My July goals:

-get stronger

-keep on track planning meals - focus on balanced meals/macros and plenty of veggies

- increase gratitude and positivity

The workout plan I had started is not working so I'm trying out some different things this week and plan to start something new on Monday. I will be aiming for a shorter workout(35-45 minutes) as we are starting back to school and my older ones are still at home. I will be primarily focused on strength work with some cardio in there.

For food I'm doing macro tracking inline with Precision Nutrition guide, this is not strictly measuring but eyeballing it. I aim to do the least restrictive and strict I can to meet my goals. Making sure my meals and daily intake is more balanced keeps me satiated without overeating and gives me fuel for workouts and life.

I will be using the Daily Dozen checklist to count my fruit, veggie, and whole grain intake. It is quick and easy to use.

I will be using a gratitude journal.

Quoting myself to say I've decided to not journal intake. I am mentally watching meals to keep them balanced and also watching portion sizes (measuring things that are easier to over indulge like that drizzle of olive oil or grains- not measuring things like vegetables and fruit). I have generally been able to maintain without tracking, so I should not over complicate things. 

I didn't start my gratitude journal yesterday, I WILL start today!!

[Soror]

I should add for full disclosure. My current step goal is just 9k a day. I feel embarrassed about that! I've increased my exercise to a good amount but my daily stepping still isn't where I'd like it to be. With increasing my intake back to maintenance I should have more energy and get that back up there (surely!). I'm hoping for 10k daily again by the end of July.

[barnwife]

One of my July goals is to pop back in here from time to time. I am semi-consistently exercising, trying to alternate between strength days and cardio days. Over the past few years I have been mostly using BBM, but I've been taking a break from her. (To be fair, finding BBM is what got me exercising consistently for the first time as an adult.) But, I've done all of her series that I like (some involve ladder cardio, which I hate) and was getting bored. 

So I've been trying out various other things to help with my goals. I am still working on core strength to help heal my DR. Technically, the gap in my stomach muscles is now small enough that I don't have a DR. However, there is still definitely a gap, so I continue to work towards healing it. My other strength goal is working on arm strength. Improving cardiovascular health is my last goal..

Now that I'm not using BBM as much, I trend toward Leslie Sansone for walking and the Body Project (on youtube) for cardio. Or I just set a timer and do a lot of tabata. 

Off to squeeze some cardio in before the kids are all up. Have a good day everyone!

[Soror]

15 hours ago, Amethyst said:

My July goals:

Continue eating right.
Walking 11,000 steps per day

I recently came up with a workout routine (about 20 minutes) which combines arms, legs, and butt exercises. My goal is to do it 4 days per week. 
 

I’d love to be down to my first goal weight by the end of July.  As of yesterday, I’m only 3 pounds away, so it sounds doable, but every half pound is a real effort. 🏋️‍

 

Best wishes on your weight loss goals! I lost 3 lbs last month and it was rough. I usually lose like 1, maybe 2 a month. 

18 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

July Goals: I'm focusing on food this month--tracking it, limiting it, optimizing it. I think I have the time to focus on this in July, even though summer school starts on the 6th and I'll be working full time. I will keep up with my current exercise plan. I hope to lose 3 pounds from today's weight (first pound should be easy since it just showed up overnight), but if that doesn't happen in July I'll just continue into August. So specifics:

-track and plan food on My Fitness Pal 6 days a week
-aim for 1500 calories per day
-try to hit my goal numbers for protein, fiber, and saturated fat (MFP goals are 58 gm protein and 25 gm fiber; sat fat I aim for 12 gm but often miss)
-aim for 4-5 fruits/veggies per day
-exercise 6 days/week
-planning to do 1 meatless week, though family members may be choosing to add meat to my meat-free dinners!

Did my regular dumbbell workout this morning. I have most of today's food planned in MFP--I have 200 calories left but also need another 5 gm fiber.

Those overnight pounds are annoying. You'll have to share any meatless meals your family enjoys, finding ones my family likes is also a challenge.

[Alicia64]

Here I am again (at the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road). I've got the food thing down, but the workout thing? Is a word I was taught not to use.

My bil and sil and kids are visiting at the end of July. They don't care what shape I'm in, but I thought it would be a fun mini-challenge to get in shape for their visit. They want to do a lot of tourist things, so it wouldn't hurt if I was stronger.

I have an indoor recumbent and weights. I also have a Gorilla Bow. I haven't tried it yet.

I'm finding my time on the indoor recumbent to be so boring. Music doesn't do it for me anymore. Podcasts either. I'm thinking of getting the Peloton app -- not the whole set-up, just the app.

Has anyone tried the Peloton app?

Any idea for making indoor bike riding a little more fun? I should try to get WiFi in my bedroom so I can watch TV.

I'm so glad this thread is staying up!! Thank you @Soror!! You started this thread, right?

[Jenny in Florida]

2 hours ago, Soror said:

I should add for full disclosure. My current step goal is just 9k a day. I feel embarrassed about that! I've increased my exercise to a good amount but my daily stepping still isn't where I'd like it to be. With increasing my intake back to maintenance I should have more energy and get that back up there (surely!). I'm hoping for 10k daily again by the end of July.

I'm not finding a great source to quote right now, but most recent research shows that 10,000 steps per day thing is not in any way a magic number. Most people, as I recall, get about as much health benefit from far fewer steps, something like 7,000-8,000, I think?

You are very active in other ways, so I really wouldn't worry about nickel and diming the step count.

[Jenny in Florida]

36 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

Any idea for making indoor bike riding a little more fun? I should try to get WiFi in my bedroom so I can watch TV.

I have a tablet on my stationary bike and wi-fi in the bedroom where it sits. I bought this bike with the intention of signing up for apps that connect and being able to bike along. However, I didn't really love any of the apps I tried.

So, these days, I go through phases when I watch free videos on YouTube of people's biking/walking/running adventures in various beautiful or interesting places and others when I mostly listen to podcasts or stream a show I let myself watch only while biking. (At the moment, I'm working my way through Pose on Netflix, which I had somehow missed until now.)

[Amethyst]

1 hour ago, Alicia64 said:

 

I have an indoor recumbent and weights. I also have a Gorilla Bow. I haven't tried it yet.

I'm finding my time on the indoor recumbent to be so boring. Music doesn't do it for me anymore. Podcasts either. I'm thinking of getting the Peloton app -- not the whole set-up, just the app.

Has anyone tried the Peloton app?

Any idea for making indoor bike riding a little more fun? I should try to get WiFi in my bedroom so I can watch TV.

 

Have you tried books on tape? (I use the Libby app so I get all sorts of audio books for free). If it’s an interesting enough book, it makes you want to keep exercising so you can listen more  

I’ve got to say that I have always found indoor biking or elliptical boring. Do you have an actual bike you can ride outdoors? Dh and I ride for pleasure (not racing bikes) but it’s still exercise! He has a recumbent bike and I have a comfort bike, and we also have a tandem recumbent bike. 
 

 

[Ali in OR]

Yesterday ended well--met all goals except 1 gm short on fiber but also way under on sat fat. Today more than makes up for the lower fiber number--black bean soup for lunch plus blueberries, cherries, corn on the cob, salad. My plan in MFP already has 37 gm fiber for today, and over goal on protein too, still under for sat fat, and still 200 calories left unplanned. Did 30 min on the treadmill. Will probably be sitting at my desk a lot prepping for summer school.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ali in OR

[Soror]

2 hours ago, Alicia64 said:

Here I am again (at the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road). I've got the food thing down, but the workout thing? Is a word I was taught not to use.

My bil and sil and kids are visiting at the end of July. They don't care what shape I'm in, but I thought it would be a fun mini-challenge to get in shape for their visit. They want to do a lot of tourist things, so it wouldn't hurt if I was stronger.

I have an indoor recumbent and weights. I also have a Gorilla Bow. I haven't tried it yet.

I'm finding my time on the indoor recumbent to be so boring. Music doesn't do it for me anymore. Podcasts either. I'm thinking of getting the Peloton app -- not the whole set-up, just the app.

Has anyone tried the Peloton app?

Any idea for making indoor bike riding a little more fun? I should try to get WiFi in my bedroom so I can watch TV.

I'm so glad this thread is staying up!! Thank you @Soror!! You started this thread, right?

@Laura Corin started us off this month. I don't know who started it originally, it has been going for a long time.

I used to not understand the tvs in front of the treadmills at the gym but I totally get it now. I've taken to walking while watching shows at home when the weather is icky. It really makes the time go faster. I don't have a treadmill I just march, pace, and step side to side (moves stolen from Leslie Sansone). What areas of fitness are you wanting to work on? WE always do a lot of walking on vaca so anything for endurance is good.

1 hour ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I'm not finding a great source to quote right now, but most recent research shows that 10,000 steps per day thing is not in any way a magic number. Most people, as I recall, get about as much health benefit from far fewer steps, something like 7,000-8,000, I think?

You are very active in other ways, so I really wouldn't worry about nickel and diming the step count.

I appreciate the encouragement! I know I'm not as active as I was and my NEAT is down. It also shows in the cleanliness of my house. I should be getting a lot of steps keeping up with it but we've been very busy the last few weeks(lots of driving, appointments etc) combined with poorer sleep and reduced intake I've just not gotten much done other than the basics. Getting the house back in shape will automatically get the steps up, it's a win/win. 

[Soror]

Today was: 

10 min meditation (I'm aiming for this Mon-Fri)

10 min stretching

Both from Caroline Girvan:

10 min core

30 min full body dumbbell workout (Beginner Epic Workout)

I've consistently worked my core for at least 5 yrs, starting with work on DR after my last baby. I'm so much stronger but there is so much room to progress. I appreciated in her video she talks about good form. It is easy to throw your legs around without using your abs for it. I had to modify some to keep engaged but kept with it the whole time. The progress is very slow it seems, one day at a time.

Next week I'm starting Caroline's Epic Heat program- it is 5 days a week around 30-40 minutes- minus the warm-up. 1 day of HIIT and the rest is lifting although it is done at a decent pace so the heart rate stays elevated. I think it will be a good challenge, judging by her other videos, here's hoping I'm in decent enough shape to take it on. 

Now off to get some cleaning done around here...

[Amethyst]

I met my goal of 11,000 steps yesterday. I take a long walk every morning, but I had to take a second walk in the evening to get it up to 11,000  steps. I anticipate having to do that many days. 
 

I came up with a workout plan of my own yesterday. All standing exercises - no planks or crunches - I realized that the getting down on the floor is partly what discourages me from exercising. So I hope to stick with this for the month of July. And then I’ll re-evaluate. 

[Soror]

36 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I met my goal of 11,000 steps yesterday. I take a long walk every morning, but I had to take a second walk in the evening to get it up to 11,000  steps. I anticipate having to do that many days. 
 

I came up with a workout plan of my own yesterday. All standing exercises - no planks or crunches - I realized that the getting down on the floor is partly what discourages me from exercising. So I hope to stick with this for the month of July. And then I’ll re-evaluate. 

Nice! Life is too short to do exercise you hate. 

[Jenny in Florida]

1 hour ago, Amethyst said:

I met my goal of 11,000 steps yesterday. I take a long walk every morning, but I had to take a second walk in the evening to get it up to 11,000  steps. I anticipate having to do that many days. 
 

I came up with a workout plan of my own yesterday. All standing exercises - no planks or crunches - I realized that the getting down on the floor is partly what discourages me from exercising. So I hope to stick with this for the month of July. And then I’ll re-evaluate. 

I find the only practical way for me to meet my step goal is to take two walks each day. I really prefer to do most of my intentional exercising in the morning, while I'm fresh and don't yet have excuses not to do it. However, there's a limit to how early I can get out of bed, and I have to finish the morning routine in time to sit down at my desk for work. So, getting up between 5:15 and 5:30 (depending on how long the cat insists on being petted and adored) means I am out the door for a walk at about 5:45. Walking for 45 to 60 minutes gets me  6,000 - 8,000 steps, depending on how perky I am that day. Then it's home to feed the dog and take my pills and do 20-30 minutes of strength exercises, which leaves me just enough time (most days) to shower and put on fresh clothes and start work. 

I'll get another 1,000 maybe just walking around the house during the day, but reaching 14,000 requires more intention. So, most days I take a second walk--often more of a stroll--in the evening.

And, yes, getting down on the floor (or, more precisely in my case, having to get back up off the floor when I'm done) is probably my least favorite part of exercising. These days, I alternate floor days with standing days, which gives me some variety but also means I don't have to face the floor every day.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Jenny in Florida

[Alicia64]

1 hour ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I find the only practical way for me to meet my step goal is to take two walks each day. I really prefer to do most of my intentional exercising in the morning, while I'm fresh and don't yet have excuses not to do it. However, there's a limit to how early I can get out of bed, and I have to finish the morning routine in time to sit down at my desk for work. So, getting up between 5:15 and 5:30 (depending on how long the cat insists on being petted and adored) means I am out the door for a walk at about 5:45. Walking for 45 to 60 minutes gets me  6,000 - 8,000 steps, depending on how perky I am that day. Then it's home to feed the dog and take my pills and do 20-30 minutes of strength exercises, which leaves me just enough time (most days) to shower and put on fresh clothes and start work. 

I'll get another 1,000 maybe just walking around the house during the day, but reaching 14,000 requires more intention. So, most days I take a second walk--often more of a stroll--in the evening.

And, yes, getting down on the floor (or, more precisely in my case, having to get back up off the floor when I'm done) is probably my least favorite part of exercising. These days, I alternate floor days with standing days, which gives me some variety but also means I don't have to face the floor every day.

I am so impressed that you get up so early. I have to ask: what time do you fall asleep at night? I'd love to get up earlier, but I'm afraid I'll be a zombie.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

1 hour ago, Alicia64 said:

I am so impressed that you get up so early. I have to ask: what time do you fall asleep at night? I'd love to get up earlier, but I'm afraid I'll be a zombie.

 

Well, don't be impressed. The reality is that I've been dealing with insomnia for quite a while now. I often don't fall asleep until 11:30 or later, so I function on between 5 and 5.5 hours of sleep more or less perpetually. It's not healthy. It's just what I do right now.

In the past, when I have maintained an early morning wake-up time, I used to fall asleep at about 10:00, which kept me at around 7 hours a night. I've never been a person who needs lots of sleep, so that worked for me.

[Alicia64]

51 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

Well, don't be impressed. The reality is that I've been dealing with insomnia for quite a while now. I often don't fall asleep until 11:30 or later, so I function on between 5 and 5.5 hours of sleep more or less perpetually. It's not healthy. It's just what I do right now.

In the past, when I have maintained an early morning wake-up time, I used to fall asleep at about 10:00, which kept me at around 7 hours a night. I've never been a person who needs lots of sleep, so that worked for me.

Jenny, that is a superpower. I'm not kidding. I've heard that people who don't require as much sleep have a specific gene that builds them that way. Being able to get up at 5 would give me another lifetime! I would love it! Sadly, I don't have that gene.

[Lucy the Valiant]

Thanks for the tag, @Laura Corin! 

I'm here, and I'm moving, but get so frustrated with all lack of order / consistency / routine in the summers. Every day is different, and while these are activities I've intentionally chosen, I have to admit that I have chosen them for the benefit of others and not for myself. (I miss the school year routine!) 

. . . SO . . . at the advice of a wise weight loss coach, I am inventing "summer mode" both for eating AND for exercise, and just recognizing these 10 summer weeks for what they are - a gift to my family, given willingly, and a way to savor these days with the kids. I'm pausing my weight loss plans, even though I do have 5 pounds left to lose (have lost ~30 since last summer), and will resume the LOSING goal again September 1.

All that to say, July goals are . . .

~ to "be active" 2x / day (no prescriptive goals on that - no step count, no mileage, no specifics, just to "be active" and to "have fun." Realistically, this looks like kayaking, walking the dog, gardening, meeting friends for walks, exploring new places locally. 

~ to "eat well" and be intentional with SUMMER food, which for me means grilled chicken, tons of veggies, iced tea. I will pay good attention to the scale, but the goal is to simply maintain / rest / hold the ground I have gained. 

@Soror I also march / side-step during shows! I have tried treadmill, and DH has a regular bike set up on a trainer downstairs, but I dislike them. Outside / long stride is best for me, but (ironically) I struggle to be outdoors in the summer because I have such a low tolerance for heat (and by heat, I mean anything over 75' F, ha!). I will tell my goofy teens that I'm not the *ONLY one marching in front of a TV! Ha!

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

P. S. What is a NEAT?

[Alicia64]

 

8 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I have a tablet on my stationary bike and wi-fi in the bedroom where it sits. I bought this bike with the intention of signing up for apps that connect and being able to bike along. However, I didn't really love any of the apps I tried.

So, these days, I go through phases when I watch free videos on YouTube of people's biking/walking/running adventures in various beautiful or interesting places and others when I mostly listen to podcasts or stream a show I let myself watch only while biking. (At the moment, I'm working my way through Pose on Netflix, which I had somehow missed until now.)

Took your advice! Watched a new episode of a favorite show -- and I won't finish the show until I'm back on the bike tomorrow. So, Pose is good? Okay!

8 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Have you tried books on tape? (I use the Libby app so I get all sorts of audio books for free). If it’s an interesting enough book, it makes you want to keep exercising so you can listen more  

I’ve got to say that I have always found indoor biking or elliptical boring. Do you have an actual bike you can ride outdoors? Dh and I ride for pleasure (not racing bikes) but it’s still exercise! He has a recumbent bike and I have a comfort bike, and we also have a tandem recumbent bike.

 

Cool that he has a recumbent! I have a recumbent trike. I love it, but my dog is 10 now and if I'm outside I want to be running/walking him. I'd love to pull him behind me in a kid-trailer, but I don't have muscles for that (he's 80 lbs.).

I haven't tried audio books, but I will now. Thanks for the idea!

@Laura CorinThanks for starting this thread in July!

I'm going to post here daily. I rode my indoor recumbent today for thirty minutes, then did arm and stomach exercises. It's not much, but it's a start. My goal is to work out every day in July.

Wish me luck.

[Laura Corin]

@Alicia64 I listen to podcasts whilst running, or talking books. Unabridged Frankenstein is free on the BBC Sounds app - that kept me going for a while.  I enjoy In Our Time - I listened to a fun academic spat on it about evolutionary biology last night.

I only average about 8,000 steps a day. On my light days I walk the old dog for a  couple of miles.  On running days I'm still working back up to three miles. I tell myself that it's important to reserve time to do my yoga for stretch and strength,  but I haven't been very consistent on that recently. 

I'm off work for the next two weeks. We are driving off today to stay in a different part of Scotland for a couple of nights. Then next week we are meeting the kids in our rental flat, which is empty at present. In between I'll be doing some reading for my upcoming psychology module, gardening, planning a garden shopping list, running, yoga and sea swimming. 

I did a gentle two-mile run yesterday,  not wanting to tweak anything before the trip. Today there will be a couple of dog walks.

[Ali in OR]

Beautiful summer day today. I did Greet the Day yoga--perfect. Hit all my food goals yesterday. Today might be a little harder--I try to do 2 meals a day instead of 3 on Saturday, waiting (or trying to) until about 11:00 for solid food. I do have my mocha early, which is a packet of Via in a cup of milk, plus chocolate, so there is some energy in there for me. If I'm successful, I have room for a frozen strawberry margarita tonight which dh and I rather enjoy. I'm also looking forward to some cowboy salsa. I'll mix a can of black beans, a can of corn, lots of tomato, and onion and save half of that mix for our July 4th cookout tomorrow. I'll add a diced avocado, cilantro, and lime juice to the half we eat tonight (and then again for the second half tomorrow). Also trying to get to Farmer's Market this morning, hoping for a flat of marionberries, a local variety that is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. Will make jam, a frozen marionberry margarita mix, and eat some fresh if I'm successful.

[Amethyst]

17 hours ago, Alicia64 said:

My goal is to work out every day in July.

Wish me luck.

Good luck! I’d love to do that too, but I know it’s unrealistic for me. I hope you’re able to do it though!!

I reached my 11,000 step goal yesterday. 
I also reached my goal to workout. 
I went out to dinner with friends. I was worried cuz it was first time out since I started eating right and losing weight. But I did ok. And I maintained my weight, so I’m happy. 

[Soror]

17 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

P. S. What is a NEAT?

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis- the calories we burn during regular life.

Rest day today- plan to do a easy walk later. Maybe mow.

I'm surprisingly not sore from my workout yesterday although I felt I worked hard. I'm not going to do too much this weekend as I want to be fresh for the new exercise program Monday (which looks like it will be very challenging). 

[Laura Corin]

16,000 gentle steps. I'm glad - I thought it would be a more sedentary day on the road.  Terrible lunch, half way decent supper.

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin Thanks for starting us off for the new month. I'm on a 4-day weekend, and I turned off my computer for the last 3 days. Enjoy your holiday!

I've been busy going on some really nice bike rides, walks, canoe paddles and playing tennis. This is going to be my plan for the entire summer - to keep up with my favourite summertime activities. 

[Amethyst]

16 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I've been busy going on some really nice bike rides, walks, canoe paddles and playing tennis. This is going to be my plan for the entire summer - to keep up with my favourite summertime activities. 

All of those sound like delightful activities! Enjoy!! 🌞 

[FO4UR]

I love this thread. I work as a personal trainer now. Movement was something so hard to squeeze in when my kids were little. 

I had an excellent routine pre-pandemic. I just opened an Aerial Fitness Studio in June so I'm getting plenty of upperbody & core work. 

My challenge is keeping lower body gains without overtraining grip & back. I did an aggressive trail hike today. Lots of elevation. 

I honestly do not count steps or miles, calories, any of it. Well, I do count protein to make sure I get enough. 

I measure by how I feel & progress in skills. 

[Soror]

Did get a walk in yesterday.

I'll be going on a bike trail ride here in a bit. 

I lost another pound this week. I had recalculated my macros for current weight, activity level, etc and have done well meeting those goals(measure grains and oils but eyeball everything else). I was however starting to feel that I wasn't eating enough food still yet. Yes, obviously I'm not. So, I hit my semi-goal of the bottom of my weight range but will be increasing food this week because obviously I did not eat enough last week and I'll not be able to sustain the workouts I want to do on that deficit. I tracked on MFP yesterday to do a protein check (I thought I was hitting my goal but wanted to verify). According to it I was right at maintenance but I woke up in the night feeling hungry. 

I feel good with my breakfast (plain steelcut oats w/ some fruit and nuts) before working out and whole eggs+egg whites + carb (gf toast/pot/swt pot)+ veggies after workout. I'll plan a bit bigger on the lunch and dinner this week. I hope to prep some lunch today. I think I'll do a coconut thai bowl w/ some chicken/tofu, brown rice, and veggies. I'm not going to still keep an eye towards balanced meals but I'm not going to track. I'm going to listen to how I feel and see where I end up.

Tomorrow is the day I'm starting - Epic Heat- I retook pictures and measurements this am so I can see progress.

 

[Laura Corin]

Nice coastal walks today, partly at the village where Local Hero was filmed - slightly skew-wiff photo - partly at a bird sanctuary. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Laura Corin

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin Gorgeous photos! I love the coastal scenery of the British Isles. Thanks for sharing.

I'm resting up today so I have energy for a late afternoon canoe paddle with ds. I'm feeling a little sore after all the tennis. 😉

[Soror]

@Laura Corin Beautiful pics as always. Enjoy your vaca. I'm very impressed you got 16k steps on a driving day, you must have been very busy.

@wintermom Glad to see you again. I'd been wondering where you were. I guess you are finding your new groove with working and exercising?

@FO4UR Welcome! I am just too jealous you have an aerial arts studio. I did classes for about a year but had to quit- the nearest place was 1.5 hrs away- it was too much time and money. It is such fun- such great core and upper body work. I always thought it would be very rewarding to be a personal trainer. Feel free to post as often or infrequently as you want. Some of us are on here once or more a day, some are more like once a week, and some maybe once a month.

[Soror]

I'm back from my bike ride. It has been way too long since I've went biking- I did about 40 minutes/4 miles and a fairly rough trail.  I was thinking it felt kind of hard in spots then I looked at my watch afterwards and seen that my HR got up to 192, no wonder! On the very positive side when I'd gotten that high previously I ended up feeling sick and took a while to recover. My recovery was only a few minutes this time and then after I finished riding I decided I wanted to hike and did 7 miles. My legs felt like lead at first after the bike ride but then they warmed up and it went well. I've not walked that far since my thyroid crash in Nov or Dec. It felt good to push my body but I'll probably take it easy the rest of the day. I walked a section of the trail I've not done before and it was significantly smoother, the next time I ride I'm going to do that part instead.

I packed an apple and larabar and ate a bigger breakfast than usual but it was not enough food (especially coming out of a week unintentionally in deficit). I was starving. Dh had some food warmed up when I got home, thank goodness. Now, I'm laying here feeling very full and strongly considering a nap.

[wintermom]

@Soror Hope your legs are recovering well after your epic bike ride and 7 mi hike! 

My canoe paddle with ds yesterday was lovely and relaxing. The water was so calm, with just a hint of a cool breeze to offset the heat. I also went for a power walk in the evening and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. 

This morning I got up a little earlier than usual and went for a morning walk. I'm going to attempt to exercise before work a few time a week and see if it gives me a little shot of energy.  So far so good! 😄

[Soror]

10 minutes ago, wintermom said:

@Soror Hope your legs are recovering well after your epic bike ride and 7 mi hike! 

My canoe paddle with ds yesterday was lovely and relaxing. The water was so calm, with just a hint of a cool breeze to offset the heat. I also went for a power walk in the evening and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. 

This morning I got up a little earlier than usual and went for a morning walk. I'm going to attempt to exercise before work a few time a week and see if it gives me a little shot of energy.  So far so good! 😄

It is so nice to be able to go out in the calm and cool mornings. I think that will be a great start to your day.

My legs seem fine today but I have a challenging leg workout scheduled after I finish teaching. We'll see how I fare and if I can walk tomorrow.

[Amethyst]

I did well on July 3 sticking to my goals: over 11,000 steps and also a leisurely bike ride with dh. 
 

July 4 we had people over for dinner so I had lots to do, so a shorter walk in AM than usual and lots of prepping for party, so didn’t reach my 11,000 steps or do my workout. But I ate decently at the party, so that’s the good news. 
 

I’m so impressed with the dedication I’m seeing from everyone in this group!

[Ali in OR]

Yesterday was my first "break" day with my July eating plan of tracking 6 out of 7 days. Break days will probably be Sundays unless I need to trade out for a special event, and it lined up nicely with 4th of July eating this week. It may take a few days to recover from my complete lack of self-control where brownies are concerned, but it was nice to have that break. Now back to tracking and goals! Yesterday was also my first day of Meatless Week, mostly because I already had some Beyond Burgers in the house and I wanted to try them for the 4th (everyone else had hamburgers--dh had one of each). I have a coworker who raves about them. They aren't too bad, but I did note an aftertaste that I associate with products with added protein. Probably won't become a regular thing here. I'm curious how hard it will be to get enough protein without meat this week. I've entered today's planned food into MFP and had no problem meeting all my goals, but that's because I found another black bean soup (or pinto beans--can't tell the difference when they come out of the freezer) for lunch.

Did a walking workout video this morning (would normally do the treadmill but it's in our bedroom where dh was sleeping in as he doesn't have to work today).

[Soror]

Lower body workout (8 min warm-up+ 38 min strength work(couple of minutes cool down at the end)+  15 min wall sit)) DONE!

I fared better than I thought, I did go a bit light on the weights as it was a new one(10# for single/20# double) I wanted to make sure I could it make it through. I did a million variations of squats and lunges. I finished it up with a15 min wall sit - which was continuous 45 sec intervals of variations of wall sits and other squats and lunges. I had to come out of the wall sits here and there and couldn't always keep it as deep as I wanted but got it done. I just did a bunch of stretching and foam rolling to help counteract the inevitable soreness. I did a bunch last night too, maybe that's why my legs aren't feeling too bad today. (Or maybe I really won't be able to walk tomorrow).

[Laura Corin]

5 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

Yesterday was my first "break" day with my July eating plan of tracking 6 out of 7 days. Break days will probably be Sundays unless I need to trade out for a special event, and it lined up nicely with 4th of July eating this week. It may take a few days to recover from my complete lack of self-control where brownies are concerned, but it was nice to have that break. Now back to tracking and goals! Yesterday was also my first day of Meatless Week, mostly because I already had some Beyond Burgers in the house and I wanted to try them for the 4th (everyone else had hamburgers--dh had one of each). I have a coworker who raves about them. They aren't too bad, but I did note an aftertaste that I associate with products with added protein. Probably won't become a regular thing here. I'm curious how hard it will be to get enough protein without meat this week. I've entered today's planned food into MFP and had no problem meeting all my goals, but that's because I found another black bean soup (or pinto beans--can't tell the difference when they come out of the freezer) for lunch.

Did a walking workout video this morning (would normally do the treadmill but it's in our bedroom where dh was sleeping in as he doesn't have to work today).

Do you eat dairy? I add zero-fat Greek yoghurt to any meal that is a bit low on protein

[Ali in OR]

35 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Do you eat dairy? I add zero-fat Greek yoghurt to any meal that is a bit low on protein

Yes, I have my morning mocha made with a cup of milk and I have plain Greek yogurt a few times a week. I think I will have both of those every day this week. Love cheese but it's too high in saturated fat to have often--I save it for pizza night! I usually only have eggs once a week, but I think I will end up with eggs most days this week too.

[Alicia64]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

I did well on July 3 sticking to my goals: over 11,000 steps and also a leisurely bike ride with dh. 
 

July 4 we had people over for dinner so I had lots to do, so a shorter walk in AM than usual and lots of prepping for party, so didn’t reach my 11,000 steps or do my workout. But I ate decently at the party, so that’s the good news. 
 

I’m so impressed with the dedication I’m seeing from everyone in this group!

I agree w/ Amethyst -- this group is seriously dedicated.

Well, I don't know what magic this group wields but just reading your posts daily has got me back on the straight and narrow.  It's not a lot, but I'm back to 30 minutes of riding my indoor recumbent at level 6 and then doing floor exercises on my bat wings and my tum. And I do a plank. (That I can only hold for 70 seconds, but I'm trying.)

Since I don't do a lot, I'm trying to work out every day in July. Dh's brother's family visit at the end of July and I just thought that would be a good marker.

Any advice? I'm all ears.

I need to get a pedometer.