Well-trained bodies - turn of the year, goals, January, etc

[Laura Corin]

I hope this is okay to share here - a discussion of how to enjoy a fit but older, fatter body

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/08/ask-philippa-perry-i-hate-my-ageing-body-why-do-i-look-at-myself-with-disgust?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[Carrie12345]

Yesterday was nothing but some 15 min. yoga stretches before bed. I couldn’t get back to sleep early this morning, so I did a 30 minute yoga. Later today will be wrestling giant puppies in the bath. And that’s pretty much that.

Neither puppy has conquered the stairs yet, so I have to haul their 40-something lb butts all the way up and then all the way down. It counts. 😛 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

On 1/6/2023 at 11:43 AM, Soror said:

Since you asked for thoughts and seem to be looking for some changes-- 

Mine are-- why are you eating so little today? It's more than it looks like. I ended not baking the squash but making a soup with a bunch of fresh vegetables (of which I had two bowls).

Are you low carb/keto/paleo? How long have you ate this way how has it worked for you? Is it something you easily maintain? I am only doing low carb right now because I overloaded during the holidays and feel awful. I always feel better lc. I'm just doing it for the month of Jan to see if there is a change in my body and pain levels. I did Keto a few years back and felt wonderful for awhile. I couldn't maintain it, though, and within weeks of stopping all of the weight I lost was regained. I was quite disappointed.

I was paleo for maybe a decade. I was lc and vlc for a chunk of that. I am not either one any longer.  And not a fan anymore fwiw. I've been gluten free for 14 years dairy free off and on for years- currently back off dairy. So, I'm very familiar with both of those.  At this point, I'm aiming for increasing nutrient density-- cutting back on meat- increasing vegetables. I'm a work in progress like everyone else- sometimes I reach my goals, sometimes I don't. I hate to see women starve themselves and see that is often idealized--- that is where I'm coming from. 

I believe I am younger and pre-menopausal (although I've started the fun of peri) so I can likely eat more than you but I also know you are an active person. I don't think your menu for today is nearly enough food and protein. That was just this day. It actually ended up being more with the hamburger soup. I usually consume between 6-10 of protein. I think that's enough isn't it? 

Specific thoughts-

I'd switch out some of the fruit with some whole grains-- I love gf oats and eat them pretty much every day. 

I'd move the bacon to a rare treat and eat a healthier fat instead- nuts/seeds/avocado ie egg w/ whole grain gf toast w/ avocado.

I'd lower the olive oil and parmesan amounts and add in instead some quinoa or brown rice for some whole grains and beans (or meat) to increase nutrients and higher protein count-- ie make it a grain and bean bowl w/ brussel sprouts and other veggies and just a bit of the olive oil and Parmesan for taste. I use the air fryer to fry the brussels sprouts, spritz with olive oil and salt and top with a bit of parmesan. It's less than 1/4 of parm for a full bag of brussels. It's not a lot of oil due to air frying.

I'd eat something with that squash for dinner on it's own that is a pretty sparse on its own. I was planning on baking it and adding in mushrooms and ground burger; making a savory dish. It didn't happen and I made hamburger/mushroom/vegetable soup instead. It's a Big Mama squash and oh so delicious. I can eat the whole thing if baked and seasoned properly.

Have you read any of Stacy Sims' books? She was an athlete herself (still very active) and specifically studies nutrition and exercise for women. She's very much for nutrient density, timing food with exercise, NOT low carb for women, and making sure you aren't undereating for your activity level. No, I haven't. Thank you for the recommendation. I will check my library to see if I can find them.

I know the current calorie in-calorie out mantra says anyone not losing weight/overweight is just overeating but she has specific experience with women showing the opposite. They lost weight when they ate more and specifically also increased nutrient density. 

(hoping this comes in the spirit as intended as these discussions are rife with landmines---- I just see you being so hard and stringent on yourself and I hate that 🙂 ) I read this with a smile and a grateful heart. I need conversations like this. I truly thank you for the taking the time to write your thoughts.

Thank you

[heartlikealion]

16 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Question:  favorite step counter?  I have an old Apple Watch that is apparently past its technological lifespan. I quit wearing it because I didn't want to always be connected. What's a good, reliable tracker that doesn't necessarily have all the bells and whistles?  What are the necessarily bells and whistles, in your opinions?

I don’t want to always be connected to wifi/Bluetooth either so I got a cheap one. The display messes up if it gets wet so cover in rain (under a sleeve), don’t wear in pool. 

BATAUU Fitness Tracker, 3D... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z6M9YG9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
it shows time, steps, calories, miles 

For my needs it has been good. I wanted something budget friendly and don’t stress about it being stolen in locker rooms when I go swimming. 

[heartlikealion]

1 minute ago, heartlikealion said:

I don’t want to always be connected to wifi/Bluetooth either so I got a cheap one. The display messes up if it gets wet so cover in rain (under a sleeve), don’t wear in pool. 

BATAUU Fitness Tracker, 3D... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z6M9YG9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
it shows time, steps, calories, miles 

For my needs it has been good. I wanted something budget friendly and don’t stress about it being stolen in locker rooms when I go swimming. 

So I see it has terrible reviews lol! But I think most trackers go more by wrist movement (one complaint) and I keep that in mind when I use mine. I’ve been using it for months (one user said theirs died after 2) and overall I’ve been satisfied. It is a bit bulky. 

[Toocrazy!!]

Thanks for sharing that story @Laura Corin. It’s funny now that I’m paying attention and lost a decent amount of weight, I’m almost more critical of my body. And all the wrinkles that showed up on my face! It’s important to remember how much better I feel, and that I continue to get stronger. I’m going to continue to get older- hopefully- and I want to feel my best and not worry about the inevitable aging body changes that go along with that. Good advice in that article. 
No real walk yesterday, but I managed a couple little ones, and a very nice short one in the woods after dark under the full moon. Cold, but beautiful night. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Toocrazy!!

[heartlikealion]

Saturday dd and I met friends at the indoor pool and I was in the pool 99% of the time. I started to get chilly though! They had a door open to outside. I went down the giant slide. It was fun! We mostly stayed in the 3’6” area (lazy river and another area). I was basically walking in water for 2 hours. Somehow that made my rear sore haha. 

[wintermom]

I'm playing mixed doubles tennis for 2 hrs this evening. I'll also go for a dog walk in the woods and complete my strength and stretch exercises for my forearms and shoulders.

I think I see the sun out there! It's been several overcast days with rain then snow, so I'm looking forward to sunlight again.

[Jenny in Florida]

19 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Question:  favorite step counter? 

For a year or two, I just used a free pedometer app on my phone. It wasn't super accurate, and, of course, it didn't count any steps I took while not carrying my phone, but it was free and worked well enough for my purposes.

Then my husband bought me a FitBit, and I really loved it. It doubles a a watch, and I just put it on in the morning and never have to think abut whether I'm "ready" to walk or whether my steps will be tracked.

I'm on my second one now, because the display on the first one conked out.

I like that I can connect it to a phone app that gives me the info in easier-to-read format. 

I like that I can use it to track my weight, sleep and heart rate. 

If you're into such things, you can also track your food in the app.

[Jenny in Florida]

Well, yesterday turned out to be a loss after the tattoos. Mine took longer than anticipated, and by the time we got out, picked up the Indian food we all wanted for dinner, got home and ate, I was really and truly done. My leg was only a bit sore and stiff when I twisted it, but I was exhausted and truly capable only of planting myself on the couch and rewatching a few episodes of The Good Place before falling into bed. 

So, no more walking and no yoga video got done.

I did take a good walk (4.7K) this morning, with and without dog company. But after that I felt wiped out again. A brief Google search tells me I may have "tattoo flu," which would account for the exhaustion, mild chills, queasiness and general yuck. Therefore, following Dr. Google's orders, the plan for today is rest, good food and generally being good to myself.

(The tattoo is worth it, though. And my kiddo had a great experience getting her first one.) 

Obviously, I am not finishing Joelle's new year challenge on time, but I will do the remaining videos over the next few days.

Today, I probably won't manage more than another walk this evening. and maybe some cleaning around the house.

 

Winter Warmup 2022 Challenge: 52.7 of 500K
Walking Streak: 12

[Lady Florida.]

Yesterday was busy and I was tempted to just count it as a loss but then I remembered my new mantra. Something is better than nothing. I went for a one mile walk and was happy I did something. I did manage to get over 8k steps but most of them came from shopping at Target and Costco lol.

Today I doubled up on Joelle's 7 day yoga jumpstart, so approx. 20 minutes of yoga. I'm hoping to get longer walk in later. 

[Laura Corin]

We made it into the Highlands for the first time since October.  It was a comedy of errors though - the route we were due to take was closed due to storm damage, but the notice at the ranger station said there was an alternate route. We followed the route signs, expecting to be diverted, but finally reached an impenetrable mass of fallen trees. When we came back down, we spotted a sign that had blown over .... telling us not to go that way. We righted the sign, walked a bit more and then came back. So not entirely satisfying, but it was lovely to be up there anyway.  Around 7 hilly miles. The first picture was where we stopped for lunch.

[Toocrazy!!]

That’s really beautiful! I absolutely love creeks like that. If that’s what you’d call that. Rocky water is just one of my favorite forms of nature. 

[Laura Corin]

12 minutes ago, Toocrazy!! said:

That’s really beautiful! I absolutely love creeks like that. If that’s what you’d call that. Rocky water is just one of my favorite forms of nature. 

Thank you. That would be called a burn here.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm back to work tomorrow so it will be my first week of my new schedule.  I'm hoping it actually makes it easier to get everything in.   Plan is to meet dd in the mornings at Planet Fitness for treadmill and strength training, yoga/Tai Chi at work in a storage space where there's plenty of room and it's quiet during classes, then teaching classes for 3-5 hours depending on the day, then upstairs after done teaching to do some aerobic step, kick-boxing (I have a heavy bag up there), or dance videos before heading home. 

[Ali in OR]

I did Day 7 yoga today and I'm hoping to get day 8 and day 9 done before I have to start missing some due to schedule. I'm planning to take as much of February as I need to get to them all. Back to work tomorrow. Back to 5:30am alarm--that will be the hardest part I'm sure!

[Laura Corin]

Monday: I've done my sun salutations, Kegels and chest/back weights.  I'll just take a short walk at lunchtime. 

After today, I want to rearrange my weights work: as currently written, upper body is early in the week and lower is later in the week.  I was feeling the hills yesterday during the hike because of the work I did on Friday/Saturday, so it would be better to switch that to more distanced from the weekend.

[Soror]

Quote

 

It's more than it looks like. I ended not baking the squash but making a soup with a bunch of fresh vegetables (of which I had two bowls).

Are you low carb/keto/paleo? How long have you ate this way how has it worked for you? Is it something you easily maintain? I am only doing low carb right now because I overloaded during the holidays and feel awful. I always feel better lc. I'm just doing it for the month of Jan to see if there is a change in my body and pain levels. I did Keto a few years back and felt wonderful for awhile. I couldn't maintain it, though, and within weeks of stopping all of the weight I lost was regained. I was quite disappointed.

That was just this day. It actually ended up being more with the hamburger soup. I usually consume between 6-10 of protein. I think that's enough isn't it? 

 I use the air fryer to fry the brussels sprouts, spritz with olive oil and salt and top with a bit of parmesan. It's less than 1/4 of parm for a full bag of brussels. It's not a lot of oil due to air frying.

 I was planning on baking it and adding in mushrooms and ground burger; making a savory dish. It didn't happen and I made hamburger/mushroom/vegetable soup instead. It's a Big Mama squash and oh so delicious. I can eat the whole thing if baked and seasoned properly.

Have you read any of Stacy Sims' books? She was an athlete herself (still very active) and specifically studies nutrition and exercise for women. \. No, I haven't. Thank you for the recommendation. I will check my library to see if I can find them.

I read this with a smile and a grateful heart. I need conversations like this. I truly thank you for the taking the time to write your thoughts.

 

@Granny_Weatherwax Ah, I'm glad to hear I didn't offend. I was very grumpy last week with hormones so it was hard to tell my tone. I almost deleted it a few times for fear I came off rough. I hope you can find the books- I think you will find them very helpful. I'm not able to execute the ideas perfectly as with everything else but what I have gleaned has been helpful. I understand the wanting to back off after eating too much at the holidays. I indulged in too much sugar and fat here. The fat bothers my more than the sugar due to a cranky gall bladder but too much of either and I feel icky. Best wishes to you!

On 1/8/2023 at 3:19 AM, Laura Corin said:

I hope this is okay to share here - a discussion of how to enjoy a fit but older, fatter body

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/08/ask-philippa-perry-i-hate-my-ageing-body-why-do-i-look-at-myself-with-disgust?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Love the article- that's a great reminder for us all. Thank you for the lovely pics as well.

10 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I did Day 7 yoga today and I'm hoping to get day 8 and day 9 done before I have to start missing some due to schedule. I'm planning to take as much of February as I need to get to them all. Back to work tomorrow. Back to 5:30am alarm--that will be the hardest part I'm sure!

Boo for the alarm. 

11 hours ago, Wheres Toto said:

I'm back to work tomorrow so it will be my first week of my new schedule.  I'm hoping it actually makes it easier to get everything in.   Plan is to meet dd in the mornings at Planet Fitness for treadmill and strength training, yoga/Tai Chi at work in a storage space where there's plenty of room and it's quiet during classes, then teaching classes for 3-5 hours depending on the day, then upstairs after done teaching to do some aerobic step, kick-boxing (I have a heavy bag up there), or dance videos before heading home. 

Have fun working out with dd ! I've never really played with a heavy bag but they look fun.

15 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Yesterday was busy and I was tempted to just count it as a loss but then I remembered my new mantra. Something is better than nothing. I went for a one mile walk and was happy I did something. I did manage to get over 8k steps but most of them came from shopping at Target and Costco lol.

Today I doubled up on Joelle's 7 day yoga jumpstart, so approx. 20 minutes of yoga. I'm hoping to get longer walk in later. 

Yes, good for you! Something is better than nothing and steps are steps.

16 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

Well, yesterday turned out to be a loss after the tattoos. Mine took longer than anticipated, and by the time we got out, picked up the Indian food we all wanted for dinner, got home and ate, I was really and truly done. My leg was only a bit sore and stiff when I twisted it, but I was exhausted and truly capable only of planting myself on the couch and rewatching a few episodes of The Good Place before falling into bed. 

Sounds like a wonderful day with your dd. I cannot read what does the heart in the tattoo say? 

19 hours ago, wintermom said:

I'm playing mixed doubles tennis for 2 hrs this evening. I'll also go for a dog walk in the woods and complete my strength and stretch exercises for my forearms and shoulders.

I think I see the sun out there! It's been several overcast days with rain then snow, so I'm looking forward to sunlight again.

Same here! I'm so tired of cloudy days!

19 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Saturday dd and I met friends at the indoor pool and I was in the pool 99% of the time. I started to get chilly though! They had a door open to outside. I went down the giant slide. It was fun! We mostly stayed in the 3’6” area (lazy river and another area). I was basically walking in water for 2 hours. Somehow that made my rear sore haha. 

I'm glad you had some fun at the pool.

19 hours ago, Toocrazy!! said:

Thanks for sharing that story @Laura Corin. It’s funny now that I’m paying attention and lost a decent amount of weight, I’m almost more critical of my body. And all the wrinkles that showed up on my face! It’s important to remember how much better I feel, and that I continue to get stronger. I’m going to continue to get older- hopefully- and I want to feel my best and not worry about the inevitable aging body changes that go along with that. Good advice in that article. 

Yes, for sure, when we are putting so much notice on it we can start to see more "flaws" and then get stuck in always wanting improvement. It is work to love yourself where you are and focus on exercise for the health of it.

[Soror]

Let's see-

Last week I eeked out my minimum number of walks- 4 and steps avg 8k a day; no pickleball through no fault of my own as I had difficulty with my shoulder; daily 30 min yoga

I've not tracked my food in any way. I played around with journaling veggie/fruit intake in a few ways but didn't love any of it. Maybe I'll just go back to using the daily dozen app? IDK

I did eat a good amount of veg and fruit with minimal sugar and no dairy. I had 4 pieces of dark chocolate this week and then 4 pieces of candy at the movies yesterday. Then otherwise it was just honey in my tea, which I don't care about. 

I felt fairly icky half of the week, mentally and physically. Worse period cramps than usual and wicked soreness in my shoulder. Off tummy from my period (as usual) and general ickyness from the pain meds that I'm not used to taking. Then my hips were achy from too much laying and sitting around. This period was also worse than usual for feeling down. 

But things started perking up Saturday and I am feeling good again and hoping for a great week. I want to hit an avg of 10k daily steps this week although I just cracked 8k yesterday. I was productive most of the day but we took the girls to the movies and I had a lot of standing activity.

Food plans this week:

smoothie bowl for breakfast- pineapple, mango, peach, raspberry, blueberry, banana- topped w/ gf oats, seeds + nuts, and unsweet coconut flakes w/ vegan protein powder 

baked falafel grain bowls w/ roasted squash, tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, and greens and some homemade dressing (trying out buckwheat mixed w/ other grains for these)

dinner- Mon- gf pasta w/ eggplant, broccoli, and tomatoes; Tues tacos w/ black beans; Wed- vietnamese noodle bowls w/ turkey breast; Thurs- Pasta e Fagioli; Fri- Cajun Shrimp and Peppers w/ Rice; Sat- leftovers and Sun- curry w/ sweet potato and green beans w/ rice

desserts and snacks- baked apple crisp- df/gf; dark choc; nuts; rice cake w/ pb

Exercise goals:

avg 10k steps a day + 5 walks; 5 days 30 min yoga (finishing current series Friday); strength work- 3 days; 1 day pickleball- dd has a local swimmeet Tuesday so at best I'll probably only get 1 day of pickleball unless the schedule is changed

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

Saturday and Sunday I got in walks and my yoga. Saturday I also got in a short strength training.

Today's plan is yoga+ strength+ walk.

I've got to take dd to school w/ dh so he can pick up a rental car so I plan to do strength and yoga before and walk after I get home (after the sun is a bit more up!).

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Soror

[Ali in OR]

I'll get on the treadmill in a couple of minutes and I will see if I can do Day 8 yoga tonight. Monday is official weigh-in day and I'm down 2 pounds from the post xmas max which puts me about where I was before xmas. Another pound and a halfish gets me to where I was maintaining summer/early fall. Tracked on MFP most days this week--that will be harder with school. Like I don't have today's food in yet.

[Toocrazy!!]

@Sororwith that meal plan, you are definitely getting in your variety! I barely made it last week. I just list each different plant product in my planner the day I first ate it and count them up. Nothing pretty about it all. But it keeps me accountable.  I’m tracking outside hours and miles now too though, so I need to find a way to save these so I have my running total. 

A pretty low key exercise weekend for me. Only averaged about 6000 steps. The weather looks cruddy this week so I’m not sure how much better I’ll do. I don’t get a lot of steps unless I go for long walks. I need to just bundle up and go. 

 

[Soror]

@Toocrazy!! thanks for the visual. I tried counting but got tired of it. Right now just focusing on quantity of produce (1) and then trying to up the variety. I'm doing better than the holiday season so that's a win.

I vary in how much I get steps. When we're schooling not a ton. When the weather is nice and we're working outside a lot I get plenty.

Yoga and strength done today. Getting ready to take a brisk walk.

[Jenny in Florida]

4 hours ago, Soror said:

Sounds like a wonderful day with your dd. I cannot read what does the heart in the tattoo say? 

"Tilda." It's a replica of my recently departed dog's tag.

[Jenny in Florida]

Went out for a solid (3.75K) walk last night, which finished off the steps for the day.

Started this morning with about 4.5K of walking, followed by Joelle's day 6 video and about 20 minutes of additional strength and stretching. 

My team at work is meeting on-site today, tomorrow and Wednesday and will be doing some walking around downtown for meals and activities outside the office. I'll walk once I'm home this evening, though, to top off whatever steps are still necessary.

 

Winter Warmup 2022 Challenge: 60.9 of 500K
Walking Streak: 13

[Elfknitter.#]

I think a weekly check-in will work for me.

I pretty much started my getting back to it routine on January 3rd. Thanks to the poster who mentioned Yoga with Joelle. 💖 I like mixing up Adrienne's and Joelle's videos because I haven't had a consistent yoga routine since mid-November. Some days, Adrienne is too much and Joelle's longer stretches are perfect. (As an aside, this is the 2nd year that I find YWA's January program is not a good way for a beginner/ those getting back into a daily routine to jump in. Some parts assume a basic knowledge of some positions. Other times the flow is way too fast for modifications. I prefer starting with her older videos and build up to the present day ones.)

On work days, I've been getting about 25-30 minutes of a walk in before I get ready. I've gotten back to 20-30 min of yoga at lunchtime and still use my 15 minute breaks and part of lunch to walk. Consistency is my focus and I was able to get walks done on Saturday and Sunday along with daily 20-30 minutes of yoga.

I meal prepped like mad this weekend after partially meal prepping and cleaning out the last of the junk stuff last week. As long as I keep alcoholic drinks to a minimum and cut all the fast food I was buying during the holidays, I think I'll be ok. I've been upping my veggies, adding more whole grains, and shooting for at least 1 vegetarian meal/ day. 

For those who use weights, is there a program or videos you prefer for starting out? I have some 5lb weights at home and I know there's videos on Fitness blender. It just feels overwhelming to find something. I'd love for videos in the vein of Joelle but I'm not sure what's out there. Also, I need ones that are 30 minutes or less to fit into my schedule. I don't mind doing them 2-3 times per week and I love variety, so it different ones would be perfect.

[Hilltopmom]

Yoga with Joelle is going well- I really like her style and pace. Zumba tonight at the dance studio was tough (very young instructor, older moms as the dancers) but lots of fun. My back is already sore from the jumping around though- hot tub once kid are in bed I think.

[Carrie12345]

I squeezed in a lower body workout today, even though I felt like skipping! Looking forward to stretches tonight. 

[Brittany1116]

I am super late to this thread and will have to go back to read but I have a goal of working out 4-5 times a week, and losing 10% of my body weight. I have been working out 3-4 times a week since fall. I want to be up to 5 consistently by March. There is a small chance I will coach youth soccer in the spring, so that will help.

I take an adult ballet class on Tuesdays, do stationary biking at home, walks, PT exercises for pelvic floor and hips, stretching, dumbells, resistance bands, and occasionally HIIT. 

Weight is hard to come off. I have had thyroid problems since age 11. I was underweight until about 21, then overweight since about 30 after having kids. Even in my most diligent times, it took many months to lose 5#. 10% is a reasonable goal but could take every bit of 2023 to reach. 

 

Last week for accountability...

Biked Mon and Thurs, ballet Tues, weights and resistance Wed.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Brittany1116

[Faith-manor]

I was brain fogging while exercising today, and not counting until I did a LOT more crunches than I should be. I am feeling it. However, the rest of me is okay, so that's good.

 

[Ali in OR]

4 hours ago, Elfknitter.# said:

For those who use weights, is there a program or videos you prefer for starting out? I have some 5lb weights at home and I know there's videos on Fitness blender. It just feels overwhelming to find something. I'd love for videos in the vein of Joelle but I'm not sure what's out there. Also, I need ones that are 30 minutes or less to fit into my schedule. I don't mind doing them 2-3 times per week and I love variety, so it different ones would be perfect.

I do a dumbbell workout on Thursdays--Jessica Smith's 30 min Stepping Strength on YouTube. I do end up using a larger variety of weights. Jessica uses 5 lb and 10 lb weights. I use 3 lb weights for the first couple of exercises that work the shoulders, then I switch to 5 lbs for the rest of the arm exercises, then I use a 10 lb weight for the single weight exercises, then I switch to 8 lb weights for the exercises at the end that Jessica does with 10 lb weights. And the video is about 33 min, but I've been know to cut the end short when under time pressure.

 

[knitgrl]

Cold and windy today, but I did my 30min. Strava gave me a ribbon for longest walk so far at 1.73mi. I may not get my walk in tomorrow due to an appointment for me in the morning, and well child visits for all the kids in the afternoon. 😕

[Laura Corin]

9 hours ago, Elfknitter.# said:

I think a weekly check-in will work for me.

I pretty much started my getting back to it routine on January 3rd. Thanks to the poster who mentioned Yoga with Joelle. 💖 I like mixing up Adrienne's and Joelle's videos because I haven't had a consistent yoga routine since mid-November. Some days, Adrienne is too much and Joelle's longer stretches are perfect. (As an aside, this is the 2nd year that I find YWA's January program is not a good way for a beginner/ those getting back into a daily routine to jump in. Some parts assume a basic knowledge of some positions. Other times the flow is way too fast for modifications. I prefer starting with her older videos and build up to the present day ones.)

On work days, I've been getting about 25-30 minutes of a walk in before I get ready. I've gotten back to 20-30 min of yoga at lunchtime and still use my 15 minute breaks and part of lunch to walk. Consistency is my focus and I was able to get walks done on Saturday and Sunday along with daily 20-30 minutes of yoga.

I meal prepped like mad this weekend after partially meal prepping and cleaning out the last of the junk stuff last week. As long as I keep alcoholic drinks to a minimum and cut all the fast food I was buying during the holidays, I think I'll be ok. I've been upping my veggies, adding more whole grains, and shooting for at least 1 vegetarian meal/ day. 

For those who use weights, is there a program or videos you prefer for starting out? I have some 5lb weights at home and I know there's videos on Fitness blender. It just feels overwhelming to find something. I'd love for videos in the vein of Joelle but I'm not sure what's out there. Also, I need ones that are 30 minutes or less to fit into my schedule. I don't mind doing them 2-3 times per week and I love variety, so it different ones would be perfect.

I've been doing the 8 minutes a day recommended by.... I'm sorry,  I can't remember.  Was it @TechWife? I found this page that has a pdf that I have printed. I'm doing it each morning after sun salutations, so I don't do the specified warm up.

https://www.oprah.com/health/jorge-cruises-8-minute-get-trim-workout/all

Welcome @Brittany1116!

[Laura Corin]

Tuesday: Kegels, sun salutations, shoulders and core weight work - all done.  It's a bit of a miserable day out there - wet and cold - but I will probably walk anyway, because it just does me good to go out.

[Eos]

I drove for 8 hours 2 days in a row and ouch!  it hurts me.  Long-haul driving used to be one of my superpowers but it's getting harder as I age. Driving plus no exercise plus not great food and too much coffee plus terrible sleep on thin pads = pain.  Today I will stretch, do some gentle toners, and walk for a while to get my lower back into a happier mood.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Eos

[Ali in OR]

I did manage to do Day 8 yoga last night which worked because I have an all-day meeting today instead of teaching--no prep. And I forgot that Day 8 is always a cozy kind of yoga. By the end the dog was by my side and the cat by my head and it almost turned into a nap--the cat had stepped on the track pad and paused the video and I didn't even notice for awhile.

Day 9 yoga this morning. Looks like it's 24 min so I probably won't do two bodyweight circuits after. Maybe one. If I can get to dd's house before dark I would like to take her on a quick walk-looks like a rare dry day here. Oh, and my Eat to Live book finally arrived yesterday--dh immediately started reading it.

[Toocrazy!!]

I had a good workout yesterday with my weights and resistance work. Had a mini breakthrough with my jump rope and saw some progress there. 
The weather looks decent here this afternoon, so I’m hoping for a long walk to get my steps in. 

[Harriet Vane]

3 hours ago, Eos said:

I drove for 8 hours 2 days in a row and ouch!  it hurts me.  Long-haul driving used to be one of my superpowers but it's getting harder as I age. Driving plus no exercise plus not great food and too much coffee plus terrible sleep on thin pads = pain.  Today I will stretch, do some gentle toners, and walk for a while to get my lower back into a happier mood.

I hear ya! I have the same thing--driving has always been my superpower, but oy, it's getting harder as I age. A couple years ago I developed disc compression and bulging discs in my lower back and I was afraid my driving days were done. I learned instead to be very brave about doing press-ups on picnic tables at rest stops to stretch out my lower back. My awesome ds did them with me when I drove him up to camp and that helped me continue being brave about exercising even when there are other people around. 

[Lady Florida.]

16 hours ago, Elfknitter.# said:

I think a weekly check-in will work for me.

That sounds more like my speed too. I can't always post daily and when I can post isn't always after I'm done exercising for the day. I think I'll shoot for weekly. 

[Brittany1116]

Yesterday I biked and did PT exercises. Tonight is an hour of ballet. 

[Soror]

Did get the yoga, walk, and strength yesterday.

Today is a bit crunched so I don't think I'll get the walk but pickleball is scheduled and I should be able to get a bit of time playing before dd's swim meet (that is why I'm crunched on time).

[Harriet Vane]

ETA Never mind—decided against it. 
 

Quick question 
My gym is selling old equipment 
Is $800 a good price for a used elliptical? It's industrial standard (iow designed for heavy use in a gym)

Edited January 10, 2023 by Harriet Vane

[Lady Florida.]

I said this morning that I'd probably post weekly but I think sporadically with a minimum of weekly is more like it. I usually don't get to the boards after 4pm or if I do it's mainly just to read and "like" posts.

The past few days - 2.8 mile walk with dh Sunday. I wish it was 3 miles but it's a specific pedestrian walkway in my area that goes through several neighborhoods. It's 2.8 miles round trip from our driveway. Sometimes I get a bit annoyed at the distance and just walk up and down in front of my house until I register 3 miles. The neighbors must think I'm weird lol. Anyway yesterday was light with just 10 minutes of stretching. Today my SI joint is really giving me a lot of pain. I did a 20 minute Yoga with Joelle video meant to relieve SI joint pain. It helped a bit, combined with acetaminophen. It still hurts though. That will probably be all for today other than getting my steps in. 

[Harriet Vane]

Yesterday I took a walk with dh on the lane and I did some of the PT exercises for neck strength. A light workout but every effort counts.

Today was very much the opposite. I went to the gym and started off with a warmup on the elliptical, followed by about forty minutes weights and core. Then I found out the gym is selling old equipment and I called dh to come consider a purchase. For about fifteen minutes I ran on various elliptical machines and also a recumbent bike until dh came. The ancient recumbent bikes were going for so little we chose to buy one but we walked away from the ellipticals. 

I am also pleased that I have been at least partially engaged on my anti-inflammatory routine yesterday and today. Not with the frequency that will be effective (in other words, I didn’t do all the things as many times as I should), but I will count any steps as a win. My goal is to get used to doing this and be *perfect* by the weekend. (God help me…😆)

[Elfknitter.#]

19 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I do a dumbbell workout on Thursdays--Jessica Smith's 30 min Stepping Strength on YouTube. I do end up using a larger variety of weights. Jessica uses 5 lb and 10 lb weights. I use 3 lb weights for the first couple of exercises that work the shoulders, then I switch to 5 lbs for the rest of the arm exercises, then I use a 10 lb weight for the single weight exercises, then I switch to 8 lb weights for the exercises at the end that Jessica does with 10 lb weights. And the video is about 33 min, but I've been know to cut the end short when under time pressure.

 

 

14 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I've been doing the 8 minutes a day recommended by.... I'm sorry,  I can't remember.  Was it @TechWife? I found this page that has a pdf that I have printed. I'm doing it each morning after sun salutations, so I don't do the specified warm up.

https://www.oprah.com/health/jorge-cruises-8-minute-get-trim-workout/all

Welcome @Brittany1116!

Thank you! I will certainly check both of these.

I forgot to add to my post yesterday that since I have a FitBit, I'm trying to focus more on my active minutes vs number of daily steps or miles walked. I aim for 10,000 steps, but that's not much of a problem for me to hit on a regular weekday. What I need to work on is getting my heartrate up and tracking active minutes is the best way to see how I'm doing. At the moment, I'm content with getting 30 or more active minutes in a day. When I was actively hitting 45-60 active minutes, I noticed it was easier to keep weight off.

Either next month or March I'd like to restart (again🙄) c2 5k. But for now, walking, yoga, and some weights are enough.

[wintermom]

I took the dogs for a fast walk in the woods. It was cold, so the fast pace kept us all warmer. I've done most my stretches and strength exercises today. I tried to do 20 min on the spin bike, but my knee started hurting, so I stopped. Hope it's just a random thing.

[Faith-manor]

Worked out again today. Also ended up with the dog, who has been bizarrely cuddle seeking lately, jump on my lap while getting ready to do crunches. He did not want to move. Then he sat at my head and tried to lick my face. Never a dull moment.

[Brittany1116]

I felt like crap by the time we were done with lessons, so I took a nap. I felt worse after that and skipped ballet. I will probably drop into Zumba on Thursday to make up for it. I still feel yuck.

[Faith-manor]

Just now, Brittany1116 said:

I felt like crap by the time we were done with lessons, so I took a nap. I felt worse after that and skipped ballet. I will probably drop into Zumba on Thursday to make up for it. I still feel yuck.

Hope you feel better tomorrow!

[Soror]

10 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

I felt like crap by the time we were done with lessons, so I took a nap. I felt worse after that and skipped ballet. I will probably drop into Zumba on Thursday to make up for it. I still feel yuck.

I'm sorry you feel bad 😞

10 hours ago, wintermom said:

I took the dogs for a fast walk in the woods. It was cold, so the fast pace kept us all warmer. I've done most my stretches and strength exercises today. I tried to do 20 min on the spin bike, but my knee started hurting, so I stopped. Hope it's just a random thing.

I hate the guessing game with aches and pains. Is this a random thing or something bad? Hope it is random for you.

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

I did NOT go to pickleball yesterday. The weather was too gorgeous outside and I took a walk instead. I would have caught it later but dd had a swim meet. I hope that I can get to it another day this week.

Today's plan- Day 28 of Yoga- 3 days to go + strength+ walk

I should have time for a walk today but I also have some outside work I need to do before it gets cool again so it might be short.

[Faith-manor]

So I have a pickle. My five out of seven days a week goal is based on Mark working at his moms, non-profit (he is I.T. remote) because I am very self conscious exercising in front of him. I actually hate gyms for this reason. Today his mom has a couple of friends who came to visit her which is good, so he didn't go up and has set up his work station in the family room where my exercise stuff is including the resistance bands mounted to the wall. I don't want to miss today. But. I really have anxiety about exercising when he is in the room. Now I am trying to think of a valid reason to send him to town on his lunch which would give me just enough time to do the minimum reps of kayaking exercises. Then I could just take a walk with the dog after he gets back. I don't have lofty goals other than to just be a bit more active, a healthier version of me, and to be able to do the 4 mile kayak trip on our anniversary in June without being sore and stove up the next day.