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

[Carrie12345]

I’m dealing with weird hip pain. Specifically left hip.

Everything feel peachy keen 99.9% of the time; totally pain free. But if I hit a step just the “right” way, pivot a certain angle, or, heaven forbid, attempt child pose, it’s excruciating! And squats are 100% totally out of the question. 😢 

There is no soreness. No residual pain after an incident. There’s no big reported change in my walking asymmetry according to Apple. Everything is mostly functional during daily tasks except for the things I mentioned. I’m just guessing, but I’d say it’s been 4-5 days.

I’ve avoided the squats and the poses that trigger this the whole time (though I just tried a squat while typing to see if it still hurt. Yes.) I have continued to do all the stretches that involve the hips but don’t cause pain. The level of pain has not reduced one bit. The frequency/triggers haven’t improved.

What the heck?!?

[Guest]

I have done my yoga and stretching routines so far this year, and I have been eating really well, but I have been foiled from strength training by a persistent headache. I woke up this morning with the headache still (day 3) and I am seriously over it, y’all. I do not know where it comes from, just that it happens periodically. I no longer get periods, but it may be hormonally connected anyway. 
 

Please let this be the last headache day. 

[Eos]

@Carrie12345and @QuillI'm sorry you are both in pain, I hope it is quickly resolved for you both.

I've done three days of the same morning "stretch" routine so I think I can keep it going.  It's very short, but that might be why I think I can keep it: from standing stretches to downward dog then plank for one minute to child's pose, roll over to side for 3 reps of 10 leg lifts top and bottom leg, dead person pose (I know that's not the real name but I forget it) and then the other side.  Done.

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Eos

[Eos]

I left this in the healthy eating thread but wanted to say it here with a thank you to @Laura Corinand @Sororbecause it's exactly what you suggested:

I realized I feel full from 3 meals a day, and that maybe snacking is what I do when I skip a meal, which I used to do in the name of IF.  

[Soror]

1 hour ago, Eos said:

I left this in the healthy eating thread but wanted to say it here with a thank you to @Laura Corinand @Sororbecause it's exactly what you suggested:

I realized I feel full from 3 meals a day, and that maybe snacking is what I do when I skip a meal, which I used to do in the name of IF.  

I'm glad to hear that. If I try to eat IF I end up eating way more. A lot more. Now I delay breakfast a few hours but aim for just a 12-14 hours overnight fast. Fwiw Dr Stacy Sims, who specifically studies women's nutrition and exercise, is against IF for women. IF is big now but that doesn't make it right for everyone.

[Soror]

I slept funny and my right shoulder is messed up. The joys of age. I did yoga modified and just lower body strength instead of full body. Still to do outdoor walk.

I just got yoga done yesterday. I was too tired for a walk. I took the wrong thyroid medication Sun night and slept real badly Sun night. My energy and motivation was absent. 

20 days finished of 30 day/30 min Power Yoga program - 10 days to go.

Today we did a fun pose- half moon with hands behind the back clasped together.

[Jenny in Florida]

15 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I signed up for Joelle's 7 day yoga challenge.

I'm doing Joelle's challenge, too. Unfortunately, today's video didn't drop in time for my usual exercise routine, so I substituted another one of her 10-minute videos.

[Toocrazy!!]

I stopped IF for the most part as well, I was skipping breakfast and it didn’t work out for me. Now I eat a pretty large protein and fiber packed breakfast in the morning a couple hours after I get up and it seems to do the trick for my appetite and mood all day.  There are days here and there where I overdid it the day before and I’ll skip or barely eat, but not regularly. 
It mostly started for me when I was tracking macros. There’s just no way to get all my protein in that way. 
Yesterday I played pickleball, and walked around my living room 75 times to get my steps in at the end of the day 🙂 lots of stretching and on and off the floor, but no weights. Weights and steps are the plan for today. 

[Jenny in Florida]

Walked with the dog in yesterday evening to finish off the daily steps.

Today is my first day back to work after a break over the holidays, which didn't make waking up and getting out of bed feel especially appealing. Having a sweet, warm, purring cat wedged under my chin demanding attention didn't help. However, I did eventually get dressed and out the door to walk. The dog was being pokey, so I dropped her back home after a ramble around the block and then went out for a longer walk at pace. Total of about 4.4K.

Back home, I discovered that Joelle had not sent out the link yet for today's yoga video. I did a 15-minute seated upper body workout video and followed that with Joelle's 10-minute back stretch.

A new two-month session of Tuesday evening yoga classes begins tonight, and I will work in some more walking and/or stationary biking before and/or after to log my remaining steps.

On a side note: I'm trying very, very hard not to let myself focus on numbers on the scale or clothing sizes, since I know I have a tendency towards unhealthy behaviors. However, I finally got around to sorting through the heaps of clothing in my closet yesterday. (My adult kiddo who is visiting loves to organize thing and has offered to tackle that project for me, once I figured out what actually needs to be stored where.) I pulled out a couple of pairs of smaller leggings that I had bought three or more years ago, and it turns out they fit perfectly. It was a pretty nice feeling to be able to just pull them on. Now that I know I fit into that size, given that I have only two pairs, I might order some more.

 

Winter Warmup 2022 Challenge: 18.6 of 500K
Walking Streak: 7

[Toocrazy!!]

@Carrie12345 I hear you on the protein! There are so many contradictions in the nutrition world, and vegan vs protein seems to be at the top! 
I bought an app called Carbon Diet which assigns macros to you, you might find interesting. It’s $10 a month. But even if not, you can join the group on Facebook. Over half the posts are how do I get this much protein?!? It’s literally the first thing people have to change when they start with the app. 
Most people are supplementing with protein powders, if you don’t eat animal protein, I think it’s the only way. 

I did not want to supplement, so I ended up eating a lot of chicken and ground turkey, turkey lunch meat. I try to keep my protein sources as healthy as possible, so lunch meat isn’t the best choice. But it’s a handy snack or add on to a meal. I found some low fat organic chicken sausages. Added way more chicken breast to my salads, ordered the double protein salad at chipotle. I can’t eat a lot of eggs, but lots of people add egg whites to their oatmeal or scrambled eggs, protein powder to their smoothies, bake with protein powder. I did find a vegan protein bar with pea protein that I eat pretty regularly. It only has 16 grams, but with my sausage I can get 18 more and a pretty good start at breakfast. 
 

I will say, it did restart my weight loss. I was in a plateau for a couple months and the scale is moving again. 

[Harriet Vane]

PT today. I think after this I will just see the PT once a month for her magical MAT adjustments. I still get lots of pins/needles and numbness but I am game to keep doing what I’m doing on my own. My specific goal is to ice a lot and be more regular in using diclofenac cream to decrease the swelling that sits in that area.

But I got in running and all the arm/back/neck stuff, so a good start to the day.

[lauraw4321]

My biggest goal for the year is to stay sober. My last drink was 12/29, so if I make it today, that'll be 5 days. I've had longer streaks, but not for a long time.

I've exercised and eaten well (other than a touch too much sweets) so far this week. I've exercised every day, but school/work are starting back, so I need to think through routines during more normal times.

[Soror]

5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I’m dealing with weird hip pain. Specifically left hip.

Everything feel peachy keen 99.9% of the time; totally pain free. But if I hit a step just the “right” way, pivot a certain angle, or, heaven forbid, attempt child pose, it’s excruciating! And squats are 100% totally out of the question. 😢 

There is no soreness. No residual pain after an incident. There’s no big reported change in my walking asymmetry according to Apple. Everything is mostly functional during daily tasks except for the things I mentioned. I’m just guessing, but I’d say it’s been 4-5 days.

I’ve avoided the squats and the poses that trigger this the whole time (though I just tried a squat while typing to see if it still hurt. Yes.) I have continued to do all the stretches that involve the hips but don’t cause pain. The level of pain has not reduced one bit. The frequency/triggers haven’t improved.

What the heck?!?

I had a similar issue. I even went to PT but that was less than helpful. I think the issue was - not stretching enough I was way too tight, increasing weight before I was ready, and too much volume - I did a program that on top of rep heavy workouts had 100 rep finishers. Specifically hip thrusts, rdl's, and Bulgarian lunges gave me issues. I tried doing breaks but it kept coming back and then I ended up with this random back pain from the hip issues. And all that is why I'm now doing primarily yoga with light bodyweight work to get my body in balance. I'd guess you maybe pushed a bit hard with something and since you mentioned being tight I'd guess you have some mobility work you need to do too as well. Hopefully you can get on top of yours quicker than I did and stop it! Our bodies are funny. It's annoying when you're trying to workout and then you end up hurting:(

Re: protein - so if you are low on protein that means your higher in carbs and/or fat. With carbs there are lots that are higher protein than others- beans, certain seeds, and whole grains. Can you sub out some lower protein carbs for higher protein options? I started adding hemp seeds to my oats and less of my favorite nuts because they have way more protein. I also switched from almond to soy milk for the same reason. Maybe if you give us some favorite meals we could brainstorm increasing the protein. If you do dairy nonfat Greek yogurt is low in calories and high in protein. I ate it for breakfast with fruit, soy milk, and homemade granola/muesli for about a year.  I'm dairy free now so doing - steel cut oats, soy milk, hempseeds, flax, fruit, and nuts. You can easily get 25+ gram of protein with either one. I also like high protein pancakes made with low-fat cottage cheese, oats, and pumpkin. My go tod for lunch is some whole grains, beans of some sort, and veggies in different combos. 

[Ali in OR]

I'm trying to get my sleep hours back to those of a working adult and not yet succeeding--a lot of trouble falling asleep before midnight the last two nights. I'm setting my alarm for 6:30 (will be 5:30 next week) and I am sound asleep when it goes off. But I did get up and did Day 2 yoga and then my bodyweight circuit, skipping the plank at the end since I did enough in the yoga. I did not do the bodyweight circuit last week and I'm already feeling it in my legs--those lunges. I've got most of today's food in MFP. I like doing that early in the day or the night before so I can make adjustments to meet my goals. Like I needed to nudge fiber up a bit today--add an apple for a snack. I'm meeting all of my goals today if I stick to the plan.

[Wheres Toto]

Dd and I met for our first morning workout today.  We did a 1 mile warm up on the treadmills then did weight machines for abdominals and biceps.   I'm doing light weight but a lot of reps because I can not get injured and I still have some problems with my elbow and back.   After our workout, we stopped at a acai bowl place for a light snack, then I swung by work and did 15 minutes of yoga.   

It's really wet and chilly today which makes my wrist, knees and ankle ache . 

[Carrie12345]

@Toocrazy!!  

@Soror

I’m a full on omnivore, but I’m super lazy and hate most vegetables. It’s not a good scene, lol. I like most fruits, but am lazy with prep, and I don’t fully hate lettuce mixes. Raw spinach is fine, cooked spinach is the second most disgusting thing in the world, after any form of broccoli.

I haven’t spot checked myself in ages. I also haven’t really done weights since pre-covid, so I haven’t exactly been interested in paying attention to food as fuel until the past week or so, when I realized I’m going to need to maximize my efforts if I’m going to be working on a whole lot of other things, too!

For me, an average I’m-not-thinking-about-nutrition day is hard to recreate because… I’m not thinking about it, lol, but it generally starts with coffee and a good bit of sweetened creamer. The past two days, I’ve replaced the creamer with ready-to-drink protein drinks, figuring at least it adds something.  But, normally, I tend to forget to eat until 10 or 11ish. When I don’t forget, I’ll have one or two eggs or Aldi’s awesome flax and chia peanut butter, either one of those on some seed and whole grain toast. Occasionally I convince myself that French toast has egg, so it’s fine. 😛 And maybe put a frozen sausage patty with it!

Mid-day, I’m often eating whatever dinner leftovers are around so they don’t go to waste.  Almost always made from scratch, so not a lot of processed fillers and mystery stuff, but also not the healthiest; potatoes in all forms, rice, pastas, beef, chicken, sometimes pork, occasionally fish. 9 times out of 10, there’s either a sauce or cheese (or cheesy sauce!) involved.

And then a dinner as described above.

I haven’t had a lot of snacking going on between meals in the past few months, but I can absolutely be a sucker for anything you can slap on a cracker, mint chip ice cream, and brownies from a box mix. I’m skeptical of anything like that labeled “keto” or whatever, because I don’t want to know what they’re using to replace sugar.
Ds is allergic to monk fruit, so I try not to keep stuff with that around.

I am down about 10lbs in the past 4 months or so, 1 of those in the past week.

Looking forward, I have plenty of healthy options at home but, again, I’m so dang lazy. I hate prep and I hate cooking.  I only do it to live, and to keep costs down.  And I get SO SICK OF CHICKEN! In addition to getting sick of chicken, when I try to be high protein, I’m always stuffed.  Yeah, that’s great… except I’m supposed to shove MORE CHICKEN in there! It makes me feel like I’m participating in a hot dog eating contest, but with chicken.

The numbers I’ve run say 110-148g for “normal”, and ***199*** for +muscle -fat. 😭 The normal is a reach for me as it is.

I had to be out and about this morning, so I got in a 20g protein drink, had a small granola bar while out, and made two eggs with some butter and fat free cheddar (not on purpose; dh doesn’t look closely in the store.) when I got home. It’s 1:00, I’m just over 1/4 into my supposed calories, 20% into my supposed protein, and I’m stuffed!

The crummy plan I came up with to hit these stupid targets still includes 8oz of chicken :::sigh:::, walnuts, dried cranberries, diced apples, 1/2 c. Leftover ground beef, 3/4c black beans, 7oz shrimp, some beef jerky, a sweet potato, and corn. I’m not going to come close to that!
Actually, the shrimp is easy peasy for me, but I can’t down shrimp every day, lol.

I have a freeze dryer and I got a little capsule filling contraption a while back that I though might be good for getting vegetables in me without tasting or feeling them. I have no idea how to convert powdered amounts, though. I should probably look into that! I’d rather swig 300 capsules than eat an entire serving of green beans.

[Harriet Vane]

@Soror

@Carrie12345

Re hip pain--

Two other possibilities to explore.

Years ago I had terrible hip pain for about five years. I had xrays and MRIs and evaluations to no avail. My hips appeared to be fine even though every step hurt. Every.single.step. I went on a camping trip to the Boundary Waters in which we went canoeing every single day. By mid-week my unremitting pain was GONE. Literally completely gone. I spoke with the PT about it afterwards, and we figured out that the problem was not actually my hips but my core above my hips. The repetitive action of paddling the canoe did exactly what was needed to fix the issue. Ever since, I have included "paddling" in my regular fitness rotation--I sit on a big ball with a stretchy band secured on a doorknob and mimic the motion of paddling from center (hands outstretched) diagonally across so that my hands pull the band to one hip, then back to center. I do a zillion on one side, then a zillion on the other, then a zillion in which I alternate both sides. 

I now have left hip pain that comes and goes due to spinal disc compression and discs bulging in my lower back. The two things that help the most are press-ups and hanging upside-down on the teeter board. The teeter board is pretty miraculous--I will approach it limping and hunched, and when finished I will walk normally again. 

(Press-ups: Lay face down, then use arm to push up head and torso, leaving hips and legs on floor. Breathe IN as you rise and then OUT when you are at the top. As you release your breath out, you will feel the small of your back fall down towards the floor just an inch or two, which enhances the stretch.)

[Laura Corin]

My sharp hip pain was from doing Pigeon pose. I went away on holiday and did no yoga for a week and it disappeared @Carrie12345

Today - sun salutations and weights first thing.

I spent the rest of the day cataloguing Mum's belongings for my brothers and me to make decisions about,  and creating an archive of her life. It was hard.

[Lady Florida.]

I suppose if I'm going to post successful days I should post not so successful days. I had to go take my aunt shopping while my cousin (an only child) is out of town helping her own daughter. I also went to said cousin's house to check on her cat and bring the mail in. The thing is, they live in a city 1-1/2 hours away so that was 3 hours in the car just for the trip. I also spent a few hours in the car driving my aunt around. Taking her shopping was quite the experience as she's very slow even using a scooter, she likes to go to several different grocery stores, then she wanted me to get her a takeout order from a local restaurant. Tonight I had a live streamed Italian language class shortly after I got back. All of that added up to no exercise today. I planned to get up early enough to do something but it just didn't work out.

The best I could do were some glute squeezes and shoulder rolls while driving. Tonight after the class I did some stretching exercises. That was it for today.

[Hilltopmom]

Tweaked something in my back tonight doing one of Joelle’s hip videos. Twisted too far.

Can tell that’s going to hurt tomorrow. Oh well. I do really like her videos!

[wintermom]

I played mixed doubles tennis for 2 hrs this evening. It was really fun to get back again after 4 days off during New Year's, and I felt like my fitness level dropped way too much. I really need to add in some regular aerobic exercise into my weeks. We have a stationary bike, so I'll start with that until there's enough snow for skiing. 

I also took the dogs for a nice walk in the woods. We go at a leisurely pace for the 10 year old poodle.  

[heartlikealion]

I originally planned to drive the kids to their new town as school begins Thursday but the weather forecast was terrible. Thinking we were leaving today and because I had work today I didn’t carve out time to exercise. Now it’s too late and I still have things I need to do before leaving tomorrow. Might get one pickleball game in Saturday with my dad but otherwise I’ll probably be limited to neighborhood walks while I’m there for a few days. 
Some days are like that. It happens so don’t stress @Lady Florida.

[Carrie12345]

I did not hit my food numbers yesterday, lol. I had very little confidence that I would, but I surprised myself with how close I came. I hit 1800 calories and 169g protein.  I think a big part of that was due to watching a movie with ds and snacking on my chicken and fruit bowl the whole time. That’s not something that will be routine for me!

My fat was still to high and my carbs a little low. I didn’t wake up with the same energy I’ve been having, but that could also be due to the movie running past my typical bedtime.

I’ll probably track a few more days and keep trying to reach, but I’m not interested in fully adapting to that diet. I’ll probably end up continuing to focus on high protein, but more of an eyeballing situation.

I AM happy with how December panned out, making exercise a routine priority, getting my head back into a good place, and drastically increasing my energy.  
I HAVE gained muscle and lost fat even in that ramp-up phase. And aside from the hip issue (which I’ll suffer through each recommendation until one hopefully does the trick, lol) I feel good. I can see changes starting to happen in the mirror, too.   
My focus isn’t appearance, but it’s a great bonus! Not only can I see where this can be headed, but I’m impressed with where it is now. I feel good and happy in my body.

Not too shabby for ~1 month in after several years out!

Edited January 4, 2023 by Carrie12345

[EmilyGF]

On 12/29/2022 at 6:23 AM, EmilyGF said:

I've been sleeping poorly this week, but I've had some success.

1. Walk 2 mi per day, 5 days per week: walked 4 miles Sunday, 1 Monday, and not yesterday.
2. Work through NML (Nourish Move Love) Beginner Plan: switched to the new plan they introed this week. It is 20 min/day, 5 days per week. Doable so far, and I am being careful not to overdo it.
3. Add in stretching 3x/week: 20 minutes yesterday.
4. Food: track everything for the month of January and then reassess. Not yet.
5. Food 2: Something along the lines of eating the rainbow because I want to up my veggies. Suggestions?

@Soror and @Laura Corin you two inspire me!

Emily

 

I'm making more progress on the physical goals than the food ones. 🙂

Edited January 4, 2023 by EmilyGF

[Soror]

28 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

I'm making more progress on the physical goals than the food ones. 🙂

Progress is progress. It can be hard to work on too many things at once. Maybe you'll pick it up in a few weeks or maybe Feb? 

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I did not hit my food numbers yesterday, lol. I had very little confidence that I would, but I surprised myself with how close I came. I hit 1800 calories and 169g protein.  I think a big part of that was due to watching a movie with ds and snacking on my chicken and fruit bowl the whole time. That’s not something that will be routine for me!

My fat was still to high and my carbs a little low. I didn’t wake up with the same energy I’ve been having, but that could also be due to the movie running past my typical bedtime.

I’ll probably track a few more days and keep trying to reach, but I’m not interested in fully adapting to that diet. I’ll probably end up continuing to focus on high protein, but more of an eyeballing situation.

I AM happy with how December panned out, making exercise a routine priority, getting my head back into a good place, and drastically increasing my energy.  
I HAVE gained muscle and lost fat even in that ramp-up phase. And aside from the hip issue (which I’ll suffer through each recommendation until one hopefully does the trick, lol) I feel good. I can see changes starting to happen in the mirror, too.   
My focus isn’t appearance, but it’s a great bonus! Not only can I see where this can be headed, but I’m impressed with where it is now. I feel good and happy in my body.

Not too shabby for ~1 month in after several years out!

Not too shabby at all, that is great progress. You've restarted regular exercise and made good progress on your diet. It's hard to get both going at once. It's amazing how the good changes beget other good changes. 

Fwiw I've done some macro counting and tried to hit those high protein numbers as I have seen the ladies on my fitness groups that look so fabulous. But I came to a realization that it is not worth it to me. I don't have the budget. I don't want to eat that much meat. I don't know that it is optimal healthwise even if they obtain appearances we currently deem as very pleasing. I had to get over my thoughts that I just wasn't trying hard enough. I wasn't committed enough. No, I consciously accepted that I had different goals. So, I'll work out in a way that works for my body- mixing strength, mobility, in cardio and eat as well as I can pull off and let the chips fall where they may. So, even if you're working on your PT certification you are also acknowledging there is a lot of conflicting info- don't beat yourself up if you don't hit those magic numbers.

7 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I originally planned to drive the kids to their new town as school begins Thursday but the weather forecast was terrible. Thinking we were leaving today and because I had work today I didn’t carve out time to exercise. Now it’s too late and I still have things I need to do before leaving tomorrow. Might get one pickleball game in Saturday with my dad but otherwise I’ll probably be limited to neighborhood walks while I’m there for a few days. 
Some days are like that. It happens so don’t stress @Lady Florida.

Sorry about the change in plans!

9 hours ago, wintermom said:

I played mixed doubles tennis for 2 hrs this evening. It was really fun to get back again after 4 days off during New Year's, and I felt like my fitness level dropped way too much. I really need to add in some regular aerobic exercise into my weeks. We have a stationary bike, so I'll start with that until there's enough snow for skiing. 

I also took the dogs for a nice walk in the woods. We go at a leisurely pace for the 10 year old poodle.  

Glad to see you again. I think that's a great idea to get in other cardio, mix it up will help with the injury prevention too.

10 hours ago, Hilltopmom said:

Tweaked something in my back tonight doing one of Joelle’s hip videos. Twisted too far.

Can tell that’s going to hurt tomorrow. Oh well. I do really like her videos!

Ouch- hope it is short lived.

11 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I suppose if I'm going to post successful days I should post not so successful days. I had to go take my aunt shopping while my cousin (an only child) is out of town helping her own daughter. I also went to said cousin's house to check on her cat and bring the mail in. The thing is, they live in a city 1-1/2 hours away so that was 3 hours in the car just for the trip. I also spent a few hours in the car driving my aunt around. Taking her shopping was quite the experience as she's very slow even using a scooter, she likes to go to several different grocery stores, then she wanted me to get her a takeout order from a local restaurant. Tonight I had a live streamed Italian language class shortly after I got back. All of that added up to no exercise today. I planned to get up early enough to do something but it just didn't work out.

The best I could do were some glute squeezes and shoulder rolls while driving. Tonight after the class I did some stretching exercises. That was it for today.

Oh well, some days are like that. don't stress it! I hope you had a good visit.

[Soror]

I got in an hour walk yesterday. The weather was gorgeous. I spent some time outside just enjoying it after a morning of ferrying children.

BUT my shoulder proceeded to get worse and worse. I barely got my flat of crushed tomatoes in my cart at the grocery store and had to have the checkout guy move them for me. The girls had to bag the groceries (they'd waited in the car). By yesterday evening I was so stiff I could hardly move. I went to bed early and took a muscle relaxer. 3 hours later I was still in a lot of pain so I took a low dose pain pill. 

I got some sleep but couldn't sleep in my usual position. It seems somewhat better this morning but still pretty bad. 

Today's plan was 30 min yin yoga and a walk. I'll see how they go. Yin is good because there is no strength moves- no plank or yogi pushups so depending on the focus could actually be a help. 

I never would have guessed it would have went like that. When I woke up yesterday my shoulder was on my pillow in a weird way and it was sore but I thought after some time awake and taking it easy it would go away. 

Maybe I kept the arm too still yesterday? In the past I've found with my shoulder things like arm circles were helpful but I didn't do them yesterday. Maybe I pushed too hard last week and it was already on edge? I just added back the assisted pullups and had been working on increasing pushups. 

Who knows. 

[Toocrazy!!]

@Carrie12345- yeah, those are some high protein numbers. Mine were 1700 calories and 133 protein, and I backed it down to the lowest on their recommendation which was 109 after a week.  I don’t think I could get to 199 on a regular basis either. 
Still no weights yesterday. I did walk around my living room again. 
I will try again today! 

[Carrie12345]

50 minutes ago, Soror said:

Fwiw I've done some macro counting and tried to hit those high protein numbers as I have seen the ladies on my fitness groups that look so fabulous. But I came to a realization that it is not worth it to me. I don't have the budget. I don't want to eat that much meat. I don't know that it is optimal healthwise even if they obtain appearances we currently deem as very pleasing. I had to get over my thoughts that I just wasn't trying hard enough. I wasn't committed enough. No, I consciously accepted that I had different goals. So, I'll work out in a way that works for my body- mixing strength, mobility, in cardio and eat as well as I can pull off and let the chips fall where they may. 

This is mostly where I’m at, though I do like to experiment. I used to belong to a gym that had a… what do they call them? Physique teams? The child care person was a competitor, and it made my stomach turn, watching her nibble chicken and broccoli during cut weeks. I’m sure that was partly my bias against broccoli, lol, but I wouldn’t want to live that way for a week, never mind regularly! There’s not enough reason in the world.  
AND, I don’t want my kids to see that.

[Laura Corin]

Yesterday was a mess for food, but it was a tough day emotionally, so I just put a line under it.

I'm back to work today and trying to be optimistic.  Last night I sat up sharply out of a dream and managed to bang my head on my bedside table; I have a ludicrous lump on my forehead today.  If this were a novel, the editor would underline the cracked head event as an all-too-obvious symbol of hitting the work/reorg. mountain.

Today: sun salutations and weights first thing.  Brisk walk at lunchtime.  Kegels in the car.  Food: better so far.

 

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

I got in an hour walk yesterday. The weather was gorgeous. I spent some time outside just enjoying it after a morning of ferrying children.

BUT my shoulder proceeded to get worse and worse. I barely got my flat of crushed tomatoes in my cart at the grocery store and had to have the checkout guy move them for me. The girls had to bag the groceries (they'd waited in the car). By yesterday evening I was so stiff I could hardly move. I went to bed early and took a muscle relaxer. 3 hours later I was still in a lot of pain so I took a low dose pain pill. 

I got some sleep but couldn't sleep in my usual position. It seems somewhat better this morning but still pretty bad. 

Today's plan was 30 min yin yoga and a walk. I'll see how they go. Yin is good because there is no strength moves- no plank or yogi pushups so depending on the focus could actually be a help. 

I never would have guessed it would have went like that. When I woke up yesterday my shoulder was on my pillow in a weird way and it was sore but I thought after some time awake and taking it easy it would go away. 

Maybe I kept the arm too still yesterday? In the past I've found with my shoulder things like arm circles were helpful but I didn't do them yesterday. Maybe I pushed too hard last week and it was already on edge? I just added back the assisted pullups and had been working on increasing pushups. 

Who knows. 

So sorry about your shoulder pain. I hope it eases up really soon. Is it possible that there is some fatigue/overuse from the work you did on the shed? Repetitive motions seem to be brutal on arms and shoulders.

[Jenny in Florida]

Woke up this morning feeling really down and generally uninterested in being a person. When I finally did get myself up and dressed and out for a walk, I very much wanted to walk and felt pretty cranky that the dog wasn't on board with moving. So, I once again dropped her home after a short ramble and headed out on my own . . . only to get stopped by a neighbor and alerted to the fact that the police were in the neighborhood--actually right in the path I had intended to walk--looking for a person who was apparently wandering the area being aggressive. I changed direction and ended up doing a couple of loops closer to my house, for a total of about 4.25K.

Back home, I spent about 25 minutes doing the regular strength and stretching and then finished up with Joelle's day 3 jumpstart video. (I'm actually a day behind in videos, since she doesn't post in time for my regular morning routine.)

I have plans with my visiting adult kiddo tonight, but I will work in some more walking and/or stationary biking at some point to log my remaining daily steps and distance.

 

Winter Warmup 2022 Challenge: 27.0 of 500K
Walking Streak: 8

Edited January 4, 2023 by Jenny in Florida

[Soror]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

So sorry about your shoulder pain. I hope it eases up really soon. Is it possible that there is some fatigue/overuse from the work you did on the shed? Repetitive motions seem to be brutal on arms and shoulders.

Hmmm. I hadn't considered that. I didn't have a lot of repetitive use this weekend but I had some strain as we were lifting fairly heavy boards overhead. That could be a contributing factor.

I've yet to do my Yin Yoga but have been puttering around the house, slowly. That is more than I was managing last night. I still feel a bit woozy but it clearing as the time goes (thankfully). 

I'm still having some pain constantly and certain movements- especially reaching are problematic. But I'm hopeful as it is way better than it was that this will be a small blip.

[Faith-manor]

I have started training for kayaking. I have set a goal of doing the exercises 5 days per week. I paddled 2 mile trips in a day last summer. Our anniversary trip this coming June includes a 3 mile paddle, and since I know I can do 2,  I think I will be just fine doing 3 by then. I will increase reps, weights, and resistance every 2 weeks. I considered increasing weekly, but I don't want to be sore all the time, and I need 2-3 weeks in March where I don't make it more complicated because I will be caring for my grandsons while both of their parents have surgery.

My goal is to be able to paddle 4-5 miles a day by the end of the month, and the summer of 2024, I would like to be able to paddle around Belle Isle which is a 7 mile trip, as well as some similar length trips at Voyageurs National Park.

Here is a link to what I am doing in case anyone else wants to train similarly.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-train-for-kayaking.html

[Soror]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

This is mostly where I’m at, though I do like to experiment. I used to belong to a gym that had a… what do they call them? Physique teams? The child care person was a competitor, and it made my stomach turn, watching her nibble chicken and broccoli during cut weeks. I’m sure that was partly my bias against broccoli, lol, but I wouldn’t want to live that way for a week, never mind regularly! There’s not enough reason in the world.  
AND, I don’t want my kids to see that.

Aha I misunderstood- I thought you were saying you weren't even getting minimal protein then I understood it that you were going for levels bodybuilders use. My brain is foggy today. LOL on the broccoli. I like broccoli but think if that if I ate it that much I'd hate it very soon. I've no desire to restrict my diet to the levels of competition either. I also don't care to be that thin. When I start to get at the bottom of my range I feel a bit skeletal. I get compliments from certain people but I prefer my body a bit more filled out (as does my husband). I would like more muscle but haven't been able to put on more with pretty darn good diet and ample lifting so this is what I got. Aesthetic goals are too elusive and really working towards certain weights or movements have been problematic for me as well. So, I just keep on with it and see what happens.

[Carrie12345]

33 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I have started training for kayaking. I have set a goal of doing the exercises 5 days per week. I paddled 2 mile trips in a day last summer. Our anniversary trip this coming June includes a 3 mile paddle, and since I know I can do 2,  I think I will be just fine doing 3 by then. I will increase reps, weights, and resistance every 2 weeks. I considered increasing weekly, but I don't want to be sore all the time, and I need 2-3 weeks in March where I don't make it more complicated because I will be caring for my grandsons while both of their parents have surgery.

My goal is to be able to paddle 4-5 miles a day by the end of the month, and the summer of 2024, I would like to be able to paddle around Belle Isle which is a 7 mile trip, as well as some similar length trips at Voyageurs National Park.

Here is a link to what I am doing in case anyone else wants to train similarly.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-train-for-kayaking.html

I just want to say that I love this so much that I’m over here contemplating purchasing a dirt cheap swamp lot to keep membership in my old development, lol.  
We have kayaks, but they’re such a pain to transport to public places. Our old development, however, has 5 lakes.

[Ali in OR]

I did Day 3 of Adriene's 30 days of yoga, but I'm missing cardio. I have other things I need to do (starting school prep today, etc) but if I can't get a walk in later today I will plan to do treadmill tomorrow morning and see if I can do the yoga in the evening.

I commiserate with all of you--shoulder pain, trying to figure out how much protein (more than min adequate level, but not much more atm), finding food more challenging than exercise right now, etc. I thought my shoulder pain was all from overhead writing last year but I've cut that out (writing on my computer screen instead) and the pain is back. So new theory is that it's computer use in general, even if my arm isn't raised over my head. Using Aleve before bed when it hurts and trying Voltaren (PT's rec last August) to see if that helps. And trying to stop stupid arm positions when using computer or reading.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

I just want to say that I love this so much that I’m over here contemplating purchasing a dirt cheap swamp lot to keep membership in my old development, lol.  
We have kayaks, but they’re such a pain to transport to public places. Our old development, however, has 5 lakes.

I think one the happiest things we fell into was kayaking. After the car accident, 7 years ago (wow how time flies), we were looking for something outdoors, nature communing, that we could do as a family that did not require eldest ds and I to have to use our legs much. Ds was recovering with a titanium rod for a thigh bone, and I had a badly Injured ankle. Neither of us started out weight bearing, and it was a very incremental process to get to bearing any significant weight. Paddling seemed doable since swimming was out, and all of is were water people. Mark bought a bunch of single kayaks, and he along with our middle son would balance us to get into the kayaks, push us off the bank/beach. Then he and our other sons would launch themselves, and away we went. It was always short paddles, maybe an hour with some floating because ds and I had no endurance. But after we were resting on the beach, Mark and the other two would take off and paddle longer.

In summer, 2021, Mark and I had a chance to rent a tandem kayak while camping in WV. We absolutely loved paddling and floating together...way more than going individually. So this past late May, an REI clearance sale popped up and low and behold, a tandem kayak was available, just the right model and size for us, at 70% off. We immediately jumped on that, and had so much fun.

I have three places where all is right with the world and I am at total peace. On the sailboat, in the kayak, and at the piano. Six months of the year, the hard choice, "do we sail, do we kayak" has to be answered. Much as we love sailing, wave height, wind conditions tend to dictate if we can get out on Lake Huron with the boat or not. But if conditions are not great, there is nearly always an inland lake or river that is just fine for us to kayak.

I say it you can pick up a piece of land cheap that allows you to have kayak access, you can't go wrong because out on the water is a very happy place indeed!

For those folks in the Northern Alabama area, there is a development on the west side of Huntsville on the river that is going to be ready soon which will include kayaking in the city with a kayaking school, and lots of other green space and recreation in the park.   

We are considering buying kayaks down there to leave at the mountain house with our kayak trailer so we can haul them down to the park. Here, we have a kayak carrier for our equinox as well as the camping mini-van. Since we just take the tandem, and I am tall enough to help Mark lift it down from the mini-van, we don't mind transporting it. When we go as a group, we have to mount the tandem on the equinox, and hook up the trailer which holds the 3 singles for the boys, well men. They are 22, 24, and 26. I should probably stop saying boys. But I can't help myself. They will always be my boys! 😁

[Harriet Vane]

34 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I think one the happiest things we fell into was kayaking. After the car accident, 7 years ago (wow how time flies), we were looking for something outdoors, nature communing, that we could do as a family that did not require eldest ds and I to have to use our legs much. Ds was recovering with a titanium rod for a thigh bone, and I had a badly Injured ankle. Neither of us started out weight bearing, and it was a very incremental process to get to bearing any significant weight. Paddling seemed doable since swimming was out, and all of is were water people. Mark bought a bunch of single kayaks, and he along with our middle son would balance us to get into the kayaks, push us off the bank/beach. Then he and our other sons would launch themselves, and away we went. It was always short paddles, maybe an hour with some floating because ds and I had no endurance. But after we were resting on the beach, Mark and the other two would take off and paddle longer.

In summer, 2021, Mark and I had a chance to rent a tandem kayak while camping in WV. We absolutely loved paddling and floating together...way more than going individually. So this past late May, an REI clearance sale popped up and low and behold, a tandem kayak was available, just the right model and size for us, at 70% off. We immediately jumped on that, and had so much fun.

I have three places where all is right with the world and I am at total peace. On the sailboat, in the kayak, and at the piano. Six months of the year, the hard choice, "do we sail, do we kayak" has to be answered. Much as we love sailing, wave height, wind conditions tend to dictate if we can get out on Lake Huron with the boat or not. But if conditions are not great, there is nearly always an inland lake or river that is just fine for us to kayak.

I say it you can pick up a piece of land cheap that allows you to have kayak access, you can't go wrong because out on the water is a very happy place indeed!

For those folks in the Northern Alabama area, there is a development on the west side of Huntsville on the river that is going to be ready soon which will include kayaking in the city with a kayaking school, and lots of other green space and recreation in the park.   

We are considering buying kayaks down there to leave at the mountain house with our kayak trailer so we can haul them down to the park. Here, we have a kayak carrier for our equinox as well as the camping mini-van. Since we just take the tandem, and I am tall enough to help Mark lift it down from the mini-van, we don't mind transporting it. When we go as a group, we have to mount the tandem on the equinox, and hook up the trailer which holds the 3 singles for the boys, well men. They are 22, 24, and 26. I should probably stop saying boys. But I can't help myself. They will always be my boys! 😁

What a beautiful journey! Thank you for sharing.

 

I will add one further thought on kayaking for those thinking of summer water sports.

Like you, I love being on the water and I love paddling peacefully about. That's why we enjoyed our BWCA trips so much--it's peaceful and beautiful and endlessly variable based on the size and type of water you're on and the weather. 

That said, I have found over the years that I much prefer canoeing over kayaking (though I will cheerfully participate in either). The reason is that kayaking relies almost entirely on arm and shoulder strength, whereas canoeing allows for more help from the back and torso due to the posture when sitting. Kayaking places the rider down low, with legs stretched out in front. Canoeing places the rider up on a seat (like a tiny bench), which allows the rider to lean forward with bent knees and engage more of the torso. 

 

[Faith-manor]

17 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

What a beautiful journey! Thank you for sharing.

 

I will add one further thought on kayaking for those thinking of summer water sports.

Like you, I love being on the water and I love paddling peacefully about. That's why we enjoyed our BWCA trips so much--it's peaceful and beautiful and endlessly variable based on the size and type of water you're on and the weather. 

That said, I have found over the years that I much prefer canoeing over kayaking (though I will cheerfully participate in either). The reason is that kayaking relies almost entirely on arm and shoulder strength, whereas canoeing allows for more help from the back and torso due to the posture when sitting. Kayaking places the rider down low, with legs stretched out in front. Canoeing places the rider up on a seat (like a tiny bench), which allows the rider to lean forward with bent knees and engage more of the torso. 

 

Yes, an this is an important distinction. For our eldest ds, due to that leg, his pain levels are lowest with his leg stretched out in front of him, and due to my injuries, I do best kayaking as well. I think that Mark would choose the canoe over the kayak were it not for me. I appreciate that he wants to do what works best for me since I am the weak link of the two of us.  Also, one needs to consider the work in launching. Canoes are heavier. For people with bad backs who should not be lifting very much weight, a kayak may make more sense. They do also make inflatable kayaks which work well when transport and carrying are an issue. Canoes also have the flexibility to being able to take non paddling passengers, picnic lunches, and fishing gear. Unless you buy or rent a fishing kayak (these are sit on top on seat crafts), fishing isn't much of an option with the average kayak. Another consideration is balance when boarding. Kayaks are beach/shore mount and push off with paddle, while canoes tend to be more tipsy.

There are so many factors. My advice to newbies is to try both, and more than once, and in similar launch parameters as you will have locally. Our canoe is the go to when dh goes out on the bass lake because it is so reedy, there is no launching except at the small dock. It is a tie up and get in kind of thing. But at Lake Huron, the water at the beach is too shallow to launch without using the boat dock where the bottom has been dredged out for this purpose. But, it can be a forty five minute wait for the chance to use the dock because there is always a line of speed boats. Buying the wrong thing for your circumstances is just so financially regrettable!

[Lady Florida.]

Since I wasn't able to do Joelle's 7 day challenge yesterday I doubled up today. They're only 10-12 minutes so that wasn't difficult. Another busy day means that's all I'll get in today. 

[Carrie12345]

Did some serious (for me, lol) upper body strength today.   
Also pretty much hit the macros ratio for the stupid recommendations I’m never actually going to hit, because even with a big donut and a cup of Mac and cheese, I’m still going to be almost 400 calories under target. 🤣🤣🤣

Well, if I finish my dang shrimp.

I am trying a 2-4 minute “rest” between sets, which means my basement is going to be clean and organized in no time!

[knitgrl]

Sigh. It seems like there have been so many medical appointments lately. They are all an hour away, so that is 3 hours out of the day, which makes it more challenging to get a walk in. Despite having to take dd to the orthodontist (only 30min away), I did manage to get on the treadmill for 30min, since outside is cold and rainy.

[Toocrazy!!]

That kayak workout looks great. I think it would be Very motivating to be working towards a goal and such a fun trip. 
I finally did a workout today. Some weights, body work, jumped on the trampoline to get some steps. Tried my jump rope- lots of room for improvement there! Got down And up from the floor throughout the workout and did some good stretching. That felt good! 
I’m way behind on steps but I think the weather is going to be better tomorrow so hopefully I’ll get out for an extra long walk. 
I’m trying the 1000 hours outside and 1000 miles outside challenges this year, so I need to make up for these last few rainy days. 

[Harriet Vane]

I took a walk with dh today and I plan to hang on the teeter board before bed.

[Ali in OR]

Did 30 min on the treadmill this morning (too rainy to walk yesterday). Will try to do Day 4 yoga later today. Off to school for some planning and prep.

[Soror]

I did my yin yoga yesterday but had to modify. I couldn't even do a forward fold without excessive pain. After lunch I just went to bed and stayed there the rest of the day. Between recovering from the meds, the pain, and my period starting I felt horrible. My period is considerably worse than usual but on the plus side it was at the usual for me spacing.

I went to bed on the verge of tears with my period pain and everything else. The ibuprofen didn't touch it and I wasn't going to take another pain pill. But I woke up at 2 am and my shoulder felt nearly normal. I don't understand it- at all but I'm thrilled.

I did Power Yoga Day 22 today but was gentle with that shoulder. I plan to get an outdoor walk later. I obviously didn't get one yesterday. I'm only at 2 for the week so far. I still need to do some strength work. I will just do lower body again as a precaution.

[wintermom]

I've been enjoying paddling with my kayak and canoe as well over the past couple years and have really loved it! I started out with a canoe, as this is what dh said he'd prefer. Dh rigged up our utility trailer to transport the canoe, and I started exploring the paddling options in the area. I ended up paddling mostly with ds or a friend, and I was limited in how often I could paddle by finding a partner to join me. I ended up getting one kayak, and eventually a second. This really opened up the options for paddling, solo and with family and friends. I can slide the newest kayak (10') inside my van, so that I can get out for a quick afternoon paddle at a nearby river all by myself. It's a safe, calm little river, and there's usually a few other people around just in case of an emergency, and it's only a 15 min drive. I'm perfectly happy to squeeze in a 1 hr kayak paddle a couple times a week during "paddling season" - which is surprisingly long where I live in Canada, extending from early April to the end of October. My brother also canoes, but he lives further north, where there is still ice on the water well into May/June. 

[wintermom]

I'm walking with friends this afternoon. It'll be more of a fitness walk than my usual dog walk. Then dh and I play 2 hrs of mixed doubles tennis this evening. Looking forward to both!

I'm doing my best to keep up with my regular stretch and strength work, as well. I have my yoga mat out a lot more often to remind me to use it. 😉 

[Jenny in Florida]

16 hours ago, knitgrl said:

Sigh. It seems like there have been so many medical appointments lately. They are all an hour away, so that is 3 hours out of the day, which makes it more challenging to get a walk in. Despite having to take dd to the orthodontist (only 30min away), I did manage to get on the treadmill for 30min, since outside is cold and rainy.

I well remember when I was in the thick of treatment how the appointments and driving (and waiting) simply ate up entire days. Honestly, if you're managing to do any kind of intentional movement or exercise around that schedule and regular responsibilities, you are a rock star.

[Jenny in Florida]

I had one of those days yesterday when I reached the end of my scheduled activities and realized I still had nearly half of my steps for the day left to do. That always makes me cranky. I took the dog out briefly, but just did not have the patience to let her lead me on a long ramble. So, I dropped her back home and headed out on my own. It required some pacing around the living room even after I got home, but I did just barely meet my step/distance goal for the day.

Got in a decent walk this morning, with and without dog company, but all I managed back home was Joelle's 10-minute yoga video before I had to help my husband corral one of the cats for a vet appointment. Then I had to take the dog to an appointment with the veterinary cancer specialist, which claimed the remainder of my morning. (The surgeon didn't see anything unexpected during the consult, so Lulu will be scheduled for surgery sometime in the next week or two.)

I have to go to WDW this evening to pick up my bib and t-shirt for tomorrow morning's 10K (for which I am 100% not prepared, honestly). That will get me some steps, since it's a walk from the parking lot to the first building and then from there to the second and then back to the car. Not sure how much else I'll manage, since I also really need to go to bed early in order to be up in time to be at the race site by 4:00AM tomorrow. 

Honestly, between the dueling vet appointments and the chaos of both my adult kiddo and me reaching breaking points with our jobs . . . it's been a week. I figure the 10K tomorrow will either be a lovely break from routine or a miserable trudge. We'll see how it goes. 

 

Winter Warmup 2022 Challenge: 36.6 of 500K
Walking Streak: 9