Fitness Fellowship 2019: Week Seven

[sylvanwitch]

Hi, there!

This is a friendly reminder that anyone can join us at any time with any fitness-related goal in whatever way it is you define both fitness and goals. We're VERY easygoing (and friendly, too!) :-)

If you'd like to hop in, just share whatever goal it is you're trying to achieve. Then, at your own pace, feel free to comment on the weekly post or not, as you prefer. Really, this is all about accountability, but you choose how involved you'd like to be. Usually, I ask you to share how your past week has gone and what your plans for the week ahead might be.

So: How'd Week Seven go for you? Did you have any victories? Any stumbling blocks? Do you have any food, fitness, and/or fun tips to share? We'd love to hear from you!



Food: My husband went to St. Catherine's, Ontario, to the marvelous Beechwood Bakery to get me a "Baker's half-dozen" (meaning 7) vegan doughnuts for Valentine's Day because he's amazing and awesome. Consequently, I've had seven doughnuts this week. ;-) Otherwise, I've been pretty good on plan and feeling pretty good about what I'm putting into my body.

Exercise: I'm very pleased to report that I worked out FOUR of the seven days for at least 30 minutes, including two sessions on the treadmill. I'm trying to get back into the habit of using the treadmill and/or recumbent stationary bike because the outdoors these days are not conducive to exercise (it's COLD, yo, not to mention the footing is treacherous sometimes). It helps that I'm rewatching Generation Kill. Man, I love this show.

Meditation: As if. (Seriously, I need to be better about this.)

Sleep: Pretty good. I've had a few nights when I felt a little anxious, so I stay up in my reading chair until I feel sleepy, and then I just recline that sucker and fall asleep that way. At some point in the night, I make the transfer to bed. It may not be the BEST way to get enough sleep, but it does mean I get some sleep, and I think that's better than not getting ANY sleep because I'm having anxiety.

My plan for the week ahead is to work out at least four times for thirty minutes at a go, eat well (fewer doughnuts guaranteed ;-), sleep, and meditate. It helps that I'm on winter break until Monday.





Have a fantastic week, my friends!

Comments

[miss_morland]

Well done on the excercise and food (yes, even including donuts)! And presumably meditation would help with sleep and therefore anxiety?

I had a bad week, health-/wellness-wise: still in a sort of vacuum between two flats, with all my routines being messed up, and I've been stress-eating + sleeping badly. Also, during the weekend I visited friends and there was WAY too much to drink. I'd like to say I will do better this week, but I'm travelling (long weekend to use last year's vacation days before it's too late) and when I get back, I need to move out of my old place for good, until which point I sort of feel like I can't relax anyway.

At least I've been eating a lot of salads!

[sylvanwitch]

I'm convinced that greens are a miracle food, so yes, salad is a definite plus! I COMPLETELY understand the feeling of everything being up in the air and suspended between two spaces. While we're more or less finally settled in our "new" house, we still own the old one and have work to do on it before we can get rid of it, and I'll tell you, every time I have to go there, I have a spike in my anxiety. I know it's not the same as being half in one place and half in another (though we experienced some of that too), but I can empathize for sure with that feeling you're describing. I hope you enjoy your long weekend and that you don't come down hard on yourself for the eating and drinking. I also hope, fervently, that the new place helps you to feel more settled. If there's any help I can offer, please let me know.

Also, you're absolutely right about the meditating. My brain needs a swift kick in the rear. ;-)

[miss_morland]

Thanks. <3 The house anxiety is mostly about two things: fear of running into my gross flatmate (and having a Scene) and fear of not getting my deposit back (and needing to Stand Up for Myself). The second one may not be over for a while - apparently landlords here can legally wait two months before paying the deposit back - but at least the second one should be over soon!

And yes, meditate. There is still time before school starts again. ;-)

[oschun]

That's such a sweet valentine's day gift.

Well done on the exercise. I can imagine that re-watching GK makes it feel like a treat and not a chore.

I'm on half-term and just spent a few days away visiting a very good friend who likes clean eating, but isn't a total health-nazi about it. She lived in Japan for a number of years and is a great cook. She made me really tasty Japanese rice balls and seaweed to eat for lunch on the train on the way home today instead of sandwiches. What a treat. Food that makes you feel happy and light. Both of us like interesting, healthy food. But we also have the same stumbling block to good health and weight loss, which is that we're terrible wine alcoholics. Although, this time we broke some patterns, went to the cinema at 9:00 after dinner and didn't stay up late talking and drinking, which is our established pattern. Seriously, a lot of us in my friendship circle can drink until dawn. She's trying out the strategy of putting good things into her life (Pilates, writing class, book club) to replace the bad rather than denying herself. I guess it's about saying yes to good things rather than no to bad things.

Side note - we saw 'If Beale Street Could Talk'. Have you seen it? I can't stop thinking about it.

[sylvanwitch]

I like your friend's idea about replacing bad things with good in her life--that sounds super productive and enviably healthy of her. :-) And it's great that this time around you found other ways to spend your evenings rather than drinking, though please know that I say that with no judgement. (I know that you struggle with the wine drinking, though, and that it bothers you, which is why I'm happy when you're happy with less, if that makes sense.)

I have not seen If Beale Street Could Talk. Is it good? I've heard it's very good. This time of year, I have to drag myself out to do anything, so we tend to see fewer movies now than at other times. Also, having a huge wall-mounted TV and spiffy sound system makes us WAAAAAY less likely to go out to the movies--lol! That is to say, if you recommend it, I'll put it on our list for when it comes to Netflix and/or Prime. Ah, we live in the future.

[oschun]

If Beale Street Could Talk is such a beautiful movie. Even though it's set in the 70s and is based on the Baldwin novel, it feels very much a response to Trump-era politics. I'd highly recommend seeing it. Barry Jenkins is an artist. He can imbue so much beauty into dark and difficult subject matter. I though Moonlight was incredible.

Good luck with your fitness goals this week.