Fitness Fellowship 2022 Week 2 Check-in

[sylvanwitch]

Winter has finally gotten its teeth into us here--it's 9F degrees, and we're expecting a big snowstorm tomorrow afternoon and into Monday. I just went out and bought a pair of snow boots. (My old ones became an impromptu litterbox for our problematic cat.) Maybe I'll get to go snowshoeing on Monday! It's one of my favorite winter activities, but in recent years, we haven't gotten the kind of sustained snow that makes for good sport. Here's hoping!

Do you have a favorite season-appropriate sport? (I'm keeping in mind that only part of the world is having winter right now.) If so, would you like to share?

As always, please do tell us how your week went and what plans you might have for the week ahead. Check in if you feel like it, but if you don't, we're here next time. :-)



Weight: 180.4, down .4 from last week. I'm having one of my infrequent periods (peri-menopause sucks), so I'm carrying water weight like woah and am hoping to have a better week to come.

Eating plan: I was good this week, staying well within my calories and not using up my exercise calories either. I'm eating MUCH cleaner and having lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies, natural proteins (e.g. unsalted nuts, beans, etc.) I definitely FEEL better and generally have more energy. Yay!

Exercise: There were a few days when I was just super tired, but I exercised anyway, and I've been good about lifting light weights too. The newest iFit elliptical series I'm working through is more challenging than last year's--I guess I "graduated" out of the new user category. ;-) This is a good thing--it's forcing me to kick things up a notch. I'm also already seeing results in my arms, shoulders, and back from lifting, and more core feels stronger too. Yay!

Sleep: Um...I have been getting super lost in m/m romance novels, and sometimes I stay up late, which I really must curb. On the nights when I do get to bed by 11:00, I feel better the following day for that sleep. I know this intellectually. I just have to convince the pouting teenager who wants to read for "five more minutes" (read: 45) that she needs to get her 51-year-old butt to bed. ;-)

Meditating: I have not really done that this week and MUST start working into my routine. It's not difficult for me to do it; I just don't seem to make time. I need to do it.

The week ahead: More consistent bedtimes, at least one session of meditation, and the rest goes on as usual.



Have a wonderful week ahead! Keep warm (or cool)!

Comments

week #2

[oldtoadwoman]

This week I have made bean soup from scratch. At first it was a bit too bland, but then I added some black pepper and a dash of smoky garlic hot sauce and it was perfect. Another day I made two quiches, which my roommate and I ate over the next three days as breakfast/lunch/dinner/whatever. (Roommate declined any of my gross-looking but yummy-tasting soup.) So all in all a lot of healthy food this week with some actual vegetables (one of the quiches was loaded up with broccoli and both had onion and mushroom). I've stayed true to the no-sugar goal. Yet somehow I am only one pound down from the start of the year. Hopefully this at least means I'm headed in the right direction.

I have not been exercising and I've also been backsliding on a reasonable bedtime. (Which I will need to get under control. Most of this next week, I work in the afternoon, but I have one early morning shift coming up at the end of next week, so I need to get back to a reasonable sleep cycle by then.)

[batdina]

I'm mostly back at it. I have PT next week so I'm sure I'll get more exercises to do than I'm currently doing, but the ones I have I'm pretty decent at getting accomplished, including the bike and the weights and the wall pushup things, as well as stretching. I push myself because I'm so tired all of the time, but I'm not letting myself get away with much.

I'm glad the elliptical is working out for you! And the snow-shoeing sounds like great exercise.

Now, if you don't mind sharing (and PM is fine!), what are you reading? Most of my reading is for work, so non-fiction. Always on the lookout for a decent fiction read that's not fanfic.

[aien_hime]

Sounds like you had a good week! =)

I can't comment on my current weight as our bathroom is getting renovated so we packed up everything including our scale. I don't think I lost much, but I am quite sure I didn't gain anything either. Hopefully I'll see some results next week!

Due to the renovations we rented a holiday house for a bit last week, and I did manage to work out a little there. I played some soccer with my kids, I did a solo forest walk (which was lovely) and since we've returned home I rode our bike daily.

Food is going better. I did snack a little bit too much on holiday (darn you salty licorice), but apart from that I didn't overeat and I didn't have any desert anymore. We also finished our holidays chocolate stash and we're not buying any more which is going well as well. I have loads of yummy and healthy food in the house for lunch now, too, which I'm really enjoying.

[oschun]

Snowshoeing sounds like fun. The temperature has finally dropped over here and we've had frost in the mornings but snow where we live is rare. It's been such a mild winter up to now that my roses are still blooming!

I had a pretty crazy week with work (online parents' evenings etc.) and didn't manage any exercise, which was disappointing, but I'm about to go out for a long walk now. My goal this week is to prioritise exercise.

I'm doing well with the other goals. The 2nd week of weekday sobriety was easier and I'm definitely breaking the back of that habit. I ordered a range of pale ales, ciders and champagne-style drinks from an online company called The Wise Barman that only does alcohol-free, and they're really good! Psychologically I feel less like I'm punishing myself if I can have a glass of faux-booze in a pretty glass when I get home. My internal decadent is generally satisfied with that :)

[impala_chick]

It's so hard for me to be motivated during winter! But we did manage two hikes this week and hopefully another tomorrow.

[delphi]

I hope snowshoeing is in the cards! And I'm really glad you're feeling good about what you're eating and having more energy.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty good about my food choices this week, if kicking myself a little for 'wasting' my one takeout meal on what turned out to be disappointing sushi. I've been getting some good use out of my stationary bike, and I'm once again six out of seven on my sleep goal...although it was kind of a moot point because two more of those nights ended up featuring anxiety-fuelled insomnia. It was triggered by an overall good thing (getting a promotion at work), but any life change tends to throw me for a loop until my nervous system figures out the world isn't ending.

Re: week #2

[sylvanwitch]

Smoky garlic hot sauce sounds fantastic! May I ask what brand you use? I'll look for it and/or order some. I'm a big fan of using hot sauce to spice up a bland dish.

Everything you say here about the good eating habits sounds great, and I think you'll see a steady reduction on the scale as long as you keep at the healthy choices.

I wish you luck with both the sleeping and the exercising. I'm still struggling with my sleep habits, but I will say that daily exercise, even when I really, REALLY don't want to do it, has definitely helped me not only physically but also emotionally and mentally.

[sylvanwitch]

I'm so glad you're still exercising and improving, and I hope PT helps you develop even further. I know from what you've written here that it's been an incredibly long process for you to regain what you've lost, and I am excited on your behalf every time I read that you're doing more than you were able to before. This is such good news! *hugs*

I spent 24 minutes snowshoeing today, and it was WORK, but it was also wonderful. We've got maybe 20 inches, but it's drifted much higher than that in some places, making the whole thing that much more strenuous. I was careful to pay attention to my body and quit before I hurt myself. I'm looking forward to more of it as the week goes along.

I don't mind sharing at all! I discovered Keira Andrews a while back--she writes steamy m/m romances--and have been working my way through most of the ones I am interested in. (She has some professional ice skating and hockey ones that just aren't interesting to me, but I took a chance on the hot Aussie lifeguards and enjoyed that.) Right now, I've just finished a fantasy duology of hers, which begins with Wed to the Barbarian. It is absolutely exactly what it sounds like. I finished the second volume last night; that's The Barbarian's Vow. Now, I'm reading Kidnapped by the Pirate, which is making my inner Age-of-Sail fan squee. Andrews is a competent writer deft with tropes who makes me care about the characters and does a pretty good job of establishing and maintaining tension, and not for nothing, she knows how to write an extremely *ahems* effective sex scene. Her holiday-themed m/m romances are also good. She always delivers on her promise of Happily Ever After.

[sylvanwitch]

Mmmm, salty licorice! I had a friend from Germany back in my grad school days, and when we'd visit the market in Lancaster, PA, USA, she'd always go to this particular Pennsylvania Dutch stand that sold salty licorice. I remember her offering us each a piece and the looks of total disgust on the others' faces while I happily chewed on mine. I suppose it's an acquired taste hereabouts, as it's not readily available, but I did like it, so I can relate to it being a temptation for you.

Now that I've dragged you down memory lane with me (*grins*), congrats on healthy eating choices and on NOT buying more chocolate. I've learned over the years that if I want to not be tempted by certain things I have to just not have them in the house, so your post-holiday chocolate policy is relatable.

I hope the renovations are done soon for you and that you're back in your home in comfort and style. :-)

[sylvanwitch]

I can hardly imagine roses in bloom--that's so lovely! We've gotten maybe 20 inches or so, and it's snowing again out there now. I did get to go snowshoeing today, and it was marvelous and exhausting at the same time. Very good cardio and killer on the thighs! ;-)

I am SO excited that you've gotten on top of your central fitness goal and are finding reasonable substitutes. (Or "acceptable substitutes," I think is the phrase--there's a fantastic Harry Potter AU called "Home Fries Nazi" in which Snape offers that phrase to Harry, who has lost his magic. Anyway, I think of that line often when I'm struggling to replace a bad habit with a better one.)

I hope you continue to enjoy roses and faux-brew, my friend! You are worth ALL the lovelies!

[sylvanwitch]

YAY, two hikes--that's awesome! I hope you were able to get out again!

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you so much! I did get to go out today on the snowshoes, and it was exhausting but also wonderful! It's definitely good cardio, that's for sure! I was drenched to the skin with sweat after only 24 minutes.

Oh, that is so disappointing, isn't it? (Some time ago, I spent my splurge meal on our favorite Indian place, but I ordered things vegan--not having really thought about it before and having overlooked the ghee used in my fave dishes--and it was just underwhelming, and then I felt robbed.) I feel your pain, and I mean that sincerely. :-)

I'm also sorry to hear about the anxiety-related insomnia. As a fellow sufferer, I know how hard that sucks. I hope you're able to work through it and get more/better sleep soon. Also, congratulations on the promotion!

Finally, YAY for using the bike! That's awesome! I hope you continue to find it enjoyable.

Re: week #2

[oldtoadwoman]

The one I have is "Bravado Spice Co" and in addition to being "Black Garlic" flavor it's Carolina Reaper, which is rated one of the hottest peppers so I have to remember not just splash it on like regular hot sauce. A giant bowl of bean soup requires only maybe a quarter teaspoon. I really like that this one does have actual flavor and isn't just hot. (This was an accidental purchase because I was oblivious enough to not notice the "Carolina Reaper" on the label until after I bought it. I don't normally seek out the crazy spicy stuff. But fortunately I like it and because it's so strong I only use a little at a time, the bottle has been lasting a lot longer than I usually go through a bottle of hot sauce.)

I also sprinkled some ground peanuts on top. I use a nut grinder to always have a jar of ground peanuts on hand because I like it on ramen noodles. It was kind of an experiment to put it on the soup, but it went really well with the hot sauce.

Yesterday I made quiche. Very tasty and mostly healthy ingredients, but... I can't seem to limit myself to a reasonable quantity. My brain and tummy keep going, "One more slice won't hurt!" until it's all gone.

Re: week #2

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you for the name and the warning--I just ordered a bottle for delivery and am looking forward to trying it. I know what you mean about preferring my heat WITH flavor rather than just eye-wateringly, tongue-searingly hot.

I also know what you mean about portion control. I have that problem too, and it's an ongoing one. I often tell myself that as long as I'm still within my daily calorie goal (which I usually am), it's okay to have an extra helping. There's something in me that worries about not getting full enough, and I know exactly where that comes from. We were never food insecure for financial reasons, but my mother had a rule about my father getting the best or largest portion of food and also, when I grew into a chubby teen, started monitoring my intake and commenting about my eating habits, which led to me sneaking food (usually sweets) later at night or taking loose change from the cup on the hutch to buy an extra ice cream during study hall, when no one would know it was my second. (Study hall at my school was in the cafeteria, inconveniently for my many and varied diet efforts.) She also used food as a reward (particularly ice cream), so my relationship with food was set in pretty deeply from an early age, and even though I can tell you all of this with clarity and intellectual understanding, it doesn't always matter when I'm thinking about seconds.

Tl;dr, my childhood messed me up. Lol!

Re: week #2

[oldtoadwoman]

I've been thinking of making one of my "memoir" posts on the topic of food and nostalgia. Food was definitely used as a reward when I was young. (And my mom had problems with binge eating as well so I learned a lot of really unhealthy habits growing up.) So much of my comfort-eating urges are related to me trying to recapture a memory. As if eating candy will tap into happier times. I not only eat when I'm sad, I'm actually even more prone to overeating when I'm anxious. (I know some people can't eat when they are nervous/anxious, but for me it's a knee-jerk reaction to start rummaging through the cupboards and fridge because I know eating with soothe me... but, of course, only in the short term as I'll often feel worse later.)