Fitness Fellowship 2022: Week 3 Check-in

[sylvanwitch]

We still have snow here, which means I could be snowshoeing, except it is frigid out there, so I'll have to hope for somewhat warmer temperatures. Also, I have handwritten midterm exam essays to grade, which is keeping me indoors as well. But all is otherwise well here, and I hope the same can be said for you.

If you're feeling it, please do let us know how your past week has been and what, if any, plans you have for the week ahead. Feel free to stop by any time, and don't ever feel obligated to comment if you're not feeling it. :-)



Weight: Ugh. Not going to talk about it. It's definitely up by quite a bit, though not as high as it was at year's start. Still, I'm disappointed in myself, but I am also trying hard to focus on those aspects of my fitness plan in which I am succeeding.

Exercise: This, I am ever faithful in and still very much enjoying. As of a few minutes ago, I've already done 15 elliptical workouts this year, and that's not the only exercise I'm getting, of course. I've had several days in which I've gone way over my steps goal, for example, and I've been good about strength training, as well. And I *feel* fit and strong, which I keep reminding myself is a better outcome than any number on a scale. So there.

Eating plan: This is where I've been struggling most. In fact, I gave myself permission to order a ton of Chinese takeout yesterday, so I'd have meals for the long weekend (Monday is my grading day) and be able to focus on grading. Grading essays takes a particular mindset for me, and sometimes it makes me really miserable, to be honest. But, so far, this time around hasn't been so bad, and as of tonight, I have only 18 left to grade of the 87 I brought home yesterday afternoon. Go, me! (I have four late exams coming in sometime next week, but that will be nothing compared to the pile I've been working my way through.) Anyway, I also gave in to food reward as motivation and had T. pick up an Abe's vegan carrot layer cake from Whole Foods, which I'm going to enjoy working my way through as well. (I mean, we're splitting it and not eating it all in one sitting, of course. Lol!) Anyway, I need to stop eating extra snacks when I don't need them, even if I do have exercise calories to burn. One thing I will say is that I've planned for the higher calorie Chinese food dinners by having healthy breakfasts and a light midday snack rather than lunch, and that has definitely helped keep things from getting out of hand.

Sleep: I am still inconsistent with this, but when I do get seven hours, I definitely feel a positive difference, so I really need to stop being a pouting baby about putting my book down and just go to bed already. ;-)

Meditation: Some? I mean, I do pray daily as part of my spiritual practice, and I do sometimes spend some time focusing on my breathing. But I would like to get back into a more regular, formal meditation practice. I keep saying it. Maybe I should actually DO it, huh?


Sending you sunshine and smiles for the week to come!

Comments

[oldtoadwoman]

I'm exactly where I was last week. I'm still hopeful that I can bring it own next week so this will look like a stop on the way to the right direction. But I'm still vaguely disappointed that I haven't gone down at all.

[sylvanwitch]

I know it's difficult to drum up motivation when there is no immediate positive outcome. I have the same problem right now. BUT, I also know we are both capable of doing this and just have to gather the shreds of our motivation for it. :-)