Fitness Fellowship 2023: Week 8 Check-in

[sylvanwitch]

Hey, there! How have you all been this past week? Good? Bad? Indifferent?
Whatever the case, please let us know how you're doing on this fitness journey we're taking together. Share your ups and downs, what's working and what isn't. We're here to listen and not to judge. :-)



The good news is that eating what I liked, in moderation, and trying to balance healthy food with less healthy options worked out pretty well. At midweek, I'd lost a couple of pounds. I credit this to all the walking I was doing as the weather had finally moderated, and I was taking regular strolls, and then to biking indoors when the weather turned bad mid-break.

Then we had an ice storm, and I fell while clearing my car, pulling a groin muscle, and I spent Friday and Saturday in pain and doing very little physical activity. I was also comfort-eating (because my husband is sick--not COVID, thankfully--and my 91-year-old mother tested positive in an outbreak at her nursing home and because my break is almost over and we have five LONG weeks until spring break and...*sighs*). So, I'm at my January starting weight again. Ah, well.

Today, I felt well enough to get out for a long walk, which was awesome, and I'm also going to get on the bike to finish the month's challenge series. I am feeling positive despite the weight gain because I've proven to myself that I don't have to be *as* strict with what I eat as long as I'm getting a good amount of exercise.

My sleep has been okay. I've been having trouble going to sleep, so last night I took melatonin, and that helped. I'm probably going to start back to work with a sleep deficit because I suspect I'll go to bed on time tonight but not sleep right away. We'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I didn't meditate, though I did think about it, which I recognize doesn't count.

Hydration has been a-okay.

My plan for the week ahead is to quit the comfort eating but keep with eating less strictly as long as I exercise, and we'll see what happens. How exciting! Lol! If I can find that sweet spot between eating to lose weight and NOT resenting what I'm giving up, I will be very happy.

May the week ahead bring you what you most need to thrive, my friends!

Comments

[cornerofmadness]

My knee went ballistic so I didn't even make the gym as it was very unstable (the knee, not the gym)

[sylvanwitch]

Ugh, I am so sorry for the ongoing knee drama. I wish they could get to the bottom of it for you.

[cornerofmadness]

thanks. Honestly this is probably it for the knee given the level of damage

[oschun]

I didn't meditate, though I did think about it, which I recognize doesn't count.

That made me smile. IMO thinking about it does count. You'll get there eventually if that's what you need.

Sorry to hear about you falling and about T and your mom. I got covid last week and spent Thurs-Sun in bed. It wasn't pleasant - had a constant low grade headache and sweated an insane amount - but it was nothing like the first time I got it at the end of 2021. I felt well enough to go back to work today and it was mostly okay except for the pressure-pain in my head when I coughed or leaned forward. Luckily, the cough is pretty minor and intermittent. Is T alright? And your mom?

I'm glad to hear things are balancing out with the eating/exercise/resentment ratio. I guess you weigh yourself regularly so you can monitor if it's working for you.

[sylvanwitch]

Oh, no! I’m sorry to hear that you had Covid again—that’s miserable. I’m glad to hear it didn’t last as long, of course, though it sounds unpleasant in any case. I hope you have no lingering effects and are back to full strength soonest!

T. is still coughing and sneezing, but he worked a full shift yesterday and seemed to feel okay when he got home. I think he’s on the mend. We’ve been taking elderberry-zinc lozenges and using Zicam swabs to try to cut down the severity in his case and prevent it entirely in mine.

11 residents and 7 staff members currently have Covid at Mom’s nursing home, but I was able to get through to her room yesterday. She dropped the receiver but kept talking to me—and to invisible people, as well, which is not Covid-related—and though she sounded hoarse, she wasn’t coughing nor did she seem to be more out of breath than usual, so I am taking that as a good sign. The home said they’d call if there were any negative changes, so no news does seem to be good news there. Thank you for asking, hon.

[oschun]

Glad to hear T is on the mend.

How gorgeous is this website?! So many forests! I thought you might want to use it for meditation.

https://www.tree.fm/forest/9

[sylvanwitch]

Hon, this is an amazing resource! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. *bookmarks*

[synkkaenkeli]

I hope you’re feeling better after the fall!!!! Try not to beat yourself up too much about the backslide though.

I forgot to weigh yesterday so I’m not sure where I’m at there.

I feel like I’ve moderated food relatively well though and have biked when I can. I was able to hop on and do a ride today because my Internet went out and so I couldn’t work. So I had a break from sitting up on my tailbone and used that to my advantage to get a ride in.

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you so much. I’m feeling much better today, though there is still some soreness.

Good for you for taking advantage of unexpected downtime to use your bike—that’s awesome! I am sorry you were without internet, however.

I hope the week ahead is a good one for you.

[synkkaenkeli]

Thank you! It’s come back up for now so fingers crossed it stays that way.

[qilora]

i'm so glad to see you and read about how you've been doing and feeling...

you seem optimistic, as well you should be!
please think of me, i am going thru a hard time myself.. be well! – <3

[sylvanwitch]

I am so sorry you're struggling right now. Please know that I've thought of you often and wondered how you were doing. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and sendings! *hugs*

[luzula]

Oh no, sorry about your mom, I hope she'll be fine! And sorry about pulling that muscle, too. : (

My week has been incredibly busy, and the next two weeks are not likely to be better. : ( this is my busiest time at work, I'm also busy in the environmental organization where I am on the board, where there is also currently a conflict, and also I need to find a new flatmate. Sigh. On the positive side, my back is fine again--I think it was a strained muscle which has now healed.

- Go to bed and turn out the light at 11 pm every day.
Yes, but I didn't always sleep well--this is always a sign that I am too busy.

- Focus a little more on my food goals.
Food was okay, except for the special occasion of my mom’s birthday when I ate a lot.

- Go out in the woods every day except Monday and Tuesday, even if just a short walk.
No. My back did not allow this for a few days, but I did go out on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when I was getting better.

- Go running if/when my back allows.
No, my back did not allow it.

- Do workouts if/when my back allows.
No, my back did not allow it.

Goals for this week:
- Try to cut down on activities/commitments which are not necessary, to minimize stress.
- Go to bed and turn out the light at 11 pm every day. (Although I have already failed at this on Monday, when I got an upsetting e-mail that I stayed up to reply to and only got to bed at 11.40.)
- Keep to my food goals.
- Go out in the woods every day except Monday, even if just a short walk.
- Go running three times.
- Do workouts on five days.

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you for the kind words about my mom. They've got her on Paxlovid, and when I spoke with her (sort of--she dropped the receiver, so it was her shouting incoherently at the floor and me trying to talk loud enough for her to hear me from there--lol!) the other day, she was hoarse but not coughing, and she had the lung power to shout, so I'm hopeful that she will recover.

I am so sorry your back was so problematic but am glad it's back in working order again, though I do wish you weren't suffering from so much stress. It's good that you know it has a time limit, however, in terms of your work year, and I hope that it's over as soon as it can be and that you're able to get back on track with your goals with no more interference.