Fitness Fellowship 2023: Week 35 Check-in

[sylvanwitch]

Another week down and we're almost done with August. Where has the summer gone?

How has your week been in terms of your fitness goals (or any other goals, for that matter--we're not picky here)? I hope it's been a good one for you. As always, please share what you're comfortable sharing. We're here to listen and not to judge.



I lost a little weight this week, which I attribute to resuming the intermittent fasting and to getting lots of exercise. My OB/GYN mentioned when going over my labs on Thursday that my good cholesterol is *really* good, and she said that's a level we can affect positively by exercising. That made me feel pretty awesome and also motivated me to make sure I'm getting at least 30-45 minutes every day.

My sleep has been pretty good, too, now that the film festival keeping T. out into the wee hours has finished. I've been working on going to bed earlier, and so far, I've backed it up to midnight. During the school year, I try to be in bed by 11:00pm because I get up at 6:00am, so I have to try to step that bedtime back by an hour before Tuesday.

I've been good about hydrating and have done a wee bit of breathing but also lots of mindfulness stuff while out walking/hiking.

My goals for next week are to STICK TO THE PLAN! Sometimes, the wheels fall off when the school year starts. Next week, I have three days of weird schedules for faculty meetings and freshman orientation days, but I'm going to try to be good about my bedtimes and am absolutely going to work on maintaining my IF.

On the subject of fasting, I'm going to start "skipping" breakfast, having a mid-morning snack instead of a full meal when I get up. There are several good reasons for this, but the most significant one is that if I'm doing, say, 12:12, there are going to be days (many) when I cannot possibly eat dinner before 6:00pm, and I really do want a minimum of 12 hours of fasting, so that requires a later breaking of my fast. (I will still be drinking my morning coffee, however; that's non-negotiable. ;-)

For probably the first decade or more of my current job, I didn't eat breakfast as a matter of choice, but then some diet or other I started emphasized how I MUST eat breakfast, so I got into the habit. It'll be weird not eating it when I get up, but I'm also kind of excited about having a little more time in the morning to maybe stretch as well as read a bit longer over coffee before showering, dressing, and leaving the house for the commute.

Anyway, this coming week, as I said above, is kind of an odd one, since my usual schedule doesn't commence until the 5th, but it'll be good practice for my fasting plans. Also, it'll give my body time to adjust to the new sleep schedule.


I'm sending you all the good vibes I can spare. Wish me luck on the resumption of my work life next week!

Comments

[luzula]

Best of luck with your work starting up! My teaching is also starting next week...

This week's goals:
- No work emails after nine, no computer after ten, and turn out the light at eleven.
- Go hiking on two days.
- Go running on two days.
- Work out on six days.

I did really well on getting back to my routine! Yay me. I met all my goals except that I only went running once, but that was because my foot hurt today. Probably just some passing thing, but I didn't want to stress it. I did go picking lingonberries instead, and made jam. Oh, and also I only worked out on five days because I was tired after coming back from hiking. I also defaulted back to my standard workout, which I often do when I'm starting up again after a break, or when I'm tired.

Next week's goals:
- No work emails after nine, no computer after ten, and turn out the light at eleven.
- Go running on two days.
- Work out on six days, and do some workouts other than my usual one.

hi

[oldtoadwoman]

Yeah, I too was brainwashed with the whole "must eat breakfast" thing. Part of it is I think just a carry-over of childhood when there was a lot of emphasis on growing children needing to eat breakfast so they could focus in school (and growing children have very different nutritional needs than adults). And then there was the whole "most important meal of the day" thing which most of us don't realize was a marketing slogan, not actual dietary advice by experts.

I'm up a couple of pounds from yesterday after my roommate offered to buy me my favorite food delivery really late and I am utterly unable to turn down free food. But I'm hoping that's just a temporary blip.

In the meantime, I boiled up some beans which are now soaking (heat turned back off) so that I can make bean soup tomorrow (I seem to do much better with pre-cooking/soaking the beans the day before than trying to get them properly cooked directly from dried beans). My last experiment with bean soup went really well, so I'm optimistic.

Mind you, the "summer is almost over" mindset is really calling to me with ideas like "last chance" to walk to my favorite frozen custard shop.

[sylvanwitch]

You are an exercising machine! YAY for all that goal-keeping and sensibleness and not running on a sore foot (which is a lesson I never learned except the hardest way, so I appreciate you being reasonable where I inevitably failed ;-). I wish you SO much luck for going back to school next week and hope that meeting your fitness goals is easy-peasy for you!

Re: hi

[sylvanwitch]

Oh, boy, do I hear you on that "last chance" ice cream temptation. There's a place here where we live that serves vegan ice cream shakes and other treats, along with the much more traditional American menu heavy on dairy and beef. I keep telling T. that we have to go before school resumes, even though this particular place is open well into the fall. OUR BRAINS ARE PROGRAMMED! Lol!

I hope the bean soup comes out AWESOME! I have to make a big batch of something for the coming week, but I spent the afternoon doing prep work and then working up a story for submitting for a call, so I have frittered away my cooking time. I hope YOU do better than I have done! Also, I have to get a walk in NOW before it gets dark! D'oh!

I hope those two pounds disappear pronto! (I can totally understand not turning down free delivery!)

Re: hi

[oldtoadwoman]

Oh, interesting development... The vegan grocery store that has been closed so long I'd given up on it, had a help wanted sign in the window the other day. The place has been gutted (all the shelves are completely gone) but there were employees milling around inside and there were tables set up like maybe they're adding a cafe section.

Re: hi

[sylvanwitch]

Oh, that would be so cool! Our vegan grocery store now carries fresh, locally made heat-and-eat meals, which are a little pricey but a nice break from cooking now and then.

[ljm]

I know I haven't checked in for a while, but I wanted to say that I kept up with my "alibi exercises" during the month I was preparing for the costume event (which went very well!) and have managed to get in a couple walks recently. Haven't missed a day so far, even if I've only done a little on most days.

I've also solidified my plans to move to a new state. Exciting for a lot of reasons, but one of them is that my apartment building will have a gym. Hopefully I'll be able to build a good routine once I'm there, though that won't be until October.

I'm glad to hear you're feeling motivated to exercise! Good luck with work next week!

[cornerofmadness]

this week was so awful that I bypassed the gym twice even after driving up there. sigh

[oschun]

Good luck with trying to get back into an earlier sleep routine. I'm seriously not looking forward to the alarm going off at 6:30. Like you, I need to try and walk it back this week so it's not a complete shock to the system.

Last week was a total write-off for me. We visited friends earlier in the week and then we had my wild cousins staying with us over the long weekend - so much drinking and staying up late!

I've put on weight over the summer. I'm up to 73.8 kgs. Dammit. I need to get down to 69kgs to be at the top end of the 'normal' BMI range. So that's the first goal. I've booked my gym sessions for the next two weeks. My plan is initially just to do one stretch session like pilates, one gym session with a bit of cardio but mainly focusing on weight training, then one cardio. If I set a goal of doing focused exercise every day, I am going to fail. I know this.

I'm also fasting two days this week. Yes, the whole thing about breakfast being vital is nonsense. I think I can do a 19hr window from dinnertime to about 3pm the next day which is when I finish school. I'll see if it's manageable. Or maybe just make it to 1pm. In general, I don't really do a lot of snacking between meals. Anyway, the next 3-4 weeks will be about experimenting with what works as a long-term routine. I turn 50 in October and that's what I want to give myself as a gift.

Have a great week!

[sylvanwitch]

Ugh, I’m sorry. I hope Week Two at school gets better for you or, at least, that the texts and tech stuff is sorted. It sucks that the university pays for products and then it’s somehow up to the end users to make them work. That’s just so backwards and stupid.

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you, my friend, and right back at you with the good wishes for a smooth start to the school year.

All your goals here sound sensible and doable, and I think it’s especially good that you’ve already lined up your exercise sessions because, if you’re like me, making a public commitment of time and money makes it more likely that you’ll follow through. Plus, I know you enjoy the classes once you’re at them, and the effects are also good for you. :-)

I am wishing you a smooth transition back to your school sleep schedule and success with your plans to achieve your goals by your birthday!

[cornerofmadness]

It really is stupid. thanks