Fitness Fellowship 2024: Week 25 Check-in
Jun. 25th, 2024 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sylvanwitchGreetings, Friends!
I hope you'll be patient with the lateness of this post. I was home from vacation by yesterday, but we were busy, and I was also in full-on avoidance-of-real-life mode, trying to ease back into my usual routine. I'll try to be more punctual from here on out.
How was your week-and-a-day? I hope it has been a good week for you, that you've met or exceeded your fitness goals, and that you are feeling strong and well. Please share with us how you've been and what your plans are going forward. As always, we're here to listen and not to judge.
Weight: I'm pleased to report that I gained only 5 pounds on this trip, and I'm already down .8 since yesterday's weigh-in. Most of that is directly attributable to all the baked goods I consumed. See below for more detail. ;-)
Exercise: We exercised every day, mostly via walking and/or hiking. It was very hot--we were under a "heat dome"--so that made exertion a challenge, but we went out every day for a walk or more than one, and I'm proud of us. We also climbed some steep hills, scrambled over rocky ground, and didn't balk at trails that took some effort. (We avoided the very strenuous uphill trails, however.) I absolutely believe the incline work I did before the trip allowed me to do better on the long uphill climbs and to have more stamina in general.
Eating plan: Rural Vermont loves its fresh-baked goods. I can make this assertion based on experience. Many places we stopped boasted locally made fresh baked goods. Only 2.5 miles from the cabin was a family-owned farm market, and they made different scones, pies, and cookies each day. Give me strength! Anyway, there were a LOT of baked goods and some snacking outside my eating window. On the plus side, the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning in the cabin made my appetite a little lacking, so I probably didn't overeat as I may have otherwise.
Meditation: Lots of private prayers, some meditation and breathing to help with sleeping in a strange place.
Hydration: I was stupid about this. Rural VT makes up for its massive quantities of baked goods with a dearth of public restrooms, and while I am quite capable of using the wilderness for the intended purpose of a restroom, I do prefer flush toilets when I can get them. For that reason, I often stinted on hydration while out walking, even though it was much hotter and more humid than I was used to. As a result, I had two evenings early in the trip when I suffered the obvious effects of sun-sickness/dehydration. Thereafter, I took water with me wherever we went, even if it did mean having to find a place for the inevitable consequence of all that hydration. ;-)
Sleep: Yeah, uh, no? I mean, of course I slept! But the first couple of nights in a new place are always a challenge for me, and then after that, I often wanted to sit up reading and/or it was rather uncomfortably warm in the room, which made falling and staying asleep a challenge. For as much fun as we had--and we did!--I was ever so glad to get back to my air-conditioned bedroom, wherein lives my comfy mattress (and my upstairs cat, Pixie, who likes to visit me on the bed as part of our night-time ritual).
Plan for the week ahead: I'm already back to my usual fasting window (10a-8p) and am restricting my intake of the remaining baked goods. I'm exercising daily, as usual, specifically trying to get in at least an hour's walk and/or an equivalent amount of time in the garden. (Today, I spent 2+ hours gardening and then also went for a 38-minute fast walk.) I'm on my summer sleep schedule, which means I go to bed between one and two AM and get up around eight or nine AM, but it's regular sleep, so it's good. I am waiting for a water-bottle sling to be delivered, so I can more comfortably carry said bottle while walking/hiking in the heat (it also has pockets for my driver's license, a camera, etc.), so I'll be better about hydrating while exercising in the heat. I have already done some boxing-of-the-breath and meditating while walking this week. And I intend to resume incline and interval work to keep up the cardio. I'm looking forward to establishing my summer routine this week and keeping up with it throughout the rest of the break.
I brought back some magical vacation dust to sprinkle all over this entry, so you can take some of the relaxation and rejuvenation with you into your week!
I hope you'll be patient with the lateness of this post. I was home from vacation by yesterday, but we were busy, and I was also in full-on avoidance-of-real-life mode, trying to ease back into my usual routine. I'll try to be more punctual from here on out.
How was your week-and-a-day? I hope it has been a good week for you, that you've met or exceeded your fitness goals, and that you are feeling strong and well. Please share with us how you've been and what your plans are going forward. As always, we're here to listen and not to judge.
Weight: I'm pleased to report that I gained only 5 pounds on this trip, and I'm already down .8 since yesterday's weigh-in. Most of that is directly attributable to all the baked goods I consumed. See below for more detail. ;-)
Exercise: We exercised every day, mostly via walking and/or hiking. It was very hot--we were under a "heat dome"--so that made exertion a challenge, but we went out every day for a walk or more than one, and I'm proud of us. We also climbed some steep hills, scrambled over rocky ground, and didn't balk at trails that took some effort. (We avoided the very strenuous uphill trails, however.) I absolutely believe the incline work I did before the trip allowed me to do better on the long uphill climbs and to have more stamina in general.
Eating plan: Rural Vermont loves its fresh-baked goods. I can make this assertion based on experience. Many places we stopped boasted locally made fresh baked goods. Only 2.5 miles from the cabin was a family-owned farm market, and they made different scones, pies, and cookies each day. Give me strength! Anyway, there were a LOT of baked goods and some snacking outside my eating window. On the plus side, the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning in the cabin made my appetite a little lacking, so I probably didn't overeat as I may have otherwise.
Meditation: Lots of private prayers, some meditation and breathing to help with sleeping in a strange place.
Hydration: I was stupid about this. Rural VT makes up for its massive quantities of baked goods with a dearth of public restrooms, and while I am quite capable of using the wilderness for the intended purpose of a restroom, I do prefer flush toilets when I can get them. For that reason, I often stinted on hydration while out walking, even though it was much hotter and more humid than I was used to. As a result, I had two evenings early in the trip when I suffered the obvious effects of sun-sickness/dehydration. Thereafter, I took water with me wherever we went, even if it did mean having to find a place for the inevitable consequence of all that hydration. ;-)
Sleep: Yeah, uh, no? I mean, of course I slept! But the first couple of nights in a new place are always a challenge for me, and then after that, I often wanted to sit up reading and/or it was rather uncomfortably warm in the room, which made falling and staying asleep a challenge. For as much fun as we had--and we did!--I was ever so glad to get back to my air-conditioned bedroom, wherein lives my comfy mattress (and my upstairs cat, Pixie, who likes to visit me on the bed as part of our night-time ritual).
Plan for the week ahead: I'm already back to my usual fasting window (10a-8p) and am restricting my intake of the remaining baked goods. I'm exercising daily, as usual, specifically trying to get in at least an hour's walk and/or an equivalent amount of time in the garden. (Today, I spent 2+ hours gardening and then also went for a 38-minute fast walk.) I'm on my summer sleep schedule, which means I go to bed between one and two AM and get up around eight or nine AM, but it's regular sleep, so it's good. I am waiting for a water-bottle sling to be delivered, so I can more comfortably carry said bottle while walking/hiking in the heat (it also has pockets for my driver's license, a camera, etc.), so I'll be better about hydrating while exercising in the heat. I have already done some boxing-of-the-breath and meditating while walking this week. And I intend to resume incline and interval work to keep up the cardio. I'm looking forward to establishing my summer routine this week and keeping up with it throughout the rest of the break.
I brought back some magical vacation dust to sprinkle all over this entry, so you can take some of the relaxation and rejuvenation with you into your week!
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 12:32 pm (UTC)The baked goods sound like heaven! And the trails sound pleasant too.
I use this reusable urinator and it works. Better than the disposable or funnel shaped varieties. The one I've linked is Indian but you might find something similar.
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 05:58 pm (UTC)I met most of my goals last week, except for badminton, but I missed that for reasons that were beyond my control. We're definitely playing tomorrow even though it's SO hot here too. Otherwise, same goals as last week.
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 06:24 pm (UTC)One thing that will give me joy in years to come, though: the farm I bought has a Gravenstein apple tree! That is my VERY FAVORITE apple! And it's old enough to have started bearing, too (they can take a while).
Weight is good; I'm surprised I'm managing to be so stable at my goal weight, even though I indulge sometimes in gelato and the like. I think it's about eating smaller meals than previously.
Exercise has been acceptable, but I can do better. I did go hiking overnight Sunday-Monday, that was nice. Was planning a trip this weekend, but right now I'm questioning whether I should stay home and rest or not. I suppose I'll decide tomorrow. Goal for the rest of the week: try to get good sleep and recover from the stress.
Your vacation sounds nice; I'm glad your incline work is bearing fruit. And I hope you really enjoyed the baked goods, at least. : ) I always hate it when I indulge in something and then it's not good enough to be worth it.
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 08:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 08:19 pm (UTC)YAY for meeting your goals and good luck on the badminton in the heat. I hope your heat breaks soonest!
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 08:22 pm (UTC)What a FANTASTIC surprise about the apple tree! Obviously, you were meant to have the farm. I hope that when things settle down, you can settle in and just be content and at peace there. I also hope you get what rest you need. It sounds like you're being gentle with yourself, which is important. I will send you MORE magic dust, this kind the sort that brings peace of mind. *sprinkles*
so close
Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 11:24 pm (UTC)I've spent the last two days exactly one pound over my next big goal. And even as I'm trying to nudge the scales downward with the power of my brain ... there's a new donut shop in the neighborhood that I hadn't tried before so ... yeah, I got two donuts for breakfast.
My greatest weakness is novelty. (Any time there's a new flavor of Oreo or Doritos -- even if it doesn't sound good -- I can't NOT try it.) And the new donut shop makes donuts with potatoes (?!) and I just had to try them. (Official verdict = not as good as Old Fashioned Donuts, but much better than Stan's Donuts.)
I've been swimming a bit more regularly and I'm counting that as meditation time because so often I'm down there with the whole pool to myself.
Re: so close
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2024 03:23 pm (UTC)Anyway, I appreciate the struggle. Go, you, for getting in so much swimming! That's SO good for your heart (and your peace of mind, it sounds like)!
Good luck making that goal!
Re: so close
Date: Friday, 28 June 2024 03:47 am (UTC)My absolute favorite donut shop is way on the other side of town and they've drastically raised their prices. So that's probably for the best. This place was fine and if my sister ever visits, I'll go back because they had a couple of flavors available in gluten-free options. But otherwise, it's not going to be a huge temptation.
Alas, I have no shortage of other temptations though.
I spent another hour in the pool tonight!
(no subject)
Date: Friday, 28 June 2024 11:46 am (UTC)Re: so close
Date: Friday, 28 June 2024 09:42 pm (UTC)