Fitness Fellowship 2025: Check-in 27
Jul. 7th, 2025 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sylvanwitchWe're in the hazy, humid, hot summer months in my part of the world, and that means I'm not getting nearly enough walking outdoors done. Thankfully, the elliptical is in a nicely temperature-controlled room convenient to the television, but I really would prefer to be outside. *sighs*
I hope wherever you are the weather is being more agreeable for the fitness pursuits you most prefer. Regardless of agreeability, I hope the weather is *safe* where you are. There is a great deal of dangerous weather out there.
As usual, please share as much or as little as you'd like about your fitness efforts (or lack thereof) this past week. No judgement, only support!
Weight: Ugh. I'm up by about 1.4 pounds (?). I'm not sure exactly why. There was a single splurge meal Friday night, and I did do some late-night light snacking (popcorn, sunflower seeds), but I mostly avoided overeating and indulging in too many sweets.
Exercise: It's my annual effort to wrestle the house into guest-worthy order for my BFF to stay and cat-sit while we're away next week, so a lot of my activity has been cleaning-related (which is not nothing), but I have walked every day (sometimes on the elliptical because of the aforementioned heat and humidity), I did yoga four times, and I did strength-training three, which is fewer than usual but each session was longer--I'm trying to increase my stamina--so the number of minutes I did strength-training is the same as if I'd done it for four or five sessions instead of the three I managed. One of those strength-training sessions was a total-body workout, so I also got some abs work in (ouch).
Eating plan: As mentioned above, I was pretty good about eating this past week, so I'm not sure exactly why I've shot up in weight. It may be heat-related, I suppose, or that I'm not getting in as many minutes each day walking, since so much of my days and evenings are taken up with cleaning. Who knows? Anyway, I have been focused on eating lots of fruits and veg, whole grains, legumes and beans, and greens. SO MANY GREENS. I've been making smoothies for a light lunch, and those are healthy. (There are absolutely ways to make smoothies less healthy, but my smoothies are made up of lots of good stuff--today's, for example, had ground flaxseeds, unsalted walnuts, fresh blueberries, frozen cherries, fresh baby spinach, and unsweetened cashew milk. I used a little liquid Stevia to sweeten it and added a dash of almond extract to make it extra delicious--and it definitely was.)
Meditation: Yes! I did this...twice?...this week. Plus, I did some breathing exercises while out for a ramble on one of the days when it wasn't prohibitively hot outside.
Hydration: SO MUCH HYDRATION.
Sleep: I've been getting seven or more hours every night and have been very good about being off-screen well before I plan to turn in. My actual bedtimes vary a little based on how tired I am, but I am having less trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and though my dreams are weirder in the summer, they are also less anxious now than they were when I'd just gone on break. (This is one of the many factors that makes me wish I could retire from my teaching career early. Alas, I cannot afford to.)
The week ahead: More cleaning, healthy eating (with less late-night snacking, healthy choices or no), same exercise goals as usual, sleep and hydration ditto.
May the week ahead give you plenty of opportunities to do something kind for yourself.
I hope wherever you are the weather is being more agreeable for the fitness pursuits you most prefer. Regardless of agreeability, I hope the weather is *safe* where you are. There is a great deal of dangerous weather out there.
As usual, please share as much or as little as you'd like about your fitness efforts (or lack thereof) this past week. No judgement, only support!
Weight: Ugh. I'm up by about 1.4 pounds (?). I'm not sure exactly why. There was a single splurge meal Friday night, and I did do some late-night light snacking (popcorn, sunflower seeds), but I mostly avoided overeating and indulging in too many sweets.
Exercise: It's my annual effort to wrestle the house into guest-worthy order for my BFF to stay and cat-sit while we're away next week, so a lot of my activity has been cleaning-related (which is not nothing), but I have walked every day (sometimes on the elliptical because of the aforementioned heat and humidity), I did yoga four times, and I did strength-training three, which is fewer than usual but each session was longer--I'm trying to increase my stamina--so the number of minutes I did strength-training is the same as if I'd done it for four or five sessions instead of the three I managed. One of those strength-training sessions was a total-body workout, so I also got some abs work in (ouch).
Eating plan: As mentioned above, I was pretty good about eating this past week, so I'm not sure exactly why I've shot up in weight. It may be heat-related, I suppose, or that I'm not getting in as many minutes each day walking, since so much of my days and evenings are taken up with cleaning. Who knows? Anyway, I have been focused on eating lots of fruits and veg, whole grains, legumes and beans, and greens. SO MANY GREENS. I've been making smoothies for a light lunch, and those are healthy. (There are absolutely ways to make smoothies less healthy, but my smoothies are made up of lots of good stuff--today's, for example, had ground flaxseeds, unsalted walnuts, fresh blueberries, frozen cherries, fresh baby spinach, and unsweetened cashew milk. I used a little liquid Stevia to sweeten it and added a dash of almond extract to make it extra delicious--and it definitely was.)
Meditation: Yes! I did this...twice?...this week. Plus, I did some breathing exercises while out for a ramble on one of the days when it wasn't prohibitively hot outside.
Hydration: SO MUCH HYDRATION.
Sleep: I've been getting seven or more hours every night and have been very good about being off-screen well before I plan to turn in. My actual bedtimes vary a little based on how tired I am, but I am having less trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and though my dreams are weirder in the summer, they are also less anxious now than they were when I'd just gone on break. (This is one of the many factors that makes me wish I could retire from my teaching career early. Alas, I cannot afford to.)
The week ahead: More cleaning, healthy eating (with less late-night snacking, healthy choices or no), same exercise goals as usual, sleep and hydration ditto.
May the week ahead give you plenty of opportunities to do something kind for yourself.
Well ...
Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 05:35 am (UTC)Today however, I collected peapods to make a stir-fry. I also bushwhacked a part of the prairie garden path that had grown over, piled the leafy bits on the firepit, and cut the branch parts into lengths for building the next bonfire core. Productive.
(no subject)
Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 05:37 pm (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 07:02 pm (UTC)Also, YUM, peapods! :-)
(no subject)
Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 07:06 pm (UTC)Cherries are probably my most favorite fruit in summer, apples in winter.
I love smoothies, but I am, unfortunately, a seasonal eater, which means that once it gets cold and wet out, I'm far less likely to eat cold cereal, smoothies, etc. It's all root veg and soup and hot beverages for me once the temps plummet. Likewise, when it gets hot out, I'm all about salads and crudite plates (I've been eating carrot sticks with hummus most days for a light snack--mmmmm!) and smoothies. I do wish I weren't quite so married to the seasons, appetite-wise, but I can't seem to change it. Anyway, I am enjoying ALL the smoothie goodness while my appetite says it's time! :-)
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 9 July 2025 05:59 am (UTC)I've been muddling through, still struggling with all my summer triggers but more or less holding the line. While not a formal goal, I'm definitely going to make an effort to up my hydration this week as the summer gets hotter!
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, 9 July 2025 02:20 pm (UTC)I sometimes love a glass of cold water, and sometimes my appetite insists that it have flavor, so I’ll add some Stur, which is a naturally sweetened, no calorie additive that comes in a squeeze bottle and a bunch of different flavors. They have some with electrolytes, so if I’m sweating a lot, I’ll use that sort. I also zing my water up with frozen lemon and/or lime slices and a dash of ginger juice. (My gods, could I sound any bougier? Next thing you know, I’ll be food blogging. Lol!)
(no subject)
Date: Sunday, 13 July 2025 01:25 pm (UTC)Goal 1 – walking: No walks due to the heat and the already mentioned bad time management last week.
Goal 2 – push-ups: No additional incline push-ups, but I worked out once and did the same amount of reps as the week before.
(no subject)
Date: Sunday, 13 July 2025 01:29 pm (UTC)I'm sorry you're also experiencing the heat wave, but go you for getting those push-ups in! Here's hoping we both have a cooler week ahead (though it does not seem so from the forecast here).
(no subject)
Date: Monday, 14 July 2025 06:25 am (UTC)This week my clothes are fitting better. I haven't been weighing recently, but I can see it. So that feels good!
(no subject)
Date: Monday, 14 July 2025 02:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Tuesday, 15 July 2025 06:35 am (UTC)