Fitness Fellowship 2026: Check-in Eight

[sylvanwitch]

Greetings from the once-again-snowy north. *sighs*

How did your week go, friends? Whatever your answer, please pick a victory and share it here. I think we can all use the reminder that joy comes in packages of all sizes. Of course, you're also welcome to share your non-victories. Share whatever you'd like, in fact! :-)



Weight: 194.0, down .4 from last week.

Exercise: 4/4 yoga, 3/3 strength-training, steps every day! I or we got outside for walks five out of seven days this past week, and we walked at a mall on one of the other two. Yesterday, I used the elliptical.

Eating plan: I was on break, so there was/were more takeout and treats than usual, but I still did my best to be moderate in portion sizes and not overeat. I am definitely proud of myself for not overindulging. Typically, I see a significant weight gain after a break, but I did well this time. Yay! :-)

Meditation: Yes!

Hydration: Good!

Sleep: I sleep so well during breaks, when my work-related anxiety has a chance to dissipate. I did my best to get to bed at reasonable hours, though I didn't quite manage it on a couple of nights, but I did get to bed on time last night, so I expect I'll be back on track, sleep-schedule-wise, until the next break.

The week ahead: Back to the grind, with all the usual goals in place.


Wishing the week ahead is a good one for us all.

Comments

[oschun]

Well done for staying on track despite being on break. I was on break too. I did some work (of course!) but also went away for a couple of nights and spent time in a spa with a steam room, jacuzzi and swimming pool. I love water therapy. We also went to a very cool exhibition on folklore and dark fairy tales. I needed a mental health break! Yes, back to the grindstone this week. Sigh.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>We also went to a very cool exhibition on folklore and dark fairy tales.<<

That sounds so fun. I love folklore.

[sylvanwitch]

Your time away sounds magical, both the spa stuff and especially the folklore and dark fairy tales exhibition. I'm so glad you got to feed body, brain, and soul in a different way for your break. YAY!

Done!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Greetings from the once-again-snowy north. *sighs* <<

Yeah, all my friends in the northeast are buried under feet of snow. O_O ribirdnerd posted this adorable bird blizzard. Here in central Illinois, the ground is clear but the weather has returned to typical seasonal temperatures around freezing.

>>Exercise: 4/4 yoga, 3/3 strength-training, steps every day!<<

Go you!

I have done soooo much stuff.

Monday I walked around the yard taking pictures. See the House Yard and South Lot plus the Savanna and Prairie Garden.

Tuesday I raked leaves off flowerbeds and discovered crocus buds underneath.

Wednesday I took pictures of the first blooming crocuses, in mid-February!

Thursday was mostly raking and other yardwork. My seed-starting kit arrived! I need to get that set up. I also want to set up some outdoor seeds -- some of the wildflower seeds and the Shithouse Marigolds will do fine outdoors. I also want to try a new technique this year, using water jugs as a combination pot/greenhouse. Usually I just cut the bottom off to use them as greenhouses, but apparently you can cut them in half, then tape them back together with soil and seeds inside. Sounds good for things I need a lot of, like marigolds, or that I could plant in clumps like flower mixes or native grasses. I've been ordering various seeds and plants for spring.

Friday I hauled more logs to create an enclosure behind the log garden to hold dead leaves. Didn't cost me anything other than ass-busting amounts of effort. \o/

Saturday we went to the Crimson Market, where we walked around indoors shopping.

Sunday I planted 3 peonies and started trimming dead stems from the wildflower garden. That garden will take a while to clear because it's one of the bigger ones, so I'm kinda racing spring here to get the dead stuff cut before the bulbs sprout. I leave the stems over winter as cover and food for wildlife. Some of the northern sea oats still have a few seeds but the birds have long since demolished the coneflower heads.

Today we went to Champaign-Urbana to celebrate Black History Month. Lots of walking and shopping.

*goflopnow*

Re: Done!

[sylvanwitch]

WOW! You HAVE been busy! Look at all that awesome labor related to the yard and gardening! That's amazing! Woooo-hooooo! I have done nothing in my yard or gardens because they are covered in snow. *sighs* BUT, I do have two little hydroponic units inside, and my tomatoes have fruited, so I am SUPER thrilled about that. It's a bright green spot in an otherwise gray world. ;-)

Anyway, GO YOU for all that activity! You are a rock star of yard work! :-)

Re: Done!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> WOW! You HAVE been busy! Look at all that awesome labor related to the yard and gardening! <<

Yeah, I have little patience with exercise that only wastes calories and accomplishes no actual work. I am much more motivated to hack away at the functionally infinite amount of yardwork that needs doing.

>> I have done nothing in my yard or gardens because they are covered in snow. *sighs* <<

Most of the north is still buried, plus my friends in the northeast got whole feet of new snow. I sympathize.

>>BUT, I do have two little hydroponic units inside, and my tomatoes have fruited, so I am SUPER thrilled about that. It's a bright green spot in an otherwise gray world. ;-)

That is awesome! I usually buy tomato seedlings as the weather warms up.

>> Anyway, GO YOU for all that activity! You are a rock star of yard work! :-)

Well, most of it is done in small spans of 10-15 minutes, because my body doesn't have a lot of stamina, but over time that adds up. Later in the planting season, as long as the temperature stays low enough, I can work longer spans of 20-30 minutes. But in summer heat, it drops down to 5-10. If my partner joins me, then sometimes we manage 30-60 minutes, like when we used the chipper to reduce a pile of brush to a very small pile of mulch.

A lot of times, exercise comes down to figuring out what motivates you and what you can actually do. Trying to do the wrong thing will peter out fast, but most folks probably have something they would consider worthwhile enough to keep doing.

[cornerofmadness]

My water aerobics class is a go but we don't start until mid March. I am happy

[sylvanwitch]

YAY! YAY! YAY! That's awesome news! I hope it is as fun as it sounds like it could be. :-)

[cornerofmadness]

me too. I just hope I can do it because today was twice in 4 days that the bad knee noped out of being a knee

[falkner]

First check-in of the year for me! It's good to be back.

Weighted myself for the first time in probably a year, and I have not gained weight but also not lost any. Looks like 70kg is my new norm. It's a bit worrying, because I have some issues with my legs that benefit greatly from weighting as little as possible, but I think I'm doing a good job keeping that in check with regular exercise (= having a job that keeps me physically active) since it's not flaring up any more than usual.

Eating is so-so... I want to think my diet is decent for the most part, but I realized I've been snacking a lot as an anxious response, which is not fun.

Btw, if anybody uses the default Samsung Health app to track their step count and wants to be friends (no need for challenges if you're not into that, just seeing someone else in there is fun already) feel free to add me:
https://shealth.samsung.com/s/hyPeimF

[sylvanwitch]

Welcome back! I'm so glad you have you here. :-)

YAY for not having gained weight, though I also appreciate that that's a double-edged sword in this case. I am glad your work (though anxiety-inducing and sometimes soul-killing as it can be) helps to keep you active, but I'm sorry you're having issues at all.

Boy, do I hear you about snacking. I am *such* an emotional eater, though when I'm anxious, I can't eat at all, so I guess I'm lucky in that regard. (Let's put "lucky" in big air quotes. *rolls eyes at self*) But yeah, snacking is one of my areas of struggle, so I completely relate to wanting to reach for something that gives you a temporary sense of contentment.

I'm not on Samsung Health, but I hope someone might be. It does help to have connections on your health app, right? (My husband and I have the same fitness watches, so he's my only connection on that app.)

[luzula]

Looks like you did well on a lot of things! \o/

I'm having a busy period where I have to go into town a lot for teaching, and also I traveled to see friends this weekend, plus various other commitments. It's just...a lot, but will calm down a bit starting on Sunday. So I'm not doing well on exercise, for lack of time. I'll do my best to squeeze some in tomorrow and on Friday.

[sylvanwitch]

I do hope you get through all the busyness and are able to enjoy a slightly less frantic pace once Sunday arrives. It's totally understandable that you haven't been able to exercise--your time is being taken up by travel and work, etc. I'm sending you ALL the energy I can spare to get through to the weekend! :-)