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Thanks! I keep trying new things. In a way I’m glad I’m not going away this weekend as I think I need my more extended weekend workouts, in addition to some extra rest. And probably some more dancing. A walk on the beach and seeing my old friends would have been nice, but a handful aren’t available this weekend as it turns out.
The main thing I’ve learned is no matter how frustrating it can be to be stuck in one place, or feel like it, quitting is not the solution. Two years ago when I was still coming down from 200+ pounds, I’d complain to someone that nothing was happening and then {boom} one morning I’d wake up and the scale had moved, or I was down a pants size. One has to be as patient as Penelope sometimes.
Monday: wow, it’s amazing how cranky I can be when my workout plans get sabotaged, as they did Saturday. I ended up having to help a friend, which is fine, but there was some amazingly poor planning involved and the help ended up not accomplishing anything, which leads me to the cranky part. Inside, of course: I kept it to myself as it wouldn’t have helped. Still…
I did get out dancing Saturday night, which was a nice exercise session and I saw some old friends. Sunday, I put in the time… about 30 minutes with weights (lower back extension, torso, free weights, stretching, abs, etc.) and a full hour of cardio, half treadmill at a brisk clip and half elliptical to some great tunes. After that and a shower, and given that my feet were a bit sore from dancing in new shoes, I had a lovely long pedicure.
This morning I did 45 min cardio and some stretching before work. Maybe the new routine/regimen is starting to sink in…
Thank you, Joan! I think overall I need to move soon, or my friendship with one of my favorite people will suffer. We are different types of people. Not to mention I look forward to building my own little nest.
Rest day this morning, and wow are my quads tight. Between wearing those new shoes again yesterday (mary jane style but with a hefty heel) and the resistance on the elliptical, I feel it. Will stretch (discreetly, as I’m in a dress) at lunch.
Trying to stretch in a dress discreetly must have been quite the trick!
I waited till no one was around. My favorite leg stretches, most of them, would be quite immodest. But a quad stretch wasn’t too bad, nor a simple leaning calf stretch. I do stretch in the ladies’ room sometimes. I also bought a set of those toe yoga thingies and they’ve felt pretty good. I’m not sure whether they are providing lasting benefits, but in the short-term it feels like someone’s massaged my toes a bit.
Sunday—rather sore this morning, not too unpleasant, but I can definitely feel that the torso rotation machine did its work. I upped the weight on the last set and I can really feel it across my lower back. Also did lower back extension but that feels ‘normal’ by now. This past week I missed both my Weds and Fri morning workouts due to schedule, being tired, etc., but had a great session yesterday with weights and cardio and stretching. Last night I went out dancing again, this time in older, more comfortable shoes, with little ball-of-foot inserts that were wonderful. A bit achy all over today, but more in the “wow I did something” reminder vein than “ow, what truck hit me and did anyone get the tag number?” vein. The annoying thing is I’m once again sitting around waiting to help that same friend who was going to need me “first thing” and hasn’t called or shown up by nearly 11am. Sigh. She has *got* to get her act together.
I chose to wait to honor my own commitment to be available. By 11:30 I gave up and did my own thing. We haven’t spoken yet and I prefer to discuss such things when I’m calm and over it, but I need to express how I feel about being pulled into her chaos which has interrupted my plans and free time a lot lately. Someone else pointed out to me rather neatly Saturday: I’ve been mothering her. Never thought of it that way, but since her mom died I’ve been “there” uncritically, and now it seems to be getting old.
Well, we had a discussion by Email, perhaps not the best medium but sometimes easier to get one’s thoughts out fully and carefully. Haven’t spoken since, but I think things will be okay. Everybody’s allowed to get under each other’s skin once in a while.
Mmm. Not so strong as they have been. I was really wiped out this past week and allowed myself some extra sleep, not doing any morning workouts till Saturday. I seem to be up a few pounds, so perhaps adjusting my eating hasn’t been so successful. I had a really great long workout session Saturday morning, and did something new—towards the end of my elliptical time, I tried a few bouts of shifting my weight way back onto my heels and leaning back, holding myself with my arms. It shot the heart rate up, and it felt like it was working different muscles. Wow, did it! My hamstrings are a bit sore.
It’s the Fringe Festival in Orlando, so I’m seeing lots of live performing arts.
Oh, and I didn’t work out this morning. Why? Slept in a bit, then realized I’d left my sneakers on the back patio to air out… and they were soaked in the night rain. Oops. I have a backup pair of sneaks but by the time I remembered they were in the trunk of my car, I had little time left. I’m going to do a cardio-stretch session tonight.
Really haven’t been that much into writing lately. I spent a few weeks fighting fatigue, some of which I think was physical and some emotional. I continued to work out but not in the early mornings before work, as often. This weekend finally started feeling a bit more back to normal and was able to step things up again.
Thanks, Joan. I felt unable to get myself moving Sunday morning and lazed in bed till late. Finally I started worrying that this felt very much like the Old Ann—no energy, no ambition to pull me out of a slump—and that actually scared me. I did a quick eval to see whether changes in diet, routine, etc., could have contributed to this, and decided first and foremost to get out and enjoy the sunshine. After two quick laps around a downtown lake, I was ready to work out.
It’s important for me to understand how a day or two of “blowing my diet” have more than short-term consequences. Sometimes I get a taste for things and I become weak, I want bread/sweets/salty chips/fried foods all the time. I’m not saying I’ve had them all the time, but it’s been more of a struggle than weeks when I’m pretty much ‘clean’ throughout.
Friday, June 26: I’m pleased to report I finally tried a spinning class. Wow, that was hard! Made a bit harder by the fact that my hamstrings were already sore, and still so three days after my Monday night workout. Part of that was a more intense pace on Monday and working the Precor elliptical in a new way. You know how being upright or leaning forward, you’re at least in part using your body weight to propel you? Try leaning backwards with your hands on the rail and pushing only with hammies and glutes. I did this intermittently and at higher resistance and admittedly after a week or so hiatus. And it kicked my derriere. So standing on the spin-bike was a no-go. Next time. I did stay with it and judging from my HR monitor, which I could only look at afterwards, got in quite a good workout. I went with a friend who is a regular, and I’m going to definitely try to get better at it. Have to improve my pedal-stroke form also.
I’ve been struggling to find time, motivation and energy ever since around my birthday in May. I think the birthday is a coincidence—it has more to do with needing time to do some house hunting, and also getting involved with a fellow whom I see on weekends, and the Florida heat which had made me feel sluggish. Found it harder to get to bed early, and thus the morning workout routine didn’t last, but I haven’t given up and still get a good solid workout in, just a little less frequently than before. It’s interesting how conditioned my body was to the exercise—now after a few extra days off my heart rate jumps up higher and the sweat pours.
Fortunately, my weekday eating routine has been pretty disciplined still, though I think the whole shift to eating more due to the metabolism test was a fine line I didn’t walk very well. I bought foods I have trouble portion controlling (like a half-loaf of bakery bread, fortunately the supermarket sells halves now) and got off track a bit. My weight crept up a half-dozen pounds, at which friends were incredulous because I still seem very disciplined. Turns out I do have to work *that* hard just to maintain.
I did find a house (a rental, not ready to buy just yet, probably in a year) which I’m happy about, a little two-bedroom in a nice area which invites lots of walking for errands, recreation, and society. (I’ll just have to ignore that there are a handful of good restaurants within walking distance, or at least find the healthy low-calorie options at each.) It’s got a nice size kitchen and I look forward to cooking for my pals. I still have to get my stuff out of storage in Jax, which I’ll probably be doing over the July 4th weekend, give or take, as my lease starts July 1st. Then I have to consider whether to keep my Y membership, as I won’t be so close and convenient to any of its locations, or look around for a better value in the neighborhood.
Ann, it’s good to hear that you found a place of your own and that you’re still moving. It sounds like you’ve enjoyed the spinning class. You’ve made me curious about the elliptical. I’ll have to see what happens if I lean back a bit. I do spend at least half of my time on it peddling backwards.
