Personal Development Community

I haven’t been posting partly because I couldn’t think of a clever title for the thread (I still haven’t, but I have to give that up) and because I’m back working again so my time is limited. When it’s a choice between working out or posting, I’m choosing working out.

I have come such a long way since January 2006; it’s incredible. The gym put up a motivational poster next to the scale after asking for pictures from members. I gave them two that were posted on the thread that Deb started quite a while ago. I was surprised that they chose the second one of me in the same dress (taken in spring 2007) over the recent photo that’s now my avatar. I was told that the difference was more striking even though I’m more in shape in the latest picture. So now it’s hard to escape looking at my former self if I weigh myself at the gym. 

For 2008 I’ve decided to try to be more diligent about monitoring what I’m eating so that I can lose some pounds and not find them again. I’ve changed my signature between 156 and 158 multiple times in the past 4 months. I am truly sick of being stuck where I am. I have to find a balance between being hungry and eating too much that has too much sugar in it.

I’m also planning on continuing to compete in our county-wide fitness challenge. Because I’ll turn 60 during the year, I move into another category. Since the change in age is going to happen anyway, it’s good to be at the bottom of the category instead of at the end of it as I was last year. The first event is a bench press in February; I’m looking to press 40% of my weight (the max allowed) so what I weigh does matter.

So I’ve started logging my food on fitday.com. I’m finding it frustrating because after I customized some foods to fit what I actually have eaten on one day, it doesn’t seem to keep that setting when I try to log the same food another day.

New Year’s Eve: I was asleep before midnight.

New Year’s Day: We went skiing! I got in 7 or 8 runs at our local ski area. It was great to have my ski bib-pants be loose--even with my sweater tucked in. I couldn’t wear it at all in 2005.

January 2: work out session with Bryan
8 minute treadmill warm up
almost non-stop activity for the hour after that
I bench pressed 65 pounds cleanly once, sloppily 2 more times, and then needed help on the 4th lift (that’s progress)

January 3: (today)

55 minutes on the elliptical
on the chest press machine 2 at 75#, 3 at 70# I stopped there because I didn’t want to push the muscles that I worked hard yesterday

YOu really have come a long way this year!
Good luck in your new competition and also your personal goals.
You’re an inspiration!

I think the thread name is fine.  Simple is best.

You have some excellent goals in place.  Good luck with your bench press competition.  That sounds like fun.

I agree that you should choose working out over posting.  Good choice! Please tell us more about the fitness challenge if you get the chance.  I would love to know what you are challenged to do!

I love those age categories, you don’t have to get better, just get older and keep moving.  The last man standing wins!. 

You’ve come a long way since you started with the MTM forums.  You have some great goals and I’m looking forward to seeing just how far you can go.

Joan nothing wrong with the thread name,I didn’t even change mine! Congrats on being a true life poster girl!

Yaaaaay, Joan!  I still want to be you (and Paula) when I grow up. 

I thought of this photo when you mentioned turning 60 this year.  I wish I could have found a similar picture with a 50-60ish woman in it, but this one will have to do!

Judy, that picture is a keeper. I laughed out loud.

The easiest way to explain the fitness challenge is to give you the website. It’s http://www.tcfitnesschallenge.com
I won’t be able to do the April events because we’ll be away, but I’m planning on February, May, and June. I’m going to see about the bike race. I haven’t been on a bike in decades and I never rode a bike with multiple gears but a friend has offered to lend me hers. We’ll see about that. I do have a fear of crashing while on the bike. Another friend really racked up his shoulder on a bike trek (sorry Tom). And they haven’t posted the exact dates for the last couple of events.

Today was not a good day as far as my goals go--but it wasn’t a disaster either. It was a rest day as far as exercise goes. I was beat from the combination of Wed and Thursday’s exercise and from working those days plus today. I’m not getting enough sleep. And I don’t think I can adequately describe the stress involved in substitute teaching even though I’m in familiar territory and really get a lot more respect than most subs. I don’t know the students’ names or personalities or abilities. And I’m teaching what someone else has prepared.

Besides not exercising, I didn’t stick to my food plan and I haven’t recorded what I ate yet. The one saving grace is that although I didn’t meet the standard of the previous days, I probably ate less than on most days over the holidays. So it wasn’t a complete disaster.

Our plan is to go to the gym tomorrow morning and to ski again on Sunday. I have to work at the pharmacy tomorrow from 4 to 7 and then I could be subbing all next week. My hope is that the teacher gets back for half days towards the end of the week. What will be, will be.

If you get a bike Joan don’t forget the helmet! Find a good path and carry a phone with you at all times, you should be good!

Today’s been a mixed bag: no weight gain despite yesterday
a constant craving for food this afternoon which I haven’t been able to totally ignore
good exercise this morning

I spent 37 minutes on the treadmill mostly at 2 degrees and 4 mph. The HR monitor says 199 calories, 50% fat, HR max 165 (102%) and average 112 (70%)

I did 2 sets of 10 bobbing birds on the styro with 12.5#
On the chest press machine I did 80# twice and then was unable to do 75 or 70#
I practiced form doing 25 bench presses with 35#
I did 2 sets of 20 sit ups with my legs spread and one arm in the air
I did a few curls
I did 2 sets of 20 of the shoulder exercises with the red stretch bands

I find that I get very hungry when I workout a lot.  Drink lots of water.  Snacking every couple hours on heathy stuff calms my cravings too.  You are totally kicking butt.  Keep up the great workouts!!

Judy, that old guy is HOT!!

My thoughts exactly Carrie!  He could be 75 years old and I wouldn’t care!  He’s yummy! 

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Joan! 

Good job Joan!

Judy, I’m going to repay your hijacking by emulating you. I’ve had this cartoon to share since the fall. . . .

Today we went skiing for about 2.5 hours. It was a gray day but the temperature and the snow were fine. I got new skis and had a lift put in the heels of my boots and I think the combination is going to help me keep my weight forward (as it should be).

Speaking of skiing, if I had the time or talent, I’d write an Ode to Ski Pants That Fit Comfortably. Last year I could get back into them but it was just a bit snug tucking in the sweater along with the long underwear. This year I can move at will in them. Yeah, yeah, Hurray!

I love the feeling of fitting into stuff I’ve had for years.  Skiing is a great way to exercise and have fun and I’m all for fun.

Ditto.

Great cartoon Joan, hey were you able to ski as much last year?

I’m not sure how to answer your question, Shawn. This is a record for me to have been out skiing twice in a week in January. Work and weather have always been the two main factors. Last year first we didn’t have snow and then we went into a deep freeze. I’m a fair weather skier. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the 50s so that will ruin the skiing for a while.

As far as my conditioning goes, I can’t say that there’s any difference in my skiing stamina. I really didn’t test that either time this year. I could always ski about as long as I did just now. And I remarked to Bryan last week that I was surprised that I did have some soreness after the first day considering that my work out sessions are much harder than the skiing. He reminded me that sports are muscle specific and we haven’t been working on skiing muscles particularly. (I’m still focusing on the bench press.)

HOWEVER, where I expect to see a difference is in Colorado in March. I know I saw a difference last year. Because the runs are so much longer and the altitude so much higher, skiing there is much more strenuous.

Finally, I’m coming up on my two-year anniversary in the next two weeks for when I started exercising 3 to 6 days a week. So two years ago would be a better measure of difference than last year.

Looking forward to hear how much different it is Joan.

I expect to be mostly absent from the forum for the rest of the week.

If it were possible to burn a candle at more than two ends, that would describe what I’m doing. I hope the teacher I’m subbing for is back half time by Monday. . . .

Monday I did have my hour session with Bryan. He commented that it had to be harder than usual because I mostly couldn’t talk. (Did any of you guess that I do like to talk???) He’s right. I was either out of breath or had to concentrate to get a sequence of movements correct.

Tuesday (today) I did 45 minutes on the treadmill at 5 degrees and 3.7 mph

I expect that I’ll take tomorrow off from exercise because I’m pushing too hard and I can’t cut back the other things. I will be back at it on Thursday.

Do what you have to do Joan, sounds like your busy even without exercise!