2015 Health and Fitness Challenge!

[INTJMom]

Well, I kept my promise! I did my exercise program tonight!
It was a close call though,,,
I had a dentist appt after work and my stomach was growling when I got home.
I forgot all about it... and I forget what reminded me.
I can't tell you how bummed I was when I realized I couldn't eat until after I had exercised!
But anyway... glad to report... being accountable to you... made the difference!

 

[kyuuei]

Yesterday I worked in a storage unit for 5 hours.. my arms were about ready to give out from trying to lift over 100 boxes with various weights ranging from 3-60lbs, stabilizing/balancing myself on top of junk, climbing up and down and up and down, and weaseling my way around a floor-to-ceiling 13x10 storage area of clutter and boxed items.

Today, I ate a lot of food. I am going to give yoga a bit of a go, but I am.. dizzy. Like, scarily dizzy. For a moment I thought I was having an aura of a similar condition that runs in my family. Thank the gods nothing has manifested as that. I think my blood pressure has just been a bit low lately, since I've also been cold really easily too. I'm going to try increasing my fluid intake and a night's rest and hope that helps some.

 

[kyuuei]

Low blood pressure woes. boo hoo. I'm over here cryin' about low bp while people cannot get it to touch my numbers if they try.

Packing and garage sales and kids distracted me a bit. I decided today was a good day for my 1 hour long work out sessions. I finally have floor space to work out in. Over the next two weeks it'll be doing this little method, then I'll change it up and jump into P90X if my body can handle it.

 

[kyuuei]

After tomorrow I'll be able to tell if hour long work out sessions are doing okay for me. I did 30 minute sessions -- upper body, lower body, cardio, and abs with stretching afterwards for all of them. Then I did two days of 1 hour long sessions on the upper body and lower body. Today was the cardio/abs mix.. but no long 30 minute stretching session afterwards. If my body doesn't act up tomorrow (besides a bit of soreness) then I think I'll be ready for P90X again. If it does.. then I'll downgrade and just start a regular round of weight lifting 3x a week, cardio 2x, and stretching for the majority of the hour as I've been doing lately.

My favorite cereal also came out with a flakes version!!! I mean they probably always had it but the stores werent carrying it until recently.

» Products

I love this cereal and it totally actually makes me feel full until lunch time, which is rare for me from a cereal. I really want to eat the frosted version but they only had cranberry almond or chocolate so I went with the most childish version possible.

 

[Ivy]

I haven't checked in here in a while. Things are going well. I haven't lost much weight lately- I'm stuck at about 40lbs down from my top weight which was about a year and a half ago. I tend to lose about ten pounds slowly, then stay there for a while to recalibrate, so I'm trying to trust that process and not think too much about the weight as long as I keep doing all the things.

Still tracking on MFP and clocking in at a modest calorie deficit most days. Exercise-wise, I'm still using my treadmill desk 3 days a week (MWF) for two hours in the morning. I don't walk fast but I typically get in at least 10-12K steps. I've added in two strength training days. I've done strength training before (it was supposed to be a big part of the program I joined last October with Amber Rogers & Sean Flanagan) but not consistently. My BFF Meg paid for six sessions with a personal trainer at the gym we both go to, so she could learn how to do all the things, and now we go together on Wednesday and Friday mornings before I do my treadmill work. It's so much easier to stick with it when I have a partner and a schedule. And she's helping me a lot with form. I'm thinking of adding in a third day by myself, so I'm just doing strength followed by walking on all MWF mornings.

I feel so much more like a capable human being since I added all this extra movement to my routines. Thinking of exercise as a thing I do to keep my body tuned up rather than as a weight loss tool works so much better for my psyche. I'm not earning food, I'm just living life. Even on the off days, I find I can't sit still all day like I used to be really good at. I have to get off my ass about every hour of work (I used to have to force myself to do that) so I still get in a respectable number of steps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (I can still nap like a pro, though.) And we do something active most every weekend now, be it hiking or swimming or biking or jumping at the trampoline park or skating or whatever.

 

[INTJMom]

Happy to report I did my exercise program on Wednesday and today again!

Did my ab crunches every morning.

 

[kyuuei]

^ Whoo! Go girl!

As for me, I watched the intro video of P90X2 .. it looks all fancy-like. I'm excited. 1 hour long work out sessions, thankfully, did NOT hurt my hips or mess them up! Yay! So I can start really get to work now. Also, I got the clear to run again, so I'll be picking that up again too. Biking is still recommended though but I lack one still for the time being.

I might be female Thor this year for Halloween so I need to bulk up them arms!

 

[Kullervo]

Fitness goals:
<15% body fat in six months (currently 22% B.F.).
Bench press >67% of my own body weight in six months (currently lifting 26% of it).

Every week I will increase the weight I am lifting, even if that means lowering reps. So far I have managed to achieve this.
I will also exercise for at least 30 mins every day except Sunday, alternating between cardio and strength training.
I will monitor my water intake, drinking at least 2 litres a day, and 2 cups of tea in the morning.

 

[chickpea]

i went to a gym for the first time in 5 years umpyouup:

 

[kyuuei]

[MENTION=2]Ivy[/MENTION] I don't know HOW I missed your awesome post last time I was scrolling (I blame sleep deprivation) but it sounds like you're doing great! Getting a better relationship with exercise is, to me, far more important than focusing on weight and food. While I don't use exercise to earn food, I REALLY struggle with my stretching exercises (ranging from doing all that day, to an alternative that day, to some, to none) even though they're suppose to be a daily thing for my hips. DAILY! When I had a yoga routine I was doing okay adding them in before that.. but thinking of it as an obligation--as survival for my hips--really puts a huge damper on it. KNOWING it is survival for my hips and mobility surprisingly is little motivation for me. It's enough to get the job done, but not enough to thrive vs just survive.



Fitness blender is the way to go right now!

P90X2 requires FAR more equipment than I am willing to commit to right now in the middle of chores and moving. I've decided to stick with fitness blender until after the move.

I've been doing:
Day 1: 30 minute lower body strength training only
Day 2: 30 minute upper body strength training only
Day 3: 30 minute abs/cardio day
Day 4: Stretch/yoga
Day 5: 1 hr lower body strength and cardio
Day 6: Yoga/odd-ball body parts strengthening and stretching exercises
Day 7: 1 hr upper body strength and cardio
Day 8: 1 hr abs/cardio/lower body with emphasis on the abs and cardio
Day 9: rest
Day 10: Flexibility training and whole body physical therapy

It's been going pretty well but I do need to plan out my work outs a bit better and make better play lists. I like fitness blender because I can play my youtube playlist in the background, and still hear the instructions clearly with a bit of volume adjusting before I start.

Fitness blender pros:
- Tons of videos
- No music so you can play whatever you want in another tab
- Handy timers in corners, gauges, and round markers to help you
- Instructions are clear and detailed and remind of form during the right moments
- Usually only require dumbbells or a towel so not much equipment there

I really fell off my yoga bandwagon though. I could not believe how much I had improved in 30 days of practice--but when you fall off, it takes maybe 5 hours for those 30 days to go away. I swear I'm as tight as I was when I started day 1 over a month ago. And unlike before where my work outs were 15 minutes + 30 minutes of yoga = 45 minutes total.. these work outs are 30min minimum, 1 hour some days.. 1 hour and 30 minutes is a lot of time spent on a single thing.. and that's not even including needing to stretch in the mornings in bed OR physical therapy on my hips.

But that's what my body craves. The time and stamina to do a full day's work + 2 hours of physical training. So, I'll see how long I can continue this pace, I'm not gonna kill myself or anything, but I know my last upper body 1 hour session was cut 25 minutes short just because stuff came up and time constraints meant RIGHT NOW haha.

 

[Null]

Already love this thread. Taking at least 15 minutes for breakfast every morning is my #1 priority for this month. 20 minutes would be even better, but that's wishful thinking. I'll try to go to the gym at least 2 times per week, for at least an hour. 2000m on the rowing machine are a must. Oh, and no alcohol except for next saturday (where it's almost inevitable ... I'm weak).

Finally ordered my muesli with quinoa, psyllium seed, blueberries and raspberries. Can't wait for it to arrive!

Edit: Sleep for at least 7 hours!

 

[Kas]

Probably it's not the most ambitious but my challenge this year is running 3,5miles

Edit: Sleep for at least 7 hours!

That would be good...

 

[kyuuei]

Probably it's not the most ambitious but my challenge this year is running 3,5miles

That would be good...

Definitely ambitious!

 

[kyuuei]

So, my buddy from England came down, and I didn't do a lick of working out while he was here.. and I just kept at not doing that + eating whatever I wanted. The good news I quickly gained some weight back! So I actually felt so comfortable in my own skin that I went out in my soffee pajama shorts and a t-shirt. A rarity for me to be caught outside without cargo shorts.

Yesterday I paid for all of that though, my back and my hips were killing me like crazy. They definitely feel better today though, so yoga + leg day it is today!

... Someone ate up all my healthy cereal. -_- but officially these are my favorite:

Sooo good, sweet and the beans and rice in them fill you up for a couple hours (which is all I need for lunch to come around really). Those + a banana, milk, and a leftover piece of dessert or a piece of toast and butter..

Funfetti oatmeal was a total success too! The butter extract is what really does it in! The kids liked it too. 'Cake cereal'. hahaha.

I'm saute'in some mixed greens in those plastic bins with a bit of eggs for lunch, and who knows what for dinner yet. I sure dont.

 

[INTJMom]

I completed my Wednesday and Sunday workout this past week.
I was late for work every morning, so I did planks instead of ab crunches since it seems to take a little less time.

 

[Null]

My muesli arrived some time ago and it's delicious! I tend to mix it with my usual vanilla-strawberry-yoghurt muesli. When it's empty I'll try to mix it at home myself, buying all the ingredients individually will be much cheaper than the 12€ I paid for 575g ...

I've been playing with the thought of trying out the 5:2 diet, which is basically eating normally (1600 kcal for me) on 5 days and fast on the other 2 (around 500 kcal). My diet on the fasting days would contain a lot of protein, soup, vegetables and some fruit. Hopefully it'll regulate my metabolism a bit, due to my rather unhealthy dieting in the past it's horrible at the moment. I've also been trying to count macros for the past weeks, but it started messing with my head and I've stopped doing that - back to mostly intuitive eating for me.

Oh, and no alcohol except for next saturday (where it's almost inevitable ... I'm weak).

I haven't been drinking anything that night and I'm really proud!

Even if I don't follow through with this diet, there's some food I've been trying to delete completely from my life: pork, white flour, alcohol (this one's the hardest) and fast food. I can do this!

I've been working out 5-6 times a week, sometimes only low-impact cardio and some stretching, but I feel like I've been getting a lot fitter recently. Biking and this workout give me life.

 

[INTJMom]

I did my Sunday and Wednesday exercise programs and my daily ab crunches! Yay!

I think I would like to get an exercise bike to add in some additional exercise that way.

 

[INTJMom]

My muesli arrived some time ago and it's delicious! I tend to mix it with my usual vanilla-strawberry-yoghurt muesli. When it's empty I'll try to mix it at home myself, buying all the ingredients individually will be much cheaper than the 12€ I paid for 575g ...

I've been playing with the thought of trying out the 5:2 diet, which is basically eating normally (1600 kcal for me) on 5 days and fast on the other 2 (around 500 kcal). My diet on the fasting days would contain a lot of protein, soup, vegetables and some fruit. Hopefully it'll regulate my metabolism a bit, due to my rather unhealthy dieting in the past it's horrible at the moment. I've also been trying to count macros for the past weeks, but it started messing with my head and I've stopped doing that - back to mostly intuitive eating for me.


I haven't been drinking anything that night and I'm really proud!

Even if I don't follow through with this diet, there's some food I've been trying to delete completely from my life: pork, white flour, alcohol (this one's the hardest) and fast food. I can do this!

I've been working out 5-6 times a week, sometimes only low-impact cardio and some stretching, but I feel like I've been getting a lot fitter recently. Biking and this workout give me life.

Good for you!

 

[INTJMom]

I did both my Wednesday and Sunday exercise programs!
I think I missed one morning of the ab crunches because I was running late for work... again.
Still trying to cut back on my calories from after dinner snacks.

 

[Evo]

I haven't posted in a while

Been doing decent on exercise

But that's really about it.

Anytime my routine is screwed up, everything goes. And it's been messed up for about 3 weeks. So i haven't been keeping up with diet/water/juicing

What i did do last night was look up how to exercise and eat for my body type though. I've been working on embracing my body type and owning it, instead of trying to change it. I already feel a lot better about my body image than i used to. Still have a ways to go though.