Healthy Habits - week of 5/18 - YouLookFab Forum

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Healthy Habits - week of 5/18

Mo

(website)

Veteran

How did everyone's week go? I had a few days off from workouts due to my b-day celebration, but then I double and tripled up workouts on a few other days, so it equaled out. I have been going up on the scale, nevertheless. I decided to go wine free yesterday, and think I need to watch my portions a bit closer.
This week the pool is closed so it's running, biking, lifting for me. Some stretching and yoga would be good to round it out.
What I really need is more fruits and veggies and less wine. The exercise seems to be in a groove.
How about your coming week's plans?

Oh, and the pullups seem to be at a stand still with 15lb counter balance. Maybe because I keep weighing more?? LOL

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Mo

Carla

Veteran

Ugh! With all the craziness of the relocation (DH new job, finding a new house, securing my job in new location, getting 'old' house on the market, travelling back and forth between communities (8-9 hr drive)) my workouts have taken a back seat these past 2 months. On the other hand, nights and weekends of work around packing and cleaning have me going to bed aching and tired--so a workout of a sorts.

Due to some stress around all of this, my appetite is very depressed and I'm finding it hard to eat. Decided to avoid wine for now, and focus on eating really well when I can get food in. This is very odd, since my stress response in the past has always been to eat more. After years of being fairly stable, I am down in my weight by 10 lbs and feel like I am loosing my fitness.

Everything should be resolved by September, or possibly earlier, so I am going to do what I can between now and then, and not beat myself up. After labour day, I'll start on base training and set some goals for the 2015 season. I'll be in a new age group then (55-60) so expectations won't be too high!

Tonight I am going for an easy swim and will spend some time in the hot tub after. Tomorrow I have an easy 5k run planned with DS#2.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I have been increasing the # of reps in my sets; I had wanted to go to a higher weight in my kettle bells for while, but I need to find one first! It seems like everything is 5 to 10 lbs, or all the way up to 25 lbs to 30 lbs. The middle sizes always sell out!

I am working out a lot of my anger and frustration in sweat instead of tears. Haha. I'm sure there's a psychiatric term for that.

MsMaven

Veteran

Pretty good week--lost another pound. I am getting so close to my goal Got all exercises in, but I am sitting in front of my computer a lot. Two papers due soon. With lots of computer time I also do quick breaks on YLF so it isn't all bad.

No wine, no alcohol for the last two weeks, and only two meals with drinking wine during the last four. This really helps.

Wore old jeans for a couple of hours. Still too tight to be comfortable across the hipbones.

This week: stick to what I've been doing and keep track of everything on the food diary. It really does help.

Kristin L

Veteran

Thanks for getting the thread started Mo!

I'm pretty happy that I've been getting about 7500-8000 steps a day. This week, I'm going to bump it up to 10000. My food wasn't so great because we had company up for the weekend. But, this week I'm going to get my food back in check. I've already made enough quinoa, corn, black bean and tomato salad with avocado and Greek yogurt dressing for lunch this week. I've realized that if I can prepare a healthy lunch the night before, I'm much for likely to eat better that day than I would if I try to do everything that morning.

anne

Veteran

I have a weird week last week in that after I did my 10km race I was completely exhausted for days (combined with a weekend with no naps, early starts and a busy, though enjoyable, timetable) I managed only 1.2 km on the treadmill and that was almost all walking. However I think I am over it. Had one really early night, and DH took over my usual housework on Saturday so I could have an easy day (and a slow jog while DD8 rode her bike
Today back on the treadmill and aim for 1 more treadmill run, 2 weights sessions and a longer weekend run.

I have stopped bringing rice crackers into work as I was eating them mindlessly. In general though I have been a bit more relaxed about food, eating more because I got quite hungry etc. The cooler weather tends to bring that on. No weight gain so I guess I needed it!

Alassë

Veteran

Went back up some on the scale, so I think I need more fruits/veggies. I ate & exercised well over the weekend, though, and expect to get in daily walks this week.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I'm doing good with getting exercise this week, and great on the food but not so good on the wine front. I've gotten back into my habit of having two glasses a night. I wish I could just have one glass but I have this habit of having a glass right after work, then I want one again after dinner. At least I'm not having dessert *and* wine.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Tex, if it's any consolation, 2 glasses would be an improvement for me lately! Since the birthday it has been celebration mode I guess.
A trick I do use is pre measuring out the wine in a small carafe and filling my glass with that. I should be having 2 or less with my training, but I'm just not there for whatever reason right now. (I'm talking strict 5oz - as a bartender I realize most poured glasses are 6oz or more, especially in the home )

On another note, has anyone ever done Vo2 max testing? And if so, did it help you, and how? I've done the RMR testing about 9 years ago. Burned 1180 if I was in bed not moving a muscle. Depressing LOL. And the not breathing through my nose made me want to climb the walls. Wondering if the mask for Vo2 would feel the same, and moreover if it's even worth it. I mean, what do I do with that info anyway???

Carla

Veteran

Did a Vo2 max test in my early 20s. I volunteered for a kinesiology research project that tested the aerobic value of aerobics videos vs running vs walking. Vo2 max was used for baseline, and subsequent o2 usage was measured against it. (4 times exercising with the mask, also blood work!)
A full fitness test including % fat was done as well. I kept the report as a baseline, though never compared subsequent o2 usage. I've used the weight and the resting heart rate as my gauges through life.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Thx Carla for the input. So I guess unless you re-test sometime later to compare, just having the Vo2 max info doesn't tell you much more than your level of fitness as measured by oxygen consumption? Not sure it would be worth the $50 to find out.
I do have an unusually high upper heart rate range. Wonder if any of it would be related.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Mo, I wonder if you might just try breathing exercises. I bought a device for lowering blood pressure called respirate (or something like that). Anyway, after doing the 10 mins. of breathing exercises - which start kind of normal, but go into a very slooooooww mode of breathing about midway in - my B/P drops like 10 points on both ends. It uses sound and tones to prompt you when to inhale/exhale. You wear a comfortable band around your midsection and earplugs while doing it.

I think the trick is in taking a slow deep inhale, holding it for a couple of seconds, then slowly letting it go. You get a LOT more oxygen absorption that way (at least that's the theory and it seems to have a lot of scientific testing behind it). You could easily practice this without a device. The device helped me to get started but now I can do it without - sort of like meditating.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

I've been trying to workout 5-6x a week (3 days of cardio + 3 days of strength training) and still trying to control what I eat. I do imbibe on the occasional glass of wine with dinner and try not to have a second one if I can help it. I've stopped the snacking after work.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I should have described better - I have a high Max Heart Rate when exercising. I hit 180 yesterday on a run and 190 last year on a sprint. At 44, I'm 'supposed' to top out at 176 according to the standard formula. My resting heart rate is good - 60. And BP is lower than average.

Seems I have company in the wine sipping department. I still want to enjoy some indulgences in life, it's just finding the balance that keeps you healthy and happy lol!

anne

Veteran

Mo, as you know I have a high heart rate too - if the treadmill is to be believed I have gone up to 195!
I had my Vo2 Max tested when I was 15 - I was going out with a keen runner at the time. I remember having to exercice to the point of dizziness, and I remember that they told me I was better suited to endurance than sprinting - they gave me a percentile score on each. But I have no memory of whether I got any other info - I rather doubt that there was anything I could implement at the time.

In other use, I have given up on getting myself to do weights alone and am just going to go to to weekly circuit class which includes some weights. And maybe a core stability class too, - my core is pretty bad.
And I did another 5km treadmill record! (24:10)

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Wow, Anne, that is FAST! Good for you!! Makes me wish I had tried running long before closing in on 40 yrs old to see what might have been . . .

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Mo, I was thinking it might be related to oxygen not B/P. The breathing exercises are not just for B/P but to get more oxygen into your circulating blood. I'm not a runner so I probably don't know what I'm talking about but it seems that it could be related.

gardenchick

Veteran

Hi everyone,
I'm behind in responding to this thread.
Let's see: ran 3x a week as usual.
Now (roughly) tracking what I'm eating with myfitnesspal . I don't own a scale so not sure whether this tracking has impacted my weight. Considering buying a scale!
I am planning to buy some hand weights this weekend and start doing the workouts on fitnessblender.com. Anyone else use this?

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Ugh, my weight has continued creeping up. I am finding very hard to get on a regular exercise schedule. About the only thing I consistently do is climbing 8 floors to go to work in the morning. But that's not enough. Right now I just don't have the motivation.
I just used my Dad's blood pressure monitor and my BP is 109/79 with a resting pulse of 58. So at least I'm healthy in that respect.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Anna, my weight is up a couple pounds, too, and staying there. I had mine taken Wed. at the Dr. and was 118/77. We can be thankful for good health markers at least, right?!