Healthy Habits: Week of Feb. 17

Laurinda

How's it going for everyone?

I'm up over a minute for the planks, and can lift either an arm or a leg (but not both!) and remain stable.

Where does anyone start seeing changes first? I know I am kind of, ahem, fluffy, but the biggest change I can see is in my forearm muscles. Planks, LOL.

12 years ago

Off Topic

17 replies

Latest reply was from anne

MsMary

Veteran

Congrats on the forearm muscles, Laurinda! I love to admire mine while I'm driving! LOL

I have really let my nutrition go by the wayside since I got back from vacation, so I am determined to get that in hand this week. I have already done a nice big grocery shop so now all I have to do is cook and eat the healthy food that's in the house!

Exercise plans for the week are the usual: boot camp, trainer, tap class. I read an interesting article in the New York Times about how four workouts a week may be better than six (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/.....-than-six/) so I'm thinking about backing off on the six-day-a-week schedule because honestly it does leave me feeling a little beat up. Stay tuned..

12 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Laurinda, I see it in places where I don't have much toning to do - legs, hips. My arms & tummy take a little longer:)
X3 pilaties, a weights & a yoga for me this week.

12 years ago

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

Congrats on your planks. Remember how hard they used to be and now you do one minute.

I finally got to run 12 miles yesterday and was hitting a wall at the last mile. I finished it though and was proud I got out there in the cold. I have 3 more weeks of training until my half marathon and I think I'm ready for the race.

I'm also watching what I eat this week and so far I'm down one pound. Now, if only I can make my goal of a 10 lb. loss. I guess in time.

12 years ago

Debora

Veteran

Hi ladies, may I join the group? I would like to get into a regular exercise routine and thought I might be more apt to do so if I was accountable to someone. I joined the YMCA last April and went fairly regularly for the first three months until summer travel derailed me. I finally started back up last month and have been exercising 3-4x/wk.

This past week I exercised 3 days. I did one body sculpt class (strengthening), walked outside for 40 min., and did 45 min. on the treadmill/bike. Today, I did 2 hours of yard work . Does that count?

We've been eating a lot healthier the past 6 months now that we are empty nesters and no longer have to cater to a teenage boy's appetite. Lots more veggies, fish and beans. Less snacks in the house.

I've read the last few weeks of your health habits posts and am inspired by you all. I am really a newbie when it comes to fitness and hope I have a fraction of the discipline that you ladies have. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

12 years ago

Laurinda

Veteran

Welcome Debora!

Everyone has to find the path that works best for them, and it sounds like you are doing very well.

I'm with the slow and steady contingent -- thanks to everyone for their support!

12 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Laurinda, great job with the planks and the balance.

MaryK, thank you for the link, recovery time is often overlooked.

Deborah, welcome aboard.

I'm in a bit of quandary actually, I have been exercising since August and began a healthy eating plan in January, my goal has always been health but I'm losing weight and need to address this. I could afford the 7 pounds lost but cannot afford to lose seven more. So I find myself in a position of needing to alter a diet and fitness schedule which I love, leaves me energised and in control of my sugar cravings. TBH I'm not sure what to do?

12 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

Great job Laurinda and citygirldc.

Roseandjoan - Have you thought about just watching it for a bit? Maybe your body is at it's happy weight and you won't lose any more. You could also consult a dietitian or someone like that. They make tell you to up your calorie intake so you can keep exercising, but not lose any more weight.

I'm still maintaining. I'd love to flatten my tummy just a bit more, so I think I may try to start throwing some planks in there. The weather wasn't great last week so I wasn't able to walk as much as I liked. Hopefully that will be different this week.

12 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I am still maintaining, but really need to get in a groove with some fitness. Running around work is all the exercise I get regularly.
Been knocked down by a nasty cold, but when it clears, I want to run once a week (snow permitting) and do a yoga or strength workout once a week. I know it doesn't sound like much, but as I said, work is a real workout most days already.
One thing I am really concentrating on is limiting the wine. Decided for Lent I wasn't giving it up completely, but rather only having 1 or 2 glasses.

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

MaryK - if you are feeling beat up by the six day a week schedule, then it might be time to consider substituting active recovery days for one or two of your "workouts" - i.e. instead of a class or bootcamp, go for a walk, do yoga, etc. -- some very low key movement. Gardening might also count. Something you enjoy but that is not too exerting. 4 or 5 intense workouts per week should definitely be enough if you keep moving gently the other day or days, and take a FULL REST DAY. Obviously you can still walk or do whatever you have the energy for, but make it restful and relaxing, not taxing.

12 years ago

Mochi

Veteran

Wow, inspired by this discussion, I just managed a two-minute plank! (My core is fairly strong.)

I'm pretty good with the workouts, and am shooting for full compliance with the six weekly workouts in my program. I've been tending to achieve four or five recently, so back to getting them all in is my goal.

My success this week is in being strict about eating very slightly for my evening meal, and no food at all after six pm, no matter how hungry. For me I am so far getting really good results from that. I'm still struggling with eating a clean diet and eating to 80% full, but that's my biggest challenge so I'll keep plugging at it.

Where the workouts show up first? I'll say my upper legs and butt. True apple, right? And the torso is very slow going to show signs of progress...but at least I can see a difference from six months ago.

12 years ago

Laurinda

Veteran

ETA: Deleted repeat of study posted above.

12 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

Laurinda, that's the article I originally linked! LOL The sample size was small and the subjects were older than I and sedentary, but it's still food for thought! At least it will quell the guilt when I have to skip a day!

Suz, I have tap class one night a week so I think that would be a great "active recovery" activity, and I could skip my morning boot camp when I have tap in the evening.

12 years ago

Laurinda

Veteran

@MaryK:

OOPS, I was wondering where I had seen that. Somebody better take away my internet license for the day. Very interesting study!

12 years ago

anne

Veteran

Interesting study. ( I struggle with fatigue often when exercising a lot , though it is hard to differentiate between getting tired from the exercise or getting tired from getting up early to do it)

This is the first week where I have set myself an aim of 2 RPM classes (have done this) 1 pump class (meant to do this yesterday but had sick child at home) and 2 runs (none done yet, so may not happen!)

12 years ago

anne

Veteran

Well I fitted in one run; only 2.5km, but the first for a few weeks. My knee was somewhat sore after this but feels alright 2 days later.

Julie how does your current weight compare to when you lost the weight after your second daughter? FWIW, and without knowing your exact program, I wonder if Kristen is right and you won't lose much more. My personal experience is that if I am reasonably sensible with my eating and exercise most days I will lose about 0.1 kg a day until I reach a certain point, which I have dubbed the bottom of my range. I would quite like to go lower, to be honest, another 2-3 kg but have only achieved this either when I lived in Japan (no car, no fatty foods, was only 24 AND I was trying to) or very briefly when breastfeeding an older baby. I am not really willing to make the lifestyle sacrifices to try to push it down further.

12 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Thanks Anne and Kristen.

I am now at what I consider to be the low end of my healthy weight range so I will monitor the situation for a few more weeks and hope that my weight will settle.

Anne, my weight loss after DD2 was quite insane, I was lower than my pre pregnancy weight (before DD1) after about four weeks and continued to lose due to having an active pregnancy and DD1's inability to sleep which we now know was a result of her autism. By the time I joined YLF I was eating in an attempt to gain weight. I really do not want my weight to drop to that point again.

12 years ago

anne

Veteran

Julie thanks for that extra information. I can now see that if you previously had an problem with your weight dropping too low it would make sense that you are watching out for it now! I hope someone else has some wisdom on how to do it!

12 years ago

Category