Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

<p>My own little slice of hell. Dreaded Airdyne intervals. Four 1/2 mile sprints, recovering in between with an easy pedal until my heart rate fell back to below 70% of my max.</p>

<p>As I promised myself, I wanted to kick it up a notch. So I changed into shorts and a t-shirt (brrrrr) and put a big fan at chest level blowing on me from 2 feet away. And, kept my eye on the display, trying to hold my pedal RPMs up – ideally above 72 rpm, although they slipped a few times to 70 when I was gassed just hanging on.</p>

<p>Yippee! A new personal record, eclipsing my previous best average RPM by 0.5 rpm for the four half miles. A solid 5 rpm gain from the last time out on this workout last week.</p>

<p>The Airdyne is a brutal machine when you try to push it. Because it’s air resistance, the energy output increases with the square of speed. So going a little faster is a big increase in energy. I saw a heart rate on the final interval of 98% of my max. I think I’ve only seen a higher heart rate on the Airdyne twice - once on my previous PR. </p>

<p>Crazy. Just 5 minutes 17 seconds of actual sprint and I’m toast.</p>

<p>Last night I was in a parking lot and slipped on a patch of black ice. One of those where you can feel yourself going down in slow motion … But I was able to right myself and not fall. I honestly think it’s because of all the core work through yoga and pilates – I really felt I was able to catch myself. It made me realize the importance of this as I grow older.</p>

<p>Yay, iDad. You are the King of the Airdyne!</p>

<p>Pizzagirl- so true. It really does pay off.</p>

<p>2 cold, outside miles this morning and 2 dreadmill miles after work at the gym. Then a few weights. Quads still really sore. Nasty weather here- 34 degree rain.</p>

<p>Heh, heh… New Moosejaw winter catalog arrived today and they feature my new down hoody:</p>

<p>[Moosejaw</a> photo](<a href=“http://www.moosejawcatalogs.com/data/win13flx/011/html/6.jpg]Moosejaw”>http://www.moosejawcatalogs.com/data/win13flx/011/html/6.jpg)</p>

<p>I hope an ol’ (formerly) fat guy can sport it as well as the model in the catalog. :)</p>

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<p>I’ve officially broken Thanksgiving tradition. I’m cooking the whole turkey dinner for Christmas and decided that doing it twice in less than a month is just too much turkey and stuffing for me. So went to the local specialty butcher shop today and bought a boneless Prime rib roast, which I’ll roast out on the Weber in rain, sleet, or snow, or whatever we get. I think it might have been cheaper to buy a car…</p>

<p>Darn it Idad, my local TJ Maxx has that Marmot down coat without the hood for $99. I keep looking at it but today I might have to go over there and get it. I blame you. ;)</p>

<p>We are getting lake effect here in Northern Michigan but this is how the rest of winter will go. I’ve been on the treadmill as it’s been cold, windy and snowing.</p>

<p>MOWC, Marshall’s had a vest very much like ID’s (nicely puffy, barely weighs anything) in grey, lime inside and some other color, by CalvinKlein, $39.</p>

<p>PG; glad your fall went as well as it did. With my shoulder/neck injuries, I still cannot do yoga, so doing pilates 3x/week. I guess it all helps.</p>

<p>^i hear ya. Picking up my beef tenderloin today for my non-traditional TG :)</p>

<p>I’m still up 2 lbs from the weekend despite vigorous workouts so I’m heading into the danger zone this weekend and will have to behave accordingly :)</p>

<p>Deb- Go get it! $99 isn’t bad at all. bookworm- thanks for the tip! May check that out.</p>

<p>I am going to try running at noon in my Lulu down pullover from last year and see how it does. I really got it for just casual wear, but I’m intrigued by the idea of a light, warm layer that feels that cozy. I’m NOT intrigued by the washing issues. </p>

<p>I did not run this morning- too cold and I was warm in bed. I have 4 days now where I don’t have to get up and be anywhere, so that will be good rest.</p>

<p>^^^and enjoy that MOWC- fully!!</p>

<p>Mid 20’s and extremely gusty here - happily, no white stuff though - dodged that bullet! All my little rug rats are home but still hoping to carve out some exercise time today or in the morning - thinking I might introduce an inaugural family turkey trot in the morning - walk, run or walk the dog!!! :)</p>

<p>For all whether you stop by today tomorrow or over the weekend - Happy Thanksgiving- I am thankful for my legs, my improved breathing skills to make my distances, my family friends and health of course- but also for this thread - the humor, the support and the acceptance of all leels of diet, exercise and support! :)</p>

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[quote]
Darn it Idad, my local TJ Maxx has that Marmot down coat without the hood for $99. </p>

<p>It’s probably this one:</p>

<p>[Women’s</a> Jena Jacket | Marmot.com](<a href=“http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-jena-jacket]Women’s”>http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-jena-jacket)</p>

<p>I got the men’s version at TJMAXX for $99 and the’ve got it again this year. It is my absolute favorite winter jacket. Weighs nothing. Doesn’t feel like Michelin man. Soft and comfy. I grab it every time around town every time if the temp is between 20 and 40 degrees and it’s not raining. Around town, not having a hood is actually better I think. $99 is half price and I’ve never seen it that cheap anywhere else. I’ve also never seen another down jacket as nice at Marshalls/TJMAXX for $99.</p>

<p>You can tell if its this one, because it will say “800 fill” down on the sleeve or the hang tag. It’s the same basic product as the [Patagonia</a> (aka Patagucci) down sweater](<a href=“http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-down-sweater-jacket?p=84682-0]Patagonia”>http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-down-sweater-jacket?p=84682-0).</p>

<p>If they’ve got the [Quasar</a> jacket](<a href=“http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-quasar-jacket#]Quasar”>http://marmot.com/products/details/womens-quasar-jacket#) for $99, I would drive in the snow as fast as you can to grab it. The non-hooded version retails for $295. It’s actually probably not quite as comfy as the other version for around town. But, it weighs under 8 ounces. The cost is in the crazy ultralight Japanese fabric. They didn’t even figure out how to weave fabric with such tiny thread until a few years ago. It’s half the thickness of the thread in the $200 jacket.</p>

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<p>Down actually washes pretty easily, except for big stuff like sleeping bags and comforters. Maybe not quite as easily as tech T shirts, if you sweat like I do. Grab a tube of three new tennis balls to keep next to the dryer. When you dry down, put the tennis balls in the dryer. It fluffs up the down.</p>

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<p>I’m up a couple pounds, too. A little surprised because I didn’t hammer the Halloween candy that badly this year! I suspect that it is a seasonal “here comes the cold weather” thing as it’s the second year in a row. </p>

<p>In any case, it’s definitely not going to kill me to skip the stuffing in favor of prime rib and fresh asparagus.</p>

<p>I think I have the Jena jacket that I got last year and wear all the time (not to run). I got it at REI for a lot more than $99! </p>

<p>There’s a brand called Odlo that is mentioned on the running boards. I can’t seem to find a US source for them and they are really expensive, but they are supposed to have a really light down running jacket that is great.</p>

<p>The good thing about the Lulu down pullover is that it has underarm zippers so you can vent if you get hot.</p>

Are you sure it is fat gain rather than muscle gain? Muscle gain is good. Waistline measurement may help you determine whether it is fat gain or muscle gain.

<p>So TJ Maxx is next to the grocery store and I thought I had pumpkin spice but couldn’t find it…</p>

<p>It’s called the Hera jacket. It’s like the Jena but it cobalt blue with the lime zipper and 800 fill. It is pretty cute.</p>

<p>Now I want to see that jacket… !!!</p>

<p><a href=“The Power of a Daily Bout of Exercise - The New York Times”>The Power of a Daily Bout of Exercise - The New York Times;

<p>What this boils down to is exercise apparently has benefits that go beyond burning off calories.To me what this says is even if you indulge during this season of too much food, to make sure not to use that as an excuse to not exercise, that exercise may help stave off some of the ills of splurging, even if it can’t hold off all the weight gain:)…</p>

<p>As for me, I am happy, I am officially now down 30 pounds and am starting to finally show some signs of developing muscles/shape…good to know they existed under the blubber!</p>

<p>For the past two weeks I have been experimenting with eating 2 meals a day, where I skip breakfast (no big loss), eat a good lunch (healthy), and a good dinner, with snacks, and it seems to be helping with what I am doing. The standard way people do this ‘intentional fasting’ or whatever they call it, is to have an ‘eating’ period between 1pm and 9pm, then the rest is fasting. I don’t do that, my fast period ranges between roughly 12 hours and 16 hours (given my schedule, I often am eating dinner late, and then I may be hungry later and need a snack, it is dumb to go to bed hungry or feel hungry IMO). In any event, it seems to work for me. Conventional wisdom is that if you do this you will be starving later and pig out, but that doesn’t seem to be happening with me. On the other hand, my wife couldn’t do this, she would be starving by 9am, so it seems to be one of those things that may not work for others. </p>

<p>I also am moving beyond my basic routine, using it as a base and adding to it, started doing inverted rows with my upper body, and will probably start introducing lifting with both upper and lower body days (free weights, things like deadlifts and squats with heavy weights), to turn this into my ‘real’ routine. Probably also will vary things, to keep my body from getting used to it (several muscles just did their equivalent of groaning, protesting and threatening to call their union rep about abuse…).</p>

<p>My jacket is definitely the Jena. So what’s the difference between the Jena and the Hera? Jena is 800, also.
So- after successfully running 4 miles at noon in the Fluff Off yellow pullover from last year, I went and got a Christmas present for myself at Lulu.</p>

<p>[fluff</a> off jacket | women’s jackets | lululemon athletica](<a href=“http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/jackets-and-hoodies-jackets/Fluff-Off-Jacket?cc=12159&skuId=3517663&catId=jackets-and-hoodies-jackets]fluff”>http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/jackets-and-hoodies-jackets/Fluff-Off-Jacket?cc=12159&skuId=3517663&catId=jackets-and-hoodies-jackets)</p>

<p>for running I really like the ability to unzip the underarms for airflow and the cuffins/thumb holes.</p>

<p>The Monkey Marathon pictures are up. They are generally not particularly flattering of the runners due to all our clothes, but they do show some of the scenery.
I’m on Page 6 in picture 1005 and Page 44 in 2995 and 2996. I look like a bag lady- really.</p>

<p>[8th</a> Flying Monkey Park Pictures - Elly Foster Photography](<a href=“http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/Sports/Strider-Races/8th-Flying-Monkey-Park/34415222_WtJ3x8#!i=2934811817&k=qcNPRzr]8th”>http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/Sports/Strider-Races/8th-Flying-Monkey-Park/34415222_WtJ3x8#!i=2934811817&k=qcNPRzr)</p>

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<p>Same jacket, different name. TJMAXX has a Marmot Ouray Down Hoody mens jacket right now that is identical (right down to the color) as there Guides Down Hoody. I think these alternate names must have been for different retailers or maybe different countries?</p>

<p>Here’s an ebay listing with a bunch of photos of a pink one for $159:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARMOT-HERA-LIGHTWEIGHT-DOWN-JACKET-800-DOWN-FILL-HOT-PINK-LIPSTICK-COLOR-sz-L-/251389525381?pt=US_Athletic_Clothing&hash=item3a87fbbd85[/url]”>http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARMOT-HERA-LIGHTWEIGHT-DOWN-JACKET-800-DOWN-FILL-HOT-PINK-LIPSTICK-COLOR-sz-L-/251389525381?pt=US_Athletic_Clothing&hash=item3a87fbbd85&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Great Monkey pix. I can’t believe you are actually smiling/laughing in two of them. We are not worthy… :)</p>

<p>The Tyvek is a great look, but I think you definitely deserved a new running jacket! I love the models for running gear. They are all 6 foot 2 and 110 pounds… The male models are all 6 foot 5 and 155 pounds…</p>

<p>Yay. Five pound party time for musicprnt! Good timing, right before the feast! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Thanks for the article. Knowing the way I’m going to eat while lying around watching football tomorrow, I guess I should drab myself down to the basement and sling a few weights around. I turned on the heater down there a few minutes ago. Looks like a balmy 61 degrees now. Perfect…</p>