@yauponredux , congrats on the weight loss and consistent exercise. I appreciate you sharing your experience with the app. Sounds like something I could use at the gym. My problem is that there’s so much I want to do and not enough time to do it all! Cutting back on running mileage should help free up some time.
Slept in this morning, only four and a quarter. Heat and humidity definitely impact my HR. I’ve definitely noticed improved conditioning though as my weight has dropped.
I haven’t missed a day of strength training (3x a week), though I was sorely tempted to skip yesterday.
Speaking of “sore,” I’m often tempted to skip a workout too, like yesterday, because I tweaked my left pec muscle. Fortunately, like usual, I got into the gym and got my workout in, but I reduced the volume. And thankfully, during the current cycle, Wednesdays are a day off. <:-P I could really use one. SIx days in row is rough. I’m getting too old for this. :))
I did not want to go to yoga this morning at all but my desire to see my friends outweighed my desire to sleep in. I’ve fallen back into my bad habit of too much cardio and not enough strength work, so really needed the flow class which has quite a bit of planking and the like. All my favorites - not.
I’m at the end of my PN cycle and am trying to objectively assess where I’m at and what my goals for a second round are. While I’ve lost weight, I still see areas I am unhappy with - my lower back is a particular sore spot. Work in progress. One of the big realizations I had was that diet was far more important than exercise to weight loss. I always “knew” it but now I really KNOW it.
@sabaray One of the fitness rules that I learned a long time ago is “abs are made in the kitchen.” Congrats on losing weight! One of my few indulgences in the food category is sushi. I might have it 1x week. I love sushi, but the rice is a non-productive food unless you’re someone like Michael Phelps or Mo Farah.
My Internet diagnosis for you is to add more strength into your workouts and not worry about pounds. There are females who weigh as much, if not more than me in some cases, and look absolutely fantastic. If your back is an area you want to improve, then IMO, that means deadlifts, barbell/dumbbell rows and hip/back extensions. For upper back, then pull-ups.
As for the cardio-strength balance, for me it’s bit of the opposite, I lean more strength and anaerobic exercise, but I feel the straight cardio (aerobic) is getting the short end of the stick. Essentially, my weekly running mileage has been anemic.
So, since I started my “engine tune-up,” I believe I’ve gained 2-3 pounds, which is a result that I’m very happy with, oddly enough. I’m not a big believer in the scale, but it’ll do for now. I try to do a hydrostatic body fat test once every 12-18 months, but there isn’t one scheduled for my locale for now.
I’ve also slightly modified my exercises to incorporate more individual dumbbell work along with the usual barbell work in order to increase strength and balance.
I have my favorites and my NOT favorites too (exercises).
I’ve never been to a yoga class. One of these days!
Update us on your new goals for your second round.
Friends get me out the door, too.
How much are yoga classes? I used to belong to a gym and yoga was included in the membership. I just looked at a local yoga studio and it’s $95 for 5 classes – is that about the going rate?
$95/5 would be cheap around here.
OK good! Thanks BB. I really want to get back into doing it.
YMMV of course! Seattle is not a cheap town.
The yoga class I go to is included with my gym membership but around here rates will vary based on how many you are purchasing - a drop in is around $20, but buying a package obviously changes the cost per session. The more you buy, the more you save. I think geography may impact your pricing. I don’t love yoga, but it has been a nice complement to my Pilates practice.
My weight has been very stable since March, which I’m actually pretty happy with. This round I lost 25 pounds over the course of the year but a bit over 18 inches from my girth. Most of that loss came from my waist and hips - 5.5 inches from my waist alone. I feel very good about that. I did not have very specific goals when I started - just lose weight, get stronger, run a successful second marathon. This year has had me questioning why I wanted to do certain things and if they were my true interests. Truth be told, at this point I just want to look good for my D’s wedding this fall. So, there are a few non-negotiables: Pilates training once a week with my long-time instructor and a long run on Saturday with my running crew. I’ll have to think of what I hope to achieve this time around and how the workouts can fit into my schedule. But yes, weight training is going to have to be a huge part of it this time around.
Do most people here weigh themselves? I prefer not to. One, I don’t own a scale or have convenient access to one. Two, I don’t think I’d find it all that helpful. That’s just me; no judgement on those who do use a scale. I like my clothes to fit well and I like to feel comfortable, both things I can do without knowing my weight.
I do log food & drink into MyFitnessPal. THAT helps me so much. And, I look for small signs that I’m getting stronger.
@Midwest67
I weigh myself often and log the weight on MyFitnessPal, I am not bothered by the fluctuations but like to see the overall (hopefullly downward) trend, especially since I started to reduce my carb intake. I pay more attention to size reduction too, clothes are getting looser…
I love yoga, yin/Hatha/power yoga, my morning yoga teacher loves to say “flexibility is strength”, I am slowly but surely becoming a believer of this motto. Better Hip/shoulder flexibility allow my posture to be better when doing strength training and prevent injuries. My swimmer son has very tight hips/ankles and we have incorporated yoga into his dryland training, in his case, injury-prevention is definitely a priority there.
@sushiritto
Now I see why you have your screen name! Lol. I like “abs are made in the kitchen”!
I like sushi a lot but is so scared of pollution so I am keeping myself away from most sushis. The rice in sushi is considered “resistance starch”, ie prebiotics, might not be as bad as regular rice?
Yes, you’re absolutely 100% correct. I don’t do yoga, but I do spend 10-15 minutes prior to my workout using bands, rollers, etc. to increase my flexibility and posture. And then most evenings I do a bit more “body work.” This is an area of BIG weakness for me. Calves and shoulders for me.
Guess what I have for lunch today? 1/2 a sushiritto! As for the pollution content, I stay away from tuna and it’s variations, but I’ve been eating sushi since college. I’ll have to look into sushi rice. I hadn’t heard that it might be better than regular rice. Nonetheless, for the most part, I try to stay with veges, protein and carbs like yams, sweet potatoes, etc., some fruit, nuts, seeds, yada, yada, yada.
I also check the scale occasionally, maybe 1x/week, but it’s just for kicks I think. The number(s) stay fairly consistent.
Thanks for the reminder re: stretching and flexibility. I’m learning how important this is as I get, ahem, older.
I weigh maybe once a week and rely more on how I look and how clothes fit. When I was younger, I weighed more often. If I am trying to lose weight, then I’ll weigh daily. Right now I am pretty happy with how I look and feel, so not weighing often.
Daily weighing was a habit I had to get out of. Every two weeks I weigh, measure and report. Every month I document my appearance with photos. In particularly warm weather I will weigh before running to make sure I’m getting enough fluid. This seems to be sufficient to get an idea of general trends and get ahead of a few extra pounds before they turn into way too many pounds.
I weigh daily, but the only number I care about is the weekly moving average (IMO, it is a more accurate number than a once a week weigh in weight).
@sabaray Interesting to read that you do photos every month, because that sounds terrifying to me! I look in the mirror and I see my mother! I’m rapidly turning into an older woman with loose skin going south. I don’t mind so much. But I don’t think I could handle photos! Good on you!