I am Jester. Hear me whimper.

[Jester]

After several days of not going to the gym for various reasons, some valid, some not, I re-started things today.

And as much as I did not want to hit the gym after work, being tired from yesterday's LONG work day, I hit it anyway, and got a good workout in. Not as long as I would have liked (got there later than I wanted to), but left literally dripping, so that can't be too bad.

And to aid in my attempt to drop some poundage, particularly the spare tire forming around my middle, I am giving up beer.

Well, just for the week. This is me, after all. But I figure it'll be less carbs, and we'll see what the scale and my belt say next Tuesday. (The reason it's just a week is next Monday is the annual Taste of Key West, a food, wine, and beer festival that I don't miss.) Should be interesting. (I miss beer already....)

I'm currently trying to figure out the best way to build up my shoulder muscles without doing pushups as they mess up my wrists. Any suggestions?

Tons of ways to build up shoulders that have nothing to do with pushups.

Swimming is a great exercise for the body in general and shoulders in particular. (I don't do it myself, as I swim just well enough to keep from drowning. And my best stroke in the pool is "horsing around.")

There are also various weight exercises/weight machines that are especially good for the shoulders. If you go to a gym, just ask a staff member/trainer/someone who looks like they know what the hell they're doing for suggestions.

Sunday I spent time remembering WHY I don't normally drink that much...

One of the best hangover cures known to man is exercise and physical exertion. If you can motivate yourself to get out and work out or sweat in some way, it will be a huge help towards alleviating your hangover. Of course, the problem with this is when you're hungover, the idea of working out just seems wrong.

i have been reading this thread from the beginning and maybe if I had other people pushing me I might actually get back on track.

That is why this thread is here, to push you. So get crackin', missy!

[raw456]

Got out of work a bit early today and decided to hit the river track instead of the gym. I chose a different section which is 1.5km (I usuall walk the 4km section)

I decided to challenge myself and really test my fitness

I RAN 1KM !!!!!!!!!!!

Not walked, RAN!!

I can honestly not remember the last time I ran 1km. (probably back in school 20 odd years ago) I did the circuit twice for a total of 3km, but the last 2km was walking with a 2-3 brief sprints.

I am so proud of myself. I will no doubt feel it tomorrow, but for now I feel fantastic. I treated myself to a beer with dinner to celebrate.

[Cat]

Yeah for running!! That is one this I cannot do

Not feeling sore at all from the gym, that's a good thing...though I may up the speed today.

Kinda kicking myself....I should have worked from home tomorrow...its gonna be lovely, and I could hike longer....than again, with all this rain, the trails are gonna be nasty

[Sapphire Silk]

And to aid in my attempt to drop some poundage, particularly the spare tire forming around my middle, I am giving up beer.

I tried to give up soda completely . . . that is my achilles heel. I've settled for drinking it a couple of times a week. I don't keep any in the house; the only time I get it is if I buy my lunch and a soda comes with it (usually Thursdays and Fridays).

Complete abandonment just wasn't in the cards. Though I am drinking more water, which is good.

I RAN 1KM !!!!!!!!!!!

Not walked, RAN!!

W00t! Way to go! Not one I can do, either.

Yeah for running!! That is one this I cannot do

Not feeling sore at all from the gym, that's a good thing...though I may up the speed today.

Kinda kicking myself....I should have worked from home tomorrow...its gonna be lovely, and I could hike longer....than again, with all this rain, the trails are gonna be nasty

I usually feel sore on the 2nd day, rather than the day after. Don't know why, just the way my body works I guess.

Today's a TKD day for me; will hit the dojang a little later today for class. After that, I'll be driving down to Wrightsville Beach on the coast for a nursing education conference. I plan to hike the beach each day I'm there.

[Mishi]

I wish I had the chance to swim everyday! I love the water, but I don't drive and there are no swimming beaches near me (I prefer the sea to chlorine). Public transport here sucks!

1 hour of medium-level gardening this afternoon, I figured that re-starting the compost bin and spreading the previous contents would be a bit of a workout for my shoulders. Also found the garden edge by pulling up sections of turf that had grown over the concrete. My forearms are tired and sore but bulking up, and not from what you guys probably think I'm doing. I'm actually trying to get rid of the red spider mites that are plaguing my poor peas.

[Squeaksmyalias]

And to aid in my attempt to drop some poundage, particularly the spare tire forming around my middle, I am giving up beer.

Well, just for the week. This is me, after all.

Oh ok, I feel better now, I thought we might have to stage an intervention...unless you want one, I can come down to Key West and tell you to drink I have no problem with that.

One of the best hangover cures known to man is exercise and physical exertion. If you can motivate yourself to get out and work out or sweat in some way, it will be a huge help towards alleviating your hangover. Of course, the problem with this is when you're hungover, the idea of working out just seems wrong.

A friend called asking If I wanted to go walking Sunday, I think the words I used were "bite me". I also whimpered and said I was dying.

Yesterday I ended up going and riding my bike, there are a few things I need to adjust on it but hopefully I will ride it more. My neighborhood isn't a good place to ride it but there is a trail near by I can use.

[trailerparkmedic]

Running on Monday went really well--I was fast, it felt easy, lots of goodness. Today's running sucked, but I didn't go home early and I stuck with it.

I've been eating more protein, fat and veggies but within the Weight Watchers plan. The weight is falling off like it never has before. My goal was to be at my goal weight by the end of the year and that seems easily achievable right now.

[Sapphire Silk]

Well, I am so mad I could chew iron and spit nails.

I'm down on the coast, in Wrightsville, for a nursing conference. The conference actually starts tomorrow, but registration was today. Drove down with two friends, checked in, and proceeded to drink and swap stories for several hours before going out to a really good restaurant (Bridge Tender, if you're ever there well worth the price).

Tried a new beer: Yeungling Pale Ale. Very good, smooth, just a hint of hops.

We were having a great time. We got back to the hotel a little after 10pm and I decided to have a walk on the beach to walk off my dinner before bed.

The ocean is drop dead gorgeous at night. My friends urged me to be safe, as I was going alone (they were going to visit other friends at the hotel, and probably keep on drinking), but I assured them I'd be fine. I'm not drunk, barely even buzzed. I've walked the beach at night plenty of times. No big deal.

When I hit the sand, I stopped to look over the ocean and smell the fresh air, look at the beautiful stars in the sky. It was wonderful, and I was feeling very good.

First step I take onto the beach, I stumbled down a little dune I didn't see in the dark, and promptly sprained my ankle. I could hear the "pop" as I twisted it.

Fortunately, it didn't hurt too badly, and I have no trouble weight bearing, so I'm not worried about a fracture. But I could feel it start to swell as I turned around and headed back into the hotel.

I've tried icing it, but the cold isn't coming through my sock very well, and I just can't tolerate the bag straight on the skin. I've managed to keep it on maybe 10 minutes, which really isn't enough but is all I can tolerate right now. I've taken a couple of Excedrin, which has aspirin, to try and keep the swelling down, and I'm off to bed as soon as I finish venting.

I was feeling soooo good today. I've got my new form down for TKD in class today. Did my weigh in a day early since I'll be out of town until Friday, and found I've lost another 3 pounds since last week: 24 lbs total since mid January.

I should be home in time for the evening TKD class, but I may not go. I may need to take a few days off to let my ankle heal. Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get to a drug store for an ACE wrap (no one here sober enough to drive, alas, including me).

Maaaannnnn.

[ArcticChicken]

You could try using a pillowcase to insulate the ice, it's probably thinner than your sock.


Rode eight miles today on a neighbor's stationary bike while watching a tv show. I know eight miles in an hour isn't a whole heck of a lot, but I figure it's pretty damn good for someone who hasn't been on a bike of any kind in well over a year. Could have worked harder, but couldn't have kept it up for an hour, and I feel better than I have in days.

[Jester]

I am re-evaluating Wednesdays, which while it is my easiest work day (I only do magic), it is also my longest workday (10-4 then 6-9).

I keep forgetting that I do need to take some days off from working out, and perhaps Wednesday should be one of those days. The problem with me seems to be a lot of days I plan to go to the gym become days off. Sunday was a perfect example. I had plenty of time before the memorial boat trip, I just didn't get up off my ass and hit the gym.

I don't know. I do know that I did not go for that run on The Loop today, and I do plan on hitting the gym as much as possible the next four days.

We'll see what happens.

I tried to give up soda completely . . . that is my achilles heel. I've settled for drinking it a couple of times a week.

I gave up caffeine years ago (and by years, I mean 1989!), and over the last couple of years, I have stopped buying soda for home consumption. And since I started bringing in my own Gatorade at work, I have virtually eliminated soda from my diet. It was a long process, and I miss Sprite, orange soda, and Dr. Pepper, but soda is crap. Once I get to where I want to be, I may still have an occasional one, but that is about it. (I know you're thinking that Dr. Pepper has caffeine, and it does. But every now and then, generally on road trips, if I need caffeine, I go for a Dr. Pepper if I can. One won't hurt me too badly.)

I'll be driving down to Wrightsville Beach on the coast for a nursing education conference. I plan to hike the beach each day I'm there.

This got me thinking. For five days in May, my friend and I will be in Fort Lauderdale, doing our own little beer festival, since the one we were going to be going to got shifted right out of our schedule. (I posted about this in another thread, no need to bore you with the details here.) Anyway, last year we took the Jestermobile, as her vehicle for years has been the Ghetto Van, this death trap piece of crap that just is not viable for long distance travel. Anyway, she very recently gave the deathtrap back to her father (who is selling it), as she got a new (for her) Civic. Great on gas mileage. So we're thinking we're gonna take the Civic instead of the Blazer.

But now I'm thinking it would be cool to take my bike to Lauderdale with us, and go riding each morning, while she's recovering/doing breakfast/laying out/whatever the fuck she'll be doing. I did this once before on a vacation I took to Fort Myers Beach, and it was awesome. Of course, if we take my bike, we are going to have to take the Blazer and pay a little more for gas. Not sure how she'll feel about that. Hmmm....something more to ponder about this vacay.

I feel better now, I thought we might have to stage an intervention...unless you want one, I can come down to Key West and tell you to drink I have no problem with that.

Hey, anytime anyone wants to stage an intervention for me for NOT drinking beer, I am all for it. Yes, drag me kicking and screaming to the bars, I can handle it! Nah, just abstaining for a few days, see if it makes much difference.

Of course, if you want to come to KW, knock yourself out. The place doesn't suck. Just let me know if/when you are coming, as I am not always here. (See above, for example.)

The weight is falling off like it never has before. My goal was to be at my goal weight by the end of the year and that seems easily achievable right now.

I don't know how much weight you are trying to lose, but remember that just because the pounds are falling fast now doesn't mean they will continue to do so. The body is a funny thing, and sometimes you just reach a plateau, and losing weight becomes harder for a little while, or perhaps a longer while. Just thought you should be advised about this....

Tried a new beer: Yeungling Pale Ale. Very good, smooth, just a hint of hops.

I've tried many beers, and several in the Yuengling line, but have yet to have (or even see) their Pale Ale. I'll keep an eye out for it.

I've tried icing it, but the cold isn't coming through my sock very well, and I just can't tolerate the bag straight on the skin. I've managed to keep it on maybe 10 minutes, which really isn't enough but is all I can tolerate right now.

This is what I've done when I've sprained or twisted my ankle or knee:
-Place a towel below it on the bed.
-In a thin towel, place a ziploc bag of ice. Depending on your tolerance, you may not need the towel at all.
-Chill/sleep/watch tv.

But however you do it, get that damn ankle ICED.

[lupo pazzesco]

Yesterday, I walked for part of my lunch break, and plan to continue that trend today. Also, chores DO count as burning calories, so in the spirit of getting my damn apartment cleaned up, and getting me back into staying moving/active again, I'm going to tackle and scrub 1 room per day after work for the next few days. Yes, it's starting slow, but Sunday, I will weigh and measure for the first time in a long time, and really hit the exercise starting this coming week.

As for foods, I'm staying on track and following what helped me before: eating smaller, more frequent "meals" and logging what I eat, staying within a certain range. So far, so good, for the 3rd day in a row.

[Sapphire Silk]

You could try using a pillowcase to insulate the ice, it's probably thinner than your sock.

Wish I'd thought of that; excellent idea. It probably would have worked, too

I am re-evaluating Wednesdays, which while it is my easiest work day (I only do magic), it is also my longest workday (10-4 then 6-9).

I keep forgetting that I do need to take some days off from working out, and perhaps Wednesday should be one of those days. The problem with me seems to be a lot of days I plan to go to the gym become days off. Sunday was a perfect example. I had plenty of time before the memorial boat trip, I just didn't get up off my ass and hit the gym.

This was the biggest problem I had when I started working out . . . figuring out when to fit it into my busy schedule (I work two jobs as well). And you do need to take some days off to allow your body to heal and build new muscle. Now that I have a routine, however, it is pretty easy and my friends are learning that I place a high priority on my workouts . . . though fortunately the school has enough flexibility in the class schedule for me to switch things up if there's something specific I want/need to do.

I don't know how much weight you are trying to lose, but remember that just because the pounds are falling fast now doesn't mean they will continue to do so. The body is a funny thing, and sometimes you just reach a plateau, and losing weight becomes harder for a little while, or perhaps a longer while. Just thought you should be advised about this....

QFT. I've been losing weight fairly quickly; about 2-3 pounds a week. However, after a few more pounds I fully expect to "plateau" and lose weight more slowly. Our bodies resist losing weight after a certain point--it's our survival mechanism against starvation. When that happens I'll have to re-evaluate both my diet plan and my workout plan to push past that and continue the weight loss. The first pounds are the easiest, which is good or people would get discouraged and quit more easily than they already do.

But however you do it, get that damn ankle ICED.

I know I did ice it some, and it did help. I managed to sleep fairly well. I also took an anti-infammatory (the aspirin in Excedrin) even though I'm not supposed to (my doctor thinks overuse of nsaids is the cause of my high blood pressure), and also used a prescription anti inflammatory cream my doctor gave me for my knees. It seems to have helped: as much as my ankle hurts this morning, it is not very swollen.

However, that is what is bothering me this morning. It is not very swollen and it hurts like hell. Last night I could weight bear easily. Now it is all I can do to stand, much less walk. One of my friends from work is taking me to the local ER. At the very least, I need a splint and some crutches. I'm also starting to worry about a break.

Either way, I'm not doing TKD for awhile I'll have to figure out a way to do some kind of workout on my upper body until my ankle heals.

[Cat]

How many days do you guys/gals take as "rest" days? I've been so looking forward going to the gym I tend to forget to take these. Crazy, I know. (again, I blame watching soccer...really make me wanna get me all fit-like)

Was going to carry weight on my lunch walk, but my back is killing me...so just a nice, enjoy the 60 degrees weather walk it will be. Gym may be skipped.

[trailerparkmedic]

Oh, I know that I'm going to hit plateaus. Knock on wood, I'm surprised that I haven't hit one yet with as fast as I'm losing. I've found that when I bother to listen to my body, I hit less of them and they're less bad, but I know they're still lying in wait. That's why I am anticipating it will take me so long to get to my goal weight.

Cat, I've heard that 1 or 2 total rest days is good each week and your body is happier when you don't do the same exercise more than 2 days in a row. I also think it depends on how stressful your chosen exercise is on your system--it's easier to swim more days in a row then run.

Panacea, I'm glad you're going to the ER. In my experience, sprains are worse than breaks because with a break, you know you're out for 6 weeks and you feel better at the end of it. Sprains are tougher to have a finite deadline on when they'll be better and people tend to reinjure themselves by pushing too far too fast. I hope you're feeling better soon.

[raw456]

How many days do you guys/gals take as "rest" days? I've been so looking forward going to the gym I tend to forget to take these. Crazy, I know. (again, I blame watching soccer...really make me wanna get me all fit-like).

Personally, I work on the 3 days training, 1 day rest method. But you need to find what works for you. Some people work out Mon-Fri then take weekends off. I also find mixing up what I do helps as well. I usually do 2 days at the gym then the third day I will run/walk along the river.

Once I get my bike paid off, I will add that into the mix.

You could also try talking to the staff at the gym about what they recommend.