14 March:
A quick post... sadly, I'll not have much time for posting while my brother is here, but I am going to try to just post here every day as part of keeping myself on track.
Anyway, It's day two of my brother's visit *and* it's a weekend day, and I've managed to keep it together!
Workout: Pilates Class - it's not like a gym pilates class, it's a beginner class taught by a certified instructor and physiotherapist taught at my physio clinic. It's still good.
Lots of walking and I did run home from pilates class while playing with my new toy (the forerunner)
You're such a good girl with the calorie logs! I fear I may have to follow your example soon if I can't get the scale to budge....
Keep up the good work!
16-19 March:
Logging from my time away... but these are rough estimates. Some things are easier to track than others, but I did try to account for all of it.
Numbers are high, but considering that I was on holiday and eating in restaurants, I think this is not so bad. We were walking for 4-5 hours of the day as well. It was a bit hard, as at points, my brother would say that he would only have dessert if I did and I didn't want to take from his trip. I did say no often enough, though!
Good job with your calorie intake, esp with visits from family--that always says, "overindulge" to me! Nice job with workouts as well!
Thanks so much. Visitors and trips usually mean I go all out, so this is really a first for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisabethd
You're such a good girl with the calorie logs! I fear I may have to follow your example soon if I can't get the scale to budge....
Keep up the good work!
Shucks. If only my numbers were better! We all have our good weeks... we just have to try to have more than one!
Tomorrow my brother heads back to the States, so my excuse for indulgence will be no more. I plan to just get back on track tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, I've gone back to physiotherapy, and I was told to not weightlift until after our session on Monday. It sounds like I'll have to modify my workouts a bit in the coming month or two.
Looking forward to finally catching up on everyone's postings tomorrow.
I had physio on Monday, and I got more stability work to do. I'm trying to focus on taking care of what's wrong first, and I haven't really gotten a sense of what I can still keep doing. My next session is Thursday, and we're supposed to start discussing this then.
My issue is that I have very poor core strength throughout. This leads me to rotate my hips when I shouldn't. It sounds like this has been the cause of a lot of my injuries over the years, and the reason why weightlifting has really brought this to light is because a lot of the NROLFW exercises are complex and require you to not only lift a weight but use your core by balancing. ex: the one legged deadlifts. This is a good thing, but because I'm so underconditioned, it's a problem for me. When I do that deadlift, my back is straight but my form is completely screwed because my hips aren't parallel to the floor when i lift my left. To compensate for my crap balance, I twist my hips such that i'm turned towards my elevated leg. I know because the physio recorded me doing it and showed me. Anyway, this put me out of whack, and makes me compensate for my core weakness by using other muscles, like my IT band.
So, I'm a bit thrilled to know what's wrong here and that it's 100% fixable in a relatively short time if I put the effort in. It seems this exercise ball and I will be spending a lot of time together while I develop balance.
I plan to stick with the challenge, but I may be putting NROLFW on hold for a bit- until I'm really ready for it. Fortunately, I've been assured there's plenty of other stuff for me to do in the meantime.
Looks good in here and you definitely got right back on track. As for putting a hold on NROL4W on hold - you can definitely do other things and it sounds like you have a good plan that is going to improve your form and performance. Good on you.
__________________
Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
When i went to Physio on Thursday, I asked what I could do when working out, suggesting the possibility of weight training that isn't so stability intensive. I threw out the idea of chinups, and well, I compensate while doing those too!
I'm not allowed to do much for now. I can do the elliptical while focusing on posture and I have a bunch of physio exercises that don't look like exercises. I'll maybe get to cycle after they check out my form on my bike.
I do feel like there's progress though, and I know I just have to do as I am told. I never realized quite how much I hunch at my desk at work or how I pull my shoulders up. Standing up straight properly actually feels alien... like my chest is too far out and my chin is tucked too far in. It is becoming habitual to correct myself, though, which is good.
Supposedly, when they're though with me, I'll have no problem kneeling on a sports ball unsupported. It sounds so unbelievable to me because I struggle to sit on one now without wobbling. I can't imagine it.
Even more wonderful and unbelievable to me is that when they're done with me, I won't be injured so frequently.
Looks good in here and you definitely got right back on track. As for putting a hold on NROL4W on hold - you can definitely do other things and it sounds like you have a good plan that is going to improve your form and performance. Good on you.
Thanks! I just need to keep thinking about the big picture and remember that where one challenge ends another begins - here and in life. I know you guys will keep me inspired to resume it when I'm ready.
30 March: So, all that self-convincing failed. My weekend was pretty crap. I counted through Saturdayand quit partway through Sunday. I think it's a bit hard for me to stay motivated when I can't workout much.
I need to stay focused so I can be back on track ASAP.
I'm really not looking forward to monthly pics, but whatever... many months lie ahead.
Swift kick in the backside later, here I am.
Eats: 1712 cals
Workouts-
Still on the couch, aside my from my physiotherapy.
Therapist says he can see improvement already, which is great. I still have a long way to go, though. Friday, I bring my bike in with me so he can check that out... if that goes well, i'll at least be back cycling.
Workout i am currently trying to talk myself into doing the elliptical. ugh. I'd rather just not eat. That, and the one in the gym at my apartment sucks. I need to make myself go do it at the office gym en route home because the equipment is better and I can watch TV.
I think I'm just going to focus on my physio exercises tonight with a solid plan to go do the elliptical either tomorrow morning or at the office gym.
And... crappy news... my physiotherapist is sick and can't do my cycling evaluation tomorrow. This wouldn't be cause for misery except for the fact that he's on a very deserved vacation for the next two weeks so I'll not be cycling for a while. *sigh*
Not a good day at all... PMS eating teamed with my husband's kind but unwanted decision to change our dinner plan.
I can't really refuse to eat what he has excitedly decided to make for us, but I really wish i could sometimes. Anyway, after the dinner (over 800 cals of indian food which wasn't even a generous serving) i got cranky and had sweets, adding insult to injury.
Ouch, that hurts. Hang in there and hopefully the time will go by quickly. Keep taking care of yourself.
Thanks. I know it really isn't so bad, and that really, the time will fly by. I just need to focus on what I can do (hrmph elliptical!) and not on what I can't. That's just soo much easier said than done!
Thanks. I know it really isn't so bad, and that really, the time will fly by. I just need to focus on what I can do (hrmph elliptical!) and not on what I can't. That's just soo much easier said than done!
I know what you mean, it is SO hard not to do that. I am finding it very, very hard to focus on the positive of it all. *sigh*
__________________
Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
Workout:
-Pilates class this morning - my first intermediate level class!
-30 mins on the hated elliptical
-some of my physio work. the pilates class overlaps with it a bit. and i don't want to overdo it, either. I sat on my ball & did all of my stretches.
Tomorrow is picture/ stats day. I'm hoping for no change, as between not being able to workout, having guests, and wallowing in selfpity this hasn't been a great month.
I think I need to formally set new goals for myself with my posting. I know what I need to do, but I've been vague about it. I think if i'm more structured about it, i'll be more likely to adhere to my plan. This goal set will be short term- just until I'm able to do more.
I know what you mean, it is SO hard not to do that. I am finding it very, very hard to focus on the positive of it all. *sigh*
It sounds like you're in the homestretch, though! You had the surgery, the boot is off, and now it's all just getting back to normal, which generally means doing your physio and not overdoing it. You're going to be better than ever with your new bionic ankle!
I've been injured so many times in my adult life. My current physio believes that most of them are due to the isses he's helping me with now. They've always treated the injuries and never the underlying cause. I spent nearly a year on crutches between 2003- 2005 and I always found that the sense of despair was always worst in the beginning.
Stubborness can be a blessing and a curse. I crutched my way around three continents, went to work while living in a 5th floor walkup in Manhattan... heck, I've been on the floor of the NYSE with crutches. At the same time, it can make it so much harder to be good. Once I know how long I have to be patient, I'm usually OK. It's the indefinite that kills me.
I have definitely made little bits of progress over the last three months, but it hasn't been the great asskicking I had originally envisaged.
There are quite a few reasons for that:
1. Injury has left me trying to stick to original goals - and I'm really not doing well with that
2. I eat way too much sugar. I really undermine progress on weekends
Since I started the challenge, I've been doing a bit better with weekends and visitors. If anything, I'm learning that planning is really the key for me.
To address #1, it is time for some new goals. These apply until I am allowed to do more:
1. I will eat at a sensible deficit of 300cals, making my goal intake 1700 calories. I'll plan for maintenance one day a week as well.
2. Target a macronutrient ratio of 30-30-40
3. Cut back my high glycemic carb intake... I may need to do a bit more homework to set a precise rule for this, but I'm mostly going to try to avoid bread, white rice, etc.
4. Physio exercises every night
5. Elliptical trainer for 3h each week. I can do this in 30 minute increments, 60 min increments, whatever. Just 3h minimum. Once I'm on the dreaded thing, 15 more minutes doesn't seem so bad.
Eats- 1767 cals - Decent deficit of around 250cal, assuming I estimated my lunch right. It was a roast beef sandwich, of which I only ate half the bread and none of the side order of fries.
Workout Physio exercises and 35 minutes of elliptical trainer. 5 more boring minutes than I've been doing lately.
I think I hate the elliptical because there's no fear of falling off of it. No adventure there!
I'm doing OK so far this week. I definitely need to plan for this weekend, though, Easter holiday is a four day weekend here, which means four potential days of disasterous eating.
I've mostly been around my maintenance level, excepting Friday when I ended up going out after work and having a bit of a splurge. Friday probably wouldn't have been such a big deal if I hadn't been in eat mode.
Saturday I misread packaging and was sunk by dessert that had 400cals instead of 200cals. oops
Anyway, while eating at maintenance on the weekend might not be a big accomplishment for most, it really is for me... especially on easter weekend. My macros haven't been good because I've been indulging in easter treats, but at least I'm managing my overall intake calorically. So many weekend days turn into 3500 calorie sprees, so ending up around 2000 is a huge improvement for me.
Workouts:
30 min elliptical on the 10th
Otherwise...
I've been so-so about my new goals.
I've been eating a little more than I should, but I'm OK with that because I haven't messed up this weekend.
I planned for 3h of elliptical a week, and I did at least two. I've been good about my physio exercises as well.
So, next week (starting Monday), I'll try to be even better by keeping my deficits and meeting my cardio targets. I'm going to make a bean salad to take to work this week so I can skip the sandwiches.
Today, I'm focusing on not messing myself up!
I have fallen off the map for a bit. My physiotherapist has been gone for two weeks longer than planned due to illness, and I've just been feeling defeated.
That teamed with lots of visitors has meant that I've been tracking a lot less and that my workouts have been limited to long walks and doing my physio.
I probably should just quit the challenge, but I'd like to try to make the most of the next two months.
My physiotherapist should be back on Wednesday, and I'll be calling to book in with him then. The gaggle of friends visiting who have given me a wonderful excuse to not workout and go out a bit more will have all left by Friday. My doc says I'm making great progress.
So... with any luck, I'll be able to be more active within the week and maybe even an active participant by the end of May.
Ugh, but taking pictures this month was just a drag!
Sorry that you're struggling. Take heart that you've kept up, even if you feel you aren't making much progress. I feel that if I'd stayed in the challenge I might not have gone so off the rails, so staying in is probably a good idea.
I've been injured so many times in my adult life. My current physio believes that most of them are due to the isses he's helping me with now. They've always treated the injuries and never the underlying cause. I spent nearly a year on crutches between 2003- 2005 and I always found that the sense of despair was always worst in the beginning.
.
That's so interesting. I wish I could find a physiotherapist I trust. I've had a number of Physical therapists but they never seemed to get a handle on what's up with me. I spent my second pregnancy in a wheelchair because of my hips, then I sprained my knee and both ankles in the subsequent years. I think it was lack of stability, because I have had a couple of falls since then and did not injure myself--I'm much more in control of my body now. But I still have annoying pains--I"m glad I've figured a lot out myself but it would be nice to have a professional to help me out.
I'm glad you're keeping up the fight--crutches are so very frustrating.
Fat - 14.0% (29 grams)
Protein - 23.1% (110 grams)
Carbohydrates - 46.3% (219 grams)
Alcohol - 16.6% (45 grams)
Other - 0.0%
I *have*, at least on the eating front. 
Linear Mode
