The Big Stretch

[Celestialmom]

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Celestialmom

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

And I hope yours was merry too.

My actual December 25th was a long trying work day, but I had a great late Christmas for about 3 days with the kidlets I used to nanny and their parents. They left early this afternoon and I already miss the little monsters more than I can express.

I've been doing some stretching and rehab-y type stuff for my back and hip but most other stuff has been on hold, even elliptical. I saw my trainer Monday (yesterday) for my regular session. He went over some stretching and rehab stuff and showed me versions I could do when I don't have any equipment. Yesterday he gave the green light for doing intervals on the elliptical again but asked me to pay attention to how I felt later in the day hip and back-wise.

I've been trying to think of a simple Yes/No question I could ask myself about the back and hip rehab stuff and I'm thinking for right now I'll ask myself if I did at least 2 hip and 2 back things every day.

On other fronts, I think I'm doing a good job tracking food and Alan says I'm doing great in general. I'm taking his word for it because my own evaluation of it is something like "ok with some suckage." As per my usual I'm probably being overcritical. I'm always more aware of what's off or needs work then what I am doing right.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

This stuffed feeling is what I think happens when you get the "right" macros for your body. Are you still working with Alan per chance Jennifer?

Your comment threw me enough that I asked Alan if it was expected that I have some hunger and basically his response was yes.

My own observation is that weather (coldness), mood, and stress levels are all big parts of whether I want to eat more. If I am cold and sad and stressed I want to eat much more than if I am warm, happy, and less stressed. That said, not being able to eat more is a rare event for me whatever my mood.

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

Your comment threw me enough that I asked Alan if it was expected that I have some hunger and basically his response was yes.

My own observation is that weather (coldness), mood, and stress levels are all big parts of whether I want to eat more. If I am cold and sad and stressed I want to eat much more than if I am warm, happy, and less stressed. That said, not being able to eat more is a rare event for me whatever my mood.

Gottcha... Sounds like emotional eating is not cured by getting diet dialed in then. Hunger is a really weird thing. When Alan first gave me my diet I was starving for 3 or 4 weeks and I was bulking for cripes sake. Alan said that was weird. I was pissed. I don't know what made it go away but fortunately it did.

Sounds like you are doing a great job of working to your plan despite the discomfort of the deficit. Will you be coming to the summit this year? Tom and I are making it.

[realcdn]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

My own observation is that weather (coldness), mood, and stress levels are all big parts of whether I want to eat more. If I am cold and sad and stressed I want to eat much more than if I am warm, happy, and less stressed. That said, not being able to eat more is a rare event for me whatever my mood.

I think winter probably evokes some long buried memories of keeping enough fat on our bodies to survive the cold season. Even as recent as my grandmother (on my mother's side) she had an atrocious diet, but no central heat (common in Scotland). She was never particularly overweight, although always wearing layers of clothing.

Just popping by to spread some good wishes for the New Year. May the new year bring with it some of what you wish for.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Gottcha... Sounds like emotional eating is not cured by getting diet dialed in then. Hunger is a really weird thing. When Alan first gave me my diet I was starving for 3 or 4 weeks and I was bulking for cripes sake. Alan said that was weird. I was pissed. I don't know what made it go away but fortunately it did.

I think I would be beyond pissed if that happened to me! I keep dreaming about the distant land of maintenance (or bulking, not sure which way I'll jump when the time comes) and being ravenous is definitely not part of that daydream!

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Sounds like you are doing a great job of working to your plan despite the discomfort of the deficit. Will you be coming to the summit this year? Tom and I are making it.

Thanks.

It sounds like it will be a blast, but I can't see making the Summit. Right now my finances are stretched to the breaking point with the things I am already doing. Of course I might surprise myself and find somewhere new to tighten things up (I've been through a couple cycles of that) but I'm not counting on it.

The year after is a real possibility since I'm thinking I'll go trainerless for awhile a bit down the road, and that will ease things up on the money and time fronts.

[CloveApple]

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR
(Unless you have other plans)

Long day at work today. I hope those of you that had the day off had some fun.

Originally Posted by realcdn

I think winter probably evokes some long buried memories of keeping enough fat on our bodies to survive the cold season. Even as recent as my grandmother (on my mother's side) she had an atrocious diet, but no central heat (common in Scotland). She was never particularly overweight, although always wearing layers of clothing.

Yup, I agree that winter seems to trigger some pretty primal responses in us humans, not to mention that in this part of the world (Minnesota here) the cold really does mean that my body often has to work harder to keep warm in spite of indoor heating and winter clothes.

1/1/09, Thursday
tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

[CloveApple]

1/2/09, Friday
tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: No
2 hip exercises/stretches: No

1/3/09, Saturday
tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

rehab-y & stretchy stuff:
cat/cow: 10
quadruped knee circles: 10 in each direction (clockwise, counterclockwise) on each side
band walk: 8 x 15ft
abdominal draw in w/heel slide: 10 each side
clamshell: 20 each side
side lying abduction: 20 each side
full length prone stretch
press ups 10
(plus a stretch I now realize I messed up so not counting it)

1/4/09, Sunday
tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

rehab-y & stretchy stuff:
5x (on back):

• knee to chest w/other leg stretched out straight
• both knees to chest
• knee pulled toward opposite shoulder w/other leg long w/foot turned in
• hamstring stretch

don't seem to have written down the number of reps I did for these next ones:

• quadruped knee circles
• trunk traction prone over ball
• hip flexor
• clamshell
• side lying abduction

half hour elliptical w/ heart monitor:
5 min warm up (100-120)
6 min 125-145
repeat 3x: 1 min 155-170
2 min 135-155
5 min 125-145
5 min cool down (100-120)

[CloveApple]

1/5/09, Monday

This was my regular session with Andrew. We reviewed some stretches and rehab-y type exercises and he added some new ones.

Then I did a half hour of elliptical intervals with my heart monitor. I had forgotten the note card with my interval program on it, so I wrote up a new one from memory and did it. Looking at it later I could see some of the numbers were off a little bit, but I got a decent workout which is what matters. Once upon a time I would have used forgetting the card as a reason I "couldn't" work out.

5 min 100-120
3 min 120-140
repeat 5 times:
- 1 min 155-170
- 2 min 140-155
2 minutes 120-140
5 minutes 100-120

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

1/6/09, Tuesday
bandwalk 6 x 15ft
cat/cow 10
quadruped knee circles 2 sets, 10 on each side & in each direction (clockwise, counterclockwise)
clamshells 20 each side
side lying abduction 20 each side
another stretch I don't have a name for
hamstring stretch (supine) 20 sec each side
glute max retraining 2 x 30 sec each side

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

(Here's why I picked those three compliance things to track. I was flaking out on my rehab stuff & I decided it was more important to build some consistency than to worry about if I did them all at first. So I decided 4 was an acceptable minimum. Listing the food tracking was for the opposite reason. It's something I've been doing consistently and I wanted to give myself credit as I often don't take note of what I'm doing right.)

[Celestialmom]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

1/5/09, Monday

This was my regular session with Andrew. We reviewed some stretches and rehab-y type exercises and he added some new ones.

Then I did a half hour of elliptical intervals with my heart monitor. I had forgotten the note card with my interval program on it, so I wrote up a new one from memory and did it. Looking at it later I could see some of the numbers were off a little bit, but I got a decent workout which is what matters. Once upon a time I would have used forgetting the card as a reason I "couldn't" work out.

5 min 100-120
3 min 120-140
repeat 5 times:
- 1 min 155-170
- 2 min 140-155
2 minutes 120-140
5 minutes 100-120

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

1/6/09, Tuesday
bandwalk 6 x 15ft
cat/cow 10
quadruped knee circles 2 sets, 10 on each side & in each direction (clockwise, counterclockwise)
clamshells 20 each side
side lying abduction 20 each side
another stretch I don't have a name for
hamstring stretch (supine) 20 sec each side
glute max retraining 2 x 30 sec each side

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

(Here's why I picked those three compliance things to track. I was flaking out on my rehab stuff & I decided it was more important to build some consistency than to worry about if I did them all at first. So I decided 4 was an acceptable minimum. Listing the food tracking was for the opposite reason. It's something I've been doing consistently and I wanted to give myself credit as I often don't take note of what I'm doing right.)

That's so important--good job seeing that as important. Good also doing rehab stuff--I hope it's helping you.

[realcdn]

Good choices. As much as it's important that we track the things that we don't do, it's probably just as important to track the things that we do.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Celestialmom

That's so important--good job seeing that as important. Good also doing rehab stuff--I hope it's helping you.

Originally Posted by realcdn

Good choices. As much as it's important that we track the things that we don't do, it's probably just as important to track the things that we do.

Thanks so much to both of you for the props.

I think the rehab stuff is inching along, but at least my back hasn't gone out again (which it's done 3 times since the hip stuff started) so I've got to hope that that's progress. I'm waiting on some MRI results so maybe they will tell me something. (Though it's just as likely that they won't.)

I think the big thing I am learning from this is to take stretching/foam rolling/warm up sorts of things a lot more seriously, which isn't a bad lesson to learn though I think I might have preferred to learn it a different way.

[CloveApple]

1/7/09, Wednesday

Got in some stretchy/rehab-y stuff at the gym

foam rolled a few areas
prone trunk traction over ball
bodyweight ball wall squats -10
hip circles on ball
not sure what to call this one -sitting on ball using abs while lifting alternate legs and lifting opposite arm -10 each side
quadruped knee circles -10 each direction on each side

Then 30 minutes of elliptical, a lighter mix this time of lower intensity with a few intervals thrown in. (When I told him how screamingly bored steady state aerobic stuff made me, Andrew suggested this mix for days I don't my all-intervals routine.)

5 min warm up at 100-120
6 min at 125-145
repeat 3x:
* 1 min 155-170
* 2 min 135-155
5 min 125-145
5 min cool down 100-120

Then later in the day I did:

bandwalk: 8 x 15 ft
clamshells: 20 each side
side lying abduction: 20 each side
glut max retraining: 2 x 30sec each leg

I've got some hard financial choices to make about what I do health and exercise-wise. Not sure yet what I can or should do. I've been making ends meet by working all the holiday and overtime minutes I could get, but now the holidays are over and it looks like the overtime at my main job site may be mostly gone and since 4 residents are moving out I'm expecting a staffing reduction. My trainer just raised his rates (which he deserves), my dentist wants me to finance his summer vacation, I'm expecting a bill for a recent MRI... I'm telling myself it will all come together somehow, that it always does, but I'm not feeling it.

I'm considering going back to every other week with my trainer (instead of weekly) or not scheduling with him for a month to give myself some breathing room. I'm worried that I might not be able to keep working with Alan. After rent, groceries, and utilities, those are both priorities but something will have to give.

Ok, done venting.

[realcdn]

It's tough. I used to be in the financial situation where I could have afforded so much more. Now, I keep reminding myself that going back to school in a good thing. However, I do understand about priorities.

[CloveApple]

Thanks Anne for reminding me I'm far from the only one finding money tight.

I'm actually feeling much better now. I think posting helped. As did talking to Alan (so I knew I'd have somewhat of a roadmap to guide me if I had to quit working with him early). As did a work shift full of other people's crisis that took my mind off worrying about my own stuff... so that by the time I got home I had chilled out enough to have the start of a plan for how to deal with things.

[Celestialmom]

I hear you on the financial worries. It seems like no one is completely free of some kind of money stress these days. My husband and I run two businesses that completely depend on other people's ability to spend a little extra cash for entertainment and fun. Not always the top priority in today's economy...

[stingo]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

Thanks Anne for reminding me I'm far from the only one finding money tight.

I'm actually feeling much better now. I think posting helped. As did talking to Alan (so I knew I'd have somewhat of a roadmap to guide me if I had to quit working with him early). As did a work shift full of other people's crisis that took my mind off worrying about my own stuff... so that by the time I got home I had chilled out enough to have the start of a plan for how to deal with things.

With the new car and the payments that go with it, I've been having to reconsider my expenditures too. Not a nice choice, but sometimes they must be made.

[CloveApple]

1/7/09 Wednesday

30 minutes elliptical, mostly lower intensity with just a couple sprint intervals in the mix.

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

1/8/09 Thursday

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

1/9/09 Friday

30 minutes intervals on the elliptical

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

1/10/09 Saturday

tracked food: No
2 back exercises/stretches: No
2 hip exercises/stretches: No

[Celestialmom]

What, just cause the forums were down you decided to go all crazy and party all day, or what?

[CloveApple]

Sorry to hear the economy is affecting your business Celeste. I think people are often being more cautious with their money even when they have it spend.

Tom, here's hoping your luxurious ride is making up for anything else you have to cut. Heated seats ...wow.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Celestialmom

What, just cause the forums were down you decided to go all crazy and party all day, or what?

I wish. It was just a bad eating day plain and simple and I don't know exactly how much I ate.

[Espi]

You, me & Stingo (his calories were good but the macros weren't) for falling off the bandwagon. Crazy thing is my wt went down, not up .. what's that ?

The advice I could give you is to do the training yourself but keep Alan. Why? He can also give advice re training and hopefully by now you can do the training yourself. Or like you thought yourself, have a trainer every other week rather than once a week.

I've got a webshop in food supplements and November was the worst month in 2 years as a side-effect of the financial crisis: interestingly things picked up again in Dember. We figure it must be that people figure they have to set priorities and health is one of them.. plus we cut about 10% of prices. Too bad most new & even old customers seem to opt for the most expensive paying method: Paypal with 5% provision costs as opposed to simply paying by means of debit card (7 cents).. difference is that bank transfers take 1 day, while Paypal is immediate. People want to get their stuff NOW or yesterday, not tomorrow and don't care about how much it costs to the company. We are trying to figure out incentives, and I think we just will tell them openly that whoever pays by means of Paypal won't ever get a faithful customer's discount.. that discount already goes to Paypal

[CloveApple]

1/11/09 Sunday

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

cat/cow 10
hip circles 2 sets of 10 on each side & in each direction
clamshells 20 each side
side lying abduction 20 each side

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Espi

You, me & Stingo (his calories were good but the macros weren't) for falling off the bandwagon. Crazy thing is my wt went down, not up .. what's that ?

Weight is so strange some times. I'm often mystified by mine.

Originally Posted by Espi

The advice I could give you is to do the training yourself but keep Alan. Why? He can also give advice re training and hopefully by now you can do the training yourself. Or like you thought yourself, have a trainer every other week rather than once a week.

I'm not at the point where I can really take the no in-person trainer option yet. Sure I'm getting better at getting form down and learning new things, but that's like saying the ocean gets shallower as you approach the shore. Lots of room for improvement before I'm really up for doing things solo.

I did actually ask Alan his opinion the other day and he pretty much said what I expected. I spoke to Andrew too (my trainer) and it looks like we'll go every other week for a little bit.

I didn't know you had a web shop. I'm not surprised it was a slow month. I'm guessing many fitness/health businesses are suffering. I've noticed my gym doesn't seem to have the influx of resolutioners I was expecting and when I checked out their scholarship program I was told that they are getting lots more applications than usual.

[CloveApple]

1/12/09 Monday

A shorter session than usual with Andrew as I was late. We reviewed some stretches/exercises and then he added some new stuff. He said everything is still going to still be focusing on core/rehab stuff, but with some other elements starting to come in to the exercises. I'm feeling just a wee touch of DOMs today when I reach for things and I'm actually glad to feel it again.

Then I did 30 minutes of intervals with my heart monitor on the elliptical.

Things seem to be slowly healing as I noticed that some motions at work (carrying a heavy serving bowl) that would have hurt every time a couple weeks back weren't hurting.

On the down side my left hip hurt pretty sharply by the time I got home after work, but it stopped when I stayed off it and isn't bothering me this morning. Even when it's not hurting though the hip still feels "wrong" in a way that's hard to describe and I often have the feeling that it won't support me under stress. Meanwhile my MRI results have been looked at and my doctor is recommending I see a sports medicine doctor to decide what's next.

On the weight loss front I must have crossed some sort of threshold because cold is bothering me in a way it never has in my life. I've always been a shirts and short sleeves gal all through the winter. Now I have sweaters on my shopping list. But then (as Espi would say) I'm exploring virgin territory and it's all new from here on.

tracked food: Yes
2 back exercises/stretches: Yes
2 hip exercises/stretches: Yes

[Celestialmom]

Yay! Vermont!!! (That's what I always think of when I see her VT abbreviation.)

I'm sorry about the hip stuff. Lets hope the doc has some recommendations, but in the meantime, I'm glad that the exercises you've been doing have helped somewhat.

[realcdn]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

On the weight loss front I must have crossed some sort of threshold because cold is bothering me in a way it never has in my life. I've always been a shirts and short sleeves gal all through the winter. Now I have sweaters on my shopping list. But then (as Espi would say) I'm exploring virgin territory and it's all new from here on.

I'm not sure that this is a good thing. This is said with socks (two pairs) and a little heater at my feet. I'm frozen as well! Possibly that's a trade off that needs to be made though. Congrats on the virgin territory!

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Celestialmom

Yay! Vermont!!! (That's what I always think of when I see her VT abbreviation.)

I'm sorry about the hip stuff. Lets hope the doc has some recommendations, but in the meantime, I'm glad that the exercises you've been doing have helped somewhat.

Yup, Vermont it is!
I can't get in to the doctor for a month unless I take a day off from work. I'm trying to decide if I will or if I'll wait till my appointment in a month.

Originally Posted by realcdn

I'm not sure that this is a good thing. This is said with socks (two pairs) and a little heater at my feet. I'm frozen as well! Possibly that's a trade off that needs to be made though. Congrats on the virgin territory!

Thanks on the congrats

As for the cold... (feel free to duck out for coffee or listen to music during this next bit) ....

/rant mode on/
It is definitely not a good thing. I'll eventually adjust, but for now I'm cranky as hell about it. It doesn't help that we're in the middle of a major cold spell and my heat is only sort of working in an apartment where the thermostat is more of a decorative touch then an actual working appliance.

I've been getting woken up by the freaking cold and the last two nights I gave up and slept in clothes and winter coat (which meant actually getting some real sleep for the first time in a couple days). I actually resorted to heating the place with the oven.

Tomorrow I have time to hunt down the manager, but I'm not holding my breathe for a realistic fix.
/end rant mode/

Meanwhile, I don't know what's up but I don't seem to be willing to eat at a deficit. My inner two year old has some incredibly whiny stuff to say about that, and I haven't handled it too gracefully (junk food attack that I edged into in that knowing-what-I'm-doing-but-not-willing-to-admit-it-and-take-responsibility sort of way) but I guess it it is what it is and I could have done a deal worse.

[Espi]

Body temperature can also go down when your thyroid downregulates too much when eating at a deficit. It is something to be watchful for. So, do start taking your own temp too, like I asked Jedi.
It can be it's just the outside temp being very low, but considering you used to wear barely anything even when it was very cold, it raises a red flag for me.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Espi

So, do start taking your own temp too, like I asked Jedi.

So that's a before-I-get-up thing? Exactly what am I looking for?


Dunno what's up but I just don't seem to care about my goals right now. At least not enough to act on them. In spit of that I'm going to post the year wrap up post I had planned. After all just because I'm throwing some kind of fit ("don't wanna do no goals!") right now doesn't mean I didn't put in a lot of work this year and that I shouldn't acknowledge it.

So I'll post my year end post and then for all you numbers and trends people I'll post the graphs I've been working on including some that show up to the present.