Page 1 of 60

The score so far (Health & Fitness)

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 7:44 pm
by _Jersey Girl
I've been planning to do this little thread for over a week now and kept putting it off, so here goes. I want to report on my progress and I also have a couple of questions about something I'm doing on the treadmill that I thought was a good idea, so hope someone can tell me if it is/isn't. Putting this in Prison so if faqs has something to say, he can chime in.

Back in late August I mentioned I had an appointment with a cardiologist. She told me that she'd like me to lose 20 pounds (whoever created the BMI can bite me) and she wanted me to lose 2-3 pounds before the end of this month, October, when I see her for a follow up which would be 2 months out from the original appointment.

The score so far...

Weight:
At the one month point, following the appointment, I'd already lost 5 pounds. I press on!

Treadmill:
I now go faster, further and higher in a shorter period of time than when I started.

Attitude: I've gone to the gym every other day, except there are days when I take a 2-day break and when I do, I walk my long dirt driveway with my walking music. Definitely notice the difference in elevation when I do that! I've almost talked/proved myself out of the thought that I'm going to drop dead any second like some of my relatives. Still, they haunt me. I keep a record of the days I exercise and what type of exercise I did.

Question on treadmills: I started doing this earlier this week. Once I'm ready to go into the aerobic zone (which is in like 2 minutes now, instead of the original 10 minutes), I adjust the speed to where I need it to be and keep bumping up the incline until my hr is in the high end of the aerobic zone and I keep it there for a period of time, then cool down. But what I started doing this week was after the workout, lowering the speed to basically a normal walking pace and bumping up the incline super high with the thought that it would increase muscle strength. Does that make any sense? Does anyone else do that? Is it the right thing to do? Any suggestions on that?

If these posts bore you to death, believe me, most days I bore myself too. But I'm trying hard to be something I really am not so I have to obsess just a little bit to keep myself focused. Okay, it's a lot. It helps me to write about it and ask questions from those who are more experienced.


:-)

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 11:43 pm
by _Doctor CamNC4Me
You're totally doing it right:

http://www.stack.com/a/fartlek-training

Reduces overuse injuries by varying the periods of high intensity and low intensity exercise

Offers an efficient way to incorporate high intensity and low intensity workouts into one routine

Improves athletic performance by mimicking the intensity and flow of competition

Helps prevent boredom


Even though I've transitioned to elliptical training I still vary the intensity and resistance when I'm putting in a session. My anecdotal experience was when I was in Iraq I'd work out twice a day typically putting in 45-60 minutes per session. I did nothing but elliptical training but employing the above-mentioned variety. When it came time for my PT test I ran a fairly easy two miles in ~14:30 and I felt great.

Good job and stick with it!

- Doc

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 2:55 am
by _Jersey Girl
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:You're totally doing it right:


Dang! I did something right!

http://www.stack.com/a/fartlek-training

Reduces overuse injuries by varying the periods of high intensity and low intensity exercise

Offers an efficient way to incorporate high intensity and low intensity workouts into one routine

Improves athletic performance by mimicking the intensity and flow of competition

Helps prevent boredom


Boredom is one of my main problems. My music helps with that. Plus, once I'm probably 10 minutes into the workout--I'm good to go because it feels so darn good by then. It's like passing a threshold.

Even though I've transitioned to elliptical training I still vary the intensity and resistance when I'm putting in a session. My anecdotal experience was when I was in Iraq I'd work out twice a day typically putting in 45-60 minutes per session. I did nothing but elliptical training but employing the above-mentioned variety. When it came time for my PT test I ran a fairly easy two miles in ~14:30 and I felt great.


Holy cats! Okay, I'll never be doing it for that period of time but who knows, I keep saying I'm never going to run on the treadmill but in the back of my mind I hear myself saying "I think I could do that". But not yet.

Good job and stick with it!

- Doc


Thank you!

I'm limited in my knowledge to a certain degree. For example--

When you say resistance, I think of my free weights and yoga bands. So if I'm walking up a pretty good incline (for me) at a slower pace than normal--that's resistance?

When I did the slower pace and higher incline (for strength) I bumped the incline up to 3 times what I usually have it set on. I think I could have done it higher, but I was trying it for the first time.

So with regard to strengthening muscles, you think the slow pace/high incline is a good method?

Quick story and I know you must have these kinds of stories yourself. I was at the gym one day last week (bitching in my head the whole way there--but I went!) got on the treadmill and the dialogue in my head was something like: Why am I here? I don't feel like doing this. Why am I doing this to myself? I'm not even 7 minutes in. I want to leave. I just want to go shopping. This is BS. Yada yada yada.

Then I saw this figure coming from behind me on the right. It was a woman USING A WALKER slowly shuffling by to go do her workout or rehab.

The conversation in my head quickly changed to: Your problem is what exactly? Bump up the speed and get going!

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 6:45 pm
by _The CCC
Congrats and keep up the good work.

!

Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 10:00 pm
by _Jersey Girl
The CCC wrote:Congrats and keep up the good work.


Thank you so much! We all struggle with something. The above is what I'm struggling with right now. (Not to mention a billion other things that I won't post on this board!) It's really hard to try to be something that doesn't come naturally to me.

I've done well with eating healthy and portion control, but believe me, there's this looping audio in my head going...

I CAN'T DO THIS! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE GYM! I WANT TO GO SHOPPING! I DON'T WANT AN APPLE, I WANT SOME DAMN CHEETOS!!!!!

And then I tell the audio to shut up and keep going.

Ugh!!

Re: !

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 4:35 am
by _canpakes
Jersey Girl wrote:I CAN'T DO THIS! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE GYM! I WANT TO GO SHOPPING! I DON'T WANT AN APPLE, I WANT SOME DAMN CHEETOS!!!!!

Image

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 4:58 am
by _Jersey Girl
But I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed Cheetos!

:cry:

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 5:45 am
by _canpakes
Noooooooooooo.

Image

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 5:50 am
by _canpakes
Image

Re: The score so far (not political)

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 6:07 am
by _Jersey Girl
canpakes wrote:Image


Oh right, like I could do that!

:lol:

I am going to try a crunchless ab workout this week. But I much prefer the crunch of puffy Cheetos!

I do I do I do!