[Tart Cherry Jam]

I hope nobody would mind if I open a thread to post updates after I exercise. Of course, others with struggles are most welcome to join.

It has helped me to post when I brush my teeth for the 2nd time in a day and when I take a shower, both things being something that I do not do on an autopilot.

I need to get back on exercise. My weight trajectory has been worrisome as I have regained 16 lbs of weight initially lost. And I repeatedly find myself glued to screens when instead I should be physically active. So I hope some self-compassion instead of berating myself (which does not help) would work, coupled with regular updates.

Tonight: going to walk on a treadmill. Nothing ambitious, 2. 6 mph, while listening to an audiobook. I hope the treadmill is not occupied (there is only one in the little gym in our complex).

[Crazy Hitch]

How did you go on the treadmill ? I really should be exercising but don’t.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Originally Posted by Crazy Hitch

How did you go on the treadmill ? I really should be exercising but don’t.

Apparently, when we talk to ourselves this way ("I should be ... but I don't"), it does not help us to actually do what we think we should be doing. Michelle Segar does a lot of research, speaking and writing in this area. I recommend these two books of hers: Michelle Segar PhD. – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com

Thank you for asking! I did 50 minutes total on the treadmill. 30 minutes steady state cardio at 2.6 mph plus 10 minutes each of warmup and cooldown. I was wearing jeans. I did not feel like changing into leggings because it is now so cold outside. So I decided that walking in jeans is better than not walking at all. I did the same thing yesterday and also walked for 30 minutes at 2.6 mph.

I was really happy to walk into the dark gym which confirmed that the treadmill was for me to us. Two days ago I wanted to do cardio but did not because all the machines were occupied.

Tomorrow will be another day.

[Crazy Hitch]

50 minutes is a lot! Well done!

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Originally Posted by Crazy Hitch

50 minutes is a lot! Well done!

Thank you! I am going again today, but wearing sweatpants (I put them on in the morning and spent all day in them). I think I will feel better in sweatpants and it will feel more like real exercise to me. I will post later when I come back from our little gym.

[Crazy Hitch]

My partner has a treadmill in the garage. You inspire me to try it

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Oh that is a great asset! You would not need to compete with anyone for it. When was it last used?

[Tart Cherry Jam]

40 mins at 2.6 mph plus 10 mins total of warmup and cooldown, again for 50 minutes total but 10 minutes more at a reasonable speed

Yes, it felt so much better to be wearing sweatpants than jeans! And speaking of sweat, even though 2.6 mph is not a lot, I sweated enough to need a sink bath afterwards. And that was pleasant.

Will be back on the treadmill tomorrow if it is available.

[insideoutsider]

This forum does help.. that's why I'm here too, not a bad thing at all

If people don't want to read they'll skip over it. It's less invasive than like dominanting a conversation in real life plus people know what to expect

[Tart Cherry Jam]

A note to myself: yesterday I posted at eleven fifteen PM. It is too late for me even though it does not feel like that because I am a night owl. But as a result I fell asleep after midnight and woke up underslept. I then took a long nap and ended up having almost 10 hours of sleep (not in bed, but sleep, as tracked by OURA ring). When I go to bed at 10, I end up needing less sleep. It is very important to me to go to bed earlier even though doing so is against my chronotype.

[Crazy Hitch]

What’s OURA RING?

[Tart Cherry Jam]

This: https://ouraring.com/

But if your sleep is regular and good, I do not recommend spending money on it.

[Crazy Hitch]

My sleep is terrible. I did a bit of googling on the ring. Seems to have very mixed reviews.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Whatever you decide, focus only on what it can do for sleep. Its activity tracking is not good. Meaning, of course if it tell you that today you walked 10K steps and yesterday 5K steps, then yes, today you walked more. But in absolute terms, it seems to overestimate what you actually worked. And it is not sensitive enough. I know people who swear by Oura ring for sleep tracking but they have Apple watches to track their activity. They do not use Oura for daytime activity tracking, HR etc.

I am surprised this is so. It seems that tracking from the finger would be at least as good as tracking from the wrist. So I do not know why this is the case

[Tart Cherry Jam]

today, no treadmill, but I went to a restorative yoga class. It is a relaxing class, not something that burns calories, but I still count it as exercise.

Now I will unwind and go to bed early.

And tomorrow will be another day and I have my personal training session in the evening.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

80 minutes on the treadmill while listening to a riveting audio book. a lot, I know.

10 minutes warmup to the speed of 3 mph, then 60 minutes at 3 mph, then 10 minutes cooldown to 1mph.

The best part: I was approached outside the clubhouse (the gym is inside it) by this young woman who told me that she had noticed me exercising a lot and how she essentially saluted me knowing for herself how difficult it is to stick to exercise. I did not recognize her at first but then it dawned on me that once or twice I had seen her on the elliptical. She told me that the elliptical means not spending any mental energy for her. I said that for me, it is the opposite: I tried the elliptical but thought that I could not figure it out, which is why I do the treadmill and occasionally the rowing machine (the whole little gym consists of these three machines). She said "whatever you do, as long as you do it". I agreed, introduced myself and asked for her name: Laura. She said she could forget my name. I said that it was OK and that I would not forger her name (it is hard to forget the name Laura).

She is chubby although not as much as I am. I am glad to have found a new friend, if only for those brief moments when we overlap at the gym or outside on the complex grounds.

[Crazy Hitch]

You’re doing great!

[Tart Cherry Jam]

No exercise this evening: I will cook for the week ahead and won't have time for exercise.
Tomorrow, the personal trainer will come.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

On the treadmill

60 mins at 3 mph plus 20 mins of warmup and cooldown

[Crazy Hitch]

Keep going that’s great 😃

[Tart Cherry Jam]

I realized that this little gym in the apartment complex is not cutting it, so I am shopping for a gym membership. There are 8 local gyms that I will try between now and January and then in January I should be able to get a good deal at my chosen gym since January is the month when gyms offer discount trying to lure people who make New Year resolutions.

Yesterday I tried gym #1. I did, not counting warmup and cooldown:

- 40 minutes on a treadmill, with incrementally increasing incline up to 6 degrees, at 3MPH
- 20 minutes on the elliptical. It actually turned out to be easy. I did both backward and forward motion.
- 2 minutes on the stairmaster. It was so hard I stopped.
- 2 minutes on the Cybex ARC machine, a new piece of equipment for me. It was incredibly hard on the calves so I stopped. I then read about this machine and it is supposed to train glutes or quads, but I did not experience that. I experience it as something exercising my calves to an extreme degree.
- 30 minutes of swimming a leisurely breaststroke

Today:
- 1 hr of walking in warm water
- 5 laps (2 km) on the track of the closest public school, walking, not walking as fast as I walk on a treadmill, but it was exercise outdoors which is supposedly better for you
- 75 mins restorative (relaxing) yoga

Tomorrow:
- will try SoulCycle. I doubt I will be able to pull it through, but I need to see for myself. It is a free class just to try it.

In addition to sampling and touring gyms, I am trying a new combo: Vraylar plus Seroquel. Today is the first day.

[raspberrytorte]

I admire your dedication to exercise, Tart Cherry Jam!

I need to have more physical activity in my life. On Monday my therapist wants to walk to the closest coffee shop near our apartment, which is flucking far away. She's insane! It's going to take us like an hour to get there! Oh well. I guess I need the exercise anyway.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Walking meetings are great!

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Went to the free trial class at SoulCycle. Experi
enced weird spastic pain in my feet. Could not keep up with the cardio pace but did 80% of strength exercises.

Won't purchase classes but might go back for one class a year from now if I do cardio and strength religiously for a year because it will then be an interesting test of my progress.

I much look forward to riding a stationary bike on my own, without loud music in a dark room.

But the vibe was interesting and some people were clearly regulars. One guy celebrated his 700th class. This probably means he has been going for a few years at least twice a week.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

raspberrytorte, thank you!

Swam for 60 minutes at moderate speed this morning Nov 21, 2023. Felt the subjective sensation of a raised heart rate.
Later was in a meeting and then took a nap (I initially woke up at 5AM and was at the swimming pool at 6:15AM, so I definitely needed a nap later since I cannot subsist on so little sleep). Will work now and then take a break to go to a free trial pilates class. I have never done pilates. I wonder if I will be able to pull through.