Daily Workout Thread- Tues March 14

[akw94]

Good morning,
I am feeling a bit better today. I worked out last night at the gym and did a pretty tough workout. Then, this morning I woke up and worked out. 2 days done! I just love it as the days get closer to 5. I have decided that I am really going to try and work on not letting the scale get me so down. I almost want to weigh myself every 2 wks, rather than 1 but not sure I could wait that long. Luckily, I don''t have a good scale at my house so I only have access to a good one once/wk. When I was weighing daily, it was not fun!
Anyway, my eating is ok this week. Not perfect but not too bad. I''m trying to get my water intake back up b/c i''ve been forgetting a lot lately.
Hope everyone else is off to a good start.

 

[monarch64]

Well, I can''t say that I''ve got any workout time in this week so far...my DH is going out of town tomorrow for the next two weeks, so we''ve been trying to spend a lot of time together before he leaves, which means I haven''t been to the gym since Saturday! I did a lot of housework Sunday, so at least I started the week off in motion instead of on the couch, lol! We''ll probably take our dog for a nice long walk this afternoon when I get home from work, so that will be my "workout" for today.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

 

[lovelylulu]

Good morning:

Amy, i think it''s smart not to be beholden to the scale. there is so much natural fluctuation on a daily basis -- but that said, I admit i''m a frequent weigher

, i never weighed myself regularly before i started on shape-up -- left that for Dr.s appointment only. now, i find myself weighing in almost every time i venture to the gym. For me, i''m working so hard at the gym and trying to be smart with my food, that i want to *see* the results of that hard work reflected back up at me through the numbers on the scale. lower weigh-ins are wonderful positive reinforcers. but, think it''s a matter of me learning some patience. and not to be deflated by a bad scale reading.

last night, i was at the gym and did my most vigourous cardio workout to date. 40 minutes on the elliptical, but at a high resistance and fast, consistent pace the entire time. i know that it was the toughest, because i was more sweaty than i''ve ever been. it felt good.

tonight, back to the gym and then pilates when i get home -- it''s just a 20 minute tape, but i''m liking the feeling i''m getting from it in my abs...

okay.

almost time for lunch

 

[Mara]

you gals sound like you are doing great!!

i did my 3m walk yesterday...i'm happy that i managed to work it up from 1.5-2m on average to doing closer to 3m on average now...it doesn't seem to take that much extra time and it actually gives me a nice little burn in my thighs. which speaking of thighs, mine are getting smaller, wonder of wonders!! i can see a definite difference in them and it's really nice.

at this point most of what i do is based on curiousity, aka if i continue to eat the way i am and working out the way i am, what will my body do? when will it stop changing? they are small changes definitely, but it's intriguing. esp since spring is around the corner, so figure why not be the best i can be and keep plugging away on the same schedule and not make changes.

its raining YET AGAIN today, but i am hoping there's a break when i leave work early afternoon and i can go to the park and do a few miles so that it's done and out of the way and i can come home and chill on the couch with no guilt, hehehe.

my stomach muscles are still sore from pilates, so i'm giving them another day or so....

one thing i wanted to throw out there as working for me and a fun exercise anyone can do at home, is doing a series of air kicks along with my squats and stretches every other day...we do them in class and they burn so i started doing them at home and i wonder if that helps with the leg sculpting i'm starting to see. i do a series of 30 on each leg (one hand on a wall or similar, leaning down towards the hand, like you were really kicking a bag or something, leg bent and paralell to the floor), and kick your leg out, full extension but not snapping the knee, slow and steady wins the race but as you get better you can go a little faster and stronger; and then after that i typically do what our trainer calls 'high low' which is one low kick (aka like you are hitting someone low in the calf or leg) and then one high to their body, WOW does that make my outer thigh burn burn burn. but it feels good. so i do about 20 on each leg of those and then i repeat the whole thing 2-3 times depending on how i feel. make sure to stretch after but i think that part of the improvement i have been seeing is that i am doing that on an everyotherday basis.

any fun exercises that are definitely working for you other girls? it might be fun to share them...

 

[lovelylulu]

thread is very quiet today...

 

[monarch64]

I''m not seeing any drastic changes yet, just feeling more firm, and my jeans are getting a tiny bit looser...I really have to cut back on the snacking and going out on the weekends if I want to see any real weight loss, I think. I can tell I''m building muscle, but I still have a layer of flub on top of it, lol!

Mara, I don''t really know that the body ever stops making changes...if you get to the point where you are in top athletic, zero percent body fat, marathon form, I don''t know that the body would make any more noticeable changes, or maybe just maintain... I know a lot of people have a goal weight in mind and when they get to their last 5 pounds or whatever, their bodies plateau and they can''t seem to get the last few pounds to come off. I think someone brought that up before and I was suggesting that they change their routine to kick-start their metabolism.

A good exercise if you really wanna feel your obliques burn is to lay on your back with your legs straight down, arms out to the sides...then you lift both your legs and sort of move them side to side using the support of your abdominals. I don''t ever count how many I do, I just do them til I feel the burn and want to quit! The next day I''m super sore, though, so I can tell it works!

 

[stermag]

Today was another weights day for me. I didn''t feel particularly strong, but this is usually the case after running 5 miles the day before. In fact, endurance training is somewhat detrimental to weight training, but endurance is my real focus, so I don''t mind. I strength train just to make sure I don''t lose too much muscle mass.

Yesterday, as we were getting ready to run, I mentioned to my workout buddy that I have gotten so used to the routine of going to the gym every morning that I almost forget what the whole point is, particularly when the scale doesn''t seem to move as fast as I''d like it to. The scale must have heard, because this morning I was down 1.5lbs from the last time I weighed myself (which was middle of last week).

So that''s 8 pounds since end of January. No record-shattering weight loss or anything, but fairly steady. Let''s hope I can keep this up for a while.

 

[lovelylulu]

stermag, 8 lbs is great! that is substantial weight loss. congratulations.

 

[akw94]

Monarch, don''t feel bad, walking is good exercise. And as Lorelei said the other day, try to do something every day toward your goal. I haven''t implemented that yet but i''m working on it!

I have tried that exercise that you mentioned and it is tough!
Another that is hard for me is to lie down on one side and lift the top leg up, down, up, down etc.. Pretty basic but the burn comes pretty quickly. I do 15-30 and then have to switch sides. I try to do 100/leg when I actually do them. Then another is: standing up, lift one leg up so that it''s bent with the knee being the highest part up, then kick it out in back of you. Those get to be tough after awhile too. I was doing those every day for awhile but have been slacking lately.

Lulu, I want to *see* results too, which is why I can''t keep myself off the scale at least once/week. But you''re right, the key is not getting down when things don''t go your way. I think 40 min. on the elliptical is great! I did 30 yesterday but couldn''t do it all high intensity, I did one of those interval programs. Boy do I need the easier part!

Mara, I think the fact that you''re wondering about when body changes will *stop* is great. I have such a long way to go before thinking of that. Now, i''m wondering when they will start!

Stermag, congrats on the weight loss. Supposedly, slow and steady is the best way so whatever you''re doing is right!

 

[Blenheim]

I swam laps for 35 minutes this morning.

I didn''t post earlier about any health-related stuff because I''m just in a bad mood. I have a herniated disk in my back, and have been through a series of 4 epidural blocks. Normally, people only get 3. (By the way, swimming is the only form of exercise my doctor is allowing.) I got another MRI yesterday, and the report that my orthopedic surgeon got today suggests that there''s been no improvement since December. He thinks I''m probably going to need back surgery.

I mailed him a copy of the actual films (he''s at home, I''m at school) and so he''s going to know more information later this week. It doesn''t look particularly good though. I''ve spent a lot of the day running around campus figuring out if I really have to be here for May term. I have enough credits to graduate already and have fulfilled all the requirements except for the senior year residency requirement. It would be better if I had surgery while I''m still under my parents insurance and still living relatively close to them, because I''m going to need someone to really take care of me.

 

[lovelylulu]

blenheim:

i''m so sorry about your back. my SIL having a similar issue with her back. she''s done the epidural blocks and has had no relief so her dr. is talking about possible surgery. i really feel for both of you, especially because both of you are soooo young to be having these kinds of problems.

i hope that you sort out everything with your school, but is is possible to wait until the summer to have the surgery. then you wouldn''t have to leave school early, which i couldn''t tell if that upset you, and when i was a student, my insurance ran thru august of that year? that way you could still be helped through by your family and recover at home.

feel free to vent anytime!

 

[akw94]

Blenheim, wow, I''m impressed w/your ability to keep working out when you must be in a ton of pain. I''ve had back problems too. I began trying acupuncture which actually helped my back. Unfortunately, the pain moved to my lower leg and it didn''t help then, actually made that pain worse when he started trying something more aggressive. After that, tried physical therapy which didn''t seem to help much and the sessions themselves were extremely hard. Then, tried a chiropractor which also made it worse in other areas. The only thing that really helped was a trip to the ER where they gave me a nice morphine iv. Unfortunately, that wore off soon after being discharged. Finally, I couldn''t take it anymore and stopped everything. I started working out a bit more and luckily, the pain has subsided. I still feel it when sitting for too long and lately been feeling it when driving home, but it''s manageable. I''m sorry yours has been so bad. Have you tried anything other than the epidurals?

 

[Blenheim]

Thanks, Lulu. Everyone keeps telling me I''m too young for this. Our insurance company refused to authorize the first MRI (we had to pay out of pocket), and one of the few reasons we could think of them deciding not to do that is because I''m "too young."

I''m just trying to explore possible options for when to have surgery. The registrar recommended that I go through the paperwork to have certain requirements waived, and then I can decide when I know more information whether or not I actually want to do that. I guess part of the reason that the spring seems attractive to me is that 1) I feel ready to graduate and get out of here, and 2) I''m really looking forward to moving in with my BF in June, and don''t really feel like delaying it. I know that neither is the best reason. I think that my parents'' insurance covers me until I''m 23, as long as I remain a student, which gives me until the fall. All of the grad programs I''ve gotten into either offer me medical insurance or help cover part of the expenses of medical insurance, but I''m not quite sure how preexisting conditions would be covered.

 

[Blenheim]

My pain started out as hip pain in mid-November, but it wasn't until my back started hurting in December that I found out that my hip was fine, and that it was just pain radiating down from my back.

Amy, the progression of treatment has been:
November-December: stretches, ibuprofin, rest
Late December-early January: Prednisone, ice, heat, rest, muscle relaxers, narcotics
January-early March: Epidural blocks, muscle relaxers, occasional narcotics, rest (except swimming)

I've also iced and heated throughout this time. I'm currently taking Volteren, plus muscle relaxers before bed and half dose on the weekends. The muscle relaxers are a little tricky, because my doctor wants me to take them when possible but I can't really do schoolwork on them. And except for the swimming, I'm resting and on my back a lot of the time.

The doctors are encouraging me to keep swimming, because fit people heal better. I've noticed that I feel a little better when I swim, perhaps because I'm almost weightless, and I don't hurt more throughout the rest of the day than I do when I don't.

 

[Mara]

amy it took a long time to really start seeing changes, so now that i do i am fascinated.

blenheim, its odd but when i dont work out rigorously, aka kickboxing, my back seems to have more problems and i wrench things easier. my husband says he thinks i have alot of muscle in my back and when it''s not used properly it tends to be cranky, he is the same way. maybe you can find an exercise to help work it out properly but not overdo it? it''s so hit or miss though with back problems, the worst is when you move too quickly and get some wrenching pain that subsides a week later...i only hit upon the workout thing by just having a problem and then suddenly after a good workout it was gone. fairly random. good luck with the surgery.

 

[Blenheim]

Mara, I wish that I could do back exercises to try to get everything stronger, but it''s against doctor''s orders. I was originally going to start doing physical therapy after the third epidural block, then after the fourth, and now I guess after surgery.

Is your arm feeling better, by the way?

 

[Mara]

blen thanks for asking..my arm is getting better but when i use it too much one day, aka the other day i made tiramisu and i had to hand whip the egg whites for about 10 minutes with my right arm (dominant) and it hurt again yesterday.

a while ago i hurt my left chest pec and it took 3 months to stop hurting, so sometimes i guess you just have to wait, even though it definitely is not fun!!! i'm doing other stuff but i feel like my arms are atrophying or something!! it's totally mental.

ETA I just did 2 miles at the park which was nice, the sun actually came out, this weather is so odd...and I'll take portia out later tonite for a mini walk...and dinner tonite is stuffed wild rice and mushroom chicken breast and healthy cabbage slaw (yum) from whole foods.

 

[stermag]

Blenheim,

I''m so sorry to hear about your back problems. I sincerely hope that, if you do end up having surgery, it is truly because that was the only remaining option. My own various experiences have unfortunately made me a bit sceptical about some aspects of the health system in this country. In September, I had my gallbladder removed after landing in the ER because of a gallbladder attack. At no point did anybody discuss with me the possibility of any sort of treatment or alternatives to cholecystectomy. They see this procedure as so common and routine, it''s hardly worth a second thought. I wasn''t even advised to make any changes to my diet afterwards. Everything I know on the subject I had to research on my own. But enough about me...

Is your doctor an osteopath or chiropractor? Have you undergone any spinal manipulation at the onset of the pain back in November?

Was there something that triggered the pain/injury? A fall, perhaps? Or did you lift something heavy?

Every now and then it dawns on me how fragile we really are. I really hope you make a full recovery and that it''s as painless a process as possible.

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 3/14/2006 11:43:30 PM
Author: stermag
Blenheim,


I''m so sorry to hear about your back problems. I sincerely hope that, if you do end up having surgery, it is truly because that was the only remaining option. My own various experiences have unfortunately made me a bit sceptical about some aspects of the health system in this country. In September, I had my gallbladder removed after landing in the ER because of a gallbladder attack. At no point did anybody discuss with me the possibility of any sort of treatment or alternatives to cholecystectomy. They see this procedure as so common and routine, it''s hardly worth a second thought. I wasn''t even advised to make any changes to my diet afterwards. Everything I know on the subject I had to research on my own. But enough about me...


Is your doctor an osteopath or chiropractor? Have you undergone any spinal manipulation at the onset of the pain back in November?


Was there something that triggered the pain/injury? A fall, perhaps? Or did you lift something heavy?


Every now and then it dawns on me how fragile we really are. I really hope you make a full recovery and that it''s as painless a process as possible.

I''m sorry to hear about your gall bladder. Is it doing better now?

My doctor''s an orthopedic surgeon. He''s not very knife happy, and usually if he wants surgery then surgery is necessary. I went through a course of conservative treatment, then the course of epidural blocks, and I think that usually takes care of people. He''s referred me to a back surgeon. I''m going to have a consultation with him before I''d actually have surgery, and we''re really going to discuss risks and alternatives.

Hip pain (radiating from my back) started just after my regional cross country race. My back pain started about a month later, when I was trying to help my parents move furniture around so that they could put a new rug down. But it seems like usually with disk herniations, patients complain of hip or leg pain long before their back start hurting, so moving furniture didn''t actually cause the problem, but just increased the pain. When I started trying to get my back diagnosed, x-rays showed that I have an extra vertebrae in my back. A certain percentage of people just have extra vertebrae, and it puts them at an increased risk of disk herniations and other back problems. Also, running on un-even surfaces (i.e., all of cross country) can put stress on the back. Improper lifting technique is bad for backs. (I lifted regularly until December, but really try to work on my technique so I''m not sure if this is even a problem.) In short, there are a lot of things that could have contributed, but we don''t know what actually directly caused it.

I meant to ask earlier, but it slipped my mind: Amy, do you know what was wrong with your back?

And thanks everyone for your kind words.