It’s been welcome and exciting news to hear that a vaccine is being rolled out across the world. For several months we’ve not had a lot of public appearances as individuals and it can be easy to live in stretchy pants when we don’t go out. I’ve put on some weight this year, again, but it wasn’t because I didn’t have to go out of the house, I’ve been going to the office since May and that means dress clothes. But the overall stress of a bat-shit-crazy-year has pushed me toward the snacks more.
With the expectation that we will continue to receive vaccinations throughout the country over the next six months, our time hiding in our stretchy pants is now numbered. There’s never been another time when ‘get ready for swimsuit season’ is more true. We now have a deadline with which to set our goal of losing the Covid 15 (ya know…those 15 pounds we packed on while too close to the snacks). I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been and my knees remind me of it every day.
So I’m not waiting for any New Year’s Resolutions to get going. I’m starting now. In a normal year, many might say that would be silly given the holiday eating. But for me, the holidays usually only mean one or two days of eating on Christmas or Christmas Eve. I don’t get invited to non-stop parties that enable me to drink and eat constantly. I don’t know anyone who actually does have a life like that in normal years anyway. In this year, no one should be worried about too many parties anyway because we’re not supposed to be at them, unless you want to end up on the news as the next outbreak cluster. So no reason why I can’t get moving.
I’ve tried this multiple times over years and years and I’m pretty sure I’ve written about it before at some point on here, but I’m going to give this another try by shifting a few things.
First, I’ve been able to successfully track my calories twice for extended time periods in the last six months. The first time, I was able to lose about four to five pounds, which I then packed on plus a couple more. The second, which was recent, was frustrating because I didn’t lose anything in a two week period. I think that could have been due to the lack of any (and I do mean any) type of exercise to accompany it and I also had a couple of days in there where I chowed down – so it likely negated itself. Either way, I know I can use my Fitbit account to successfully log in my food intake even if it’s not 100% accurate. And I know it won’t be because I track my food, not obsess over each calorie (that’s not healthy either).
Second, I have my winter gym set up. Here’s what I have at home. I own a trainer stand for my regular bicycle that allows me to set it up inside during the winter and use it like a stationary bicycle. I had this set up last winter and used it a lot. It’s not in as good of a place in our new rental house as it was in the last one, but we like our new rental better – even if we spent the day today dealing with a watery mess in the laundry room. However, I’ve used it once after setting it up just a couple of weeks ago, so I know it’ll work ok in its spot. I also bought a home rowing machine a couple of months ago and I’ve used it about once every two weeks. I know it should be more frequent, but it’s getting some use at least. It only takes me about ten minutes to get worn out using it, and that’s at a low setting. That shows my out-of-shapeness and sets a bar from which to build.
In addition, I have a few stretchy work-out bands with handles and two sets of light dumbbells, I believe they are three and five pounds. I have a pull-up bar, from which pull-ups are not going to be done, but it works really, really well to attach those bands to as well as a stretch exercise recommend by a chiropractor which is great for my back. And speaking of stretch, I have a back workout book and a stretching workout book – both of which I love but just don’t use like I’m supposed to. I have several different workout DVDs and I’m pretty sure I have at least one workout VCR tape (yes, I still have those and a working VCR – for that matter, I also have not one, but two DVD players). And of course, there’s the internet, full of about any streaming service I might want and tons of YouTubers. My house is also two levels with a decent staircase should I want to climb up and down them.
It finally got cold and snowy where I live, so outside is now out for me and I was just starting to get a good gym routine going before the pandemic hit, but then we moved and I didn’t join a gym in our new location mostly for virus reasons (although I’m also not happy about the gym options here). I’ll give it another thought when we’re in a more virus-protected world.
I’ve tried long-term goal setting and I’ve tried short goal setting. This time, I’m going to try intermediate goal setting. I’m shooting for two weeks. That’s just enough time between now and Christmas – well pretty darn close anyway. I also know from my past experiences that I need to create something that I will do and that is appropriate to my personality and fitness level. So what I’m going to lay out is what I think is right for me.
In this world – this is where I must stop and remind any readers that I have no training in fitness, health, nutrition or medicine. I’m merely sharing my personal goals and not advising anyone to follow me. You must follow all exercise or food programs based on the advice of a qualified person – I am not such person – I am not qualified.
So here’s what I think it workable over the next fourteen days.
The Rules:
- Complete the list over the next fourteen days.
- Where noted as 3x or 5x or similar, I mean that I must do that set of exercises that many different days. For example, 5x cardio means 5 different days of cardio and those days must be scattered somewhat evenly-ish throughout the fourteen days. I cannot do 5 days of cardio in a row and call it good. That would leave me with 11 days of none and I need to create a habit which happens over time.
- Find a working balance between heavier exercise days and lighter ones.
- Be nice to myself, but know that change only happens with effort. Keep trying.
The Program:
- Log food intake via the Fitbit app. Even on weekends.
- Wear my Fitbit. In the past, my average number of steps on a workday would often be under 3000. Plan on more than 3500 steps every single day – not an average – EVERY SINGLE DAY.
- 5x – bicycle or rowing machine cardio. Minimum 10 minutes (300 strokes) on rowing machine, minimum 20 minutes on bicycle.
- 3x – 3 sets of planks
- 3x – one round of non-squat butt exercise I found online. It uses my body weight as well as stretchy bands. Just search for this online and a few different ones will show up.
- 5x – back program from 15 Minute Better Back Workout. I like this book, it works, but I need to actually use it. https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Better-Back-Workout-DVD/dp/0756628563
- 7x – stretching routine. I’ve had chronic lower back and right hip pain for about eight months and some days it’s very bad. This is due to sitting and not stretching. I will use the 15 Minute Stretching Workout, a hip and back stretching combination I learned in a class years ago as well as a hip release yoga video I found on YouTube.
- 3x – fix the sit workout found on YouTube. I do not know this person, am not affiliated with him, do not know his background or training, but I have tried this workout once and can see where it would work. I should do this every day, but know I probably won’t, so I’m starting with 3x to begin with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqcOCBb4arc
Ok – given my work schedule, wrapping Christmas presents, my project time and my need to veg out time, I think that will be a good place for me to start and to build from. Weight loss isn’t the ultimate goal here, but it is a numeric way for me to track progress. What I’d really like as my ultimate goal is to feel more energy and physically be more mobile. When I say mobile, I mean being about to move more freely without pain and weird movements from stiffness. I would also like to increase my physical strength but believe that will be a by-product of the overall system.
My Motivation:
- My closet. I’m tired of not fitting into some clothes I used to that I really love.
- Rebel Wilson. She called 2020 her Year of Health and I like that she is sharing that with the world. She lost a lot of weight but I also like to think of health as a comprehensive thing, so I’m also going to schedule some overdue medical screenings and continue to work on a few things to help me calm my nervous system overdrive. Mental health is just as, if not more, important as physical health.
- You. I’m putting this out there on the internet. I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but I now feel obligated to live up to my statements.
- Moving. If we can ever find a place to buy, we’ll be moving and that can happen at any time. We’ll probably be moving ourselves and that’s a lot of packing and lifting and carrying. I’ve done it a lot and it can wipe me out. I need to be in better shape so I don’t fall apart in the process.
- My knees. Today was a great day to remind me that carrying twenty extra pounds has taken its toll on me being able to do things. I want to be able to pull myself off the toilet when I’m 70 years old. I won’t be able to do that if I keep going in the direction I’m going in.
So there it is. My first, two-week set of goals for a slightly healthier me. I’ll try to post on this every couple of weeks with updates and new goals where needed.
