Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Yes, I'm Making Progress
Here are updated graphs. Weight down - lowest in almost exactly two years! Activity up - even before this gift of time. But I'd better get moving now - we're burning daylight.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Lack of Structure
I've always been an employee, and I've liked it that way. I have a schedule, and someone to assign me work. OK, I'm a boss, there aren't people telling me every minute of every day what to do, but there is a clear external structure, deadlines, drivers, to my day. Also, incidental social engagement every day with dozens of people.
Now, I've got less structure and less social interaction. Since I constantly joke that my ideal job is as a lighthouse keeper (socially useful but I get to be alone) it's interesting to see how I'm dealing with this. The fact we can't plan for the long-term makes it different than it would be if I were a free-lancer, stay-at-home mother, or retired. Still, I've not had this lack of structure since ... time off from college? Most summers I both attended summer sessions and worked, but I had "between" intervals, Christmas vacation, etc.. A couple of weeks at a time, maybe, which is longer than this four-week-day interval has been. So far.
So far, I'm dedicated to enjoying this time and not dwelling on the reasons for it or the consequences that will inevitably follow, personal and political. But it's easy to just piddle away a day, it seems. I still have to juggle the balance between self and family and friends. How did I ever find time to go to work?
Since the clear answer to "why don't you exercise more?" is lack of time and energy, getting out and being active has to be a current priority for me. Add to that the pressure that we're having what the radio called "August in October" and the urgency around getting outdoors and active is high. But spending more time with my girl is also a high priority. And now I'm stacking up the expectations about home improvement and gardening projects as well, which has the added bonus of being around my ailing dog, who almost certainly won't be around much longer. And I miss being with people, and I'm learning to schedule dates (with a caveat about maybe pulling the plug if things turn around in the larger world).
All of which is an excuse for why I had no structured exercise yesterday. I started my home improvement project (deep cleaning and making over a room with a new big screen tv, acquired before the present unpleasantness) while still in my pajamas. I drove my girl to school, something I enjoy because she talks then. I blew off the bike ride, kind of thinking I would work it in, but knowing full well it was rapidly getting too hot. I planned to walk to my lunch date, but as I got engrossed in my ever-expanding project, I decided instead to load the car with cable boxes to be returned, drive to lunch, and chain that more distant errand afterwards. Lunch was terrific, and two hours long. A retired friend gave me pointers on how to be retired. I got my errand done, got the dog to a downhearted vet appointment, ferried my girl (and my younger boy, home for the weekend) around town, and kept up work on the project. I got to a successful stopping point around 11 pm, and realized I forgot to eat dinner, so I heated up some leftovers and finally went to bed.
So this morning, up and onto the bike -- after futzing with the tv. How easy to be sucked into the vortex for half an hour at a time. I didn't get on the bike until 9 am, when I was up at 6 to take care of my dog.
Now, things to do. Errands to run. People to see. Excelsior.
Now, I've got less structure and less social interaction. Since I constantly joke that my ideal job is as a lighthouse keeper (socially useful but I get to be alone) it's interesting to see how I'm dealing with this. The fact we can't plan for the long-term makes it different than it would be if I were a free-lancer, stay-at-home mother, or retired. Still, I've not had this lack of structure since ... time off from college? Most summers I both attended summer sessions and worked, but I had "between" intervals, Christmas vacation, etc.. A couple of weeks at a time, maybe, which is longer than this four-week-day interval has been. So far.
So far, I'm dedicated to enjoying this time and not dwelling on the reasons for it or the consequences that will inevitably follow, personal and political. But it's easy to just piddle away a day, it seems. I still have to juggle the balance between self and family and friends. How did I ever find time to go to work?
Since the clear answer to "why don't you exercise more?" is lack of time and energy, getting out and being active has to be a current priority for me. Add to that the pressure that we're having what the radio called "August in October" and the urgency around getting outdoors and active is high. But spending more time with my girl is also a high priority. And now I'm stacking up the expectations about home improvement and gardening projects as well, which has the added bonus of being around my ailing dog, who almost certainly won't be around much longer. And I miss being with people, and I'm learning to schedule dates (with a caveat about maybe pulling the plug if things turn around in the larger world).
All of which is an excuse for why I had no structured exercise yesterday. I started my home improvement project (deep cleaning and making over a room with a new big screen tv, acquired before the present unpleasantness) while still in my pajamas. I drove my girl to school, something I enjoy because she talks then. I blew off the bike ride, kind of thinking I would work it in, but knowing full well it was rapidly getting too hot. I planned to walk to my lunch date, but as I got engrossed in my ever-expanding project, I decided instead to load the car with cable boxes to be returned, drive to lunch, and chain that more distant errand afterwards. Lunch was terrific, and two hours long. A retired friend gave me pointers on how to be retired. I got my errand done, got the dog to a downhearted vet appointment, ferried my girl (and my younger boy, home for the weekend) around town, and kept up work on the project. I got to a successful stopping point around 11 pm, and realized I forgot to eat dinner, so I heated up some leftovers and finally went to bed.
So this morning, up and onto the bike -- after futzing with the tv. How easy to be sucked into the vortex for half an hour at a time. I didn't get on the bike until 9 am, when I was up at 6 to take care of my dog.
Now, things to do. Errands to run. People to see. Excelsior.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Time and Money
These two valuable commodities have just flipped in their relative abundance in my life. I have been a wage slave since I graduated from college in 1975. Even when I went back to grad school, I worked a full schedule and supported myself. Since I finished my MBA and got my professional track job, I have had more money than I needed. Now, I face uncertainty, though I am very far away from any crisis, it is much on my mind. The prudent thing to do is hunker down financially, batten the hatches, and be prepared for a long siege. Even though it might end by tomorrow.
But TIME!!!! How very sweet this is. I have never not worked. Not even maternity leave for me. Weekends, of course, precious by their very limited nature, generally jam packed with chores, activities, and just needing to decompress and recharge for the week. Of course I've had vacations, generally leaving town for them. The casual day off to stay at home for specific chores or appointments. But now, unplanned and un scheduled time. Plenty of backed up chores to do, but I am determined to enjoy this time. Which doesn't mean no chores, because it drives me nuts to leave them undone. But what luxury, to wake up and decide how I'm going to spend my day, instead of having it all predetermined for me.
I think I'm going to think of this as a sort of rehearsal for retirement. Cut back on spending, but increase the exercise and social activities. The lack of control and anger about the circumstances could just overwhelm me if I let it. But I won't. You cannot control what happens to you,but you can control your response to it. I remember an extreme example from more than 30 years ago: the American embassy hostages in Iran were being interviewed by a news organization, and one of them said, "My mother will be upset because she will see I've lost weight. I've always been heavy, but this is one thing I can actually control so I've decided to do it." I am not comparing myself to them, god forbid, but I was so impressed with that it has stuck with me all these years. Find what you can do, and do it.
I bought a bike yesterday. I had already planned to buy one, it was "in the budget" so to speak, and this was the right time. More on that later. Things to do, places to go,people to see, exercises to be done.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
But TIME!!!! How very sweet this is. I have never not worked. Not even maternity leave for me. Weekends, of course, precious by their very limited nature, generally jam packed with chores, activities, and just needing to decompress and recharge for the week. Of course I've had vacations, generally leaving town for them. The casual day off to stay at home for specific chores or appointments. But now, unplanned and un scheduled time. Plenty of backed up chores to do, but I am determined to enjoy this time. Which doesn't mean no chores, because it drives me nuts to leave them undone. But what luxury, to wake up and decide how I'm going to spend my day, instead of having it all predetermined for me.
I think I'm going to think of this as a sort of rehearsal for retirement. Cut back on spending, but increase the exercise and social activities. The lack of control and anger about the circumstances could just overwhelm me if I let it. But I won't. You cannot control what happens to you,but you can control your response to it. I remember an extreme example from more than 30 years ago: the American embassy hostages in Iran were being interviewed by a news organization, and one of them said, "My mother will be upset because she will see I've lost weight. I've always been heavy, but this is one thing I can actually control so I've decided to do it." I am not comparing myself to them, god forbid, but I was so impressed with that it has stuck with me all these years. Find what you can do, and do it.
I bought a bike yesterday. I had already planned to buy one, it was "in the budget" so to speak, and this was the right time. More on that later. Things to do, places to go,people to see, exercises to be done.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Cautiously Optimistic
This is why I do daily weighing. This looks like back on trend. It may pop back up tomorrow, but for now I'll take it.
- iPhone uPdate
- iPhone uPdate
Friday, September 27, 2013
Discouraged
Not a high energy week, in contrast to last weekend. And the weight per scale is steadily climbing UP despite low calories and low carbs in. I imagine its water. I think my total calories were too low this weekend, and I bumped them up this week. This week I also allowed carbs to drift up to 25 versus 20 grams as the target. Maybe I need to push that back down. I'll persist for another week before thinking about a change.
I bought Halloween candy yesterday. I want to be on a restrictive diet that enforces the "none at all" before we get into The Eating Season. But if I have no results, it will be hard to stick to rules.
Weight:
Proportions:
Exercise:
Sunday's exercise:
- iPhone uPdate
I bought Halloween candy yesterday. I want to be on a restrictive diet that enforces the "none at all" before we get into The Eating Season. But if I have no results, it will be hard to stick to rules.
Weight:
Proportions:
Exercise:
Sunday's exercise:
- iPhone uPdate
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Playing with my heart rate
I am newly energized to look at my heart rate when exercising, thanks to my friend's recommendation to read Younger Next Year. I remember I got my first heart rate monitor in 1998, during the time of my Big Loss, in Texas on a business trip. I was fanatical about daily workouts on my Nerdic Trak in those days, but not ready to go to a hotel gym where I might see someone I knew. So I was out for a walk in the not-pedestrian friendly suburbs, and found a sporting goods store. I was extremely ignorant, looked at the watches, and didn't even realize it came with a chest strap till I got to my room and unpacked it.
It did open my eyes about how hard I was or was not working. I was extremely surprised how little correlation there was between my subjective feeling of how hard I was working and what showed on the heart rate monitor. Likewise, the NT has a speedometer but on different days the same speed took different levels of effort on the heart. A couple of times, I couldn't push the heart rate up high at all, and later that day I realized I was sick with a cold. I would have figured differently, that the heart would race when ill, but at least in these cases, not so.
Today I was down on the treadmill for a serious workout. I still have illusions about doing a 5K in less than a month but I haven't even been walking that far, so I need to buckle down. Intervals are the way to go, but I'm not able to progress as fast as my Couch-to-5K schedule I used last time. Still, I dream of running easily along a trail, smiling, working, but not killing myself.
Heart rate zones have gotten more complicated than back in 1998 when I applied the classic formula to understand my workout zones. The classic max heart rate is 220 minus your age (which yields 162 for me). Then simple percentages give zones: 65% is 107, 75% is 121, 85% is 138, and 150 is 93%.
I think these are too low for me now. Fifteen years ago, I comfortably worked out on the NT with the heart around 135 beats per minute, which should have been around 75%. I can still do that rate, but now that is around 85%, by the classic formula. There are many other formulas, and I have no doubt I'll read up and figure it out, but not today.
Today's fabulous workout was focused on working my heart rate, but I pushed it up higher than the formula would have recommended, but it felt right. First, I ran four intervals, aiming for 3 minutes running and 90 seconds walking, but adjusted to what my heart was saying about how hard I was working. I slowed down the speed on the treadmill, because at 6 miles per hour I just work too hard too fast. So I only went to 5.5 mph. The first three minutes got me up to 138 only. After a minute of walking, I was down to 120. After that, for the next three intervals, the heart realized I was serious and climbed higher. Each time, I let it get to 150 and then kept on pounding along for 30 seconds and then slowed down.
After the intervals, I walked. I do not like to walk fast. 3.2 miles per hour, or 3.3, is a very comfortable cadence for me. I just don't get comfortable at faster speeds, and the classic 4 mph has me breaking into an uncomfortable jog. Must be short legs. But I've learned I can get the heart rate up by increasing the incline of the treadmill. So I finished out the 3.11 miles by holding my heart rate around 135 by varying the tilt at a constant speed. I started out at a steep incline, and the heart rate drifted up so I backed off. As it went down, I could bump it back up by making a bigger hill. I got into it, and I found the pace quite comfortable, like I could keep it up all day. Except, not really. I was thrilled to come to the end.
A shower and stretching and I feel great. Blew the dust out of the pipes. The trick is to keep moving for the rest of the day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
It did open my eyes about how hard I was or was not working. I was extremely surprised how little correlation there was between my subjective feeling of how hard I was working and what showed on the heart rate monitor. Likewise, the NT has a speedometer but on different days the same speed took different levels of effort on the heart. A couple of times, I couldn't push the heart rate up high at all, and later that day I realized I was sick with a cold. I would have figured differently, that the heart would race when ill, but at least in these cases, not so.
Today I was down on the treadmill for a serious workout. I still have illusions about doing a 5K in less than a month but I haven't even been walking that far, so I need to buckle down. Intervals are the way to go, but I'm not able to progress as fast as my Couch-to-5K schedule I used last time. Still, I dream of running easily along a trail, smiling, working, but not killing myself.
Heart rate zones have gotten more complicated than back in 1998 when I applied the classic formula to understand my workout zones. The classic max heart rate is 220 minus your age (which yields 162 for me). Then simple percentages give zones: 65% is 107, 75% is 121, 85% is 138, and 150 is 93%.
I think these are too low for me now. Fifteen years ago, I comfortably worked out on the NT with the heart around 135 beats per minute, which should have been around 75%. I can still do that rate, but now that is around 85%, by the classic formula. There are many other formulas, and I have no doubt I'll read up and figure it out, but not today.
Today's fabulous workout was focused on working my heart rate, but I pushed it up higher than the formula would have recommended, but it felt right. First, I ran four intervals, aiming for 3 minutes running and 90 seconds walking, but adjusted to what my heart was saying about how hard I was working. I slowed down the speed on the treadmill, because at 6 miles per hour I just work too hard too fast. So I only went to 5.5 mph. The first three minutes got me up to 138 only. After a minute of walking, I was down to 120. After that, for the next three intervals, the heart realized I was serious and climbed higher. Each time, I let it get to 150 and then kept on pounding along for 30 seconds and then slowed down.
After the intervals, I walked. I do not like to walk fast. 3.2 miles per hour, or 3.3, is a very comfortable cadence for me. I just don't get comfortable at faster speeds, and the classic 4 mph has me breaking into an uncomfortable jog. Must be short legs. But I've learned I can get the heart rate up by increasing the incline of the treadmill. So I finished out the 3.11 miles by holding my heart rate around 135 by varying the tilt at a constant speed. I started out at a steep incline, and the heart rate drifted up so I backed off. As it went down, I could bump it back up by making a bigger hill. I got into it, and I found the pace quite comfortable, like I could keep it up all day. Except, not really. I was thrilled to come to the end.
A shower and stretching and I feel great. Blew the dust out of the pipes. The trick is to keep moving for the rest of the day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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