teaberryblue | Tea Gets Fit, Week 4

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Tea Gets Fit, Week 4

So, I continued to exercise regularly last week– did my nice little ten minutes at lunch, and then some walking after work a few days. I did a lot of walking last week just looking for a new apartment (more on that later).

Fortunately, I found a great new apartment that I love! And it is much cheaper than where I am living now. Unfortunately, there will be no more walking home for lunch, and that means I need to rethink my exercise schedule.

I also started doing ten minutes of stretching right before bed, which seems to be helping with the restlessness I described last week.

Some routines are still very hard, but other ones I feel like they are much easier than they were when I started. The stretching is something that I enjoy and is so easy! My flexibility is pretty good– If I sit with one leg stretched out, I can old onto my big toe with the fingers of the opposite hand. That’s better than it was when I started.

Still no really visible signs of toning, as far as I can see, but the fact that the routines are seeming easier is a plus for me. I’m also getting higher scores in a lot of the Wii Fit games.

I’ve lost about 2 lbs since I started my exercise. The Wii Fit, ever the overbearing wannabe trainer, thinks I need to lose six pounds. I disagree and will be happy if I maintain my pants/dress size so I don’t have to buy new ones.

Of course, my weight frequently fluctuates up a pound or so in the course of a day. The Wii Fit thinks this is a reason to scold me and tries to tell me I need to think about my calorie intake. I am starting to think maybe I should skip the body test portion and just play the games.

Finally, this week’s pictures:

Also, my good friend whirled has also started recording her fitness activity! You can read hers here! Go, Whirled!

Mirrored from Antagonia.net.

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We JUST got done with level 2 of the 30 day shred and I'm TIRED.

I still haven't taken a pic. I really need to. You're an inspiration.

Thanks!

I am pretty happy with my current set-up. It made me pretty tired the first week or two but now it's pretty relaxing.

Oh yay for finding a new apartment! You can always run up and down stairs or get off the bus a stop early or something like that to make up the difference between walking home and not and just take a packed lunch instead.

Yeah, I figure I will take a walk at lunch and do my exercise when I get home!

And this place is way bigger than my current place. Like, the bedroom is bigger than my living room!

I hate the body test, particularly the week I gained 10 lbs. Why did it happen? Hell if I know! Yes, Wii, I really don't know. The doc and I are working on it, although they're about as supportive as the Wii is. There is no PMS option either. I like breaking my old records as a better indicator (i.e. 5 seconds of good plank vs. 30 seconds of good plank).

It should have a PMS option; that is how I gain most of the weight I gain.

And yeah, I have just been keeping track of how far I run in ten minutes, things like that.

Yay apartment hunt! :D I'm so glad you found a place you like! Details! Details! (Oh yes, and huzzah for your excellent workout!)

There will be details soon! I want to wait till I get keys and take pictures!

Oh I'm glad you found a place! I hope it isn't too far away!

It's in Sunnyside, so you can just take the 7 over anytime!

For a moment there I thought you said Sunnydale...

Hmm, could you set a smaller goal on the Wii Fit to stop it from harassing you? My last goal was to gain a few pounds within a month or two (I met it yesterday, woo! Let's see if I can keep that weight though. :P), and while it occasionally told me what my ideal weight would be according to BMI, I don't think it scolded me much (or at all, depending on what you mean by scolding) whenever my weight fluctuated a bit in the other direction. Of course, I'm not sure if the Wii Fit has a different attitude towards the players aiming for weight loss.

I'm not aiming for weight loss? The Wii Fit is, though? It didn't give me any other options, it was just like, "you should be this BMI!" the first time I turned it on, and it set that as a goal for me. Whenever I weigh more than a pound heavier than my previous weight, it starts asking me why I gained weight!

Huh, that's weird that it set a goal for you. I thought you had to set a goal yourself, hence why I made a stupid assumption about some kind of weight loss goal as some part of your efforts to get fit. Sorry about that. (I do think it's awesome that you're aiming for fitness rather than worrying so much about weight, by the way.)

I guess the last part of my previous comment should refer to the players for whom the Wii Fit recommends/sets goals of weight loss. I think the Wii Fit gives you occasional opportunities to change your goal, and I think you can even set a goal of +/- 0 lbs, but even putting it at that wouldn't be a great solution. (I say "I think" because my family has Wii Fit Plus, which may be a bit different. Of course, my memory could just be failing me altogether.)

Plus, you could be gaining muscle, and the Wii Fit doesn't know how to account for that. Just ignore him. :)

I'm glad to hear you found a place!

Yeah, it is going to be sweet!

Yay, new place! Can't wait to hear more/see pics/all of that :)

Also - I know you are exercising for health benefits, not weight loss, which is awesome, but since you are so committed to it right now, I was wondering if you had a suggestion for me. Obviously, I'm stuck in bed for the next three or so weeks, and maybe a while after that, and between not being able to eat as much and being ill, I'm losing weight rapidly. But the problem is that I can't TONE - like what you're trying to do. So the weight falls off, but my arms, legs and torso still seem flabby, despite the fact I'm now, according to the BMI (I know, not always reliable...) only 7 pounds overweight. I basically went from 185 to 140 in no time flat, and the extra flab is just - hanging out. So do you know any easy, sit-down exercises one can do to tone up? I can't walk, but I can lift light things, and stretch a bit if someone is here to watch me.

Sorry that that was so long and burdensome, but I really think what you are doing is awesome, and wondered if you had any advice :)

Oh, no sweat! I actually went through something similar a number of years ago-- I was nowhere as sick as you but I lost a lot of weight due to illness (about thirty pounds). I'll think about what I've learned and get back to you!

Thank you! Sorry you were sick then, though :(

I just need something extremely low-impact that can help me tone. I know I'll lose 7-10 pounds in the next month or two, just from being in bed and not being able to eat as much, but without toning - I still look heavy. I should take my own pics so you can see what I mean. I don't look only 7 pounds overweight (plus, my boobs are HUGE, and never shrank, dammit, so that doesn't help things...)

Thanks again. I really appreciate it!

Hi, sorry to butt in, but I can't help but get excited when other people join in on the enthusiasm. :)

I could probably think of some stuff that you can do to tone up if I get more of an idea of what you can physically do. It sounds like you could probably try some light yoga/pilates poses, work with a light resistance band, small weights, and basic stretches. Let me know if you want some ideas!

Don't be sorry about butting in! :)

I don't know what you do or don't know regarding my circumstances, but, I have several autoimmune disorders which have left me nearly incapacitated. I cannot walk a flight of stairs, drive, go to the store, etc. I've been in bed since April, under doctor's orders, and just had surgery on the 17th. I'm recovering very poorly from the surgery, so must stay in bed until the end of July. After that, the docs will reassess how much movement they want me to do. I don't work, or do much but read, edit novels I write, and chat here on the Internet.

I dropped weight very quickly from being sick - from a very overweight 185-190 to about 140ish. I'm about 7 pounds overweight, according to the BMI (which I think is flawed, anyhow - I'm very top heavy, and all the weight I've lost has NOT been from my boobs...), but docs aren't worried about 7 pounds when, honestly, they are just trying to keep me alive (I have a pretty progressive form of Lupus, among other conditions). I care about the 7 pounds, however, and more than that, would just like to be slightly physical - light stretches, light weight lifting, etc, so that this extra flab from losing weight so quickly can go away. I just can't do anything that could make me dizzy, like walk, or tuck my head down.

So if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! Thank you!

I'm surprised that your doctors haven't given you any suggestions for exercises that you can do, but maybe they think that you should focus on recovery and not fitness (although personally I think they're sorta related), especially since you aren't well enough to get out of bed.

If you're allowed to get out of bed and sit on the ground, it would probably help with your mobility somewhat, but I think you should be able to do a number of basic stretches. I've done yoga on and off for a number of years, and briefly dabbled in pilates, so it would be worth asking your doctor (do you have access to a physio?) whether you can do some floor poses.

Failing that, if you try and do about thirty minutes of stretching a day, that should be enough to start seeing some more muscle tone. You could try basic stretches and hold them for increasingly longer periods. Or work your way up to some yoga floor poses once you get a base level of muscle tone and flexibility back.

How much weight can you lift? If you got some light dumbbells and did stuff like punching in the air, to the side, and to the front, or slow repetitions of bicep curls, tricep lifts, upright rows, you could quite easily build some muscle without having to get out of bed. Are you able to do sit-ups? Sorry for the bazillion questions... there's a lot you can do with minimal equipment but you should see what your doctors can clear you to do regularly.

Good luck with everything, it sounds like you've been knocked around mightily... hope that things start looking up for you soon. And I'm totally looking forward to reading your novel when it's done. :)

Yeah, I'm the one more focused on fitness than the docs are. They are more worried about me recovering, and not passing out - hence the extensive bed-rest that I've been on forever now :( The diseases will never go away, but they hope we'll find a way to manage things so I'm not in agony or wasting away. I guess only time will tell...

I like the idea of doing some stretches and really easy poses, as long as I don't have to bend my head down or put too much weight on my hands (the former will cause fainting spells, and the latter, my arthritic hands can't handle). But basic stretching seems reasonable, and even that I can do in bed. As for lifting weight - I can comfortably lift 4-5 pounds, though because of my surgery, am not supposed to lift for another 2-3 weeks. But if I used 1-pound weights, and did easy, light repetitions, it might makes a difference. Sit-ups are a no (dizziness and how my spine is after a botched spinal tap) so I don't know what to do to tone my stomach - and that annoys me, since most moves to tone the stomach involve sit-ups or actions I can't perform :(

I see my doc in 2 weeks, so I can check and see if these are safe activities, but in the meantime, I think I could probably lift very light things repetitively, and stretch comfortably, so perhaps I could start there.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. You are wise indeed ;) And thanks for the support. It's been a rough few years, but I really hope that something may change, even if my diseases are chronic...

And it's my goal to publish at least one novel before I die. I promise I'll let you know when it's ready to go, or if someone picks it up for publication. I'm glad you'd want to read it :)

I don't know what the state of your spine is, but maybe you'll be able to do reverse sit-ups? You basically lie on the ground, then bend your knees and bring them in towards your chest. So instead of potentially straining your neck and back, you'll be focusing more on your abdominals to pull in the weight of your legs towards your chest.

If you don't think you have the time/energy to devote towards a novel at the moment, I think it would be worth exploring short story or novella competitions that lead to publication. I definitely believe you've got what it takes to get published, and even if it's not a novel, it's still a byline. :)

(sorry Tea for taking over your fitweek!)

Yeah, Tea, sorry for fitweek stealing. I didn't mean to do that! But I do appreciate all this advice!

After I recover from surgery, I probably could lie on the ground and bend my knees toward my chest. My surgical wounds are in the pelvic area (they removed cysts from my ovaries as well as scar tissue from endometriosis, so, my wounds would REALLY ache doing any sort of bending right now...) but in a few weeks, I could probably do that. Then I wouldn't put pressure on my spine or neck, which is good.

I have two novels that are completely written, but need editing. One is very close to completion with that editing - if I focus, I could have queries out by August - and the other I plan to work on editing between August-November (because in November, I do National Novel Writing Month, so, no editing happens then:) But I do have some short works - and ideas for short works - that I could submit/write, so I can at least feel like I'm doing something from this bed until the novel is finished (or rejected numerous times, haha...) I used to work for a newspaper, so I was used to seeing my name in print, and not being able to work anymore and see that... it's tough. I miss journalism, even if it wasn't my true passion. But it at least allowed me to write and edit.

Thanks for believing that I have what it takes. I need to start collecting those words about my writing from people and pasting them into a Word doc so that, on my bad days, when I feel like I'm a hack, I can read over those words and know people believe in me :)

Don't worry about it! Ange knows a lot more than I do about this stuff so she's the right person to get advice from!

Oh gosh, I think I know what you've been through. I've had ovarian cysts twice removed (just like cousins!), so I've had a laparoscopy (keyhole) and a laparotomy (trapdoor?) before. And after hearing that you've had all that stuff done, I can understand why you wouldn't really want to be doing any bending! I'd recommend against it until you're cleared by your doctors, actually!

I don't know what kind of surgery you had, but after my laparoscopy I found that I recovered well in terms of feeling okay painwise, though I still felt bloated for a while after having the surgery. They said that it's normal to feel like that afterwards because during the surgery they pump the abdominal cavity with air so that it's easier to maneuver the camera and tools around (gross!) and it takes a while for everything to just settle back to normal.

As for laparotomies, I've been told that it's similar to having a Caesarean - basically the amount of abdominal muscle that they have to cut through has to just take time to knit back together and heal properly before it can go through anything strenuous again. I found that my belly just wasn't the same for months after surgery, no matter how much exercise I tried to do to lose a bit of weight and tone up - it really does take a while to recover core strength after it's been literally cut away!

Reverse sit-ups are great for protecting the spine/neck. I always do them when I don't feel that I have enough core strength to keep from straining my neck too much. Crunches and even traditional sit-ups sometimes start hurting my neck before I even feel anything in my abs.

Oh that's super that you do Nano! I'll have to think of a novel idea before agreeing to it this year. :) And I just realised I haven't friended you but I will after I post this comment! I think it's a great idea to collect your compliments and keep them somewhere you can see them. Stephen King was a little mad to start wallpapering a room with rejection letters, but I dig the notion of surrounding yourself with evidence that people do like what you write. :)

I saw you added me, so I added you back :) Be prepared for lots of me bitching about health, especially at 5 in the morning (I only sleep when it's light out).

Anyhow, wow - that sucks that you know what I've been through with those surgeries. It is NOT comfortable, that's for sure. I have pretty nasty endo and PCOS, so, they wanted to check me for cancer, remove the cyst, do a D&C, all of that. Sadly, we found out I can't have kids, but, at least we know for sure now :(

I still do feel a bit bloated (I have some incisions, but also a laproscopy - it's how they removed the cyst, but not the scar tissue from endometriosis...) and it's annoying. I see my stomach and think, "wait, I weigh less, why do I look so bloated?" Luckily, that TERRIBLE shoulder pain from the gas they pump you with during surgery went away within 3 days, but because of my other medical conditions, my recovery has been VERY slow. I'm on bed-rest until close to the end of July, and can barely walk. It's - isolating, to say the least.

I don't feel like I have ANY core strength right now, so it does sound like I'll have to wait a bit before doing abdominal toning, but at least I could work on my arms while sitting in bed. If I can lift light weights, it's better than nothing, and then, I'll try those reverse sit-ups when I feel more "healed."

Thanks for all the advice!

And I love doing NaNo! Do you normally do it? I hope so - it's so much fun :) I hope you have an idea and participate this year. If so, we'll have to add each other over on that site, too. But I probably will keep a little word doc of good things people have said about my writing (since that's all I kind of have left - I was a trained opera singer, but can no longer sing since I can't leave the house...) and remind myself I'm not a hack. I wrote my most recent novel in 3 weeks during NaNo, and that's the one I want to publish, so - it needs revision, but mostly just during the first 10 chapters. I hit the 50,000 mark during those chapters, so they seem rushed, but the rest of the book has a much better pace and sense of characterization, luckily. So I need to get cracking and work on editing for publication. Hopefully I won't have to wallpaper and entire ROOM full of rejection letters, but - when they inevitably roll in, maybe I'll tape them in the bathroom, where they belong, haha :)

I hope people do like what I write. Some have said so, so I need to keep it in mind, keep going, and remember that it's a great way to occupy myself regardless.

Thanks again :)

Yay for new haus! Can't wait for the pictures. :)

And it's funny, but to a certain degree you may resemble my 'after' photo!

If you're going to be moving out of Manhattan, I think the best possible exercise might be to get a bike. I ride mine (at the least) to the train and back every day and it's toned up my legs in almost no time.

I'm not sure about bike lanes and such in Sunnyside, but everything becomes way more accessible with one too.

Yay for new flat!

That is great news indeed! I hope there will be bunnies around...

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Tea Gets Fit, Week 4

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