Looking for (online) exercise buddies!

There is just no way I can take my own advice and drink those green things.
I tried, I really tried.

🍵

Send - I've always been conscious of the way I cook and eat, spent some time dabbling in vegan life. Many times I've looked at a recipe or a product in the store and said no way.... I can remember when people here were going nuts about a recipe for freezing sweet corn that included pounds of butter and cream and I thought they were nuts, if I'm going to load up on cream and butter it had better be part of some decadent dessert, not the main course!

Polarbear - It's a habit I've had for decades but I think my number 1 problem is probably snacking at bedtime. I try to be good about what I snack on but I've never been able to stop for any period of time... it's part of my wind down ritual to read in bed with a snack.
Plus life post menopause just requires fewer calories - I've never been one of those women who limit their daily intake to ridiculously low levels because I never needed to be. Now if I go by my fitbit at my height, age and activity level I'm generally burning under 2000 calories per day, and unless I completely cut out every.good.thing. it's really hard to consistently limit myself to that.

Cwillie, what reasons do you think cause your weight gain?

I have some explanations which may or may not apply to you.

Not all calories are the same. Calories from protein sources help the body lose weight. OTOH, calories from carbs will do the opposite. I always feel bloated when my meal is mostly carbs, but feel good when it has more protein and little carbs.

Calories consumed at 8 am are different from calories consumed at 8 pm. Eating the same amount of calories later in the day tend to cause weight gain. I did this experience and it was true for me.

Decreasing the calorie intake over time will cause the body to adjust and use less energy (lower metabolism), so when we start eating more calories, we will gain weight. Yup, this has been proven again and again for most of us. We diet, lose weight and go back to eating like before then we gain everything back.

CWillie,
If your Fitbit is making you feel like a slacker, take it off!
You are not a slacker!
It is common for the human body to add weight as we age.
If you eat the same over the years, you will gain.

You might need to eat more to get the nutrition you need to do those 10,000 steps. Change to green things, change the way you cook things, drink green stuff, etc. I think you already know.

Somebody who eats healthy should start a green things thread to encourage us all.

Despite all my walking I'm still slowly gaining weight, and I'm pretty sure I'm consuming fewer calories than I used to too - it's disheartening.
So now I feel like a slacker if I "only" get 10,000 steps a day.

Our OP, Julia Rose originated this thread. 🌹
There are many original threads ongoing years after the OP has left.
Her husband passed in Dec. 2020 and I don't think this courageous
caregiver is coming back right now. I did not know her.

It is a bright sunny day here in SoCal, 78 degrees. I know it is snowing in parts of the country, but wonder how others are exercising, getting in their 10,000,
20,000, or 30,000 steps on Fitbit, returning to the gym in their area, even swimming. Or just staying sane by getting out and exercising?

I have just made a future plan to go to a park, stand before a basketball hoop, and make 5 baskets in a row. I will let you know when I have worked up to ten consecutive baskets. I know that I am a light weight slacker when it comes to exercise, but how are you doing?

Let's keep this thread going and make Julia Rose proud!

Hello, good Saturday morning!

My Fitbit is still keeping me on the move, for me it's better than a real live exercise buddy. I get a kick out of the way it tries to interpret what I'm doing, today as well as my daily walk I got credit for an outdoor bike ride (mowing the lawn) and two rounds of sport (gardening)😂.

SnoopyLove, good for you. I like evening walks. Nice, cool and clean air feels so good.

I signed myself up at a local gym. It's the pool that I want to use. So, I've been going there for 2 weeks, 3 times each week. My lower back pain is getting much better. Once I'm in the pool, I like it, but getting to the gym takes some self discipline. I hope to stick with it for at least a year since I already paid the annual fee.

Went for a twenty minute walk this evening. Fresh air and exercise do wonders for mood and attitude. So glad I got outside rather than do some never ending chore inside.

what motivtes? my mantra:
pound pavement not people - have to take care of yourself to be worth anything to anyone else

my goal- be alive and healthy - and run a few times a week

what works for me - honestly i am pretty social....so...have you considered an online exercise platform - pre-pandemic my favorite time of the day was my 0h dark 30 (5:30am) group workouts at the gym...well those days are gone and i so missed my breakfast club.

so...i got the peloton app, just on my phone but totally fell for the community - they have a facebook group and it was just so inspiring reading everyone's optimistic (mostly) stories and seeing support for each other.

any others out there would love to follow - my handle - yep -MOXYRunner

I think it may be more of a generational thing Send, but the sentiment of the song is just for you!

Snoopy - smart move!

Danced to music in the morning before dad got out of bad

Thanks CWillie....the Kinks...never heard of them, maybe that is a Canada thing? Sorry, I forgot all about exercising because I was walking the hood with missing cat flyers. Found the cat's owner today!

SnoopyLove,
The thing about Oldies is, in my opinion, not what is Old today, but what was an Oldie when we were teenagers.

Here is an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHTUKcniD2U
Really, really oldies!

Older than old:
Whole Lot of Shakin Goin On
Wake Up Little Suzie
All Shook Up
At The Hop
Peggy Sue
Jailhouse Rock
I'm so young and you're so old, Diana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDV7ey4mX1Q

In a stroke of genius I’ve put my kettlebell right next to the broom I use each morning to sweep up fallen birdseed and now I’ve been using it every day!

Keep exercising, everybody!

Here's one for you Send, I'll be dancing along...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRUE0aAI5o8

OK, Sendhelp, be sure to report back on which oldies song you danced to! 😊

More kettlebell swings in this morning and it was a bit easier!

You at least have kept up with your fitbit, CWillie. It may stop the normal decline of aging. Especially if you can add a bike ride to that in the spring.

Many many years ago, at a cardiologist check-up, the doc said I need to get some stamina.

Never could, and I am here to say, the downward spiral was fast, very fast in 2020.

Going to try the dancing in the kitchen to oldies 3 times a week.

Glad that the exercise buddies are starting up again. When you think of me, you can all say, at least we can do better than her!

Yes, it is a competition! See how good we look going into that coffin. 😰

🥇🥈🥉

First Prize goes to all who made it over to this thread today!

I guess I'm doing OK for a 60 year old, it's just that it's really obvious to me how much strength and stamina I've lost (I'd never get mom off the floor if I had to do that now). My fitbit is my conscience, I might not get out of the chair without it and I'd be even worse off. It's laughable that I still get a boost when the stupid thing gives me fireworks or all my daily goals flash green 🙄😂

CWillie,
Maybe your Fitbit is lying to you.
It may need a new battery......
And you could be more fit than you realize.

I was looking for this thread a while ago and couldn't find it, I can't remember what I wanted to say though 🤔.
I am still getting my +10,000 steps in every day and as long as I don't look at all the people posting about their 20K or 30K or more I'm happy with that, anyway I don't think my poor feet could take much more. It sucks that I have to work twice as hard to be half as fit as I was just a few years ago.

Not yet Snoopy!
But good for you to be one of the first!

Back exercising finally after, um, the holidays. Put my kettlebell outside where I have now been doing a few modest swings with it in the morning after watering my plants.

Any other 2021 exercisers out there?

I failed to report every night, forgive me.

I will when I can, as I should have said.
I have been doing well without chocolate. Riding my bike a lot, vibing, and doing a lot of walking.
So I am trying to get back on track.

I must confess, I have really neglected myself for the last 5 months. But this is the week I get myself back on track, I have been cycling still, but not near as much. I have been walking on a treadmill while watching video lectures. But I have been stress eating carbs(sigh) and chocolate. I am as of now holding myself accountable. Lord willing, I am going to report here everyday to keep myself in check.

Lots of videos on YouTube. My daughter does yoga with YouTube because she no longer belongs to a gym.

I think walking is a good all around good exercise.

Good for you staying committed to a routine! Best wishes to you with reaching and maintaining your goals!

Hi, my motivation is expecting to live a long life and knowing that staying in good health and keeping my weight down is the best investment in my future. Keeping care of my health will benefit me both physically and mentally.

My gym assigns pool lanes for swimming so I schedule a set time daily. Having a committed time forces me to go, knowing that if I don’t show up I could be depriving someone else of the opportunity for that time slot.

I also am signed up for a weekly Pilates session and Zoom yoga. Knowing I have paid for these classes is motivation to attend, I hate wasting money on unused classes!

Daily walks get me out of the house. I quit wearing my Fitbit because it was becoming a crutch. I have lost 4 lbs not worrying about the number of steps I was lacking.

OK, after being sidelined by this 'n' that (severe heat wave, unbreathable air outside due to wildfires, an incredibly ill-timed power outage, an entire day without the sun/ sneak preview of the apocalypse, weird cluster fly infestation out of nowhere, retinal tear scare, keeping parent alive while co-caregiver was on a much-deserved vacay during all of this, etc., etc., etc.), I'm back at it!

Just did my 15 minute YouTube workout (so many workouts on there to choose from; I just keep it simple and do the same JJ Virgin one all the time) and feel great. I know that as I continue to be faithful and intentional with my exercise I WILL:

*have more strength and energy in order to take charge of each day
*have improved metabolic health all day long
*enjoy better mood, morale and motivation
*facilitate deep sleep at night
*improve my life in other ways I am not even aware of
*enjoy nicer-looking arms ;)

Are you a lapsed exerciser? No worries, just get back TO IT!

I'm still walking, walking, walking with the occasional walk/run day thrown in. I have to keep reminding myself that my goal is improved overall daily activity and cardiac health or I would have given up long ago, 6 months has netted me a 4 lb weight loss and I still can't connect all my walk/run intervals together into one big run. I was cheered when I got my 25,000 step award (more or less 11 miles) but of course there is always somebody who boasts about doing much better than that 🙄.