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sweep

Stay in the woods. Stay green. Stay safe.

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Let's Get Healthy 2021: Feb Update

As some of you may know, I'm trying to start a fresh save on my lifestyle by investing in some real workout classes and nutrition. You can read about the start of that adventure here, but I wanted to check in (with myself I guess) just so I have a log of how things are going a couple of months later.

Well, I guess right off the bat the good news is that I've lost a bunch of weight. I've never been obese, but according to my BMI (based off my height/age/witchcraft) I've always been heavier than I should be, mostly in my gut. Thanks for nothing, beer! Non-australian residents are required to get a health check every year (They're paranoid about tuberculosis here and after playing Red Dead Redemption 2 I can see why) and according to a "health professional" I have lost 7kg since I last weighed myself back in December. That's 15lbs, which is apparently a lot in America? So that's vindicating.

I'm still going to workout classes three times a week - 45 minute sessions which are broken down into rowing/running/weights groups that you cycle through. I've noticed that the order which I workout is actually quite significant - the running typically makes me a lot more tired, and when I get tired my technique in both the rowing and the weights seems to suffer significantly and my overall calorie burn (according to my fitbit) seems to drop. I really enjoy pushing myself for the running section of the training but it seems to use up any energy I have in the tank, so I've been trying to position myself in each class so that the running section of the workout comes last.

One of the unexpected side effects of going to group workout sessions is that I'm becoming weirdly dependent on them. I live alone here in Australia, work from home, and I have limited social interaction with the broader public even when we're not living through a pandemic. I can go weeks at a time where the only physical human interaction I get is from the people at my gym - so I was thrown for a bit of a loop when Melbourne was put into a snap 5-day lockdown and all the gym's were abruptly closed. It hit me a lot harder than identical 4-month lockdown we had last year, and I think the reason for that was because I've just grown to enjoy the companionship of participating in those gym classes. Something for me to think about, as I don't particularly want my mental health to be dependent on a service which can (and most likely will) be severed at the whim of the local government.

In terms of nutrition I'm still trying to eat as healthy as possible - I've managed to stay away from sugary snacks, and since I started drinking Kombucha I've found it extremely difficult to go back to regular soda/soft drinks. Coke just tastes so sweet and leaves this weird gross sheen across my teeth which I'd like to avoid at all costs. No thank you.

I'm also still ordering meal kits and eating at least one high-protein/low-carb meal a day. I sometimes order food online but I try to keep it as healthy as possible, so lots of salads. I found some low-carb protein bars which don't taste like shit so I'm using those to stave off any mid-afternoon hunger, and they also taste close enough to candy that I'm not getting the urge to nip to the 7/11 and stock up on Mars bars. The meal kits are definitely getting a little repetitive though - I love the convenience but after a while they all start to taste the same regardless of what's in them. Might be time to start being more pro-active about cooking again, though the issue there has always been that I'm no good at portion control and end up eating whatever is on the plate.

Anyway, that's enough for now. If anyone else is going through a similar health kick then I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks for Reading

Love Sweep

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9 Comments

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rorie

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I need to get back on my Peloton! January and February have been some bad habit months. I ate a huge sandwich today but I am going to hop on that Peloton for 20 minutes here in a bit and work some of it off. I need to also start trying some of the Peloton weight training classes - got a bunch of weights but never use them.

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MightyDuck

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Great topic @sweep!

I've lost about 20 pounds since the Pandemic/lockdowns started last March which has been great. I'm about 5 pounds away from what I weighed in college 12 years ago, which was a decent healthy weight for my height.

I'm up to about 45 minutes a day on the treadmill at varying speeds/inclines and then walking another 20. Also wear a weighted vest on some days when I run to switch it up. I was doing really good with lifting weights (both dumbbell and kettlebell), but with hybrid learning devouring my soul (I'm a teacher) I just haven't kept up with it.

I've also tried to eat a little healthier too. Usually just eat a few pieces of toast for breakfast, but my doc recently suggested I have a few hardboiled eggs here and there for protein, which I guess I'm not getting enough of. My goal is to really eat less on the weekends. I think thats where I end up losing progress is cause I kinda treat myself more than I probably should on the weekends.

Also been trying to snack healthier...more carrots with some hummus here and there. Let me tell you though, 2 tablespoons of hummus is not nearly enough hummus.

I was eyeing a Ring Fit for a while, but wasn't sure if it was worth it or not in addition to the stuff I'm already trying to do.

Best of luck to everyone else out there trying to get healthy out there!

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MisterDarcy

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Just as a cheerleader for anyone on the get healthy train, any progress is amazing, and backslides are never the absolute end. I get really excited for people taking on their own health in just about any way.

I turned into a semi-gym rat/not bro all need, in the past few years, after a long time of having a lot of hard weight swings. The routine of the gym getting me out of the house by 5:30 AM was life changing and kept me moving, which is important for someone like me who can get stuck inside all day on the couch. So lockdowns (in the States) really threw me for a loop. I modified my routine for home with very hard to find free weights and kettle bells, got a stationary bike, and biked to work when it was warmer. It’s hard some days, really really really hard, the gym was a release valve for me, but I’ve made it work at home as best I can. Plus my workouts are now accompanied by a six month old pug who likes to sit on my chest/lick my face while I press kettlebells, so that’s cool.

I can’t stress this enough for anyone, find the things you like when it comes to health. Find the healthy foods you like (I got into craving no sugar added peanut butter and banana on rice cakes with honey) Find what makes your workouts fun (reading distracted me and made it something special [complete side note, Mad Max Fury Road upped my bike calorie burn by 30]). Whatever it takes, you have to enjoy SOME aspect of it, or it will feel like a waste of life. Please please please enjoy it in some way shape or form. AND eat enough of the good foods (a some of the bad because the bad is amazing).

Good lord, and don’t beat the hell out of yourself for anything health related, if you guilt yourself you’ll just associate health with guilt. That’s not fair to you.

Best to all the duders here.

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csl316

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First few months of covid, I just laid around waiting for it to pass. It didn't so I realized that I should take the time to work on myself because that's one thing I could still control, and because I was falling into my worst habits.

Since last summer I've gotten in solid shape, learned a bunch about recording and music production, I'm 6 months coffee-free, working on some new financial certifications, getting into meditation, paying off all my debt, and reaching out to friends I was neglecting.

Working on yourself can be hard at first, but man it can feel rewarding (and become addicting). Health is generally seen as a physical thing, but mental and emotional health are just as important. It's always good to see others taking strides, too.

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ghost_cat

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Edited By ghost_cat

@sweep: Awesome to hear man! Sounds like you're doing everything right so far, and in my book, 15 lbs is a lot of weight to shed if you're not obese. Yeah, when you get in the habit of working out at a gym or with others, you soon learn that surrounding yourself with others who have the same (or similar) goals becomes that motivational push to keep going.

I cook and do my own meal planning, and I'll treat myself to ordering out once on the weekends. I must admit though, I've been really busy with a lot of post-production work, so I haven't been exercising as much. But your post has made me redo my scheduling, so thanks for that!

All about the positive physical and mental health vibes in here. LETS GOOOOOOOOO!

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freemeerkat

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I'm trying to lose weight too, but it's not easy - those cookies just keep calling my name! I'm trying to convince myself that running away from them counts as cardio, but my Fitbit isn't buying it. One step at a time, right?