Fifty-something and feeling it...

[BodhiBuilder]

Ok. This will be a comeback story of sorts. 
 

In 2009, I lost forty pounds in a contest and in the process stirred a passion for nutrition and fitness that was totally absent before. I became a nutrition and fitness coach. But I also acquired the hive mind of never being good enough. And as I made my way toward fifty years old, it got even more challenging to reach the always out-of-reach standards I had subscribed to. In 2016, things fell apart in my life, as they tend to do. I also started being treated with hormones to pacify a chronic pain disorder. 

 

Today, many things have come back together again and I'm now off the medication. But I'm 100 pounds overweight to the chagrin of my know-it-all fit brain. Everything hurts. Moving a big body is difficult. I'm twelve years older than when I dropped weight the first time around. Fifty-something and feeling it.  

 

But this too will come together and I'm committed to taking small steps every day toward the objectives: greater mobility, less pain, and identifying more intrinsically as a fit person at any size. 

 

My goals this week:

 

1 - I have my meals planned, so I'll aim to eat by design.

2 - I've made room in my schedule four times a day for movement, whether it be 5min or 45min. I'll shoot to do some simple things at those times: walking, mobility training, pushup challenge, low intensity strength training.

3 - Cultivate some accountability by posting here - what's working well and problems I'm solving

 

My hope is that I'll gain a little bit of 'togetherness' here and that a feeling of journey and belonging replaces my current paralyzing state of "holy shit, what have I done?!" I need to resist overdoing, overthinking and holding an unrealistic vision of what being fit over fifty really means. I want to find a way to enjoy this process, if that's possible. 

 

[BodhiBuilder]

Movement today

Morning 20 min.

Mobility 13min. 

Forearm plank 

Desk pushup 

Desk negatives 

Forearm knee plank 

 

Noon 30 min.

Seated tricep press 

Back extensions 

Bicycle Crunch 

DB Fly 

DB Rear Delt Raise 

Alt. DB curl 

Landmine row 

 

Afternoon 10 min.

Short walk 

 

Every morning I'm doing a short mobility workout to try to work through some specific issues with shoulders, hips and knees. I'm also following pushup challenge.

 

Before lunch, I'm attempting a short strength training program ( by Fitbod). It's moderate volume with very light loads. I alternate upper body and lower body every other day with one day off a week. 

 

And in the afternoons, I'm just doing a ten-minute walk to stay loose.

 

TBH, I struggle a lot with exercise. I don't love it. I've always associated exercise with punishment for being weak, fat, and slow.  Now that I'm over fifty, I could add OLD to that list. lol

 

I don't have it all figured out yet. I just know that I'm not done trying yet. I'm doing what I know how to do, and these days I'm making it as easy and enjoyable as I possibly can so there's a better chance I'll do it again tomorrow.

[BodhiBuilder]

I'm not following a prescriptive diet at the moment. Not counting calories or macros or nutrients. I'm only mapping out exactly what I will eat, week by week. And then I just focus on eating what I've planned. I call this 'Eating By Design' and it helps me refrain from either undereating or binge eating, which I am prone to doing.

 

Success is only adherence to the plan, even if the plan includes pizza and ice cream.

 

So I'll tell you what's on my plan this week, but make no assumptions about my selections except that this food seems doable and palatable to me right now. The wrinkle is that once one learns all about nutrition, it's hard to unlearn it, even if it's not really working.

 

First thing: 

Vegan vanilla protein powder + Greens+ + water; tsp fish oil; multivitamin, D3, B complex, enzymes, amino acid complex

Half-caf coffee

The rest of the day I drink water with a dash of lemon juice and a few drops of Stevia, sometimes with a teaspoon of green matcha (if I'm craving a little energy)

 

Breakfast: 

About 1/3C seasoned ground turkey, 1/3C pinto beans

 

Lunches vary - here are some examples:

Tuna salad (tuna, mayo, onion, celery) on 9 grain with thin slices of swiss, grilled with a spritz of coconut oil; cauliflower tots

Roasted veggies (brussels, gr. beans, cauli, brocc) with coconut oil and garlic salt, tossed with turkey sausage and feta

Taco bowl: seasoned gr. pork, black beans, pico, avocado

Baked salmon with fzn power bowl (usually some kind of quinoa/farro/veggie combo)

Canned soup (butternut, red pepper, split pea) w/ diced chicken and fzn veggies thrown in (chickpeas, riced cauli, sw.potato)

Bagged salad w/yogurt based dressing, shrimp

 

Snacks vary:

cold brew coffee with cream

raw veggies w/hummus

1% Cottage cheese

Greek yogurt w/granola 

Blueberry vanilla protein shake

Fruit - pear, peach, apple, grapes

 

PM supps: magnesium, 5htp, probiotic, megaC, iron, zinc, relora

 

Planned weekend splurge is usually a thin crust, spinach and mushroom pizza. I eat the whole thing - no regrets. And bananas are a treat for me.

So I eat pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch and a 'snack'. No dinner, per se, but I'm never hungry for it. I have a 12 hour eating window between 4am and 4pm.

[BodhiBuilder]

Yesterday, I had to host several consecutive webinars for a virtual conference at work and it really tested my ability to be flexible. My afternoon workout was only 30 minutes of activity, but it took me almost two hours to complete it - in between this, that and the other. My meal times were all skewed and it felt super uncomfortable. I like my ruts, I guess.

Morning 

Mobility 13 min. (Shoulder is actually feeling better! Hopeful.)

Mid-Morning 

Bike 15 min. 

Afternoon 30 min. 

Hip Thrust 

Leg Raise 

Flutter Kicks 

Air Squats 

Step Ups 

DB Romanian Deadlift 

Split Squats 

 

Been eating all meals as planned.  Felt needy at lunch so I included my afternoon snack. 

More conference madness today. So bracing for that. Tired.

[suzyQlou]

Comeback stories are the best!

 

Nice goals and nice lunches.  Looks like you are off to a great start.

[Elastigirl]

Great goals! I'm  over 50, came to NF when I was in my late 40's. Started out all gung ho, always striving to be super fit. I still love getting stronger, but I've relaxed my definition of what being fit is. Especially as crazy as this year has been, I'm just learning the value of good enough. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

[BodhiBuilder]

8 hours ago, suzyQlou said:

Comeback stories are the best!

 

Nice goals and nice lunches.  Looks like you are off to a great start.

 

7 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Great goals! I'm  over 50, came to NF when I was in my late 40's. Started out all gung ho, always striving to be super fit. I still love getting stronger, but I've relaxed my definition of what being fit is. Especially as crazy as this year has been, I'm just learning the value of good enough. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

 

Oh wow. People are actually reading my thread?! Thank you so much for your encouragement. It's greatly needed. 

 

I see now that the way I approached losing weight and getting fit was rather dysfunctional and extrinsically motivated. So I need to walk the more challenging path now - the one where I practice healthy habits without expectations. Lots to learn.

[BodhiBuilder]

Last couple of days, I've been a bit 'checked out' and not completing my planned workouts.  I wish I could somehow push through the low days, trusting that doing a workout can only help. 

 

So apparently this won't be a thread of only successes. I also have to admit that these 'low' points might be driven by hormones. Being a fifty-something woman is not for wussies. 

 

The good news is that my eating has stayed close to plan, which I believe is an important thing to acknowledge. Today is the last day of the planned week. So it's not too late to eek out some movement. If the best I can do this week is adhering three days out of seven, then next week, I will shoot for FOUR. 

[Elastigirl]

5 hours ago, BodhiBuilder said:

So apparently this won't be a thread of only successes. I also have to admit that these 'low' points might be driven by hormones. Being a fifty-something woman is not for wussies. 

You are so right. When I first started NFI was in the midst of perimenopause , my hormones and therefore my emotions were all over the place. Now that has calmed down, and everything is so much easier

[BodhiBuilder]

1 hour ago, Elastigirl said:

You are so right. When I first started NFI was in the midst of perimenopause , my hormones and therefore my emotions were all over the place. Now that has calmed down, and everything is so much easier

There is hope! Thank you. 

[BodhiBuilder]

Week of December 14

 

Aren't we cute when we're beginners (or regressed professionals reacquainting with the beginning)? So ambitious. So clumsy. Still asking, "Are we there yet?" 

 

This week, I'll take another stab at some semblance of exercise consistency. 

 

Morning - Mobility; 7/7 days

Noon - Alternate upper/lower 30min. strength; 4/7 days

Afternoon - 5-15 min. bike or walk; 7/7 days

 

Meal plan is the same, and surprisingly I've been adhering about 90% of the time. So let's just keep doing that, shall we?

 

I anticipate work being a lot less demanding these next couple of weeks before Christmas. And I'll be on leave between Christmas Eve and New Year's. So I hope I'll be able to spare more attention and focus for my fitness and nutrition habits, try to create some reliable patterns perhaps. 

 

Are we there yet?

 

[BodhiBuilder]

Things have been going well about 80% of the time, which in my book is good enough. Personally, I think 100% is overrated. 

 

This time of year, I slip into a bit of 'life review' and I have my eye on two things I'd like to strengthen in the near future.

 

Saving money and greater physical mobility. 

 

The money situation is pretty straightforward. Keep working and spend less. Simple, but not always easy. 

 

What I like about focusing on mobility is that it takes my focus off of weight loss, which seems to be a really unhealthy fixation for me. Better mobility translates into better sleep, better work, better mood, better workouts. And if all those things get a little better, a little fat loss could be a nice side effect. 

 

Mobility work is functional and dynamic. It can be a decent workout all on its own. And with some of my particular mobility issues, I think I need to work on it a little bit every day. So I've treated myself to a subscription at romwod.com. 

 

ROMWOD (Range Of Motion Workout Of the Day) used to be a scrappy little blog, popular to the CrossFit scene. The workouts are a blend of postures from martial arts and yoga, focused on creating gentle traction in the connective and fascial tissues of the body. It has come a LONG way since I first discovered it. And now they've created a huge collection of tutorials and workouts that I can target by body part, skill or duration.

 

I enjoy a good workout video, if you haven't noticed. I like working out at home which has been a real bonus this last year when gyms have closed.  

 

Another activity that can enhance mobility is Kettlebell Training. And there is no shortage of video Kettlebell classes on youtube. I've taken a full course of 'onramp' to kettlebell training at a local gym and I highly, highly recommend doing this if you've never trained with kettlebells before. I really enjoy these workouts, which are a blend of strength, skill and cardio. 

 

So I think I'll throw a little more KB training into my fitness soup and look forward to rejoining the local group when COVID fades. 

 

Other than YouTube, industrialstrengthgym.com has some good looking daily workouts and onramp programming. Might consider joining them once I get a little traction.

 

Curious to know - are you thinking of what your goals might be in 2021? Or have your eye on a new way of training or staying healthy? Other recommendations for online mobility or KB training?

[Aquarii]

Hello  Welcome to Nerd Fitness! I always love a good comeback story. 

 

6 hours ago, BodhiBuilder said:

This time of year, I slip into a bit of 'life review' and I have my eye on two things I'd like to strengthen in the near future.

 

Saving money and greater physical mobility. 

 

I think this is a great strategy for orienting your goals for the new year. I have found that keeping my goals simple and focusing on just a couple of main areas really help me to stick to my goals and make progress.

 

It sounds like you have lots of great goals and a solid plan for achieving them. I look forward to seeing you grow along the way 

[Elastigirl]

I agree 80% is  very good. I love kettlebell training , and bodyweight training. I bought the NF app this year, and it has workouts. Just finished the kettlebell one. I think next year a goal will be to level up on the bodyweight program by mastering the pistol squat

[suzyQlou]

22 hours ago, BodhiBuilder said:

Curious to know - are you thinking of what your goals might be in 2021? Or have your eye on a new way of training or staying healthy?

 

 

It’s exciting to see a new year roll around, but I’m sticking with boring goals moving forward. Thanks for the ideas for some online options. Mobility is something I used to overlook, but it has become super important to me in the last few years. 

[BodhiBuilder]

1 hour ago, suzyQlou said:

 

 

It’s exciting to see a new year roll around, but I’m sticking with boring goals moving forward. Thanks for the ideas for some online options. Mobility is something I used to overlook, but it has become super important to me in the last few years. 

Do you have some go-to resources or workouts you use for mobility work?

[BodhiBuilder]

17 hours ago, Aquarii said:

It sounds like you have lots of great goals and a solid plan for achieving them. I look forward to seeing you grow along the way 

 Thanks! Great to connect with you.

[BodhiBuilder]

17 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

mastering the pistol squat

Oooo, nice! 

[suzyQlou]

1 hour ago, BodhiBuilder said:

Do you have some go-to resources or workouts you use for mobility work?

I have a stretching routine from a physical therapist that I do. It helped me recover from knee surgery a couple years ago, and I still find it helpful. I also do NF yoga a few times a month. The videos are familiar and predictable.   Maybe I’ll look into getting the NF app Elastigirl mentioned. I will probably like that, too. 

[TiogaGirl]

Wooooo Team Fifty Something! Also, Team FeelingIt. I’m with you on both fronts. 

[BodhiBuilder]

Ok - crazy food time  is over. It was nice to be a little unstructured over Christmas, but I'm actually craving some boring, everyday kind of nutrition now. And I have lots of that prepped and ready to go.

 

Here's something I've been struggling with lately. Pain while I sleep. I wake up feeling like I got hit by a truck. Neck, shoulders, upper back, mid-back, hips, knees....all of it. I've been trying to help relieve the pressure on my shoulders because I have a lot of issues there. But things have really gone downhill. A good night's sleep is a distant memory.

 

I've been using a Medcline wedge pillow for a couple of years, but I think maybe the incline is pushing a lot of things out of alignment and putting a lot of pressure on my hips. Maybe the Medcline foam has collapsed. Maybe I need a new mattress. Or is this just normal for fifty-something? Because if this is normal, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it.

 

So, I'll be over here trying everything I can think of. 

[suzyQlou]

Hope you are getting better sleep by now. I don’t know if what you described is “normal” but I’ve noticed various sleeping pains as I age. Not fun!

[Elastigirl]

On 12/27/2020 at 5:57 AM, BodhiBuilder said:

Ok - crazy food time  is over. It was nice to be a little unstructured over Christmas, but I'm actually craving some boring, everyday kind of nutrition now. And I have lots of that prepped and ready to go.

 

Here's something I've been struggling with lately. Pain while I sleep. I wake up feeling like I got hit by a truck. Neck, shoulders, upper back, mid-back, hips, knees....all of it. I've been trying to help relieve the pressure on my shoulders because I have a lot of issues there. But things have really gone downhill. A good night's sleep is a distant memory.

 

I've been using a Medcline wedge pillow for a couple of years, but I think maybe the incline is pushing a lot of things out of alignment and putting a lot of pressure on my hips. Maybe the Medcline foam has collapsed. Maybe I need a new mattress. Or is this just normal for fifty-something? Because if this is normal, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it.

 

So, I'll be over here trying everything I can think of. 

We just got a new mattress last month. My hips are so much happier now! How old is your mattress? I'm also a big believer in getting some movement in every day.  Every day I do some hip mobility, just moving m hips in a circle ( as if I had a hoola hoop) I just try and move through my body, moving all my joints in a circular fashion.And walking.That has helped a lot with all those aches and pains that seem to accumulate as we get older

[BodhiBuilder]

11 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

We just got a new mattress last month. My hips are so much happier now! How old is your mattress? I'm also a big believer in getting some movement in every day.  Every day I do some hip mobility, just moving m hips in a circle ( as if I had a hoola hoop) I just try and move through my body, moving all my joints in a circular fashion.And walking.That has helped a lot with all those aches and pains that seem to accumulate as we get older

 

My mattress probably needs to be replaced. I tried getting rid of the Medcline pillow and things have improved. I still have the problem of shoulder pain from side sleeping - but I'd rather cope with that than all the back and hip pain. 

 

I embarrassed to say that I have a subscription to ROMWOD and haven't done a single routine yet. I will never understand my lack of motivation. I'll commit right here to doing it TODAY. 

[BodhiBuilder]

Ok - time for a little check-in.

 

I've been on a break from work since December 24 and life returns to normal tomorrow. I typically set myself up with so many projects and expectations during a break like this, I end up not feeling like I got a break at all. So this time, I didn't plan anything. I wanted to find out, if given no plan or expectations, what would I choose to do?

 

BREAKING NEWS - I am lazy. lol

 

Listen, I'm not beating myself up about it. It was an experiment and the house didn't burn down. I'm still upright. And if I am honest, I did accomplish a few important things:

 

I still get up at like 4am every day, make a protein shake, feed the cat.

I still drink just one cup of half-caf coffee every morning.

I created a financial plan and budget for 2021.

I only ate take-out TWICE.

I only did a workout twice (three times if you count the snowblower workout last week), and that's better than ZERO.

I did a giant purge and cleanup in my home office - all sparkly and ready to go tomorrow.

I took my supplements every morning and every evening.

I bought a new kettlebell and yoga blocks.

Laundry is done.

Survived 2020 with my parents and my job still in tact.

 

I suspect I'll do a little better with the structure of my work day in place - although if you read back pre-break, my main problem was work crowding-out my planned workouts. Therefore, I'm going to try parking my daily workout before lunch, which is my biggest meal of the day. I will NEVER skip lunch. And so if I gamify it, I'll need to complete a workout in order to advance to the kitchen. 

If I have any hope of doing a daily ROMWOD, I might have to park it in the morning before work. I have a very bad record of accomplishing anything after 3pm. I don't hate my job, but it kind of drains my willpower at the end of the day. 

 

Goals Refined:

 

1. Movement twice a day - strength/cardio precedes lunch, ROMWOD precedes work. (Work is my b*tch, not the other way around!)

2. Eat by Design (make a plan and follow it) - take-out once a week (look for better options)

3. Stay honest and accountable by posting here

 

Here's a little something:

 

I had a thought the other day that I might like to do 2021 with ZERO takeout food. I'm conflicted because anytime I fully restrict any kind of food, I always end up craving that food intensely. Silly brain. I dislike the idea of demonizing any food, even though I believe some food should never cross my lips. 

 

I'm a recovering alcoholic - been totally sober over twenty years. I've demonized alcohol - it WILL kill me. And it's rare that I crave it. I guess I see it like a bad ex-boyfriend. It was great while it lasted, but I don't wish for that asshole to be in my life again. I happily abstain.

 

Food feels trickier though. Trying to moderate unhealthy food feels like telling myself I can drink booze if I only drink light beer. 

 

So I'm not going to commit to zero takeout. I'll stick with the Eat By Design idea and try to pre-decide when and what I will choose when I get takeout. Tell me, what kinds of healthier take-out do you choose when you get it?