[Elastigirl]

I'm enjoying this song 

 

It's a good reminder that right now, this life I'm living is the good life. 

 

Goal 1: Enjoy the summer

I love summer! And where I live, the summer weather has been fantastic. Sunny and warm, but not happy.  I want to enjoy it. Spend time gardening, long walks, reading outside, geocaching, and all the other pleasures that summer offers.

 

Goal 2: Being low-key

My clothes are getting a bit tight. That's a win in the area where I'm building muscle! But not so much with the belly fat. Measured my waist and belly, and I have gained weight there. Instead of a big plan   and focusing all my energy at losing weight, this time I'm just going to be low key about, Make wise choices. Track fiber and protein. Use my eating skills. Focus on strength. Not tracking this, just sort of an awareness. It won't happen all the time, just an acknowledgment that I need to make some subtle changes. I will measure once a week to see how it's going. I don't care if all I do is maintain, I just want to stop the gain.

 

1 day MFP protein and fiber tracking= C

2 day =B

3 day = A

 

 

Goal 3: Going with what works:

I've been focusing on getting 20 oz of water in the morning. That seems to help my workouts, so I want to keep up with this habit

Light in the morning: When I read my Bible in the morning sit outside, or at least at the couch with the blinds open. Sometimes maybe when I feel like it I will go for a morning walk.

Keep up with my workouts

 

Add :  Water goal 32 oz by 2 pm (if I have smoothie this can be 26 oz)

 

Goal 4: Deep Sleep

I've been experimenting to see if I could improve the deep sleep numbers on my Fitbit. One thing that seems to help is spending a few minutes before I sleep deep breathing so I will try and do that most nights. Also, I've been workout on this 3; 2;1; formula

3 hours before bed stop eating

2 hours no  drinking(maybe sips but nothing big

1 hour no screen

The 3:2;1; is a guideline more than a rule, sometimes exceptions happen, just something to shoot for because I know it helps

 

Side Quests;

Stain fence

finish vacation planning

have day long geocaching adventure

clean deck

buy frames for pictures

 

[Everstorm]

40 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

I've been workout on this 3; 2;1; formula

3 hours before bed stop eating

2 hours no  drinking(maybe sips but nothing big

1 hour no screen

The 3:2;1; is a guideline more than a rule, sometimes exceptions happen, just something to shoot for because I know it helps

Oh that's interesting,  I had never heard all of that put together, but it makes sense.  Screens would be the hardest for me.  Reading on my Kindle is the compromise my husband and I made to have the light off when he needs to sleep (typically much earlier than I do) 😔  

[Elastigirl]

2 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

Oh that's interesting,  I had never heard all of that put together, but it makes sense.  Screens would be the hardest for me.  Reading on my Kindle is the compromise my husband and I made to have the light off when he needs to sleep (typically much earlier than I do) 😔  

My  Paperwhite kindle has a dark option I use.  I heard the 3-2-1 on a podcast, sorry I can't remember which one.

[Everstorm]

9 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

My  Paperwhite kindle has a dark option I use.  I heard the 3-2-1 on a podcast, sorry I can't remember which one.

I am curious if the paperwhite is found to be less disruptive for sleep....  Maybe I should put one on my Christmas list.

[Sovalis]

Here to follow!  

[Artemis Prime]

I like Gabby Barret, but I haven't been keeping up with country music lately. This is the perfect challenge song.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along!

[Elastigirl]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:37 PM, Sovalis said:

Here to follow!  

Hi there!

13 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I like Gabby Barret, but I haven't been keeping up with country music lately. This is the perfect challenge song.

It's her new song. I agree.😀

12 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along!

Yay, glad to see you!

[Elastigirl]

Updating has been sparse lately. Have I mentioned we are having glorious weather. And, as much as I love you all, if it comes down to spending free time on here or out reading on my deck, well , sorry not sorry.😀

 

Sunday was my adult son's birthday, so he came over. We grilled steaks and zucchini (from our garden) I made a chocolate layered cakes. I'm always nervous making a layered cake. Will it stick in the pan, will it be a funny shape and not frostable? Seems like a list of things that could go wrong. But it all went well. We played board games all afternoon. Then in the late evening, after he left , hubby and I went for a walk. I love long summer days. Did my sleep protocol and slept really well.

 

Monday was arm day. I  was able to press my 30 lb kettlebell! If that's not a PR, it's at least something I haven't done for a long time. The rest of the workout went well too. I picked a bunch of blueberries from our blueberry bush. We have several, but only one has berries. The rest had various problems. But, this one has tons of berries! Then a walk by myself in the evening while hubby mowed the lawn.  Followed my sleep protocol, and it showed I had little deep sleep, I was tired during the day, so I agree with FItbit's readings. Or maybe it's because I read that I had little deep sleep and that affected how I felt? Hmm. Maybe I should wait and check it until the evening.

 

Tuesday was leg and ab day. Then a walk with my friend, which was lovely. And an after dinner walk with hubby. I decided to try and do a new thing. I am making Sangria for my Bible study group tomorrow. I love Sangria, but have never made it. I am marinating the fruit tonight.

[Sepherina]

6 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Updating has been sparse lately. Have I mentioned we are having glorious weather. And, as much as I love you all, if it comes down to spending free time on here or out reading on my deck, well , sorry not sorry

This sounds lovely!  No apologies needed.

 

 

6 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

 

Sunday was my adult son's birthday, so he came over. We grilled steaks and zucchini (from our garden) I made a chocolate layered cakes. I'm always nervous making a layered cake. Will it stick in the pan, will it be a funny shape and not frostable? Seems like a list of things that could go wrong. But it all went well. We played board games all afternoon. Then in the late evening, after he left , hubby and I went for a walk. I love long summer days. Did my sleep protocol and slept really well.

That is crazy.  My oldest minion shares a birthday with yours.  PS. Summer birthdays rock!

 

6 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

I  was able to press my 30 lb kettlebell! If that's not a PR, it's at least something I haven't done for a long time

WOOT!  That is fantastic!

 

 

 

[Harriet]

I like the plan to make the food approach low key. Intense approaches always backfire on me. Lowkey is the only remaining option, I think, but I don't yet know if it works. Does the protein and fibre help you a lot? I keep reading how good it is but it hasn't helped me yet. Makes me feel stretched, not satisfied. 

Nice job on the 30lb press! And enjoy summer's glory

[Artemis Prime]

Lots of good stuff going on here! Congrats on the press, and looking forward to hearing how your sangria turns out.

 

Garmin has added a "body battery" to their watches which is supposed to be a measure of your energy from 1-100 based on a bunch of different readings. The point is to let you know when you're low and need to take a rest day, or when your routine is working for you and keeping your number high. The idea of it intrigues me, but I've heard other people say that it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy sometimes when you're getting low numbers. Interested to learn if you end up agreeing with your fitbit more or less if you switch to evening checks. 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Be outside. Summer is as much a treat for you as a real fall is for me. Enjoy all of it.

[Elastigirl]

11 hours ago, Sepherina said:

This sounds lovely!  No apologies needed.

 

 

That is crazy.  My oldest minion shares a birthday with yours.  PS. Summer birthdays rock!

 

WOOT!  That is fantastic!

 

 

 

Thanks.Well,  more acurrately my son's birthday is the 1st, but we celebrated Sunday, because that was the day that worked for him

10 hours ago, Harriet said:

I like the plan to make the food approach low key. Intense approaches always backfire on me. Lowkey is the only remaining option, I think, but I don't yet know if it works. Does the protein and fibre help you a lot? I keep reading how good it is but it hasn't helped me yet. Makes me feel stretched, not satisfied. 

Nice job on the 30lb press! And enjoy summer's glory

That's the point I'm at with low key, I feel like the other approaches backfire on me. Protein seems to help somewhat. I've been gaining muscle , as well as a bit more fluff than I'd like. But, it still seems like  unless I calorie count(which I'm burnt out on)  I still gain fluff. Protein  slows the added fluff, but it still seems to happen.. My fiber goal is about 25 grams, more than that and I feel bloated or worse, so it's not that much higher than when I don't track. So, we will see how it works.

 

Thanks!

10 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

Lots of good stuff going on here! Congrats on the press, and looking forward to hearing how your sangria turns out.

 

Garmin has added a "body battery" to their watches which is supposed to be a measure of your energy from 1-100 based on a bunch of different readings. The point is to let you know when you're low and need to take a rest day, or when your routine is working for you and keeping your number high. The idea of it intrigues me, but I've heard other people say that it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy sometimes when you're getting low numbers. Interested to learn if you end up agreeing with your fitbit more or less if you switch to evening checks. 

Thanks. I peeked at my sleep score this morning. I was going to wait until the evening, but it's sort of become a habit to check, so I did. I did think about how I felt my sleep was before I checked. I guessed about normal.

9 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Be outside. Summer is as much a treat for you as a real fall is for me. Enjoy all of it.

Thanks. Yes, and who know how long it will last.

[Elastigirl]

Today is a rest day. Went for a short walk in the morning, then my friends came over. In the afternoon, I did a low intensity row.  Friends coming over for tonight, which is what I made the Sangria for. Hope it turns out!

[Elastigirl]

Today was arm day. I was able to single press 30lb on the floor press for 3 x 5 , so that made me happy.

 

The Sangria I made last night turned out good! Question: If I take fruit and mix it with sugar and pour some brandy and orange juice on it, can I just count that as my daily  serving of fruit?😀 I love the fruit mix from Sangria.

 

Tonight I made no dairy alfredo sauce with cashews. The recipe said that the Vitamix would warm  it up. I've never tried that before. Didn't work for me. It was kind of runny. So, I put it on the stove and heated it ,and added arrowroot, and it was too thick.So, I thinned it with coconut milk. It tasted decent. I'll try again. Has anyone done the sauces or soups in the Vitamix? Did yours heat up?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I lost the vitamix in the divorce years ago, but I never ran it long enough to heat stuff up. I do remember seeing that at the demo though.

[Mad Hatter]

Enjoooooy!

[Rhovaniel]

On 8/2/2023 at 5:35 AM, Elastigirl said:

And, as much as I love you all, if it comes down to spending free time on here or out reading on my deck, well , sorry not sorry.😀

 

Summer days are meant for reading on decks and long walks and happy, outside time. Well - some people's summers anyway! I can't remember the last time we got two consecutive days of no rain here.  

 

On 8/2/2023 at 5:35 AM, Elastigirl said:

Monday was arm day. I  was able to press my 30 lb kettlebell! If that's not a PR, it's at least something I haven't done for a long time.

 

Nice one EG!

[Sovalis]

I have never let my Vitamix run that long, because my understanding is that it takes something like 20 minutes running at 10 to cook things in there. I might be wrong, I haven’t looked it up in a while, but it struck me as wildly inefficient so I just heat things on the stove. 

 

I am so glad your sangria was delicious. It’s one of my favourite summer drinks. Or a Pimm’s Cup, which is a similar idea with fruit, mint, cucumber and a different alcohol. 

[Sepherina]

7 hours ago, Sovalis said:

I have never let my Vitamix run that long, because my understanding is that it takes something like 20 minutes running at 10 to cook things in there. I might be wrong, I haven’t looked it up in a while, but it struck me as wildly inefficient so I just heat things on the stove. 

 

I am so glad your sangria was delicious. It’s one of my favourite summer drinks. Or a Pimm’s Cup, which is a similar idea with fruit, mint, cucumber and a different alcohol. 

I concur on the whole soup vitamix process.. it sounds just pointless and not a good way to use a not so cheap blender.

[Jié Xī]

On 8/3/2023 at 9:46 PM, Elastigirl said:

Today was arm day. I was able to single press 30lb on the floor press for 3 x 5 , so that made me happy.

 

 

Are you using a kettle bell like a barbell? I don't understand kettle bells so have never used them.

[Elastigirl]

9 hours ago, Jié Xī said:

Are you using a kettle bell like a barbell? I

More like a dumbbell.

[Jié Xī]

2 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

More like a dumbbell.

So you pressed one holding it with both hands or one in each hand? 

[Elastigirl]

30 minutes ago, Jié Xī said:

So you pressed one holding it with both hands or one in each hand? 

In one hand. Doing all reps with one arm, then switching sides.