Gym -- Week 5 Recap
Monday -- I wasn't feeling it today. It's been a little stressful around the house with my husband's vehicle breaking down and trying to make the mortgage this month. Luckily my son was home so I was able to borrow his car to get to the gym. I got in 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, then 5 minutes on the stair machine. I tried something a little different today -- I upped the speed to the next level, which is 28 steps per minute (versus the 20 spm I had been doing). I thought it might be time for me to try climbing stairs at a more normal pace. It was really hard! My heart rate got up to 148. Five minutes definitely was my limit at that speed. I think that from now on I'll stick to the lowest level until I get used it to more before upping it again. After the stairs it was 30 minutes on the treadmill. Today I used Active's Couch to 5K app to help me with the interval part. It worked like a charm. My heart rate went from 110 at 2.2mph to 120 at 2.4mph. Next was the training session. Julie had a new workout for me today. I actually lifted a barbell with 30 pounds on it. Are you kidding me?! After the training session I walked on the treadmill for another 30 minutes, the first 5 and last 5 minutes at 2.2mph and the middle at 2.4mph. It was great gym day.
Tuesday -- Feeling discombobulated today; didn't make it to the gym. Ended up dusting off and setting up the old Wii system, to do some WiiFit at home, but didn't actually do anything yet. Spent the day doing absolutely nothing. Feel bad about that, but tomorrow's another day.
Wednesday -- I didn't really want to do anything today. This is why I need to be in a routine of going to the gym. When I'm at home, it's so easy to make excuses and do other things. When I thought about doing something else I like to do even less, that's when I decided I needed to bite the bullet and get started. I did my strength training that I usually do at the gym with Julie, with some modifications. Since we're one vehicle short here, no gym for me until this weekend. So, I filled up some empty milk jugs with water, weighing them to make two five pound weights, an eight pound weight, and an almost ten pound weight. I did all of the ones I could, with improvisation. For the one when I walk on a straight line heel/toe/heel/toe, I've been doing that really well, so today I started carrying five pound weights. I stumbled a few times, but caught myself. Practice, practice, practice. Then it was time to turn on the Wii. Only 17 minutes with that. Basic Step, Island Cycling, and Advanced Step. Island Cycling kicked my butt. Hopefully tomorrow I can go a little longer. Fingers crossed!
Thursday -- Since my son didn't need to go to work until this afternoon, I was able to get to the gym this morning. I set the alarm. I didn't have an appointment, but I wanted to get to the gym and back home before the heat outside became overwhelming. It wasn't as easy as it has been; I think that the honeymoon phase is definitely coming to an end, at least with the recumbent bike and the treadmill. I find myself looking from my book or knitting to the clock more and more often. Today I managed an hour on the treadmill (Couch 2 5K app for the first 30 minutes, alternating between 2.0mph and 2.4mph, then a steady 2.2mph the second half of the hour), an hour on the bike, another forty minutes on the treadmill (at a steady 2.2mph), and six minutes on the stairclimber (at the lowest level which is 20 stairs per minute). I came home with a headache, probably due to the heat outside; it hits me quickly.
Friday -- Strength training day! First time on my own. It went pretty well, I think! I started off with 25 minutes on the treadmill, at a steady 2.2mph, followed by five minutes on the stairclimber (just like yesterday, at the lowest level). I then got in 60 minutes on the recumbent bike before starting with the weights. I worked through everything Julie taught me. I was a little apprehensive about doing the dips and the modified push-ups because I have a hard time getting up from them. I did fine; shouldn't have been worried. I finished off the day with 40 minutes on the treadmill -- C25K 2.0-2.4 again for the 30 minutes, and 2.2 for the balance of the time. I contemplated getting on the bike again, but I figured my legs had had enough.
Saturday -- Treatment day means rest day from exercising. The extent of my moving around today was walking between the garage at the hospital and the infusion center, and doing what we call port yoga -- moving around to get blood return. 😂
Sunday -- Training day with Julie! I really look forward to these sessions. They're kind of fun! I enjoy them much more than the treadmill and the bike, that's for sure. I got there early today and got in 35 minutes on the treadmill (2.2mph steady pace the whole time), then the stairclimber. 20 minutes! I'm sure I was able to go that long because I didn't do the whole hour on the treadmill or an hour on the bike beforehand as I usually do. After the stair machine, I got in an hour on the bike. Then it was time for the hard work. It was another new workout today, with some of the previous things, but changing them up a bit. For the dips, I moved my feet out a bit farther than before. The bicep curls went from 7.5lbs to 10lbs -- and, for the first set I sat on the bench as usual; for the second set, I was standing. For the ball, plate pullover, instead of sitting on the ball I -- get this -- layed down on the floor! And, the weight was increased to 15lbs. The weight was increased for the kettleball deadlifts also (to 20lbs). The biggest deal of the day? I was able to get up off of the floor by myself. Four times! That's huge! I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the things, but my memory's just not so good anymore, and usually I sleep all day the day after treatment. Today I not only went to the gym, I also cooked dinner and cleaned up afterward. Huge!
Monday morning weigh-in shows no change. I'm not surprised, as treatment day was two days ago. I've noticed that my weight usually goes up a few pounds after treatment day, maybe because of the saline that drips in as well as the medicine itself? I don't know, but I've noticed the trend. I'm sure I'll see a drop next week.
I'm not focusing on the scale so much. I am weighing myself once per week, more out of habit I think. No, that's not entirely true. I do want to see the scale inch downward. I understand that with the eating better/moving more that it won't happen as I expected. I'll focus more on the non-scale victories and the way my clothes fit. My goal is to be able to shop in the regular section, not the plus size section anymore. I know that by achieving the goals I've set (walking up the stairs, not using the walker, building stamina, etc) the decrease in pounds will eventually follow.
Non-scale victories
-- I got up off of the floor. By. Myself ... Four. Times. !!!!!!
-- My rings fit, even in this horrible heat and humidity we're having this weekend. They haven't fit for a few weeks.
-- I was able to lift the Kitchen Aid stand mixer from the bottom cabinet and put it on the counter. I used to have to ask someone else to do that for me. Also, I moved a pot of potatoes and water from the sink to the stove. Before, I would have to put the pot on the stove, then add the water by filling a cup at the sink and pouring it in.
-- On Sunday (day after treatment day when I usually sleep all day) I was able to push through the exhaustion in the late afternoon and get up and make dinner.
Read next: Gym -- Week 6 Recap
Tuesday -- Feeling discombobulated today; didn't make it to the gym. Ended up dusting off and setting up the old Wii system, to do some WiiFit at home, but didn't actually do anything yet. Spent the day doing absolutely nothing. Feel bad about that, but tomorrow's another day.
Thursday -- Since my son didn't need to go to work until this afternoon, I was able to get to the gym this morning. I set the alarm. I didn't have an appointment, but I wanted to get to the gym and back home before the heat outside became overwhelming. It wasn't as easy as it has been; I think that the honeymoon phase is definitely coming to an end, at least with the recumbent bike and the treadmill. I find myself looking from my book or knitting to the clock more and more often. Today I managed an hour on the treadmill (Couch 2 5K app for the first 30 minutes, alternating between 2.0mph and 2.4mph, then a steady 2.2mph the second half of the hour), an hour on the bike, another forty minutes on the treadmill (at a steady 2.2mph), and six minutes on the stairclimber (at the lowest level which is 20 stairs per minute). I came home with a headache, probably due to the heat outside; it hits me quickly.
Friday -- Strength training day! First time on my own. It went pretty well, I think! I started off with 25 minutes on the treadmill, at a steady 2.2mph, followed by five minutes on the stairclimber (just like yesterday, at the lowest level). I then got in 60 minutes on the recumbent bike before starting with the weights. I worked through everything Julie taught me. I was a little apprehensive about doing the dips and the modified push-ups because I have a hard time getting up from them. I did fine; shouldn't have been worried. I finished off the day with 40 minutes on the treadmill -- C25K 2.0-2.4 again for the 30 minutes, and 2.2 for the balance of the time. I contemplated getting on the bike again, but I figured my legs had had enough.
Saturday -- Treatment day means rest day from exercising. The extent of my moving around today was walking between the garage at the hospital and the infusion center, and doing what we call port yoga -- moving around to get blood return. 😂
Sunday -- Training day with Julie! I really look forward to these sessions. They're kind of fun! I enjoy them much more than the treadmill and the bike, that's for sure. I got there early today and got in 35 minutes on the treadmill (2.2mph steady pace the whole time), then the stairclimber. 20 minutes! I'm sure I was able to go that long because I didn't do the whole hour on the treadmill or an hour on the bike beforehand as I usually do. After the stair machine, I got in an hour on the bike. Then it was time for the hard work. It was another new workout today, with some of the previous things, but changing them up a bit. For the dips, I moved my feet out a bit farther than before. The bicep curls went from 7.5lbs to 10lbs -- and, for the first set I sat on the bench as usual; for the second set, I was standing. For the ball, plate pullover, instead of sitting on the ball I -- get this -- layed down on the floor! And, the weight was increased to 15lbs. The weight was increased for the kettleball deadlifts also (to 20lbs). The biggest deal of the day? I was able to get up off of the floor by myself. Four times! That's huge! I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the things, but my memory's just not so good anymore, and usually I sleep all day the day after treatment. Today I not only went to the gym, I also cooked dinner and cleaned up afterward. Huge!
Monday morning weigh-in shows no change. I'm not surprised, as treatment day was two days ago. I've noticed that my weight usually goes up a few pounds after treatment day, maybe because of the saline that drips in as well as the medicine itself? I don't know, but I've noticed the trend. I'm sure I'll see a drop next week.
I'm not focusing on the scale so much. I am weighing myself once per week, more out of habit I think. No, that's not entirely true. I do want to see the scale inch downward. I understand that with the eating better/moving more that it won't happen as I expected. I'll focus more on the non-scale victories and the way my clothes fit. My goal is to be able to shop in the regular section, not the plus size section anymore. I know that by achieving the goals I've set (walking up the stairs, not using the walker, building stamina, etc) the decrease in pounds will eventually follow.
Non-scale victories
-- I got up off of the floor. By. Myself ... Four. Times. !!!!!!
-- My rings fit, even in this horrible heat and humidity we're having this weekend. They haven't fit for a few weeks.
-- I was able to lift the Kitchen Aid stand mixer from the bottom cabinet and put it on the counter. I used to have to ask someone else to do that for me. Also, I moved a pot of potatoes and water from the sink to the stove. Before, I would have to put the pot on the stove, then add the water by filling a cup at the sink and pouring it in.
-- On Sunday (day after treatment day when I usually sleep all day) I was able to push through the exhaustion in the late afternoon and get up and make dinner.
Read next: Gym -- Week 6 Recap
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