Health and Fitness 2024

[StraightForward]

It was interesting going back and reading through the 2023 thread. I'm not exactly back where I started last year though, so that's good. Definitely stronger in my core; I did 2x60 second planks today without much trouble.

Once again I'm thinking of getting back to running. Last year I think I made it until about March and then got so busy I just caved. However, I did finish DRT 3, and have been steadily hitting the gym three times a week the past few months. Diet was pretty hit or miss, especially the second half of the year, but I've stayed within about a 3# range all year.

Even moreso this year, I need the strength, flexibility, and all the other elements to sit Tesla's trot and hope to look semi-elegant. With one less horse, I should be able to focus more on getting the workouts it.

To kick off the year, I'm doing a 30 day Feldenkrais challenge.

For the rest of the year my plan is:
2 runs a week, at least one outside
3 strength/balance/mobility workouts a week
2 additional cardio sessions per week (these are almost always before a gym workout)

Foodwise, keeping it simple:
Limit carbs, especially sugar and refined carbs
Eat the veggies
Go a little easier on the wine
Drink plenty of water

[heddylamar]

I was really good about hitting my weight lifting and aerobic goals in 2023, and it's showing. The bum shoulder is in a much better place than in 2020(?) when I started this whole weight lifting lark. It was super hard the first year+ to stay on track when my shoulder screamed daily.

I need to get my hip back to its good place. That involves not spending much time sitting, and doing al lot of dynamic strengthening and stretching exercises like weighted marching bridges, banded dead bugs, and banded sumo squat walk.

In addition to strengthening the piriformis, I need to increase either running or rowing machine workouts to support all those muscles.

[StraightForward]

Ah yes, sitting! I am buying a Home Horse from someone on CotH. Need to make some adjustments toy workspace, but the plan is to use it as much as possible during the workday. Maybe I'll banish my chair from the room.

[khall]

I’m down 20 lbs have another 20 to go. Tracking macros seems to work well for me. Did not put on anything over the holidays even though I definitely splurged.

I’m continuing Pilates twice weekly 3 lessons each week. I’m also on a quest about proper ab engagement which relates to pelvic floor. Also proper diaphragm breathing which again relates to pelvic floor. So proper ab work will be my focus this year.

We have a Bowflex now I need to use it!

I’ve never been good at taking care of myself this year with my neck and pelvic floor issues shows me I need to. Much better as the caregiver. That has to stop. I’ll be 57 this year with a foal on the way. I need to stay healthy!!

[Chisamba]

Well, I did join the Y. I've done a little cycling on one of those bikes that takes you on interactive terrains. I'm currently cycling in Costa Rica.

I also joined a beginners pickle ball group. I'm embarrassingly bad.

Weight, I'm ok. Lost a bit but would like to lose more


Fitness trying to work out what I can do without crippling my knee.

[Quelah]

You all are so good! I need to set myself some goals so I have a plan, but I'm impressed with y'all!

[StraightForward]

For the rest of the year my plan is:
2 runs a week, at least one outside
3 strength/balance/mobility workouts a week
2 additional cardio sessions per week (these are almost always before a gym workout)

Foodwise, keeping it simple:
Limit carbs, especially sugar and refined carbs
Eat the veggies
Go a little easier on the wine
Drink plenty of water

Here it is almost September and I need to re-group on these goals. I've been pretty good about hitting the gym 3x a week, but might have been playing fast and loose with the ice cream during the summer heat. So I'm added a few pounds that I'd like to shed this fall. I just did my first outside run since I can't remember when (March?). A pretty steady 3 mile jog wasn't too terrible of a struggle, so I'm going to try to get that done twice a week for the next month, and if my joints are tolerating it, maybe add a third day and increase mileage a bit.

Food-wise, I need to prep some proteins and veggies that I can grab throughout the day since I work from home. It's ironically made me more likely to snack on random stuff that's less than nutritionally balanced.

[LindaJ]

I’m trying to get back in my mini-fitness plan. The last 3-4 weeks have been stressful and long hours at work. I really need to be working my core though as I’ve found it’s definitely helping when I’m able to go ride a horse I found. The owner is so sweet. I lost my heart horse Jan 2022 and my fitness went down the drain. My heart isn’t in for the ownership or lease of another horse, so I found one that I’m able to just go ride as I’m able energy and time wise. It’s been a great situation.

My body really does need the work outs 2-3 days a week. I’ve found I’m aching if I don’t do something. Gotta love menopause…

[heddylamar]

My new primary care physician took one look at my long list of weird, seemingly unrelated, problems that have been increasing over the last 5 years, and asked if anyone's ever tested my B12 levels. I was low. So low that I'm on my third month of weekly shots.

I don't know if there's a correlation, but after adding the weekly B12, I finally started losing all that pesky weight I'd packed on after messing up my hip (and quitting running high mileage) in 2017. I've lost 8 pounds since July.

[Tanga]

My new primary care physician took one look at my long list of weird, seemingly unrelated, problems that have been increasing over the last 5 years, and asked if anyone's ever tested my B12 levels. I was low. So low that I'm on my third month of weekly shots.

I don't know if there's a correlation, but after adding the weekly B12, I finally started losing all that pesky weight I'd packed on after messing up my hip (and quitting running high mileage) in 2017. I've lost 8 pounds since July.

Glad you have a good GP! I am finding out how we mostly don't get blood tests that test what we need, and the test results don't show what we really need! My GP tested my ferritin (iron stored in your body versus free in blood, so basically all of your reserves) when I've been dealing with fatigue for years and tried HRT and it did not help. It was 16 and she had me have an iron infusion. The test results they send say 20 to 200 is "normal," which I found out basically means alive. 100 is optimum! I was tested 14 years ago and I was 30! I have been supplementing iron after finding the group The Iron Protocol on facebook and went down that rabbit hole of learning actual facts. And the thing is, ferritin, D, and B12 all work similarly, together, and have similar symptoms! My D is 32 and considered "normal" but over 80 is optimal, so I added D to my routine per that protocol, and then got my B12 tested and it's 341, which is also "normal" but WELL below optimal, so now I am adding that. This is such nightmare that they don't test for all of this normally, esp. with women, esp. when simple supplementation can help.

I was tired in July and had stopped even trying to use weights in my Zoom exercise class and was going slower and slower, and something like riding both horses left me exhausted for a couple of days, and then I got way worse. I basically sat on the couch for a month. Walking up 5/6 steps left me winded, lifting more than 10 lbs was hard, every muscle felt strained all of the time, and I needed 12 hours sleep to not feel like my eyes were drooping. I am slightly better now and don't get winded from walking up stairs, still get dizzy bending over, but can pick up some weight, though I know I will pay for it, and have actually ridden the horses some, though I am paying for it. I am hoping in a few more months all of this will start to sort out and I will go back to my old normal, and sometime in the next year or so I will find out what it feels like not to be deficient and have all of these symptoms I thought were just me. I hope I get the losing weight you have! Because I have done so little the last 6 weeks, I have put on 5 lbs.

So my big exercise program is I follow along slowly on my Zoom class now, and I am riding, but I have to ride a horse bareback to and from the pasture because that is too much for me. I am lucky they love treats and pretty much always come when I whistle/call, so I haven't had to walk all the way up the hill to get them. That would take awhile. I am not even close to back to walking as fast as I used to.

[heddylamar]

Glad you have a good GP! I am finding out how we mostly don't get blood tests that test what we need, and the test results don't show what we really need!

If it's not on the regular CBC, most docs don't think to test for it. I'm perpetually low on iron, magnesium, and D3, and I always have to remind new docs to run extra panels. I don't want to be over- or under-supplementing on anything.

I'm a bit annoyed that multiple specialists — who were all informed that I'm vegan — didn't think to test my B levels. To be fair, I figured my B levels were fine because I eat more than enough fortified nutritional yeast to meet normal recommendations. But with all of my symptoms, someone should have checked. I was below 100.

I've been having extreme fatigue and dizziness, plus 60+ muscle spasms an hour, garish bruising, digestive problems, wounds not healing, and abdominal pain. Oh, and my formerly non-existent menstrual cycle decided to come back full force, and then some.

The bruising has been so bad, I've been referred to an oncologist multiple times, and more than a few people have asked if I need help

[Tanga]

heddy--I know! It's astonishing. They don't do these vital tests that everyone should do every year as a baseline. My GP won't get me to a specialist because nothing "abnormal" shows up on my blood tests, so I'm trying to get the best information to supplement on my own. I am so sorry for all of your symptoms! I didn't get quite that bad, but a lot of that is familiar. The leg cramps and restless legs are getting better with supplementing and the abdominal pain that was scaring me has stopped. It will be interesting to see if me "always" being a big bruiser goes away. My whole life people have asked me is someone was hitting me--I find bruises all of the time I have no idea how I got.

Have you gone on The Iron Protocol on facebook? Even if it's not exactly that, there are so many people on there with the same issues, and lots of scientific literature.