Food, Exercise, or other Reports
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I want to do a 2 day 25-30 mile hike next spring. That seems like a good place to start and see how I handle multi-day treks. I will probably be alone but the route will be planned well enough to take it pretty easy on me.
My son does 20 miles a day and he says that is plenty with terrain and the time setting up camp,preparing food, etc....I think he takes oatmeal pkgs and some trail mix he makes among other things....he pack and repacks a million times to lighten his back pack....he has spent a small fortune on light weight tents,food,walking sticks, etc....parts of the trail he goes on has shelters but he prefers his own sleeping quarters....when he is finished with his trip, he goes out for a huge breakfast and spends the day in a posh hotel lol....his first hike that froze them out, he and his wife got a ride from some guy in a truck back to base camp and he had to ride in the back..he said the cold ride in the back of the truck was worse than the hike...the guy kept his dog with him inside the cab!...Matt almost froze!...the driver did let Matt’s wife sit inside....
A family joke is that our son is trying to get rid of his wife....they went on a cruise and took a side trip to swim with sting rays...wife got stung on lip by a jelly fish...she is so over his adventures!....frost bite,blisters and jelly fish bites!0 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »@eliezalot
I like hiking alone too because I don't feel pushed and can take my own time, break when I need to, and enjoy the scenery when I want to. But I'm careful where I go by myself. I just day hike anyway - a few hours a day when I'm camping, and I stick to the trails within the parks I'm in and not the wilderness type trails. But even those trails are usually just me - I rarely if I ever cross paths with anyone.
It still worries my dad, though *sigh* I still carry a backpack, though, that I've been slowly stocking with things like flint and fire starter, a whistle and emergency blanket, a life straw, a first aid kit, and anything that I think would come in handy should something happen and I find myself stranded out over night.
I've never done a week hike where you carry your own supplies and camp along the trail. I'm finally in better shape and think it could be fun if I was with someone experienced, but its not something I think I want to try by myself!
Hiking alone is so meditative, and I've always loved the feeling of confidence and independence I get from it. (And the extended breaks I take to enjoy the views, lol). I do love hiking with friends, but there is something special about going alone.
Re: packing: That's the way to do it! When I did my wilderness EMT class way back in the day, that was drilled into my head more than anything - doesn't matter how short, easy, or familiar your hike is. Pack assuming that you may need to spend the night injured. And if you pack for it, then (hopefully) you will never actually need it.
@novusdies - A spring trip sounds amazing! What sort of route/terrain are you anticipating? Woods, hills/mountains, other?
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bmeadows380 wrote: »@eliezalot
I like hiking alone too because I don't feel pushed and can take my own time, break when I need to, and enjoy the scenery when I want to. But I'm careful where I go by myself. I just day hike anyway - a few hours a day when I'm camping, and I stick to the trails within the parks I'm in and not the wilderness type trails. But even those trails are usually just me - I rarely if I ever cross paths with anyone.
It still worries my dad, though *sigh* I still carry a backpack, though, that I've been slowly stocking with things like flint and fire starter, a whistle and emergency blanket, a life straw, a first aid kit, and anything that I think would come in handy should something happen and I find myself stranded out over night.
I've never done a week hike where you carry your own supplies and camp along the trail. I'm finally in better shape and think it could be fun if I was with someone experienced, but its not something I think I want to try by myself!
Totally fair! It is a lot to learn and plan for - I don't think I'd have ever gone by myself if I hadn't gone with others first!1 -
@conniewilkins56 I meant 25 to 30 miles total so 12.5 to 15 miles a day. I do not want to push myself too hard on my first attempt. It might even be less per day depending on how I progress between now and then.
@eliezalot I would say nothing with a sharp incline because I do not want to need rescuing because my knees pitched a tantrum. I have only been thinking of this since my June trip so I haven't really nailed it all down yet. I would love some wooded areas and maybe a couple of areas nice enough for pictures. I love to change my computer background to a scenic picture from somewhere I have been. The emphasis will definitely be on completion doability more than adventure though. The experience will teach me things I need to know and that is enough for my maiden trek.1 -
@NovusDies - Good plan. Hiking 15 miles a day is plenty of work without throwing in big elevation changes. The first trip should definitely be doable, to get a taste for it and work out the kinks. There's nothing better than disappearing into the woods for a few days. Keep us updated on your planning so I can live vicariously!
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The best outcome will be if I come back regretting I had not more ambitious and adventurous because then I know I can do more.2
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My idea of camping is a motor home with matching linen and crystal....rather camp in a hotel!...my idea of hiking is shopping...what if you get eaten by a bear?....my worst terror but I would never be in a situation where I am close to a bear lol...maybe the zoo but I doubt that, too...0
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ah, @conniewilkins56, the bears are more afraid of you then you are of them lol Well, I'm speaking for the bears in my neck of the woods in West Virginia; I can't speak for the grizzlies out west! Black bears are of course not to be taken for granted, but usually they'll run unless you seem to be between them and their cub!
What you want is called "glamping" lol
@eliezalot @NovusDies
There's a trail through most of WV that is called the Allegheny Trail. I can't remember quite how long it is; I'm thinking 40, 50 miles? maybe? It cuts down through WV and while it crosses elevations it also crosses several parks in WV. I"ve been on parts of it in some of the parks where it crosses and always thought hiking more of it would be fun.
There is also the Greenbrier River Trail that starts at Cass scenic Railroad and ends down near Lewisburg, WV. While the Allegheny Trial is an actual trail through the woods, the Greenbrier River Trail follows the Greenbrier River along an old reclaimed railroad bed so while it has elevations, its also a wide, graveled trail suitable for hiking, biking, or horseback riding with plenty of shelters or towns along the way. I think the total length is 70 miles for it. I figured it would probably be a good beginner's trail for overnight hiking. Course it is popular so the chances of crossing paths with other folks is pretty high. I still don't think I'd want to hike it overnight alone. I know my dad would probably die of worry if I did try it; he and my sister were worried enough when I went camping by myself back in July and that was in a camper!2 -
I ought to take pictures of my meals. Except I'm hungry and it looks good so I eat it. (laugh) We had sweet-and-sour shrimp tonight with rice (caulirice for Boyfriend) and broccoli for Boyfriend and Girlfriend. It was so. good. I found a sweet and sour sauce recipe that used white sugar and substituted Splenda so I can have it without getting a headache. And Boyfriend can have it without dumping.2
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@AlexandraFindsHerself1971 - I for one would LOVE to see pictures of your delicious meals.1
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@AlexandraFindsHerself1971 - I for one would LOVE to see pictures of your delicious meals.
Well, I'll start taking pics then. (grin) Probably it won't always be what I'm eating, because I can't eat most veggies, and the really pretty plates are going to Boyfriend and Girlfriend.
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Today, I think, is really showing me that the diet break is desperately needed. Because either I'm not fueling myself enough or I'm going to have to figure something else out for my workout and walks. I had been getting up at 5:30 AM for the last couple of weeks so I could get my walks in of a morning before the heat and thunderstorm activity kicked up because I really didn't want to walk in the heat one and because of evening thunderstorms, I might not get it at all because it could be raining by the time I got off work. And on days where I needed to mow grass, I would be trading the walk for a lawn mowing, unlike yesterday where I got my walk in that morning then got the grass mowed that evening.
I'm not a morning person; I hate getting up early; always have. I had my routine down to a science in college; when I moved off campus, I was about 2 blocks away from the engineering building. I could roll out of bed at 7:45 and be out the door and in class on time in 15 minutes because I learned to pack everything up the night before and have it waiting on me at the front door. I'd shower the night before and would get up, get dressed, grab a toaster struedel as I went out the door (it was college lol), and go to class. My first job out of college had flexible schedules and I had my start time around 8, I think it was. Then I got the job with the power company and my boss there wanted my start time to be 7 AM. As time went by and different bosses came, that has drifted and now sits at about the 7:45 to 8ish time frame before the whole work at home thing started. That way, I was able to stay in bed until 6:30 and still be out the door by 7 to get to work.
I'm trying to get to bed earlier of an evening, but I'm struggling to fall asleep before 11 PM. I've been at this for a couple of weeks now and its just not wanting to work; my body doesn't want to adapt to the earlier bed time/earlier get up time, no matter what tricks I employ.
To get the mileage in that I've been getting, I need close to 2 hours. My job requires 9 hours a day; starting at 8 has me getting off at 5:30pm which I don't mind but is the max of what I can handle. Walking first thing of a morning, if I'm out by 6:15am lets me start my day at 8am but requires getting up at 5:30am. If I let myself start my day at 7am instead and let myself sleep until 6:30am, that ends my day at 4:30pm. Still doable but the weather is much more unstable and unpredictable in the evenings than in the mornings and therefore I risk not getting my walk in at all, and have to walk in the heat. If I try taking my walk at lunch time, I can move the extra time for work to the evening, but will mean my day won't end until 6:30 pm, and I hate going that late. 5:30pm is about the maximum I can take. Besides which, walking at lunch is also a risk because of weather and would have me out during the hottest part of the day. As long as the temperatures stay where they've been the last few days (upper 70's to low 80's), that's not too bad, but it's only the first of August, and in WV, even in the eastern, rural section where I live, that's actually abnormal - we don't start getting reliably cooler weather until after September 15th, and the norm for this time of year is actually the upper 80's.
*sigh* but this constant exhaustion can't continue, either, so I must get more sleep one way or the other. Stupid job - I of course appreciate being able to live comfortably and independently, especially as a single adult with no other income to rely on but what I bring in myself and responsible for all the bills and expenses that come up like property taxes, etc - I appreciate the income but I despise how much of my life is taken by my job. I feel guilty for saying that; I work 40-45 hours a week, which for many people is a dream job, I know; my boss clocks no less than 60 a week. Maybe if I enjoyed my job and felt confidence and efficient in it, that would be different, but I don't and it leaves me feeling like my job is taking up my life leaving me little time for the things that I DO find enjoyable and that DO give me good feelings of confidence and efficiency and accomplishment. But there's not a whole lot of options out there - and believe me, I've been looking for years - especially as someone who would rather do a whole sale career change; I don't just want a new job; I want out of engineering!
And I have no idea what I WOULD be good at or enjoy doing as a career (and I've been trying to figure that out since I was 18 years old), and I don't want to move again and there are little to no opportunities in this area outside of fast food or retail. I can't afford to go back to school and don't want to saddle myself with more debt now anyway. If I could afford to go to school, I suppose I could get a MET, or master of arts in teaching and teach math since the local school system is begging for math teachers, but I don't want to teach, especially in the public school system and the starting pay around here isn't much better than retail. Seriously; starting pay for teachers in WV is something like $25,000 a year. And while I would gladly take a pay cut if it meant changing careers into something that I enjoyed and was good at, teaching I already know isn't one of those things and that may be more of a pay cut than I can tolerate at least for another 5 years when my student loans and the loan I took out to move and fix up my house finally pay off.
Vacation starts in Friday - well, my time off starts on Friday; vacation itself doesn't start until Monday. Work keeps asking for volunteers for help with the cleanup after Isaias in Jersey, but I keep firmly turning them down. I don't care what kind of overtime it would be, I NEED this vacation a whole lot more.
Vacation will let me sleep in, get me away from my job, let me nap in the afternoon if I need it, let me hike all day to my heart's content, let me wade around in the river, and just let me recharge. Hopefully that week will reset my energy levels both physically and mentally so I can forge a plan for going forward.3 -
Bmeadows I hope you get recharged on your vacation....you should not feel the way you do being so tired...your vacation plans sound very relaxing...
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AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »@AlexandraFindsHerself1971 - I for one would LOVE to see pictures of your delicious meals.
Well, I'll start taking pics then. (grin) Probably it won't always be what I'm eating, because I can't eat most veggies, and the really pretty plates are going to Boyfriend and Girlfriend.
Yesssss! Sigh, I just love food. It's the best. Cooking it, eating it, cooking it for other people...bmeadows380 wrote: »
Vacation starts in Friday - well, my time off starts on Friday; vacation itself doesn't start until Monday. Work keeps asking for volunteers for help with the cleanup after Isaias in Jersey, but I keep firmly turning them down. I don't care what kind of overtime it would be, I NEED this vacation a whole lot more.
Vacation will let me sleep in, get me away from my job, let me nap in the afternoon if I need it, let me hike all day to my heart's content, let me wade around in the river, and just let me recharge. Hopefully that week will reset my energy levels both physically and mentally so I can forge a plan for going forward.
I feel the work stress pain. There was a time about a year and a half ago where I was having multiple panic attacks a week about work (yay anxiety). It was exhausting, even when I wasn't putting in extra hours. I had no confidence (in retrospect, thanks to my boss at the time), felt like I had no idea what I was doing, like I was being set up to fail, and really not loving the work I was doing. I felt just so trapped. At one point I was feeling so low about my skills and abilities that I couldn't actually imagine any job in which I'd feel successful, happy, and enjoy it. I'm so sorry you're feeling stuck for your own reasons, it's a hard place to be. Enjoy your well-earned vacation! I hope you can fully disconnect, get plenty of rest, and have some time to just relax. It sounds like an ideal break.
I had a very satisfying food day yesterday. Very slightly over in calories, but still at more than half my usual deficit.
Breakfast: S'mores trail mix. My husband loves sugary cereal. He has such a sweet tooth. I don't particularly like any cereal. Except that he bought himself a box of golden grahams, so of course I had to make a bit of a s'mores trail mix out of it (just the cereal, some chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows). It was delicious and felt like such a treat. They are my golden grahams now mwahahahaha
Lunch: Leftovers - Rotisserie chicken on hawaiian rolls with mumbo sauce, and we split a nice ripe pineapple for dessert.
Dinner: Chilaquiles verdes - baked some corn tortillas to be crispy (and no oil needed), cooked up onions, fresno peppers, the rest of the leftover rotisserie chicken, and a jar of homegrown, homemade tomatillo salsa from my mom, with some melted cheese and eggs. Topped with some pickled onions, radishes, more fresno peppers, and cilantro. So filling and comforting, and less than 650 calories.
I'm excited to have some time to cook this weekend. Since my husband currently isn't working, he does most of our weekday cooking (except last night. the chilaquiles were all me, lol), and I do most of the weekend cooking. It has worked out so well. He has time to figure out the normal weekday stuff, and I get the weekends, when I can enjoy taking more time and cook some more involved things.
I haven't done much exercise this last week. I've had a headache on and off since last Wednesday, and just wasn't feeling up to it yoga. I think I'll do some tonight though. My heel has actually been feeling quite good, so I'm going to try going for a walk this weekend. If that feels okay, then I'll start building up again to running. Probably a week or two just walking, then adding some jogging back in. I'm not sure how slowly I need to go..I was jogging 4 miles, 3x a week before, and I want so badly to be back to that! It will be a good lesson in patience for me, whether I like it or not.
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Vacation is over. Back to the grind tomorrow. I didn’t go overboard but I didn’t stick to my 1200 calories either. Swimming for several hours everyday helped. I know the scale will suck in the morning but I also know that by next week it will be back where it needs to be. It was a much needed break with a ton of fun!2
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Glad you enjoyed your break!0
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*sigh of relief* the best friend is moved! I spent most of Friday washing the old apartment down, moved a load the mattresses that evening, spend Saturday packing and moving the rest of the furniture that could fit in the new place and boxes (and we're talking over 4 hours of work including the unpacking at the new place) then grocery shopping, and then spending another 2 hours plus packing and unpacking today the stuff that went home with me including 5 bags of laundry.
I had myself set to maintenance and I even ate over on some days, like today, to try to be sure that I was fueling myself properly for all this work, especially since its been hot and muggy, the new apartment's window air conditioner doesn't keep up well, and the old apartment is on the second floor with no elevator, meaning I was moving furniture and boxes down the steps - I lost count of how many trips I made up and down those stairs!
I got to sleep in this morning, though not yesterday morning. And while all my meals this weekend were out to eat, and I did splurge on some treats like cookies and apple pies, I still counted calories. Yesterday's dinner was the only really overboard meal and that's because I ate an entire 10" small pizza from Dominoes by myself. While that sounds like a lot, it was 6 small slices on hand tossed crust with lots of veggies and light sauce and not a whole lot of cheese. I don't feel guilty for it at all; with all I was doing this weekend, I don't think the calories from that pizza were going to put me over all that much and in fact, might have put me closer to what I actually burned anyway.
Vacation starts tomorrow, but I need to get up, take the oldest cat to the vet to be boarded, stop at the grocery store for the perishables for camping like deli lunch meat (I'll pay more for the good stuff!), pack the camper with my clothes and other things that need to go, clean cat pans again, take garbage out, wash up what dishes I use tomorrow, and hook the camper up to the truck. Maybe I can get a nap in once I'm set up at camp!1 -
Have a great time and be safe!...maybe you will meet a good looking lumberjack hiking!1
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We're going to borrow Boyfriend's dad's truck today and take the screen panels off our sun porch to the local company that put it up. For $50 a panel they'll put new screens in them, which they need; I can't open the doors on the sun porch for a cool breeze because the screens are all torn up and my cats would get out. Then we're going to go take a lot of the cardboard stacked in our garage to the recycling.
From the look of the radar, the storm should stop soon, but it doesn't give any signs of doing so. If it's still storming heavily and thundering loudly when it's time to leave we may rethink our timetable.1 -
We have booked a condo and we are planning some activities for a vacation. We want to get one in before whatever happens with schools resuming and covid spreading occurs. Unfortunately for overwhelming number of kids that will get it and be fine there will be a small number that will be sad cases. The news will pour gas on it and also speculate that it could be prevented, parents will get highly alarmed, politicians will want to get re-elected, and then... who knows?1
