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Small-group coached workouts
Every year I struggle with the end of the summer season and the change-over to more indoor activities as the days grow shorter. All the competitions have ended for the season. (Although I didn't do any this year, but did a lot of great runs, OW swims, hikes, SUPs, rides, etc.) I've had a couple of great fall moments, like…
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How much exercise do you need?
A loaded question that I answer with "need for what?" Anyway, I found this page and podcast very interesting on the topic: http://blogs.wgbh.org/innovation-hub/2021/9/17/whats-point-exercise/ Comments welcome!
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Trying out a new info-graphic: How fast can I safely lose weight?
What does the crowd think of this one? Useful or confusing?
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Garmin: Steps while swimming (!)
I like my Garmin watch a lot. The swim widget works reasonably well for pool swimming. (It sometimes misses a turn, but it times the intervals correctly.) But, as I've complained previously, the calorie estimate for swimming is low (relative to other estimators) and it also has a terrible bug where it counts steps while…
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Smoke gets in your lungs!
As if we haven't had enough problems, now, in the eastern US, we're getting bad air quality from fires in the west. A few days ago the AQI was well over 180 way out in the suburbs, mostly from particulates. I'm old enough to not want to exercise in those conditions without a face mask. Wearing the disposable "N95-ish mask"…
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Eat to exercise or exercise to eat: which describes you?
The question about "eat to exercise" or "exercise to eat" is a good one. I guessing that big exercisers do a little of both. Which one describes you? How would you know if you had a problem?
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Sweat gets in my eyes while cycling!
I've been using Halo headbands that have a rubber strip to try to guide sweat away from your eyes. When cycling, the sweat pools in the front, however, and drips right down the middle of my face. (Works much better for jogging, etc.) I've tried lots of other solutions, but have not found a perfect one. It's a real drag to…
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Cycling efficiency for different riders (it varies a lot)
A lot of people trust the absolute calorie burn estimates provided by bicycles (stationary or moving) that have a power meter of some sort. But, the total calorie burn of the rider depends on knowing the rider's efficiency, which is, on average, about 20%. This means that you (or your bike computer) must take the energy…
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"You are clearly not someone who needs to worry about your weight!"
Said to me recently. I accept the complement! B) But, hah! It's because I worry about my weight! :p
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Anyone else sometimes get dizzy during or after jogging/cycling?
I'm a near-60y-old runner and I've struggled with this on and off for a long time, maybe all my life (which would explain why I avoided athletics in my teens). I get a little dizzy sometimes. Rarely, I get a-lotta dizzy, notably a few weeks ago on a trail jog where I had to take a break leaning against a tree. Urg. I was…
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Anyone else on thyroid meds?
Hypothyroidism runs in my family, so I was pretty sure it was coming. I've just started a fairly low dose daily of L-thyroxin. Of course, I'm hoping it is going to help me lose the few pounds that have mysteriously found me over the past few months while also making me a bit more peppy overall. I haven't done very well…
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Superbowl bump!
I got a 2 lb bump from Superbowl dinner with family. Two bowls of turkey chili with cheese and avocado, lots of corn bread, a few tortilla chips, two beers, and a few cookies. Nice! Other years I would have blamed it on alcohol and salt, but the beers were "craft AF" (Athletic Brewing Co), the chips were low sodium, and…
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Is Zwift really that much better than just watching TV while you train?
I've been training indoors for many years without anything like Zwift. I've done a spin class. I've also done my own workouts both on the spin bikes at the gym and on my bike on a basic fluid-resistance trainer. When I do my own workouts, I've fallen in the habit of 2m-on/3m-off intervals for nearly the whole workout. I…
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Best and Worst Holiday Foods
Of course, even calorie counters may eat a few extra calories over the Holidays. I like to think ahead and aim for the good stuff! Best: Roast turkey dinner Roast lamb dinner Home-made butter/sugar cookies Home-made gingerbread cookies Home-made dark hot chocolate with whipped cream Home-made mulled cider with rum Dark…
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I try to be optimistic, but
I'm probably at my lowest weight for the rest of the year right now. I might not gain much, but I'll probably gain something. I am not brave enough to step in a gym or pool until something really changes.
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Kayaking calories and tracking
I've avoided these discussions in the past, because there is usually no way to know the answer! This is a common problem for all-day activities (hiking, for example) where you know you need to eat back a significant number of calories, but you don't want to over-eat! But: I wish there were a better way of estimating effort…
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Peloton or Zwift?
TL/DR: Looking for comments from people who have bought into Peloton and/or Zwift. I'm a cyclist and runner. In the past year, I did a lot of bike training indoors at home on a simple trainer. Even now that the outdoor season has started, it's nice to train indoors sometimes, like when it's raining. I have only run…
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I miss swimming!
I cross train, so I still have running and cycling, but I miss swimming! Normally, May would mean getting back into the local pond, but will that be safe this year? Who knows! I've been working with resistance bands and floor-ex a few days a week, and I'm actually regaining some strength I had before when I did it more…
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Are There Benefits to Intermittent Fasting? (NY Times article)
I thought some people might find this interesting: Are There Benefits to Intermittent Fasting? (NY Times) "The best diet is the one where you are healthy, hydrated and living your best life. If you want to fast, it offers similar weight-loss benefits to just cutting calories." https://nyti.ms/2KNpYVM
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Exercising with a mask is harder!
I've tried a few approaches. A surgical mask (which I keep re-using, come what may) and a bandanna. In both cases, I let it slide down when I'm far away from everyone and pull it up whenever someone closes in. I've used it for running, cycling, and walking. (In addition to shopping, etc.) 1) Running with a mask is harder.…
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Working out without a gym or pool
Hi Folks Without access to a gym or pool, I've been upping my game at home. - jogging about every other day - bike on a trainer for all the cold and rainy April days in New England (ride outside when possible) - Floor-ex/core - Resistance bands - And (ta dah!), yanking an ancient dinky weight set out of the basement,…
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Holiday weight spike!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. How much did you gain (if anything)? I ate and drank everything I could get my hands on and gained about 5lbs since about 12/21. In addition to high consumption, I had a cold and stopped exercising for a week. I'm going to be curious how fast it comes back off! And, I want to…
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Treadmill calibrations
My gym has several treadmills and I usually aim for one that I'm familiar with. Then, the calibration is always the same. Last night, they were all taken except for the notoriously easy one. By easy, I mean that you have to set it about 10% faster to go the same speed as my usual one. How do I know? Because my Garmin watch…
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Benefiber lies! (about it's nutrition info...)
I eat a lot of natural fiber: Oatmeal, fruit, salad. I still need to take a fiber supplement in the evening to feel my best the next day. I really don't understand why. I've tried them all, and the easiest to take by far is Benefiber. It dissolves completely, is tasteless and textureless. I put a generous amount in a large…
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More women qualifying for Olympic marathon than ever before!
"It’s outrageously hard. Only 198 qualified in 2016. This year, the number of women qualifying skyrocketed to 511. The number of men has increased only slightly, from 211 to 260." https://nyti.ms/2RKQYc8
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Digestive enzyme supplements and other approaches for IBS
I am a woe-is-me broken record on this topic. But, my gut is interfering with my life (and particularly my exercise schedule) and I'm getting desperate to try something new! Some people tell me to try digestive enzyme supplements. There are lots of articles saying they aren't very helpful unless you really have a…
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Inconsistent "calorie adjustments" from Garmin
I've complained about this before. But it really pisses me off, particularly when I'm trying to shed a few lbs. The Garmin "calorie adjustments" are completely crazy. Yesterday, I walked a mile to the pool, swam, and walked back. I had 11k steps for the day. Garmin calculated ~500kcals for the swim and added about ~90kcals…
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Restaurant Indian Food logging tips
Hi Folks. Hey, I've been doing this for many years, but I get pretty stymied by restaurant Indian Food-- usually eaten as take-out at home, usually for a "special meal," meaning a bit of a calorie splurge. It's fantastic! But hard to log accurately (as with a lot of restaurant food.) I'm sure there are MFP members in the…
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Beginner 55+ runner's personal achievements (share yours!)
In 2016, I decided to do C25K to add a basic running capability to my cycling and swimming. I told my friend: I just want to be able to run 2 x 8 minute miles. He said: well, "that shouldn't be too hard." Well, yes it was! I only finally did it this past week on a treadmill after more than three years of running! I'm…
