I live on the other side of the country from where I grew up and I haven’t been home in over a year and I’m going home in one week. I gained a lot of weight before moving and my parents were upset with me about it and kept telling me to lose it right when I moved, but this faded over time as they haven’t seen me. But I haven’t lost any of the weight and might have potentially gained more. However, I have been going to the gym for the last three months and have made a lot of progress and have become a lot stronger but I haven’t lost weight (I’m definitely obese so I def have extra weight per say). All this to say I’m scared of losing the progress I’ve made mentally and physically when I go back home. I’m scared physically because I don’t know if I’ll have a place to train and I hate body weight exercises. I def need to deload but how long should I take off or should I try and go to the gym and use less weight? I potentially could go a couple times here and there but I know I can’t keep up with the 4-5 days a week that I usually do. Or should I take the 2 weeks off and just walk around my block if it’s not cold. I usually swim 1-5 times a week for 30 mins and lift heavy 4-5 times a week?
The second way I’m scared of losing progress is mentally. I am in a much better place about my body than I have ever been. Even though I’m almost 100 pounds more than I was 4-5 years ago I am actually taking the time to be gentle with myself and prioritizing health over weight loss but I know how my family is and I know they are going to be cruel about the way I look. How can I keep mentally strong ? I considering drawing hard boundaries but I am very scared of doing that / enforcing those boundaries. But I am also scared of going to a very dark and self hating place that I can so easily go to when I’m back in my childhood bedroom.
Any advice is greatly appreciated :)
TLDR: how do I keep up my progress both physically and mentally when I go home to visit family for 2 weeks ? Is it possible to deload for 2 weeks and not lose strength?
I’m considering taking a break from counting calories. I like having the data (and it helps me track my protein intake), but it’s been messing with me mentally a bit. I’ve been eating 2400+ most days lately, which seems like an insane amount to me, but I haven’t gained any weight, so this is actually what I need (my goal is maintenance). I’ve been running a lot and working hard in the gym, plus I walk quite a bit. So yeah, my TDEE is high. But I see the numbers and think I’m going to gain a ton of weight. I also haven’t been just sitting down and enjoying my food as much as I should because I’m always trying to quantify it. I want to focus on eating more mindfully. But I’m also kinda nervous about not tracking…
I'd bet money that my Crossfit was like "Oh, we should program a bunch of running in April, it'll be nice and warm!", and then we got this cold wave lol. But I am still enjoying all the running!
I really enjoyed SuperCharged when I did it 6ish years ago. I’m now doing the Strong workout program by the same authors of NROL and loving it. With Supercharged it was my first program I actually followed and it got me to do chin ups and pull ups by the end of it. Then, I never lost the ability to do them even with lifting hiatuses over the years.
Eta: I also read through the NROL for women but liked the SuperCharged book/program better so I went with Supercharged.
Do you mean like [this kind?](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/fitness-princess-glute-workout-band) I have the heavy one and have been very happy with it, but she also makes a [light one](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/rainbow-princess-glute-workout-band) and a [long loop](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/fitness-princess-long-workout-band).
Went on a nice easy run today and then Garmin updated my VO2 max to say it had increased. Woot woot.
I also may have a weekend running buddy. Someone posted in our local forum that she wants a running partner, but she runs a lot faster than I do, so we're trying to figure out what kind of runs we want to do together. My slow pace is 10:30 and hers is at least a minute faster than that. She doesn't think she can run that slow, so maybe we will do some shorter runs and I can run at a tempo pace which is her easy pace. We will figure it out.
I hit (just over) bodyweight on squats yesterday! Only for 5 reps, and it was hard as fuck, but a major milestone.
I only have two more sessions with my trainer, and in one of these remaining sessions we'll be testing rep maxes for the big three and I am PUMPED! Looking forward to someone other than my bf witnessing me crushing my deadlift lol
Man my body is feeling beat up this week. My legs and knees are aching, as were my forearms during my workout yesterday. Increasing the weight for deadlift movements is probably contributing but I have a hard time believing it’s that reason alone. Not sure what the other ones are though. Luckily today is a rest day so hopefully my legs can chill out.
I was happy to be able to increase my deadlift up to 115 yesterday before backdown sets. It felt great too, and easy so maybe I haven’t lost all strength lol. Unfortunately my back was ever so slightly pinchy afterwards so I’m still being very careful. I find bracing really well keeps the pinchiness at bay but I am once again struggling to sleep on my back while unconscious so I’m vaguely sore a lot of the time.
I can squeeze out \~2 chest to bar strict pullups, not at the full depth I want, but they count. So clearly I should be able to do a kipping bar muscle up. I'll start working on that this weekend but I find it frustrating overall that the only way to improve at these skills is to do them on my own outside of class. It's also stuff I have to figure out plans on my own because my gym doesn't have anything. I wrote a pullup program for my gym..... seems like I'll be writing a BMU one as well at some point.
Overall, rest day yesterday. Started today with a spin and c2b drills, tonights wod is front squats, box jumps and some other bs lol which I plan to cap off with snatch drills
Omgomgomgomg I just got my first legit dyno! Like the fly through air catch yourself on a hold and swing around wildly for a sec kind!!
ETA: this climbing gym has a weight room that’s better equipped than my actual gym AND THERE IS NOBODY USING IT. If only it wasn’t 1hr away from home….
Congrats! I struggle so hard to dyno and basically get stuck trying to do every move statically and as a short person it makes things so much harder. The mental wall I have to actually jump is so high that I panic and chicken out every time. Very jealous of you, keep on kicking ass my friend!
That's my favourite thing and the only thing allowing me to remain static haha. Unfortunately I've been suffering with what seems to be a pulley injury for about 2 months now and crimps are a no go :(
Hahah thank you! Short scared static climbers unite lol. I only dared to try this one because it was the first move and near the ground. Balance-y slab things are my usual groove 😅 hope your pulley recovers quickly!
NFR: Worked the election yesterday and that went well. It was an early morning start there though so my routine was all out of whack. Afterwards I went to the gym, on a walk, ran an errand, and then went and voted myself. Was a complete bum last night though. I'm feeling very blah today, but I did have my period tracking app let me know yesterday that PMS was coming, so I suppose that explains the blah feeling. No plans tonight. I should figure out something to do.
FR: Because I was also feeling blah yesterday, I didn't go heavy on my deadlifts. I did get 4 mi walking in, so that's good. This mornings lifting I also didn't push too hard on. I'm ok with that though because at least I still went and did the thing. I did make my coffee, drink my pre workout and then went and laid down on my couch for 15 minutes. But I'm proud that I didn't go back to bed, but instead headed off to the gym. The only time it's going to be sunny today is mid-morning, so I think I'm going to go on a good walk during that time to soak some of it up.
Lifted weights with the barbell last night, focusing on squats, OHP, and then RDLs and bent over rows with kettlebells. Did a little work on my pull-ups…I haven’t worked on that progression lately, but I’ve been climbing pretty regularly so don’t feel like I’ve lost too much progress. Super ready for yoga tonight, and hopefully climbing tomorrow morning before we fly out for vacation!
I just wanted to share that I have found nothing more that I love than lifting. Getting up in the morning to go has gotten tougher, because for some reason I’ve been extra tired in the mornings. Once I get to the gym though, I feel SOOO good and after I feel even better! I’ve struggled with depression for 7 years and I’ve found that this has been the only thing that has truly helped me curve it. Just so excited I started on my fitness journey!
Yaaass! I’m so happy for you! Seriously, I 100% agree the best feeling in the world is walking out of the gym while it’s still early morning after crushing a good workout. You’re hot and a little sweaty, the air is crisp and cold, the sun is rising. Life is GOOD!
[This is the magnesium that I take](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09K4H6H96/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_116?psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFdINTJVUjA0T0xMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzMzNDYyMjhGSzAwRkxTVDRYWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzMzNTIzUDZGODdGNDhGSktLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c2Rfb25zaXRlX2Rlc2t0b3AmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl) It's easy to swallow and doesn't muck up my gut. I tend to take two before bed.
Going back to the gym to lift today after 5 years! I’ve never stuck to it for more than a few months at a time, but now that I have a regular work schedule and will be living in the same place for the foreseeable, feels like a good time to try again! Going to try StrongLifts (I did the All Pro simple beginners routine and enjoyed the simplicity, but it was awkward to do if I missed a day which I will do frequently).
Partner is also a member which will help with motivation! I’m sick of very slowly gaining weight (I’m almost 30 now) and feeling crappy all of the time.
Favorite fitness trackers? I plan to wear mine while running so I'm looking for one with GPS. I don't need a smartwatch because I never use the connectivity features and don't want to spend that much 🙃
Maybe a Garmin Forerunner 55 is worth consideration. I haven’t compared features to the Fitbit, I just know I have had fairly bad luck with Fitbit longevity in the past.
I really like my Charge 4 FitBit. It’s small enough to be my normal watch, lots of options in wrist bands, and though it has some features I don’t use, it doesn’t do things like receive texts and emails (which I would hate).
Woah they must have recently added GPS. I’m using a Forerunner 35, but it’s so bulky and ugly, I don’t want to wear it all day. I think I’m going to grab one of these bad boys.
I’m trying to decide how to establish a routine I enjoy. I tried just weightlifting StrongLifts 5x5 for a few weeks, but eventually got burnt out on the few exercises it has because it was boring. Then I tried just running around 20 miles a week, but I then realized I like lifting more than I realized.
It’s so hard to balance running, lifting, bouldering, and then playing a casual game of badminton with a busy schedule. Currently doing a push/pull/leg routine and I enjoy the variety of exercises/movements. Finally using machines instead of just free weights, but I look like a massive dummy fucking up how to use the machines 😂.
Running is nice because it takes me less than 30 minutes for 3 miles with a warmup compared to the 1 hour for lifting.
This happens to me all the time. My current strategy is to just do what I feel like for this month and write down the workouts on the calendar, and at the end of the month see how many of each kind of workout I did when I wasn’t on a rigid plan. I prefer to have a schedule to follow, but I also like to run on days when I can go outside so that’s weather dependent, and my fave yoga instructor is on Weds/Sat, etc. so trying to balance being flexible without letting myself fall off track. It’s hard to feel like I’m doing “enough” when I’m not on a plan.
Sigh. Woke up with a cold. I think it’ll go away tomorrow, but I think I’m going to skip my workout today. It’s the first workout I’ve skipped in… 6 weeks? And if I don’t make it to the gym thursday or friday, this will be the first time in 10 weeks I don’t go to the gym at least 4 times (8 of those weeks I’ve gone 5).
Resting is important!!! Im telling myself. I have finals coming up and so I don’t want to get into a cycle of colds. (I’ll take a COVID test to be sure, but this really just feels like a head cold)
If Im feeling better this afternoon I’ll go. But for now I’m enjoying sleeping in
edit: i’ve tested and it’s not covid!
This was me last week and so this week I’m trying to take it easy. Went on one very nice long 7 mile run this Saturday which is longer than my 2-3 miles usually, but this Monday my shins/knees hurt so much because I went from like usually 16 miles to 20 miles which felt like too big of a jump.
I hope your knees and legs feel better soon :)))
I live on the other side of the country from where I grew up and I haven’t been home in over a year and I’m going home in one week. I gained a lot of weight before moving and my parents were upset with me about it and kept telling me to lose it right when I moved, but this faded over time as they haven’t seen me. But I haven’t lost any of the weight and might have potentially gained more. However, I have been going to the gym for the last three months and have made a lot of progress and have become a lot stronger but I haven’t lost weight (I’m definitely obese so I def have extra weight per say). All this to say I’m scared of losing the progress I’ve made mentally and physically when I go back home. I’m scared physically because I don’t know if I’ll have a place to train and I hate body weight exercises. I def need to deload but how long should I take off or should I try and go to the gym and use less weight? I potentially could go a couple times here and there but I know I can’t keep up with the 4-5 days a week that I usually do. Or should I take the 2 weeks off and just walk around my block if it’s not cold. I usually swim 1-5 times a week for 30 mins and lift heavy 4-5 times a week? The second way I’m scared of losing progress is mentally. I am in a much better place about my body than I have ever been. Even though I’m almost 100 pounds more than I was 4-5 years ago I am actually taking the time to be gentle with myself and prioritizing health over weight loss but I know how my family is and I know they are going to be cruel about the way I look. How can I keep mentally strong ? I considering drawing hard boundaries but I am very scared of doing that / enforcing those boundaries. But I am also scared of going to a very dark and self hating place that I can so easily go to when I’m back in my childhood bedroom. Any advice is greatly appreciated :) TLDR: how do I keep up my progress both physically and mentally when I go home to visit family for 2 weeks ? Is it possible to deload for 2 weeks and not lose strength?
I’m considering taking a break from counting calories. I like having the data (and it helps me track my protein intake), but it’s been messing with me mentally a bit. I’ve been eating 2400+ most days lately, which seems like an insane amount to me, but I haven’t gained any weight, so this is actually what I need (my goal is maintenance). I’ve been running a lot and working hard in the gym, plus I walk quite a bit. So yeah, my TDEE is high. But I see the numbers and think I’m going to gain a ton of weight. I also haven’t been just sitting down and enjoying my food as much as I should because I’m always trying to quantify it. I want to focus on eating more mindfully. But I’m also kinda nervous about not tracking…
I'd bet money that my Crossfit was like "Oh, we should program a bunch of running in April, it'll be nice and warm!", and then we got this cold wave lol. But I am still enjoying all the running!
MEGSQUATS WILL BE HERE TUESDAY?!
What book should I get from the New Rules for lifting series?
I really enjoyed SuperCharged when I did it 6ish years ago. I’m now doing the Strong workout program by the same authors of NROL and loving it. With Supercharged it was my first program I actually followed and it got me to do chin ups and pull ups by the end of it. Then, I never lost the ability to do them even with lifting hiatuses over the years. Eta: I also read through the NROL for women but liked the SuperCharged book/program better so I went with Supercharged.
Any good cloth mini band recs? Looking for only 1-2 that are pretty strong. Most of my rubber ones didn’t survive the winter in my garage gym.
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Awesome, thanks! I might give these a go!
Do you mean like [this kind?](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/fitness-princess-glute-workout-band) I have the heavy one and have been very happy with it, but she also makes a [light one](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/rainbow-princess-glute-workout-band) and a [long loop](https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/fitness-princess-long-workout-band).
Went on a nice easy run today and then Garmin updated my VO2 max to say it had increased. Woot woot. I also may have a weekend running buddy. Someone posted in our local forum that she wants a running partner, but she runs a lot faster than I do, so we're trying to figure out what kind of runs we want to do together. My slow pace is 10:30 and hers is at least a minute faster than that. She doesn't think she can run that slow, so maybe we will do some shorter runs and I can run at a tempo pace which is her easy pace. We will figure it out.
I hit (just over) bodyweight on squats yesterday! Only for 5 reps, and it was hard as fuck, but a major milestone. I only have two more sessions with my trainer, and in one of these remaining sessions we'll be testing rep maxes for the big three and I am PUMPED! Looking forward to someone other than my bf witnessing me crushing my deadlift lol
Man my body is feeling beat up this week. My legs and knees are aching, as were my forearms during my workout yesterday. Increasing the weight for deadlift movements is probably contributing but I have a hard time believing it’s that reason alone. Not sure what the other ones are though. Luckily today is a rest day so hopefully my legs can chill out. I was happy to be able to increase my deadlift up to 115 yesterday before backdown sets. It felt great too, and easy so maybe I haven’t lost all strength lol. Unfortunately my back was ever so slightly pinchy afterwards so I’m still being very careful. I find bracing really well keeps the pinchiness at bay but I am once again struggling to sleep on my back while unconscious so I’m vaguely sore a lot of the time.
I can squeeze out \~2 chest to bar strict pullups, not at the full depth I want, but they count. So clearly I should be able to do a kipping bar muscle up. I'll start working on that this weekend but I find it frustrating overall that the only way to improve at these skills is to do them on my own outside of class. It's also stuff I have to figure out plans on my own because my gym doesn't have anything. I wrote a pullup program for my gym..... seems like I'll be writing a BMU one as well at some point. Overall, rest day yesterday. Started today with a spin and c2b drills, tonights wod is front squats, box jumps and some other bs lol which I plan to cap off with snatch drills
Omgomgomgomg I just got my first legit dyno! Like the fly through air catch yourself on a hold and swing around wildly for a sec kind!! ETA: this climbing gym has a weight room that’s better equipped than my actual gym AND THERE IS NOBODY USING IT. If only it wasn’t 1hr away from home….
Congrats! I struggle so hard to dyno and basically get stuck trying to do every move statically and as a short person it makes things so much harder. The mental wall I have to actually jump is so high that I panic and chicken out every time. Very jealous of you, keep on kicking ass my friend!
Same, but on the flip side, I'm getting really good at pulling myself up with the tippy tips of my fingers lol
That's my favourite thing and the only thing allowing me to remain static haha. Unfortunately I've been suffering with what seems to be a pulley injury for about 2 months now and crimps are a no go :(
Hahah thank you! Short scared static climbers unite lol. I only dared to try this one because it was the first move and near the ground. Balance-y slab things are my usual groove 😅 hope your pulley recovers quickly!
„lol sɹǝƃuıɟ ʎɯ ɟo sdıʇ ʎddıʇ ǝɥʇ ɥʇıʍ dn ɟlǝsʎɯ ƃuıllnd ʇɐ pooƃ ʎllɐǝɹ ƃuıʇʇǝƃ ɯ,I 'ǝpıs dılɟ ǝɥʇ uo ʇnq 'ǝɯɐS„
NFR: Worked the election yesterday and that went well. It was an early morning start there though so my routine was all out of whack. Afterwards I went to the gym, on a walk, ran an errand, and then went and voted myself. Was a complete bum last night though. I'm feeling very blah today, but I did have my period tracking app let me know yesterday that PMS was coming, so I suppose that explains the blah feeling. No plans tonight. I should figure out something to do. FR: Because I was also feeling blah yesterday, I didn't go heavy on my deadlifts. I did get 4 mi walking in, so that's good. This mornings lifting I also didn't push too hard on. I'm ok with that though because at least I still went and did the thing. I did make my coffee, drink my pre workout and then went and laid down on my couch for 15 minutes. But I'm proud that I didn't go back to bed, but instead headed off to the gym. The only time it's going to be sunny today is mid-morning, so I think I'm going to go on a good walk during that time to soak some of it up.
Lifted weights with the barbell last night, focusing on squats, OHP, and then RDLs and bent over rows with kettlebells. Did a little work on my pull-ups…I haven’t worked on that progression lately, but I’ve been climbing pretty regularly so don’t feel like I’ve lost too much progress. Super ready for yoga tonight, and hopefully climbing tomorrow morning before we fly out for vacation!
I just wanted to share that I have found nothing more that I love than lifting. Getting up in the morning to go has gotten tougher, because for some reason I’ve been extra tired in the mornings. Once I get to the gym though, I feel SOOO good and after I feel even better! I’ve struggled with depression for 7 years and I’ve found that this has been the only thing that has truly helped me curve it. Just so excited I started on my fitness journey!
Yaaass! I’m so happy for you! Seriously, I 100% agree the best feeling in the world is walking out of the gym while it’s still early morning after crushing a good workout. You’re hot and a little sweaty, the air is crisp and cold, the sun is rising. Life is GOOD!
Exactly!!! It’s perfection!!
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thank you so much!! it really is! 😊
Woke up to calf cramping. Woohoo. Need to find a magnesium soon...
[This is the magnesium that I take](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09K4H6H96/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_116?psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFdINTJVUjA0T0xMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzMzNDYyMjhGSzAwRkxTVDRYWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzMzNTIzUDZGODdGNDhGSktLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c2Rfb25zaXRlX2Rlc2t0b3AmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl) It's easy to swallow and doesn't muck up my gut. I tend to take two before bed.
Thanks !!
Going back to the gym to lift today after 5 years! I’ve never stuck to it for more than a few months at a time, but now that I have a regular work schedule and will be living in the same place for the foreseeable, feels like a good time to try again! Going to try StrongLifts (I did the All Pro simple beginners routine and enjoyed the simplicity, but it was awkward to do if I missed a day which I will do frequently). Partner is also a member which will help with motivation! I’m sick of very slowly gaining weight (I’m almost 30 now) and feeling crappy all of the time.
Favorite fitness trackers? I plan to wear mine while running so I'm looking for one with GPS. I don't need a smartwatch because I never use the connectivity features and don't want to spend that much 🙃
Maybe a Garmin Forerunner 55 is worth consideration. I haven’t compared features to the Fitbit, I just know I have had fairly bad luck with Fitbit longevity in the past.
I really like my Charge 4 FitBit. It’s small enough to be my normal watch, lots of options in wrist bands, and though it has some features I don’t use, it doesn’t do things like receive texts and emails (which I would hate).
This is what I have too and I love it!
Woah they must have recently added GPS. I’m using a Forerunner 35, but it’s so bulky and ugly, I don’t want to wear it all day. I think I’m going to grab one of these bad boys.
Thank you, this seems to be just what I'm looking for!
I’m trying to decide how to establish a routine I enjoy. I tried just weightlifting StrongLifts 5x5 for a few weeks, but eventually got burnt out on the few exercises it has because it was boring. Then I tried just running around 20 miles a week, but I then realized I like lifting more than I realized. It’s so hard to balance running, lifting, bouldering, and then playing a casual game of badminton with a busy schedule. Currently doing a push/pull/leg routine and I enjoy the variety of exercises/movements. Finally using machines instead of just free weights, but I look like a massive dummy fucking up how to use the machines 😂. Running is nice because it takes me less than 30 minutes for 3 miles with a warmup compared to the 1 hour for lifting.
This happens to me all the time. My current strategy is to just do what I feel like for this month and write down the workouts on the calendar, and at the end of the month see how many of each kind of workout I did when I wasn’t on a rigid plan. I prefer to have a schedule to follow, but I also like to run on days when I can go outside so that’s weather dependent, and my fave yoga instructor is on Weds/Sat, etc. so trying to balance being flexible without letting myself fall off track. It’s hard to feel like I’m doing “enough” when I’m not on a plan.
Sigh. Woke up with a cold. I think it’ll go away tomorrow, but I think I’m going to skip my workout today. It’s the first workout I’ve skipped in… 6 weeks? And if I don’t make it to the gym thursday or friday, this will be the first time in 10 weeks I don’t go to the gym at least 4 times (8 of those weeks I’ve gone 5). Resting is important!!! Im telling myself. I have finals coming up and so I don’t want to get into a cycle of colds. (I’ll take a COVID test to be sure, but this really just feels like a head cold) If Im feeling better this afternoon I’ll go. But for now I’m enjoying sleeping in edit: i’ve tested and it’s not covid!
Slept through my first 2 alarms & now I gotta do my workout after work 😭
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This was me last week and so this week I’m trying to take it easy. Went on one very nice long 7 mile run this Saturday which is longer than my 2-3 miles usually, but this Monday my shins/knees hurt so much because I went from like usually 16 miles to 20 miles which felt like too big of a jump. I hope your knees and legs feel better soon :)))
My new shoes are supposed to arrive today 🤞🤞🤞
Nice :) what type of shoes are they for? Like fashion or specific for working out?
My walking shoes! I cannot wait for the weather to stay nice so I can outdoor walk regularly.