VSG Maintenance Group
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So helpful! Also, clarifies what I thought: actually increasing muscle size is hard to do. I'm not worried at all about getting bulky muscles. I'm simply not that ambitious. :)
Thinking about strength vs. stamina is another good point. I like the idea of doing strength building movement to increase aerobic training. I was using the recumbent bike with a decent amount of resistance for aerobic conditioning, but it's got so boring that I started dragging my feet about going to the club. I decided it was better to drop that part of the workout and increase the time and number of machines I used. Better to go and do that then not go at all. The resistance machines just gobble up stress, which feels so great and I like the meditative aspect of counting and inhaling, exhaling. I will add doing some sets at a lower weight for many reps to build stamina. That seems very doable and I don't think I'll get bored.
Great question about building muscle vs building (increasing) strength. No quickie answer, but let me try. In short the answer is YES! Actual strength, meaning being able to lift a heavy carry on tote from the over head bin, will come from a resistance training program that gradually over time increases the weight you are able to push, lift, or carry. That type of training also builds or grows muscle. In average post menopausal women strength increase will be more noticeable than additional bulk. You must remember that muscle is denser than fat, so while you may be losing fat and maintaining muscle, you will become smaller, not bulkier. I hope this makes sense. It is very, very hard to build muscle while reducing calories to eliminate fat. Maintaining muscle is much more realistic, which it sounds like you are doing.
Now, if you mean increasing stamina to sustain higher level activity over a span of time, that would include a different type of training to complement the resistance training you are doing. To achieve that type of increase in strength or stamina you would want to add aerobic types of movements. Aerobic does not only mean sustained movement for long periods of time (e.g. treadmill, jogging, eliptical training, etc...). Moves like mountain climbers, downward facing rows, push ups, renegade pushups (not for beginners), walking lunges are all aerobic moves. Also, lowering weights on resistance machines and increasing repetitions is a great way to build stamina and increased ability to maintain activity over time. As an example, I do very little resistance training on my legs, but I do lots and lots of body weight moves. My favorite is adding a set of 15-20 squats between sets of resistance training. Some workouts I will do between 200 and 300 squats. If you truly want to increase stamina I would add squats, mountain climbers, and rows to your routine. Easily done, and none require special equipment, other than a dumb bell.
Probably more than you wanted, but I got going... Sorry.
I hadn't thought about body composition, but now that you mention it, my weight has been steady all summer, but the pants I was wearing yesterday were annoying me because I had to keep tugging them up.
So on the resistance machines, I'm doing 3 sets of 12, making sure that the weight is high enough to make 10, 11 and 12 pretty darn hard. Sometimes on the 3rd set I can only do 10. I'm confused though when I read about building strength vs building muscle. What is the difference? Can muscles become stronger without increasing it's actual mass? Does it matter when what I am after is to be strong enough for daily life and to have good mobility? My joke is to be strong enough to easily stow and remove my bag from the overhead bin. I'm really good at packing, and that bag is heavy! To save lives, DH usually handles it for me.
So I really am putting the dream of more weight loss aside, and trying to concentrate on nutrition and doing a better job with my supplements. Along with exercise, I think this is my best path towards my best life.
I absolutely love this statement!!!! GOOD FOR YOU!!!!! Though I am curious if by changing your focus you won't change your body composition anyway. I like to think fat loss is better than weight loss.
Liz, I love your mama heart! DS is certainly lucky that fate placed him with you and Paul!
CC, I'm so sorry to read about the flagstone! Not good! I did a quick read on flagstone heat damage. "Exploding"/cracking is not high on the list for flagstone, so I'm guessing very little room was left for microscopic expansion of the mica like layers. Big BOOOOOOO! Perhaps get a long standing company to do the repair with a warranty on the work?????
I go back to work on Monday. Very BIG BOOOOOOO! My supervising admin sent me my schedule. It is similar, but they've added upper grades to my schedule, which does not make me happy. My cohort members feel the same about their schedules, so I know we will tweak them all to everyone's satisfaction on Monday.
I'm down a pound today. I'm guessing I've got a little water hanging on from the high salt eating and sitting in the car for 1600 miles driven in 2 days. I decided to wait for today to take the tirzepatide, too. I figure getting back on my schedule was a good idea.
While I was on my trip I spent two evenings watching You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment on Netflix. The comment about nutrition, energy, etc... made me think of my recen****ch. It's a 4 episode documentary focusing on omnivorous vs vegan diets, but the subjects are identical twins. I really enjoyed watching the show. I found myself really wanting to focus on nutrition in my own life because of what I learned watching the series. I am encouraging Ron to watch it, and now am encouraging you all to watch, too.
I signed up for my very first Dexascan! I'm kind of excited. It will give me useful information that is so NOT BMI! With my body make up, I'm convinced this is the way to go to measure progress. I signed up for quarterly scans beginning in December thinking I wouldn't have to take time off for that appointment. Now, knowing my schedule at school, I will try to get an appointment sooner because I will have to take time off for the appointment no matter when it is.
First workout today in almost 3 weeks. Oh, I'm gonna be sore....
I think that's all I've got for now....
Liz, I can imagine this transition is stressful. You've had him all these years, an arm's length away, and now he's leaving for another state! I remember so clearly leaving my kids in their dorm rooms. But they still came home for the summer, and in the transition time between graduation and jobs. When they actually moved, oh boy. It's exactly what we want, seeing them live their own lives, but there is loss for us. I hope your DS writes a new chapter in his life that brings him much joy.
Yesterday we visited a farmer's market, so I will be making some roasted vegetables today. I did some closet purging and kitchen cleaning. We had a great time at dinner with DHs sister and my BFF.
Like you Liz, I'm playing around with how much more I can eat without gaining. While I was losing weight, I was really dragging. Even with a summer of fun and relaxation, I'm still feeling tired some days. (But so much better than where I was a year and a half ago). So I really am putting the dream of more weight loss aside, and trying to concentrate on nutrition and doing a better job with my supplements. Along with exercise, I think this is my best path towards my best life.
DH is going out with his BFF tonight, so I will be enjoying roasted vegetables by myself. I'm going to go workout, and then I think I'll tackle my office and get it back to some sort of order.
Kirby's social life is on fire! Must have been a little scary losing sight of him.
Sorry to hear about all the troublesome times this week. And a crabby parent, ugh. And weight gain, ugh. None of this is fun. Never feel like you're complaining here. We all share the good and the bad, and we want to support you, even if it's just commiserating.
Not good news about the tile! Maybe he grouted them too tight so there was no room for them to breathe?
I'm guessing your Dad is acting annoyed with everyone (not specific to you)? Hopefully that makes it somewhat easier to deal with. Sounds like he isn't feeling himself so is taking it out on everyone else.
A bit of stress eating maybe? I hope all settles down.
Liz 5'3" HW: 219 SW: 185 GW: 125 LW: 113 Desired maintenance range: 120-125 CW: 119ish
on 8/8/24 5:23 am
Sorry all! Just a few days off. Apparently a fairly large section of my backyard flagstone tiles in Arizona have exploded up and broken in the heat likely from something the guy who was at my house forever fixing the grout did, so trying to manage that from afar along with HOA stuff, cleaning for my cousin coming, a dog who is on a streak of knocking a drink a day over onto me or the carpet alternating with vomiting on it (but thankfully not on me), and still dealing with a cranky dad. I felt like I have nothing to say but complaints! And I gained 1.6 pounds this week! It is no struggle for me to eat that's for sure. So there you have it. Wahhhhhh! (Read in a scream, as that feels more cathartic)
I don't know what is up with my dad, but he just seems annoyed with me all the time. Makes me want to go home. Which makes Claudia upset because she wants me here probably so she gets a break from him. So I just stay away. And then I feel trapped at the house because I feel bad leaving Kirby alone for long periods of time when I would normally wander the area. Anyway. Boo as Peps would say.
Yesterday I turned my back for a minute and lost sight of Kirby. Normally he's pretty good about coming when I whistle. So I started walking up the road to find him when I get a call. "Is this Kirby's family?..." He had chosen a new family from IL and decided he was going to go for a walk with them up the channel wall to the beach. Eventually he came running when he saw me. I texted to thank them and they said "lol, he's a cutey and VERY friendly. Good move on the phone number on the collar!"
We did go to Ludington to furniture shop for a new dining table and chairs for the porch in the big house. It's where we eat dinner. The current chairs are really uncomfortable, one is broken, one has a screw coming up through the padding if you sit just "right" and the table is a gate leg that results in at least one knee bruise a night. We found a cute furniture store and ordered a customizable table with a pedestal hickory wood base, navy blue painted top (the house has a lot of blue) and four chairs that were very comfortable and have a neutral fabric and hickory stained legs. It'll be 8-12 weeks, but at least that's sorted.
And that's all I know! Hope you all are well. Take care!
Weight 123.4 (unchanged). Good thing as I am just getting used to adding back some things I had been avoiding. DH and I split a great burger last night with some truffle fries so I got nervous. Injection this morning but I am still staying at 5 mg (down from 7.5 for the third week). I was very hungry yesterday.
CC, where are you? Hoping all is okay.
Regional and on-line acronyms can be quite amusing but also add spice sometimes. I never heard of Ope, so had to look it up. Of course we have lots of weirdo phrases, words and pronunciations in the NorthEast. I lived the first 8 years of my life in Pennsylvania and had a mother born in Wisconsin. So we "warshed" the clothes - she added r's, but in Massachusetts they drop them! In Pennsylvania, we had hoagies for lunch, but they are subs in Massachusetts. Then we have friends in Florida from the south and so "y'all" becomes a common word there at times though truly it is a complete mishmash of people there.
Today is packing the cars and truck day for DS's big move. It is starting to feel so strange to think of him not here. He did live away for many years previously but has been a fixture here for at least 6. He is starting to get emotional about it too. I am feeling sad and nervous about it all. I kept waking up all night and finally got up at 5:30 am.
Time to walk Justice - so nice to see him being fully himself again. Have a thorough Thursday!
Liz 5'3" HW: 219 SW: 185 GW: 125 LW: 113 Desired maintenance range: 120-125 CW: 119ish
