running

atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Stuck but still trying!

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I am doing my best to not only continue going on the treadmill in this heat, but incorporating more strength training aside for my morning and evening 60 squats. Parts of me that I’m not used to are sore but I welcome it. I did have to redo a workout since the heat was so bad, I missed an interval but today, I made it!

I’m also trying out more types of meals so I’m not eating the same thing every day. I honestly don’t mind my usual Itaki meals. This way, I can get different nutrients and eat a wider variety of vegetables. Garlic scapes came back so of course I made chimichurri again. And when I made a sandwich with that bagel, I was too lazy to put away whatever tomato didn’t fit on it and just ate the whole thing. I doubt its such a bad thing to eat more vegetables. I’m also on a baby broccoli/broccolini trend right now. Just, again, to switch things up a bit. I’m still stuck around 206 and that will probably go up a little while I build muscle. I can tell by body is changing because I wore a crop top in public and nobody’s eyes starting melting out of their heads from the horror. Things are looking up!

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: I feel good! Mostly…

Even though I’ve had to scale back a little on some days to walking because I’m sore from the running days, I still feel amazing. I’m working out more often than not, my pace is decent, and my endurance is getting better every day! Even with the heat, I’m noticing a difference. The scale hasn’t moved, but my clothes are getting loose. I still need to take more time to do strength training, but I still do 60 squats every morning and night while I’m brushing my teeth.

I am trying to eat smaller portions when it’s not a meal of mostly vegetables. I’m certain I’m getting enough nutrients since almost all of my fingernails have grown back properly. I do need to worry about my blood pressure. I don’t think it’s the salt I’m eating, since I’ve been lowering that in most meals. Stress is a factor, I’m certain of it. That’s partly why I’m working on more frequent workouts, lowering my salt even more, and solving the source of 90% of my stress: my finances. I’m budgeting wherever I can for now and looking into some gig or part-time work. I know I’ll feel better once I pay down some debt.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: I need more!

I already miss the new missions… I do wonder if they’re going to continue right from where season 11 left off now that they’ve done these ‘we’re back’ missions. Either way, I gotta say again how glad I am for this app to be back in its normal state. As for me, running is getting easier, despite how horrid I perform in the heat. My stamina is increasing, and according to my scale, my body fat percentage is trending down. My actual weight hasn’t moved, but I’ll take more muscle. I don’t want to be skinny, I want to maintain my mobility as I age. I’m 45. It’s all downhill from here.

 

I have been trying to eat more fruit. That pear looks so damn funny in that picture. Just this random fucking ball on the screen. I did end up having takeout for lunch one day and tried another one of those microwave meals from Trader Joe’s. I gotta say, I think I spoiled myself by having the Itaki and having food that so fresh or that I cooked myself. Microwave meals just aren’t for me. Plus, I don’t feel so good after eating them. Not as bad as when I eat fast food, but I can tell my body isn’t happy with it.

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atthequillsmercy

Today’s Workout: Game on

Does posting the notes count as spoilers? I sure hope not…

I love how shamelessly nerdy this app is. I was never a tabletop gaming person but this was still really fun. And the intervals are getting longer. I was able to get through them like a champ. I felt AMAZING after this run, even though I was really tired after work. I’m glad I did it anyway.

I am back to my signature lunches. Since they’re around 500 calories, I wasn’t very hungry after my run. I just made some popcorn. It’s also cheap. I think it was a good day! I feel pretty energized considering PMS is kicking in. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Welcome Back!

I am so happy to see Zombies Run back to how it used to be. I swear, I can hear it in the voice acting; the joy at getting back to what made the app awesome in the first place. It is a happy accident that things are more routine after my son’s surgery, and I can start running again. It feels great to be moving, even if I’m sore.

The medical bills and rising cost of… Everything has me getting more creative with my meals. I try to have more fruit, get jarred sauce on sale while I wait for my plants to grow, and use cheaper vegetables when I don’t buy the frozen ones. I make sure to take stock of what’s in my home and make do with what I have before I spend any more money on groceries than I absolutely have to. I think it’s going okay so far, but I am so stoked to see what my little indoor garden will give me in a few weeks. It’s going to be a very stressful summer, but I’ll deal with things as they come.

atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Busy, busy!!

This isn’t all my workouts since I’m in the process of getting things ready for my son’s surgery. It was very sudden; someone apparently cancelled, and they offered him the spot! I am very nervous and excited for him. I know he’s been waiting for this for years, and it means a lot of preparation for the post-surgery recovery and running around to pre-surgery appointments. I’m still doing the desk peddler whenever I can, and I’m counting moving furniture as a workout.

Those pickled red onions are still a fun addition, but now, they’re joined by some garlic scape chimichuri. I had some pork chops to throw in the air fryer, which was a great dinner. I usually end up with a dry, inedible mess when I try to make pork chops. I dunno how my Gramma did it… Either way, it was a success. I didn’t want to use heavy sauce and didn’t want to waste garlic scapes, that’s where the chimichuri came in. It has a kick to it (it’s garlic scapes, yellow onion, and garlic in olive oil and red wine vinegar). Whatever I’m doing is working because I am down to 206! I honestly don’t think it’s the food. I think it’s getting back into being active.

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Workout Roundup: It’s good to be back (mostly)

As I’m easing back into things, I did push myself a bit and ran at a really easy pace when I hit the treadmill. I’m pairing that with the desk peddler. I do just enough to get my heart rate up, and by the end of it, I can tell it’s working because I am so sore. It’s gonna be a while before this is easy again.

When I say I wanted more veggies, I mean I was desperate for them. I’m back to eating solid foods. I still have to be careful and only chew on one side of my mouth. I’m also watching my portions because I lost weight when I couldn’t eat anything more solid than mashed potatoes and oatmeal and I don’t want to gain it back. And as you can see, I’m big into those pickled res onions now. I make them really fast in the fridge and even put them on sandwiches (pics at another time). I feel so much better getting back to a normal routine. 

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atthequillsmercy

Today’s Workout: Getting back to normal

I really hope I’m not jinxing myself when I say I’m getting back into running very slowly. Believe it or not, you’re not supposed to do strenuous workouts the first week after a tooth extraction because the increased blood flow could knock out the blood clot from the wound. The human body is such a disgusting miracle… I was taking it very easy. I don’t want to mess up and have to stop again. I do feel pretty good, even after moving a couch out of the house and to the curb. The thing was disgusting. So glad it’s finally gone.

Since I can eat normal food again (as long as I chew on the opposite side of the wound), I am sticking with thin-sliced or ground meat, steaming the vegetables a little longer than I’d like, and chopping the lettuce thin for salads. The infection is completely gone, and I’m almost done with my antibiotics. I am sincerely hoping this means my luck is turning around. I just need a couple months of normalcy, for fucks sakes…

I also got to try those viral Chloe’s Giant Cookies. They’re really good! Each one is six servings at 130-140 calories per serving. I tried the Lemon, Lava Cake, and Red Velvet and while it will probably take me forever to finish these, I wouldn’t mind getting more! I have other flavors on the way (Chocolate Chip and Cookies and Cream) and I’ll let you know if they’re any good.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Season One Complete!

Now, you may be saying: “Lenni, you already finished season 1 years ago!” And you are correct! These workouts were finishing all the season one Radio Abel clips. With some 5k trainer thrown in there. After NYCC, I kept up with some very easy walking workouts and I think it actually helped me recover faster! Moving more in general is good and the scale is inching in the right direction again. I’m also doing my crunches and upped the number of wall pushups. Kinda like my writing, bit by bit progress is being made.

I got some boneless chicken thighs on sale and made a whole batch of buttermilk fried chicken for me and my kid to eat during the week. For the first time, I had it over a bed of Napa cabbage and onion with lemon juice, olive oil, and lemon pepper on it. It was actually quite refreshing! I scored more of that amazing focaccia bread from the farmer’s market for sandwiches (yes, that is a book bento box), and I’m eating more types of vegetables. Sometimes, I have the energy to stand there and chop peppers, sometimes it’s lightly sauced steamed in the microwave vegetables. Lately, my calories have been over 1000 a day but I am totally ok with that if I’m active and it’s not junk food. I’m back on the Saxenda on a low dose. I don’t feel overfull and I think my nails are growing back attached. I’m super excited about that.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: World Traveler and A Break

It’s been a hot minute since I posted about workouts, so here’s a snippet of what I’ve been doing. I finished all the Nellie Bly missions and started the pirate one. The step counter is working better, but it’s not exact. I rely on my watch or my ring to actually get my pace. These pics are pretty close, though. I’ll take it. I’ve been fairly active outside of this, too. Daily crunches and squats, and trying to remember doing some wall pushups. I’m still stuck around 209, but I NEED to give the Saxenda a break. I’m not a medical professional, but since the Saxenda fucks with my depression SO badly at times, I need to be off it for a while. I shouldn’t be waking up in the morning and immediately thinking, “I want to die.” My writing is suffering because aside from that thought, my brain is muffled and useless. Writing is the only way I’ve been able to make any money on the side, and I can’t have this medication making me creatively dead. I may gain some weight back, but I’m fine with that. I can restart it when I feel better. It’s not worth being skinny (which isn’t my goal anyway) if I can’t function! Even after less than a week off it, I already feel more balanced. I have noticed I’m hungrier, but even if I hit 1,000 calories a day, I feel overfull. I’ll keep checking in and talk to my doctors about this.

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