Accountability Thread

[moonbynight]

After a year of a sedentary WFH job left me fairly out of shape and with a good amount of weight gain (though perimenopause likely played a role in the weight gain as well), I finally joined the gym a bit over a month ago. It's one of the things I'd looked forward to about moving here, but I'd misunderstood the pricing structure so hadn't joined previously.

Historically, I'm not really a great gym-goer or exerciser in general. I do best with physical activity when it's immediate goal-oriented (eg. walking or biking to a destination) rather than exercise for the sake of exercise.

So far I've been doing ok with this one, though. It's walking distance from my house, and one of the few things nearby to go out and do. And it's a great gym with lots of equipment, appealing classes (though many of them at times I can't attend), an indoor pool and hot tub, and childcare. Plus, I figure that even if I just walk there, use the hot tub, and walk back, I'm getting more exercise than I was before joining. And once I get myself there, I'll usually manage to do at least a little more. I'm even going first thing in the morning, before work. If you'd ever told me I'd routinely be leaving the house before 7 to go to the gym, I'd have laughed at you, but I'm doing it.

Three days a week aren't a big problem. Two of them I go to a class that is reasonably fun and energizing, and then do my weight routine after. Another I take the kids, do weights, and then we all go swimming, so the kids help keep me on track since they love the pool.

I originally intended to go two other days a week, but the class on the other two days is not particularly fun and energizing, tends to drag up old negative feelings from childhood PE, and leaves me kind of discouraged. I did eventually realize that I can still go to the gym and just do my own thing and not a class, and that's better than not going. However, I do feel that the classes are beneficial for pushing myself beyond my comfort/knowledge zone. And the negative stuff it drags up is probably good to be dragging up and addressing.

So I think my goal is at least 4 days a week to start with. I do allow myself exceptions for true illness, the first two days of my period, serious bad weather (I walk there, and this is a desert, so this isn't frequent), and rare family or work stuff.

I'm not going to post every day I do go, but I'll post if I'm not meeting my goal, and maybe a weekly summary, plus about whatever stuff gets dragged up since maybe my realizations will help someone else. Or not.

Do you have a goal? Doesn't have to be specifically diet or fitness related, or even health and wellness, despite being in this forum. Just whatever you'd like some accountability on.

[Geek1]

Congratulations Moon, you're an inspiration! Your previous attitude is almost identical to mine. I move around to get places, make sure I use the stairs and walk when I can instead of getting in the car (for environmental reasons too). I have never been one to go to the gym, although I did try in my early 20s. The exception is yoga which I have done every week for about 25 years, but I still give myself a hard time that weekly is pathetic. I'm not overweight at all, but I do feel it would be better if I was fitter, so I'm loving your goal saying and commitment, moon. Good work!

[Geek1]

My health goal is to draw upon my stubbornness not to end my relationship before my children are grown. Like lots of goals, some days that's easier than others, but I am pretty stubborn.

[VirgoGirl]

Good for you Moon!

I don't like going to the gym because i don't have the time to drive there and I don't like people watching me work out. However, I have had a goal for the past year now. I was overweight and I lost about 12kg just doing fasting and excercising at home. I started fasting slowly and worked myself up now to 20 - 21 hours a day. So I basically eat 1 meal a day. Excercises consists of riding my stationary bike and doing walking / aerobic excercises on youtube with Leslie Sansone.....I really enjoy her workout videos, she is very supportive and it's nice to do them on my time in my personal space. I also do crunches on the exercise ball as well as strength training (weights) at home with youtube videos. You can really get a lot of work out routines / videos on youtube.

I am almost at my goal weight. I just need to lose another 4 or 5 kg then I will be very happy. I have tried numerous other diets and nothing works as well as fasting. I drink a lot of water during the day and this helps a lot as well. Fasting is something that I will be doing for the rest of my life. I have so much more energy during the day.

I have another goal though....lol....I am planning to meet up with my LDR girlfriend in the next year or so. We do live very far apart but I don't want to go through this life not knowing what it's like to be with her, hold her, kiss her, touch her. It just has to happen and we will make it happen, somehow, some way. So losing the weight is part of this goal as well....cause eventhough she always gets mad at me when I say that I want to look my best for her, I do feel that I need to get rid of this weight before I meet her, it's just my goal and something I want to do. Everyone wants to feel and look their best.

Geek1, I feel for you regarding your relationship and your need for it to end. I commend you for holding out until your kids are grown, you are a good person. I think there are a lot of women that feel this way, you are not alone. Stay strong lady.

[VirgoGirl]

oh another goal....traveling, more traveling from next year. I want to explore more of my own country, I live in a beautiful country. So many things to see in South Africa and then I want to travel and see other countries. This I want to make happen!

[Geek1]

Thank you @virgogirl. Feeling the strain this week, I must admit.

[Geek1]

Go both of you with your activity and fitness. You are better women than I!

[VirgoGirl]

Thank you @virgogirl. Feeling the strain this week, I must admit.

Well you know what they always say...."This too shall pass".
There are good days and then there are bad days. On the bad days you just have to keep your eye on the prize and remember what you're doing it all for!!!

[Geek1]

Thank you @virgogirl. Feeling the strain this week, I must admit.

Well you know what they always say...."This too shall pass".
There are good days and then there are bad days. On the bad days you just have to keep your eye on the prize and remember what you're doing it all for!!!

Totally agree.

[moonbynight]

Well, the past month has not gone particularly well, for gym-going or otherwise, between electrical problems requiring us to stay at a hotel for a few days, illness, weather, and holidays. I've gone some, but not nearly as much as my goal.

But now hopefully all the chaos is over and I can get back on track.

My problem now is that the class I actually liked... the teacher went all crazy Qanon right wing today. This is the second time there's been stuff in this class that I have a really hard time with, but the other time was a student. I don't really care about the teacher's politics. I accept that I live in a very red area and the majority of people I run across are going to be right wing. But in a Tai Chi class, I just want to do my Tai Chi in peace, not hear about how Sleepy Joe Biden is evil incarnate.

So now I have to decide if I want to treat this as an exercise in tolerance and acknowledging the light in other people who don't happen to have the same worldview as me and focusing through provocation, or not going.

I would like to do tai chi. I did martial arts for years, and would like to continue, but don't want the risk of injury at this point in my life (especially if I eventually go back to a more physical job). Tai chi is something I could reasonably practice for the rest of my life. This really isn't a tai chi class, though. More Tai chi inspired exercises. But it gets me to the gym in the morning, and, as it's a half hour class, I have time to do my weight routine after and still get home in plenty of time to work. There are other classes I could take at this time, but they're a full hour. Or I could just do stuff independently. Or I can just keep trying with this one until daylight savings time, when I can switch to evening classes.

This is just so irritating. I know this area is like this, but the little social interaction I've had since moving here has all been in a liberal bubble, as is my online activity, and it's always a little surprising to realize there are so many people who actually think like this.

Oh well. I wanted to give the barre class a try. Guess this is my sign to give it a shot.

What about you all? Any new years resolutions?