# CrohnsChicago's Fitness Journey



## CrohnsChicago

Tonight is my first very serious commitment to better physical well being since crohn's. I have an appointment with a personal trainer for a physical assessment. 

I've been in my first remission for some months now and my weight has fluctuated so much since my first flare in 2012. I have lost a lot of muscle mass. And now that I can eat again, I have a hard time balancing out my foods even when I make good choices. I have gained about 15lbs this Chicago winter (I was never a small crohn's patient) I'm now nearing 200lbs. and it concerns me because I am afraid if I don't take care of this it will trigger another flare somehow.

Thinking of how to explain all of this to the trainer. I don't want them to push me too hard or recommend things that I fear will trigger some discomfort but I do know that I have to make a change and take some chances.

Any who a little nervous and hoping to have some accountability support to get back to better health...wish me luck!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Good luck, Chicago!  For what it's worth, I haven't been assessed by a personal trainer but I have been assessed by a physical therapist.  Like you said, I knew I had put on a bit of weight and lost some muscle mass, but I didn't think it was too terrible.  I also figured she'd just assess my bad hip, but she assessed my whole body, and it wasn't pretty.  My good hip was as weak as the bad, my knees were very weak, ankles, etc and I had very little muscle mass.  My whole body needed help!  It was horrifying and made me ashamed, but it was also that push I needed to start working out in earnest and take back some control over my body.  So, even if the assessment with the trainer isn't particularly positive in terms of muscle mass and so forth, don't let that make you feel ashamed.  Use it to push yourself forward towards better health.  Good luck!  I am sure you'll do great once you start getting more into fitness!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I totally forgot about my hips and knees! hahahaha 

I also have a bad hip (I have no cartilage and it has a pin in it limiting my range of motion) and my knees are turning to crap since crohn's and steroids were introduced to my body. 

You are right, I've mentioned my struggles and desires towards getting fitter a few times on the forum. If anything this will give me the rude awakening that I need to get on track and STAY on track. Maybe this thread should be renamed "Chicago's Exercise Diary" 
Thanks for the support!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'll be here to encourage you if you want to regularly provide fitness diary updates!  I'm sure you've seen my exercise diary thread, I think it helps keep me accountable and it's also helpful to get feedback from others in that thread.  It's definitely a good thing to keep a diary like that as long as you regularly update it.

Ouch, your bad hip sounds worse than mine.  My bad hip has been tentatively diagnosed as, "Maybe some type of arthritis in the sacroiliac joint or maybe it was just a blur on the x-ray and we don't really know."    (My quote, not theirs, but that's the gist of it!)  I will say that physical therapy really helped me not only learn some exercises to help my hip, but it also helped me learn how to ease into a fitness regimen.  It wasn't until I had the PT exercises pretty well down pat that I was brave enough to step into a gym and use the weight machines.  I'm sure you know this already, but start slowly and listen to your body - those are the two most important things I have learned about exercise.  On a bad day, my body will tell me to rest, and even though I want to go to the gym, I have to hold myself back and let myself heal.  It's frustrating, there will be setbacks, but don't let them get you down or deter you from meeting your goals.

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a ramble.  Anyway, if you want somebody in your corner, I'm there!  I'll be watching this thread for fitness updates from you.


----------



## KyleB

Good luck. Don't overdue it. People think they get in there they have to be intense. You don't need to go all out.


----------



## theOcean

Aw, good luck, CC! I started working out recently with a personal trainer too, and it's been wonderful and I think it has been really improving my moods. I hope it goes well! :hug:


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Thanks everyone for the support!

Arthritis is not fun at all I know Cat. Sounds like the PT was successful at getting you on the right path. You are definitely a bit of a fitness inspiration on this forum!  I will definitely do my best to go slow, I've got a lot to work on and want to do it right.


I did the assessment and I am in desperate need of some guidance to make this stick. Turns out I can barely do diddly squat when it comes to what they tested me on. We did some wall sits, step ups, squats, planks and lunges to test my core and lower body strength which I want to work on the most in addition to weight loss. I've got about 25lbs. shed/replace with muscle and get into a healthy body fat percentage. I will keep up with them for a while and see what type of improvements come because I want to be ready to run my first 5k that I registered for in August.

I'm actually looking forward to some weight and resistance training, I need to learn how to properly do these things. Changing the name of the thread to CrohnsChicago's Fitness Journey. I'll use it to try and keep tabs.

And it turns out explaining it wasn't too hard. Apparently my trainer's sister in law has crohn's. How is STILL that everyone knows someone yet we all never find each other?? LOL

(P.S.- I would like to make the following statement on record: I always have and I always will hate planks! lol  :yfaint


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

As I said earlier, I was in a similar boat with regards to having too much flab and very little muscle mass when I started working out, too.  (I had been on Entocort which made me gain weight, plus corticosteroids actually rob muscle mass from the body, so I was in rough shape even though I was in remission.)  It took quite awhile for me to get the flab noticeably shifting into muscle - it was probably 6 or 8 months after I started working out that I noticed a difference in how I looked (I felt much better from the beginning though so it didn't bother me too much that it took so long to notice a difference on the outside - what's going on on the inside is more important to me).  So, in a nutshell - don't get discouraged if you don't notice results within the first few months.  Sometimes it takes awhile - just keep going!    It sounds like you're in a good, realistic mindset about fitness and that's a great start.

Ha ha about hating planks.    I don't mind them myself - with my severe GERD, I've been told to limit my abdominal exercises, but planks are fairly easy on me.  I think it's because, with stuff like sit-ups, there's a lot of squeezing and relaxing going on with the abdomen and I think that kind of repetitive squeezing motion tends to send more reflux up my throat with each rep.  At least with planks, there's no reps and even pressure the whole time so it doesn't make me reflux so much.  That's the one abdominal exercise I can do even on an iffy GERD day.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Funny because in the beginning steroids gave me so much energy I couldn't sit still and wound up doing nothing but working out or walking about the city when I was well enough to do so. But that was only the first two times I was on steroids that happened. My body adjusted to that medication and that level of energy wasn't as apparent even though all of the restlessness was still there. 

I've always been a soft girl since childhood but I currently have 35% body fat which isn't all that great so replacing some of that is key to my overall health.

I think my dislike for planks is more mental than anything. I loathe stationary and repetitive exercises. They mentally bore and stress me out a bit. 

For example most people I talk to hate burpees but I love, love, love them for the variety and energy they offer lol. They are hard as hell to do after a while but I love them anyway hahaha! I also like the medicine ball alternating v-ups where you switch the ball with your hands and feet as well as any type of fast paced cardio. I've always been the type that needs variety and movement throughout my routines so I need someone to help me figure out things that would work to my advantage especially when it comes to strength training.

Also I have a habit where I constantly yawn when I exercise and stationary things make me focus on yawning even more . I heard that yawning during working out is a result of not getting enough oxygen into the body but I don't know how accurate that is even though it sounds logical. No one has ever had a confident answer for me when I ask about that.

Keeping my energy levels up is going to be important. Diet, rest and keeping my b12 injections coming routinely is a necessary. I always get a little extra fatigued around the time I am due to get my b12 from my doctor.

Tonight I'm going to try a few of those v-ups and continue on with my couch-to-5k journey. It's finally NICE in Chicago for a change with temps reaching the 80s for the first time since I don't know when. I want to attempt the run outdoors before the rain sets in.


----------



## theOcean

Couch-to-5k sounds like a great plan to me! And definitely take advantage of that nice weather while you can.

(Also, you talking about yawning made me yawn. )


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, with the yawning thing - I just saw an article on CNN about yawning.  According to this, maybe your brain gets too hot?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/08/health/time-yawn-brain-hot/index.html?hpt=hp_t3


----------



## CrohnsChicago

oh wow that's interesting Cat. If that is true then I wonder how does that apply to those instances when you are just plain tired and can't stop yawning. Sometimes when I am dead tired I yawn consistently to the point where my eyes start to water. I could see how this theory would apply to exercise though. Man, I must be one real hot head (literally) according to this article! 

Managed to get my Couch to 5k run in yesterday it was beautiful. Decided to make it an outdoors run along the lakefront. I've only ever attempted to run outdoors once before and while it felt good it only lasted two weeks because I pushed myself a bit too hard. I need to get used to running outdoors for this race. I will be more mindful and keep things slow and steady as I learn.

I was reading somewhere that especially if you are a beginner you should run even slower than you think you should. Whatever pace you are at naturally is probably too fast to start off with. Actively slowing down gives your body time to build lasting endurance and get used to the pavement and is more likely to help prevent injury down the road. I always felt that I should be running at a sprinters pace but this definitely felt good, I was able to keep momentum and follow through with my intervals more comfortably. It also gave me a chance to pay attention to my posture and breathing. I worked up a sweat for sure, but I didn't die in the process so that's good lol. Even took a slightly extended walk afterwards. 

Stretched really well, I probably only jogged a good 8 minutes out of the 25 total in Day one of the program but the combination of run/walk and hilly pavement worked my core and lower body good. 

Today is my rest day (or possibly Sunday). I may do some light cardio or strength training tonight if I am up to it but I will be playing a grown-ups game of tag tomorrow afternoon and will be getting plenty of running in for that! Lol.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I believe I've read that when a person is falling asleep, their body temperature lowers slightly.  So, if this theory about the brain being too hot causes yawning is correct - then perhaps the body and brain are slightly too hot to fall asleep, so yawning is essentially aiding the brain to cool down enough for sleep?  That's just my guess.

That's really interesting about purposely running much slower than your natural pace when you're starting out.  I think my natural pace is pretty slow to begin with, so I'd have to walk to start out with!    My bad hip won't let me jog though so walking is pretty much it for me anyway.  How'd your bad hip respond to your jogging yesterday?

I want to know more about this grown-up game of tag!  It sounds like fun.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

That's a good point, the body does fall asleep once it is cooled down. Cat you're so S-M-R-T! 

Hahaha we have a number of tag enthusiasts here in Chicago. There is one major game that happens each year (and is coming back later this month) where strangers from across the world come to Chicago and try to track down and tag each other out. All you are given is a map of the city where the game will be played and an armband to indicate whether or not you are a "tagger" or a "runner". Then you have to figure out what strangers on the street you either need to chase or run away from. Without going into great detail it get's pretty intense because no one knows each other so it's all very real in the sense of adrenaline and "fight or flight" responses lol. It's been pretty successful at scaring neighbors and onlookers who have no clue what is going on only see two or more people chasing each other on the streets and down alleyways. Tomorrow though I am playing a milder version of that game but with friends and acquaintances in a large park. I may know at least 10% of the people there 

My hip held out okay yesterday. They were sore overall because of the strength exercises I did the day prior. I just make sure to stretch them out extremely well and if I feel any sort of odd discomfort I stop automatically whatever it is I am doing. Today my hip feels normal. I'm sure at some point in my lifetime I will need hip surgery but I am doing my best not to aggravate it and make that surgery a necessity sooner rather than later.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Wait, so the entire city is the tag game?  Or just part of the city?  Either way, that sounds insane (in a cool way) that you just look for random strangers on the street wearing the armband to tag or run from.    There was something similar here on campus, some sort of zombie game, but it involved something like nerf guns or squirt guns I think?  I never participated but I think the object was to shoot the zombies with your nerf/squirt gun, or if you got tagged by a zombie then you became a zombie too, something like that.  But too many people called in complaints about "people running around with guns" (even though they were obviously not real) and the cops shut it down.  Chicago's version sounds much better - I don't like squirt guns (particularly since they apparently played the squirt gun game in the winter!  Brr!).

Yeah, I've read that about how the body sleeps once it's cooled down - I never fully believed it, though.    I find I have to be warm to sleep, if I'm too cool I cannot fall asleep nor stay asleep.  Even now that it's springtime and reasonably warm-ish weather, I still need to have warm fuzzy socks, sweatpants & a sweatshirt, and several blankets including my electric blanket on in order for me to sleep comfortably and stay asleep.  Particularly if my feet get too cold, I keep waking up.  So for me at least, it seems I need to be warm when I sleep.  I may be totally weird though!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The game is within a 5 mile radius of Chicago with multiple checkpoints you have to get to along the way towards your final destination. The goal is to get to all checkpoints and your destination without being tagged. The challenge comes int he fact that you cannot use cars, taxis, bikes or roller blades (Public transportation is okay although taggers could also be hiding on buses and trains as well). Taggers however can ride bicycles to chase you on the bus. 

I think a part of it may also be that once we fall asleep our body temperature starts to drop even more and puts you into a deeper sleep (just my own theory on this). I also need to be comfy when I fall asleep, I need to be under warm covers but I can't have my feet covered or I feel like I am burning up and suffocating. But when I wake up in the middle of the night or early morning I feel like I am freezing even though the house is reasonably warm. That could just be my anemia/b12 issues enhancing that feeling as well, who knows.


----------



## theOcean

@CC: City-wide tag? I'm so jealous right now. The closest I ever got to that was doing something similar with my whole school, throughout this massive ravine system.

@Cat: I'm the complete opposite for sleep! I need everything to be as cold as humanly possible. Windows wide open when it's -40 in the winter, heat turned down. And even then I still get too hot. So the summer months will be interesting for sleep. That said, my SO tells me I have no understanding of my own body temperature. I'll tell him I'm freezing cold and he'll say I'm boiling hot and to get away from him. So: a mystery.


----------



## KyleB

Good luck!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, how did the tag game go?  Have you guys been getting a lot of thunderstorms too?  Hopefully the weather didn't affect your tag game.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I was just typing when you posted!

Thanks KyleB! This weekends tag game was super fun! The weather was GORGEOUS on Saturday. I spent the entire day in the park...a good 9 hours. Even got a good book in and a nap before playing tag. There was about 20 of us and we hid in every corner of the park that we could find. At one point I went up to a family watching their kid in a t-ball game, explained what we were playing and asked if I could hide in the crowd and sit with them. So I won that round because they helped hide me and I was cheering on the t-ball game and that family's kid..no one ever found me hahaha! There were a lot of regular park visitors that day so a few other times I would just try to blend in and lie on the grass face down as if I were napping 

I got some good running/sprinting in from that experience and then went home and STRETCHED and slept. The past few days of physical activity definitely is helping me sleep more quickly and more soundly.

The storms rolled in yesterday evening for us. The lighting was mostly on the lake from what I saw. It wasn't too terrible of a rain though. I enjoyed the breeze because it has been a bit warm for us these last few days and I am not ready to turn on the air conditioner ($$$). Unfortunately I slept with the patio door open, forgot to close the screen door and woke up to a missing kitty only to find her on the ledge of the balcony, outside of the fence portion and freaking out because she couldn't remember how to get back into the house. She kept trying to climb the side of the building but when she realized it was impossible she would freak out even more. So I spent this morning trying to coax her to the appropriate part of the fence that she could fit and crawl through. I think the gloomy, wet weather didn't make her feel very comfortable out there either. She got LOTS of loving when I finally got her back in :heart:


Tonight I have a personal trainer at the gym and will start to develop some sort of plan to move forward with. Was tracking my meals this weekend as well because they want to see what my diet looks like. I swear, when you write down what you eat it really is an additional slap in the face that you need to get your act together! LOL


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Good luck with the trainer tonight!  I'll be interested to hear how it goes and how the plan develops.    The tag game sounds fun, especially the part about blending in with the t-ball crowd.  The strategy involved is very interesting!  I think I've heard a saying, something about how a person has more anonymity when in a crowd than when alone - sounds like that worked for you.

Oh, and glad to hear your cat is okay!  I bet that was worrying!


----------



## theOcean

Ahhh, I wish we had something like that going on in Toronto!! That sounds like so much fun, CC. What a great way to get some fun exercise, too. 

And oh no, poor baby getting stuck outside! I'm glad she didn't wander far at least. I'm sure she's getting some very good care after that.

And HAHA, I had the same experience the other day when I saw my GP and had to explain what my diet was like. It's terrible realizing how much work you have to do! But at least now you can get an idea of a better direction to go in and what to potentially cut down on. Good luck with your personal trainer! I'm excited to see how that goes for you.


----------



## Axelfl3333

I find the cross trainer to be a really good work-out and has less impact on joints also a bit of a fan of the rowing machine as well,really good cardio work out which surprised the hospital when I did a cardiac stress test,did the full 12 minutes,they asked if I did the gym but I said no for a childish reason they mentioned my weight and recommended more exercise before I did the test,ha!got them.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I would love to give rowing a try, it truly is a workout! lol I'm just too weak right now I have to work my way up to that.

Had my physical training session tonight. We talked about my goals and decided before we can do anything major we need to focus on strengthening my core and balance. We did a number of body weight exercises that targeted the core, glutes and balance, some using medicine balls, steps and benches and even used the adjustable pulley weight machines to do some squats and PLANKS!!!! :ybatty: That was the last exercise he had me do. I didn't have the strength to stay up for more than 5-10 seconds at a time.

After all of that he thew me on the treadmill for some interval training.

Overall I managed a lot more than I thought I could, I just needed someone to give me a little push. My core is begging me for relief right now.

Stretching, dinner, my TV show, and sleep. That's exactly what I need now. 

Tomorrow he's letting me come in during his free time and will give me some ideas of things to do until the next time I see him in two weeks.


----------



## theOcean

Congrats!! It always feels great when you're able to accomplish more than you thought you could. To me it sounds like you already have far more stamina than I do, especially when it comes to running/jogging. 

That's awesome he's letting you see him on his free time, too. I hope you get to sit down and come up with some good goals!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, as far as rowing goes - can you rent a kayak (maybe on the Chicago river)?  Kayaking is a super fun thing to do and is a great arm/shoulder workout!  I own a kayak and I love it.  It's not too difficult to do.  It would be a good idea to build your arms up a bit first, but you don't need a ton of arm strength to kayak - it's easier to get forward momentum in a kayak than in something like a canoe.

How are you feeling today?  Pretty sore I bet?  Sounds like you had a good first session, even with the dreaded planks.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

My butt is terribly sore lol. My hips are a little and my core is tighter than usual but I stretched very well last night and this morning.

There are a few places to Kayak here in Chicago both on the river and on Lake Michigan even a couple large ponds. I have kayaked in Wisconsin and the Chicago River before with one company it was a lot of fun but it definitely was exhausting towards the end in my arms and again because of my weak core. But I would love to do that again kayaking is fun! 

More than anything I just want to take a nap right now. I worked out a bit late yesterday so I couldn't fall asleep until around 1 a.m. I would love to become one of those morning workout people but I can only bring myself to get up that early maybe 5 times a year for special occasions or bouts of insomnia .


----------



## theOcean

Haha, me too, CC. The only time I see 5AM is from staying up too late or some lovely insomnia.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I totally understand that, I'm an afternoon/evening exerciser myself.  I tried working out in the mornings, but my GERD just won't let me.  I need to wake up, take my GERD meds and drink some water, and let my stomach settle for a couple hours.  Then I eat breakfast and let that settle for a couple more hours - and then I'm able to go work out.  If I try just waking up and working out without eating first, it's like my stomach acid is not yet diluted enough and it hasn't had any food to work on, so my reflux goes nuts.  It's so much more tolerable if I wait, eat, and wait some more first - but that means I can't really work out until noon or so at the earliest.  Which is fine, I'm willing to work with/around whatever my body throws at me and I have no problems with working out in the afternoons and evenings.  But I am with you, I'm just not built to be a morning exerciser I guess!


----------



## kel

Does your gym have rowers? Usually they say concept2 on them. You can adjust the amount of resistance so I don't really think there is a way to be "too weak" for it.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I have seen some rowers at my gym I don't know what brand or series they are though. Good to know you can adjust resistance, I've never used a rowing machine before. I will look into it some more, thanks kel


----------



## Axelfl3333

I do 3000/4000meters on the rowing machines but I,ve had to build up to it,there a really good cardio work-out and they help me with constipation
P.s I alternate with the cross trainer 10minutes then 1000m


----------



## CrohnsChicago

@Axel - it definitely does sound like a good workout!

I'm going back to the gym today to try and get some cardio in. I had to take a break on Tuesday because I was too sore in the glutes to do much. I was also incredibly exhausted considering I have not worked out like that since around the time I first had crohn's in 2012!

I also had to work all day and then a meeting in the evening yesterday that prevented me from doing any activity. HOWEVER, I tried for something and both days took (steep) stairs about 5 flights for majority of the day instead of the elevator. Since I sit at a desk all day at work I'm going to make it a point to go 5-6 flights of stairs once per day or more when I can.

Winter air plus rain returned to Chicago today so my plan to run outdoors has been squashed. I will come up with a treadmill activity instead and do some additional core exercises.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

There's no shame in taking a rest day when needed - letting your body heal after a workout is an important part of the process.  The important thing is to listen to your body and to give it rest when it needs it, and it sounds like you did that just fine.  And yeah, I sit at a desk at work all day too so I also try to come up with ways to be active during the workday.  Do you have an office or a cubicle that's at least semi-private?  If so, you can do things like squats, lunges, pushups, etc in your office, and tricep dips from your desk chair.  (You could even do... the dreaded plank!   )  Or on breaks you could go for a walk if it's a nice day.  Even offering to carry a heavy box for a co-worker can get you a bit of bonus strength training.  

We've got the colder weather back today too - brr!  I am wearing a sweater and I'm still a bit chilled, and it's been rainy and overcast and just kind of yuck.  Have fun with your treadmill workout - between doing intervals of run/walk and ramping up the incline, I'm sure you can challenge yourself on a run even if it isn't outside.


----------



## Axelfl3333

Forgot to say if it's hurting stop!must admit I feel guilty if I don,t go to the gym,maybe it's because of the cost,not.I enjoy it but have been slowly building up what I do but everyone must listen to what there body is saying if your under the weather a 10 minute walk on the treadmill does fine those days and a sit in the sauna is pretty good as well.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Updates: yesterday I got a bit of Cardio Interval exercise in (crunches squats wall sits pushup and jumping jacks) and a brisk walk.

Today I had another strength training session and this one was an all body workout. They've been having me use the pulley machines a lot for upper body and even lower body weight exercises. I've never used that machine before. I've always been intimidated because it has so many detachable parts but now I'm learning some interesting ways to use it. After that session I did a couch to 5k run om the lakefront.  The weather is a tad bit crisp today but when the sun came through it was really nice and the running part of the session kept me comfy throughout the whole experience. 

I think it will definitely take me some time to get used to running. My body is showing me how much it really hates it but is willing to try anyway lol. Slow and steady.......A little treat after the run was to walk over and check out the annual garden sale in the area. Boyfriend met me there and we bought some tomato plants, rosemary, spearmint, hot peppers and can tip (for kitty). I have no green thumb but he claims to have done this before so we will see how well this goes lol


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

What's your body doing that it's showing you it hates running?  My body will give me tremendous hip pain during running - I can make it to about 1/2 mile and then the pain sets in.  If I stop right there, I might get away with just having pain for the rest of the day but feeling okay the next day.  But if I push myself to finish the mile (because it's embarassing to not be able to run a mile and I feel like I should be able to do it!), then the pain gets worse, and the pain will stick around for about 4 days.  I've tried running numerous times but that's always the result, pain and more pain.  If your body continues showing you that it hates running, you may want to consider trying something that's less high-impact.  Do you have a bicycle?  I find biking is far easier on my joints than running is (although biking seems to be rather tough on my core & guts so I struggle in general with cardio!).

Ooh, gardening, how fun!  I'm making more of an effort this year to have a nice garden, too.  I've got some seedlings going - peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins, bell peppers, cilantro, basil, stuff like that.  And we just got some strawberry plants & a raspberry plant, plus we have mint and ginger plants that come back every year.  I have a hard time with most of that stuff, but I can throw it in my juicer if I can't eat it.  I've never grown catnip though - you'll have to keep me posted on how that goes and if your cat likes it!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

It's more of a feeling of complete exhaustion in my legs while I run. It comes on quickly. Mind you this is my first real attempt to run outdoors and I am running along the lakefront trail which has fairly flat or gravely paths as well as light and sporadic inclines/declines on the trail. There's no pain other than typical light soreness that I get after any working out so I'm not doing anything that is noticeably hurting my body. I feels more like I am trying to push through a mental wall of running more than anything I guess.

My increments are 1 minute jog / 90 seconds brisk walking for approx. 25 minutes with both a 5 minute warm up and cool down. And like I said before I am not trying to run at a sprinting pace, just a very simple, light jogging pace. 

I never learned how to ride a bike so that's not an option for me. Kinda embarrassing but makes for interesting conversation lol.

I just realized that my phone spelled "can tip" instead of catnip in my previous post hahahaha! Good deciphering on that one, Cat! 

My plan is to do the jog/run interval again after work today if the weather cooperates.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Ah, okay.  No pain is a good thing!  Sounds like you just need to build yourself up to running more and you're doing that, so that's a good thing too.

No need to be embarassed about never learning to ride a bike!  My mother-in-law didn't learn how to swim until just recently and she's nearly 60 - the weird part is, she grew up on a farm that has a swimming pond on the property!  Anyway, just like with my m-i-l, you can still learn that skill even though you're an adult now.  If you're worried about maybe tipping over, they do make 3-wheeled bikes for adults.  My grandpa had one for awhile because his balance wasn't good enough for him to ride a regular bike.  They're not just for grandpas though!  They are actually a lot of fun, we all took turns riding my grandpa's bike and I wish he still had it (he's in a wheelchair now so his bicycle days are over).

I don't know if they're all this pricey, but this is similar to what my grandpa had:
http://www.target.com/p/schwinn-adult-meridian-26-3-wheel-bike-blue/-/A-10438285

Yes, I saw on facebook that you had bought a catnip plant, so because of that I was able to decipher "can tip"!    Good luck with your run tonight, I hope the weather cooperates.  It's been rainy here off and on, and we're supposedly getting thunderstorms this evening.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Oh my goodness I love that bike! I would totally use that thing unfortunately I don't know how easy it would be to ride that in Chicago. Chicago has a very large biking community but you are only allowed to ride bikes on the street which is difficult enough as it is since there is barely any room on the road for bikers. Consequently, drivers and bikers do not get along on the road or in conversation in this city lol. Plus I'm sure I would get laughed at but I'd still ride it anyway! hahaha. I'm going to save that link thanks Cat!

Got my jog in last night. It drizzled a tiny bit along the lake but it didn't stop anyone from getting their running, walking and biking in. The jog/walks felt much easier to accomplish today. I use the C25k app to time my jog/walk intervals and it crashed on me halfway through. I had to make up my own interval by timing via the songs I was listening to on my phone. I'm pretty sure for at least 3 intervals I ran a bit more than I normally do during this program and with a bit more ease. I'm wondering if I should expect waves of good days like this one and not so good jog days like the one I did this weekend.

I get impatient when I want change I often want to see it happen right away. I like what happened yesterday but I need to keep reminding myself it's ok to push once in a while but it's best to take my time and do it the right way.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'm lucky, in Madison we have tons of bike paths and wide bike lanes, it's a VERY bike-friendly city.  Is there not a bike path along the lakeshore in Chicago?  Bike riding through Chicago traffic does sound like not very much fun (nor safe!) so I understand why it's probably not feasible.

And oh yes, you will have good workout days where you feel energetic and strong and fast and you can just cruise through your workout with ease and do more than you usually do and feel great the whole time - and likewise, you'll have workouts where you feel sluggish and weak and everything seems to take more effort than usual and it's a struggle just to do what you normally do in a workout.  I definitely have those days!  I don't think it's even a chronic illness thing, I presume "healthy" people have ups and downs like that as well.  You just have to appreciate the good workouts and push through the rough ones.  Don't let the rough days discourage you because a good day could happen tomorrow!  Just keep going no matter how easy or hard it seems on any given day.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Oh yeah, there's a bike path along the lakfront. About 19 miles of trail. But it is shared with walkers and joggers and depending on what part of the trail you are on it can get a bit congested from pedestrian traffic. The part of the trail south of downtown is a lot quieter and relaxing because majority of the active population in Chicago is downtown and on the north side. Have I told you how much I love Wisconsin? I think it is such a beautiful state and I love the lakes and camping up there in the Summer or checking out special events. I bet biking in Wisconsin is pretty awesome. I have yet to sweep through Madison but I occasionally hit up places like Milwaukee, Delavan, Lake Geneva, Alpine Valley, Door County and other small areas of Wisconsin

Thanks for the pep talk. I almost did talk myself out of jogging yesterday but glad that I didn't because it felt better than I was imagining it would.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Yeah, Wisconsin is pretty great in the summer for outdoor activities!  Winter isn't so great, I go snowshoeing and I try to ice skate, but mostly I just count the days until spring, ha ha.    Now that it's almost summer, it's fantastic - hiking, kayaking, biking, so much to do outdoors!  And oh yeah, Door County is gorgeous, we used to take trips up there every summer when I was a kid and I have lots of fond memories of bicycling through Peninsula state park.  Lake Geneva is beautiful too although I've only been there once.  (Fun historical fact - infamous 1930s bank robber Baby Face Nelson loved Lake Geneva so much that he wanted to retire there - it didn't quite work out for him though and the FBI actually located him in Lake Geneva and chased him down to Illinois where he died in a gunbattle with the feds.)  Anyway, I'm rambling again.  Yes, Wisconsin is very pretty when it's not covered in snow.  

You're welcome for the pep talk.  I find that to be the case sometimes too - if I'm not sure that I'll have a good workout, that I'm feeling iffy and it could go either way, more often than not I do end up surprising myself and having a really good workout and I'm glad I did it.  I think there's a saying that goes something like, you only regret the workouts that you don't do.  And that's true, even with the tough workouts, I don't regret doing them!  So keep going and don't let a rough workout get you too down.  Regroup, take a deep breath, and keep going.    You got this!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Last night I took a Body Works plus Abs class at my gym. Lots of free-wight training using steps as well as mats. I used 2.5 lb. and 5 lb weights. Lots of focus on the arms and lots of lunges. It was intense but I managed to get through 40 minutes of the class. I did a series of ab exercises but wanted to leave when it was time to do the planks my body was broken down by that point lol. 

While I wussed out on the planks I DID succeed in the longest wall sit I have ever accomplished of around 1 minute!    She had the class hold their arms out with weights in their hands while doing the longest part of the wall sit. I wasn't strong enough for that but I did hold my arms out by themselves and participated in the motions of lifting weights while doing wall sits  Funny I find challenges like these (wall sits and planks) a lot easier to accomplish when I am doing it as part of a group and someone is barking orders at me to keep going. Had I done this on my own, my mind would have had me quit very quickly

It drove me crazy that the air conditioner in the class wasn't on high enough. It was incredibly humid!. I left the class early because of that and because a storm was coming in and it was nothing but lightning for a full 30 minutes. I wanted to get home before the rain got really bad, which it eventually did. I needed that workout last night. Good stress reliever.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Oh, I know what you mean, if it's not cool enough in the gym then I have a very hard time too.  My guts tend to cramp up in heat & humidity, and it's just plain difficult to work out when it's too warm/humid, so the air conditioning has to be on full blast in the gym and fans going too to circulate the air, or it just sucks and I'm miserable.  I don't know how people can do that "hot yoga" stuff, that sounds awful to me!

Sounds like you had a good workout in spite of the AC in the gym not being adequate!  I'm fortuante that I don't need a trainer yelling at me, I yell at myself in my own head.    But it's good that the trainer got you to do things that you wouldn't have pushed yourself to do otherwise!  You still gotta work on that plank though, ha ha.


----------



## kel

Cat-a-Tonic said:


> Oh, I know what you mean, if it's not cool enough in the gym then I have a very hard time too.  My guts tend to cramp up in heat & humidity, and it's just plain difficult to work out when it's too warm/humid, so the air conditioning has to be on full blast in the gym and fans going too to circulate the air, or it just sucks and I'm miserable.  I don't know how people can do that "hot yoga" stuff, that sounds awful to me!
> 
> Sounds like you had a good workout in spite of the AC in the gym not being adequate!  I'm fortuante that I don't need a trainer yelling at me, I yell at myself in my own head.    But it's good that the trainer got you to do things that you wouldn't have pushed yourself to do otherwise!  You still gotta work on that plank though, ha ha.


And I yell out loud


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Lol kel funny you should mention yelling out loud. I have to give my trainers fair warning that they should know they are working me hard by how frequently I randomly spit out swear words! Hahahah I can't help it. I literally get a curl in my upper lip and develop the mouth of a sailor


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Ha ha, Kel and Chicago, too funny!  I sometimes talk to myself if I'm alone in the gym, count reps out loud and stuff like that, but I don't actually yell at myself out loud.    Maybe I should yell and swear though?  Does that seem to help you guys' workouts?


----------



## kel

I think it can be helpful sometimes but it doesn't really make too much difference in the end if you're doing it out loud or in your head. If you don't want people to approach you in the gym I promise yelling and screaming with headphones in will do the job.

And CC that bit about swearing made me laugh. I'm a bit of a potty mouth myself.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Honestly it feels like a form of tourettes for me when it happens I don't know I'm doing it until it already happens/I have no control over it. 

It's what happens when I'm really trying to push myself past my perceived limits. I'm super nice and enthusiastic and then all of a sudden I start swearing at the hard stuff. It does feel good after I do it but then I get a little red in the cheeks because I think my trainers or whoever I'm working with probably believes I'm a bit rough around the edges 

Oh and kel I know what you mean. There's this guy who wears his headphones at the gym all the time, does the treadmill and feels the need to sing out loud! Needless to say all of the equipment that surrounds him when he is there doesn't get much use hahaha! :ylol2:

As for today: Today is game one of my kickball league. I'm the captain so I most likely won't play too much though. I decided I will let everyone else play the field and if there are spots where someone doesn't want to kick or run bases I will fill in there. I'm going straight after work so I packed up my gym clothes and brought them with me to change. Since the game is in a park I was hoping I could get a quick jog in but then I realized I can't because I have to lug all of my bags around. womp womp. 

If I get home soon enough I will try to get to the gym before it closes I guess or ATTEMPT to wake up super early tomorrow to get something done. I will be on vacation starting tomorrow for a weekend camping trip so I won't have time to get a good workout in for a few days.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I giggled at the thought of yelling and screaming with headphones on at the gym - I do like being left alone during my workouts so I'm slightly tempted to try it.  Do I get bonus points if I yell and scream swear words in Korean?  

Chicago, as captain of your kickball team, can you at least get in a quick workout by perhaps leading your team in a warm-up?  Have everybody (yourself included of course) do jumping jacks, jog a couple laps, planks (just kidding), etc.  At least that way you'd get in a quick bit of fitness!  And as for camping - stuff like chopping & hauling wood could be a good workout!  Or hiking, etc.  Have fun on your camping trip!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

If you scream in Korean then not only do you get bonus points but you also get your photo on the wall of awesomeness at the gym's front desk! 

Unfortunately this camping experience is more of a special event type of camping so there won't be much time or space to do any exercise. I will be attending the Indy 500. I would LOVE to get some hiking in but it doesn't look like we will have any time to do that. Maybe I will get up early in the mornings and do some core exercises before everyone wakes up.

I SHOULD consider making them do drills. They would get a kick outta that for sure lol! It's a social league so I'm sure they are more interested in grabbing a drink and mingling than doing drills. 

I'm going to see if I can get a quick stroll in before I have to meet everyone. The weather is beautiful yet again. I'm loving this. No more winter!!!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Ha ha, I doubt I'd get my photo on a wall of awesomeness.  Probably more like, a wall of "do not let this person enter these premises" photos.  

Oh, that is a very different type of camping than I was picturing!  I figured you'd be out in the woods somewhere.  I didn't even know that camping was a possibility at an event like that (I'm not really into cars/races though so I know next to nothing about this type of thing).  Well, have fun!  I would say don't worry too much if you can't get a workout in while you're there - just pick up where you left off when you get back home.  And yeah, make your kickball team do some warmup drills!  Make them earn those drinks afterwards!


----------



## kel

You will receive 10 bonus points for each korean profanity uttered.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sweeeeeet.  Michinnyeon!  Saekkiboda!  Um.... *looks back on my notes*  Noppeun nome!  There, that's +30.  I feel like my workout has improved.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

After a few vacation days of doing nothing and a diet that wanted to be good only about 40% of the time, I'm back in the saddle.

Funny, once I got home I had this desire to get out and run (never thought I would say that!) Unfortunately the rain and cold is keeping me away from this at the present moment. I settled with a DVD of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - Level 1 to help get me back on track with my training. It wasn't easy after the lazy few days I felt a bit sluggish and stiff but I accomplished it. A few strength training sets, cardio sets and ab sets for about 25min and I felt good. There's a routine called the Anterior Raise + side lunge (you use weights for both) it's so challenging! I have done this DVD off and on for over a year now and this move always seems to be the most difficult but I keep trying anyway.

Tomorrow is another kickball game. Weather permitting on Friday I can get back out and jog again.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'm glad to hear you had a desire to go for a run!  It's too bad the weather didn't cooperate, but just the fact that you wanted to exercise is fantastic.    I can relate, before I got sick I hated to exercise and never wanted to do it but I would force myself to work out from time to time.  Then I got sick, I realized how important my health was, and once I got into remission and started exercising, I loved it and wanted to go to the gym all the time!  Pre-IBD me would never have done that.  I'm rambling, but anyway, it's great that you wanted to go for a run!  And I'm glad you were able to do a different form of exercise when running wasn't an option.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Finally got my Couch to 5k jog in today!!

I decided to push myself and jump into week 2 of the program. It was not easy. 90seconds jogging 90seconds walking. Those 30 seconds are a lot when you are jogging outdoors. I had to jog a bit more slowly than the 1 minute jog but I managed. And when I thought I had a few more jog intervals to go I realized that it was already over because I had altered the interval times. PHEW!!! I didn't think I had two more jogs in me lol

At one point I tried jogging on the grass to see if it was easier than pavement like everyone said. I actually thought it was more challenging because of all the clumps and uneven, soft field.

I also got a good, brisk 30min walk in for the day.

Tomorrow I am volunteering for a fun run for kindergarten - 5th graders to promote healthy lifestyles in kids. Super excited. Maybe I can jog along them for a bit for fun to help cheer them on!


----------



## KyleB

Nice work!


----------



## theOcean

Aw! I hope the volunteering goes well.  It sounds like that could be really fun, not to mention great for the kids.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The volunteering was great. The kids ran one mile. The preschool and kindergartners blew my mind they sprinted through the entire trail leaving theirbparents behind! Lol We cheered them on gave high fives  and drew fun and inspiring images and words in chalk on the ground that they could see as they run. They celebrated so much after it brought a smile to everyone's face.

Today i have to run some errands. I live in Chicago so cars are an unnecessary financial burden. Using my two feet I trekked through the city for about 4 hours in 80 degrees and humidity! Needless to say I was sweaty, hungry and craving a nap when it was all over ! I did a Google search and it estimated that I blew through at least 900 calories during my adventure.

My bed is calling me.


----------



## theOcean

Oh my gosh! I swear, little kids have way more stamina than I do.  That sounds like it was so much fun -- even hearing about it is making me smile.

And good for you toughing out the humidity! My city is super walkable too, but we also get the awful humidity here. You definitely deserve some nice rest for the great day you had.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, my hubby lived in Chicago for 4 years when he went to art school years ago, and he actually did have a car during the time he lived there (so that he could come back to WI and visit me and his family - we did the long distance dating thing when we were both in school).  But yeah, it was a massive pain.  At first he paid something like $120 per month for a parking spot in a ramp, but then he moved to a different apartment and just parked on the street.  Between searching endlessly to find a parking spot on the street, parking tickets, hit & runs, break-ins to the car, etc - it was just ridiculous.  At one point it appeared that some homeless guy broke in and spent the night in hubby's car, as everything of value had been taken but the passenger seat was reclined flat and there was a random bag of clothes left in the car.  So yeah, I hear you, cars in Chicago are so not worthwhile, just an expensive headache!  It sounds like you're doing fine without a car and getting some exercise in too, so that's very good.

And oh yeah, little kids crack me up.    They have no concept of "pacing yourself" so they just run at full speed - I can remember being pretty little and my mom entered me in a race, and she ran with me and told me not to use up all my energy and to run slower.  Well, I did that and came in last place because every other kid just ran at top speed.    I wish I had 1/10th of that energy now!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I honestly forgot it was possible to have that much energy at some point in your life until I saw these little preschoolers and kindergartners running a mile and then getting on stage and jumping/dancing around after. Watching them I thought of all of my b12 injections and longed to have some of that youthful energy back. hahaha!

Yeah if your hubby thought parking was bad then it's even worse now. You can't be anywhere close to the center of the city without having parking troubles. And you need a permit to park in most areas. By my old apartment it takes an average of 20-45minutes to find street parking. OR you are parking further away than you'd like and consequently have to walk a bit to get where you need to be. 

Parking fees are ridiculous. And even side swiping is a problem. I just recently witnessed a car drive by and knock the side view mirror off of a parked car. If you do have a car, it's definitely in your best interest to find a place with private parking or rent a private garage. Definitely stick to buses and trains or bikes or just go walking/running if you can manage lol. We've got those Divvy bikes now in Chicago (a public rent-a-bike system)


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Yeah, we have a public bike rental system here too - ours is called B-cycle.  It's fairly expensive though, I think it's something like $16 for 30 minutes?  I've never rented one but the local news had articles about it when they first started the bike rental thing here a couple years ago, and I recall being appalled by the cost.  Around that time I bought myself a bike instead, as that seemed like a much smarter investment (after a few hours' worth of riding, it pays for itself compared to the cost of renting!).

And yep, my car got side-swiped once when parked on a Chicago street while I was visiting hubby.  I didn't lose my mirror, but I did lose a tail light and had a lovely scrape along the side of the car.  That was not fun.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I've been away. Not ignoring my need to work out but life kept me from keeping things routine. Some sporadic 7 hour walks, Jillian Michaels DVDs and an occasional jog but mostly SLEEP because my personal obligations have kept me mentally/emotionally stressed and running about til I was ragged. I was also experiencing some mild digestive issues that got me a bit concerned so I took it easy for a bit and things are now back under control. After a b12 injection I was able to pick back up some and now I'm back on track and ready to get going again.

Sunday I went for my first jog, started a different program than the C25K but same concept mostly because my app keeps freezing on me for some reason and crashing right after I finish the intervals but before my phone is able to save the record :ybatty:

The weather, though rainy/foggy, has cooperated with my runs. Due to the lack of consistency I started from the beginning again to ease my body back into the idea of running, I think I should be able to progress more easily this time though.

Yesterday I did my strength training class. He worked me HARD. He wanted to test my ability to do certain hip exercises (I have limited motion in one hip due to surgery) so we did some adductor/abductor exercises using weights on a cable pulley machine. It was incredibly hard to do. And the machine almost yanked my bad hip out of it's socket because I did not have enough strength to control my motions. Better to be safe than sorry and not use that machine again to do such exercises, I don't need any new surgeries in my life any time soon! 

The rest of the routine was nuts. Upper body and core exercises all using the pulley machine. The most interesting thing of the day was that as weak as I am with all of these upper body and side routines, I appear to have great form, strength and control in my quads. He had me do a deep squat + torso twist using the pulley machine.....I got through 90 of them with little problem!    He even said that I have one of the best forms out of all of his clients which, given my weak performance in other areas, shocked him as much as it did myself. Guess it's better to be good at at least one physical activity because I absolutely suck at the rest! LOL.

This morning I hurt. hahahahah. I am sore, but the good kind of sore. And hoping to get a jog in this evening.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Yay, Chicago's quads!    And wait, 90 squats??!!  That's awesome!  I can do like 10-15 deep squats and then I get tired.    Doing 90 is fantastic, great job!  Have fun with your run tonight too!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Hahaha thanks. I think what helped was that (1) they were in 6 sets of 15 squats with me shaking out my legs for about 10 seconds after each set and (2) I used them while also having one hand on the cable pulley machine to twist my torso afterwards (though I had 12lbs of weight tacked on the pulley machine).

Can I do it WITHOUT the cable pulley is the ultimate test. I bet I could do half of that. Not sure about the whole 90. I will have to try again once my quads stop feeling a little like gelatin LOL. Lots of muscle repair going on in my body right now.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Ah, I see.  I haven't ever done squats with a pulley, I've done them just regular or with dumbbells in my hands (that's tough to do too!).

I'm sure you probably already know this, but after a workout like that, make sure to eat something high in protein.  That will help with that muscle repair process and you should theoretically recover faster and with less soreness.  I've read that it's best to eat something within 20 minutes of finishing your workout - so sometimes (when I remember to do so) I bring a banana and a little individual packet of almond butter in my gym bag and scarf that down in the changing room right after my workout.  Not sure if it's been helping but it can't hurt?  And weirdly enough, I've read that one of the best things to alleviate soreness, is to exercise the sore muscles!  Don't go crazy of course, but if your legs are sore, maybe take a short walk and that should actually help.  I've gone into the gym with sore muscles before and come out with no soreness, so I know it can work.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I'll keep that in mind. I had some salmon no more than 30min after the workout and this morning I had a banana/almond milk/almond butter/chia seed smoothie. 

I've also heard that working out after soreness helps too, in the past I have been too exhausted and sore to try. 

However, for as sore as I am at the moment I still think I can manage a light jog/walk interval for about 25 min tonight. I've already walked around a little bit (short walk to work and around the office). I massaged the muscles a little bit yesterday before bed and I just know that I owe myself a good deep stretch this evening.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The rain came last night and prevented the run. More importantly, my soreness progressed (could barely lift one arm without some discomfort) so I decided it was in my best interest to ice it down and rest for recovery.

Today I was searching online for free workout/strength training generator websites and came across this interesting site. The web page is a bit difficult to navigate at first but so far I like the options they have and stats they allow you to record in their free version and am thinking of setting it up to help me get a more routine and strength training schedule going outside of my 2 personal training sessions per month. Going to talk to my trainer and see what he thinks about the program as well.

http://fitsync.com/

I used to use a program called ActivTrax but you can only find that in certain gyms (not mine unfortunately).

I hope to get back on track with some very light exercise tonight and tomorrow after my busy schedule then back to jogging on Friday.


----------



## kel

I would never ever twist the spine while weighted.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

it was in this order

1. Full squat then come to a stand (while holding the cable)
2. Pull the cable straight back with one arm (similar to the image below but with arms straight out at start as well) and return to original position
3. Repeat






[/IMG]

This was the easier exercise surprisingly!

Honestly the soreness came mostly from this lying cable pullover exercise. I have terrible arm strength so it's going to take some work on my part to get things in shape up there:










kel said:


> I would never ever twist the spine while weighted.


----------



## kel

That is probably OK.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Feeling MUCH better today. Got a 45min walk in yesterday evening since I was already out and about.

Tonight I go to the kickball fields and get to fool around a little, the goal is to do some light core work as well before bedtime.

Jogging returns tomorrow.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Glad to hear you're recovered from the zillions of squats!    Have fun with kickball and jogging.  Have you guys been having a lot of rain down there?  We had I think over a week where it rained (sometimes very heavily) every day - it finally stopped raining yesterday.  So if you've had similar rainy weather, I hope the weather dries up and allows you to have a nice time jogging & playing kickball.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah it's been raining pretty often the past two weeks here in the city. This past week and weekend we had a lot of heavy thunderstorms so doing anything outdoors you had to make it quick before the clouds rolled in. My games have been cancelled recently due to rain. I took a quick day trip to chinatown this weekend to buy some fresh fish and got caught in a bright and sunny rain shower...fortunately the trip was done before the downpour came.

It was still a tad drizzly here this morning but hoping things clear up some. It's kept me from jogging when I am available to I'd really like to hop back on it but the weather has not been showing us Midwesterners any love this year. 

The treadmill is another option for me if things don't work out.

Hope the weather starts to clear up for you too!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I got my jog in on Saturday morning. It's been a pretty hot and humid weekend here in Chicago. My jog ended and I got home 5 minutes before a brief thunderstorm hit. PHEW! I also took outdoor dance instructions Saturday evening. Then got caught in a second storm 

Sunday I marched 4 miles in the Chicago Pride Parade. It was so hot I was ready to fall out towards the end, but it's always this hot on the last Sunday of June. 
At the end of the parade I was trying to catch a bus home. I noticed the bus about 250 yards from where I was and attempted to make a mad dash to catch it. I was successful and when I finally got into the bus and sat I noticed something really important....I was not out of breath!  I used to gasp for air attempting something like that. These jogging efforts must be paying off. It's always nice to see some sort of physical progress even if the visual isn't there yet. It helps keep me motivated.

Tonight is personal training session.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Training tonight focused on upper body, especially arm strength. Basically it came to this because I could barely do planks and side planks. The thing making it hard was not so much about my core, it was more that my arms struggle to hold up my body after about 10-15 seconds. I have been focusing on the cardio/ jogging a lot I need to make sure I am more regularly incorporating my strength training in addition to the cardio. 

The dangerous storms hit the area almost immediately after my strength session ended. I had no choice but to stay in the gym and keep working out until the storm calmed


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Jog interval of 18:30 min yesterday approx. 1.4 miles. My average jog time and distance have increased by a few seconds and two-tenths of a mile this past week according to the phone app + GPS that I use when I run. Small progress a success I am willing to claim. 

This jog was a little bit harder at first for some reason but then it got better. I assume it's one of those bad days that everyone experiences. I just wasn't into it mentally when I started out, I wanted to just give up but as I continued I built some energy and momentum and focused on following through and finishing. I think it all came to a transition point when I changed the music I was listening to. If I need to push myself more I am finding that I need some alternative/rock music to do so lol. 

Also managed to get a few core exercises in before bedtime.


----------



## Orchid

That's quite an improvement for one week, we're not marathon runners so we don't need to torture ourselves over making the sort of leaps they can make. Just focus on your own progress.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, yes, it seems to me that all athletes have those days where the weights feel heavier or you have to put in more effort to keep your feet moving forward.  I definitely have those days and they don't necessarily seem to correlate to when I'm having a bad tummy day.  I do notice, however, that if I've pushed myself to work out a few days in a row without a rest day (even if do different things, like if I do yoga one day, weights the next, bike the next, etc), then I will usually have one of those "everything is heavy and difficult" days.  So in my experience, it's best to just take a rest day after that happens and pick yourself up and start again the following day.  Don't let it discourage you, just rest a bit and then get back to it.  

And oh yes, what's on your workout playlist is vitally important!  For me, I need to have a good pumping beat, that seems to be the most important thing.  Slow, introspective music is okay for yoga and even for weights sometimes, but if I'm doing cardio like biking, then I absolutely need a good beat to keep my feet moving.  You may want to set up a few different workout playlists and see which ones best keep you moving.  I know I'm always tweaking my workout playlist, adding new songs and removing ones that are too slow or have become stale in my ears.  Keeping it peppy and fresh works best for me.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yep, last night was my rest day. Still did a small amount of ab work but stayed away from cardio and intense training to allow some rest/recovery.

If I'm doing cardio I need a pumping beat as well. But I notice when I jog it needs to be a hard, pumping beat. Something with a little intensity because I naturally find the act of jogging terribly boring, especially if on a treadmill. The thing that prevents me from giving up these jog intervals I currently do is that I am choosing to do them along the lakefront so I get a good breeze and beautiful scenery with the cityscape in the background. The added music keeps me focused on the goal.

Playlists are very fun to make. In addition to my music player, I make them via Spotify. I also like the variety that some of the Spotify radio stations give because they offer new and fun music I haven't heard of and it keeps things fresh and keeps me on my toes. I feel like I sounded like a mini commercial there for a second hahaha.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I can totally relate to finding treadmill jogging boring.  I can't jog, but when I ride the stationary bike, I often get really bored with that.  I love riding my bike outside and seeing the scenery, but basically all winter long or during bad weather in the warm months, I can't ride my bike outside and am forced to ride the stationary bike indoors.  It's soooo boring!  I know I need the cardio so I basically just make myself do it, but it's not enjoyable.  Even with something good on the TV, that only keeps my attention for so long and I find myself looking at the clock a lot.  My actual bike, I can ride it through the arboretum and see nature (sometimes I have to swerve my bike to avoid turkeys!), I can ride around the outside of the zoo and hear the lion roaring, or I can just ride downtown and people-watch.  On my stationary bike, obviously I can't leave my house so nothing interesting ever happens.    It's a static environment versus a dynamic environment, and if the weather would just behave (who even needs winter anyway) then I'd pick dynamic every time!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I've been able to keep up with my workouts finally! I got a couple more jog intervals in since last post. And after a stressful day I even managed to sneak in a 20 minute swim at the gym which not only served as exercise but helped relax my mind and body. I've moved up from 1 minute jogs/90 second walks for a total of approx. 25 minutes. I am now at 90 second jogs/2 minute walks. 

When I become more comfortable with this change the Couch to 5k program will try to advance me to a switch-off between 90 second jog /90 second walk AND 3 minute jog/3 minute walk for about 25 - 30 minutes.

It's getting a little easier to push through when I feel like I can't do anymore. I'm notorious for stopping immediately when I feel my body is being put to work. But if I don't challenge it even slightly now and then I won't get anywhere. I'm doing the program a little more slowly than I should but that's because I am still getting comfortable with the idea of jogging. I know there is some progress because I feel the desire to jog and definitely feel somewhat guilty if I'm not able to get it in for one day. I don't jog for at least two - three days out of the week and try to incorporate something else into my fitness routine.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I think it's fine to do the program at your own pace, as long as you continue with it and keep making progress and keep enjoying it and all that good stuff.  Feeling the desire to jog definitely sounds like progress!    Well done!

Swimming sounds lovely.  That's like the one thing I don't do, my gym doesn't have a pool and the one public pool in my city always has a zillion people in it so no chance of swimming laps or even just having a leisurely float around.  I suppose I could swim in one of the local lakes, but they're still pretty cold plus they're really gross.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah I don't even go into Lake Michigan here in Chicago. I learned as a kid you should never go in that water above your knees if you are not out past the safety lines. Illinois is ranked one of the lowest in water quality along the great lakes and east/west coast and with the constant beach closures for contamination it makes perfect sense why. So I don't mind getting my feet wet but I will keep my swimming activities limited to pools and deep bodies of water lol.

Rested yesterday. Today I was so tired I couldn't mentally get into jog mode so I opted to hit up the gym and do the elliptical for 45 min at Incline 10 and intervals of 1 - 8 resistance. Its funny how much easier it felt to do this now that I have been jogging. My endurance is improving more with each day. That incline and high resistance would have tired me out before but I felt I had some energy after which felt good.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Our local beaches get closed due to bad water quality all the time, too.  And our local lakes often have something called blue-green algae, which is apparently toxic (potentially fatal I think?) if you ingest even a little bit of it, so between that and all the other ickyness of the lakes, it's just so not worth it to swim in the lakes.  Yeah, like you said, I'll wade in but that's about it, and I make sure to wash my feet/legs off really well after wading!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Today got my strength training session in. I feel my core getting stronger and able to handle longer exercises than it used to. Lower body, core and arms today. Medicine ball, giant swiss/stability ball, cable pull machine and some body weight exercises. 

I think I enjoy the exercise ball the best. We did windshield wipers on the swiss ball that gave my hips and core an intense but interesting workout. You put the ball between your legs, raise your legs up in the air and then and sway your lower body from side to side. Swaying from left to right is one count. It's something I could definitely see myself doing at home outside of the gym. 

We also did some scorpion exercises on the bench which also worked my hips and core. It looks so simple but after doing a good number of them lifting your legs into the air and crossing over becomes harder than you realize. This exercise is supposedly really good strengthening for runners and also easily done at home.

I like that I am learning all of these new moves. It really helps make things interesting. I'm more likely to give up with repetition due to boredom so I like that each week my trainer shows me at least one or two new moves.

Didn't get to jog the last few days due to rain and a bad sore throat/congestion situation but it finally is clearing up. I got some walking in this past weekend though when it didn't rain on me.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sounds like you're doing well and making good progress!  I really need to do more with my exercise ball, too.  Whenever I inflate it, after a day or two hubby feels like it takes up too much space and he deflates it.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah I used to constantly have to deflate my ball as well. But now I have a corner to stash it into.

The journey is getting more tolerable. Went jogging today after missing almost 5 days and even though my jog was a bit slower,  the overall journey was a lot more manageable than I have ever known it to be. 

In a day or two I will be extending my jog. I honestly feel more confident about it than I have so far. I'm a bit sore from the last two days and am running g off of 3 hours of sleep so I think tomorrow will be a much needed rest day.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

3 hours of sleep!?  Due to work or stress or symptoms or...?  I hope you were able to get some sleep and feel better!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Stress and work. I was unable to relax my mind the other night and it kept me up until about 4:30am.

That jog yesterday actually served purposes beyond fitness. It was a good stress reliever: the weather was very comfortable yesterday and the lakefront was quiet and empty...I even jogged along the beach and the shoreline for one of my intervals. It also helped me to fall asleep more easily and comfortably last night. Maybe that's why I REALLY enjoyed that jog yesterday! 

Today I will just focus on some stretches and some core exercises at home. Then sleep.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sorry to hear about the stress keeping you awake!  Do you ever take anything to help you sleep?  I'm on amitriptyline which helps me sleep, but it's not always strong enough if my brain won't shut off.  Sometimes I take a benadryl to induce drowsiness, that usually works.

And yes, as you said, exercise is a fantastic stress-reliever!  Sounds like you had a really great run.    I love those exercise sessions where I feel good and really enjoy it, and it's just exactly what my body needed.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Last night I progressed into a 90 sec. jog, 90 sec walk, 3min jog, 3min walk, then repeat.

That's my longest outdoor jogging attempt thus far. It's so fascinating to me that I can jog 15min straight on a treadmill but jogging on concrete is taking me forever. The challenge was there, it was getting hard to push through towards the end of the 3 minute jogs. There was a moment during the first 3 minute interval where i was able to push past it a little longer and it didn't feel as terrible. The program has you do each interval phase 3 times before moving up to the next phase but I think it's a good idea to work on this interval phase for a few more runs before progressing to truly get comfortable in it. 

Today I somehow managed to wake up early this morning and took an outdoor pilates class. Chicago does this on Saturday mornings in the Summer for free and I have always meant to try it out. This year I finally did. There were people of all shapes and skill levels joined on a giant lawn in the heart of downtown Chicago trying to do something healthy for themselves. It was a lot of fun and a good attempt at pilates. The sun beating down made it a tad uncomfortable at times but the scenery and the act of doing this outdoors outweighed everything else.

Something I'm noticing. My knees are not what they used to be. I need to learn how to take extra special care of them. One specific thing I am noticing is that my left knee cracks/crackles when I walk up stairs sometimes. I can both hear it and feel it. It doesn't hurt at all but it is a very weird sensation. And it only happens when I walk up steep stairs.

I first developed weird knee issues when I started prednisone for Crohns. The knee symptoms have lingered off and on even after stopping steroids over a year ago. Most days are fine, but every now and then these sensations happen. And resting my knees on hard surfaces (like when exercising) is sometimes impossible now. I should honestly have a doctor look at them at some point just to be safe. I have had bone density tests done last year which said everything is okay but times do change things and I wonder if arthritis is slowly developing.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

This morning I had further realization of how hard pilates is. I was expecting to be sore in my core and lower body area (which I was), however I did not expect my shoulders to become sore as well even after stretching. Lesson learned, stretch my arms out even more if I do pilates again. 

I had an itch today, I thought it was hunger for a while but then I realized my body just needed to get outside so I tried the 90sec and 3 min jog interval again. 

It was muggy out, first time I've jogged in this condition. Uncomfortable, but I managed by focusing on controlling my pace. I found trying to breathe in that condition to be not too great. I'm working on breathing better when I work out. My trainer pointed out to me the other week that he notices a vein bulge in my head when I work out and it's because I don't always breathe properly. My way of trying to overcome this is to make slightly dramatic exhales because it reminds me how important it is to breathe properly and consistently when exercising.

More deep stretching tonight then early to bed.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Do any of your other joints randomly crackle/pop, or is it just your knees?  I've had crackly joints for years, well before I got sick or took corticosteroids, so for me it's just something I've always had.  My wrists and elbows have been crackly since like high school.  When I lift weights, sometimes my shoulders pop with every rep.  Before I started working out, sometimes if I knelt down, my kneecap(s) would spontaneously dislocate and I'd have to pop it back in which hurt like crazy!  Now that I've been working out, my knee muscles are apparently stronger so they don't dislocate anymore, but they still make popping sounds like the rest of my joints.  Oh, and oddly enough, my bad hip doesn't make any crackling/popping sounds, but my "good" (less painful but still arthritic) hip sometimes clicks with every step I take.  My body is super weird.    But anyway, my rambly point is, it's not necessarily due to steroids/Crohn's.  Hopefully it'll get better as your knees get stronger.


----------



## Orchid

My joints make lots of popping and clicking noises, to the point my fiancee says I sound a bit like a mechanical typewriter. Though I've never gotten so far as to have to put the joint back in the socket. That sounds horribly painful.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

My bad hip with no cartilage and the metal pin connecting it to my joint clicks sometimes and is uncomfortable for obvious reasons. 

When I lift weights my right shoulder pops lightly on occasion but it's not often at all that it does that. My knees do it on a more regular basis. My shoulder and my knees don't hurt when they pop or crackle though. it's just weird. I had my boyfriend place his hand on my knees this weekend when I bent it and he could feel it sort of grinding (for lack of better word) when I would bend and straighten them both. 

Part of me wonders if the weight gain (almost 20lbs since winter) has kept this lingering in my knees due to additional stress on the joint. Maybe it's just what my body has decided to do now that I am getting older. Maybe steroids just made these symptoms more prominent. Who knows maybe its a combo of all of the above.

Either way it's now additional incentive to get into decent health.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I kind of hate that I have not exercised in two days. Only one of these two days was supposed to be used for rest. Time really slipped past me. I've been a bit mentally stressed and tired AND running around, but I DID manage to do a quick squat challenge with a phone app last night and got 36 squats in before bed. Like I said in theOcean's post, every minute of activity does count.

I was able to reflect a bit while running about this past week and I really need a routine. I have tried and failed at this many times and it's far too easy for me to give up at the end of the day. I am not a morning person at all but seriously something has got to give. 

This needs to become a better habit. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. Sacrifices need to be made in order to accomplish this and I have resolved to starting my day earlier than I have been. Not just for exercise, but to get things done around the house so I am not so stressed, tired and unable to accomplish everything I want to during the evening. It will also give me time to myself before the house wakes up and takes over the rest of the day. Plus I would sleep better at night.

This week is pretty hectic so I am going to jog when I can and prepare myself so that when Monday comes next week, I will be focus on adjusting to a morning routine of exercise and other activities.

That's it. Nothing more for today. Unable to get moving today due to a gathering I am hosting in my place right after work. Tomorrow, Saturday and/or Sunday I will have plenty more opportunity to get my jogging back in. To supplement for today's loss, I've taken the stairs instead of the elevator at work. I also made an extra trip outside to get some extra walking in.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

36 squats is definitely nothing to sneeze at, even if you didn't get a full workout in that's still a good effort!  Getting up earlier and being more organized sound like a good plan.  Following through is the hard part!  For me, for a little while I was really trying to be more organized about packing my lunches for the work week, and on Sunday afternoons/evenings I would try to do a lot of prep work so that I could easily just grab things during the week to throw in my lunch bag.  But after a few weeks of doing that, I started slacking off on food prep and haven't really been that organized since, and as a result I've had to scramble in the mornings to throw together a halfway decent lunch.  So thank you for the reminder that I've got to make a renewed effort to be more organized in that regard myself!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Most of my exercise from this weekend came from walking about. Saturday was a mall day so I spent a few hours roaming about.

Yesterday boyfriend and I went on a hiking trip to check out a small waterfall in a forest preserve outside of Chicago. It was a really nice and refreshing outdoor trip but the mosquitoes were brutal. If you even stopped for a second there were swarms of them trying to eat you. We hiked approx. 9.4 miles total and stopped at the waterfall for a snack and rest period halfway through. It was an even, gravel trail with some slight inclines/declines along the way. We went off of the path once so got some extra leg work in trying to climb up the hill to get back on the right path. 

I'm really glad I made the decision to stretch before we got in the car to head back home. Boyfriend, on the other hand, didn't stretch and after our 45min drive found himself to be incredibly stiff from the ride.

My feet need a rest so today I will give it to them. I'm at the point now where if I walk too much throughout the day I get heel pain. I've had to start altering the types of shoes I wear because of this. It goes away after a good nights rest off of my feet though. 

Tomorrow I start the jog intervals again.


----------



## hawkeye

CrohnsChicago said:


> Last night I progressed into a 90 sec. jog, 90 sec walk, 3min jog, 3min walk, then repeat.


Great stuff.  I started back at it a couple of weeks ago and am up to 7 sets of run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Awesome hawkeye! Yes, I have also tried (and failed)  a few times before. This is the longest I've lasted. How is it going for you? What type of terrain are you running on?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

That hike sounds like a lot of fun, but you're right about the mosquitoes, they've been terrible this year!  I let my dog outside to do her business and we both get swarmed, it's miserable.  The waterfall sounds cool though and it sounds like you had a good hike aside from the mosquitoes.


----------



## hawkeye

It's going pretty good. I went out again tonight.  I'll probably notch it up to 3 and 1's over the weekend.  I am running on "hilly" terrain. Our neighbourhood is far from flat.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Glad to hear it's going well hawkeye.  I bet the hills are adding an extra challenge. They do for me. I go much much slower on inclines. Looking forward to hearing about your progress! I find the current interval I am at to be a bit challenging so I will probably stick here for a while. It's doable right now, but still pretty difficult to complete.

Took a short walk after work yesterday since the weather permitted and I didn't have time for a full workout. On my route I accidentally stumbled on the set for the TV show Chicago Fire! I honestly thought there was a real fire drill going on so I didn't think anything of it and kept walking about. LOL They stopped me from walking through the scene they were about to film, told me to watch if I wanted, so I stuck around for a little bit then continued on my walk 

Friday I will be able to start focusing on my jogging. The fun run 5k is three Saturdays from now. As of right now I'm averaging 2.3 miles. I will be focusing a lot more on my diet as well for energy. Time to make sure I am in decent shape to complete my interval for the 5k.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

That's really cool about stumbling upon a TV show set!  Hulu filmed a TV show here in Madison a couple years ago ("Battleground") and they hired some local actors, so I kinda geeked out because I know a few people who were in the show (one of them even had a major role) and all the filming locations were local, so we had a fun time watching the show and saying, hey, is that Warner Park?  And look, there's that guy we know!  

It sounds like you're making good progress in your training for the 5K!  Do you have fitness goals that you'd like to tackle once you've run the 5K race?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I'm going to focus more on weight loss for better health (crohns and joint health) and getting a 5 day routine going when it comes to exercise. I need to find the right balance with diet and exercise and create something that I can stick to once fall/winter hits. The first step is getting a morning routine going.

I've been reading a lot of articles on sleep cycles and the benefits of waking up early to get me motivated when I start next monday. Interesting fact the average sleep cycle is 90minutes. If you want to wake up more easily and refreshed, decide what time you want to wake up and then count backwards in 90 minute increments until you hit 7 or 8 hours and that determines what time you should go to bed for the best sleep.

I tried it once before and as much as I hate getting up early it did make it easier to do.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

That's interesting about the 90 minute sleep cycles.  I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you!  So I presume you're going to get up earlier so that you can get in a workout before you go to work?  I'm just not a morning workout person (I tried once or twice, but my reflux and my nausea are both worst first thing in the morning so it just didn't happen for me - I need to wake up, let things settle down, drink some water, eat something, let that settle for a few hours, then I'm finally able to work out - so I'm a noon exerciser at the very earliest!).

Are you going to do more treadmill runs when fall/winter hits?  Or are you going to be one of those tough/crazy people who still runs outside regardless of what the weather is like?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah, I have to be honest with myself and admit that trying to work out routinely after work just isn't possible. It's always short-lived. I get myself involved in so many different activities that easily keep me away from doing exercise.

I've tried working out mornings before and it honestly feels good but it never sticks because I'm usually a BEAST when I wake up . The 90 minute sleep cycle I tested out made me feel more alert immediately when my eyes opened, so that's promising. I just need to stop convincing myself that I'm not capable of a morning routine. I'm the only one holding me back from giving it a good try.

95% of the time I am a get up, get dressed and rush out of the house for work kind of person (I occasionally take my showers the night before to save time). The morning routine will not only give me a healthy workout habit it will give me more time to prepare for my day, give me some ME time while everyone else in the house sleeps (I don't get much alone/quiet/free-to-roam time after work), I can cross some extra to-do things off my daily list so that I have more time to relax when I get home AND it will hopefully get me into a better, quality sleeping routine. All of these things also contribute to less stress in my life which would be nice  The trickle effect can only lead to positive outcomes if I can keep this up.

I want to work on a balance of cardio and treadmill exercises with of course some weight training thrown in every few days. I'm not crazy. I have no intention of jogging in snowy, cold, icy Chicago weather LOL. I don't mind jogging in cooler, fall weather but I definitely won't do it on the lake because that would just be too uncomfortable for me. I freeze so easily and get sick easily in fall/winter. I'm always either super hot or super cold.




Cat-a-Tonic said:


> That's interesting about the 90 minute sleep cycles.  I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you!  So I presume you're going to get up earlier so that you can get in a workout before you go to work?  I'm just not a morning workout person (I tried once or twice, but my reflux and my nausea are both worst first thing in the morning so it just didn't happen for me - I need to wake up, let things settle down, drink some water, eat something, let that settle for a few hours, then I'm finally able to work out - so I'm a noon exerciser at the very earliest!).
> 
> Are you going to do more treadmill runs when fall/winter hits?  Or are you going to be one of those tough/crazy people who still runs outside regardless of what the weather is like?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

It sounds like you don't get much "me" time at home - how many people live with you?  I crave "me" time (I'm a massive introvert) and it's just me and hubby (and the pets) and that's just about perfect for me.  I agree though that a morning routine should help.  I always get up at least 30 mins before hubby does - that allows me to spend extra time in the bathroom if I need it, and sort of mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.  I don't do any exercise in the mornings but I do like to have that little routine of just being by myself for a bit before I go wake hubby up and start getting ready.

What, you don't want to go jogging on icy sidewalks in -30 wind chills??    I don't blame you!  I do walk my dog (sometimes with snowshoes) in the winter, and shovel the driveway/sidewalk, and very rarely I'll go ice skating outdoors (I think I went once last year?), but that's about it for my outdoor winter fitness activities.  I know it's possible to jog outside year-round - my mother does it (she is definitely crazy though) - but it does not sound enjoyable in the least.  I think you've mentioned that you're kind of similar to me, that you get bored with doing the same thing like jogging on a treadmill all the time (personally I get so so so bored riding the stationary bike all winter!  Pedaling to nowhere for 8 months out of the year, I know I need the cardio but it drives me nuts!).  So, I hope you can figure out some ways to keep from getting too bored with running indoors during the cold months!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

So like I said earlier, my typical morning routine looked like this:

Night before go to bed around midnight
Alarm goes off at 6:00am
I hit snooze until around 7:25am
I wake up between 7:25am and 7:40am
Shower (if I haven't done it the night before), dress
Run out of the door by 8:15am to catch the last bus to get to work JUST IN TIME.
Breakfast at work, tired and wishing I was at home in bed still.


TODAY, things change. I got my new morning desired routine started.....

I followed the sleep cycle schedule I mentioned above and went to bed at last night at 10:30pm in hopes of waking up at 6:00am. To help me fall asleep more easily since it was earlier than I normally do, I listened to one of my meditation recordings while in bed. I managed to wake up with more alertness than I am used to in the morning and was out of bed by 6:05am. I had to shake off some of the sleepiness but it was nothing like the morning grogginess I am used to. I have to say so far I'm impressed with this sleep cycle trick.

By 6:25 I was out of the door, fully alert and started my jog/walk interval to the park. 

Made it home by 6:55am, showered and dressed for the day by 7:15. I made overnight, refrigerated oatmeal last night so my breakfast was all ready and just needed to be reheated. I had about 45 minutes to myself to breakfast, send some e-mails and browse the web before it was time to leave for work.

Left for work at 8:00am and made it to the office 15 minutes early.

I wasn't expecting it to go this well on the first day of this new attempted routine but it was incredibly promising. I felt rejuvenated and ready for the day. Now I just wait and see if I manage to pass out during my work lunch break! :lol:

And after getting all of this done I don't have to worry about it tonight and can focus more of my evening energy on relaxing.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sounds like a definite improvement!  It's just past lunchtime now so hopefully you managed to stay awake.    At the very least, being so active so early in the day should hopefully allow you to zonk right out at your new bedtime tonight.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Still wide awake, no overwhelming urge to nap like I normally have mid-afternoon. I will definitely sleep like a baby tonight


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sounds like so far so good!  I'll be interested to hear how the rest of the week goes.  Are you planning to keep up with getting up early on weekends as well, or will you stay up late/sleep in on weekends?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Making a habit is about being consistent so I decided to keep the sleep schedule going at least 6 days/week. Eventually my body will get used to the idea and it will naturally want to be up at that time anyway (at least that's the theory with all of this). 

The only problem is that I do sometimes stay out late on weekends and some weeknights so I will have to strategize as I go along. But this month my calendar is a bit vacant intentionally so I am going to focus even more on getting to bed on time than staying out late.

If I get tired and I have some time over the weekend to do so then I will allow myself a nap


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I used to do that for awhile - the year before I developed IBD, it was like my brain wanted me to get up at 5 AM every day.  It just became habit after awhile.  So I made a habit of it and that actually worked out quite well.  I would do yoga most of those mornings and then head to work feeling refreshed.  Those were nice days!  I don't seem to be able to do that anymore though.  My morning routine now is - get up at 6, use the bathroom, feed the cat, let the dog out, feed the dog, briefly check email and facebook, then wake hubby up, get dressed and pack my lunch.  If I could just get up at 5 instead of 6, I could do yoga in the mornings again.  Hmmm, maybe that's something I should try to do!  I can't lift weights nor do cardio in the mornings because of my reflux, but it seems to not be so bad when I'm doing yoga, so maybe I could still get away with doing yoga first thing in the morning.  That's something for me to consider.

Naps on the weekends are totally okay in my book!    Especially if you don't sleep in.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

That's interesting, before IBD, I could sleep until 2pm with no problem daily. Once I became ill, I was up every morning around 6:30am. I would be bored out of my mind on steroids and so if I was well enough I would go walking, get my grocery shopping done, clean my house and maybe even a quick exercise in all before 11am. Sometimes I confused myself and my family/friends because I got so much done early in the day I thought it was later than it actually was. I was calling or texting them at 8am to chat and wondering why no one was getting back to me until hours later or why people responded with confusion....they were shocked that I was up so early...hahaha. These days unless I am sick, 9:00am is considered "sleeping in" to me thanks to previous steroid meds 

Yoga in the morning sounds like one of the most relaxing things. Definitely worth trying if it's something you think won't cause acid reflux. And if daily napping were law then I would be the happiest woman on earth.

Day 2 of the early morning routine.

Same sleep schedule (10:30pm to 6:00am). Waking up was a tad more challenging today but I managed to force myself out of bed by 6:10am. 

I'm assuming it was two things that caused this....(1) It's dark and gloomy outside today (and humid!). I find it hard to get out of bed in the morning without adequate daylight coming through the windows. (2) Last night I forgot I had a personal training appointment. If I cancelled then I had to pay a fee so I went through with it. We did a boxing circuit in addition to upper body and core strength training. So on top of the jogging/walking I did earlier that day, I was pooped! It didn't take me long at all to fall asleep last night.

Once I did get myself out of bed it was much easier to get going mentally. I took it easier given my last night routine and went for a 20minute walk, then came home and did some core work with an exercise ball and jump rope/jumping jacks for 10 more minutes to get my blood flowing. The shower helped wake me up a little more.

Breakfast was scrambled egg whites mixed with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, tomato, green onions and monterey jack cheese.

Managed to get downtown to work a bit earlier than normal (about 25min) so I stopped by one of the weekly farmer's markets and snagged some fresh mint and zucchini bread (YUM!).

I still feel a tad bit tired, but it's more physically than mentally. I might go to sleep a bit earlier today to let my body rest and adjust to this change in routine some more.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Fresh mint is awesome!  It grows like a weed in my garden, I have both peppermint and spearmint growing.  I don't even cook/bake with it much, but it makes my yard smell really nice!    If you can grow it (not sure if you can have a little garden at your apartment?), it's awesome - mint requires basically zero care.  I don't ever water my mint plants but they grow like crazy and spread out.  My mint has survived torrential rains and harsh drought.  I'm not a very good gardener, so low-maintenance things like mint are the plants I like to have in my garden!  

Sounds like you had a very active day yesterday!  It's good that you went to work out with your personal trainer even though you had already worked out that morning, I applaud you for that.  I recently read somewhere that it's a good workout strategy to go all out one day, and then the next day have either a rest day or tone it way down, then go all out the next day, and so on.  So since you went all out yesterday, maybe take it easier today but then maybe push yourself again tomorrow.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The mint I got at the farmers market was beautiful and so fresh. It tastes and smells lovely in my cup of tea at work too.

You are the third person to tell me it grows like a weed this week hahahaha! Unfortunately I wouldn't know because mine is dead in a pot on my balcony! I'm just not meant to own plants...I have a black thumb they don't even like me in the same room as them 

We can grow stuff like that in Chicago. Boyfriend and I actually have a starter potted garden going right now (we began rather late) with banana peppers, tomatoes, chili peppers, rosemary, basil.

There was also at one point catnip and mint, but they are dead. And the rosemary is dying. Of course those three are the plants that belonged to me. And oddly enough my boyfriend takes care of them more than I do. Death by association....they can't even be associated with my name! :lol:

Honestly though, I think the catnip growth spurt exploded and actually got sick (it had white stuff on it) and poisoned the mint when they were initially in the same trough full of dirt.

Meanwhile his tomato flowers are budding, two banana peppers are almost full grown and the chili peppers are getting there too and the basil is growing like a weed.

I've participated in a few community gardens here that give the food to pantries for AIDS patients and homeless shelters. You'd be surprised what we can get growing here in Chicago with a little effort.


----------



## hawkeye

Mint just takes off when you plant it.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah, that's what I'm told hawkeye. 

My mint plant did take off when I first planted it. However I planted it alongside the catnip. Out of nowhere (still not sure how, I'm a novice at gardening) the catnip became sick and the mint which shared dirt with it started dying too so I separated them. All of my mint died with the exception of one half-dead stem. New mint kept trying to grow on top of the dead stem it but would then it would all die again because the rest of the plant was in horrible shape. So I gave up on it.

The catnip perished all on its own.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Last night I was still a bit physically tired. But once I tried to get to bed at 10:30p my mind just wasn't ready to sleep. Used meditation and eventually got there.

This morning alarm goes off 6:00am, I'm up at 6:10 but strong urge to stay in bed. Either I'm moving extra slowly today or time is moving much quicker because though I kept the same routine (dress, outside jog interval, shower, dress, cook breakfast), I was running a few minutes behind on everything. I won't blame it on physical exhaustion because once I forced myself out of bed and threw water on my face I was in a more alert state and the jog felt great once I got a third of the way into it. And even after I felt more energized and ready to get through the day. I didn't have time to eat a decent breakfast so I packed it up and brought it to work with me. 

Tonight I will do a small amount of strength training.

Tomorrow I leave for a weekend road trip which will include 2 days of hiking in Upper Peninsula Michigan. I am going with 6 other people. I'm trying to figure out how I am going to incorporate exercise into my day while I am out there. One person is bringing her new bike to test it out early mornings. If I knew how to ride a bike that would have been the best idea. I want do jog but it's unfamiliar territory to me. 

I absolutely plan to keep my early morning wake up routine in Michigan, but I'd like to get a little strength training in at some point and small bits of cardio if the hiking doesn't do it for me workout-wise. I'm looking online for the best travel-friendly exercises.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Since I had a lot to do last night which kept me up later than expected, I shifted my sleep cycle times.

Was in bed by midnight and up at 7:30am. Slightly harder to get up, I opted to stay in bed for a short while and get some stuff done on the computer rather than just go back to sleep. It's currently 8:42am. I've made breakfast which I am enjoying bedside as well . I will finish packing while my stomach settles and then do a high-intensity workout DVD at home. 

The drive to Michigan is about 7 hours so I will be mostly sedentary for the rest of the day and have plenty of time to nap if my body really wants it.

Tomorrow back onto the 6am sleep-cycle and waking up to workout immediately. I pulled some 30minute HIIT workouts to try while on vacation if I am unable to jog anywhere.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I hope you have a fun trip!  Upper MI is beautiful so I'm sure you'll be hiking in some lovely scenery.  Hopefully the mosquitoes will leave you alone too!

As for gardening - I also have a black thumb, but I'm sloooowly getting better.  The "white stuff" on your catnip, it may have been mold?  If I over-water plants then they tend to get moldy sometimes too.  Once a plant gets moldy, even if it looks okay, it's apparently just done for!  So I'm guessing that's what happened to your mint & catnip.  I'm proud of myself though, I actually managed to grow a few things besides mint in my little garden this year.  I actually grew not one but two (!!) cucumbers.  I just picked one this morning and put it into my juicer.  Yum!  I'll be picking the other one shortly as it looks just about ready to go.  I also have a small pumpkin growing on the vine - I can't remember if I planted pie pumpkins or regular jack-o-lantern pumpkins this year though so I'm not sure how big it'll get!    Ha ha.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Probably was mold. I'll probably try growing mint again next spring.

Vacation was a blast...the most relaxed I've been in a while. Managed to get some canoeing, swimming and hiking into my schedule.

I kept up with my early morning rises. The time difference is one hour ahead from Chicago so while I was getting up at 7:30 there...it was technically 6:30 Chicago time. The days are also longer up there so we were all a tad bit thrown off and spent a lot of time with outdoor activities then passed out afterwards or took naps in between. The heat also helped to tire us out. It averaged 87 degrees fahrenheit while we were there....temperatures like that are apparently rare in the U.P.


Got home super late after an 9 hour drive which included a few pit stops. My body is catching up on sleep now.

Tonight I go to the personal trainer, then bed.

The 5k is in 4 days so I will try to be up and at 'em in the morning.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sounds like a fun but busy trip!  And yikes, 87 degrees in the UP??  It's like 65 degrees here in southern WI today, I think the UP stole our summer weather.    It's funny, you went through WI and I actually went through Chicago on the same weekend - we crossed paths and then some!  I went through Chicago to Indiana to tour some historical sites.  And I have to say, I did not enjoy my drive through Chicago.  One way it was all tolls and the other way it was all congestion!  Yuck!

Sounds like you've had and will continue to have an exhausting few days!  I got tired just reading that!  It's great that you're going gung-ho on training for your 5K, but make sure to get enough rest too.  You don't want to be burned out and exhausted for the 5K!


----------



## hawkeye

Good luck on the 5K - keeps us posted as to how it goes


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The 5k was a lot of fun! This one definitely was not serious by any means. It was a blacklight run so it happened during the evening hours after sundown. 

It was a bit crowded. They had our route winding around a local sports venue so the terrain was a combination of gravel paths, paved paths and grassy patches. We were not expecting any of this as they did not notify us of our route beforehand or even during the event for that matter. Makes me SUPER glad I trained on concrete and not just the treadmill....the gravel was not always fun to jog on. Since it was pitch black during the run besides a few checkpoints with blacklights and the thousands of people wearing glow-in-the-dark items, it was difficult to run without risking injury at times. 

Though a full run was not entirely possible due to risk of injury, I managed to jog through a little over 2/3 of the race only stopping twice briefly.

I consider that a HUGE accomplishment for myself being that it was my first time ever doing something like this and the "training" the most jogging I have done in my entire life. What I found most interesting was the ease with which I was able to jog. Easier than I have been able to do on my own at some points. It almost felt as if I glided through it at times. I read somewhere that running feels a lot more natural to the body during evening hours. 

I would like to add that I think the idea of jogging with so many other people interested in doing the same thing helped motivate me further. There's a local Saturday running group in my area for all levels. I might consider the option of meeting up with them at some point to test this theory.

I spent my Sunday yesterday resting and stretching, stretching and resting. Early morning rise was successful but I didn't get out of the house unfortunately. Tonight I head back to the gym and start focusing on a better workout habit in general.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I just have to say, I am not a fan of the local blacklight 5K that was held here a couple weeks ago.  They for some reason had part of the route going through our dog park (also on a gravel path), and they didn't clean up any of the neon-colored cornstarch stuff.  As a result, my dog had neon green paws for about a week and hubby's shoes also turned green.  People littered tons of glowsticks, water bottles, etc as well in the dog park and nobody cleaned up afterwards.  Real nice.  So anyway, I hope people were more considerate at your blacklight 5K, Chicago!  Or at least I hope it didn't go through a dog park!

With the gravel that you mentioned, it sounds like these blacklight runs are just not very well thought out or organized.  I'm guessing it's the same company organizing all these blacklight runs.  There was a different 5K here in the spring I think, it was called the "electric foam 5K" or something like that.  It apparently was super lame, they didn't mark a course and they set up 2 lame kiddie bubble machines, and that was it.  (It was supposed to be like a huge party with techno music and tons of foam.)  That company went out of business shortly afterwards.  I kind of hope this blacklight 5K company goes the same way if they're doing iffy things like poorly marking the course, opening their participants up to injury, not cleaning up afterwards, etc.

Anyway, I'll step off my complainey soap box now.    Yay Chicago for running as much as you could run without injuring yourself!  I'm glad you didn't get injured and had a good race.  It does sound like a fun concept and I'm glad to hear you had a good time.  Do you have any thoughts as to what you'll train for next, another 5K or something else?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

HAHAHAHA Thanks.

Yeah, while fun, there were a number of organizational flaws I didn't appreciate. It was on  the property of a sports venue in an industrial area so any cleanup will not affect the public. But it was a glowstick mess on the ground for sure. I actually saw an invitation to the foam 5k in my e-mail this morning. Not interested, how would you even run something like that? :lol:

Since this one was an easy one, I may try for another one either before winter hits or next spring. Themed runs are a good idea (Chicago has a Mike Ditka 5k where you dress up like him: Ditka Dash it's called hahaha), but only if they are organized properly.

In the meantime weight loss and a better workout/morning habit are my main goals.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

The Ditka Dash sounds hilarious!  I imagine there must be fake moustaches everywhere.    I'm not sure if there are any Wisconsin-themed races around here.  I'll have to do some googling.  I believe there is a race (not sure if this is just a WI thing though) where at each mile or each checkpoint, you have to chug a beer before you can continue on.  That sounds absolutely disgusting, I would vomit!  Yuck, running plus chugging beer just does not sound like a good combination to me.  

I'm surprised they're even still doing the foam 5K after how badly it went here!  Here's the local news article about how bad ours was - the photo in this article really makes me laugh at how lame it looks.
http://www.channel3000.com/news/electric-foam-5k-folds/26574250


----------



## CrohnsChicago

> Roughly 200 participants arrived expecting giant foam guns, pulsating dance beats and an overall after-party. Instead, they found two children's bubble machines, no marked course, signed no waivers and had no fun.


...

OMG hahahaha. that had to be SO disappointing for the participants! That picture is hilarious!:ylol2:


So last night I did the elliptical for about 45minutes. Tonight I have personal training and will do some quick cardio after. I ordered a balance board in the mail for home to help me find different ways to practice strengthening my core (I also have HORRIBLE balance). Kind of excited to have some new exercise gear to play around with in the morning.


----------



## johndoe

Keep up the good work Chicago. Diligence pays off.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

A balance board sounds intriguing!  I need to work on my balance as well.  I used to love ice skating, then as an adult I didn't go ice skating for years and years.  This past winter, I went ice skating once - it was fun, but I obviously need a lot of work as it took all my strength and effort just to stay upright!  So, I wonder if a balance board would help with my ice skating?  Hmmm.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I got the balance board last night. Either that thing is hard to ajdust to or I am TERRIBLE at this! Hahahaha.

I do like how versatile it is you can try it for a variety of exercises both standing, sitting and push ups. This is the one I got: Reebok Balance Board link

I didn't get a chance to work out like I wanted. My first trip to Europe is next week and I've been scrambling to get stuff done along with setting up arrangements for my cat and cleaning the house before I leave. I'm a combination of exhaustion and nerves at this point. I originally wanted to jog outside today but it's been raining non-stop. I'm going to try that balance board again tonight though to get used to it. If that doesn't work I still have my giant exercise ball I can work with.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Exciting!  Where in Europe are you headed to?  I hope you have a really fun trip and that you're able to eat some tasty foods without your body protesting too much.  

Thanks for that link, I'm definitely intrigued by the thought of using a balance board and may even purchase one depending on how you do with it!  So do keep me posted on how it goes and if you feel it is improving your balance.  I have a giant exercise ball as well that the hubby keeps deflating (he feels it's too much clutter so he deflates it and puts it away) so I don't end up using it very often as it's annoying to keep inflating it!  A balance board, though, I could just slip under the couch or bed or whatever when I'm not using it, it would be less clutter-y.  Hmm!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Just got back from eastern Spain for vacation. The trip was fantastic and I was very happy to report that no crohn's symptoms flared while there. The only real discomfort came from flying. I was especially gassy and any turbulence sent my gut into a farting frenzy (I feel SO bad for those on the plane sitting near me...I was consistently farting for hours...lol.) I never use to have this problem pre-crohn's so I was a bit embarrassed by the whole thing myself.

Overall, I think the simplicity of the Spanish diet has really helped me physically as well as with gaining perspective on what I need to do going forward to accomplish my dieting and weight loss goals. 

I had been experiencing odd and awkward amounts of gassiness periodically over the past month or two but while there and eating on Spanish time-tables, Spanish portions and Spanish ingredients (colorful, basic, small portions, natural and with simple spices - olive oil, bread, cured local ham, fresh seafood, small plates, little dairy, beautifully prepared veggies) my gut was at ease more than it has been lately. I will take this experience as confirmation on how I should be eating.

With the diet I experienced as well as days outdoors wandering cities on foot (unintended exercise), I seemed to have dropped 5lbs on the scale thanks to vacation.

As soon as I came back to the States, the first smell that hit me hard at the airport was GREASY FOOD. It made my stomach turn a little. I also have not had time to cook since I got home and have been relying on take-out and am noticing that my stomach is not very interested in American food at the moment. Our portions truly are ridiculously huge...this trip was a wake-up call about how my plate should look. So far I can only eat a few bites of food before I become full.

And I don't feel like I am TASTING my food. Only grease and additives. More incentive to put stronger emphasis on a clean eating diet again. This week I will be planning my meals in depth to start getting me on track.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

It sounds like an amazing trip, and that's great that it gave you a new outlook on food and diet.  You'll have to keep me updated on what kinds of dishes you end up preparing!  I'm always looking for new, interesting, tummy-safe meals to pack for my lunches.  I feel like my life revolves around tuna sandwiches, ha ha.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

For sure I will let you know. As of right now a new healthy snack I am doing is homemade bruschetta using slices of zucchini instead of bread. A whole batch is incredibly cheap to make and the entire meal is nothing but simple, easy to make, easy to digest veggies. Still looking for cool protein-packed, low calorie ideas.

I've also started taking the stairs at the office. After a week of travel walking around all day, every day, I have been feeling a little bored just sitting at work, sitting on the bus, sitting at home....

I broke up my work days this week with 6 flights of steep stairs, 2x day. I also have forced myself outdoors for a few minutes for some fresh air.

Once life settles down and I catch up with all of my stuff this week, I will be hopping back on the personal training sessions at least for another month. Then I will probably stop with one-on-one training. I have learned a lot of routines and become comfortable with the equipment at the gym. I need to readjust my finances so I can let go of the training and work out on my own now and also focus more on the group cardio classes that come with my regular membership.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

While I still haven't had time to do a formal cardio/strength routine since before my vacation, I have been on my feet non-stop for two weeks for at least 3/4 of each day. As of last night, my body officially crapped out on me and forced me to rest.

I am surprised that I was able to last this long without it happening. I know it's not good to push yourself this hard with no rest and my body doesn't bounce back like it used to pre-crohn's, but I had no choice. My feet hurt. My lower back hurts. My legs hurt. I am getting grumpy from pain and exhaustion. 

This week I will dedicate time to rest. 

With the exception of two days, my small plate, simple eating is still happening. And my sleep routine I started a few weeks back is working well still!

SLEEP SCHEDULE UPDATE: I am up within 5 minutes of the first alarm. I haven't hit the snooze in almost 2 weeks now. Even while on vacation! I now have ample time in the morning to get ready and even take a small breather before I have to leave for work. Even on the weekends my body now refuses to sleep past 8am (unless I was out SUPER LATE). I hope this truly is the start of a long-lasting habit.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

That's excellent about sticking to a sleep schedule!  Well done!  And it sounds like you've been staying active even if you haven't made it to the gym recently.  You definitely deserve a rest, enjoy it!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Well I'm finally back at it. I have been feeling a bit fatigued for a number of reasons I assume including my failure to meet my b12 appointments in the last two months and running myself about with responsibilities and activities. If I continue to do nothing about it I tend to fall into the habit of laziness and more fatigue. 

I've officially cancelled my personal training appointments. I just can't afford them anymore. 

Since I'm waking up early now, I'be begun A.M. workouts again. I have shortened the length of these workouts to 20 minutes just to get my heart rate up and my energy flowing for the day without completely wearing me out before the day begins. However, I also plan to start 1 - 2 am bootcamps weekly before work that I found at a discount. I really enjoy bootcamps and being pushed along with a large group of people. I still have my cheap LA Fitness gym membership and I've decided while boyfriend watches football, I will be at the gym working out and catching up on my shows when I can 

Today I did a 20 minute dance/cardio YouTube video at 6am to get my blood flowing for the day. Tonight I'm actually going to go see a music set and that might get me moving about again.

Life and responsibilities are about to calm down significantly for me. So the point of all of this is to begin creating a regular routine of exercise to eventually start losing weight. Winter is coming and if I start off the winter season being a lazy couch potato then there's no turning back for me....


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I hope the boot camps go well!  I've never done anything like that so I'll be interested to hear how it goes.  I'm glad to hear that life will be calming down for you in a bit (I wish mine would too!).  And winter definitely doesn't have to be lazy, if you don't let it be.  Yes, it's totally tempting to just laze around in comfy sweaters and drink hot cocoa and not move off the couch.  I think for me, being a dog owner and a homeowner, those things force me to be active in the winter.  I need to shovel the driveway and the sidewalk, and I need to walk my dog regularly.  Those two things alone keep me pretty active.  But I also try to do fun winter activities - my favorites so far are snowshoeing and ice skating.  Sledding can be a good workout too - trudging uphill in the snow while wearing heavy boots definitely gets the blood moving!  So just keep your mind open to that type of thing in the winter.  Make it into an opportunity to try new things.  Last year I tried snowshoeing for the first time, and I really enjoy it!  I am NOT a fan of winter, but a little part of me is admittedly excited to get my snowshoes back out again.  It almost seems weird that I'm looking forward to that!

Anyway.  That was a ramble.  Enjoy your music tonight, and have fun at the bootcamps!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

In my mind, the words "winter" and "fun" have never been used in the same sentence unless the joining words were "is not" 

I find winter beautiful and living in Chicago you learn to adapt to winter, but here it's more of a sloppy winter because of our large population so our snow quickly turns into massive pools of slush and our temps....well, if you know anything about Chicago I don't have to explain what the cold and winds often feel like. But still I love my city, weather flaws and all! Lol :heart: 

Winter is my least favorite season. I naturally run cold and have struggled with anemia my entire life so I tend to have a hard time physically adapting to the weather when the temps drop and get the shakes if someone even decides to huff and puff in my direction. So I'm far more likely to stick to the sofa and warm places and eat and drink hot things consistently to avoid feeling cold if there is no motivation or obligation to be somewhere. Hot Chocolate, naps and a warm blanket is my idea of a happy winter.

The only thing that helps when I'm not eating or lounging around in snuggies is exercise because it brings my body temp up. Boyfriend wants to teach me how to ski this winter, maybe in Wisconsin so that's a winter activity to explore for sure. 

I'll let you know how the bootcamps go. I think it will be fun!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Oh yes, I know just what you mean.  My hubby went to art school in Chicago, so when we were dating, I spent a lot of time in Chicago visiting him (we did long-distance dating for 4 years until I graduated college & he finished art school).  So I know how miserable Chicago in the winter can be!  It's pretty miserable up here in the winter too although Madison is a much smaller city so less yucky dirty slushy snow, and we're not on Lake Michigan so less bitterly cold winds and lake-effect snow than you guys get.

For me, I had to really adjust to being outdoors in winter when we got the dog.  Her favorite thing ever is snow, which I hadn't expected - when we adopted her, she had come from California so our first winter of having her was her first time experiencing snow.  And she absolutely LOVES it!  When snow has freshly fallen and I open the door to let her out in the yard, she gets this "OMG" look on her face and then she runs all around in it as fast as she can - she zooms this way, then she zooms that way.  It's pretty hilarious, all the neighboring houses have perfectly pristine snow and my yard has ten zillion dog footprints, it looks like about 100 dogs came running through.  

So anyway, my dog's extreme enthusiasm for winter and snow makes me a little more excited myself to go outside in the winter.  I, like you, also tend to get cold very easily and I definitely would be way happier on the couch with hot cocoa and three blankets, but my dog would be unhappy if I just stayed in all winter long, and I don't want her to be unhappy, so out into the snow we go.  But yeah, it's pretty much my least-favorite season too.  My dog definitely makes it more tolerable though!  (And hah, you mentioned snuggies - my dog actually stole my snuggie, she uses it as a blanket!)

What kind of skiing are you thinking of learning, downhill or cross-country?  I'm so not a fan of cross-country skiing (it's such hard work and it's just not fun, I honestly hate it!) and I've never been downhill skiing but I'm sure I'd fall over a ton.  Still, downhill skiing does look like it could be fun.


----------



## hawkeye

CrohnsChicago said:


> So the point of all of this is to begin creating a regular routine of exercise to eventually start losing weight. Winter is coming and if I start off the winter season being a lazy couch potato then there's no turning back for me....


Winter running?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

LOL I wouldn't winter run here unless you want to fall all over the ice. Plus I hate that burning feeling in my throat I get from running in cold, wind gusty weather. I will likely be transferring to the gym treadmill for my occasional jogs once it gets too cold out.

I started my bootcamp today at 7am. Using that sleep cycle I managed to wake up around 5am with little issue. I'm really glad I made the choice to go. I love the environment: they have half of the floor covered in an indoor football turf-style material for drills and the other half is matted and contains different weight exercises.

We did some pretty simple things like jump roping, box climbing/jumping, walls its, push-ups, situps and planks ( :faint: ) but I was also introduced to other routines like the kettlebell lunges and pull-ups which I've never done before. I have horrible upper body strength but these pull-ups were made capable by hanging over the ledge of a box with one foot placed inside a large rubber band attached to the pull-up bar near the ceiling and letting the rubberband catch you as you drop down from the pull-up and give you a slight boost to help pull yourself up over the bar. It was hard, but I thought it was fun and creative at the same time. Here's what it looked like:







They played awesome music with that thumping beat I need to push myself and I left there I was nearly gelatin but felt refreshed at the same time... better than I have since I was practicing jogging for the 5k. I feel like I needed that. The session lasted a full 60 minutes. My arms are a bit sore so are my legs. And I seem to be spending the last half of my work shift trying not to fall asleep at my desk but it was exactly the physical challenge I was looking for. I decided I'm going to keep going twice/week before work to make sure I'm getting that high-intensity workout that I want.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I really like assisted pull-ups!  There's an assisted pull-up machine at my gym - not quite the same as what you described with the bands though.  It's got like a kneeling pad, so you kneel on it and set your counterweight and do pull ups of your own body weight minus the counterweight, if that makes sense.  It's a fun and challenging machine, I really like it!

Sounds like you had an excellent session even if you are exhausted now (are you still getting enough calories with your smaller meals?  I ask because I get really exhausted if I don't eat enough).


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I had a good amount of protein and veggies for breakfast and lunch. More likely than not my body hasn't been used to working out that intensely for a while PLUS I was up at 5am which is earlier than normal so combined I just couldn't keep my eyes open during the last half of the day. I passed out at around 9:30pm.

Today I will be taking it easy with some walking or light elliptical training. Tomorrow I wake up extra early and go to bootcamp before work again.

Also, I've started making soups for the fall and it's really helping me keep my daily calorie intake under better control. The soups I've been experimenting with are heavy on the vegetables and protein and broth-based or just puréed vegetable blends. My favorite so far is the puréed zucchini soup I made. This method is helping me get an adequate amount of veggies in my diet, making digestion a bit easier for me and keeping calories down while making me feel fuller. The puréed soups I use mostly as a 1st course to my lunch and dinner. The broth-based soups and stews are more hearty and balanced meals. Out of those, my favorite so far is the "sweet potato quinoa chicken chili".


----------



## CrohnsChicago

2nd bootcamp experience today. I was still a bit sore last night so I took an epsom salt bath before bed to prepare for it. Good thing I did because today worked me just as hard if not harder. It's been 90minutes since class and I'm already hurting but in a good way. More pull-ups, some rowing, lots of core and arm exercises and some running drills.

I think a day of rest in between these two bootcamps is a good idea. 

I'm also doing a burpee challenge/experiment each day to see how many I can do in the month of October. I'm nuts. But in between the bootcamps the burpees will be a reminder that I need to try my best (and within reason) in order to see positive health changes.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Today my legs feel almost back to normal but my arms feel like they are still on fire. Going to give the arms a rest and focus on light cardio this weekend like walking or an easy gym cardio class/DVD. Another epsom salt bath this weekend will be lovely.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I have read and experienced firsthand that when you're really sore, exercising the sore muscles will actually help them feel less sore!  It sounds counterintuitive, but it really does work - I've tried it a handful of times with good results each time.  Resting your sore muscles would also work though and that sounds like the better plan to me (exercising already sore muscles does put you at a higher risk of injury).  But, if you do some light arm exercises, you may find that you feel less sore - just a thought for you if it's really awful soreness.  A massage might be nice too if that's within your budget!

Have fun if you end up going walking!  Are you guys supposed to get really cold weather this weekend too?  The high temp here for tomorrow is only about 45 degrees, and they said we might get snow tonight or tomorrow.  Brr and yuck!  So if you go walking outside, bundle up!  I think I'm going to stay in all weekend (I'll go to the gym but I probably won't walk the dog or do any outdoor type activities).  It seems WAY too early in the season for cold and snow already.  And it was 80 degrees on Monday, what a difference in one week!    Brr!  Stay warm!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Yeah, movement does help it, but overall it's the soreness where if I'm not moving, I can't really lift my arms comfortably at all. I know it's not an injury though because it's on both arms in the exact same spot and it's only when I flex my muscles a certain way does it get uncomfortable and hard to move into position. 

They've been sore since the first bootcamp on Tuesday, the Wednesday epsom salt bath helped a little but Thursday's bootcamp put them back into hurts-to-lift-my-arm soreness mode. All things considered, rest for at least a full day is probably the best idea.

My lower body (which has always been much stronger than my upper half) is recovering much faster and so some lower body-focused cardio will do me well until Saturday. Then I will try some light arm exercises and see how it feels.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

It was raining all last night and this morning. The temps are expected to drop in the 40s and the winds are starting to pick up a lot. Chicago is having it's first annual Great Chicago Fire festival on the Chicago River tomorrow with all day music, performances, and a finale fire spectacle on the river and fireworks and I REALLY want to check it out I will have to bundle myself up well. I know it's October but these temps usually don't hit Chicago until around Halloween at the end of the month (its always freezing on halloween).

http://chicagofirefestival.com/

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2014...ver-during-first-ever-great-chicago-fire-fest

That's crazy you are going to get snow already. Good luck and stay warm!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

We normally have fairly decent weather through October, as well.  It typically does not snow here in October!  This is WAY too early in the season for snow.  It's quite windy here as well and it was something like 48 degrees when I went out to run errands a little while ago.  Not snowing yet, but it feels like it might!  Yuck!  I hope you have a good time at the festival tomorrow!  Maybe get your leg cardio in by moving around/jogging in place at the festival to stay warm.    Stay warm!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Saturday was crazy cold. I still managed to get out for a few hours on Saturday evening though. The soreness was gone by the afternoon which is a relief...sleeping on sore arms was not fun to wake up to. Sunday I went to a dance/cardio class that worked me out real nice.

Still going strong on the burpees. 105 completed this past week...I'm up to 30 burpees/day. Today is a rest day and tomorrow I have an 60 min. bootcamp and 35 burpees.

My sleep cycle routine has officially shifted. I tried resting this weekend and sleeping in until 9am....all weekend my body was wide awake and I was ready to get up and moving by 6:30a.m. Consequently, I am also a walking zombie now by 10:00p.m. :lol: But my sleep feels more relaxing and wholesome. The morning sluggishness is fading and my alertness at work during the day is increasing.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Up at 4:55 a.m. (no alarm!)  Bootcamp at 7:00 a.m. 

Mostly upper body work and lunges, all using kettlebells. I don't normally use kettlebells at all so I got a unique workout today. Using them kind of makes me nervous. There were these kettlebell side swings and oblique crunches that we did that got me thinking if I accidentally let go of the kettlebell it would fall right on my head. Good thing that didn't happen in real life.

I challenged myself in a new way but I don't feel like the recovery time will be as lengthy and intense as last week as I spent more time focusing on proper form than getting in reps. At least the reps I did were quality ones.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I'm still keeping with the workout/sleep routine I began: bootcamp 2 - 3 days/week early A.M. and early rises M-F between 5:00a.m. and 6:00a.m. 

I 'm loving the bootcamp class and challenging myself in a way I haven't since before Crohn's and steroid treatments for crohn's. I have more energy and mental clarity in the morning but I find that pure exhaustion comes easily as the day progresses. I'm beginning to crash easily by mid-afternoon and I can barely keep my eyes open by dinnertime. It becomes a combination of physical and mental exhaustion. My body is pretty used to getting up early now and does it on it's own even without the alarm so sleeping in is not all that easy. My bedtimes have also moved up to about 1-2 hours earlier naturally since this early a.m. routine has taken over.

Naps are not a real option anymore as my office just moved floors temporarily for construction and the private conference room I used to rest when I was flaring is no longer available. 

My diet can continue to be evaluated to eliminate poor items and increase those proteins and things that will give me the energy boost to keep me going.

I also haven't gotten my b12 shot in close to 3 months now (I've been traveling and occupied with dentists and other things that create scheduling conflicts). I need to get back on track with that. 

I have a GI appointment I need to schedule for next month and I will ask him to check all of my blood levels including iron and b12 since it's been a good while since I have gotten that done.

The one thing I've noticed is that my body doesn't bounce back from activity like it used to before crohn's. Fatigue is my new nickname after a day or two of activity. Kind of disappointing but also acknowledgment that I have to figure out what works best for me at this stage in my life to help keep my health more balanced during remission.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Chicago, if it were me I'd definitely look into getting back on those B12 shots ASAP and get some bloodwork done too - even though you're exercising early in the morning, you really shouldn't be that exhausted by dinnertime or that fatigued after a day or two of exercise.  Definitely makes me wonder if you've got some vitamin deficiencies going on so I'm glad you're going to get that checked out!  I hope whatever is causing the fatigue is an easy fix.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Thanks. I set up my appointment for two weeks from now with my GI and PCP so hopefully they can help shed some light on the situation.

I've also been pushing myself a lot with other responsibilities in addition to trying to relax and enjoy myself. Last week was pretty brutal. But the coming weeks I will be more focused on balancing my calendar to encourage exercise and rest. Before crohn's I was a very active and social person. In general I often forget that I can't just run around like I used to and expect to have the same amount of energy left over. Then I wind up occasionally crashing and reaching a point of exhaustion that brings me to tears and disappointment.

However, I don't have any intention of giving up the bootcamps as I feel so much better physically and mentally when I do them. I can feel myself getting physically stronger....so I will need to focus more on working around them.

OH! And I can feel myself improving on my planks! I can finally hold a side plank AND do a few seconds of proper plank punches without my knees on the ground! :dusty: I still hate planks though. Hahahahaha!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

My workout routine is going strong and I'm even feeling like I am getting a bit more energy to start my days. The scale wasn't budging at first but it looks like I have dropped 3 pounds since starting bootcamp the beginning of October. (3 down, at least 17 more to go!) I'm assuming I've put on more muscle which caused the delay in pounds lost on the scale.

I gave up my membership at my LA Fitness to join the bootcamp program as I'm really being challenged there more than personal training or doing their gym activities. I also joined a dietbet challenge to try and win some money off of my weight loss/health improvement goals. With the dietbet, I have to lose 4% of my current weight (7.8lb loss) in 28 days. The pot is now at around $18,500 (and about 530 players) so that will be fun if I can win a piece of that plus what I put into the pot initially.

So I will be doing bootcamp 2 -3 days/week + 2-3 days of cardio at home via YouTube channels. I've been reviewing and collecting exercises from YouTube that I think will give me the variety that I need to stay focused and in the game. Also, I usually give up sweets at the start of November in preparation for Thanksgiving so I'm looking forward to seeing how that affects my body in addition to my new workout / clean(er) eating routine.

Oh! And planks STILL improving! I'm learning how to do plank varieties now!  Today was the plank toe-touch.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sounds like you're doing great!  And yes, muscle is denser than fat so it is possible to put on muscle and lose fat but not have your number on the scale shift much - that happened with me, too.  Do not let that discourage you - health is about wayyy more than just the number on the scale!  It sounds like you're feeling better and getting stronger which are far more important things, even if they can't really be measured in numbers.

That's excellent about your planks improving!  It's so satisfying to improve on something you don't really like - it's a feeling like, you won!    Planks zero, Chicago one.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Got my B12 injection last night. Also had a 6 month follow-up with my GI regarding my remission. I have felt better than I have since this diagnosis 2 1/2 years ago. I am finally able to do more and even though I sometimes need to take a break to regain my energy from all of my activity, I have had no crohn's symptoms....only excessive IBS gassiness and fiber bloating-non constipation (he has me starting probiotics to help with that). 

I have been on 6-mp for 1 year + 8 months now and it put and has kept me in remission. However I seem to be an unusual case as I appear to be in remission at a non-therapeutic dose. And though my dose is non-therapeutic with no symptoms, my liver toxicity levels seem to INCREASE each time my dosage is altered...doesn't matter whether the dose is upped or lowered. My GI has been stumped as to why this is happening but we didn't want to mess with a good thing. While my liver toxicity levels are worth monitoring, they aren't elevated enough to require me being off of the medication so we have kept things as they are since the start of this year and I have had no issues and keep feeling better.

Over the summer he apparently consulted with a few colleagues about my case and they all seem to have come to an agreement that adding allopurinol to my treatment plan may be in my best interest. I'm not pleased to hear that. I am so over being a lab rat, adding medications and dealing with side effects or the worry of potential side effects that could effect my everyday life. I've been feeling so well and for some blood work to say that is not the case just pisses me off and bummed me out a lot. This appointment just reminded me that no matter how well I may be feeling, I will always have this cloud of crohn's hovering over me waiting to strike and make my life uncomfortable again. I had more bloodwork done last night and that will give me time to think about whether or not adding medication is in my best interest....depending on the results of the lab work, of course.

Anyway, outside of yesterdays glum news, I'm still making progress with the fitness and I am starting to see some slight visible results. You are right, Cat. The scale is only one part of the equation. I feel myself becoming lighter and developing muscle in areas where I had little to none. My energy/alertness is improving and I am still committed to my weight loss / healthy diet goal.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Got my b12 last week and feeling much more able to get-up-and-go than before. 

Also got my bloodwork back and from the looks of all of it everything seems to be in a good range except for the 6mp is still not at a therapeutic level but the toxic levels have dropped significantly into a safer number. Not sure what my GI will think of all of it given my history on these meds but we will see when I call.

Been under a lot of mental stress lately and also very busy so I didn't put much energy into exercising last week though I did go on a few easy walks through some neighborhoods. Went back to bootcamp this morning and feel like it was my first time there I was so burnt out! That's what I get for missing a few days lol. It also shows me the importance of staying physically active. If I had done absolutely nothing last week I would have been mush this morning 

I'm down from 194lbs. to 191lbs still. Having difficulty breaking into the 180s but I'm sure it will happen with diligence. I am more excited to FEEL stronger than I have before. I've also shed almost a full inch in my hips so there is definitely some muscle being built in my body right now.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'm glad you got your B12 shot and that it helped!  The way you've been talking about your energy levels lately has had me a bit concerned so I'm glad things seem to be on the upswing now.  And I know what you mean about having a hard time getting back into the really tough workouts after a break.  I slacked for awhile on my workouts with the vertigo stuff and the weather turning cooler and all that, and now that I'm finally properly getting back into my workouts, I've had to lower the amount of weight I'm lifting and things seem more difficult.  Even though I've still sporadically worked out the past couple months, that was not enough to keep my fitness level up where it was so now I'm playing catch-up.  Hopefully boot camp quickly gets easier for you again!  Not that it'll ever be easy from the sound of it, but you know what I mean.

And that's fantastic about the weight loss and your hips being slimmer!  I've actually gained about 6 lbs lately so I'm trying to lose a bit of weight myself, and it's definitely not easy, so you should be proud of your 3 lb loss!  I was also reading recently about the term "NSVs" - non-scale victories.  Hitting fitness goals or milestones that can't be quantified as a number on the scale.  Like, you mentioned feeling stronger and having put on muscle, and that's definitely a NSV.  So celebrate those things as well!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Wow. 11/11/14 was my last post. This was unintentional. I've been dealing with some very personal issues that have kept me away from the forum. I kept up with my challenge however I unfortunately lost. I DID manage to get my weight into the 189lb. range (original weight 194) . And as of this past weekend I saw visible progress for the first time in the form of performance....I completed my very first set of proper plank push-ups! My core is getting stronger as are my arms. I did 4 rounds and got through 7 of them before needing to return to the modified version. Prior to this I couldn't do a plank for more than 5 seconds and I definitely couldn't get my arms up to do a push up. So I'm motivated to keep going and pushing myself to become stronger and healthier.

Dietary-wise I have done my best to keep things simple but am slipping now and then due to stress. Fortunately my fridge does not keep bad foods in stock so temptation wins only if I choose to seek out the not-so-good-for-you foods. I avoided binge eating on Thanksgiving and even refused to take many leftovers home to avoid sabotaging my goals.

My energy levels are still pretty good but I've been running about a lot so I sleep a bit longer than usual though I still manage to keep my two days/week 5:00 a.m. schedule for bootcamp. I also go to bootcamps every other Saturday. When life settles in two weeks or so I will be able to give more time to physical activity.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'm glad to hear you're still exercising in spite of life/personal stuff getting in the way!  That's an accomplishment in itself and you should be proud.  And congrats on the weight loss too!  It sounds like you're hitting your goals so keep at it.  That's awesome about the plank and push-ups, too!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Still here....

Most of December was spent away from the gym with holidays, a move and other matters to attend to but I assure you they kept me on my feet and moving about constantly. Started back at the bootcamp gym this week after a month away and was surprised to see how easily I was able to get back into the routine. Not very sluggish at all. 

Also, I found out that my gym coach has colitis as well. We talked about our own personal diets (he's a triathlete and takes lots of amino acids and lives in the gym). I had to school him a little bit on Crohn's-colitis which is what I have but it was good to have an understanding person face-to-face to talk about it and one who coaches me physically who will understand my limitations and how to push me even more now. It's interesting the contrast between us...him: colitis, lots of muscle build, triathlete, looks like the typical athlete. Me: crohn's, soft, supple, weak arms but determination lol.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Moving to a new place is worth about 20 workouts!  I definitely don't fault you for not hitting the gym while that was going on.  The last time I moved was about 6 years ago, when we bought our house.  We were excited to be going from an apartment to a house, but even so, moving was a nightmare.  It was like, why do we own so much stuff?  And why do we own so much HEAVY stuff??    So I'm sure you got some good exercise out of your move!

That's cool about your coach having colitis.  Well, not cool for him of course, but it's cool that you've got someone training you who has experience with similar health challenges.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Oh I did get the exercise from the move. I also now have to walk up 4 flights of stairs (no elevator) to get to my place. Talk about leg burn  throughout the day hahaha.  Yeah, not cool he has it, but I at least have someone I can relate to regarding one of my routine activities.  We talk a lot about food lol.

Still slowly making progress but I have great results. I can now do about 10 assisted pullups instead of just one  AND I have advanced to normal planks and a couple normal push-ups!   . I feel like I look the same but yesterday a friend of mine said I look trimmer and this morning my gym coach said I looked like I was starting to get leaner. The scale hasn't changed nor have my clothes much so there's muscle building in there somewhere which is still good!

My kitchen at my new place is not allowed processed foods or sugars. If I desperately crave something like that I have to go out of my way to get it. Anything I eat at home must be made myself. I've really got to fine tune my portion control and balance though. I think a food journal and accurate measurements of foods is my February goal.

I can see that getting older and a health condition is starting to make my fitness progress a much slower process than it has ever been but I'm still committed and will happily accept whatever change I can keep up.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Yes, I know what you mean about having slow progress which may be due at least in part to our health conditions.  (I'm 35 and I haven't even really factored in age into my equation, personally I feel like my health issues and medications etc play a much larger part for me than my age does - I'm probably just in denial though about how rapidly middle age is approaching!)  Yeah, sometimes progress in my overall fitness seems to be at a snail's pace.  But any progress is progress nonetheless and should be celebrated!  I'm quite similar to what you said, my weight hasn't really changed nor has my clothing size (except that I've had to get rid of some shirts because my biceps are now too big for the sleeves!).  But I didn't actually need to lose weight, and my body has definitely changed and I've shifted some flab into muscle for sure.  I actually kind of like how I look now and I've heard some positive comments (my hubby swears my butt looks better now than it did when we were first dating, when I was 19! Ha ha).  So yes, even though progress can seem slow or almost nonexistent at times, it is still progress so keep going!  

That's fantastic about having no processed foods at your new place, well done!  And the 4 flights of stairs, phew!  Do you have a fitness tracker at all?  I just got a fitbit which tracks how many flights of stairs I walk up per day (it tracks a bunch of other things too, but the stairs thing in particular might be of interest to you).  Because of my fitbit thing, I've been taking the stairs rather than the elevator at work even though it's exhausting (to be fair, I've had the flu for a few weeks now and my lung capacity is currently not so great, so cardio type stuff wipes me out almost immediately lately).  It's definitely motivating and something like that might help you visualize your progress in a different way if you could see the numbers of what you've accomplished that day.  Just a thought for you.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Congrats on the nice butt!  

Just finding a steady health routine right now with all of these life changes I have going on some suddenly and some planned is what's most important. I would love to see the scale go down faster but I can accept at least for right now that it may take a little bit more time.

I have been thinking about the fitbit recently. My friend who is very overweight and desperately trying to lose pounds for health reasons just got one to complement the diet plan her doctor has her on. I previously used an app that counted steps taken and congratulated you when you met certain milestones. What I really like about her fitbit is how it tracks her sleep. I would love to know what kind of sleep I'm actually getting. The only downside to a fitbit for me is I never wear watches or bracelets except for very special occasions which is rare (once or twice a year) so I don't know if I could manage wearing that fitbit all of the time. But I'm still thinking about it. Weighing if it is ultimately worth the cost and inconvenience to my wrist lol.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

They do make fitness trackers that aren't in wristband form - I have one!  I have a fitbit "one"  which is actually a clip-on.  (There are two clip-on models of the fitbit - the "zip" is basically only a pedometer, whereas the "one" tracks sleep and other things as well.)  As for the fitbit "one" - you do wear it in a soft fabric wristband when you sleep and that's how it tracks your sleep.  But that's the only time you wear it in a wristband, when you're not sleeping you just clip it on to your pants or whatever.  The "one" seemed to get better reviews on amazon than the fitbit "flex" (wristband) so that was my main reason for going with the clip rather than the wristband - it's my understanding that the "flex" wristband also does not have an altimeter, so it can't count how many flights of stairs you've gone up.  The "one" does have an altimeter and does count stairs so that was another selling point for me.  I'm not sure if the "flex" has a sleep tracker or not but I seem to recall that it does not.  Long story short, my understanding is that the "zip" and the "flex" are both essentially just fancy pedometers, whereas the "one" has the added features of stairs & sleep tracking, and that's why I got that one.

Anyway, do some reading on the various fitness trackers that are out there - there's a lot besides just fitbits.  There are quite a number of fitness trackers on the market right now with a variety of features so read some reviews.  None of them are quite perfect yet - all of them require you to log your food if you want to see calories in vs. calories out (I'd love a fitness tracker that just automatically knows how many calories I've taken in on a given day!) so that part is kind of a pain.  Only a few fitness trackers are capable of checking things like heart rate (my understanding is, it has to be rather tight on your wrist to check your heart rate so that would get annoying and uncomfortable pretty quick).  Some track sleep and some do it better than others.  Some are waterproof and some are not.  And so on.  So, go read a bunch of reviews - that's what I did!  Good luck!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

So I mentioned the possible fitbit purchase to a group of people and it turns out a friend of mine has a Jawbone UP fitness tracker that she received as a gift and never opened/never plans to use. She said she'd give it to me for free (how cool is that!) so I think I'm going to give that one a test drive and see if it's a good fit for me.

Still making it to the gym. I've been pushing myself a bit more with the goal of getting to bootcamps 3-4 days/week instead of my typical 2 days/week routine. The pounds won't budge but I'm still seeing strength and muscle development. And today I did a monkeybar exercise and managed to fully cross over to one new bar of the monkeybars! It sounds like nothing but never in my life have I been able to do any sort of monkeybar activities (definitely something I missed out on in childhood). Slow progress overall but progress nonetheless. 

I'm going to rest for a day or two....with the additional day of exercise and the amount of ongoing activity I've had going on I think my body is needing a rest. As far as weight loss goes my diet is steady getting more veggie focused though I fail every other day with sweets or something else indulgent. I also think I need to mix it up as my bootcamps are primarily focused on strength training and I need to find a way to get some extra cardio into my routine. I've purposely walked a lot this week to get some mild cardio in between the bootcamps and I feel like i've done my body good. 

Also I noticed that the combination of exercise, simpler diet and more sufficient sleep is easing my constant gas issues. The gas is still present, but it's not an all day inconvenience to me and those around me like it has been in the recent past.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Keep in mind that muscle is denser & heavier than fat - so even though the lbs on the scale may say the same number, it sounds like you're definitely slimming down and getting more toned.  That's a good thing!    So don't get discouraged, you're making progress and you just need to look at the big picture, don't just get bogged down by the number on the scale by itself.

Congrats on getting a fitness tracker for free, that's awesome!  I don't know much about that one except that my boss has a Jawbone UP and she seems to really like it.  Apparently it gives a little vibration if you've been idle for an hour?  I'm not such a fan of that feature, I sit at work all day and I don't need something buzzing on my wrist every hour for 8 hours straight.    Other than that, though, it sounds like it's a really decent tracker and it seems to have a better sleep tracker than my fitbit does (my boss raves about the awesome sleep tracker on her Jawbone).  Have fun with it!

Don't worry so much about your diet and "failing" by having sweets, either.  I was reading something that Jillian Michaels had said, she's a celebrity fitness trainer and she's super fit and someone that I admire.  Anyway, she had said that about 80% of her diet is good, clean, healthy food, and 20% is junk, treats, snacks, etc.  She said it's impossible to stick to a perfect diet all the time and it's totally okay to allow yourself a little bit of junk or sweets each day as long as you stick to mostly healthy food otherwise.  I really like that outlook, because I know I would fail in about 3 seconds if I tried to cut out all junk food forever.  But the 80/20 ratio sounds totally do-able in comparison.  So don't beat yourself up too much, it sounds like you're doing about 90/10 if you're only having junk food every other day.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I definitely see where you are coming from, I have to admit though my concerns I express about my weight loss mostly come from these things:

I think my metabolism is slowing and it is very easy to put the pounds back on now compared to the past. Also, I have in my past and still a bit in my present been guilty of overindulgent periods/lack of self control when it comes to food that I'm learning to control. Even if I eat healthy, it's still unhealthy as I sometimes eat far more than I should over an extended period of time. It's a binge session and usually happens during stressful or very bored moments. I've started talking to personal coaches to help get it in order a bit more and make it easier to combat when the urges hit as I'm trying to make a lifestyle change. Its very much a mental thing to tackle and affects me more than I let on at times.

I measure myself periodically with measuring tape. My mid-section is definitely slimming down but my lower body (gut/hips/butt/thighs) which is where I carry the majority of my weight hasn't budged yet even with all of the exercising I do. Historically I have to work very hard to get my body in a position where it's able to tackle the lower half. I'm 190 lbs., a pear shape with a high body fat percentage (35%) mostly accumulated in my lower half. If you looked at a photo of me waist-up you would think I'm very skinny but if you looked at me waist-down I could be categorized as overweight and do wear plus-sized pants. 

I'll get to it eventually. The important thing is I'm still seeing progress no matter how long it's taking to finally show. But it's definitely something I need to be more mindful of especially as I get older.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

The pounds are starting to come off. I'm 185lbs to date. I had to change my routine up a little to realize what I was doing wrong. I was doing the bootcamp and was building strength/endurance but not enough cardio. So I switched to his other bootcamp class which is just as challenging but adds more cardio and supplements it with increments of strength training and voila! I toggle between the two classes but mostly do the cardio-focused one now. I'm still learning new exercises every week through the boot camps which challenges my body and reduces boredom. And it's turning out to be an especially great stress relieving activity for me lately. I go 2-3 times weekly and that's plenty. I do something very light in between those days or simply make sure to stretch with the foam roller and get some rest.

I also have shifted to a diet that focuses a lot more on vegetables cooked in a way that my body digests them more easily. I have discovered I love roasted vegetables. I also sautee them a lot now too which is good. I have difficulty with raw veggies so the oven and stove are my friends in this area. I am preparing about 90% of my meals at home. This calls for more clean eating and control over ingredients. I'm making sure I have a good balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats. The food scale I bought is also teaching me a lot more about portion sizes. I learned with the food scale that I was being VERY generous with my dry pasta servings. I now know what one serving looks like and though it looks much smaller than I normally eat, I'm still very full and satisfied from the meal.

I've discovered I like eggplant and make mini pizzas out of it instead of using crust. If it is cooked a certain way I am more willing to eat and enjoy it.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

That's great that you've found a good balance of what type of exercise is working best for you!  And yes, rest is good - it'll help heal your muscles and you'll be better able to do the next workout.  Those mini eggplant pizzas also sound kind of amazing - I like eggplant parmesan so mini pizzas don't sound like that much of a stretch.  Do you have a recipe or do you literally just slice the eggplant, put sauce & cheese & toppings on, and bake it?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

All you have to do is slice the eggplant about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. I put a little oil on the baking sheet and place them  in the oven on 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Then I pull them out, flip them over, top them with pizza or marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella (or cheese of your choice), sliced grape tomatoes and fresh basil and put them back in the oven until the cheese bubbles and browns a little. That's it. A really quick recipe. The fresh basil really adds the most flavor.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I love fresh basil!  We've grown it in our garden the past couple summers.  Unfortunately I don't have a green thumb so I've tried numerous times to grow basil in a little flowerpot in the house, but it always dies.  It grows just fine outside in the summer so pretty much I only get fresh basil during the warm months (in other words, no basil right now as it's like -20 out there!).  I will definitely keep eggplant pizzas in mind when the weather warms up - thanks!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Long time no post. But here's my update: 10lbs down total  It's starting to show. I look trimmer from the bootcamps and feel stronger overall. I've also been getting in my 10000 steps as much as possible. My diet is more about portion control and sneaking in extra veggies or making them the main dish more frequently as well as cooking more at home and bringing my lunch to work.

Unfortunately it looks like I will have to cut back significantly on the bootcamps and go only once per week....turns out my knees are in poor shape and have begun making crunching sounds. Doc examined me for injuries but says it is more likely the start of arthritis and that crunching sound is bone on bone from my kneecaps. 

Doc told me I didn't have to give up bootcamps (because exercise is good for arthritis) but I should reduce frequency and intensity. That being said, I recently found a dance studio in my neighborhood that does cardio dance sessions combined with core work and finishing off with yoga moves. I tried them out and like the classes so far (doesn't hurt that they are cheaper than the bootcamps either). So I will be switching over to more cardio which will probably lead to more fat loss and energy and hopefully be less stressful on my knees (no weights, kettlebells, deep constant squatting and jumping). 

Not much I can do about the knees except for ice and rest and stretching since us IBD folks can't take anti-inflammatories (or at least I refuse to).


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Aww, sorry you have to join the arthritis club!    I've had arthritis in my hips for a few years now so I can definitely understand what you're going through.  And it sounds like you're doing things right - keep exercising, but switch to exercise that doesn't hurt and doesn't exacerbate things.  For me, high-impact exercise like running/jogging and even walking can make my hips feel worse, so I keep it low-impact and ride my bike for cardio instead.  Also, as long as I stretch things out very well after a workout, then my hips are nearly pain-free most of the time.  So as long as I do those things to keep my hips happy, then I can still work out and feel relatively little joint pain.

Another thing you may want to look into - going to physical therapy really helped me when I was first diagnosed with arthritis.  They can show you very specific exercises and the correct form to do them, that should help with your knee pain.  PT definitely helped me.  If PT isn't an option, generally speaking what I learned was that I have to stretch & strengthen not only the affected joints, but also the areas around those joints so that everything is working in harmony to support the arthritic joints.  So, for me it wasn't just working on my hips, it was also working on my lower back, glutes, quads, hamstrings,lower abdominal muscles, etc.  I'd do some gentle strengthening exercises on all those areas, then stretch everything out very well.  That helped me a lot!

I also refuse to take anti-inflammatories for my arthritis as I'd rather deal with the pain than deal with the potential repercussions of taking NSAIDs.  Ice, heat (heating pad or hot bath), sports creams, Tylenol/acetaminophen (not an NSAID), massage, stuff like that can all help a little bit and might at least take the edge off.  Honestly though, physical therapy and exercise have been the things that have helped my arthritis the most.  So keep on working out, just do what you can do!


----------



## hawkeye

CrohnsChicago said:


> bringing my lunch to work./QUOTE]
> 
> Good for the waistline and good for the pocketbook.
> I try to stay away from the ibuprofen (tylenol is the main go to for pain - but I take the odd, odd advil if I really need to) and NSAIDs as well.
> 
> Do fish oil supplements help with the joints?


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Thanks for the suggestions that's really helpful as I'm a bit lost on the situation. Fortunately there's no pain in my knees for me. Just the crunching with varied intensity depending on the type of activity I've been involved in. They can get a teensy bit tight and feel tired once in a while too. A couple weeks ago they felt warm for the first time ever so I laid off of exercising for a few days and iced/rested the knees. I VERY OCCASIONALLY take Tylenol but I too would rather just fight through any kind of pain or discomfort whenever possible or use a natural remedy first.

I did a cardio class yesterday and it was a bit of dance combined with pilates and yoga. I can absolutely see how stretching helps and I need to work a lot more on that. I thought I was pretty flexible until I did that class lol.

And it's definitely helping the pocketbook hawkeye to eat my own lunch. It's funny to look at my account now and see all of the old ringups for fast food...even the healthier fast foods. It all really does add up!

I've heard that fish oil supplements do help with joints. I already take them for my crohn's because I've read some research in the past that says fish oil also helps to maintain remission. But I haven't been diligent about it lately and should probably get back into that routine.


----------



## hawkeye

One of my colleagues at work was mentioning how his knees don't crack as much when he is going up stairs when he is taking the fish oil.  I take 3 capsules every day with breakfast.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

It's good that you don't have any pain from the arthritis!  I'm presuming this means they caught it early?  In my experience, physical therapy works best if it's caught early (although PT is still a good idea even if it's more advanced).  Speaking of arthritis, how are your knees holding up with this rainy weather we've had lately?  My hips were doing okay until today, then the bad hip decided to become quite painful this morning.  There is definitely a good stretching session in my near future and I'm going to have a long soak in a hot bath tonight as well.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I'm pretty sure they caught it early as all of this is fairly new and developed very slowly over the last couple of months. My knees feel fine in this weather but admittely I've been working out and stretching everyday this  and using heat packs every other day. Surprisingly the crunching was barely noticeable yesterday compared to other days though I dealt with the slightest bit of knee discomfort walking down stairs. Today they seem okay as well.

I have a pin in my hip and am at risk for arthritis there and have arthritic symptoms there when I flare but outside of a flare that joint only bothers me in severe negative degree temps.

I go back to my doc in a few weeks for an unrelated matter I'll see what they say about PT and if that is something I should be considering at this point.


----------



## CrohnsChicago

I finally got my Jawbone from my friend (took a while but if it's free it's worth waiting for lol). It's similar to a fitbit just another brand. 

I'm liking it so far and it's a lot easier than carrying around my phone so that an app can occasionally log my steps as I carry it around. I also like that it syncs with other apps like MyFitnessPal so you can log your food. Hopefully this will help me keep tabs on the types of nutrients and bad things that are being consumed as well as give a more accurate count of what sort of activity I am doing during a day.

The sleep tracker on the wristband is pretty interesting and fairly accurate at least when logging when I am awake but not necessarily moving much in the middle of the night. THe only inaccuracy I found was that I  chose to meditate at one point before bed and it logged me in as being in a deep sleep....well I guess I did eventually get there LOL

Got back on the fish oil and I've also added Vitamin D into the supplement mix for bone health as well as mental health and some research suggests it helps aid in weight loss through physical activity.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

My boss has a jawbone so I'm a bit familiar with it.  I don't like hers mainly because it vibrates whenever she has been sitting for an hour - we work in an office so sitting for 8 hours a day is what we do!  Hers wants her to get up every hour and move around, and that's just not always feasible and it seems like that feature would get annoying really fast.  I do think her sleep tracker on the jawbone is better than mine on the fitbit is, though.  My fitbit can't really distinguish very well between lying awake but not moving, and being asleep.  The jawbone seems to have much more ability to detect subtlety in sleep patterns whereas the fitbit is more just, you're moving or you're not so you're awake or you're not.    Pros and cons to each fitness tracker I guess!


----------



## CrohnsChicago

Hahaha yeah that's a personal setting that can be changed or removed if you want. I have it set to buzz if I'm idle after an hour but so far it hasn't had the need to yet . I'm surprised you can hear it because I barely can and the thing sits on my wrist I just feel it vibrate mostly with a subtle sound.

I think this will be really interesting to look at my sleep patterns after the first week has passed. Overall the sleep and nap features have been the most impressive to me.


----------

