@colwyn Listening to my body. I once trained for a half marathon during a time my daughter wasn’t sleeping well and didn’t do well or enjoy it. I remember doing a ten mile run on four hours of sleep. I typically don’t skip a workout if I’m not feeling great, but I will scale back if needed. Nutrition is another one. I try to refuel with protein after workouts and eat mostly plant based throughout the day. It has made a difference in how I recover for sure.
@colwyn Resistance and weight training has really helped me lose more weight / use my body more efficiently during workouts. Oh...and eating well. Whoops
@colwyn Stretching! I wish I had continued stretching from the activities I did in my youth! I only started concentrating on stretching again after a year of going to the gym regularly, it really makes a difference
@colwyn Mine is the same as yours I could be at my goal weight by now if I started eating better. I didn’t realize how if I truly was just consistent with good foods, I could shed weight as easily as I did. But when I started working out, I’ve only done weight lifting so now that I’m losing fat, my muscle is looking so great! Again, I wish I would’ve started eating better sooner!
@colwyn I underestimated the importance of my knees lol. I’m about 15 years into my fitness journey and no longer have any ACLs, two hamstring grafts instead. Take care of your knees, folks!
@colwyn I regret drinking the fitness Kool-Aid. And by that I mean supplements and protein powder. There is nothing worse than the idea of having to drink a stupid protein shake after every workout and not gag or hate myself. Protein shakes are the devil because protein powder is just awful. Doesn't matter the brand, doesn't matter the kind. And working out successfully and building the body I want isn't dependent on that disgusting, chalky crud.
Also CLA's and creatine and all that crap, am I competing for something? No? Then it's totally unnecessary. If you can't get what you need from your diet as a normal person, then fix your diet. Supplements have a specific purpose and need to be used in a deliberate way.
@colwyn That being disabled, even just "mildly" disabled, would mean I'd need to find my own goals that didn't necessarily involve progress. I injured myself so many times trying to improve just like the rest of the people around me. Lift heavier? Walk faster? Nope, that's an express train to strain town.
Now I just focus on moving my body in ways that feel good for a certain amount of time each week. Sometimes that's a hike or a brisk dance. Sometimes that's an amble around the block because my knees won't tolerate anything else. It's hard to give up on the idea of being fit, because isn't that what fitness is all about? But for a lot of folks, letting that go is the healthiest thing we can do for ourselves.
@colwyn Exercise is a celebration of what my body can do -not a punishment for what I ate or how I feel.
This mindset switch has changed everything quite honestly. Prior, I would focus mainly on cardio as a way of getting smaller. Now, I feel like a badass when I lift - and my weight has gone up. I legit visualize lifting myself up, building up not only physically strength but mental too. And for the first time, I no longer feel "skinny fat" - I've got definition onto of feeling like I am finally celebrating myself!
@colwyn I love lifting heavy shit and resistance training. I also found the elliptical is the easiest cardio, other than swimming, on my loosey-goosey joints.
Exercise shouldn't feel like punishment (like gym class frequently did) it should feel fun.
@colwyn Wrote a whole thing but actually what I want to say is that like a month ago someone on this sub mentioned she was given good but unsolicited advice at the gym to look waaaaay up when squatting.
I’ve been messing around with weights for 8 years now / dedicated to consistent lifting for 4 and I’ll be damned if this has not instantly improved my squat.
I stare so high up it looks like I want to blow my bangs out of my eyes. Stability is so much better, depth much improved and all of it is translating into consistently adding weight.
PS - at some point I was told/read your eyes should track your line of movement so I’d been doing that. Now I’m questioning everything.
