Rob's Reboot
- Thread starter bensanon
- Start date
Thank you all for the encouragement, all. Yes, the stress sucks and there's more to come but I'm getting through it. I couldn't imagine I would have been able to handle it just a year ago with what I was going through. I had taken medication for almost 2 decades to deal with anxiety and depression. Turns out I'm pretty normal and can function without it. Evidence suggests I continue to improve and am becoming more resilient. Exercise though is a different type of medication therapy for me, much healthier. The bingeing stuff and sleep stuff has been tied into all this and it continues to go away, very subtly, very slowly, but it's coming.
It was a very nice day here. Another rest day and I didn't track my calories. I didn't run either. I walked about 2 miles with Cam outside. I can feel a new weird, some type of pain, indication in my lower back on the right side. Feels like a pulled muscle or spasming muscle or something like that. Better to rest and not push it with this stuff. I know that and at least today I'm backing off like I should. That area is very concerning to me. Most other areas and other types of injuries, mostly minor stuff, I typically do fine with the pain and can push through until it goes away.
It was a very nice day here. Another rest day and I didn't track my calories. I didn't run either. I walked about 2 miles with Cam outside. I can feel a new weird, some type of pain, indication in my lower back on the right side. Feels like a pulled muscle or spasming muscle or something like that. Better to rest and not push it with this stuff. I know that and at least today I'm backing off like I should. That area is very concerning to me. Most other areas and other types of injuries, mostly minor stuff, I typically do fine with the pain and can push through until it goes away.
Heartily endorsed! I like the sound of the walk with Cam, though.
That is so great Rob!
Again so great! I am sure finding increase in walking helping me with my anxiety and stress levels as well.
Sorry to hear about the new pain
Hope it heals quickly for you!Thanks for your comments, liza and Amy!
Yesterday, I didn't get a chance to post in the evening. I turned in early.
Day 13
Food
Breakfast was eggs and a fish oil supplement
Lunch was skipped
Dinner was salad with chicken and light zesty Italian dressing
Snacks were frozen mango chunks and protein chips
Total calories in were 1964.
Exercise
4 sets of 40 reverse hyper
standing calf and quad stretches
1 mile incline walking, 3.9mph, 6% incline
fartlek run, 1 hard, 2 easy, 7 sets - about 21 minutes alternating 5k pace and a recovery run pace with recovery runs before and after
7 miles total including the sprinting, 5.7mph average speed, 1% incline
Total calories out were around 1492.
Sleep
4 hours 57 minutes
Thursday was a rest day. My sleep is suffering lately. When I start reducing my calories, it suffers more. My sciatica is feeling fine now. I sometimes feel some pain in my hip but no longer any pain in my knee. I'm pretty sure this means I'm continuing to heal because the pain is not radiating as far down my leg as it was before. My spine is tingly though. It's been a little tingly for over a year now but it's more annoying lately. My lower right back area is still a little bothersome. I think it's overuse of one of the muscles and it's spasming a little bit. As I get more and more into the running, I feel my waist tightening a little bit. I checked my weight yesterday and I was at 205. I'll probably run again today.
Yesterday, I didn't get a chance to post in the evening. I turned in early.
Day 13
Food
Breakfast was eggs and a fish oil supplement
Lunch was skipped
Dinner was salad with chicken and light zesty Italian dressing
Snacks were frozen mango chunks and protein chips
Total calories in were 1964.
Exercise
4 sets of 40 reverse hyper
standing calf and quad stretches
1 mile incline walking, 3.9mph, 6% incline
fartlek run, 1 hard, 2 easy, 7 sets - about 21 minutes alternating 5k pace and a recovery run pace with recovery runs before and after
7 miles total including the sprinting, 5.7mph average speed, 1% incline
Total calories out were around 1492.
Sleep
4 hours 57 minutes
Thursday was a rest day. My sleep is suffering lately. When I start reducing my calories, it suffers more. My sciatica is feeling fine now. I sometimes feel some pain in my hip but no longer any pain in my knee. I'm pretty sure this means I'm continuing to heal because the pain is not radiating as far down my leg as it was before. My spine is tingly though. It's been a little tingly for over a year now but it's more annoying lately. My lower right back area is still a little bothersome. I think it's overuse of one of the muscles and it's spasming a little bit. As I get more and more into the running, I feel my waist tightening a little bit. I checked my weight yesterday and I was at 205. I'll probably run again today.
Cate, I am taking magnesium. I increased the amount to 1600mg about a month ago. I haven't felt any different but the numbers are better. I'm worried I might be taking too much.
Last night I got 8 hours and 20 minutes of sleep but I overate and didn't exercise yesterday. That might be a sign I've been overworking myself and probably restricting too much on non-rest days.
I can't figure this out. I know in general, sleep is improving compared to many months ago. It's uneven and linked to the amount of food I eat and possibly linked to the increased magnesium.
Here's an article on magnesium that seems helpful. How Much Magnesium Do You Need in Your Diet?
Last night I got 8 hours and 20 minutes of sleep but I overate and didn't exercise yesterday. That might be a sign I've been overworking myself and probably restricting too much on non-rest days.
I can't figure this out. I know in general, sleep is improving compared to many months ago. It's uneven and linked to the amount of food I eat and possibly linked to the increased magnesium.
Here's an article on magnesium that seems helpful. How Much Magnesium Do You Need in Your Diet?
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How are you on relaxation techniques at the moment? I know exercise makes you feel good but maybe you can find less strenuous ways to unwind and feel good in your body? If you say you´re already good at relaxing without moving (or if your doctor/therapist says you shouldn´t do certain relaxation techniques) disregard what I said, of course.
Now that I just posted about magnesium, I'm realizing it may be having an effect on me. I was feeling tight the last couple of days and I had skipped 3-4 days of taking the magnesium. This morning I just took 800 mg and my body feels like it's relaxing and calming down now, a little sleepy. Is it possible to get dependent on this stuff? I'm at increased risk of developing dependence on anything bc of the medication I was on. I think I will drop down to 1200 for a couple weeks, then 800, then back to 400. I have no other symptoms and no constipation or diarrhea.
I've tried a lot of things, LaMa, but not much right now other than the exercise and I do breathing exercises. The exercise has been most effective by far. Breathing helps in the moment. Re your comment about doctor/therapist, I don't do/not do things in that way. You probably have suspected I'm not that type of person? Thanks for the idea of trying to find other ways besides the exercise though.
I've tried a lot of things, LaMa, but not much right now other than the exercise and I do breathing exercises. The exercise has been most effective by far. Breathing helps in the moment. Re your comment about doctor/therapist, I don't do/not do things in that way. You probably have suspected I'm not that type of person? Thanks for the idea of trying to find other ways besides the exercise though.
I would often get no response when I was going through the worst of it. Fortunately I made it through.
The fitness center I go to is closed for the next two weeks. I will probably go through withdrawals not being able to go workout lol. It's been at least a year that I've been going 5-6 days a week. It's an opportunity to start running outside though and the weather is warming up here. Yesterday I ran outside and I went far, about 10 miles. It felt fantastic. My body responds to being outside. The terrain was a lot different and that will strengthen me in different ways. The temperature was 45, about 25 degrees less than what it is in the gym.
Food was normal stuff. I probably had an overall 500-1000 calorie deficit with the exercise.
Cam is sick. She was licking the inside of a dirty dishwasher that had been sitting there uncleaned for awhile. She won't eat much and yesterday she threw up her breakfast. She ate a tiny bit last night and then I cracked an egg for her this morning. Not sure if that was a good choice but she did eat it and wouldn't eat the kibble. Yesterday afternoon I took her with me to visit someone who had a dog and you wouldn't have been able to tell she wasn't feeling well so maybe this is minor and will pass soon.
The fitness center I go to is closed for the next two weeks. I will probably go through withdrawals not being able to go workout lol. It's been at least a year that I've been going 5-6 days a week. It's an opportunity to start running outside though and the weather is warming up here. Yesterday I ran outside and I went far, about 10 miles. It felt fantastic. My body responds to being outside. The terrain was a lot different and that will strengthen me in different ways. The temperature was 45, about 25 degrees less than what it is in the gym.
Food was normal stuff. I probably had an overall 500-1000 calorie deficit with the exercise.
Cam is sick. She was licking the inside of a dirty dishwasher that had been sitting there uncleaned for awhile. She won't eat much and yesterday she threw up her breakfast. She ate a tiny bit last night and then I cracked an egg for her this morning. Not sure if that was a good choice but she did eat it and wouldn't eat the kibble. Yesterday afternoon I took her with me to visit someone who had a dog and you wouldn't have been able to tell she wasn't feeling well so maybe this is minor and will pass soon.
That sounds great. Varying terrain can indeed make a big difference.
Poor thing! I hope she feels better asap.
Cate
Long term member
Hi, Rob. How are things generally, where you are, other than the gym being shut for 2 weeks? There is so much uncertainty & lack of leadership here. No-one really knows what they should or shouldn't do.
I love hearing how good running makes you feel, Rob. I hope your body copes well with it & you can continue. It sounds like Cam will be ok. She probably got a little residue from the dishwashing powder & it has gone out of her system now. Anytime you feel like posting another Cam pic. I could do with a cute dog picture
I love hearing how good running makes you feel, Rob. I hope your body copes well with it & you can continue. It sounds like Cam will be ok. She probably got a little residue from the dishwashing powder & it has gone out of her system now. Anytime you feel like posting another Cam pic. I could do with a cute dog picture
alligatorob
Respected Member
Hey Rob, sorry to hear your gym is closing, hopefully for just 2 weeks, but who knows. Mine is still open, but today I was the only one in the place, kind of eerie.
Hope Cam makes a quick recovery, dogs usually do.
Hope Cam makes a quick recovery, dogs usually do.
Lovely! I love outdoor air--makes such a huge difference for me!
Hope Cam's feeling better!
Thanks, all. Cam seems to be doing better this morning. She's bothering me like she used to and started eating again. Last night she wouldn't eat. Must've been some bug.
I went running again yesterday outside. Felt great but it was tough and I'm sore this morning. There were about 2.5 miles I didn't have much of a shoulder to run on and cars were flying by at 50mph and it was drizzling. Kept my alertness high and my form strong through it. It's much tougher than the treadmill obviously but I'm liking it. I made it about 8 miles, walked another 2.
I continue to eat what I have been recently. No binges, no strong desire but I do have a habit of sitting in front of my computer screen and mindlessly eating, that's where all the extra calories are consumed. I weighed 204 this morning.
Things are uncertain here but not too panicky so far. I haven't had a problem getting what I need from the grocery store. Schools and classes are closing and moving online. Businesses are going to take a big hit it looks like. Local government says no crowds of 50 or more but that may now be 10 or more. I'm most worried about this going on for the next few months. Things could get dramatically different pretty quickly so I'm just trying to stay alert.
I went running again yesterday outside. Felt great but it was tough and I'm sore this morning. There were about 2.5 miles I didn't have much of a shoulder to run on and cars were flying by at 50mph and it was drizzling. Kept my alertness high and my form strong through it. It's much tougher than the treadmill obviously but I'm liking it. I made it about 8 miles, walked another 2.
I continue to eat what I have been recently. No binges, no strong desire but I do have a habit of sitting in front of my computer screen and mindlessly eating, that's where all the extra calories are consumed. I weighed 204 this morning.
Things are uncertain here but not too panicky so far. I haven't had a problem getting what I need from the grocery store. Schools and classes are closing and moving online. Businesses are going to take a big hit it looks like. Local government says no crowds of 50 or more but that may now be 10 or more. I'm most worried about this going on for the next few months. Things could get dramatically different pretty quickly so I'm just trying to stay alert.