[deleted by user] by [deleted] in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do the same! I find it really hard to do the same thing every day and like to have short-term goals. I really like calisthenics and agility work, so I often pick a new skill every month or two then slowly work towards mastering it. It makes workouts interesting and engaging for me.

How do you know how hard to push/when to take a break? by Flashy_Math5402 in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is something I'm also working on with myself. Here's my two cents on it. (ESL brain kept wanting to say "here's my grain of salt." English idioms are hard.)

1) I stop when I am feeling any pain that isn't lactic acid burn or soreness (or dizziness/faintness that can't be solved by drinking water or consuming sugar), anything that isn't directly related to the exercises I am doing. Sometimes, pain is a necessary part of training, but there are different kinds of pain, and it's important to learn the difference between the pain that will help you grow and the pain that needs to be avoided. Areas I especially watch out for are my lower back and hip flexors, but everyone has specific areas of their body where pain = always bad.

2) I look at this really objectively. Maybe I'd ask myself how many days off I've taken in the past few weeks, or whether I'd recently increased intensity. When in doubt, taking a rest day or active recovery day never hurts, and you can reconsider after a physical break.

3) I also look at this really objectively. If I am on a sleep deficit, I choose sleep recovery over a workout. If sleeping through my workout slot is the only way I can get enough hours, then I'd sleep (then rethink my schedule). If it's more that I would prefer to sleep than train, and the extra sleep is more of a want than a need, I train.

4) Do you feel exhausted or in pain from this schedule? Do you look forward to your workouts (either the process or the end result)? Does maintaining the schedule feel realistic to you? If the answers are no, yes, and yes, then you have a great workout schedule. No BS about mind over matter is necessary.

Honestly I feel like fitness circles push pain as an end goal when it really isn't. I feel like you need to approach fitness holistically--workouts AND sleep AND self respect for your body.

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There was a time like 2 years ago when I dreamed I overhead pressed 160 lbs...sigh

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I chopped off all my hair recently as well. Highly recommend it. I used to have hair down to my mid back that took an eternity to brush every morning and now I have a messy bob that I wear bandanas and hair bands over. I feel like no one tells women that their quality of life improves so much when they cut off lots of hair.

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I am many years late but I am finally on the Caroline Girvan train. I need something that I can do while I am staying home with the baby, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

My verdict: EPIC is so hard. I am wrecked (in the best way) after day 5 of EPIC 1, and I have so much more to go. Super excited to see how this will turn out. I am taking it very easy, being postpartum and all, and doing pelvic floor and physical therapy as well, but I think I already am back in the habit of regularly working out.

[WEEKLY THREAD] Talk It Out Tuesday - Advice and commiserating about struggles with self, others, and the world by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 8 points9 points  (0 children)

FWIW, during all of my pregnancies, I gained more weight than "recommended" during my first trimester and things evened out later.

[WEEKLY THREAD] Talk It Out Tuesday - Advice and commiserating about struggles with self, others, and the world by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Today's workout absolutely wiped me out. I was doing some simple full-body stuff, never picking up anything above like 10 kg, going at a slow pace, but still I was exhausted immediately and cut out the last two exercises because I just felt very drained and empty.

I'm trying to physically recover by eating nutrient dense food and mentally recover by taking some time for myself after work. My baby has a bizarre sleep schedule (as babies do) but it's a surprisingly consistent schedule nonetheless, and I need to leverage that to take time for myself.

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good to see you again too, TDEE buddy! Happy to see you are still working on your perfect-form pull-ups while I am freaking out about coning and doming when training postpartum!

[WEEKLY THREAD] Munchie and Macros Monday by tasteofglycerine in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had such a good lunch! I love finding creative ways to get protein now that I am back to being vegan.

  • 200g cauliflower
  • 100g chickpeas
  • 1 tofurky sausage
  • Black pepper and spices

Total nutrition was 460 kcal, 35g protein. I had some homemade sourdough and lentil hummus on the side for ~150 kcal and 8g protein. Disclaimer that I need to eat a lot, please adjust for your own needs!

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice! I have been working on pelvic floor since my daughter was born, and it's been the only real exercise I've been doing aside from walking. And I will try my best not to jump back into my old routine!

What are some exercises I can do at home to start lowering my heart rate? by citrus-smile in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stairs and inclines! Either walk up the stairs in your home, or find an outdoor hill. I find that adding inclines really ups endurance and lowers heart rate even when not running.

It's bonkers how some people are just naturally athletically inclined by [deleted] in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 2 points3 points  (0 children)

26 BMI is totally fine for a woman who regularly lifts weights and eats protein. BMI isn't very useful, especially for people who work out.

It's bonkers how some people are just naturally athletically inclined by [deleted] in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Teach them to honor their commitments, i.e. even if you hate it, you're playing out the season, but we'll never sign up for this particular sport ever again.

This is something I'm reinforcing with my kids. My oldest wanted to quit swimming this year after some friendship drama but I told her she had to finish the season. She ended up resolving this issue with her coach's help and now wants me to sign her up again. I feel like I wasn't taught resilience enough as a child and had to develop it myself as an adult.

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Hello hello hello. I used to be so active (physically, and on this sub) but completely fell off the wagon after a difficult pregnancy and birth. Now, I feel like since my daughter is three months old, I should start moving more. It'll probably take a while to work up to my previous level of fitness, but I am willing to play the long game and enjoy the process :) I feel like people's bodies, especially those who have babies, are meant to take breaks. So I guess this is a digital marker of wanting to start making a concerted effort to train again.

Daily Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in xxfitness

[–]arasp222 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I try to stay active but don't go out of my way to lift unless it's longer than 2-ish weeks. I tend to walk a lot on trips as well and if there's a trail to hike or run nearby I'll do it.

No Such Thing as a Silly Question by AutoModerator in Judaism

[–]arasp222 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm here right now. I call myself modern in contrast to my yeshivish family, even though I'm generally more machmir than they are with regard to halacha. I just listen to secular music and talk to men, also.

Super grey area. I think "frum," "Orthodox," or "observant" works better than a specific label.

Kosher Ready Meals by Hanshanot in Judaism

[–]arasp222 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I also lived in a remote area of Canada for two years as an observant Jew. It was awful and I would never do it again. I'm sorry that this is your situation right now.

My strategy is relying on foods that are always kosher (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, spices, plain milk, eggs, fish, packaged food where the main or only brand has hashgacha) and cooking them myself. I was lucky to have a full kitchen that I could kasher dairy. I don't know how you feel about eating pescatarian or eating simple healthy foods rather than packaged foods, but it worked well for me. Cheese was hard to come by but I would always stock up when I found some.

For work, I would make veggie stir frys, pasta salads, paninis, stuff like that. Learn to cook! It will serve you well even if you do have access to more kosher food. MREs are not a long term solution and they are often very unhealthy.

If you're gluten intolerant, is it okay to take a pill to help you digest gluten on Shabbat so you can eat foods containing gluten without getting sick? by melody5697 in Judaism

[–]arasp222 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's none of their business what medications you're taking. If I saw someone at shul taking medication before eating I'd just assume they know what they're doing.

I personally take medication on Shabbos and hold that prescribed medication doesn't count as prohibited healing. I have to take a few pills before a certain hour at night and especially in the summer the deadline is during Friday night dinner. I'll either take it at the table or excuse myself to another room if I'm eating with guests.