Move It or Lose It February
The Scoop
In my last Move It or Lose It post here I told you about my goal to lose the extra weight I had gained over the last year or more. In this post I told you why my weight mattered to me. Now I’m here to tell you how things went in February.
I lost most of my extra weight in January but decided to lose a few more pounds because I was still carrying weight in my stomach. That is very bad fat health wise. So I have lost a couple of more pounds in February just not at the rate I did in January. Total weight lost at of this post 12 lbs. About 8 in January and four more in February.
In February I also started working on figuring out how many calories I could eat and maintain my weight. In January I figured out how many calories I would eat to lose about two pounds per week.
I have been watching a lot of Julian Michaels YouTube videos and am so impressed. Here are two that really open your eyes. She has so many and they are all between five and ten minutes long so fun for quick breaks. She really is just down to earth, tell it like it is and I like that.
Why calorie counting is the safest way to lose weight (Lesson learned? Calories count.)
Menopause Weight Loss (Lesson learned? You have to eat less and move more as you age to stay fit.)
Exercise
The big thing that changed in February is I added back structured exercise routines. In January I spent my energy and will power on controlling calories in. I am generally pretty active so I didn’t think it would have any long term effects. I did enough to maintain mental health by walking and occasionally hiking or doing yoga. But nothing was regular.
In February I focused on building back my cardio levels by running three times a week. Just a couple of miles each run. Studies show six miles a week is all you really need to run to acquire its long term benefits. My goal is to run 5Ks again as soon as it is safe to do so and to be able to run my trails in the mountains when we go home for the summer. As of this post I am in week five of 5K training and it feels so good.
I also added yoga three times a week. This is improving my flexibility, balance and strength. Oh I can’t tell you how much better I feel doing yoga regularly again. I could really tell I had lost ground in that area but within two weeks I was almost back to normal. I’m in week five of three days a week of yoga, 30 minutes sessions.
I wasn’t going to add weight lifting until March because I haven’t been doing that except sporadically for years. And it is the thing I need probably most now. I could visually see how much muscle mass I had lost due to my age mostly. It is a normal part of aging but one of the worst things we can ignore.
From the time you are born to around the time you turn 30, your muscles grow larger and stronger. But at some point in your 30s, you start to lose muscle mass and function. The cause is age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging.
Physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you’ll still have some muscle loss.
There’s no test or specific level of muscle mass that will diagnose sarcopenia. Any loss of muscle matters because it lessens strength and mobility.
Sarcopenia typically happens faster around age 75. But it may also speed up as early as 65 or as late as 80. It’s a factor in frailty and the likelihood of falls and fractures in older adults. From Web MD
I was just too excited to get started at weight lifting because after losing weight I really wanted definition in my arms and legs again. So I started it the last week of February. I did it following my yoga practice when I would be warmed up and ready to go. I’m in week two of three times a week.
My weight lifting is a cardio too. I do two 10-15 minutes sessions back to back. One for upper body and one for lower body. They are more like circuit training in that I only have 10 second rests between each exercise. I follow MrandMrsMuscle on YouTube. They have hundreds of workouts so I can get a lot variety which is good to keep from getting bored and also to keep my muscles surprised. Once your muscles get used to something it no longer has as much effect so you have a choice, work longer, harder or differently. I pick differently.
Another reason I love MrandMrsMuscle is that they get right to it. You don’t have to stand around while they talk for five minutes each time you want to work out. And everything is timed so you know where you are and they play fabulous music the whole time. This is my kind of workout channel. And it is free!
Apps Tried and True
I use apps all the time and I have for probably 15 years or more. On my RunKeeper app I have logged 2,073 miles of running. And that’s not all my runs. It also tracks my walks, hikes, yoga or anything I want to track. And I use the free version.
I also use MyFitnessPal and have for years. I track my calories, weight, macros and it is also the free version.
The one other App that I have used for years is C25K. It is what I use when I haven’t run for any period of time and want to build back up without injuring myself. I started running in my mid 40s and I used to not have any trouble with injuries but now at 60 I can pull muscles and be out of the game for months. Ain’t Got No Time For Dat! Just like I don’t have time to be sick, tired or sad. Life is too short.
March Fitness Plans?
What is my plan for March? March is going to be continuing to learn how to maintain my weight, basically portion control. I like healthy food but also will not deprive myself of anything I love. Pizza anyone? But I will have two slices of homemade rather then half of a restaurant style pizza.
I will continue with my runs, yoga and weights and making sure they stay fun for me. And I am going to add in beauty and self care. I am doing some things with my hair, face and overall skin I want to share. Keeping it all natural. We need to see more women who just do healthy natural things more often. Lines on our faces is natural and beautiful. I will give you my most important beauty tip right now. No one sees your lines when you smile from the heart!
Thanks for stopping by!
Peace!