You Need Data to Move Forward

It's still hot outside but not quite as humid. Too hot for me to attempt weed whacking the 5-ft high stands of mugworts that threaten to overtake the yard. Only the swamp milkweed I planted last summer has actually flowered this year. I have several common milkweeds that might bloom eventually, but the wild specimens down the road flowered last month. Still, the only regular visitors have been assorted bees and wasps and a few butterflies. None are monarchs and that is worrisome.

I haven't been on my scale since April. Four months later and the scale shows me the unpleasant but not unsurprising truth: I've gotten fat. I'm a whopping 118 lbs which is 10 over my good (clothes fit nicely) weight. I've struggled with trying to slow the weight creep over the past two years, fighting to keep pounds below 113. I'm 5 over that. No wonder none of my clothes fit. Even my "loose" clothes are tight. Ugh. It's very frustrating because I know the key is regular cardio, something I can't do without access to a gym. Bad knees, flat feet, bunion and hammertoes, prone to heatstroke... nope, not gonna catch me jogging outside. But I am definitely sitting too much and there's evidence that the actual act of sitting is contributing to the weight gain. 

More frustrating is the fact that gyms are open in nearby Connecticut. I'm not willing to fight highway traffic for over 30 minutes each way. Owners of gyms, cinemas, bowling alleys, and malls are suing the state to release reopening guidelines. Because we're in Phase 4 and there is no Phase 5. So WTH?! 

I'm forced to resort to limiting calories in a big way if I can't figure this out. Gaining two pounds a month is just not healthy. And I'm not going to start wearing muumuus, as comfortable as they might be... 

I do the same workout I did yesterday with little variations. My dogs look at me from the sofa and go back to napping because it's hot and there's nothing better to do in the afternoon heat than to sleep. I forget to do pushups though. Oh well. I'll do them tomorrow. At least the one-legged deadlifts don't feel quite so painful to my arches and ankles. Probably because the one-legged leg swings served as a warmup. I'll do those leg circles tomorrow too. If it cools down enough, maybe I'll venture into the garage and see if I can pull my fat self up a few times. But no promises. At least the toe looks mostly normal again. Mostly. 

30 July 2020 2:20 pm
87°/78°

25 arm circles x 4
25 air squats x 2
25 x-arm good mornings x 2
25 knee-ups x 2
25 side leg swings x 2
25 side twists x 2

50 crunches
50 leg ups
50 horizontal scissors
25 fire hydrants x 2
Elbow planks 60s
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
One-legged deadlifts 10 x 2
Easy mat stretch