Workout

[redbird]

While I was working out today, one of the trainers, who was working with someone while I did my thing nearby, looked over and said "You've lost a lot of weight," and I gave some variation on "huh?" and, when she said something about "since you started," I said something about the surgery and about muscle being denser than fat. It's not just that this isn't a weight loss program. It's that if it had been, I'd have stopped exercising long before I lost weight, because exercise doesn't seem to affect my weight: what I've lost weight from is the Bell's palsy (or, more precisely, the prednisone I was given to treat that) and the gall bladder surgery. I don't know how long that trainer has been seeing me there; it may have been several years. But I still don't know how to answer those remarks, especially in that sort of context that's part appearance and part health. Also, the gym has been posting "daily fitness hints" for the last couple of weeks, and today's was to take "before" photos and measurements. That's going to be irrelevant to what a significant number of people want, because it has nothing to do with ability: even in terms of the fitness culture, along with those who want a better mood, there are people whose goal is to improve their marathon time or their basketball game.

That aside, it was a good workout, and afterwards, when I went into the usual Starbucks, the woman looked at me, and said "Tall whole milk hot chocolate" and when I said "you got it" told me it was on the house. Which was a nice extra.

Cardio, 10:00, top heart rate 133
Leg press, 330 pounds, 3 sets of 15
Chest press, 50 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Calf raise, 70 pounds, 17; 80 pounds, 17; 70 pounds, 17
Adjustable row, 70 pounds, 12, 11
Balance ~fly, 50 pounds, 2 sets of {15 with each foot forward}
Cross-body pull, 35 pounds, 15 with right hand

Crunches, 3 sets of 30
Back arches, 3 sets of 17
Tree, 5 sets of {3 on each leg}
Hip adduction, 110 pounds, 10; 100 pounds, 8
Balance lateral raise, 2.5 pounds each hand, 2 sets of 15
Balance squats, 2 sets of 15
Biceps curls, 10 pounds each hand, 20; 12.5 pounds each, 10; 10 pounds each, 10
Stretches

Comments

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Interesting that you lost weight on Prednisone; my mom gained. Water weight, mostly, but you could really see it in her face. But yeah, I suspect goals involving appearance are the ones people are least likely to stick to long enough to achieve them.

Are your back arches like backbends? I'm just curious how you'd do sets of them, if so. Back when I did them, in high school gymnastics, it was more about arching higher and holding them, rather than repeating. I would like to gain back some flexibility; come to think of it, maybe that's a good thing to work on after I move, since I won't have access to weights then except some dumbbells.

[redbird]

They're not back bends; something closer to the yoga "bridge" pose, I think. I got this from a set of stuff cattitude was doing for back problems, years ago. It probably does some good for abdominal muscles, and it's a break between sets of crunches.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

If you are doing lots of weights (and you are) it is perfectly possible to drop a size while gaining weight. I am in the region of 30lbs heavier than I was when I started working out five years ago, but I am smaller around the waist and hips.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

I wish people would just stop making remarks equating women's health or appearance or sense of well-being or worthiness with weight loss.

[c-crockett.livejournal.com]

It really throws me for a loop when I get that type of remark. Until I lost weight [due to drug side-effects, and it was Not Fun] I hadn't realized how much 'fitness' is conflated with weight loss. [As is nutrition, for that matter.] When someone says 'nice abs!' I don't mind. It's something I set out to achieve. My weight? _At_most_ is a second order effect, not something I can change directly.

Sometimes I say, 'I appreciate your concern, but fortunately I haven't!' At least I can mess with their heads. It continues to disturb me that I am acquainted with so many people who care more about the numbers on the scale than my health.

I got only one comment re appearing to have lost weight from my Pilates instructor. I reminded her I was there for physiotherapy and to improve my stamina on drumset, and that I figured my weight could adjust to my activity level without me fussing over it. She dropped the subject after that. I think that while she assumed that like 99.9% of her female clients, I wished to lose weight, she did grow up in the Caribbean and hasn't been drinking the kool-aid re teh evils of fatness her entire life.