This has been another big week in my health journey. The big event this week is that I joined a gym. There was a morning where I went out for a walk/run and the temperature was in the 40s so I decided it was time to start moving to an indoor option. There is a great gym close-by with all sorts of TechnoGym gadgets tied to apps and it isn’t overly crowded (intentionally) and it is cheap. So I pulled the trigger and did my first few workouts there. Still prefer to go outdoors when I can, but I will blend for a bit until it is consistently too cold.

First time at the gym was a mixed success. After finally getting all of the gadgetry to sync up (still struggling with how to make the Fitbit work in the gym), I did a good workout on the treadmill with some walking and running. However, the treadmill is way different than being outside and it took me a bit to get my footing and feel comfortable, but I got there. Then, I was done with the treadmill and I got off and headed to the side of the gym with weights and really had no plan. I didn’t know what to do and just meandered around using a machine here and there. So, my lesson is that I really need to figure out a plan and routine to get myself into. One thing is good, the treadmill keeps a consistent speed so I am not slowing down without knowing I am and the result was my highest calorie burn in a single workout to-date – over 500 calories in 30 minutes of treadmill time!

I am happily firmly into the 260s with my weight this week. Though there have been some big day-to-day fluctuations in that. I have definitely confirmed that high alcohol consumption, regardless of calorie impact, turns into weight fluctuations. So, at least I have an explanation now.

Another tough setback this week is in the stress department. With the changes that have happened at work, some budget challenges and people behaving badly, the stress is really starting to increase. I am still doing a pretty good job with sticking to my boundaries of not coming in early and not working too much at home, but the environment is certainly not ideal now. This is just one month out from my return visit to the doctor to evaluate blood pressure and doesn’t bode well for that.

Finally, this week, I had an interesting experience. On Saturday morning, I got up and went for an outdoors workout with a walk/run around Schiller Park. Then, when I thought I was done, I decided to go to a coffee shop just off the park (Winan’s) and grab a cup of coffee. While I was there, I learned that there was an event featuring a walk from the German Village location of Winan’s to the downtown Columbus location (about 2 miles) that happened about an hour before. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t know about it because I thought that sounded like fun. Then, it dawned on me: I don’t need the formal event for me to do that walk. So, I set out to do a combo walk/run from German Village to downtown. When I got to the downtown location, which is really nice, I discovered that my favorite barista from German Village was working there that day. So I went in and got another small coffee and watched the world go by. Then, I set off to run a lap around the Columbus Commons park and did a walk/run home. In all, for the day, I walked more than 20,000 steps and more than 10 miles! Definitely not something I would have ever made the decision to do before.

Last week’s stats:
Distance walked/run: 35.5 miles
Total calories burnt: 27,953
Total calories consumed: 14,841
Weight change: 5.2 pounds lost