HalFitness

Finished the 13-week Limited Mobility program for DDPYoga last week, and now I'm on to the Beginner program. My back and knees haven't felt this good in years! My lower back was so bad that they sent me for an MRI last year. DDP fixed it in 13 weeks. The pain is pretty much gone. I can stand and play on the Vive for two hours without my legs going numb. I can even do a PLANK now! Can't do the push-up yet, but I can hold a plank for a count of 5. I could barely stay on my hands and knees in week 1.

I can't recommend DDPYoga enough. If you're fat, old, and/or broken, this program can help you. If Limited Mobility is too much, there's even a Bed-to-Chair program. I've never seen an exercise program that cares so much about people who aren't already fit.

And thank you, thank you, thank you to @ThatNickGuy for introducing me to DDPYoga. I owe you a huge hug! :banana:
 
Finished the 13-week Limited Mobility program for DDPYoga last week, and now I'm on to the Beginner program. My back and knees haven't felt this good in years! My lower back was so bad that they sent me for an MRI last year. DDP fixed it in 13 weeks. The pain is pretty much gone. I can stand and play on the Vive for two hours without my legs going numb. I can even do a PLANK now! Can't do the push-up yet, but I can hold a plank for a count of 5. I could barely stay on my hands and knees in week 1.

I can't recommend DDPYoga enough. If you're fat, old, and/or broken, this program can help you. If Limited Mobility is too much, there's even a Bed-to-Chair program. I've never seen an exercise program that cares so much about people who aren't already fit.
And thank you, thank you, thank you to @ThatNickGuy for introducing me to DDPYoga. I owe you a huge hug! :banana:
I promise to only use this unbelievable power for good. :D

Are you doing planks with your knees up or on the mat? And don't worry about doing push-ups yet. Like your back, it'll come in time.
Also, I'm sure DDP has some cues for this, but if you want to work your arm muscles more in plank and prepare for push-ups, try spreading your fingers out like a fan. Have your index fingers pointed straight out. And try either pushing your together for more resistance or press a little more into the mat on your thumb & index finger side.


Meanwhile, I did the DDP Double Black Diamond workout on Sunday and I'm still hurting from it today. I definitely overdid it. In retrospect, wasn't ready for something that intense since I'm trying to get back in shape after letting myself go again. I regained a lot of the weight I'd lost this year. Going from 210 lbs back to 225 lbs or higher.

However, I'm still taking some yoga classes elsewhere since I get some free via my Yoga Teacher Training program, as well as unlimited free classes at the hot yoga studio where I volunteer. At the last hot yoga class, the teacher taught us how to work out bandhas. They're specific points in the body that you activate in order to get great benefits. For example, I've always struggled with keeping my tailbone tucked in many poses. But I finally understood how when he described the Mula Bandhas (pelvic muscles). It's almost like a rude/sexual thrust. So I tried it during the entirety of the DDP workout and wow. My core has never activated like this before. Even in standing poses like Warrior 2, I got a great core workout. Definitely something to work on for me.
 
Regarding push-up progression, I've generally seen it recommended to start by doing push-ups against a wall , or a counter if against a wall is too easy.
 
Went to the Doc about 2.5 weeks ago. I was told:
1. You're overweight. :(
2. Blood pressure is in the hypertension category. :eek:

So, feeling sufficiently motivated:
I stopped eating nearly all processed foods (still a little here and there, but way less). Definitely no processed meats.
For breakfast, I have alternated between: A. steel cut oats cooked in skim milk + 1tsp of honey + walnuts B. Olive oil egg omelet with S&P - a fruit with either.
Lunch: Lentil soup with barley and veg + raw carrots or celery with homemade hummus + a fruit.
Dinner: Pan seared ahi tuna or salmon (deck of cards sized) + steamed veg + a huge spinach salad
Evening snack/dessert: handful of walnuts + a little dark (>60% cacao) chocolate.

I haven't really implemented an exercise regimen. I need to do that. One thing at a time. I want to get a hold of my portion control issues and my poor food choices. I haven't fully calculated it out, but it's well under my recommended 1800 calories for my height. It's also under the mg of sodium that is recommended (which is quite easy to do by avoiding processed foods).

So far, I am down from 220 to 215. Not bad for just changing my diet. I hope to continue, and get in some proper exercise. I don't know what my bp is. I will go back to the doc in the New Year, and hope to avoid the meds.
 
Are you doing planks with your knees up or on the mat? And don't worry about doing push-ups yet. Like your back, it'll come in time.
I do the initial plank with knees up, then lower to my knees to do the push-up down into cobra. I’ll definitely try your advice on the hand position.

So far, I am down from 220 to 215. Not bad for just changing my diet. I hope to continue, and get in some proper exercise. I don't know what my bp is. I will go back to the doc in the New Year, and hope to avoid the meds.
I’m just getting off bp meds. Good luck on avoiding them!

The low-sodium diet has been a lot easier than I expected. Like you said, reduce/avoid processed food (and restaurant food) and it pretty much takes care of itself! I’ve replaced my bp meds with a daily banana for the potassium, and replace salt with spices, vinegar, or Tabasco sauce for seasoning. I really don’t miss the salt. And good to know I’m not the only one who uses dark chocolate for medicinal purposes. :D
 
Tried doing the DDP Yoga Diamond Cutter workout (50 minutes). Made it to about 35 minutes and just couldn't finish it. I'm definitely out of shape again. But I guess 35 minutes is better than 0 minutes.
 

Dave

Staff member
I did the 30 minute workout. Played it back at double speed. Only took me 15 minutes. I got a great workout.
 
Wife's parents got me a Fitbit Charge HR for (delayed) Christmas. I'm not one for wearing accessories (glasses and wedding ring being the two exceptions), but this thing is not too bad bulk-wise. Will probably use it if I find the data it logs amusing/useful.
 
Damage from spending December in the vicinity of my mom's cooking wasn't too bad, 3-7lb of weight gain (after shedding the usual water weight). I'm back to where I left off, 174lb, and my BF% is somewhere around 25.4 (average from 9 measurements every other weigh-in).

Year's goals are to reach and maintain 155-161lb (170lb being the drop-everything ceiling), and to reach a weekly BF% average of 15.4 (minimum-def-of-success is 20.4). Once BF% goal is reached, weight goal and range become secondary to maintaining or improving it.

Current weekly fitness plan is to do RR 2-3x, static biking 1-2x, fighter practice 1-2x, rest days 2-3x. If I get a windfall I'll probably replace a day of RR with weightlifting (need either a gym membership or a squat rack+barbell+weights).
 
I've been hovering at 208-211 since the holidays. My goal is still to get under 200 and stay there for the rest of the year. I think it's doable. I need to make myself wake up and work out. I have some intense Yoga and HIIT workouts that I am not sick of yet. My portion control still needs way more work. BP has gone down a little. It's on the border of hypertension. I don't know how long it takes to get it down or if I should just bite the bullet and get on meds.
 
During tonight's workout I held a plank for 60s (on a stopwatch)! Pretty proud of this, up from 5s in July. I was also able to do 15-ish pushups and 1 chin-actually-to-the-bar chin-up (which may not sound like much, but I have always had an extremely weak upper body).
 
Well, this past weekend I weighed myself and hit being 90 pounds down. I'm probably not going to get to being down an even 100, so thats my last nice sounding milestone.

To top that off, even though I'm a bit sick I tried my hand at running 5k around my neightborhood and I was able to do it in 36 minutes, which is already within my goal. The official 5k I'm running is in a month so hopefully I can either improve my time by then, or at least not feel like I'm dying for the last mile or so.
 
Like a stupid fucking asshole I joined November Project today and ran ultra steep stairs at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. I thought I was in decent physical condition, but after running about 3000 stairs I feel like my legs no longer have bones in them.
 
The worst part is seeing all these young guys and gals passing me and going like it's nothing and they're so disgustingly positive and supportive. That used to be me 8 or so years ago.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!
 
My knee has been bothering me for something like half a year now. I'd go see a doctor, but I'm pretty sure all they'd say is "well, you're not in your 20s anymore..."
 
Second November Project day. This time it was randomly assigned amounts and types of exercise followed by running about 200 meters in between each set.

This is one I am in ample shape to do since doing 100 push-ups, burpies, etc and jogging is something I can deal with. Still a hard workout. These folk go rough.
 
Running up and down a km long hill today with November Project. Got to enjoy dozens of finely crafted asses in workout gear jogging in front of me. Today was pretty good
 
I had a friend in town and I knew I'd be eating shitty, but oh my god I just feel like the blob. It was great to see him but I'm glad I can go back to losing this.
 
I had a friend in town and I knew I'd be eating shitty, but oh my god I just feel like the blob. It was great to see him but I'm glad I can go back to losing this.
Having this issue repeatedly lately, I've 1-2lb in the past month (instead of the projected 3-5) because I keep putting myself in social situations and then only half-assing my food choices. Have also only exercised once in 6 weeks, so I can't even excuse myself with 'hey maybe it's going to my lean mass.'
 
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