Sunday School

[Davis]

Thanks all for your kind replies re: Christmas greetings 🙂

As per exercise, indeed slow and steady is important. In fact, I’ve only in the last year been able to start running again (and eventually got back into sports) after my whole kidney thing. I ran 500m one day, then 750 the next time (a few days later), 1km the next and by the 5th time I was at 2km with a few breaks. Turns out, I can no longer run as though I’m in my 20s and me knee went bust. Took a few weeks to recover. Physiotherapist told me about couch to half-marathon. Was very good at slow progross getting into shape. Even going for a longer walk than usual helped. But basically it started with just 50m of running a day and very gradually you make your way up.

When I do my little work out at home (bench and weights, super cheap and no gym fees, smell or attitude). Watch silly television while doing it (along with my physio exercises) and the time goes by quickly. Also learnt not to up your weight too quickly (especially as you get older) or your body will make you sorry.

I’m in Belgium for the holidays, so yeah, belgian cheese, chocolate, waffles, beer, apple flaps, honeywaffles, potatoes dauphinoise, limberger cheese. I always gain at least 1kg per week over the holidays (minimum). I think you should pig out and enjoy the holidays and then take it off afterwards 🙂

[—]

jakelafort wrote:

I am sure what Autumn does is super strenuous and causes a very rapid increase in heart rate.

Not as much as you might expect, but I’ve just been doing light conditioning. In the new year I’ll start training which involved more exercises pushing to failure (or close), but most of it will be progressive overload or body wight exercises that have higher reps in shorter intervals.

In the spring I may start training harder once my weight drops more and my fitness improves. Also, once I can climb outside again, there will be more hiking and scrambling involved, so that helps to provide a nice cardio warm-up.

This is from a typical session:

A bit difficult to read, but average bpm 124 with the peaks at ~150 and valleys at ~105.

[—]

Davis wrote:

I always gain at least 1kg per week over the holidays (minimum). I think you should pig out and enjoy the holidays and then take it off afterwards.

There definitely needs to be time to enjoy. Some people don’t really derive pleasure from food, so I can see why they might not bother, but for most of us if diet amounts to sheer deprivation, it seems kind of takes some of the life out of living.

Usually I have no issue indulging for the holidays, but this year I’m only two months into tracking calories again and maintaining healthy eating habits. For St. Nick’s and Christmas Eve I do dinner with the family so I don’t bother tracking then. I just eat and enjoy. In total, there were about three nights this month where I stuffed my face with gluttonous glee.

The only thing I consistently let creep the last few weeks was sugar intake (my mom gave me a bunch of treats and homemade Vanillekipferl, and I had some egg nog now and then), but mostly I kept overall caloric intake around the same. After this last batch of cookies is gone, I’ll reduce sugar substantially again.

Next year I will probably relax more when it comes to food around the holidays. Good for the (metaphorical) soul.

[Belle Rose]

I’ve lost a lot of weight this holiday, been so sick this year. Since October. Hoping it will end soon lol 😂 no appetite. It’s a good thing.

[Belle Rose]

Merry late Christmas to everyone;)

[Simon Paynton]

Merry Christmas and New Year Belle, and wishing you a swift recovery.

[Davis]

I actually visited Canada in May (my mother was Canadian and I lived there when I was younger) and I tried to sample some old Canadian treats. Apart from the poutine, the things I enjoyed most were the sweets: beavertails, coffeecrisp, tim hortons vanilla dip and kriller, turtles (chocolate with caramel and nuts), peanut butter cookies and North American style muffins, crumble cake etc. but the thing I didn’t get to enjoy (forgot) was nanaimo bars. Ufff…what a loss to have forgotten to get some while I was there! They are god damned bloody divine (especially the version without coconut). Shock that Nanaimo bars haven’t become a global phenomena! If I were there for xmas I’m sure I’d gain even more weight 🙂

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Davis.

[—]

Funnily enough, the first time I went to Nanaimo with my family, we couldn’t find Nanaimo bars in any of the cafés we visited. They are relatively easy to make yourself, but the problem is then you know just how much butter and sugar went in. Sometimes it’s better just eating without seeing the actual quantities (which is why I will never try to make croissants from scratch).

[Davis]

LOL I had the exact same experience. I rented a car years ago with my grandmother and we drove along the Vancouver Island (insanely beautiful). Saw the huge trees, Tofino etc and the incredible murals of Nanaimo. But, I guess we were expecting there to be some central cafe with 20 different kinds of nanaimo bars or some special shop or bakery. We honestly had to go to a LOT of places to get one. And it was mediocre at best.

Yes indeed Autumn, I do not want to get into the habit of making them myself. Not only are they just compressed calories, but my friends will then ask me to endlessly make them 🙂

[Belle Rose]

Nanaimo bars? Hm wonder if I can get them in Seattle? Never heard of em

[TheEncogitationer]

Autumn and Davis,

Much obliged for introducing me to two new treats: Vanillekipferl and Nanaimo. I will have to find a local source if possible or mail order.

[TheEncogitationer]

Jake,

Much obliged on the encouragement to exercise. I hope to do some kind of routine to tone up and get the sugar down.

[Davis]

I would recommend trying them both with and without coconut (I much prefer without the coconut). I was told they were once available in a cafe in Edinburgh but no longer. I was actually shocked to discover a Canadian restaurant in Edinburgh. Was wondering “what the hell is a Canadian restaurant”??? They serve poutine, smoked meat sandwhiches, canadian style wings etc. Insanely popular, not just because of the high level of service (very friendly) but good cheap food.

[jakelafort]

Welcome Enco.

Don’t forget about heart and lungs. Ya don’t have to be ardent to improve your life-just consistent. Just walk. Listen to a podcast. Bird watch. Zone out. Do it now. Do it later. Do it often.

Nanaimo bars are available over the interwebz. Also Costco, Whole Foods carry/carried them. Don’t you go exhausting the nanaimo bars of all the purveyors in this universe. I don’t have access to the multiverse.

[—]

Would you, could you on a walk?
Listening to podcasters talk?

I would not want to on a walk,
I would not while podcasters talk.
I do not like fitness and sport,
I do not like them jakelafort.

You do not like them, so you say.
Try them! Try them! And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Jake! I will have you know,
I’m going to give it all a go.

(… one exercise later …)

Say! I like fitness and sport!
I do! I like them, jakelafort!

[Author]

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