Most recently updated January 17th, 2022
– – Week 6 – the final week – of the ReFit Training is finished. Yay!!!
And I did go to see the Doc – which you may recall, was the endpoint for this training series because with all of the COVID-19 trail closures, it was hard to plan for a specific hike .
Here’s what I did this week and how the Doc visit went….
Week 6 Recap
Week 6 was another hot, hot, hot! week weather-wise, and I was still recovering from some dehydration from the week before.
So the first couple of days I did my main daily exercise indoors – kickboxing, treadmill runs, weights.
Midweek I was back out on the trail locally in Bond Park for a quick 6 mile walk before it got too hot.
Thursday I did the unthinkable – I took a rest day 🙂
That was also the day I went in for my checkup with the Doc.
The Checkup
The good news is, apparently I’m going to live forever!
The bad news is, I didn’t reach my weight goal. I blame licorice and chocolate sorbet…. 😉
But seriously, I’m not too worried.
My clothes all still fit, and the weight loss was my own goal – not mandated by illness or anything.
I just generally feel better and more energetic when I’m a bit lighter.
I’ll keep working on it – hopefully without obsessing too much. Because no one needs more stress these days!
Actually, with all of the stress and forced inactivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, it could be a lot worse…
Stress and Weight Gain
With all that’s been going on the past few months – health worries, job and financial losses, enforced isolation, restricted movements, killings and riots, incessant political noise, etc – we’ve all had a lot of reason to be stressed out.
And we can all agree that too much stress is bad for you.
Excess stress can lead to headaches, digestive and sleep problems, and depression.
Stress can also wreak havoc on metabolism and cause stress-induced weight gain.
For some time we’ve known about the connection between stress and weight gain, specifically due to an increase in cortisol levels.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that your body releases when you’re feeling physical or psychological stress.
The hormone raises your blood pressure and blood sugar and can suppress the immune system.
Higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol have also been shown to increase appetite.
Stressed to the Max
Psychologist Leslie Heinberg, PhD. , Director of Behavioral Services for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, agrees that the link between stress and weight gain is real.
Healthy habits like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating a healthy diet are harder to maintain when you feel like you’re maxed out emotionally, she says.
3 Tips to Fight Weight Gain
But even if you can’t fix the causes of your stress, you can make small changes to try to minimize offset the effects.
Here are three tips that might help you fight stress-induced weight gain:
ONE: Choose Your Fats Wisely
Fat is important to feel full, and it’s also one of your body’s key building blocks. But to keep it in balance, try to choose only one high-fat item per meal.
For example, if you have a healthy salad for lunch, don’t include both olive oil and avocado – just choose one of those things.
So, if you want avocado on your salad, use a balsamic vinegar dressing rather than an oil-based vinaigrette.
TWO: Adjust Your Meal Proportions
To reduce calories, shift your servings a bit to slash calories without having to eat less food.
Trading in a portion of dense grains for low-cal veggies is an easy way to accomplish a quick calorie savings that doesn’t require sacrificing volume.
For example, if you’re eating rice and veggies for a meal, shift the balance to include more veggies and less rice.
Eating 1.5 cups of veggies and .5 cup of brown rice instead of 1 cup of each can easily save you 60-75 calories. Those small savings will add up over time.
THREE: Take a Quick Post-Meal Walk
A study from George Washington University found that taking a 15-minute walk after meals helped normalize blood sugar levels for up to three hours after eating.
If you don’t have 15 minutes, even a 5 minute walk – just to break from sitting to get your blood pumping – can shift your metabolism.
It can also be a time to clear your head, connect with nature, or catch up with a walking buddy – all of which can help reduce feelings of stress.
Back to the Woods
Later in the week, the weather cooled down a bit and I’d recovered from my dehydration, so I was ready to hit the woods again!
So on Friday (after a treadmill run indoors in the morning), I hiked around Lake Crabtree in the afternoon.
It was beautiful as usual – though I miss seeing the sailboats on the lake! (They’re not allowed now due to COVID-19 restrictions.)
Saturday, That Man and I got on the bikes and had a nice 20-mile ride on the greenways and the ATT.
It was a gorgeous day, and the trails were surprisingly un-crowded.
Sunday, was my long hike for the week, a 8-9 miler in Umstead State Park, on a combination of Company Mill and Sycamore Trails.
A great group of hikers came with me 🙂
That hike was the end of my training week, and of this training series. But I’ll keep on going!
Training for Life
For me, training is never really over. Many active people are the same.
Even though our goals change from week to week, or year to year, we always keep moving forward and striving to improve.
Whether it’s a hiking to a new mountain summit, getting into a new dress, or mastering a new sport or skill, training towards a goal is what keeps us motivated and interested in what we’re doing.
What’s Your Next Adventure?
Although some destinations are still out of reach due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions, many State and National Parks are opening back up now.
I’ve got my eye on a few new adventures within driving distance of home, and I’m starting to get excited about it!
I might even start some new training hikes soon 🙂
If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.
I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log. Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see the whole plan.
For some ideas for your next adventures, check out my Hiking Destinations page for outdoor vacation spots for you and your family.
Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ
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