Meta's super bendy fitness log

metaoblivia

I'm starting a fitness journal in part to keep myself motivated and in check. I just joined a gym last week. Let me start with some stats.

Age - 25
Height - 5'7
Weight - 54 kg, 8.5 stone
BMI - 19
Body Fat percentage - 20%


My gym workout consists of:

30 minutes of resistance training, using machines for the various arm and leg muscles. I lift low weights in 2 reps of 15.
15 minutes of cardio on a cycle <--- I know I need to up this. Tonight I'm planning on going 20 minutes and will slowly build my way to 30 minutes and increase the intensity level.
Stomach muscle workout on mats (I've never found anything better than the exercises for the abdomen I learned in gymnastics)
Stretch time


My typical eating habits:

breakfast - half a cup of cereal and skim milk or mixed fruit
lunch - one serving of tuna in water, a piece of fruit (pear, apple, or orange), a serving of vegetables (carrots, green peppers and cucumbers, usually), a serving of small, unsalted pretzels
snack - a piece of fruit
dinner - chicken/fish, baked or grilled, two servings of vegetables (usually broccoli or green peas)

I let myself have weekly treats. I get one weekly treat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but not on the same day - like today for breakfast I had half a pancake and slice of bacon. Because I'm not trying to lose weight, I try to have a flexible mentality and try not to think that if I eat something a little more fattening, it will be the end of the world. I'm also trying to kick a Coca Cola habit. I used to drink it every day. Now I've cut back to twice a week. I'm trying to kick it altogether and only drink water... although I really don't like water. Right now, I'm drinking a lot of green tea, and forcing myself to drink water.

I'm looking develop healthy habits for the future, so that I don't look back in ten years and wonder how I let myself go.
I have a genetic joint disorder called EDS, in the hypermobility strand. Basically, my cartilidge is very stretchy and bendable, allowing a great range of motion, but poor support for my joints. When I was younger, I did gymnastics which stretched me to limit, but also led to a lot of injuries around two of my weakest joints, my ankles and wrists. High impact cardio is out of the question if I want to keep my knees and ankles relatively in tact. I also need to make sure that when I stretch, I don't overstretch, as would be my inclination, because that loosens the joints even more.
Putting on weight would be very detrimental to my joints, and I want to avoid that.

I will update with my progress and let you know how my intensified and longer cardio goes tonight!

slumped

You don't like water - well then add a small amount of Ribena Sugar Free to it or Robinsons Reduced Sugar.

Even a piece of lemon/orange can take away the blandness.

S

metaoblivia

Thank you for the advice! I will give that a try.

Workout went well last night. I lifted a little bit more on some of the machines. It was tough, but I made it through. I intensified my cardio workout by jumping several levels. I stayed at fifteen minutes - it was tough, I was sweating up a storm and my legs felt wobbly afterwards, but my next goal is to increase my time on there with increments of 5 minutes.
My flexibility is coming back quickly through the stretching. I can do full splits, and the right leg split in particular is very comfortable in that position. My hip flexibility is increasing notably as well.

Today I ate an orange for breakfast and brought a serving of light tuna, unsalted pretzels, carrots and an apple for lunch. I have green tea and water to keep me hydrated throughout the day. I drank 16 ounces of water yesterday - that's a big accomplishment for me!