hsorlando

Still figuring things out, but I think I have an exercise plan. Joined Anytime Fitness, which is where my brother works out. It is small, but clean, and not crowded, and close enough to walk to in warmer weather. Only downfall is that they don't offer many classes, and you have to pay extra.for them. Anyway I pla to go at least three times a week in the morning with my brother and then walk around the neighborhood twice with my mom to help her on her fitness journey.When the warmer weather comes I plan to walk or run to the gym which is 1.5 miles and then back, and continue walking with my mom. As far as my diet goes, going to eat less processed food, and more veggies and fruit.

Hummus equals heaven! I never get tired of it.

Where in Florida? I was in Orlando for ten years, but right now am elsewhere. However I miss Ethos Vegan Kitchen so much I know I will be back again. It was far easier being vegan in Orlando than it has been where I am now.

Finals Suck!!! At least for getting to the gym. I was going consistently,even though I haven't gotten much cardio in I was starting to see some progress in how heavy my weights were. I started with like 15-20 for chest,but managed to get up to 50 I think for a couple of sets, but then my wrist started to feel the weight so I lowered back down to 25. I have 99% made up my mind that I am not coming back to this college. The main reason is that like I said in the above post being vegan is incredibly difficult. I secretly think the dining staff was waiting for me to eat something that wasn't vegan,but I haven't at least not consciously. But I think there were a couple of times where they said some of the food wqas vegan, but it had egg whites, egg wash in it. There was a decent salad bar, but economically I couldn't afford to pay for food that goes by weight, whereas the buffet is less costly. Anyway I will be finished in two weeks, and with my family,and have access to a Whole Foods. I may never leave, lol. Leaving Orlando was more difficult than I ever thought it would be, and I don't think I realized until now that I really enjoyed life there. I had a gym-membership I used extensively, great vegan food choices,a wonderful vegan community,and it was warm! I still want to get my BA in English, because I think it would be useful, but I also want to enjoy the experience, and right now I am not at all. I am thinking of taking the Spring term off, going on the Vegan Cruise if I can find the funds under a rock somewhere,lol, and then start at UCF in Florida in the summer maybe.I might even be able to do some online classes and move back in the Fall. Anyway I will probably scope out cheap, but efficient gyms in Wilmington, and hopefully do a month to month while I'm there.

Not much exercise news since October 4, like I said I was going three days a week, and doing full body workouts, and changing it up a lot. Sometimes I used the machines, sometimes free weights, and sometimes barbells. I didn't do much cardio, only 15-20 minutes to warm up on an elliptical or bike, since I walk everywhere on campus, and the treadmill is boring. In my defense this school is so rigidly structured that I felt guilty for even taking 1-1.5 hours off three days a week to exercise. It is difficult to explain, but every other academic situation I have found myself in I knew I could succeed and get through it, but here I completely felt the opposite, and that was not alright withe me.In fact another student said she had the same problem and an adviser told her to just focus on classes that would go for her degree,and just not to work as hard on the others. I can't do that,and I find it extremely disrespectful of the other professors that are teaching. Anyway nough of a rant. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Since I am literally flying home 10 days after our break is over it seemed silly to go home for one meal. So I have my Gardein vegan turkey item, and will just make do here. Of course there are people getting together on campus, but I begged off telling them I didn't want to look at their turkey on the table.

Unfortunately I haven't run in quite awhile. Early this year I badly sprained my ankle, and stopped running until it got better. Then I moved for a summer internship in Boston, and worked everyday, and life just got too busy for me to find the time. I also haven't been inspired to get back into it. I hope I get back into running soon, because it really was good cardio for me, even though I hated beginning I always loved the way I felt after. I still want to do a 1/2 and full marathon some day, and of course that means I have to start running again soon.

Welcome, sounds like you are on the right path.

Welcome back, I recently came back too. It feels good when you know you have that support for being a healthy fit vegan.

I know this is four months late but welcome! I miss Florida. I was in Orlando for the past ten years, but moved last year to continue my college journey. I am almost 100% sure I will be back to go to UCF instead, since it is more vegan friendly. What part of Florida are you in?

After a very long time away I am back. It has been a very interesting year. I got my Associates degree last Spring, and now am working towards my BA. My continuing road to fitness, has been a challenge, sometimes good, and sometimes not as good. Here's a brief recap of the past year that I've been away.

From Fall 20012- Spring 2013 I finished going to a college in Orlando, and graduated in May. All that time I was going to the gym a lot. The only time I missed was when I was on an abroad to London,where it was easy to be a vegan.

After I graduated in May I said farewell to Orlando, at least for awhile,and put my belongings in my family's garage and poolroom in Delaware.

Then I had an internship in Boston, where though and was busy I joined a Y, but it was under renovation, and not good. I had an internship, and walked the city of Boston for the summer. Being vegan was tough there,and I was surprised!

Since August I have been at my next college, which is in Illinois, and very remote. It is very very very hard to be vegan here. On the other hand though since I've been here I have gotten back on a somewhat regular schedule for exercising. I get to the gym three times a week,and last week began running a bit,which is hard up here on the bluffs of the Mississippi, because I'm not used to hills.

Welcome back, I just came back too! Been busy at school, and with life. Sorry to hear about everything you've been through.

I just have to share a really funny dream I had a few weeks ago. i had a dream where I weighed myself and the scale said I was 117 pounds! In real life i would like to get down to 130, but with the way I'm shaped, my muscles, and liking to eat I have no idea what my weight should be. Haven't weighed myself in months, and don't really want to. But the dream was funny, and who knows maybe one day?

Sunday I was super sore from running fast on the treadmill. Most of the time I ran at 5.0, but several times I increased it to over 6.0, and at one point went to 7.0, which felt FAST! Of course then I had to decrease it a lot and get my breathing back to normal, hence my 40 minute time.

So back to my extreme soreness. All I can say is that I powered through and still did my three workouts. Oh besides that I probably walked 2-3 niles that morning from my place to Starbucks, to church, and then to the Y. Then after my workout back home. So had a completely exhausting day, and no food at the house so then I had to ride my bike to a nearby cafe that has vegan food, and vegan peanut butter brownies. Yum!

Monday- rest day, except for riding bike, and going to grocery store after work.

Tuesday- ran around Lake Eola, and went 3.7 miles today, my furthest distance in a long time. Of course what goes up must come down, and I had a nice up close and personal visit to the sidewalk. Scraped my elbow, and finally found a first aid kit at the gym that had bandaids big enough. Later on I have Step, and Boypump- more to come!

I guess I voted amiss. I wouldn't say I "have to have coffee", but I like to have coffee every morning, and even at night, and the caffeine is not an issue, or maybe it just doesn't affect me anymore. I don't see it as a problem especially when I used to work at a gym, and all the incredibly fit trainers practically lived on the stuff. Of course when the air conditioning is blasting, and you have to be at work at 5am, you need all the free coffee you can get. Now that that isn't the case anymore I enjoy a cup or two in the morning, and then usually at night too. For me it is a comfort food. Not big on the really strong roasts, but I like more mild flavors, and yes I carry around my Silk creamer too if I know a place doesn't have soy. Get more comments on that red carton than anything, lol.

Welcome to the group!

Not sure how but I've slowly gotten into Almond milk this year. I guess it happened when it went on sale, and was cheaper than Silk, and Eighth Continent. Used to like Rice Dreams, but it's too sweet. Its kind of ironic the longer I'm a vegan the less soy products I consume.

So far I have completed 7 of the challenges/workouts for the contest, at my gym. I figure I'd enter because I can get a nice workout shirt, and change my workouts a bit.

I have done, Studio cycling, cardio strength/Bodypump, yoga, elliptical w/arms, running, upright bike, and recumbent bike.

The other five activities that I plan on accomplishing are: running on the treadmill, elliptical w/out arms, swimming, weight circuit, getting reset on their fitlinx machines, and possibly basketball, AMT cardio machine, and rowing machine.

This week my work out has and will look like this:

Sunday- Step, Bodypump, studio cycling (55 minute classes)

Monday- rest day,

Tuesday- ran about 2.5 miles before work,

after work- rode upright bike for 35 minutes and watched womens volleyball, Step, and Bodypump

Wednesday- studio cycling 45 minutes,

Thurday- woke up early for me, and went to beginners yoga at 730am,

(Before Step used the elliptical w/arms for 20 minutes while watching Olympics)

Step/strength class after work- was very exhausted and at one point really didn't know if I could finish the class. It wasn't incredibly difficult so I'm thinking of dropping this class, and changing my workout a bit so i get more rest. Felt a lot of fatigue during class, and I think i might be overdoing the cardio a bit

Friday-rest day

Saturday- run on treadmill before yoga, will try to work on increasing speed, beginners yoga

actually went back to the YMCA later, and ran on the treadmill because I slept in and didn't have time before yoga. Ran 3.1 in 40 minutes, not too terrible since I'm slowly getting back into running.

Not to mention that on Tuesday-Friday I rode my bike to/from work which equals to about 3 miles a day

Umm, lets see. I started running again, outside mind you in the tropical humid and hot climate in Orlando, Fl, and on average been taking 9-12 group exercise classes a week. In my downtime from the gym, lol, I took two online classes, moved back downtown, and work 24 hours a week. I also visited my family in early June, and went to Boston again. The Summer isn't over yet though! At the end of August I'm going to a College Summit that my church is putting on, to get a more clear idea, or spiritual direction of sorts as to what my path may be after I get my Associates degree. Other than that I haven't been doing anything.

Been voting every day for a while now. And every time it slips my mind I get another invitation via Facebook, or Twitter.

I get my student loans next month, and will register before the end of September. I promise! I can't wait for this cruise, and I think I might enjoy it more than the last one. Just saying!

The only thing that's new with my routine is that there is an Olympic challenge/competition at my gym. If you do so many "different" activities that are listed you get a dry wick t shirt, which I desperately need when I run in the Florida heat. It's also a good way to get people used to cross training, and doing more than one activity.

i don't have that problem though because I already do various things at the gym, that work the muscles in different ways, and challenge me too. For instance Step class uses lateral motions, whereas running is a different kind of motion, and then I do cycling, and yoga, and Bodypump. Anyway I signed up for the challenge, and tomorrow instead of running outside i will run on the treadmill, which i never use anymore, and add another sticker to my list of different exercises. Then I will have six, and will be halfway there. Next week I will probably go for a swim, and use an elliptical, and add two more. I have until the 21st of August to complete this, and the activities only have to be for 20 minutes, but who knows maybe I will find something new that I love.

I know what you mean. Life has got me caught more than once in a trap of being too busy to get to the gym, or visiting this motivating forum. Looking forward to reading about your progress, and consistency!

So, now I know why you've stopped training! I figured it was "another" injury. Take care of yourself, and find something you enjoy that won't leave you hurting. Don't know about Poker though, that might be a bit too idle. Running sounds like a good alternative, and have you thought about yoga to stretch you out, and get you more limber and flexible?.

ITS BEEN WAY TOO LONG, SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! Last post was February 21st, yikes. I've been busy? Is that a viable excuse. I will try to catch you all up on my fitness endeavors, and vegan endeavors since the end of February.

At the beginning of March I was lucky enough to go on the vegan cruise with Robert, and 2 other people he knew. Anyway I wasn't so sure about the food in the beginning, RC can vouch for that. But I came away from the lectures, cooking demos, heavy macrobiotic influence, minus the fish, having learned a lot in a course of a week. I was most impressed with Christina Pirello, from Christina Cooks, and Dr. Neal Barnard, from PCRM. For me that week of eating really, really healthy food was almost like a detox of sorts. Not that I'm eating that way now, but it was a lesson that I could if I really wanted, and had a cook! lol.

So the rest of March, and April, was spent finishing up the Spring semester, and dealing with taking the bus everyday, which took away from how often I could work out. But looking back I did pretty well, and still got in 4-5 workouts a week.

After the Spring semsster ended, in late April I contemplated taking the Summer semester off because I was frazzled and stressed out, but in the end decided to just take two online courses instead.

The Summer session began in early May, and I started seriously looking for apartments closer to downtown Orlando. On June 1st I visited Boston, and on June 4 I got notice that I was approved for a downtown apartment. Yeah!!!

Moved in June 16, and been going full force to the gym since. On average I now do anywhere from 9-10 group exercise classes a week, and I have also incorporated running back into my weekly routine. I know I'm getting more toned, and smaller because my veganbodybuilding shirts that I got years ago fit quite nicely once more!

I restarted running when my Psychology course had an assignment to incorporate a new activity, I picked running, and of course use psychology to back up what you're thinking, learning etc. Lots of psychoanalyzation involved with running!

For the past month thios is pretty much what my workouts look like.

Sunday-Step-55 minutes, Bodypump-55 minutes, studio cycling 60 minutes

Monday-rest day

Tuesday -Run in the morning,-Step-55 minutes, Bodypump 55 minutes

Wednesday- Studio cycling- 45 minutes

Thursday- step/strength class-55 minutes

Friday- Bodypump 55 minutes

Saturday Run, beginner yoga

I also ride my bike a lot now since I live by myself and don't always want to walk, and I don't take the bus very much, so even when I don't go to the gym I'm still doing something.

Not sure if I can keep this schedule going when the fall semester begins at the end of August, but I'm going to try!

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Welcome, sorry for the late reply. I also live in Orlando, and have been vegan for 6 years or so.

This is going to be so much fun! I love to write, and it will give me more practice with writing essays. In the words of RC and a few others YEAH BUDDY!