Learning Project: Week #3 and #4

Hello! Here’s a mini update of what happened in week #3. I did not change much from the previous week, as I found it to be working well. I continued waking up at 5:45 to do some RingFit Adventure. I also continued to pack healthy meals and was able to stay away from the staffroom table a bit more! I even said no to a cinnamon bun! There were also less yummy snacks ( except for those donuts on Friday (but I only had half of one!) I definitely didn’t read as much (since I wake up so early, I tend to go to bed earlier), but I still try and read at least 15 minutes every night when I have time.

Now onto week #4! I decided to change it up a bit!

• Tech of the week: Nike Run Club
• Fitness Habit of the week: Yoga
• Healthy Habit of the week: Less coffee creamer!

Tech of the week: Nike Run Club

Before it gets too cold to run outside, I need to talk about one of my favourite apps: Nike Run Club. This app helped me lose almost 50lbs since the beginning of the pandemic ( along with my Fitbit). Even in the beginning, I used this app to begin jogging and I still use it to this day.

Nike Run is a simple app. It tracks your kilometers as you run. You are able to set a distance or a time, add some music, and receive badges when you complete milestones. You can also join communities and challenges, as well as read articles about fitness and health . The simple features has allowed me to keep track of my runs since 2015 in a way that keeps me coming back to this app. If you’re someone who runs outside, definitely check it out!

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Nike Run Club has a very simple interface

Fitness Habit of the week: Yoga

I am still running twice on the weekend and I am now in a routine of waking up at 5:30am, 3 to 4 times a week. This gives me 15 minutes to wake up and get ready to work out. Then I still have 45 minutes to exercise. It’s been going well! It might seem early to some, but knowing my workout is done allows me to relax at night. I am still only doing Ring Fit Adventure, but it’s still working and it’s still fun. However, I thought I should add something new this week: Yoga!

I am not someone who does yoga regularly. I went to a few classes of cat yoga, but I can count on 2 hands the amount of times I have done yoga in my entire life. However, during and after doing yoga, I always feel calm and relaxed. I just never take the time in my schedule to do it on my own time.

How did it go?

My admin at my school understands the importance of self care so they have set up weekly yoga. I knew I needed to try it out for my fitness journey and try a new exercise. This week was the first session and it went great! It was nice that it was right after school and 50 feet from my classroom. I didn’t have to drive anywhere or make up any excuses. I know that I need more yoga in my life! There are so many benefits!

I am definitely not the most supple or graceful person, but I knew that I could take it easy and do what felt the best for me. We did many downward dogs, inhaling and exhaling, as well as some great stretches. I’m not sure if I will ever do yoga by myself at home, but I really like the one hour weekly session so I’ll definitely be going again next week!

Healthy Habit of the week: Less creamer in my coffee

I am an avid coffee drinker. It’s one of the first things I think of when I wake up and one of the first things I do when I get home from work. On Mondays, I might even bring a coffee to school. It is my key to survival some days!

Now, I wish I was a black coffee drinker, I really do. It would mean I could easily drink my caffeine without having to worry about calories or sugar intake. I’m not there yet, but maybe one day! I only started drinking coffee a few years ago, so I still find black coffee to be bitter. Also, I love being able to try all those different coffee creamers out there. But I do know two things: Coffee creamer is definitely not the best thing to consume and I put too much of it in my coffee.

Lots of sugar, with not much nutritional value

How did it go?

This week, I wanted to try and cut back on the creamer in my coffee. I rarely go to Starbucks or any other coffee shop. I frequent them maybe once a month, so I did not count the calories in those drinks, only the coffee I drink at home. Before this week, I would simply just pour until it was the right colour. On the left is my coffee that I am used to (about 2-3 tbsp.) On the right is my coffee with 1 tbsp. of creamer. It doesn’t look too different, until you think of the calories. This is why it’s important to measure! And honestly? The taste of the coffee on the right was a bit more bitter, but I adjusted quickly.

If I used to drink 2-3 tbsp. of creamer per coffee, 2 coffees per day, that’s an average of about 140-210 calories of creamer per day. That’s an average of around 980-1,470 calories a week. Just from my creamer!

This week, I drank 1 tbsp. of creamer per coffee which is 70-80 calories a day, depending on the creamer I use. This means I drank about 490-560 calories of coffee creamer this week. I cut my calories by more than half. Now I know for those black coffee drinkers, this might still seem like a lot, but it’s progress! I will continue with 1tbsp for another week and see if I can keep cutting back on the creamer. I might even try a creamer with less calories and sugar. Do you have any suggestions?

Week #4 went well! I am happy with routine I have for working out and am making changes to my eating habits. However, I think I still have some work to do with evening snacking. That might be my next goal. Any tips for reducing snacking? Thanks for reading!

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