I HATE THAT!!!!

I really enjoy these videos. They're not tough on the body or mind, because even though the abs are burning, it's from like 4 different moves, not one. She rarely does more than 8 reps so the time really flies for me. I love all strength moves done from the floor, so Pilates is right up my alley in that respect. The stretching and toning are gentle, easy on joints, yet effective. Last night I did a 20minute one full body and it was perfect. I was TANKED after Halloween at school.

I tried one today after a little run, and it was GREAT! I did 25 minutes of a 35 minute one and it had a perfect blend of stretch, core and general strength. I have only done Pilates once before in all my life, and I didn't like it then. Now my slowed-down, realistic approach to fitness finds it very nice indeed! Thanks for sharing

Mine, too, until I got an endocrinologist but looks like you’ll not need one and that’s even better!

They go up and down, but when you have an autoimmune disease, you have it forever. If they go down so low to a certain level, you can be considered in remission, but never cured. Most people never develop them, but if you have one autoimmune (i had celiac first), you're 3x more likely to get another.

Yes low like yours (non existent) means you do not have an autoimmune disease - neither Hashimotos nor Graves

I have the autoimmune disease called Graves and it produces hyperthyroidism My antibodies were 500!

Yep, I know ALL about thyroid and how it works, so I can help. Your TSH seems a bit higher than the high end of the range. At my lab (every lab is different slightly because they're based on averages over time of "normal" for the people walking in to that particular lab) is .45 - 4.5 so yours would be high. High TSH means (usually) that your brain (it's a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland) is asking for more hormone. It's Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and it's the regulator of it all. VERY rare circumstances the pituitary isn't working right, but very very rare. When it's elevated, it means your brain is saying WE NEEED MORE! WE NEED MORE! It's literally stimulating your gland to make more. If it's still not, it'll yell louder and louder. It's crazy to me (not a doc, obviously) that your actual thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) weren't measured as well. Likely, they're low which is why your smart brain is sending out so much TSH, asking for more. T3 converts to T4, but they both need to be in range. FREE T3 and FREE T4 are unbound hormones that can be utilized, and are the ultimate gold star for how it's going. But docs consider the TSH the gold star. Long story there, but like I said it IS the ultimate regulator, but it's not even thyroid hormone itself. Did I confuse you? Ask for T3, T4 and Free T3 and Free T4. See what they say

Here's a little interesting real-life experience that I could share. So, I've been teaching from home for a year now. This means I have much more time to exercise in the morning since I don't need to get dressed, eat, have a lunch and drive to school to get ready. I love to work out as we all know, but have long since ditched over-exercising. I have definitely been getting in more this last year for several reasons besides the one that I love the feeling. I have more time, there was nothing else TO do for many of those months, I was working far less hard physically, I sat most of the day, I could take a quick nap, I slept in longer, I gradually built up more fitness, and I wasn't do hot yoga on top of all this. So, I wasn't over-exercising for me at this point in my life, but I was doing quite a bit more and more frequently. The result in my body shape/size/composition? Nada, zilch, nothin'. I wasn't restricting food so I was naturally eating more and moving less when not in the (garage) gym. It was winter for much of this so I was taking less dog walks. I didn't gain weight or flab because I was compensating in other ways and not overdoing it, but I didn't lose weight, look tighter or show more muscle. The point? IT. DOESNT. MATTER. When I go back to actual school here in about 3 weeks (yes! yes! yes! I often comment that distance learning will kill me before any virus does), I will naturally turn this way down. I'll be on a schedule. I'll be tired. I'll have way less access to food. I'll sleep in. and since I'm fully vaccinated (thank you) I'll go back to yoga again. It all works out if you're doing what works for you. ANY forcing of the exercise (for me. And I admit I did do that still sometimes when I worked because I'd skip several in a row and think I "should") - none of that matters. I've been active for about 30 years consistently because I love it. I hike, do yoga, walk, snowboard for fun. I LOVE active vacations. I'm not happy or well sitting too much or going too long without using my body to exertion. So why would I EVER need to "worry, plan or force" exercise. While I love those typically fun activities, I also love jogging, stair climbing, jumping rope, battle ropes and weights. This is not a person I'm describing here who ever needs to be concerned that they'll stop and fall into one big blob of unfitness (?) on the chair. More exercise? There's a season for that for me (non working times) and less? There's a season for that, too. None of it makes any difference in the way my body looks or what the scale says. None. So if you don't like to exercise, don't worry is my take. If you do, great and it's for sure healthy for you (to a degree). Too much is most certainly worse than too little in my case. I'm reading a book right now called Exercised. It's all about this topic by a scientist who studies biomechanical movements of the body or something. It starts by comparing Ironman athletes to these native people I forget where who do a 30 hour competition but it's TOTALLY different and the results. The native folks kick a ball, run slowly, have a whole party of it, have others join in and drop off at times...I've only started it but it's fascinating and i'm sure I'll be back to share on it.

I love my air fryer! I bought a ninja countertop one and it worked great but then I heard the cuisinart countertop oven that's a convection, toaster, air fryer and baking one was amazing and bought it instead. It's amazing because I have a huge oven and there are only two of us now so it is awesome. I air fry tofu (to die for), broccoli (ditto), fish (so good for tacos), all veggies, potatoes, and even tortillas when they've been around too long and I know they'll go faster as chips than as tortillas. I LOVE mine and it's the kitchen gadget I use most often. Any specific questions? I'll feel very accomplished in this life if I've turned you on to the weighted blanket and the air fryer. They are two EXCELLENT purchases!

I've never tried her bodyweight beginners series, but now I will (thanks, @Mottainai ) I generally stay away from her full bodyweight ones because they're SO hard for me. I mean like body crush and those? They're way advanced. But now that you mention it, "beginners" is in the title! I have it marked to give it a go.

So true! Ignoring hunger in any form (chewing gum, drinking coffee, drinking water, waiting an hour after you feel it) was all the stuff that MESSED. ME. UP. It was very difficult to undo because it literally rearranged my cells or something. I then had no idea "when' and "how much" to eat, because I'd been practicing ignoring them. Everyone else seemed to know and maintain decent weight because they listened to their bodies. Literally ignoring ANY of your body's signals will lead to some serious untangling in the end.

ZGYM, like everything, really, has its pros and cons. For me, I like the price and availability (my own house) and it's effective. It's also no cost to discontinue or resign. Major bonuses. The downfalls for me are that I like only summer shred, lifted butt and the upper body and abs ones. The choices are overwhelming (unless I keep it to those) and I don't dig her diet mentality, which she largely keeps off the videos but sometimes they sneak in at the end. Overall, worth 10 bucks a month, to be sure. I also way lower my risk (tendency) to overtrain because it's limited minutes of pushing myself. Maybe not helpful but that's my two cents

Hi @Tonya I hate it :) But I'll get used to it. It took me far too many minutes to "find" the weekly workout schedule. I think I had to go to "monthly" and find it from there. Is there another way?

I'm really enjoying ZGYM this time around. Like all workouts I enjoy, I've cancelled and resubscribed many times. This time it's all I'm doing after a very short (<8 mins) warm up and it's a lot less than I've ever done. Even the advanced ones are totally ok for me and less than before. My workouts are fast, varied, and effective. I've also moved my workouts to the evening. My tendency to overdo is totally thwarted with this maneuver. In the morning, I would work out if there was more time available before I needed to get ready for work. At night, I'm DONE when it's done and look forward to the shower and dinner awaiting me, and the tv and computer time following that. The desire to kill myself is GONE after a full day of kids and such. On weekends, I still do workouts in the mornings, but it's at my leisure and about 2 hours after I wake up. Or I skip altogether. No nighttime workouts on weekends, but I don't experience that endocrine disruption that seems to happen in the mornings for me. It's been N-I-C-E.

Did the new Strength series #1 again yesterday. She mentions putting these on the schedule 2x week for 6 weeks but I thought maybe it would be #2 and such for variety. Does anyone know if it's going to be this same exact one for 6 weeks? I like it (a lot. LOVE all the rest in between) but it is starting to get old. Today I'll do the lifted butt series on the schedule for today. I remember enjoying those but also thinking they were too long. That is not case now that I"m doing only those and nothing before/after. We'll see how it goes today. I like to push play without looking at it first. Just whatever's there I try to do and when it's over, it's over. Anyone else like not looking first?

I'm doing ZGYM, too, again. Love the new strength series and how she admits you don't have to kill yourself every time and this new style of training will get you very strong. Enjoying! I'm going to do a 300 rep workout on the schedule after work today. I loved the few of those I tried before. I find I'm WAY more happy if I don't read the workout first. I just push play, do what I can, and stop when it's over. The THOUGHT of incline walking and/or running in addition to these workouts is nuts. I used to do that and think it was ok. Ugh

OMG we're talking about snacks!? I love snacks and was also used to not having them because dieting said that's how we all got fat lol!! I love peanut butter alone or slathered on bananas dark chocolate dried figs Chips and salsa fruit - especially special ones you can't get all the time like watermelon, mangoes, nectarines granola with milk popcorn of any kind quesedilla carrots and hummus beets (I know. But yum) nuts smoothie I, too, eat most of my food before noon and I also eat most of my food in the form of smaller meals and/or snacks. It's fun and I can really practice intuitive eating this way

This was interesting to noodle on. It made me think of something I read once about how men would never seek out to mate with a women, let's say, in the throes of cancer or some life-threatening disease where they're skin and bones and don't "look healthy". Of course they still love the person if that's their person, but it's just evolution and all that about reproducing. If they're looking for a mate, that is not the one they will choose. It's the same, kind of, with ultra-skinny ones and the reason most men don't like it. It's not good for reproduction potential lol. That being said, it's mostly WOMEN who like that shit. We are so distorted :) As far as carrying extra weight, I'm with you on not reacting. I'm done freaking out and throwing some insanely restrictive diet or punishing workout at it. That doesn't work at all. I do, still, however, not quite accept it and work on eating a little less til it goes away. Funny thing about that is it never does go away. My belly might get bigger or smaller, but its always there. And for the record, my husband also sees it as sexy. That I still don't get, but hey I'll take it. As you can see, I have a ways to go with all of this. But it's sooooo much better than it was.

Looking forward to hearing more, even though my hair is more frizzy than curly these days. Maybe that's because I need a new product :)!!!!