I've checked bodyfat a couple of times and do follow what my weight is doing, but my main stat is the mirror. I've told my trainer the results I want and he tells me what to do to get there.

Diet is great during the week - protein shakes for breakfast and lunch M-F. Usually a healthy meal at dinner, sometimes we eat out. Some days I'll fast after breakfast until late afternoon or dinner if I'm feeling it. On the weekends I eat whatever I want, within reason.

Seems to be working out pretty well for you.  I would call that a disciplined diet, but you still get freedom to eat what you want in the evenings and the weekends.

How is everyone doing on activity and general health aside from getting or not getting Covid?

My lower leg issues have been doing better, so I've been getting out running more. Not as much climbing and strength training as I would like.

I am in a continuous battle between my ability to get back to regular activity and the massive cache of ice cream in the freezer.

Backpacking was mostly canceled due to Theresa's ankle injury from last year not having fully healed, but we, plus a female friend of ours, did take the 13yo daughter of one of my oldest friend's on a 3-day backpack. It was a great experience for all four of us. Fun for the grizzled vets to see things through a young girl's eyes and she was so positive every minute.

For our anniversary, we did a climb that was an easy morning romp for us 15 years ago, but not only are we out of shape, it was 103 in the shade and we were in direct sun. The rock almost burned my hand to touch in some places. Even at 4pm after we finished, it was 97 in the shade. Theresa said, "Well, we're older and dumber" after that.

I'm probably in the worst shape of my life - at least in terms of fitness. Weight not so bad, but spagetti arms and not much strength. Planning to get going on Monday

Good timing Ergo, I was thinking about reviving this thread.  On top of Covid it sounds like global warming has impacted your workout some.  I am sure the smoke has been brutal for you up there.

So, it turns out I make too much SHBG.  I'm working with an endocrinologist to get it under control.  This is probably related to being low carb for a very long time and my body down regulating my production of insulin.   Insulin and SHBG have a bit of an inverse relationship.  I've experimented with upping my carbs to be more in line with the SAD, but that didn't really make it any better and it got me a bit squishier.

Covid has impacted my workouts quite a bit.  I haven't been inside a gym in about a year and a half now.  I have a home routine where I do calisthenics and work with dumbells.  It works OK.  Actually, in some ways it's been sort of nice.  I've noticed that my joints are complaining a lot less these days.  I think the heavier weights I was using in the gym never fully let my joints recover from week to week. 

My routine is still four times a week with repeating alternant workouts.  In addition to that I do a late night walk (when the air quality allows it) after dinner and the kids are in bed -- not very long, just about 1.25 miles.

I've been working on losing the weight I gained during the first year of the pandemic.  I gained about eight pounds and I've dropped five of them so far.  My goal is to be the same weight at 50 as I was at 40 (the BIG littleman years were in my 30s).

I've had a mixed year. I've been more active physically in recent months but have also gained a few pounds that I'd rather not have.

I have good intentions for the fall, but a complicating factor is more and more twinges from arthritis. I need to figure out how to work around that.

>arthritis

BW, if you can stand the smell of menthol, this works.

https://www.amazon.com/Absorbine-Plus-Pain-Relieving-Liquid/dp/B073SYYLZN

It was a medicine cabinet staple when I was growing up.  It is still around, but the big box pharmacies literally hide it behind all the pricey patches and rubs.

It is VERY thin, like alcohol, but the bottle comes with a shoe-polish-type applicator.

Louise uses non-prescription strength Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel.  It is an NSAID. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084ZMMVQS

>>Voltaren

Discovered this in Europe many years ago. My Swiss physician friends think of ibuprofen and sodium naproxen as strong drugs and Voltaren as safer, but I think that's just because there it was OTC and the others were prescription, while here it was the reverse. In any case, we've imported it for years before it came to Costco and I use it on my toe that is arthritic due to an old injury.

>>SHBG

I hope you can get it under control. Did this come up as part of a routine exam, or were you having issues that prompted some digging? And, of course, don't respond if you'd rather not.

>>spagetti arms
>>squishy

Yeah... my wife taught the term "muffin top" :-) Doing better with all the ice cream stored around the middle, but like Littleman, I have always found it harder to do strength workouts at home compared to a gym. I'm not sure why, but it's just harder to get started and, once started, to keep going. Part of it is equipment, of course, but in my case I think most of it is psychological.

I have created this weird point system. Activities that I want to do (not necessarily fitness; it includes fiction writing, for example) get a certain number of points. Then I pick something that I really want to buy and I have to earn points at a dollar a point. Just bought a new laptop. Earlier this year I bought a sleeping bag.

Running, writing, stretch session, icing my leg - 3 points. I'm not too bad at making time for these.
Strength training, climbing, bouldering, yard work - 5 points. I'm always happy when I do them, but I need a kick in the butt to get started
Morning 10s (easy mobility exercises), "outside time", sauna - 1 point

My wife has long had a monthly grid to track art, journaling, exercise and things she wants to encourage and it lets her see at a glance how she's been doing. I need more help, so I introduced the point system. It definitely nudges me to do a bit more than I otherwise would, though I definitely have zero-point days.

So I have a grid and every month I print out a copy and paste it over the photo part of the wall calendar by my desk. It's not revolutionary, but it has helped.

>>global warming has impacted your workout some. 

That was just pure idiocy. We made a plan without checking the forecast because the recent weather had been so nice, got off to a late start and climbed in the absolute peak heat of one of the hottest days. As Theresa said, older and dumber. It is, however, noticeably hotter than when we moved here, but the middle of the day in August has always been pretty rough.

>>I am sure the smoke has been brutal for you up there.

Actually, we have not had much smoke this year. Lately, we've been overwhelmingly in the Good range with some spikes into Moderate. Of course, we're always just one lightning strike or overheated catalytic converter from total immolation, but this has been a mellow year down here.

>>>SHBG

I initiated the investigation, I felt off.

>smoke

I'm getting quite tired of it here.  This is the third year in a row with poor quality air for weeks at a time.

I'm doing pretty well health-wise but my strength & stamina are down quite a bit --a common problem for those on hemodialysis.  As it turns out, kidneys release a hormone that manages hemoglobin.  There is a synthetic drug that I typically get by injection once a month but it is a carcinogen, so they keep it and my hemoglobin at the lowest level.

Bummer. So that means your blood is not as good at taking up O2?

>not as good at taking up O2?

Right.  So muscle strength is reduced and frequently feeling very tired compounds that because you don't feel up to doing heavy chores or -ugh- exercising.  But lack of stamina is even more noticeable; I might lift 50# once, but I can't do it 4 or 5 times in short time frame.  I feel winded, but not short of breathe ...it's an odd sensation.

>I feel winded, but not short of breath

So, no real fix then?

I'm still training daily and in my best shape ever. Feelz good mang. Definitely new territory for me.

Only issue is having such a big appetite at night. It's hard to stop sometimes.

>So, no real fix then?

Until the transplant at least, right?

Good for you Dras!  Keep at it. 

>So, no real fix then?
>Until the transplant at least, right?

Right. But while slightly debilitating and requires some lifestyle changes, I'm waaaaaay better off than many/most dialysis patients.  Hell, my kidney doc says I'm in 'otherwise robust good health' and better off than a lot of 71 yr olds in general. Overall, I'm fairing well and am able to do MUCH more than the average patient regarding diet, activities, my heavy hobbies, etc. 

>health and fitness
OT, I'm currently in excellent health --just not the plow horse I used to be. Fitness, as in strength and exercise, is the problem.

Pandemic Weight Gain: 2 lbs