Fitness Zombie Weekly Update: Sept. 14 – Sept. 20, 2024

Ahh, another week in the life of the Fitness Zombie, shuffling through workouts, battling fatigue, and doing my best to avoid falling into the grave of poor habits. While the week wasn’t without its challenges—missed cardio sessions, late-night stumbles, and glucose checks—overall, I crawled through it stronger than before. Here’s the breakdown of how the undead fitness journey went.

Zombie Workouts:

This week had its ups and downs. I started with good momentum on the elliptical, burning through the calories like a zombie chasing brains. On September 17, I hit my stride, smashing through 279.4 calories in 29 minutes. But the real struggle came from my mortal enemy: the 5:00 AM alarm. I wanted to rise early for light cardio on September 18, but let’s just say, this zombie wasn’t ready to crawl out of the grave yet. I settled for some evening strength training and walking, though I missed a few morning cardio sessions—something that really got under my rotting skin. By September 20, I finally shook off the sluggishness, jumped on my NordicTrack for a walk through the Serengeti and followed it up with a 10-minute Peloton Peace meditation.

Positive: Cardio endurance is improving, and I kept moving even when motivation was low.
Negative: Missed early morning workouts hit my mood hard, making me angrier than a zombie with no brains to munch on.

Zombie Body Stats:

The good news? This zombie is shedding weight! I dropped from 220 lb to 217.6 lb this week, with body fat decreasing from 27.3% to 26.9%. My BMI went down as well, which is always a win. Despite the few missed cardio sessions, I held onto my muscle mass, thanks to consistent strength training. Measurements of my arms and legs stayed steady, but I was hoping for more consistent reductions in torso measurements like waist and chest. My waist dropped slightly from 46 inches to 44 inches, which is progress, but I would like to see more consistent reductions in those areas as I continue to burn fat.

Positive: Weight and body fat are heading in the right direction, and my skeletal muscles are still intact.
Negative: Progress in torso measurements like waist and chest is slower than desired, so I’ll need to stay focused and patient.

Calories, Yum!

Nutrition this week had its own share of victories and defeats. Overall, I kept my calorie intake in check, hitting around 1300-1600 calories daily. Carbohydrates were decent too, with the highest intake on September 14, where I logged 106.5 grams. But I stumbled on some high-fat meals, especially on September 20, when dinner brought in 37 grams of fat—a bit much for my liking. To top it off, I’ve been neglecting my kombucha, and my gut’s been protesting louder than a graveyard full of restless spirits.

Positive: Stayed on track with calories and protein, especially supporting my strength workouts.
Negative: Kombucha neglect and high-fat meals slowed me down. This zombie needs to do better for the ol’ digestive system.

Zombie Heartbeats:

Zombie heart, still beating! My resting heart rate stayed steady at 64-72 bpm, though I noticed a dip in my HRV on September 18 and 19—probably due to missed workouts and subpar sleep. My Recovery and Readiness from Eclipse weren’t great either, reminding me that even the undead need to rest and recover properly. On the bright side, during workouts, my heart rate peaked at 148 bpm, especially during intense cardio sessions. Despite the sleep and recovery issues, the heart’s still working like a zombie chasing down fresh prey.

Positive: Good cardiovascular response during workouts, heart still ticking strong.
Negative: Low recovery and HRV, signaling I need more quality rest.

Zombie Glucose Survival:

Glucose levels this week were undead perfection. I’ve scaled back my Glimepiride dosage, down to half a pill in the morning, and my glucose stayed in range the whole time. No highs for the last 14 days, and my 30-day GMI is sitting at 5.9. Even with some indulgences for Mrs. Lady Zombie’s birthday, I kept my glucose levels stable. This is one area where I’m winning the battle.

Positive: No glucose spikes, even after reducing meds. This zombie’s got it under control.
Negative: Not much to complain about here, but I’ll keep an eye on things.

Final Zombie Thoughts:

Overall, this week felt like a shambling mix of victories and setbacks. I’m seeing weight loss and better glucose control, but my missed morning cardio sessions really hit my mood hard. On September 18, when I refused to get out of bed, my frustration hit peak zombie rage, and that set a darker tone for the next couple of days. By September 20, I had clawed my way back to a better mood with some solid workouts and meditation. The lesson? This zombie needs a routine to stay sane—or as close to sane as an undead fitness fiend can get.

There’s a lot to be proud of: consistent exercise, fat loss, and great glucose control. But missing out on early morning workouts really affected my motivation, and I’ve got to get back on track. The road ahead looks promising, though—I just need to stay focused, keep shuffling forward, and remember that even a fitness zombie needs rest to keep going.