Life Post-Spark
It seems a long time since Spark closed down, but it’s only four days. The time has passed very slowly! I think I’m going to be able to manage life without it, but rather than writing about the silver lining, I’m going to write about making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
The biggest loss is frequent contact with Spark friends, and I can’t even make a silk purse out of that sow’s ear. There’s no way that there’s anything good about it.
How about motivation for exercise and weight? I hardly ever counted calories, so the diet parts of most health and fitness websites don’t interest me much, and I can still do the Maintenance Challenges here. It’s not that I don’t have trouble with the weight. I’ve slowly gained three kilos since I reached maintenance, and this time it seems particularly stubborn extra weight. I’ve been reading about the progress of sarcopenia through the decades, and it’s hardly surprising that you have to eat less just stay the same weight because muscle burns calories, and by seventy, you’ve lost a lot of it. I thought I was done with that adjustment after the hormonal changes of menopause - not so, it seems!
I’m much more interested in exercise than calories, and as I feared. Nicole Nicholls’s videos have disappeared from Youtube as well as Spark. She was the best for me. I’ve found someone else on YouTube who’s good, and I did a 15-minute Pilates video of hers yesterday. Lack of practice or dear old sarcopenia? I don’t know, but moves that used to be easy were really tough!
To replace those lovely scarlet badges we got on Spark as a reward for exercise minutes, I’m marking my minutes on the calendar on my fridge. It seems to be working well enough as motivation as I haven’t slacked off so far!
One small advantage of the end of Spark is that I get ready more quickly in the morning because I don’t linger over Spark and coffee. That’s very small and I’d forgo it in an instant to have Spark back. One more serious advantage is that I’m forced to go cold turkey on “praise addiction,” as someone has called it. That one’s quite important but I could probably do it while on Spark. It would just require an attitude adjustment.
So how have you been faring post Spark? I would love to know.
Sometimes I’ve used colorful stickers on a calendar to mark hitting goals, so I can identify with the calendar solution.
ReplyDeleteAs far as badges and “likes” for activity, I wear a Garmin wristband, and I’ve got some former Spark connections on the app. I suspect there are similar options for Fitbit wearers?
For everyday connecting I’m finding the various post-sp blogs pretty similar to reading SP blogs. I really like the ability to have small related conversations in the comments.
And there are lots of day-to-day messages in the Google group.
So I think I have most of the bases covered. I think I’m seeing fewer folks then I might have on SP, and I’m getting to know some of them better than I knew them before.
It’s different but it feels workable...❤️
PS I see a bunch of Nicole Nichols’ videos here. Are any of these ones you’ve been looking for?
Deletehttps://m.youtube.com/c/sparkpeople/videos?view=0&sort=p&flow=list
PPS Oh! I bet you can’t see those videos! When SP shut down and went to “Spark America,” I bet they restricted access to those videos to US-only, just like “Spark America.” 😳
DeleteOn the community boards Merle had said something about them leaving the recipes and videos available, but she didn’t specify which *domains* would be able to see them...
Sorry. 🙁
All of this makes .jp suddenly feel a lot farther away, doesn’t it? ❤️
Thank you very much for checking it out. She seems to have a DVD on Amazon. I love the way she always anticipates things: relax your shoulders just when mine are up by my ears, and she does some great stretches at the end. Of course I can do them by myself as I’ve got them memorized.
DeleteI hope the DVD is accessible and either region-free or else your player is! ❤️
DeleteI know what you mean about liking a particular person’s style of coaching and cueing. I have a kayak / yoga instructor I like so much I bought her DVD and even once went to Costa Rica to paddle and practice with her!
Going to Costa Rica! That’s quite something!
DeleteAfter the racing around trying to find new places to keep in touch with friends it feels like a break after the strain of the loss. Happy with my blogspot blog and interaction on the Maintain site.
ReplyDeleteI am ok for nutrition and exercise. Need that conversation and to feel part of the group:)
Exactly - being part of a group. I think I got hit by a spate of grieving today. I’d been a bit busy before now.
ReplyDeleteThe grieving comes and goes, of course, but it helps a LOT that a goodly bunch have started either blogging here or becoming friends over on My Fitness Pal and swapping status. It's not the same, of course, but we will adapt.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I'm doing good with tracking on Cronometer... I'm not deliberately restricting, but I'm being aware of intake and exercise! And I still have a huge project available when I care to work on it, re-publishing the archives, which I try to restrict myself to one or two a day, and allowing generous breaks.
May your spate be a light one, and the weekend be a good one!
Yes, I didn’t look around much on MFP until yesterday when I found some Spark friends. Felt better today!
DeleteIt is going to take a long time to stop grieving the loss of Sparks. NOTHING is remotely like it.
ReplyDeleteYou’re so right! It had everything!
ReplyDeleteRemember that when Chris started (before he made SP), he only had a yellow Post-It note with the number of days at goal. We can make it simple, or hard; I think simple is better. But, you are so right, that the rest of SP was valuable and is missed.
ReplyDeleteIn the last few days, I am finding that the calendar is good enough for motivation, so that’s one thing solved. Sometimes simple is fine!
DeleteLingering over Spark and coffee - I miss it too.
ReplyDeleteEasier for me to stay busy and motivated during the summer months. Lots of opportunity to get outside to walk, to garden, to be.
Winter will be much harder.
One day at a time...
My calendar system seems to be working for motivation. Tokyo summers are the difficult part of the year. - hot and humid. I hope you can enjoy a long summer outdoors.
DeleteI definitely miss the AM dose of Spark!! It seemed to motivate me thru the feed as well as blogs as I enjoyed my coffee and planned my day. It is difficult to keep up with friends on the various sites....Eissa7
ReplyDeleteGood to see you Eissa! Yes and it’s so nice when we do find friends :-)
ReplyDeleteI have been doing well since spark closed. I joined spark 360 and since they put the nutrition tracker up it has been working for me. I always keep a close eye on my calories and try to keep track of my micronutrients. I exercise 3 days a week at the fitness center and I walk weather permitting the rest of the week. I missed my walk this morning due to an appointment but will have to make it up by walking in place to a video. So not much has changed in my life due to the closing. Just following my program.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we were motivated while on Spark, and after it closed, the motivation is still there. We just find new ways of nurturing that motivation.
DeleteYup. grateful for the Google Docs group but missing the Spark People commentary and blogging and . . . . oh well oh well oh well!!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Still missing it and you and everyone. It’s such a loss.
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