Health and Fitness April, 2012

[Harriet]

Welcome! This is a thread about gaining and maintaining strength for our wonderful calling, Homemaking. As we care for our own health, we grow more capable and competent to care for our families, our neighbors and our communities. As we become more effective, our hopes for ourselves and those we care about get the best chance!

We've posted recently about following healthful lifestyle changes, challenges we have given ourselves, getting sensible medical care/tests/proactive steps, trying to form good habits like enough sleep or hydration, trying to break some other habits and creating healthy meals. Please join right in!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Really struggling here. Weight is down a bit since returning but it is still over 170 and was as low as 165 in Jan/Feb. Aside from that disappointment, my never ending period is my bigger concern.

It has been erratic all 2012. The one over Christmas was a bit late, the one in Jan arrived sort-of on time, then Feb was almost 2 weeks late and lasted 5 days (usually they last only 3), then the March period was late. I was due March 15 and it didn't show up until March 21. Except at that point it was only a drop or two each day. The period came in full force on the night of the 27/28 and hasn't slowed down since then, still having to wear protection at night (something I normally only have to do the first night.)

At least the breast pain is almost completely gone, and there has only been minor cramping with this. But I'm 'in a mood' constantly as well as being inconvenienced.

I well-know that some women have problems way worse than this and I hesitate to whine but there seems to be no end in sight to me having to be constantly dealing with this and not knowing when I'll ever return to 'normal' or a 'new normal' (I don't accept this as a new normal.)

I'm also very tired, more so than I should be so finally figured out that I should up my iron (I'm trying to lose weight so was staying away from red meat almost entirely.)

I hate being at war with my body, lately it has been my jaw, my back (I could barely walk on Friday), my weight, breast pain, itching on my hand and now this.

[NC SHE]

Hi, Harriet and Kathryn!! Sorry to hear about the periods, Kathryn. Some years ago, I had a very, very, very heavy period everyday for more than two months. They finally put me on birth control pills for a couple of months and that seemed to regulate things again. To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure what the cause was, just the cure. Good luck to you!

I have been reclaiming my health for the past year, and lowering my carbs seems to have been the main source of help. After Easter, my ds18 and I are going to do a two-month workout challenge together (his big sis gets married on the beach in Florida in two months, and we're focusing on that. grin). I don't know what our plan is, but we're going to go to the gym, etc. together. Should be interesting!

[Nancy]

With rain and even some snow here yesterday I did 4 mi. on the exercycle plus going up and down the stairs for my exercise. Waving to NC She. {{{ K in C }}} Glad you are paying attn. to the iron.

[Harriet]

((Kathryn)), I know that you have encountered a lot of professionals/experts on varying areas of women's health recently. I hope some of them were people you could talk to about this, or, if they weren't, what if you called a nurse from your gyn or gen prac office and talked this out? My instinct is that, no, it is not a new normal and things will settle. I totally understand your comment about "hate being at war with my body".

NC SHE, cool to hear that you've been reclaiming your health. So mostly food/diet tweaking? OKay and Cowinkie have discussed carbs or the lack thereof here quite a bit. Both of them have had eye-opening success stories lately, as has Mr. OKay. LisaB from South Africa's eye-opening success has been through a bootcamp-style exercise program and she has the same calendar-event type goal as you and ds - a wedding in the family!

Nancy, I mentioned to dd that you biked 4 miles and she just shook her head! Of course, in fairness, she bikes outdoors and is not allowed to travel more than a quarter/third mile away, LOL! Anyway, she was impressed.

I had felt lots better with 1/2 dose Nyquil allowing good sleep for 2 nights, so tried going without it last night and went into a coughing fit, ouch, ouch, ouch.. Tried about a 1/3 dose and did sleep, but this am I have a stuffy head and I think the antihistamine part was not good for me. Like Kathryn, I feel at war with my body, because this bout has done nothing for my weight loss efforts, in fact sent me backward. I was "even" at the end of the month, but right now am backslidden. As you can imagine, my ddad's birthday party didn't help. I was extremely nervous trying to help him with every aspect of food, gifts, company, and by the time I paid attention to what I myself was doing, I had eaten both my serving and dd's leftover half-serving of ice cream and cake.

Ah, well. Harmony's probably right that I am gaining weight on stress, lol.

Today I'm trying to stay low on the sodium. And I'm researching. I've made a chart of potential frozen meals for me when I'm eating alone, and what their caloric/sodium ratio is. Today I have a tossed salad with avocado planned for lunch.

[Harriet]

Reporting in for Thursday -

8 cups water

slightly over 1,000 calories for a regrouping day I very much need - tomorrow I'll be sure to increase.
...apple
...Atkins shake
...tossed salad with avocado
...Healthy Choice tortellini
...yogurt sweetened with honey
...Veggie Burger fried in coconut oil
...90 calorie potato roll
...1/3 slice swiss cheese
...1/8 Hershey's Special Dark bar

the tracker says it was 1,260 sodium

20 minutes of T-Tapp

I checked the forum where I keep track of my eating, and there was a weight loss challenge starting, but it was way out there. They are making goals that are not healthy or safe (discussing whether 20 pound goals per month is acceptable advice), and other recommendations are iffy. I'll stick with wise women!

[Nancy]

Harriet glad to hear your dd was impressed about my exer-cycling!

Yesterday I got some floor exercising done while watching my knitting show what a great way to begin the day while it was frosty outside.

Today I walked w dgd and they walked their dogs, then had h. drop dgd#2 and I off to see the goats and walk the rest of the way home w/ umbrellas in hand glad to have those b/c it was showery today and hailed a bit. We had a great visit.

[Harriet]

Yesterday was almost a copy of the day before except more calories, less sodium.

TaDa - Today the scale proclaimed me "even". (Meaning reclaiming/holding the 6 pounds lost over Nov, Dec and Jan.)

Today:

1 slice cantaloupe and 1/2 apple
Whey protein with coconut milk shake
1 cup homemade spaghetti, parmesan
yogurt with honey
broccoli with fettucini (WW)
raw baby carrots


25 minutes of T-Tapp.

I'm rotating through the 55 minute Total workout by thirds, but adding the beginning stretch each time, so it's something like 20, 20, 25 minutes. I think this is better than just the same 20 minute first part every day (called Basic) because variety is nice and this uses different muscles. I'm lucky that the last of the workout is some of my favorite moves, so the "third" that takes a little longer is enjoyable. Today I genuinely felt my thighs tingling, which is a good old familiar sign that I'm building fitness.

Got in 20 minutes in the sun. I probably do this as much for my lung/respiratory health as any other reason so I realize on high pollen days it could be a mixed blessing. The window of time is rapidly expanding - 10:25 to 2:30 now at my house according to USN observatory - wow.

[Nancy]

Today exercise included walking and mopping the floor.

[Lynlee]

re "Keeping thing moving"
Years ago a gyn suggested 1tsp of epsomsalt in warm water - maybe w a little juice. I found 1/2 tsp was right amount for me.
When I got to play with breakfast foods, I found adding chia seeds, a dried fig, and dsp sesame oil (I use organic cold pressed) added to my GF seed mix works well so don't need the epsom salt internally now..

I've been having epsomsalt in my bath to help remove toxins. Helps with aches.

Yesterday I was on an easter bun rampage - looked in many shops until I found one open, with them . Ate one and got a headache. Gave away the remaining buns in the afternoon.
The headach may have been from something else but at least those buns are out of the house.

Also lent a Feingold diet book (for ADHD) over the fence - they have been doing GF for their dd5ish. It seems to have helped from the less screaming. However - they are thinking of giving up on the GF. ??? I suggested making it a test and changing nothing else at the time. I need get some links for current suggestions and send them to them.