Health & Fitness October 2012

[ellyphant]

When I was growing up, we watched "The Fran Carlton Show" instead of Jack Lalanne for TV exercise. This was late 60's, early 70's when I remember her being on. Anyone else ever see her show?

Back in the 80's, I had a Linda Evans "Crystal Light Workout" album. Yes, it was a big vinyl record and it came with a poster showing the exercises to be done! The music was good to listen to without doing the workout.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Back on the treadmill after life got in the way of my mornings.

Yesterday I forgot to put my pedometer on after my nap so missed at least half (probably more) of my steps for the day. My guess is 3000+ and I had 2800 on Saturday. Getting the great parking space meant my planned walk of about a mile was eliminated (half mile to and from the car.) Friday was 6900 but that included the treadmill.

Weight is back to 165.

Re: sugary drinks. That's depressing for me. I'm having 6 oz of juice each day (a juice pack) diluted in at least 4 cups of water. Discovered that 3 oz in 10 oz of hot water makes a nice 'cider' like drink at night (that was with the berry and apple juice.) All of my juices are 100% juice so no HFCS snuck in (I'm still appalled it was in chocolate milk.)

I really, really, miss diet drinks and being able to have a flavoured drink without calories. We don't have the same options in Canada as in the US (100% of flavoured waters have aspartame, for example, yet that wasn't the case in New Hampshire) so I guess I need a border run soon. Since I didn't know what Price Chopper had, I couldn't add that to my grocery list for ds on Friday. I'm pretty sure Crystal light has aspartame here. It is possible that stevia hasn't been cleared by our government yet.

But sugary isn't my down fall, it is salty. So I can have the chocolate bars in the house in prep for halloween but the chips don't last. Luckily they are about 100 cal per bag so there is portion control. Ds also brought me back Baked Ruffles (another thing we don't get in Canada) and I know that bag will be lucky to last 3 days.

In the meantime, my period continues on. Once that leaves, another 3lbs might go away (I was up 6 and 3 left when it came the second time in 2 weeks.) The treadmill can't hurt so I'll keep up with that.

Sleep was short last night. After a 2.5 hour nap starting at 3:30, I lay down at 11 but didn't turn out the night until midnight. Woke up at 5:15 and never got back to sleep. Hopefully, that means an earlier nap today.

I'm thinking I have to make naps shorter but when I'm in bed I don't want to get up and I'm trying to listen to my body as well as gently encourage a return to normal. Yesterday I was recovering from 9 hours up on Saturday and a very busy day on Friday as well as a busy Sunday morning so I was trying to treat myself well by napping longer.

[DeeClutter]

I had set 4,000 steps as my goal yesterday, while mostly 'vegging'. Almost got there -it was 3,686. So today I hope to reach 5k....(SHE hopes). Revving back up very slowly.

No, I don't want to race either, Ivy. Weight is coming off very slowly and I'm finding I have to be much more deliberate about it. When I go to the Dr. I do plan to ask her to test for thyroid however.

Meantime my BS readings have been much better for the past week or so -69 this morning, which is actually too low for me. I'm really feeling it at that point. Had to eat breakfast at 6a.m. -never do that. It's usually more like 8.

[Harriet]

The name Fran Carlton sounds familiar, but I'm not sure. I think I'm thinking of the football player Tarleton. If you still had that Linda Evans set, I bet that would be rare.

Oh, wait, now I know Fran Carlton - the Florida Representative. I can't find much about her show except that it existed. Now all the info on her is more recent about her state.

Did find this one image, ellyphant.

All of my juices are 100% juice so no HFCS snuck in (I'm still appalled it was in chocolate milk.)

I remain convinced that avoiding HFCS when possible is worth it. When we do purchase cola I like to get "Throwback", the Pepsi product that is without HFCS. I think the name is unfortunate and I don't know what market they were targeting. Silly. When HRH came in the house with some regular cola the other day he actually apologized for it and had some excuse - that's how much he does try (emphasis on try) to avoid them. I also wouldn't think too badly of your juices, Kathryn. There is redeeming value there as far as nutrition.

I did not "Just Push Play" last evening after all, but decided to get to bed early and try to be more rested for a workout this morning. It worked (although I still had a few technical difficulties with the LR media). As I got home from the school run I realized my ddad had just left the bathroom and gone back to his room and cut off the light again.

So I was able to get in a 45-minute Zumba workout, "Sculpt and Tone". Zumba is doable in the early morning whereas T-Tapp requires much more flexibility than I have at 7 am. Didn't think of it, but I imagine I could have done a T-Tapp stretch immediately afterward, though.

Then I did as Dr. Mercola suggests and had breakfast within 30 minutes after that. I had whey protein drink, something he also suggests - don't know if that's really any wiser than an egg, but it makes it easy to take vitamins.

[ellyphant]

Yes, that's her, Harriet!

I decluttered the Linda Evans album before this last move...oh well!

[Nancy]

I am back from my morning exercise did some yd. wk. and a brisk walk very pleasant after a rain lovely when the sun even came out!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I checked yesterday and the 'add to water' crystals all have aspartame here. The new drops (Kraft mio) uses acesulfame potassium and sucralose (Splenda.) So it is aspartame free but not free of the acesulfame potassium (which is also in diet drinks with aspartame here.) As Kraft says, recognized by the FDA as safe for the general population. So is aspartame but my doctors are pretty emphatic about avoiding that. Plus the container can't be frozen because it might break so I can't travel with it in my checked suitcase and my carry-on liquids baggie is already full. So I could only use it for home, not on a cruise.

My HRM is broken. Currently it shows a heart rate of 128. But it is just hanging off the treadmill bar because it kept reading 200 or 0 when it was on me (the other one did that too before I swapped them. I thinking it is the receiver on the treadmill not the transmitter that is broken.

Unfortunately, my treadmill doesn't have HRM grips so to take my HR I have to be wearing a strap or step off the belt and take my pulse myself.

But this is a set back. As I learned before I got sick, when I push myself to 75% max HR, I have physical improvement and weight loss. If I don't push myself, even 4 miles of walking a day left me with weight gain issues and no endurance on anything involving incline (stairs, hills.) So I don't want to waste my energy on the treadmill if I'm not getting full benefit of the workout. I don't have energy to spare so wasting it doesn't happen anymore (I walk out of stores that have large lineups at the cash because I won't waste 'up time' in lineups, I don't go to giant stores at all choosing smaller local stores that don't require a 1/4 mile walk between milk and vegetables, and aimless walking just doesn't happen around here anymore - if there isn't a purpose, I'm not moving.)

[Harriet]

Had an email this a.m. from the workshop teacher NCShe and I liked so much. There's a big discount for just today at T-Tapp, and yes, she's right, I did find what I've been hoping for at a discount. I'm ordering dd14 the Foot Fitness DVD - have been thinking about that for a while now. I bet she will benefit from it. She really needs some rehab that is private and that she can control by herself. I'll get for free the Lower Body DVD. Cool. It will probably kill me, but I will die toned.

Hmmm... ... a little bit of a hip-ache this morning. I was thinking of a pain pill with breakfast, but it was gone by then. I'll do a stretch mid-day to shoo it further!

Kathryn these are the little packets that help me. You probably already know it. They are just like sugar packets in shape and size. Tap, tap, tap and the coffee is sweet (or cereal, or whatever). I need to check out how they do with, say, a kool-aid type product or a sparkling water. I have too many in the cabinet right now because HRH and I both bought some. Where is that transporter when you need it... ...

I don't go to giant stores at all choosing smaller local stores that don't require a 1/4 mile walk between milk and vegetables

That's the worst possible walking surface anyway. Has given me lots of trouble and dd, too, to realize pet food and Ensure are at the opposite corner of the concrete from milk and butter. Yet we sort of NEED to shop each aisle to insure we don't get home frustrated, missing something. ShopMetropolis! I get a little help from being sure I am in my Skechers, but even they are not perfect. In my flats I might as well walk on out of the store before I hurt myself.

[Ivy]

I didn't walk on Monday, but I did 4 loads of laundry, put it away, was tired, and went to bed early. DH said I slept through a powerful storm, nothing woke me and I woke at 7 a.m. to a calm sunny day.

I walked 15 min. today, which isn't much at all, but I walked from the car to an appt., and back again, down a long hall there and back to the waiting area. I've got some sort of "bug" and don't have the energy I generally do. Napped 1 hr. today, so hope tomorrow I'll feel better and get the 1/2-hour walk in.

[Ivy]

I walked 30 min. today, did some heavy lifting, and light housework. YAAY! Go me! I'm glad I didn't have another day of failure to getting the 30 min. walk in! I need to motivate myself to keep this up throughout the winter. I feel lazy. It's like I'm fighting myself to walk now and I don't know why!