Health and Fitness, October, 2008

[Harriet]

Welcome!

In this thread we chat about keeping ourselves strong and capable as we pursue our calling as homemakers. Our family members may need to lean on us, and we may need to lean on them. Proactive medical answers, sensible consumption of healthy food and water, getting enough rest, and getting enough activity, too - these are all part of our plans! Helping each member of our households work in all their healthy habits is priceless!

Several of us are looking toward new regimens in October, either for recuperation or general fitness. Be sure to check in and let friends here know how you are doing!

[lucylee]

Jan. 2 -- 156.5 -- exercised 18 days
Feb. 1 -- 156 -- exercised 7 days
Mar. 1 -- 155 - exercised 14 days
Apr. 1 -- 155 --exercised 10 days
May 1 -- 153.5 -- exercised 6 days
June 1 - 155 -- exercised 10 days
July 1 -- 154 -- exercised 15 days
Aug. 1 - 155 -- exercised 9 days
Sept. 1 - 157 - exercised... not enough
Oct. 1 -- 155.5
Measurements were up this morning, but I felt very puffy and bloated, so maybe the tape measure was off a little. * crossing my fingers *
There is no logical explanation for the weight loss. I have done nothing and I have eaten everything that crossed my path, or so it has seemed to me. With ddad's hospitalization 9 days out of the month, I have completely thrown caution to the wind, and I am surprised I have not already reaped the whirlwind.
BUT... tomorrow IS another day, and I shall try to get back on track this month!

[Harriet]

Hi, lucylee. Yes, if you feel bloated you probably are. That's one of those "where there's smoke" things. A hospitalization in the family can throw all plans out the window.

I'm still dealing with my back pain but am much better. From the "cause and effect" dept , here's what I posted last month:

With intense days of outdoor work lately whenever dh has extra time, we've been on the Construction Worker's Diet (work until you need something from the home improvement store, grab a late restaurant breakfast while you're out, then keep working).

And I guess the same experts are in charge of my exercise. I'm tired, sweat a lot, have aches afterward, but my body's not convinced anything good will come of it.

What a predictor, hmmm? -
1) unable to find time for stretching and isometric movements before lifting,
2) heavy, unhealthy foods instead of light, fresh ones.

I haven't had a flare-up of lower back pain like this in all the time I've been doing my sensible no-impact every-muscle good-posture workouts - more than 7 years. So that shows me clearly that it has been protective. I really can't wait to get back to my exercise routine and get consistent again. Dr says sometimes these things can take 6 weeks and he felt I was at the 2 week mark then, so I'm claiming the third week of October as my first light exercise!

Meanwhile, I've gone back to the Fit for Life concepts that are also protective for me. Water first, fruit next on an empty stomach, then time allowed for the fruit to clear out of the tummy before anything else is eaten. So I'm having a pint of water first thing, waiting
5 minutes
for it to leave the stomach, having a hard seasonal fruit like my favorites, D-Anjou Pear or Gala Apple, then waiting
a full 20 minutes
before breakfast of some type of healthy cereal/bread with which to take my vitamins (and, for a few more days, a muscle relaxant and an aspirin). Normally, Fit for Life concepts would back that ingestion of grains up until noon, but I feel I must have something substantial in my tummy when I take meds.

How is everyone else doing?

[Harriet]

Oops, and meant to post - the advice I'd gotten years ago about lower back health has been helping me. I don't know if anyone remembers me telling that a wise doctor once taught me how to make a bed (or lift/do just about anything low) without lower back strain. First you get into position (for instance, ready to lift a mattress corner to tuck a sheet under in your usual way), then raise your head to look straight ahead toward the wall in front of you rather than allowing your neck/head to be pointing down, THEN lift/sit/whatever. It's amazing the difference it makes for me. When I sit down, I make sure my neck and spine are aligned, and I'm looking ahead at the wall in front of me, not down at the chair, or floor, or my knees, etc.

[DeeClutter]

Sounds like good advice, Harriet -the back thing I'm talking about. Have to change the bedding today -for warmer things and it's always a real task for me getting that done. Have to slide the mattress down and to one side, slide it back and then do the same on the other side before I can get the bottom sheet on -so your advice is very timely today.

I have decided (again I'm afraid) that I HAVE to do something about my weight and blood sugars. So will try to post daily at least for my own accountability.

Yesterday I walked with dneighbors for a little over a mile & a half. Not sure we'll get a walk in very early today -it was 33 out when I got up and about 55 in.
Today:
Weight: 174.4
Blood glucose: 118
I know I can do it, it's simply a matter of choosing to do it.

[Twins' Mom]

Post and run....I'm now down about 25 pounds, I figure. (Difference in scale at trainer's place = 22 pounds, plus he changed to a new, more accurate scale that was 3 to 4 pounds heavier than old scale.)

I'm continuing to count WW points but still not able to treadmill walk as much as I'd like to burn calories. Hips hurting still at times, tho not at the original intensity.

More distractions and less time since school started and Jewish holidays and working again makes it harder to lose also.

I'm still working out three days a week - some sporadic shoulder achiness - but otherwise hanging in there. I'd like to loose about 20 more pounds eventually, although I know it will come off more slowly.

[Harriet]

Woo Hoo, Twins Mom!
((hugs)) for shoulder and hip achy-ness but happy to hear it is lessened. The TREND is positive, as in A+++++.

Dee, sure, I think it is cool to post often - I'll look for your posts and be interested for sure. Yep, choosing to do it - that's the thing! Kudos on braving the temps. You are WOMAN, hear you ROAR, whether you are shivering or not.

Well, while I am waiting on the sidelines due to silly injury I will find smart things to read. Right now am reading (and I kid you not - stone faced serious about this ) the book, "Put Hemorrhoids and Constipation Behind You" by nutritionist Kenneth Yasny, Ph.D. You gotta love that title, hmm? I am, like many women, plagued by cyclical constipation and recognize it monthly, and, according to my mother, do not have much hope of avoiding it in my future either, so it's interesting to learn the "whys" and some helps.

Here's my fav web article of the day! (fanfare) Eggs do great things for you! Yay, Eggs!. Please ignore the cholesterol drug advertising on the side as I sure don't recommend that since it was bad for my dear late aunt. (Just one person's experience, but my own mom's identical twin, so turned me against the things personally.) And I also DO NOT agree with the last sentence of the article (saying "cage free" labeling does not guarantee happy hens), because I believe it's GOT to be good that at least someone is out there TRYING to provide more natural food production with less cruelty!!!

(We are Harriet's flock of pullets and we approved this message.)

[DeeClutter]

(We are Harriet's flock of pullets and we approved this message.)

Loved this, Harriet.

I've been walking each day for at least a mile to a mile and a half. Blood glucose has been in a good range for the past few days. Trying to keep my carbs down. Realized I have not posted in a few days.

[Harriet]

Hi, how's everybody doing? Over in PWYC, we were delighted to learn blessedwith2, who has been proactive about her health lately, reduced her cholesterol by more than 30 points and lost 18 pounds. Had been listening out for news Nancy's eyes would return to normal after successfully battling blood sugar concerns, and so tickled we heard from her they are back to normal again.

I was able to exercise for the first time yesterday afternoon. The video workouts I like to do are based on getting into fat-burning mode fast and are intense, but I just did the Basic tape I have without the "plus" at the end of the only burst of cardio, so I would say only about 15 mins. Dh was here and frowning about it - didn't think I should have done that much. I could feel it afterward but that did not last, so I'm good! Today I would like to do that much again. Not trying to train for an event, here! Just becoming flexible again, building endurance back.

We do not want to discuss my weight. This injury and subsequent inactivity saw me falling out of my comfort zone on that! So in this case, am I to be glad I had lost a little during August, or consider it wasted effort? Probably a little of both, but maybe I will claim more of the former.

Dh lost a little with me, if you remember - our effort was really more for his sake, getting used to staying within eating restrictions for his sake. He lost a bit more in the last weeks for a total of 5 pounds since mid-year. Adding that to the 10 he won fought off with difficulty earlier in the year, so far he has slowly gone down 15 pounds during 2008. He is not a person who has carried a lot of extra fat, but more than he or dr wanted. This is good for him on several fronts - marginal blood pressure concerns, sleep apnea, and MAYBE ("experts" disagree) it will help his gout. I really don't know how much more he wants to lose, I'll have to ask.

[Harriet]

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