Health and Fitness January, 2014

[Harriet]

8th straight day of exercise with the intermediate T Tapp this time. Just 20 mins, nothing amazing of course. Dd did it with me but dropped out well before the 20 was up. However, I'm aware I couldn't keep up in her sports class either, where their session-beginning calisthenics are very strenuous. Different exercise builds stamina in different ways. She thinks she needs work in the lats - muscles of the upper back under the bra line - so she's going to do some T Tapp with me sometimes. It's very good for the lats and posture.

I enjoyed reading what can be found online of The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren. At Amazon you can read a lot of it by looking at their "Look inside the book" feature. Very inspiring, regarding attaining a healthy weight and fitness for the reason that you want to be ready for whatever God may have in store (for which you would hope to have enthusiasm, strength, good attitude, no matter what it may be). A good concept. It's only been out for sale about a month and a half, so the chances of it being in a library are slim. It's one I would consider purchasing, though, and will look for coupons for the book store.

Other brand new books I'm considering reading are Grain Brain by David Perlmutter (how to enhance our brain power by cutting out gluten) and What Makes Olga Run? by Bruce Grierson (how a 94-year-old woman has managed to stay super fit, never slowing down and still competing in track and field events).

[Ivy]

Today was Day #1 on the Turn-Around 2006 Weight Watchers At-Home Plan for me again. I printed up free points tracker journal pages on-line and since I have the fat little book quiz to find my daily points, I found out it's 21 points.

Today, I ate 22 Points, but I earned 2 Activity Points. I "guess" this puts me 1 point over "technically," however there are 35 Weekly Flexible Points to work with for when I want an extra treat or go over 1 day. I weighed 186.4 Lbs. this morning and my diet buddy weighed the exact same amount. Down to the OUNCE! Too funny!

I don't feel deprived, but nighttime snacking and/or emotional eating are my downfalls. I have projects I'm working on and need to do tonight, to keep my mind and hands busy, so I don't see where I'd have pitfalls to fall into tonight. Tomorrow, I hope to have another successful day, too. I've lost exactly 98.6 Lbs. since 1990 - 1992. It's just that keeping motivated to lose roughly 30 Lbs. more is hard because I use the claim, "I've lost nearly 100 Lbs. already!" as an excuse. I'm within the range of being obese-overweight at the same time, according to my BMI chart. My first goal is to try and lose 10% of my starting weight and get into the overweight zone. I'd love to get back down to 175 Lbs. really bad, which is roughly 11.4 Lbs. away from today. I feel less joint/muscle pain at that weight.

I "need" to journal my thoughts, in a special rhinestone-studded spiral notebook DH brought home with my b-day card for me. In the back, I plan on writing out a 2-page story board, which I learned about while attending W. W. meetings years ago. I have colored pens, stickers, and plan on discovering a "new me", while I journey down in Lbs. A few goals I have in mind are:
1- To do patio container gardening this spring and summer.
2- To use my trekking poles, take my backpack or fanny pack,on hikes in the woods.
3- To hike with our grandsons this summer and go on an actual "REAL" hike with DH, albeit short; not 5 miles. More like 3 miles.
4- I want to exercise to my variety of DVD's.
5- I want to purchase a nice leather jacket and nice denim jacket when I get back down to a size 12.

The main reason for losing is to have less pain and wear and tear on my joints and muscles because of osteo and FM. Being able to come here, helps me immensely, too. Thank you for being here.

[Harriet]

That's great to come up with practical reasons and hopes for better health, Ivy. I should come up with some myself.

I called the bookstore and it turned out I would get a great price on The Daniel Plan and Grain Brain right now, so dd and I went out and bought those after all. Very much looking forward to reading them. Chatting with the saleswoman about Grain Brain was the first time she realized it was at the good price, and she says she really likes this author's previous books. So she is going to buy one too.

HRH finally got the numbers for his blood work. He needs to rein his blood sugar back in again, but that's not so much of a surprise. It'll be okay. The big surprises (very positive) are that his Vitamin D level continues to slowly inch up and is now at 45 ng/dl (hoping for 50). And his Vitamin B12 is actually high - what a victory for a person who was once told he would have to take B-12 shots for life. So obviously the doctor is very high on the sublingual B-12 tablets now (I told him so). The correction of these two deficiencies are just wonderful for HRH's health.

9th day primary back stretch of T Tapp into Zumba.

[Ivy]

I went to the dr. today, felt fine, and then DH and I went to the pharmacy and then another store. We added up the walking we did, when we got home, which was 40 minutes, but now I've got a fever, feel puny, was fine at the dr. office and get so frustrated. My dr. asked me to get in more exercise and movement. My weight was exactly the same as it was, given a few ounces, on 9/16/13 for my physical. I told my nurse and dr. I'm doing W. W. now, so since I feel puny now, I'm drinking fluids, baby-stepping 2 lol spaced out, and will do yoga/stretching.

I see my dr. in July, so I told him my next appt. will be motivation for me to do well on W. W. so I've lost more weight by that date. It's in 6 months. I want to not just prove to myself, how I CAN DO it, but I want to show my dr., nurse,and my diet buddy, too. I also told a slender neighbor about W. W. with my instructions as to when we see each other again, she's to ask me, "How's it going on W. W." She laughed and said, "Oh, so now I've got a special assignment." I've heard if you tell others, you're more accountable to yourself and others, too.

I'm going to go rest, read and journal. Then I'll read a letter and answer it. This is a "quiet time" afternoon for me. I'll probably be full of all sorts of energy tomorrow, too!

[Nancy]

I have done ex. Bike (ten mi.) Today.
I still need to get on the gaselle. X
Harriet I got an e-mail from Rick Warren I am on the e-mail list it was about the Daniels plan books they are doing life groups around that book.

[Ivy]

Today I set my timer for an hour and then:
1- Did yoga/Pilates
2- Did calf/leg stretches 3 - 4 different times
3- Walked 30 minutes
4- Did housework and laundry
WORKED UP A SWEAT!

Then, DH came home from Costco, so I loaded up things from the trunk into the house with him, helped put things away, rearranged the walk-in pantry a bit, and finished 2 lol. I was so tired by the time afternoon came. My dr. wants me to move more. I sure did today!

[Harriet]

Nancy, I got started on the other book, but will probably go back and forth. I really like the motivation idea of Warren's book, that there are things you want to be able to do and you want to be ready, so become fitter now.

Ivy, I was thinking about you and your "short" pants that had to go back. I'm ordering some that will have to be hemmed, but I already know if I order a tall in this brand then hem a little, it's better than ordering the average, which is cut too short-waisted (I think that's the term - in other words, not enough fabric between crotch and waist). I hope the cut has stayed the same since I last ordered. So frustrating to have to start all over again trying to find jeans that fit. There's another good reason to lose some weight - seems the slimmer a person is, the easier to find well fitting clothes.

10th day, did the intermediate video.

Better eating today, although mistakes were having some fried potatoes (they were fried in coconut oil, which is not so bad) and absent-mindedly snacking on some of dd15's Cracklin Oat Bran, which is very sweet. Otherwise, omelet with veggies, big tossed salad, simple chicken breast, and a broccoli-cranberry-pepper salad (that was a deli item).

The book Grain Brain is very serious. Very sober. He works backward from dementias to try to discover what caused them, (his father is suffering right now from dementia), and finds that a common denominator is eating too many carbs. He criticizes wheat quite a bit, even whole wheat. Nancy, I'm sure he would approve of how you eat most of the time since you are careful to control blood sugar, so you limit carbs better.

Lots of reasons to lay off the sweets and breads, but when someone shows scientifically that it is causing harm to your brain, it gets your attention.

[Ivy]

Harriet, I hope the pants will work out for you.

I'm not here to report daily exercise yet, because all I've done is walk 20 min., so far today. I'm here to report how the day I was wildly doing On Demand cardio dance, looking like a total fool, behind the sofa where Dkitty's tunnel is. She was at my feet. She studied me closely, looked like she was in a state of shock and hid her head inside her tunnel for a minute or 2 until I was done. It was like she was saying, "Oh, Mom!" to me with a ! It was so funny!

[Nancy]

Harriet all grains can drive up blood sugar for me it is not just wheat.

I have done my ex. Today.

[Harriet]

11th day - elliptical. HRH moved it to the window and caught my interest!