Health and Fitness, August 2014

[Harriet]

As homemakers, when we take care of ourselves, we increase the strength, stamina, resistance and optimism we have to enjoy life and to be nurturing to others, whether in our homes, extended families or community.

Welcome to our thread about benefiting health and fitness! We are challenging ourselves to greater well-being and encouraging well-being in our family members. Each of us is learning - recognizing needs and finding personal balance.

[Harriet]

Record-keeping is my emphasis for the last half of this year. Getting things written down, and thinking of the long term. So I spent July really trying on that, plus getting back to exercise so I'd have more to record!

In July, I came so close to my goal with formal exercise that I'm calling it a win, definitely. All T-Tapp.

Weight is virtually the same. It popped upward with added exercise, then calmed down, to a one-pound gain for the month.

But I lost 1/4-inch at all the torso points I measure, except above-bust. And it almost looks even better than that at hip, but that may be a glitch while measuring. Upper thighs are down a little. So I'm happy. My arms seem to have small gains. But that's not jiggly gain, so it's fine.

Improvement in how I feel, because of an easier time with aches and pains. Probably comes of lengthening and strengthening of the muscles from lumbar through thigh. Only the left piriformis muscle in the glute continues to bother me on stairs, and walking on concrete is still awful, but I'm lying on my sides in bed at night without even thinking about my hips, or having to turn back and forth.

Very tempting to hope (goal?) that I could have these 1/4-inch losses for every one of these 6 months. Of course, it's always a percentage thing, and the less to lose the less you lose. BUT for the next few months I'd like to believe it's so. We'll see.
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50 minute workout after measuring, a floor warm-up and the instructional for a standing workout, both new-to-me. That was interesting. It's nice to have variety.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

The improvements in my ability to move made July a good month for me.

Plus I did my colonoscopy with little whining (and didn't put it off even though rushing to the bathroom was impossible and would have been better if I had waited.)

Weight - no idea but probably not great. I forgot to weigh myself at the end of the month but with the stress of my procrastination (covered under J&C), I started drinking soda again. On the plus side, I seem to be able to abstain when things are going well but as soon as things go poorly, I turn to it for comfort. Much better than turning to alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, or drugs, though, so I hate to be too down on myself. Just because I managed to avoid those common addictions and never developed a taste for any of them doesn't allow me to careless with my health using soft drinks.

Shape - no idea since I'm so depressed about my size I hate to measure it. I know my calves are not at their largest (I did measure those since they looked smaller than I expected) and the tummy seems to be a bit smaller (I can tell from shaving my legs.)

I walked 8700 steps on Thursday and yesterday my combined walking/biking was 11500. Today I've walked over 6500 but won't get a bike ride in. I won't tomorrow, either, unless I go before church. We'll see.

I had taken 5 days off exercise (not deliberately - it was a combination of the procrastination and weather) and my body got sorer as the time went by so my bike ride yesterday started off slowly. I feel much better today than I have, though, so it obviously helped reverse the deterioration I was experiencing. Thursday I turned down the chance to swim and felt bad about that but was so tired I didn't want to push myself. It was the right decision but I still regret not getting to swim. I have to make that a priority.

Goals for this month:

I guess tracking everything I eat would be a good goal. I give myself permission not to count points but I will try to write down all I eat. And make note of my steps and type of movement each day. We'll have the drive to and from NS (2 days in the car in each direction) so that will be a huge challenge. Plus no biking (unless I rent a bike while I'm there.) On the other hand, there's an indoor pool at the resort so no matter the weather, I have no excuse not to swim.

[LadyMaverick]

Posting to make myself be accountable.

Very little good to report.

When I get super busy my healthy eating and portion control gets overcome.

Drinking water is stable. EAch morning I fill the correct # of bottles for each of us. It makes it easy to visually see status and to grab a bottle of water (or 2) to take with us.

Eating at night weakness is doing very well. I don't have the urge ....although it is probably because I've already over eaten during the day.

Weight is horrible. I'm up 3 lbs. Don't wanna talk about it. Don't wanna think about it. But if I don't do SOMETHING then I will be up ANOTHER few pounds this time next week. i HAVE THE FEELING OF EMERGENCY!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Weighed myself this morning and was 188. So up a pound since last time.

On the plus side, I had pizza last night and my period arrived (!!!!!!!!! - first one in 7.5 months) so maybe my weight isn't really up.

Still haven't logged food. I posted I would, and was about to go find a notebook when dsil skyped me and I was off to the hospital. I did make the conscious decision to have a muffin while there (I needed to eat to keep awake) so that day wasn't particularly good. Yesterday was worse. But I may remember enough of it to recreate it and start a food journal.

[Nancy]

I have had 45 min. To an hr. On the phone to track down med supply for an a1c meter finally had to order on seems the discontinued them. And to see about getting Canada meds. On line But not the much of a savings.

I need to get on the ex. Bike. Nope took a walk instead.

[Harriet]

I did the new standing workout (for which I'd only done the warm-up and instructional the other day). It's very long - 1 hour 7 mins. But it is full of kickouts and many water breaks (so smart), so not so bad. There's a shorter version of the workout that will trim 10 minutes off the time, after I get this one figured out.

Stumbled into a discussion on water drinking in another forum I seldom travel. I only answered the initial question about how to get in more water when your day is busy and public toilets aren't easy to find. (I suggested drink a tall glass in early morning, when you'll still be home for a while, to get a good start on the day.) Then it morphed into a bigger thing, with differences of opinion. So far, civil (ish). But I was shocked at some folks who do long, hard-driving workouts, who still say don't bother drinking much daily water, though, because you get it from your diet. Yeah, right. What is in this diet - a daily whole watermelon? The reality is that most in the class/circuit they frequent are probably living on the 'standard diet' and counting french fries and ketchup as 2 veggies. Oh well - Obviously, I don't need to add more to that discussion! Hope they can stay out of the ER.

Redid my 3-ring binder of healthy habits record-keeping. My order-of-habits from the cardfile (printed larger) on a sheet in front, then the weekly pages for what I ate, and check-offs for other things, then my exercise calendar with measurements. Discussion in PWYC about 3-rings got me to remembering this and realizing it's how I want to keep everything neat for 6 months.

[FelineFriend]

Started out FINE until DH came home with Dgs foods, snacks, desserts, etc... I BLEW it!

I'll re-start calorie counting in my little booklet again tomorrow.

Also, I got out my copy of "BODY CLUTTER," by Marla Ciley (FlyLady) and Leanne Ely. I hope I take to ♥ what they say and "this time" it sinks into my brain/mind. I'll journal my way through the book, too.

Once, when I was 30, I had an eating disorder for 2 years. I got down to 117 Lbs. when I finally snapped out of it, about the time Karen Carpenter died of her heart failure and anorexia.

I recall reading this at an eating disorders site:
LOVE YOUR BODY.
CELEBRATE YOUR BODY.
LOVE YOURSELF.
CELEBRTE YOURSELF.

[Twins' Mom]

I've never had a eating disorder, FF, but I weighed about 100 lbs through HS and first year of college. Was up to 110 for second year of college and got a lot of comments about how I had "filled out." By the time I married at 30 I was around 120-125 and since then it's been more, more and more.

I am going to the YMCA to work out this afternoon. I am trying to establish a work out habit - I do okay with walking ddogs and averaged about 6000 steps per day last week but need to step it up.

I'm also trying to be aware of how many servings of fruit/veggies I get. Not enough most days.

[Nancy]

Walked tonight for my exercise.