Health and Fitness, March, 2015

[Harriet]

Welcome! We chat here about all things relating to our own health and fitness, and that of those around us. Exercise equipment, ways-of-eating, experts' interesting plans, ways-of-recording to embrace healthy habits, and more.

Do come in and tell us about your s, what's getting your blood pumping, what's helping you make friends with your bathroom scale again , and excitement about your new commitments!

Any frustrations? Here's the place to fuss! We're on your side.

Anyone getting those proactive medical whatsits accomplished? Getting a cavity filled or having that overdue eye exam? We're the ones who will cheer, so come in and brag anytime.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Fuss, fuss, fussyfuss, fuss.

Actually, I'm blessed with a husband who doesn't complain about my size. And money enough to clothe myself in increasingly larger outfits.

Weight remained the same last month.

For Lent no Dr. Pepper, no candy, no difference in weight so far (which is interesting since I also feel like I'm eating slightly less than before, not considering the 250+ calories a day from Dr. P and candy. I should be down at least a pound.)

You can see why I get frustrated about healthy eating. Giving up crap makes no difference in my weight so why not eat the junk that makes me happy? Or at least calm and/or awake.

Wore through my jeans in the thigh inseam. (Thighs rub together when I walk, therefore the material is rubbed raw.)

My new shoes (have worn through my old ones so needed new for the trip) and new insoles have left my legs so sore today I can barely walk. Actually, I should take an ibuprofen because the discomfort is constant and distracting me from being productive. I'm in my old shoes today so hope this will pass. The Superfeet insoles say to only try them for a few hours a day at first until you adjust to them. I wore them for about 2 miles and 5 hours yesterday but was sitting for at least half that time. I think the issue is more the lack of cushioning. The Superfeet require the insoles of the shoe to be removed and they, themselves, have no cushioning, unlike Dr. Scholls. So the new shoes have virtually no cushioning at all. Since the floors are so hard here, that makes my feet and legs tired in a very quick amount of time.

I am looking forward to the ship and all the healthier choices that will be easy for me to choose. There's a biking class, yoga, swimming (I'm looking forward to getting back in the water) and, of course, walking. There should be lots of healthy food choices as well. And this cruise line doesn't automatically leave chocolate on your pillow when they turn down the bed. Finally, we are eating at 6 most nights, which means we'll not have that 'extra' snack at 5:45 to tie us over until 7:30 dinner.

So I'm looking forward to this month and seeing if I can turn things around.

BTW: I had 287,022 steps for the month so averaged over 10K steps per day. This month that was only good for 82nd place.

[Nancy]

I did 30 minutes on the gazelle & walked with a friend for exercise today.

[Harriet]

Fuss, fuss, fussyfuss, fuss.

Kathryn, I remain convinced that you are competing in the wrong step group. There must be some group out there with more reasonable averages. You are walking a remarkable amount.

My fussing would be that I've been affected by social stress lately. I've got to quit spending so much time at church or I'll have terrible health. Yesterday the pianist said to me that I "should" come to the Tuesday evening women's study and her SS class. Um... no, I shouldn't. In recent months, I've added in Sunday morning rehearsal time, more responsibility during worship, teaching a mid-week study AND taken on the responsibilities of treasurer. For the past 2 Sundays I've attended Sun evening study which is now OUT because it's starting to become negative and was proven so for me last night because there is food and I ate way too much. That was definitely in response to the event's stress, with discussion way off-topic and negative.

Ya'll didn't even know it, but it looked like, at one point, that I would have a little weight loss to report as a surprise following February. Well, that was cancelled out. It's no tragedy, but worth staying aware. I need to be more mindful of stressors.

An acceptable-tasting green drink lately:

big handful spinach
1 large leaf kale
thin sliced celery 1 stalk
4 frozen cherries or 4 strawberries
1/2 kiwi
1/2 cup unsweet almond milk
1/2 cup ice
stevia

It's like my mother used to say, you just have to make your mind up that it's ______ (kale, spinach or whatever), and that's how it tastes. Dd can't believe I put kiwi in. So tart. The celery is vital. If I didn't have celery I just wouldn't make a green drink. It calms all the tastes down.

I certainly don't have this every day. Fresh spinach and kale could be questionable for thyroid. And I realize salicylates are high (spinach, the fruits) and I have no guarantees they don't affect me (especially getting a lot already broken down in a drink). So just every once in a while for me. I do think it's basically healthy.

[Nancy]

Posting from exercise bike as I finsh up my 10 miles on it.
Did gazelle for 30 min. later.

[Harmony]

Are we not supposed to be eating fresh spinach and kale? Did not know that. What about salt, do you eat the iodized kind?

I'm sorta stuck, but it's not too bad. I'm in the 150's.

Today was odd. I'd had a sandwich earlier and when dinner time came was totally not hungry. So I fixed DH a plate and decided I'd just have a veggie when he came home, not because I was hungry, but because I knew I should have something. Then he came home with a box of doughnuts. Well, you know. Vit. D. (donut).

We were out on our bikes this weekend. I've been moving more, more active recently. If I can keep from getting sick again maybe this month will be better. I still have a cough.

[Harriet]

Harmony, in the first place I should say spinach is probably not as much in question as kale, since kale is a cruciferous veggie like cabbage or broccoli. Anyway, there are different opinions about whether these veggies are okay raw, when you are hypothyroid. In theory, they could cause problems, having to do with blocking normal absorption of iodine (??? - I'm sure I'm oversimplifying). Some point out that there are no definite studies that show cruciferous veggies ever contributed to hypothyroid conditions, and they are not going to give up a healthy food without proof. (Dr. Joel Fuhrman does a good job of explaining that point of view.) Others, though, give anecdotal evidence that some people have reacted with hypothyroid symptoms when they start eating raw cruciferous veggies. So they think you should steam those veggies before eating, if you are hypothyroid.

As far as raw spinach, it's supposed to "interfere with thyroid function", too, but again, it's not that people are quoting studies. There is just anecdotal evidence and theory.

When I add salt, I add Himalayan Pink salt. I had heard nothing but great things about it and then just recently saw one fellow criticizing, saying yes it has so many trace minerals, etc., naturally right from the earth, but had we ever thought that a few minerals are actually poisonous, and of course traces of them are in there, too. LOL. Who knows.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet; my fussiness is not at my standings in the fitbit group. I note that here 1) to keep track of my steps each month and 2) out of interest. The reason I've dropped is about 50 - 75 people have joined who are doing between 1 and 2K more per day than I am and thus, I've dropped although I've maintained my goal. I don't really mind and enjoy watching some of those I've got to know. The top performer last month walked 800,000 steps MORE than I did in the month. That's pretty amazing.

In the meantime, health issues have dropped two of the high performers down to my level at least over 7 days.

My fussiness is more that I've dropped 250 - 500 calories of junk out of diet and yet the scale didn't budge. I've probably compensated by adding something else but it is still frustrating because I don't see what else I've added. No, I'm tracking right now. It is too hard to do while on the road so I didn't want to start and then get upset because I'd have to give it up in March.

I'm on the treadmill today to make up enough steps to sit around talking all evening. Will do stretches after this because my knee is getting bad again. It has been going downhill very slowly but today I really noticed it walking up the stairs from the transit way (3 flights.) At church I baby it but that's because the stairs are old, non-standard rise, narrow, and I'm carrying at least 20 lbs of books/purse and so that makes it much harder on my knees. But the transitway was doable in January so there's a sign of decreasing ability.

[Nancy]

Today I shopped for a bit of exercise not much else yet tba...The rest of it.

[Harmony]

I guess I won't worry about the veggies. Mostly those you mentioned, Harriet, I do not eat raw. Well, arsenic (or something bad) in the salt shaker, yikes! Noticed the salt we were using didn't have iodine in it and we replaced with iodized this last store trip. I do watch soy consumption as I've read that is bad for hypothyroid people. Friend who is taking large amount of fish-oil in the mornings is concerned now her thyroid medicine won't be absorbed properly. Not sure why she thinks that. I take mine by itself and at least 10 minutes later I take other med and supplement (no calcium) and I haven't seen anything off in my numbers. I do wait the hour before I eat.

She's been told by her bone dr. that otc pain relievers are a no-no for people with osteoporosis. So she is trying to go without because she's trying to heal her neck and build bone...but now she's very uncomfortable. Church sermon was on money and it being the top stress-er, but I had to disagree and say we put health woes at the top and money directly after that.