Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Share healthy living habits.
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Harriet
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Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Harriet » Sun May 01, 2016 12:26 pm

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!

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Tue May 03, 2016 9:10 am

I've been able to stick with my Re-wire goals of weighing daily and tracking on MFP. Missing the stretching and non-walking exercise goals pretty consistently. Taking on 4 goals at once was probably a bad idea.

I really need to get a timer to make me step away from the computer on a regular basis. This is one thing smart watches do very well, since they don't sound an alarm, then just tap you on the wrist. My fitbit can do the same thing but is limited in the number of alarms you are allowed in a day. I don't carry my phone with me all the time so that isn't an alternative.


(Just downloaded a program for my computer and will see if that works. Of course, that doesn't keep me on task if I'm not at the computer (i.e. dawdling while doing other things.)

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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby LadyMaverick » Tue May 03, 2016 11:05 am

I have tried various ways to limit my time of sidetracking. For a while I used software that will block websiteafter spending allotted time there each day. (website & time allowed is your choice). Great idea and it worked well for a while.....but the challenge of finding a way around the software took about 2 seconds. I have discovered that I don't respond well to taking things away from myself. It isn't motivating in the slightest.

I am motivated by challenging myself to do/add something. I am motivated by keeping my chain of accomplishments going. I have some that are doing well and other that I am having a hard time with. But even the one I am failing at is information that that I need to make changes. Hard facts are staring me in the face. I had no idea that I wasn't eating vegetables. I used to easily eat 5-10 servings a day. When did I stop doing this on a daily basis? I had to lower my expectation and start the habit of eating vegetables daily with baby steps. I am working on eating 2 veg servings a day. Once I get that going consistently I will add another vegetable serving. It is consistence that I am seeking. Making it a habit that I will be miss if I stop doing it.

My sleeping hours are increasing. I went 11 days sleeping 7 hours a day then I messed up. I was unhappy with myself when I got up early one day and only got 6 hours. All I had to do was stay in bed for another hour. Now I check to see if I have enough sleep in before I let myself get up in the mornings. When it is below 7 hours I go back to sleep. This motivates me to go to sleep on time at night because I hate to stay in bed in the morning. BTW - 7 hours of sleep is a lot for me. I went for several decades getting 5-6 hours of sleep a day.

Since I started tracking 10k steps I haven't missed a day. I check fitbit at noon to see how I'm doing. Usually I have my steps done but there has been a couple days that I needed to take a walk in the evening to get that last few steps in. I'm at 23 consecutive days being over 10k steps.
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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Nancy » Tue May 03, 2016 11:58 am

Back from walking ddog.

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Harmony
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Harmony » Wed May 04, 2016 3:52 pm

Set up my file for the month and filled in last few days. I've officially lost 1 lb last month, sure not much, but even a snail could lose weight, right? Now with another broken toe I still can't exercise much. Dr. told me I could still do upper body stuff. Well I guess I could but for aerobic benefit I need to be up on my feet moving. That's disappointing. Right now I can't get a regular shoe on that foot.

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Harriet
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Harriet » Fri May 06, 2016 7:53 am

Soapbox warning.
Johns Hopkins researchers just published in the British Medical Journal their proof that "Medical Error" exceeds COPD and has actually been the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. for a long time. (Heart disease and cancer are in a virtual tie for the number 1 and 2 spots.) One elephant in the room is how many of those in the 1 and 2 spots were worsened by medical error as well, but we don't have a crystal ball to tell us.

In fairness to doctors, many (including the Institute of Medicine) have been trying to get medical error recognized as a cause since 1999, but it was difficult to quantify, since error is never included on a death certificate. To me, this doesn't suggest that we should mistrust hospitals, for instance, or our doctors, but that we've got to shift attention from reaction to being proactive. As a nation (and what goes for one country goes for all in this instance), we need to stop assuming we can neglect our general health, thinking doctors are able to just fix it all for us later, like a bone would be set for us in the ER. Who told us that? It's not reality.

We need to be eating/exercising/hydrating/de-stressing/etc. throughout our lives with the intention to avoid or slow disease diagnosis, not grudgingly changing for the better after we're already under doctors' care, and they are trying to fix what we didn't nurture. By that time, we've given up control and are playing roulette with the third leading cause of death.

Sadly, knowing the ranking of causes of death is how funding is given. So almost no funding has been going toward information or improvement in lowering Medical Error, allowing the situation to get worse and worse.
Off soapbox.

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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Nancy » Fri May 06, 2016 2:03 pm

I walked the dog increasing my distance to ghe regular amount I did on that stretch, and I did house work after that and my knee is doing great. So glad I can enjoy my walks again now.

Saw 2 deer on the walk one w velvet on the antlers.
Walked w a nieghbor tonight I can tell I have been more active today.
Last edited by Nancy on Fri May 06, 2016 11:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Fri May 06, 2016 8:59 pm

Harriet: that's an excellent spin on that statistic (which was widely reported here as well.)

You need to add sleeping to your list of things we need to make life-long habits.

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LadyMaverick
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby LadyMaverick » Sat May 07, 2016 9:14 am

RE: Medical Error discussion. I immediately thought of our experience with big city hospital. It felt like the patient was just a number in a long line of numbers. The multiple doctors each had their specialized area to focus on. If you ask one doctor a question they would tell you to go talk to a different doctor. No one took responsibility for the patient....only their specialized area. I'm not trashing the doctors - they are highly educated and qualified. I am positive the doctors are passionate about their job but they are only responsible for and only treat their specialized area. My experience has been..... If the patient dies that's not a concern. They probably can't even remember their name. In an hour there will be another number in that same bed to treat. So it is just on to the next number (uhmmm I mean patient).

Contrast that to having a family doctor that has taken care of generations of your family. He knows the family members by name. He knows the medical history of each one. He might not be the most knowledgeable in every area of medicine but he frequently brings a specialist doctor in to consult. When there is a major problem (heart, cancer, etc) he turns that problem over to be treated by specialist doctor but remains in the loop and monitors the tests/results/treatments. The patient is not just a number to him. He is in charge and will answer any and all questions.

In this age of increased technology it is easy to lose the personal connection especially in the medical field. The doctors are pushed hard physically, mentally and emotionally. I agree with Harriet that everyone has to be responsible and be proactive of their own health. It also helps to have a medically trained person watching out for you. Thinking of Helia friends that are doctors and recently noticed a change in her skin tone.
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2. Go after it relentlessly.

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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, May, 2016

Postby Nancy » Sat May 07, 2016 7:19 pm

I toom ddog to w-mart for so e store traini g she did well, met the Rx folks. It was exhausting, she gave me an alert for a hi, subtle she was laying down on the floor while we were in the check - out she got up jumped on my thigh w her 2 front paws, no barking or anything I was pleased. She does good with alerts but needs more training for situations like above mentioned settings.


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