Health and Fitness, July 2020

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:11 am

I guess my goal for the month will be to feel healthier.

My weight, which had been steady within a range for a very long time has inched upwards over Covid.

Since my concussion, I've ranged between 173 and 180 with the majority of the time around 174. After Christmas I was 176, went away and my weight was up to 181 when I got back. It ranged up to 184 (which sets off warning bells) was down to 181 and then I started my new pills 9 days ago. Now the med is the same (Vyvanse), the dosage is the same except instead of 2 x 10 mg, I'm taking 1 x 20 mg. My weight has gone up 6 pounds in those 9 days. Nothing else has changed. Same pretty bad diet, same not moving. Same amount of sleep. Note, Vyvanse is known for weight loss not gain.

Also in that time, I've notice pressure behind my eyes and trouble focusing them. I'm now thinking that I'm about to get an eye inflammation and that I didn't recognize that because it has been so long since I had one (basically since my periods stopped.)

My blood pressure is unchanged (I've been tracking that per doctor's instructions.)

I can't ever remember gaining so much, so fast, without an explanation (a cruise or Christmas, or something else that changed eating/movement.)

Anyway, it was a shock. Dh is up too, so we may be able to blame the scale except it weighs my 8lb weight accurately. And the delta between getting on the scale with the weight and not accurately.

My movement is pathetic lately. Most days under 3K steps. Looking back at last year at this time I was averaging between 6 and 8K steps a day. The difference, of course, is Covid. Going out for a walk requires masking up and then when we are outside there are no errands to run since we are to not go to the store daily which was our practice, nor can we walk to the pub on Saturdays. Those daily shopping runs were another 3000 steps a day, pretty well exactly what I'm missing. We have been brainwashed to fear leaving our homes.

My intake of fresh veggies is down (they are expensive, hard to get and, either I buy too many and they go bad, or I buy some and eat them up and am left without fresh veggies.) Fruit is going better because of frozen and tinned fruit.

I'm having way more leg cramps at times, my toe cramps or 'burns' more often, and my right lower body is weak so I can't stand only on my right foot for more that 10 seconds (and am wobbly the whole time) compared to standing on my left foot easily for 30 - 60 seconds before getting wobbly. My back is twingy, having spasm'd out completely at least twice during the shut-in time.

So, basically, I'm a mess.

My goal for the month is to become less of a mess.

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Harriet
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Harriet » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:47 am

The gains during isolating are very real and becoming common to many people. A phrase has been coined: "The Quarantine 15" (relating to "The Freshman 15" of gaining weight upon entering stressful college life) or, maybe less used, "The Quarantine 19" (relating to the year-name of the virus causing the isolating). I had missed this until I heard it yesterday during an online lecture and Q and A with Dr. Rosanne Olivera, Univ California at Davis School of Medicine. She's not the one who coined the term but was agreeing with its premise, that this is a significant phenomenon.

I am also puzzling over some back twinges. I was over that and intended NEVER to look back. That's part of my more water, more non-starchy veg, more stretching and floor-work intentions.

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Harmony
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Harmony » Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:59 pm

We seem to be all suffering the results of this virus isolation. I did not do well buying huge quantities of all the foods I love and having them sit around. And our routines started back in January because of DH's operation and all the dr. appointments. Plus I was cooking big meals ahead to stock up. I went from 164 up to mid 170's. Annoying and distressing. Now I'm back to 169. Couple years ago I got back down to 151. My ultimate goal is 140's. That's always been my goal.

I wonder about the step count sometimes. All the housework I've been doing does not make many steps. But I'm sure using a lot of muscles, because I can feel it. For me, I'm focusing on activity of any kind and not just vegging. My goals are to continue working on my eating plan and weight loss, hoping that will all help my lab results in another 5 months.

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:18 pm

On my phone (which I don't carry on me all the time, but I do carry my pedometer), Google Fit distinguishes between movement minutes and heart minutes. The former are time it senses you are moving but the latter are when you are moving fast enough to benefit your heart. With 30 minutes of chasing my grandkids I got only 2 heart minutes! They just don't move fast enough, long enough, to count as exercise. Worse, when I leave there I'm exhausted so don't exercise any other way!

Today my mile walk got me 23 heart minutes so I was moving enough that almost every minute counted while I was walking. But it also tracked my time walking in the building and putting the old soil in the gardens downstairs, where were another 13 minutes of movement many of which counted towards my steps.

My pedometer doesn't count a flurry of steps if there are under 20, so that's another way being with the grands doesn't count. My fitbit started counting at 10 so when I switched to the pedometer, I dropped my daily goal to 8K from 10K since so many of my steps around the apartment no longer counted. Vacuuming the whole apartment counts for about 300 steps, yet I can get 100 if I just pace around the living room and bedrooms while brushing my teeth. The difference is the steady movement instead of start and stop.

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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Nancy » Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:17 pm

Got walk done around six with the dog today she seems to love this early routine.

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Harmony
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Harmony » Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:58 am

Down another pound. I noticed my left leg is stronger than my right. On my right I can stand on that foot 20 seconds only. I'm about 40 on my left. And I've noticed for a long while when I cross my legs when I'm sitting, it's way easier to lift up my left leg to cross than it is my right. How does one work on an imbalance like this? I'll have to do some research.

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Harriet
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Harriet » Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:22 pm

I think, at least with t-tapp, correcting muscle imbalance is rather straightforward in a physical therapy progression. The concept is that you just accept that at first, you will have more ability with one leg or another. For instance, with the balance sequence, in which one leg at a time is lifted in several movements for a certain number of reps, most people notice they aren't to remain stable on one leg for as long (far?) into the sequence as the other. But over time, the weaker improves to the level you're attempting, and both are then completing the same number of reps, which gives a least a little bit of a "yardstick" of achieving muscle balance.

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RunKitty
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby RunKitty » Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:53 pm

No specific goals. Well, maybe to eat even more fresh berries. We have been eating strawberries from our garden, but they are pretty much done now. The raspberries are beginning to ripen. Thankfully, our local farmers' market is finally opening today....with a bunch of silly rules, but, whatever... So we will have losts of berries, as usual during the summer.
Otherwise, I'll just keep eating plant-based and running two or more miles every morning. When I changed my eating, I lost all the weight and now maintain it. As they say, "You can't out run (or out exercise) a bad diet." Even football players can't. I think exercise is mmore for mental health than physical health.. We aren't meant to sit around all the time. Also, I can't emphasize strongly enough how freeing it is to not have to worry about losing weight. When that is an issue, it is in the back of one's mind constantly. When a healthy weight is achieved, you are FREE! You are mentally, emotionally, and physically FREE......priceless!

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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Nancy » Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:57 am

Walked the ddog on our regular route this morning. [Wed.] trying to get back in to my summer walking routine earlier.

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Nancy
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Re: Health and Fitness, July 2020

Postby Nancy » Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:05 am

Went to hike in the field it was more of nature trail than I realized when a badger hissed at me from the middle of the
trail it surprised us both I shortened that up. Got my heart ♡ rate up. :mrgreen: It turned into an adventure.


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