Health and Fitness December, 2021

[Harriet]

What do you do for a good start to your day?

Last month, Run Kitty chatted about a good start to the day including nourishment and activity.

How does something you do every morning set you up for better health and fitness, or for your well-being?

After all, we're closing in on the first day of the rest of our 2022! Are you thinking about which habits will be your "keepers" for the coming year? How will you chart them? How will you protect them now from holiday onslaughts of sugary sweets and overwhelm, so that you don't allow discouragement?

[Harriet]

Honestly, for the rest of the day, I know my eating may get away from me, so the breakfast being healthy means a lot. Every day I try to have one of my "good breakfasts", which might be any one of about 4 :
cooked oatmeal with various fruits,
tofu scramble with peppers onions spinach and mushrooms,
green smoothie with all the smart additions I have on hand,
or (fastest) a dry-cereal mix in almond milk with strawberries and bananas

Also, of course, I still have my first pint of water before anything. I can take my thyroid pill with that, so that each reminds me of the other and I never forget.

Chatting with RunKitty last month reminded me to stock back up on beet powder and hemp seeds for my smoothies. Both are helpful. The hemp seeds taste great and add a "nuts" serving to my day that's really enough for all day. The beet powder makes the smoothie prettier for sure and is very good for blood vessels, being active. Frozen beets would be fine, they're just hard to find, and the powder is fast and easy.

Friend of HRH's sends a warning. He now has an infection that will be very time-consuming to clear up, requiring injections over a 4-week period. He had used a pumice stone and somehow (dr's words) "opened up the skin" and made it vulnerable. He was even admitted to the hospital and had to stay overnight. He warns, "careful, careful".

[Harmony]

Yikes! I use a pumice stone on my heels (calluses) each time I shower. Tough skin there, I never get close to breaking that skin. But thanks for the warning, I will be mindful.

I broke a new number on the scale this morning. Lower than I've been in a couple years at least. This is the number that was my set point for years...and I'd inched above that.... and sure was surprised and happy to see it today. I fight for every ounce I get off. 8 lbs. from my highest to today is huge, even if it did take these many months to accomplish.

I lost another pound this morning. What is happening to me? I am getting more steps in, every time I go shopping I can't get near the door and park out in the outback and there's the long walk back and forth. Probably a good idea to continue doing that. Too busy to eat much also, that's a good habit to keep too.

[Twins' Mom]

I've been eating better, although I'm not losing weight. That's okay for now, doc confirmed at last appt that Gabapentin could cause weight gain. I'm holding my own against it.

I'm continuing to average 7500 steps daily. Not trying to increase right now, just hold my own.

[Harmony]

Ok, apparently that was water weight. Easy on easy off. But still, I am down from what I was 3 months ago. like 5 lbs. Not enough, but progress. I'm still working on it. Twins, I suspect one of my meds is causing me trouble too. Nothing much we can do about that. When I was a very young adult I was on something that can cause people to actually be anorexic! I remember never being hungry much of the day...and I was thin for a while. However, it had other worse side effects and I no longer take it.