Health and Fitness, June, 2015

[RunKitty]

Got to run again this morning. I love to start the day with a run, but due to my work schedule it doesn't happen often enough.

Hope your appointments go well and blood work turns out great, LadyM.

[Nancy]

Yesterday I walked uphill 3/4 ths of a mile. That was some of my ex then did 1/2 mi. Walk in the evening.

[Harriet]

Kathryn, what type of leg pain are you experiencing, where? I notice you are not saying at joints. My left will ache at thigh sometimes to the point I had better sit down.

Ramblin'Rose, why are Sat a.m. outdoor workouts something you're avoiding now? I realize you schedule things to go along with the weather, of course. Is it just too hot by now to do any outdoor workout, even early? Or is it the Saturday part?

skinny muffin - RR, at what time of day are you having your every-other-day one now? Sometimes I resist one at breakfast because I have the impression it gives me a "taste" for other bread-like items through the rest of the day. But, often by supper I have had enough calories already to make me think it's a little much.

Harmony, good job on the 3 pounds. About cheese - Dr. Hyman calls pizza "a delivery system for cheese", lol. He thinks we try to put cheese on too many meals these days and forget that we could enjoy it as just a sprinkle for flavor, not a lot, and be just as happy with a lighter dish.

I got my week's journal page ready today. Sorry to say the exercise is just not there today. I have not been feeling up to par. This is probably the very reason I should do just a little T-Tapp. It is not lost on me that allergies seem to leave me alone if I will do that regularly, but who knows about timing of "when things bloom".

Lunch was out with dd at the healthy food store. They have a buffet daily. I had a plate of maybe 2 ounces salmon, quinua and yellow squash, with just a little pasta salad. $5.50, which is certainly what I would probably pay for a poor choice through a drive-through or something. Adding that to my smoothie this a.m. and I felt pretty good about this day.

Nice man approached dd for help with green tea products because he thought she worked there. I ended up recommending the Twinnings, and giving him the kidney stone speech about green tea, not regular tea if one was prone to kidney stones. Dd rolled her eyes and said she can't take me anywhere.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet: some discomfort is at the joints, specifically the hip. (No x-rays have been taken there so we don't know if there is arthritis there, but if it is in my back and knees, the hips are likely affected as well.)

My left leg doesn't straighten so there's discomfort/pain with that in the muscles/tendons. Biking in particular triggers this (since the leg is forced closer to straight when the left pedal is in the lowest position or when I put that leg down to balance me while stopped.)

My physio helps a bit with pain although it introduces new discomfort as I work the muscles and tendons - strengthening the former by working to exhaustion, and stretching the latter (that particular stretch often brings tears.)

Pain during physio and biking is to be expected and embraced up to level three. The stretching pain is probably a 5 but I categorize as lower because I know it will only last 2 minutes. Pain with a defined end is much easier to bear.

Yesterday's walking club moved much faster than normal and we completed the circuit in 24 minutes according to my fitbit. There was no knee pain from that but heavy limping at times and the left leg/hip was quite sore both during and after.

[RunKitty]

Third day in a row for a morning run. Perfect weather too.

[Nancy]

I have done 2 rounds of yd work 2day for some exercise adding another round did plant some things in the garden. Got 10 mi. Done on the ex. Bike.

[Ramblinrose]

Run Kitty run

Harriet, I always eat my skinny muffin for breakfast every other day. I also eat every three hours or so. Snacks include sting cheese, different types of nuts, natural pb on celery and hard boiled eggs.

I have had a problem with being hungry after dinner. Just something new to me. I usually feel hungry right before I go to bed. I find if I don't eat then I may night-wander towards the kitchen. I learned from my fitness class never to eat carbs, especially fruit after dinner. The carbs spike my sugar level up and then drops fast causing me to be hungry. I was making Sweetie delicious smooths at night with only almond milk, frozen bananas and strawberries along with seveia and was drinking a 1/3 cup for myself. I had to quit that. I also know the preventative meds I'm taking for my headaches also make me hungry...its a side-effect of the drug.

My trainer told me to eat a protein instead of carbs before I went to bed. Seemed strange, but remember he is responsible for getting many of his clients on the Extreme Weight Loss (EWL) show to lose100's of pounds. So for the last few nights if my hunger strikes I've been eating a couple of ounces of chicken. Gotta tell you it works. Also the EWL program states you should eat within 30 minutes of getting up. That part is always easy for me because I do wake up starving.

I have to avoid working out in the heat. Even at 7:00 am the temps are in the high 80's. I had a sun stroke long ago and my body can not tolerate temps over 82* I have to be very careful about working outside in my yard. Last Sat morning I was working outside during the time I would usually be working out. And even though I was out at 7 wearing a broad rimmed hat and was drinking tons of water I became weak and almost faint. That not usually me. I kept hosing myself down....Sweetie was putting chemicals in the pool so I couldn't jump in...but it only takes minutes to have the water evaporate off of you.

People who work in the heat in this area, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and big brimmed hats. Some workers use a bandana draped off the back of their hats and down the back of their necks to keep the sun off of it. Road work, such as our freeways are often done at night so the workers can avoid the heat. Others aren't that lucky and have it far worse...think of the cable and a/c people that must crawl up in the roofs of homes.

Long ago when only the Native Americans lived here, they would take their blankets, soak them with water and then wrap up in them. The wind would blow and the water evaporating off of the blankets would cool them. That's the basic idea behind swamp coolers.

My trainer also says I shouldn't eat any fruit after 2pm to avoid sugar spikes and crashes. The EWL program is based on the Low carb/high carb cycling. I don't do well with it because I am definitely sensitive to carbs, but the program does work well for many. My GF has lost 100 lbs in 9 months.

Here is the link to Chris Powell's book and his program that works for many, including my friends.
http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Powells-Cho ... ris+powell

I have incorporated many of his concepts into the 100 sugar program. I have certainly changed my eating habits and will continue to eat this way for the rest of my life. The other night I had pizza and it was delicious. However the reason I think it tasted so good was because I haven't HAD pizza since Thanksgiving LOL

I don't eat any processed foods any more. No sugar or artificial sugar...if I want a diet soda I use the one made with stevia. I also buy True Lemon which is water flavoring made with stevia in a stick that I carry in my purse...I do use it at home as well. However I limit those. Sugar is sugar and after reading what it does to my liver, gallbladder and pancreas its been easy to do. I make lots of herbal flavored teas and have learned not to use any sugar in it as well.

I have decided I am truly addicted to sugar and I think many people are. I look around me where ever I go and see people struggle with their weight and that certainly leads to other health issues. Being...ahemmm... older now I am more conscience of what I am doing health wise....I don't feel or look my age and I would like to keep it that way. Sometimes I say to myself...but you're 65!!!!...but then I say to myself ...So What??? Physically I can keep up with my younger friends and can even beat them at some of our physical activities.

For me age is an attitude and I want to stay physically fit so I can still play doing the things I like to do. I have signed up for a tri-athalon in our area for the fall. I will have to swim 400 meters, ride a bike 5 miles and run a 5k, but I'm not the oldest one doing it. I am also doing a 1/2 marathon in Jan...I will be walking much of it I'm sure, but my friend who is 200 lbs overweight is doing it as well. And I am doing another Spartan race..maybe even two, just depends on the weather and the time of the year.

[Ramblinrose]

I thought I would share this with y'all.

Meet my friend Jill. She is one of the gals I did the Spartan Event with. There is also more information about the BEST program that is here in my area within the article. Jill is one of the sweeties girls I've even known and I am so thankful to be her friend. All the girls in the slideshow photos are also friends of mine and Patrick Moore has been my trainer for the past 7 months. Told you I was blessed LOL

http://heidipowell.net/8945/weightloss- ... -cummings/

[Lady Maverick]

RunKitty - YGG!!

RR - thanks for the links. I'm checking them out.

Doctor office called and said my blood work all came back good, with the exception of my cholesterol being too high. My cholesterol has been borderline for several years so this doesn't surprise me. I will start taking Lipator daily. I am extremely thankful to get a good blood work report. When I had blood draw at the hospital the lady had a hard time getting it. She looked on both arms in several places. Once she found a vein, it didn't want to come out. She said it was very thick. I came home and googled "thick blood" and didn't like what I read. VERY thankful I'm not dealing with that. This was also a good reminder to me to DRINK DRINK DRINK. I had to be dehydrated even though I drank 100+ ozs the 24 hours before my blood work. I need to up my ounces since we are in summer heat mode.

I had teeth checkup & cleaning today. No cavities or problems. Again. I'm very thankful for the good news!!

I received my own blood glucose test kit yesterday and set it up (I had been using DH's kit). I have been watching my protein/carb ratio and testing blood sugar frequently. I am learning that I have to eat every 2-3 hours to keep BS above 80.

Tomorrow I go for Doppler test at hospital. Slowly working my way through the medical maze in hopes of achieving the best health I can.

[Nancy]

Classical stretch is on at seven on pbs weekdays here.
Short half mi. Walk done today.
I have done 10 mi. On ex bike.