SHEs Organized

Health advice just for autumn kinda jumped out at me from an article by Jeff Zwiefel of Life Time Fitness (apologies to those villagers who are actually thinking SPRING when September comes around - bear with us westerners!)

"Warm, sunny days, cool evenings and postcard perfect colors... ...get outside and enjoy the season by bicycling, walking, hiking, jogging, and playing golf and tennis. Explore parks in your area; find a new bike path through the woods, take a walk around a lake. The time spent out in nature will do as much good for your mind as for your body."

Zwiefel also says that the reason autumn is a good time to get reacquainted with INDOOR exercise is that the HABIT will take 21 days to form (Hey! We knew that!), so people who get used to using some autumn days to get back to indoor exercise are more likely to keep up regular workouts when the weather turns cold, rather than dropping it. He also has a definite preference for an autumn fruit:

"An apple a day: In many parts of the country, autumn is synonymous with the apple harvest. Rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, both of which reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, inhibiting the growth of dangerous plaques along blood vessel walls, and dietary fiber, apples are a delicious and nutritious snack that can be enjoyed any time of day.

"Remember that each of us should be getting at least four to five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. However, nine out of 10 Americans do not meet these recommendations. "

Gee! We Americans need to stock our crispers!

Jan. 2 -- 156.5 -- exercised 18 days
Feb. 1 -- 156 -- exercised 7 days
Mar. 1 -- 155 - exercised 14 days
Apr. 1 -- 155 --exercised 10 days
May 1 -- 153.5 -- exercised 6 days
June 1 - 155 -- exercised 10 days
July 1 -- 154 -- exercised 15 days
Aug. 1 - 155 -- exercised 9 days
Sept. 1 - 157 * Well, what could I expect, cutting exercise almost in half... PLUS "rewarding" myself for being the good wife and accompanying dh to ballgame by eating just about everything that crossed my path or caught my eye!

Blood pressure has been fairly good here at home -- maximum of 135, 136 over something. I will carry my own readings to doctor tomorrow. Hopefully, he won't think I'm just making them up to try to convince him I'm okay!

I have drastically cut down on caffeine. Can't say I'm making much headway in other areas.

5 per day. Nah... I probably don't ever get that.
I start the day w/banana & cereal... so that's 1.
Then at lunch, I usually have carrot sticks. 2. (Today, after doctor, I had fruit cup w/my Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets.)
Sometimes, after school, I'll eat an apple. 3. (Didn't today.)
Two more... hmmm... sometimes, salad with or for supper. Sometimes it's big enough to count for 2. So that could be 4 & 5...
but usually, I probably pan out at 3. And it's almost all fruit.

Tonight, I had chicken stew for supper, and a bowl of strawberries, so I had 4, if we're VERY generous counting the stew. It was not just brimming full of vegetables, but I guess it did have a lot of tomato juice.

I think the doctor said cutting caffeine would help blood pressure, Harriet. Doctor today didn't mention it, except to say no caffeine for 24 hours before stress test. It seems logical to me, though, since caffeine hypes most people up so much. I'm still allowing myself the one diet coke before school, and I don't worry about it when I'm not home, like this weekend, but I am drinking non-caffeine at home at night.
It doesn't really effect me too much. I drank large diet coke on the way to ball game and slept probably at least two hours on the way... then had 2 at the game and one on the way home, and slept almost three hours coming home!
BUT... I think leaving it off helps me sleep better during the normal week. I'm more ready to go to bed at a normal hour.

* Editing to say -- I just ate my apple. Woo hoo for me. Has to be 5 fruits/vegetables now.

Wanted to post before the month ran out.

Lost my diet program through a crash so don't know how much weight I've lost this month. Know I've lost 51 pounds since December 07.

Weight is at a standstill right now as I've been eating more fruits to build up my vitamins and minerals for upcoming surgery. My new diet program is more detailed. Diet program showed I was lower in Vitamin A, been eating cantaloupe as they are on sale a lot now.

Also added pineapple to my dinner meals.

Still haven't got an exercise program going, and looks like I won't until around the first of the year.

Hi Sadie - I've never posted in Health before, but wanted to cheer you on for losing 51 pounds!!!That is amazing to me, and you should be very proud of accomplishing this on your own, with all your other responsibilities. I watch Biggest Loser, and am always impressed by their weight loses, but that is all they do for 4 months. No other daily responsibilities or jobs like you. Big cheers for you, and I'm sure the excercise plan will come together when it is meant to be.

thanks Sherinjoy!

Just thought perhaps Indiana's SHEM from Monday, Sept. 22nd, bears repeating somewhere -this seemed like the most likely place.

Never open the refrigerator when you are bored. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

(or the cupboard for that matter. )

Back from vacation lost 2 lbs.
It helped planning in time for walking exercise and
having our room up so we used stairs.

Dr. is still tweaking my insulin amount until we get
my a.m. levels down a bit more;
thyroid is good now.

Cold weather here now and it's brisk like fall now
sort of refreshing but makes indoor exercise quite a bit
more appealing these days especially in the mornings.

Back from the dr. today [Thurs. 9-25]
Got a good report love those kinds of visits!
He liked my bs [blood sug.] tracking page in my planner.