Well, it's Wednesday and I survived. Phew! What a day! I am happy to report I am down another pound. This is especially exciting since I was given the go ahead to start my exercising again and then was unable to start due to some other medical things going on and some increased pain. Today the PT Assistent gave me some different exercises to do and I go back next week to speak with the actual Physical Therapist. After that my Hubby and I will pray about the next step as far as whether or not to do surgery. As uncomfortable as the knee continues to be, it's the bursitis because of knee malfunction and lack of exercise that is actually the most painful! So, no exercising this week... but hopefully soon. I am so missing it!
After the appointment the kids and I went to a park nearby. It was nice to sit outside and not sweat or broil, though the sky still has the tannish smog cast to it, hanging over the city. We are expecting a rain storm coming in and I am actually excited and energized. Crazy I know, but I love the refreshing that comes.
So, nothing else new on the wellness front, BUT, I have to tell you that my Mom has continued to walk with the Leslie Sansone DVD and she has LOST 16 pounds!!!! Way to go Mom! I am so PROUD of you. She is new to blogging, why don't you go over and congratulate her! (I don't think her comments are set up to be able to answer, but I know she will appreciate the encouragement!)
Showing posts with label Wellness Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wellness Wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Hello Everyone. I weighed in today for the first time in a few weeks. 309# I was so happy to see that in spite of my decreased activity I have not gained any weight. Admittedly though I have been feeling a little bit depressed that I have not been able to keep working on my health in a more active way. My physical therapist has given me permission to SLOWLY begin walking with my Leslie Sansone DVDs, but since then I have had the type of migraine that does not want me jumping and moving around!
My knee is progressing. I do not have to wear the immobilizer, though if I do not use a cane in public, I have difficulty maintaining balance. My therapist wants me to focus on not "hobbling", but no matter how hard I try, my left knee/leg stays straight and does not follow through in a normal walking motion. In addition my left hip bursitis is worse. So, my Hubby and I are praying about the possibility of knee surgery in November. Initially we had planned to review the situation then, anyway. The surgery appears to be very easy with little recovery time. My concerns in having surgery are related to how they may or may not anesthetize me because of past medical experiences and my asthma.
Lately I have been having some possible depression and/or anxiety compounded by pain, sick kids and a few other difficult situations. The political scene, both politically and on a national level are concerning me as well. I am left with an overall feeling of being out of control of all the situations in my life. Moment of Truth! I am not in control of my life and maybe it would be a little easier if I "Let go and Let God"! I'm not talking about letting go and giving up, but striving against God. From several sources lately I have been reminded to "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.
Whine, whine, whine! That's not my intention. From the beginning on Wellness Wednesday I have strived to be completely open and honest. Would it be genuine to offer sunshiney encouragement to everyone else when I am feeling buffeted by the winds of life? So, I am sharing this here today so that maybe we can be of an encouragement to each other. I refuse to give up. I am pouring out my concerns here and then when the kids go to bed, I'm going to spend some time alone with Hubby and talking to God. Then I'll pick myself up and keep on going in His strength, not mine.
On the bright side, I am truly encouraged that I have not gone up in weight. In the past, after losing, then being dormant, my weight goes back up to the point where it was before. Apparently, my "setpoint" has been reset and I am looking forward to seeing it go down further!
Will those of you who pray, please pray for me in these things? Thank you.
And if you have made it this far, I want to leave you with a treat. My friend began a new blog called Teresa's Table and I am looking forward to trying out several of her recipes!
Thank you! I truly love my readers!
My knee is progressing. I do not have to wear the immobilizer, though if I do not use a cane in public, I have difficulty maintaining balance. My therapist wants me to focus on not "hobbling", but no matter how hard I try, my left knee/leg stays straight and does not follow through in a normal walking motion. In addition my left hip bursitis is worse. So, my Hubby and I are praying about the possibility of knee surgery in November. Initially we had planned to review the situation then, anyway. The surgery appears to be very easy with little recovery time. My concerns in having surgery are related to how they may or may not anesthetize me because of past medical experiences and my asthma.
Lately I have been having some possible depression and/or anxiety compounded by pain, sick kids and a few other difficult situations. The political scene, both politically and on a national level are concerning me as well. I am left with an overall feeling of being out of control of all the situations in my life. Moment of Truth! I am not in control of my life and maybe it would be a little easier if I "Let go and Let God"! I'm not talking about letting go and giving up, but striving against God. From several sources lately I have been reminded to "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.
Whine, whine, whine! That's not my intention. From the beginning on Wellness Wednesday I have strived to be completely open and honest. Would it be genuine to offer sunshiney encouragement to everyone else when I am feeling buffeted by the winds of life? So, I am sharing this here today so that maybe we can be of an encouragement to each other. I refuse to give up. I am pouring out my concerns here and then when the kids go to bed, I'm going to spend some time alone with Hubby and talking to God. Then I'll pick myself up and keep on going in His strength, not mine.
On the bright side, I am truly encouraged that I have not gone up in weight. In the past, after losing, then being dormant, my weight goes back up to the point where it was before. Apparently, my "setpoint" has been reset and I am looking forward to seeing it go down further!
Will those of you who pray, please pray for me in these things? Thank you.
And if you have made it this far, I want to leave you with a treat. My friend began a new blog called Teresa's Table and I am looking forward to trying out several of her recipes!
Thank you! I truly love my readers!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Hi Everyone. Still not much to report. Our whole family has been down with either virus or stomach bug and we are all dragging. I'm behind on answering email. I am a bad friend. I have been learning how to digital scrapbook instead! Sorry!
Digital scrapbooking has saved my sanity this week. I have been overwhelmed by kids who are super emotional when they are sick and my nerves are raw. The other night I knew I just needed to spend some time in the Word - the best wellness tool I know of! I took my Grandma Hopkins' Bible, which I love to read because of all her notes in it, and read the first couple chapters of Ephesians, making a list of all the things God has done or blessed me with as a Believer. I highly recommend this. It's pretty eye opening.
Today during devotionals in school, we had a question about what we would give Jesus if he was here right now. D answered immediately, "some" of his Legos! LOL The girls, at 5 couldn't quite understand. So, I said, "If Jesus was sitting on the couch with you, what would you give him or do for him." J said, "I'd snuggle with Jesus!" Out of the mouths of babes. Couldn't we all use a snuggle with Jesus? I know I sure could!
What picks you up when you are down?
Digital scrapbooking has saved my sanity this week. I have been overwhelmed by kids who are super emotional when they are sick and my nerves are raw. The other night I knew I just needed to spend some time in the Word - the best wellness tool I know of! I took my Grandma Hopkins' Bible, which I love to read because of all her notes in it, and read the first couple chapters of Ephesians, making a list of all the things God has done or blessed me with as a Believer. I highly recommend this. It's pretty eye opening.
Today during devotionals in school, we had a question about what we would give Jesus if he was here right now. D answered immediately, "some" of his Legos! LOL The girls, at 5 couldn't quite understand. So, I said, "If Jesus was sitting on the couch with you, what would you give him or do for him." J said, "I'd snuggle with Jesus!" Out of the mouths of babes. Couldn't we all use a snuggle with Jesus? I know I sure could!
What picks you up when you are down?
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
This morning I gave myself permission not to weigh myself. I haven't been able to exercise and it's that time of the month, so why depress myself?! I know I am not putting back on a lot of weight because my wedding bands still fit! :o) Last week I missed my PT appt because of getting the brakes replaced on the van, but I do go tomorrow and I am looking forward to that. I'm hoping it will help since I will be gong to San Francisco for D's birthday on Saturday and may need to be doing standing.
There isn't too much new and exciting to talk about here but I don't want to give up this Wellness Wednesday posting because I don't want to give up on my journey, so I'm posting to keep a "place holder"!
This week I played some more with my pressure cooker. The more I use it, the more I love it and I hope to be doing some more. I also reviewed a fun product on my other blog. That's it for this week... sorry kind of boring!
There isn't too much new and exciting to talk about here but I don't want to give up this Wellness Wednesday posting because I don't want to give up on my journey, so I'm posting to keep a "place holder"!
This week I played some more with my pressure cooker. The more I use it, the more I love it and I hope to be doing some more. I also reviewed a fun product on my other blog. That's it for this week... sorry kind of boring!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Hi Everyone. I don't know about you, but our household has been blogged down by September allergies. Pollen is racing around there with last ditch efforts to make a mark on the planet. It has not been a fun week or two and I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed and fighting off a migraine. At times like this, it can be difficult to keep motivated, so I have been working on doing some positive things.
Last Thursday I began physical therapy and have been exercising my knee and gradually testing the waters with more walking/standing. The scary thing is that after this, my knee hurts more. It's not the support muscles either, it's the nerves that get irritated by that torn meniscus. It's scary because I think this might mean surgery in the future. While it is safe and "easy" as far as surgeries go, I do not want to have any surgery unnecessarily. So, I will continue with physical therapy for now and see if this changes. Tomorrow I have physical therapy and I am so looking forward to massage and ultrasound of my thigh and hip because all of this has made my bursitis worse. (It's the same leg.) I am not giving up, but I am discouraged.
My weight is staying steady at 312#. I wish I could say it was going down, but with little exercise, how could it? I'll have to be careful though because this week I have done a lot of baking.
Monday I baked and made these. Last week I played with sourdough, which was fun and nummy. This summer I acquired quite a few new cookbooks geared towards healthy eating and so I am wanting to experiment with recipes.
After lamenting that I couldn't do the organizing I had planned on doing this fall in hopes of putting the trailer up for sale in the spring, Susan had challenged me to organize things that I could do sitting down. I took the challenge and have been traveling spot to spot with my comfortable folding camp chair, which is light enough for me to carry without hurting myself (since you use knees in carrying weight - which you don't likely know unless you hurt your knees!). So last week I organized my cookbooks, herbs and spices. Today I am cleaning a small shelf under the window in the living room that held knitting patterns I print off the net, magazines etc. I am putting all my cooking, health and outdoor magazines there as well as the stacks of magazines I have purchased in the last year. This is where I sit to knit or watch DVDs, so they are handy to pick up and sort through. Then I can put them where they belong, toss, donate etc. I am a magazine junky and need to work on this. I probably could save a minimum of $100 a year if I didn't buys so many impulsively and subscribed to a few that I buy repeatedly!
I know it might not sound like these things have anything to do with health, but they really do. It's hard to be happy and relaxed in a chaotic environment. My house is cluttered and I have CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - I think this might come from FLYlady). This does not reflect my inner heart. And just like my body size and shape does not reflect my soul and my person, neither do my surroundings. Part of my journey to wholeness and wellness is to work on all these things. One of the ways I encourage myself in this process, is that I know when I do give up things, I am preparing to hopefully one day leave this little tin box we call home! :o)
Does anyone else do fall cleaning? I feel more incentive to do this in the fall than the spring. Maybe it's a way of fluffing up the nest in preparation for the winter!
Last Thursday I began physical therapy and have been exercising my knee and gradually testing the waters with more walking/standing. The scary thing is that after this, my knee hurts more. It's not the support muscles either, it's the nerves that get irritated by that torn meniscus. It's scary because I think this might mean surgery in the future. While it is safe and "easy" as far as surgeries go, I do not want to have any surgery unnecessarily. So, I will continue with physical therapy for now and see if this changes. Tomorrow I have physical therapy and I am so looking forward to massage and ultrasound of my thigh and hip because all of this has made my bursitis worse. (It's the same leg.) I am not giving up, but I am discouraged.
My weight is staying steady at 312#. I wish I could say it was going down, but with little exercise, how could it? I'll have to be careful though because this week I have done a lot of baking.
Monday I baked and made these. Last week I played with sourdough, which was fun and nummy. This summer I acquired quite a few new cookbooks geared towards healthy eating and so I am wanting to experiment with recipes.
After lamenting that I couldn't do the organizing I had planned on doing this fall in hopes of putting the trailer up for sale in the spring, Susan had challenged me to organize things that I could do sitting down. I took the challenge and have been traveling spot to spot with my comfortable folding camp chair, which is light enough for me to carry without hurting myself (since you use knees in carrying weight - which you don't likely know unless you hurt your knees!). So last week I organized my cookbooks, herbs and spices. Today I am cleaning a small shelf under the window in the living room that held knitting patterns I print off the net, magazines etc. I am putting all my cooking, health and outdoor magazines there as well as the stacks of magazines I have purchased in the last year. This is where I sit to knit or watch DVDs, so they are handy to pick up and sort through. Then I can put them where they belong, toss, donate etc. I am a magazine junky and need to work on this. I probably could save a minimum of $100 a year if I didn't buys so many impulsively and subscribed to a few that I buy repeatedly!
I know it might not sound like these things have anything to do with health, but they really do. It's hard to be happy and relaxed in a chaotic environment. My house is cluttered and I have CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - I think this might come from FLYlady). This does not reflect my inner heart. And just like my body size and shape does not reflect my soul and my person, neither do my surroundings. Part of my journey to wholeness and wellness is to work on all these things. One of the ways I encourage myself in this process, is that I know when I do give up things, I am preparing to hopefully one day leave this little tin box we call home! :o)
Does anyone else do fall cleaning? I feel more incentive to do this in the fall than the spring. Maybe it's a way of fluffing up the nest in preparation for the winter!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Welcome back everyone. I had hoped to have some pictures to go with the post, but I'm pooped! :o) It was dentist day. Over the last 2 weeks my weight has gone up and down between 309-312. This morning it was 311#. The variation is likely because of the swelling on my knee/leg. My jeans are baggy on me, so I guess that is a good sign. I really do not want to go backwards!
One thing I forgot to write is that the day that I injured my knee, I walked over 13,000 steps! I was so excited and thought about all my blog friends and how wonderful it was to make a goal of well over 10K, which I had only done once before. That's about 4.5 miles and I had hoped to challenge that number each day we were hiking, but as you know, that did not happen.
Still, I am encouraged about the strength I am gaining and looking forward to meeting with the physical therapist tomorrow to discuss how I can be a bit more active without impacting the knee. As you all suggested, I have been doing the upper body exercises and my kids love those - it's a great way to learn to count. We are up to 100 and my two kindergartners don't even know they are doing math! LOL
Yesterday I did something really fun. I made sourdough whole wheat English muffins. They turned out yummy! It's not difficult, though it has several stages over time. That was good for me because then I wasn't standing all the time. Hubby had some for dinner last night and will soon have a post up on my other blog. Several of you have been nudging me to get posting on My Journey To Wholeness and I do have a few things to post but have just been really absorbed with my children's school and getting better. It seems I have been on a plateau but now that I am not in continual pain, I'm getting the urge to get back full force working on my health. There are still many things I can do that do not require walking and standing!
So, now with the start of this new season and the change of the weather, are any of you doing things differently? Any new changes for you? How can we encourage each other to keep working on our wellness? I am open to ideas.
One thing I forgot to write is that the day that I injured my knee, I walked over 13,000 steps! I was so excited and thought about all my blog friends and how wonderful it was to make a goal of well over 10K, which I had only done once before. That's about 4.5 miles and I had hoped to challenge that number each day we were hiking, but as you know, that did not happen.
Still, I am encouraged about the strength I am gaining and looking forward to meeting with the physical therapist tomorrow to discuss how I can be a bit more active without impacting the knee. As you all suggested, I have been doing the upper body exercises and my kids love those - it's a great way to learn to count. We are up to 100 and my two kindergartners don't even know they are doing math! LOL
Yesterday I did something really fun. I made sourdough whole wheat English muffins. They turned out yummy! It's not difficult, though it has several stages over time. That was good for me because then I wasn't standing all the time. Hubby had some for dinner last night and will soon have a post up on my other blog. Several of you have been nudging me to get posting on My Journey To Wholeness and I do have a few things to post but have just been really absorbed with my children's school and getting better. It seems I have been on a plateau but now that I am not in continual pain, I'm getting the urge to get back full force working on my health. There are still many things I can do that do not require walking and standing!
So, now with the start of this new season and the change of the weather, are any of you doing things differently? Any new changes for you? How can we encourage each other to keep working on our wellness? I am open to ideas.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Good Morning Everyone! First of all, THANK YOU for everyone who has given comments, ideas and encouragements! I'm slowly working on a system to be able to reply to all the comments I receive, but it is hard to keep up. So, if you do not receive a reply, please do not think that I do not care. I do!
Last Wednesday I made the mistake of writing to you as I was still absorbing the not so fun news from the orthopedic surgeon. This Wednesday, I have a better perspective. Sunday I made it to church and I went forward for prayer and anointing. Tuesday I made it to ladies Bible study on Abraham. Fellowship was a tremendous help!
Even though I wore the knee immobilizer, used the cane and did the minimum amount of walking possible, last night I could feel why I am NOT supposed to walk. Given how far I have gradually come over the last 5 weeks, I do not think it will take 3 months to be walking. Today I feel more hopeful and I am looking forward to seeing the physical therapist next Thursday to start planning a more active role in my recovery.
In the mean time, I am taking Susan's advice and working on organizing and doing the things I can do from a sitting position. This week I have gone through about 1200 emails from the last year just sitting in my hotmail inbox! That felt good. And Ruth at Sew Chic had a great post about planning ahead for sewing. I was excited to read this because it is one of the things that bothered me that I cannot do right now, especially since I purchased a lot of fabric on my trip and many new to me vintage sewing patterns that I want to try. If I plan out things now, then when I am able to sit in that position to sew and press, as well as cut out, I'll be ready!
In addition, schooling is going well in the sitting position. As many of you suggested, arm and upper body exercises can be done while sitting and I have incorporated that for our P.E. time. The girls love it.
Hubby is learning how to make bread, which is helpful since that does require a lot of standing. He made his first solo batch on Sunday and it turned out pretty good.
And just like sewing planning, I'm doing cooking planning. I have purchased several new cookbooks for healthy cooking and will be planning some new menus for the future when I am able to stand more in the kitchen.
Things are looking up. Praise God! Would you please pray for my Hubby, though? We are wearing him out. He already does so much for us and now even more. Next week he will start teaching another University of Phoenix class, which means Thursdays will be marathon days, not coming home until 11PM.
Thanks everyone for sticking by me and all your support. Next week I'll try to come up with something more interesting for Wellness Wednesday.
Last Wednesday I made the mistake of writing to you as I was still absorbing the not so fun news from the orthopedic surgeon. This Wednesday, I have a better perspective. Sunday I made it to church and I went forward for prayer and anointing. Tuesday I made it to ladies Bible study on Abraham. Fellowship was a tremendous help!
Even though I wore the knee immobilizer, used the cane and did the minimum amount of walking possible, last night I could feel why I am NOT supposed to walk. Given how far I have gradually come over the last 5 weeks, I do not think it will take 3 months to be walking. Today I feel more hopeful and I am looking forward to seeing the physical therapist next Thursday to start planning a more active role in my recovery.
In the mean time, I am taking Susan's advice and working on organizing and doing the things I can do from a sitting position. This week I have gone through about 1200 emails from the last year just sitting in my hotmail inbox! That felt good. And Ruth at Sew Chic had a great post about planning ahead for sewing. I was excited to read this because it is one of the things that bothered me that I cannot do right now, especially since I purchased a lot of fabric on my trip and many new to me vintage sewing patterns that I want to try. If I plan out things now, then when I am able to sit in that position to sew and press, as well as cut out, I'll be ready!
In addition, schooling is going well in the sitting position. As many of you suggested, arm and upper body exercises can be done while sitting and I have incorporated that for our P.E. time. The girls love it.
Hubby is learning how to make bread, which is helpful since that does require a lot of standing. He made his first solo batch on Sunday and it turned out pretty good.
And just like sewing planning, I'm doing cooking planning. I have purchased several new cookbooks for healthy cooking and will be planning some new menus for the future when I am able to stand more in the kitchen.
Things are looking up. Praise God! Would you please pray for my Hubby, though? We are wearing him out. He already does so much for us and now even more. Next week he will start teaching another University of Phoenix class, which means Thursdays will be marathon days, not coming home until 11PM.
Thanks everyone for sticking by me and all your support. Next week I'll try to come up with something more interesting for Wellness Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Well, today started out good at least. I stepped on the scale to find out I had lost a pound - 309#. However, the progression of the day was not very fun.
This afternoon I saw the orthopedic surgeon. The diagnosis of torn meniscus has been confirmed. He gave me the choice of #1 surgery, #2 cortisone injection and physical therapy, #3 physical therapy or #4 choose 2 or 3 and then add #1 later. I chose #3 and hobbled out the door with an xray request, a cane and a knee immobilizer! Sigh...
The day would have been better if the lady at Whole Foods whom I apologized to for my children's behavior running around her, hadn't said, "That's okay, I have three grandchildren too!"
I do NOT have an AARP card. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just establishing the fact that - I. Am. Not. Eligible. Period!
After being told that I should not be walking at all except to go to the bathroom and to and from the car for THREE MONTHS, I think I went into a small state of shock. This evening I feel like I woke up from a dream only to find out it wasn't a dream. :o( So I had my little pity party and now I am trying to work on not feeling so bad about it. It's not very encouraging to be told that a torn meniscus never heals in a person "your age" and that the only thing to do is alleviate the pain either through PT or surgery, but even with that, it would still remain injured and become arthritis. According to the surgeon, I may never regain full use of my knee, especially if I do not lose weight.
He also said I cannot go shopping. So that's why I had my last hurrah, stocking up on some things I needed from Whole Foods that might be difficult to send Hubby for (since I needed to make decisions and see some things to compare).
I cannot even begin to express my disappointment in not being able to exercise (I'm only allowed to swim, which is not an option right now.)! My body is really craving it. And I refuse to go backwards in this journey for Wholeness and especially physical health.
So, this weekend, Hubby and I are going to regroup. We will figure out how I can do many kitchen tasks at the table sitting down with help from Hubby or D. We will probably work together to make some meals to put in the freezer. And I will go forward on Sunday for annointing and prayer. The mission of the Christian and Missionary Alliance is: "We desire to know Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King and to complete His Great Commission. " I do believe that He heals. Sometimes we see it on earth. Sometimes it comes in Heaven. But I refuse to sit down and give up!
This afternoon I saw the orthopedic surgeon. The diagnosis of torn meniscus has been confirmed. He gave me the choice of #1 surgery, #2 cortisone injection and physical therapy, #3 physical therapy or #4 choose 2 or 3 and then add #1 later. I chose #3 and hobbled out the door with an xray request, a cane and a knee immobilizer! Sigh...
The day would have been better if the lady at Whole Foods whom I apologized to for my children's behavior running around her, hadn't said, "That's okay, I have three grandchildren too!"
I do NOT have an AARP card. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just establishing the fact that - I. Am. Not. Eligible. Period!
After being told that I should not be walking at all except to go to the bathroom and to and from the car for THREE MONTHS, I think I went into a small state of shock. This evening I feel like I woke up from a dream only to find out it wasn't a dream. :o( So I had my little pity party and now I am trying to work on not feeling so bad about it. It's not very encouraging to be told that a torn meniscus never heals in a person "your age" and that the only thing to do is alleviate the pain either through PT or surgery, but even with that, it would still remain injured and become arthritis. According to the surgeon, I may never regain full use of my knee, especially if I do not lose weight.
He also said I cannot go shopping. So that's why I had my last hurrah, stocking up on some things I needed from Whole Foods that might be difficult to send Hubby for (since I needed to make decisions and see some things to compare).
I cannot even begin to express my disappointment in not being able to exercise (I'm only allowed to swim, which is not an option right now.)! My body is really craving it. And I refuse to go backwards in this journey for Wholeness and especially physical health.
So, this weekend, Hubby and I are going to regroup. We will figure out how I can do many kitchen tasks at the table sitting down with help from Hubby or D. We will probably work together to make some meals to put in the freezer. And I will go forward on Sunday for annointing and prayer. The mission of the Christian and Missionary Alliance is: "We desire to know Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King and to complete His Great Commission. " I do believe that He heals. Sometimes we see it on earth. Sometimes it comes in Heaven. But I refuse to sit down and give up!
Please, if you have any ideas for me to keep getting healthy while mostly immobile, would you please let me know. Also could you pray for me that after I adjust to this yucky news, that my heart will allign with His and that my attitude will reflect His love?
Hmmm... would spinning constitute exercise?
Last but not least, please pray for Wool Windings (a regular commenter here) and all the others in the path of Hurricane Ike.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Wellness Wednesday
Hello Everyone! Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday. My weigh in this morning is 310#. That's not exactly where I wanted it to be but I am very happy it is not higher. It's exactly where I was when I left six weeks ago!
If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I injured my knee 8/14. My foot slid in a tide pool area, going down about 12-18", which I am assuming jammed my left knee. To be honest, I was so worried about losing my camera, that I could not afford to replace, that I didn't observe exactly what happened with the knee. After the injury I had complications with taking high doses of ibuprofen, which caused my body to hold on 10# of fluid. While I was in Washington I didn't go to the ER because it would have meant probably $500 out of pocket that would have been reimbursed eventually, but $500 is $500! I have enough medical knowledge to know that it was unlikely that it was broken and they would tell me to RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and see my regular doctor when I got home. That's exactly what I did, without the price tag!
Last Thursday I had the first appt I could get with my MD and spent about 2.5 hours there. The first half hour the doctor lectured me until I cried about why I didn't go to the ER and why I had gained 10#! He insinuated that I was sitting around eating while I couldn't move and that I needed to write down everything I ate. If I was not so angry at him and at myself for crying, I would have said something, but I was following the advice given by Thumper's Daddy ("If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."). If only more people would follow this advice! LOL (In my doctor's defense, he normally is a really nice guy. I think he was alarmed that I would have such a severe injury for two weeks and was concerned.)
So I was sent away after all that time with a diagnosis that my knee is "painful and swollen" (for this he went to medical school!) and that my course of action was RICE! There is a chance that it could be a strain, but it is more likely that I have a torn meniscus. Next Wednesday I will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation. And I am happy to report that 4 days after discontinuing the ibuprofen I lost 8# of fluid off my body and could breathe better.
But, enough of the whining... It just has been difficult not to be able to do what I want to do - walk, stand, sit in one position for any length of time, bend, get down on the floor or any low elevation etc. This severely impacts a lot of things, including fun things like sewing and blocking my knitting as well as not so fun things like cleaning house. And the increase of pain has influenced the level of depression I have felt in being back in a hot, stuffy, tin box! Re-entry has been really difficult this time!
So, now the course of action is trying to try to find "normal" when nothing feels normal. We are getting back to our normal way of eating and this fall I am looking forward to doing some more experimenting in the kitchen and I hope I get back to the point where I can exercise again! My body really misses it. When I go back to the orthopedic surgeon, I am going to ask about what I can do that won't hurt my knee. I may need to find a public swimming pool, though that would be difficult with the kids and Hubby's work schedule. If you feel called to, please pray for my left knee to heal!
On a VERY happy note, I left my Leslie Sansone Walk The Walk DVD with my Mom and she has done it several times! WAY TO GO MOM! Keep up the good work! I am really PROUD of YOU!
So, now I am wondering where all of you are at, after this long break of posting Wellness Wednesday? Are any of you gearing up to re-start as I am? Or are you transitioning what you do for the fall? Also, if you visit me frequently and don't see your name on my blog rolls or even if it's your first time, let me know so I can post it. If you look on the right hand side, I have added some things and removed others. I'm doing "fall housecleaning"! :o)
Have a good week!
If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I injured my knee 8/14. My foot slid in a tide pool area, going down about 12-18", which I am assuming jammed my left knee. To be honest, I was so worried about losing my camera, that I could not afford to replace, that I didn't observe exactly what happened with the knee. After the injury I had complications with taking high doses of ibuprofen, which caused my body to hold on 10# of fluid. While I was in Washington I didn't go to the ER because it would have meant probably $500 out of pocket that would have been reimbursed eventually, but $500 is $500! I have enough medical knowledge to know that it was unlikely that it was broken and they would tell me to RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and see my regular doctor when I got home. That's exactly what I did, without the price tag!
Last Thursday I had the first appt I could get with my MD and spent about 2.5 hours there. The first half hour the doctor lectured me until I cried about why I didn't go to the ER and why I had gained 10#! He insinuated that I was sitting around eating while I couldn't move and that I needed to write down everything I ate. If I was not so angry at him and at myself for crying, I would have said something, but I was following the advice given by Thumper's Daddy ("If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."). If only more people would follow this advice! LOL (In my doctor's defense, he normally is a really nice guy. I think he was alarmed that I would have such a severe injury for two weeks and was concerned.)
So I was sent away after all that time with a diagnosis that my knee is "painful and swollen" (for this he went to medical school!) and that my course of action was RICE! There is a chance that it could be a strain, but it is more likely that I have a torn meniscus. Next Wednesday I will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation. And I am happy to report that 4 days after discontinuing the ibuprofen I lost 8# of fluid off my body and could breathe better.
But, enough of the whining... It just has been difficult not to be able to do what I want to do - walk, stand, sit in one position for any length of time, bend, get down on the floor or any low elevation etc. This severely impacts a lot of things, including fun things like sewing and blocking my knitting as well as not so fun things like cleaning house. And the increase of pain has influenced the level of depression I have felt in being back in a hot, stuffy, tin box! Re-entry has been really difficult this time!
So, now the course of action is trying to try to find "normal" when nothing feels normal. We are getting back to our normal way of eating and this fall I am looking forward to doing some more experimenting in the kitchen and I hope I get back to the point where I can exercise again! My body really misses it. When I go back to the orthopedic surgeon, I am going to ask about what I can do that won't hurt my knee. I may need to find a public swimming pool, though that would be difficult with the kids and Hubby's work schedule. If you feel called to, please pray for my left knee to heal!
On a VERY happy note, I left my Leslie Sansone Walk The Walk DVD with my Mom and she has done it several times! WAY TO GO MOM! Keep up the good work! I am really PROUD of YOU!
So, now I am wondering where all of you are at, after this long break of posting Wellness Wednesday? Are any of you gearing up to re-start as I am? Or are you transitioning what you do for the fall? Also, if you visit me frequently and don't see your name on my blog rolls or even if it's your first time, let me know so I can post it. If you look on the right hand side, I have added some things and removed others. I'm doing "fall housecleaning"! :o)
Have a good week!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
New Birth and Wellness Wednesday #3?
Thirty one years ago today I experienced a birth of a different kind and my life has never been the same! The joy He placed in my heart that day has never been surpassed... not even the first time I saw this picture... my two surprise babies! LOL It hasn't always been easy the lat 31 years, but He has walked with me every step of the way. He is my Rock and my Shield, my Fortress and my Stronghold, my Lover, my Savior, my Teacher, my Healer, my Encourager and my Friend. Thank you Lord for the Journey behind us and the Journey ahead of us!
Today I tried a new Leslie Sansone video which was a 3 mile walk and though I was whooped when I got done it was also fun. I have been trying to stay consistent, even when I don't feel so great, otherwise I might lose courage and not start again. If you keep moving it's easier to keep moving, when you stop, it's easier to convince yourself not to keep moving. That's why I started a new DVD today because I stepped on the scale and weighed 312#! How could that be? I have not been eating much the last few days. Water retention? Muscle weight? I don't know. The thought did occur to me that I haven't eaten enough, so my body might be holding on to everything. I have to admit that it was a little bit depressing. The work out helped to pick me up though.
Even though the weight has not changed there have been some noticeable changes. Noticeable to me anyway! Sunday I was standing in church and looked down and noticed that for the first time I was seeing my breasts. Don't laugh! LOL Normally I look down and see my stomach! I was also able to wear a pair of pants that were previously too tight. This is really encouraging. I need to focus on these things and not fall down.
Next Wednesday I may not post. It depends. I will be leaving for Washington with the kids on Monday morning and we will arrive at my Mom's on Tuesday night. For those of you who pray, would you please pray for traveling mercies and safety? Also please pray for me as I am trying to get everything done the next few days. When I am in Washington I will probably blog frequently because I will be posting pictures for Hubby to see. Unfortunately he still has to work, but we will enjoy some time together in August. The children and I are looking forward to spending some time in fresh, breathable air and visiting with Grandma and Grandpa and other family members. I'm looking forward to sharing the adventure with you!
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #34
This is the Day! This is the Day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made! I will rejoice! I will rejoice and be glad in it! And be glad in it!
When Hubby woke me up with a good bye kiss this morning (he's so sweet and let's me sleep in since I've been having insomnia), the next thing that came to mind was this song. It's a simple little chorus. It was the theme of family Bible camp when I chose to follow Christ, July 16, 1977! What a nice way to start the day.
The day improved when I stepped on the scale! 311# Yahoo! I have been working hard at the exercising and calculated that via workouts, I exercised 16 miles in the past 7 days. That hasn't been easy either because the air quality has been in the unhealthy range due to all the California wildfires. Pray for all those people effected and especially the firefighters! We have had incredible triple digit heat. Yesterday at our house the temp reached 84* inside and that is with AC and fans going! Our outdoor thermometer is in the shade all day and it registered 110*. Yuck! It's supposed to be another scorcher again today and the projected AQI is in the unhealthy range all week.
So, today I am taking an exercise break. With the air quality I have had to increase steroid inhalers which causes my insomnia, not to mention my lungs are screaming for a break! In about 12 days we will be in Washington state at my Mom's, so at least we have that to look forward to. :o)
The frustrating part of losing weight - not being able to see where it came off! I must have lost those 2 # somewhere not visible to the human eye! I was telling my friend Shelley that it is depressing to look in the mirror with your clothes off after you have exercised so hard and see a big blob looking back at you! It's seriously discouraging. Shelley informed me that Mirror World is NOT reality! LOL What are best friends for?!
Nothing else too exciting to write about this week. I did post a picture of our healthy strawberry shortcake at My Journey To Wholeness. Please pray for me to keep focused as I am packing for our trip and preparing meals ahead for my sweet Hubby while we are gone. He has to work and will join us in August.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #33
Hello Everyone! Well, I am excited to tell you that I dropped another 2# and am 313#! Yeah! Slowly but surely. I was down to 312# earlier this spring after being sick but gained it back. I haven't been able to get past that point before. My body seems to have certain "set points" that it doesn't want to go past and I always seem to plateau there. I am hoping to walk past that though! In January 2001 as I became pregnant with my son, I weighed 310# and I was 296# when I married. I am still hoping to get to 300# by August 11 when Hubby and I go on our Honeymoon!
Yesterday I got brave and decided to try the fast 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone! It was fast but it felt so good to challenge my body in that way and it really is a fun walk with more variety than the others I am more used to. But today, I tried to do it again and I got to the one mile mark and stopped. There is no valor in pushing beyond reason. Injuries occur when you don't listen to your body!
That got me thinking to some guidelines and ideas about exercise. First of all exercise is really important whether you need to lose weight or not. Everyone should have 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 times a week to stay healthy. Leslie says that exercising on a regular basis takes ten years off your life and if you don't exercise, it's like adding ten years! Exercise definitely has been making my joints more mobile and flexible as well as giving me an underlying level of energy I have not had for years. For someone who suffers from chronic migraines and the accompanying chronic fatigue, that is remarkable!
Some of the things I have learned about exercising:
1. You don't have to keep up with the exercise instructor. As long as you keep moving you are exercising and your body is benefiting. Work up to a level you are able to do.
2. Don't give up, but don't push yourself to an unreasonable point where you will injure yourself!
3. Listen to your body. There are times where you should decrease the rigor of your exercise or eliminate all together. i.e. The air quality is affecting your breathing, you are wheezing, you have chest tightness/tingling/pain (If you have heart issues, you definitely need to have doctor approval for the type of exercise you pursue! Everyone should check with a health provider before starting an exercise regime.), you have a cold virus, you feel pain in your muscles, joints etc., you are menstruating, you have a fever.
4. Keep your body hydrated!!! Good old fashioned water is the best. I keep a 14 oz glass of water on the shelf near where I exercise and stop a couple times to take a drink. If your body does not have water, it will have to take it from other parts of your body to keep your main organs functioning. If you perspire a lot during exercise, it is even more important. Sports drinks are just expensive soda pop. The first ingredient in many of them, who you might think of as healthy, is high fructose corn syrup! Yuck!
5. Eat fresh live, foods. One of my favorite treats after exercising is a fresh fruit smoothie. For a little protein for lasting power, I will add some yogurt, kefir or peanut butter (depending on the flavor). Many fruits contain water themselves as well as vitamins. I try to make mine rainbow...red, yellow, blue, green... add as many nutrients as possible. Your body will thrive on having raw, fresh, live foods!
6. Don't cheat and skip the cool down and stretches (or the warm up). Many times this is what causes injury.
7. Sometimes your body actually does need a break from the exercise to repair muscles and tissue that have broken down. Just make sure your break isn't a permanent vacation! :o)
For a little encouragement, I joined the Walk Club at Leslie Sansone's site. I know she is not for everyone but this type of exercise really suits my body and my life. What are you all doing? I love hearing from you. Thanks for all the input last week both in comments and off list about how you incorporate your faith and exercise. A special thanks goes to Theresa, who encouraged me with Isaiah 40:31!
Yesterday I got brave and decided to try the fast 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone! It was fast but it felt so good to challenge my body in that way and it really is a fun walk with more variety than the others I am more used to. But today, I tried to do it again and I got to the one mile mark and stopped. There is no valor in pushing beyond reason. Injuries occur when you don't listen to your body!
That got me thinking to some guidelines and ideas about exercise. First of all exercise is really important whether you need to lose weight or not. Everyone should have 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 times a week to stay healthy. Leslie says that exercising on a regular basis takes ten years off your life and if you don't exercise, it's like adding ten years! Exercise definitely has been making my joints more mobile and flexible as well as giving me an underlying level of energy I have not had for years. For someone who suffers from chronic migraines and the accompanying chronic fatigue, that is remarkable!
Some of the things I have learned about exercising:
1. You don't have to keep up with the exercise instructor. As long as you keep moving you are exercising and your body is benefiting. Work up to a level you are able to do.
2. Don't give up, but don't push yourself to an unreasonable point where you will injure yourself!
3. Listen to your body. There are times where you should decrease the rigor of your exercise or eliminate all together. i.e. The air quality is affecting your breathing, you are wheezing, you have chest tightness/tingling/pain (If you have heart issues, you definitely need to have doctor approval for the type of exercise you pursue! Everyone should check with a health provider before starting an exercise regime.), you have a cold virus, you feel pain in your muscles, joints etc., you are menstruating, you have a fever.
4. Keep your body hydrated!!! Good old fashioned water is the best. I keep a 14 oz glass of water on the shelf near where I exercise and stop a couple times to take a drink. If your body does not have water, it will have to take it from other parts of your body to keep your main organs functioning. If you perspire a lot during exercise, it is even more important. Sports drinks are just expensive soda pop. The first ingredient in many of them, who you might think of as healthy, is high fructose corn syrup! Yuck!
5. Eat fresh live, foods. One of my favorite treats after exercising is a fresh fruit smoothie. For a little protein for lasting power, I will add some yogurt, kefir or peanut butter (depending on the flavor). Many fruits contain water themselves as well as vitamins. I try to make mine rainbow...red, yellow, blue, green... add as many nutrients as possible. Your body will thrive on having raw, fresh, live foods!
6. Don't cheat and skip the cool down and stretches (or the warm up). Many times this is what causes injury.
7. Sometimes your body actually does need a break from the exercise to repair muscles and tissue that have broken down. Just make sure your break isn't a permanent vacation! :o)
For a little encouragement, I joined the Walk Club at Leslie Sansone's site. I know she is not for everyone but this type of exercise really suits my body and my life. What are you all doing? I love hearing from you. Thanks for all the input last week both in comments and off list about how you incorporate your faith and exercise. A special thanks goes to Theresa, who encouraged me with Isaiah 40:31!
But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #32
Wow, I just made it under the wire! I was getting ready to shut the computer down and remembered that today is indeed Wednesday. It has been a frustrating day with a long to d0 list - and none of it got accomplished! I woke to blocked sinuses, wheezing and coughing from all the smoke from the fires. We do not have any in our immediate area but looking at the fire map, they are in a ring around our city. The sky looks horrible and today my lungs decided they were not going to take it anymore! Yuck! Pray for the firefighters who are fighting 800 or more fires through out California, the people who are losing homes and possessions and for our poor kids and staff who are trying to put on a sports camp VBS this week with air quality in the "Unhealthy" range!
So, this morning I was really disappointed to not walk. But I wasn't willing to push my lungs over the edge and go full blown. By the end of the day today my body felt like a spring that had been coiled too long - I'm actually MISSING exercise! I think that is definite progress! :o) My weight was the same at 315# and hopefully will remain there but I must confess we made homemade ice cream from a custard type recipe and it was so yummy, but HIGH calorie! I didn't pig out but it tasted so decadent, I could just picture it applying itself directly to my belly! LOL But since I am not dieting, I am not going to beat myself up over it because realistically I will face these types of ups and downs for the rest of my life.
Lynette encouraged me to share a story though, where God helped me in a tangible way to "just say no" to donuts! I had a stressful morning at church when A threw a fit - the kind where you want the earth to open up and swallow you because your kid is making such a spectacle of themselves. Anyway, as I was chatting with Susan near the bagel and donut table, I was thinking that "just one donut wouldn't hurt" and I knew that the only reason I wanted one was because I was stressed and it is one of my weaknesses as far as comfort food goes. My brain knew that they really don't taste all that great, but my emotions wanted one. Just as I was almost ready to give in, a HUGE fly landed on top of the donuts! Ick! So, my medical background kicked in and said, "Gross! Flies carry germs - I'm not touching that!" And then I laughed. "Okay God! I get the message! I don't need a donut to feel good! Thanks for the vivid reminder." So I triumphed over the donuts last Sunday.
As I mentioned, my body is enjoying the exercise now! I actually miss it and if I wasn't so tired would probably walk now, but will wait until the morning since it's 10PM. But I wanted to add before closing that we are doing one more thing to contribute to our wellness, since wellness to be is a whole bundle of different things, including spiritual. Hubby and I have started The Bible in 90 Days after hearing about it from Susan, whom I linked to above. At the women's retreat she mentioned how it was interesting to read through it in a short period of time because you actually see more connections and different things that you miss when you read through slowly or bit by bit. She spoke about it more on her blog and I shared with Hubby and he thought it would be good.
I have read my Bible through many times but never in such a short time period. We thought it would be a good way to stay connected while we are apart for 3 weeks. We will be reading the same thing and can discuss it at night when we talk. Today was the third day and I have been reading it aloud to Hubby. It is 12 pages a day and by the end of the 3rd day we have read 40 chapters.
Is anyone else doing this? Do any of you incorporate your faith into your workouts or your wellness routines? If you do, I'd love to know how.
Hope this all makes sense... my eyes are heavy and ready to close!
So, this morning I was really disappointed to not walk. But I wasn't willing to push my lungs over the edge and go full blown. By the end of the day today my body felt like a spring that had been coiled too long - I'm actually MISSING exercise! I think that is definite progress! :o) My weight was the same at 315# and hopefully will remain there but I must confess we made homemade ice cream from a custard type recipe and it was so yummy, but HIGH calorie! I didn't pig out but it tasted so decadent, I could just picture it applying itself directly to my belly! LOL But since I am not dieting, I am not going to beat myself up over it because realistically I will face these types of ups and downs for the rest of my life.
Lynette encouraged me to share a story though, where God helped me in a tangible way to "just say no" to donuts! I had a stressful morning at church when A threw a fit - the kind where you want the earth to open up and swallow you because your kid is making such a spectacle of themselves. Anyway, as I was chatting with Susan near the bagel and donut table, I was thinking that "just one donut wouldn't hurt" and I knew that the only reason I wanted one was because I was stressed and it is one of my weaknesses as far as comfort food goes. My brain knew that they really don't taste all that great, but my emotions wanted one. Just as I was almost ready to give in, a HUGE fly landed on top of the donuts! Ick! So, my medical background kicked in and said, "Gross! Flies carry germs - I'm not touching that!" And then I laughed. "Okay God! I get the message! I don't need a donut to feel good! Thanks for the vivid reminder." So I triumphed over the donuts last Sunday.
As I mentioned, my body is enjoying the exercise now! I actually miss it and if I wasn't so tired would probably walk now, but will wait until the morning since it's 10PM. But I wanted to add before closing that we are doing one more thing to contribute to our wellness, since wellness to be is a whole bundle of different things, including spiritual. Hubby and I have started The Bible in 90 Days after hearing about it from Susan, whom I linked to above. At the women's retreat she mentioned how it was interesting to read through it in a short period of time because you actually see more connections and different things that you miss when you read through slowly or bit by bit. She spoke about it more on her blog and I shared with Hubby and he thought it would be good.
I have read my Bible through many times but never in such a short time period. We thought it would be a good way to stay connected while we are apart for 3 weeks. We will be reading the same thing and can discuss it at night when we talk. Today was the third day and I have been reading it aloud to Hubby. It is 12 pages a day and by the end of the 3rd day we have read 40 chapters.
Is anyone else doing this? Do any of you incorporate your faith into your workouts or your wellness routines? If you do, I'd love to know how.
Hope this all makes sense... my eyes are heavy and ready to close!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #31
Hi All! I'm writing at the end of a very long, but nice day. My last day being 41! :o) I started off the day with some good news... 315#. So, the exercise is helping the weight to start going down and I am really motivated to keep doing it. The last two days I have struggled a little bit because the air quality is so poor that my breathing suffers and I have had a migraine. So, I have done a smaller workout, but still working out. At this point I am a little nervous that if I break the rhythm, I will fall out of practice, so I am trying to allow myself just Sunday off and one other day of the week only when necessary.
And, last Friday I attained 10, 084 steps! This is not going to be possible when I am at home (unless I exercise a four mile work out). So I am trying to think how I am going to deal with this on days when we are inside due to weather and don't want to leave. My goal is to keep it consistently above 5,000. Our place is so small that this is a real challenge. And somewhere today I have lost my pedometer! I hope I find it soon.
Sorry this is short, but I am tired and have a fun day planned tomorrow.
I am behind in answering email and comments. Sorry! I do love hearing from you and what you are doing - are you making your goals?
And, last Friday I attained 10, 084 steps! This is not going to be possible when I am at home (unless I exercise a four mile work out). So I am trying to think how I am going to deal with this on days when we are inside due to weather and don't want to leave. My goal is to keep it consistently above 5,000. Our place is so small that this is a real challenge. And somewhere today I have lost my pedometer! I hope I find it soon.
Sorry this is short, but I am tired and have a fun day planned tomorrow.
I am behind in answering email and comments. Sorry! I do love hearing from you and what you are doing - are you making your goals?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #30 (on Thursday)
Oops! I did it again! It's Thursday, isn't it?! Well, re-entry after a retreat does take some adjusting. Wednesday I have Bible study (for one more week) and in the afternoon I took a 2+ hour nap. My family and friends know that I do not nap unless I have a migraine. Occasionally I get one that compels me to sleep whether I want to or not; it is like a switch goes off in my brain that says "overload" and puts me to sleep. I wish it was restful sleep, but it's not. Today is a little bit better.
As I write I have 5 loaves of bread, still in the dough rising stage and I just took whole wheat biscuits out of the oven. Welcome to Sacramento in the summer...the AC is on before 9AM...well technically it's still spring. In the summer the AC goes on at 7AM! LOL However, I am pleased with myself as today I made it out of bed at 6AM to walk! Yesterday I was not well enough, but today I did not want to break the pattern. So I did the two mile walk, which does not measure two miles on my pedometer, probably because some of the steps are side to side. Shuffles and sideways movements do not count as steps. Okay, so do I feel rah! rah! rah! about getting up and exercising each morning? NO! But I did notice when I came back from the retreat that my body missed having the work out. So I think that is progress.
Oh, weigh in. Still 317#...but if you had seen all the food we had to eat at the retreat and I used no discretion or self control, you would be thinking this is a miracle in itself. I am hopefully expecting the weight to drop this week if I continue walking. I still have not made it to 10000 steps. But it is still a goal. A work in progress.
I was asked if I really recommend Leslie Sansone's walking DVDs. Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, my friend Margaret just told me about this at QVC and I ordered it. Remember it is an exercise DVD - so Leslie is overly cheerful as most exercise instructors are and if you are going to listen to them for the awesome music, don't! LOL Her DVDs are probably not for everyone, but I will talk about why they are working for me.
1. You don't have to go anywhere to exercise, it's right in your home! Some people have lovely places to walk. I have smog from San Francisco and the Hwy floating over my house. Cough! Cough! It is not uncommon for it to be in the 80s in the early morning during summer months. Rain or shine, no matter the heat, I can walk.
2. Even if you can walk in your neighborhood, this will give you more of a workout than just regular walking. You also have the benefit of a warm up and cool down.
3. It's low impact and you can go at a slower pace if you need to.
4. There is a variety so you can choose something shorter for a busy day or something longer and more strenuous for a day when you have more time or want more of a challenge. You can experiment with some other types of walking, some with kick boxing moves, exercise bands etc.
5. Even though other movements are added, you don't feel like the dumby in the aerobics class who can't figure out what body appendage goes where and when.
6. I can do it any time day or night.
Thank you to everyone who has been encouraging me. I sure appreciate it! I am hoping to push past this plateau and start losing again. Hopefully I can still make my weight loss goal by the time of our trip in August.
In the next couple weeks we are going to be working on organizing around the house and that will help tremendously towards my mental health, which in turn effects my success with food and exercise. Organization is probably the single biggest factor for my wellness. We have our home school area almost done with new, cheap book cases to hold supplies and books, the books catalogued and items placed efficiently according to ease of use. I have also organized my cookbook shelf for better use. I'm looking forward to sharing some of the changes and how they are helping me, in the near future.
As I write I have 5 loaves of bread, still in the dough rising stage and I just took whole wheat biscuits out of the oven. Welcome to Sacramento in the summer...the AC is on before 9AM...well technically it's still spring. In the summer the AC goes on at 7AM! LOL However, I am pleased with myself as today I made it out of bed at 6AM to walk! Yesterday I was not well enough, but today I did not want to break the pattern. So I did the two mile walk, which does not measure two miles on my pedometer, probably because some of the steps are side to side. Shuffles and sideways movements do not count as steps. Okay, so do I feel rah! rah! rah! about getting up and exercising each morning? NO! But I did notice when I came back from the retreat that my body missed having the work out. So I think that is progress.
Oh, weigh in. Still 317#...but if you had seen all the food we had to eat at the retreat and I used no discretion or self control, you would be thinking this is a miracle in itself. I am hopefully expecting the weight to drop this week if I continue walking. I still have not made it to 10000 steps. But it is still a goal. A work in progress.
I was asked if I really recommend Leslie Sansone's walking DVDs. Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, my friend Margaret just told me about this at QVC and I ordered it. Remember it is an exercise DVD - so Leslie is overly cheerful as most exercise instructors are and if you are going to listen to them for the awesome music, don't! LOL Her DVDs are probably not for everyone, but I will talk about why they are working for me.
1. You don't have to go anywhere to exercise, it's right in your home! Some people have lovely places to walk. I have smog from San Francisco and the Hwy floating over my house. Cough! Cough! It is not uncommon for it to be in the 80s in the early morning during summer months. Rain or shine, no matter the heat, I can walk.
2. Even if you can walk in your neighborhood, this will give you more of a workout than just regular walking. You also have the benefit of a warm up and cool down.
3. It's low impact and you can go at a slower pace if you need to.
4. There is a variety so you can choose something shorter for a busy day or something longer and more strenuous for a day when you have more time or want more of a challenge. You can experiment with some other types of walking, some with kick boxing moves, exercise bands etc.
5. Even though other movements are added, you don't feel like the dumby in the aerobics class who can't figure out what body appendage goes where and when.
6. I can do it any time day or night.
Thank you to everyone who has been encouraging me. I sure appreciate it! I am hoping to push past this plateau and start losing again. Hopefully I can still make my weight loss goal by the time of our trip in August.
In the next couple weeks we are going to be working on organizing around the house and that will help tremendously towards my mental health, which in turn effects my success with food and exercise. Organization is probably the single biggest factor for my wellness. We have our home school area almost done with new, cheap book cases to hold supplies and books, the books catalogued and items placed efficiently according to ease of use. I have also organized my cookbook shelf for better use. I'm looking forward to sharing some of the changes and how they are helping me, in the near future.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #29 (On Thursday)
Hello Everyone. Sorry I am late. We have just had a busy week. Whenever I think I have everything under control, something else gets thrown into the mix! And in my wellness journey there have been ups and downs. Today I am a little disappointed in myself as I stress ate (3/4 of a bag of small dove milk chocolates) the last two days. I'm trying not to beat myself up over it, but pick back up where I left off. I wish I could say that the Dove Milk Chocolate was horrible but it tasted good and it always feels great as it melts in your mouth. I don't think I want to know what is in it that makes it feel so good in the mouth! But I don't feel so good. I still am struggling over that lesson. My memory tells me that many foods are wonderful even though my brain knows that they are not good for me and really in effect are poisons to my body! Have any of you who changed your eating habits gone through this transition where you truly never want to eat it anymore? Or do you struggle if you start on something sugary?
The weigh in was discouraging, still at 317#. You might think that is no big surprise considering that I hate all those Dove chocolates the last few days. But, the other side of the story is that I started to exercise. I remembered my promise to you to try and walk ONE time before Wednesday. Monday I woke up and thought, "This is the day to start. If I don't then it will get pushed aside and not done before Wednesday." So Monday I did Leslie Sansone's Kick Walking DVD because I couldn't find the Faith Walk Leslie Sansone DVD. Tuesday I wanted to see if I could do the 2 mile walk and I could! Wednesday I did the 2 mile walk again and today I did the 1 mile walk! I am so proud of myself! :o) I actually had fun and this morning I woke up 15 minutes before Hubby's alarm and about an hour earlier than I usually do, so I got up and walked! I am having increased problems with my bursitis though. My hip joints are extremely stiff and feel like my legs are pinned on like Eeyore's tail! That is why I did 1 mile today as I figured it would keep me moving and in the rhythm of things without putting too much undue stress on my hip.
So did you exercise this week?
In addition to exercising, I wore the new pedometer. I was shocked the first day at how little steps I took, since the goal is 10,000 steps and 30 minutes of moderate exercise. I actually did get 30 minutes on all days but Monday but because of the way it records, that doesn't show (by strides and not all exercise is by leg strides). Monday I was at home and we did school and watched the Little House on the Prairie tv pilot movie together so not many steps taken that day. We had to chuckle when we realized that without exercising to a DVD or getting out of the house, we wouldn't be able to walk far as our house is about 44 feet long and with furniture there isn't much room to pace! LOL Seeing the low number was incentive though to get more steps in. I discovered that I could get in an extra 200 if I marched in place a I brushed my teeth! :o)
Thurs: 6288/19 mins moderate exercise
Weds: 7071/17
Tues: 4253/5
Mon: 3222/5
My goal for next week is to hit 10,000 on one day. I don't know if I will make it before Wednesday or not as I am leaving tomorrow for women's retreat at Lake Tahoe.
In addition to exercising this week, I have also tried some recipes from Sue Gregg's Breakfast cookbook. You can make some really great things in a blender! We have a Vita-Mix, but they can be made in a regular blender. You can download a couple recipes free. This week a favorite was an oatmeal waffle which uses old fashioned oat flakes (they get ground as flour) and are nice and fluffy waffles. I also made Good Morning Muffins. I didn't have buttermilk so used Vanilla Kefir. You throw in whole soft white wheat berries and it all gets ground up. The recipe tastes like a coffee cake. It has a little cinnamon in it and is darker in color but does not taste like "whole wheat". As a matter of fact you would not know it was "healthy" for you!
Part of my journey in health is also mental health. This week I have been getting our home school library catalogued in the computer. This will help me not duplicate purchases and be able to visualize where the "holes" are that need to be filled. And I purchased two new cheap book cases on sale at Walmart for $27. They are the fake put together in a box kind, but will do for now. We organized one shelf for all the art and school supplies and the second one will be for additional books. It really feels good to get some of this organizing done. I want to have our school area completely clean and organized so that when we come back from our vacation later in the summer, we will be ready to go.
Hubby has a two week break between regular school and summer school with the exception of a few inservice days the second week. During this time I am hoping to get more organizing done. For me these things are inseparable from my mental and physical health so they are just as important and starting to exercise. And of course I hope to continue exercising as well...and lay off of the Dove chocolates! LOL
How was your week?!
The weigh in was discouraging, still at 317#. You might think that is no big surprise considering that I hate all those Dove chocolates the last few days. But, the other side of the story is that I started to exercise. I remembered my promise to you to try and walk ONE time before Wednesday. Monday I woke up and thought, "This is the day to start. If I don't then it will get pushed aside and not done before Wednesday." So Monday I did Leslie Sansone's Kick Walking DVD because I couldn't find the Faith Walk Leslie Sansone DVD. Tuesday I wanted to see if I could do the 2 mile walk and I could! Wednesday I did the 2 mile walk again and today I did the 1 mile walk! I am so proud of myself! :o) I actually had fun and this morning I woke up 15 minutes before Hubby's alarm and about an hour earlier than I usually do, so I got up and walked! I am having increased problems with my bursitis though. My hip joints are extremely stiff and feel like my legs are pinned on like Eeyore's tail! That is why I did 1 mile today as I figured it would keep me moving and in the rhythm of things without putting too much undue stress on my hip.
So did you exercise this week?
In addition to exercising, I wore the new pedometer. I was shocked the first day at how little steps I took, since the goal is 10,000 steps and 30 minutes of moderate exercise. I actually did get 30 minutes on all days but Monday but because of the way it records, that doesn't show (by strides and not all exercise is by leg strides). Monday I was at home and we did school and watched the Little House on the Prairie tv pilot movie together so not many steps taken that day. We had to chuckle when we realized that without exercising to a DVD or getting out of the house, we wouldn't be able to walk far as our house is about 44 feet long and with furniture there isn't much room to pace! LOL Seeing the low number was incentive though to get more steps in. I discovered that I could get in an extra 200 if I marched in place a I brushed my teeth! :o)
Thurs: 6288/19 mins moderate exercise
Weds: 7071/17
Tues: 4253/5
Mon: 3222/5
My goal for next week is to hit 10,000 on one day. I don't know if I will make it before Wednesday or not as I am leaving tomorrow for women's retreat at Lake Tahoe.
In addition to exercising this week, I have also tried some recipes from Sue Gregg's Breakfast cookbook. You can make some really great things in a blender! We have a Vita-Mix, but they can be made in a regular blender. You can download a couple recipes free. This week a favorite was an oatmeal waffle which uses old fashioned oat flakes (they get ground as flour) and are nice and fluffy waffles. I also made Good Morning Muffins. I didn't have buttermilk so used Vanilla Kefir. You throw in whole soft white wheat berries and it all gets ground up. The recipe tastes like a coffee cake. It has a little cinnamon in it and is darker in color but does not taste like "whole wheat". As a matter of fact you would not know it was "healthy" for you!
Part of my journey in health is also mental health. This week I have been getting our home school library catalogued in the computer. This will help me not duplicate purchases and be able to visualize where the "holes" are that need to be filled. And I purchased two new cheap book cases on sale at Walmart for $27. They are the fake put together in a box kind, but will do for now. We organized one shelf for all the art and school supplies and the second one will be for additional books. It really feels good to get some of this organizing done. I want to have our school area completely clean and organized so that when we come back from our vacation later in the summer, we will be ready to go.
Hubby has a two week break between regular school and summer school with the exception of a few inservice days the second week. During this time I am hoping to get more organizing done. For me these things are inseparable from my mental and physical health so they are just as important and starting to exercise. And of course I hope to continue exercising as well...and lay off of the Dove chocolates! LOL
How was your week?!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #28
Hello Everyone. I just checked and it has been one whole month since I posted a Wellness Wednesday Post! I bet you all thought I "went off the wagon"! LOL You can see there has been a scarcity of posts in general and that is because actual real life takes precedence over cyber and blogging accomplishments. Though I am overwhelmed, things are okay and heading in a good direction. In order to do a better job of being a Wife and Mom, I am reorganizing my life schedule and cutting out some things, that though they were not bad, did distract me from the path that God has placed in front of me. I do plan to continue blogging and working on my health and updating my much neglected My Journey To Wholeness blog.
Today I weighed in at 316#. Disappointing. Not surprising. This seems to be a natural place to settle on my body's thermostat and I don't think I'll continue losing much if any weight without adding exercise.
Progress has been made on that front. When I was at our HMO's pharmacy I bought a pedometer to see how close I actually get to the recommended 10K steps a day. It was $10 and clips to my waste band. A small investment. Now, I just need to take it out of the package! LOL Also, I am continuing to have therapy on my left hip bursitis. It has helped some and I have more mobility but also aching in my leg and hip in different areas than before. Before going for the big C (cortisone shot), I decided to try a Dexamethasone patch and that has helped some. Unfortunately, I believe it will probably take several years to heal as the way I sit and walk is affected by the amount of fat on my body! So my goal is to have walked at least one time before I write next week. That may sound like a whimpy goal, however, I have therapy appt tomorrow and Friday and Saturday I will be going to our local home school convention.
While we were gone over Mother's Day weekend we ate several meals out. This confirmed to us that what we are doing on the home front is definitely in the right direction. Our stomachs just did not feel good eating all that chemical food!
My original goal was to be below 300# by my anniversary trip in August. I am thinking that to do this, I may have to actually diet, which because of previous "issues" I have been avoiding, but if it hits triple digit, may not be too hard. It gets too hot to cook or eat! LOL
So this is a boring post today, but I'm just jumping in and getting my feet wet. Hopefully I can come up with something more interesting next week.
And for those of you waiting for blogiversary giveaways... I'm going to the post office on Friday morning.
Today I weighed in at 316#. Disappointing. Not surprising. This seems to be a natural place to settle on my body's thermostat and I don't think I'll continue losing much if any weight without adding exercise.
Progress has been made on that front. When I was at our HMO's pharmacy I bought a pedometer to see how close I actually get to the recommended 10K steps a day. It was $10 and clips to my waste band. A small investment. Now, I just need to take it out of the package! LOL Also, I am continuing to have therapy on my left hip bursitis. It has helped some and I have more mobility but also aching in my leg and hip in different areas than before. Before going for the big C (cortisone shot), I decided to try a Dexamethasone patch and that has helped some. Unfortunately, I believe it will probably take several years to heal as the way I sit and walk is affected by the amount of fat on my body! So my goal is to have walked at least one time before I write next week. That may sound like a whimpy goal, however, I have therapy appt tomorrow and Friday and Saturday I will be going to our local home school convention.
While we were gone over Mother's Day weekend we ate several meals out. This confirmed to us that what we are doing on the home front is definitely in the right direction. Our stomachs just did not feel good eating all that chemical food!
My original goal was to be below 300# by my anniversary trip in August. I am thinking that to do this, I may have to actually diet, which because of previous "issues" I have been avoiding, but if it hits triple digit, may not be too hard. It gets too hot to cook or eat! LOL
So this is a boring post today, but I'm just jumping in and getting my feet wet. Hopefully I can come up with something more interesting next week.
And for those of you waiting for blogiversary giveaways... I'm going to the post office on Friday morning.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #26
Good morning Everyone! I am pleased to report that the scale actually budged for a change! :o) My weight went down 1# to 314#. Every pound makes a difference and I'm thankful. In spite of the increased pain with physical therapy for my hip bursitis and tight ilial-tibial band, I have been more mobile and I think that helps. During school time, the kids and I have had a break to stretch and get the wiggles out and they do my PT exercises with me. But I am really looking forward to my PT appt and especially the ultrasound treatment this afternoon which gives it some relief. Hopefully walking will start up soon! I have been okayed to walk as long as I stop when it hurts, but that does not get me far! LOL
Look at the busy bees above. The photo was taken by my friend Shelley who is starting with her first hive this spring. I have no desire to do it myself but am interested in her adventure and love raw honey. I would love to hear from any of you who have hives or who have learned about honey and any recommendations on websites. So far I have learned:
1. Always eat RAW honey with minimal processing. Heating and other processes done to store honey kill the enzymes and nutrients. Also be aware of your product and where it comes from. Deborah just informed me that some places cut their honey with corn syrup! UGH! (Please note: Honey can contain a type of botulism that infants cannot fight off, but does not harm adults. Children under the age of 12 months should not eat honey even if it is cooked into things like graham crackers and cookies!)
2. Raw honey is about 85% sugar, the other 15% is water and other nutrients. It has less sugar than sugar and is sweeter than sugar. When substituting in a recipe you can use about 1/2 the amount or sometimes even less.
3. Honey comes in a range of flavors depending on where and upon what the bees have been feasting. Usually, the darker honey has more nutrients, but this may vary. Not all honey is really sweet. Some have smoky, woody and herby flavors.
4. Raw honey has some anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. My friend Margaret told me that it can be used on brown recluse spider bites! Honey has long been used as a soothing agent for sore throats. Eating raw honey local to you, may work like "antigen" in combatting plant allergies.
Sacramento Beekeeping (where I buy my honey)
Blessed Bee (Shelley, you need to post about your adventure!)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #26
Hello Everyone! I am sorry about last week. We are all trying to survive around here and there are times when what is happening in real life takes precedence over schedules in cyber-life! Today I weighed in again at 315#. I have not been able to get exercising and I believe that number probably won't budge until then. Because I still have sick kiddos to take care of, this will be a very short post; hopefully you will all understand.
However, today is a special day for me! It's my blogiversary. So come back later today as I will be announcing a blogiversary contest/drawing. In the meantime, I leave you with some photos of my roses.
However, today is a special day for me! It's my blogiversary. So come back later today as I will be announcing a blogiversary contest/drawing. In the meantime, I leave you with some photos of my roses.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Wellness Wednesday #25
Happy Wednesday Everyone! This is late because my son has been pretty sick with a fever and quite miserable. I also had my first therapy appointment for my left hip bursitis. Let me tell you that deep tissue massage was more painful than my labor pains! That is mostly because of how tight and inflamed it is. However, after the ultrasound therapy it all felt wonderful and I don't think it's my imagination that my hip is feeling more mobile! I go back again next Wednesday and maybe a couple times more. At the same time I will be continuing my stretching exercises at home and hopefully I can avoid getting a cortisone shot. I have been given the okay to walk as long as I am not in pain, so I am considering starting that up with the kids again. This will help my health tremendously.
My weight is the same, which I guess is better than going up. I am not going to dwell on it, but I am not going to let it slip up further. I feel that I am beginning to have a better adjusted emotional pattern related to my weight and my eating and that in itself is a HUGE praise. Really, that adjustment in feelings and response is key to continued success, not only in weight but in my overall mental health. Since I have been overly stressed lately, it is also good that I have not gone overboard in eating.
One thing I find very difficult and I am now convinced that there are some physically addictive properties to sugar and what I call "chemical foods". For instance, while eating our new way, I had not had cravings for anything "bad" in quite some time. In fact the idea of eating those things was yucky. But while on our trip, we had restaurant meals and some candy bars. That's all it took and then I wanted more candy bars. I wanted anything sweet. But when I ate it, it really did not taste good too me. Some tasted good initially but after swallowing it was kind of a yucky chemical taste that stayed in my mouth. So, the next step for me will be in training myself to not go there in the first place! Fortunately Hubby has noticed this too.
But, do you know what is amazing? I have not used my white processed sugar, my brown processed sugar or my white all purpose flour since December! As a matter of fact, I am in the process of rearranging our kitchen to reflect some of the changes in our lifestyle that we have made, making it more efficient for the items I use daily and getting rid of many things. I still have a little all purpose flour left. I put it in a jar and put it in the cupboard that stores a few 5 gallon food storage buckets of grain and other things that I do not need ready access for and I think the white sugar is headed to the same place! If you had told me this six months ago, I would have probably thought, "Yeah, that sounds nice, but it isn't going to happen!"
I am not saying all this to brag, but to encourage those of you who think it might not be possible. You never know until you try.
Now that I am getting a rhythm down in my bread making, I have decided to branch out and try a few other things. Last week I mentioned bagels. Well yesterday, I did this. It was so satisfying to make something that I did NOT have to buy!
I apologize for not having much very exciting lately to post on Wellness Wednesdays. Mostly I just keep hanging on but it is better. I do love hearing from you. How are the rest of you doing?
And I will close with sharing a link to a new friend I "met" online who has similar interests and you might enjoy a look at her farm. Also, she sells the DLX mixer I have as well as I believe the Bosch and grain mills. Please visit Amazing Grace Farm.
My weight is the same, which I guess is better than going up. I am not going to dwell on it, but I am not going to let it slip up further. I feel that I am beginning to have a better adjusted emotional pattern related to my weight and my eating and that in itself is a HUGE praise. Really, that adjustment in feelings and response is key to continued success, not only in weight but in my overall mental health. Since I have been overly stressed lately, it is also good that I have not gone overboard in eating.
One thing I find very difficult and I am now convinced that there are some physically addictive properties to sugar and what I call "chemical foods". For instance, while eating our new way, I had not had cravings for anything "bad" in quite some time. In fact the idea of eating those things was yucky. But while on our trip, we had restaurant meals and some candy bars. That's all it took and then I wanted more candy bars. I wanted anything sweet. But when I ate it, it really did not taste good too me. Some tasted good initially but after swallowing it was kind of a yucky chemical taste that stayed in my mouth. So, the next step for me will be in training myself to not go there in the first place! Fortunately Hubby has noticed this too.
But, do you know what is amazing? I have not used my white processed sugar, my brown processed sugar or my white all purpose flour since December! As a matter of fact, I am in the process of rearranging our kitchen to reflect some of the changes in our lifestyle that we have made, making it more efficient for the items I use daily and getting rid of many things. I still have a little all purpose flour left. I put it in a jar and put it in the cupboard that stores a few 5 gallon food storage buckets of grain and other things that I do not need ready access for and I think the white sugar is headed to the same place! If you had told me this six months ago, I would have probably thought, "Yeah, that sounds nice, but it isn't going to happen!"
I am not saying all this to brag, but to encourage those of you who think it might not be possible. You never know until you try.
Now that I am getting a rhythm down in my bread making, I have decided to branch out and try a few other things. Last week I mentioned bagels. Well yesterday, I did this. It was so satisfying to make something that I did NOT have to buy!
I apologize for not having much very exciting lately to post on Wellness Wednesdays. Mostly I just keep hanging on but it is better. I do love hearing from you. How are the rest of you doing?
And I will close with sharing a link to a new friend I "met" online who has similar interests and you might enjoy a look at her farm. Also, she sells the DLX mixer I have as well as I believe the Bosch and grain mills. Please visit Amazing Grace Farm.
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