Tag Archives: Exercise

268: Falling Down and Getting Right Back Up Again

02 Monday May 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

When you are trying to lose weight and/or change your lifestyle in some way to be healthier, you will make a lot of mistakes. You will have bad hours/days/weeks or even months.

These can, often, completely derail a person.

I’ve had a fairly rough 7 days in the health department. I haven’t been feeling great and it has slowly been eating-away at my energy and focus.

The reality is probably not as horrible as I think it is in my head, but still, it can be really demotivating.

I didn’t hit the 265 goal. But, since I’ve been lingering around the #, I’m not going to go all negative about it. I just want to keep on keeping on.

But, I woke-up with a migraine today and that really sucks. It means that I have very little focus or motivation for trying to be healthy today. Perhaps that explains why I had 5 homemade peanut butter chocolate chip walnut pecan cookies for breakfast. Sigh.

Today I am feeling more like giving up than I have in quite a while. I had been doing great, but I knew this day would come. I wrote about these “slumps” and while I was on a high I had been working on preparing myself for this inevitable moment. But, I didn’t count on having one of these moments and a migraine at the same time.

I’ve had one bad meal that’s rolled into 1 and a snack, that’s rolled into 2 bad meals, that’s rolled into a few days…

I haven’t been logging food or eating veggies/fruit/protein or drinking water. I am tempted to beat myself up, feel really horrible for this and give it all up. HOWEVER, sitting back and getting some perspective I see that I haven’t gone completely off the rails and I am very proud to say that I have continued with my stair climbing at work (except for today when I just couldn’t bear with the idea of trying to do it with my head already feeling like it might explode).

I go through slumps regularly (I’m trying to track to see if they are related to my cycle) where my emotions and energy are low and everything feels more negative. Perhaps this has to do with my hypothyroidism or fibromyalgia. My Dr. and I are still trying to sort-out the Levothyroxin dosage. She had put me on the 88’s, but suffered depression as a side effect. So, she put me on the 75’s from Mon-Fri and the 88’s Sat-Sun. I have no idea if those 2 days on the 88’s are enough to effect my mood/emotions, etc. But, I’m definitely watching this carefully.

At any rate, I don’t, yet, know why this happens but, having been tracking it for a bit of time now, and I am aware enough to realize that things aren’t as bleak as they may feel. Even my health and nutrition. I have been doing a great job, despite some recent poor choices (ie. 5 cookies for breakfast). I also know that the sooner I up my water/fruit/veg/protein intake, the sooner I will start feeling better.

I just have to get over this migraine. The nausea that accompanies it makes the thought of having my lunch smoothie almost intolerable. But, I’ll get hungry enough to consume it eventually (despite the nausea).

We all fall down – the important thing, like I say to my 2 year old, is to get yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going.

268.7

15 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

268.7

I climbed the CN Tower!

Ok, no I haven’t. But, I’m gonna. The Spring climb of the tower is taking place this weekend and, last week, when I first heard it was happening this weekend I thought to myself ‘I want to do that’. But, I am nowhere near in shape to just jump-in and do it this weekend.

Part of me would like to try and give myself that ultimate challenge. But, the problem is that, once you get going you have no choice but getting to the top to get yourself back down. It’s not like a run where, if you just can’t go any more you can just step off to the side, rest and then go home.

You have to get to the top.

And, because I’m, seriously, afraid I would die in the attempt, I’ve decided to train with the goal of entering next spring.

There is one in Autumn as well, but I think I want to give myself a year to really prepare.

And so, I started climbing all the flights of stairs at work 2xday. My building is only 10 stories and I felt like I was dying towards the top. So, I have a long way to go.

I’m going to do the stairs 1xmorning and 1xafternoon, increasing how many times I can go up/down as I can. I’m going to stick with going up/down once until I feel like I’m not about to die around the 7th story.

After doing the stairs yesterday, I had “Gumby” legs. I felt like one of those little toys you can get where, if you press the platform that the toy is standing on downwards, the toys legs crumble.

gumby legs

I had read that climbing stairs uses the calf muscles a lot, but I was feeling it mainly in my quads and lats…until around 2am. I went to roll over in bed and felt this horrible pain in my calves. Yup, there it is. And today, I’m feeling the burn.

I love it though. I also slept better last night than I have in weeks. I’m sure this has to do with a) better diet; b) more water and; c) those breaks of exercise during the day when I got my heart pumping.

As I was climbing the stairs yesterday I wondered if you could listen to music while doing the CN Tower climb. It might be considered hazardous. But, if I could I was trying to think about what songs would be on my playlist:

Climb Every Mountain (From Sound of Music)
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye)
The Climb (Miley Cyrus)
Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)
Elevation (U2)

Thankfully, I have some time to create the perfect playlist.

270.3

14 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

It turns-out, I’ve managed to maintain the same weight for awhile. This is a good sign. This is evidence to me that, despite recent “off the rails” moments where pizza and potato chips were flowing, my gut feeling was right-I am bingeing less. I have been more mindful while eating and this has helped me to not just eat until there is nothing left to eat. When I have had chips, pizza, etc. I have stopped myself when I started feeling full or realized that I wasn’t really enjoying it anymore.

Progress.

Now, it’s time to step it up a little bit more and take it to the next level.

And, I think, that this is all happened organically as “the next level” is exactly what I initiated this week with my experiment of flipping my day on its head and having my breakfast for dinner.

It hasn’t been a picture-perfect start. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I haven’t gone into my new eating regime and done everything perfectly. In the past I would have, and it wouldn’t have lasted long.

I haven’t been “regimented” in what I had to eat, but I have really tried to stick to the ‘spirit’ of the plan.

Yesterday, I stuck to the “plan” closer than I had all week and it meant that I finished the day well-within my caloric intake goal.

Here’s how the day went: Coffee, Water and homemade Green Smoothie for Breakfast

Salad for lunch (without protein, however, because I forgot it at home)

Lean Ham sandwich, on whole wheat, with lettuce and mustard; 1 hard boiled egg, 3 pcs of rye toast (2 w marg, 1 w p.butter), cantaloupe, tea and water for dinner.

I also did a workout last night. I was 2,000 steps off my step goal and determined to go to bed over 10, 000 steps.

Also, a few weekends ago I did a crazy amount of heavy lifting (massive couches and recliners, etc.) to the point that everything was sore and shaking. But, after the pain wore-off I had some pretty bulky muscles appearing in my arms. I have lifted weights since I was in high school, though, never seriously body-building, just free weights. And so, while working on getting steps in, I did some free weight exercises as well because I didn’t want to lose those muscles.

Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty good this morning. I feel like I am heading in the right direction and the little progress that I have made so far is building a super strong foundation for me to continue to make the necessary changes that will go the distance.

It’s all about the journey.

Day 1 of the Trial Meal Plan/Swap

11 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Today is the first day I am attempting to have my green smoothie for breakfast (along with coffee and water), a salad/or similar for lunch and my hard boiled eggs and toast for dinner.

I have already cheated this morning because I had some bread and margarine left over at work, so I had 2 ½ pieces of light rye toast with my morning coffee. But, I have no bread left here, so tomorrow morning we’ll see if I can go the entire day until home-time without bread. That’s a HUGE feat for me as I would be perfectly happy eating bread/toast with/for every meal.

It’s 12:36pm and I’m still working on my smoothie (it is still, partially, a frozen clump-) and have made a salmon sandwich (leftover salmon from last night’s dinner) with lettuce and baby carrots on the side.

I’m going to take tomorrow’s smoothie out of the freezer tonight and put it in the fridge. Hopefully, that will mean that it will be ready to eat earlier tomorrow morning.

I haven’t weighed myself in a long time, so I might do that tomorrow morning and report back. I’m guessing I’m going to be around 272.

My goals for the rest of the day are: Drink more water, finish my carrots, finish my smoothie, have 2 hd boiled eggs and 2 pcs. Of toast with tea and water for dinner and, if I need another snack, let it be fruit/veg or 100 cals or less and finally, to do some form of a workout tonight. I feel like I need a really low-key kind of evening. Maybe 1 tv show with the husband, and then some quiet time (yoga, perhaps?) and an early night to bed.

Also, I haven’t had any chocolate yet today (despite intensely craving some for most of the morning). But, I have a homemade chocolate/peanut butter/pecan cookie waiting for me at home. So, that will also be happening tonight.

Where is my inspiration?

04 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

For a long time, I had a drive to meet my goals. I created a calendar that had a point system that would see my being able to purchase a flute for myself when I had reached 5,000 points.

I got points for exercising, eating my veggies, drinking water, not drinking pop, and a few other things.

This system has resulted in pretty incredible, long-lasting, changes for the better.

But, lately, I don’t feel inspired to work towards that prize like I once did.

Does this mean I should find a new prize? Has the idea of owning a flute grown stale to me?

People talk about “the big why” when you are trying to lose weight. I have mine, and one day I’ll share it with you.

But, I tend to be more inspired by tangible things. And, learning to play the flute is something I think I would, greatly, enjoy. I play the trombone, but I find it difficult to play and enjoy because I spend the entire time thinking the sound of it will be annoying to the neighbours.

But, who doesn’t like the sweet, melodic, sounds of a flute?

So, I re-did my calendar today. After a day of abysmal eating.

I hadn’t prepared food for the week.

And, I’m looking for that spark of inspiration that had me so excited at the idea of owning a flute. Maybe I need to pick another prize.

Until I feel that inspiration return to me I am going to put into practice that old trick, and am going to ‘fake it, ’till I make it’.

And so, with that, I am going to sign-off from here, go to the kitchen and boil eggs, wash lettuce, prepare salmon and get myself ready for a healthy week.

These are the moments that really count in the battle to be healthy. Not the ones where everything comes easy.

To the battle I go. Inspiration be damned.

Bubbling Up

29 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

I feel like I am, slowly, making progress upwards.

That part of me that has a bit of drive, ambition and focus towards reaching my goal is gaining some momentum again.

I ate well today, am drinking tonnes of water, starting regular exercise again and feeling totally positive about it all.

One thing I am learning is that, while I have momentum, I have to maximize it. Part of my Fibromyalgia and Hypothyroidism is going through regular slumps. These slumps have taken me down every time. But, I have really been working on finding ways to prepare for them and how to get through them retaining as many good habits as I possibly can.

I want to talk about Fibromyalgia for a moment as the fact that I suffer from this was, once again, made painfully aware to me when I was on the bus today.

I sat down in a seat that has a bar attached to it and the pressure of the bar against my leg caused excruciating pain. It was as though my entire leg was deeply bruised and someone was poking me with a stick. In fact, it hurt so much that I decided to stand-up in the end.

Both Fibromyalgia and Hypothroidism are huge energy-drains. This can make it really difficult to be healthy. I often don’t feel like I have the energy to stand up, let alone prepare healthy meals or, what the freaking hell do you mean by exercise.

These illnesses are double-edged swords. The best things you can do to fend-off the negative symptoms are to eat well and exercise. But, you try to pull yourself up to do this when you feel like you are half-dead, zero energy, no drive, in pain from head to foot and your brain has turned to mush.

But, I’m determined to find my way around these illnesses and build structure into my life that will help me grind the edges of both sides of this sword so that, every time it rears its ugly head, it cuts me up a little less and I’m able to heal and bounce-back a little quicker.

I’m excited about tomorrow. I’m looking-forward to drinking more water, eating more vegetables and enjoying some movement.

I want to ride the momentum of this fizz that is bubbling up inside of me, make the most of it, continue to learn and grow, and get better than the last time.

One day, this feeling will last longer and the slumps will diminish.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

When I’m Tired

27 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

When I’m tired I totally reach for the carbs. Salty, crunchy chips, chocolate and the sharp, cutting edge of a diet soda.

This is something I really want to work on. I actually plan ahead when I know a tiring time is coming. I make sure we have chips, chocolate and pop in the house. I want to find some alternatives to reaching for these ‘old friends’ for these times.

This past week I have had a bowl of cereal in the evening which, I know is still not great, but is a lot better than the alternative. BBQ Rice crisps are also good.

I did try to load my plate with more veggies during meal times recently and am especially happy because my family visited us this weekend and cooked the most amazing green beans I have ever had. I have no idea why I loved them so much, as I’ve never really enjoyed green beans before, and they didn’t do anything special to them. But, it has inspired me to buy and cook more of these. They really made me happy.

I am also determined to do a short workout before bed tonight.

Being healthy is tough when tired. And I’m tired most of the time. I am learning that I have to start preparing for these times. I mean, if I could think-ahead and prepare by gathering unhealthy stuff for the times when I know I’m going to be tired, I can do it with healthy things too, right?

And, on that note, time to log-off and go do something healthy before bed.

 

Slumps

13 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I go through slumps or downtimes on a regular basis. I`ve recently tried to track these in an effort to try and be prepared for when one is on its way.

I don`t know if it`s the Fibromyalgia or Hypothyroidism, SAD or just a regular phase of life. But, they can be devastating for me.

I end-up in an unhealthy downward spiral. All I want is food that will bring me joy and comfort. I reach for diet soda, chips, chocolate and toast. And, really, anything carb. There are scientific reasons for this happening in humans. It is an evolutionary tick we have that is there to help us survive when the chips are down.

I know that I need to work on the idea that food is my friend, or that food is what brings me comfort when the going gets tough.

But, that is easier said than done.

When I am stressed or feeling blue, it is my go-to.

I don`t have any close friends that I can call-up to come hang-out and we don`t have family nearby.

In my mind I know that I should find something else to do. I could write, read, workout, clean, paint or sing. Now, I just have to find the motivation to get off the couch when I feel like the world is dull and grey. That`s part of the vicious cycle.

I spent most of today under one of those dark storm clouds. It wasn`t until after I had a bath and started to move-around a bit more that I felt better.

I spent a few hours today playing Star Wars Battlefront and I think that this has a lot to do with the dark clouds. I love the game, but I`m really not happy to spend a day sitting-around playing it. And, it has, pretty much, ruined my evening workout routine, so I really need to adjust to this.

But, at the end of the day, I am still close to my calorie goal (I`m guessing I`m somewhere between 2-400 over). This may seem like a lot to you, but I used to be 1000 calories over on days like this, so I`ve been making progress.

I also slowly fade-out of tracking my food when I`m in one of these slumps. But, I know that tracking my food is one of the things that can help keep me motivated.

In fact, I`ve noticed in the last 6 months that every time I go through a dark phase, I`m handling them a little bit better than I used to. I`m happy for this, because I`m looking at a long-term change, not quick results that fade as soon as they come.

So, I`ve boiled my eggs for tomorrow, have my lettuce in bags and ready to go, and I`m all ready to start fresh again.

I`ve done the dishes and tidied up and I`m going to post this and then head upstairs for a mini workout.

I hope that anyone who is reading this and is trying to make themselves healthier is feeling encouraged and strengthened to persevere and not give up, finding that every setback gets a little easier and quicker to navigate. One day, the things that trip us up right now won`t even cause warrant a second thought.

 

End of Day 1

07 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by in All Posts, Seeking Health Now

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s the end of my first day of being public about my efforts to lose weight and I have to say, I’m feeling pretty good.

Whether or not anyone really follows my journey, it has already spurred me to action.

I made cheesy tuna casserole for my son for dinner and instead of filling up a bowl of it, I poured myself ½ cup, just so I could eat with him. Also, I tried to pick-out a bunch of veggies to fill my ½ cup, so I added another veggie serving!

I spent the rest of the night cooking and preparing for the week (ok, after I played a few games of Star Wars Battlefront).

I grated cheese and cooked peppers and chicken for chicken fajitas tomorrow night (note to self, put the salsa in the refrigerator before bed); I hard boiled eggs for my breakfast at work; I froze some blueberries that were starting to go off in the fridge (to be used in smoothies or pancakes!).

I didn’t manage to squeeze-in a workout, and it’s not going to happen at this stage. Well, unless you count running-around with my son, playing catch, tag, being a tunnel (downward dog?) for him to crawl-through and the fact that I have been going, pretty much, non-stop since 6am this morning. So, I’m going to cut myself some slack on that tonight.

However, I am setting a goal of doing, at least, 10 minutes of resistance training tomorrow night.

Final tally for the day:

1937 calories (137 over budget)
3 Servings of veg
1 Serving Fruit
72 ounces water
1 Serving of Chocolate (Nutella on toast!)

And, a happy heart.

I’m looking forward to doing even better tomorrow.