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Well Trained Bodies (Diet & Exercise) - Happy New Year


Granny_Weatherwax
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My first skate ski of the season and the year was awesome! Perfect temps for body comfort and good snow. Dd and I skied for around an hour, which was a good work-out without being too much all at once. I'm particularly excited about how the running and upper-body strength work I'd been doing all fall seems to have prepared me really well for skiing. My aerobic fitness was pretty good. It will improve throughout the season, but it's nice to be able to start out at a decent level.  :thumbup1:   I'm also very happy that I waited for the temps to rise to a more humane level. ;) 19 F is WAY better then -19!

 

The best recovery apres-ski was a Cliff bar and a bath.  :D

Edited by wintermom
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I went to fencing last night, but it was almost empty, so I only fenced for about 30 minutes. I came home and did 20 minutes of bike intervals. Wanted to do 30 minutes, but honestly couldn't, so I stopped at 20.

 

Laurie4b ~ Thanks for the post! We also have Alzheimer history in the family, so I am always listening.

 

I got a list of Natural Movement Goals from MovNat in my inbox, I'll share here in case it interests anyone. I play around with MovNat stuff because it is fun and I think the skills are functional. Of the list below I can do-

1 for sure

2- I practice balance work on fallen trees when we play outside so none are those exact dimensions. 

3- My standing jump is around 2 yards but I don't jump up, that is something to work on

4- My bear crawl is pretty good but I've not attempted it that far- will have to check and see how I do

5- No way- the running is the most challenging for me and 5 miles in 45 minutes on a trail/natural terrain is a different beast than on a treadmill or flat land- I've done 6k in about 35 min on a trail run- I don't know if I'll work on that one this year or not

6- Hmm, I have picked up objects as heavy as myself but not measured distance carried, I'll have to practice that, this is one that would depend on the object depending on the shape some are easier or harder to carry

7-No, I cannot do that, I can do pull-ups from standing arms extended but not hanging. I've worked on it forever but I think my shoulder injury is causing problems, I'm not working on this one right now, maybe I'll start hanging work again in the spring after doing some strength work

 

Well, I can do #1, maybe #2. With objects not even close to my body weight my knee start hurting after a few steps. I did look at their stuff, and it looks interesting. I just wish they stopped saying that pull ups require no equipment. I did order a pull up bar a couple days ago. Now I just hope it actually works with our doorways. 

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I didn't get to work out yesterday like I had planned. I was going to go do 15 miles on the bike after dinner but had an allergic reaction to the wine. I guess the lesson there is: work out in the morning since you don't know how the day will go.

 

I'm hoping to get out tonight. The swelling is reduced (not gone) and my breathing is okay.

 

This is just another thing to chalk up to the "It could only happen to me" category of experiences. DH and DD also had the wine and were reaction free. DD even put it on the list of possible wines for her wedding reception.

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I didn't get to work out yesterday like I had planned. I was going to go do 15 miles on the bike after dinner but had an allergic reaction to the wine. I guess the lesson there is: work out in the morning since you don't know how the day will go.

 

I'm hoping to get out tonight. The swelling is reduced (not gone) and my breathing is okay.

 

This is just another thing to chalk up to the "It could only happen to me" category of experiences. DH and DD also had the wine and were reaction free. DD even put it on the list of possible wines for her wedding reception.

 

You should be careful about exercising while you still have swelling. You aren't free and clean from your body's reaction to whatever is still in your system. Exercising is going to increase your blood circulation, which may not be the best thing at present. Better to go to a pharmacy and get some really strong anti-histamines.

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An unplanned rest day as I think IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m coming down with whatever upper respiratory virus the children have/had. I am hopeful it is a short run thing as my winter half is two weeks from Saturday.

 

Sorry about the reaction scoutermom, thatĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s no fun.

 

The 14 F here today felt like a heatwave.

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Amira,  Here's the link to a large recent meta-study on exercise and dementia prevention. (I had made a chart of various exercise studies and this is my summary plus the link.  

 

Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis

British Journal Sports Medicine

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424215441.htm

 

2017

Meta study

 

My summary notes: 

 

The findings suggest that an exercise program with components of both aerobic and resistance type training, of at least moderate intensity and at least 45 minutes per session, on as many days of the week as possible, is beneficial to cognitive function in adults aged over 50 years."  Aerobic helped cognitive in general. Resistance helped memory, working memory, executive functions. Tai Chi may also have benefits. Yoga did not show benefits.

 

 

My understanding is that aerobic exercise is crucial to the brain because it gets oxygen and nutrients there. There are new neurons created in the hippocampus (memory center) in response to exercise. Volume of hippocampus in regular exercisers is larger. These effects are quite strong. (I can give you more links if you'd like.) 

 

 

Resistance training may do its work because of the chemical messages muscles send when we tear them up a bit in strength training. The chemicals call for a clean-up crew to come clean up the mess (autophagy). This does not take place just in the muscles we worked out, but all over the body. When the clean-up crew gets called in, quirky or damaged cells anywhere might get cleaned up. The brain gets a cleaning as well. (The other way I am aware of to induce autophagy is fasting. Some protocols have suggested that either an extended overnight fast (12-14 hours) or a 2 day per week light eating "fast") or a few days every few months of pure fasting may be protective. ) 

 

The plaques that occur in our brains get cleaned out during the deep stage of sleep, making getting a full night's sleep an important dementia-prevention strategy. 

 

Gingivitis bacteria (the stuff that causes inflammation in your gums) has been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Since it's implicated in heart disease as well, good oral hygiene could turn out to be important beyond avoiding dentures. 

 

Cognitive stimulation is important. People with higher levels of education have lower rates of dementia, as do people who had very mentally taxing jobs. (Didn't work for Reagan.) Pretty much keep seeking cognitive growth your whole life. One theory is cognitive reserve: if you've created a whole lot of neural "highways" and several get clogged, you may still have a viable route left whereas someone with fewer highways may be at a deadend. Research has been 'meh" for computer games except one: Double Decision by Posit X science. http://www.trci.alzdem.com/article/S2352-8737(17)30059-8/fulltext  You can get access to that and other brain games for like $15 per month. That's the only one with this level of research support though. 

 

Social connection is another factor that seems to stave off dementia longer. 

 

Make sure any hearing loss gets corrected ASAP. Untreated hearing loss is implicated in dementia. 

 

Avoid certain drugs that can precipitate or accelerate dementia. Many are OTC and commonly used,  but in the aging population, they can cause or accelerate dementia. http://www.sigot.org/allegato_docs/1057_Beers-Criteria.pdf   Scroll to Table 2 and look at Dementia and to Table 7 for list of anticholinergic drugs.  Don't count on primary care physicians to know about this. That's why the Geriatric Association publishes this list--because of the need to inform. My loved one was on several of these, one of the worst an antidepressant prescribed for 8 years for a &%*#@ rash. 8 years. My loved one is of the generation who aren't inclined to question a doctor's advice. I asked a friend who is in charge of medication errors in a major university hospital why doctors are not aware and she said that right now, there are no warnings on package inserts and that's what doctors read. She was well aware of the research suggesting the drugs are dangerous.  :sad:

 

Plus Mediterranean, DASH or MIND diet. 

 

 

Edited by Laurie4b
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Went to the gym, went on treadmill to meet step goal, and my fitbit didn't record half of my steps.   :cursing:

 

I've had it for 3 years so maybe it's done?  Not something I want to replace in what is supposed to be a no-spend January.

 

 

You can go to the website and enter the amount you walked and it will add those steps to your amount. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve done that when I was focused on a number of steps and for some reason it didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t count or I forgot to wear it. 

 

IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m focusing on developing new habits incrementally as goals rather than the ultimate goal of weight loss. 

 

I had worked on sleep before the holidays, getting up earlier and going to bed earlier. I mostly maintained the amount of sleep over break, or slept more so it wasnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t a huge adjustment to go back to those habits the past few days. 

 

IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m tracking walking now with the goal of walking daily. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m counting either walking on a treadmill, outside or a Leslie Sansone video as walking. I prefer walking outside but sometimes schedule and weather isnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t conducive to that. So far, so good: 1/1- Walked 4 miles on our annual New YearĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s Day Walk with other families, 1/2- Walked the treadmill for 45 minutes at the gym while my son was at swim practice, 1/3- Did a Walking Video this morning before work. I think the biggest thing for me and exercise is to plan it. I always feel good when I do it but I itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s not my default. So for example, tomorrow I plan to walk in the morning with dh...but I know the weather might be bad. In that case I have a Plan B which is to walk at the gym during swim practice. 

 

I did one day of Yoga with Adrienne. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m interested in yoga but IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m not going to track this or stress over it. It was fun, although I felt a bit goofy since the kids were in the room. 

 

Food wise IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m trying to stick with the No-S plan, which IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve done so far and had started before the holidays. 

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Zumba tonight. 

 

I think I need to tweak some goals. 

 

Sleep: last night, I was 15 min late turning off the computer but then read for 45 min. DS 21 was up making noise and I didn't fall asleep for about 30 min or so. Then when I woke up right on time I had only gotten 6 hours and 15 min sleep. So. I'm going to try to shut off computer by 10:45. That would give me 45 min to read and still get 8 hours sleep minus whatever might be lost from waking at night. 

 

Movement: I need to increase my movement that is not dedicated exercise. I sit on my butt (usually on the computer) too much. At work, I'm up and down a bit, but I doubt it's many steps. I need to get a fitness tracker, I think. I just want something to track steps and sleep. I already have a HR monitor. Fitbit is not a good fit for me. The constant charging, and having to find the charging thingee and replacing the band, etc. eventually got to me. However I liked the way it functioned when it was actually functioning. I'm looking at maybe a Misfit or a Garmin vivofit. Any opinions? 

 

At work, I teach reading and do it one-on-one. So between students, I stand up and walk a short distance to get the next one. Any ideas for something I could do between students that would be useful? Should I do some squats? I have a very laid back work environment so pretty much anything would be okay. 

Edited by Laurie4b
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The last two days have been good for me. I rowed yesterday and today for a combined total of an hour and 45 minutes and about 15,000 meters. My food has been on point and I have been keeping track of everything

 

I'm especially proud of myself tonight because we had DH's parents over for dinner tonight and I had my first Instant Pot fail. Everyone was starving, my MIL is quite picky and judgemental, and I was stressing out big time. I ran to the store to get ingredients for Tacos (fast, filling) while DH entertained. Under normal stressful circumstances like that, I would have picked up a bag of gummy bears to eat on the way home (I'm a total stress eater!), but tonight I didn't and stayed within my calorie and sugar goal for the day. Whew!

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The last two days have been good for me. I rowed yesterday and today for a combined total of an hour and 45 minutes and about 15,000 meters. My food has been on point and I have been keeping track of everything

 

I'm especially proud of myself tonight because we had DH's parents over for dinner tonight and I had my first Instant Pot fail. Everyone was starving, my MIL is quite picky and judgemental, and I was stressing out big time. I ran to the store to get ingredients for Tacos (fast, filling) while DH entertained. Under normal stressful circumstances like that, I would have picked up a bag of gummy bears to eat on the way home (I'm a total stress eater!), but tonight I didn't and stayed within my calorie and sugar goal for the day. Whew!

 

Congratulations! 

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I spent too much time on the computer yesterday planning school but I got ds' done and it is the worse, today I'm working on dd1 and dd2 if that doesn't take too long. The girls and I took a 1 mi walk in the afternoon and I did some stretches throughout the day. Last night sucked, STRESS, and it is only beginning. My sleep was restless because of it. Food was good- got in my fruits and veggies, MMM!

 

Today is TKD-which means I'm supposed to go to the gym but I don't know dh's work schedule.

 

 

Laurie- I always think squats are good. Here is another thought that may be out there but so be it. I've not done much teaching but when I do I throw in brain breaks, 30-60 seconds of a quick activity every 20 minutes or so. For example, windmilling the arms. It is good for everyone not to spend so long sitting. There are lots of free ideas for brain breaks out there. You might also look for yoga or other exercise cards. You could do a quick stretch or bodyweight movement of some sort. Maybe stand on one leg for balance work and ankle strengthening, wrist stretches to combat the computer time, calf raises?

 

Dd and I went for an evening ski/dog exercise at our local park. She has devised a harness and trained up the poodle to do this: 

 

We can't use poles yet, so we need to tweak the lead. It's lots of fun!

 

What fun!

 

The DASH diet was developed for high blood pressure: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 

 

The MIND diet is Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. 

I was looking into the MIND and Mediterranean diet here while back, my eating lines up with it pretty well except the whole grains, I don't do well with so many carbs. I also eat coconut oil in addition to olive. I love beans but don't quite them every other day but a few times a week. I've never been a daily drinker but a glass at dinner doesn't sound all that bad :) Here is an article with infograph for you wintermom (even from Canadian Living)- it isn't all that restrictive IMO-http://www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention-and-recovery/article/mind-diet-a-new-way-to-prevent-alzheimer-s

 

The last two days have been good for me. I rowed yesterday and today for a combined total of an hour and 45 minutes and about 15,000 meters. My food has been on point and I have been keeping track of everything

I'm especially proud of myself tonight because we had DH's parents over for dinner tonight and I had my first Instant Pot fail. Everyone was starving, my MIL is quite picky and judgemental, and I was stressing out big time. I ran to the store to get ingredients for Tacos (fast, filling) while DH entertained. Under normal stressful circumstances like that, I would have picked up a bag of gummy bears to eat on the way home (I'm a total stress eater!), but tonight I didn't and stayed within my calorie and sugar goal for the day. Whew!

Go you! I would have been stress too, way to recover.

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I went directly to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the source of that magazine article. Found this article published by them: http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Brain-health/Make-healthy-food-choices

 

Sadly, this diet is impossible for me to follow well due to my nut and other food allergies. Plus I think the recommendation of 1 glass of wine a day is fine IF that is a reduction in one's alcohol consumption. For me it would be a huge increase, which I'm not doing. 

 

What I liked about the Alzheimer Society Canada website was the multiple factors information on the site. As with all health issues, diet is only one piece of the puzzle.

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I slept until 6:30 this morning!  This is a real accomplishment for me.  And I woke up hungry for a decent breakfast, which is a habit I had fallen out of over the past couple of months.

 

I won't be doing much moving today, due to the weather, so I'll tell myself that extra housework is good enough.  Some light stretching may be in order.

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I don't know how long I slept last night, but I lay down and tried to go to sleep at an appropriate time. I did have an episode of wakening and I did what I had intended which was to try all the tricks I knew of rather than letting my mind spin, which it usually does. So I tried being conscious of each part of my body. That helps me notice where I am not comfortable! And it is relaxing. I tried deep breathing where you breathe in for 4, hold it for 4, and breathe out for 8. I switched beds.  I counted backwards from 100 in German and Spanish. I may have fallen asleep during the English version. So I met my process goal if not my outcome goal!  I really need some kind of fitness tracker so I can tell how long any wake-up periods are. 

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I went directly to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the source of that magazine article. Found this article published by them: http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Brain-health/Make-healthy-food-choices

 

Sadly, this diet is impossible for me to follow well due to my nut and other food allergies. Plus I think the recommendation of 1 glass of wine a day is fine IF that is a reduction in one's alcohol consumption. For me it would be a huge increase, which I'm not doing. 

 

What I liked about the Alzheimer Society Canada website was the multiple factors information on the site. As with all health issues, diet is only one piece of the puzzle.

 

If by "this diet" you mean the MIND diet, they did find in their initial research that people who followed it only moderately well still had a 35% reduction in dementia risk. Their highest cohort of people who ate in a MIND style yielded a 53% reduction in risk, which is comparable to a strictly followed Mediterranean diet. But moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet  or DASH yields no reduction in dementia risk.  So if you do the parts that you can of the MIND diet, you may well reduce risk.  (I'm not trying to persuade you one way or the other, just adding the bit about moderate compliance actually shows results. One other diet that shows results with moderate adherence is the "healthy Nordic diet."  researched at Karolinska Institute in Sweden  It may fit your eating needs better. (Note it didn't pan out when looked at to see whether it was cardio protective in a large group of women who were moderately compliant. Since heart-healthy tends to run with brain-healthy, that is a factor to consider. 

 

The one glass of alcohol is not a reduction. It is the sweet spot in many research studies on cardiovascular health and because it's a traditional part of the Mediterranean diet was also included in the MIND diet. Women who drink 1 glass a day (preferably wine) have better outcomes than those who drink none. However, most articles will say if you don't already drink that's not necessarily a reason to start. Breast cancer research, for instance, indicates an increased risk of breast cancer with even modest drinking, but the data is not strong. So it boils down to weighing it out in a personal choice. 

Edited by Laurie4b
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I went directly to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the source of that magazine article. Found this article published by them: http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Brain-health/Make-healthy-food-choices

 

Sadly, this diet is impossible for me to follow well due to my nut and other food allergies. Plus I think the recommendation of 1 glass of wine a day is fine IF that is a reduction in one's alcohol consumption. For me it would be a huge increase, which I'm not doing. 

 

What I liked about the Alzheimer Society Canada website was the multiple factors information on the site. As with all health issues, diet is only one piece of the puzzle.

Yes, lots of factors there for sure. I'm not going to be adding in grains either and will not be going from rarely to daily drinking but it is something to keep in mind. I think it is good to keep an eye out for new research our understanding of how the body works are constantly changing but I'm not jumping on any particular bandwagon whole hog.

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Dd and I went for an evening ski/dog exercise at our local park. She has devised a harness and trained up the poodle to do this: 

 

We can't use poles yet, so we need to tweak the lead. It's lots of fun!

 

 

That is SOOOO cool!  I have a feeling though that I'd wind up on my butt with my dog!  And I don't even want to think about what would happen if she saw a squirrel! 

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Dh will get off in time for me to go to the gym, which is the good.

 

The bad is I feel horrible, the stress and lack of sleep is making me feel physically ill and my brain is not working well.

 

I'm hoping for a short nap later and taking it easy today.

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Yes, lots of factors there for sure. I'm not going to be adding in grains either and will not be going from rarely to daily drinking but it is something to keep in mind. I think it is good to keep an eye out for new research our understanding of how the body works are constantly changing but I'm not jumping on any particular bandwagon whole hog.

 

Yes, lots of different factors for people to consider. I can't do the grains now, either, after getting the celiac positive. I also get head-aches from wine, so daily wine is out. Once in a while I can manage it.

 

I wonder if it's actually the wine that is the biggest factor. Red wine is often coloured by blueberries. Maybe it's the blueberries and not the wine that is the key ingredient?

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I just returned from a short skate ski with ds 13. It was great!  I may get another ski with some homeschool moms this afternoon.  :D  Have to get in the skiing before the temps go back down.

 

ETA: I did do another ski in the afternoon, but it was a lot colder, windier and snowing. It wasn't nearly as fun as this morning.  The Bailey's Irish Creme and warm bath afterwards was devine, though! ;)

Edited by wintermom
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For those of you who live in climates in which you regularly exercise in cold weather, does it affect your respiration rate and heart rate? Today, I took a 30 min walk in our neighborhood that would normally not do much of anything to change my breathing but I was huffing and puffing at the top of hills.  I was wearing one of those Turtle Fur tubes (mostly polyester with a bit of spandex) to cover my mouth and nose. It feels like I can breathe fine through it, but maybe it makes breathing a bit harder? I wear it for 2 reasons: 1) I hate my face to be cold and 2) to warm up the air that goes into my body a bit. 

 

Any of you have this experience? 

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For those of you who live in climates in which you regularly exercise in cold weather, does it affect your respiration rate and heart rate? Today, I took a 30 min walk in our neighborhood that would normally not do much of anything to change my breathing but I was huffing and puffing at the top of hills.  I was wearing one of those Turtle Fur tubes (mostly polyester with a bit of spandex) to cover my mouth and nose. It feels like I can breathe fine through it, but maybe it makes breathing a bit harder? I wear it for 2 reasons: 1) I hate my face to be cold and 2) to warm up the air that goes into my body a bit. 

 

Any of you have this experience? 

 

It really depends on the temp. I can run way faster and for longer when it's a little above freezing compared to hot weather. The colder it gets, the more clothes and layers needed, which adds weight and movement restriction, and that in itself makes for more work. When I cover my mouth, I notice my breathing more than uncovered, so it makes the huffing more obvious. Some people are sensitive to cold air and can experience cold-onset asthma. It's very common for cross-country ski racers.

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It really depends on the temp. I can run way faster and for longer when it's a little above freezing compared to hot weather. The colder it gets, the more clothes and layers needed, which adds weight and movement restriction, and that in itself makes for more work. When I cover my mouth, I notice my breathing more than uncovered, so it makes the huffing more obvious. Some people are sensitive to cold air and can experience cold-onset asthma. It's very common for cross-country ski racers.

 

 I wonder if part of it is what temp you're used to? Around here, low 40s is average (including night temps) so this recent streak of below-freezing weather is very unusual. 

 

It doesn't seem like asthma as I recover really quickly from it as soon as the ground levels out. Just more "work" than normal.

 

Maybe it is just the heavier clothes as you say. I am definitely a cold wimp and had 2 layers of pants on , 2 shirts a hat, the turtle fur and a ski jacket with hood., heavy rubber boots instead of running shoes, and gloves and sunglasses.  :blushing:   

 

Is there anyway to keep sunglasses from fogging up?  :coolgleamA:

Edited by Laurie4b
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 I wonder if part of it is what temp you're used to? Around here, low 40s is average (including night temps) so this recent streak of below-freezing weather is very unusual. 

 

It doesn't seem like asthma as I recover really quickly from it as soon as the ground levels out. Just more "work" than normal.

 

Maybe it is just the heavier clothes as you say. I am definitely a cold wimp and had 2 layers of pants on , 2 shirts a hat, the turtle fur and a ski jacket with hood., heavy rubber boots instead of running shoes, and gloves and sunglasses.  :blushing:   

 

Is there anyway to keep sunglasses from fogging up?  :coolgleamA:

 

That is a LOT of clothing! Weren't you sweating by the time you reached the top of the hill?  It's very easy to over-dress when doing exercise outdoors. The cloth over your mouth probably made it harder to get a lot of air into your mouth quickly. Just strip off layers and remove the covering over the mouth. You don't need it when it's that warm out. Unless you have a history of frost bite on your face, you only have to cover the face when it's 15 - 20 degrees below freezing (that includes windchill). 

 

Sunglasses fog up when the face gets hotter than the surrounding air, so lift them up off of your face for a few seconds to let the hot air next to your face blow away. 

Edited by wintermom
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That is a LOT of clothing! Weren't you sweating by the time you reached the top of the hill?  It's very easy to over-dress when doing exercise outdoors. The cloth over your mouth probably made it harder to get a lot of air into your mouth quickly. Just strip off layers and remove the covering over the mouth. You don't need it when it's that warm out. Unless you have a history of frost bite on your face,you only have to cover the face when it's 15 - 20 degrees below freezing (that includes windchill). 

 

Sunglasses fog up when the face gets hotter than the surrounding air, so lift them up off of your face for a few seconds  to let the hot air next to your face blow away. 

 

No ma'am! I was not sweating! I told you I am a cold wimp! 

 

ou only have to cover the face when it's 15 - 20 degrees below freezing (that includes windchill).    :scared:   :svengo:   My wimpy cheeks do not like the feeling of cold on them!  It is good that I live in the US South and not Canada, no? 

 

But I will chalk up the heavy breathing to heavy clothing!

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No ma'am! I was not sweating! I told you I am a cold wimp! 

 

ou only have to cover the face when it's 15 - 20 degrees below freezing (that includes windchill).    :scared:   :svengo:   My wimpy cheeks do not like the feeling of cold on them!  It is good that I live in the US South and not Canada, no? 

 

But I will chalk up the heavy breathing to heavy clothing!

 

I can see that I've shocked your southern sensibilities.  :lol:  Come on up to Canada for a visit and I'll try and toughen you up. ;)  I'll come down south and you can teach me how to survive in some real heat. I have trouble breathing when it gets too hot. 

Edited by wintermom
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I can see that I've shocked your southern sensibilities.  :lol:  Come on up to Canada for a visit and I'll try and toughen you up. ;)  I'll come down south and you can teach me how to survive in some real heat. I have trouble breathing when it gets too hot. 

 

I grew up in a place where 30-40 degrees below 0 was a norm. Didn't teach me one bit ;) And other places with 40C in summer didn't teach me how to survive in real heat. That's why I like California - it is perfect 90% of the time :001_smile: .

 

I did an hour of fencing yesterday, and a private lesson today. I think I still have time to fit in another 30 minutes of exercise.

 

ETA: I did a 45-minute full body workout and some stretches. I almost got to splits a couple years ago, but stopped when my hips started hurting a bit. Now that I started doing hip strengthening exercises I hope to get further without the pain. We'll see :)

Edited by OlgaLA
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The one glass of alcohol is not a reduction. It is the sweet spot in many research studies on cardiovascular health and because it's a traditional part of the Mediterranean diet was also included in the MIND diet. Women who drink 1 glass a day (preferably wine) have better outcomes than those who drink none. However, most articles will say if you don't already drink that's not necessarily a reason to start. Breast cancer research, for instance, indicates an increased risk of breast cancer with even modest drinking, but the data is not strong. So it boils down to weighing it out in a personal choice.

Laurie, IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve heard a criticism of the studies showing benefits to alcohol consumption, and I wonder if youĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re familiar with it. It is that these studies only found benefit among people who were not eating much fruit and veg. But when you study people who are eating plenty of fruit and veg, they get no further benefit from wine. Like, basically, if the only fruit you eat is the fermented kind, then itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s better than nothing! :) Do you know if thereĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s anything to that? IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve never looked into it, because for me itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s a moot point (the possible health benefits arenĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t worth the migraines) so IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m just curious, but itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s no big deal.

 

Thank you so much for sharing all of that information about AlzheimerĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s. It was very similar to what I read in a book by Dr. Neal Barnard about brain health.

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If I hadn't had to take the kids in for TKD I would have surely stayed home I still felt horrible, even after a little nap. BUT I had to take them in and dh had already planned to meet me at the gym so I went.

 

Workout went fine and I felt better afterwards. I ended up doing my mile on the treadmill because I couldn't must the motivation and energy to go outside yesterday.

 

Today I'm finishing school planning (I hope!) and cleaning house. I need to do my walk sometime this morning because we are going to the pool this afternoon, I'm not sure if I'll get in might just socialize with the other Moms instead because I need that time as well.

 

Sleep was better than the night before, not great but I feel human this morning.

 

Yesterday weight:

Deadlift- 50lb

Dumbell Rows- 25lb

Goblet Squats- 30lb 

 

Food:

breakfast- almond milk, banana, spinach, strawberries, pea protein

lunch- leftover salmon, BIG greens and spinach salad, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, grapefruit

supper-cauliflower pizza w/ mushrroms, onions, homemade italian turkey sausage and pepperonis (is it bad a ate the whole thing- it was a whole head of cauliflower- the pizza wasn't very calorie dense with the lowfat turkey sausage!- it was sooo good)

I grew up in a place where 30-40 degrees below 0 was a norm. Didn't teach me one bit ;) And other places with 40C in summer didn't teach me how to survive in real heat. That's why I like California - it is perfect 90% of the time :001_smile: .

 

I did an hour of fencing yesterday, and a private lesson today. I think I still have time to fit in another 30 minutes of exercise.

 

ETA: I did a 45-minute full body workout and some stretches. I almost got to splits a couple years ago, but stopped when my hips started hurting a bit. Now that I started doing hip strengthening exercises I hope to get further without the pain. We'll see :)

Good for you, you've been working hard.

 

First weigh in of the year was today and it was 237. I did a little Leslie Sansone and a lot of housework. I ate a clementine, a banana, blackberries, and a bowl of pinto beans with a little cornbread. Getting ready to eat a baked sweet potato. I know I need more exercise. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Welcome!

For those of you who live in climates in which you regularly exercise in cold weather, does it affect your respiration rate and heart rate? Today, I took a 30 min walk in our neighborhood that would normally not do much of anything to change my breathing but I was huffing and puffing at the top of hills.  I was wearing one of those Turtle Fur tubes (mostly polyester with a bit of spandex) to cover my mouth and nose. It feels like I can breathe fine through it, but maybe it makes breathing a bit harder? I wear it for 2 reasons: 1) I hate my face to be cold and 2) to warm up the air that goes into my body a bit. 

 

Any of you have this experience? 

The only regular exercise I do in the cold is walking and it certainly makes it harder due to the temp and layers! 

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I grew up in a place where 30-40 degrees below 0 was a norm. Didn't teach me one bit ;) And other places with 40C in summer didn't teach me how to survive in real heat. That's why I like California - it is perfect 90% of the time :001_smile: .

 

 

It seems to have taught you to avoid these extreme climates.  :laugh:   I'm an idiot who lives in a place where I get -30 in the winter and +40 in the summer. It's insane.

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Laurie, IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve heard a criticism of the studies showing benefits to alcohol consumption, and I wonder if youĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re familiar with it. It is that these studies only found benefit among people who were not eating much fruit and veg. But when you study people who are eating plenty of fruit and veg, they get no further benefit from wine. Like, basically, if the only fruit you eat is the fermented kind, then itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s better than nothing! :) Do you know if thereĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s anything to that? IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve never looked into it, because for me itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s a moot point (the possible health benefits arenĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t worth the migraines) so IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m just curious, but itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s no big deal.

 

Thank you so much for sharing all of that information about AlzheimerĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s. It was very similar to what I read in a book by Dr. Neal Barnard about brain health.

 

I know there is some back and forth about it and given that some people may not be able to drink for reasons of alcoholism in their families, it is never a recommendation to start drinking if you don't drink. 

 

I think that the recommendations come because of the heaps of literature on the Mediterranean diet and that is a traditional part of it along with fruits and veges. As a breast cancer survivor, I went from occasional drinker to zero because that's what I was told during treatment. However, when I asked about it a few years later, the onc said the research is not all that clear. 

 

What I believe that I have read is that moderate alcohol consumption raises your HDL. (That's alcohol, not wine) which decreases risk of atherosclerosis. They don;t really understand the mechanisms to it. Heart and brain tend to track together, so that may mean that the brain gets more adequate blood supply and also that the blood vessels in the brain are less likely to be narrowed?  I imagine if your HDL is good anyway, that it's not as beneficial. I am someone who has low HDL genetically. I have to engage in very high levels of exercise as well as a very healthy diet to got mine in a decent range. 150 min of walking per week didn't do it back in the day. :)  

 

I also wonder if it might be the relaxation and/or social factor associated with having a glass of wine or whatever at dinner. You don't tend to scarf down a meal with wine the way my family scarfs down food at least! 

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Today would normally be a weight workout, but I was still so sore from TuesdayĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s workout that I gave myself permission to skip it. I walked 4 miles instead.

 

Good choice! I think that is prudent.  You build muscle during the resting phase and yours clearly isn't there yet. Walking fits in the active recovery category. 

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I can see that I've shocked your southern sensibilities.  :lol:  Come on up to Canada for a visit and I'll try and toughen you up. ;)  I'll come down south and you can teach me how to survive in some real heat. I have trouble breathing when it gets too hot. 

 

Hoho! Not just heat, wintermom, heat and high humidity!  

 

Be careful what you offer, though---I might want to take you up on it if I could do skate skiing and skiing with a dog in the lead! 

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Hoho! Not just heat, wintermom, heat and high humidity!  

 

Be careful what you offer, though---I might want to take you up on it if I could do skate skiing and skiing with a dog in the lead! 

 

Yes, we get pretty high humidity here, thought not tropical. Where I grew up on the prairies, there is no humidity. The interior of BC is lovely at 100 F and no humidity. 

 

Unfortunately, that same humidity that effects warm air is still around here (more than on the prairies) in the cold which makes the freezing temps feel even worse.

 

But do come up and visit! It's an experience (I'm not saying what kind of experience). ;)

Edited by wintermom
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Well 5 days in and things are going quite well.  Tracking my food which has been painless and also resulted in still being able to have one small treat each day.  That's been a nice surprise.  It's a very very small treat, but I'm enjoying it much more than when I was gobbling up a ridiculous number of cookies etc.

 

Yesterday was a rest day so I focused on just being fairly active overall during the day and getting in 11000 steps.

 

This morning went to the gym and did 10 minutes rowing, 20 minutes running/walking (alternated 2 laps running with 1 walking - I feel like I'm back to being 18 when I started going to the gym - I'm pretty sure that's what I did then), some abs and inner/outer thighs.

 

The best thing about all this is that between getting up ridiculously early to walk the dog before going to the gym before going to work and getting up somewhat early on days when I just have to walk the dog before going to work, I am absolutely exhausted at night.  I'm passing out in the evenings (often having an hour nap and also getting to bed at what is, for me, an early hour - before 10 pm).  So I'm getting a lot of sleep.  And with getting that much sleep, I have much less time to think about eating!  Which is definitely a good thing.

 

 

Zumba tonight. 

 

 

 

Movement: I need to increase my movement that is not dedicated exercise. I sit on my butt (usually on the computer) too much. At work, I'm up and down a bit, but I doubt it's many steps. I need to get a fitness tracker, I think. I just want something to track steps and sleep. I already have a HR monitor. Fitbit is not a good fit for me. The constant charging, and having to find the charging thingee and replacing the band, etc. eventually got to me. However I liked the way it functioned when it was actually functioning. I'm looking at maybe a Misfit or a Garmin vivofit. Any opinions? 

 

 

I have the Garmin Vivofit and have had it for almost 2 years now.  I find it pretty accurate in terms of steps (sometimes when I walk the dog in the country I'll count my steps and I find that it's off by maybe 2 steps over a 1000) but the how many stairs I've climbed function is completely wonky.  I like that I only have to charge it every 3 or 4 days.  I like that it buzzes and tells me to 'Move!' if I'm been sitting around too much (also have a job in front of the computer).  I don't use it to track sleep as I can't wear anything on my wrist to bed.  Overall, it has been definitely worthwhile and it is also pretty resistant to damage as my has been drenched in water multiple times, whacked on countless walls and doorways, dropped from great heights etc and continues to function with a few extra scratches thrown in.

 

 

 

  

 

Is there anyway to keep sunglasses from fogging up?  :coolgleamA:

 

I've been using a product called (weirdly)  Cat Crap Anti Fog Spray that I bought on a whim.  I find it works quite well when I'm walking the dog and it is minus 30 or sometimes minus 40 with the windchill and we are starting and stopping and then she wants to run and bleah.  My husband is not as enamoured but that's fine because that means more for me.

 

It seems to have taught you to avoid these extreme climates.  :laugh:   I'm an idiot who lives in a place where I get -30 in the winter and +40 in the summer. It's insane.

 

We must live in the same place.  This last stretch of minus 30 for 2 solid weeks has been rather unpleasant.  Usually the kids go sledding multiple days with their public school friends over the winter break but no one wanted to go outside at all.  

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I know there is some back and forth about it and given that some people may not be able to drink for reasons of alcoholism in their families, it is never a recommendation to start drinking if you don't drink. 

 

I think that the recommendations come because of the heaps of literature on the Mediterranean diet and that is a traditional part of it along with fruits and veges. As a breast cancer survivor, I went from occasional drinker to zero because that's what I was told during treatment. However, when I asked about it a few years later, the onc said the research is not all that clear. 

 

What I believe that I have read is that moderate alcohol consumption raises your HDL. (That's alcohol, not wine) which decreases risk of atherosclerosis. They don;t really understand the mechanisms to it. Heart and brain tend to track together, so that may mean that the brain gets more adequate blood supply and also that the blood vessels in the brain are less likely to be narrowed?  I imagine if your HDL is good anyway, that it's not as beneficial. I am someone who has low HDL genetically. I have to engage in very high levels of exercise as well as a very healthy diet to got mine in a decent range. 150 min of walking per week didn't do it back in the day. :)  

 

I also wonder if it might be the relaxation and/or social factor associated with having a glass of wine or whatever at dinner. You don't tend to scarf down a meal with wine the way my family scarfs down food at least! 

 

 

Thank you for this information, Laurie!  Very interesting stuff.  I didn't realize that raising HDL was one of the ways that alcohol is believed to be beneficial.  (Which reminds me that I haven't had my cholesterol checked since changing my diet, so I should probably do that some time soonish.  My HDL was high, but my LDL was unfortunately also quite high.)  So vigorous exercise does more to raise HDL than gentle exercise?  I didn't know that either.  You are a wealth of information!    

 

It sounds like you've been free of your cancer for awhile now, so I am grateful for that.  You certainly seem very committed to taking good care of yourself, and you, along with many of the other ladies here, are such an inspiration and support to me.  Thank you for that!

 

Good choice! I think that is prudent.  You build muscle during the resting phase and yours clearly isn't there yet. Walking fits in the active recovery category. 

 

 

I'm glad to know that was truly justified, and not just my laziness kicking in.  :D

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We must live in the same place.  This last stretch of minus 30 for 2 solid weeks has been rather unpleasant.  Usually the kids go sledding multiple days with their public school friends over the winter break but no one wanted to go outside at all.  

 

We've had the same problem with cabin fever!  We just cleared off the ping-pong table in the basement so the boys can get some movement in. My youngest has been particularly needing to move, and was starting to drive me batty.

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Today is a T-Tapp day for me. I'm doing well on my PT exercises. I'm hoping (cross my fingers) that I'll get at OK to do barre style exercises again when I go in because I find them so much fun (I was doing/overdoing barre when I injured my knee). But T-Tapp has a lot less twisting and deep movements. The plus of T-Tapp is that it is fast and I can really feel it when I do it. 

 

Emily

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Food for thought (ha).

 

Wed night I had a lightish supper with salmon, broccoli, and small potato. I was ready to eat by 8, only about 13 hrs after our supper. Last night I had my large cauliflower pizza and went to bed full, although not so stuffed I was sick, I wasn't all that hungry and didn't eat until 11, 16 hrs later. My average overnight fast is 13 hrs or so.

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  So vigorous exercise does more to raise HDL than gentle exercise?  I didn't know that either.  

 

 

 

I don't know if that is true in general. It turned out to be true for me. I had assumed there was nothing much I could do. I ate or drank every food or juice that seemed to have an impact and was somewhat physically active. I was lucky if my HDL was in the mid-40s. Then suddenly, it took a big jump safely into the normal range. Part of it was weight loss, but I am no lighter than I was back-in-the-day when I was trying to eat and walk my way to higher HDL. The cardio doctor thought it was probably the amount of exercise I now do. 150 min would be a light week and much of it is vigorous. 

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