Help me get healthy

[Scarlett]

That sounded a little dramatic. I am not sick.  But I want to eat better and feel better.  I want to eat less sugar, which means less wine, more fiber, less heavy meats....and more of the dreaded E word (Exercise).  

What does that sound like? I need a plan. 
 

This is the last day of my vacation. My company (SIL) is leaving today......so this seems like a good time to get serious.

[fairfarmhand]

I've slacked the last month between Thankgiving, Wedding, 2 Birthdays and Christmas so I need this too.,

What I plan on doing is very few sweets (like 2-3 small treats per week) Try to get at least 3 veggies, 2 fruits per day. Very few starchy carbs (like  potatoes are a once a week indulgence, breads are twice a week kind of thing) I keep protein bars handy, cheese sticks, and nuts nearby so that when I am pressed for time, I can quickly grab  something that fits my restrictions. If I have a starchy treat (say a slice of pizza) I try to pair it with a large serving of veggies (salad or broccoli and dip that takes some time to eat)  

For me, I have to start the day well with protein/fat or I want cookies all day long. So the quick and easy bowl of cereal / toast/ waffle is out. 

I also have to commit to not eating after dinner in the evening. Just be done with food by about 6 p.m. I do give myself a nice treat of herbal tea with stevia in the evening.

I don't stick well to things that eliminate all treats or all carbs or all of any one thing. Eating this way in 2019 gave me a loss of 10 pounds fairly painlessly (4 of which I've gained back in the past 4-6 weeks...oops. Too much partying.) I'd love to get back to eating this way so that I can lose the 4 lbs, and hopefully lose the 8-10 pounds that would get me to my ultimate goal that I set back at the beginning of 2019.

Remember the best diet is a healthy, varied one that you can stick to. If you do low carb, keto or whatever and only stick to it for a month, and go back to too many treats, then that's not really great.

[Bambam]

I want to get more exercise too. I used to use a FitBit, but I had to stop and recharge that thing so very often. So, I just purchased this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TFKHCMP/

and I'll try to keep up with the activity recommendations (start with manageable and slightly increase them as the weeks go by - otherwise I'll just give up early). It also has a feature that it will give an alarm for a specific amount of time you've been stationary. Hopefully it doesn't do this while sleeping! 

So, maybe something like this will help? I'm hoping it helps me! 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Bambam

[mmasc]

I’m no expert on this, as I need to do this as well, but my plan is two-fold. 

1) get back to more greens! I miss salads and fresh food, so I’ll be stocking up on those at the store. I like to put a grain and protein with my salads...usually chick peas thrown on, hard boiled egg, feta cheese, black beans, etc. I’m going to try throwing on some plain cooked quinoa next week. 

2). Exercise, which is much harder for me than the food thing. My go-to is fitness blender exercise videos on YouTube, but I think this time I’m actually going to go on their website and buy one of their plans. (Maybe total body). It was recommended to me by a friend as being good, doable, and laid out nicely. 

Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but that’s my plan. 😊 also, if you don’t like exercise, set your goal to something attainable so you don’t give up. If it’s twice a week, then do that. Three times? Go with that. Same with food. You can say you’re going to add greens very day.  Or skip meat a few times a week. Or whatever changes will work for you for success, imho. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by mmasc
Typos

[Laura Corin]

I recommend this guy: medical doctor with an interest in lifestyle nutrition, mostly plant-based, tasty recipes:

https://thedoctorskitchen.com/recipes

[fairfarmhand]

2 minutes ago, mmasc said:

 

Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but that’s my plan. 😊 also, if you don’t like exercise, set your goal to something attainable so you don’t give up. If it’s twice a week, then do that. Three times? Go with that. Same with food. You can say you’re going to add greens very day.  Or skip meat a few times a week. Or whatever changes will work for you for success, imho. 

This I think is the biggest component of long term change. Knowing yourself, what you can manage consistently is so important. And then after you mange a few changes consistently, if you still aren't seeing the results that you want, try to tweak a few other things. I'm more likely to stick to the "slow and steady" stuff. However, for me, I'm looking at less than 20 pounds that I need to lose. I'm decently healthy, can walk 10 miles a day (my fitbit goal is 15k steps) and lift a lot for farming. So there's that. I acknowledge that people with other personalities and health situations may need more drastic changes.

[Pen]

Have you read Atomic Habits? 

[Pen]

Just now, Pen said:

Have you read Atomic Habits? 

 

Applying its ideas to whatever you want to do may help a lot.

 

[May]

Crave out time to exercise at least 5 times a week, a brisk 30 walk counts, eat a small salad before you eat dinner, just watch the amount of dressing you put on, limit carbs and replace with an extra helping of veggies. If you don’t want to eat it, don’t bring it in the house. I rarely buy ice cream or chips. I make cookies but save hubby around 6 and give the rest to a neighbor. I suggest changing one thing at a time and do that for two or three weeks until it becomes a habit. Then go on to the next thing. You can do it!

[JenneinCA]

I would suggest starting with whatever seems easiest to you.  If cutting out soda is the easiest thing, then do that.  If walking is the easiest thing, then do that.  I would not suggest starting with something you think is hard.  
Personally I started with taking a walk.  Then I moved on to the next easiest thing from there.

[Scarlett]

Glad to see I am not the only one who needs this. Lots of great ideas. I will be back later when I have time to comment 

[Wheres Toto]

I've been trying to gradually make changes for the past few months.  I was walking a lot in the warmer months.  Now that it's cold, we joined a gym very close to dd's tkd dojo so while she's at tkd, we all go to the gym.  I'm working on 10,000 steps every day.  I usually hit 6,000 just from my classes, but while that's a lot of standing, it's not very aerobic so that's what I work on at the gym, along with weights.   I do yoga and/or tai chi every morning. 

Starting the second week of January, I'm cutting out all added sugar and sweets for 2 weeks (to start), then will limit to once a week.   Then I'm going to work on reducing carbs and calories in general.  I'm going to try and get better at tracking everything starting next week too.  

I need to lose about 50 pounds, but I'm shooting for 20 for now.   That will put me in a much healthier place.  I'm trying to concentrate on health, not necessarily weight loss. 

[wintermom]

If you are struggling with eating healthy and exercising, and you want to go straight to the basics of motivation, then here are some ideas. These may not be what you're actually looking for. You may want something more "sugar coated." If so, then just ignore.

There are 2 effective forms of motivation: positive/reward and avoidance of pain.  They work great together to keep you motivated long-term.

When you feel good, you want to stay that way. When you feel pain, you want to avoid the thing that made you feel that way.

If you feel good enough with eating healthy food, you will continue. If you hate veggies and only ever want to eat great tasting crappy food, then you won't last long with healthy food. If you feel crappy doing any form of exercise, you won't last long doing that.

So, pick things you enjoy eating that are also healthy, and do exercise you enjoy doing.  Anything else you do probably won't last long. 

RE: wine, get yourself good and sick drinking too much. Maybe the pain of that will stick in your brain for a while and you'll avoid wine for a while. 

[Soror]

My thoughts:

-Start about figuring out your whys, your motivation, and your goals.

A lot of times people go whole hog into some plan because so and so promoted it or they saw it somewhere without considering if it is going to get them where they want to go.

-Make micro goals on the way to your bigger goals

-Break down goals into actionable steps- ie if your goal is to run a 5k you might to C5K program, if your goal is something strength related you might look for progressions and exercise programs to get you on the path to complete that goal. Also, with exercise you must have time to do it, making vague plans that you want to exercise more doesn't work- when will you exercise? What exercise will you do? Do you have the supplies, equipment you need (if any)? What time of day works best for your schedule and energy? ARe you motivated to work out on your own? Would joining classes or a gym be more motivating? AND exercise absolutely must be something that you have some interest in doing and find at least somewhat enjoyable. Dont take up running or anything else because it is the 'thing' to do, if you hate something every time you do it you will begin to avoid it. There are lots of ways to be active, no sense in being miserable. Now, anytime you start anything there is going to be a suck period, there just is, you have to be motivated enough to move past that. 

-RE: diet- I find it works better to focus on adding in the healthy food you want to eat than the bad food you don't. The more healthy food you eat the less room you have for less nutrient dense food. 

Actionable steps for diet can include: meal planning and grocery shopping based on that plan- if you don't plan you just eat whatever and you can't eat what you don't buy. Keeping meal plans simple can help, rotate through a couple of different breakfasts and lunches, make some things in bulk. I usually eat plain steelcut oats w/ fruit several mornings a week, I make multiple servings at a time and put them in the frig. I also love high protein pancakes (made with cottage cheese, pumpkin, rolled oats, and eggs) I cook a double batch at a time. In the summer I ate a whole lot of wraps and salads. I'd prechop some veggies and cook some chicken so I was ready to go at lunch with a healthy and yummy choice. I've also made big batches of soups, muffins, meatballs, grain salads etc. Every day doesn't have to be a different recipe, focus on some things you like to eat now that fit your goals (or can be tweaked to fit your goals) and trying new things one at a time. Today I tried a smoothie bowl for the first time, pretty simple and hit the macors I'm shooting for- NF plain greek yogurt for protein, rolled oats for carbs/fiber, raspberries for fruit, beet for veggies, unsweet coconut and chopped pecans for healthy fat. Making a goal to to take the time to find some new recipes, even just 1 a week, that incorporate food you want to eat more of. What treats do you really love and want to include in your diet? What is a reasonable amount to eat them? TBH I eat dark chocolate nearly every day it is my favorite thing. I eat it without guilt. Now, after my bday weekend last year, where I had way too much sugar than feels good for my body I dropped all added sugar for a couple of weeks or so to reset my taste buds, then added back in after that. Sometimes the ship gets a bit off course you just have to right it a bit. 

-Don't forget stress management and SLEEP- both key factors in health and wellness. How are you doing on these? What can you do to improve? Do you have a regular bedtime? Healthy methods of coping with stress?

 

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

I've slacked the last month between Thankgiving, Wedding, 2 Birthdays and Christmas so I need this too.,

What I plan on doing is very few sweets (like 2-3 small treats per week) Try to get at least 3 veggies, 2 fruits per day. Very few starchy carbs (like  potatoes are a once a week indulgence, breads are twice a week kind of thing) I keep protein bars handy, cheese sticks, and nuts nearby so that when I am pressed for time, I can quickly grab  something that fits my restrictions. If I have a starchy treat (say a slice of pizza) I try to pair it with a large serving of veggies (salad or broccoli and dip that takes some time to eat)  

For me, I have to start the day well with protein/fat or I want cookies all day long. So the quick and easy bowl of cereal / toast/ waffle is out. 

I also have to commit to not eating after dinner in the evening. Just be done with food by about 6 p.m. I do give myself a nice treat of herbal tea with stevia in the evening.

I don't stick well to things that eliminate all treats or all carbs or all of any one thing. Eating this way in 2019 gave me a loss of 10 pounds fairly painlessly (4 of which I've gained back in the past 4-6 weeks...oops. Too much partying.) I'd love to get back to eating this way so that I can lose the 4 lbs, and hopefully lose the 8-10 pounds that would get me to my ultimate goal that I set back at the beginning of 2019.

Remember the best diet is a healthy, varied one that you can stick to. If you do low carb, keto or whatever and only stick to it for a month, and go back to too many treats, then that's not really great.

Yep to the bolded.  I have to have protein for breakfast.  And I don’t want a radical change.  

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, Bambam said:

I want to get more exercise too. I used to use a FitBit, but I had to stop and recharge that thing so very often. So, I just purchased this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TFKHCMP/

and I'll try to keep up with the activity recommendations (start with manageable and slightly increase them as the weeks go by - otherwise I'll just give up early). It also has a feature that it will give an alarm for a specific amount of time you've been stationary. Hopefully it doesn't do this while sleeping! 

So, maybe something like this will help? I'm hoping it helps me! 

I have a new Fitbit and it works well for me.  I only hit 10k steps maybe 3 times a month.  I need to work on that.  

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, mmasc said:

I’m no expert on this, as I need to do this as well, but my plan is two-fold. 

1) get back to more greens! I miss salads and fresh food, so I’ll be stocking up on those at the store. I like to put a grain and protein with my salads...usually chick peas thrown on, hard boiled egg, feta cheese, black beans, etc. I’m going to try throwing on some plain cooked quinoa next week. 

2). Exercise, which is much harder for me than the food thing. My go-to is fitness blender exercise videos on YouTube, but I think this time I’m actually going to go on their website and buy one of their plans. (Maybe total body). It was recommended to me by a friend as being good, doable, and laid out nicely. 

Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but that’s my plan. 😊 also, if you don’t like exercise, set your goal to something attainable so you don’t give up. If it’s twice a week, then do that. Three times? Go with that. Same with food. You can say you’re going to add greens very day.  Or skip meat a few times a week. Or whatever changes will work for you for success, imho. 

This is actually exactly what I am thinking.  I don’t think I need motivation as much as maybe a plan.  I get so confused with all of the options out there.  And everyone thinks their plan is the only way to do it.  I am leaning heavily toward the plan of moderation. 

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I recommend this guy: medical doctor with an interest in lifestyle nutrition, mostly plant-based, tasty recipes:

https://thedoctorskitchen.com/recipes

I have looked at this site before from your recommendation.  I really like the looks of it.  

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, Pen said:

Have you read Atomic Habits? 

I have not,  it will check it out.  Thank you. 

[mmasc]

I really, really like this video and commit to doing it three times a week. I also have another YouTube video for arms that I do with it, for a total of about 35 min for both. Maybe you could just try this? It’s free and good. (I actually just posted this on another thread!)

 

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, May said:

Crave out time to exercise at least 5 times a week, a brisk 30 walk counts, eat a small salad before you eat dinner, just watch the amount of dressing you put on, limit carbs and replace with an extra helping of veggies. If you don’t want to eat it, don’t bring it in the house. I rarely buy ice cream or chips. I make cookies but save hubby around 6 and give the rest to a neighbor. I suggest changing one thing at a time and do that for two or three weeks until it becomes a habit. Then go on to the next thing. You can do it!

I think that one thing needs to be getting some exercise.  Dh really needs it too.  Our schedule has been so wack between selling and buying a house and dh’s surgery. We live in town now in a walkable neighborhood. Just need to get busy with it.  

[mmasc]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

This is actually exactly what I am thinking.  I don’t think I need motivation as much as maybe a plan.  I get so confused with all of the options out there.  And everyone thinks their plan is the only way to do it.  I am leaning heavily toward the plan of moderation. 

I hear you! If I don’t have a plan, it doesn’t happen. I also have to even say what days and times I will work out bc otherwise it won’t happen. If you’re a list person (I am), you could even write your daily goal(s) and check it off. Something like, eat 3 servings of vegetables, or eat greens, or work out, or whatever. This could help until it becomes habit. 

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, soror said:

My thoughts:

-Start about figuring out your whys, your motivation, and your goals.

A lot of times people go whole hog into some plan because so and so promoted it or they saw it somewhere without considering if it is going to get them where they want to go.

-Make micro goals on the way to your bigger goals

-Break down goals into actionable steps- ie if your goal is to run a 5k you might to C5K program, if your goal is something strength related you might look for progressions and exercise programs to get you on the path to complete that goal. Also, with exercise you must have time to do it, making vague plans that you want to exercise more doesn't work- when will you exercise? What exercise will you do? Do you have the supplies, equipment you need (if any)? What time of day works best for your schedule and energy? ARe you motivated to work out on your own? Would joining classes or a gym be more motivating? AND exercise absolutely must be something that you have some interest in doing and find at least somewhat enjoyable. Dont take up running or anything else because it is the 'thing' to do, if you hate something every time you do it you will begin to avoid it. There are lots of ways to be active, no sense in being miserable. Now, anytime you start anything there is going to be a suck period, there just is, you have to be motivated enough to move past that. 

-RE: diet- I find it works better to focus on adding in the healthy food you want to eat than the bad food you don't. The more healthy food you eat the less room you have for less nutrient dense food. 

Actionable steps for diet can include: meal planning and grocery shopping based on that plan- if you don't plan you just eat whatever and you can't eat what you don't buy. Keeping meal plans simple can help, rotate through a couple of different breakfasts and lunches, make some things in bulk. I usually eat plain steelcut oats w/ fruit several mornings a week, I make multiple servings at a time and put them in the frig. I also love high protein pancakes (made with cottage cheese, pumpkin, rolled oats, and eggs) I cook a double batch at a time. In the summer I ate a whole lot of wraps and salads. I'd prechop some veggies and cook some chicken so I was ready to go at lunch with a healthy and yummy choice. I've also made big batches of soups, muffins, meatballs, grain salads etc. Every day doesn't have to be a different recipe, focus on some things you like to eat now that fit your goals (or can be tweaked to fit your goals) and trying new things one at a time. Today I tried a smoothie bowl for the first time, pretty simple and hit the macors I'm shooting for- NF plain greek yogurt for protein, rolled oats for carbs/fiber, raspberries for fruit, beet for veggies, unsweet coconut and chopped pecans for healthy fat. Making a goal to to take the time to find some new recipes, even just 1 a week, that incorporate food you want to eat more of. What treats do you really love and want to include in your diet? What is a reasonable amount to eat them? TBH I eat dark chocolate nearly every day it is my favorite thing. I eat it without guilt. Now, after my bday weekend last year, where I had way too much sugar than feels good for my body I dropped all added sugar for a couple of weeks or so to reset my taste buds, then added back in after that. Sometimes the ship gets a bit off course you just have to right it a bit. 

-Don't forget stress management and SLEEP- both key factors in health and wellness. How are you doing on these? What can you do to improve? Do you have a regular bedtime? Healthy methods of coping with stress?

 

Well, ha, the last half of 2019 was the most horrific of years since my very horrific divorce 10 years ago.  I have lost nearly half of my hair.  Thankfully I had more than most people to begin with....but yes, my stress level is off the charts. That is part of why I am hoping to work on my body and my mind.  I figure if I eat better and exercise it will help.  

[wintermom]

20 minutes ago, Margaret in CO said:

Want to add: try to get the rest of the family on board. It's VERY hard to make significant changes if you're being deliberately sabotaged at every turn. I'm fortunate that my kids are behind me. Dh makes fun of me and "can't be bothered to pay attention to what weird things you can eat". 

This is hard to maintain, though. As we all know, it's hard enough to change our own behaviours, and nearly impossible to change those of others.  I've tried the "Sugar free month" with my family, and it worked ok for one month. Weight loss needs a lot more than 1 month of dragging others kicking and screaming.

It really is a lone journey in a lot of ways, but isn't our life as the mother of the house a lone journey? We find "community" often from other sources than our family to support us.

Edited December 27, 2019 by wintermom

[Soror]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Well, ha, the last half of 2019 was the most horrific of years since my very horrific divorce 10 years ago.  I have lost nearly half of my hair.  Thankfully I had more than most people to begin with....but yes, my stress level is off the charts. That is part of why I am hoping to work on my body and my mind.  I figure if I eat better and exercise it will help.  

Good food and exercise can certainly help manage stress, it can help to give you something to focus on when you have so many other things out of your control. Best wishes on your journey.

[Murphy101]

Idk what you should do. Sounds like you already know though.

I’m going to return to doing what’s been working to get me this far.  Eating Whole30 style and walking walking and more walking. 

I’ve got 30 pounds to lose to reach my final goal of 130lbs. I think I’m going to do another healthy wager to help motivate me to get there. 

Ive got a gym membership so I might train their a few times a week instead of relying on walking outside or dvd walk away the pounds.

Do you have a Fitbit? I find step challengers with friends motivating and we encourage each other. 

[BlsdMama]

Wahl Protocol Level 1 or 2

Edited December 27, 2019 by BlsdMama

[Scarlett]

51 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

Idk what you should do. Sounds like you already know though.

I’m going to return to doing what’s been working to get me this far.  Eating Whole30 style and walking walking and more walking. 

I’ve got 30 pounds to lose to reach my final goal of 130lbs. I think I’m going to do another healthy wager to help motivate me to get there. 

Ive got a gym membership so I might train their a few times a week instead of relying on walking outside or dvd walk away the pounds.

Do you have a Fitbit? I find step challengers with friends motivating and we encourage each other. 

I do have a Fitbit.  I have a few friends and an aunt who do the challenges....I just gotta get busy walking.

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

Wahl Protocol Level 1 or 2

I will Google.  Not familiar with that at all.

 

[Scarlett]

I certainly would be thrilled to lose about 15 pounds.  But honestly I just want to feel  better.  I think a little weight loss will come, but mostly my goal is to feel better.  I just don't feel healthy.

[Pen]

Were you a person considering a dog?  Potentially  A dog can help with de stressing and asking you to go for his needed walks . 

[Scarlett]

40 minutes ago, Pen said:

Were you a person considering a dog?  Potentially  A dog can help with de stressing and asking you to go for his needed walks . 

Yes.  I am waffling back and forth back and forth.  I do work 3 days a week....2 of them I can come home at lunch......

[Pen]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Yes.  I am waffling back and forth back and forth.  I do work 3 days a week....2 of them I can come home at lunch......

 

Fenced yard available?  

[PeterPan]

6 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Well, ha, the last half of 2019 was the most horrific of years since my very horrific divorce 10 years ago.  I have lost nearly half of my hair.  Thankfully I had more than most people to begin with....but yes, my stress level is off the charts. That is part of why I am hoping to work on my body and my mind.  I figure if I eat better and exercise it will help.  

Best thing for stress is weight lifting.

If you want a lifestyle change, do whatever you choose with a buddy. The other way to really get it done is to pay a trainer. That way you're committed to getting there and getting it done.

[wintermom]

10 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Best thing for stress is weight lifting.

If you want a lifestyle change, do whatever you choose with a buddy. The other way to really get it done is to pay a trainer. That way you're committed to getting there and getting it done.

That is interesting. I've never read that in any of the literature I've been given.  Usually the recommendation is physical activity, getting outdoors, meditation, massage, baths. etc. Generally relaxing and pleasant things.  Weight lifting is great for health, especially women as we age, I'm not questioning that at all. I've just never heard it as a stress reduction method. Do you have a source for this, or is it more anecdotal?

[wintermom]

8 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

 

https://www.mystudentvillage.com/blog/lifting-weights-will-lift-your-mood-how-endorphins-are-affected-by-weightlifting-and-how-to-capitalise-on-this/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/39012-working-weights-relieve-stress/

https://www.verywellfit.com/workouts-for-stress-relief-1231003

https://www.livestrong.com/article/39012-working-weights-relieve-stress/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/minding-the-body/201703/how-strength-training-helps-keep-anxiety-bay%3famp

 

 

So weight training websites promote weight training. That makes sense. And Psychology today magazine does, too. I'm not yet convinced that weight training is "THE BEST thing for stress" - but that's because I don't really like weight training all on its own. I can carry groceries, skate ski and play tennis to build upper-body strength, but working with weights alone is torture to me. 😂  

I'm not disputing weight training is good. However there is a lot more scientific evidence that stretching, resistance training and aerobic training in combination is the best for maintaining good health, especially when recovering from physical injury or cancer. 

Edited December 28, 2019 by wintermom

[wintermom]

24 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C26&as_vis=1&q=weight+training+reduces+anxiety+&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DzanWvzJrNNwJ

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,26&qsp=2&q="mood+and+anxiety"+"strength+training"&qst=br#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DaCYAiHvHqCYJ

Your dislike of weight training does not invalidate the results of weight training. 

True, however you're pushing it doesn't mean it's THE BEST. And the fact that no stress literature includes it is interesting. Anxiety is not the same as stress. You are pushing something that can be quite different. Just sayin'

[Scarlett]

12 hours ago, Pen said:

 

Fenced yard available?  

Yes.

[caedmyn]

 I need to come back and read this thread when I have more time.  Need to get back to healthier choices after New Year’s.  I need to gain about 10 lbs (breastfeeding = losing weight  really easily for me).  It’s not as fun as it sounds, really...having to eat 3000 calories a day all the time while dealing with hypoglycemia issues gets old.  

The number one thing I need to do for my health is get to bed earlier.  I’ve been trying to get to bed at 9:30 for about 6 years...this actually happens maybe once a month, so maybe it’s a lost cause.

Edited December 28, 2019 by caedmyn

[Scarlett]

I have a friend who went to check on her grandparents and found them in their home....they had been brutally assaulted and both died.  She had a really tough time dealing with it. And she is now a lifter.  She posts a lot about it....it seems she is pretty obsessed with it.....but we all agree it is how she has endured this trauma for the last 10 years. 

I know myself though and I am highly unlikely to ever get into something like that.  I can see myself walking a dog though.  Lol......and I do believe the dog would help me with m stress levels.  That is also proven.  

[73349]

4 minutes ago, caedmyn said:

The number one thing I need to do for my health is get to bed earlier.  I’ve been trying to get to bed at 9:30 for about 6 years...this actually happens maybe once a month, so maybe it’s a lost cause.

Have you considered setting a bedtime alarm as a nudge?

 

 

In 2019, I used the free productivity app Habitica. I highly recommend it for any kind of behavior changes.

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, caedmyn said:

 I need to come back and read this thread when I have more time.  Need to get back to healthier choices after New Year’s.  I need to gain about 10 lbs (breastfeeding = losing weight  really easily for me).  It’s not as fun as it sounds, really...having to eat 3000 calories a day all the time while dealing with hypoglycemia issues gets old.  

The number one thing I need to do for my health is get to bed earlier.  I’ve been trying to get to bed at 9:30 for about 6 years...this actually happens maybe once a month, so maybe it’s a lost cause.

When I was breast feeding I was also at my lowest weight.  It was a great weight for me though.  I loved eating anything I wanted.  I was also 35-37 years old......soon after I weaned him I gained 10 pounds, which was ok....but the next 20 pounds has not been ok.  

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, whitehawk said:

Have you considered setting a bedtime alarm as a nudge?

 

 

In 2019, I used the free productivity app Habitica. I highly recommend it for any kind of behavior changes.

I have a nudge alarm.  It has so far never worked.  

[73349]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I have a nudge alarm.  It has so far never worked.  

Having to punish yourself in the app for disobeying might help. I found it motivating to make things green instead of red, level up, and meet my goals. 🙂

[Scarlett]

9 minutes ago, whitehawk said:

Having to punish yourself in the app for disobeying might help. I found it motivating to make things green instead of red, level up, and meet my goals. 🙂

Oh! Mine isnt like that.  Hmmm.

[Laura Corin]

When I started to work on being healthier, I began with the thing that bothered me most. For me, that was aching joints, so I began practising yoga. After that was a settled habit, I wanted to increase my aerobic fitness so that I could walk up mountains. I ran for a bit, then settled on Nordic Walking. With that in place, I looked into ageing well, focussing on food and strength, going largely plant-based and altering my yoga practice to target strength.

So it's been about six years of layering habits.

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, Seasider too said:

 

Laura, I remember you saying how you started doing yoga and the difference it made for you. 

Scarlett, yoga is a great multipurpose exercise for increasing strength, flexibility and reducing tension. You wouldn’t have to pick up weights for that, you kind of use your own body weight to challenge/strengthen muscle groups as you move through various positions. 

If you have any religious objection to a yoga workout (many people do), you may want to look at Pete Egoscue’s Pain Free video workouts. To me they seem very yoga like in the way muscle groups are worked, but it’s more practical and no - for lack of a better term - woo. These exercises are wonderful for core strength, alignment, posture and flexibility. Walking taller and feeling stronger contribute to an overall sense of well-being. 

Ok that’s all I have to offer. Good luck!

Yes  some parts of yoga are definitely not for me for religious reasons, but I can see that the methods of exercise are very helpful and valid. So thank you for the above  suggestion . 

There have been so many suggestions in this thread that I want to look into. Thank you all for your ideas and encouragement — as always you are a great bunch of people

[Scarlett]

Dh and I I just went to the store and bought some multivitimins, and I am going to start on ssome extra bit D and calcium and turmeric. 

I might hold off on vit D until my check up early January. He checks my vit D yearly because it has been super low in the past 

[ktgrok]

Scarlett, have you had labwork run recently? Losing half your hair sounds like a thyroid problem or vitamin deficiency (anemia can cause that). You need to get a full physical with lab work before diving into exercise, etc. 

 

[Murphy101]

I highly recommend a blood work up and I annoy my drs by doing it every 3 months until levels are where we want them and then every 6 months to be sure they are staying where we want them. The dr gets annoyed as heck bc he says once a year is enough but I’m not getting any younger and think waiting is stupid. I don’t want to spend 2-3 6 or more months not in range if I can avoid it. 

vit d and COq10 and B12 and B complex are things I will likely never do without again if I have any ability to keep them going. Huge difference. And I take a low dose thyroid too.