My daughter and I were at the gym this morning at 4:45. I just have to comment on the variety of people one sees working out. There are the golden oldies like me in sweatpants and baggie shirts looking bewildered and tentative as they try to figure out how all the gadgets work. There are machines that work just about every part of the body with a little explanation on each one to tell how they w0rk ... The machines work great, but our aging bodies don't always cooperate. But I digress, back to the people we see. There are the young things in spandex who seem to be running and bouncing with no effort, music thingys in their ears so they have no clue that someone may be speaking to them. There are the beer bellied weight champ wannabees who lift weights as they watch themselves in a mirror. One wonders what they see in that mirror? Do they really see the sagging bellies and drooping chests or do they see Arnold Schwarzenegger staring back at them. (Not sure if I spelled his name right, sorry Arnie!) Then there are the women in the locker room. I was always the kid in school that hid in the bathroom till everyone got out of the shower, then snuck in and showered quickly hoping no one would see me. I could never walk around naked in front of my peers, so blase like some people do. Did you ever notice that the women who walk around naked in the locker rooms are always the skinny wenches with designer boobs and not an ounce of flab to be seen? Never do you see a woman with everything fighting gravity strolling around in the buff. I guess we can be thankful for that! But Still whenever I am confronted with the naked body I tend to start studying the ceiling or noticing the newest scuff in my sneaker. I can't make eye contact and try really hard not to look. Usually these unclad nymphs have a tattoo somewhere that is really hard not to look at. One lady had a flower that was growing out of an unmentionable place and blossomed about her naval, most prettily. I wonder if in thirty years it will look wilted and droopy? I know tats are commonplace these days, but I still wonder why someone could have them etched in some of these places that just have to be really tender. Ouch!
The nice things about gyms these days is that you see lots of people that are built like me working out in the baggy clothes, and getting healthier as a result. We don't have to feel out of place. With ipods and headphones you can lose yourself in music or TV while you exercise and make the activity less painful. My secret is my kindle book. I get on the treadmill, punch in all the settings, start walking then lose myself in a good story. Before I know it, the machine is congratulating me on my successful work out and I'm ready to tackle the bike.
I guess the secret of making exercise a habit is to make it enjoyable. If you have a bike or exercise machine at home. Put on some nice music or TV show or read a book. Something where you can lose yourself for a little while and forget the mad crazy day that looms ahead of you. I have a lot of people tell me they can't exercise in the morning because they don't have time, or they don't want to wear themselves out, or some other excuse. But if you can make exercise part of your morning routine, just 10 or 15 minutes can make you feel rejuvenated for the rest of the day. Try it, it really works!
Have a fantastic Friday and ROCK ON everyone!
My poem today is a pensive one. It is where I have been for a few years and am now trying to change.
Who Am I?
I am a woman.. with all the parts God gave to me
Even though they're not as agile as they used to be
I am a mother.. even though no hugs greet me when I get home
No pleas for stories, my children now are grown
I am a wife...with a husband sweet and kind
Though he's oft baffled by things that fill my mind
I am a Nana..my grand kids worship me
But still it's not enough, it doesn't set me free
I am a dreamer...who longs for a magic world
Where there is singing and I remain a girl
I'm obese with faulty knees and spine
facing a future that can only bring decline
I am a soul...longing to be heard
Buried in a body that gets more and more absurd
Why won't my spirit age along with me?
So we can, with grace, live out our destiny
Does it deny that there's so little time?
Does it resent a world that has no rhyme?
For so long encased in a tight shell.
It knew just darkness- a fate much worse then Hell
While I, the body, eked out each mundane task
To create a world in which my loved ones basked
Now they are grown and the Voice demands its due
But each day exhausts me through and through
So much I've buried, such need to be expressed
The simple stories this spirit has possessed
But I just eat and work and eat and sleep
And all the Beauty's buried someplace deep
And now my body emulates the pain
With a heavy weight that barely bears the strain
How can I free this soul from the bleak dark?
How can I feed my soul and ignite the spark?
JPH
Plan for the Day:
Breakfast: Cheerios, English muffin, tea
Snack: apple
Lunch: Grilled cheese, Iced tea
Snack: Jello
Dinner: Out with a friend- probably Chinese
Exercise: 1 hour at gym on treadmill and bike; Yoga; Mr. G's list
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Health Trek Day 20 10/08/09
The phone rang this morning, jarring me from a sound sleep. A dear friend was on the other end asking me to come to her house quickly as her husband has had another attack. I mumbled, sure, hung up the phone, looked at the clock. 4:00 a.m! I threw on some clothes, grabbed my bag and keys and raced out the door. As I was driving to her house, I thought of all the questions I should have asked. "Did you call 911?" Is he conscious? What did you want me to do? Watch the cat? Drive you to the hospital? I looked at my gas tank and groaned, it was almost on empty. I noticed the day before but it was too early when I came home from the gym and it was raining so I figured I'd go to Plummer's this morning and get gas. Now I wish I had gone yesterday! When I arrived at her house, I saw the flashing lights of an ambulance, a fire truck and a police car. OMG, I ran to the house fearing the worst. I found my friend pacing, agitated but okay. They had her hubby in the ambulance and she asked if I could drive her to the hospital. She has a bad knee and is scheduled for surgery herself in two weeks, so I was glad to be of help.
As we sat in the hospital, I thought about how fragile life is. We never know when our health will be jeopardized, whether a loved one could get sick or hurt or even die at any time. We really need to appreciate what we have and let our loved ones know how we feel and what our wishes are when we die or are unable to make our own decisions. We all hate to talk about death but it is a natural part of life and we shouldn't fear it so. If we meet it head on and are prepared, I feel it would not seem so scary. My friend's husband had a similar attack a year ago and was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and lungs. So we expected this was the case today, but it was not. He has a severe kidney and bladder infection. What a relief! They gave him antibiotics and instructions to follow up with his doctor. So he will be fine, my friend can relax and I can go back to bed!
I guess after this morning's scare, the best message I can impart today is to celebrate life. Make each moment count, stop stressing about all the little unimportant things in your lives. Even the scale. We are all trying to get thin and healthy. Try every day, but don't make it the focus of your life. If you are out there living your life, moving and shaking, then you will be healthier. If you are sitting at home thinking about what you want to eat next, that is self destructive. The scale is one way to measure success, but being able to climb the stairs without huffing and puffing is another measure. You won't be able to do that if you don't get up and walk up and down those stairs a few times!
Make good healthy choices. Spend quality time with family and friends. Get out and ROCK ON!
None of us know how much time we have left.
POEM for today:
Celebration:
Webster defines age as "the length of time one has existed"
spending time alive we never have resisted
But did you ever ponder another way to measure
The time that we have spent that we should really measure?
We've survived adolescence, acne, dating, diapers, braces
Surely most embarrassments time lovingly erases
we've seen our children grow and our friendships blossom
Technology advances in our lives are awesome
We know where we have been and perhaps where we are going
Yet we have the option to continually be growing
As we watch our children grow up and face life on their own
It's splendid when we can reap the seeds that we have sown
And share the dividends of our children's joys and pleasures
as we graciously accept our newest little treasures
Soon we get to bounce a grandchild on our lap
and become a bridge across the generation gap
Our future's still a mystery as it was when we were twenty
But we can proudly say that we have been blessed with plenty
So we'll celebrate our lives and dread not our natal day
We've touched so many others and surely paved the way
We have a store of memories of all the years bygone
And the chance for many new ones as the future marches on.
My plan for today:
Brunch: Eggs and English muffin, fruit and tea
(I missed breakfast and couldn't wait for lunch so combined them!)
Snack: apple
Dinner
Stir fry and rice
Snack: low cal ice cream bar
Exercise:
Walking DVD, Mr G.s list, evening Yoga
I'm ready to meet the evil scale tonight be it up or down! I am getting healthier and I feel terrific!
As we sat in the hospital, I thought about how fragile life is. We never know when our health will be jeopardized, whether a loved one could get sick or hurt or even die at any time. We really need to appreciate what we have and let our loved ones know how we feel and what our wishes are when we die or are unable to make our own decisions. We all hate to talk about death but it is a natural part of life and we shouldn't fear it so. If we meet it head on and are prepared, I feel it would not seem so scary. My friend's husband had a similar attack a year ago and was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and lungs. So we expected this was the case today, but it was not. He has a severe kidney and bladder infection. What a relief! They gave him antibiotics and instructions to follow up with his doctor. So he will be fine, my friend can relax and I can go back to bed!
I guess after this morning's scare, the best message I can impart today is to celebrate life. Make each moment count, stop stressing about all the little unimportant things in your lives. Even the scale. We are all trying to get thin and healthy. Try every day, but don't make it the focus of your life. If you are out there living your life, moving and shaking, then you will be healthier. If you are sitting at home thinking about what you want to eat next, that is self destructive. The scale is one way to measure success, but being able to climb the stairs without huffing and puffing is another measure. You won't be able to do that if you don't get up and walk up and down those stairs a few times!
Make good healthy choices. Spend quality time with family and friends. Get out and ROCK ON!
None of us know how much time we have left.
POEM for today:
Celebration:
Webster defines age as "the length of time one has existed"
spending time alive we never have resisted
But did you ever ponder another way to measure
The time that we have spent that we should really measure?
We've survived adolescence, acne, dating, diapers, braces
Surely most embarrassments time lovingly erases
we've seen our children grow and our friendships blossom
Technology advances in our lives are awesome
We know where we have been and perhaps where we are going
Yet we have the option to continually be growing
As we watch our children grow up and face life on their own
It's splendid when we can reap the seeds that we have sown
And share the dividends of our children's joys and pleasures
as we graciously accept our newest little treasures
Soon we get to bounce a grandchild on our lap
and become a bridge across the generation gap
Our future's still a mystery as it was when we were twenty
But we can proudly say that we have been blessed with plenty
So we'll celebrate our lives and dread not our natal day
We've touched so many others and surely paved the way
We have a store of memories of all the years bygone
And the chance for many new ones as the future marches on.
My plan for today:
Brunch: Eggs and English muffin, fruit and tea
(I missed breakfast and couldn't wait for lunch so combined them!)
Snack: apple
Dinner
Stir fry and rice
Snack: low cal ice cream bar
Exercise:
Walking DVD, Mr G.s list, evening Yoga
I'm ready to meet the evil scale tonight be it up or down! I am getting healthier and I feel terrific!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Health Trek Day 19 10/07/09
Another rainy Wednesday. I know we need the rain, but it seems to me it would be much more efficient if it would rain at night and be sunny in the daytime. I don't remember minding the rain when I was a kid. In fact I used to love to walk in the rain, a warm rain that is, in the spring when it smelled so fresh. Everything blooming and coming alive. Rain was nice then. It didn't make me ache from head to foot and turn me into a hobbling old woman every time I get out of my chair. But in spite of the rain, I got up at four and went to the gym with my daughter. I did 25 minutes on the treadmill and 20 on the bike. It is getting a little easier.
I had an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon yesterday. He said I was amazing and was impressed at the range of motion I have in my arm and shoulder. Now he has given permission to start the strengthening exercises. So I can upgrade the Yoga to using my arm over head and doing some resistance training. So now, how to make myself follow through. I sometimes think it was easier to get things done when I was working. I knew I had deadlines to meet, so tried to fit everything in a small space. Now I have this whole entire day in front of me and I find myself putting things off until later. The problem with that is when later gets here, I find I have left so much stuff until later, I don't have the stamina or time to get it all done. So I end up saying, Oh well, there's always tomorrow. So I have decided I need to make lists and check them off as I do them. I have to allow myself just 10 minutes to sit down and relax between my little jobs. Otherwise, I will lose myself in a book or movie and totally forget that I had planned to exercise 3 times a day or even eat three meals a day. Time just seems to get away from me now and suddenly my husband comes home and asks, what did you do all day? Let's see, I napped in my chair, played 27 computer games (I love Scrabble), read a book and knitted half a sock. How productive is that. Talk about multi-tasking! Meanwhile, the floor looks like a sand truck ran through it (one of the down sides of living on a lake, sand tracked in on the rug), the dishes are in the sink and the laundry is all over the floor in neat piles since I had planned to throw them in the washing machine. So then I have to run around and act busy like I had been really working all day and was just finishing up. Stuffing the laundry back in the hamper, sweeping the sand under the couch (I'll vacuum tomorrow!) and throwing dishes frantically in the dishwasher while my hubby is outside doing his little yard chores. Whew, wears me out just thinking about it. So this morning, I already put in a load of wash, ran the dishwasher, went to the gym, ate breakfast and now am blogging and boring you folks with my domestic disorderliness. I have a list all ready here to start checking off as soon as I finish writing.
The point of all this rambling is that it is really good to have a plan, but what is even more important is following through. As you can see, I sometimes have a problem with that. So my goal for this week is to work on it and see if I can change still another bad habit. Am I the only one that procrastinates or do some of you have the same problem?
The poem that I will share with you today is one that I wrote about walking in the rain:
Misty Magic
I heard the magical refrain
Of a beckoning Spring rain
I turned real quick and saw that you
had simultaneously heard it too
Wordlessly we snuck downstairs
Hoping to keep them unawares
That we were heading down the lane
to play like children in the rain
We splashed through puddles filled with glee
Our pants rolled up above the knee
And stuck out our tongues to catch the drops
and reveled in jumps and skips and hops
When we were completely soaked to the skin
We turned for home and headed in
Only to find to our chagrin
we had a witness to our sin
Oh Mom and Dad, you really shouldn't
Especially when you said we couldn't!
Let's follow through on all our plans today and
ROCK ON!
Plan for today:
Breakfast: egg, toast, tea
Snack: jello (sugar free)
Lunch: ham on wheat bread
Snack: sugar free pudding
Dinner: cauliflower and Broccoli, baked chicken
Snack: Ice cream bar
Exercise:
Tread mill and bike at gym; yoga; Mr. G's list (it is getting longer!)
I had an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon yesterday. He said I was amazing and was impressed at the range of motion I have in my arm and shoulder. Now he has given permission to start the strengthening exercises. So I can upgrade the Yoga to using my arm over head and doing some resistance training. So now, how to make myself follow through. I sometimes think it was easier to get things done when I was working. I knew I had deadlines to meet, so tried to fit everything in a small space. Now I have this whole entire day in front of me and I find myself putting things off until later. The problem with that is when later gets here, I find I have left so much stuff until later, I don't have the stamina or time to get it all done. So I end up saying, Oh well, there's always tomorrow. So I have decided I need to make lists and check them off as I do them. I have to allow myself just 10 minutes to sit down and relax between my little jobs. Otherwise, I will lose myself in a book or movie and totally forget that I had planned to exercise 3 times a day or even eat three meals a day. Time just seems to get away from me now and suddenly my husband comes home and asks, what did you do all day? Let's see, I napped in my chair, played 27 computer games (I love Scrabble), read a book and knitted half a sock. How productive is that. Talk about multi-tasking! Meanwhile, the floor looks like a sand truck ran through it (one of the down sides of living on a lake, sand tracked in on the rug), the dishes are in the sink and the laundry is all over the floor in neat piles since I had planned to throw them in the washing machine. So then I have to run around and act busy like I had been really working all day and was just finishing up. Stuffing the laundry back in the hamper, sweeping the sand under the couch (I'll vacuum tomorrow!) and throwing dishes frantically in the dishwasher while my hubby is outside doing his little yard chores. Whew, wears me out just thinking about it. So this morning, I already put in a load of wash, ran the dishwasher, went to the gym, ate breakfast and now am blogging and boring you folks with my domestic disorderliness. I have a list all ready here to start checking off as soon as I finish writing.
The point of all this rambling is that it is really good to have a plan, but what is even more important is following through. As you can see, I sometimes have a problem with that. So my goal for this week is to work on it and see if I can change still another bad habit. Am I the only one that procrastinates or do some of you have the same problem?
The poem that I will share with you today is one that I wrote about walking in the rain:
Misty Magic
I heard the magical refrain
Of a beckoning Spring rain
I turned real quick and saw that you
had simultaneously heard it too
Wordlessly we snuck downstairs
Hoping to keep them unawares
That we were heading down the lane
to play like children in the rain
We splashed through puddles filled with glee
Our pants rolled up above the knee
And stuck out our tongues to catch the drops
and reveled in jumps and skips and hops
When we were completely soaked to the skin
We turned for home and headed in
Only to find to our chagrin
we had a witness to our sin
Oh Mom and Dad, you really shouldn't
Especially when you said we couldn't!
Let's follow through on all our plans today and
ROCK ON!
Plan for today:
Breakfast: egg, toast, tea
Snack: jello (sugar free)
Lunch: ham on wheat bread
Snack: sugar free pudding
Dinner: cauliflower and Broccoli, baked chicken
Snack: Ice cream bar
Exercise:
Tread mill and bike at gym; yoga; Mr. G's list (it is getting longer!)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Health Trek Day 18 10/06/09
I know, yesterday was day 17 and I labeled the Blog day 16. I was thinking 17 but must have hit the wrong key and after I published it, I didn't know how to go back and fix it. So today is the 18Th day of my Blog and the 18Th day of this journey.
I have just finished reading Dan Brown's newest book, and what a ride! It is a very thought provoking book! It has inspired me to try and read some of the philosophical writings of the ancients, if I can understand them. I am going to start with the Bible and Einstein.
The one thing I have been working on is to realize my full potential. If our purpose here on this earth is to learn and strive for perfection, then I am on the right path. But it is soooo hard! We have become too used to taking the easy path. Maybe too enmeshed in the 1960's philosophy ,if it feels good, do it. So we forget that our bodies are a Temple and should be treated reverently. If we want them to treat us right we need to treat them right. Right? Maybe we fool ourselves into thinking that eating comfort food is being good to ourselves, but we all know, in the roots of our being that it is not. So we feel guilt. And then what do we do? We eat more comfort food. I am 64 years old and retired and still striving to reach my full potential. Sometimes I ask myself, why. I am not going to do anything earth shattering that will change the world at this point in my life. Am I? Who knows? Maybe I will finally write something that will change something. Even reaching one person would be something. We are all a collective consciousness, according to ancient teachings. Think of the boomerang effect. How everything we do bounces off and touches someone or something else. How simple and easy it is to live in the concept of "Pay it Forward". When someone does something nice for you, you help someone else, etc. etc. Little by little we can change the world. We are changing the world. Right now. Whatever we are doing. Our action or our inaction. The world is changing.
Wow.
Speaking of changing. The exercises both at the Gym and the therapy are getting easier. I am feeling better, incrementally every day. My baby steps are getting a little bigger. Now if I could just get the eating under control! I did well yesterday until about 8:00 p.m. then did some late night snacking again! I am putting a sign up on my refrigerator today. THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED AFTER 7:00 P.M. A gentle reminder. I also have the picture on the fridge of the blue dress I want to get into.
Today, I will stick to the plan and I will...
ROCK ON!
Have a life changing day today everyone!
Poem for today is advice I gave to my grand daughter as she graduated from eighth grade, I should listen to myself:
Ode to Katie
The path is yours to decline or take
Only you decide the choices you make
Today you leave one path behind
To continue your journey of body and mind
Your future can hold whatever you dream
You can make it shine like a sunny stream
When each new opportunity comes along
Take a moment to decide which is right or wrong
Take the path your heart tells you is true
I know you'll succeed at whatever you do
Judy Patt Hall
June 13, 2006
Plan for today:
Breakfast: English muffin, tea, diced peaches
Lunch: zucchini and onion quesadilla
snack: apple
Dinner: chicken stir fry and brown rice
snack: ice cream bar
Kitchen closed!
Exercise: Walking DVD, Mr G.s list, Yoga this evening.:)
I have just finished reading Dan Brown's newest book, and what a ride! It is a very thought provoking book! It has inspired me to try and read some of the philosophical writings of the ancients, if I can understand them. I am going to start with the Bible and Einstein.
The one thing I have been working on is to realize my full potential. If our purpose here on this earth is to learn and strive for perfection, then I am on the right path. But it is soooo hard! We have become too used to taking the easy path. Maybe too enmeshed in the 1960's philosophy ,if it feels good, do it. So we forget that our bodies are a Temple and should be treated reverently. If we want them to treat us right we need to treat them right. Right? Maybe we fool ourselves into thinking that eating comfort food is being good to ourselves, but we all know, in the roots of our being that it is not. So we feel guilt. And then what do we do? We eat more comfort food. I am 64 years old and retired and still striving to reach my full potential. Sometimes I ask myself, why. I am not going to do anything earth shattering that will change the world at this point in my life. Am I? Who knows? Maybe I will finally write something that will change something. Even reaching one person would be something. We are all a collective consciousness, according to ancient teachings. Think of the boomerang effect. How everything we do bounces off and touches someone or something else. How simple and easy it is to live in the concept of "Pay it Forward". When someone does something nice for you, you help someone else, etc. etc. Little by little we can change the world. We are changing the world. Right now. Whatever we are doing. Our action or our inaction. The world is changing.
Wow.
Speaking of changing. The exercises both at the Gym and the therapy are getting easier. I am feeling better, incrementally every day. My baby steps are getting a little bigger. Now if I could just get the eating under control! I did well yesterday until about 8:00 p.m. then did some late night snacking again! I am putting a sign up on my refrigerator today. THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED AFTER 7:00 P.M. A gentle reminder. I also have the picture on the fridge of the blue dress I want to get into.
Today, I will stick to the plan and I will...
ROCK ON!
Have a life changing day today everyone!
Poem for today is advice I gave to my grand daughter as she graduated from eighth grade, I should listen to myself:
Ode to Katie
The path is yours to decline or take
Only you decide the choices you make
Today you leave one path behind
To continue your journey of body and mind
Your future can hold whatever you dream
You can make it shine like a sunny stream
When each new opportunity comes along
Take a moment to decide which is right or wrong
Take the path your heart tells you is true
I know you'll succeed at whatever you do
Judy Patt Hall
June 13, 2006
Plan for today:
Breakfast: English muffin, tea, diced peaches
Lunch: zucchini and onion quesadilla
snack: apple
Dinner: chicken stir fry and brown rice
snack: ice cream bar
Kitchen closed!
Exercise: Walking DVD, Mr G.s list, Yoga this evening.:)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Health Trek Day 16, 10/5/09
What a weekend! The foliage in New Hampshire was absolutely breathtaking! In spite of the rain, the leaves were brilliant colors and the reflections in the water were gorgeous. We decided to go via Route 101 at the start of our trip to try and avoid the hills going into Keene. But no matter how you try and get there, the fact is that the mountains go downhill into the valley, so we had to take it slow and easy and shift down a lot to not overheat the brakes. We are pulling the Pop-up with a six cylinder jeep so one of the things we were hoping to find out is that we would not overload the jeep's transmission. I am happy to report that it worked well, no mishaps and even the rain did not deter us. We cooked steak on Saturday night in the midst of a downpour for our friends and we were all warm and cozy inside the camper. I ate the correct portions, but my friend made a fruit cobbler for dessert so I may have imbibed a little more sugar than I should have. But all in all, Saturday was a good day.
Sunday we packed up in cloudy skies, but not rain and headed home by 11:30. We were using a Tom-Tom but decided to take a different route. In case any 0f you were like me, and wonder what the hey is a TOM TOM, it is a little GPS unit you can program your trip into. So when you take a different route, this little British woman's voice tells you to take the next left or turn around to get back on track. If you forge ahead, the whole thing will re-program and find a different route to take. She warns you if you are exceeding the speed limit, if you are going to take a toll road, and lets you know when you are getting off track. I think it would make a great comedy skit for someone to get in an argument with their GPS when they decide to take a shortcut and the unit insisting they go the direction it has programmed. It could even be another Stephen King novel if he gets the idea to make it a sinister alien infested piece of machinery!
But seriously, wouldn't it be great if we could have a little ESP Tom Tom that could keep us on track while we were losing weight. Every time we started to go off track and eat something we shouldn't it would warn us and then if we ate it anyway, it would re-program and show us what we needed to do to get back on track. Something like this: "That doughnut means you now need to walk 3.2 miles, do 50 push ups and ride your bike for 27.5 minutes! What a wake up call that would be. It would make us aware of everything we eat and stop all our mindless eating. Course I have something almost as effective. It's called a husband. He tries to help me diet by asking me if i should be eating that, whatever, and I try to convince him it is a low calorie custard strudel, but he just looks at me with the raised eyebrow and i put it back. The problem is after he goes to bed, the evil little glutton living inside me has a field day! So the Tom Tom could be a good thing. I'd probably end up taking a hammer to it though.
Now it is Monday and I need to get back on track. I did not get up at 4:00 a.m. this morning to exercise because I have an appointment with Mr. Gestapo today. I am into week eleven of my recovery and now the arm exercises are accelerating. So I did not want to wear myself out so much this morning that I messed up at the therapists office. Driving to Portland twice in one day would have been a waste of gas too. I am planning to do my walking DVD at home, and tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. do the gym. I should get the same benefit as if I'd done the exercise this morning.
So a new week, a new plan. This week I am planning to give up white potatoes at dinner. I'll eat two vegetables instead. I need to get serious. Fall Rally and November inspiration are looming ahead and I wanted to reach my small goal before then, so everyone
Let's Rock On!
Have an active day!
Poem:
No Not I!
When my dreams are filled with lovely
Sunny thoughts of Spring
But I wake up just to find snow
Has covered everything
Do I scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply write a poem and
Make the snow a lie
It doesn't change the weather
But it gives me a new high!
When my step is light and funny
And I'm on a pleasant path
But some clod on a 4-wheeler
Gives me an unexpected bath
Do I Scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply write a poem
Calling him a hopeless lout
It doesn't change the act
But it gets my feelings out
When I'm driving in my car
and planning just a little trip
and though I'm not going very far
The traffic just won't let me zip
Do I scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply think rhymes in my mind
It really helps to fill the time
And when I finally do get home
I can't wait to write down my poem.
Judy Patt Hall
Plan for the Day:
Breakfast: Yogurt, toast, tea
Snack: sugar free jello
Lunch: ham sandwich on wheat
snack: apple, almonds
Dinner: lean pork, spinach, sweet potato
Snack: Go to bed and stop eating!! You are getting up at 4:00 a.m tomorrow!
Exercise: walking DVD, Therapy with Mr. G. Yoga before bed.
Sunday we packed up in cloudy skies, but not rain and headed home by 11:30. We were using a Tom-Tom but decided to take a different route. In case any 0f you were like me, and wonder what the hey is a TOM TOM, it is a little GPS unit you can program your trip into. So when you take a different route, this little British woman's voice tells you to take the next left or turn around to get back on track. If you forge ahead, the whole thing will re-program and find a different route to take. She warns you if you are exceeding the speed limit, if you are going to take a toll road, and lets you know when you are getting off track. I think it would make a great comedy skit for someone to get in an argument with their GPS when they decide to take a shortcut and the unit insisting they go the direction it has programmed. It could even be another Stephen King novel if he gets the idea to make it a sinister alien infested piece of machinery!
But seriously, wouldn't it be great if we could have a little ESP Tom Tom that could keep us on track while we were losing weight. Every time we started to go off track and eat something we shouldn't it would warn us and then if we ate it anyway, it would re-program and show us what we needed to do to get back on track. Something like this: "That doughnut means you now need to walk 3.2 miles, do 50 push ups and ride your bike for 27.5 minutes! What a wake up call that would be. It would make us aware of everything we eat and stop all our mindless eating. Course I have something almost as effective. It's called a husband. He tries to help me diet by asking me if i should be eating that, whatever, and I try to convince him it is a low calorie custard strudel, but he just looks at me with the raised eyebrow and i put it back. The problem is after he goes to bed, the evil little glutton living inside me has a field day! So the Tom Tom could be a good thing. I'd probably end up taking a hammer to it though.
Now it is Monday and I need to get back on track. I did not get up at 4:00 a.m. this morning to exercise because I have an appointment with Mr. Gestapo today. I am into week eleven of my recovery and now the arm exercises are accelerating. So I did not want to wear myself out so much this morning that I messed up at the therapists office. Driving to Portland twice in one day would have been a waste of gas too. I am planning to do my walking DVD at home, and tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. do the gym. I should get the same benefit as if I'd done the exercise this morning.
So a new week, a new plan. This week I am planning to give up white potatoes at dinner. I'll eat two vegetables instead. I need to get serious. Fall Rally and November inspiration are looming ahead and I wanted to reach my small goal before then, so everyone
Let's Rock On!
Have an active day!
Poem:
No Not I!
When my dreams are filled with lovely
Sunny thoughts of Spring
But I wake up just to find snow
Has covered everything
Do I scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply write a poem and
Make the snow a lie
It doesn't change the weather
But it gives me a new high!
When my step is light and funny
And I'm on a pleasant path
But some clod on a 4-wheeler
Gives me an unexpected bath
Do I Scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply write a poem
Calling him a hopeless lout
It doesn't change the act
But it gets my feelings out
When I'm driving in my car
and planning just a little trip
and though I'm not going very far
The traffic just won't let me zip
Do I scream? Do I sigh?
Do I stomp my feet and cry?
No Not I!
I simply think rhymes in my mind
It really helps to fill the time
And when I finally do get home
I can't wait to write down my poem.
Judy Patt Hall
Plan for the Day:
Breakfast: Yogurt, toast, tea
Snack: sugar free jello
Lunch: ham sandwich on wheat
snack: apple, almonds
Dinner: lean pork, spinach, sweet potato
Snack: Go to bed and stop eating!! You are getting up at 4:00 a.m tomorrow!
Exercise: walking DVD, Therapy with Mr. G. Yoga before bed.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Health Trekker Day 16, 10/02/09
I imagine you are all waiting with baited breath to find out whether I gained or lost last night. I had to cover the weight room because our weight recorder was unable to attend. I find it so interesting how people allow their mood to be affected by the scale. They come in frowning, apprehensive, apologetic, and all manner of attitudes, some even bordering on defiance. I keep telling people that the scale is just one means of measurement and merely a tool to help keep us on track. In my opinion if you just gain a fraction, then congratulations, you are at least maintaining your weight. If those fractions are going incrementally upwards, then that tells you that you need to adjust your plan. Eat less, exercise more. Look at all the other things you are doing and use those tools in addition to the scale. I had a very slight gain last night. 0.4 of a pound. The fact that I know I had a few days that I was careless about my diet, does not erase the fact that I have been exercising every day, planning my meals and getting more conscious about what I eat. I am on track and I know that next week I will see the results. I will probably still be apprehensive, apologetic, defiant and downright terrified of that stupid scale, but I will try to keep it all in perspective. I do know that I am already feeling a difference in my activity level and the benefits of exercising are evident. I get an early start and then achieve a lot more during the day.
I am a true believer in the power of positive thinking. I know that if you start your day in a negative mood, then your day will go downhill from there and it seems like everyone you meet is a nasty, ignorant, pigheaded #^%*&*! But what many people do not realize is what they are seeing is a mirror image of themselves. When I am negative about life, I pass those feelings on to my children, peers and even the dog! So when I wake up feeling grouchy and aching, I try to find something positive I can focus on. One thing that really helps me is singing. Singing not only makes you feel better because of the music or lyrics, but singing opens up your lungs and abdomen and helps you breath better. Yoga can accomplish the same thing if you don't like to sing or think your voice is terrible, or put on some music and sing along with it. Who cares what you sound like! (Unless you are in a room full of people, then you may find out who cares). Exercise also helps to get your endorphins activated and make you feel better. For some a cup of coffee does the trick. Whatever triggers your positive energy, do it and start your day off with a smile. You will get every smile you give out back tenfold and your day will be much better. Plus you will accomplish more than you can imagine. We all give off an aura of energy. Let ours be positive today and our goals will be surmountable.
This weekend, Mark and I are going to NH to a campground and use the new camper. We will be visiting an old and dear friend. I am looking forward to it and trying very hard to plan some healthy meals and exercise so I don't backslide. The weather is predicted to be kind of iffy so am not sure how much walking we will get in so I am taking my Yoga DVD with me. If one tries, one can find a way to exercise and eat healthy. I will do this!
Rock On, everyone! Have a fun-filled, relaxing weekend.
Poem for today (dedicated to all the mothers who inspire their children with their positive energy:
Ten Feet Tall
When I was small and you tucked me in bed
I knew for certain I had nothing to dread
You were all that I knew of the big wide world
A catalyst to all the dreams yet unfurled
I believed you could do anything at all
You were a giant...You were ten feet tall!
When I was in school and you helped me to read
You began to plant a very small seed
I can't, I can't in fear I would cry
But this is a word you said to deny
You can be and can do anything at all
Try and you soon will be ten feet tall
When I was a teen, and Oh so bright
I seldom thought that you could be right
Still you worked so hard every day
And continued to try and show me the way
I was busy listening to a distant call
Of a future that seemed to be ten feet tall
Now when I put my Grandkids to bed
I tell them that they have nothing to dread
You can do anything that you want to try
Make all your dreams reach up to the sky
Then I remember when I was so small
And remember my Mom who is still ten feet tall!
Judy Patt Hall
December 18, 2000
My Plan for today:
Breakfast: muffin on my way to the Gym
Snack: apple
Lunch: soup, crackers (6), water
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Leftover casserole
Exercise: The gym at 4:30 a.m., I did it!
Yoga, and last but not least, The List!
I am a true believer in the power of positive thinking. I know that if you start your day in a negative mood, then your day will go downhill from there and it seems like everyone you meet is a nasty, ignorant, pigheaded #^%*&*! But what many people do not realize is what they are seeing is a mirror image of themselves. When I am negative about life, I pass those feelings on to my children, peers and even the dog! So when I wake up feeling grouchy and aching, I try to find something positive I can focus on. One thing that really helps me is singing. Singing not only makes you feel better because of the music or lyrics, but singing opens up your lungs and abdomen and helps you breath better. Yoga can accomplish the same thing if you don't like to sing or think your voice is terrible, or put on some music and sing along with it. Who cares what you sound like! (Unless you are in a room full of people, then you may find out who cares). Exercise also helps to get your endorphins activated and make you feel better. For some a cup of coffee does the trick. Whatever triggers your positive energy, do it and start your day off with a smile. You will get every smile you give out back tenfold and your day will be much better. Plus you will accomplish more than you can imagine. We all give off an aura of energy. Let ours be positive today and our goals will be surmountable.
This weekend, Mark and I are going to NH to a campground and use the new camper. We will be visiting an old and dear friend. I am looking forward to it and trying very hard to plan some healthy meals and exercise so I don't backslide. The weather is predicted to be kind of iffy so am not sure how much walking we will get in so I am taking my Yoga DVD with me. If one tries, one can find a way to exercise and eat healthy. I will do this!
Rock On, everyone! Have a fun-filled, relaxing weekend.
Poem for today (dedicated to all the mothers who inspire their children with their positive energy:
Ten Feet Tall
When I was small and you tucked me in bed
I knew for certain I had nothing to dread
You were all that I knew of the big wide world
A catalyst to all the dreams yet unfurled
I believed you could do anything at all
You were a giant...You were ten feet tall!
When I was in school and you helped me to read
You began to plant a very small seed
I can't, I can't in fear I would cry
But this is a word you said to deny
You can be and can do anything at all
Try and you soon will be ten feet tall
When I was a teen, and Oh so bright
I seldom thought that you could be right
Still you worked so hard every day
And continued to try and show me the way
I was busy listening to a distant call
Of a future that seemed to be ten feet tall
Now when I put my Grandkids to bed
I tell them that they have nothing to dread
You can do anything that you want to try
Make all your dreams reach up to the sky
Then I remember when I was so small
And remember my Mom who is still ten feet tall!
Judy Patt Hall
December 18, 2000
My Plan for today:
Breakfast: muffin on my way to the Gym
Snack: apple
Lunch: soup, crackers (6), water
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Leftover casserole
Exercise: The gym at 4:30 a.m., I did it!
Yoga, and last but not least, The List!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Health Trek Day 15, 10/01/09
Today is the first day of October and I really enjoyed my ride home from therapy today. The foliage is lovely, the air crisp and the sun is shining! I am glad to be alive and in moderately good health! My Blog is late today as I slept until 6:30 and had to leave the house by 7:30 for my therapy session. I feel like I've turned a corner, some of the exercises on my list are getting much easier and my range of motion is improving. Mr. Gestapo called in sick today so I had his assistant, Igor. He was thrilled to have a list of all Mr. G's tortures and even had a few of his own up his sleeve, so we managed to get through the hour without too much screaming and crying. (Actually I'm quite stoic and do my exercises quietly and with dignity, except when I get a hot flash.)
I found out last weekend that I am going to be a Great-Grandmother. At first I had a mixed range of emotions stemming from how old I am getting to how is my little grand daughter going to handle being a mother. For that matter how is my baby daughter going to handle being a grandmother. She is my youngest girl-child and I haven't quite got it through this old gray head of mine that she is a grown woman with grown children. So I have been doing a lot of thinking about how and when to let go. Somehow we are expected to have these adorable, albeit individualistic babies, teach them, raise them, worry about them and then one day just let them walk out your door and then not interfere in their lives ever again. Except when they want to move back in, borrow your car, money, or ask for your sage advice. Which they never take. It is a monumental task and we all have problems with it. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful relationship with all my kids, but still find myself trying to solve all their problems for them and sometimes have to be told to back off (in a nice way of course). I did teach them to be polite!
My thoughts began to extend themselves to all the other things we find hard to let go. Like our habits. When I was a teenager, I could eat a platter of french fries every day after school, which I ate as I danced to American Bandstand. I could wolf down burgers and shakes as I tap danced around the house. I think I am beginning to see something unfold here. I used to eat like a lumberjack, but I also used to think nothing of walking 3 miles to the library, ride my bike all over town, tap dance all over the house, dance and jiggle as I did my chores to music on the radio. Now I need a pulley to get myself out of my chair and all my "activities" are sedentary. So I need to let go of the portions that I used to eat, and eat according to my habits. I have been going to the gym for a few weeks now and after one hour of walking, biking and sweating, the machines tell me I have burned between 150 and 200 calories. That is one granola bar. So how much food do I have to subtract from my diet to actually start losing weight. I need to let go of the notion that I can exercise 3 times a week then eat what I want. So for this week, I am telling myself if I want to eat anything for a snack, I have to get up and move for at least 15 minutes before I eat it. Yesterday I got involved cleaning out a cabinet, and totally forgot to stop after fifteen minutes for the snack and by the time I noticed, it was time to make supper. So I will keep trying to see how many habits I can let go.
Here is a poem I wrote for my little girl when she got married:
A Mother's Poem
The first time my tiny infant
snuggled closely to my breast
My mind was filled with wonder
at how sweetly I'd been blessed
The future lay before me
like a never ending road
How little did I realize
how fast the years erode
I remember those first footsteps
as she struggled to my side
Now her footsteps seek another
as a lovely, blushing bride
In the years I took to teach her
and prepare her for this day
I forgot to teach myself
how to give my child away
Those arms that ache to keep her
must somehow let her go
The words of wisdom spoken
mock the heart that loves her so
But as I catch her smiling
with such love upon her face
The child I have been hoarding
is tenderly erased
A woman stands before me
at the threshold of her life
Soon to start her own adventure
as a mother and a wife.
Judy Patt Hall
May 21, 1990
We forget that we were the same age when we started our life. It is so hard to know that your children need to find their own way, even if they make mistakes and do things differently than you think they should. We need to let them go, but be there in the shadows to give them love and support when they ask for it.
The one thing we don't have to let go of is the memories. Hold on to them with all your might and make new ones with the new people you have yet to meet whether it be friend or a brand new great grandchild!
Rock On everyone and have a productive day!
Judy
Plan for today:
muffin for breakfast before dashing out the door.
Lunch: spinach salad
snack: apple and cheese
Dinner: Hamburg and cabbage casserole
Snack: ice cream bar
Exercise: one hour therapy workout with IGOR; Yoga chair exercises; Walk for at least 15 minutes.
I found out last weekend that I am going to be a Great-Grandmother. At first I had a mixed range of emotions stemming from how old I am getting to how is my little grand daughter going to handle being a mother. For that matter how is my baby daughter going to handle being a grandmother. She is my youngest girl-child and I haven't quite got it through this old gray head of mine that she is a grown woman with grown children. So I have been doing a lot of thinking about how and when to let go. Somehow we are expected to have these adorable, albeit individualistic babies, teach them, raise them, worry about them and then one day just let them walk out your door and then not interfere in their lives ever again. Except when they want to move back in, borrow your car, money, or ask for your sage advice. Which they never take. It is a monumental task and we all have problems with it. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful relationship with all my kids, but still find myself trying to solve all their problems for them and sometimes have to be told to back off (in a nice way of course). I did teach them to be polite!
My thoughts began to extend themselves to all the other things we find hard to let go. Like our habits. When I was a teenager, I could eat a platter of french fries every day after school, which I ate as I danced to American Bandstand. I could wolf down burgers and shakes as I tap danced around the house. I think I am beginning to see something unfold here. I used to eat like a lumberjack, but I also used to think nothing of walking 3 miles to the library, ride my bike all over town, tap dance all over the house, dance and jiggle as I did my chores to music on the radio. Now I need a pulley to get myself out of my chair and all my "activities" are sedentary. So I need to let go of the portions that I used to eat, and eat according to my habits. I have been going to the gym for a few weeks now and after one hour of walking, biking and sweating, the machines tell me I have burned between 150 and 200 calories. That is one granola bar. So how much food do I have to subtract from my diet to actually start losing weight. I need to let go of the notion that I can exercise 3 times a week then eat what I want. So for this week, I am telling myself if I want to eat anything for a snack, I have to get up and move for at least 15 minutes before I eat it. Yesterday I got involved cleaning out a cabinet, and totally forgot to stop after fifteen minutes for the snack and by the time I noticed, it was time to make supper. So I will keep trying to see how many habits I can let go.
Here is a poem I wrote for my little girl when she got married:
A Mother's Poem
The first time my tiny infant
snuggled closely to my breast
My mind was filled with wonder
at how sweetly I'd been blessed
The future lay before me
like a never ending road
How little did I realize
how fast the years erode
I remember those first footsteps
as she struggled to my side
Now her footsteps seek another
as a lovely, blushing bride
In the years I took to teach her
and prepare her for this day
I forgot to teach myself
how to give my child away
Those arms that ache to keep her
must somehow let her go
The words of wisdom spoken
mock the heart that loves her so
But as I catch her smiling
with such love upon her face
The child I have been hoarding
is tenderly erased
A woman stands before me
at the threshold of her life
Soon to start her own adventure
as a mother and a wife.
Judy Patt Hall
May 21, 1990
We forget that we were the same age when we started our life. It is so hard to know that your children need to find their own way, even if they make mistakes and do things differently than you think they should. We need to let them go, but be there in the shadows to give them love and support when they ask for it.
The one thing we don't have to let go of is the memories. Hold on to them with all your might and make new ones with the new people you have yet to meet whether it be friend or a brand new great grandchild!
Rock On everyone and have a productive day!
Judy
Plan for today:
muffin for breakfast before dashing out the door.
Lunch: spinach salad
snack: apple and cheese
Dinner: Hamburg and cabbage casserole
Snack: ice cream bar
Exercise: one hour therapy workout with IGOR; Yoga chair exercises; Walk for at least 15 minutes.
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