Getting Healthier One Day at a Time

2015-11-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

Yikes! It's been over two years since I've posted. I'd like to be able to tell you that in that period of time I have quit smoking, exercise daily and have reached my ideal weight. None of these is true -- not today.

It's time to re-commit to getting healthier one day at a time -- not just the blog here, but the real thing -- my health and maybe yours, too, if you come along for the ride.

Day 11: Happy Easter

2013-03-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

Day 11: Happy Easter! I know it's easy enough to lose sight of goals on special occasions, so I'm reminding myself of my goals before the celebrations get started in earnest today.

I'm going to enjoy a least a taste of everything, but will fill most of my plate with fruits and veggies. Fresh pineapple, cucumber, radishes and broccoli are my choices today.

Had a great workout yesterday and met my goal of five servings of the fruits and vegetables.

Note to self: Roasted eggplant is tasty when sliced thinly and brushed with olive oil, then placed on cookie sheet and baked at 350 degrees until browned.

A new, mini-goal is to begin trying fruits and vegetables I've never eaten and/or to find new and different ways to enjoy old favorites. Changing things up avoids the tedium of the same old thing over and over, which for me leads to unhealthier choices.

Until next time, indulge but don't over-indulge. And save a peep for me. : )

Day 9 One Week Down, One Mile Completed

2013-03-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Day 9: I missed celebrating my first full week of my journey to get healthier one day at a time here, but it didn't go unnoticed, at least by me. Seven days AND I made it a full mile on my 4-mile walking video. Yeah me!

Yes, maybe getting excited over a mere 7 day stretch -- correction, today makes it an 8-day stretch -- is a little over the top. I didn't buy champagne or bake a cake, but did give myself kudos for sticking with my plan.

Patting yourself on the back for accomplishments big and small is a healthy thing to do. You're acknowledging meeting a goal, even if it was just getting the darned ironing done today, and you're acknowledging that your own opinion is important to you -- as it should be.

It's great when the people important to us notice our efforts, but it is even more vital that your own opinion counts to you. There are lots of small things that are probably important to you that no one else would know. When you've jumped those hurdles, an inner feeling of victory isn't selfish or self-serving.

Here's some information you might find interesting:

Fiftysomething Diet: 5 Powerful Weight-Loss Boosters

Are any of these things in your menu now? Are you thinking about adding any of them, and if so, which ones?

Until the next time, C'mon spring!

7 Reasons that Moderate Intensity Exercise Is a Good Idea

2013-03-28T09:47:00.003-07:00

Check out this slideshow from Livestrong.com for seven great reasons to do moderate intensity exercise.

Day 7 On the Way to Establishing Habits

2013-03-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Day 7: I don't know if anyone else sees a change in me, but I do when I look in the mirror. No, I'm not talking about weight loss. There is nothing to see there quite yet.

What I see when I look in the mirror is a woman with some fire in her eyes and a smile that seems wider than it has in quite some time. When I walk, I feel like I have more pep in my step. I don't know that any of these things are true or if it's just that my perception is changing. Either way is just fine by me. First and foremost, I have to like the person that I am, from the inside to the outside.

At this point, I am not weighing myself or taking body measurements. I know that sounds a little goofy, but while weight loss is certainly an aim of my changing habits, the real goal is to become a healthier me.

I'll know from the fit of my clothes, to the distance I can walk without becoming winded, by the increased overall energy I have for life that I am making headway toward becoming healthier.

I don't want to obsess over numbers, unless we're talking about numbers like blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. These are numbers that help to measure my healthiness.

Might I change my mind sometime in the future and begin to court the scales and measuring tape? I might, but for now I am keeping my focus on the bigger picture.

Have you found that weighing yourself or taking your measurements are motivating factors in weight loss? In becoming healthier? I'd like to learn what has worked for you.

Until next time, take care, please.

Day 6 Feelings the Effects of Exercise

2013-03-26T18:55:00.002-07:00

Day 6: I almost made it to 1 mile on the 4-mile walking video today! I still haven't gotten around to getting the prequel to this Leslie Sansone video, and this one is intense. But maybe that's a good thing.

Let me tell you those knee lifts have my lower abdomen and lower back muscles a bit sore this evening, but I've going to score that soreness as points toward my goal of becoming healthier one day at a time. The soreness lets me know I am engaging muscles that most definitely need attention. As I work out each day, those muscles are going to begin to work like they are meant to work.

I've been doing first the aerobic activity on the walking video, then following it with tai chi. I think that's the wrong order. The tai chi is more about stretching, slow movements and controlling your breathing -- something a little tough to do after an aerobic workout. Tomorrow the plan is to switch them up and see how it goes.

Appetite not so good, so mostly munched on a little pasta and tomato sauce. Did get in my whole day's recommended amount of whole grains -- Bran Shredded Wheat does it. I don't notice that the bran changes the taste or texture of the shredded wheat by much, by adds lots more fiber.

Shy of my fruit and vegetable servings by about three today, so have to try and improve that effort tomorrow.

What's your tip for getting in more fruits and vegetables throughout the day? I'm open to suggestions. : )

Until tomorrow, keep it real.

Day 5 Forward on One Goal, A Step Back on the Other

2013-03-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

There was no post for Day 4 of my quest to get healthier one day at a time. Migraine headache subsided partially and I decided not to test whether physical activity would amp it back up or not. Nausea from the headache precluded any real eating, so it was mostly a clear liquids day for me.

Day 5: Doing a happy dance because the headache is gone, gone, gone!

I got in over 15 minutes of moderate physical activity today between the walking video and shoveling a light layer of snow from the driveway. Both are heart-pumping activities and engage different muscle sets, so overall felt like a good workout today.

Only three servings of fruits and vegetables today, one of which was a glass of white grape juice, so I will count that as a half serving, not in calorie count, but total nutrient/nutritional value. Although juices are one way to increase daily servings, they are also more concentrated in calories and lack the fiber of a fruit or vegetable.

I should share that I am a type 2 diabetic, taking one medication daily for aid in blood sugar control. The Mediterranean diet was suggested to me when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and after initially following through quite well, I slacked off. This is where whole grains, fruits and vegetables come in as major staples of the diet, along with fish, nuts, limited dairy, limited red meat, and limited fats beyond olive oil.

Is anyone else following the Mediterranean-style of eating? It might be great to share recipes and meal ideas, if you're interested.

Until tomorrow, keep believing.

Day 3 Re-Assessing Methods

2013-03-23T19:20:00.001-07:00

No exercise today. Combination of a cold and migraine headache prevented much activity at all. Will see what tomorrow brings; hopefully can be productive in some manner.

Did get in three servings of vegetables today. Thank goodness for tomato sauces with and without pieces of tomato in them!

(Photo by Photon_de, CC-BY-2.0 via Flickr)

Did you know that more of the lycopene, an antioxidant present in tomatoes and other foods has a greater amount available in cooked tomatoes than in raw tomatoes? Lycopene has been proven to be effective in animals and lab studies to be an anti-cancer agent as well as promote improved heart health, but studies in humans have yet to prove these same results. I'm guessing that since it is an antioxidant, at the least the substance won't harm me and may provide a health benefit in a nutritionally-balanced diet.

I am also re-thinking the walking video I am using. It is intended for people who have used Leslie Sansone's beginner walking videos, that have then built up to this level. I'm going to table this 4-mile walking video for now and start instead with a beginner video. That's where my level of activity and fitness fit for now. In time to come, I look forward to graduating to the 4-mile video.

Do you give yourself days off from workouts? Do you find that sticking to a daily routine is better until you get the habit established? I'm interested in learning what's worked for others, and what hasn't.

Day 2 One More Day than Yesterday

2013-03-22T18:43:00.001-07:00

The day started out great. I was feeling good and making sure my newest goals to get healthier were in the front of my mind.

Managed to get past just the warm-up portion of my walking dvd -- hung in there a total of 7 minutes today.

No soreness of muscles were noted until I began doing the leg lift portion of the routine. Yikes! My thigh and lower abdominal muscles cried "Uncle!" and I stopped at that point.

After drinking some water and catching my breath, I did some tai chi stretches and movements with David Carradine -- strictly by dvd, you understand.

I met my low-ball goal of 15 minutes of physical activity for the day, but not my unspoken goal to make that 15 minutes of aerobic activity daily. I am re-stating my goal to be at least 15 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day.

This afternoon, the first symptoms of a cold began and within a few hours I was feeling the virus's effect full force. Took some Cold-Eeze, so hoping the zinc in that may lessen the severity and length of this nastiness.

No fruits or veggies today, so that goal was missed by a long shot. Did get recommended daily amount of whole grain fiber, though, so a bit of a trade-off.

Tomorrow is another day to try again.

First Day -- I've Gotta Start Somewhere

2013-03-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I've morphed into a laptop potato -- the technological equivalent of a couch potato. I've never been the athletic type, but was more than moderately physically active when working as a nurse in long-term care.

For at least a couple of years, once a day I would vow to myself, "Tomorrow I'm going to change." Today was finally that "tomorrow" for me. Have you found your "tomorrow" yet, or is it still something rolling around in the idea category? If you find yourself saying "yes" to the latter, you have lots of company. Before today, I was one of those people.

I could set myself a number of goals, but for right now I am limiting myself to getting at least 15 minutes of exercise each day and including at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables in my daily diet.

These are pretty modest goals, but even small changes are a starting point. I don't want to set myself up to fail before I get to square one.

So, today I reached my exercise goal, but just barely. I'm beginning with Leslie Sansone's "Fast & Firm! 4 Really Big Miles." It sounds pretty ambitious for a laptop potato, but this isn't my first go-around with getting healthier. I've learned to take any exercise regimen and break it down to smaller or shorter intervals, increasing along the way.

Today, I made it through the warm-up period on the video. Please don't laugh! I then finished my 15 minutes of exercise by walking in place, just at a slower pace than the video would have done. Okay, it sounds ludicrous, but it's a beginning.

And I had 5 servings of vegetables throughout the day. No fruits seemed appealing. I hope that changes.

Until tomorrow, I wish you better health.