Wow! Almost 3 years since my last post... Here's an update:
Since the last post hubs and I moved from Wisconsin to Indiana. Then I decided to go back to school, so we moved back to California. To save money we moved in with my in-laws. I promptly gained no fewer than 30 lbs. Since the last post I've, no doubt, yo-yo'd my health and exercise habits. I have been really working on my mental health and getting through the issues that led to me me (Although wanting to eat healthy) gaining 30+ pounds. I've been working on my overall happiness as a person and confronting those demons that pull me into my bouts of deep dark depression.
Recently; my husband and I (Along with my brother in law) have all climbed on the same healthy eating/diet train of the Ketogenic Diet, together. Because doing things together makes them easier to attack/accomplish. Since beginning this diet, and adding in a small variety of vitamins and supplements, I'm at least 15 pounds down from what I was at my heaviest. My deep dark depression bouts come less frequently. And aside form most mornings I have a more positive outlook on life. Not bad for a pessimist.
Today marks the first day of a 60 day Keto Diet challenge. I'm not sure I have to change anything from what I was doing on the keto diet from last week, but it's nice to have that digital community as well, if nothing else.
Before our new diet began, I started keeping a personal journal. I found a refillable leather bound journal and have been keeping it for posterity or whatnot since the 9th of March, 2017. Then, after much thought and logic processing I decided to keep a food journal, this started on the 19th of May, 2017. Both have evolved from their original writing styles and intent since then, but I do still keep both. I also have been entering my food into MyFitnessPal to monitor my Macros each day.
I've also gotten away from thinking that I NEED to make lots of money. Somewhere along the path of my life almost all of the joy was sucked out of my artistic endeavors because I couldn't think of (or didn't want to) a way to properly market myself and thus decided that these endeavors were not necessarily worth my time if the outcome could not be converted into monetary gains. BAH! The arts make me happy. That should be enough for me to invest my self into them. So I've invested in them more lately than I had been previously. It's still a struggle to let myself do those creative things that feed my soul, but it's getting better.
August 1st, 2014
You know how I said I could make more tips and pointers videos? Well, I just made another one. Booyah! I enjoyed making it, and I enjoyed watching it. Just saying.
It's been a chore figuring out how to keep exercise as part of my daily routine, when Baxter will NOT let me work out. He seriously is an attention whore with SO MUCH ENERGY! Today I tried taking him for a long walk then left him outside to wind down while I started my Piyo. I brought him back in when he started to bark at the UPS guy across the street. But, it WORKED! He laid down on his bed and watched me with only partial interest! Whoo! I wore the dog out. Granted; he's now FULL of energy again, so I'll be playing catch after I post this. But I think being more active because of the dog is better than being only kinda active because he's bothering me... Does that make sense?
 |
| Clicking this photo will take you to the video. |
 |
| Baxter! |
July 16, 2014
Today I made a video about tips for working out at home. Since there were only 3 tips, I could probably do more videos.
In other news; I've finally gotten some answers from my coach about our upcoming Beachbody Challenge Groups. So I was able to ask people to join mine, and (Because I had answers) I was able to discuss this challenge with a few people and got some positive feedback. I don't know if it's because my coach is so far removed from the beginning process, or her plate is just so full now with retirement, but the answers were got, and I ain't even mad bro. Send me a message if you want information about being in my BeachBody Challenge group. if not this month, I'll do others.
July 7, 2014
So internet; it's been a few days. No I haven't forgotten you. I haven't fallen off the wagon yet. Nor do I plan to. Yes, I understand that no one really "Plans" to fall off the wagon, it kinda just "happens" they say. Nevertheless, I have not. No, I've not been perfect. I've eaten junk and skipped days, but for the majority of the past three plus weeks, I've stuck with it, and I've always gone back. And I will continue to. True; my schedule may not want to allow me to continue, and the guest(s) soon to arrive at my house may put a kink in my step. But I'm really excited to learn this new dance, see how I work around real live people. Because they're the ones that matter, internet. Not you and your haters.
Perhaps, in this new adventure I can learn to help people better. Perhaps, I can be a motivation in my not giving up because things in life keep changing. Maybe I can show someone else how to go with the flow. Even when it's inconvenient, yes. True; the impossibility will come to pass that I cannot exercise for a day. True; that same day will be filled with faire food and over indulgences. It will also come with real life people and experiences that I probably wouldn't want to give up for exercise. However; The very next day I will be back at it again. AND; everyone needs a rest day. That will be mine.
How can I be so sure; Because I've made the commitment. I've even gone a step further in that commitment. Not only am I committed to getting fit and healthy by way of exercise, but by diet and Dr. as well. I've chosen to find out all those things that are hindering my health and fixing them. No; it won't be easy, and nothing will happen over night in this process, but I'm determined and committed to be the best me I can be, and be better than what I've ever been in the past. I'm not willing to settle for my situation and wallow in self pity any more. I am committed to this process and you (and your lovely haters) cannot stop me.
Til next time...
Perhaps, in this new adventure I can learn to help people better. Perhaps, I can be a motivation in my not giving up because things in life keep changing. Maybe I can show someone else how to go with the flow. Even when it's inconvenient, yes. True; the impossibility will come to pass that I cannot exercise for a day. True; that same day will be filled with faire food and over indulgences. It will also come with real life people and experiences that I probably wouldn't want to give up for exercise. However; The very next day I will be back at it again. AND; everyone needs a rest day. That will be mine.
How can I be so sure; Because I've made the commitment. I've even gone a step further in that commitment. Not only am I committed to getting fit and healthy by way of exercise, but by diet and Dr. as well. I've chosen to find out all those things that are hindering my health and fixing them. No; it won't be easy, and nothing will happen over night in this process, but I'm determined and committed to be the best me I can be, and be better than what I've ever been in the past. I'm not willing to settle for my situation and wallow in self pity any more. I am committed to this process and you (and your lovely haters) cannot stop me.
Til next time...
June 25, 2014
Hello once again internet! I hope you've fared well in my absence. Of course you have, why wouldn't you? You're digital.
I'm writing today to let you know how excited I am right now. I am very excited!
Why, you ask? Because I've become a Beachbody coach!
But you're not fit! you say? I know that, I'm excited to be on this very specific journey to be the most healthy I've ever been. I'm holding myself accountable by putting myself on the line. I'm hoping to share my journey as it happens, and be an inspiration to others to attain their own health and fitness goals.
You've said this all before though... you say? And you would be correct. I'm not 100% sure I'll succeed, but I have something different this time, that I didn't have before.
What's that, you say? I have a coach and a team working with me to help me achieve my goals, and theirs, so that I too can help others now and in the future.
Silly internet; I can do this. I have decided to do this, and I am committed to that decision, Therefore I Can and Will succeed! I understand it won't be easy, and there are going to be days that I'll want to quit, or eat oatmeal cream pies and watch movies all day, but I'm committed, and I'm in charge of me.
If you (you who is not the internet) would like to join me, find me on facebook or through my Beachbody Coach page.
I'm writing today to let you know how excited I am right now. I am very excited!
Why, you ask? Because I've become a Beachbody coach!
But you're not fit! you say? I know that, I'm excited to be on this very specific journey to be the most healthy I've ever been. I'm holding myself accountable by putting myself on the line. I'm hoping to share my journey as it happens, and be an inspiration to others to attain their own health and fitness goals.
You've said this all before though... you say? And you would be correct. I'm not 100% sure I'll succeed, but I have something different this time, that I didn't have before.
What's that, you say? I have a coach and a team working with me to help me achieve my goals, and theirs, so that I too can help others now and in the future.
Silly internet; I can do this. I have decided to do this, and I am committed to that decision, Therefore I Can and Will succeed! I understand it won't be easy, and there are going to be days that I'll want to quit, or eat oatmeal cream pies and watch movies all day, but I'm committed, and I'm in charge of me.
If you (you who is not the internet) would like to join me, find me on facebook or through my Beachbody Coach page.
September 4, 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I know I haven't written for a long while. First it was due to my moving across the country, then moving into a house that kept me from it. Then there was the whole; not having time to do it because I am settling in thing. I have been exercising though. When I wasn't battling off bad ear infections and other ailments. But then I went to my dress fitting. Now I am not allowed to lose weight because then my dress won't fit. I have seriously been dealing with 3 of the biggest stresses of life, and I am at the most unhealthy weight/size I've ever been and now I'm not allowed to lose weight. Personally; I hate the way I look in my dress. I have tuffs and rolls of fat hanging over the edge and this awesome donut shape for a belly. Granted; the dress does a good job of accentuating my curves. I don't look like a loaf of bread or anything. But I am uncomfortable. I now have the time to exercise on the regular, and the means to choose my own foods. I prefer to make healthy options and I do plan to. But she said I'm not allowed to lose weight. Gawddamn! I'm going to look like a beached whale in my wedding photos.
June 10th, 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I have been stuck out here in Helenville for the longest time... it's only been a few weeks, but it feels like the longest time. Life kinda sucks when you don't have a vehicle and you're in the country... But that's not what I wanted to talk about. No. I wanted to say: "I exercised today." I haven't been exercising here, with all of my free time, because I like to be clean, and the shower situation is spotty at best. BUT I knew that I had to, and was going to be able to shower this evening; so I went ahead and let myself get gross. I took a long walk around late morning, then I did some arm exercises, so planks, so squats... then I got sidetracked and read a few chapters of my ceremony planning book and made some wedding plans... Then I said to myself. "Self, Let us see what is on the You Tubes for workout videos." (I didn't really say that) But then I did just that. I found a video with some ladies with fun accents doing Latin style dances. It was almost 40 minutes and the most fun I'd had in a long time while exercising. Even more fun than all of those ones I spent so much money on. Maybe it's because I was productive today (Mostly) and was in a good mood. Maybe. Anyways; I'm now all clean and fresh. If I can guarantee a shower tomorrow; I'll probably repeat the process... I never got to my daily drawing though, I'll have to do two tomorrow now.
That's another thing. I'm feeling spry. I'm out of my awful environment and I'm challenging myself. This is good for my mind. The drawing challenge is good for my skills and my sanity as well. If you can challenge yourself to do something create for just 30 days; I strongly suggest you do it!
Don't Let Travel Trip Up Your Fitness Plan
Today's Guest Post is from Mike Manning; To find more of his work go HERE.
____________________________________________________________________________
Don't Let Travel Trip Up Your Fitness Plan
Staying fit while traveling can be a challenge, when all you want to do is flop on the hotel bed after a busy day. But including exercise in your travel plans can actually have a lot of benefits.
Traveling generally involves some stress, whether it's new situations, timetables, or hits to the wallet. Exercise can alleviate a lot of the problems that come from stress. Exercise promotes good circulation, which helps with mood, metabolism and sleep patterns. It can also prevent fatigue and increase mental clarity.
Before booking a room, it's good to do some research. Ask if the hotel has a gym, and what machines it has. You can also ask if there are walking trails in the area, and if there are facilities for tennis, basketball, or renting bikes nearby. A great way to exercise is swimming. Find out if there's an indoor or outdoor pool at the hotel.
Rather than waiting until you arrive at the hotel to find out what it has to offer, do some research ahead of time so that you know exactly what you can expect. On my most recent trip, I found a travel review site that listed the top hotels in San Francisco. I was able to read about each hotel and choose one that had a 24-hour fitness facility. It made things much easier for me.
Nowadays, with so many people interested in fitness, hotels are offering more than the basic gym. Many are providing fitness and yoga classes. Even airports are promoting a healthy lifestyle. San Francisco International has a yoga/Zen room and Minneapolis-St. Paul International features walking paths.
You can bring your own exercise equipment on your trip, too. A jump rope and a resistance band don't weigh much and don't take up much room. You can also bring a heart monitor if you want. If you can't fit your regular exercise shoes into your suitcase, you can get a pair of lightweight travel sneakers. They'll be fine for a walk or a run.
Don't forget the healthy food while you're traveling. Forbes writer Jennifer Cohen suggests bringing oatmeal packets and using the hot water from the coffee maker to fix them. Also, avoid the pastries and go for yogurt instead Exercising on a trip can take some extra planning, but the benefits in better health and more energy are worth it. You may even come back feeling better than when you left.
May 13, 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I really like it when others catch onto my crunchy habits. It makes me feel like I'm contributing positively to their health and wellbeing. Even if that person is only Puese. Recently he was complaining about his face breaking out and all the stress of his new job. He kept asking if I had face wash to wash his face, I offered him my oil each time, yet he opted to scrounge around the bathroom for face wash. He did find some and used it for a few days. But then he realized that his face wasn't actually getting better. So I was able to talk him into trying my oil cleanse method. Of course he told me it sounded ludicrous, and that you're supposed to do everything in your power to keep oil away from your face. Since I'm no expert my only argument could be "look at my face. I use oils to wash it." I finally convinced him, taught him how to do it, and he was hooked. He actually went to the store the other day to pick up the ingredients to make his own. It's funny, sometimes he'll say things like "it's time to oil my face again" or something similar. I agree, it does sound like a strange thing to do. Especially when All we hear about is how bad oil is for your skin. YAY!! My first crunchy convert. :)
Oil cleanse method: mix 1 part castor oil with 2-4 parts olive oil (ratios differ depending on your natural skin dryness). Massage on face (this is excellent at removing makeup as well). Get a washcloth wet with hot water and lay over your face (you can either let the heat steam your face or just wipe it off. It's more luxurious to let it steam your face). Repeat the hot wash cloth step until the oils off your face. Pat dry (or not). I find that if it leaves my skin too dry, depending on the weather, I can take a dab of the oil and massage it into the dry areas of my face. Just be sure not to use too much if you choose to do that. Granted; this is just what I do, if you still need more information on the oil cleanse method, I recommend googling it. That's how I was convinced.
April 12th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
That being said, I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my hair. I'd like to continue the whole thing of not washing my hair every day. I had gotten it down to 3-5 days, but with exercising, and making myself sweat, I'm kinda grossed out by it after 2. The issue with washing it every other day is that day in between my hair gets sweaty and therefore looks greasy. Not right away, and not terribly. It doesn't LOOK terrible, but I know what it is. Another issue I'm having is with my hair dye. If you hadn't noticed yet; my hair is now teal. I LOVE my hair to be teal, but If I'm washing my hair all the time, my hair dye is not going to last as long. Now, I have heard rumors and been given links to a brand of hair dye that supposedly lasts longer and is less expensive than what I have been using. I will be investing in a trial of that in the next few weeks. However, if it's not all it's cracked up to be, then I have no idea what I'll do because I have one chance to get it right before I leave the state for a few weeks, and won't have the opportunity to fix it then.
But mostly, I'm trying to find a balance of keeping my hair healthy, teal, and clean, while exercising and getting the rest of me healthy.
March 27th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
It's been a few weeks now, since I said I'd write this, but I am just now finding the time. My homemade deodorant project was a failure. Yes, it took a while to fail, but ultimately it did. Had some of my personal variables not been what they were, it may not have failed, but some things cannot be helped. For instance; if I had not started exercising again after I switched to my homemade deodorant, my armpits may not have become irritated by my sports bra rubbing them, and then would not have been susceptible to the pain and suffering that was to follow.
I did read about a few experiences from people who had similar experiences as me. So I knew this outcome was an actual possibility before I tried it. But I was hoping I wasn't one of the few to have to go through this.
As I stated above, my armpits became irritated when I started exercising again. They were fine with the homemade stuff up to this point. After a few days of exercising the redness started becoming a little bit painful. At one point my left pit turned brown, like it was scabbing over, after that is when they started to sting and burn. It was about a week or so after I started exercising again that I finally determined that I could NOT use the homemade stuff. And the pain was so fierce that Puese and I rushed out to buy something less abusive. I'm still not wanting to put aluminum on my armpits, so we picked up an aluminum free Tom's of Maine deodorant. It took a little while for the pain to cease, but after about a week, my pits were back to normal.
I am a little disappointed that the homemade stuff I made didn't work out. I know there are other recipes out there that I could try. Maybe one day I'll make another attempt at it. Until then, I'll stick with what I've got and hope for the best.
In other news: Yesterday was Day 30 of my Beach Body Challenged. However; with going crazy during the week before the Engagement Party, and now being emotionally exhausted after it, (Plus all of my aches and pains and whatnot's I mentioned the other day) I haven't been exercising at all. I am going to take today to clean up the Engagement Party pile that is taking over the dining room, and then maybe work on my creative project for the week. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to exercise again.
March 21st 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
This week has not been going well. I'm also going to start "this week" on last Saturday. But for now, I'm going to work backwards....
Does anyone want to know why I don't like it when someone is watching me exercise, in person? I'm good if they're doing it with me, or if they watch it after the fact. But if they're watching me while it's happening, they're judging me. If they're judging me; I am almost definitely going to mess up. This happened today. While doing Day 25 of my Beach Body Challenge schedule, and "rockin out" to Disco Groove, I twisted my ankle and fell over. My small toe is still numb, and when it happened; I swear all of the joints/bones in my foot cracked. So I'll be taking a break for a while, if not until tomorrow. Which is fine. I was planning on recording today, but the required equipment is now unavailable to me today, so that's not happening.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling gross, and then for Day 24 I was scheduled to do my least favorite of the Rockin Body classes: Rock It Out. Mostly because I feel weak when I cannot do all the pushups. I also didn't make my shake for breakfast yesterday, but opted for cereal instead. It seems that my body is getting used to the shakeology as fuel for it in the morning, and so I was not feeling up to the strenuous exercise that was this version of weight training. So I stopped halfway through because I was so tired and played Animal Crossing instead.
Tuesday; I don't remember Tuesday. I know I did what was scheduled for me, but that's it.
On Monday, it was Puese's first day of his new job. I was up with him before 7am, I did my Beach Body Challenge without incident, and everything was happy go lucky. Puese's old job issued him a weird card instead of a last paycheck, and our bank didn't know what to do with it, so all of the money is still on the card. Which really sucks because we did our food shopping for the party, and I wasn't anticipating having to spend the money in the account on that, but we figured it out, and it't now fine.
Sunday we did our usual grocery shopping/meal planning, but we also had to finish purchasing all of the items he needed for work, and all the items we need for our engagement party this coming Saturday. Neither of us wanted to go shopping again, we get shopped out pretty fast, and we'd already been several times since the week before. After trying several stores for slacks that would fit my tall man, and medium sized button up shirts that would fit his long arms, we finally got all of his items. Once we got to find the stuff for the party; I just grabbed a bunch of items I thought we'd need without thinking it through much, and got out of there... By this time it was after church hours and all grocery stores are packed. Trader Joes is NO EXCEPTION. Not only was I not wanting to be in any store packed with people, they also didn't have everything we needed. So in the midst of shopping, Puese and I had to compromise and agree on what we'd eat this week. Then my debit card didn't work. Neither did my joint account with my mom. Turns out, not all of our money was where it was supposed to be, so after some creative financial maneuvering on my part, we finally got out of there with all of our groceries in tow. After that I had the lovely task of finding out exactly where my money was, and how to get it into the correct places.
Saturday was my day of stressing out about the Engagement party. Not only did I realize that I hadn't planned on what I was going to wear to it, but I kept getting these really annoying questions that I thought we'd already worked through from people. Turns out stating a request twice on an invite with two requests, means people will only focus on the first requested. So; if everyone is like this one family member; then the only food we'll have at our party is the cheese and crackers and meats platters that I am bringing. Otherwise on Saturday; we once again had to go shopping.
On top of all of this; I am feeling really low because I am not seeing results from this Beach Body Challenge. No visible changes.
Exercising to Improve Physical and Mental Health
Today's Guest Post is from Melanie Bowen; Awareness Advocate for Natural Health. To find more of her work go HERE or search for her at www.Mesothelioma.com.
We have pretty much all heard how critical exercise is in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The benefits associated with regular exercise are immense and can prevent illness and sometimes even cancer. For those who have already experienced the tribulations of cancer or have just been diagnosed, exercise is even more essential. As you read this article, you'll learn more about how beneficial exercise can be for those who are battling cancer or those who are in remission.
The fact that exercise can provide health advantages isn't recent news. Exercise can extend the average life expectancy, prevent diseases and illnesses, promote healthy internal bodily function and even ward off cancer. In the past, medical experts recommended that cancer patients maintain a restful lifestyle with minimal exercise. However, nowadays, physicians tend to emphasize the opposite of bed rest. Cancer patients often battle daily fatigue, lethargy, bodily aches and often depression.
Luckily, exercise can help assist in such side effects. One particular study conducted by scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute demonstrated that cancer patients who exercised regularly had a longer survival rate than sedentary patients. Scientists involved in this study went on to say that this research could produce substantial medical breakthroughs where exercise is accompanied by traditional cancer therapies.
The National Cancer Institute promotes regular exercise for cancer patients in order to improve one's quality of life. Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, of the University of Pennsylvania's Abraham Cancer Center, states that it's important to exercise both for those undergoing cancer treatments and for those that already have undergone therapy. Dr. Schmitz goes on to say that many cancer patients often feel physically unattractive as a result of cancer treatment therapy and that research has shown that physical activity can drastically improve one's own body image and therefore, the quality of life. This article also specifically addresses cancers that are known for significant weight and muscle mass loss, making workouts that contribute to the building of lean muscle mass even more imperative. For example, those with mesothelioma often have decreased appetites and need mood boosts, making exercise a critical component to one's attitude during and after cancer therapy treatment.
Clearly, exercise is vital to one's every day routine and can result in tremendous health benefits. For cancer patients, exercise has the miraculous potential to increase the length of survival, one's overall quality of life, and more.
____________________________________________________________________________
Exercising to Improve Physical and Mental Health
We have pretty much all heard how critical exercise is in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The benefits associated with regular exercise are immense and can prevent illness and sometimes even cancer. For those who have already experienced the tribulations of cancer or have just been diagnosed, exercise is even more essential. As you read this article, you'll learn more about how beneficial exercise can be for those who are battling cancer or those who are in remission.
The fact that exercise can provide health advantages isn't recent news. Exercise can extend the average life expectancy, prevent diseases and illnesses, promote healthy internal bodily function and even ward off cancer. In the past, medical experts recommended that cancer patients maintain a restful lifestyle with minimal exercise. However, nowadays, physicians tend to emphasize the opposite of bed rest. Cancer patients often battle daily fatigue, lethargy, bodily aches and often depression.
Luckily, exercise can help assist in such side effects. One particular study conducted by scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute demonstrated that cancer patients who exercised regularly had a longer survival rate than sedentary patients. Scientists involved in this study went on to say that this research could produce substantial medical breakthroughs where exercise is accompanied by traditional cancer therapies.
The National Cancer Institute promotes regular exercise for cancer patients in order to improve one's quality of life. Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, of the University of Pennsylvania's Abraham Cancer Center, states that it's important to exercise both for those undergoing cancer treatments and for those that already have undergone therapy. Dr. Schmitz goes on to say that many cancer patients often feel physically unattractive as a result of cancer treatment therapy and that research has shown that physical activity can drastically improve one's own body image and therefore, the quality of life. This article also specifically addresses cancers that are known for significant weight and muscle mass loss, making workouts that contribute to the building of lean muscle mass even more imperative. For example, those with mesothelioma often have decreased appetites and need mood boosts, making exercise a critical component to one's attitude during and after cancer therapy treatment.
Clearly, exercise is vital to one's every day routine and can result in tremendous health benefits. For cancer patients, exercise has the miraculous potential to increase the length of survival, one's overall quality of life, and more.
March 12th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I'm feeling conflicted right now. On the one hand, I LOVE to dance, and I like eating healthy, I feel like I'm active, and I think I have energy. On the other hand, I'm not really seeing results. Okay, that's a little extreme. It's Day 16 of my Beach Body Challenge. I have, for the most part, been doing BOTH Rockin Body, and Hip Hop Abs. With the exception of last Tuesday, when I didn't exercise because I was still recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning. I've stuck to the exercise and meal plans, and when I can't eat what I've planned on at home, I choose healthier options when we're out for what ever reason...
Now, I know, from past experiences, that my body sometimes takes a bit longer to react. It never does anything drastically, (Unless it's blowing up 20+lbs while I'm on vacation). It's been two weeks, and I haven't really gone down in size at all. I took some measurements on the 12th of last month and compared them to today. My arms went down a collective 1" and my waistline went down 1/2". Since I do all my measurements myself, I count on there being some sort of leeway in my measurement taking. Not only do the "facts" tell me that my body's not changing, but then there's the old adage: "You'll feel it in the way you wear your clothes" Sorry hun, My clothes are still the same. I had to let out my belt a bit yesterday actually, when I switched to a new pair of jeans.
I am no giving up. I just wish my body would react a little more quickly to being shoved in the "right" direction.
March 5th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I was all set to write about how my deodorant is leaving rashes on my pits, and how well our eating well and my exercising is going. I even was toying with the idea of exploring my options for keeping my hair clean with working out every day, while still maintaining it's lack of plastics integrity. I was contemplating which I would write about after my lesson with Rosetta Stone, but then I almost could have died.
Forgetfulness and cooking on the stove are a combination that, I don't think, could end in anything but disaster. I know for a fact that there was no ill intent from Axure in his forgetting his food item on the stove. So I harbor no hostility towards him. But the fact is that he did forget, LOTS of carbon monoxide happened, and if I hadn't acted when I did (kinda wished I'd known to act sooner) I could be dead now. No, I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. It didn't compute as a near death experience until I was laying on the cement outside. I am glad that I was able to figure out what was going on, and how to counteract it.
It started when I was in the shower. When I came out of the bathroom, it already smelled like burnt bread. Since I've known Axure to cook bread on an open flame in the past, I took the smell to be just that. He was in his room practicing guitar and singing, so I assumed the worst was over, and he'd taken care of it. I proceeded with my Rosetta Stone lesson, as I stated before. I was a few minutes in when I started feeling woozy. I've felt this way before for other reasons, so I thought it might just be that again. But then it kept getting worse. Granted, in the past, it also got worse over time. It was much later that I realized the smell hadn't gone away, it had just gotten much worse. I was no longer able to focus, so I shut down my program and stumbled my way into the kitchen. it was then that I found a burning pot of what could have been soup on high, on the stove. My quick wit told me to turn it off, turn the fan on high, and open the kitchen window. Having been in the kitchen for the short amount of time that I had, in the concentration of the burning smoke stuff, I was now very very not well. I opened the window in the dining room, next to where I was sitting and realized I could no longer see straight at all. I tried to hang my head out the window, but my body felt to weak to hold myself up there long. I made my way to the front door, fumbled with all the locks and forced my way outside. I sat on the front stoop with my head in my hands but even that was too wobbly of an experience to I put my head down on the grass. The fresh air started to help a bit. At least I wasn't getting any worse. But there were ants now crawling on my head (Eewe, Gross!), so I moved my head back to the steps and shut my eyes. I laid there for a good while until Puese got home from work. He found me where I lay, brought me water, and opened the rest of the windows in the house. It was a little while after Puese got home that Axure came out of his room. Me, in my feeble state, could not have said anything to him much higher than soft inside voices. Puese sat with me until I was able to sit and then eventually stand. Then helped me all the way around to the back door and into bed. It took a long while, but I was eventually able to move around without stumbling or feeling like I was going to pass out. I did have to burp a lot (and still do). The burning was all I could smell for a long while too. It was in my system, and taking it's time to come out. To my surprise, I didn't feel worse while riding in the car later, and food did help.
Today, I still am feeling the symptoms of it a bit, and was not up for exercise, so I spent most of the day sleeping. I've found that I can see straight, but if I move too quickly, my wooziness kicks in a bit. I hope I feel better tomorrow, and can get back to dancing. From what I know about exposure to carbon monoxide and smoke, I am a little worried about the possibilities of permanent damage to my brain. I feel like I seem okay, but only time will tell with that.
I've also been a little introspective today, but I suppose that is to be expected. What's not been expected is that I don't think I'm reacting to this the way that some people would, or I've heard about. My introspection has been more about why I've reacted the way I have, instead of how I'm going to act from now on. I kinda am not in the mood to do anything.
March 2nd 2013
Not every day is sunshine and roses. Some days are just sunshine. Some days are partly sunny. Some days you don't want to get out of bed to find out. Yesterday was Day 5 of my Beach Body Challenge, and for the most part, it's been going quite well. There are a few things to consider however, when determining how well things are going. On Thursday, Puese didn't want to stick to our healthy eating plan. He didn't want to help me cook when he got home from work. My Thursday was rather productive, but when he started acting like a stink, my mood dropped considerably. But he got over it, we made dinner, and both our moods improved. Yesterday, I was feeling good. I though it was going to be a sunshine and roses day. I got up, went to the dentist, (it was a wonderful experience) then came home, had lunch and exercised. I also felt splendiforous enough at the time to record my exploits for the day. All 3 classes I did. Then the day started getting cloudy. All signs of roses had vanished at least. My computer hadn't recorded any sound, and it was getting increasingly loud the more I tried to focus on syncing up the sound on those clips that did have sound. Which, if you're trying to listen for a matching audio visual que, it's not good to have lots of noise around. But I eventually got it all pieced together, re-recorded what needed audio, and exported it. Then I talked to my mom on the phone for a long time. There was lots and lots said. And I was exhausted by the end of it. Because I was talking to her, I missed my snack, and so when we set out for the farmers market, I was downright hungry. It was already time to start making dinner when we got there. Since Puese and Axure aren't as strict on this Challenge as I am, they both help themselves to a tasty treat of shrimp cocktail. A very very spicy shrimp cocktail, no less. So I was tired, and hungry, and cranky, and there was nothing to be done about it. It was well into dinner time, and I wasn't going to want to help cook when I got home. I would have rather just gone to bed early. But that wouldn't have been allowed. So I rented an action movie, put on my pj's when I got home, sat on the couch, and waited for dinner to happen if it ever would. Puese and Axure put dinner together, and much too late in the evening I finally got to eat. It was very tasty, but it was too spicy, so I didn't enjoy it. The reason I don't diet, or eat spicy food, is because I like to enjoy my food. I am a foodie. But at that late hour, I was very glad that dinner had been made and I could eat. With dinner and the movie, my mood did improve. I set the last of my videos to upload and went to bed.
It was dark this morning so I slept in, which made me cranky, and I had a shake for breakfast, which had too many chunks in it, so that made me cranky, and then when I went to my computer, the internet had gone out in the night, so all uploads had failed, so that made me cranky. So instead of exercising, I had to finish my chunky shake and fix the youtubes. But then when that was done. I danced to my videos, and that makes me happy. But now I am blah. Puese just brought home deli sandwiches for us, which I appreciate, but it's smothered in things I'm not eating right now, and Axure turned the water off when I was about to go to take a shower. I'll probably feel better after eating something and taking a shower. I don't always have such severe mood swings, but I have the last coupla days. Maybe it's my body protesting the change in my health and fitness levels/routine.
It was dark this morning so I slept in, which made me cranky, and I had a shake for breakfast, which had too many chunks in it, so that made me cranky, and then when I went to my computer, the internet had gone out in the night, so all uploads had failed, so that made me cranky. So instead of exercising, I had to finish my chunky shake and fix the youtubes. But then when that was done. I danced to my videos, and that makes me happy. But now I am blah. Puese just brought home deli sandwiches for us, which I appreciate, but it's smothered in things I'm not eating right now, and Axure turned the water off when I was about to go to take a shower. I'll probably feel better after eating something and taking a shower. I don't always have such severe mood swings, but I have the last coupla days. Maybe it's my body protesting the change in my health and fitness levels/routine.
February 26th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
I'm not feeling like spending a whole lot of time at my computer today; so I've copy/pasted what I wrote in my teambeachbody.com blog:
Day 2 - Rockin Body
Yesterday was my first day of Rockin Body. I'm fortunate enough to have a fiance who's willing and able to eat healthy with me. To stand with me against the bad eating habits of the rest of the people that live in this house. It was a little rough sometime after lunch, but we survived. We sat down two days ago and created a meal plan for the week, using both the Rockin Body and Turbofire recipes I have for inspiration. Though, anything that felt like it was a diet and not real life was edited to fit into a reality we can handle. I am having my shakes in the morning, and he's having the breakfasts that we chose from the books. I like my shakes, but when we have breakfast together, I'm already a little jealous of the food. Just because I'm a foodie, and he's a good cook. In the next couple of weeks though, our schedules will change, and we won't be eating breakfast or lunch together except on the weekends anymore. We'll work it out though.
As far as the Rockin Body programs go: it's only day two, but I am really enjoying them. Once upon a time, I was a dancer. This is taking me back. I'm also finding that I'm ready and willing to do more than just the scheduled classes for the day. Because of this, I've also been following the Hip Hop abs schedule as well. I hope I don't peter out and give up on doing extra. I love to dance, and barely any of this feels like work. Even now, writing this, I'm wanting to do some more. I know my body can handle it. But I'll wait until tomorrow.
February 19th 2013
-----Author's Note----
The following and all proceeding entries have an air of melancholy and defeatist. They are full of excuses, and were written by a depressed me. More recently I've taken control of my mood and I CHOOSE to be positive from now on. I will leave the previous entries published so that I can remember where I came from and where I don't want to go again. (There were some good days, but not many.)
So; I've decided to take the BeachBody Challenge. It's definitely not cheap, nor is it exactly in our budget. But since we're spending so much of my tax return money on it, I need to make sure it's worth it. I've talked it out with each of the household members, and set a time, each day, that I have set aside for me to exercise. I've let everyone know that I may not be able to eat with everyone at their odd meal times. I'm doing my best to make sure that everyone knows that I'm trying to take this seriously, and they should too. It was fairly disappointing for me to get standoffish and short, emotionless responses from my beach body coach, but then again; she's just a person, and I may be reading into it too much. Regardless, I'm undeterred from my mission. On Monday (or whenever my programs get here) I will be starting my challenge. I opted for getting a new program, because I want to dance. I also want something that's not as repetitive as the NYC ballet workout. I also find that after a few weeks of the Turbo Fire program anymore, I get angry at it, and stop enjoying it. I did, however, enjoy Turbo Fire for several months the first go-round, and did see some actual results. After watching and re-watching all of the info-videos for all of the "dancy" options I was presented with, I decided against the Brazil Butt Lift. It just didn't appeal to me. I did however, opt for both the Rockin Body program and the Hip Hop Abs challenge pack. Rockin Body was only $20, and the Hip Hop Abs came with the Shakeology at a discount. And I like Shakeology. I had Shakeology when I got results with Turbo Fire. But instead of the single serve variety pack, I opted for just the greenberry bag. Between the two of them, I liked that one best, and I'm still wary of the tropical one. This weekend, we'll have to go grocery shopping, and get foods I can eat with the program. I'm really really excited about starting this! It gives me a super excuse to eat like I actually want to; Healthy, and at decent hours. I'll start Monday, or whenever my package arrives. I think I already said that. Since I'm going to take the challenge, I'll probably be posting regular updates of my progress. Squee! The only bad thing: if this does work, I will not fit in the bridesmaids dress I just paid for. But if that's my only problem... I'm out of problems.
February 13th, 2013
Well, yesterday's experiment was half bust. I cannot yet say if the deodorant itself doesn't work, but my reusing the deodorant tube thing didn't really work out. It solidified alright, just like I thought it would. But then it didn't turn up. So I cannot dispense it. So it's a solid tube of deodorant that I can't get to. GAH! I suppose I can remelt it and either figure out a way to get the tube to work, or put it in something else. I'll probably try to get the tube to work. That is, if I didn't break the turning mechanism when I was trying to force it up. I'll have to think it through a bit before I try anything. Unless of course someone has any suggestions, that'd be spectacular.
Today's "Holistic" experiment was also a bust, so I had to turn to my personal "old" way of removing my nail polish. I also wasn't able to exercise today because I've run out of body wash... I suppose I could use a bar of soap, I'm pretty sure I still have some Dove bars around here somewhere... Anywho; Despite all my fails today, I'm still in a rather upbeat mood. This morning, I successfully made myself a "perfect" omelet. You may be thinking: What does she mean perfect? I mean; The egg poured in a perfect circle, which I was able to flip without breaking or messing up too badly, and I was able to fold without breaking it either. Also; I was able to create this omelet from the random bits that we actually do have in the kitchen still. I found a can of black olives, some salami, and provolone cheese, as well as minced garlic. Along with the two eggs and some milk, I figured it would make a pretty good omelet. I was only half right. After biting into it, I realized it needed something to even out the salami. I texted Puese and told him how I wished we had some Feta. Then I opened the fridge, and lo' we had some feta! It's a miracle. I sprinkled some of that on top, and it was really really good. Probably didn't need the provolone cheese on there, but I couldn't remove it after it was melted. Mmmmm... Omelet...
>Mix together 2 eggs with a little bit of milk, about half a tablespoon to a tablespoon's worth, with some minced garlic, about a teaspoon.
>Pour into already heated non-stick pan. Cook at med-low heat until the pan side is cooked. (I'd tell you what that is, but this was my first successful omelet, I'm no expert. It's usually hit or miss for me).
>Flip the egg over with a spatula of your choice. (I use a slotted turner).
>Add the salami and some sliced olives to one half of the egg. (I used two jumbo olives cut thin and three slices of salami, enough to cover the egg in one layer.)
>Either add the feta to the middle or save it for the topping.
>Fold the empty half of the egg over the other half with the salami and olives on it.
>Add the feta if you hadn't added it yet, and some more olives if you'd like to the top.
>Move to a plate and enjoy.
 |
| Pre-Feta Cheese |
>Mix together 2 eggs with a little bit of milk, about half a tablespoon to a tablespoon's worth, with some minced garlic, about a teaspoon.
>Pour into already heated non-stick pan. Cook at med-low heat until the pan side is cooked. (I'd tell you what that is, but this was my first successful omelet, I'm no expert. It's usually hit or miss for me).
>Flip the egg over with a spatula of your choice. (I use a slotted turner).
>Add the salami and some sliced olives to one half of the egg. (I used two jumbo olives cut thin and three slices of salami, enough to cover the egg in one layer.)
>Either add the feta to the middle or save it for the topping.
>Fold the empty half of the egg over the other half with the salami and olives on it.
>Add the feta if you hadn't added it yet, and some more olives if you'd like to the top.
>Move to a plate and enjoy.
Ceeyena Inspired: Super Easy At Home Deodorant.
Today's holistic adventure was in deodorant. It turned out really really easy to make, I hope it works really well to compensate for all the hard work I didn't do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)