Blizzard

Well!  It wasn’t raining today…it was snowing!!  So, again I didn’t get outside to walk, and I didn’t even think about popping in this Walking DVD I have!  Tomorrow I’m going to be doing the walking dvd because I really want to move more.  I feel very tired last few days because I haven’t been moving at all.

It really showed this week, I had weigh in tonight at my TOPS meeting and I lost a 1/4 pound.  Although I’m happy I lost weight, I know that I can do much better.  So this week I’m really going to make an effort into my exercising.  I have to admit that I do feel so much better when I workout.  There’s just something about the workout that gets the juices pumpin’!  I feel more alive the more I move.  Nan was right about that.  She tried to tell me that when I first came home. 

I’ve got a handle on eating the raw foods, now I need to work on exercise and also on drinking more water.  I haven’t been drinking much water in the last few days.  I’d been doing good.

I find it hard some times to keep up the momentum for my plans.  I can see that what I am doing is making a difference, but there’s still a part of me that wants to keep everything the same.  There’s a part of me that rebels against changing.  I have trouble finishing what I start, no matter how good intentioned I am about working on it whether for health or for relationships or whatever.  This time however I have support.  I have the TOPS meetings and my grandparents.  Which I didn’t have before.  Also being able to blog my thoughts and feelings helps get things off my chest and out of my head.

My Weight at TOPS tonight was 225.  I had a lot of encouragement from the chapter, they are always excited about my progress.  Since joining at the end of September, I have consistantly lost weight.  I haven’t gained any weight, or stayed the same.  I’m proud of that.  It’s definately helping me to keep pushing myself to do better.

[Via http://lechandra.wordpress.com]

12-02-09 - Weight Watchers Update

I had my Weight Watchers meeting today.  I wasn’t able to attend a meeting last week, because I was too busy with Thanksgiving week activities.  Even though I was bad over Thanksgiving weekend, I still managed to lose 1.6 pounds over the last two weeks, so I’m now down a total of 35.0 pounds.  That means I’ve hit another 5 pound increment, but once again, I’m not in much of a celebratory mood.  Sometimes, my pain level seems to be worse than it was six months ago.  Maybe it’s partially psychological, but the pain’s really been getting to me lately.

This afternoon at work, I actually broke down in tears a couple of times because I’m getting so sick of having almost every body movement I make causing pain somewhere.  Fortunately, no one happened to walk by my cubicle the two times it happened.  That would have been embarassing.

Co-worker: “Oh, my God, Paul, did someone die?”

Me: “No, I’m just too much of a wimp to tolerate the pain.”

Sometimes, I wish I could take narcotics, but I can’t because of my sleep apnea.  The over-the-counter stuff is close to being useless.  I know I’m not perfect, but I am trying, and I am losing some weight.  I just wish I could have even a tiny little reduction in the pain level.  I feel like it’s getting to the point where it’s goint to start actually altering my personality.  Or maybe it already has and I just don’t realize it.  So, I’m hoping for a reduction in the pain level soon.  In the mean time, I just have to stick to the plan, and keep losing as much as I can.

On a brighter note, my favorite Christmas special was on TV tonight.  Maybe this is embarassing for an almost 46-year-old man to admit, but my favorite Christmas special is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and it was on tonight.  I watch it every year.  I don’t care whether I miss any of the other specials, but I always try and catch Rudolph.  The thing is, I’m kind of a “Bah, Humbug” when it comes to Christmas.  Rudolph is the only thing that gets me close to being in the spirit of the season.  If you celebrate Christmas, hopefully there’s something that gets you into the spirit.

[Via http://pstarr999.wordpress.com]

December goals

I’m ripping off bloggers everywhere by starting a monthly “goals” post. But, in particular, I got the idea from Serendipity’s Guide to Saving. I think it’s a good idea to make monthly goals and then to post on my status. It’s another way to keep myself accountable. So let’s get started.

December goals:

1. Get off academic probation but more specifically:

a. Make a B in Political Science 101.

b. Make at least a C- in Criminal Law and Procedure.

How do I go about achieving these goals? With stellar final exams, that’s how! I need to make a C+ on my law final to pull my grade up to a C-, and I’ll need a B+ on my Poli Sci 101 final. Study, study, study!

2. Get back into the workout routine and lose 10 pounds for the month of December.

I was in the habit of working out every day, doing 30 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weight training every day of the week. All it took was a personal crisis to throw all of that hard work off track. I did 30 minutes of cardio last night, upping my elliptical level by two. I burned 40 more calories than my workout buddy (250 total calories), and it felt great! My mission for December is to workout at least every day Monday through Friday, though I would like to go on the weekend too. I’m 40 pounds from being a normal weight, according to the BMI calculator. But my real goal is for my size 8 clothing to fit comfortably. Weighing 140 pounds would be nice but not if I have to buy all new clothing!

3. Have a fun, stress-free holiday with family and friends.

4. Go to bed early!

I do very poorly with this. I’m a night owl by nature, and it’s hard to make myself go to bed when I’d rather be up blogging, perusing news sites or even cleaning. I’d like to get into the habit of going to bed by midnight at the latest to ensure I get 7 hours of sleep before waking up for work.

5. Drink less soda, one a day. Replace usual soda intake with water.

This is in tune with my goal to lose weight, but more specifically, soda gives me what D and I call “the burgles.” I cannot drink soda without the stomach grumbling and belching for a good 20 minutes afterward. It’s uncomfortable and probably a sign that soda really isn’t doing my body any good.

6. Sell all of the remaining “clutter” in the apartment.

I’m feeling pretty good about these goals. They’re all things that will improve my quality of life and prepare for a great 2010!

[Via http://girlwithredballoon.wordpress.com]

Nourish Your Soul-Food

Think for a moment of a food from your past, one that makes you feel good after you eat it for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, slow-simmered tomato sauce, ice cream sundae or potato chips. Eating these foods (every once in a while) can be incredibly healing, even though your brain may not consider it nutritious.

Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood play times, first dates, holidays, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has healing and nurturing effects that go beyond the food’s nutritional content.

Acknowledging what various foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food. This holiday season when we celebrate with family and friends, it’s very important to realize that we all have a relationship with food-and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us deprive ourselves, attempting to control our weight. We often abuse food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before we’ve even tasted it.

What would your life be like if you treated food and your body as you would treat your beloved? With gentleness, playfulness, communication, honesty, respect and love?  This holiday season make it your intention that when you sit down to eat your soul food, do so with awareness and without guilt, and enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you.

Practicing this habit alone will have a major, positive impact in your relationship with food as well as your over all health and appearance!

Take the challenge and love your food like you’ve never done so before!

Holiday Detox Click Here: http://rainforestdetox.com/

For Free Cutting Edge Health and Nutrition Information Click Here Now: http://nutritionalsoul.com/

[Via http://seanlouden.wordpress.com]

race week...

Five days and counting to the Santa Shuffle. It’s my second race and my first HR test.

I got a call from Dave @ Pace of Chicago today…he emailed a day or two ago and said he was going to run too and asked what pace I wanted to go at. I had no idea. I hemmed and hawed! I emailed Coach Jen and asked her opinion..my PR is 47:58…as it’s my only race, I want to beat it. The goal is 40:00. I think it’s doable…I’m pumped.

I’m looking forward to starting with my cousins! I’ll start with them, and after I finish I’ll go back and cheer them until they cross the finish line!

On a side note…I cut the beard. I chickened out from completely shaving it, but it’s just stubble. See, I’ve had facial hair for the last 10 years or so- with the exception of a month or two after K was born because I thoguht she was afraid of the beard. I’ve thought i needed facial hair…a goatee or beard…to hide my fat face. But now, it’s not such a fat face. I don’t feel like I need the beard. I guess I chickened out, because I kind of like it. I wanted to be sure lol. We’ll see what Pam says when she gets home from work!

What do you guys think?

Let me know!

Gym day tomorrow…I’ll check in after!

[Via http://cubicledad.com]

Exercise #88 - EnergizingYour Internal Organs, Part 2

Welcome to Healing T’ai Chi

…the award-winning blog of seated T’ai Chi and Qigong exercises to balance mind, body and spirit for people of all ages and levels of fitness.

(sponsored by the Exercise Equipment Super Store)

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“In holding the soul and embracing oneness
Can one be steadfast, without straying?
In concentrating the energy and reaching relaxation
Can one be like an infant?” Tao Te Ching #10, translated by Derek Lin ~~~~~~~~~

 In this series of exercises we are concentrating on movements that will stimulate, energize and massage our internal organs.  We tend to ignore these important organs in spite of the fact that the health of each of them is vital to our overall well-being.  None of the exercises are geared to one particular organ – all are benefitted by the movements and oxygenated by the specific breathing pattern that we have been practicing.

Palms up torso twists:

1. Sit as usual with your feet flat on the floot, shoulder-width apart, hips tucked slightly underneath you.
2. Breathe in slowly as you lift both arms out to the side, palms facing downward.
3. Turnt to your left as you breathe out slowly and twist your arms so that your palms face upward.  Remember this action locks the ch’i as it’s traveling down your arms
4. At the furthest point of the waist twist quickly release your arms thereby unlocking the ch’i and allowing it to rush strongly down to  your hands and fingertips.  At this point your palms are facing downward again.  Begin breathing out slowly as you turn back to the center.
5. Repeat to your right side and alternate with left and right twists for a total of 12 times i.e., 6 twists to each side.

 Reflexology exercise:

• Locate the liver point on the bottom of your foot on the inside of your foot at about the middle of your arch and a thumb’s width  inward.  Click on the link below to see a chart of this and other points on the bottom of your foot:

 http://www.circlesoflight.com/alternative/reflexology-chart.html

• Massage and knead this point for a few seconds and then hold your thumb firmly on the liver point for at least a full minute.
• Change feet and repeat the steps above.

 Benefits:  This reflexology/acupressure point is essential to your well-being particularly if you are taking prescribed medications that may adversely affect the health of your liver.

 

Don’t forget to drink water at the end of your exercise session or any time you begin to feel thirsty.  A Word of Caution…If you have or have had problems with your kidneys, please consult your physician.

~~~~~~~~~

This week’s featured blog/site:

http://taoism.about.com/b/2009/11/03/in-praise-of-tension.htm

Featured video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcpD1I7×4Dk&feature=related

Find great deals on home exercise equipment at the Exercise Equipment Super Store.

http://www.joansweightloss.com

http://mybodysite.com/Publish/index.php

http://www.reikibyrockie.com

http://robertscottbell.blogspot.com/

http://thepeopleschemist.com/blog/

~The exercises in this blog are intended for educational purposes only.  Always consult with your health care provider before beginning a new exercise program.~

[Via http://chairtaichi.wordpress.com]

Exercising the Pelvic Floor

  Mary O’Dwyer is the author of several books. Her latest is Hold it Sister available on www.Amazon.co.uk and on www.incostress.com  Read more about the amazing work of Mary helping women. www.holditsister.com

Below is what she has to say.

When I run workshops for women, fitness trainers and Physiotherapists, one routine test for participants is to feel what happens at their waist with strong coughing, then relate whether their pelvic floor lifts and holds or pushes down. Typically 50% of the participants relate their pelvic floor pushes down, instead of drawing up in response to the quick rise of intra abdominal pressure. This uncoordinated muscle action between the floor and abdominal muscles is likely to continue with lifting and exercise, further damaging pelvic floor muscle (PFM) control.  Some women display a faulty pattern where by they narrow their waist as they tighten their pelvic floor muscles, again increasing the intra-abdominal pressure.

It is critical to identify women who have PFM control problems before they begin an exercise program. Traditional abdominal programs, some group classes, weighted machines and high level core exercises overwhelm the ability of a weak, uncoordinated pelvic floor to control intra abdominal pressure rises. These women must first identify and exercise the correct pattern of pelvic floor, core and abdominal muscle tensioning, before exercise progresses.

Carol attended a recent workshop I gave for the fitness industry.  She is a very experienced fitness trainer, who recognised immediately her faulty ‘waist sucking’ pattern during exercise.  After a short session to help her relearn the correct pattern she managed to make fundamental changes by training her pelvic floor and core control without the sucking in.  She realised how important this was for her female clients and later wrote to me saying, 

‘For many gym members, the focus is on exercise classes, personal training sessions and their own strength and cardio exercise.  How important it is to teach awareness of core muscle control throughout the exercise movements rather than just counting repetitions. Women will control and prevent PFM damage when they recognise for themselves, when to rest and re-set, go from high impact to low impact, reduce the weight they’re lifting, drop back from running to walking, and so on to maintain core stability. PFM health will be promoted when women learn their mind-body connection, practice pelvic floor safe exercises and develop core stability before progressing to strengthening exercises. ‘

Carol now realises it is not only the ‘at risk’ group, but all women who will benefit from an awareness of potential problems to the female pelvic floor with exercise training.

[Via http://pelvicfloor.wordpress.com]