Getting Back On Track

[SiouzQ.]

Okay, it's high time. I HAVE to start making changes and I feel like I'm starting to be ready. I am kind of appalled at how much I have let myself go in the last year and a half, even before my daughter's death.

I just got the blood test results back from my physical last week. My total cholesterol is still way too high; it's at 241. And the LDL is high too. I am supposed to do a diet change and stop eating so much saturated fats. It's also a heredity thing. I am kind of glad I have this goal that I need to implement in my life. Living in Madrid is great, but it is a community known for excessive drinking and doing whatever and eating whatever and I am afraid I have taken it to heart, no pun intended. At least I haven't started smoking again. I want to enjoy things still, but to not so much excess. Instead of going to the tavern 4 or 5 times a week I would like to reduce that to maybe 2 or 3 times. It's a bit too much wine on a weekly basis, and it gets very expensive!

So here is what I am doing ~ now that my foot is mostly healed, I am getting back to walking and hiking. I am going to do it every day, and not just the quick walk on the relatively flat terrain in the mornings. I have three specific places to hike around here that have good, steep elevation that I am adding to my repertoire. I have done two of them in the last two days (oh boy, my calves are feeling the burn)! So I am actively ramping up my physical activity, but in my mind I refuse to think of the end result, like the way I used to view exercise as a way to sculpt my body. I KNOW I will get the end results (getting stronger and hopefully losing a few pounds) IF I just have the motivation to do it every day. It's more like just being present in the moment of hiking and seeing what is around the bend, having fun exploring the terrain, distracting my mind from my grief and staying away from the bar at Happy Hour.

I feel like I have aged so much in the past few months. My body doesn't bounce back the way it used to. I am also currently in physical therapy due to some lower back and hip issues that have been plaguing me. In addition, I have the whole wrist issue and that surgery in the future. The things I can control are my diet (which has gotten a bit to lax) and my daily exercise. I told my boyfriend that I am going to be changing my diet and he is welcome to try it with me, but no longer am I going to eat meat six days a week like we've been doing. I need to go back to the way I ate when I lived in Michigan and worked at Wholefoods. I only ate meat about twice a week then and the rest was all vegetarian stuff. I am going to go back to the things I used to cook and cook at home more. Somehow I got into this thing where I would buy pre-made stuff because it is so much easier. It is hard to keep a well-stocked cupboard here when I live so far from grocery stores and go into town only about two days per week but all it requires is a bit more planning, and if I stay out of the bar I will HAVE more time for cooking and planning!

Anyway, just rambling at this point but I feel motivated now which is good; last week I had a few days were I was feeling quite depressed about everything and have been worried about myself wondering if I was going to slide further down mentally. I just do not want to go down any further in my mind, and a good way to alleviate those despairing feelings is to get out in the sunshine and get my body moving and have a good project to focus on - my health.

[SteveinMN]

Good for you, SQ!

I simply would repeat the standard advice about taking it gradually and not writing off an entire day or week because of a setback. I have no doubt you can do all this, but I do doubt it will be executed perfectly from the get-go. So be good to yourself as you make the changes.

[Chicken lady]

Yes!

would you like a buddy?

my plan is to do yoga three mornings a week and swim the other two evenings - my weekend exercise is supposed to be yard and barn work, and I need to make an effort to get outside every day.

last week I got in three yoga and one swim. Today I am heading out to work on stalls.

[SiouzQ.]

Yes, I would like a buddy CL! I have today off so we are going to go hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. It'll be hot here but not nearly as hot as in June and July. I am looking forward to being under some tall tress and spending time with my boyfriend. Good luck on your Sunday activities!

A funny note: at this minute I am cooking up the rest of a package of bacon (geez, I NEVER buy bacon except it was required in the one recipe I did last week that needed a little for flavoring). Since I don't want to waste it, I am going to have two slices for breakfast with my eggs and use the rest for roasted brussel sprouts tomorrow. Then I won't ever buy it again, unless it is turkey bacon.

Baby steps, grasshopper, baby steps....

Thanks Steve, I *know* I will not be perfect by any means, but as I make changes each day the good choices will start outweighing the bad choices and I know I will feel better and better. Just the success of a few good choices each day always spurs me on. I am also looking forward to sleeping better as I get more physical exercise.

[Zoe Girl]

I totally get it, i am a couple years younger and the body is slower to heal. I started at the beginning of last summer improving my health, and lost about 10 lbs. It was all activity and sugar really. So now I am in a place to have a balanced life and I am very slowly losing some weight and feeling better.

Real hiking is the best! I am jealous because I didnt get out this weekend. The outside strolls are nice but I understand what you are talking about. Maybe post a picture for those not lucky enough to live in the west.

[Teacher Terry]

Small changes really add up. I lost 40lbs 3 years ago and it made a huge difference. I changed my diet and did lots of walking. I love to hike but had to give it up as it sent my BP and heart rate way too high even though I am on medication to control both.

[nswef]

SiouzQ, Bravo! I would think just getting through the day is enough. Your plans to eat better and exercise more doing what you want (hiking) sound healing. I second Steve's comment about being kind to yourself. Baby steps is right!

[Chicken lady]

I cleaned stalls.

how was your hike?

if you make something really good for dinner, i’d Love to hear that too - i’m Always looking for vegetarian ideas that will appeal to my meat eating dh.

[SiouzQ.]

Oh lordy, we were not paying much attention to the trail map, all we saw was "let's do the triangle loop! Wev'e never done the triangle loop before!"

So off we go, it's an absolutely stellar sunny, not-too-hot day. We are going down and down under the ponderosa pines and aspens, and down some more, back and forth through switchbacks. We finally get to a mountain stream and some ladies there told us to make sure we took the correct turn at the fork so we don't end up on the really long trail. So we are hiking, and hiking - hours go by, we've missed lunch by a long shot. I have no idea what we were thinking when we started out but it turns out the trail was five miles in length! At about 9000 ft in altitude. By the time we got on the third leg of the triangle loop I was getting really, really tired and my legs were aching. My calves were screaming at the downhills and I get worried about my boyfriend because he is diabetic and I am always afraid he'll have a blood sugar crash when we are far away from help. We kept plodding along, up and down and up and down, in and out of the hot sun...slow and steady. Man, were we slow. People kept passing us on the trail. I was running out of water and energy. We kept plodding away. Of course the last 50 yards of the trail up to the parking lot is one of the steepest parts too. I was so happy when I saw the glint of sunlight on a fender through the trees! Civilization at last!

In hindsight, there was so much we should have paid attention to. It's not like hiking in the woods of Michigan. First off, carry more water! Secondly, pay attention to the trail head map! Understand the mileage involved! Take more food and snacks, especially for a diabetic.

It was fun, and I do have a sense of accomplishment. Now I am going to hydrate and take a little nap for a bit. My calves will be VERY sore tomorrow, but it feels good to have had all that physical activity.

[Teacher Terry]

We made those types of mistakes when first moved from the Midwest to the West.

[SiouzQ.]

Yes! My sense of distance and ability is still kind of skewed. I have to remember to ALWAYS ere on the side of caution. My boyfriend is even worse when it comes to planning things. I mean he always has his kit with him to check his blood sugar levels but it seems like it is up to me to be the carrier of things one *may* need. I was a Junior Girl Scout co-leader a long time ago, so I need to start these hikes as if I had a group of girls to lead. He just doesn't pay much attention to some stuff, though he was fine in the end. We are both very out of shape and kind of over-estimated our abilities.

[Chicken lady]

Wow! 5 miles would be a long way even if it were flat!

we used to hike with our kids and always went shorter than we thought we could and took twice as much water as we thought we would need. You are off to a pretty amazing start.

[Yppej]

I am slow too. When I climbed Mt Monadnock there are sections where only one person at a time can fit through. I would time it so I got behind a little kid so people would think it was the child and not me holding up the hikers.Thank you random youngsters!

[Chicken lady]

SiouzQ, how are you feeling today?

i did yoga this morning.

dh made a green bean and potato curry for dinner.

[SiouzQ.]

Good for you!

I did most of my PT stretches this morning for my lower back and hips, and went for a quick walk on fairly level ground this morning before I opened up for the day. After I closed at 5pm there was a little part of me that wanted to go up to the tavern but instead I put my hiking boots on and went for a longer walk with some good hills and a nice view of Santa Fe off in the distance. When I got home I made a new recipe using ground turkey, green beans and basmati rice. It turned out pretty good!

And, yes, my calves are still very sore!

[nswef]

Sounds like a good day SiouzQ! You'll start enjoying not going to the tavern as long as it's daylight at least.

[Chicken lady]

Swam this evening.

good choice on the walk!

[SiouzQ.]

Slacked a little yesterday - did my PT stretches, went for the easy morning walk but by the time I closed the gallery at 5pm I decided I wanted to play my guitar and drink wine on my deck and watch the hummingbirds. It was quite pleasant out, and I need to get in as much playing as physically possible because my wrist surgery will be scheduled soon and I will be out of commission for quite a while.

[nswef]

SQ, That sounds like a great plan.

[Chicken lady]

An easy walk us good too. And I don’t see anything wrong with a little wine now and then, you will keep up with your plan better if you stick to moderation.

i did yoga this morning.

[Teacher Terry]

We are in San Francisco so walked 15000 steps yesterday.

[catherine]

Get a dog! (joking--kind of) I found that when I am forced to walk a dog 2-3 times a day I do much better in the "moderate activity" department. I also heard a thought leader in osteoporosis saying that if more women had dogs, there would be less incidence of osteoporosis.

[SteveinMN]

Get a dog! (joking--kind of) I found that when I am forced to walk a dog 2-3 times a day I do much better in the "moderate activity" department. I also heard a thought leader in osteoporosis saying that if more women had dogs, there would be less incidence of osteoporosis.

"Paddy" Ekekakis, an assistant professor of health and human performance at Iowa State University, says, "Many have argued that the most effective piece of exercise equipment is a dog."

[SiouzQ.]

Oh man, I am really sore from physical therapy today; she worked me hard. Then I ran errands all day and got in and out of the car about 20 times. My body says REST!

[Teacher Terry]

Catherine , I have 3 dogs that I walk everyday. I always get 10k Steps.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

SQ, at the beginning of this post you mentioned losing your daughter. 3 1/2 years ago I lost my husband suddenly, no warning, and all of a sudden I was a widow and totally alone. I had always been a very healthy person, blood pressure low, cholesterol ran low, hardly ever had flu or even a cold, etc. Then after DH was gone, BOOM! I was sick every few months with something going around, thyroid totally not working, a coughing thing last December that lasted the whole month, and on and on. My point it, I truly believe that grief does something physical to our bodies. It not only knocks us on our buts emotionally and zones us out sometimes mentally, but I think the immune system takes a beating too. Just my thoughts from my own experience.

[pinkytoe]

Your thoughts and emotions have a great deal to do with your health status. Who knows - maybe most of it?

[Teacher Terry]

7 years ago my friend lost her daughter to a rare liver disease that came on suddenly. She was only 19. Very hard to deal with and was sick often.

[SiouzQ.]

I am very sorry for your loss, Sad Eyed Lady...grief really does affect the body in so many ways. I never knew this on such a cellular level, as my daughter was the first person who was extremely close to me who has died (I still have both of my parents; my mom is 87 and my dad is 91).

I find that it leaves me exhausted a lot of the time - it was much worse earlier in the summer and during the time I was in limbo between the emergency "crisis" trip back to Michigan and when we had her memorial service a few weeks ago. All the flying back and forth, a one way 3.5 day driving trip back to New Mexico that made my hip and butt issues act up (my pelvis loves to get out of alignment at the drop of a hat). I have had a lot of physical pain from all my various musuclo-skeletal issues all summer.

Good news is that this past week I have been starting to feel like my old self a little bit - I am getting stronger again, I am doing PT for the pelvis issue (though after yesterday she left me with bruises on my thigh from trying to loosen up my IT band that runs from the hip to the knee I had surgery on last year).

All I can do is keep on keeping, trying to move forward. I am much more able to listen to my body and try to give it what it needs and not try to power through things when I know I am hurting and need to rest and be still. All this while go through the normal aging process is a lot for the body to adjust to, I am finding out.

[Chicken lady]

SiouzQ,

i don’t know how you keep going. You are doing well. Keep being kind to yourself.

i swam 1200 yards tonight.

[Teacher Terry]

I love both my parents dearly and were close to both. My dad died at 73 but was very sick for 14 years and asked God to take him everyday. My mom lived to 89. It’s hard but expected. I have lost 3 friends between 57 and 67. I grieved so bad for my Best friends 19 yo daughter. I knew her from a little girl. My middle son is a hopeless drug addict and I would have traded his life for hers. Not mine to decide and maybe I wouldn’t if it came down to it. My ex is convinced he will die. We have all tried everything. No one to blame and just so sad. I can’t remember if you have other children. When my friends daughter died I spent a few days in bed. I feel sad to this day.

[Chicken lady]

H SiouzQ,

how is the eating going? How are you feeling today?

i did yoga yesterday morning. I’ve started iron for anemia (doctor’s orders), and i’ve been wearing an elbow brace for tendinitis. I’m still working on the food part, but I did see my weight shift slightly this week.

[SiouzQ.]

Hi back, thanks for asking. The other day I made a huge pot of vegetable soup that turned out really good!

Today I am frustrated because my lower back and left buttock/hip area are even more sore and problematic after physical therapy yesterday. I did all my stretches this mornign and took a walk but working today in the gallery it is really acting up again. So I took three ibuprofin and some CBD Oil and am waiting for things to subside. So aggravating when the body is in constant pain!

How are you doing today?

[Chicken lady]

Today wasn’t good because my inlaws are here. No exercise. Dinner wasn’t bad. Wearing my brace.

I hope your pain eased up over the day.

[SiouzQ.]

Went on a less strenuous hike today in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque today. Only about two miles, slow steady uphill (but rocky) on the way up, not too bad going back down but going down is always harder on my knees and hips. I didn't have a lot of energy today but I am glad we did it. My deep gluteous maximus muscle pain is making me cranky - I know that moving is good but it seems hiking today exacerbated it.
Dinner tonight will be leftovers from last night - rosemary chicken strips and roasted brussel sprouts with bacon (the stuff I needed to use up). They turned out really good but I won't be buying bacon again unless it is turkey bacon.

CL, I hope you were able to get some exercise in today.

[Chicken lady]

Didn’t get anything done over the weekend, but back to yoga this morning.