Exercise and Goal Setting

[Mazarita]

Hi everyone,

@MoonGal, so great to hear you have made it over this new threshold with your mum going into much needed permanent care. Also good to hear you are still getting out for walks when possible. It's understandable that you have not been able to focus on much more than caring for your mum during this time, and yourself with medication changes and chronic illness. Try not to worry too much about the weight gain for now, though I understand how hard that can be. I'm the heaviest I've been in my life too by about 20kgs (damn those bipolar medications, but thank goodness for them in other ways). Anyway, with everything you have had on your plate lately, I think you have been doing a champion job.

@Shaz51, just sending greetings and well wishes, haven't heard much from you lately.

@seekingserenity, welcome to this thread. Sorry it's taken a while for any of us to get back to you. Sounds like you have some good activities that you engage with. How have you been going with it lately?

Report from my end: exercise has been down lately, coinciding with an increase in troubles with my often-dodgy lower legs and feet. It got to the point where I couldn't even walk around the flat without significant pain and stiffness, and my joints and muscles have been dull aching pretty much around the clock. But I'm now receiving some medical treatment for this, with further exploration of what's going on with a rheumatologist later in the year (waiting lists!). The last couple of days I have been out walking to and from bus rides and around local shops again. Might be able to get back out on the beach again sometime late next week for some longer walks. This time with the help of medications, shoes, inserts and compression socks (oh the glamour!), instead of fancy free in bare feet as I was used to. During this time of restricted mobility with walking, I have been engaged in a short course of hydrotherapy once a week. It's enjoyable and has been a bit of a compensation for the loss of mobility. 

Hope things are going okay for everyone else, sending happy exercise vibes your way. 

[Shaz51]

Hi   @Mazarita 

[MoonGal]

Hey all, @Shaz51. @Mazarita, @Appleblossom, @seekingserenity, @CannonSalt and others who are not appearing in the @ list.

It has been ages since I commented here. I fell off the planet in my primary role as carer to my Mum and gettingher from a stubborn insitince in staying at home (alone) to permanent care. What a ride that was. I survived. I put on even more weight through that time and fell off the vegan wagon because it was all I could do to get up and get going, so lived on Custard Tarts for weeks. I had to double up on my anti-psychotic meds too and that absolutely threw me into comofrt eating, compuslion to eat sugar. Anyways - I started this whole thread in January being unhappy about my weight and physical fitness levels and 6 months later I am heavier and more unfit than ever... huge amount of weight gained.

BUT! I am not upset about it I have just accepted that I have done what I needed to do to get theoruhg it and I HAVE gotten through it and out the other side.

I have a NEW and committed programme - I got so physically ill over the past months that I ended up with gastritis, vomiting, trouble with the entire gastro-intestinal system... diahhrea blah blah blah, all my joints were immflamed, pain levels soaring - sheesh I fell apart AFTER my Mum got into permannet care and I could let go the reigns a bit, just collapsed really.

SO! As my wont is Keep Starting. Here I am Starting again.

The past two weeks I dropped virtually all wheat based carbs from my diet concentrating on eating healthfully. In two weeks I have lost 1 kg and that is without exercise. This is doable. Just gotta make sure I have the right foods in the fridge and cupboard.

Today I have decided the best excersice for ME is to dance - I saw a programme on ABC TV about growing old and there was a study in one of the scandinavian countries where the cohort were plit into two groups - One group danced 3 times a week for an hour - the other did circuit in a gym (to the same nmusic) for an hour x 3 times a week. The DANCING group scored off the charts for balance, muscle building, cognitive improvement and other bio-markers. 

I have thought about it for several weeks and have started today - I have an old CD - Dirty Dancing sound track. Me being ALL OR NOTHING is a danger! So I thought - Dance to two tracks ONLY. OMG! That was fabulous, I can hardly MOVE now - but doing it was sooooo fabulous. So I am going to do two tracks of dancing three times a day. My doggit wondered what the hell was happeneing having never seen me dance. She was really interested. 

So STARTED DANCING... watch this space.  How is everyone else coming along? 

[utopia]

Hi @moongirl. I love the fact that you aren't beating yourself up for the weight gain and decrease in exercise. You were busy doing what needed doing.
My psychologist today asked about my walking 30 mins every day. I admitted I hadn't. He asked for a commitment from me. So I said I will dance in my lounge room instead. More fun than walking.
I'll have to find some daggy old Abba cd's and dust them off.

[MoonGal]

@utopia -  Am I starting a Craze? Dance your way to health... 

Keep Calm and be a Dancing Queen!

[Shaz51]

Hello @MoonGal

It is great to hear from you

been busy and getting over things , getting back to being well again

[utopia]

@Moongirl. That's what I need. Thanks.

[Appleblossom]

You have put a smile on my dial @MoonGal

I have always liked dancing ... and break out occasionally still .. much to the horror of my son ... lol

yes it is more fun than dutiful exercise ... I plan to do more ...

Hi @seekingserenity @Shaz51 @utopia and @Mazarita

I have also put on weight but I also have had a few wins with my son growing up and being a delight to be with ... will try and lose a kg or twenty.

[utopia]

Hi @Appleblossom. I have gone up two dress sizes since getting sick over 2 years ago. I'm not overly bothered by it - except it would be nice to fit into more clothes. I'd rather focus on my mental health. Exercise / dancing is for my mood rather than weight. I figure focusing on my MI and not drinking is enough to concentrate on at the moment. Once I feel better, mentally, it will be giving up the cigarettes. Looking forward to getting to that stage.
Health is the most important thing to me. But one step at a time. If I happen to loose a bit of weight dancing around the house with the broom or vacuum, that would be a BONUS

[Shaz51]

Hello @Appleblossom,

I have also put on weight but I am not too worried

Hi @seekingserenity @utopia and @Mazarita, @MoonGal xx

toasted ham, cheese, tomatoe sandwiches for lunch