Meeting fitness goals when your health takes a dip

I've been working on writing up my next "Hiking to Health" article for my local paper. It starts off by exploring how to meet fitness goals when your health takes a dip. If only writing about health could make it happen. Here are some thoughts on getting through health challenges and returning to health.

The advertisers at Nike tell us to “just do it.” While getting out and moving can actually help make one feel better, I object to the models that Nike uses in its commercials. It’s not surprising to see young, fit men and women out running and sweating. Real people struggling and overcoming real health issues motivate me to keep going. Instead of looking to Nike’s brand of motivational models, I’ve found a few of my own – friends and neighbors whose courage and persistence set an example that says, “If I can do it, you can too.”

I have a neighbor who suffers from degenerative bone loss that leaves her in near-constant pain, but you’d never know it from looking at her. A smile and cheery outlook are her trademarks. The closest I’ve heard her come to complaining was when she expressed a desire to be of more service and help to others. Those who cheerfully persevere through unremitting pain and challenges can never know the extent that their examples help to lift and encourage others.

No doubt you have similar friends. I also admire a mother of six children who goes swimming in the wee hours of the morning. She goes because she has found that she’s more patient with her family on the days she goes swimming. Another woman in her 90s goes swimming three times a week and has been doing so for over three years! Pretty much I admire anyone who enjoys swimming -- anyone who will 1) put on a swimming suit and 2) get in chlorinated water. (You can see that I’ll never be known for not complaining.)

Pretty much I found that during the past few months of sluggish health I had to focus on climbing hills and not mountains. Mountains overwhelmed me, but hills seemed doable. I lightened up on my expectations for myself but didn't let myself quit entirely.

I like the quote that says, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." When you're facing health challenges, focusing on single steps keeps you moving forward on your journey.

Workin' With What I've Got

I'm moving on.

This is me on my Nordic Track getting exercise and full-spectrum light therapy all in one. (Can you see the lamp that's shining right into my face?) After my last discouraging entry I figured out that I'd been missing light therapy time in the mornings. Of the four days that Hubby and I went to the gym early, our two oldest kids slept through their alarms two mornings. Instead of getting my 40 minutes under the light I'd drive them to school and miss out on a key ingredient in keeping me happy. Situation solved.

Saturday morning was the first time for my all-in-one workout. Since then I've done it every morning for 40 minutes. (Sunday included, but more subdued.)

I get good and sweaty 'cause I use my Timex Ironman watch to do interval training. It's like an electronic personal trainer. If you look carefully, you can see the watch strapped to the grab bars of the Nordic Track. I set the timer for 40 minutes, warm up for 5 minutes and then start the interval timer. I run for 3 minutes, it beeps, and I ski at a moderate pace for 1 minute. It beeps again and I'm back to another 3 minutes. I do 8 sets of 3 min. run / 1 min. recover. I spend the last 3 minutes of the workout cooling down. Then I spend a little time doing ab crunches and stretching out on the floor. (On Mon/Wed/Fri I plan to do some light weight training afterwards.)

Music makes this workout! In fact, that's why I put my exercise tunes back on this blog. I've added "Live your life" by T.I. My son introduced it to me. It really hits home in light of my sluggish metabolism. It starts out with these lyrics:

What you need ta do is be thankful for the life you've got
Stop lookin' at what you ain't got and start bein' thankful for what you do got.

So live your life!

Note: It's supposed to appear in the playlist to the left, but it's only there off and on. Go figure. If it's not there, check it out on itunes and get it on your player.

One of my favorite motivational quotes is from the Old Farmer's Almanac. It goes like this:
"You can't lose weight by talking about it. You have to keep your mouth shut."

Well, I'm combining that quote with the lyrics from today's motivational song to create my motto for the month:

Shut your mouth and live your life!

P.S. A little dog therapy/play time is a great lift.

Chickens -- A low-carb dieter's best friends

Everyone trying to lose weight with a low-carb lifestyle should have some chickens. Here's why -- they love table scraps. And they lay eggs.

While table scraps aren't healthy for cats and dogs, they're great for chickens. Just last week I fed my chickens an aging loaf of bread. They gobbled it up. Ditto the leftover pasta and the rest of the vegetable bread that kept calling my name.

With chickens you don't have to feel guilty about tossing out food. You're not wasting it, you're making eggs. And eggs are one of the best parts of my new low-carb lifestyle.

Also, the healthier the table scraps, the more nutrients you'll get from your chickens' eggs. Commercial egg farmers have found that by feeding their hens flax seeds their layers' eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids.

When I make an omelet for breakfast, I rinse out the empty shells and put them in my chicken scrap container. I end up crumbling them over the other scraps of food and feeding them back to my chickens. Doing so helps add calcium to my hens' diets and keeps their egg shells nice and strong.

And, just so you know, brown eggs aren't healthier for you than white eggs. It's all a matter of what kind of feed the chickens get. So, stick to low-carb eating and toss the leftovers to the chickens.

Viva la chickens!

Helpful Low-Carb Diet Tips

I'm on day four of my new low-carb lifestyle. The following tips are helping me stay on track. I've dropped 1 1/2 lbs. already. I can tell it's water weight. (I didn't have to take a dieuretic this morning. Yippee!)

1. Keep carb consumption at dinner LOW, because you won't be burning them off.

2. Write down what you eat. Not only does it help you know how many carbs you've eaten, but it can also come in handy for future menu ideas.

3. Go grocery shopping only once a week. I already try to do this, but like how it prevents me from buying impulse goodies. This tip saves money, gas, and time.

4. Plan, plan, plan! Not only do I write down the week's dinner menu, but I also stock up on easy snacks: natural PB on celery, cottage cheese with non-fat yogurt, fresh fruits and veggies -- mostly veggies. (It really helps that our garden is supplying lots of peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots and onions.)

5. Practice preventative eating. I try to eat little snacks between meals so I don't get ravenous and then chow down on whatever is readily available (like cereal, bread, etc.)

6. Read labels. Instead of focusing on fat content, note the total carbohydrate content and how much of it is fiber (can be subtracted from the total to get net carbs) and sugar. Avoid products with lots of sugars.

7. Remember that only lean and active people can tolerate a lot of carbs. That's not me . . . YET! (And even when it is, I'm not going to overdo the carbs like I used to.)

8. Follow the plan 90% of the time, and treat yourself to a favorite food 10% of the time. I can still enjoy a Dove dark chocolate, but when I do, it will be earlier in the day instead of in the evening.

9. Stay motivated. This blog is a big part of my motivation. I have to practice what I preach. I try to also focus on positive results of my new lifestyle: weight loss, more energy, less water retention.

So far, so good.