From the Pedometer to the Progress: Update on Health Habits for January 2012

My water and a pedometer motivate me to move.

I went through an interesting week.  We struggled financially.  Then, my side started to hurt again.  I think it was the caffeine that started affecting my kidneys.  It slowed me down from seeing any progress on the pedometer.

Fortunately, I did have some good news.  Here is an update on my progress:

1. I'm still reading my Bible.

2. I walked 6 out of 7 days.  The day I didn't, my left side was hurting me.

3. I stopped taking my supplements.  Instead, I am taking a liver tonic because the last time I had the pain, I felt better afterwards.

4. I drank my allotted water 6 out of 7 days.  I'm okay because I started two days earlier.  Yes, Saturday was the first time I only drank 2 out of at least 4 bottles of water.

5. Still ate junk food and drank soda.  I can't believe that my resolve is not strong enough about this.  I can't say NO to hubby when he offers to buy me soda.

6. We bought a larger refrigerator.  Yes!  Now, I can buy grassfed beef and fruits and veggies in bulk.

7. I think I've lost 2 lbs.  My blue jeans fit differently.  Yes!

Plans for the upcoming week:

1. I hope to cook more meals, instead of getting takeout.

2. I hope to make more smoothies.

3. I hope to eat more fruits and veggies. 

4. I hope to walk 4,000 steps per day.

I'm very excited because of the bigger refrigerator.  It will allow us to buy more of the good stuff and be able to see it.  In the past, we had the fruits and veggies hidden inside a white drawer.  Now, the drawers are see through.  Also, we were needing a bigger refrigerator because the one we were using was too small to hold enough food for just one week for a family of six.  I thank God that we finally found this refrigerator.

Well, thanks for reading about my pedometer helping me progress towards my health habits for January 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages y'all to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have any new health goals for January, in keeping with New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month or this year?  I encourage you to assess your current health.  It's a great opportunity to adjust your habits to improve your life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; He will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

From Motivation to Movement: Update on Health Habits for January 2012

My water and a pedometer motivate me to move.

It has been a struggle for me to gain new, positive habits.  It should be easy to match my brain's thoughts with my body's movements.  After all, I can control what I do.  No.  It's not that easy, without concrete motivations to getting me moving on my health.

I want to give a list of my motivations for wanting to get healthier.  First, though, I want to recap what happened last week.  I managed to do the following:

1. I read the Bible with the help of http://www.biblestudytools.com/.

2. I put on my shoes and pedometer and walked 6 out of 7 days.  On Sunday, I decluttered for a few hours.

3. I noted my progress on my calendar.  This has helped to show me all that I have done towards my goal.

4. I have been taking my various supplements.

5. I am still crocheting and have decided to accumulate them to give to a homeless shelter or some such organization.

6. I have been drinking at least 4 bottles of water every day.

7. I still drank some soda and ate junk food.  For this coming week, I'll be consuming less of that.

Now, I want to share some specific motivation for wanting to get healthy:

1. I want to feel healthier.  

2. I want to optimize my immunity.

3. I want to move around faster.

4. I want more energy.

5. I want my clothes to fit better.

6. I would like to work to help my family financially.

7. I want to play with my kids, without getting tired quickly.

8. I want to enjoy my life with my hubby.

9. I want to live longer to see my potential grandbabies.

10. I want to be a witness to what God can do for me and others.

It's not easy to get fit.  My energy is very low.  I have terrible cravings.  We have bought healthier foods like nuts and fruits.  I'm hoping that with exercise and better eating habits, I can get healthier.

Thanks for reading about my motivations to get moving towards my health habits for January 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages y'all to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have any new health goals for January, in keeping with New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month or this year?  I encourage you to assess your current health.  It's a great opportunity to adjust your habits to improve your life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; He will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

From Documenting to Seeing Results: Update on Health Habits for January 2012

A calendar can help document fitness progress.

I've been taking this month to reset a few habits.  It's been wonderful to see that drinking water is of great benefit to me (a wonderful result).  It is also eye opening to me how much junk I've been eating.  It's disappointing to see how much of what is considered as food is actually bad for me.  It is said that it takes a few weeks for habits to form, and I am aiming to gain good ones.

My creativity includes these latest scarves.

My water and a pedometer are ready for me in the morning.

Here is my update (documentation):

1. On the spiritual front, I have printed a checklist for Bible-reading.  I did this just last week.  I felt badly for not having started this on the first of this month.  Then, I just let that guilt go.  I'm done feeling the stress of disappointing myself.

2. I have put on my shoes and walked most days.  I found a working pedometer and am keep it close to me so I can remember to use it.  On days when I put my shoes on, I get more done.  My sandals slow me down, but when I put my tennis shoes on, I get up and get moving--moving my furniture, that is.  Seriously, though, I love the signal my shoes give me to move.

3. I have been documenting my fitness progress on my calendar.  At first, I only intended to post how many bottles of water I've been drinking.  Now, I have added how many steps I have walked.  I am also blogging here, and that is helping me to document my health progress. 

4. I have been continuing to take my supplements.  I'm taking: garlic; a probiotic; a B vitamin (for energy); Vitamin D-3; and detoxing and inflammation formulas.  I'm working on detoxing which will allow me to lose weight.  I'm hoping to bring inflammation down to reduce the pain I suffer on a daily basis so I can exercise.

5. For the creative arena, I have crocheted several scarves.  I am making different schemes this time.  I am enjoying the outcomes.  I am not about selling them necessarily.  It's more about how crocheting relaxes me. 

6. I have been drinking at least 4 bottles of water everyday.  On some days, I have consumed more, especially when I have been super thirsty (probably due to mountain cedar allergy).  Perhaps when I document my foods, I will figure out if it is due to some diuretic or food.  My skin condition is improving somewhat, too.  I feel very confident in this area of my fitness.

7. I haven't stopped consuming junk food, including drinking soda.  This is still my biggest challenge.  It is extremely difficult if family members living in the same household still want to eat the wrong foods.  I am reaching the decision that if I want to get healthier, I have to be firm and say NO to the junk food.  I know I can do this because I had stayed away from soda for a few months last year.

I'm thinking that I need to address the issue of motivation.  I need specific reasons.  I need to write them down.  I also want to journal about the foods and drinks I am consuming.  I want to document how certain foods (like carbohydrates and junk foods) affect me.  I am excited to think about this next step.  I want concrete answers to my fitness questions.

I also want to encourage those of you, my dear readers, who are working on fitness goals.  Please pray about what needs improvement.  God is willing to give us wisdom if we seek it.  We can boldly ask God for wisdom.  I have learned a lot about my health as a result of asking God for the right websites, resources, and people to come into my life. 

Well, thanks for reading about documenting to see results to my health habits for January 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages someone to develop their own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have any new health goals for January, in keeping with New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month or this year?  I encourage you to assess your current health.  It's a great opportunity to adjust your habits to improve your life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; He will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

From Water to Walking: Update on Health Habits for January 2012

New Year's resolutions often involve health.

Getting healthy takes time and patience.

After I wrote up my list of healthy habits last week, I began to think of many others I could have listed.  Isn't it funny how one can think of all the things they aren't doing?  It's hard to start off small when attempting to improve life.  We are often impatient and want to do everything at once.  I must not overwhelm myself or I will quit like last year, and I don't want that.

Here is the update on my health habits:

1. I have slowed down on my blogging.  I have needed a break from it.  My wrists have needed a break.  Unfortunately, my brain feels guilty about not writing everyday.  Rest assured that I have ideas for new blog entries.  I just needed to break from doing it everyday due to burnout.

2. I have taken a few supplements.  Mostly, I have taken my probiotics.  I have also drunk detoxing tea.  After the long holiday season, I was left feeling sluggish.  I felt I needed to get some toxins out of my body.  The tea contains lots of beneficial ingredients for inflammation, too.

3. I have been eating breakfast.  This is very important to me.  It has set the tone of my day.  On days when I've eaten breakfast, I have had better days.  It didn't matter whether it was oatmeal and an omelet or potato/egg/corn tortilla tacos.  We also switched to a stronger coffee; I'm hoping that it will be strong enough to keep me awake while I wean away from soda.

4. I haven't gone to sleep early.  This ties in with caffeine.  I just stopped drinking soda this Sunday.  Caffeine keeps me awake at night so I have stay away from even chocolate late at night.  I have asked that my husband not keep any soda inside the house; if he must have some, it needs to stay in the van.

5. I started crocheting last night.  This always helps to clear my mind.  It is creative work, too.  I have to do this in moderation, though, because my arms, neck, and wrists start to hurt.  Still, it is fun to see something forming in my hands.  Hoping to make some Christmas-looking scarves and small blankets.

6. I am suffering with terrible headaches.  This could be due to several reasons, like: stress over home schooling; wanting to blog, thinking over the new year goals; concerning myself over bills; and getting off of soda.  The biggest thing is a seasonal allergy to mountain cedar.  I had a migraine last year in January so I am thinking it might be that I suffer with hay fever in a big way.  I had blogged about it last year so it's great that I documented it.

7. I am drinking water.  I started drinking at least four bottles of water last Wednesday.  A few days, I have drank five bottles of water.  I can already feel a big difference in my skin condition, and my face doesn't look so haggard.  I know it has to be helping my allergies, too, because it is keeping my nose hydrated.  I am currently charting my progress by marking the number of bottles on a calendar because I joined a water drinking challenge on Facebook. 

8. Haven't chucked the junk food.  January is a challenging month for me.  I am coming off of the holiday season, but my birthday is this month.  I love to celebrate my birthday with cake.  My hubby is spoiling me by baking me chocolate cakeS...oh, and don't get me started on potato chips.  Stress eating has me over-eating, which is bound to keep me from losing weight.

9. Last, I want to start walking.  It doesn't matter that I it's raining outside.  I will be donning the tennis shoes and pedometer.  I will walk around the dining room table and/or in place in front of the television.  I plan to start with 3,000 steps and work up to 10,000 eventually.

Friends, as I've said before, my quest to get healthier isn't just about weighing a certain amount. of pounds  That's why I don't like to deal in numbers.  I'm not saying that I wouldn't like to lose weight.  Who wouldn't?  My real aim is to feel and be healthier.

My kids love to join and cheer me on in my health quests.

I see that drinking water is helping me feel a lot better.  I've had to take baby steps to improve my health.  I want to rev it up to include the walking.  I feel this will get me pumped up to move more.  I also look forward to having my kids watch me and imitate me. 


Well, thanks for reading about my update on my health habits for January 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages someone to develop their own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have any new health goals for January, in keeping with New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month or this year?  I encourage you to assess your current health.  It's a great opportunity to adjust your habits to improve your life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; he will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Health Habits for January 2012

New Year's resolutions often involve health.

Another new year has come upon us.  It's time to dust out the health habits and see what needs tweaking.  What do we need to add or remove from our diets?  What do we need to start doing this year?  What has worked for us in the past?  What do we want to try this year?

I often heard Dr. Phil say that in order to do away with one habit, like smoking cigarettes, one needs to replace it with a beneficial habit.  That's why I am willing to attack unhealthy habits with positive ones.   There are several that have been with me for quite a while.  There are others that have fallen by the wayside.  I'm hoping to institute these before getting physical.

I have a list of health habits I would like to continue or start up, in no particular order of importance:

1. Keep writing.  This has helped me tremendously.  I have kept sane.  I have collected my thoughts many times to sort through my emotions.  This habit is definitely a keeper.

2. Take my supplements.  I want to continue taking the probiotics to balance the good bacteria in my body.  I want to detox, too, with my Swanson-bought formulas.  I also want to take something to suppress my cravings for simple carbohydrates and junk foods.

3. Eat breakfast.  I want to continue this.  It is said that having breakfast helps you have a better start to the day.  I definitely need my protein at this time of day.  To have a good complex carbohydrate will keep me fuller.

4. Sleep early.  Definitely need to do this one.  This is one of the most challenging.  I've heard that sleep helps one to lose weight.  I must make sure to not drink any caffeine after 6 p.m. or I will have difficulty going to sleep.

5. Pray about my health.  Prayer works miracles.  Prayer is communication with God.  I want a deeper relationship with my Abba Father.  I want to get deeper in His word.  Asking God for help for my health, I am sure, will yield a wonderful outcome and witness.

6. Drink more water.  I love water.  I just need to amp this up some more.  When I am thirsty, I need to continue to reach out for the water, instead of other liquids.  This means saying no to soda.

7. Chuck the junk food.  It was hard this past holiday season.  It won't be easy during this month.  My birthday is coming up.  I love cake.  I also can't live without my chocolate. 

Well, thanks for reading about my new health habits for January 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages someone to develop their own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have any new health goals for January, in keeping with New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month or this year?  I encourage you to assess your current health.  It's a great opportunity to adjust your habits to improve your life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; he will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.