From Cravings to Contagious Behavior: Update on Health Habits for February 2012

We bought new bottles to fill with water for the kids.

My hubby was on a semi-vacation last week.

This past week was a tough one.  My hubby was home for part of the week.  He took off work so he could fix our Ford Taurus and do some home repairs.  I gotta say that whenever he is around, I get lazy so that affected what we ate.

Here is an update on my health habits:

1. Had too much takeout and junk food.  We are definitely out of the No Takeout Challenge.

2. Suffered with sciatica and feeling of bloating. Stretching has helped my lower back.

3. Didn't meet my goal of walking 3,000 steps per day, but I still jotted down how much I walked.

4. Never did catch up on my Bible reading plan, but I still read my Bible everyday.

5. Here's one positive thing--I've been soda free for at least a week!

These are my new tennis shoes and pedometer.

I am concerned about my children's water intake.

Trying to get healthy is not just for me.  It's for all of us.  I want my children to develop positive habits.  This means that I have to devise methods for them to change negative behavior.  I've noticed that my oldest son drinks (craves) too much apple juice.

I bought each child a jug.  They now have a water challenge.  They must drink at least 2 cups or 16 ounces of water per day.  My youngest ones exceeded the challenge by at least 4 cups.   

Goals for the upcoming week:

1. Continue to be soda free.

2. Try to walk 2,500 steps per day.  This might be more doable.

3. Continue reading my Bible and try to keep up with the plan starting in March.

4. Continue to do my stretching.  This should keep injuries at bay.

5. Continue to make dinners with veggies and smoothies with fruit.  

6. I'm hoping to take supplements to stave off cravings for junk food.

7. Try to eat a few spinach salads with balsamic vinegar.  I've been craving something sour, but I have to be careful with my salt intake.

Sciatica reared its ugly head last week.  

I tried to move around last week, but I felt stuck.  I researched and found a great article on sciatica that helped me immensely.  I hope it can help someone who suffers with it.  I also read on Facebook about the idea of taking Vitamin D3; I have some so I will try that out, as well.  Keeping hydrated should help.

I pray that my health habits become contagious behavior for my children.

Now that I have my tennis shoes, I feel more confident.  I hope these shoes help steady my feet while I walk.  My pedometer came with a nifty booklet.  In it, there was a worksheet to fill in how many steps I did for any given day.  It also came with tips to walk efficiently, and I hope to institute some of those ideas so my kids can watch and be encouraged to take part.

Well, thanks for reading about our cravings turning to new, contagious behaviors as part of my health goals for 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages you, my beloved readers, to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Are you keeping up with any health goals for February going into March, related to your New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health at this point?  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.

New Pedometer, New Shoes to New Beginnings: Update on Health Habits for February 2012

My new beginnings include giving up soda and putting on new shoes and a new pedometer.

An inaccurate pedometer was a disappointment.

I think last week was not a productive one towards my health goals.  I didn't really exercise.  I did drink water everyday really well.  I did continue to consume some of the wrong foods.  I have been working at not eating too much breads and eating more proteins.

Here is an update:

1. I continued to drink water...but I still drank soda.  Hubby has continued to bring soda into the house.

2. I didn't walk much; was disappointed that my pedometer was not accurate. 

3. Slept in a lot.  Been very tired lately.  Went without breakfast a few times.

4. Made dinner more often, but we had some takeout.  I think I'm out of the no takeout challenge.

5. I've continued to read the Bible, but I've fallen behind in the reading plan.

Goals for the upcoming week:

1. Give up soda for Lent.

2. Try to walk at least 3,000 steps.

3. Hope to eat breakfast in the mornings.

4. Continue to make nutritious dinners with veggies.

5. Catch up on my reading of the Bible.

With the new Lenten season coming up, I hope to get off this nasty habit of drinking soda.  I have soda in the refrigerator right now.  I don't want to drink it.  I've been experiencing terrible pains again on my left side.  I'm tired of feeling this way.  It makes me think that I have something seriously wrong with me.

I now own new, better fitting tennis shoes.

I'm hoping that the new tennis shoes I have will be more comfortable.  I am very fortunate that my hubby bought me a new pair of shoes.  It was a grand impediment to use the old tennis shoes because anytime I walked, my feet slipped back and forth inside those big shoes.  I still have to get used to these new ones, but they seem more snug fitting.  

I now own an accurate pedometer.

As for the pedometer, we bought two.  The first one seemed to have an old battery.  The current one was cheaper and has less of the bells and whistles.  It also has less of a chance of resetting the steps already walked.  I was having trouble with the green one resetting accidentally with simply bumping into it.

 

Well, thanks for reading about my new pedometer and tennis shoes for a new beginning at my health goals for 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages you, my beloved readers, to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Are you keeping up with any health goals for February, related to your New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month?  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 Hormones to Hopefulness: Update on Health Habits for February 2012

Enjoying my freezer full of veggies and fruit.

Hormones have struck again.  

I've been suffering terrible migraines.  I'm hoping that they'll be going away soon.  Feeling debilitated has caused me to get sidetracked from my health goals.  I am looking forward to jumping on the good bandwagon once again this new week.

Here is an update on my progress:

1. Drank at least 64 oz. of water.

2. I put on my shoes for most of the week.  Unfortunately, the pedometer I used was not accurate at counting my steps. 

3. Cooked everyday.  Incorporated more vegetables.  Got takeout only once in the weekend.

4. Made a Greek yogurt smoothie with whey protein.  Drank it throughout the weekend.

5. Weight is still about the same.  Can't tell of any change due to the hormones causing bloating.

6. Most importantly, I've read the Bible everyday.

Plans for the upcoming week:

1. Hope to buy a new pair of tennis and a pedometer.

2. Hope to schedule and plot down my supplement intake.

3. Hope to sleep more.

4. Hope to drink my current berry smoothie in the mornings.

5. Hope to incorporate more veggies to the morning meals and snacks, possibly in a frittata and/or salads.

Well, thanks for reading about my being affected by hormones but feeling hopeful about my health for 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages you, my beloved readers, to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Are you keeping up with any health goals for February, related to your New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month?  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 Intentions to Improvements: Update on Health Habits for February 2012

My "new" refrigerator's freezer holds more fruits and veggies.

I am sensing a change inside of me.  

My skin is clearing up, even shiny on the face.  My tummy is getting more flabby so I know I'll have to be toning up soon.  I'm feeling a pull on the lower calves.  I am also enjoying spending more time in the kitchen, preparing more foods.  I have lots more energy, too.

My intentions to get healthier are paying off.  

There is definite improvement.  I am feeling more hungry, but I am able to get up and get going.  I might not see a noticeable change in the mirror, but my insides are changing.  I am encouraged!

Here is an update on my progress:

1.  I've continued to read the Bible.  This is truly setting the tone for this year.  I feel more well-rounded and ready to face the world after having dug into God's word.

2. Haven't lost anymore weight, but I haven't gained any, either.

3. I'm still drinking water.  I was drinking three bottles of water with lots of ice everyday. 

4. Still ate some junk food and drank some soda.  It's hard with the hubby still buying it, but yesterday (Sunday), I managed to not drink any.

5. Made a concoction of strawberry whey protein, Greek yogurt, bananas, and ground flaxseed.  I stretched it to drink it about 3 times last week.

6. Last Friday, I used the Wii Fit.  Spent 27 minutes, 10 minutes of which I briskly walked a mile.  Yes, I'm slow to do one mile.  I improved a few of my other scores from the past.  Not bad; I had not used it for about 300 days.

7. I managed to walk more than 4,000 steps for 6/7 days.  Yesterday, I went to the stores with hubby and lost my pedometer...so I'm not sure how much I walked.   Fortunately, I have another pedometer.

8. I've been getting up early to eat breakfast.  My younger son has often joined us.  I've had more energy and gotten more done like dusting books and bookshelves and decluttering magazines and pots and pans.

Plans for the upcoming week:

1. Continue to drink lots of water.

2. Continue to walk at least 4,000 steps per day.

3. Make more drinks in the blender with more berries.

4. Stretch in the mornings.  Been feeling better afterwards.

5. Cook more because our family has entered a new challenge for no takeout for 22 out of 25 days of February.

6. Try to use the Wii Fit more.  It is fun and helps pass the minutes quickly to exercise.

Well, thanks for reading about my intentions leading to improvements in my health for 2012.  I hope this blog entry encourages you all to develop your own health goals.

How about you, my readers?  Are you keeping up with any health goals for February, related to your New Year's resolutions?  How do you plan to improve your health this month?  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.