*dusting off the cob webs*
Well, since last Tuesday, I've made a pact with my 12 year old niece that we were going to walk for at least a month. I know we'll keep going, but I wanted us both to commit that long because at the point it will be a habit and hopefully we won't want to quit. I can't, I have to keep walking.
With all of my pain and medical issues lately, I haven't done any type of exercise. Well, I was feeling just blah and knew I needed to do something since I'm on the go, but don't get any exercise to speak of. And my poor niece really lacks self esteem and is overweight. I knew we'd really be helping each other. So we started last Tuesday. I told anybody else in my family if they'd like to join, PLEASE do, but the commitment is between my niece and I. There have been a few days where I nearly didn't go and ended up going so I didn't let her down. So on my end, having committed to her, it's working for me. If it was just me walking, I wouldn't have gone. We live in the mountains so nothing is flat her and some hills are extremely steep or a constant gradual incline, which to me are worse than the very steep hills. I measured it and we've been walking 1.5 miles daily. We get up at 6am every morning at go. I told her we needed to do 5 days a week and said we would take the weekends off. I figured I'd walk at least a mile to my mom's on those days, too. She said she'd like to walk weekends, also. Well, we didn't walk Monday because that was the day we decided to do it and it was late in the day. Then we did miss another day because it was pouring. So we got in 5 days last week. On the weekends we don't go until 8 so we can sleep in a little bit. My husband, who claims he gets all the exercise he needs at work, is going, too. Now, he may get some exercise, but he just won't listen that just because it's constant and he does break a sweat, it just isn't the same as constant cardio like that. He may keep his heart rate up, but it isn't every day he works steady like that, physically I mean, and it isn't the same. I told him, after a month of walking, and betting him he'll drop weight, then he won't be able to tell me the same. I told him, if he gets exercise like that everyday, no way should he be overweight, and he is by about 40 lbs. And it really worries me because he carries most of it in his stomach and torso, but mainly his stomach. Of course, that is the worst place to carry it. So he isn't walking for himself right now, he's doing it to make me happy. Ya know, I'm fine with that. He can say he's doing it for me, but really he's doing it for himself. Between his mom and dad, they've suffered heart attack, breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, so you see where I'm going with that. All of those problems are somewhat weight related. His dad is overweight and so is his entire family, actually. So I really worry about his health. He has every check mark against him, really. His dad recently had to start giving himself insulin shots instead of just a pill. So he needs to be more careful and take better care of himself. I've been keeping better foods in the house and I've been eating a lot more fruit. I guess I'm not really doing a LC diet anymore. I'm just watching everything I eat. I talked with my doctor, my pump doctor, because I was having a lot of trouble with constipation
sorry. But with my medication, that is a big time side effect. I take a LOT of over the counter meds to counteract that and it still wasn't working. My doctor told me to cut back on meat (which I don't eat tons of anyway) and add in a lot more fruits and veggies. Well, I'm not big on veggies but I've been eating fruit salad, mainly just watermelon, honeydew, grapes and strawberries together and truly enjoying it. Plus, it is definitely helping with my problems. So that is what I'm trying to do, just eat healthier and a somewhat LC and try to keep my fats down, diet.
So on Sunday, we walked 3 miles and it was extremely hilly. I was feeling pain before I ever went and at first told my niece I wasn't going. But I felt guilty so DH and I got up and went. About 1/2 way going, and climbing a steady low incline (which to me is torture) I told DH I didn't think I could do the big hill, I was hurting. So we were behind my niece and brother in law (I forgot to mention he's walking every morning with us, too) and when we got to the hill, DH said ok, let's turn around. I told him no, I needed and wanted to go for it. So I did it!!!!! I was so proud of myself. I made it all the way there and back, again, 3 miles doesn't sound too bad, but being in the mountains, WHEW!!!! Then here comes my twig of a nephew, well, skinny but muscular, he's 14, and he left after us, comes jogging along and beats us all and then comes back to meet us on his bike. He's so sweet to me, we were close to being done and he looked at me and must have saw I was struggling, not too bad plus I was hot and tired
He asked if I was ok and I said yes, he asked if I was sure
and then asked if I wanted some water. I told him no thanks and he offered to go ride home and get me a bottle. Good kid he is. So I felt so great knowing I finished that, big hills and all.
Then today, I'm adding in light weight lifting. I haven't gone through and figured out my plan, but I think I'll just do the 3 day split I did way back when. I really enjoyed that and I could see some changes starting so I know it worked. So that's that. I'm so happy to be back here and feel so alive and like I'm doing something since starting to exercise.
Oh, the other reason why this is so important to me. I had a bone density scan done (I'm 34 years old but had a complete hysterectomy when I was 28) so one of my physical therapists suggested I have it done a few years ago. Well, they had a thing at the hospital where it was free so I went laughing I was only 34, it was fine. My mom wished me luck as she was leaving and I was going in. I laughed and said it's dumb I'm even going, it'll be fine. WRONG!!!! I mean, it wasn't anything major. It came back abnormal and I'm just on the borderline for the beginning stage of osteopenia. Go figure. So if weight lifting helps to strengthen bones and I can maybe prevent bone loss later in life, I'd be a complete moron not to try to help myself. My gyn. doctor said he wants to have a scan done yearly. I sent the free test results to him to get his opinion and he said I didn't have to have anything further this year, but he wants one done yearly, either the free one like I had or a DEXA completely bone scan. Next year, I'll opt for the complete bone scan if my insurance pays for it so I can make sure that free test was right. Sometimes, those types of tests can be off, so this way I'll be sure. At first he said to just start taking calcium. I told him, he told me when I had my hysterectomy it was VERY important to make sure and take hormone replacement and calcium and I haven't missed it since. Of course I may miss a day here or there, but I take them faithfully. So that kind of threw him for a loop. That's when he said he'd do a test yearly now. But I have to do what I can to help myself, too.
Ok, I'd better get going. But there is my exercise plan. I'll update my lifting plan later.