Easier Said Than Done

A favourite walk near Flagstaff, Arizona

Today I would like to make an update on the plan I started (see here) to help me lose weight and thus reduce my high risk of having a cardiac-related event.

Things have not been simple.  It was much easier to decide on a course than to actually follow it.

The pressure I have been feeling has ended up very stressful and depressing, especially when my weight continues to go up and down like a yo-yo with seeming little connection to what I do.

I feel like I am battling more than food intake and exercise.  Other factors I’ve been facing is my lack of continuing motivation, my habit of overeating when I feel stressed, and a slow metabolism from the two times I dramatically lost a lot of weight because of severe illness. 

I think I am also a little scared.  What benefit do I currently gain from being overweight?  Would I be happy if my appearance changed?  Then I tell myself that absolutely my whole life and lifestyle has changed completely in the last two years so why not add a new appearance?  But this idea is quickly followed by a return of that deadly feeling of pressure to conform, to be slim and trim like I used to be in my twenties.

Some prolonged deep thinking on this subject has brought me to the conclusion that what I really want to focus on is becoming healthier, more than losing weight per se. 

I personally know both healthy and unhealthy obese people and healthy and unhealthy skinny people, so good health is not dependent on body size.  However, I do feel that if my health was good then my weight would automatically adjust to what my body feels is healthiest for it – which may not be the same size as that of a model!

So what can I do to promote good health in my life?  Whatever I do needs to be simple, sustainable, and enjoyable.  I just need a few guidelines to push me in the right direction.

I have joined WW (Weightwatchers) to help me make better food choices, especially in regards to quantity eaten.  I began on the Green Plan but that involved so much tracking (especially as most of what I eat is prepared from scratch) that I have switched to their Purple Plan.  This allows me to eat healthy food and only track the things that really are not good for me (such as sugary stuff and wrong fats).

Our local swimming pool runs classes for aquacise and aqua-zumba, and I have begun attending those twice a week.  Yesterday was the first day I have done both (the two classes are 15 minutes apart) and came home feeling energised and on top of the world even if I was a bit sore.  Today I can barely walk!  But I know it is mostly muscle pain and should pass as I get more used to the exercises.

Walking is something I would like to do more of.  Not so much as exercise, but more as a way of maintaining the ability to move and as a means of promoting better mental health.  Strolling through a pleasant natural environment, with the opportunity for an occasional stop to contemplate my surrounds, is what I would call an ideal activity for me as I grow older.

Another movement issue I need to look into is balance, especially with osteoarthritis making itself more and more felt.  I have suffered the odd stumbling episode and a few months ago succeeded in giving myself concussion when I slipped over outside.

A few years ago I participated in a pilot course that taught, among other things, how to maintain good balance and suppleness to hopefully avoid having hip or knee replacement surgery.  I need to find my instruction book and get started on these stretches again.

It feels a bit funny making public my personal thoughts and decisions, but it is Life that I am writing about.  Who knows, someone somewhere might be encouraged by what I write and not feel like they are alone in their struggles to live a better life. 

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope you enjoy your day.

Margaret.

Missing The Beach

Home again this afternoon, house-sitting duties ended.  I enjoy caring for my two little charges (Rusty the dog and Merlin the cat) as they both have amazing personalities and make great companions.

Our clouds today are still a little dusky but much better than yesterday.  I guess the gusty wind we are now experiencing is moving the smoke haze on. 

The weather is warm even though it is windy.  From experience I know I most likely would not swim in the ocean at this time of year - too much seaweed tangling around the legs, and too many baby jellyfish pelting into the body - but I still miss living right beside the beach.

I used to love going for long early morning walks along the sand – traipsing around a city, even through a beautiful garden (which I have to drive to), just does not do it for my soul.

I took this photo, below, early one morning in 2012 when we still lived over-the-road and through-the-sand-dunes from this beautiful coastline.

Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty (2012)

My Makeover-Me plans are now heading back on track after the holiday period.  I am still struggling with my food selection and portions as they seem to jump all over the place, so I have decided to get more structure into it and have enrolled myself with WW (stupid name, they used to be called WeightWatchers). 

Already, within one day, I can see that I have not been as aware of my eating as I should have been (even with keeping a food diary).  Who would have thought that a tiny one-bite Xmas fruit mince tart could be so detrimental to the calorie/kilojoule intake?  I can see closer label reading is definitely needed!

Cheers to a future of healthier eating J

Margaret


Linked to Skywatch Friday

Down By The River

Beside the Waikato River

I went for an early morning walk through Hamilton Gardens again, and this time made my way down a path that led to the edge of the Waikato River.  It was incredibly peaceful and quiet down there, with only birds and some rabbits to keep me company.  In the distance I could see the Cobham Drive bridge with traffic passing over it, but it was too far away to hear anything.

Looking towards Cobham Drive bridge

It was good to have a little time by myself as I was feeling rather angry after watching the early morning news on TV.  A pilot of one of the three helicopters that airlifted twelve people off White Island soon after it erupted, was saying how they were forbidden to return to rescue the remaining people as it was considered too dangerous for them to do so.  These pilots are all experienced with flying visitors to and from the Island and know the hazards well.  If they were willing to volunteer themselves, then why were they not allowed to do so?  

I am so thankful that no-one was able to stop their first flight or the death toll would be a lot higher (some of the twelve rescued have since died, but at least they had a chance given to them).  By all reports, eight people remained on the Island (in various states of injury) and they are now all declared to be dead.  It is starting to look a bit like the Pike River debacle all over again, and makes me angry and sad at the same time.

(For those who don’t know, the Pike River Coal Mine disaster occurred in 2010 and willing rescuers, who were fully trained and equipped, were forbidden to enter the shaft and search for possible survivors.)

One of several rabbits that I saw

Today was also my four-week weigh-and-measure day.  The scales say I now weigh one kilogram less than I did, and the tape measure says I have lost 3 ½ inches in total.  I confess to feeling a little depressed with these results, but then reminded myself that for the first time in months the scales were not saying I had gained weight, and losing the inches is also a bonus.  I shall choose to be encouraged!

This is a popular riverside picnic area in summertime

Take care,

Margaret

Zumba And Thunder

Well maybe zumba and thunder don't rhyme exactly, but they do sort of!

This morning I attended my first aqua-zumba class at the local swimming pool.  A bit nerve-wracking as I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out a lot of fun.

Fortyfive minutes of "dancing" in the water to upbeat music with an instructor showing us the moves.  No way could I keep up with her, and half the moves I am sure I got wrong, but at least I was moving and it was fun.  I felt good afterwards.

These roses were photographed at the Te Awamutu Rose Garden

Then, this afternoon, I headed a little south of Hamilton to visit my cousin at Ohaupo.  What a lovely way to spend an afternoon, chatting and laughing and catching up on all the family gossip.

As I was leaving the wind suddenly picked up rather violently and we could see rain heading our way.  I drove right into it!  Thunder and lightning and heavy heavy rain.

A couple of large puddles later, and I am sure the underneath of my car has now lost all the dust it collected on my recent trip up north.  The top of the car was washed by grand-daughter and her friend last night - so my little Missy is now all clean and sparkling!

Time to go make myself some dinner,
Take care everyone,
Margaret.

Portion Control

Beautiful Lake Ianthe is on the West Coast of the South Island

This is the next step in my Makeover Plan.  I wanted to come up with a guideline for controlling food portions, so I have been looking at English wartime rationing, researching online information (especially helpful were the NZ Heart Foundation’s portion control information, and Harvard University’s Healthy Eating Plate webpage), food pyramids from previous decades (there have been several), and considering my own personal preferences. 

What I ended up with was a list of portion controls that I thought might work for me, but then during the last 24 hours I have read two things that have really had me thinking.

The first was, in effect, that nothing in your life will change unless you change what you are doing.  The second was David’s comment on yesterday’s post about eating meals containing three vegetables and a fruit.   It left me wondering what it would be like to base three meals a day on three vegetables and one fruit.  Being the quixotic creature that I am, I am going to give this a go.

This is what I think it would look like for each meal:

o   Base the meal on three different non-starchy vegetables (or sprouts) – quantity at least enough to fill two cupped hands

o   Add one serving of fruit – an average apple/orange/banana etc., or a daily maximum of 1 Tbsp. of dried fruit

o   One serve of a protein (meat, nuts, eggs, fish, cheese etc.,) – daily maximums to be the palm of one hand for meat, the whole hand for white fish, ½ cup of nuts, 2 eggs, or 50g of cheese

o   One serve of carbohydrate (wholemeal bread/toast/pasta, rice, potato, oatmeal, legumes, scone etc.) – total combined maximum meal amount, the size of one fist

o   Add natural flavourings as desired – herbs, spices, salt, apple cider vinegar, cold pressed oil, seeds etc.

Each meal would be different so that a wide variety could be eaten, and the fruit and vegetables could be raw or cooked.  Snacks are to be avoided, but if there is a real need for something then have a piece of fruit or (if really desperate!) one snack-pack of raisins, eating them one at a time.

Basically, the above cuts out the following:

o   All processed meat and processed food products

o   Artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colours and preservatives

o   Refined sugars – white, brown, syrup

o   Dairy milk (which I do not tolerate well)

o   All takeaways and deep fried foods

o   Refined flour products like pasta, bread, baked goods etc.

The whole idea of eating this way actually makes me feel very excited – perhaps it is the Universe nudging me in that direction?  It is, I feel, a fairly simple easy-to-follow guide:  it is totally different to how I have been eating, meal preparation should be relatively simple, it offers variety ad infinitum, and it will hopefully be easy enough to adapt when dining out – it really ticks all the boxes!

Margaret

Food Intake

This is Step Four of my Makeover Plan.  I need to sort out the types of food I am going to eat. 

A salad to enjoy

There is a lot of “advice” around on what makes a nutritional diet, but so much of it is contradictory that it gets very confusing to sort out.  Even the standard “low-fat” advice is now being questioned, at the same time as we seem to be tipping headfirst into a “sugar is evil” trend.  Will that advice change in ten years, back to what it used to be decades ago (that we should have some sugar in our diet)?

I have been giving this subject some deep thought (my brain hurts!) and these are some of my conclusions:

o   We are all different and different things suit different people, so what is it that suits me?

o   I don’t believe in cutting out whole food groups.  There are good fats, good sugars, even good salts, that we should be eating.  It is the “bad” ones we need to avoid.

o   I love food!  Food adds immensely to my enjoyment of living so I do not want to become paranoid about what I eat.

o   The one thing nutritionists appear to agree upon is that overly refined and processed foods are not good for us.

o   I am inclined to lean towards the “a little bit of what you love is good for you” – as long as it is only a little bit and not too often! 

o   Eat a wide variety of different foodstuffs, cooking from scratch whenever possible.

o   Always be thankful for the food you eat.

Summer fruit

I’ve made pages of notes about my thoughts on this subject, slept on it several times, looked again through several of the books I own, carefully considered how I react to certain foods, and I seem to have come to an answer:

o   Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably seasonal

o   Eat meat 3-5 times a week

o   Eat seafood 1-2 times a week, including oily fish once a week

o   Eat eggs, but minimize my intake of dairy (milk, cheese)

o   Have a controlled portion of carbohydrates with every meal

o   Include good fats in my diet, but limit the amount used

o   Drink plenty of pure water

o   Only drink alcohol when eating food, and then limit the amount

o   Avoid artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings and preservatives

o   Limit intake of refined foods like sugar and white flour

o   Allow self to “cheat” on special occasions

Roast beef

My next step is Portion Control, and then I should have a good set of guidelines I can follow.

For nearly a week now I have had no ice-cream for dessert in the evening and I am sleeping much better – who would think that there could be a connection between those two?

Margaret.

Makeover Two And Three

RECORDING MY JOURNEY and TRACKING AND SUPPORT

To record my makeover journey and to help keep me on track, I am setting up a journal that will hold everything and anything, from the goals I set to the food I eat and the exercise programmes I follow.  My notebook choice is a Bullet Journal as I like the dotted pages to help me plan headings etc. 

I want this journal to be a fun book, a happy book, something that fills me with excitement when I use it.  When I find some pretty stickers to purchase, then it will be decorated.  I may even put a dab of essential oil (I love lavender and sandalwood, so probably one of those two) inside the back cover.

I am already working on the first pages – a title page, the story of why I am doing this, The Plan itself, my notes about step one setting a goal, motivators I can use, affirmations, and a food diary. 

The Food Diary is a very important part of my journey.  I have read that those who keep a record of everything they consume are much more aware of what they are doing, and therefore have a much greater chance of not only losing the excess weight but also of keeping it off.  

I am starting this immediately as I hope it will reveal any hidden patterns I may have regarding my eating habits, e.g., overeating when tired, snacking too much, not drinking enough water etc.  I only record the time and what I have eaten as I don’t want this to become burdensome, but I know some people like to record extra things as well, such as how they feel, why they are eating, even who they are eating with. 

The other important pages I have are to record weight and measurements.  I have decided to take my measurements every four weeks, but my weight weekly.  I know there is no way I can stay away from the scales for longer than a week!  I can last a week but then I would want to peep to see what was happening.  To keep myself on track, I have loaded “appointments” into my phone to weigh-in every Wednesday morning and measure myself every fourth Wednesday.

Support is important as well.  I am really appreciating the support I have been receiving so far from you, my Blogland Friends.  I know my close family are supporting me as well, and I am receiving professional advice from my medical centre.

This is such an exciting journey to be on,

Margaret.

Makeover Step One

Thank-you everyone for all your supportive comments on my last post.   Anyone is most welcome to come along on this Makeover Journey with me.  But please note that I am only writing about what I am doing;  I am not a medical person and cannot guarantee any results (not even for myself!).


I have been spending time today finalising the Plan that I want to follow to help me reduce to a more healthy weight.   After lunch I had to take son to an eye appointment up at the Hospital, and that has inspired me even further to do this makeover journey.

There were so many “old people” there – do I really want to advance into my senior years as a decrepit misfit hobbling around with a sour face?  I don’t think so, yet it would be so easy to just sit back and go “woe is me, I am old and sick so I cannot possibly enjoy living.” 

Thankfully I have known many older people who kept a smile on their face and accepted age and health limitations with grace and calm resignation.  They make wonderful examples of how to grow old gracefully.  

I have no desire to be young again or as slim as I was at age 18 – I just want to live a happy life, as healthy as I can be.  My mother always said “you are only as old as you feel” and I like to think she was right.

The dawning of a new day

It looks like My Makeover Plan will have twelve different steps that I want to implement:

1.            Goal setting

2.            Recording my journey

3.            Tracking and support

4.            Food intake

5.            Portion control

6.            Mindful eating

7.            Deep breathing

8.            Move it!

9.            Mobility

10.          Balance

11.          Suppleness

12.          Beauty routines

STEP ONE is goal setting.  Without a goal to aim for there is little point in attempting anything.  I have broken this step into six different areas:

THE GOAL – it must be realistic and attainable;  it should have a definite time frame;  the goal should be worded in the present tense.

My goal will be :  On or before 1 April 2020, I will weigh less than 97 kg  

(I am a wee bit embarrassed to admit that amount as I never tell anyone what my weight is!)

MOTIVATOR CARD – decide on some prime motivators to help inspire me to stay on track (e.g., have more energy, feel more attractive in my clothes, wear high heels again);  write these out on a small card and keep it in my handbag;  read when feeling tempted or if I feel depressed over slow progress.

VISION BOARD/BOOK – cut out pictures or find photos of how I want to be when the goal is attained;  put them together on a board or in a book;   I have yet to do this, but intend to put mine in my tracking journal (step 2);  look at them daily and spend time every day deeply imagining/visualising myself looking like that;  feel happy while doing this.

AFFIRMATIONS – these are needed to help me love myself more and stop me feeling/thinking “fat”;  write them out on a card and say them daily (e.g., I feel healthy and buoyant, I love my body, my new life is so exciting);  could also do extra things like:  write “I love you, you are a beautiful woman” on a card and attach it to my dressing table;  write “smile, you are becoming more gorgeous every day” on a card and keep it somewhere in the car  where it is on view but not obstructing my driving.

THE MAKEOVER PLAN – the steps I need to implement to achieve my goal;  they are listed above and I will write more as I come to each one – this is a slow steady journey, I am not in a mad rush as I do not want to crash and burn, I want to achieve this as a permanent goal.

REWARDS – decide on a special treat to be had when the goal is accomplished (apart from feeling fantastic!);  this is not a motivator in itself but more of a pat-on-the-back acknowledgment of achievement;  small rewards could be implemented as impressive milestones are reached (e.g., have a massage when I have lost 10 kilos).

For my goal achievement reward, I choose to treat myself to a thermal mud spa at Hell’s Gate in Rotorua.  What awesome fun that will be!

More coming soon,

Margaret

Not Mundane At All

Yesterday I had a doctor appointment that I thought would be a mundane normal yearly check-up.  Wrong!  My blood pressure was so high (even though I am on medication for it) it was approaching dangerous, and I was given a Cardiac Vascular Disease assessment and told I have a very very high risk of having a heart-related medical event within the next five years.  Something needs to be done!

Lake Rotoroa in central Hamilton

I know I have put on a lot of weight since losing my husband.  The last thing on my mind has been taking care of myself, even though I was told to often enough.   I knew I should have been doing more, but I felt at a bit of a loss as to what exactly to do (or was I procrastinating?).  Now I need to lose at least 15 kilos to get my weight down to a manageable level again, and at the same time improve my level of health if I wish to continue into my Senior Years without too many problems.

This is not the sort of thing I would normally post about, not liking to talk about health issues, but I decided that some readers may be interested in the journey I am about to embark upon – and maybe even like to join me, or be inspired to take better care of their own health.

Walking beside the Lake

The first step I am taking is setting a goal of exactly what it is that I want to achieve, then make a plan on how I can do that, as well as setting rewards for smaller achievements along the way.

This is going to be a whole lifestyle change and is going to take time.  My weight did not appear overnight and, realistically, it will not disappear overnight.  I need to learn to be patient, to set up a Plan and then follow it.

It is a very pleasant walk in places

This morning I went for a walk beside Lake Rotoroa in the centre of Hamilton.  I went early but there were still quite a few people out walking or running or following their dog around.  I kept a special eye out for birdlife and was happy to see mallard ducks, Australian coots, pukeko (some had chicks with them), pigeons (they roost in the Phoenix palms), sparrows, blackbirds, starlings, Indian mynahs, some welcome swallows, a couple of kingfishers, and a very special sighting (both heard and seen) of a long-tailed cuckoo (Eudynamys taitensis). 

Long Tailed Cuckoo
 (Buller, Walter Lawry, Birds of New Zealand, 1888)

Long-tailed cuckoos are summer migrants to New Zealand (they breed here and nowhere else) and are not that common.  I have only had a confirmed encounter with one other bird and that was several years ago when I had the privilege of watching it stalk a smaller bird through some shrubbery.  Watching wildlife is so amazing.

Let birdsong bring joy to your soul,

Margaret