BLC20

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:03:04 EST

One of the assignments for the BLC20 this week is to write a blog about my plan for the 12 weeks of the challenge.

My goal is to gain stamina. Some things I will be doing to achieve this are explained below.

I have been keeping track of my am and pm stamina levels, and aim to improve my fortnightly averages via gradual improvement. (I've done the math for my 2-week goal #s, but don't have the #s with me at the moment! ;) )

Getting enough GOOD sleep real...

2012: Week 3 / Troisième semaine

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:58:18 EST

My Resolutions aren't going as well this week, BUT I am learning a lot! 58

Progress for the week:

Body: Less sitting!!

Mind: Too little French! Therefore, the next week: smaller objectives.

Spirit: A little meditation. I think I need to choose a specific spot in my house (the front room?).

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Cette semaine mes résolutions, ca se passe moins bien....MAIS, j'apprends bea...

2012: Week 2 / Semaine deux

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:13:10 EST

Hello!

My resolutions are going pretty well. :)

Progress for the week:

Body: I took better care of my eyes (2/7 days), and my back (core strength training)

Mind: I wrote a little(!) bit of French all week long

Spirit: planning for meditations

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Bonjour!

Mes résolutions, ca se passe plutôt bien. :)

Le progrès pour la semaine:
<...

2012: Week 1 / Semaine un

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 18:31:26 EST

Happy New Year! :D

I have a lot of resolutions, and I would like to write about them and their progress each week.

This week's goal is to choose the resolutions!

Body: to take better care of myself (back, eyes, rest, etc., and no more sweatpants! lol)

Mind: to learn/improve my French

Spirit: to meditate more

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Bonne Année! :D

J'ai beaucoup des résolutions, et je ...

First post-surgery 5k! :D

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:36:37 EST

Today I walked my first 5k since my surgery 4 years ago.

After having worsening (hereditary) endometriosis for most of my life, the process to regain my health and stamina has been long and difficult. The "two steps forward, one step back" (and sometimes 3 steps back! :P ) scenario was rather frustrating, but I am proud to say that, after finally finding the right doctor, the right hormone combination, much lifestyle trial and error (food, exercise, REST), etc., etc., and SparkPeop...

Inspired by a Spark Article

Sat, 8 May 2010 16:11:30 EST

This past week I really struggled with my eating. I racked my brain trying to figure out what had gotten into me. Last night, I stumbled upon a Spark article by Stepfanie Romine:
"Finding Inspiration In Your Biggest Temptations"
www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivat
ion_articles.asp?id=1356
The article suggested that there is usually an inspiration or lesson I am trying to learn through my behavior. I think the inspiration I was lacking was a short to mediu...

Examining my limitations and moving forward

Sat, 1 May 2010 18:55:54 EST

Today I attended a kayak event with a couple of family members. I paddled around in the "pool" they had set up, and gosh...I used muscles I never knew I had. lol I realized that I probably only have about 15 minutes of kayaking in me, which doesn't really allow for going out with my family.

I am not really allowed to do strength training yet, but I figure there's got to be some way for me to "train" my middle and upper body for the muscle endurance needed to kayak. I plan to put m...

Feeling Able Today

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:55:48 EST

After a few days of being ill, I am finally functioning today! :)

Since the surgery, I have a habit of pushing myself too hard (exercise, housework, errands, etc.) and making myself ill. I just get so excited when I can actually move and do stuff that...I don't want to stop. :P Part of the difficulty is that I feel okay until I am well past the safety point, so I don't always know when I've gone too far, then I pay for it the next day(s).

So today I am getting things don...

Earth Week

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:13 EST

I think Whole Foods was even more crowded on Earth Day weekend than it was on Easter weekend. It does my heart good to see people looking for greener ways to spend their money.

There are oodles of eco-events in my city this week, from cleaning up parks to eating organic veggie dogs at the Earth Day festival. I remember celebrating this holiday for the first time in 1990, its 20th anniversary. I was in high school, and eager to change the world (still an ongoing project!).

Made Bread Today

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:10:22 EST

I thought I'd share a slice of bread with each spark friend today!
It was made using a no-knead one-bowl method I learned via SparkRecipes.com. I used my own recipe, as it seems that any bread recipe will work with this method.

Here's a link, if you'd like to give it a try:
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=534146

Have a Healthy Day! 286

I heard a bird sing...

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:27:27 EST
"I Heard a Bird Sing"
by Oliver Herford

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."

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After the Solstice, the Sun visits us for a little longer each day.
Though this time of year may be stressful, hurried, or even lonely, try to r...

My List of Holiday Survival Strategies

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:38:12 EST
Weight maintenance has been tricky for me since surgical menopause, and holiday travel compounds the problem. Hence, I have written my list of survival strategies here and will refer to them throughout the month of craziness.

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Before/After Travel:

* BREATHE deeply! The holidays are supposed to be a happy time, right? :P

* Do as much as I can...

Rainbow Connection (song)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:29:31 EST
I consider it my civic duty to post this link. :D

This is a link to a song sung by Kermit the Frog, Rainbow Connection:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEVY51DD0Hk

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After all these years, it still makes me cry!
Thank you creators Jim Henson, Kenny Ascher, and Paul Williams!

Doing SO much better than this time last year!

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:07:59 EST
I am happy to announce that I saw my main doctor a couple of days ago, and she says I am doing MUCH better than I was last year at this time. It really helped to have that perspective, as I tend to "not see the forest for the trees" and not see how far I have come over time.

I am able to exercise regularly now and am having a lot less post-surgery symptoms than I was last summer. For example, last year I had to plan out how I was going to survive the Irish Festival for a half day....

Hiking

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 15:09:18 EST
Thanks, everyone, for your support and sage advice on the house-preparation stuff!!
My spouse has less work this term than usual, so it looks like I will have help, which changes everything. We are going to stuff some things in boxes and take them upstairs (guests are not allowed upstairs, I declare! lol). That way we can deal with them in our own time. If new floors are not too expensive, hopefully they will be done in time. (Did I mention the carpets have been through 2 floods and qu...

Much to do...

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 13:25:38 EST
My in-laws recently announced that they will be coming to visit much(!!) earlier than expected. I am still trying hard to focus on how much I love them, but panic is setting in. ;P I have more to do than I have time to do it, so I am trying to lower my house-preparation standards as well as to keep moving no matter what.
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In the meantime, my spouse's first real vacation time in 2 years has been going on, so I have been trying to make sure as many fun things ...

Two Mini-Goals Met

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:33:46 EST
I have found that I am too unskilled will the digital camera and art program to post photographs in a timely manner. So instead of a picture of the clean kitchen, I guess I will just have to say that I Did It!! :D I met my self-imposed cleaning deadline, and am proud to say that I have kept the area clutter-free for a week or so now. :)
My next cleaning assignment is the southwest quadrant of the family room. I started off pretty well, but had to pause for sailing prep and pre/post sail...

Cleaning House

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:40:57 EST
Long term illness has had a long term effect on my house, and as I have been recovering, so has my house. Both very slowly.

I perused a book recently called "The Clutter Diet", which I will probably eventually purchase. One of the recommendations in the book was to commit to someone, to set specific goals, and to set specific completion dates. This is to be done on an ongoing basis, and rewards can optionally be given for completion.

To that end, I have committed to my ...

Odds & Ends

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 19:10:51 EST
The scale is finally moving a little, so I guess that's good. :)

I am having fun doing my little workouts. I really do enjoy using my body, it just doesn't always enjoy me back. lol Speaking of back, mine is a little better this week, yay! :)

In less pleasant news, I have noticed a disturbing trend. When folks blog/post/mention that they are not losing weight, people often go on about what they might not being doing, or not doing well enough (trying to help, of course)....

Still Here

Sat, 30 May 2009 15:28:16 EST
As I was saying on a challenge thread today, the thing I am most proud of right now lifestyle-wise is that I am *still here*. I know that seems odd, since so many folks focus on pounds, but I feel that consistency will eventually get me to where I want to go.

In other news, although my back is still driving me bananas (still working with the doc, etc.), it seems that Wii Fit may be a form of exercise that I can do! I did a bunch of the exercises today, paying close attention to ho...

Nothing much to report.

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:55:49 EST
I have been doing well with calories and water. Yay. :)

Exercise was slowly coming along until my back started hurting big time. I guess the added exercise really brought out the fact that my pelvis is currently tilted funny. For now, I am seeing the chiropractor a couple of times a week, doing rehabilitation stretches/exercises, and icing my back three times a day.
I am trying not to feel bad about not being able to exercise (or get much done in general). If it takes a long t...

Love as a Response to Trouble

Thu, 14 May 2009 23:21:10 EST
On Wednesday my Mother-in-law called with news.
My reaction was to totally freak out, feeling like I had no control over my life or anything/anyone in it. Having (presumably) recovered from PTSD, the frightened out-of-control feeling was all too familiar.

This will be the 5th summer in a row that has been stolen from my spouse and I (2 from lengthy surgeries, 2 from intensive recoveries).
Today I made a list of all of the things I can do to make my summer as bearable as I...

Feeling a little better...

Sat, 9 May 2009 19:40:30 EST
A combination of *finally* getting a few full nights of sleep and re-starting my multi-vitamin habit seem to be doing some good. (I had gotten out of the vitamin habit because the previous variety was making me feel nauseated. :-P )

While I am still far from feeling like my "normal self", I have stopped feeling quite so exhausted all the time. So far, this has meant good things for my exercise and housework routines, and I hope the trend continues!
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Down Time

Sun, 3 May 2009 01:16:09 EST
I have been working on adding tiny amounts of exercise, drinking lots of water, and eating within my calorie range. The latter two have gone really well, but the exercise hasn't.
I thought I could handle such a small amount of exercise, but it seems that I still have a lot more resting to do at this stage of my recovery. It makes me so sad to have to rewind yet again...to not be moving forward. My family needs me right now, and I can't stand not being able to help them directly. (It's n...

BLC:10 The Journey Begins

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:02:25 EST
Yesterday was the first day of a 3-month challenge that I recently joined here on SparkPeople. It's called the "Biggest Loser Challenge", round 10.

I have never actually seen the television show that it is named after, but the challenge seems great so far! There are about 500(!) people in it, about 30 on each team. It is certainly the most complicated challenge I have been part of, as there are overall challenges, mini-challenges, and daily posts to keep up with. The microman...

April's Perspective

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:09:18 EST
Where did March go? lol

For the past three months, I have been part of a forum contest here on SparkPeople, and it gave me the opportunity to compare and consider my weight over a period of 3 months. Although there were ups and downs during that time, and I so often felt like I had fallen off the wagon, I ended up almost where I started. Since my goal was to maintain (which has been sooo hard for me since my hysterectomy), I am quite pleased, and a little surprised. It gives me h...

February Goals

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:52:11 EST
February is always a hard month for me, as Winter can be sooo depressing.
I am trying to focus on the three good things about February: Valentine's Day, an anniversary (of the day I met my spouse! :D ), and the buds/shoots near the end of the month that remind me that Spring is around the corner!
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Survival is my goal this month! 101 (That's supposed to be my determined face. lol )

Thanks for your support, Nasuti & KatMomma3! 25...

What I've Learned This January

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:17:12 EST
Thanks so much, Tikki and Linda for your comments! I feel a little less alone in the world knowing that others here are listening and going through the same things.

I have learned a lot about myself regarding eating as well as exercising this month, and I can say that this may be the first time I have felt like I made real progress through the month of January. Even though I have lost weight during other Januaries (and nearly none this January, which is fine), I am prouder of thi...

Fresh Air and Trees

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:59:58 EST
I have been really up and down this week emotionally.
However...after many days of being stuck inside due to the dangerously cold weather, the temperature was somewhat higher yesterday. As a result of that as well as a little research into ecopsychology, I decided to go for a walk *outside* yesterday! It Felt Great!!!

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I have *got* to remember to do that more often! In fact, I think I am going to take another w...

Exploring What Works for Me

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:22:29 EST
I have been doing pretty well with exercise, and I am proud of myself for it. :) It feels good to be consistent, and I am exploring what works for me as far as what I can handle physically.

I discovered two wonderful workout videos this week, both via Netflix. One is "Pain Free Workout" www.netflix.com/Movie/Pain_Free_Work
out_Vol._1/70069426?trkid=188469 , and the other is "Healing Yoga: For Aches and Pains" www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Healing_Yoga
_For_Ac...

January Goal

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 12:35:58 EST
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As part of the Wii Exercise group's challenge, "We're Gonna Shine in 2009", I am posting my goal for January.

** I plan to get some sort of formal exercise for 15 minutes a day, most days of the week. **

It has taken me about a year and a half (after surgery) to work up to that 15 minutes, and I am hoping that it won't be too much for me at this stage. So far, in my test period, I was able to do 15 minute...

LAFEMMEDELALUNE's SparkPeople Blog

BLC20

2012: Week 3 / Troisième semaine

2012: Week 2 / Semaine deux

2012: Week 1 / Semaine un

First post-surgery 5k! :D

Inspired by a Spark Article

Examining my limitations and moving forward

Feeling Able Today

Earth Week

Made Bread Today

I heard a bird sing...

My List of Holiday Survival Strategies

Rainbow Connection (song)

Doing SO much better than this time last year!

Hiking

Much to do...

Two Mini-Goals Met

Cleaning House

Odds & Ends

Still Here

Nothing much to report.

Love as a Response to Trouble

Feeling a little better...

Down Time

BLC:10 The Journey Begins

April's Perspective

February Goals

What I've Learned This January

Fresh Air and Trees

Exploring What Works for Me

January Goal