What have you done to improve your health in the last year or so????

[TheRootedNomad]

I meant to post this at the beginning of the year but never got around to it. With spring just around the corner, the season of new growth and renewal, and frankly lots more outside activity I thought it would be appropriate to post now. Over the last year or so I have spent a lot of time focusing on my overall health in general and have seen some strides in the right direction. I have also; found myself now, for quite some time, at a definite plateau. I will be refocusing and rexamining this area to hopefully, continue to see improvement. I though maybe we could all post how we’ve done over the last year.

What did you do to improve your health the last year? What healthy habits did you develop? What did you try or do that worked? What did you try or do that didn’t? Have you been able to figure out why it didn’t? Everything counts even if it was as routine as scheduling that doctor’s appointment.

[TheRootedNomad]

For me, I had started out 2009 with lots of determination and the thought that I’d post in my blog here at the village giving updates. Frankly, I did a horrible job at that. I did do much better however with putting some healthy things routinely in place.

One of my biggest issues is my weight. This is bad for me even more from a self-esteem stand point then a health stand point. I have always been more of a sturdy build even when I was in awesome shape as a teenager. There were always these weight charts that really didn’t take into account a female with enough lean mass that it was not an energy saver for me to “bottle cap” when learning the technique in a pool because I would sink to far under the water. It’s been a long time though since I was in that kind of shape but at the time I felt fat even then. Last year I had decided that it was time to stop focusing on simply the weight and look at it more from a heath perspective. I wish I could say I stopped worrying about the scale but I didn’t. I did however, come to grips with my body responding more to movement then to stressing over every cookie.

I also, have a tendency to neglect routine and specific medical needs for myself and made those a priority as well.

Finally my third focus health wise, for the year, was my entwined smoking and ulcerative colitis.

What I accomplished:
~ Weight drop of 28lbs (it was 32 but I struggled for a month or two figuring out how to maintain) from 195.5 to 167.5
The accomplishment here is really that I found a way to maintain what I did drop since the end of May….so 9 months.

~ Measurement decrease:
Waist: 42.5 to 35.5 for a loss of 7 inches
Hips: 46.5 to 41.5 for a loss of 5 inches
Thighs: 27 to 25.25 for a loss of 1.75 inches each
Biceps: 14.5 to 13.25 for a loss of 1.25 inches each

~ Routine exercising
I have managed to make exercise a habit and can not remember when I haven’t managed at least 3days a week. Most weeks it’s 5 to 6 days a week but there have been a few hectic time frames where I only managed three.

~ Jogging
When I started really focusing on this I couldn’t make it around the blog without gasping. Before it got so completely yucky out about 10 weeks ago I was up to 3 miles on a good day, on flat surface, without breaking to walk for a few minutes. I’m down to just under 2 miles, walking for a couple of minutes, and then finishing up. I’m sure once I can get back outside regularly as part of my routine instead of the stuff I’ve been doing in the house I should be able to bring that back up pretty quick.

~ Weights/Strength
I am a firm believer that everyone should do some sort of weight training. I see more results with weights than I do with any other form of exercise. I don’t have to fight with myself to do anywhere near like I do to start a jog or a fitness Barbie aerobics tape. I have not slacked on doing these all year and they are (like when I was young) back to being routine and looked forward to. I am MUCH stronger again and even though I am still carrying extra fat that needs to go there is some muscle definition showing through it and even unflexed I feel firmer than a little over a year ago.

~ I went for the colonoscopy that I’m suppose to have every year and haven’t in a few.

~ I went for the routine physical and female exam I haven’t been for in almost a decade.’

~ I made two serious attempts to quit smoking and managed at one point to go almost 2 months without a cigarette.

Where I didn’t do so well:
~ I’m still smoking. I get overwhelmed with all the medicine I have to take and the experimenting to find the right combo of it to keep my ulcerative colitis in remission when I quit smoking. I get tired, sick, and most of all stressed about how sick I can/am getting on top of the regular kick the addiction drawbacks. I haven’t figured out how to remedy that psychological piece but I’m working on it.

Weight loss
~ While I did lose some weight and managed to maintain that loss I have been working out hard and haven’t lost anything since mid-May. Now some of that time frame I was only focused on maintaining but a few times I did up the exercise and watched the diet better and tried to take more off but I couldn’t get it to budge. I still need to lose another 25 to 30 pound. (135 to 140 range). I’m somewhere in the 5’1” to 5’2” height range. According to the health charts I need to lose more than that but I’d like to shoot for a very solid 135 and see.

~ I SUCKED at doing abdominal exercises. If I did them 15 to 20 times this year it was a lot. I need to make them a habit as weak abdominal muscles are the reason many people have back problems and I soooooo do not want back problems.


Long winded I know but I needed to see it in print and I’d REALLY like to see where other people are making gains an/or struggling.

[Libby]

TRN - You are an inspiration. Congrats on the weight loss and making your health a priority for YOU.

I will post to this thread later after I've given it some thought.

[IntlMom]

I know this is not EXACTLY what you mean, but I did finally have my right hip replaced on Jan 13th of this year (7 weeks ago today!!). I had hurt off and on for nearly 20 years, and I finally acknowledged the pain and took care of myself.........

[frugalwarrior2]

Good job on the weight loss and inches reduction. I had lost 22# but put it all back on.

What I have improved
-started taking folic acid again because my homocystine levels had risen again.
-started on super B Complex-personally I am less tense and am more pleasant to be around when I take it.

Started couponing and reduced our groc. bill by 50-75% whick is great for the S.I. as well as the budget. I like that my DH is stymied by the leveraging of couponing.

[TheRootedNomad]

I know this is not EXACTLY what you mean, but I did finally have my right hip replaced on Jan 13th of this year (7 weeks ago today!!). I had hurt off and on for nearly 20 years, and I finally acknowledged the pain and took care of myself.........

That is a definate fit for the question as it was something you hadn't taken care of. ....and losing the pain is a very nice reward i would think

[mauimagic]

What a terrific thread - mahalo for starting this!! I think you timing is perfect as it gives a clearer perspecitive (for me) no than if it had been done at the time of the traditional New Year's resolutions.

Need to put some time to this later, but off my head.....

1. Lost 22 pounds
2. Had surgery to correct shoulder injury
3. Incorporated regular exercise routine at least 5 days each week
4. Minimizing about of diet soda and sometimes being able to eliminate altogether
5. Finally geting back to repair teeth
6. Working on mental as well as physical health

Will work on this more later as I need to dash to school - this thread is really recharging and recommiting me today - mahalo!!