2007-09-24

2007-09-21

Why The Scale Lies

Great article on weighing yourself and what to think about when you do so: Why The Scale Lies

My personal technique (lately with the help of Physics Diet is to weigh myself every morning right after I get out of bed. I then record it and maintain a 10% moving average (well, that site does it for me, I used to use Excel or something). This smooths out the highs and lows and shows you if you are losing weight or gaining and at what rate. Doing this every day keeps things in perspective. Far from obsessing over my weight each day, I simply record it and use it as a guide for how I am doing over the very, very long time it will take me to lose the weight I want to lose (I am going from about 250+ to 185 if I can... I am doing it slowly by changing my eating habits and attitudes toward food and activity).

2007-09-19

Walk away your troubles

I have Crohn's Disease (a very mild case) and I just wanted to post here in case people are googling for info... this is just an anecdotal report and I am definitely not using a scientific method here but I am here to tell you that mild exercise has definitely helped me manage my condition.

I have a lot of pain from inflammation and I have noticed if I come home from work (where I sit at desk most of the day) and then just sit around for the evening, I get progressively stiffer and more uncomfortable as the night wears on... sleeping then isn't very good and I often wake up for an hour or so and just sit up waiting for the aches and pains to pass before going back to bed (I have a very comfortable bed, but it seems like lying down causes me to slowly be in more and more pain till I can't stand to be in bed anymore and need to either get up and sleep sitting up on the couch or just stay up and try to walk around a bit).

Lately, though, I have been able to stay in bed all night most nights (I still wake up all the time but am able to change my sleeping position/elevation after using the washroom and having some water and go back to sleep). I have been trying to either do a combination of a healthy meal, a walk, and chores (inside or out) every night... I find the exercise really helps keep me from getting to stiff and sore before bed so when I go to bed (at say 10PM till 5:45AM) I am more comfortable and more worn out so I sleep more deeply.

One cavet: there are always days when I come home exhausted and really in pain. On those days I don't force myself to work or move. I just hunker down and try to get to bed as early as possible as I feel exhausted and am able to sleep from sheer exhauastion... In the morning I normally feel better (not 100% better but see improvement over 2 days).

Anyway, eat healthy, drink lots of water, get enough sleep and feel better everyone.

2007-09-14

2007-09-13

Dog walking

Up until late Spring this year I walked my dog pretty much daily to exercise him and I. Over the Summer, my own health issues and various things that had to get done interfered with this and I stopped doing it (I feel bad about this). The result is I am in worse shape day to day and the dog isn't getting out enough (we always made sure to exercise him in the yard, take him swimming, etc. to replace the walks but it isn't the same).

I have recently resumed the walks (was out at 5AM this morning) and am feeling better and the dog is less rambunctious now, too. Since he gets better on the leash as he ages (he is a 90+ lbs. Lab crossed with AmStaff so quite a handful) I went out and got a 5m long leash (15ft).

The new leash is a ton of fun and give Lukie some freedom without being difficult to retract if I need to control or restrain him (I have tried those retractable leashes but I find the large, plastic handle annoying and the black line is easily tangled and so on... the long leash is much better).

Anyway, it is good to be walking him regularly and we are both able to enjoy the walks more thanks to the new leash.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)