Health – A Year Later

As I have not been using this blog, I have not tracked my successes and failures in keeping healthy. Please note I call it healthy rather than ‘slim’, ‘trim’, or ‘skinny’ as these words do not describe my idea of healthy.  Don’t get me wrong, I know it is unhealthy to carry too much fat on one’s body, and I do like to fit into my clothes without feeling like the buttons are going to pop, but healthy is more than just measurements and appearance.  

 

However….I am SHOCKED by my big fail over the past year.  I have been mindful of eating well (family dinners have been regular and always organic, healthy foods).  I have enjoyed many fun games with the kids..a great way to exercise and bond at the same time.  The fail happened recently….over the summer vacation when my common sense just seems to fly out the window.  You see, we love to do day trips and spur of the moment adventures’ which I am totally useless and planning for in terms of food.  We end up eating out all the time and my love of pasta and rich sauces seems perfectly reasonable when I am paying for it and someone else is cooking it…not to mention  the accompanying drink that seems just part of the package!   

In addition, I have not danced in months.  My schedule was the initial block, followed by the dance studio closing for the summer.  I did not realize just how much that exercise helped me stay fit!  

Here are the stats from last August:

Weight: – 144lbs

Height:  – 5’6″

Waist: – 33.5″

Chest: – 37.5″

Hips: – 40″

Thigh: – 22.5″

 

Now take a look at today’s stats….eek!

Weight: – 152 lbs

Height:  – 5’6″

Waist: – 35″

Chest: – 39″

Hips: – 40″

Thigh: – 23″

 

What on earth????  So reality hits home and I am disappointed in myself because I had done so well with my plan from February.  Blast those wonderful summer days of over-indulgence and zero self-discipline.  Mental note to self – be mindful of summer temptations and be stricter about packed lunches.  (Yes, I know I wanted to get away from the grind of making packed lunches every day which we need for school…but I can’t let myself go like this again!)

I will be posting my efforts to get my curvy but not quite so uncomfortable body back.  I will also share the daunting  but very worthwhile attempt and joining Team in Training for a half-marathon.  Yep…I am going to try 🙂  More on that soon..I just have to get up the nerve to send in the application forms…can anyone say procrastination?

Zapping My Belly Fat

Belly fat is not pretty! As I get older, I notice I gain weight much more quickly around my mid-section than before. This is inconvenient: my closet does not have elastic waistlines and I am NOT going to buy more clothes to accommodate the bulge. Worse still, belly fat is a sign of potential health risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, extra pounds around the belly can lead to:

Cardiovascular disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer

Am I on Track with my Own Health?

It is time to check in with myself to see how i am doing with my project, A Better Me. The goals I set were doable:

1. Find a way to drag my butt out to a class of some kind…one that I will enjoy and keep doing.

2. Resume home-cooked meals at night rather than ordering in, cereal or quick-cook pizza

3. Actually take the vitamins I have in the cupboard!

4. Begin a schedule for keeping on top of the housework – one that is realistic and includes help from the whole family

5. Drink more water – five 8oz glasses. (And while I’m at it, water the plants that I KNOW are improving the air quality in my house)

6. GO TO BED AT A REASONABLE TIME EVERY NIGHT!!!

Hello Again!

 

http://sandradjohan.com/web/home.php

 

It seems I forgot all about this blog…I have one off in a different universe for other bloggy-type things…and my body sure does give away my lax ways!  You see, the summer came and my resolve to look after myself disappeared with the lazy days by the pool, the myriad sports events I had to SIT and watch (I enjoyed them but didn’t play any sports myself), and the idea of dragging myself to a gym now that dance classes are over just turned my stomach.  I had things to do, people!  I had kids to entertain!

I’ve just finished some lovely leftovers from a Chinese take-out we ordered for Family Night last night. I am not feeling proud or in anyway pleased with myself.  Here’s the breakdown:

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce is high in sodium, 701.6mg per serving, to be exact!  That is IF I only eat one serving, but the take-out portions are usually much bigger.  Okay, I do break up the portions and eat left-overs the next day….but still!

There is some nutritional value from the protein in the chicken and all that the vegetables have to offer, but how they are prepared will really effect the quality of their nutritional value.

If I was to cook this at home I would use cooking spray.  This would provide 27.2 mg of cholesterol, whereas my restaurant prepared dish may be even higher.  Eeek!!!

Sweet as I may be, I am even sweeter now I have consumed 5.1 grams of sugar (if I stick to one real serving size) and my daily amount of sugar should not exceed 25 grams.

There are minerals that benefit my body such as Potassium and Iron.  Something to feel good about, finally!

According to the Livestrong site….my meal has it’s pros and cons.  I have too much sodium pumped into me for sure.  I will have to watch my sugar intake for the rest of the day, and I really HAVE to consider buying a wok and making my own version of this meal.

So, without further ado, I am here to say, ‘Hello, I’m back!” and I really mean it this time.

Okay, now to check my stats…oh, I’m dreading this!

Here are the last stats taken before I fell off the wagon with my new stats in shameful red:

Weight: 146lbs – 145lbs

Height: 5’6″ – 5’6″

Waist: 33.5″ –  34″

Chest: 37.5″  – 37.5″

Hips:39.5″ –  40.5″

Thigh:23″ –  23″

Now those stats take some analyzing!  Basically I can see I have lost muscle (muscle weighing more than the flabby fat I now have). My hips and belly carry my weight…those hips are a shock!  I have not shrunk and my chest is the same…thankfully I don’t have to measure the effects of gravity 🙂

I did take the dog for a longer than usual walk today but did allow him too may pit stops to really classify myself as having exercised.

Tomorrow I will think about reasonable goals to set and follow.  Summer is still here and I know I need to schedule myself more.  I know one thing I’ll do….find some blogs with sage advice and go from there.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/417951-the-sodium-nutrition-in-chinese-chicken-with-broccoli/#ixzz1UxWb2jAK