Motivation

Went to the gym with DH last night.  The owner seemed a bit surprised to see me there for a second time that day, which hadn't seemed odd to me.  Gosh, I hope I'm not becoming too hard-core about this stuff! (LOL!)

I also just walked about 3 miles, and it felt so good.  And I came to the realization that not walking outdoors as much since we joined the gym (where I frequently just hop on a treadmill to warm up) has really had an impact my mental & emotional health.  I think I really need the outdoors/alone/me time to organize my priorities and work through my poor estrogen-deprived, often way too indecisive, thought processes, to feel more directed and energized.  I've had a few things going on the past couple of weeks that have made negative thoughts more prevalent, but I honestly think not getting outside to walk a few miles each day has absolutely compounded the problem.

Thanks for the thoughts on Pilates, cath.  I really appreciate your input.

Kari, I had no idea that you were a silent participant in our August 08 chemo group!  How did you ever keep quiet and not post?!?!  That just doesn't seem like you!

And thrilled to see Melissa stopping by!    Deanna 

Power choice today- drove right on by that Burger King and home for salad at lunch.  The area BK is right across the street from the gym I go to, some days it is sooo tempting.... but NOT today.  I've managed to get within two pounds of my goal- bad BK, bad, bad.  I like that my jeans are now baggy in the butt.

dlb823- you asked what exercises I do- I have been working most recently on upper body and core, I use free weights and the cable machines- I love pumping iron and thankfully have no problem with LE (3 time survivor ages 42, 48 and 49 with bil. mast. in 4/06 no recon.)   Next week I am adding back in cardio and lower body (before the Christmas travel break I was at 4 miles a day on treadmill and leg pressing 190 lbs.   Gotta work back up to that now.  Love the way I feel after a workout.  And I have started keeping a workout journal... it really does help keep me on track.  Oh and I love Pilates but have no classes near me now... so went out and got a DVD.

That is great Mod Melissa. Stick around and hopefully we will keep motivating you. I dragged the Wii out again and have been during at least 20 minutes a day. Yoga on Wed was great.  And I have a date on Friday nite. Let's see how this one goes. Everyone have a great weekend.

Melissa, a half hour walk is great, especially if you can do it regularly!  And good choice, Aspen, passing up BK.  Baggy jeans trump totally unhealthy charbroiled meat 1,000 times over in my book!

I just got back from a 50 min. walk.  Yesterday, DH & I spent 1.5 hrs. at the gym, which included 1/2 hr. on the treadmill for me.

When I was sorting some papers this a.m., I came across notes I'd made at that talk I went to earlier in the week, and also wanted to share this with you.  The wellness doctor who hosted the program spoke before Bill Bell on the Blue Zones, which include Loma Linda, CA (which is only about an hour from where I live), Sardinia, Okinawa, Costa Rica, and maybe a few others that she didn't mention. Anyway, these are places where a significant percentage of the population lives to be 100+, while remaining active.  And research done on these people has found a lot of similarities, including that they keep moving.  Others commonalities were things like a plant based diet, drinking wine, socializing, and living in the present moment.  Anyway, I found it so interesting that I found a website (and FB page) about it this a.m., and also ordered the book (although from a discounted source):  http://www.bluezones.com/   I thought some of you might be interested, too.

Okay, Joy... who is your date with??????  (Can't believe you left us hanging!)   Deanna 

Are all men jerks now or it is it just me? I am too old for this!! My date I did not go on for a good reason. I know he drinks and I told him his drinking scares me. I thought was a good hint. So when he called on thursday he talked me into going to his home and he would fix me dinner. I figured I had my car and I could leave if I wanted to and I had to leave early because I get up at 5 am. I called him on Friday afternoon and he didn't answer. I left a message that I didn't know where he lived. An hour later I called him again and left the message it was getting too late to drive to his home and asked for a rain check. Then 10 minutes later he called and had no idea who he was calling. He was either drunk when I talked to him on Thursday or on Friday when he called me back. He completely forgot he was fixing me dinner. His lost cause he won't get a second chance after that. onward and upward. Life is Good.

(((Joy))) You deserve so much more than that jerk!  God was watching out for you!

Kari, that's so interesting about your DH's shingles pain going away when he's on the treadmill. Do you think endorphines are the little culprits behind what's happening? 

I walked around a sizeable outdoor art show for a couple of hours yesterday, but that was about it.  All of my other good intentions to walk and go to the gym each day got left in the dust. Tomorrow will be better!     Deanna

Joy, what a DUD that DUDE is!!! Glad you are so smart and independent!  My first husband is dead from being a drunk...no thank you!!!  Hugs

Survivor, I've had 2 dexa scans.  One after being switched to Arimidex and being on it for one year.  Showed Osteopenia of the spine at -2.1....(Thigh -.9 / Hip -1.4 / Spine -2.1)  Just had my 2nd dexa scan and my results were worse!!  UGH!!! Lumbar spine: -2.3 / Thigh: -1.2 / Hip: -1.4.

Interesting my hip reading didn't change.  But my onc. put me on Fosamax, a bone pill one day per week for the duration of the time I'm on Arimidex.  Let us know your results.

The weekend was mild here as well.  Took 2 glorious walks, the first one on Saturday with DH - 3.3 miles and yesterday I walked around a golf course community by our 'former old 'hood') with hills...I'm sore!!  2.8 miles and I was sweating.  Had our GDD Saturday overnight, she is a ray of sunshine.  My DH is in love! LOL

My DH was referred to an onc/hematologist this Friday! YIKES!!  His pcp says his hemoglobin levels are slightly up and have been up before.  When his pcp said he had shingles they took 6 vials of blood, and it looked to us like all results were normal. 

Kari, sorry to hear about the sadness with your friend at work.

Peanut butter explosion cupcakes and your Vagina's wish list.  That picture will keep me smiling. 

Had a chance to reconnect with an old friend.  She has been seriously weight lifting.  I just looked at her and thought I used to be able to do that and look that way.  I really needed to come here and be able to talk with people who know what it is like to crawl back after treatment while dealing with neuropathy and LE.  I had been feeling better about how I looked, you guys helped me get it back today, thank you

Day of rest for me. 

Survivor, ditto the comments above. The bone density scan is the easiest thing there is! You just lay there and the person doesn't even leave the room. easy as pie!

Kari, I'm with you on the inversion classes in Yoga. Ugh. You know, sometimes I must opt out and do Pose of a Child. Do what is right for you... 

Ladies - Thank you all for your comments on the dexa scan. My mind is at ease now. I am doing it on the same day of my muga scan and a day after my herceptin treatment. I will spend both of my days off at the hospital.

Joy - sorry to hear that your ex is  putting you through more craziness. At least you don't have to see him tomorrow, if your lawyer can take care if things. Only that it costs so much, I guess.

Kari, Spring - I feel the same way about inversions. I actually refuse to do them when I do vinyasa yoga. In fact, I really don't like vinyasa yoga for this reason.I think inversion like head stands are dangerous. Also, some of those balancing acts like the tree pose drives me crazy. I can't balance too well any more as on one side of my chest I have my "original" breast and on the other side is the implant. Not the same weight. Inversions like head stands make me worry about getting injured. Here is an recent article from the NY Times about yoga injuries. I try to be kind to myself and only do what feels right. Tonight my bhakti yoga class was amazing: singing as well as exercising. I came out refreshed with my backache gone. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=yoga&st=cse

Deanna - did you do your walk? I hope you got to do it.

Deanna- Bhakti yoga  was sligthly different from any other yoga classes I took before. The first part involved a bit  of meditation and singing. The instructor even used a musical instrument similar to a harmonium. http://www.globalchants.com/harmonium/ We all sang a few "krishna" songs to release what ever stress we had accumulated and needed to let go. Then we started the yoga exercises. I sweated like never before. Thankfully, there were no head stands or that sorts. It was both spiritual as well as physical. And ! It was a donation class.

Well, I'm toast...read that article and sitting in front of a computer all day doesn't make me happy!  I do get up an awful lot during the day and go to the restroom once per hour and try and go upstairs here at work as often as I can.

Survivor, that yoga sounds really comforting!!  

Joy, praying for the best for you - hope your lawyer is a pit bull!!!

Did Yoga last night, not an inversion class, thank goodness.  I couldn't do one pose though, but enjoyed the class.  Did my walk at lunch again today. 

Yes, all this sitting! I read an article that said, "Sitting is the New Smoking"!! Totally got my attention, and I have been assigned to a new project that is not going smoothly at work and I am now able to get up less, Sit more, skip lunch, don't even have time to pee, I hate it! So unhealthy! I have started taking the phone to the bathroom, thank God I've remembered to keep it on Mute!! I'm going to stand up more during conference calls. Kari, let's share strategy, we can't sit all the time!!!

I actually love inversions, I miss them. They just don't love me! The LE stuff. Ugh.

Well 45 minutes on the elliptical tonight, even with all this job crap! I did it before I had dinner. I was looking forward to it clearing my mind.

Deanna is turning into a gym bunny!!!! You go girl!!! 

Cath - to be honest... i have not been to the gym recently, only do yoga or walking, but I like the elliptical b/c I watch TV while I am on the machine, which I rarely do at home.

I am supposed to go to the hospital for Herceptin, but our fridge broke. Milk went sour and I am now seriously worried about all the organic stuff in there. Waiting for the repair person, but I will leave if he does not show up by 10 am. Grrr!

Kari- I made it to the treatment...rushed home... missed the repair guy by minutes... called the center....cried when they told me I needed to reschedule for tomorrow when I also have to get the scans done at the hospital. (Muga, Dexa) Nightmare day. I think I am going to do yoga or should I give my myself a day off?