I'm discovering that my body can't handle daily workouts like it used to ... extremely achey today. Don't know if some of that can be attributed to the rain, all I know is I'm hurting. Couldn't workout this morning, so I'll walk with Sansone tonight. Fell way below my caloric intake yesterday and was not happy with that ... think it was all the salad and veggies instead real meat-n-stuff. I at least want to meet my caloric intake for the day, cause I don't want my body to adjust to a low amount of calories then kick me when I do eat my calories.
My vacation starts in two weeks ... I have never been so ready to mentally shutdown.
Didn’t get a chance to put my thoughts down yesterday, so here
we are on this lovely Saturday morning, sipping a cup of coffee after a morning
meditation, thinking about the day ahead … and GO. :o)
I’m making a more conscious effort to walk with perfect
posture, shoulders high, back straight and keeping the tummy tight while doing
every day stuff. I’ve noticed I slouch
when I sit … gotta keep working on that one.
On Thursday we celebrated National Strawberry Sundae Day at
work (we do a fun celebration every month that seems to center around food) and
I signed up to bring strawberries and shortcakes. I knew it was going to be difficult because I
love Strawberry Shortcake or will try anything involving a sweet strawberry. Walked into the room and there it was … a
table filled with various cakes, ice cream, toppings and the star of the show …
strawberries. Here’s where I took that
deep sigh as if preparing to walk the green mile, headed to the table and only
picked up strawberries (one dish was with syrup and one without, I chose the
without), YAY ME!.
After facing that challenge I found myself watching Zumba
videos for the rest of my break, trying to prepare myself for what was to come
(cue suspense music) and persuade myself NOT to head home. The gym bag was sitting beside my desk,
watching me and patiently waiting for me to make a decision. In my mind, the Zumba videos were making my
body ache, but I told myself I was going to see it through.
Well … THUMBS UP to the instructor (Sherica), she was really
good! I had to pace myself, drink a lot
of water and take a few breaks but I made it through (“Turned Up for What” is
now my earworm). And a big THANK YOU to
Carolyn “Cookie” Gregory for adding to my line dance repertoire! Have to say I’m not sure if I’ll do it again
anytime soon, because it took too much out of me and left me sore. As I mentioned previously, I don’t want to do
anything that’s going to cause me unnecessary pain as that will prevent from
doing other work-outs and that’s not what I want. But I will slip back in there in the future.
:o)
I was too sore (from Zumba) to work-out Friday morning, so I
had to make sure I got in my activity before going to bed. Saw my cardiologist yesterday and he was
pleased with my progress and gave me a wonderful pep talk. :0) Made some adjustments on my ‘myfitnesspal’
profile to keep up with my goals and start tracking my measurements … of course
checked in on my WW page. The next challenge
will be a motivator I used in the past … picking out a dress/outfit (from my
closet) that I want to fit into. Don’t
know if I’ll post pictures, but I will be taking pictures … perhaps I’ll post
them in the end … I have to think hard on that one. We’ll see.
In the meantime, here are some pictures from
our sundae day and my earworm.
While you’re making your moves today, let one of
them be making someone smile. Moving
forward in faith!
Everyone is into those challenges on Facebook, so I decided to challenge myself and get back on my journey to healthier living.
Rejoined WW May 28th and have been okay, but not as well as I would like.Down 9 pounds in WW (11 pounds on myfitnesspal was tracking here before WW).I realize I’m not as young as I used to be and I can’t do the things I used to do, but … that doesn’t stop me from wishing I could wave my wand and make everything the way I would like.I’ve made a promised to myself to increase my activity level without putting myself through unnecessary pain.That has been one of my biggest challenges this past week, that and making smarter food choices.
So now I’m pushing myself harder, but not too hard :o)Wednesday was my WW weekly weigh-in day and I made up my mind I would not use it as my cheat day (like I have done in the past).I continued the rest of my day making smarter choices and got my butt up to exercise after dinner.Now my promise is more realistic … at least 30 minutes of activity five days a week.That I can manage better and if I go over … BONUS!
This morning I woke up, threw on the ‘gear’ and walked with Sansone for a mile at home.I actually feel pretty good.And tonight I’m supposed to hit the Y for Zumba … we’ll see how that goes.Either way, I’m going to make sure I get some activity in before I lay my head on that pillow tonight.
I am happy and sad to see some of my clothes are already fitting too loosely … not in a position to buy newer stuff right now, but I’m making what I have work. :o)Improved health, fewer pills and less of me in the mirror are what I’m striving for and I won’t stop until I accomplish those goals. Moving forward in faith!
I know this is a repeat, but it's worth repeating. :o) Sex and intimacy after breast cancer can be a very sensitive topic for some, but it's something that needs to be discussed. What I like about this and a few other topics ... it can be applied across the board in your life. During my journey I have encountered hundreds of women (and a few men) who've given up a lot while adjusting to their 'new normal'. You would think the main topic would be losing one or both breasts. What I have witnessed is many instead talk about losing their hair, eyebrows, lashes, teeth, nails and yes ... their desire for intimacy.
"The sexual side effects of breast cancer can linger long after treatment stops. A 2007 follow-up report on young breast cancer survivors, conducted by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, found that some women reported persistent sexual difficulties five years after their treatment had ended. And according to the National Cancer Institute, about one out of every two women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment experiences long-term sexual dysfunction.
That’s the bad news. But the good news is there is sex after breast cancer!" (WebMD)
I always tell others you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. This holds more truth after being told you have breast cancer. The focus shouldn't be on resuming sexual relations, it should be on resuming relations ... PERIOD. That means reestablishing communication, reconnecting with your companion, rediscovering each other and reigniting the passion. This should occur long before sex enters the picture. It's just like entering a new relationship and let's face it, the changes experienced during the journey have made us a new person. Relationships already have challenges, adding a life-changing diagnosis to the mix will make or break that relationship. We must begin the journey of 'Loving You'. To be continued ... <3 <3 <3
Haven't been here in a minute, so ... thought I'd stop in and share.
Not having the best day so far, but it could be worse. I guess (as they say) I'm in my feelings today.
Started the morning not able to find anything I had planned to wear today, my pain levels were (are) on overdrive and I just want to crawl back in the bed.
Today is our University's retirement luncheon and I'm already wishing I had taken the rest of the day off. Don't feel up to putting on a fake smile today, but ....
Women's Day is this Sunday ... rehearsals were good and I know it's going to go well on Sunday. Feeling some 'kinda' way about so many things.
Mid-life Crisis: A term coined in 1965 by Elliott Jaques stating a time where adults come to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life.[1] A midlife crisis is experienced by many people during the midlife transition when they realize that life may be more than halfway over. Sometimes, a crisis can be triggered by transitions experienced in these years, such as andropause or menopause, the death of parents or other causes of grief, unemployment or underemployment, realizing that a job or career is hated but not knowing how else to earn an equivalent living, or children leaving home. People may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams. The result may be a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of day-to-day life or situation, such as in career, work-life balance, marriage, romantic relationships, large expenditures, or physical appearance. taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midlife_crisis
Lately my thoughts drift more and I find myself dreaming of ways I can retire without moving into a homeless shelter. I consult the calendar to see how long before I'm fully vested. I check the financial calculators to see just how little I could live off of if I retired now. Unlike some financially savvy folk ... I haven't planned well for my retirement and am now in that category of 'having to work until I'm 65' ... if I want to sustain my current standard of living.
I believe it is in part due to my experiencing the dreaded 'mid-life crisis'. The rest I blame on 'forced' menopause and chemo-brain. I was never happy with my job, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful ... just not happy. It has become work (a four-letter word) and when it's work it's not fun. Now that unhappy feeling has increased as I ease closer to my latter years, while the clock on my 'hoped-for' career (counseling) ticks away. At work I sit in front of computer most of the day, very little face-to-face contact and tons of paper. This is odd for me because I love connecting with people. I love the interaction and I love the stimulating conversations. In my current environment, I tend to hold the few visitors I get hostage, as if they were a life-line to the outside world.
My personal life is not immune to this crisis and I'm dealing with that the best way possible. Trying to keep the passion alive, placing little things around me that will remind me of why I am where I am, trying to laugh more, trying to shed the dead weight, trying harder to see people for who they really are ... especially family.
I sometimes think this mid-life crisis thing is a way to excuse some of our crazy behavior as we get older. I'm not trying to recreate myself, find 'my groove' (old Stella reference) or do any deep soul-searching. I'm just trying to reach my true goals. I'm just trying to fill the empty spaces in my life. I'm just trying to live the life I sing about. I'm just trying to be more like the person I would want to hang around. I'm just trying to be a better me.
My next series of blogs will touch on sex and intimacy after breast cancer. What I like about this and a few other topics ... it can be applied across the board in your life. During my journey I have encountered hundreds of women (and a few men) who've given up a lot while adjusting to their 'new normal'. You would think the main topic would be losing one or both breasts. What I have witnessed is many instead talk about losing their hair, eyebrows, lashes, teeth, nails and yes ... their desire for intimacy.
"The sexual side effects of breast cancer can linger long after treatment stops. A 2007 follow-up report on young breast cancer survivors, conducted by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, found that some women reported persistent sexual difficulties five years after their treatment had ended. And according to the National Cancer Institute, about one out of every two women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment experiences long-term sexual dysfunction.
That’s the bad news. But the good news is there is sex after breast cancer!" (WebMD)
I always tell others you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. This holds more truth after being told you have breast cancer. The focus shouldn't be on resuming sexual relations, it should be on resuming relations ... PERIOD. That means reestablishing communication, reconnecting with your companion, rediscovering each other and reigniting the passion. This should occur long before sex enters the picture. It's just like entering a new relationship and let's face it, the changes experienced during the journey have made us a new person. Relationships already have challenges, adding a life-changing diagnosis to the mix will make or break that relationship. We must begin the journey of 'Loving You'. To be continued ... <3 <3 <3
