DAY 29 - DAY TRIP WITH FAMILY

170.6 lbs

Today me and the family will be getting a little more exercise than I have had for a few months.  We are going a Theme Park.  So a lot of walking...

Walking is good for your health.  Everyone should do some walking exercises every day.  I will let you know how I do...

THIS IS A TEST.

DAY 28 - ROUTINES

DAY 28 - 170.2 lbs

Today is officially my last day on Disability and I will be returning to work on Monday.

Establishing Healthy Habits is really important so that I can continue becoming more fit.  Benjamin Franklin once said:  "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise".

An essential part of healthy living is establishing good sleep habits.  This means that I can't stay up all night with Victor watching episodes of Voyager or Babylon 5.  Prior to that we were watching Charmed and Grey's Anatomy.

Simple fact: Healthy sleep is just as important to your health as exercise and a balanced diet. You can't live life to the fullest without it.

How much sleep does a person need?

In my home everyone has made declarations on how much sleep they need.  Sometimes this results in heated debates... :)  I say I need 8 hours of sleep; Victor says that he can function on less than six.  My kids try to function on less than 6 hours of sleep.  I know they need more...  So, I have researched the information on the internet (take it as a grain of salt).

MedicineNet.com has this to say about sleep:

"Individuals vary greatly in their need for sleep; there are no established criteria to determine exactly how much sleep a person needs. Eight hours or more may be necessary for some people, while others may consider this to be too much sleep.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that most average adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Newborn babies, by contrast, sleep from 16 to 18 hours a day. Preschool-aged children typically sleep between 10 and 12 hours a day. Older, school-aged children and teens need at least 9 hours of sleep a night. Women in the first trimester of pregnancy have been observed to need a few more hours' sleep than is usual for them."

There are a few things to remember.  Habits to help get good sleep:

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol use before bedtime. Some studies have shown that caffeine consumed early in the day can have an effect on the ability to fall asleep at night. 

Have and adhere to a regular bedtime and waking schedule

Maintain a comfortable sleep environment, including a comfortable temperature

Do not lay in bed awake, worrying about not sleeping (or anything else negative). This produces anxiety that can actually make the problem worse.

Get regular daily exercise (it is recommended that individuals avoid exercise two hours prior to bedtime

DAY 27 - EVALUATION

Although I haven't recorded my progress on a daily basis for the past two weeks, I continue to work on getting fit and staying fit.  One of the things I haven't done in this process is to take measurements and to officially document my progress.  So, today I will take and write down my current measurements so that I can properly assess my progress going forward. 

I know, this is a little gutsy and daring for a usually very shy and reserved person.  However, I must be true to myself.  So, here are today's measurements:

169.6 lbs / 28.9 BMI  (I have a really nice scale that measures four different components)

Chest:  38"
R. Arm:  14.5"
L. Arm:  14.5"
Waist:  36"
Hips:  41.5"
R. Thigh:  24.5"
L. Thigh:  23.5"  (The difference between the thigh measurements could be from the physical therapy)

There has been some weight fluctuation over the past two weeks.  Over the past 4-5 months I have lost nearly 20 lbs.  Some of the weight I lost prior to my surgery on October 28th.  I guess it was about 8 lbs.  I was trying to lose some weight so that there was less weight for my knees carry.  The rest of the weight has been since I have been home on disability.

There are a few things that have changed over the past three months:

1)  There isn't a vending machine in my kitchen - I guess I need to avoid the vending machines at work when I return to work on Monday.

2)  Added a little exercise to my daily routine.  Since getting rid of the crutches and the brace I have gone to the mall a couple times and walked around.  Victor and I have also gone to the Farmer's Market the past few Saturdays.  The walking is helping me to strengthen my left knee.

3)  I love Voltage Mountain Dew.  I was drinking them every day before my surgery.  After my surgery I slept most of the day.  I detoxed my body from the soda.  I still have one every once in a while.  I never drink a whole one any more.  I will open one to drink and then it mysteriously disappears - It turns out that Aislyn enjoys Voltage Mountain Dew and will snake mine when I am not looking.

4)  I have become more aware of the food I eat and I will choose healthier foods when going out.  The grocery shopping has changed a little as well.  We used to fill the cart with cookies and crackers and other snack type foods for the kids.  The problem:  I would eat a lot of those snack foods.  We asked the kids what kinds of things they wanted for after school snacks.  Their choices are pretty healthy.  We buy more fruits and vegetables.  We bought a box of clementines and half was gone in a day.  Yesterday I bought a flat of strawberries.  1/4 of the strawberries were consumed last night.

A few small changes a little at a time will make a difference.  So, I will keep moving forward.