Author Topic: My New Years resolution: who's with me?  (Read 49727 times)

Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #30 on: February 06, 2019, 10:11:32 PM »
Pip has just approved the link to my disability page at http://www.amandageorge.me.uk/disability.htm where you can keep a weekly check on how I did the week before.  I update it every Monday so if you're bored and looking for something to do, take a peek at the total's after about 10pm on a Monday.   :biggrin:
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Pip

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #31 on: February 06, 2019, 10:26:43 PM »
I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with posting here.  You are doing incredibly well with your walking and I'm sure your pup is enjoying it as well.  I know our Cassie the Staffy loves her walks and Sam our lurcher puppy is always happy although he loves being out on walks with Cassie.  If we do a 'country / sea front' walk it's relatively easy to walk dog and pup as there are other dog walkers and Sam is very sociable.  If we walk around a town centre it can be hard work as people want to stroke Sam and they think it's funny that he will jump up at them.  He is cute looking though as there border collie in there somewhere - he's black and white - so he does behave like a collie but with the speed of a lurcher.

Rick and I have signed up for the Diabetes UK Swim22 which we can spread out over about 6 weeks.  The Swim22 is 22 miles which is the same as swimming the English channel.  Rick is doing the 22 miles and I've agreed to 11 miles but will try to do more - we're both looking forward to that.

Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #32 on: February 07, 2019, 09:42:34 AM »
Mitzi loves going for a walk but after the end of last week, I needed time to recover at the start of this week so we only did 250% on Monday and Tuesday, 300% yesterday and 400% today.  As long as we do 100% every morning I'm happy with that, but I'm hoping to increase it to 400% every day starting next week which is only about 200 metres but it's better than nothing!

So proud of you for signing up for the Swim22!  When does it start?  Sounds like a good opportunity to jump in the pool at every opportunity so that you can slowly push yourself to swim further and won't just expect to be able to cope with the 11 miles on the day!  You wouldn't expect a jogger to complete a marathon with no training so you shouldn't expect that of yourself either!
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Pip

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #33 on: February 11, 2019, 10:17:59 PM »
I'm ashamed of myself as I had all good intentions to try and post here at least once a day :angel: .

Okay, Rick is a nightmare with snacks as he has loads of crisps, chew sweets - Aldi's equivilent to chewitts and suck like, marshmallow type biscuits, chocolate and so on, he even has a box of hula hoops which hasn't even been opened.  I have absolutely no desire to touch any of his snacks but then I can be a bit fussy what I eat.  For example I don't eat crisps very often as I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (210 / 160) in 2009 so immediately I cut down on my salt intake so I find crisps very salty generally.  Sometimes I will have a packet but it isn't the norm.  My stumbling block are Haribo sweets mainly and chocolate a couple of times a week which is a lot of chocolate to me.  We were given a few boxes of biscuits for Christmas and a box of shortbread which is my weakness. 

It doesn't seem a huge deal but for me it is as I put weight easily.  I'm trying to keep up with my fluids to help me feel full up for longer, I don't have sugar in hot drinks as I stopped when I was about 14 back in the 1970's when there was a sugar shortage.  Trying to eat at regular times is difficult and often I miss breakfast.

A positive is I have started swimming regularly and have started increasing the lengths I do last week.  I'm up to 14 lengths of a 20 metre pool which I'm pleased with but I have the goal of doing at least 11 miles for Swim 22 but want to do the full 22 miles..

Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #34 on: February 12, 2019, 10:24:46 AM »
Nowt to be ashamed of, Pip!  Sometimes life gets in the way of best intentions and denying yourself treats is the exact way to make you crave them even more.  You're still allowed the Haribo sweets and chocolate, just use it for treats when you've done something well instead of as snacks.  Like you said to Lisa, snack on carrot sticks and cucumber and stuff, then have the sweets and chocolate for treats only.  If they still do those small bags of Haribo, put one of those in with your swimming cossie and towel and take it to the sports centre with you to use as a reward for going swimming then have a bar of chocolate every time you increase the number of lengths you do.

It's hard to make the change to start with because it's new, but I only have J2O's at home as a reward for writing 4,000 words a day.  I have chocolate once a week as a reward for doing at least 250% with the pup on her daily walks.

You need to reprogramme part of your mind to learn that you can still have treats (the Haribo sweets and chocolate) but they are treats, not snacks!

How about promising yourself a few of the biscuits for every mile you swim and a piece of shortbread for every mile extra you swim.  Encourage yourself to very slowly increase the distances so that you do one mile next week,  two miles a fortnight later, 3 miles a fortnight after that etc.  Build it up very very slowly because you know you'll be allowed the biscuits and shortbread as a reward.  It's taken at least 18 months or 2 years to build up from 50% a day to hopefully 500% a day this week for me and the pup.

You can do it Pip, just don't take things too fast and use the shortbread, biscuits, sweets and chocolate as rewards to motivate yourself rather than snacks... use carrots and cucumber and fruit as snacks and increase your portion size to adult portions instead of child-sized so that you don't need to snack throughout the day.  Occasional snacks are all well and good but if you are snacking every day because you're hungry, it's your body's way of telling you that it needs more food.

Sowwy.

I'm ashamed of myself as I had all good intentions to try and post here at least once a day :angel: .

Okay, Rick is a nightmare with snacks as he has loads of crisps, chew sweets - Aldi's equivilent to chewitts and suck like, marshmallow type biscuits, chocolate and so on, he even has a box of hula hoops which hasn't even been opened.  I have absolutely no desire to touch any of his snacks but then I can be a bit fussy what I eat.  For example I don't eat crisps very often as I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (210 / 160) in 2009 so immediately I cut down on my salt intake so I find crisps very salty generally.  Sometimes I will have a packet but it isn't the norm.  My stumbling block are Haribo sweets mainly and chocolate a couple of times a week which is a lot of chocolate to me.  We were given a few boxes of biscuits for Christmas and a box of shortbread which is my weakness. 

It doesn't seem a huge deal but for me it is as I put weight easily.  I'm trying to keep up with my fluids to help me feel full up for longer, I don't have sugar in hot drinks as I stopped when I was about 14 back in the 1970's when there was a sugar shortage.  Trying to eat at regular times is difficult and often I miss breakfast.

A positive is I have started swimming regularly and have started increasing the lengths I do last week.  I'm up to 14 lengths of a 20 metre pool which I'm pleased with but I have the goal of doing at least 11 miles for Swim 22 but want to do the full 22 miles..
Money talks, chocolate sings!  :-D

May your life be as pleasant as you are.

Pip

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #35 on: February 12, 2019, 09:34:56 PM »
I have felt proud of myself for eating a meal that I enjoy and also healthy which was a cheese salad made with pasta, lettuce, pasta, carrots and sweetcorn.  The 'treat' was a teaspoon of mayonaise and have allowed myself one biscuit.   It was a bit of a struggle getting through the salad as it was an adult size but eating it slowly has made me feel full.  I have had a couple of hot cross buns without anything on them as that's the way I prefer them.

Rick and I did one walk together as he hasn't been too well today and I have done a couple of extra ones with Sam - Cassie stayed with Rick for company.  It's easier to do a bit of training with Sam on his own as he likes to try and play with Cassie. 

We've had a break from the health club today but will be back there tomorrow.  I feel quite motivated to improve on the lengths I'm doing and it's great low impact exercising.  Sometimes I will have a break and just walk as that's good exercise and different to dog walking.  Rick is struggling with getting motivation to start swimming as we start our challenge on the 22nd Feb.  He has suggested swimming first which I don't mind before going for a sauna and steam room 

Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #36 on: February 12, 2019, 09:48:43 PM »
WTG on the adult size salad!  Keep at it, Pip!

Sorry that Rick was ill today... hope he starts to feel better soon!  I really don't know how you cope with two dogs... one is enough for us some days!  lol

WTG on the motivation front... just take things at your own pace and listen to your body.  Push yourself occasionally but your body will tll you when it's had enough.

Good luck with the challenge.  Maybe unofficially challenge each other every day and whoever loses has to make the other person's favourite meal or something?
 
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #37 on: February 14, 2019, 12:43:07 PM »
Had my first stew since childhood for lunch yesterday 'cos I've been vegetarian since I was 11 and there haven't been any meat-free stews available until we did our shopping last week when I spotted a vegan stew so popped it into my online basket and forgot about it until Steve cooked it for me for lunch yesterday.  T'was yummy just a bit small for me.

Lunch today will be something and chips 'cos I had to drink way too much squash to get my supplements down this morning so we're having a late lunch so that my stomach can settle.

The senior puppy forced me to walk 650% this morning too so there's 1750% extra in the walkies bank after only 4 days.  I'm hoping to hit 3000% in the bank by the time we come back on Sunday.  Hopefully doable as long as we do at least 500% a day each day but as long as we do 100% everything else is a bonus.  I'd prefer to do at least 400% a day, but I'm not going to force her if she really doesn't want to.
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #38 on: February 14, 2019, 12:56:55 PM »
1506 steps already today too!  It's not quite 1pm yet, which hopefully means that I'll get to a new personal best of 1750 steps by bedtime which'll make my OCD happy!
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #39 on: February 14, 2019, 03:38:10 PM »
2 warmed up cheese and onion rolls accompanied the chips for lunch today.

Up to 1675 steps already too, so I'm pretty much guaranteed to be up to 1750 steps by the time I crawl into bed tonight too, which'll be a new personal best for me since I've had the fitness tracker!
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #40 on: February 15, 2019, 02:14:18 PM »
Linda McCartney sausages and chips for a late lunch today.

Walked a new personal best of 850% with the pup this morning and I'm already at 1607 steps today so I'm hoping for another 1750 steps at least but it'd be fantastic if I squeaked in a new record of 2000 steps today!
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Pip

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #41 on: February 15, 2019, 09:16:51 PM »
I don't have stew very often but when I do it reminds me of my childhood as I loved my parents stews, my dad was a good cook as well as my mum.  Sometimes I do a vegetarian version for a change. Although I don't think I will ever be a vegan at the same time I don't eat meat or fish every day. 

I had a cheese sandwich about mid-morning and macaroni cheese for dinner, I will probably have some fruit before I go to bed.  The last few days I haven't been doing so well at keeping my fluids up to a good level.  My problem is I get easily engrossed in what I'm doing so don't think about food or fluids.  Usually whoever I'm with during the day gives me a 'nudge' one way or another such as they will do a drink for themselves and make one for me.

Yesterday we went for a swim and used the sauna.  Rick swam 6 lengths and I made the mistake of getting out at the same time instead of carrying on.  After going in the sauna I went back into the pool so in total I did 12 lengths but I know I let myself down as I could have done more.  Next time I'm going to push myself as I love swimming and I feel much better when I get out of the pool.  It helps being low impact exercise.

Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #42 on: February 16, 2019, 06:42:05 AM »
I loved the stew, but it was very small, so more of a snack than a meal but it was my first for 30 years and so yummy!

It sounds like you're being well looked after with the fluids... it's the opposite way around for me 'cos I drink frequently throughout the day but often forget to eat until my belly puts out loud protests lol

You didn't let yourself down, you just hadn't got into the habit of swimming alone and you wanted your husband's company!  You did really well for doing 12 lengths... I can't even swim half a length lol
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #43 on: February 17, 2019, 10:50:27 AM »
Mitzi and me walked 1000% yesterday but I was still 5 steps off my target of 2000 steps because I side-step a lot so that I can have my back against walls so that I don't fall over (I can't get back up if I do) and side-steps don't seem to register on the fitness tracker, so I've gotta try and remember to side-step a lot less now... it's purely a confidence thing - I don't need to side-step most of the time, it's just a bad habit that I need to get out of now that I can genuinely walk without falling over so much.

We're having cake and crisps for lunch today and pasta bake for lunch tomorrow, purely because there isn't enough food to make left in the house, so I've put pasta sauces on the shopping order that's coming tomorrow evening.  We have one take away a week now and have home-cooked meals for the other 6 days which is oneheckuva lot better than how we started the year!  We're back into cooking at home except on Fridays because Steve doesn't feel up to it after his medical appointment, which is fair enough, it's just better/healthier (and cheaper lol) than having take-aways every day.

How is everyone else getting on?
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Amanda_George

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Re: My New Years resolution: who's with me?
« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2019, 02:19:13 PM »
Menu for lunches this week:

Today (Monday) - pasta bake  ^-^
Tomorrow (Tuesday) - home cooked pizza 'cos they are refrigerated not frozen so have to be eaten very quickly
Wednesday - jacket tatties with cheese and baked beans  ;D
rest of the week - pasta 'n' sauce  :m121:, sausage/cheese and onion rolls and chips, take-away on Friday again and hopefully a toasted cheese sarnie will sneak in there too  :yay:

It isn't looking good for us to stay awake this afternoon already lol
Money talks, chocolate sings!  :-D

May your life be as pleasant as you are.