Monday, January 31, 2011

Monday and I've Given Up.

Well, I'm over it. I'm not going to do any more exercise for the rest of the month!

It's now half past eight and I've just done 15min ex bike, 5min stretching, 10min exbikr, 5min stretch then 20min on the exbike. So glad it's over.  Nothing else now 'til next month.

Weekend Moving.

Saturday was a nothing day.  I have reasons though!  We were going out and had to leave by a certain time and then we had visitors and I hadn't done the stuff that I was supposed to during the week so had to fit that in and the chickens had to be fed and I had to do Friday nights dishes... 
OK maybe excuses moreso than reasons but it still adds up to "I didn't do anything on Saturday."


Clapping HandsSunday though...
I spent 10min climbing up and down rocks before I went for a half hour walk in the early morning, had a 1/2hour stroll through a park area mid morning and then did 30min on the easy ex bike that night.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Starting Week 9.

Eight weeks ago I started with a plan to be fitter than I was by the following Friday, I was going to walk and/or ride the bike every day.  While my intentions were good and my actions OK, the results weren't as great as I was hoping for.

I started with walking to the corner and back, 3km and the first time I did it in 40minutes.  My aim was 35 but it didn't seem to matter how fast I thought I was walking I was only getting it down to 37 or 38, that 35 wasn't achieved.   I used to be able to do this walk in 35 minutes and it was a few years ago but I thought that I'd be able to get there again.  Not being able to, in what I thought was a reasonable time, took my enthusiasm away.
And the walk was boring.  I did see rabbits and birds most times and one time I saw a Bandicoot running along in the drain, it is a boring walk.  So I tried going around the block but that took the same amount of time and though it was more interesting I didn't keep it up. 
 
The ex bikes seem to be what I am mainly using now and I am doing that for longer so that must be working.
I am reading while I ride and I think that is the only thing that keeps me on it.  A boring book would have me off and doing gardening or something else pretty darn quick.

I sometimes think I should start recording the hours of mowing, mulching, raking grass and all the other day to day stuff that I do but I decided to only record the extra and that is how it will stay. 

Over the last 8 weeks there have only been a few days when I haven't done something.  I honestly thought that I would see some improvement with my weight or body shape but I can't.  I weigh the same as I did 8 weeks ago, my clothes fit the same.  I have a pair of jeans that I can get on and done up but they are too tight to wear anywhere.  I thought that they would fit better by now.  Am I still not doing enough?
I'm happy with what I eat and any change with that would not be sustainable so the moving is what I need to concentrate on.

I am now ready to start improving my flexibility and will try and find a starting point sometime this weekend.
I need to improve my strength as well but that is going to be harder and I need to think on it.  Using my arms and hands without a lot of care can put  me out of action for a few days. 

I know what I want to be able to do again.  Maybe I am too old now but I'm going to try.  Stay tuned!.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday. End of Week 8.

I am happy to say that I am fitter today than I was last week so the getting Fitter By Friday did happen.
I can ride the ex bike for a lot longer than the 20 minutes I started with and the tension is made harder for a time during each session.  I am happier with how this is going than I was with the walking results.
I am sweating more when on the bike though but I think that is because I am working harder on it.

Only did 20minutes this morning but am going out for another session now.  I'm hoping for at least another 20 this time but I'm having a lot of trouble with my hands today and may not be able to hold the book for this long but will have a go.  It's getting hot out there so I will put the fan on but go for a dip in the dam first.

Happy to say I managed 25mins then went for the dip in the dam.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Thursday 27th.

I've been slacking off but did do 35minutes on the old ex bike yesterday so getting better with that.  I haven't walked in ages and not sure why. I blame the heat but really I could walk before I do the chooks and gardens like I used to so that is an excuse not a reason.
I slept in this morning and it's suposed to be a hot one so I really need to get something in soon.  A read on the bike will happen when I get off of here.
So today will be at least 1x30min session on the bike.  Maybe 35min again, if I did it once I should do it again, aye.

I am getting puffed and sweating doing this ride and it is a real effort to get to the 30 min so it should be impoving something but after 7 weeks I am no lower in weight than I was 2 months ago. The jeans that I try on don't fit any better.
The aim is to get fitter and as I am doing more on this bike then that must be happening but I did honestly think that I would lose a few kilos in the process.

I'm going to really rethink things today and see what I really want to achieve.

Off to ride and read before breakfast.

Back to say I ended up managing 45min.  I was sweating like a pig at the end of it though.  Do pigs really sweat?  Had eggs and lentil and veg mush for breakfast.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

I Don't Want To, You Can't Make Me.

Well!  I have had 2, well one and a half, days of eating crappy carbs and not doing anything and I feel like**** 
And why?  Because that's what I do.  I always seem to undo any good that I have done by not caring for a few days.  I feel bloated and *ick*   And because I feel so bad I can't be bothered and it's going to be hot and I don't want to so there!!!   Can you hear me stamping my foot and see the tantrun throwing ugly face?  lol.
Right, time to *built a bridge*, drink a cup of concrete* *toughen up*  *get over myself* blah, blah, blah...

"I Don't Want To, You Can't Make Me."  Sounds like a spoilt little 3 year old doesn't it?

So, my plan.

Eggs for breakfast, apple picked fresh off the tree later on, lentil and veg mush for lunch. I'll add some more veg to this as I put in too many chillies and it needs to be toned down a tad.
Thirty minutes on the bike while reading, soon before it gets too hot, and an attitude adjustment.

Monday, January 24, 2011

No Posting But Still Doing.

I haven't had the computer for awhile but even though I had no-where to report to I was still doing something every day. Mainly it was riding the hard ex bike and I have found that I can get to 30mins quite easily now.  Well, not really easily, I am puffing and sweating but the tension is up and it is a real effort.  It looks like things might fineally be paying off.  Mind you, if I didn't have a decent book to read while I was on there then I don't think it would be getting done for as long but I am usually doing 2 x 30min sessions a day so I am pleased with that.  I walked home from in town the other day even though Hubby was in there with his car so that was an extra again.

I do feel that if I counted all the mowing, digging, raking, mulching, etc then the hours of moving would be way up there but as all that is not *extra* I don't count it.  I am only counting the extra effort I put in to get fitter, not what I normally do anyway. 

So today is Monday of week 8.  I have not done anything yet but I will as I have started a new book and need to get it finished so I can get the next one read and get it back to the library.  I have a couple of movies out too so will get some walking on the spot type stuff done whle I watch those during the week.

It's raining here this morning and the hard ex bike is outside with a wet seat but I will go now and move it a bit so I can get a read and ride in.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Well the walking around the block walk didn't last long.  I walked it on Monday but woke late yesterday, Tuesday, and so much to do I didn't feel that I should *waste* 40min on a walk.  But I had no qualms on getting on the hard ex bike and reading for 30.  I did 25min on the easy bike as well on both of these days.

Wednesday, up late again, not sure why I am sleeping until after 6 but I don't like it.  I will get on the hard ex bike later and as I can now manage 30min on that I will read and pedal and then do a session on the easy bike later.

Looks like my weight is settling down and I am no longer heavier than before I started but the jeans fit the same so I don't think I am toning anywhere.  I am able to do more time on the bikes though so that is an improvement.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Weekend Moving.

I walked, 40min, and did a 15min session on the hard ex bike yesterday.

This morning I woke later, it was nearly 6, felt OK but didn't want to walk to the corner and back, I think I am over that, for awhile anyway.  I still needed to walk though so I put on me shoes, grabbed a beanie as it was very windy and left to walk around the block.  This is a much more interesting walk, there are houses and animals to see and I thought that it was further than the corner walk but I was home in 40min so maybe it is around the same distance.  One day when I have the car out I will do a distance reading.  I have also done 20min on the hard ex bike

I will walk this walk again and as it is the same time I think it will replace the corner walk.  I wasn't doing it before as I thought it was a lot further and I wanted to start with the shorter one and move onto this one as I felt fitter.  If this is around the same time/distance then I don't know what the next *goal* will be.

I may get on the easy ex bike later.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Start of Week 7.

If today is the start of week 7 that means that I have been trying to get fitter for 6 weeks. 
Am I?  Surely I must be fitter than when I started way back last year.

Today's walk took the same amount of time as it did wayyy back on day 1.  *Why is it so?* 
Obviously I haven't been doing enough to improve much at all so a few days of missing the walk sent me back to the start.  Most days, I honestly don't feel any better and am really thinking "what's the point"   Maybe add in a couple of swear words and a few tears there and you will see that I am not feeling as positive as I thought I was.

I thought that 40 minutes of moving every day after doing hardly anything would see me feeling great and being able to easily increase things.  That hasn't happened so it looks like I need to make more of an effort.

BUT, today is the start of a new week, I need to make sure I do the walk or 2 x 20min sessions on a bike each day.  As the minimum.  Ideally I will do more.  I want to be able to do more without aggravating the Fibro but it's a fine line, cross it and be out of action for days or play safe and see no improvement...

Todays walk is out of the way though and I know that I will get a bike session in later as I have a book to finish.

Here's to week 7!

Thursday, Friday.

Hmmmm, I don't think I did anything worth mentioning on Thursday and Friday I was out of the house all day and could should have taken kids for a walk...but didn't...Got home and still couldn't be fagged but Hubby was watching Jamie Oliver, the computer wasn't working, I don't like lights on at night so no reading and after sitting and watching Jamie for 5 minutes I figured I could be doing that on the ex bike so managed 25min there.
It could have been longer but I heard crows out near the chookpen and as I have some new chickens out there I had to get off and go check on them.

Really slacking off here, but today is the start of a new week so will see what I can do.  I have been for the corner and back walk...40minutes!!!!   And I started off walking fast, slowed down when the back started to hurt but I didn't think it was that slow.  Back to the beginning and it's all my own fault for not sticking to it.

This week WILL be better.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Tuesday, Wednesday.

I was out all day yesterday and though I did 20min on the hard ex bike early, before I left, I couldn't be bothered doing another lot when I got home.  So not really happy with myself about that but to make me feel worse I can't be bothered doing anything today either.
I have done10min on the hard ex bike but that was an effort and really all I want to do is go and have a sleep.
I know I need to do more if I want to see any improvement but because I'm not seeing it today I'm over it all.

Hopefully I'll feel better about it all later.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Weekend and Today.

Wow, I haven't posted my moving since Friday, how am I going to remember if I don't write it down every day.  I have been doing it, I know that.  No walks though...I'll try and remember:

Saturday. ??? See, too long ago.  Hard ex bike, hopefully twice but at least once ...And 35min *walk on the spot* type stuff.  Pretty sure I did do 2 lots of ex bike.
Sunday. 10min *walk on the spot* type stuff, 2 x 20min hard ex bike.
Monday. 15min *walk on the spot* type stuff this morning.  20min on hard ex bike and will do another one later.  Happy to say I did.  Well near enough anyway.  I did 5min then 15min on the easy ex bike.

Not home tomorrow so I will need to make more of an effort and make sure I do do something.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

And Speaking Of Test Results...

I have the blood test results back and it seems that I am just a fat, unfit, sookylala that needs to suck things up and push myself more.  And keep spending money on tablets because I'll probably need them forever.  Now that sucks!!  I wanted them to find the problem and fix it for me.

I have been on Iron tablets for 12 months but 2 months ago this doctor doubled the dosage and put me on Nexium again as well.   The blood results were not too bad because of this but he says that if I want them to stay the same then to keep the dosage up for at least 6 months then have another test done then maybe cut them down then have another blood test at the end of the year and see if there is much difference.

Or start eating liver...Which I am going to think about.  If I could have that a few times a week I may not need the iron tablets but should stay on the Nexium?

Why the Nexium?  Well, it seems that I have *grade B reflux oesophagitis* but because I'm not getting heartburn or any other telling symptoms with it I don't know  when it is happening and the build up of acid  creates erosions and so my body is not absorbing enough iron because of this. Or something!

The first cause of Nexium was supposed to fix it, and probably did but this doctor seems to think that it will keep coming back and I should keep taking tablets to prevent it.  He says that the blood tests show that it came back then was fixed again with this latest course of Nexium.  He says that the if I had symptoms I could take something only then.. I'm not convinced that I need to take tablets as a preventative for ever but will for a few more months because *he* said to.  I'll read up about it and then have a think.  There might be an easier, less medication way.

In the meantime, I have no more excuses so why am I still in here and not out there moving...

Friday, January 7, 2011

Five Weeks Down.

So I have been doing something everyday now for just over 5 weeks.  If my maths is right.  But I think 5 weeks.  How do I feel?  Hmmm, hard one.  Sometimes, quite often, I think that it is all a waste of time.  I have the occasional day when I wake up and feel good but I did think that there would be more of them by now.

I am still heavier than I was 6 weeks ago, I don't understand why that is.  I can't blame Christmas foods as we don't do Christmas so didn't have all the hams, fruit mince pies and other yummy stuff to eat.

It is not muscle and I don't think that there is any toning going on.  I have a pair of jeans that I can get on and do up but I wouldn't be able to wear them out anywhere.  These are what I am going by.  I will know by how they fit if I am losing any fat but as that is not the main aim I am just using them as a guide.  It would be nice to have them loose but I am not yet prepared to change my eating too much.  So I need to move more.

I was hoping to be doing the 3km, to the corner and back walk in 35min by now but it is not happening.  It took 37min yesterday and I thought that I was moving quite quick.  Obviously not quick enough. 

I was going to increase the distance of this walk once I was doing it in the 35min but if I can't get it down to that by the end of the month then I will walk further regardless. 

I have 3 weeks to chop 2min of this walk.  Here's hoping.  Maybe if I did it everyday...but it is kinda boring and if I walked every day then I might not bother riding...

What would you do?

Thursday, Friday.

Still doing it, aren't I a good girl

Yesterday I did the 3km walk, rode the bike AND did some time on the ex bike.
I had to take my van into the mechanics so I put the bike in so I could ride home then when it was ready I rode in, put the bike in the van and drove home.  Was only a short ride though, maybe 8min each way but it all adds up so, I suppose, I should look for ways of doing stuff like this more often.

Today I have only been on the ex bike, 3 times for 10min each session.
Actually, I'm not happy with that so I might go and do another lot.  Back soon...OK, add another 10min.
So 40minutes on the ex bike.  Now that wasn't so hard...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Tuesday, Wednesday,.

We were away overnight on Monday, at relations place and I was hoping to get a decent walk in on Mon evening but only managed a 5min stroll up a hill.  We car camped there so I was able to get up early and go for a decent walk.  Twenty minutes down to their fenceline then it took nearly half an hour to get back.  Back was uphill and I went off the track exploring a few times.  So happy with that.  Also did 10min on the easy ex bike last night.  And 10min swimming.  That was nice.

This morning though...up early...and nothing.  Just cannot get into it and it is now nearly 7 so getting too late for me to be walking.  I will get on the old ex bike later as I have a new book to read and maybe get on the new, easy one later this evening.

Blood results should be in today.  I need to ring and make an appointment so will do that later.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Sunday, Monday

Sunday.  Woke early and felt good so walked to the corner and back.  I haven't done this for a few days so was happy with it takiing 36minutes.

Monday.  Another earlish one so prepared for a walk.  The old dog that I have staying here was awake though and even though I tried to sneak away he must have seen me and I wasn't gone long when I turned around and he was following.  He is old, deaf and arthritic but he wanted to come so we went to the first corner then I took him back home.  It was getting later though and I had stuff to do so I pulled the old exersice bike out the shed and set it up out the back, grabbed me book and started on that.
The bike inside can't be tensioned at the moment, it needs looking at, but this old one can so I had it set so that it was doable but hard to pedal.
I was thinking that I would give it 10minutes.  The book I was reading is really interesting so after 10 min I though another 5 would be OK.  Legs were getting sore and after 18 I could feel the sweat starting to drip.  I made it to 20min so very pleased with that result.  It would not have happened with a boring book though and as I have the next one in this series the old bike might get used again.

We are doing an overnighter today so I should get a decent walk in later and again tomorrow morning.
http://iwannawander.blogspot.com/2011/01/were-doing-overnighter.html

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Saturday, First Day Of The Year 2011.

It's the first of January, 2011, Happy New Year and all that stuff.

I woke after 6 again, didn't want to get up.  I felt the worst that I have all year.  haha, aren't I funny.

So tired and sore and it's only 10 oclock.  I have a good book to read though so that will give me something to do.

I have been having a lot of trouble with the computer, sometimes it wont turn on at all and I have been told that I need a new one so I am only on here now and then but I am going to keep doing something each day even if I can't document it at the time.

I have done 2 lots of 20min on the ex bike today so at least that is out of the way.  That only got done because I can read while I am on there so I may get another lot of 20min later but I'm not banking on it.

I do need to do more this year though, I feel that anything I did during December was a waste as it hasn't improved me at all.  It maybe has got me in a bit of a habit of doing something so that is good but fitness and healthwise, I don't feel any better.  That could just be the soreness today talking though, if I woke up feeling good then I would think that it was the exercise helping me feel like that...


I had blood taken on Wednesday, I am being checked for lots more than iron but I may have a reason for not improving.  But better than that, I may learn that I am just being a sookilala and to suck it up and walk further.Should find out next week sometime.  All these public holidays hold things up a bit.


New year though, we'll see how I go.  Anyone else trying to get themselves fit and healthy?  Let me know, we may be able to support each other.