Allergic to alll greenery outdoors but I love walking and exploring so do it anyway 😂😂
I’m always looking for good walking areas and I found a couple of locations to go to: flatter trail closest to home and a split trail that goes to two parks about 10 minutes away. With the advent of the coronavirus, the walkways been more congested than usual so I try to go at odd times and hotter parts of the day. My joints LOVE heat so this is a win-win.
Community trail that is closest to home. One day I will conquer the entire trail!Trail leading to Gold ParkStrolling through River Park
Getting outdoors allows for a change of scenery and can produce endorphins to make you feel better. And I love warmer weather so getting in a sweat is a plus! My acupuncturist is all about walking outdoors as nature, especially green and trees, relaxes the body. And with stress levels through the roof, who doesn’t need a way to relax?!
I truly hope this finds you well, safe and healthy. Have you found a place to get away? If so, drop a line below; I’d love to hear from you! 🥂 to your good health.
I work from home about 75% of the time so I’m sharing tips as a remote employee during coronavirus.
If your job has moved to remote working during this crisis, these tips may help-
Keep a schedule closely aligned with your regular schedule;
Do not work in the bedroom to keep work/life separate;
Find time to exercise – a walk around the block to get fresh air and a change of scenery;
Make time for lunch. Sometimes, I blow right through lunch without realizing it because it’s so easy to do at home;
Keep in touch with others. Working at home can be isolating so I make sure to call, text or video chat with some one during work breaks. And it might brighten their day!
Use your normal commute time to pursue something that you would love to do but usually don’t have time for;
Get dressed. It seems simple but it helps put me in the mindset for work.
I hope this helps! Any other suggestions that may assist others? Add yours as we adjust to this new “normal.” It is a blessing to be able to have to the option to work from when so many in the service and hospitality industries have not been able to. Stay healthy, maintain social distancing and until next time …🥂
I mentioned a few blog posts back that I was invited to be on a panel at a health conference. So this weekend was the panel! It was held in the Santa Cruz area which was my first visit there. I’d definitely go again when it’s a bit warmer.
While I travel and speak to groups for work, this was WAY out of my personal life comfort zone. I’m typically the one behind the scenes or giving contributions through activities like writing- like this blog. Being part of a group was helpful so that I wasn’t the only person sharing my story. Whew! That could’ve been really stressful and anxiety producing but I just took a deep breath and reminded myself why I was there.
In wanting others to be healthier or work toward optimal health, I have to work on the mental health aspect of myself to do so. I’m probably about half extroverted and half introverted so I need time to myself to recharge. I’m not good at small talk but I have had a lot of practice with my current job so I’ve gotten better. Its just that I want to share my health journey with others so that they can know what is possible through proper testing, supplements, quality food, exercise and just living life.
And I was super excited to meet my nutritionist in person. All meetings are conducted virtually because I’m on the east coast and she’s on the west. That may seem odd but it works really well when I made the commitment to change. So after making the changes and having this yearlong journey to be better, meeting her and her team was rewarding.
Me and Robin, my nutritionist
So I didn’t just step out of my comfort zone, I cut a slash into it! And hopefully, this will continue to prepare me for what’s next in my future. Today’s lesson- it’s okay to move outside of my comfort zone sometimes to experience something new. The feeling of accomplishment afterward is a great boost for mental health, at least for me. And visiting a new place is always good! Share a time when you’ve stepped out of your own comfort zone-maybe leaving a comment can be a first step. 🥂 to your good health. Until next time…
I love love LOVE the holiday season! The festivities, the holiday lights and everyone seems a bit kinder. I included Christmas tree pictures from my recent travels- there were even trees at the gym!
Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, enjoy this time of fellowship and gathering. It’s one of the best remedies for the seasonal blues- laughter, hugs and enjoying others’ company.
But this is also a somber time for many and the holidays can be rough. You are loved, you are heard and you are not alone. We need you and the unique gift that you have to offer.
May you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and beautiful holiday!
I joined several PCOS groups on Facebook and often, the discussions center around weight loss. When you have PCOS, losing weight can be challenging, at best. And many ask for help in these forums, as do many family and friends. They all ask- can someone (or me in particular with family and friends) help me? Can you tell me what diet you’re on? After telling them I follow a paleo type plan (often AIP as well), I let them know what to do first.
Can you guess? It’s not throwing out junk food. Or the number of workouts to complete. Or how to change habits. None of that- well at least initially. No, the first thing that I tell people is that they have to get their minds right. They have to want to make this change more than anything and they need a reason to stick with it.
My reason? Well I had two reasons to make a dramatic change. One- to figure out a way to lessen joint pain. Losing weight is key so that there would be less pressure on my knees. Each pound that I dropped is the equivalent of getting rid of 4 pounds of pressure on my knees! So at 71 pounds, that’s 284 pounds of pressure! THAT’S INSANE!!! My second reason was that I just wanted to feel better. It seemed no matter what I did, I was getting worse and worse. And while I didn’t know exactly what to do at first, I knew that I couldn’t stay where I was.
How did I mentally prepare? I read ALOT. I came across a book entitled 8 steps to reverse your PCOS. I joined the groups on Facebook. I started reading more about alternative therapies and how food is a huge deal for PCOS. I came across Dr. Ken Berry and his YouTube channel about the keto diet. While keto is not the most appropriate plan for me, Dr. Berry’s knowledge and zeal made me do more research. I prayed and cried- the cry part is hard to admit because I’m usually seen as the super strong individual. And I got a new job in which I work remotely which allowed me to rest as needed on my not so well days.
All this prep work led to me finally make the decision to begin working with Robin’s program for PCOS. She is now my nutritionist and I work with her one on one. But what most don’t know is that I followed her email blasts for at least two years before taking the plunge to begin the work. I had to get rid of the old thought pattern that only birth control pills could effectively manage PCOS (as told to me by a PCOS specialist in Baltimore who shall remain nameless). I was floored when the specialist told me that and basically brushed off my questions about diet and alternative therapy.
And I still need my reasons why I continue on this journey, especially when I’m hangry or lacking sleep or feeling emotional or overworked- whatever the situation. I don’t always feel like cooking. I don’t always want to feel and process emotions. I don’t always get enough sleep. And who wants to workout when it’s cold? 🥶 BUT I also don’t want to go backward and be in the state that I was in 1.5 years ago. So I have to follow what I know works most days; I’m not perfect and everyday will not be perfect but I plan around early morning flights or being stuck in an airport with very limited food options. Planning? That’s mental preparation put into action.
I could go on and on but I’ll just say it IS doable. As much as I joke that I don’t do a lot in managing PCOS, most of the work is renewing my mind everyday to do what needs to be done. The journey is worth it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel – better health. And it’s a lifetime journey in which you’ll have to prepare yourself daily. Share with others or leave a note about how you had/have to make mental adjustments. 🥂 to your good health. Until next time…
I am so thankful for the transformation that has occurred; I am BEYOND thankful. I never thought that I could be in a healthier place but that didn’t keep me from searching. It took time, work, patience and self-care, but it was possible. And it’s worth it because I AM WORTH IT! That’s the one thing you have to tell yourself every day when you’re facing a challenge – you are worth it. You can do this. Don’t listen to the negative people questioning how or telling you that you can’t. I have those people in my life too (they’re in the family) but I had to learn how to check them appropriately and keep pushing toward my goals. You’ve got this! Share with someone else who needs to realize that they are worth it.
For about half of the year, I travel a good deal for work. As I write this, I am on a train to New York penn station so that I can head out to Long Island. I enjoy the flexibility of working from various locations but it can interfere with attempts to be healthy and, especially, to work out.
Initially, I just considered the additional movement of the day as exercise. You know- airport walking, train platform walking, wandering the stores, campuses, basically anything that got me moving while out for travel. But now I try to be more intentional about actually exercising while I’m on travel. I pack my workout clothes so that even if the hotel gym has only one treadmill, I’m going to use that one treadmill. I prefer the recumbent bike but it’s not available everywhere. I also use amazon prime to do a couple of easy stretch videos if that works better.
And when the weather is warmer, I’ll incorporate intentional walking outdoors and walking in the pool before anyone gets in. A coworker even looked up exercise classes at the local YMCA while we were in training for a week- wow, that’s dedication!! What tips do you have for exercising while working and traveling? Share your experiences; I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time 🥂…
My newest tip…pack a light sweatshirt for the gym because it can be chilly in there!
Scenes from recent gym adventures-
Watching Home Alone while on the bikeHeading down to the gym Post bike workout
I finally reached goal! (Now on to how to keep it off but that’s a blog for another day) that’s a total of 71 pounds, beginning August 2018! I’ll post my update pic below from 70 pounds when I was pushing for that ONE pound.
One pound to go
Side note: at my highest weight ever in life, I never actually weighed myself but based on my clothing size, pictures and the weight I was when I finally weighed myself, I’ve released about 100 pounds total. My highest was about 12 years or so ago.
I’m in a couple of fitness groups on Facebook and the women (sorry, guys) in the group mentioned how they planned to celebrate reaching their goal. I had never considered it but decided that was a great idea. This is probably the most consistent I’ve been with anything ever and I wanted to mark the occasion with something that I would remember. So after contemplating many options, I decided to buy a piece of jewelry with a ruby gemstone. Among many things, a ruby signifies health, wealth and wisdom which all played a role in this journey. I NEVER buy jewelry so every time I see this, I’ll be reminded of the grace given to accomplish this goal.
Celebration jewelry
I have not set any new goals yet but I hope to focus more on mental and emotional health- baby steps. Share any celebrations that you’ve had recently! 🥂 until next time…
As I mentioned previously, I work with a nutritionist to manage PCOS. And it’s worked wonders. I’ve even been asked to speak on a panel for an upcoming conference about pcos in January that’s being held in California. (I hope I can get off work then!) Hopefully, my statement can inspire you or someone you know who manages hormone related challenges; positive change IS possible. It takes real commitment and a different level of effort (lots of tweaking to find out what is best for me), but I’m so glad to know that it’s even possible.
See, for so long, I thought I was just doomed to be on birth control pills forever as prescribed by physicians; I even had a pcos “specialist” tell me that my best course of action was to just remain on the pill forever! WTH!!! I knew that I had to find a better solution that reduced the need for medication- that takes a toll on your body because we aren’t meant to ingest such things for a long time. Western medicine has perfected the art of acute care but this doesn’t translate over to managing long term health challenges or improving their condition. Keep searching, doing the research and challenging the system so that alternative solutions might be covered by insurance.
The excerpt below is my statement for the conference:
Fantastically 40-ish 