A Little Help From My Friends: How Do YOU Do (A Healthier) You?

[cherenkov]

19 hours ago, kar328 said:

Actually Tramadol is in the opiod drug class.

Might be thinking of Toradol which is an NSAID and not opiate.

Either way, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor before doing anything that you read on the Internet or that someone else suggests. Doing the wrong thing can prolong the healing time or make things heal incorrectly and result in chronic problems. It can also mean that you're doing something the doctor doesn't know about and then causes an adverse reaction with something they do add to your treatment plan.

Injuries take time to heal and attempting to speed it up or quick-fix it is generally not a good idea.

[connieinnc]

3 hours ago, Sasha888 said:

I agree, only your own doctor can really know what you should take, how often, etc. For instance I have been on tramadol for years for Fibromyalgia but that doesn't mean I know squat about what else it may be good for. I can take my tramadol or leave it - but that doesn't mean "no one can get hooked on it". Only a doctor can tell you that for sure. Heck my mom could take or leave her high powered cancer meds like oxycodone, but she's not everyone, shit tons of people are addicted to oxy.

I feel for you with the immobilizer!! I was in one for a dislocated shoulder...bad fall, didn't just dislocate but ripped the tendons and ligaments requiring surgery later, etc. Life with one arm is NO FUN! Very frustrating, hard to even sleep let alone do anything. For even basic household chores, my Dad came over and fed my pets, refilled my ice machine thing (after surgery I had a big thing that strapped onto me and an electric "bucket" of sorts that needed ice water in it, that plugged into an outlet and pumped cold water through the deal strapped to me)...I was pretty much useless to myself and my parents were coming over and doing darn near everything for me.

You don't realize how much you need BOTH arms until someone straps one to your side! Even typing here on this board to ask for tips was probably a huge challenge!

Some things I did to make things easier was stuff like drinking out of a cup with a lid, because I'd slosh my water everywhere and be clumsy due to having only one good arm to use...set up a folding table with the things I might need on my "good side"...plan meals that were easier to eat with one hand, etc.

But anyway...basically you just have to be willing to ask for help because there's no way you can do everything (driving, cooking, etc). I hope you heal quickly, I remember how bad it sucked! You stand there thinking "how do I complete this task with one arm"...feeling like a turtle who's stranded on his back! Ugh. Hope you get well soon @connieinnc! :-)

Thanks, I am lucky to have my adult daughter living with me, so she has been doing the cooking and cleaning. I was finally able to dress myself yesterday, felt so good to be able to do something :-) 

[connieinnc]

1 hour ago, cherenkov said:

Might be thinking of Toradol which is an NSAID and not opiate.

Either way, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor before doing anything that you read on the Internet or that someone else suggests. Doing the wrong thing can prolong the healing time or make things heal incorrectly and result in chronic problems. It can also mean that you're doing something the doctor doesn't know about and then causes an adverse reaction with something they do add to your treatment plan.

Injuries take time to heal and attempting to speed it up or quick-fix it is generally not a good idea.

Thank you. It is difficult to type one-handed (and with the 'wrong' hand), so I guess I wasn't specific enough in my request. The Dr didn't give detailed directions on what to do other than opening and closing my hand, which was never an issue. I have pain when rotating my forearm, so was wondering if anyone had specific experience with that type of injury and how they made work-arounds to be able to function. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by connieinnc

[AZChristian]

On 1/2/2019 at 12:11 PM, connieinnc said:

Thank you. It is difficult to type one-handed (and with the 'wrong' hand), so I guess I wasn't specific enough in my request. The Dr didn't give detailed directions on what to do other than opening and closing my hand, which was never an issue. I have pain when rotating my forearm, so was wondering if anyone had specific experience with that type of injury and how they made work-arounds to be able to function. 

Are you getting physical therapy?  In addition to approved medical treatments (ultra-sound, stretching, strength-building exercises), they can advise you on how to function with reduced mobility until it heals.  Hope the healing goes quickly for you.

[Dot]

Anyone out there have sciatica? And gone to a chiropractor for relief? If so, pls tell me how the adjustment worked/didn't work for you.

Chiroprators don't accept Medicare insurance, so a trip to one is gonna be a big investment for me. I'd like to know what other sciatica sufferers have experienced before I decide to spend the money.

[ClareWalks]

9 minutes ago, Dot said:

Anyone out there have sciatica? And gone to a chiropractor for relief? If so, pls tell me how the adjustment worked/didn't work for you.

Chiroprators don't accept Medicare insurance, so a trip to one is gonna be a big investment for me. I'd like to know what other sciatica sufferers have experienced before I decide to spend the money.

My mom had sciatica years ago and a month of chiropractic care totally cured it. At the time I thought it sounded like quackery, but a year ago I decided to try it for my neck and I've been going regularly since. My mom hasn't had to go back to the chiropractor for years though. Find one with a great reputation and give it a few sessions and it will probably help.

[cherenkov]

3 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

My mom had sciatica years ago and a month of chiropractic care totally cured it. At the time I thought it sounded like quackery, but a year ago I decided to try it for my neck and I've been going regularly since. My mom hasn't had to go back to the chiropractor for years though. Find one with a great reputation and give it a few sessions and it will probably help.

Has your chiropractor ever told you about the risk of stroke with neck manipulation?

[Pachengala]

I had sciatica and weirdly, pregnancy seemed to cure it; I haven’t had pain since, and my daughter is almost four. I’m generally anti-chiropractor but I had some repetitive-strain-type pain in my wrist and a [super hot] chiropractor randomly made it go away for good (so far) in like a half hour. So give it a shot, is where I land on this. 

[ClareWalks]

8 hours ago, Pachengala said:

I had sciatica and weirdly, pregnancy seemed to cure it; I haven’t had pain since, and my daughter is almost four. I’m generally anti-chiropractor but I had some repetitive-strain-type pain in my wrist and a [super hot] chiropractor randomly made it go away for good (so far) in like a half hour. So give it a shot, is where I land on this. 

Your pregnancy may have pushed that pinched sciatic back into place, how random! And convenient! :) Yeah, I first started seeing a chiro because I decided to try to get rid of shoulder impingement, then I started realizing how messed up my trapezius was from years of stomach-sleeping. I've been able to mostly change the way I sleep for the better, but I still get problems when I roll the wrong way. Hoping I won't need chiro care forever, just until I unlearn decades of bad sleeping.

[AZChristian]

I had sciatica which was brought on by pregnancy.  LOL.

I've had recurrences over the years, which have helped me to formulate my personal philosophy of chiropractors.  If my back hurts, I don't want anyone manipulating it.  If my back doesn't hurt, I don't want anyone manipulating it.

I've found that the simplest treatments work best for me.  Lots of ice (sometimes interspersed with heat, but not always).  During sciatic episodes, I always sit with my knees above my hips (resting my feet on a box in front of me) and I frequently do stretches . . . sitting down and bending forward until my back is fully stretched out and my head is below my knees.  And I've also read that people need to make sure they don't have a wallet (or phone) in their back pocket all the time, as this presses on the sciatic nerve every time they sit down.

I have an extra vertebra in my lumbar spine, so we know where it pinches and why.

Whatever you decide, @Dot, I hope you recover quickly.  It's no fun.

[Dot]

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

 

I've had recurrences [of sciatica] over the years, which have helped me to formulate my personal philosophy of chiropractors.  If my back hurts, I don't want anyone manipulating it.  If my back doesn't hurt, I don't want anyone manipulating it.

Yeah, in addition to the expense, I am very chary about chiropathy.  The thought of anyone messing around with my old bones, esp.. my spine, is pretty scary.

Anout 5 yrs ago, I awoke in pain, screaming. It felt like 100,000 imps were pricking my left leg with tiny, redhot pitchforks. That has recurred a few times over the years, but mostly all I've had is a small patch on the back of my leg that is somewhat tender to the touch.

The pain now is different. For the past 6 months I have had an unrelenting pain in my left thigh from hip to knee. (Ironically, I think an exercise I learned in PT & may have duplicated improperly at home is the probable cause.) Frankly, it has worn me out. And it's difficult to do any chore. Getting in my car, which requires standing with all my wgt on my left leg for several seconds, is incredibly painful.

I saw my doc yesterday & we discussed options. Surgery, at my age, is a no-no for me. The other possibility would involve getting an open MRI, in a town 50 miles from home, then several injections into my spine. That would mean another several months of this pain.

So, that leaves chiropathy. As @Pachengala suggested, I think I'm gonna go for it. Something's gotta give, and soon. The pain is really unbearable & exhausting.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Dot

[Brooks]

Dot, I'm so sorry you're going through this.  I hope you find some relief. 

There are different chiropractic techniques, some far more gentle than others.  Maybe you could interview the local practitioners by phone to get a sense of how they would approach it.

[Pachengala]

8 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Your pregnancy may have pushed that pinched sciatic back into place, how random! And convenient! :) 

I bet you’re right. My midwives said that most times anything you have going on health-wise goes into a sort of ‘remission’ while you’re pregnant, which makes sense from a biological imperative POV—I assumed it was this in effect but like I said, it’s been almost four years since I was pregnant. 

BTW, I didn’t know stomach-sleeping was hard on the bod; however, having been pregnant I TREASURE stomach sleeping and will give it up when I’m cold and dead, lying (on my back) in my coffin. 

3 hours ago, Dot said:

So, that leaves chiropathy. As @Pachengala suggested, I think I'm gonna go for it. Something's gotta give, and soon. The pain is really unbearable & exhausting.

I think as long as you are super vocal about your concerns, advocate for yourself, and find someone you click with (same as with an allopathic doc), it likely can’t hurt and will likely provide some relief. Does your insurance cover any acupuncture? We have absolutely ghastly, horrible insurance—it’s really appalling—and pay for most of our health care out of pocket, so it’s not covered for us but I have budgeted it in in the past because I find it to be effective pain management. 

Good luck! Keep us up to speed on how it’s going.

[ClareWalks]

21 minutes ago, Pachengala said:

BTW, I didn’t know stomach-sleeping was hard on the bod; however, having been pregnant I TREASURE stomach sleeping and will give it up when I’m cold and dead, lying (on my back) in my coffin. 

I had a hell of a time when pregnant trying to switch to side-sleeping too. My stomach-sleeping, with my face always turned to the left, was causing lots of problems for my right trapezius. It would seize up several times a year and hurt like hell for a week or so. I doubt that happens to most stomach-sleepers but it was a real PITA for this ol' gal here :)

[Dot]

43 minutes ago, Pachengala said:

Does your insurance cover any acupuncture?

Good luck! Keep us up to speed on how it’s going.

I retired to a rural area. Love the pastoral ambience, but finding someone as exotic as an acupuncturist is not likely without traveling a 100 miles or so to a metro locale.

I've got my first appt this Thu. Wish me luck that it's the only appt I'll need!

Edited January 15, 2019 by Dot

[TurtlePower]

18 hours ago, Dot said:

I retired to a rural area. Love the pastoral ambience, but finding someone as exotic as an acupuncturist is not likely without traveling a 100 miles or so to a metro locale.

I've got my first appt this Thu. Wish me luck that it's the only appt I'll need!

Hope you find some relief. I've been there myself and wound up requiring surgery because the damage was so extensive (MRI showed disk ruptured and hardened around my nerves). Sciatic pain and accompanying numbness is torturous, keep us posted. Good luck. 

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 1/15/2019 at 6:06 PM, Dot said:

I retired to a rural area. Love the pastoral ambience, but finding someone as exotic as an acupuncturist is not likely without traveling a 100 miles or so to a metro locale.

I've got my first appt this Thu. Wish me luck that it's the only appt I'll need!

I know it may sound woo woo but I have rare health disorders where pain is so much worse with inflammation. my whole right side would get numb, my wrist I had broken ten years ago would kill.  I stopped eating fast food and sugar when I moved about 2 years ago it got better. small amounts are ok like honey is a folk remedy in Greece to fight inflammation, but processed sugars bothers me. since I was little certain food additives would give me headaches,  this was way before anyone thought this was a thing.  I can taste chemicals in food on bad days so I am a bit an extreme case.  asthma diet helps with inflammation.  it also helps weight loss too.

[Colleenna]

So, I took last week off from lifting (still swam). Monday, my body was like "WTF?" Heh. Changed up my lifting routine. My hammies are complaining about the Romanian dead lifts and my shoulders are kvetching about the military presses. They'll get over it. 

[Kentuckydaisy]

I weighed myself today and lost 6 lb since the first of the year. the main behavior change was portion control. I tend to eat by the tv( bad habit,  but baby steps), I put a measuring cup in front of it as a subliminal message.   I also will try to measure stuff with a handful or small  spoon.   eat off salad plates. the large dinner plates makes me kinda ill to look at now. in italy the pizzas are not even this size....   it also helps drinking water or diy ice tea out of those huge size mason jars. figure out most of the time we are not Hungery but thirsty.

last summer year I gained and lost 10 lb without doing anything except the fact I was under I lot of stress with illness in the family having to be out of town for months.  kinda shocked my drs acted like it was a miracle I lost weight....  stress will f u up.  since I got back to my starting weight and de stressed I lost 6lb while also watching portion sizes.  I figured it would be most practical to start that way a healthy lifestyle than an extreme like no nothing ever. I used to think portion control was too hard because who can wash a measuring cup every 5 min, but this seems to work for me

I think a lot of it was using food to cope with stress. protects you from emotions. I would get into doing crafts or something else in front of the tv for stress relief to keep your hands occupied.   I have add issues so I kinda need something to keep me focused sometimes 

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 11/8/2018 at 12:11 AM, mybuddyspence said:

Jesus, I'm exhausted just reading about all of your workouts. ?

I know me too. I am about whits age but I was raised by an immigrant grandmother,  so working out was cleaning the house and working in the garden. now don't get me wrong cleaning the house is not how americans do it, it was an all day long thing along with walking to the local ethnic vegetables and meat market or  bakery. you do not sit on the porch and relax because laundry needed to get done.  I was once using my dad's weight machine growing up and I was told because of my period I shouldn't use it, it could cause a mess.  it's hard to do shit without support,  fuck you whitney you have all the support in the world and you don't give a shit about your health.   I want to learn more practical ways to work out than biking or walking or hauling shit up flights of stairs or cleaning the shit out of the house like I have obsessive compulsive disorder.  i even tried jogging once in high school in the 90s and neighbors asked me who i was running away from like an attacker or something because why else would a woman be running,  not for exercise certainly.  I need some help from the boards liberated females. I need suggestions of at home stuff to start with. I still feel kinda too embarrassed to be doing that stuff in front of people.  

[Colleenna]

3 hours ago, Kentuckydaisy said:

I know me too. I am about whits age but I was raised by an immigrant grandmother,  so working out was cleaning the house and working in the garden. now don't get me wrong cleaning the house is not how americans do it, it was an all day long thing along with walking to the local ethnic vegetables and meat market or  bakery. you do not sit on the porch and relax because laundry needed to get done.  I was once using my dad's weight machine growing up and I was told because of my period I shouldn't use it, it could cause a mess.  it's hard to do shit without support,  fuck you whitney you have all the support in the world and you don't give a shit about your health.   I want to learn more practical ways to work out than biking or walking or hauling shit up flights of stairs or cleaning the shit out of the house like I have obsessive compulsive disorder.  i even tried jogging once in high school in the 90s and neighbors asked me who i was running away from like an attacker or something because why else would a woman be running,  not for exercise certainly.  I need some help from the boards liberated females. I need suggestions of at home stuff to start with. I still feel kinda too embarrassed to be doing that stuff in front of people.  

Walmart and Amazon both carry resistance tube SETS that include various resistances from beginner on up, for less than $30 ... There's a YouTube video of a 30 minute resistance tube full body workout. There's a ton of OTHER Youtube videos on exercise. 

Why would you feel embarrassed for trying to improve yourself? Is there a Planet Fitness anywhere near you? They really ARE only $10 a month. They bill themselves as "The No-Judgment Zone," so you're likely to find others who shy about exercising in public. 

Just my 35 cents worth (inflation, dontcha know.)

[3girlsforus]

3 hours ago, Kentuckydaisy said:

I know me too. I am about whits age but I was raised by an immigrant grandmother,  so working out was cleaning the house and working in the garden. now don't get me wrong cleaning the house is not how americans do it, it was an all day long thing along with walking to the local ethnic vegetables and meat market or  bakery. you do not sit on the porch and relax because laundry needed to get done.  I was once using my dad's weight machine growing up and I was told because of my period I shouldn't use it, it could cause a mess.  it's hard to do shit without support,  fuck you whitney you have all the support in the world and you don't give a shit about your health.   I want to learn more practical ways to work out than biking or walking or hauling shit up flights of stairs or cleaning the shit out of the house like I have obsessive compulsive disorder.  i even tried jogging once in high school in the 90s and neighbors asked me who i was running away from like an attacker or something because why else would a woman be running,  not for exercise certainly.  I need some help from the boards liberated females. I need suggestions of at home stuff to start with. I still feel kinda too embarrassed to be doing that stuff in front of people.  

I lost 40 lbs just by walking and watching what I ate. It costs nothing except that I bought some wireless headphones ($25). Over time I increased my distance and speed. My area has hills so that helped too. I now do weight training classes as well but the walking and weight loss gave me the confindence to join the classes. 

[Colleenna]

I'd really like to understand what your goals are, @Kentuckydaisy. What are you trying to accomplish? Why? 

[TurtlePower]

On 1/17/2019 at 4:25 PM, Kentuckydaisy said:

I know me too. I am about whits age but I was raised by an immigrant grandmother,  so working out was cleaning the house and working in the garden. now don't get me wrong cleaning the house is not how americans do it, it was an all day long thing along with walking to the local ethnic vegetables and meat market or  bakery. you do not sit on the porch and relax because laundry needed to get done.  I was once using my dad's weight machine growing up and I was told because of my period I shouldn't use it, it could cause a mess.  it's hard to do shit without support,  fuck you whitney you have all the support in the world and you don't give a shit about your health.   I want to learn more practical ways to work out than biking or walking or hauling shit up flights of stairs or cleaning the shit out of the house like I have obsessive compulsive disorder.  i even tried jogging once in high school in the 90s and neighbors asked me who i was running away from like an attacker or something because why else would a woman be running,  not for exercise certainly.  I need some help from the boards liberated females. I need suggestions of at home stuff to start with. I still feel kinda too embarrassed to be doing that stuff in front of people.  

It's hard not to be self-conscious when you've experienced dumb comments from people. I've been a runner most of my life and it still bothers me when some jerk asks, "what are you running from?" or, "I only run when something is chasing me."

"Whatever it is, it'll catch you, not me."

Anyways, if you enjoy something, do it. 

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 1/17/2019 at 9:45 PM, Colleenna said:

Walmart and Amazon both carry resistance tube SETS that include various resistances from beginner on up, for less than $30 ... There's a YouTube video of a 30 minute resistance tube full body workout. There's a ton of OTHER Youtube videos on exercise. 

Why would you feel embarrassed for trying to improve yourself? Is there a Planet Fitness anywhere near you? They really ARE only $10 a month. They bill themselves as "The No-Judgment Zone," so you're likely to find others who shy about exercising in public. 

Just my 35 cents worth (inflation, dontcha know.)

I like this resistance band idea.  i have heard of it but never done it.

i come from a different culture so i have to work on feeling comfortable with my self. I just I don't like doing it in an area with men learing at me. I was sorta taught this is my fault for attention seeking.  stupid i know, it helps to have support.  

  I need to lose some weight but I am still attractive enough, the planet fitness around here is also kinda sketch has rep for um jersey shorish rowdy.  I want to give our community center a try eventually which seems more family orientated....I lot of this stuff is newer.   .  it's not really embarrassment about improving myself,  it's just I had to learn what to do, my grandma was very traditional so whitney attention seeking and talking about sex would be unbelievable.  I did actually lose 30lb just by moving back here since I now live in a large city with Mediterranean markets just diet did it and now I am focused on portion control.  my next agenda is exercise.  

[Kentuckydaisy]

2 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

It's hard not to be self-conscious when you've experienced dumb comments from people. I've been a runner most of my life and it still bothers me when some jerk asks, "what are you running from?" or, "I only run when something is chasing me."

"Whatever it is, it'll catch you, not me."

Anyways, if you enjoy something, do it. 

i thought I was the only one who ever had that happen

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 1/17/2019 at 10:50 PM, Colleenna said:

I'd really like to understand what your goals are, @Kentuckydaisy. What are you trying to accomplish? Why? 

I want to start excercising but I want to start doing stuff at home. I have body image issues that are kinda strange for american culture,  we were shamed for working out on the male excercise equipment (I think this maybe just any of those weight machines now adays, this was in the 90s when I was a kid when it was thought of as for guys backward I know) and attention seeking was punnished, so i am very uncomfortable with men looking at me since i am married, i am young but family very traditional, immigratants raised by old generation.  i have gotten over a lot of other stuff but it's still a struggle with body image issues.  kinda a one step at a time thing a lot of us can relate to i am sure

Edited January 19, 2019 by Kentuckydaisy

[Kentuckydaisy]

Also on my difficulty on  finding an at home excercise I like, I used to enjoy dance but whit sorta ruined it for me sorry to say.... I actually had done belly dancing in college way before she ruined it now it kinda grosses my out. I think the fitness marshall is cool but he just feels tainted now, like whatever she dose clearly dosent work because the hawaiian deal was the most disterbing thing I had wittnessed in living memory.  anyway, I know her bgdc bs stuff is just more like a body love support group with movement not actually excercise.  fittness marshall is lucky she flaked out, anyone else think that was the plan all along?

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 1/17/2019 at 10:11 PM, 3girlsforus said:

I lost 40 lbs just by walking and watching what I ate. It costs nothing except that I bought some wireless headphones ($25). Over time I increased my distance and speed. My area has hills so that helped too. I now do weight training classes as well but the walking and weight loss gave me the confindence to join the classes. 

that is so summer cool and good for you.  I think the weight training is such a good suggestion I never would have thought of from everyone.  it never was on my radar you all are blessings.  I lost 30lb but I still don't feel confident so it's psychological,  I am doing therapy but it is a process. 

[Colleenna]

25 minutes ago, Kentuckydaisy said:

I want to start excercising but I want to start doing stuff at home. I have body image issues that are kinda strange for american culture,  we were shamed for working out on the male excercise equipment (I think this maybe just any of those weight machines now adays, this was in the 90s when I was a kid when it was thought of as for guys backward I know) and attention seeking was punnished, so i am very uncomfortable with men looking at me since i am married, i am young but family very traditional, immigratants raised by old generation.  i have gotten over a lot of other stuff but it's still a struggle with body image issues.  kinda a one step at a time thing a lot of us can relate to i am sure

Still don't understand what your goals are. Are you looking to lose weight?  Be able to run a race? Fit into a specific size jeans? 

Goals are S.M.A.R.T. = SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC, TIME CONSTRAINED. 

[Kentuckydaisy]

On 1/19/2019 at 4:50 PM, Colleenna said:

Still don't understand what your goals are. Are you looking to lose weight?  Be able to run a race? Fit into a specific size jeans? 

Goals are S.M.A.R.T. = SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC, TIME CONSTRAINED. 

ok thanks for helping me to focus.   I have heard of smart goals.  I want to lose weight.   I have done diet stuff already that has been working. my mom had a stroke and heart attack and my dad had a heart attack so I didn't want to have these problems.   I want to do more exercise,  I got some weights and resistance like people suggested,  strength training sounds cool.   

I have already lost about 50 lb been able to keep it off, I would like to loes about 30 more . I'll see how I feel then, if I want to lose more. when I was growing up my dr said I was fine at my weight but my mom was always preasuring me to lose an extra 20 so I just don't want to get over extended.   

when I was a teenager,  my mom would make me go to weight watchers with all these old people, they of course would always say you were fat, but did not mention exercise,  I asked my dr what to do at that age she's treats you like another insecure teen who thinks she is fat rather than asking legitimate questions.  totally sucks when you are a kid some adult telling you that you are fat while medical professionals just blow you off about it.  to sum this up, at this point I am still trying to find role models and guess at what is normal. 

whitney is not. this show is an example of what not to do

[Kentuckydaisy]

I had been reading stuff online I can't remember where and there were a lot of people who were saying they were 300lb in high school before they lost the weight.   how is this possible and how is this that common.  i mean if your parent are neglecting you because they are busy with other stuff, wouldn't that just mean you would have to just move your ass more ie get a job and learn to cook/shop.  kinda how I had to live at this age.  I guess not everyone knows how to use you tube and Internet forums to raise themselves  when their family is otherwise nonfunctional.   hard to believe I only weighed 147 at that age and my family flipped the fuck out despite having lots of stuff going on. seriously.  I am just trying to understand people these days. that dance class in Pittsburgh it was like nothing I've seen before

Edited January 24, 2019 by Kentuckydaisy

[Me from ME]

• Quote

  BTW, I didn’t know stomach-sleeping was hard on the bod

  And it also puts wrinkles on your face.

Kentuckydaisy - I have 3 ideas for you

The old fashioned NordicTracks are often on Craig'slist. They are usually free. I have one at my bf's house as well as my second home. They are low impact and you decide how strenuous to make the workout by speed, resistance and incline.  The NT I have at home cost about $700 and I used it to get in shape for a 6 week bicycle tour around Europe. I still have it and it is quite portable, so  much so that I used to transport it between my house and that of my bf in my Subaru Outback.

 

If you are interested in portion control get a digital scale which is more accurate. Just put your plate on it and select tare which deducts the weight of everything but food. Much more reliable than measuring a cup of shredded cheese or vegetables. Keep track of your intake and weight using a free online tracker.

 

The more healthy fats, leafy greens and low sugar vegetables you eat the less hunger you will feel. Sugar and high carb foods work to increase your hunger.

 

If you get a Nordictrack and it needs maintenance give me a shoutout. There are very few moving parts to get worn. I have picked up a few NTs at yard sales to use for parts. Just be sure the skis move easily and don't slip backwards because it is the rollers that usually go bad first.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

I TREASURE stomach sleeping and will give it up when I’m cold and dead, lying (on my back) in my coffin. 

You can probably specify in your will that you want to be laid to eternal rest on your stomach :)

[cherenkov]

On 1/19/2019 at 4:21 PM, Kentuckydaisy said:

I want to start excercising but I want to start doing stuff at home.

If you want to lose weight, I also recommend using a tracking app for food - something like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! will work. Personally I use MyFitnessPal and have been for over 1300 consecutive days. Weigh portions on a digital scale. Use a measuring cup for things that are liquid. Avoid drinking calories. Weight control is 95% about intake, because it is never possible to outrun a bad diet.

Make your goals SMART as @Colleenna said. If you want to lose 30 pounds, think more like half a pound a week, measure your eating around that and weigh yourself on a schedule. For exercise goals it starts small: I will run 1 minute and walk 2 minutes three times this week. Something like a couch to 5K program. There are literally free apps for this.

Gym goers... are more concerned with themselves than anyone else. People in the gym are absorbed in their own workout. This was something I had to get over myself when I first showed up at the gym weighing more than 300 lbs (around 136 kg). It takes time, and at first I was super concerned with what everyone else thought of me. Eventually I learned that they weren't thinking about me at all. For at home stuff, I highly recommend and use TRX and Wreck Bag. Both of these have options where you can get videos and exercise tips, they're doable at home alone, don't require you to modify your environment, and you can get extremely strong using body weight and the bag. I use these tools myself, and I love them for when I can't get to the gym.

[Dot]

1 hour ago, cherenkov said:

If you want to lose weight, I also recommend using a tracking app for food - something like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! will work. Personally I use MyFitnessPal and have been for over 1300 consecutive days. . . 

ITA. I give journaling as much credit as food mgmt & exercise for my 120-# loss -- keeps you honest.

I started using the Calorie King diet & exercise diary on 04/05/04 & continue to use it to this day. First on paper, now digitally.

Free from CK's website.

[Colleenna]

1 hour ago, Dot said:

ITA. I give journaling as much credit as food mgmt & exercise for my 120-# loss -- keeps you honest.

I started using the Calorie King diet & exercise diary on 04/05/04 & continue to use it to this day. First on paper, now digitally.

Free from CK's website.

Yep. Started out using MyFitnessPal, and transitioned to FitBit's food log. The hardest part ---regardless of which app --- is calculating the calories for new recipes I create, like my veggie pot pie. 

[Lovecat]

13 hours ago, Me from ME said:

• And it [tummy sleeping] also puts wrinkles on your face

Not necessarily...I’m a 48-year-old lifelong tummy sleeper with nary a wrinkle anywhere on my face!  I had some surgery over the summer and couldn’t sleep on my stomach for weeks...it was HAWWWWRIBLE.  I almost cried with relief the first time I did a test roll-over and my surgical sites told me it was ok to stay on my tummy after weeks of saying  “Nope!  Retreat! Return to back immediately!!”

[Pachengala]

11 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

You can probably specify in your will that you want to be laid to eternal rest on your stomach :)

Dang girl, why didn’t that occur to me? I’ll  go drill it into the husbo’s brain right now! 

 

3 hours ago, Lovecat said:

Not necessarily...I’m a 48-year-old lifelong tummy sleeper with nary a wrinkle anywhere on my face!  I had some surgery over the summer and couldn’t sleep on my stomach for weeks...it was HAWWWWRIBLE.  I almost cried with relief the first time I did a test roll-over and my surgical sites told me it was ok to stay on my tummy after weeks of saying  “Nope!  Retreat! Return to back immediately!!”

My pregnancy was one of the happiest times of my life, but holy crap, in the second and third trimesters when stomach-sleeping is verboten, I DREADED the nights. Now whenever I roll over onto my stomach, I literally have a moment of gratitude. #neverforget

[Me from ME]

That's amazing. You are one of the exceptions. It was something my dermatologist told me when I was in my twenties. A quick Google search will affirm that constant pressure on one's face will weaken collagen and cause it to wrinkle prematurely. With no wrinkles at 48 you are one of the fortunate ones. I imagine you have been faithfully using sunblock right along as well as great genes.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

If you want to lose weight, I also recommend using a tracking app for food - something like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! will work. Personally I use MyFitnessPal and have been for over 1300 consecutive days. Weigh portions on a digital scale. Use a measuring cup for things that are liquid. Avoid drinking calories. Weight control is 95% about intake, because it is never possible to outrun a bad diet.

Or just paper and pencil... That's the only thing that worked for me - tracking calories.

Quote

calculating the calories for new recipes I create, like my veggie pot pie. 

My Fitness Pal can do this - you enter the ingredients and it calculates for you! I'm sure there are websites that do this for you too.

[Lovecat]

12 hours ago, Me from ME said:

That's amazing. You are one of the exceptions. It was something my dermatologist told me when I was in my twenties. A quick Google search will affirm that constant pressure on one's face will weaken collagen and cause it to wrinkle prematurely. With no wrinkles at 48 you are one of the fortunate ones. I imagine you have been faithfully using sunblock right along as well as great genes.

Pretty good genes, and a baby face to boot--I got carded well into my 30's :)  I haven't been so good with the sunblock, but considering the surgery I alluded to was related to a melanoma diagnosis...I'll be stepping that up moving forward :/  Use your sunscreen, kids, and get any funny moles looked at sooner rather than later!!  [Sorry for the OT, mods.]

[Brooks]

20 hours ago, Lovecat said:

I haven't been so good with the sunblock, but considering the surgery I alluded to was related to a melanoma diagnosis...I'll be stepping that up moving forward :/  Use your sunscreen, kids

Actually, if you look into it, studies and meta-analyses consistently show that all cause mortality and morbidity go DOWN with increased sun exposure.  There may be more skin cancer but more people do not die.  Sunlight is critical to our health but we need it at various times of the day, not just midday, to set the circadian clock that runs everything in our body, including our thermostat that drives energy expenditure (calories out).  So make sure you get enough general sun exposure WITHOUT any sunscreen, makeup, glasses of any kind, and as few clothes as possible.  Contrary to what the dermatology idiots have been telling us for years.  It's partly that your health depends on a good level of Vitamin D, and that comes from exposure to UVB light, unfortunately not supplements, because to be activated it needs to be sulfated and that is from UVB.  To the extent you thought all that walking and running in your neighborhood helped you maintain or lose weight, you probably never gave credit to the value of the sunlight from being outside.  Meanwhile, don't mess it up with artificial light, especially blue light in the evening.  It destroys the clock and hormone production.  I'm wearing blue-blocking glasses on a computer with blue-blocking software (IRIS) as I type this, LOL.

[ClareWalks]

1 hour ago, Brooks said:

So make sure you get enough general sun exposure WITHOUT any sunscreen, makeup, glasses of any kind, and as few clothes as possible.  Contrary to what the dermatology idiots have been telling us for years.  It's partly that your health depends on a good level of Vitamin D,

We require very little sun exposure per day to get our vitamin D, maybe 10-15 minutes. And we can still produce vitamin D even while wearing sunscreen.

[Brooks]

You must assume everyone lives as far south as you do.  People in the northern states on the whole have pathologically low levels of Vitamin D and they're likely outside at least 10 minutes somewhere in the course of the day.   Exposing your cheeks under a parka midwinter isn't going to cut it.

Aside from Vitamin D, we have photoreceptors throughout our skin, not just in our retinas, and we need as much of it exposed as possible so melanopsin and other opsins can work.   It is how we were designed.  

But the main point is that sunlight is our friend if we don't abuse it (by only exposing ourselves at high noon), and the advice we have had for years to be afraid of it has been making us sick.  That's where science is but medicine hasn't caught up to it.

[Colleenna]

6 minutes ago, Brooks said:

You must assume everyone lives as far south as you do.  People in the northern states on the whole have pathologically low levels of Vitamin D and they're likely outside at least 10 minutes somewhere in the course of the day.   Exposing your cheeks under a parka midwinter isn't going to cut it.

Aside from Vitamin D, we have photoreceptors throughout our skin, not just in our retinas, and we need as much of it exposed as possible so melanopsin and other opsins can work.   It is how we were designed.  

But the main point is that sunlight is our friend if we don't abuse it (by only exposing ourselves at high noon), and the advice we have had for years to be afraid of it has been making us sick.  That's where science is but medicine hasn't caught up to it.

Can you give me a link to support those statements?

[Brooks]

There is plenty on the internet if you start researching for yourself.

An example from a peer reviewed medical journal:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24697969

[ClareWalks]

38 minutes ago, Brooks said:

You must assume everyone lives as far south as you do. 

I live in the Upper Midwest...

[Brooks]

There's a good app called dminder that people can use to manage the amount of Vitamin D exposure they received and avoid sunburn.  I plan to try it out next summer as I expose myself as much as possible.  There are even clothes made from material that looks like fabric but lets sunlight penetrate.  Like Cooltan.com.  The fabric is sheer, but it's a way to get sun on your girls or junk or nethers without neighbors screaming that you're naked.   It's a way to *avoid* cancer.

[Colleenna]

5 minutes ago, Brooks said:

There's a good app called dminder that people can use to manage the amount of Vitamin D exposure they received and avoid sunburn.  I plan to try it out next summer as I expose myself as much as possible.  There are even clothes made from material that looks like fabric but lets sunlight penetrate.  Like Cooltan.com.  The fabric is sheer, but it's a way to get sun on your girls or junk or nethers without neighbors screaming that you're naked.   It's a way to *avoid* cancer.

Having lost a cousin to malignant melanoma, and having had non-melanoma skin cancers removed 3 times myself, I will continue with my sunscreen and sun avoidance.