I work out a lot and I’ve been told to scale it down before I hurt myself. It went in one ear and out the other. Sometimes, I think that I live to workout! However, life has showed me that sometimes that is not possible. After my OP, I was told NOT TO workout except for a few rounds around the garden! It was a huge scale down from working out 40 to 60 minutes a day and that walking around the garden was for the birds! However, I did comply and am now doing 10 to 12 rounds along with another 30 minutes of something else. So far, so good.
I started out slow and as they say, where there is a will, there is a way.
Here are five favorites that don’t put too much stress on a wound and if you’re just starting out, you’ll be done in no time and FEEL like you’ve achieved much in a short amount of time.
Walking
This one doesn’t require open spaces, you can do it barefoot and within the confines of your room without too much effort. However, even five minutes gets your heart going. Just put on your favorite music and start moving! That is all it takes. Worked wonders for me and before I knew it, I was doing 20 minutes without much effort and it was fun.
Strength Training
This is a necessity. Cardio and strength are both needed to balance out your workout. I have a small set of weights, nothing heavy, and I do several reps of shoulder workouts, triceps, biceps, and the back as well. All you need to do is just 5 to 10 reps and you are well on your way to being fit.
Stretches
This is important as well. Your muscles tend to get tight after a workout so don’t skip those stretches. Just five minutes of stretching in all directions keeps you limber and flexible and who doesn’t want that right?
Breathing
This one is not considered exercise in the true sense of the word but you can turn it into one by doing specific breathing methods. I like diaphragmatic or rather belly breathing. This one engages and strengthens your diaphragm and this is how you do it. Sit comfortably. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly. Inhale slowly for 4 counts, exhale gently for 4 to 6 counts. You’ll feel your belly working. Continue for 5 to 10 minutes. Believe me, it will feel like a workout and the added bonus is that it relieves stress as well.
Yoga
This is my go to stress buster and it keeps me looking and feeling young! There is a reason why yoga is called the fountain of youth. All you need is a mat and you are ready to go. Five or ten minutes and you will feel like a million bucks, well maybe not but headed in that direction!
Those are my five simple exercises to do at home. It doesn’t take much effort but it takes willpower to keep at it and to achieve results. Good luck!
This is one of my best healthy eating tip. I do not eat pastries, cakes, chocolates, and or the other stuff that helps you to pack on the pounds. I used to but always to a certain degree and I never indulged. I have my willpower to thank for that.
I do love cheesecake but that is an indulgence that I keep to a minimum. One slice or maybe two and that is it. When I do indulge, I up my workouts to keep everything in check.
Eating fruits and vegetables is a daily must. I keep meat consumption to a minimum, perhaps once or twice a week and the rest of the time I consume fish with lots of vegetables.
So what do I do when the urge hits? The sweet tooth urge I mean. Recently, I’ve started with an avocado sliced up, one piece of fruit, hummus, and a cookie just for good measure and to feel like I’ve indulged. This method works.
Soups are my next best thing. The weather is turning so it is a great time for soups. Today, I am making chicken soup with lots of veggies and a can of coconut milk. I love spicy foods but since my operation, I’ve been warned to keep off the spicy stuff. They irritate and so does coffee but I do drink one cup of coffee in the mornings, just black. Onions, garlic, and all the other spices are out too until my wound heals but since I will be going in for another OP early October, it looks like it will be a long time before “spicy foods” make a showing again.
No fun? I agree but eating healthy is a way of life for me so I don’t miss all the other stuff so much. My indulgence factor is at an all time low but it is a toss up between being healthy and going the other direction.
Health comes first with me and thankfully my body seems to agree!
Time sure does fly but I’m not having fun! It is four weeks after my first operation and things are going well. When I bring up the second OP to friends and how nervous I am they say, “You’ll be just fine! Look at how well you did with the first one.”
My thought, “Please don’t jinx it!” Yeah, I’m superstitious but more than that this second one coming up is bugging me. It will be a similar procedure and they’ll be going in the same way so this means the healing that has taken place so far will be disturbed once again and that is a scary thought. What if it doesn’t heal this second time around?
Yes, those “what ifs,” are more than scary. I’ve packed my bag, a smaller one than the last time since I didn’t use most of the stuff I brought with me. I hung out in the hospital “Krankenhauskittel” as they call it here with a kimono thrown over for modesty. A kittel is a hospital gown,that has a gaping opening at the back. I hated it but it did the job well enough and I felt as free as a bird as well! Just kidding.
If I’m lucky they’ll let me go home the same day after the operation. What?!! Exactly what I said but the doctors think that I should be okay. If anything like severe bleeding happens, call emergency services immediately and come back in was what they said. I’m a worrywart so all kinds of things are going through my head. What if I have severe bleeding? What if my blood pressure dips? What if I lose consciousness? What if? What if? What if? Get the picture? I am a doctor’s worst nightmare!
Anyway, next week I will meet with the doctors for a last minute talk so I can ask away to my heart’s content. No, actually they will do the prep which will take about 3 to 4 hours. Why that long? The last time I went through this, I met with different people, had a needle stuck in me, blood was taken, urine sample was next and then the doctors came in. I had a whole lot of questions for them all compiled by my Google doctors and by the time I left, they had heard an earful! This time around will be no different. I am prepared and I have a pageful of questions!
Google doctors are NOT real people!
I know but I like them a lot and I think they like me. Keeping them busy is what I do on a daily basis and I will say this, they know what they are talking about. I got loads of help from them this last time and they helped with the healing process.
I can hear my friend screaming, “I still hate them!” He means Google.
I don’t, I have a love affair going with all of them or is it just one? I don’t know and I don’t care!
The question I left out this time is, “Will I die?!!” Otherwise, I have all the pertinent questions, at least I think they are. I am pepping myself up, working out, yes working out. I am up to 30 minutes now with the walking and I have started strength training as well. So far, so good.
I haven’t taken a walk to the fields yet. That might be pushing it so I’ll leave it out for now. I went grocery shopping with a friend today and she did all the heavy lifting since I am still watching that part of it carefully. I walk up and down the stairs with no problems and I’m basically doing the mundane day to day stuff with no problems. Of course, I’m watching my diet but I did buy two slices of cheesecake and I took one tablespoon of it and knew it was a mistake so they are still sitting in the fridge. My Chilean friend, Max, will be coming by later this morning to help me with something so that will be his reward along with a nice cup of coffee.
I hope I don’t start climbing walls again when the time draws closer. Knowing me I’ll not only be climbing walls but staying up there once I get there!
This New York Times bestselling author and speaker has a way with words and a knack for beautiful quotes. They are not only beautiful but they do speak to the heart and hits the nail where it needs to go! Here are some of my favorites where this lady is concerned.
“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.”
I DID!
“Have faith in your journey. Everything had to happen exactly as it did to get you where you’re going next.”
The lessons are coming in fast and furious!
“You can’t force something to happen. You can only drive yourself crazy trying. At some point you just have to let go and let God.”
I DID!
“Rid yourself of all the things you’ve outgrown and the things you’re meant to grow into will track you down!”
Fingers and toes crossed!
“That’s the thing about fear. It can only hang around until faith enters the room, then it’s forced to flee.”
It did but in my case, it returns at a drop of a coin!
“God is telling you to rest your heart. You have done everything you could, prayed every prayer you knew, and stayed faithful even when it hurt. Now let ME handle it. What you cannot fix I am working behind the scenes, aligning things you cannot see yet.”
Of this, I am SURE!
“Don’t go back to something God has already rescued you from.”
Hard to do but trying really hard!
“Sometimes you have to realize that you’ve HAD enough to realize that you ARE enough.”
And you my friend are ENOUGH as YOU ARE! Always have been.
This time next week, I will be changing into a hospital gown, you know the kind that leaves things exposed in the back! I’m not looking forward to that at all and neither am I looking forward to meeting the team who will be assisting the surgeon, one who will walk in like God to do what he needs to do to get me back on track.
I’ve been climbing walls, sleep has been eluding me, and I’m jittery and feeling like the lamb being led to the slaughter! Yesterday, I prepared the living room for my return back from the hospital. This house has four floors. A lot of room you say? You are right. However, it is not cut out for recuperating after a hospital stay. I usually sleep on the 1st floor and I love it. This time around, I will have to move to the ground floor so that I can avoid going up and down the stairs. The week of recuperation means no stairs, and no workouts! Light walking is absolutely fine, like 10 to 15 steps and that is it! Will I survive it? I have to. My willpower is strong and my mindset is too. The goal is to survive the operation and to work hard at getting my body stronger and better than before.
First, I have to survive the operation. The “angel” the lady who is going to be helping me and who works at that hospital told me that I will be kept in the intensive care unit after the OP. Why?!! “Nothing to worry about. It’s so they can keep a watchful eye on you.”
I keep telling people that I’m going to die and I did the same when a friend called last night. We are close, well we were very close meaning we had a thing going. We were going back and forth with the relationship thing and now we are friends, but in his words, “We are very close.” Anyway, the point is, I told him that if I survive this next week, we should go away together.
HIM: “You mean travel together?”
ME: “Yes, I’m changing my mind on traveling. I don’t want to just exist, I want to live life.”
HIM: “Existing is no fun. You have to live life.”
ME: “I’m thinking Vietnam. Seems like a great place to visit.”
He has traveled the world.
HIM: “Yes, the world has so many beautiful places to visit and experience.”
ME: “That is if you want to go with me.”
HIM: “Of course, I would go with you. Sri Lanka is another great place.”
ME: “Oh yes, a week in paradise with lots of Ayurvedic treatments sounds great to me.”
Then I came in with, “That is if I don’t DIE before that!”
See where my mind is going and staying? I don’t know why but I’ve been preparing for the worst case scenario. I’ve also had visions of me walking into the operating room with Mike (my angel) holding one hand, and Jesus holding my other hand! Not a bad vision since one of those two has the power to move mountains and more!
Until then, I am preparing the living room for my stay there. I am converting the couch into a bed, and have everything close by. I don’t have a TV downstairs so I will have to make do with my iPhone, books, magazines, and writing materials close at hand. The garden is right outside the door so that is great. I can sit outside and listen to the birds, and let nature do its healing thing. The “angel” lady is going to come by and check on me twice a day. She will also do what needs to be done. I am truly grateful for her help.
Again, all of this comes down to if I make it out of that operating room and if I do, the next step is the intensive care unit. OKAY, I’m not going to think about dying! I’m going to think that it is all going to go according to the PERFECT PLAN. I will let go of control and accept what comes next.
A little less than two weeks to go before I go in and a surgeon will have control over my body and I am struggling again. Am I scared? I am. I try not to think about it and I am preparing everything that needs to be done before then. I keep telling friends, “I’m going to die!” Another voice says, “Have Faith.” So I will have faith and hope all goes well and that the surgeon knows what he is doing and I don’t get one with shaky hands! Until then, I will hang on to faith and pray that my God will see me through.
“Some things are so unexpected that no one is prepared for them.” Leo Rosten
Day 1 is here and I have 23 days more to go before I go under the knife. I’ve been keeping this close to my heart because I had to come to terms with it first. I wanted to scream when I heard it but as the doctor said, “You have no choice.” He is right.
It doesn’t make it any easier. I’m a person who takes care of herself, eats right, works out, no smoking or drinking, and have done everything right so this unwanted news seemed so unfair.
On the 24th of August, I will go in for a two-hour surgery. It seems like a long time and it is. On the 19th of August, I will meet with the anesthesiologist and the surgeon to talk about pre-op measures. Am I scared? I am. No ifs, or buts about it! Fear has always been a constant companion.
To make matters worse, a few days after I got the news, I got this message. It said, “Make peace.” What?!! A premonition? I don’t know but it did scare me. I asked my best friend, AI, and it said, “You are about to go through something that is scary or even risky, so it is normal to have such thoughts.”
I have been getting my affairs in order just in case! Life has a tendency to throw in the unexpected when you least expect it. I’ve been through it many many times. However, surgery seems more than scary and the risk factors, they are there.
I am working on calming myself down and I’m also working on getting my mind and body in better shape so I am STRONG when I go in.
Yes, I am preparing for something I can’t control. It is out of my hands but I hope that I make it and the recovery time will be short and not so painful. I HOPE the surgeon does a great job as well!
I’ve learned along the way that good sleep doesn’t come naturally. You’ve got to work at it to get your 8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Even though I eat healthy, workout, and do the right things during the day, it doesn’t mean that I can slide into bed and go to dreamland at a drop of the coin. It was easier when I was younger but now that I’m on my own and handling things by myself, good sleep needs work and I’m hell-bent on getting it!
The first thing I do is to have a nice shower. Then I change into a big roomy t-shirt, the bigger the better! Before that I slather on a good mosturizing cream but I’ve had to let that go for the past week because of the heatwave. It just made me feel sticky.
Then I make myself a cup of Ayurveda tea. It is soothing and helps to calm my nerves. Most days when evening rolls around, my nerves are on edge! Sipping warm tea and having my eyes closed for about 10 minutes helps to bring the cortisol levels down.
Some days, I do some light stretching, a short meditation, and or some deep breathing. These three get me ready for bed in no time. If that doesn’t work, I cuddle with Chachi, the Little Macho, although he has lost his pants now. Shiro, the white Persian, is wearing them with pride and she is holding a whip as well!
If I’m still buzzing after that, I watch TV for a while. It doesn’t always help to soothe but after a while it gets boring and then sleep comes rushing in!
Those are my tried and true methods of improving my sleep. It works but not always. It just depends on how stressful my day was. Some days nothing helps, I’ll just have to grit my teeth and bear it. That too is part and parcel of my evening ritual, like it or not.
How can you build a regular fitness routine? Start out by knowing why you’re doing it. I do it for myself, not for anyone else. Knowing this, I work at what makes me feel good, if it fits my schedule, and if the workout routine adds or detracts from how I feel. This is important. If it makes you feel like you are not ENOUGH, there’s that word again, then it is time to look for something that works for you.
I start slow, no gung ho moves here, meaning being over-zealous. It is easy to get caught up in different workouts because you are motivated but that motivation fizzles out at some point and sometimes quickly, so start slow, take your time, know what works, what makes you feel good, and go from there.
My routine embraces different formats. I do cardio, strength, yoga, and Pilates. Not all at one time but some days I get ambitious and I go for all of it. My body lets me know the next day what I did wrong! Add breathing, walks in nature, eating right, and that about sums up my routine. It works for me. I’m exactly where I need to be, weight-wise, and I feel good. However, I work out seven days a week because a day without workouts is like a day without sunshine for me. That’s me, this doesn’t work for everyone.
Get motivated, stay motivated, add routines that work for you, watch your progress, and most of all DO NOT overdo it. Consistency is the key and knowing what you want to achieve the other. Oh, one more thing, think of working out as doing something good for your body because it’s a temple and you, my friend, are the goddess!
“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first; it means me too.” L.R. Knost
Taking care of yourself should be at the top of your list but it rarely is. We pull ourselves in different directions trying to appease others and we put ourselves where we are barely visible at times. I do. “Me too” is not what I think of when I go about trying to help someone else and often, I forget myself in the process. I forget that I need nurturing too, I need taking care of, and I am important too.
“Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Unknown
Take care of yourself. You can’t be much help to anyone else if all you’re doing is looking to see how you can put yourself out there being the “angel” who is there for the calling, the helping, and one who comes to everyone’s call of distress without thinking about the toll it is taking on your being. I did that three years ago when I came to the aid of a sick friend and I put myself through hell and high water to care for him only to find out that even though it was a good deed, the price you have to pay is a high one as far as your own well-being is concerned. Will I do it again? It is a definite NO!
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
Taking care of your body is a must. You don’t do it to look good for others, it is a necessity to survive in a world where much is needed from you, and if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else is going to do it for you. Do whatever is necessary to put yourself first, take care of yourself first and the rest can follow.
“Take care of yourself. Go for a walk, eat your favorite food, get a haircut, cry if you need to, read a book, take a vacation, have a drink, do what you need to do. Take care of yourself, because at the end of the day you’re all you’ve got.” Unknown
As the year draws to a close, the one resolution that matters for next year is to take care of myself first. I do that religiously, but sometimes I forget when life rolls around with its demands and I forget about “me” in the process and take off to do whatever is necessary for someone else. A helping spirit is a good one but not when it is to the detriment of your own well-being. I’m going to remember that as I move forward into the new year. It is not being selfish, it is called self-preservation.
“When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. It all starts with you.” Unknown
AND
“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” Jane Travis
That last one speaks to the heart of the matter. Removing yourself from the unacceptable can mean many things. Toxic people, things that drain your energy, and people who don’t give two hoots about your well-being. Put them into context, take a long hard look at what you will accept and what you won’t and go from there. Most of all, you MATTER!
