Getting back on the wagon

[Mirium]

Reread my last comment. Anything that is distracting from our main goal [Celestial Glory] for this life is not worth it. This is coming from someone who use to bench reps 500lbs benches and curl over 300lbs.

Thanks. Sometimes I do feel like it takes over my life. Maybe I need to do something about that.

[candyprpl]

Well, it really matters to me. I have chronic pain and a connective tissue disorder that makes it very difficult to do what I want to do. I can't play sports really anymore. But, If I exercise properly, then I manage better. I am a better mom and I have more energy. And because my health has been so bad this past year, my Dr. feels it may be something that could make a big difference. And so I do it. It is very painful and I often find myself in bed after a hard work out. But before I fell off the wagon, I was really making some progress and I desperately want to get back to feeling good and not having to pay so much for extending myself.

And you know, maybe it doesn't matter to anyone else, but I want to look better too. I have always been thin and able to lose weight easily. But after baby four, things didn't work as....hmmm... efficiently as before. :) I am not that over weight. I just don't like that I can't wear the clothes I used to and I know I would feel better and be more confident if I did.

Perhaps you are trying to teach me to love myself or accept myself. And I suppose I am learning those lessons too. Perhaps in this way my extra weight gain has been a gift. :)

Once again Misshalfway you have inspired me. I get on and off the (exercise) wagon because of my bad health. When I'm having a hard time with my afflicitions I 'give up.' Grow an attitude of "what's the point." An attitude that is a killer of spirit and body.

So, now I try to do what I can and feel good about what I can do and not focus on what I can't do.

Just last night I came across something interesting. And article called Longevity. The islands of Okinawa, Japan, were estimated to have nearly 740 centenarians in 2006 -- 90% of whom were women -- out of a population of 1.3 million. This respresents about 50 centenarians for every 100,000 people, according to the Okinawa Centenarian Study, headed by Dr. Makato Suzuki. In most developed lands, the ratio is thought to be between 10 and 20 per 100,000.

The ongoing study, said to be "the longest continuously running centenarian study in the world," found that "an unusual number of centenarians [were] in extraordinarily healthy shape." To find out why, Suzuki and his team examined the lifestyle and genetics of over 900 centenarians, as well as many other Okinawans in their 70's and older. The researchers found that the subjects tended to be lean and fit, that their arteries were clean, and that they had remarkably low rates of cancer and heart disease. And of those in their late 90's, fewer had dementia than comparable populations in other developed lands. The secret?

One major factor was genetics. But there were other factors too -- the avoidance of tobacco, moderation in the use of alcohol, and a good diet. The Okinawan diet tends to be low in calories and high in vegetables and fruits, natural fiber, and good fats (omega-3, mono-unsaturated fat). And the people have the habit of eating only until they are about 80% full. "You should stop at the first feeling of fullness you get," says Dr. Bradley Willcox, a coinvestigator in the study. "There's about a 20-minuted delay before the stomach tells the brain."

Okinawans keep physically active through gardening, daily walking, traditional dancing, or other activities. Personality testing revealed the centenarians to be optimistic and adaptable. They handled stress well, and the women especially manifested "strong social integration."

"There's no magic pill" for longevity, says. Willcox. As the study revealed, it is influenced by genes, diet, exercise, good habits, "and healthy ways of coping with stress."

Now I guess it's time to jump on my excercise bike and do 6 miles!!

[rameumptom]

I find if I give myself one or two days a week to spoil myself a little, then I'm not cheating the rest of the week. I believe it is better to splurge once or twice a week, rather than over eat the entire week. I call it a reward system that works for me.