Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
Happy Wellness Wednesday! My message for today is to live today cheerfully and full of enthusiasm! I totally believe that a positive outlook is one of the best things you can do to feel better. Speaking of feeling better, I’ve lost 19 pounds as of this morning! YEAH! Thank you all for your support as I make this journey. Also, don’t forget that you can download all three books in the South Beach Security series in print, e-book, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Td7kIF.
One of the things I’ve had problems with during my lifestyle change (besides sitting a lot more now that I’m writing full-time) is knee pain. I had surgery to fix one knee and working with a personal trainer really helped to improve my strength and end most of my knee pain. But a recent issue brought back the pain dramatically and I’ve been working through it. One of the ways that you can improve knee pain is by strengthening the muscles that support your knee! Here are some sites that have some good exercises for you to try, but always check with your doctor before trying any of them!
Arthritis.org: https://bit.ly/3nnVKMA
Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/exercises-for-knee-pain
Ortho Info: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/knee-exercises
University of Rochester: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/hh/services-centers/evarts/documents/knee-exercises.pdf
WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/top-exercises-knee-pain#1
I haven’t shared progress in a month and am sad to say there’s been little progress. In fact, a setback with all the wedding prep and celebrations. But I’m back at it and trying not to get frustrated, which happens often on this health journey of mine. For today I’m sharing an exercise that I’ve heard a lot about and have to try: The Bear Crawl. When you watch this video you’ll think, looks easy enough, but I’m told it’s not. The nice thing about it is that it works all parts of your body and you can do it anywhere you have enough space. No weights or fancy equipment to do this exercise. Always a good thing if you’re not near a gym. If you see me doing this on the beach next summer, join in!
Thanks to Jason Thomas at www.ironwarriortraining.com for the Bear Crawl Video!
Original Image by Rain Carnation from Pixabay
This was not an easy month for me on my transformation journey. I was at two conferences back-to-back which meant totally different workout schedules and a much harder to control environment with respect to my eating. At the first conference, I did not have access to a gym facility so I turned to longer walks and even some jogging. I am so not a runner. Think of the tortoise and that’s me, but I did it.
At the second conference, I had access to a gym and with my trusty roommate, I managed to get in some aerobic exercise almost every day. However, I was sitting more than usual and the last two days were difficult in light of various meetings that involved food. Mostly carbs. YIKES!
Despite that, I managed to meet my goal of losing another five pounds in July. I actually lost an additional .6 pounds. Since April 1 when I first started sharing my journey, I’ve lost 27.2 pounds! WOO HOO!
At the last conference, a number of people asked how I did it and so I’m here to share some wellness and workout tips!
On the wellness issue, I’ve virtually cut out diet soda and all fake sweeteners. I use a minimal amount of sugar in my coffee. I hydrate by drinking lots of water and thanks to my Sodastream, carbonated water and one diet soda with dinner.
I’ve cut out carbs like pasta and bread and instead have more fruits and vegetables. I keep my meat portions to between 4 and 6 ounces depending on the nature of the protein.
My daily goal for calories is between 1200 and 1300 and I do allow myself a sweet snack after dinner, usually chocolate or some kind of “thin” cookies. My favs are the Cranberry Almond Thins and Oreo Thins.
As for my workout regimen, once I reach Penn Station I walk to my office in the morning and back at night. That’s almost three miles of walking right there. I also make it a point to get up from my desk every hour and take a short walk around the office, usually to drop off papers.
At night I head to my local Y. Two nights a week I do cardio, usually the elliptical for 40 or so minutes. The other two nights I do strength and balance training. I am a real clutz and need all the help I can get and I am much more balanced and I feel much stronger.
Friday is a free night to just be a couch potato.
On Saturday and Sunday, I take long strolls along the boardwalk, usually one in the morning after a writing marathon and another in the afternoon or after dinner. I confess that sometimes we go and get ices or ice cream on that walk, but usually something small. Moderation is key.
So that’s it! That’s how I’ve been transforming myself and getting healthier and stronger. If you want to do it, you can too!
I started reading about the benefits of honey and decided I’d try it! Every couple of days I take a spoonful of local raw honey straight up or mix it in with my Greek yogurt and fruit. I’ve got a sweet tooth so it’s a welcome blessing, but honey has a number of health benefits like:
Thanks to Dailylifestyles.com, simplyhealth.io, and webmd for their input on the possible health benefits of honey.
Original Honey Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
As some of you know, I’ve been on a roller coaster of losing and gaining weight for quite some time. I cut out carbs, work out and BAM I drop pounds until I hit some unseen barrier that throws me off the rails and has me gaining again. I was talking to a friend about it and was surprised to hear her say that she’d lost nearly 100 pounds over a few years. In truth, I had never really thought of her as that overweight and I guess because the weight came off gradually, I didn’t notice a drastic change, although I had noticed she seemed slimmer.
It occurred to me that instead of my BAM approach to getting healthier, I had to adopt a more subtle plan. One which I could maintain as a new lifestyle. The first thing I did was stop logging every food I ate. There was no way this was sustainable and what I really had to learn was to be more mindful of my eating. That meant understanding what was a reasonable portion and eating slower so that my brain could catch up to my mouth (something that goes for more than just eating! LOL!) Adding lots of good vegetables to my plate also helped create a feeling of fullness. When I did this I found that I was eating less and eating to satisfy hunger and not just because there was food on my plate.
I also cut our artificial sweeteners and instead started using raw sugar. I also didn’t use as much sugar. If I have a sugar craving, I try to eat fruit instead, but still allow myself the occasional piece of chocolate or other sweet.
I also didn’t totally eliminate carbs as that turned out to be a major fail. Instead I’ve learned to choose more complex carbs and have embraced new grains such as barley and farro instead of my beloved rice. If I have rice, I have brown with some quinoa thrown in!
While I believe that weight loss/gain is 75-80-% diet, I’ve made sure to work out to keep myself strong. I do cardio at least 2 to 3 times a week and strength training the other two days. On the weekends I strive to do long strolls on the boardwalk in lieu of the elliptical. Exercise helps to boost your metabolism which in turn helps burn calories. Muscle also uses more energy than fat, so it too burns more calories. A win-win.
So far, that’s all working for me, more slowly than before, but hopefully in a way that will help me not only lose it, but not gain it back!
I hope these tips help you in your quest for a healthier life
!
Besides the shower, I get some of my best ideas while walking and on top of that, walking is a great way to stay fit and lose weight. I shoot for at least 12K steps a day, but usually average more like 17K. If you want to join me on my walking journey, be my friend on Fitbit: http://fitbit.link/2wdmwL9.
Here are some good articles for you about how to use walking to improve your overall well-being:
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I’m hopefully off for a stroll along the boardwalk if the weather holds up!
