HealthandHappiness

I’m getting myself in the right frame of mind to stick with my New Year’s resolution. I really want to get the weight off this year. I’m tired of feeling bad about myself all the time, and I want my blood sugar readings to come down. I also know that exercising more will help with my fibromyalgia pain.

Here are my short-term goals:

Eat less than 100 carbs a day. (My doctor recommended this)

Exercise at least 4 days a week. (Will change this as I progress. Have to start slow with fibromyalgia or I will be in even more pain.)

Lose five pounds a month. (May not make this one every month. When losing before I didn’t do five pounds each month, but I think it’s a reasonable goal to set.)

Overall Goals:

Lose 50 pounds

Like myself in a bathing suit

Fit into a size 8

What are your weight loss goals? What is your plan to achieve them?

I have tried to lose weight in the past. I actually managed to lose 20 pounds after being diagnosed pre-diabetic. It took me 8 months of lowering my carbs and exercising regularly to lose the 20 pounds, and one month living in a motel and eating fast food to gain it all back.

I’ve tried off and on to lose again, but only half-heartedly. Starting New Year’s Day, I am going full force. I NEED and WANT to lose fifty pounds within the next year. Losing the weight will definitely help my diabetes and fibromyalgia. I will also look better which will help my self-esteem.

Losing 50 pounds will put me in the acceptable weight range for my height according to several medical charts I’ve checked out. I’m only 5 feet tall, so I can’t weigh much and be in range. I’ve seen anywhere from 96-126 pounds as the limits for a healthy weight for my height. I am aiming for someone in the middle of that range.

It’s not going to be easy. The only way I lose weight is by lowering carbs and exercising. Those are both things recommended for diabetics anyway, so it’s all good. I just have to make myself DO IT!

I would love to have some people join me in the quest. Are any of you making weight loss your New Year’s resolution? If so, would you care to join me? I will be updating the blog here with my progress to help keep myself accountable. I have some friends on the writing board that are doing it with me, but you can never have too much support where weight loss is concerned!

If weight loss is your New Year’s resolution, I wish you all the best!

I had a doctor’s appointment today. I changed doctors because my last one didn’t want to spend any time with me. I guess he had too many patients, and just wanted to rush through each appointment. I don’t really know the reason, and don’t care. I only knew that I wanted a doctor who would spend enough time with me to at least know what I was talking about.

I liked the doctor I saw today. Only problem is, he said I need to see a different doctor because he isn’t qualified to treat my various conditions. His office gave me the name of another to check out. I will call and see how much it costs for a new patient visit.

Having no health insurance makes picking a doctor a chore. Some won’t take you at all and other’s cost excessively much. I hope that I can find one that knows how to treat me and is reasonable.

The only thing that made today’s appointment worthwhile is getting blood work done to check my thyroid so I can get a new prescription. I hate paying doctor prices just to get a little slip of paper!

Ever since we moved to Alabama, my sinus problems have got completely out of control. I can’t go a day without sneezing, my nose running, and have postnasal drip. It is driving me crazy!

This weekend we had to go to Nashville for my husband’s schooling that is required through is company. The whole time we were up there, I had no sinus/allergy problems! It was amazing that it only took one day to clear everything up.

We came home last night. This morning I woke up chugged up, sneezing my head off, and with my throat hurting.

I think I need to move!

I have always been somewhat sensitive to smells, even as a child. Since developing fibromyalgia, it has got a lot worse. The most difficult aspect is not knowing what smells are going to trigger a coughing fit.

The other night I was helping my husband get rid of turkey leftovers and the smell ran me out of the room. I was coughing so bad I almost threw up. (This happens on occasion)

A few weeks ago, hamburger meat was taken out to be cooked on the stove and I had to go outside because I couldn’t quit coughing. I couldn’t come back in until my son and husband finished the hamburger and the raw meat smell was gone completely.

There is a paper mill that we drive by on the way to visit family that gets me every time. And perfume is always a bad thing. At least with these two I know to expect trouble. I wish that were the case all the time.

I have learned not to go in any place that has strong scents or smells. It’s a learning process and not a fun one.

Do any of you have this problem?

If you have a chronic pain condition, you know that stress makes it worse. For many people, stress and the holiday’s go hand in hand. So how do you keep the stress to a minimum and therefore keep the pain at bay.

Plan ahead to avoid unnecessary stress. If you have a plan for each holiday event, you can take your time on the actual day and not get stressed out. Make the plan far enough in advance, and check that you don’t forget anything. Your plan will make it possible for you to actually enjoy the event like everyone else.

Don’t schedule too many events. People with chronic pain conditions need time between events to recuperate. Even if the event is nice and you have a good time, you’ll still be tired and need to rest. Schedule at least a few days between each event so your body doesn’t stay in a pain state.

Eat healthy. Many chronic pain patients have a specific diet that helps their system work best. Follow your diet. If you indulge, only do it on a small scale.

Make sure you get enough sleep. Take extra naps during the day if you have to, but get adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation will exacerbate pain.

Follow these simple tips, and you will avoid some of the holiday stress, and your pain level will not rise as much.

I was talking with some friends today about rainy, dreary weather. A few of them love days like that. They said it affords the opportunity of curling up on the couch with a good book and relaxing. I wish that were the case for me.

Rainy days leave me hurting. Ninety percent of the time, I have a headache all day when it’s rainy and dreary. I also have body aches. This is a product of fibromyalgia. I’m sure any others of you out there that suffer from fibro or another condition affected by the weather know exactly what I mean.

This past week, we had four dreary days in a row. Each day I got progressively worse. Today the sun finally came out. If it stays pretty for a few days, I will feel better. It’s rough having your life dictated by the weather!

I just try to take it easy on those days and not make the pain worse. Any of y’all in this situation too?

Make a resolution today to start losing weight. Don’t wait until January first. Think about how many pounds you could lose between now and then. You are sure to have a good start on your diet if you go ahead and start.

You don’t necessarily have to go full tilt ahead; just make better choices between now and the first of the year. Cut back on sugary drinks, eat less snacks, do more exercise. Little things, when done consistently, will cause weight loss.

Christmas might pose a problem. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip that day. One day will not ruin your whole diet. Just get right back on the wagon the day after.

You’ll be happy on January first when the scale is already down a few pounds. Do it for yourself, do it for your health!

Anyone who has a chronic pain condition will understand what I’m talking about with this post. It seems that people think chronic pain means constant pain, and it doesn’t. Or at least to my way of thinking, it doesn’t.

I have fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. This means that I’m in pain sometime every day. The pain doesn’t go away, the condition can’t be cured, and I just deal with it. It doesn’t mean I hurt CONSTANTLY. There are days that I have pain in the mornings and then not at night or vice versa.

Some people think because the pain isn’t constant that it doesn’t count. Let me tell you, it does! I can’t remember the last day I didn’t have pain at some point. Most days I do hurt all day long. I live for the days the pain comes and goes.

Chronic pain wears on your emotions and nerves. Never knowing what the day is going to bring, how well you’ll be able to function, or if you’ll even be able to function is not easy to live with. You have to find coping mechanisms and develop a great support system.

Don’t let people make light of your situation just because you have a day with less pain. They should be rejoicing that you have a good day, not negating your condition.

I’m feeling a little better today. The last few days were a bust though. I felt awful from the time I got up until the time I went to bed. To top it all off I didn’t sleep worth a flip last night either. That’s nothing new though.

I’ve been more productive today. Have some catching up to do from yesterday! It doesn’t help that I don’t do much on the weekends when my husband and son are home. And my husband’s weekend starts on Friday! I do sneak some time online, but I never know how much so it’s hard to get started with something and have to stop in the middle. It’s working so far though.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend!