Long time, no blogging

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since my last confession :) I am keeping on track. No salty snacks like chips, avoiding the dessert tray at work and finally getting out for a good walk most nights. It has been incredibly stressful at work the past two weeks. Without going into dry and boring detail, suffice to say, I'm glad those weeks are over! The only good news...on the most stressful day, when I thought my blood pressure would be through the roof - it was almost back to a normal rate! So, things are looking up :) I did discover a couple of things about blood pressure - One - lack of sleep can cause it to rise. Given the fact that I've always been a rather lousy sleeper and now it's worse, that is likely one factor. The other - I am almost constantly stuffed up - so, I will often pop a Claritin.. Guess what.. it can contribute to high blood pressure! So, I've stopped the Claritin and am trying to get more ZZZZZZ's. Tomorrow is my 6 week check up...REALLY, has it been that long already?? Here's hoping for some positive news :) The weekend was positively delightful. There is finally enough snow to go snowshoeing which I truly love to do. We have more than 135 acres to tramp about - most of which is not assessible during the summer since it's dense bush so it's a joy to see our land during the winter. There are wolves, deer, porcupines, and more rabbits than you can imagine all living in the bush around our house. An amazing ecosystem to be sure. Tonight was my yoga class. I must say, I'm getting better at the moves and I am surprising myself. My crappy balance is starting to improve and I am more flexible than when I started. I have to say, that the small steps I've taken seem to be working so far...Onward and upward!!

a glorious evening

It was an amazing night for a walk on the wildside. The temperature was pleasant -4C, with no wind and 3/4 moon shining. I set out with Cricket for our evening jaunt. This time, I improvised a 'hands free' leash and was able to use my skipoles as well. It was truly a beautiful walk - invigorating since I was walking more quickly because I wasn't holding a leash. Not once did I put on my headlamp - the moon was bright enough to allow for walking with ease. It was amazingly quiet as well. Last night, the wolves were howling when we walked - tonight - total silence. I didn't even hear the sounds from the highway (while over 1 km from our home it can be loud depending on weather conditions) The walk is just under 3 km. with a terrain that is more uphill on the return. I timed myself - and was pleased that I walked it in 14 minutes. My goal is to walk that distance in 10 minutes before my next doctor's appt. in 3 weeks. Given the fact that I was walking in rather icy conditions, I am confident that the 10 minute return is feasible. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day...maybe I'll take time for a much longer walk since snowshoeing is out of the picture right now - not enough snow! :(

moderation is the key

I can live with moderation. It means I get to have most of the things I like without feeling deprived but control the portions. Walking has finally become easier now that we've got some snow covering all the darn ice! It also helps that the days are getting longer. Somehow, walking in the dark at 7:00 pm, doesn't seem as black as it did a couple of weeks ago. I still need a good headlamp, and I still need to watch for the neighbourhood crazy drivers but that's okay. It's been an easy winter for the deer in the area. I'm seeing lots of tracks. Over the past few days, there have been 4 beautifully healthy deer wandering in my fields. My neighbour, Su, did warn me that there are at least 3 large timber wolves in the area too. I haven't come across their tracks yet, but they may be staying closer to the bush rather than on the road. I have to say, I'm feeling better. My energy has come back...I have no idea why I was feeling sluggish, except for the winter doldrums. Of course, it does help that my gardening catalogues have arrived. There's nothing like flipping through page after page of gorgeous flowers to make you feel better. :) I still haven't started the food diary. However, I also haven't touched the dessert tray at lunchtime. My coffee is now more decaffinated which hasn't proved to be a problem. I'm seeing the family doctor tomorrow..so here's hoping my BP is lower again.....

One small victory..

Well, there is good news.... my BP has gone down. It's still not where it needs to be..but it's much closer. I attended my second yoga class and I was amazed that I was able to do everything with a bit more ease. Maybe there is hope for touching my toes again :) One of the things I'm learning is how to meditate. I think in time, I'll find this will be the best thing about the yoga class - learning how to clear my mind. I have not started the food diary but I have been very conscious of what I'm eating. I'm taking smaller portions, staying away from the dessert tray and today, started drinking water in the afternoon. I'm still drinking coffee but mixing more decaffinated coffee with the regular. I still enjoy wine with my dinner in the evening but have a smaller glass - like I said - little changes. I've found a very nice lemon herbal tea that I have most evenings now and I treat myself to a couple of squares of extra dark chocolate. Unfortunately, our weather turned totally nasty with a full day of freezing rain and rain on Monday. I missed work because the roads were impassable. While the roads are better now for driving, they are still treacherous for walking. I have exellent ice cleats but even with them, there is still a great deal of 'slippage' This leaves me with riding our stationary bike which I really don't enjoy that much. It's an older bike so it's not comfortable at all. It's set up in a great place - looking out our giant windows but that's the only up-side of it! When I get some extra cash, I'm going to look into either a new-to-me bike or perhaps really splurge and find a bow-flex. I know DH would love one of those.... thanks for the encouraging notes and great suggestions on the BC boards...it's very helpful and really is keeping me on track.

The weekend....

Well, this was the first week of the small changes. I did not have any desserts at work - just the fruit salad. I resisted the urge to buy potato chips. However, on a particularly nasty drive back home, I did have a chocolate bar. All in all, I feel I met my goal of watching what I'm eating. Next week, I'll start the food diary. As for cutting back on salt, I have started reading the labels...OMG! WHY is there sodium in fruit juice and why do my favourite cereals have so much sodium?? In Canada, the recommended daily limit of sodium is 1,500. I think it's time that food companies were forced to reduce their sodium content...but that's not likely to happen. Kale chips.....I did buy some kale and did try the kale chips....I think I'll pass and just eat unsalted popcorn instead :) Speaking of popcorn, I think I'm going to buy an old fashioned pot that I saw in the Lee Valley catalogue. It's used on the stove top. All the microwave popcorn that you can buy is heavily salted so I need to avoid that option. Now that we have a good base of snow, I'm looking forward to strapping on my snowshoes and treking through the back acreage. We might even have some sunshine for a change! Had my BP read again today.....it's still too high but it was another stress-filled day at work so I need to really practice on mediation. Time off would be great but we are short staffed - again - while one of my colleagues is undergoing major surgery. We'll be working short staffed for a good number of weeks yet ..... and hiring a replacement is not an option. That being said, I am taking a day next week and another day the week after to get some things done. I won't be hanging around home but that's just the way it is. So, time to hit the pillow with a good book for a bit and hopefully get a decent night's sleep :)

Yoga...or you want me to do WHAT??

Tonight I attended my first ever yoga class. There were 10 people in the class and I think I was the only true 'newbie'. Fortunately for me, I wasn't the oldest in the class :) So, I learned the corpse position - don't really care for the name but the position is okay :) and a few others - the names escape me right now. I think I will definitely 'feel the pain' tomorrow but all in all, I have to say it was an enjoyable hour. The last 15 minutes are spend in meditation. So I'm hoping it will accomplish a couple of things - learn to release stress and regain some flexibility which I truly need. I can't remember the last time I was able to touch my toes! As for my eating habits, I'm making a very conscious effort to stay away from the dessert tray (so far, so good!) This would be a typical day when it comes to meals. 6:45 am - a bowl of cereal (fibre one, cheerios, shreddies) with 1% milk Coffee at work - I'm now having 1/2 decaf with 1/2 regular - 3 cups Mid morning - a whole wheat bagel or 1/2 sandwich on whole grain bread (with peanut butter) Lunch - a bowl of soup with 2 pieces of cheese, lettuce salad, 4 crackers, glass of 1% milk and a small fruit salad Mid afternoon - some raw almonds and unsalted sunflower seeds. supper - a piece of chicken or fish with brown rice, potatoes or pasta. some type of vegetable. A glass of red wine and sometimes a couple of pieces of dark chocolate. I may have cranberry juice or something similar if I don't have wine. I don't usually eat a bedtime snack but may have a glass of milk or yogurt or a bowl of raisin bran cereal. I'm also making more effort to eat more fresh fruits although I am trying to shop local - so in northern Ontario in January about the only local fresh fruit available are apples. I brought my exercise band to work with me - Now every hour, I take a break from the computer and do a few arm curls and stretches. I think I'm on the right path......

Let's try again...2012

My visit to the family doctor was for a prescription for new orthotics. The clinic now routinely checks blood pressure. My normal BP usually around 120/80. This visit...172/82. By the time the doctor saw me, it was 144/82. So, it's too high - but given the time of year - right after all the holiday insanity, the extra food...and the year end work in the office, this isn't really a surprise!
I've had the same doctor for more 25 years so he knows me well. He feels confident that I can avoid the medication route with some typical lifestyle changes - all the usual things, exercise, lose weight, less salt.

I have 6 weeks before my next visit so I'm starting this year's blog as a way of keeping myself on track.

the vitals - height 5'5" - weight (165 lbs) so that needs to come down some. Age..on the high side of 50 :)
Work - a desk job. My commute - 1 hour drive (75 km) each way - 5 days a week.

The changes...SMALL ones...which I think in the long run will be much easier to incorporate as a way of life.

First of all - I LOVE my coffee. I'm not sure how old I was when I had my first cup but I think I was around 10. If I'm not mistaken, Canadians rank among the highest consumers of coffee in the world, with Finns not far behind - so as a Canadian with Finnish ancestry, my love of coffee comes naturally :)
I probably drink 4-5 cups in the morning and the occasional cup in the afternoon. Since I get free coffee at work AND I can get decaffinated, fresh brewed as well, I'm going to start drinking 1/2 & 1/2 (regular with decaf) I already dropped my "Tim Horton's" addiction as a cost saving measure (why pay when you can get free coffee!) but there are still days when nothing but a Timmy's will do.

Exercise - I normally walk ( 2.2 km) every night after work but for some reason, this has been a bigger chore this winter than normal. I think it's partly because it's been the most dreary fall/winter in years! Without the usual amount of sunshine, it just seems like it takes too much energy to get up and go after getting home and getting the chores done.
But, I'm back on track and it's feeling good :) Since Dusty has an injured back leg, I'm only walking with Cricket but once Dusty's back in form, I plan to walk each individually at least 3 times a week which will up my mileage. When I had four dogs to walk, I always took them 2 at a time and feel great. It's time to get back to that!

As for my 'creaky bones' I recently found out that their is a yoga class once a week in the nearby village. I'm signing up for the class starting this Wednesday - I'm hoping that I'll soon be able to touch my toes again :) and I'm sure it will be good for relieving stress.

I've never believed in diets, so I'm going on the 'cut back on portions' and leave the dessert tray alone. I work in a residential home for seniors so we all get to eat what the residents eat....and the food is great...especially the desserts. So, I'm going to try to only eat the fruit - not the pies, cakes, tarts.....

They say each journey begins with the first step...so here's mine :)