I had a fantastic week with many new opportunities! It was sort of an emotional roller coaster because I am wrestling with discarding my old habits and implenting new ones. I had been feeling really positive with my overall health reports until I went for my physical fitness profile. I have always thought of myself as being in quite good physical shape for my age, but I really am lacking in some areas. My strength and flexibility were great but my cardiovascular was really pretty discouraging. I knew this but really did not want to acknowledge it. My VO2 which is the oxygen intake your body is utilizing was not good. Of course smoking is the main culprit and that must go in order to make any significant change in my overall health. I love lifting weights but I DETEST doing cardio. I have been walking every morning at work thinking I was really doing something.....5 minutes on the treadmill had me gasping for air! I watch others running on the treadmills and wish that could be me! Kara of Lifetime (who is fabulous) encouraged me in that I was capable and had to commit to making it happen.
Another wake-up call was how important nutrition is to my health. I always kind of ignored the facts - I do eat fairly healthy...when I do eat. Hearing the facts of how I as neglecting my body was negating any progress was enlightening - how can you build muscle when your body is in famine mode? - DER!). I drink tons of coffee and little water which is basically leaving me dehydrated all of the time. Dry skin, tired, headache - all primarily due to dehydration.
I have come to realize that my brain is the "Master of Manipulation" and dealing with him is sort of like arguing with a three year old. My old habits do not want to give way to my new changes and it is an on-going internal war to overcome the Master! Telling myself, "Water and a piece of nicotine gum" becomes "Large diet Coke and cigarrette!" - "Treadmill" vs "Sauna." "I don't want to do that" is his primary response to my invitation to change.
I have a picture in my classroom of two birds in flight with the caption, "They can because they think they can." This has always been my philosophy in teaching.....it is not some new program, magic intervention, or sequenced activity - getting the students to believe in themselves is in itself ....the magic. Once they believe - they achieve.
I may be an old warrior - tattered and torn - but a warrior nonetheless. I have dealt with the Master many times and have overcome many difficult obstacles. Change is difficult - but necessary to move forward. So...all this being said; this week I have made some intial changes that are shifting the paradigm....
One bottled water before ANY coffee in the morning....limit intake to 2 before school
Cardio BEFORE weights...15 minutes
Hyberbaric chamber - 3 times to help heal and increase oxygen level - plus counter smoking need
Limit 10 cigarrettes - (He still is winning this one - but not for LONG!)
EAT - every 3-4 hours...(I know some are saying - "Oh, sooooo sorry!" - but it is a problem for me!)
All for now - hang tough!
Friday, January 8, 2010
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Kimila - Amazing how our biggest obstacle to good health is sometimes our brain, huh? You've set goals that are livable and doable. So often I tend to want to jump in with 10 feet (impossible, obviously) and then get frustrated that I can't keep up. I think I might borrow your bottled water rule, except my morning vice is Diet Coke. Thanks for sharing -- you've given me a lot to think about.
ReplyDeleteKimila, this is all fascinating and so very well stated. If acknowledging we have a problem is the first step, you are well on your way to good habits and health. I always appreciate that Dr. B made it clear: there will be setbacks. (That old brain will work those to the hilt). But overall, I think you've got the tiger by the tail!
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