This October I Will...

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Replies

  • znaoiec
    znaoiec Posts: 1,984 Member
    Oct 1 - √Daily pick up/Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 2 - √Daily pick up/Arm workout video
    Oct 3- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Standing Ab, and Core workout
    Oct 4- √Daily pick up/Mini Resistance Band Workout & Weights for Biceps/Triceps
    Oct 5 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 6- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Arm Video & Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 7 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneakerBasic 3, Shoulder Therapy, Experimenting with Bands

    Oct 15 - Sort of a Daily pick up/No extra exercise

    I have been on the road for the past seven days. First, I was to my son's house for the birth of my first grandchild. This was immediately followed by an out of town work conference. I was finally home today but felt really run into the ground. No extra exercise and kind of dragging. Tomorrow I will put my heart into it again. I think next on my list for next month is to include a commitment to keeping on track when traveling or dealing with disruption of routine. It is a habit I am in great need of developing.

    @PackerFanInGB The integrative medicine doctor sounds very interesting. All of these recommendations sound very healthy.

    @themedalist The calendar sounds like a good idea. It seems keeping ourselves motivated is often challenging so I am sure it is just as challenging if not more to keep someone else motivated.
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,646 Member
    No late night snacking= πŸŽ‰, Number of hours I reached step goal -/-, Photography work πŸ“Έ

    Oct 1 πŸŽ‰ 12/13, πŸ˜•
    Oct 2 πŸŽ‰ 9/13, πŸ˜• (just decided on photography goal so will start tomorrow
    Oct 3 πŸŽ‰ 11/13, πŸ“Έ played with shooting on manual mode and tried raw instead of jpeg. I’m pretty clueless yet.
    Oct 4 πŸŽ‰ 10/13, πŸ“Έ watched a bunch of videos on how to shoot northern lights and took LOTS of notes. I will practice the next time we have a clear sky here (it's raining right now).
    Oct 5 πŸ˜• 8/13, πŸ“Έ grandkids and I spent a couple of hours taking pics outside.
    Oct 6 πŸŽ‰ 10/13, no time for serious photography... too many sports activities today.
    Oct 7 πŸ˜• 12/13, πŸ“Έ
    Oct 8 πŸŽ‰ 12/13 πŸ“Έ
    Oct 9 πŸŽ‰ 8/13 πŸ“Έ
    Oct 10 πŸ˜• 11/13 πŸ“·
    Oct 11 πŸ˜• 6/13 πŸ˜•
    Oct 12 πŸ˜• 2/13 πŸ˜•
    Oct 13 πŸŽ‰ 9/13 πŸ“Έ
    Oct 14 πŸŽ‰ 11/13 πŸ“Έ
    Oct 15 πŸŽ‰ 12/13 πŸ“Έ
    I didn’t even think about my step hours or no night snacking when I was at my daughter’s house until it was time for bed. What a difference routine makes! Got home and right back on track. I’m leaving for Iceland tomorrow for a week. I will NOT forget my goals and I will meet the steps and photography goals for sure. We will be traveling for 12 hours (with layover) leaving tomorrow afternoon and will get there at 9:15 AM on Thursday so my schedule will be all out of whack for awhile. I’ll do my best.
  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,329 Member
    Hi everyone! checking in quick to update my goals. Looks like everyone is doing well! Great to see!

    I'm doing a fair job of hitting my marks, but could do much better. For some reason I cannot hit my 80 oz of water goal and am really craving sugar. But I'm really trying!

    1. My goal for this month -- This October I will take 30 minutes every day to do some sort of self-care.
    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal - I will use whatever is at my disposal and switch it up...Calm app, bubble bath, sewing machine, book, walk outside with my fur baby, mani/pedi, and/or journal.
    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit - I have created a recurrent appointment in my phone calendar that will pop up and remind me at 6:15 p.m. every day that it is self-care time. It will also pop up on my Apple watch if I'm not near my phone at the time.
    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible): This will take place at 6:15 p.m. daily.
    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? The act of self-care will be my immediate reward, A quieter mind at night and maybe a sense of peace.
    6. What help do you need from us? Nudges or self-care ideas if you can see I'm struggling.
    7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? If I am successful, work will not be as stressful. I will not cry several times a day for no apparent reason. I will no longer try carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I will not feel such darkess. And I will NOT feel sorry for myself.

    However, I will be happy, smiling and back to my old self.

    If I can do this, I will buy myself a 60-minute massage package at the Day Spa.

    Walk dog. πŸ‘ŸπŸ•
    Podcast: 🎢
    Shower/bath: πŸ›
    Gratitude Journal: ✍🏼
    Read: πŸ“–
    De clutter: πŸ—‘
    Movie: πŸ“Ί
    Early to bed/nap: πŸ›
    Mani/pedi: πŸ’…
    Eat only between 10a and 6p :star:
    No sugar/no flour: :cookie:


    10/6: 🎢. πŸ›. ✍🏼. πŸ“–. πŸ’…πŸΌπŸ“Ί
    10/7: πŸ‘ŸπŸ•. 🎢 πŸ› ✍🏼 πŸ“–
    10/8: πŸ‘ŸπŸ• 🎢 πŸ› ✍🏼 πŸ“–
    10/9: πŸ‘ŸπŸ• 🎢 πŸ› ✍🏼 πŸ“–
    10/10: Hair salon for 2 hours, getting cut, color and highlights. Read while sitting under dryer. 🎢 Ate only between 10:30 am and 6:30 pm and on Day 3 of only no sugar, no flour foods. ✍🏼 πŸ“–
    10/11 🎢. πŸ›. ✍🏼. πŸ“–. πŸ’…πŸΌπŸ“Ί :star::cookie:
    10/12 🎢 ✍🏼 πŸ“– πŸ“Ί πŸ› :star::cookie:
    10/13 πŸ‘Ÿ 🎢 ✍🏼 πŸ“– πŸ“Ί :star::cookie:
    10/14 🎢 ✍🏼 πŸ“– πŸ“Ί πŸ› :star:
    10/15 🎢 ✍🏼 πŸ“– πŸ“Ί πŸ› :star::cookie:
    10/16 🎢 ✍🏼 πŸ“– πŸ“Ί πŸ› :star::cookie:
  • cpanus
    cpanus Posts: 19,249 Member
    My goals are the same this month.

    1. My goal for this month -- This October I will increase my walking miles from 3 miles an hour to 4 miles an hour.
    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal - I will walk 5 days a week w/my DH.
    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit - Getting up at 4:00 to walk at 5:00 so we can pick up our Grandson and Grandpuppy at 7:00.
    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible) 5 days a week...rest days Monday and Friday.
    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? Jumping around doing a Happy Dance!
    6. What help do you need from us? I liked @pennysob's answer in October...cheers!!
    7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? That I'm getting back to the walking speed I was at before the pinched nerve in my back side-lined me for almost a year. I had spine surgery in June to fix it all. Recovery is slow.


    10/01 - 3.06 miles in 61 mins. ...5:00 a.m. ...in the dark
    10/02 - 3.03 miles in 59 mins. ...5:00 a.m. ...in the dark
    10/03 - 3.05 miles in 60 mins.
    10/04 - Rest Day
    10/05 - 3.02 miles in 86 mins. ...we have our Grandpuppy w/us all week. He stops at every bush...every leaf. Plus we walked on rocks and in the sand.
    10/06 - 3.47 miles in 101 mins. ...stopped by the new dog park. Bean only wanted to sniff the grass and fence.
    10/07 - Rest Day
    10/08 - 3.49 miles in 90 mins. ...took Bean to the canal. He loved it.
    10/09 - Rest Day
    10/10 - 3.65 miles in 96 mins. ...w/Bean.
    10/11 - Rest Day
    10/12 - 3.41 miles in 90 mins. ...w/Bean.
    10/13 - 4.06 miles in 86 mins. ...just us humans...21 min mile.
    10/14 - Rest Day
    10/15 - 2.75 miles in 59 mins.
    10/16 - Did not walk...came down w/nasty cold.
    10/17 - Did not walk...nasty cold. Needed the sleep.

    Chris
  • znaoiec
    znaoiec Posts: 1,984 Member
    Oct 1 - √Daily pick up/Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 2 - √Daily pick up/Arm workout video
    Oct 3- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Standing Ab, and Core workout
    Oct 4- √Daily pick up/Mini Resistance Band Workout & Weights for Biceps/Triceps
    Oct 5 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 6- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Arm Video & Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 7 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneakerBasic 3, Shoulder Therapy, Experimenting with Bands
    Oct 8 - Oct 14 - Travel...
    Oct 15 - Sort of a Daily pick up/No extra exercise

    Oct 16 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 17 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics & MiniArm Video

    Struggling with this concept of how to stay on track... how do I make this a habit in times of travel, stress, fatigue, disruption of routine and temptation? I am not after perfection but some place between zero and a hundred would be okay. And how do I make this part of my monthly challenge? I need to reread the questions in the first post and see what answers I can find for myself.

    Hope everyone is doing well!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    Thank you @texasgardnr ❣️
    You are so kind!

    Minimums:
    310 active calories πŸ’ͺ🏻
    30 min dedicated exercise πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈ
    12 stand hours ⏰

    Calories eaten below amount burned β™₯️

    10/1 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° over (corrected)
    10/2 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° over
    10/3 πŸ’ͺ🏻no ⏰ over
    10/4 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° OVER

    10/5 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/6 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/7πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/8 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/9 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° β™₯️underβ™₯️ no eating out!

    10/10 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° OVER - unexpected date night❣️

    10/11πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ° β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/12πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/13 πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/14πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β€οΈunder❀️
    10/15πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/16πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β™₯️underβ™₯️
    10/17πŸ’ͺπŸ»πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™€οΈβ°β€οΈunderβ™₯️

    Eating out too much so working on that but exercise is UP & I am in a deficit!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    znaoiec wrote: Β»
    Oct 1 - √Daily pick up/Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 2 - √Daily pick up/Arm workout video
    Oct 3- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Standing Ab, and Core workout
    Oct 4- √Daily pick up/Mini Resistance Band Workout & Weights for Biceps/Triceps
    Oct 5 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 6- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Arm Video & Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 7 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneakerBasic 3, Shoulder Therapy, Experimenting with Bands
    Oct 8 - Oct 14 - Travel...
    Oct 15 - Sort of a Daily pick up/No extra exercise

    Oct 16 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 17 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics & MiniArm Video

    Struggling with this concept of how to stay on track... how do I make this a habit in times of travel, stress, fatigue, disruption of routine and temptation? I am not after perfection but some place between zero and a hundred would be okay. And how do I make this part of my monthly challenge? I need to reread the questions in the first post and see what answers I can find for myself.

    Hope everyone is doing well!

    @znaoiec
    The Half-Size Me podcast addressed this.

    She suggests three phases to master, practicing each before going in to the next.

    1. Weekday Habits/Strategies
    2. Weekend (if they are different from Weekday)
    3. Vacations

    I think she adds having visitors too.

    I think having a plan for when we are sick makes sense.

    And when we are stressed/rushed.

    I also need Eating Out.

    So my Order if Attack is:
    Weekdays
    Weekdays socializing /Eating Out

    Weekends husband/(Eating Out)

    Illness/Stressed/Rushed Disruptions

    Vacations/Visitors

    I love her idea of treating these as separate areas to figure out, practice, troubleshoot.



    For vacations she recommends observing the first one & noting problem areas. Then, each successive trip, you change one thing. Over 5 years, you develop your approach.


    Her MAJOR POINT is that it’s those exceptions that cause us to regain.

    Just having this framing helped me.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,732 Member
    This week the zone was the bathroom and one other room. I didn’t really get much done, but I kept up the regular routines and my house is looking better all the time.

    October 14 Monday routines done βœ… Dusted and dust mopped
    October 15 Tuesday routines done βœ…
    October 16 Wednesday routines done βœ…
    October 17 Thursday routines done βœ… Grocery shopping and worked on bathroom rug that needed trimming
    October 18 Friday routines done βœ… Grocery shopping. Dusted and dust mopped & mopped kitchen.
    October 19 Saturday abbreviated routines done βœ… Attended a baby shower
    October 20 Sunday abbreviated routines done βœ…

    @znaoiec, it is hard to stay on track when your routine gets interrupted. My suggestions are 1) to start with one thing. When I first started trying to lose weight I just tried to eat better and not take seconds. Then I added in exercise 3 times per week. Then I added in more and more vigorous exercise. Then I started logging on MFP. 2) Don’t consider lack of perfection as failures; instead, see them as ways to tweak the process. ❀️
  • znaoiec
    znaoiec Posts: 1,984 Member
    Oct 1 - √Daily pick up/Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 2 - √Daily pick up/Arm workout video
    Oct 3- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Standing Ab, and Core workout
    Oct 4- √Daily pick up/Mini Resistance Band Workout & Weights for Biceps/Triceps
    Oct 5 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 6- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Arm Video & Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 7 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneakerBasic 3, Shoulder Therapy, Experimenting with Bands
    Oct 8 - Oct 14 - Travel...
    Oct 15 - Sort of a Daily pick up/No extra exercise
    Oct 16 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 17 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics & MiniArm Video

    Oct 18 - Pickup/Silversneakers
    Oct 19 - Not really
    Oct 20 - Not really
    Oct 21 - Daily pick up/SSneakers, Shoulder therapy & streching

    Thank you @77tes and @MadisonMolly2017 for your feedback!!! I am especially intrigued with the idea of treating these events as separate and want to look up the half size me podcast. It makes a lot of sense but in my head I thought I should live every day the same no matter what. (And of course I fail...) I really do like this concept. It gives me something to ponder.
  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    I will use πŸ˜‡ for lights out by 10:30 P.M. Lights out after 10:30 P.M. will be an❌.

    Showing that I decluttered: physical clutter: 🧺, paper clutter: πŸ“„, or digital clutter: πŸ’»

    October 1: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 2: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 3: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 4: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 5: ❌ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»

    October 6: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 7: πŸ˜‡ , 🧺
    October 8: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 9: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 10: ❌ , πŸ“„
    October 11: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 12: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„

    October 13: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 14: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 15: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 16: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ’»
    October 17: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 18: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 19: ❌ ,

    October 20: ❌ ,
    October 21: πŸ˜‡ ,

    🀠🌺
  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,329 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 I love Half Size Me podcasts! I don't remember this one though, so I need to look for it! :smile:

  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    Last night when I posted I ran out of time as it was getting near to my get ready for sleep time, so I just now finished reading all the posts since I last logged in. An abundance of insight and good ideas! I will only comment on very few as I have to start DH's supper really soon πŸ˜‹.

    @themedalist, thank you for your very insightful and transparent update post. I am happy that you are making sleep a priority for yourself! Hugs, and continued prayers and thoughts. This is truly a difficult time for your Dad and the entire family.

    @znaoiec, congratulations on the birth of your first grandchild πŸ’–! You've had a lot on your plate recently! There's always a bit of room on the plate for do-overs! You can do this πŸ˜€

    @cpanus, feel better soon!

    laters,

    🀠🌺
  • cpanus
    cpanus Posts: 19,249 Member
    edited October 2019
    Thank you, @texasgardnr.

    My goals are the same this month.

    1. My goal for this month -- This October I will increase my walking miles from 3 miles an hour to 4 miles an hour.
    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal - I will walk 5 days a week w/my DH.
    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit - Getting up at 4:00 to walk at 5:00 so we can pick up our Grandson and Grandpuppy at 7:00.
    4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible) 5 days a week...rest days Monday and Friday.
    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? Jumping around doing a Happy Dance!
    6. What help do you need from us? I liked @pennysob's answer in October...cheers!!
    7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? That I'm getting back to the walking speed I was at before the pinched nerve in my back side-lined me for almost a year. I had spine surgery in June to fix it all. Recovery is slow.


    10/01 - 3.06 miles in 61 mins. ...5:00 a.m. ...in the dark
    10/02 - 3.03 miles in 59 mins. ...5:00 a.m. ...in the dark
    10/03 - 3.05 miles in 60 mins.
    10/04 - Rest Day
    10/05 - 3.02 miles in 86 mins. ...we have our Grandpuppy w/us all week. He stops at every bush...every leaf. Plus we walked on rocks and in the sand.
    10/06 - 3.47 miles in 101 mins. ...stopped by the new dog park. Bean only wanted to sniff the grass and fence.
    10/07 - Rest Day
    10/08 - 3.49 miles in 90 mins. ...took Bean to the canal. He loved it.
    10/09 - Rest Day
    10/10 - 3.65 miles in 96 mins. ...w/Bean.
    10/11 - Rest Day
    10/12 - 3.41 miles in 90 mins. ...w/Bean.
    10/13 - 4.06 miles in 86 mins. ...just us humans...21 min mile.
    10/14 - Rest Day
    10/15 - 2.75 miles in 59 mins.
    10/16 - Did not walk...came down w/nasty cold.
    10/17 - Did not walk...nasty cold. Needed the sleep.
    10/18 - Rest Day
    10/19 - 4.53 miles in 94 mins.
    10/20 - 3.24 miles in 73 mins.
    10/21 - Rest Day
    10/22 - 3.04 miles in 60 mins.
    10/23 - 3.01 miles in 59 mins.
    10/24 - 3.01 miles in 59 mins.
    10/25 - Rest Day
    10/26 - 3.85 miles in 78 mins.

    Chris
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,211 Member
    znaoiec wrote: Β»
    Oct 1 - √Daily pick up/Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 2 - √Daily pick up/Arm workout video
    Oct 3- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Standing Ab, and Core workout
    Oct 4- √Daily pick up/Mini Resistance Band Workout & Weights for Biceps/Triceps
    Oct 5 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 6- √Daily pick up/SilverSneaker Basics, Arm Video & Shoulder Therapy
    Oct 7 - √Daily pick up/SilverSneakerBasic 3, Shoulder Therapy, Experimenting with Bands
    Oct 8 - Oct 14 - Travel...
    Oct 15 - Sort of a Daily pick up/No extra exercise
    Oct 16 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics
    Oct 17 - Daily pick up (yes but room for improvement)/SilverSneaker Basics & MiniArm Video

    Oct 18 - Pickup/Silversneakers
    Oct 19 - Not really
    Oct 20 - Not really
    Oct 21 - Daily pick up/SSneakers, Shoulder therapy & streching

    Thank you @77tes and @MadisonMolly2017 for your feedback!!! I am especially intrigued with the idea of treating these events as separate and want to look up the half size me podcast. It makes a lot of sense but in my head I thought I should live every day the same no matter what. (And of course I fail...) I really do like this concept. It gives me something to ponder.

    @znaoiec, @77tes and @MadisonMolly2017’s advice is spot on! It’s hard to make every day the same given the realities of life. Also, our environment is the biggest influence on our habits. Our surroundings cue us to do certain things and not do other things. Which is why when you go on vacation, habits can fall apart. You don’t have the same triggers. That’s also why it’s often easier to break a bad habit on vacation and in new surroundings.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,211 Member
    edited October 2019
    The calendar seems to be working to motivate my Dad. In fact, we set up a second tracking system, a whiteboard, so that Dad could mark off when he had done the exercises on his own. Ideally, that would be morning, afternoon, and evening for about 10 minutes each. But often there are physical impediments to doing the exercises and since overcoming those hurdles involves getting someone from the nursing staff to help him, he sometimes misses these sessions. Last Saturday, Dad asked if he could be moved from his wheelchair back to bed. It took 1 hour 20 minutes before that actually happened! That’s life in a skilled nursing facility. Here’s the whiteboard, I like how it came out!

    3q1qhx8jv20n.jpeg

    I wish I had a magic wand I could wave to nudge my mom to sit less, walk more, and work on her balance. She fell again on Friday and had to go to the ER for a goose egg bump on the back of her head. My Mom is a lovely person but she’s spent her post child raising years sitting in a chair reading book after book. Sitting. And sitting. And sitting some more. So much sitting that’s she’s lost the ability to move and walk with any degree of stability. So much sitting that’s she’s likely headed to a nursing home herself if she doesn’t start making some changes. We can’t take care of a person who keeps falling.

    It just kills me. Because of Quitting the Sitting and the groups I’m partnered with, I know that an elderly, sedentary person can make rapid, dramatic improvements in mobility and stability with the right therapy and training. I know it’s possible because I see examples of it day in and day out. I have a boatload of resources! But my Mom doesn’t seem willing to change. Bad habits, honed with years of practice, will have you in their clutches until you decide to make a run for it and set yourself free.

    I think the root problem is our desire for comfort. Something that @nebslp alluded to last month. We prioritize our current comfort and discount our future comfort...leaving that to our β€œfuture self” to deal with it. There’s almost always a trade-off between our current comfort and our future level of comfort. We need a balance between the two. I know my mom was very comfortable to sit and read for all those years. But now she’s left with some very uncomfortable realities now and on the horizon. We can choose our actions but we can’t choose the consequences of our actions.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,732 Member
    @themedalist , great calendar! I’m so sorry to hear your mom has had another fall. Current comfort vs future comfort is definitely what we are dealing with. Functional aging is the motivation for my efforts to get fit. I’ll keep you and your folks in my prayers.

    I had a rough week. Monday was great and Tuesday morning I did my morning routine, but I’ve had a rash on my face, so I went to urgent care . It turns out I had shingles. Unfortunately, I had a terrible reaction to the meds and have been sick as a dog since Wednesday. On top of that, being in bed for days caused my plantar fasciitis (which has only bothered me a bit from time to time) to flare up, and now I can hardly walk. 😒 On the positive side, I feel almost human again except for the foot. I don’t hold out much hope for the next week, but we’ll see what I can figure out.

    October 21 Monday routines done βœ… dust mopped and dusted. Evicted the dust bunnies (several generations) 🀣 from under my bed.
    October 22 Tuesday morning routine βœ… It turns out I have shingles, so no tidying today.
    October 23 - 27 - Bad reaction to meds. Sick as a dog.
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,646 Member
    Hi! I didn't realize how much I missed you all until I got back and started catching up on posts. @themedalist I'm sorry your mom is having so much trouble with balance. It's hard to watch someone refuse to help themselves. I have a brother-in-law who will be in assisted living soon if he doesn't decide to get up and walk. Once he got a wheelchair, he decided it's easier to use that than use his muscles so he quit walking except for very short distances in his apartment. There's not much, if anything, you can do until the person decides to make changes. It sure is frustrating to see how his resistance affects, or will affect, those around him. I need to keep that in mind when I find myself sitting in my chair when I could be moving more. Maybe this recent incident may help your mom see that it's so important. Maybe she will be able to get physical therapy to help with her balance. You just want her to be safe.

    Using the white board is a very good idea. A visual reminder is always helpful. I hope your dad can stay focused on improving even though I'm sure it's slow progress. Any progress is worth noting. He's so lucky to have you even though you can't be there all the time.

    @77tes Ugh! Having shingles must be awful, and having a meds reaction even worse! I hope you are feeling better by now. It might be time to rest and recover for a little while. Your body is fighting hard right now and you have to honor that by listening to its signals.

    To all the other posters...Hats off to you for being so faithful and making so many improvements.
    To those who haven't posted... How's it going? I hope you're all doing well and are just really busy right now. I miss hearing from you.

    I'm really struggling to get back into my routine. I feel more like myself today than I have since I got back from my trip last week late Tuesday night. Between jet lag and babysitting and just plain feeling sorry for myself (crazy, I know), I allowed myself to sit and sit and sit. Today that's all changed. I went upstairs and worked on my planner and I think life will only improve from here on out. I just have to make some changes to make that happen. I'm either getting stronger or weaker, I get to decide.
  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    @themedalist, I really like how colorful, and visually inviting to use, you made the whiteboard calendar for your Dad. I do hope that he will be very encouraged to use it, and to see his progress.

    I am so sorry to read that your mother had another fall. Both for her, and for you and the family. I also tell my siblings/ family about the dangers of too much sitting, some are starting to listen, and others not so much.

    You wrote: "I think the root problem is our desire for comfort. Something that @nebslp alluded to last month. We prioritize our current comfort and discount our future comfort...leaving that to our β€œfuture self” to deal with it. "
    You couldn't have said that any better or more clear. That is a truth that can be applied to so many aspects of our lives, especially our present and future health.

    @77tes, shingles can be very painful from what I understand. Then having the med reaction and the plantar fasciitis flaring up on top of that.on top of that πŸ˜₯. I am so sorry that this is happened, Hugs πŸ€—πŸ’–.

    @nebslp, welcome back! Getting back from being away can be difficult, especially with having jet lag and having to jump right back into your other obligations or things that must get done. I was very happy to read that you were able to turn the proverbial corner, so to speak, and things are getting better!

    You wrote "I'm either getting stronger or weaker, I get to decide." I'm going to write that down, as well as what @themedalist wrote about that in my monthly planner that I use to log exercise, for a reminder and encouragement about what we/ I are endeavoring to do by being in this group and developing more healthy habits and moving more.

    🀠🌺
  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    I will use πŸ˜‡ for lights out by 10:30 P.M. Lights out after 10:30 P.M. will be an❌.

    Showing that I decluttered: physical clutter: 🧺, paper clutter: πŸ“„, or digital clutter: πŸ’»

    October 1: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 2: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 3: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 4: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»
    October 5: ❌ , πŸ“„ , πŸ’»

    October 6: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 7: πŸ˜‡ , 🧺
    October 8: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 9: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 10: ❌ , πŸ“„
    October 11: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 12: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„

    October 13: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 14: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 15: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 16: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ’»
    October 17: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 18: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 19: ❌ ,

    October 20: ❌ ,
    October 21: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 22: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 23: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„, πŸ’»
    October 24: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„
    October 25: πŸ˜‡ , 🧺
    October 26: ❌ ,

    October 27: πŸ˜‡ ,
    October 28: πŸ˜‡ , πŸ“„, πŸ’»

    🀠🌺
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,646 Member
    @texasgardnr I’m very impressed with all of those early to bed angels. And you might be running out of paper clutter soon with all of those declutter days you’ve accumulated πŸ™‚ Both are things I hope to conquer some day.