Recent Struggles - How to Change Your Attitude

Options
124678

Replies

  • normacollazo
    normacollazo Posts: 4
    Options
    yesterday at the gym was a little hard for me not sure why but it was? it seems we go thru this up and down mentally, I am totally 100% committed following thru not letting negative around me control how I feel or what I eat! it seems with me stress plays a big factor one that I know cannot be avoided all of the time or even some of the time. What I find works for me is to put your energy in something you enjoy to do, I find with myself if I do not focus on something else I eat! all of the time! I found for myself working out even if it slow but steady with my favorite music I can get lost in that time and just focus on me not everyone or anything else. I am not sure after 10+ years of having thyroid problems what comes with it, of course I have read endless times about it but nothing that will give me clear answers. I know it can affect so much of our daily life without even knowing, but.........I do know one thing! WE can do this I tell myself this everyday all day long it seems, but I do know we can, we have come this far and sure we might fall but we can get back up try again. it was a tough day for me yesterday and it seems today is not any better, but there is this small voice in my head telling me you can do this you will do this, we have the power to control this not the other way around (I also tell myself) but what I like about this time I believe it! even if it was tough yesterday and I didn't eat the way I wanted to, i know what i need to focus on is the here and now, if i cannot live one day at a time i will do it hour by hour. I guess what i am trying to say we need to find a passion something that we can focus on that will help us to accomplish our goals. I want to thank everyone that has posted it has helped me in a big way! i do know one other thing we are worth it! In the next hour i am going to give it all i have! Thanks everyone.
  • bluesy8899
    bluesy8899 Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    Thank you for starting this discussion. I have thyroid cancer and would love to be a part of this group. I will be posting as my schedule allows. Looking forward to reading and contributing with all of you.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    Cordianet: Feel free to friend me if you like! I had a partial tear in my rotator cuff last year that, fortunately for me, did not end up needing surgery. However, it ended up causing me all sorts of problems. Most of my recent weight gain actually happened after that injury and while I was recovering. Last spring, summer, early fall were not good for me...

    FR sent! I'm glad to hear you've managed to avoid the surgery. It's not fun. I've had multiple knee surgeries and 4 shoulder surgeries to date and I definitely think the shoulder recovery was WAY worse than the knee.
  • Addylouise
    Addylouise Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    Thanks Teeladog for the suggestion but I live out in the middle of nowhere on a farm so I don't have access to a pool. I have been stretching it today a little through out the day and seems to be feeling better, just frustrating that I'm motivated and I get injured, but I will stay positive about the situation. Tomorrow is another day for greatness. :happy:
  • RMZ2014
    RMZ2014 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    McTaffy,
    Have you been to Physical Therapy for your sciatica? I am an NP and the only thing that has been effective for my patients for sciatica is a good physical therapist. I often do see them back in my office unfortunately for a flare, but they usually tell me they stopped doing the stretches and exercises the PT had given them. Good Luck.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    Thanks Teeladog for the suggestion but I live out in the middle of nowhere on a farm so I don't have access to a pool. I have been stretching it today a little through out the day and seems to be feeling better, just frustrating that I'm motivated and I get injured, but I will stay positive about the situation. Tomorrow is another day for greatness. :happy:

    If swimming's out, do you have access to a bike? Because of my knee issues, I struggle frequently with walking, and running is a complete no go, but I can ride a bike without problems. Of course there's no guarantee it would be any better for you, it depends on why you're having pain.

    Another thought, I don't have any experience with this, but what about low impact aerobics? I hear there are DVDs you can buy and even stuff on the interwebs for free. Maybe someone that's done some of those sorts of things can chime in?
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    McTaffy,
    Have you been to Physical Therapy for your sciatica? I am an NP and the only thing that has been effective for my patients for sciatica is a good physical therapist. I often do see them back in my office unfortunately for a flare, but they usually tell me they stopped doing the stretches and exercises the PT had given them. Good Luck.

    McTaffy, I've suffered from back issues for many years and have had mixed results with PT's as well as Chiropractic. Sometimes it helps, and sometimes it doesn't. That said, my issues are probably different and you may find one of those is all you need. For me the only thing the seems to give any lasting relief has been epidural steroid injections. I have gone several years pain free after a series of injections, whereas before the treatment, I could barely get out of bed.

    Certainly try PT and Chiropractic, but if you don't get the relief you need, remember there are other options. (I simply suffered for many years.) Instead, try a pain management specialist. Yes the treatment is invasive and carries risks (really very small), but, at least for me, the risk was well worth it.
  • KrisherLee
    KrisherLee Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    My dog Lucy is a true companion, I normally let her out the back door into the back yard and wait to hear wine to come back in. But today was different I decide to change my normal behavior and take her for a walked. Once out the front door, she was so happy that she was not just going to walk but run, so I followed behind her in a steady jog for one block and was out of breath. I was tired but also so alive to have my heart raising for the first time in a year. I guess we both have missed out on so much that I think its time for us to start running. She might be a good running partner for me.

    Any advice on tracking and monitoring my heart rate with MFP....

    LEE
  • Addylouise
    Addylouise Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    Cordianet I do have some dvds I had forgotten that I have that I can use that is low impact that might not aggravate my muscle. One is walking down your blood sugar that I had gotten at a nutrition class a long time ago. Thank you
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    My dog Lucy is a true companion, I normally let her out the back door into the back yard and wait to hear wine to come back in. But today was different I decide to change my normal behavior and take her for a walked. Once out the front door, she was so happy that she was not just going to walk but run, so I followed behind her in a steady jog for one block and was out of breath. I was tired but also so alive to have my heart raising for the first time in a year. I guess we both have missed out on so much that I think its time for us to start running. She might be a good running partner for me.

    Any advice on tracking and monitoring my heart rate with MFP....

    LEE

    I highly recommend a heart rate monitor. They are not perfect by any means, but they do a better job than the guesstimates on MFP. I have a Polar FT7 and my wife has a Polar FT4 and both are excellent.
  • Teeladog
    Teeladog Posts: 157 Member
    Options
    Today is one of my swimming days but I am really not feeling it. Not sure why...I normally love to swim. I frequently have dreams about swimming laps even. The weather here is horrible today - severe thunderstorm warnings even high probability of tornadoes. I keep trying to use that as an excuse not to go. Which is completely lame of me because 1) it isn't actually doing anything right now and 2) I have to go to the gym to teach a class at 10:00 anyway.

    OK...off my butt and out the door. Have a nice day everyone!
  • Refrigerator1
    Refrigerator1 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I'm with ya!! I was doing great, fell off a pair of high heels, and tore my peroneal tendon and two ligaments in my foot. Stupid high heels!! LOL. Flash forward to three months later and 8 pounds heavier. Ugh. I started tracking this past Sunday and am headed out the door for a short walk. It may be a very short one, as I live in the southeast and we are expecting tornados and heavy rain. All the more reason to pick up the pace!
  • ScottG_9905
    ScottG_9905 Posts: 46
    Options
    Good Morning Everyone!

    My day went really good until last night. I forgot that my daughters high school soccer banquet and figured they would have some fairly decent options for dinner. Boy was I wrong and with the event being 3 hours long and not eating before hand I ate a few items that I am trying to eliminate. The good news is I kept it to a minimum but still not happy that I didn't prepare for this! Other than that it was a really solid day and I got some good time in with the dogs. I will be fixing my bike this afternoon and taking it out for a ride today to see how it goes and hoping it doesn't flare up the hip.

    Addylouise: Sorry to hear you injured yourself! I agree with Teeladog if you have access to a pool you can get some great work done there with zero impact! One thing that I used a lot when I could workout but not do any lower activity was to do an upper body boxing/mma routine. Throwing punches and constricting your abs while doing so burns a ton of calories and it is low impact as long as you don't snap your arms.

    Lee: Welcome to the team! I am no doctor but I do know a little about the the ups and downs associated with PTSD as those of us that suffer from thyroid disease suffer from that same sometimes debilitating onset of depression. I struggled with it for many years and had no idea that my disease was the root cause of it. It took me doing some pretty crazy things to get back to a place in my life where I was truly happy. This might sound a little strange but it worked and I stand by it. I printed out on a piece of paper "You Are Worth It" and put it on my bathroom mirror and every single day I looked at it and gave myself a little pick me up speech. Over time I started to feel better and had more confidence in my abilities and it helped me push harder with my fitness. I am not sure what you are going through but I know this helped me a great deal and maybe can help you. I am glad you are hear and I look forward to helping each other.. Great job getting out with your dog! I know spending time with my dogs makes me all happy inside.. :smile:

    I agree with cordianet on getting a heart rate monitor (HRM) I have the FT4 and it is an awesome not very expensive HRM!

    normacollazo: GREAT POST YOU! :smile: I love seeing when people put out a truly passionate post! It really fired me up and I am so glad to see you digging deep and pushing through barriers! Great job!

    bluesy8899: Welcome to the team! Looking forward to seeing you post and helping each other out over the next few months..

    Teeladog: Sometimes our heads just play with us a little.. LOL! Way to get yourself out the door and to your workout and then class! Nice Job!

    Refrigerator1: OUCH! Glad you will be joining us and hoping that no crazy weather hits you guys! The only bad thing about this time of year are these crazy tornados. Indeed some heavy motivation to get it done.. LOL!

    Be back later to check in team!

    -Scott
  • Teeladog
    Teeladog Posts: 157 Member
    Options
    Refridgerator1: Where do you live? I am outside of Raleigh NC and it is POURING buckets right now. It is supposed to get worse as the day goes on. My kids go to school really far away from where we live (about 18 miles) and I have to go to a school conference for one of them at 4:15. We should be coming home right in the thick of all the bad weather this evening.

    On a positive note, my work out for the day is done and other than this school conference, I don't have to go back out today at all. Well, at some point I have to get the dog outside but his walk is going to be short today.

    I hope everyone else is having better weather and getting their workouts in...
  • ka97
    ka97 Posts: 1,984 Member
    Options
    Hope all of you in the southeast are doing ok! Stay safe!

    Had my regular session with my trainer tonight - upper body - working on chest press and pullups. Actually turned out to be a pretty good session - almost got 135lbs on the chest press! But I had gone early, thinking I'd try out the "group core" class. Couldn't even get through the warmup - squat and knee raise. Well I can't quite even stand on one leg yet, so it didn't go so well. Left class, thinking no point in pushing myself through frustration, and got a decent workout on the spin bike instead.

    Been especially hungry the last two days. Not sure why. Hoping it's temporary. It's been tough to stay in my calorie range.
  • KrisherLee
    KrisherLee Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I spent the day in the city about an hour drive and it rained the whole way there and back. On rainy days like this I could just stay in bed. I hate to be wet and cold. I did so well with tracking my food intake and consume enough calories. but I find that when I'm out of the house for long periods of time that I will not eat anything till I get back home.. need to get a shopping list of foods to buy for me to pack a lunch. I don't like the same foods as the kids so I buy different things for them to pack for lunch... or are the snack pack items bad for them too and its always PB&Jelly for them .. its to hard to eat certain foods and drive at the same time.. I could feel my blood sugar go way down on the way home tonight I had to pull off the road and take a nap I was so tired I think I was out for about an hour.. and my normal solution to the tired feeling is more coffee any suggestions of what to carry on the road

    LEE
  • Refrigerator1
    Refrigerator1 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Hi Guys,

    Well so far so good weather wise here. No rain but just some high wind. Never made it for my walk yesterday because I was too busy battoning down the hatches. I live in the boonies as we say down south, with lots of animals. Chickens, dogs, cats, bees, goats, llamas, etc. When the weather gets bad, you have to move quick and make sure they are protected. Does anyone remember the old TV show Green Acres? That theme song always runs thru my head. Drives me crazy!!

    I did make it to the gym today, did upper body weights, and walked for 45 minutes. Not much, I know, but I have to watch my foot and make sure I don't re-injure it. Taking baby steps is really hard, as I am an all or nothing kind of person. But I will get there.

    Lee - Can you take a cooler with you when you are traveling? If so, pack some cheese sticks, nuts, apples, grapes, anything that is portable. I always have nuts or a protein shake with me at all times. Neither one needs refrigeration and can be easily eaten without spiking your blood sugar and making you tired later.

    Ka97 - 135 pounds on a bench press!!! That is amazing! I can barely push 80 and even then it is hard. I laugh and tell people I can barely punch my way out of a wet paper bag. But I keep trying.

    Okay, off to make dinner. Have a good evening everyone!!
  • ScottG_9905
    ScottG_9905 Posts: 46
    Options
    Hey Everyone,

    Another great day of solid nutrition under the belt! I am feeling good and I have had another day of less pain flaring up. The one thing I have to keep in mind is even though I am feeling better not to go and test it yet. I need to keep the ego in check and wait until I am 100% so I can walk away from this injury at 100% or as close to that as I can possibly get.

    The one thing that I am struggling a bit with is the no grains.. This has been a little tough because the rest of the family is eating their rolls and breads and I am looking at them with sad puppy dog eyes because I want some.. LOL! But not going to fall..

    So tonight I made some grilled chicken, grilled squash and had some left over backed red potatoes and I also got a 2 mile walk. I am gaining momentum on my recovery and I have to say it feels great! Thanks for keeping me motivated team!

    Teeladog: Nice job! I hope you guys don't get pounded by the weather! No fun driving in it for sure!

    ka97: Nice work with the trainer! Don't beat yourself up about the cardio class, those classes are rough and can take a few sessions to really get your stamina built up. But the one thing that I have learned is that if you do keep going to those classes don't worry about keeping up with them do what you can and your body will adjust rapidly to it! In a matter of a week or two you will see serious performance gains! What is your current calorie intake? With you doing more and more activity make sure you are getting enough nutrition to fuel your body! If you fail to do so you can see a negative effect on your progress!

    Lee: There are a number of things that you can do to make sure you have adequate nutrition while on the road. Since you are not dealing with thyroid issues you actually have way more options that me.. My go to travel food is my meal replacement shake. I can quickly mix it up and satisfy my hunger and any cravings I might be battling at the time. Here are some other items that are great for when you are on the road. Try to keep them in abut 200 to 300 calorie servings that way you don't over do it!

    - Beef Jerky
    - Trail Mix
    - Fruit
    - Nut Bars
    - Protein Bars
    - Water

    I added water because if you ensure your body is properly hydrated each day you will find that you do not get as hungry as often. Hydration plays a key role in how your body will re-act to processing foods and keeping the cravings away!

    Refrigerator1: Glad to hear you didn't have any crazy weather. LOL now you got me singing that theme song in my head... LOL!! Nice job on doing what you can and keeping focused on not re-injuring yourself! Train smart and good things will happen!

    Have a great night everyone,

    -Scott
  • chadwick175
    chadwick175 Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    I suffer from plan old laziness. Its hard to stay motivated especially when we get derailed and side tracked. At least when you realize that things aren't the way we like we can if we can try and fix em if we so choose
  • Teeladog
    Teeladog Posts: 157 Member
    Options
    Good morning everyone! The sun is finally back out here after several days of gloomy and rainy. I am off to teach two back to back classes at the gym (one of my instructors is stuck in California due to plane trouble). So, that will be it for my exercise today. After that, I am going to have a nice big lunch and then head to school for my daughters school conference. I promised the kids I would take them to Olive Garden to dinner tonight since dad will be gone for a training thing (Olive Garden is their favorite restaurant and one just opened recently near our house). I should probably plan what I will be eating there otherwise that is a place it is easy to overdo.

    Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

Categories