Back where I started

I have a new post up at my old place...I think I'll be doing more writing over there for a while, in case you're interested.

Lead a Healthy Life - Project Charter

OK, every successful project starts with a great plan, so here's what I've got so far:

Project Goal - I want to live a healthy life!

Project Team - Sara (nutritionist), Judith (acupuncture practitioner), Dana (chiropractor), Dr. Bevan (general practice doctor), and me (project manager)

Requirements -
1. Get some exercise every day
2. Work on flexibility
3. Keep up with vitamins and Chinese herbs
4. Eat vegetables with every meal
5. Plant a Fall/Winter garden
6. Prepare meals as designed by nutritionist Sara for breakfast and dinner most days
Note: If scope of project has to be reduced, #s 1, 2, and 4 are Critical Path and must not be deferred, while the other three requirements are negotiable

Success metrics - (to be measured by posting here every single day of the project schedule)
1. How do I feel each night when I go to bed? Am I exhausted? Am I stressed out and barely able to make it up the stairs? Or am I pleasantly tired, relaxed, and ready for sleep?
2. How do I deal with stress? Do I mindlessly eat? Am I screaming at the puppy? Or do I take it all in stride and go for a short walk to burn off nervous energy during the day?
3. Is my house clean? I hate a messy house and yet mine usually is messy because I'm just too wiped - mentally and physically - to deal with it when I come home. A healthy life for me would also mean not just wanting to do something about the house but actually creating a daily chore list that would allow me to have the clean house that I want/need.

Schedule - November 12, 2009 through February 14, 2010 (Yep, that's Valentine's Day...)

You'll note that there's nothing in the metrics about "Did I eat my veggies today?" or "Did I get some exercise?" and that's because those are the means to the end I want, not the end itself, so it doesn't matter if I do them or not if I don't achieve the requirements for the project.

Angry

Today has not started well. My hip has been bothering me for days and now my heel is killing me, too. This does not bode well for my 3-Day walk in two weeks. I'm sitting in the house, with the air conditioning on, sweating like a pig. And I just shook Al and screamed at him for ruining (another) pair of shorts. Who is this person and where has the real me gone?

Is it the lack of sleep talking?

I don't know I'm just too tired to think straight or if this is real, but I'm suddenly overwhelmed by the urge - nay, the NEED - to live a healthier lifestyle. I just want to get what I'm thinking down on paper (virtually), so here are my Five Principles of a Healthy Lifestyle, in no particular order:

1. Get some exercise every day (yup, I'm calling it exercise, not"movement" or some PC thing). My body needs to move so that I don't end up stiff and sore every night, and even worse first thing in the morning. I have enough pairs of walking shoes now (thank you 3-Day!) that I can keep a pair at work, a pair in the car, and a pair at home...no excuse not to strike while the iron's hot

2. Keep up with my vitamins and Chinese herbs. Things just feel easier on the days I take them and it takes less than 5 minutes every day

3. Get the five fruits and veggies thing going. I can't remember the last time I had a meal that included veggies unless they were covered in oil or some fat-laden sauce; no fruit in any form for months. I'm pretty sure it won't kill me and perhaps I won't feel as lethargic...worth a try

4. Get the garden going again. Will help with #3 plus help with the depression PLUS it's a good excuse to walk 10 minutes each day when I have to water it

5. First, go and see a primary care doctor for the first time since 2003 (yes, really) so that I can get a referral to a nutritionist/dietitian who can write up a bunch of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that I can cook or grab and go, depending on my mood. I'm fed up with eating every meal either out of a take out bag, a box (microwaved, processed within an inch of its life, nothing fresh or healthy), or at a restaurant which eats up our bank account as well as my good health

6.Write here every day so that I can report on how I'm doing and how my ideas morph in the light of day

(Yes, I know I said I had 5 Principles...consider #6 a bonus, if you will.)

OK, the puppy's snoring (TCB probably is, too) and I see light coming through the blinds...let's see if I can get some clothes on and my walking shoes and go for a little stroll, huh?

Totally decadent

Well, no progress as yet on the plan to do 20 minutes of exercise plus 20 minutes of yoga, but I have a lot of hope for today because it's MY day for myself. I have one meeting from 9:00 to 10:00 am and then I'm done for the day. Here are things I'm thinking about doing: Walking and yoga, soak in my huge tub with lavender bath salts, a visit to the chiropractor for evaluation and possible treatment for my back pain, and a little retail therapy at my favorite department store. I might even take my bicycle out for a little ride before TCB gets home. Read a book. Buy a newspaper and read it end to end. Who knows?

I'll come back tomorrow to report on what today brings.

Progress, not perfection

No walking or yoga yet, but I did have a better evening than I usually do, possibly because I remembered to take my anti-stress Chinese herbs (8 little pills that I am supposed to take 2x a day) just before I left work.

Today I'm going to make sure I grab my shoes, socks, and a hat before I leave for work so that I can walk at work if I have 20 minutes free plus email my ex-husband, landscape designer extraordinaire, to see if he'll design my fall/winter garden as well as coordinating day laborers to dig out the horrible soil in our community garden plot and replace it with good stuff. I think I'll grab my Plus Sized Yoga DVD and put it out where I can't miss it when I get home, too - can't hurt, right? (Hey, I just saw these DVDs, too...perhaps I should add them to my Wish List.)

OK, I need to run so that I can get ready and take Al (the Pug) to his doggie day care with the girls at the vet's office...more tomorrow.

Dealing with what's ailing me

I haven't written here in a very long time and, for those that care enough to check back here, I'm sorry. I haven't been any busier than I usually am, I just haven't been inspired to write. Truthfully, I have been inspired to do much of anything. I feel tired, sad, angry (very, very angry!), sore, old, creaky, unappreciated, unloved, and - most of all - frustrated by my seeming inability to do anything to break out of this cycle.

Cycle, cycle, cycle...hmmm, could this possibly be the start of the next phase of my (womanly) life? I decided to Google "menopause" and was quite surprised to find that everything I have been experiencing (and more that I won't detail here because you just don't need/want to know) can be explained by my having entered menopause. Some of you will say, "But, Denise, you've only just turned 42, how is that possible?" I started menstruating at age 10, so I've had 32 years of this fun and thus it isn't as out of line as you might think. (Mom also let me know that she started menopause at 40, so there's family history as well.)

Once I got my head around this probability, I started looking for holistic ways of dealing with symptoms and found the following things that I am going to implement or have already implemented:

1. Acupuncture - helps with the aches and pains as well as rebalancing hormone levels

2. Chiropractic - help with aches and pains, too

3. Magnesium and Calcium supplements - Magnesium helps me fall asleep at night, Calcium fights monthly depression

4. 20 minutes of walking every day - good for fighting off depression, movement helps keep joints healthy, burns off calories/makes my body more insulin-sensitive

5. 20 minutes of yoga every day - same as #4

6. Write about how I'm feeling - fights the depression, helps me remember that I'm not going insane, I'm just entering another phase of my life

7. Soak feet in warm water with lavender oil - relaxes the body and mind

8. Plant a garden - relaxes mind, fights the depression

9. Cut out caffeine - caffeine inhibits body's ability to use nutrients like calcium and magnesium, can also make it tough to sleep properly

I've implemented #s 1-3 already plus #6 as soon as I hit "Publish Post", but #s 4 and 5 are going to be more challenging, so I'll keep track here of how I'm doing. There are also other items on my list of things to try in terms of dealing with the menopause thing and I'll write about those as I go along as well.

Basically, if you're not interested in menopause or depression or when I'll ever start to feel like a normal human being again, this journal is probably no longer for you. If, however, you think you might like some information about what works and what doesn't (or are just ready to be entertained by my Tales from the Dark Side), stay tuned.