Welcome to another installment of Feel Better Friday. How has your week been?
I am quite pleased to say that our weather has turned cooler and I am really enjoying the change.
Next week I head into another round of surgery and I have realised I am feeling so much better this time in comparison to last time. While the surgery is almost the same it will be interesting to see if I recover more quickly. I'll let you know :)
To weigh or not to weigh
While I am as keen as anyone else to not have to buy something to get a project or idea off the ground I really do believe if you are serious about tracking you need a set of food scales for some time until you get used to portion sizes.
I have had mine since the beginning of time - I won them as a prize for a tupperware party I had. I was told it had a lifetime guarantee and wouldn't need its battery changing. So far so good.
I use them all the time for recipes but particularly I use them for determining portion size. Some things aren't difficult to work out - meat usually comes packaged with weights on so you can easily work out the grams but if you go to a butcher and not woolies or coles they may not be. It's much harder to work out what 100gms of potato is etc. Its so easy to over guesstimate and sabotage your good work.
I had a little look on the kmart website and there is a big range - starting at $12.99 though I would recommend getting a digital set - they seem to start at $18.
Tape Measures
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer one thing my doctors said was that I would need to maintain a healthy BMI and waist measurement for the best statistics. ( thats Dr code for survival ) My whole plan around eating better and excercising more has been directed at this goal.
I keep it simple by tracking my meals and snacks and staying within a specific calorie intake each day. I also track my macros protein carbs and fats and make sure they are right. I stick to whole foods and lean meats and steer clear of diet products and low fat. Although the diet stuff is reduced in calories it's high in lots of other things which I would rather not have. While I would love to say doing this has catapulted me to a healthy BMI it hasn't yet. I am well on the way but it's no magic quick fix. What it is though, is a sensible way to eat for the rest of my life and it's family friendly which is important for me.
There are so many "cancer " fighting diets out there - Sugar creates cancer, I should be red meat, dairy and grain free, I should follow the paleo way, I should fast every two days, I should drink only juices for 40 days. There is a long list and I certainly don't discredit them. They work for some people obviously and I am not a nutritionist or dietician or expert. All I know is that I would start off doing a plan like that and then fail miserably. At least this is something I feel I can do and more importantly it is making me feel so much better. I also train in some capacity 6 days a week.
Next Monday I will have been doing this for ten weeks. I'm sure that's some sort lifestyle change :) This is not to say I don't have treats I still do but I make sure they are once every now and then rather than every day and I also work a little harder at gym on those days.
BMI - Body Mass Index is calculated using your height and your weight. A quick google will show a gazillion calculators but if you aren't sure here is one for you.
The other important measurement is your waist.
Waist measurement compares closely with body mass index (BMI), however waist measurement is often seen as a better way of checking a person’s risk of developing a chronic disease.
So maybe it's time to get the tape measures out and see how you are travelling. I have said many times through this series it's all about finding what works for you and weeding through the conflicting reports. BMI can be controversial - some are saying that it's not the measurement we should go by. This article on George and Brad says they are classed as overweight according to BMI. I don't feel so bad about my numbers now LOL.
Yummy Lunches
Because I am at home not at work I find it far easier to make a yummy healthy lunch than before and I am making the most of it. These would also translate well into a packed lunch.
Here are my top five
Stuffed Potato - steam or microwave a poatato then fill with salad a tin of tuna or salmon some grated cheese
Vita Wheat Lunch Slices - stacked with cottage cheese, smoked salmon, rocket and tomato
Omelette - two eggs, tomato, ham, spinach leaves and spring onions
Stuffed Mushrooms - two field musrooms stuffed with cottage cheese tomato balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of grated cheese. serve with salad
Vegetable Soup - throw into a pot a variety of veges roughly chopped -whatever you have and some vegetable stock - bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer until all the veges are softened. Use stick blender to blend. Serve with a piece of grain toast. This sounds like it would take a long time but its doesn't - 20 minutes tops.
Personal Training
I started working with a trainer at the same time as I started at gym. It was mostly around my lack of confidence in what I could and couldn't do given my treatment.
And umm no my trainer doesn't look like the Commando LOL. Her name is Kate she is the same age as me and has children the same age. I really like her as she can relate to what I am saying when we talk about nutrition and motivation.
Some weeks I was much more tired than others and Kate adjusted my routine to suit.
I love that she tries new things all the time. I am never bored with my workout. I go to gym 6 days a week and train with her 2 of those visits. Each session lasts 30 minutes. I like to take the things she teaches me and try them in my own sessions. I don't do any cardio work with her. I do that all myself so I feel like I optimise my time. So if my session is at 9.30am I arrive early enough to warm up so we can get straight into it. We don't only work on making me sweat - sessions incorporate stretching and plenty of floor excercies.. We are also working on some boxing which is really fun.
I am still so out of conditon I don't do really heavy weights but I can see a huge difference in what I was able to do before and what I can do now. Without doubt finishing chemo has helped that but much of it can also be attributed to the training I have done with Kate. When I first started I did 2 minutes on the cross trainer at level 1I literally counted down the seconds. -and thought I would die LOL.
Today I did 25 minutes at level 10 before heading to the treadmill for a 5 km walk.
Personal training does cost so I think it's really important to think about what you want to get from your sessions and the style of trainer you would like. Read their bios they will most likely be up in the gym somewhere. Don't be afraid to ask other people how they find their trainer and ask about the program that they do. Most trainers offer some sort of starting package - 3 sessions etc so you can give it a go and see if you like it before you commit. Using a trainer is also agreat way to kick start your fitness.
Plenty to think about this week - see you next week. I hope you Feel Better :)
