Madsen Family Health Blog

Solving Problems

2010-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Thursday is home owners association and a cycle day. This means that they have lots of goodies that I shouldn't eat but I'm tempted to. Solved the problem last night. I chewed a stick of gum, drank water and took my knitting. I wasn't even tempted to eath the candy corn or the nuts. I was really pleased with my progress.

Back In The Swing

2010-03-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

I got on the scales and discovered that I was back to pre-Christmas weight. So whatever troubles I had after Christmas are gone. Phew!! It was really tough getting back into the swing of things. Although I didn't overeat at Christmas time, I ate a lot of sugar.

This week we are on a good roll for exercising having done one perfect day. Day two coming up today.

Olympic Slugs

2010-03-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

We've let our exercise go again--partly due to another week of illness and partly to oding on Olympics. Time to get back into the swing of things.

Healtier Appearance

2010-02-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

I noticed on Sunday as I was getting ready for church that I looked so much better than normal. Last week I did exercise 3 days aerobic and 3 days strength and it made a difference. I like the results of exercise.

Slugs

2010-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

I noticed that I posted here a year ago. Why is there something about February that gets us moving. I think it is that after the holidays it is extremely hard to get back to exercising regularly. We turn into slugs and by February we are miserable and feel the need to get back to doing something about it.

We are thinking of purchasing a recumbent bike or joining Planet Fitness. Wayne is really bad at exercise and I have only three days of exercise that I can do. We need to do something more.

New Beginnings

2009-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Since we've lost all following from family members, I decided I would still use this to devote it to Wayne and my progress this new year. We have a challenge from our health insurance to actually get money back at the end of the year if we follow their challenges. Money is good. It's the carrot that will keep Wayne interested. So the first challenge is to eat less that 8 grams of refined sugar (doesn't include natural sugars in carbs.) and to exercise 30 min 5 days a week. So far we are doing great.

Wayne has lost 8 pounds.
I have lost 4.5 pounds.

It's not been too difficult to do the sugar part and I finally have 4 days a week with an aerobic exercise plan. Now to keep it up for the rest of my life.
Monday--Crazy lady chacha chair aerobics
Tuesday--Salsa chair aerobics
Wednesday--Swimming
Thursday--On the stepper with This Old House

I still need to come up with something for Friday.

New Goal

2008-08-14T09:58:00.001-07:00

I read that those people who have lost a lot of weight and kept it off exercise for an hour every day. I've started on a goal to do just that and so far my tops has been 57 minutes of combined strength, aerobic and stretching exercises. Anyone else want to join the battle?

Heart Rate

2008-07-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Since June, Camilla and I have been cycling while we watch Netflix. We measure the intensity of our exercise with a Polar heart rate monitor. I have been doing a little research on the physiological significance of various intensities. Mom suggested I post a summary of it here.

Certain heart rate ranges relative to one's maximum heart rate correspond to certain health benefits/ physiological processes. Generally, as the intensity of exercise increases, the percentage of calories taken from fat decreases.

When one's heart rate is between 40% to 70% of one's maximum heart rate, 85% of the calories one expends will be fat, 10% will be carbohydrates and 5% will be protein.

When one's heart rate is between 70% to 85% of one's maximum heart rate, 50% of the calories one expends will be fat.

A heart rate higher than 85% of one's maximum heart rate causes one's body to take only 15% of the total calories used from fat.

Although the percentage of calories taken from fat decreases as heart rate increases, the total number of calories used increases with heart rate. Because of this, a higher heart rate always uses more fat than a lower heart rate, but the work is not proportionate to the loss of fat.

My conclusion is that if one's goal with aerobic exercise is to lose weight then it is better to exercise with low intensity for a long time than it is to exercise with high intensity for a short time, but it is even better to exercise with a higher intensity (not necessarily higher than 85% of one's maximum heart rate though) for a long time.

Common formulas for approximating maximum heart rates:

for people younger than 30:
220-age

for people age 30 and up:
208-(.7*age)

http://www.webmd.com/content/tools/1/calc_heart_rate.htm
http://www.phoenixfirehealth.com/heartrate.pdf
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=80256

Anyone Still Walking

2008-07-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Do we have anyone finishing out the walk to Zion? Good thing we weren't the pioneers. Or perhaps we are pioneers and have better things to do with our time than than to figure out the math.

I have learned how easy and inexpensive it is to do strength training at home. At my weekly training session last week I did 30 minutes of latex stretch band exercises and felt the burn. I'm posting several web pages of videos on Expert Village that will help (see the side bar). I especially like the water jug and the couch exercises. Latex bands are also inexpensive and I think you can pick them up at most sports shops or areas in super markets.

BTW, strength training is important in building muscle (especially for those of us over 30 and that's most of us now) because muscles burn fat as well as protect our bones and internal organs. Being strong means keeping fit.

The End

2008-07-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is the end of my step-counter posts.

Mom swapped me step-counters a while back because Wayne Jr. had dropped his in the toilet. Ha. How silly. How could you drop one in the toilet? My apologies, Wayne. I have now dropped mine the potty twice.

Sigh.

It's the end of the step-counting era. My poor counter didn't survive the second dunking.

The good news is that I am much more aware of my activity levels, and I know that if it's a low activity day that picking up the house and getting things put away takes a lot of steps! :)

Lies, All Lies.

2008-06-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

So, my step counter lies. Well, not really, but I think it does. All it is programed to do is count wiggle-like motions as steps. Wiggle=step. Wiggle, wiggle = 2 steps. Simple. What it doesn't do is factor in the number of children in ones arms, the number of wet clothes in the laundry basket, the number of minutes with arms in the air putting said wet clothes on the laundry line, etc. associated with those wiggles. The number of steps I take is only minimally connected to how tired I feel!! --I must be a scientist type. For three days now, I've gone to bed discussing what the step counter does and doesn't do, the accuracy and limitations of the measurement device, etc.

15-Jun	7500
16-Jun	25820
17-Jun	10640
18-Jun	4180
19-Jun	14280
20-Jun	8000
21-Jun	9210
	average	11375.71



23-Jun	14810
24-Jun	7800
25-Jun	9040
26-Jun	10200
27-Jun	13010
28-Jun	12690
	average	11258.33

(Almost) High-Stepping

2008-06-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

I made a goal, on Tuesday I think, to get over 10,000 steps every day this week. Almost did it, too.

Monday: 11044
Tuesday: 16602
Wednesday: 12540
Thursday: 11060
Friday: 13815
Saturday: 9680

Total: 63451
Average: 10575

Healthy Eating Tips

2008-06-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Eating Smart

Take time to chew your food: Digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing breaks the food into smaller particles and mixes the food with saliva that contains digestive enzymes. Thorough digestion is key to the absorption of nutrients and to good health! Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

Avoid stress while eating. When we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised. Avoid eating while working, driving, or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Also avoid confrontations, serious discussions or worry during meals. If you feel stressed or upset, stop eating and relax before continuing with your meal. Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Listen to your body: Stop eating when you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eating slowly can help you get a more accurate read on this, as well. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!

Eat early, eat often: Remember this old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating six small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

Eating Out

Avoid buffets - All-you-can-eat buffets promote overeating. If the temptation isn't in front of you, you are less likely to overindulge. Stick to the light menu / make careful menu selections - Many restaurants indicate healthy fast food restaurants now offer a wider range of healthy choices and most will provide nutritional information on all of their offerings by request.

Don't be afraid to special order - Ask for your vegetables and main dishes to be served without the sauces. Ask if things are fried or cooked in oil or butter – if they are, see if you can order them in a more healthy way.

Share with others - Sharing entrees, appetizers and desserts with dining partners is a great idea. It allows you to sample something that you really want to have while also helping you avoid the temptation to overindulge.

Watch high fat and calorie sauces, dressings, and sodas - Eliminate sauces/dressings or take them on the side and use sparingly; drink water or low fat milk rather than high-sugar sodas.

Getting There is Half the Fun

2008-06-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, it's amazing what a little bit of vacation can do to my step count numbers! On June 11th we walked and played and laughed for 9 holes of golf! On June 12th we walked the botanical garden and the mall. Aren't those numbers great!?!...But, if we want to walk across England for our 20th anniversary trip, we'll have to do 50,000 steps a day (20 miles each day). Gulp. Got to take more steps! :) Jessica

8-Jun	9700
9-Jun	9050
10-Jun	7540
11-Jun	15250
12-Jun	18080
13-Jun	6780
14-Jun	10410

	average	10972.86

Plodding along

2008-06-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Monday: 15000
Tuesday: 7993 -- I think I had some resets along the way
Wednesday: 9472
Thursday: 4680 -- um... I don't know?
Friday: didn't write it down
Saturday: 11070

Total: 48215
Average: 8036

Jumpin' Jessica!

2008-06-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't really been jumping...except the one night when my numbers were so low that I jumped around for a bit just to have a presentable report for the day!

6/2 --14,050
6/3 --6140
6/4 --7210
6/5 --9260
6/6 --14,620
6/7 --7630

total: 58,910
average: 9818

I must admit that the high number days (14000 steps) don't feel so busy while I'm living them, but the next day I sure am tired!

:)
We're off to the farm and an anniversary trip this week. I hope to have some nice, 10k+ numbers to report when we return!
--Jessica

1st Week

2008-06-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Dad and I did great on the challenge for the 1st week. Dad actually discontinued the candy bowl for the time being, although I told him he could have some if he cut down on the nightly dessert. (You can have a ton of jelly beans for 160 calories) He still prefers the ice cream. How did everyone else do?

A Problem with Pedometers

2008-06-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

is that you can't take them to the pool. Which explains the low counts on a couple of the days.

Monday: 10,100
Tuesday: 8196
Wednesday: 5242
Thursday: 10,119
Friday: 9261
Saturday: didn't wear it because I spent the day reading

Total: 42,918. I didn't quite make it to Locust Creek. Sigh. I'm a pathetic pioneer. :)

Happy Camper

2008-06-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Mom traded step counters with me when she was here over the weekend. Wow! What a difference! No reset issues ( this one is analog). Occasionally it comes partially or all the way off my waistband (see the data from 5/28), but for the most part it's great! And, it's an incredible moral booster to see numbers above 10000!!

5/27/2008	10370
5/28/2008	3900
5/29/2008	10670
5/30/2008	8000
5/31/2008	7600

Average: 8108

Still Walking Limping

2008-05-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Last week: hobbling along for a second week (though admittedly, it's feeling a bit better.)

Monday: 14259
Tuesday: 16385
Wednesday: 9212
Thursday: didn't write it down
Friday: 8750
Saturday: 13927

This week: My foot's feeling much better, though interestingly enough it hurts most when I first wake up. I don't quite get that... I also kept forgetting to put on the pedometer, and wouldn't remember it until halfway through the day (probably because I didn't shower until nearly lunchtime on several days...). So, I've got missing totals and low ones this week. :)

Monday: didn't put it on
Tuesday: 10448
Wednesday: 10361
Thursday-Friday: didn't write it down
Saturday: 5274 (I'd say that it was a forgetful day, but no, I was excessively tired and in a bad mood, so I didn't walk much.)

Uber-grand Total for the two weeks: 79,686

I've gone 202,468 steps since I started totaling them up... which puts me somewhere between the Charilton River Crossing and Locust Creek.

Dad Three Weeks

2008-05-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

He wears his pedometer daily (except Sunday), keeps a log in his planner daily, but fails to turn them into me. (He hasn't got the hang of blogging yet.) So here are his numbers for three weeks.

5/5 8500
5/6 5900
5/7 5700
5/8 7450
5/9 5700
5/10 6700

Total 39950
Average 6658.3

5/12 4900
5/13 5300
5/14 6950
5/15 4300
5/16 5700

Total: 27150
Average: 5430

5/19 5750
5/20 5500
5/21 7100
5/22 6400
5/23 vacation

Total: 25750
Average: 6437.5

A New Challenge

2008-05-28T07:29:00.001-07:00

I think we've declared Rebecca the winner. She can contact Jessica for her prize. How about trying a little more friendly challenge instead? Starting the 1st of June we have one serving per day of any sweet treat. It must be no more than 160 calories total, which is about a 1/2 cup (1 serving) of ice cream. We end on June 30 and hopefully everyone will win. This looks fairly easy but it take moderation day after day, which is the point. No crashing and no bingeing. If you skip a day, too bad. You can't make it up the next day. Anyone in for this?

A week on a sore foot

2008-05-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

I learned something this week. If you're a mom of small children, with a husband who has to go to work all day, you still manage to rack up the steps even if you sprain your ankle really bad and you're trying to stay off of it. Monday morning, 11:30 a.m. to be exact (well, sort of), I was playing with Kristen and Alison. We were jumping up and down, and I jumped and came down on top of a tea cup (from the tea set that Kristen got for her birthday), and twisted my ankle. It HURT, but wasn't broken. Thankfully. With that preamble, here's my week:

Monday: 11642 (I cleaned the laundry room before the accident!)
Tuesday: 7589
Wednesday: 10954
Thursday: 12691
Friday: 10990
Saturday: it ended up reading 769, but I think it reset a few times.

See? I did a terrible job staying off my foot. Which is probably why it still hurts a bit...

Total: 34,257.

gave up

2008-05-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

so i was supposed to post this a few days ago. i gave up. i can handle no more junk food, but no sweets only lasts for so long. well, i beat out the rest of you folks -- but not Rebecca, who is going strong.

oh. and i also need to comment i was going to break my sweets fast with some wonderfully divine ghirardelli caramel chocolates. But rebecca told me that if i touched them, or ever broke my junk food fast with HER birthday present that she would be VERY unhappy with me. so instead, i ate some chocolate chips and DREAMED they were ghirardelli. however, i haven't eaten any sweets since. i just needed to get some out of my system.

junk food = gross.

the report

2008-05-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

monday: 6783
tuesday: 7021
wednesday: reset, but I think around 5000
thursday: sick day
friday: 5972
saturday: reset, but I think around 5873

average: 6130

Two resets (beach is apparently always good for a reset, and Paela kicked it off on Wednesday evening). One sick day (I wore it until I took a nap and then forgot to put it back on). But otherwise I at least improved a little from last week. The no junk food thing has been better this week. I feel like I'm getting enough fruit in my diet now. Candy bars sound positively revolting. A brownie sundae would still be tempting though. :)

Dr. Oz Weekly Exercise Plan

2008-05-16T10:13:00.001-07:00

(Resource: Dr. Mehmet Oz, Columbia University)

1. Walk everyday for 30 min. This is where a large dog comes in handy—one that has to be walked faithful everyday during all seasons. A good habit would be to take as family constitutional every evening after dinner a 30 minute walk.

2. Endurance exercise 3 times a week for 20 minutes. The goal is to work hard enough as to be out of breath by the time the workout is complete. Any aerobic exercise is acceptable.

3. Strength training 3 times per week. Exercise both upper and lower body but either alternate muscle group each day or skip days so as to give the muscle group a day of rest before exercising again. You can find a guide to strength training here.

4. Stretch daily. Use either yoga or a full body stretch. Stretching at the end of the day helps relax muscles and relieve tension resulting in better sleep.

Mom's Week 6

2008-05-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it was also a bad week for me. I didn't do a lot of walking past Tuesday and I left it off on Saturday, which is usually a good day. So I really don't know how far I went. I guess we'll just have to chalk this one up to getting lost on the trail. I'm back on this week, though, if I can get my feet to stop hurting so much.

PS Take care of your feet. Hurting feet is bad news.

five weeks

2008-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was not a good week for remembering the counter. I remembered twice, and one of the two days it reset when I got home from work before I chanced a peek at the count. However, based on how I felt compared to previous weeks, I can say Thursday through Saturday would be on the higher end of counts, and Monday was probably low, and Tuesday and Wednesday probably average.... Pre-counter days I would not have even been able to estimate the difference between days!

Half Way

2008-05-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thoughts? Problems? Ideas? Tricks?

(I know Rebecca posted her thoughts, but how're the rest of you doing? I think we've all -- except for the California element -- fallen off, have you gotten back on? How is it going? Easier? Harder?)

Up and Down

2008-05-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

My week.

Monday: 6527
Tuesday: 14247
Wednesday: 8490
Thursday: 9012
Friday: 11762
Saturday: 18109

I learned that I don't walk much when I'm feeling a bit low.

Total: 68,147

I checked out the map... I'm just past Richardson's Point this week. (I suppose I could go back and check out the last several weeks, but that would be too much work for me right now...)

signs of the third week

2008-05-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

I think I am entering the third week of the junk food challenge. The junk food is no problem, but I am starting to crave chocolate. Just chocolate -- the other sweets and junk food aren't tempting in the least. Chocolate of all sorts. I thought it would be baked goods I want. Actually, combining the two would be temptation in the extreme. I must conquer. :)

I checked out the steps to Salt Lake. I'm somewhere past Richardson's Point, a little over 4% of the way there. I've got lots of walking to do still!

Guide To Foot Care And Foot Problems

2008-05-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

by Kate Grossman, MD

Preventing Foot Trouble
Better foot care may prevent many foot problems.
Years of wear and tear can be hard on our feet. So can:
disease
poor circulation
improperly trimmed toenails
wearing shoes that do not fit properly
Problems with our feet can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as:
arthritis
diabetes
nerve disorders
circulatory disorders

Practice Good Foot Care
Check your feet regularly, or have a member of your family check them.
Sometimes the special skills of an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist are needed.
Circulation
It also helps to keep blood circulating to your feet as much as possible. You can do this by:
putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down
stretching if you've had to sit for a long while
walking
having a gentle foot massage
taking a warm foot bath

Other Foot Care Tips
Try to avoid pressure from shoes that do not fit right.
Try not to expose your feet to cold temperatures.
Do not sit for long periods of time (especially with your legs crossed).
Do not smoke.
Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot ailments.

Proper Shoe Fit
Here are some tips for getting a proper shoe fit:
The size of your feet changes as you grow older so always have your feet measured before buying shoes.
The best time to measure your feet is at the end of the day when your feet are largest.
Most of us have one foot that is larger than the other, so fit your shoe to your larger foot.
Do not select shoes by the size marked inside the shoe but by how the shoe fits your foot.
Select a shoe that is shaped like your foot.
During the fitting process, make sure there is enough space (3/8" to 1/2") for your longest toe at the end of each shoe when you are standing up.
Make sure the ball of your foot fits comfortably into the widest part of the shoe.
Do not buy shoes that feel too tight and expect them to stretch to fit.
Your heel should fit comfortably in the shoe with a minimum amount of slipping - the shoes should not ride up and down on your heel when you walk.
Walk in the shoes to make sure they fit and feel right. Then take them home and spend some time walking on carpet to make sure the fit is a good one.

Tips for Improving Foot Circulation
From: EHow Health Editor

1. Start moving. Working out can increase your circulation by opening up the smaller blood vessels in your legs and feet. Try brisk walking or running if you are up to it. Activities that get your heart rate up will take you a long way in getting your circulation problems under control. Do something active every day.

2. Reduce your stress level. When you're stressed out more often than not, the chronic effects of the stress response, which includes blood moving from the extremities to the heart and major organs, decreases blood flow to your hands and feet and over time can cause health problems. Find ways to calm down and reduce your stress each and every day, and your feet will thank you.

3. Elevate your feet. If you find that your feet swell during the day due to poor circulation, elevate your feet in the evening to reduce the swelling. Stretch and then take a walk afterward to get the blood moving again.

4. Soak your feet, often. Soaking your feet in warm water heats them up and opens the blood vessels, increasing the circulation. If you continue this, as well as make other changes in your daily life, you can increase your circulation in no time.

If you have flat feet, wear good shoes and purchase arch supports to wear inside your shoes. It will save your feet.

Mom's Week Five

2008-05-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Due to my sore foot, I'm not walking as much as I did. I'm afraid if I were walking to Zion, they would have left me on the plains long ago. Speaking of which, we found the file and I've posted it on the side bar. I went back and recalculated my totals.

Monday..4600
Tuesday...4200
Wednesday...3000
Thursday...2900
Friday...3400
Saturday... 4800

Total: 22900
Average: 3816
Grand total: 109430
I'm between Richard's Point and Charilton River Crossing

Dad Week 4 and 5

2008-05-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

He was a little behind on getting the numbers to me. He had great weeks too:
Week 4
Monday...7900
Tuesday...6700
Wednesday...7100
Thursday...5550
Friday...6800
Saturday...12000

Total: 46,050
Average: 7675

Week 5:
Monday...4600
Tuesday...7200
Wednesday...6150
Thursday...5350
Friday...6250
Saturday...7350

Total: 39,900
Average: 6650

He made the goal on Saturday when he mowed the lawn and moved a home teachee. That's what it takes!!

Number Whatever

2008-05-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

What is it for me? Five?

Anyway. Russell forgot the pedometer again on Monday, so I started keeping track again.

Monday (after I found it on the desk): 7136
Tuesday: 14,502
Wednesday: 10,732
Thursday: 11,395
Friday: 17,133
Saturday: 11,666

Friday's total was so high because I spring cleaned the living room...

BTW, the hardest thing in the world is smelling the chocolate chip mint cookies your daughters are baking on a fast Sunday, knowing that you can't eat any. Sigh.

to the fourth

2008-05-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Monday: 5549
Tuesday: 3623
Wednesday: 6002
Thursday: 6333
Friday: 3523
Saturday: 5504

average: 5089

Okay so it wasn't my best week, by quite a lot. :) Tuesday, Paela still had a runny nose that seemed worse when we went out, so we didn't go out. Friday and Saturday...well what I can learn is after rough nights with Paela/Star waking us up a lot, (a) I'm not in the mood for going on walks or taking extra stairs, (b) I am more likely to nap during one of her naps instead of doing chores around the house, and (c) I'm more likely to forget to put the counter on until late morning. On the plus side, my Monday and Wednesday I was able to get a higher count than normal for a workday.

Calorie Cycling

2008-05-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Does anyone, who has a stable weight, want to try calorie cycling? This is the method used by body builders to reduce fat. I've read where lots of people have used this to burn fat off their body. I'm posting a PDF of the instructions on the side bar. I would like to know your results if you can do it for 4 weeks.

MOM

PS. I don't have stable weight right now or I'd be the guinea pig.

A Fun Idea

2008-04-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

While I was at training meeting, one of the guys noticed my pedometer and said that his family had done the same thing, but they calculated their miles from Nauvoo to Salt Lake along the pioneer trail. I thought that might be a fun thing to do. Your father, who loves to do this, is making up a chart of steps to the different stops along the way. We'll post it so anyone who would like can see how far they've walked in the steps of our ancestors.

Mom's Week Four

2008-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

I had a much better week and even two days a training didn't wreck it.

Mon...4400
Tues...5300
Wed...4900
Thurs...5900
Fri...4800
Sat...6800

Average: 5350

This is much better than last week. Next week I can compare the two although, I'm having problems with my feet and so I'm going to stay off the stepper and try exercising on the rower. Phhbbbbttt. Getting old is tiring.

Russell's week (um) one?

2008-04-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

He wore it Monday, and came up with 18,205 steps. Wore it Tuesday, and came up with 5,300. Forgot it the rest of the week. I guess we'll try again this week.

By the way, it's 5009 steps to mow our lawn. (Just in case you were curious.)

How're We Doing?

2008-04-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

One week down. Russell caved on Friday and bought a Kit-Kat (it's been three weeks for us...), so I WON! I got breakfast in bed...

Anyway, I've been missing junk food this week. I thought about it, longed for it, and managed not to eat any. Except it got me wondering: would this be any easier, or would it be more difficult if we gave ourselves one day off a week. It could be any day, but whenever it was, it could be a "Free" day to eat a limited amount of junk.

What do you think?? (Or am I just copping out here?)

Counter Swap

2008-04-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

I passed the step counter to Martin for a little bit. He wore it one day (with no reset problems!) and had over 10,000 steps in a "not so busy day". I don't know how many more times he will wear it, but I'm frustrated with the large number of resets that I get.

the third

2008-04-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

monday: 5709
tuesday: 7036
wednesday: forgot the pedometer at home, oops!
thursday: 5436
friday: 5275
saturday: it reset when we were on the way home before I had a peek...drat

weekly average: 5864

...a teeny bit better than my first week; not at all better than the second week. Ah well, at least that leaves me more room to improve again!

I think Thursday I didn't walk as much because Paela had a cold and we didn't leave the house very often (too chilly for her, what with the wind and all). As for the unrecorded days, Wednesday I would guess was a bit lower than normal because I was feeling a little tired (Paela wakes more often in the night when she is sick), but Saturday probably was a little higher than normal with a trip to the beach. Saturday might have increased the average, even with Wednesday...but the world will just never know.

Dad's Week Three

2008-04-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

A little late but as your father would say, "I'd rather owe it to you for the rest of my life, than cheat you out of it." Ha!

Monday 5800
Tuesday 8500
Wednesday 9500
Thursday 6000
Friday 6900
Saturday 7900

His weekly average: 7433 Pretty good!!

April 16th & April 17th

2008-04-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Look! I actually wore that thing two days in a row! My count for the two days:

9983
9023

It's about 1700 steps from home to the subway (unless Victor drives me and I don't walk, then it's much less) and then it's another 1500 steps from the subway to my office. And I put in about 1000-2000 steps when I go to the bank each day, depending on if I wander over to Macy's or Borders after the bank. If I do laundry at night and walk up and down 6 flights of stairs 4 times, that's like 2500 steps. Whew!

Mom's Week Three

2008-04-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

It was a sad week. Not only did my pedometer not work at the temple, but I had a really bad day on Thursday as well. Onward and upward. I'm not even calculating my averages. It's too pathetic.

Monday..4350
Tuesday...4890
Wednesday...3800
Thursday...2500
Friday...4750

Melissa's Week Four

2008-04-20T05:38:00.001-07:00

Monday: 14058
Tuesday: 10617
Wednesday: 8765
Thursday: 9766
Friday: 13036
Saturday: 16041

Either I had a couple of major reset days, or I'm more affected by the weather than I suspected. I'm also going to give Russell the pedometer for a month, so he can see how he's doing. (Maybe, in the long run, we'll actually get him one. I have to admit, I'm curious to know how many steps he takes in a day.)

week zwei

2008-04-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the week:

Monday: 4819
Tuesday: 11009
Wednesday: 6793
Thursday: 10131
Friday: 4981
Saturday: 6050

average week 1: 5765
average week 2: 7297

It definitely seems much easier to walk the distance on days I hang out with Paela. We like to go for walks. This week I tried to go for longer walks with her on Tuesday and Thursday, and was pleasantly surprised at the end of the day to see a good increase from last week.

MWF, I tried to take the stairs whenever I went downstairs at work; I didn't want to take the stairs all the time because right after I returned to work in January I tried to take the stairs all the time and ended up having to slow things down a lot because I wasn't healed enough from the c-section yet. Who knew it could take so long to heal? I'm sure by now I should be able to take stairs more often, but this time I'll start with just half the time (and the easy half at that!) and see how that goes.

RMR Calculators

2008-04-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

When restricting calories, be certain not to go below your RMR (resting metobolic rate.) Doing so will cause the body to shut down the metabolism and stop burning fat. Over an extended period of time the body will then turn to burning muscle and even bone. Once calories are increased, the the set point has been lowered and the body will store even more calories to fat than it did previously.

You can do the math yourself or go here for a handy calculator.

RMR is a calucation of what calories your body uses when you are totally at rest. Since that is never the case and you always burn more calories than this, the calculator will also tell you approximately how many calories you are burning with your level of activity. This is not totally scientific (you could probably do the math there too) but is close enough for practical purposes.

The No Junk Food Challenge

2008-04-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Or TNJFC?

Runs from: April 20 - June 1, 2008

Rules: Whomever joins will abstain from junk food for the said period, or as long as possible. Winner(s) -- those who can do this -- will get something to be determined (a non-food product that isn't that expensive). (Suggestions are welcome!!)

Junk food is defined as:

cookies
cakes
frosting (on graham crackers or by itself)
pie, crisps and cobblers
candy
chocolate
donuts
cinnamon rolls/monkey bread
ice cream
cool whip/whipped cream
brownies
scones
fast food (except salads and $1 burgers, no mayo)
all forms of pudding
chips

Feel free to let me know any other changes.

Items that are not junk food include:

peanut butter balls
honey
sugar on cereal (provided it's one teaspoon)
fruit
smoothies (made with yogurt, not ice cream)
syrup
fruit sorbet
muffins (blueberry, banana)

Again, any additions here will be helpful.

Note: Sugar-free junk food is off limits.

Sign up: by leaving a comment here!

Dad's Week Two

2008-04-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

Here is his numbers. You'll need to talk to him for a report.

Monday 6600
Tuesday 6500
Wednesday 4800
Thursday 4500
Friday 6250
Saturday 6900

What Really Counts?

2008-04-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I did a test tonight to see how well the step counter responds to different types of steps. Here are the results:

For a human count of 50 steps (each time a foot touches the ground it counts as a step)...
The step counter registered:
50 while marching
0 with a glide/heel-toe walk
1 as I shuffled along
40 for a "pony" type 3-step
31 with a glide/heel-toe walk with the step counter on the top of the leg of my sock.

week the first

2008-04-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

We got our pedometers Monday, so Tuesday I started keeping track. I immediately implemented the wear-on-the-back approach and only had one reset (that I know of...I just added the last number I remembered to what I got the rest of the day when I saw the reset). The results are in:

Tuesday: 7403
Wednesday: 3473
Thursday: 9313
Friday: 5199
Saturday: 9203

I'll give you two guesses which days I went to work and which days I hung out with Paela. :)

Mom's Week Two

2008-04-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I think this week I did much better. Now get ready for the math. Last week my average was: 4165. This week my average was: 5291. I did 27% better this week. Not bad. I hope I can do better next week.

Monday--5300

Tuesday--6050

Wednesday--5850

Thursday--4900

Friday--5300

Saturday--4350

Jessica's Up/Down Week

2008-04-13T10:41:00.001-07:00

Sun...2945
Mon...11091
Tues...7847
Wed...5879
Thurs...4811
Fri...6980
Sat...3364

So, I may possibly have the lowest counts in the family! I thought that Sunday's number may have included a reset, but yesterday I mostly sat in classes all day...and the number of steps is terribly low too! On Monday I worked in the yard moving sod and dirt. At least I know what it takes to get my numbers above 10000! (But boy was I tired on Tues & Thurs!)

Anyone Game?

2008-04-13T06:37:00.001-07:00

I need to break my addition to eating junk food... I have realized this for a while (I was doing fine for a bit, but it's picked up since we moved here; I think I use baking/eating as a stress reliever and boredom buster, and yes, I need to figure something out. I've always needed to figure something out.) but it really hit home on Friday after I polished off two cookie bars and two cupcakes and Caitlyn and Alison's extra frosting. So, Russell and I came up with some sort of motivation, and I thought it might be more fun to include more people (that, and more pressure...)

So. The goal is to see how long we can go with out junk food. The first one to cave has to give the "winner" something/do something for the winner (the winner decides).

"Junk food" is defined as: cookies, cakes, frosting (on graham crackers or by itself), pie, candy, chocolate, donuts, cinnamon rolls/monkey bread, ice cream, cool whip/whipped cream, brownies, scones, and pudding (even Jell-o).

What is not junk food: Peanut Butter balls (they're fattening but technically healthy), honey, sugar on cereal (provided it's one teaspoon), fruit, smoothies (made with yogurt, not ice cream), syrup (gotta give Russell something; he couldn't eat pancakes or waffles without it), and muffins (blueberry, banana).

So, what'dya think? Game to try?

Melissa's Week Three

2008-04-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

Monday - 12876
Tuesday - 11501
Wednesday - 12088
Thursday - 14681
Friday - 10207
Saturday - 13595

My only disappointment was that I wanted to see how far I walked mowing the lawn on Saturday, but the pedometer fell off halfway through (I didn't realize this until I was picking up and I found it), and so it only registered about 1500 steps. Ah, well, maybe next time.

Dad's Week One

2008-04-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

April 3 start date
Thursday--5150
Friday--7900
Saturday--7350

Step Counter Suggestion

2008-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

From AARP

Record your steps for three days in a row. Then figure out how many steps you averaged each day (add all three numbers then divide by three). This helps you set targets for increasing your number of daily and weekly steps. Try to increase the number of steps you take each week by about 20 percent until you reach your goal. Record your progress using your step log.

Caring for Your Step Counter
With proper care, your step counter should continue working for years. You'll need to replace the battery when the numbers begin to dim. Here are some "don'ts" to keep your step counter from breaking:
*Don't use your step counter in or near water.
*Don't drop or step on it. (This is no brainer.)
*Don't leave it open in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
*Don't expose it to high heat.

Increasing Your Step Count
It's rewarding to see those steps increase on your step counter over time. One of the great things about walking is that you can easily work it into your daily routine. Here are little things you can do throughout your day to boost those numbers:

*Choose steps over escalators or elevators.
*Park farther away from your destination and walk the rest of the way.
*Personally deliver a message at work instead of using email or the telephone.
*Walk, rather than drive, when possible.
*Meet friends for a walk instead of lunch, dinner, or a movie.
*Mow your own grass.
*Brown bag it and walk to a park at lunch.
*Start a "lunch bunch" walking group.

Add your own ideas to the above list. With a little creativity and the help of your step counter, you'll be stepping your way to better fitness and health in no time!

Anyone have other ideas? Every time I go to the restroom I walk to the bishop's office and back.

Eye Strain

2008-04-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

Follow the 10/10/10 rule to help ease eye strain when doing close work or work at the computer. Every 10 minutes, take 10 seconds, to look 10 feet away.

Relax eyes by viewing 3D pictures. Learn how here:
Vision 3D

For 3D picures try 3D Stereograms.

Camilla's Thingy

2008-04-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

I forgot to wear mine last week, but I did do one day a few weeks ago (since I didn't read the memo about starting in April...oops.)
and I did 7,500 steps that day (from 8am to about 6pm). I'll see what I really get this week! My goal is to BEAT MELISSA!!! Muhahahaha!!!

Melissa's Week Two

2008-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

I tried an experiment this week: I only put my pedometer on after I did my morning exercise, just to see if I could get to 10,000 steps without it.

Monday: 8692
Tuesday: 15893 (Wow. Have no idea how that got to be so high!)
Wednesday: 12196
Thursday: 10472
Friday: 8717
Saturday: 1572 (either it kept resetting and I just didn't notice, or I really didn't move a lot yesterday. I did a lot of yard work and cleaning, but neither really used a lot of "steps". My body sure hurt by the end of the day, though.)

I'm still having re-setting problems. I'll have to try putting it on in the back...

Backwards Jessica

2008-04-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

My step counter arrived on Tuesday. The first thing I noticed was how terribly often it reset itself. Just like Melissa noted, it randomly decided to reset. At some point I moved it from the belly of my pants to the back and voila! No more resets!

One of the sites I found today suggested a taking the average of the first three days of counting as a starting number. Tomorrow will be day three for me. This particular site (yea, I know, I'm not really helpful...no link...nada. Search "step counter health" or something similar on google. AARP had a few tidbits on their site.) commented that people often significantly increase their activity within a week of wearing the counter just because they are paying attention to the counts.

Mom's Week One

2008-04-01T05:49:00.001-07:00

I did much better at the beginning of the week than the end. I was conscientious about walking up and down the hall every time I went to the restroom. Wednesday was my best day when we went for a walk around the yard. My goal is for next week is to do much better.

Monday--4000

Tuesday--4300

Wednesday--6090

Thursday-- 3000

Friday--3900
Saturday--3700

Keys To A Healthy Brain

2008-03-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

(SOURCE: ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION)

STAY MENTALLY ACTIVE
Mentally stimulating activities strengthen brain cells and the connections between them, and may even create new nerve cells.

REMAIN SOCIALLY ACTIVE
Social activity not only makes physical and mental activity more enjoyable, it can reduce stress levels, which helps maintain healthy connections among brain cells.

STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Physical exercise is essential for maintaining good blood flow to the brain as well as to encourage new brain cells. It also can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and thereby protect against those risk factors for Alzheimer's and other dementia.

ADOPT A BRAIN-HEALTHY DIET
Research suggests that high cholesterol may contribute to stroke and brain cell damage. A low fat, low cholesterol diet is advisable. And there is growing evidence that a diet rich in dark vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, may help protect brain cells.

Melissa's Week One

2008-03-30T13:38:00.001-07:00

I finally put it on on Tuesday, and after instruction reading and false starts finally got it working around 2 p.m. I also encountered a couple of other problems. I'll be going along and check it and everything's fine, but the next time I check it, it'll have reset itself. So, I took to writing down the steps intermittently during the day, then restarting it. That only worked sometimes. I don't know if I got an accurate count on any of the days. I also included my exercise in the morning. Was I supposed to not do that?? (Is this supposed to be a total count, including exercise, or 10,000 steps on top of exercise?)

Tuesday: 8329
Wednesday: 10,800
Thursday: 8410
Friday: 10,675
Saturday: 13,954

The Challenge

2008-03-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

The challenge is to improve activity by walking 10,000 steps a day. This is a goal to achieve and I'm really far from it, but look forward to finding ways to move closer. Each member of our challenge can log in their steps on a daily or weekly basis. Good luck to all.

MOM