A lot of us are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Not a very pleasant thought, but perhaps a motivator: diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure. Now this doesn't mean all people with diabetes will develop kidney failure, but it is something to try and avoid.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure is second most common cause of kidney failure.
It is probably really important at our ages, to keep regular doctor's appointments. Get those blood tests done. So many problems can be avoided if we learn early that problems may be developing.
Patti
Chiliwist Valley
Donna, I am going to have to check out those tapes. I have a lot of patients that could use this. Do you know of any tapes that deal specifically with balance?
Hi Gail welcome
[Ava, Missouri
Bev, your a lovely lady
welcome to the fray, Gial. We hope the best in health and well being for all of us in 2013. Glad to have you along in this journey to health, too.
As we age, the space between our vertebra shrink and we loss inches. It can lose that much. So, not surprised.
I am having esophaegal spasms, again. Eating is not what I can do yet, apparently. Will have to go back to liquids. Hovering around 156 -157. Would imagine, with this diet again, will go down a lot more, without changing a thing. That said, I still need the exercise and the motivation of all of you!!.
Angele: Kelli your sidekick was named after my baby brother,,,lol. Except that my Leon is 6 ft tall and about 240. He's a great guy!
Kelli your sidekick was named after my baby brother,,,lol. Except that my Leon is 6 ft tall and about 240. He's a great guy!
LOL!! I love it! We watch a LOT of movies and we actually named him after Leon Phelps, The Ladies Man. LOL Our other dog we named after Bernie Mac. LOL
Marge P
My mom was 6' tall and with osteoporosis shrunk down to 5'4'' before her passing. Osteo can be such a horrible condition.
Vinton, Virginia
Patti:Do you know of any tapes that deal specifically with balance?
Yes, one of the "Sit and be Fit" tapes deals with specifically with balance. But I have no personal experience with that specific tape. I believe the NIA tape also touches on balance, but not very much. I can let you know some of the things we do in our classes...very simple and very effective over time...if practiced regularly. Do you want me to pm them to you or post them here? Are others interested in balance as well? (One of the main motivation for our classes is falls prevention. There are some horrible statistics about falls leading to permanent stays in nursing homes...that could have been prevented.)
Winthrop, WA
Donna B: Do you want me to pm them to you or post them here? Are others interested in balance as well?
It would probably be good for many of us. Where do you do your classes? Maybe I could attend one.
Donna, I am interested in the balance tapes and would appreciate it if you could post here or PM them to me also. Thanks..
from TN
Patti:Where do you do your classes? Maybe I could attend one.
The classes are held in Twisp at the Twisp Grange Hall on Monday and Thursday mornings. We would love to have you come and observe, but we usually insist that you have to join in...LOL! I will pm you the specifics. DH and I are both coming down with bugs so may have to cancel class tomorrow (don't want to spread this to our seniors).
LaJuan Sukochi Lee: Hi, Mindy. It interests me that you had gastric bypass surgery. I had a Nissen Fundiplacation on Oct 2, 2012. I, too, am only able to eat limited amounts of food at one sitting. As a for instance, we had Minestrone Soup for dinner and I was only able to eat a small, ( fruit bowl size), portion. Sometimes, I can not even eat that much.I drink Ensure for breakfast and one small bottle fills me up. Breads, and most dry foods get stuck in my esophagus. I have gone from 175 on Oct. 23rd, to 156 now. Is your situation, similar to this? So glad to have you with us. Happy New Year to you.
Hi, Mindy. It interests me that you had gastric bypass surgery. I had a Nissen Fundiplacation on Oct 2, 2012. I, too, am only able to eat limited amounts of food at one sitting. As a for instance, we had Minestrone Soup for dinner and I was only able to eat a small, ( fruit bowl size), portion. Sometimes, I can not even eat that much.I drink Ensure for breakfast and one small bottle fills me up. Breads, and most dry foods get stuck in my esophagus. I have gone from 175 on Oct. 23rd, to 156 now. Is your situation, similar to this?
So glad to have you with us. Happy New Year to you.
Hi LaJuan,
I am not sure what the procedure you had done is, but, yes I am very similar. BUT, since I am 10 years out many of the problems you are dealing with now I have pretty much forgotten! LOL-- that first year was not pleasant, other than losing the weight. At first the most I could eat was 1 Tablespoon of something like yogurt..I moved on to thin mashed potatoes and then finally to somethng like scrambled eggs. For the most part the first year I subsided on protein shakes. I do NOT regret it for an instant..yes was hard but well worth it. Am a little bummed I am back as big as I am but I know the reason (needing exercise) and is actually easily corrected. I still to this day cannot eat much in the bread groups. Simply fills me up after literally 3 or 4 bites. I count it as a good thing :) I am still at a place where I eat maybe a full cup of food at a time and feel stuffed like I just had the hugest turkey dinner. Now...I am NOT going to tell you my "cheating" ways, simply say there are things I do that I know I shouldn't..but a newbie like you shouldn't even think of them ;P
I worry for you that you started at such a low weight (and YES I do think 175 is low for drastic measures) that you may not be able to slow your weight loss once you get to the point you want to be at. That was my problem in that first year. The last 15#'s was just too much and I did not look healthy. That's when I discovered some of my cheating ways to slow it down.
I wish you all the best and can't wait to hear how everything goes for you.
Ahhh, yes Donna, I am very interested in the balance tapes. Just this morning I went backwards in getting out of the tub. It is a good thing that the grab bar was at my back, I guess, because it broke my fall and twisted and came undone at one end in breaking my fall. It was actually like floating backward until I came to the wall. Absolutely no injury involved and I put the grab bar back in place. I have noticed lately that I have a tendency to fall backwards easily if I am not touching something solid when I change positions. Oh, the charms of getting older. LOL Ginny
Patti: Donna B: Do you want me to pm them to you or post them here? Are others interested in balance as well? It would probably be good for many of us.
It would probably be good for many of us.
A simple balance improving exercise to do at home involves standing next to your kitchen counter (for those of you with foot issues, I have an alternative at the end, so look below). Stand next to your kitchen counter with one hip close (3"-4") to the counter and the closest hand resting just above the counter so your fingertips can touch if necessary. Stand up straight and tall, roll your shoulders up and back so your weight is centered over your hips and on both feet equally. Try to tighten your tummy muscles to support your spine (this is not sucking air, but just attempting to pull your belly button closer to your spine. If this doesn't work for you yet, don't worry...it will be easier as you progress with your fitness.
Now, I want you to lift your outside foot (if your left hip is against the counter, this would be your right foot) slightly off the floor by bending your knee and bringing your foot behind your ankle/calf. You don't need to raise the foot high, just off the floor is enough. The point is to shift your weight completely onto the standing leg and balance on that leg for a few seconds...hopefully without touching the counter. (But if you need to touch, try just your fingertips to stabilize yourself then concentrate again on balancing on the one leg) While you are balancing, count slowly (one - one thousand; two - one thousand; three - one-thousand)...see if you can balance for 5 seconds on each leg before you need to touch your foot down. Also, while doing this, be sure you don't tip your hip into the counter for support...you want to be upright - straight and tall. If five seconds is easy for you, try 10...or 15. But start where you are comfortable and do that for at least a week before you increase your time. If you can only do three seconds...that is OK...you will improve!
Now turn/reverse directions with the opposite hip against the counter and stand on the other leg and do the same thing. Harder this time??? That is not surprising... most people will usually start with their dominant and strongest leg so this second leg might be your biggest challenge. Keep working at it and you will see big results.
I would suggest you do this at least once a day, every day! Start where you are comfortable, but challenged and then increase your time on each leg in weekly increments.
One very important thing: Keep looking forward when you do these exercises! Don't look down at your knees, feet and toes!
Please post them here Donna, I think a lot of people would benefit from them. I walk looking down because I'm afraid to fall. A few people in my life ended up in a nursing home because of falls and not too long after died, don't want that for any of us. Thanks. I'm still looking for that tape, saved it in a safe place so I couldn't find it, I guess. LOL
Millbury, MA