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Lighten Your Limbs With Friends
Hello all. I have Diabetes 2 and have avoided exercise for over 2 1/2 years. I am overweight and know that I need to get moving and lose weight. I have always had excuses not to do anything much before. I have a treadmill, and I look at it, but I never use it. A few weeks ago, I decided that it is time to lighten my limbs. I received my Mayo newsletter. and it included a twelve-week Exercise Plan. It was like fate that I had decided to exercise and Mayo dropped the perfect routine in my lap. Because it's 12 weeks and not years and years, as some plans are, the Mayo is doable. They're not asking me to run a marathon!
It's a way to get stronger and healthier. However, one part was missing: I need to be accountable to somebody else. I would love for other Connects to join me so that we could celebrate our success each week. I don't want to wait to January when all we hear is "New Year, New You." So I thought it would be good to start before the bombardment of ads for gym equipment and promises to lose many pounds too fast (and gain it back even faster). I needed a plan that will work for me and anybody else, and Mayo has given it to us.
Let's get a jump on 2019 by finishing strong in 2018. If we start the first week on Friday, November 2, 2018 (only four days from now), it will propel us through the weekend and keep us going. Just think: By January 25th, we will have completed the 12 weeks. Just when other people are trying to keep their exercise resolutions, we'll have finished 12 weeks. We'll be lighter, heathier, and stronger. We also will have gotten into the habit of exercising and hopefully, do another 12 weeks. Doesn't that sound good? To be able to say, "I'm healthier and feel so much better and have lighter limbs." For the first time I am excited to exercise, but I need others to come along with me. I need the accountability.
Please join me and give it a try. Come along with me so we can say it's not just my 12 weeks, but it's our 12 weeks. The first week asks us to do 5 minutes of warm up, five minutes of brisk walking, and five minutes of cool down. That's only 15 minutes. I can do that! The walking is the speed that you are comfortable with. The warm up and cool down are just slower walking. It can be outside, in your house, at a gym---wherever you feel comfortable and whatever time of day is convenient. Nothing required except determination and desire to make it 12 weeks.
I'll post the exercise times for each week once we get started. Let's give this gift to ourselves and improve throughout the holidays. If you have any questions, send me a note, and I'll answer what I have from Mayo.
Everybody's walking! Sounds great to me.
@retiredteacher
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@susu2 I certainly can identify needing to be in control. That is definitely a symptom of retired teacher syndrome. Even as a retired teacher, I will always define myself that way. It was (and still is) my passion. I did not want to retire ever, but the Good Lord had other plans.
I think this 12 week program will be a great way to move into the Y program after the holidays. I love the holidays, but as a Diabetic 2 I am glad when they are over because of all the illegal food that is everywhere. I feel like I'm in a maze and avoiding all the calorie and carb-laden dishes is a real trial. But, with the 12 week Mayo Plan, I can focus on my exercise and being successful in that rather than thinking about food.
Your post makes me more determined because you have a plan for after the holidays. After the 12 weeks, I hope I will continue with the 12 weeks again. In 12 week segments, I can handle that.
@retired teacher
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher Carol, I am in a slightly different position, but I would love to join the group. I was very gradually losing weight prior to my cirrhosis diagnosis. When I found out I would need a liver transplant I got serious about weight loss and exercise because I knew the better shape I was in, the better my recovery would be. Also, the possibility of having to dual list was in the back of my mind -- some transplant centers require a BMI under 30 which mine certainly was not.
I lost a very significant amount of weight and then just about a year ago I started losing more for no apparent reason! I felt like it was a "get out of jail free" ticket! I stopped losing weight and am now about 10 pounds over where I want to be. I really want to lose that weight and would like to lose at least five more than that. I already do exercise a lot --pool exercise at least 3 times a week, for about an hour and a half each time, I go to the gym at my health club 2 - 3 times a week, and I do my recumbent bike a few times a week for 25 - 30 minutes each time. I also need accountability, but more for the diet than the exercise, although I hate going to exercise and have to really push myself. After I do I am glad I did it, and feel almost smug about it.
I have been using myfitnesspal for food accountability and that has been a tremendous help. I also wear a fitness tracker to encourage myself to make my goal -- my son has the same fitness tracker and I have discovered that he checks up on me! That keeps me honest, for sure. Recently though I keep getting off track. I start out fine in the morning, and then I get out of bed. 😉 Today I am doing fairly well overall on the diet but due to some other circumstances I have not done much exercise. Right now I am really fighting myself, I am sort of hungry and would really like a treat.
If my goals and needs are not too far off from what you intend the group to be, then count me in. Also, I highly recommend myfitnesspal for anyone serious about trying to lose weight, and with that you can friend other people using it to encourage each other. It gives you a breakdown of what you have eaten and you can see where you went wrong, if you did.
Whether or not my needs fit in, I think this is a great idea. The encouragement and support of others really does help.
JK
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2 ReactionsWow, JK, you are an exercise expert. When I was young, I did aerobic dancing, power walking, and swimming, but only the aerobic dancing was with a group. But as I am older, I make excuses not to exercise. Then I got this Mayo Plan. It looks like it will be progressive enough to start slowly and move up a week at a time. That's something I can do. If you think it will work for you, then add it and you can see if it makes a difference. It may be too easy, but you'll determine that. It's the one part of having Diabetes 2 that I have not been able to do. I have my food under control, so I have to add exercise. This Mayo Plan is something I can am going to do. Maybe I'll lose a few pounds, but mainly I need to be healthier and stronger.
Come along and you can see how it measures up to the other exercises you are doing. Thanks for suggesting MyFitnessPal. That sounds like a good tool also. I figure if we have the tools, we can get the job done.
Glad to hear from you.
@retiredteacher
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3 Reactions@retiredteacher Thanks Carol. I will probably be more interested in diet tips and accountability on that if that is part of the group. If not then perhaps it won't work for me. I really do not like to walk outside, but I could do my walking on the track at my health club. Actually after walking so many miles on vacation I had been thinking about getting back to walking on the track.
JK
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2 Reactions@contentandwell I am going to report each week to those who want to participate. Since I started this, I think it's important that I am accountable. That's always been my weakness in exercise---not being accountable and then just sliding away from what I intended to do. Having others along was the main reason I mentioned this plan. I don't know if diet tips will be a part, but some who are interested may share food-related tips. You don't have to walk outside. I can't walk outside, so I'll use my treadmill. One of the neatest ways I heard lately was house walking. Follow a trail through the rooms of your home. I have a two story house so going up and down stairs and through my rooms would be good for me---maybe one of these days. For now, it will be the treadmill. Exercise is like Diabetes, everyone is different so we just have to see what works for each of us. See what you think.
@retiredteacher
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3 ReactionsOK. I'll give it a try. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic. I was able to control it with metformin, diet and exercise. I was walking 3-4 miles a day. Four years ago I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I had surgery for the cancer. The doctor removed most of my pancreas so now I am treated as a Type I diabetic. Chemo following surgery destroyed my kidneys. I was recently approved for a kidney transplant and was told that recovery would go better if I lost some weight. I am retired for medical reasons, but I have been cancer free for 4 years now! (I have to be cancer free for 5 years before i can have a transplant.) And by the way, I also taught school for 17 years before taking an IT job at a bank.
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3 Reactions@marvinjsturing. Good morning Marvin, I am excited to have a man along on this 12 week walk. It's always good to see things from different points of view. This program should be beneficial and hopefully remind you how good you felt when you walked 3-4 miles a day. When I was young, I walked at the most 5 miles three or four times a week. I always felt better when I did and then through work and other activities and obligations, exercise went by the wayside. Twenty-four hours a day weren't enough for everything, so I discarded exercise. Big mistake.
I am so impressed that you have conquered your health challenges, and you are able to work as you wait for your transplant . It is my hope that Lightening our Limbs plan will make all of us heathier and stronger. A bonus may be losing weight too. I hope you lose enough so that you can continue to prepare for you transplant surgery. Being active for 12 weeks, can't hurt, so I hope everyone benefits and has lighter limbs at the end of the 12th week. Even if I don't lose a lot of weight, I know it will make me stronger and healthier and I'll better deal with my Diabetes 2.
I feel like the theme song will be Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again." Every day I want to be on the road for twelve weeks and celebrate at the end.
I have to go back and see how many people plan to start, but we're already a small group, which is great for accountability. The Starting time is November 2nd, this Friday. I am getting prepared. One week of 15 minutes a day. We can do that and be ready to continue.
On your mark, get set, and we'll be ready to go this Friday, November 2nd to get a jump on the weekend.
Welcome, Marvin.
@retiredteacher
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3 ReactionsThe song, "On the Road Again" is a great one for this new program, @retiredteacher! Perhaps we can all hum that when we need inspiration!
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3 Reactions@hopeful33250, Humming Willie would be a great theme song. I'm going to put it on my Songs list and put the ear buds in and let it play! Everything is coming together and Willie's song will add more push.
Thanks for that suggestion.
@retiredteacher
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2 ReactionsThank you so much for being so welcoming and encouraging. I was able to use the link provided by Carol (I think -- I'm new to this and am not positive if the link was provided by Carol, Volunteer Mentor or Susu2). I now have the article prnted so I can easily follow along. I am really excited to try this program. It sounds like something I can do and the accountability will be wonderful. Prior to retiring I attended a pilates class twice a week -- because I was committed to meet with the instructor -- I know that commitment and accountability are necessary for me to succeed.
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