1. < Diabetes & Endocrine System

Lighten Your Limbs With Friends

Posted by Retired Teacher @retiredteacher, Oct 28, 2018

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
Volunteer Mentor

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JK | @contentandwell | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@retiredteacher I lost Week 8 of Lightening my Limbs. Things got so hectic with having to..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@retiredteacher I lost Week 8 of Lightening my Limbs. Things got so hectic with having to cook and fix and go that exercising was not on the treadmill. Putting up, taking down, hauling into the attic just wore me out. I walked one time. The rest of the days were full of taking down decorations and hauling out trees and wreaths. I think I expended some calories and have been on the go up and down stairs, so maybe that counted. I intend to get back on schedule with Week 9. Sometimes things happen that we just can't control. Drives me crazy, but my OCD was an override on my exercises.
Back to Lightening my Limbs ASAP.
Carol

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@retiredteacher I’m sure many of us are in the same position. I finally got to the gym yesterday and the pool today, we still have our company and are on the way to a family get-together. I leave my decorations up until little Christmas so after everyone leaves we will have time to relax and enjoy how festive the house looks. The tree will have to come down though, it’s really dry and dropping needles.
JK

REPLY
Retired Teacher | @retiredteacher | Dec 29, 2018

@contentandwell Good for you to keep on exercising. I got so tired and am not used to preparing three meals a day and entertaining our son. He is an only child although he is 47 years old. He is divorced, but no children, thank goodness! He is very spoiled now as he was from the day he was born. He expects meals and doing what he wants when he is here. It's a vacation for him. I think not helping is pretty typical of Southern boys growing up----their mothers do everything or a maid does. My daddy was that way, and I've spoiled my husband too. So, it's my own fault that I have to do it all. But, at my age, it really wears me out, and I am worn to a frazzle for a while after he leaves, We always take down Christmas as soon as possible. We used to take it down on the 26th because son's birthday is the 27th. We didn't want him to confuse Christmas and his birthday. But, this year, we were so tired when he left that we didn't get everything stored until today. We were ready, but it rained every day, so we had to wait until today to get everything in the garage attic. What a chore! I hope to get back to walking tomorrow. I thought I could get my walking in, but it didn't work out that way. I'll get back in the routine and then do extra to check off Week 8.
Have a Happy New Year.
Carol

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Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@marvinjsturing I'm glad you could keep going. I thought I might be able to ignore the..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@marvinjsturing I'm glad you could keep going. I thought I might be able to ignore the holiday work long enough to exercise, but that wasn't possible. So, I just have to forgive myself and get back on schedule.I'll need to put in twice a day one week to make up for Week 8, but I never would have made doing all the waiting on folks if I hadn't strengthened my limbs in Nov. and Dec. I would not have had the endurance. My husband has his heart disease checks in Jan, so those days are always abnormal; it all depends on how he does with the tests. I know there are days that we won't be home, so Jan. may be a disaster too. One day at a time with Willie.
Happy New Year (early)
Carol

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Praying that all goes well with your husband's check-ups next month, @retiredteacher

REPLY
Retired Teacher | @retiredteacher | Dec 29, 2018

@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths to insert stents after a heart attack. The stents clogged so he had procedures to put stents inside stents. He's on a drug store of heart meds. Finally, did quad bypass and found aorta was calcified, so replaced that. We were in the heart hospital 17 days with six doctors. Kidneys stopped, had to have stents put in for that. In the last two years he has had different tests because the aorta is leaking. He is 77 years old, so I know and he knows that they are weighing surgery for the aorta or giving him meds. He is on the last big med that will lower his blood pressure. It's very scary. I have dialed 911 multiple times and we've flown screaming sirens to the hospital with doctors waiting. So they will do the first test and see what that shows. If that's not enough, then we go to the next level, and on. It is just unnerving to me. I will be praying every day and hope that the Good Lord will hold us in His healing hands.
Thanks for your response.
Carol

REPLY
3 replies
marvinjsturing | @marvinjsturing | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths to insert stents after a heart attack. The stents clogged so he had procedures to put stents inside stents. He's on a drug store of heart meds. Finally, did quad bypass and found aorta was calcified, so replaced that. We were in the heart hospital 17 days with six doctors. Kidneys stopped, had to have stents put in for that. In the last two years he has had different tests because the aorta is leaking. He is 77 years old, so I know and he knows that they are weighing surgery for the aorta or giving him meds. He is on the last big med that will lower his blood pressure. It's very scary. I have dialed 911 multiple times and we've flown screaming sirens to the hospital with doctors waiting. So they will do the first test and see what that shows. If that's not enough, then we go to the next level, and on. It is just unnerving to me. I will be praying every day and hope that the Good Lord will hold us in His healing hands.
Thanks for your response.
Carol

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Praying for you and your husband.

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1 reply
Retired Teacher | @retiredteacher | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @marvinjsturing "Praying for you and your husband." + (show)
@marvinjsturing

Praying for you and your husband.

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@marvinjsturing Thanks you. We have to do what we always do, and that is to turn it over to the Good Lord and the excellent doctors.
Carol

REPLY
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths to insert stents after a heart attack. The stents clogged so he had procedures to put stents inside stents. He's on a drug store of heart meds. Finally, did quad bypass and found aorta was calcified, so replaced that. We were in the heart hospital 17 days with six doctors. Kidneys stopped, had to have stents put in for that. In the last two years he has had different tests because the aorta is leaking. He is 77 years old, so I know and he knows that they are weighing surgery for the aorta or giving him meds. He is on the last big med that will lower his blood pressure. It's very scary. I have dialed 911 multiple times and we've flown screaming sirens to the hospital with doctors waiting. So they will do the first test and see what that shows. If that's not enough, then we go to the next level, and on. It is just unnerving to me. I will be praying every day and hope that the Good Lord will hold us in His healing hands.
Thanks for your response.
Carol

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He certainly has been through a lot of procedures. You are both to be commended for your grace under pressure, @retiredteacher.

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@marvinjsturing I'm glad you could keep going. I thought I might be able to ignore the..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@marvinjsturing I'm glad you could keep going. I thought I might be able to ignore the holiday work long enough to exercise, but that wasn't possible. So, I just have to forgive myself and get back on schedule.I'll need to put in twice a day one week to make up for Week 8, but I never would have made doing all the waiting on folks if I hadn't strengthened my limbs in Nov. and Dec. I would not have had the endurance. My husband has his heart disease checks in Jan, so those days are always abnormal; it all depends on how he does with the tests. I know there are days that we won't be home, so Jan. may be a disaster too. One day at a time with Willie.
Happy New Year (early)
Carol

Jump to this post

@retiredteacher Does your husband go for his heart checks somewhere close to where you live? I hope everything looks good for him. This getting old stuff really is not fun. 🙁
JK

REPLY
1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @retiredteacher "@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths..." + (show)
@retiredteacher

@hopeful33250 Thanks for prayers. He really has had a time with heart disease. Had five caths to insert stents after a heart attack. The stents clogged so he had procedures to put stents inside stents. He's on a drug store of heart meds. Finally, did quad bypass and found aorta was calcified, so replaced that. We were in the heart hospital 17 days with six doctors. Kidneys stopped, had to have stents put in for that. In the last two years he has had different tests because the aorta is leaking. He is 77 years old, so I know and he knows that they are weighing surgery for the aorta or giving him meds. He is on the last big med that will lower his blood pressure. It's very scary. I have dialed 911 multiple times and we've flown screaming sirens to the hospital with doctors waiting. So they will do the first test and see what that shows. If that's not enough, then we go to the next level, and on. It is just unnerving to me. I will be praying every day and hope that the Good Lord will hold us in His healing hands.
Thanks for your response.
Carol

Jump to this post

@retiredteacher I'll be praying right along with you, Carol. I hadn't realized or remembered when I wrote my prior post all that he (and you too) has gone through. Please keep us up to date on how he is doing.
JK

REPLY
Retired Teacher | @retiredteacher | Dec 30, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@retiredteacher Does your husband go for his heart checks somewhere close to where you live? I..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@retiredteacher Does your husband go for his heart checks somewhere close to where you live? I hope everything looks good for him. This getting old stuff really is not fun. 🙁
JK

Jump to this post

@jk his six month checks are an hour away from us---not too bad. I keep a rolling suitcase packed in case they have to admit him. If we need it, I'll have it. Just my OCD. I try to leave nothing to chance. I do not drive (panic attacks), so I stay with him 24/7. If they don't keep him, that's great.
Carol

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