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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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@retiredteacher @hopeful33250 I could not have expressed this better than Carol has. I do wish I knew years ago what I know now. The most important of these would be how much the extra weight I was carrying could effect my health. Sure, I knew it wasn’t healthy but I had no idea how many problems it could cause, and no doctors said much. Our close doctor friend thinks it’s almost unethical for doctors to not warn their patients of the health risks.
JK
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2 Reactions@contentandwell I totally agree, but I was always skinny until I had a hysterectomy and gained, but lost the weight through strict diet and exercise. So being overweight is not my personality. My wedding dress was a size 4! Growing up, there were very few places in a small town that had clothes I could wear, My mother was a master seamstress and made almost all of my clothes. So this weight problem is relatively new. For 6+ decades I was skinny. Transitioning to being overweight has not been good in any way. You are right. As I aged and gained weight, my dr. would just say, "You could lose some weight." She never insisted or tracked me---just made a suggestion.
Body image does matter, and being overweight is just not healthy.
@retiredteacher, Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher I was so skinny up until age 5 that my mother had trouble finding underwear that wouldn’t fall off! Then I had an appendectomy and it’s been a struggle ever since!
JK
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1 ReactionHip! Hip! Hooray! Today finished the third week of walking! I can't believe it. I thought I would take the day off, since two days off are allowed, but the habit kicked in, and I ate a good Thanksgiving lunch and decided I should exercise today because I am so thankful that I am working the Mayo Plan. Reporting to other walkers and being accountable have made me realize I wanted to walk today. My thinking about exercising is making that turn to knowing I need it for my health and strength. Tomorrow starts week 4. Wow! I hope all are having very positive results from this plan. I just love Mayo because they have made it easy for me. How is the group doing?
@retiredtecher, Carol
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4 ReactionsI took the day off yesterday. All the kids and grandkids were home so I just enjoyed visiting with them. Will get back at it later today. I am feeling good about the progress I am making. Hard to imagine we're on week four already, but as Kermit the Frog always says, "Times sure fun when you're having flies."
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3 ReactionsYeah! That's great, Marvin. We're doing really well. Everyone I hear from has made progress and feeling heathier. Some have added other exercises to go with the walking. I added going up and down my stairs. That really gets my legs! I can't wait to see where we all are at Week 12! Glad you had a Happy Thanksgiving. The next eating challenge is Christmas. But, even with Thanksgiving food, I was able to monitor myself. I thought, I don't want to exercise and then undo it all by eating wrong.
@retiredteacher, Carol
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1 Reaction@retiredteacher Good for you Carol, you must feel so proud of yourself. Not only have I eaten more than I should this week, but I haven't managed to exercise since Wednesday. I definitely will tomorrow. I had such plans to be good when we went to my stepson's for Thanksgiving dinner but dinner had to wait until their son arrived from SF so we didn't eat until 9:00 PM! Of course we were all starving by then so the crackers and cheese and other appetizers were gobbled up. I brought numerous desserts and I did manage to just have one small piece of a pear, cranberry, walnut crostata that I bought at an excellent local bakery. I made everything else myself so I was able to resist them since they were things I have often prepared before.
JK
@retiredteacher Stairs really are good for exercise I think. We plan to downsize sometime in the not too distant future and my husband wants a one-story home. I am trying to keep it to a house with a first floor master bedroom but with a second floor. I think it's good to have the stairs to help with exercise.
JK
@contentandwell, JK We downsized from a one story ranch to this two story (almost a 1/2 second story).. It's not large, but the master is up stairs. That's a mistake we made. The master should be on the ground floor because if there are problems, it's easier than having to climb stairs. But, we were younger when we bought this house, and the stairs weren't a problem. With health problems there are a drudgery. So, you're on the right track to get a down master. If I could do it over again, I'd never have a master on the second floor. Our guest room is on the first floor. The only plus is that if I don't feel like straightening the second story rooms, no one sees them. There are only two bedrooms and two baths upstairs, but not convenient.
@retiredteacher, Carol
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1 Reaction@contentandwell JK, Don't beat yourself up. As they say. "If you fall off of the wagon, just hop back on and keep going." That's what makes holidays starting with frightening Halloween through New Years really hard for me. I love all the goodies, but being in control helped me get through the first two and now Christmas and New Years to go. I've made up my mind, and that's the solution for me. That and being accountable to other walkers. Forgive yourself and get on the road again when you are ready.
I'm so glad you are with me.
@retiredteacher, Carol
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