Thursday, October 22, 2009

It's tricky to find the right way to treat me

Yesterday I tried investigating some different exercises in an attempt to take some of the possible muscle development off my back muscles for a while. It's a tricky proposition, because of the limitations we have here. Traditional aerobics is out because of the stomping( we live on the third floor of a complex and my knee does to take well to high impact exercises). Running is completely forbidden because of the knee. I have no tread mil or other such equipment ( or space or money for one),no bike, re bounders aggravate my bladder ( you don't get far with calorie burn if you take three bounces and have to find a bathroom NOW), yoga and belly dancing aggravate the back muscles which then case pain when I lay down to sleep. It takes a lot of thinking to figure out what will get me moving, moving for a sustained enough time to get a calorie burn and will not aggravate my back or knee. The answer seems to be certain yoga postures, some walking and assorted calisthenics that do not involve impact with my knee. Squats are out but planks are okay for example. Hand weights and resistance bands are okay. Very modified crunches are also okay.It seemed to work well, and last night I got a decent nights sleep.

In other matters, my son is keeping count of the days till Halloween, and campaigning that we have a night of spooky looking food. Halloween is a pretty big deal in this house because of my faith path , because it honors the ancestors. My son knows this ( hubby and son are of an opposing faith), but still the commercial presentation of this holiday with assorted axe yielding maniacs and insane criminals seem to be everywhere. Some monster figures are okay , because they are depictions of our darker human nature or based on historical attitudes, so it's a somewhat gentle battle to reach a compromise. Thank goodness for Family Fun.com for their fun, spooky and healthy food ideas !

Speaking of food

yesterday's breakfast- a large egg scrambled with a slice of provalone cheese, 3 slices of turkey bacon and a Thomases English Muffin with butter spray for 300 calories

Lunch was a grilled cheese( slice of mild cheddar) on an Arnolds Thin with celery, carrots and a sliced apple for 300

I was kind of craving something creamy at snacktime so I opted for a carton of Fiber One yogert, a 100 calorie pack of almonds and a Wasa Multigran cracker for 200 calories

Dinner had one of my new weaknesses- roast root veggies ! This mix was butternut squash, sweet potato and blue potatoes. I am a sucker for colorful food ! Served with steamed spinach and a chicken breast cooked in Fit and Active cream of mushroom soup. Really yummy at 375 calories !

We caught Glee ( I think it is the most brilliant show on this season) and I snacked on a 100 calorie pack of almonds, a Fiber Plus bar and an apple sprinkled with cinnamon ( flavor, blood sugar stabilizer and flu preventative) for 300 calories. Total calories for the day 1470.

Today will be a day of walking , and begining to assemble goodies for the trick or treaters. I decided this year to give out 100 calorie packs of cookies instead of candy. First off, why would I contribute to childhood obesity when I am working so hard to correct it ? Second, when we wind up with leftovers ( which always happens here) I ill not be scrambling to figure out what to do with them. Seems like a win win thing.

Question- what are you planning on handing out this Halloween ?

4 comments:

Diane, Fit to the Finish said...

We don't get trick or treaters here since we are out in the country! I like your idea of handing out a healthier/lower calorie alternative.

Diane, I have a Pilates Complete for Weight Loss DVD that I picked up at a yard sale. It's suppossed to be great for strengthening, weight loss, etc without placing undo stress on the joints. If you'd like it I'd be glad to send it to you. Let me know. It might be another thing to add into your routine.
Here's my email if you want it:

fittothefinish@hotmail.com

Psalmist said...

This year, I am handing out bat and pumpkin shaped pretzels. I bought these little snack bags, and they are 50 calories per bag. I feel much better giving those to the kids than a bunch of sugar. They are still fun though, being in cool shapes and in a colorful halloween bag.

Marisa @Loser for Life said...

Haven't caught Glee, yet - I heard it's great!

I like to give out AirHeads and Nerds mainly because I can have those in the house without going crazy! I'm not big on the candy, but the kids seem to love them!

Di said...

Diane- you are very sweet to offer the DVD, but I have one of my own ( Pilates/Yoga workout). DVD's have become a problem as we no longer have a DVD player, and anything we watch has to be through the computer, which becomes really tricky to use between school use and then getting the bodies out of the room long enough to have room to work. This is one reason why the Wii Fit works so well for us . It has yoga, strength training, aerobic and balance exercises and you can set your own routine. Using the Wii has been a lot easier ( space and competition for the TV) than DVD's have proven to be. We live in 725 Sq ft, and between computer stuff, music stuff( my hubby's second job is a song leader) and books we cannot get in luxuries like living room furniture, and almost any exercise means something is going to get knocked. We are planning on a move this spring to a place with more floor space, first level and so forth to address several of these issues !

Jennifer- they sound yummy , and healthy !

Marisa- GREAT strategy ! I have done similar things in years past- hand out something I will not lose control over. Last year we saved all the leftover candy ans made Gingerbread houses out of, but this year I thought something different might be better.