Guest Post

This week is a challenging week with a public holiday smack bang in the middle of it. I didn't go to the gym, but I did go for a short walk today. 

On Sunday, my husband surprised me by organising this week - usually it's me doing that kind of thing. At the end of the organising of chores etc. He put at the end "Felicia will plan low calorie diet plan" "Phil (my husband) will eat what is put in front of him". For me, that is a real achievement, so I'm really happy about that and I made fish for dinner which he ate most of it - some of the veg got left behind, but it's a start and I'm proud of him of the changes that he has been making recently.

Last week some activity happened with this blog, I was approached and asked to do a guest post. As I've never done this before, so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Please enjoy this post by David Has who has researched and complied a report - Exercise for Cancer Patients. His post is extremely informative and is worth a read. Even though I don't have cancer, I have known people who have. What David has written is good for cancer patients who need some extra motivation, or the average person who wants to get healthy.

Please read post below and any feedback is welcome. Enjoy!

By David Has

Exercise Research for Cancer Patients Continues to Grow

Exercise programs for cancer patients have popped up around the country and many of them continue to grow each year. The once anecdotal benefits of a few high-profile athletes diagnosed with cancer have been quantified over numerous studies focusing on everything from overall symptom management to increased efficacy of specific treatments. Cancer experts now advise every patient to get involved in a regular workout program and avoid physical inactivity.

One of the programs to have gained success over the past decade is the Stanford Living Strong Living Well partnership. With the help of YMCA resources and experts like Dr. Abby King, the Stanford partnership has helped more than one thousand patients find the motivation and expertise to exercise safely through every stage of cancer, from diagnosis to remission. Active research has made it possible to individualize fitness programs with the best understanding of the most beneficial routines for patients in a variety of circumstances.

Research-based Approach to Exercise

Physical activity has been proven beneficial and safe for cancer patients, but the idea can be overly vague for newcomers and those striving to maintain motivation. Most people will not have access to such a strong, community-based program, and doctors may or may not be amicable to consulting with fitness experts. Doctors may also be unaware of the latest research on specific forms of cancer and expert recommendations of different types of exercise to use in different situations.

There is a lot of good news in this area though. The number of fitness experts certified in cancer care is projected to grow in the near future. It is only a matter of time and increasing patient advocacy before all cancer clinics and insurance providers begin supporting the standard inclusion of a fitness component into treatment programs. Until then, most patients new to exercise can safely go it alone by keeping in mind a few fitness basics. Patients receiving treatment for mesothelioma, or other palliative care, will find physical therapy resources available through their clinic or hospital.

Keeping Exercise Safe

The biggest risks for patients deciding to begin a workout program are the risk of injuries and the fact that epidemiological studies show that patients tend to drop out of fitness programs at a higher rate than the general population. Injuries can be prevented by following a couple of fitness rules that apply to everyone. Newcomers should always begin with low-intensity forms of exercise with a short duration. Gradual increase in duration and intensity will prevent most injuries. Staying hydrated is also extremely important.

Maintaining motivation is difficult in the face of treatment, because the common symptoms of cancer treatment can be debilitating. It is necessary to realize that the fatigue, digestive upset, depression and other symptoms can be reduced with continued participation. A good tactic for maintaining motivation is the buddy system. Enlisting friends, family, and other cancer patients can go a long ways toward making the effort feel worthwhile. The benefits of exercise during cancer are too important to risk losing.

Forward one step, two steps back

So this weekend, hasn't been the best for me physically. I've had late nights out and have not been taking care of myself and I can feel the difference. I was at a friend's birthday this afternoon (for an afternoon tea) and found myself feeling a bit sick. After trying like mad to stay healthier, I've found that I'm preferring healthy foods, as too much sugar and preservatives just make me feel sick.

Despite the health setbacks, I've had a good weekend, busy, but it's been good. I've been catching up with old friends, making new friends and generally just having a good time. It's nice to have a weekend where I'm not at home doing well...nothing. Not to mention last week, I was at the gym 3 times last week and only Friday did I not do any strenuous exercise. (I should be a bit more active on the weekends too perhaps)

My goal this week is to go to the gym at least four times. The reason that I'm going a bit nuts is because of my overseas trip and I need to strengthen my hip, as I'll be walking everywhere and I need it to be strong enough to handle the four weeks away. I'll be leaving in 25 days (can't tell I'm counting) and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll most likely post some pics on my photography blog and facebook of my adventures. Ahh, love adventures!

Have a good week!

Getting my fitness on

This week has been going well, been to the gym three times and I plan on going again tonight - if my body will let me. I had a personal training session last night at the gym and the trainer is really good. They push me to work harder on my fitness levels which even though it's hard and body parts start hurting, I like that. It's like they're motivating me to try harder which I really like. Here's to hoping I can do four days a week!

On Target

So the last couple of days, I've been doing better. Always a good thing, and tomorrow I have a personal training appointment, and will also mark three days in a row to the gym! I'm on a roll!! I want to go on Thursday too, and Friday, a couple of drinks with friends after work. I'm really looking forward to Friday because I'll be catching up with someone I haven't seen for a while and she'll be going back home to England in a week, and I've missed her and missed our chats. She's so much fun, and just a really lovely person, I hope that she'll be able to come back.

Oh and today is 30 days until... EUROPE!!! I can't wait!! I'm going to buy a calendar and put it up in the office for all to see. Tehe

I was under my calorie goal for today and yesterday, which I'm really happy with, and really hoping I'll be able to keep it up. Oh and I have a fitness diary as well, which gives me a challenge for the next day. It's helping and I'm really grateful. I also prayed today, which I haven't done in a while, and my spirits felt lifted for the entire day. I didn't even feel guilty eating nutella out the of jar with a spoon. Oh yeah, and even doing that, I'm still under my calorie goal. Praises to God, He lifts burdens.

Here's to doing it all again tomorrow; giving to God and to not feel guilty about every bite of food I eat, whether it's the choc chip biscuit I have at work or the nutella I eat out of the jar.

Self Appreciation

So, I'm going overseas in approximately five weeks, and I'm really excited to be going.

My mother called me up about 18 months ago and said "Flea, that's it, I'm taking you overseas!" well, I was more than happy to agree, as the prospect of going overseas is always exciting. As I was going through my clothes this evening, swapping my summer clothes to my winter clothes (because that's how the weather is in Melbourne, it's best erratic, and winter starts at about April, despite the fact that the winter months in Australia, technically, are June - August) I realised how many clothes I was throwing away. Clothes from before I got married, I still had in my wardrobe in the hope of fitting into them again.

Tip: unless you are really aware of what and how much you eat, don't consider getting married until you consider his eating habbits. I learnt that the hard way. On my wedding day, I was fit and healthy- one year later, I packed on 3 clothes sizes and had gotten unfit, lazy and very unhappy and wondering how the hell did this happen?? I'll tell you what; laziness and portion distortion happened. Fast forward to today, heading into my fifth year of marriage, and I'm still struggling with that extra weight and trying to get it off. I'm much healthier than I was in that first year of marriage, despite what our family likes to tell us, and how much harder we need to try. We get it, thank you for being the constant drones in our ears reminding us of our health and well being. After all these years we're finally listening to you. But I'll never admit fault - I mean, who likes to admit to their parents that they were right after all these years?

Back to this evening: I realised that I didn't appreciate my body and hadn't for a very long time. Even at my healthiest, I didn't accept my body, thinking I was out of proportion, and now I just feel chubby everywhere with elephant thighs and a bum that may rival J-Lo's. My husband isn't complaining and it would be nice to look in the mirror and see what he sees.

Would it be ironic after all this to say that I love watching television shows "how to look good naked" and "what not to wear?" I've learnt what suits my body and what doesn't. There are parts of my body that I like, and learning to appreciate, and parts that I can't bear to look at in the mirror. I try to make a habbit of looking at myself in the mirror maybe once a day, and really look. It's a hard thing to do, but it does help. If only I could get to the point of self acception enough to not feel defeated when I throw out my favourite dress that I haven't been able to fit into for nearly six years. Maybe that's my fault; don't have anything in my wardrobe over two years old that I don't wear/doesn't fit. Then my illusions of myself will finally come to a place that's closer to reality.