Pain-free Paynes Prairie!

The Sister

Hiiiiii!
Went out to Paynes Prairie on Sunday morning with the sis and a friend of mine.  Was such a beautiful day and a really nice walk!  We wandered around for about 90 minutes, looking at gators-wild ponies- butterflies-caterpillars-and wild ponies!  (Saw some fresh bison poo but no bison...bummer!)

The warm sunshine and easy walk with a good friend helped me to be pain-free (along with, of course, my Linimax and multi-vitamin!) . . . the sis had some hip pain, unfortunately :(  Pretty frustrating to see/know that she is going through the same pain problems that I am/have been going through.  *However, selfishly, it IS "nice" to know someone 'knows how I feel', even though I wish it didn't hurt.  Make sense?  Not really. haha!


Kim (our 'guide') and me out at the Prairie.  It was pretty, but dry!



We had a great morning soaking in the sun, the fresh air, nature, critters, and physical activity.  Very refreshing for mind and body.  I am definitely an advocate for moving around OUTDOORS when able and moving *slowly* sometimes to take in the world around you.  It's pretty breathtaking.

 



Sunbathing Gator!


What did you do this weekend to enjoy some fresh air and physical activity?  How can you get outside this week to move around a bit?  You will feel better because of it (if done safely) :)  And--bring a friend!! 


Wild Ponies :)



pretty little butterfly!



MIA!

HEEEEEEEEEEEEY

Wow, where have ya'll been?!  :-)  Kidding, kidding.  Hopefully you've been moving all over the place!!

Here's the dealio:  I'm in my last semester of grad school, working on 2 huge research papers, and taking a finance class which *makes me want to stab my eyeballs out* <--a little exaggerated, but all the same...OH and trying to figure out where I will be working/living/making-money-to-repay-gradschooloutofstateloans in 4 weeks! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

SO

Last time, I posted on Walking Gators.  Since then, I fit into that dress for the wedding :) However, my physical activity has been on the low end :( Sad, sad thing.  Mostly walking from library-to-library on campus, walking to and from the bus, about once per week getting into the gym to do a workout either my friend SS designed for class or that I designed for the early morning team at LivingWell. 

However!!! I have been taking Linimax, began taking a multivitamin daily, and my hips have been feeling SO MUCH better ANNND I have a LOT more energy!!  WOOHOO!!!

As well, I cashed in on my LivingSocial deal that I purchased last March: 30minutes of Massage, and 30minutes of Acupuncture.  First acupuncture treatment: SUCCESS!  I need to talk more about these things later, ahh, so much to do and so little time...and with all of the work that I am doing on the computer for writing and research, I try not to be on my blog and email (and facebook) as much..................

Please! Keep moving!  Anyone else out there enjoy massage and/or acupuncture?

zZzZSleeeeepZzZz

Oh.
My.
Gosh!

I SLEPT LAST NIGHT.  I, honest to goodness, had what may have been the first "restorative" sleep in . . . months?  A year?  Whoa.  So good.

Not only that, I woke up at 5:45am and left at 6:20 (75 degrees!) for a 45-min walk with the dog . . . and had ZERO HIP PAIN pre-during-or post walk!

WOW WOW WOW WOW.

I have taken only 4 tablets of the Watkins Linimax product that my mom sent to me and I actually felt less pain after the first 2 doses.  I have taken one after supper and after breakfast for the last 2 days (this morning having been the fourth dose, so really, I had only taken 3 tablets prior to my walk).  I felt reasonably comfortable upon going to bed last night at 10:30pm: I didn't have hip pain on EITHER hip.  WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW.  I only woke one time (that I recall) to go to the bathroom (inevitable).  I know my ma and stepdad have been taking this product for a little while and have had success in decreasing knee pain.  I was a little skeptical about taking a supplement when I advocate for whole-food nutrition, but with their success AND the good name and quality that goes into Watkins products (made in Minnesota-booyah!), I decided that I would give it a one-month try.

Exercise for the past couple of days?  Yesterday, I was out of commission with a minor "head-injury" (are you ready for a dumb story?!): I stopped by a friend's house on Thursday night to drop off a cute card that I had found at the store and bought for her (it had 2 weiner dogs on it, she is the one with the weens that are buddies with my dog) . . . ANYwho. . . I stopped by, and the weens were SOOOO excited to see me and say "hello" that I sat down on the couch to soak up their love and affection.  They hopped up into my lap and exuberantly attempted to lick the INSIDE of my mouth and nostrils.  Ummm, no thank you!  Whilst avoiding their tongues, I inadvertently threw my head back (surely subconsiously thinking that the back of the couch was cushioned) and WHAM-O!  Marble window ledge.  OoOwwIEEEEEEEEE. :-(  Perhaps a bellringer, I found out, when I woke Friday morning and didn't feel very well.  Actually, I couldn't remember/think of a reason why my head would be achey other than *lack of adequate sleep* until I took a shower and was washing my hair - OUCHIE - reeeealllly tender spot on the back of my head!  OH, YEAH!  Weenie-dog affection attack injury!  I actually stayed home from work yesterday because I felt sick to my stomach after being upright for very long and my whole head ached.

Okay.  This isn't a "Woe-is-Me" journal.  Exercise/physical activity.  Ummm, Thursday I spent nearly the whole day walking what felt like laps around campus!  Pretty invigorating it was to be able to be productive and, meanwhile, be getting outside and walking on a fairly nice day!  Woohoo!

Wednesday, I was pure lazy.  Slept in until 10:15am after two early mornings, still did not feel rested, had an "okay" day.  Sleep is such a wonder-cure-almostall.  I have posted a couple of links by Dr. Oz regarding the importance of restful sleep and restorative rest. >>I'm not advertising these articles as end-all, be-all cures for insomnia, nor do I think Dr. Oz is the ultimate supreme knowledge on health topics.  These articles are just to get you thinking and perhaps seeking answers for your own sleep patterns!<<

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/feeling-good-contagious-make-sleep-priority
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/foods-help-you-snooze

Happy moving, happy snoozing :)

FRUSTRATED, much?!

DANGIT!

You have no idea that I actually had those little symbol thingies %*&!#$ in the "post title", erased, re-wrote them, deleted, and re-re-wrote them.  I think about dumb stuff like that a lot.  Too much.  And then they didn't even work! %*&!#$!!!!!!!

Today came after a really strange and crappy yesterday.  And don't mock me by saying that today always comes after yesterday, or yesterday wouldn't be yesterday.  I KNOW.  I'm having ISSUES!  Yesterday was another crapshoot to get out of bed and get going in the morning, followed by not just one but two attempts at my life by individuals on 2-wheeled vehicles, a mess-up at the Stadium for football tickets, a reprimand from my immediate supervisor for something that was *none of my concern*, felt too cruddy to visit with a friend in the evening, and ended up being awake until 3:30am.  3:30!!  Just sitting at the computer, typing letters to my health insurance company and the President of the United States.  No big deal.  Oh, and watching The Tudors on Netflix.  Crazy, delusional pseudo-insomnia.

TODAY.  Started off a bit better than yesterday, although sleeping in meant a) missing morning workout and b) not really getting extra sleep because I stayed up all damn night.  But, I woke up and got to work and it was okay.  Came home and had a delicious salad (mixed greens, cauliflower, avacado, sunflower seeds, garbonzo beans *yummy*, and of course, dressing--I've been using olive oil + vinegar  Newman's Own.)  *Oh, by the way, I ate McDonalds yesterday.  Embarrassing.  I wanted it and kept thinking about it and got it.  And felt SUPER guilty after.* BACK TO TODAY quit being so distractable!  I decided today to try on the dress that I will be wearing for my brother and sister-in-law(to be)'s wedding in October.  I had this overwhelming craving for chicken and fries.  And they weren't even very good.  Stupid.  See?  Even health educators and personal trainers succomb to pressures and lack will-power!  THE DRESS.  Tangent, much?  While talking to my mom on the phone, I wieldly maneuvered myself into the dress and started attempting to zi...iipp...fat gal in a dress-too-smaaaaalll >>Tommy Boy shoutout<<.  Dangit!  Okay.  So, at this point, I am laughing and swearing and wanting a cheeseburger and wanting to go for a run all at the same time.  Do I try some diet modification and continue increasing my workout routine?  (Yes).  Do I want to? (Sort of).  Maybe I can go back in and get a dress in a size bigger?  (Yes, please!)  Problem with size bigger is that my mental health will suffer.  Win with size bigger is that I don't need to stress about getting enough exercise and not indulging in fun foods.  Problem with size bigger is needing to go to the store (hassle) and see if they have a bigger size (embarrassing).  Win with size bigger - well, maybe just a neutral - is that the dress I have is a size "smaller" than I 'was', anyway, because it's an A-line, so it's really 'okay' to get a size bigger (riight).  Problem with size bigger is that I will have to figure out a way to keep the top from falling off my boobless chest.  Hmm.

So.  After taking off the dress, hollering a couple of explicits, and laughing, I put on my socks and shoes, rounded up the dog and roommate, and we went for a 45 minute walk.  BTN (better than nothing).  My hips really started to hurt around the 25-30 minute mark, but we weren't going fast, so we kept the pace.  *Mom suggested that I try Watkins Linimax for the pain that I have.  I think I'm going to give it a try.  More on supplements another time - I gotta get this posted "today" (I know - obsess, much?!)

Meanwhile, this evening, I skyped with my sis.  We laughed, grumbled, and commiserated.  I'm not sure what I am going to do about the dress, at this point.  I do know that I need to get my behind to bed and I need to keep moving.  KEEP MOVING!  Couple of really good thoughts from the sis: "Remember, the pain [I have] does not necessarily mean that something is wrong (ie. broken); movement and low impact activity is good," and, "What are you going to do to remedy this [binge eating/crummy food sneaking into diet]?"

Good NIGHT.  :)  Hope you rest well.  I hope I do, too.  Felt good to walk.  Why don't I feel the good effects of the walk PRIOR to walking, or at least some of them, to encourage me to walk?  Hmm.