I'm in the outer banks of North Carolina almost a year after the picture of me was taken in the big pink chair (when I had no hair). It's been 6 months since my final treatment and I am now able to workout every day for an hour (typically my P90X dvd) and just feel so good about this accomplishment. I'm also noticing that the combination of this work out and the food plan is helping me gain energy, have healthy skin, and just feel better in general. It's been tough to follow the food plan while on vacation ... but since I am on vacation I don't feel so bad about that. Typically I follow it every day until 5:00 then I enjoy the afternoon snacks on the beach and scrumptious dinners.
Although I continue to make progress on my dissertation I still get overwhelmed by the task. This could be due to the fact that I am working 3 part time jobs in addition to trying to get the writing done. Here I was thinking that I don't know how people go back to work fulltime so soon after treatments and yet in essence that is what I have done. My friends and family remind me to maintain the good balance in my life and not to get too down about what I can't accomplish rather focus more on what I have. My advisor continues to be very supportive and reminds me that the dissertation is really small potatoes compared to what I have achieved and that I will be able to get it done. This helps too!
July 10, 2010
June 23, 2010
It works!
I am so excited about the P90X program! For some reason I've been able to stick to the nutritional plan and the exercise and it really does work. I'm on day 15 and I can already see a difference - particularly in the reduction of my gut - but all over more firm than squish. I've lost 4 pounds which is a good rate for losing (2 a week) but celebrate more that my clothes are more comfortable. I cannot imagine what I will look like after 90 days ... I already know that I will feel great.
The nutrition plan really packs in the vegetables (4 servings a day) and protein (7 servings of 20 grams) but only 1 fruit and 1 carb a day. I had pizza the other night with family and I bloated for two days afterwards - crazy. I'm really going to have to be careful when I go on vacation and am surrounded by all kinds of temptations. I typically feel really bloated after vacation so I'll keep that in mind.
I'm still struggling with balancing all projects - I get behind on one so I work on just it but then am behind on the others. Now I'm playing catch up on my dissertation - I just want to get in the habit of working on it every day. Hopefully now that I finished one project I can do this!
The nutrition plan really packs in the vegetables (4 servings a day) and protein (7 servings of 20 grams) but only 1 fruit and 1 carb a day. I had pizza the other night with family and I bloated for two days afterwards - crazy. I'm really going to have to be careful when I go on vacation and am surrounded by all kinds of temptations. I typically feel really bloated after vacation so I'll keep that in mind.
I'm still struggling with balancing all projects - I get behind on one so I work on just it but then am behind on the others. Now I'm playing catch up on my dissertation - I just want to get in the habit of working on it every day. Hopefully now that I finished one project I can do this!
June 4, 2010
Bring it!
What a great week! I shared chapter 3 (methods) with my advisor (minus the measure section) and got some really good feedback. I worked really hard and was able to get a lot of it done. Afterwards my brain was complete mush and it's been a struggle to focus on other work I need to catch up on. Perhaps I just need a daily schedule where I spend a set amount of time on all the different projects in my life instead of spending days on one then to switch to another that I end up being behind on. Sigh - I'll give it a try next week!
I ordered the P90X program and am very excited! My friend loaned me her 10 minute workout DVDs from the same trainer (Tony Horton). I've done 2 workouts a day for the last 4 days. The first couple of days were very hard and I wondered what I would do when the P90X shows up and I have to work out an hour versus 20 minutes! Now it's getting more manageable and my body is getting into the rhythm of being pushed this way. I also make accommodations as needed so I don't hurt myself. Tony's catch phrase is "bring it" so you may see this popping up.
I also found an igoogle application that is a calorie counter. I went onto mypyramid.gov and found out that I should eat 2000 calories a day to lose weight (this shows you just how tall and overweight I am as most women need to eat about 1400 calories a day to lose weight!). It's very handy and motivating as I just have it open on one of my Safari tabs all day long and can even plan meals this way. Finally, I am tracking my activity and caloric intake on a calendar (just as my college roomie had us do) as a way to celebrate progress. Hopefully these are all things that can become part of my regular life so it is not a new and exciting thing that loses its zeal and fades away. I think the exercise will be the easiest to maintain now that I've gotten into a rhythm of needing to exercise each day!
I ordered the P90X program and am very excited! My friend loaned me her 10 minute workout DVDs from the same trainer (Tony Horton). I've done 2 workouts a day for the last 4 days. The first couple of days were very hard and I wondered what I would do when the P90X shows up and I have to work out an hour versus 20 minutes! Now it's getting more manageable and my body is getting into the rhythm of being pushed this way. I also make accommodations as needed so I don't hurt myself. Tony's catch phrase is "bring it" so you may see this popping up.
I also found an igoogle application that is a calorie counter. I went onto mypyramid.gov and found out that I should eat 2000 calories a day to lose weight (this shows you just how tall and overweight I am as most women need to eat about 1400 calories a day to lose weight!). It's very handy and motivating as I just have it open on one of my Safari tabs all day long and can even plan meals this way. Finally, I am tracking my activity and caloric intake on a calendar (just as my college roomie had us do) as a way to celebrate progress. Hopefully these are all things that can become part of my regular life so it is not a new and exciting thing that loses its zeal and fades away. I think the exercise will be the easiest to maintain now that I've gotten into a rhythm of needing to exercise each day!
May 26, 2010
I'm Back!
Hot Yoga was a blast and feel that I got a great detox from the experience. I also had a lot of hot flashes that week too. I even found myself craving the experience - which is a good thing. A week later I went to a regular yoga class (thank you Lee) and realized just how much further you can push yourself when you are really hot and sweaty (mind out of the gutter folks!).
I'm recovering now from an ear and respiratory infection. Just when I was really excited about feeling good again I got sick. It was weird because I was almost out of practice ... I typically get infections like this once or twice a year but with all the chemo and radiation it's been awhile. It did put a damper on my activity level. I was down to just walking the neighborhood for about a week and now I already feel squishier again. But - I finished my antibiotics and am feeling alert and energetic again and will get back on track. I'm considering buying the P90X fitness program. My oncology surgeon used it and got great results (actually he's almost too skinny now ...). I looked and looked all over the web and really could not find any bad reviews. I think that everyone willing to make the time commitment (1 hour a day) and price ($140 with shipping spread over 3 months) got good results. With a 90 day guarantee I figure I would try ... my gym membership is up next week and this is like 3 months payments I would make for the gym anyway (and I don't go as much in the summer when it is nice out). After the hot yoga experience I know that my body likes to have more hot flashes when stressed so I will be prepared ... it's already so hot outside that I'm pretty uncomfortable anyway.
As for my dissertation ... I've been working on the methods chapter and have come pretty far! I've had to change the design of my study based on a new configuration at the school where I will do the study, but I think the change is for the better. It is a more authentic approach which means it can translate better into the classroom. Of course this means the design is not as "neat" so it may not be worthy of the high falutent journals for publications. Goal one is to get it out to teachers (which can be done through the Internet and a possible book) goal two is to present the findings and publish for career advancement purposes (academe really likes it when you publish!).
Hope everyone is doing well!
I'm recovering now from an ear and respiratory infection. Just when I was really excited about feeling good again I got sick. It was weird because I was almost out of practice ... I typically get infections like this once or twice a year but with all the chemo and radiation it's been awhile. It did put a damper on my activity level. I was down to just walking the neighborhood for about a week and now I already feel squishier again. But - I finished my antibiotics and am feeling alert and energetic again and will get back on track. I'm considering buying the P90X fitness program. My oncology surgeon used it and got great results (actually he's almost too skinny now ...). I looked and looked all over the web and really could not find any bad reviews. I think that everyone willing to make the time commitment (1 hour a day) and price ($140 with shipping spread over 3 months) got good results. With a 90 day guarantee I figure I would try ... my gym membership is up next week and this is like 3 months payments I would make for the gym anyway (and I don't go as much in the summer when it is nice out). After the hot yoga experience I know that my body likes to have more hot flashes when stressed so I will be prepared ... it's already so hot outside that I'm pretty uncomfortable anyway.
As for my dissertation ... I've been working on the methods chapter and have come pretty far! I've had to change the design of my study based on a new configuration at the school where I will do the study, but I think the change is for the better. It is a more authentic approach which means it can translate better into the classroom. Of course this means the design is not as "neat" so it may not be worthy of the high falutent journals for publications. Goal one is to get it out to teachers (which can be done through the Internet and a possible book) goal two is to present the findings and publish for career advancement purposes (academe really likes it when you publish!).
Hope everyone is doing well!
May 5, 2010
Cinco de Maio
Hello May!
Lots of fun things happening ... I'm in my one week trial of hot yoga and finding it to be a rejuvenating (although continually sweaty) experience. My skin feels good, I have not experienced much in the way of bloating, and I hurt in strange places. Yesterday I attended the low key class. We started with floor work and moved to standing. Some of the poses were the same as the original class, but now I see the advantage of warming up. Without the intensity of doing all the postures in a hot room leading up to some of the harder ones I found I was not so "bendy". This lets me know that when I try it on my own (without the heat) to not expect I can take my body as far as I do in the classes. I'm still walking with the neighbors and am back to twice a week walks in the afternoon with a friend too.
My nutrition remains about the same. I make pretty good choices but overall I ignore caloric intake and I think it may be time that I begin to pay attention. In no way am I saying that I want to diet, but I do need to reduce some pounds so some change must occur. Not sure of the plan yet but will let you know.
I continue to make good strides with my dissertation and am now trying to figure out how to have enough power to make a controlled experiment design worth doing (aka publishable) as I am not comfortable with other methodologies at this point.
Lots of fun things happening ... I'm in my one week trial of hot yoga and finding it to be a rejuvenating (although continually sweaty) experience. My skin feels good, I have not experienced much in the way of bloating, and I hurt in strange places. Yesterday I attended the low key class. We started with floor work and moved to standing. Some of the poses were the same as the original class, but now I see the advantage of warming up. Without the intensity of doing all the postures in a hot room leading up to some of the harder ones I found I was not so "bendy". This lets me know that when I try it on my own (without the heat) to not expect I can take my body as far as I do in the classes. I'm still walking with the neighbors and am back to twice a week walks in the afternoon with a friend too.
My nutrition remains about the same. I make pretty good choices but overall I ignore caloric intake and I think it may be time that I begin to pay attention. In no way am I saying that I want to diet, but I do need to reduce some pounds so some change must occur. Not sure of the plan yet but will let you know.
I continue to make good strides with my dissertation and am now trying to figure out how to have enough power to make a controlled experiment design worth doing (aka publishable) as I am not comfortable with other methodologies at this point.
April 30, 2010
April 30
What a great day! I got bunches done on my dissertation this morning then had a good meeting with my advisor (via ichat - just love technology). We addressed different questions then set a new timeline that sounds VERY manageable. I will finish chapter 3 in May and chapter 2 in June then we have all of July to refine it. Send it to committee early August and set a date of Aug. 20 tentatively to defend the proposal!!! Gotta keep this good feeling of productivity and motivation rolling.
Also had a good day of eating so far (well, did finish off a solid chocolate bunny ...). Always helps when I pack my meals (as mentioned yesterday). Now I'm off to hot yoga class - that's right day two!
Also had a good day of eating so far (well, did finish off a solid chocolate bunny ...). Always helps when I pack my meals (as mentioned yesterday). Now I'm off to hot yoga class - that's right day two!
April 29, 2010
April 29
I was away from home the first half of the week but I managed to do a pretty good job with all three areas that I am trying to hold myself accountable for. Foodwise I cooked on Sunday and packed most of my meals so when I was hungry/it was meal time I was able to make good choices. I even went out for my favorite meal: salad bar and organic section at the grocery store. I see that it is important for me to eat enough so that I am full and not let long periods of time pass before eating again (when I want sugar the most!). I'm proud to share that I continue to spend less money on food now that I am more thoughtful about what I want to prepare (organic doesn't have to be expensive!).
I made it to the gym on Monday, took a nice walk on Tuesday, walked to the gym on Wednesday (bonus!), and today I walked with the neighbors then went to a 90 minutes hot yoga class. This was different than the last one. Lots of time getting into different postures - most of which require great balance. Good for me to work on. I got to show off my strength and flexibility along with my lack of balance and squishy gut. There were several "bendies" in the class (my sister's term for young skinny things that can flop into any position) along with older folks who know their poses. I was the tallest in the class, tied for being the broadest (one guy in the class), but at least there was one person with a larger abdominal area than mine ... the teacher! Of course I go to yoga for peace of mind, to flush out toxins, to strengthen and tone, but I also hope to lose weight and get rid of my belly shelf! If the teacher is so big it makes me wonder ... I'm just going to wonder that she used to be even bigger and is now smaller ;)
I attended a dissertation defense of a friend this week and was so proud of her! She had a tough time writing her dissertation so it gives me motivation (if she can do it so can I!). And her study is very similar to what I am doing but with a different population so it gave me many ideas and resources. I met with one of my committee members this week and she was very helpful with ideas and letting me know that she is here to help. Looks like I can use some time in the summer to finish up my proposal so I can defend before the school year starts and I want to start my study ;)
namaste
I made it to the gym on Monday, took a nice walk on Tuesday, walked to the gym on Wednesday (bonus!), and today I walked with the neighbors then went to a 90 minutes hot yoga class. This was different than the last one. Lots of time getting into different postures - most of which require great balance. Good for me to work on. I got to show off my strength and flexibility along with my lack of balance and squishy gut. There were several "bendies" in the class (my sister's term for young skinny things that can flop into any position) along with older folks who know their poses. I was the tallest in the class, tied for being the broadest (one guy in the class), but at least there was one person with a larger abdominal area than mine ... the teacher! Of course I go to yoga for peace of mind, to flush out toxins, to strengthen and tone, but I also hope to lose weight and get rid of my belly shelf! If the teacher is so big it makes me wonder ... I'm just going to wonder that she used to be even bigger and is now smaller ;)
I attended a dissertation defense of a friend this week and was so proud of her! She had a tough time writing her dissertation so it gives me motivation (if she can do it so can I!). And her study is very similar to what I am doing but with a different population so it gave me many ideas and resources. I met with one of my committee members this week and she was very helpful with ideas and letting me know that she is here to help. Looks like I can use some time in the summer to finish up my proposal so I can defend before the school year starts and I want to start my study ;)
namaste
April 24, 2010
April 24
A nice long walk this morning ... a trip to the gym to work out my upper body and more cardio ... healthy food choices most of yesterday and today. Trying so hard not to dwell on the HUGE number on the scale at the doctor's office yesterday. That's right folks I now way 210 ... 23 pounds more than my sweetie - ack. At least I'm more tone now than I was a few months so it doesn't look so bad. And on my walk this morning I was reminded of people who take medicine with a side affect of weight gain so at least I don't have that. Sometimes I think it is so easy to look at other people and think "It would be so easy for her to lose weight if she just stopped using butter." or "He could drop 10 pounds if he cut back on soda and beer." and thought I didn't have an easy thing to get rid of. Turns out I do - chocolate. I tend to avoid noticing the fat grams and calories in chocolate because I so enjoy eating it. But sense it is CLEAR that I cannot eat it in moderation I'm looking for some tricks. The first one is I am now adding organic chocolate chips to my organic low fat yogurt - I can enjoy the chocolate but reduce the caloric intake. Step 2 - switch to ginger snaps instead of Newman's Os ... still sweet but not sooooo sweet that I crave more and more. Step 3 - listen to my sister and make hot yoga part of my regular routine. Not only do I feel fantastic afterwards, it is a good workout AND a sweat out extra toxins (aka chemo/radiation) in the process.
Oh - I am working on chapter 3 now of my dissertation in addition to writing a proposal for a writing research conference.
Oh - I am working on chapter 3 now of my dissertation in addition to writing a proposal for a writing research conference.
April 23, 2010
April 22 - Earth Day
Oh my what a busy week for me (new me not old me). I am delighted to help others in their research as I learn so much from the experience and get to meet interesting people (young and old). Unfortunately it requires travel time and focus time leaving me less energy for working out and dissertation writing. But the benefits are worth it and only one more week to go!
I did receive news that my IRB was accepted which helps me move forward on my pilot study. I also started piecing together what I have already written on my proposal from 2008 (yikes!) so that is comforting. Plus, a resource center is going to buy the materials I want to use in my control group so that saves me time planning and money which is always a bonus. Now it's back to the library to work as I know that not much gets done at home ;)
As for working out - I'll be back to the gym today and wonder if a week off will be noticeable. I've managed to maintain my walks each day and am thankful for that but want to keep going with the muscle training. I just can't stand to be this large - 25 extra pounds is too much and makes me uncomfortable. Some get angry that they got cancer ... I'm angry that it caused me to gain so much weight then left me with fewer tools (e.g., ovaries that produce hormones that help regulate metabolism and skin tautness) to manage. I know slow and steady is the road to take but I would REALLY like some instant gratification at this point!
I'm still doing well with putting healthy foods into my body - even when traveling more so this is good news. And my body continues to let me know if I make a poor choice (e.g., potato chips yesterday led to a bad stomach ache). You'd think with such a sensitive system I would lose weight easily but no ... easy enough to maintain your weight eating healthy foods!
I did receive news that my IRB was accepted which helps me move forward on my pilot study. I also started piecing together what I have already written on my proposal from 2008 (yikes!) so that is comforting. Plus, a resource center is going to buy the materials I want to use in my control group so that saves me time planning and money which is always a bonus. Now it's back to the library to work as I know that not much gets done at home ;)
As for working out - I'll be back to the gym today and wonder if a week off will be noticeable. I've managed to maintain my walks each day and am thankful for that but want to keep going with the muscle training. I just can't stand to be this large - 25 extra pounds is too much and makes me uncomfortable. Some get angry that they got cancer ... I'm angry that it caused me to gain so much weight then left me with fewer tools (e.g., ovaries that produce hormones that help regulate metabolism and skin tautness) to manage. I know slow and steady is the road to take but I would REALLY like some instant gratification at this point!
I'm still doing well with putting healthy foods into my body - even when traveling more so this is good news. And my body continues to let me know if I make a poor choice (e.g., potato chips yesterday led to a bad stomach ache). You'd think with such a sensitive system I would lose weight easily but no ... easy enough to maintain your weight eating healthy foods!
April 18, 2010
April 16-17
I did it! I not only went to a yoga class (first one in a year) but went to a hot yoga class! I've done some yoga on my own but was unsure if I had the stamina for a class, if my hands and feet would behave, or if my asthma would stand up to the heat. Turns out I did just fine! AND I have a new fruit to add to my very short list of fruits I like - watermelon. It was free day at the hot yoga studio and they offered refreshments afterwards. The watermelon looked good so I tried it - and liked it. I felt great both physically and mentally all day. Now I was kind of sore the next day but not too terribly. I like how loose the heat gets you. I will definitely try this again. It also inspired me to eat well the rest of the day and take care of some work. This weekend I had two college roommates come visit with their kids. This ended up with eating out several times but I was able to make pretty good choices. The kids are a little older than I'm used to but still gave me some good activity. Back to the grind now with grading and getting chapter 2 in order.
April 16, 2010
April 15
Tax Day
Usually a day filled with anxiety ... but this year I didn't have to pay - I actually got a refund! OK excitement over as this means I made a LOT less money last year. Good news is I was able to shift my spending habits and do okay. So, April 15 this year was a pretty good day. I got myself dressed in my new Global Girlfriend black cotton dress and felt just darling (as one neighbor told me I looked). Off to the local campus of UD where I sat in the back of the computer lab, facing a blank wall, and worked for 5 hours straight. I remembered to stop every now and then to walk down the hall and out on a deck where you can just barely see the ocean and feel a nice breeze. I brought snacks and lunch with me so I did a very good job of not getting too hungry and putting good food into my body. I worked some on my dissertation, graded some papers for my course, and scored essays for my colleague. After 5 hour my focus was gone so I headed down to the beach and took a nice long walk. Turns out that the Skechers Shape Up shoes simulate walking in the sand a LITTLE. Walking in the sand is a lot harder! It felt good. I brought my ipod with me to enjoy some tunes. I have the cutest nano but never remember to use it. Now I know why - I only had 8 songs on it and one of them was the "gynecological answering machine" joke. I promptly came home and had James show me how to put all my itunes from my laptop onto my ipod. Kind of embarrassing considering he's a PC guy and I'm a MAC girl! Made it to the gym to do every abdominal exercise I could remember. Then, carrots and dip for a late afternoon snack then I remembered not to get the pizza at Dogfish since it upset my stomach so bad last time. All followed by a good night's sleep!
Usually a day filled with anxiety ... but this year I didn't have to pay - I actually got a refund! OK excitement over as this means I made a LOT less money last year. Good news is I was able to shift my spending habits and do okay. So, April 15 this year was a pretty good day. I got myself dressed in my new Global Girlfriend black cotton dress and felt just darling (as one neighbor told me I looked). Off to the local campus of UD where I sat in the back of the computer lab, facing a blank wall, and worked for 5 hours straight. I remembered to stop every now and then to walk down the hall and out on a deck where you can just barely see the ocean and feel a nice breeze. I brought snacks and lunch with me so I did a very good job of not getting too hungry and putting good food into my body. I worked some on my dissertation, graded some papers for my course, and scored essays for my colleague. After 5 hour my focus was gone so I headed down to the beach and took a nice long walk. Turns out that the Skechers Shape Up shoes simulate walking in the sand a LITTLE. Walking in the sand is a lot harder! It felt good. I brought my ipod with me to enjoy some tunes. I have the cutest nano but never remember to use it. Now I know why - I only had 8 songs on it and one of them was the "gynecological answering machine" joke. I promptly came home and had James show me how to put all my itunes from my laptop onto my ipod. Kind of embarrassing considering he's a PC guy and I'm a MAC girl! Made it to the gym to do every abdominal exercise I could remember. Then, carrots and dip for a late afternoon snack then I remembered not to get the pizza at Dogfish since it upset my stomach so bad last time. All followed by a good night's sleep!
April 14, 2010
April 12 - 14
Nutrition
After a weekend of poor eating and ROUGH hot flashes as a result I am back on track. Salads, whole grains, protein, and only moderate amounts of sugar that's combined with other foods. Whew - my body was loud and clear on Saturday - no more fooling around with bad food choices. I went from feeling great and ready to go out to nauseous, light headed, dizzy, and unable to walk to the car within 5 minutes. NOT a good feeling but a very CLEAR message! I love having my weekly meal plan I created from my favorite foods that are healthy. I also have an easy list to check each time I go to the grocery store. As a result I now spend an average of $35 instead of $85. What a difference!
Movement
When I don't move my body gets cranky too. My hips in particular get sore which makes sleeping uncomfortable. It only takes one walk a day for about 20 minutes to make sure I rest well at night, but I try to do a little bit more. I'm settling into a routine where I get up around 7:30 - have a banana, then go to the gym. Here I walk quickly on the treadmill with an incline for a 5 minute warm up then I work out my arms, legs, or abdominals depending on the day. If there is time left over I walk on the treadmill again. Then I scoot back home to meet my neighbors for the 9:00 walk. It's not a very quick pace (it was when I first started after surgery!) but it provides a structure to my day and gives me a chance to connect with people (plus I really enjoy their company). Monday I worked out my arms, Tuesday I worked in Newark all day then drove home but managed to get 30 minutes in on the treadmill. Today I worked out my legs, took an extended walk, and plan to ride my back to run some errands then to my acupuncture appointment.
Dissertation
I'm still sputtering with this. I heard from the district that is piloting my intervention and found out I had paperwork to file for them. I took care of this so hopefully everything will fall into place. I've given up trying to get the hardest section done first (although I have done some of it) and am going to go ahead and revise the large sections done already for my new study so I can have a sense of accomplishment, make a big dent in my work, and give my advisor something to read. Wish me luck as this is what I want to finish between now and Friday afternoon.
After a weekend of poor eating and ROUGH hot flashes as a result I am back on track. Salads, whole grains, protein, and only moderate amounts of sugar that's combined with other foods. Whew - my body was loud and clear on Saturday - no more fooling around with bad food choices. I went from feeling great and ready to go out to nauseous, light headed, dizzy, and unable to walk to the car within 5 minutes. NOT a good feeling but a very CLEAR message! I love having my weekly meal plan I created from my favorite foods that are healthy. I also have an easy list to check each time I go to the grocery store. As a result I now spend an average of $35 instead of $85. What a difference!
Movement
When I don't move my body gets cranky too. My hips in particular get sore which makes sleeping uncomfortable. It only takes one walk a day for about 20 minutes to make sure I rest well at night, but I try to do a little bit more. I'm settling into a routine where I get up around 7:30 - have a banana, then go to the gym. Here I walk quickly on the treadmill with an incline for a 5 minute warm up then I work out my arms, legs, or abdominals depending on the day. If there is time left over I walk on the treadmill again. Then I scoot back home to meet my neighbors for the 9:00 walk. It's not a very quick pace (it was when I first started after surgery!) but it provides a structure to my day and gives me a chance to connect with people (plus I really enjoy their company). Monday I worked out my arms, Tuesday I worked in Newark all day then drove home but managed to get 30 minutes in on the treadmill. Today I worked out my legs, took an extended walk, and plan to ride my back to run some errands then to my acupuncture appointment.
Dissertation
I'm still sputtering with this. I heard from the district that is piloting my intervention and found out I had paperwork to file for them. I took care of this so hopefully everything will fall into place. I've given up trying to get the hardest section done first (although I have done some of it) and am going to go ahead and revise the large sections done already for my new study so I can have a sense of accomplishment, make a big dent in my work, and give my advisor something to read. Wish me luck as this is what I want to finish between now and Friday afternoon.
April 9, 2010
How do people do it?
So I'm still adjusting from my "vacation" lifestyle of doctor's appointments, healthy lifestyle, and teaching one class to fewer doctor's appointments, healthy lifestyle, teaching, writing a dissertation, consulting, and getting out and doing more things with people and I'm not sure how to work it all in! I know that I do not have my full energy back so it must be a balance. There - that's my reason for not having posted the last few days!
Dissertation
I've been working on getting human subjects approval so that a teacher in Buffalo can pilot my intervention and collect some writing samples so I can try out my scoring criteria. This is all very exciting but of course comes with lots of little things. I've turned it in and have already had to revise 3 things. Just waiting on approval while I continue to refine my RQs (soooooo many iterations of this!) and read/write.
Movement
I love the feeling I get when I lift weights! Probably because this is something I've always done and my body is glad to have this back. Plus - no one likes to feel their gut jiggle :) I continue to focus on one area per day (when possible) arms and chest, legs and butt, abs.
Nutrition
I travelled most of this week so eating well was a challenge. I also had terrible gas pains after eating a yummy salad and driving for two hours so I found myself avoiding ruffage - but I don't want to do this and miss out on healthy food! I need to figure out how to combine foods and movement so it is not so uncomfortable to eat fruits and veg.
Dissertation
I've been working on getting human subjects approval so that a teacher in Buffalo can pilot my intervention and collect some writing samples so I can try out my scoring criteria. This is all very exciting but of course comes with lots of little things. I've turned it in and have already had to revise 3 things. Just waiting on approval while I continue to refine my RQs (soooooo many iterations of this!) and read/write.
Movement
I love the feeling I get when I lift weights! Probably because this is something I've always done and my body is glad to have this back. Plus - no one likes to feel their gut jiggle :) I continue to focus on one area per day (when possible) arms and chest, legs and butt, abs.
Nutrition
I travelled most of this week so eating well was a challenge. I also had terrible gas pains after eating a yummy salad and driving for two hours so I found myself avoiding ruffage - but I don't want to do this and miss out on healthy food! I need to figure out how to combine foods and movement so it is not so uncomfortable to eat fruits and veg.
April 4, 2010
April 3
Movement
Legwork at the gym (I am trying hard to do low weights with high reps - about 25). I can now do two sets of each machine, but have to do 1 set of all then go back and repeat at a lower weight. I tried supersetting but I got too tired with this! Instead of walking, James and I went out and cleaned up all the trash someone threw out of their car Friday night at the entrance of our development. I'd say bending down to pick up about 50 Old Navy fliers was pretty good cardio work!
Nutrition
Another yummy egg and ww toast breakfast with a ham and rice cheese sandwich for lunch and side of quinoa and edamame salad. Starving by 4:00 and pretty worn out. Chinese food for dinner ... I was nervous it would cause more hot flashes but it didn't. I can't decide if this is good news (I didn't feel bad) or bad news (I feel I can eat it again but it is full of things not so healthy).
Dissertation
No work done today ... I got very tired and unfocused today and realized it was time for a break. I tend to use the energy I have then it leaves abruptly. Perhaps I am only ready for part time work (half day every day) instead of the full time I've been trying to do (three full days then nothing because I am so worn out).
Legwork at the gym (I am trying hard to do low weights with high reps - about 25). I can now do two sets of each machine, but have to do 1 set of all then go back and repeat at a lower weight. I tried supersetting but I got too tired with this! Instead of walking, James and I went out and cleaned up all the trash someone threw out of their car Friday night at the entrance of our development. I'd say bending down to pick up about 50 Old Navy fliers was pretty good cardio work!
Nutrition
Another yummy egg and ww toast breakfast with a ham and rice cheese sandwich for lunch and side of quinoa and edamame salad. Starving by 4:00 and pretty worn out. Chinese food for dinner ... I was nervous it would cause more hot flashes but it didn't. I can't decide if this is good news (I didn't feel bad) or bad news (I feel I can eat it again but it is full of things not so healthy).
Dissertation
No work done today ... I got very tired and unfocused today and realized it was time for a break. I tend to use the energy I have then it leaves abruptly. Perhaps I am only ready for part time work (half day every day) instead of the full time I've been trying to do (three full days then nothing because I am so worn out).
April 3, 2010
April 2
Dissertation
I am so excited to report that I have a teacher interested in and willing to teach my six week intervention this spring so I can get feedback on the lesson plans AND collect student writing samples to refine my scoring criteria! I spent most of the day working on the Human Subjects IRB approval to collect student data and wrote my first sample book review to use in the study. I've been putting off the sample writing because I wanted to be more confident about what it should include/sound like - now that I have a teacher who will be teaching the lessons I have to get busy with the samples!
Nutrition
I definitely need to eat more protein in the morning. On the days when I have eggs and whole wheat toast I can last much longer before I need to eat again. I don't want to eat eggs everyday so I need to figure out some good alternatives. My immune support cereal is pretty good (oatmeal, oat bran, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, ground flaxseed, wheat germ) but still not as filling. I got a bottle of General Tso's sauce at Trader Joes and used it with my stirfry (zucchini, tofu, almonds, peppers, onions, carrots and brown rice) and it is DELICIOUS. Of course this is probably because of the sugar ... but at least the brown rice is super filling so I don't eat too much. Had what is typically my favorite meal for dinner (out) last night of salad with grilled salmon and side of mac and cheese ... but none of it tasted as good as normal. Not sure if the restaurant changed something or my tastebuds changed.
Movement
Worked out my arms at the gym and cardio then a walk with the neighbors. I am now wearing my shape up shoes (skechers) to the gym and realized it is like having bosu (half a big ball) ball strapped to the bottom of your feet. Everything I do now I use my core more as a result - this is a good thing as I have a large core that is in need of some work!
I am so excited to report that I have a teacher interested in and willing to teach my six week intervention this spring so I can get feedback on the lesson plans AND collect student writing samples to refine my scoring criteria! I spent most of the day working on the Human Subjects IRB approval to collect student data and wrote my first sample book review to use in the study. I've been putting off the sample writing because I wanted to be more confident about what it should include/sound like - now that I have a teacher who will be teaching the lessons I have to get busy with the samples!
Nutrition
I definitely need to eat more protein in the morning. On the days when I have eggs and whole wheat toast I can last much longer before I need to eat again. I don't want to eat eggs everyday so I need to figure out some good alternatives. My immune support cereal is pretty good (oatmeal, oat bran, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, ground flaxseed, wheat germ) but still not as filling. I got a bottle of General Tso's sauce at Trader Joes and used it with my stirfry (zucchini, tofu, almonds, peppers, onions, carrots and brown rice) and it is DELICIOUS. Of course this is probably because of the sugar ... but at least the brown rice is super filling so I don't eat too much. Had what is typically my favorite meal for dinner (out) last night of salad with grilled salmon and side of mac and cheese ... but none of it tasted as good as normal. Not sure if the restaurant changed something or my tastebuds changed.
Movement
Worked out my arms at the gym and cardio then a walk with the neighbors. I am now wearing my shape up shoes (skechers) to the gym and realized it is like having bosu (half a big ball) ball strapped to the bottom of your feet. Everything I do now I use my core more as a result - this is a good thing as I have a large core that is in need of some work!
April 2, 2010
April 1
Nutrition
What a great day ... until dinner. I had a cage free egg with ww toast and butter for breakfast and homemade organic baked ziti for lunch with a banana and some yogurt as snacks at some point. There may be a correlation between this good eating and no hot flashes from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm! We had our regular 1/2 price wood grilled pizza last night. After the first bite I had my first sweaty hot flash. Somehow I ended up eating the entire plate sized pizza (pep and onions - thin thin crust). Another big hot flash then terrible gas, stomach pains, and quality time in the bathroom (ick - I prefer to do this at home!). Lessons learned - must eat healthy all day to reap the benefits!
Movement
I definitely feel better exercising in the morning. I lifted weights at the end of the day yesterday and was so exhausted that I got light headed and could not do more than 5 minutes of cardio afterwards. Back to working out in the morning. I should know better because I learned years ago that I am no good cognitively in the morning so best to do things physically! Abs and cardio at the gym followed by 2 mile walk around the neighborhood with neighbors.
Dissertation
Late Tuesday I emailed my advisor three components of my dissertation. We met today (via ichat - so handy when you live 2 hours from campus) and went through his feedback. All good ideas and not too many changes (insert smile). I also heard from a teacher in Buffalo willing to try out my six week intervention! This will give me great feedback on the lesson plans and also an opportunity to collect some data to try out my scoring criteria and refine the lessons. Now I must quickly get IRB to use data from these students.
What a great day ... until dinner. I had a cage free egg with ww toast and butter for breakfast and homemade organic baked ziti for lunch with a banana and some yogurt as snacks at some point. There may be a correlation between this good eating and no hot flashes from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm! We had our regular 1/2 price wood grilled pizza last night. After the first bite I had my first sweaty hot flash. Somehow I ended up eating the entire plate sized pizza (pep and onions - thin thin crust). Another big hot flash then terrible gas, stomach pains, and quality time in the bathroom (ick - I prefer to do this at home!). Lessons learned - must eat healthy all day to reap the benefits!
Movement
I definitely feel better exercising in the morning. I lifted weights at the end of the day yesterday and was so exhausted that I got light headed and could not do more than 5 minutes of cardio afterwards. Back to working out in the morning. I should know better because I learned years ago that I am no good cognitively in the morning so best to do things physically! Abs and cardio at the gym followed by 2 mile walk around the neighborhood with neighbors.
Dissertation
Late Tuesday I emailed my advisor three components of my dissertation. We met today (via ichat - so handy when you live 2 hours from campus) and went through his feedback. All good ideas and not too many changes (insert smile). I also heard from a teacher in Buffalo willing to try out my six week intervention! This will give me great feedback on the lesson plans and also an opportunity to collect some data to try out my scoring criteria and refine the lessons. Now I must quickly get IRB to use data from these students.
March 31, 2010
March 30
Dissertation
Seems like I do pretty well on 2 out of 3 topics each day. That's not so bad. I spent 5 hours working on my dissertation. I holed up in a computer lab with one empty desk and worked as hard as I could. I was able to clarify my RQs, write out the lesson plans for the 6 week intervention (whew), and develop the framework for my scoring criteria. I also think I came up with a system for note taking while I read articles. Before I was taking notes on the article, writing them in a journal and adding them where I thought they fit on the actual paper. This caused my writing to sound like a string of short annotations/citations - ugh. Now I've made a simple table for each article that includes pertinent information in different cells (e.g., oral or written argument; key findings; citation; and notes that I think are important). Then I made a separate cell where I list the different sections of my paper I think will benefit from the particular article (e.g., Section IV persuasive writing - what we know about older students' persuasive writing). Finally - I way to organize my tangential thinking while I read!
Nutrition
I see that I eat better (and less) when I pack a lunch and snacks and get out of the house to work (plus I get more work done). I am really enjoying hummus on ww tortillas with cut up veggies and walnuts. Added some ham today and it was still good. Leftover organic pork chop and organic mashed potatoes from the night before with my favorite quinoa and edamame salad!
Movement.
Very little moving today. I carried around my gym clothes but did not make it to the gym. I did have acupuncture today and was able to relax. By the end of the day I could no longer focus on my writing and was getting a little overwhelmed about how I can get it finished in time to defend in May so I can do the study in the fall so I can graduate! Changing my travel plans helped (I was feeling like I was starting to get sick and I did not want to run myself down further). Now I have 3 extra days to write/keep the flow going!
Seems like I do pretty well on 2 out of 3 topics each day. That's not so bad. I spent 5 hours working on my dissertation. I holed up in a computer lab with one empty desk and worked as hard as I could. I was able to clarify my RQs, write out the lesson plans for the 6 week intervention (whew), and develop the framework for my scoring criteria. I also think I came up with a system for note taking while I read articles. Before I was taking notes on the article, writing them in a journal and adding them where I thought they fit on the actual paper. This caused my writing to sound like a string of short annotations/citations - ugh. Now I've made a simple table for each article that includes pertinent information in different cells (e.g., oral or written argument; key findings; citation; and notes that I think are important). Then I made a separate cell where I list the different sections of my paper I think will benefit from the particular article (e.g., Section IV persuasive writing - what we know about older students' persuasive writing). Finally - I way to organize my tangential thinking while I read!
Nutrition
I see that I eat better (and less) when I pack a lunch and snacks and get out of the house to work (plus I get more work done). I am really enjoying hummus on ww tortillas with cut up veggies and walnuts. Added some ham today and it was still good. Leftover organic pork chop and organic mashed potatoes from the night before with my favorite quinoa and edamame salad!
Movement.
Very little moving today. I carried around my gym clothes but did not make it to the gym. I did have acupuncture today and was able to relax. By the end of the day I could no longer focus on my writing and was getting a little overwhelmed about how I can get it finished in time to defend in May so I can do the study in the fall so I can graduate! Changing my travel plans helped (I was feeling like I was starting to get sick and I did not want to run myself down further). Now I have 3 extra days to write/keep the flow going!
March 30, 2010
March 29
Movement
Lots of rain today so I went to the gym to lift weights (arms) and do some cardio. A friend mentioned that she walks on the treadmill while watching tv and challenges herself by running/jogging during commercials. I tried it out today and was able to jog through 3 commercials! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks ;) I weighed 200 pounds this morning. Scary number but at least it is no longer increasing (I've managed to maintain this weight for a few weeks now - for the longest time all I did was gain!).
Nutrition
I made my favorite quinoa and edamame salad for dinner along with organic pork chops and mashed potatoes. Lunch was hummus on a ww tortilla with ham, carrots, peppers, and walnuts. Now if I could just make it through the day with only one serving of chocolate ...
Dissertation
I am helping a colleague with her dissertation on argumentative writing by scoring papers. This is a great help in looking at older students' writing and to get me thinking more about what I will need to do when it comes time to train others to help me score. Luckily my papers will be written by first graders who will not write nearly as much as college students! I am sending my advisor the next section of writing at the end of the day tomorrow. It is going to be a long day of writing!
Lots of rain today so I went to the gym to lift weights (arms) and do some cardio. A friend mentioned that she walks on the treadmill while watching tv and challenges herself by running/jogging during commercials. I tried it out today and was able to jog through 3 commercials! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks ;) I weighed 200 pounds this morning. Scary number but at least it is no longer increasing (I've managed to maintain this weight for a few weeks now - for the longest time all I did was gain!).
Nutrition
I made my favorite quinoa and edamame salad for dinner along with organic pork chops and mashed potatoes. Lunch was hummus on a ww tortilla with ham, carrots, peppers, and walnuts. Now if I could just make it through the day with only one serving of chocolate ...
Dissertation
I am helping a colleague with her dissertation on argumentative writing by scoring papers. This is a great help in looking at older students' writing and to get me thinking more about what I will need to do when it comes time to train others to help me score. Luckily my papers will be written by first graders who will not write nearly as much as college students! I am sending my advisor the next section of writing at the end of the day tomorrow. It is going to be a long day of writing!
March 28, 2010
Day Three
Movement
While traveling the past 5 days I tried to stick to my goal of "moving" every day. As you've read I did pretty well in Tampa. We drove all day on Friday to Santa Rosa but stopped to walk around an Indian landfill (filled with hints of life from 600 AD) and then we walked a tiny bit around our friend's neighborhood. I made up for it on Saturday though ... I walked on the beach for 20 minutes in the morning then we took a nice long bike ride to get a better sense of the area. It was quite the change biking up hills I must say!
Nutrition
Eating out is difficult. Even if I make good choices from a menu the food just seems to sit differently with me. Then there is the vacation mentality (eat the treats!) which I did on Saturday. We went to a beer fest which was quite fun, but since my body seems to reject alcohol I splurged on 2 buttery pretzels. Not such a big deal until I share how I followed this with plates of cheese and crackers, yummy cashew nuts, and dark chocolate m&ms (so good!). This morning it was as if I had a hangover from rich food ... crazy hot flashes where I felt ill and lots more than normal. It was enough to make me resist the Cinnabon at the airport (not such a bad thing).
Dissertation
I got nothing done on Saturday but am okay with this as I was vacationing and hanging with friends. On the plane ride home I was able to read 2 articles and take notes. It still overwhelms me how when I read one article I feel like I have to read five more and add yet another section to the paper. But I can't look at the big picture - small steps is the only way to fight the anxiety of the task at hand :)
While traveling the past 5 days I tried to stick to my goal of "moving" every day. As you've read I did pretty well in Tampa. We drove all day on Friday to Santa Rosa but stopped to walk around an Indian landfill (filled with hints of life from 600 AD) and then we walked a tiny bit around our friend's neighborhood. I made up for it on Saturday though ... I walked on the beach for 20 minutes in the morning then we took a nice long bike ride to get a better sense of the area. It was quite the change biking up hills I must say!
Nutrition
Eating out is difficult. Even if I make good choices from a menu the food just seems to sit differently with me. Then there is the vacation mentality (eat the treats!) which I did on Saturday. We went to a beer fest which was quite fun, but since my body seems to reject alcohol I splurged on 2 buttery pretzels. Not such a big deal until I share how I followed this with plates of cheese and crackers, yummy cashew nuts, and dark chocolate m&ms (so good!). This morning it was as if I had a hangover from rich food ... crazy hot flashes where I felt ill and lots more than normal. It was enough to make me resist the Cinnabon at the airport (not such a bad thing).
Dissertation
I got nothing done on Saturday but am okay with this as I was vacationing and hanging with friends. On the plane ride home I was able to read 2 articles and take notes. It still overwhelms me how when I read one article I feel like I have to read five more and add yet another section to the paper. But I can't look at the big picture - small steps is the only way to fight the anxiety of the task at hand :)
March 25, 2010
Day Two part 2
Dissertation
I got up at 4:30 to make a 6:30 flight! I slept on the first plane but found myself reading feverishly and taking notes on the second flight. I'm still working on the persuasive writing section. It seems there is always more to read and learn and synthesize and write!
I got up at 4:30 to make a 6:30 flight! I slept on the first plane but found myself reading feverishly and taking notes on the second flight. I'm still working on the persuasive writing section. It seems there is always more to read and learn and synthesize and write!
Day Two
Movement
I'm in Florida so I decided to get my exercise today by walking the city. I spent about 3 hours walking all over town exploring. I stopped periodically to read or have lunch. Back at the hotel I spent some time playing in the pool (mostly doing leg and arm exercises because I don't know what else to do). Although I've been feeling a little frustrated about my body image I'm happy to report that I did get noticed at the pool ... well, it was a seven year old boy but I think it still counts.
Nutrition
I'm trying different foods now that I am post chemo and foods do taste a little different (I no longer like hamburgers or mac and cheese). We went to dinner at a Spanish restaurant and everything was very tasty! Dinner was followed by Flamenco dancers performing - kind of felt like I lost weight just watching them.
I'm in Florida so I decided to get my exercise today by walking the city. I spent about 3 hours walking all over town exploring. I stopped periodically to read or have lunch. Back at the hotel I spent some time playing in the pool (mostly doing leg and arm exercises because I don't know what else to do). Although I've been feeling a little frustrated about my body image I'm happy to report that I did get noticed at the pool ... well, it was a seven year old boy but I think it still counts.
Nutrition
I'm trying different foods now that I am post chemo and foods do taste a little different (I no longer like hamburgers or mac and cheese). We went to dinner at a Spanish restaurant and everything was very tasty! Dinner was followed by Flamenco dancers performing - kind of felt like I lost weight just watching them.
March 23, 2010
Day One
Moving
This morning I worked on the leg machines (2 sets of 25 one each machine) then met my neighbors for a walk around the neighborhood. I had to catch up as they'd already started so I actually jogged a block at the beginning to catch up (and again at the end because I was wearing shorts and it was still cold!). My legs are a little sore from walking in the mountains this weekend wearing my shape up shoes - feels good to be sore.
Nutrition
I'm quickly learning how sugar affects my body. I had peanut butter brownies this weekend on my college suitemate reunion. Very yummy but I had 4 night sweats as a result. I'm trying to pay attention to which foods cause me to bloat/flash more/swell then see what I can do about reducing these foods from my diet or learn how to partner them with other foods to reduce the side effects. Beans and corn for lunch today!
Dissertation
Today I plan to email my research questions, add an outline to the PW section, and read another article to add to the section.
This morning I worked on the leg machines (2 sets of 25 one each machine) then met my neighbors for a walk around the neighborhood. I had to catch up as they'd already started so I actually jogged a block at the beginning to catch up (and again at the end because I was wearing shorts and it was still cold!). My legs are a little sore from walking in the mountains this weekend wearing my shape up shoes - feels good to be sore.
Nutrition
I'm quickly learning how sugar affects my body. I had peanut butter brownies this weekend on my college suitemate reunion. Very yummy but I had 4 night sweats as a result. I'm trying to pay attention to which foods cause me to bloat/flash more/swell then see what I can do about reducing these foods from my diet or learn how to partner them with other foods to reduce the side effects. Beans and corn for lunch today!
Dissertation
Today I plan to email my research questions, add an outline to the PW section, and read another article to add to the section.
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