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.