Posts Tagged health
Yoga
Posted by Violetsteel in Health, Journal on 27/07/2010
I did some yoga last night before going to bed and did 3 Sun Salutes before work. Definitely nice to have a good stretch in the morning, and it certainly gets the blood flowing.
Got home this evening and did another hour and a half following the yoga for dummies video. I’d really recommend it as she explains each pose really nicely, and getting into each pose is gradual so you know exactly what you are supposed to be doing and where you should feel the stretch. She also explains the breathing a lot and keeps reminding you to focus on it as it’s intergral to yoga and it’s benefits.
I’m really hoping the stretching can help with my bad hip and it’s range of motion, I’ve struggled with simple things most people take for granted, like crossing your legs, since I had my surgery when I was 11. I’d be over the moon if I can get some of that movement back. Obviously I’ll have to take it slow and steady though, but I think by challenging it daily and stretching it, it’ll help.
coloured Contact Lenses, 30th Party & Yoga
Posted by Violetsteel in Health, Journal on 26/07/2010
Pete was working away from home the weekend just gone, they had a catalogue launch in Widnes nr Liverpool. Becky kept me company some of the weekend though and we went to watch Twilight Eclipse for the 3rd time in cinema. Yes we are somewhat obsessed. I think we are going leave it at that now though and wait for the DVD. Afterwards we saw Steve and Greenie in town for a quick drink and then Becky came back to our place for a little while. I however drank loads of cider and stayed up till 4am.
I’ve ordered some coloured conact lenses. I’ve always wanted light coloured eyes, but coloured contacts have always been really expensive and incredibly fake-looking so I’ve never tried them. On Sunday my interest was piqued again, so I did a search for “coloured contact lenses for dark eyes” and found a forum with a long discussion about them, and photos of people wearing them which looked great, so I followed a recommended link and came to contactlenses.co.uk which stocks a wide range of professional contact lenses coloured and normal. Thy have good prices and range to choose from, and the reviews for their coloured contacts were really good, so I’ve ordered some.
I’m both excited and nervous at the same time as I don’t know what results to expect, or if I’ll have the confidence to leave the house with them in. They were dispatched today so should hopefully arrive in the next few days.
I’m getting more and more interested in yoga. I’ve only done it a few times, but the flexibility, relaxation and body & mindconnection really appeals to me. I might try give it a serious go and try do a bit each day before work.
My 30h Birthday party has been organised by Pete and Becky. Luckily my Birthday is on a Saturday, so I get to have my party on my actual birthday. I’m trying hard not to get any expectations to avoid disappointment, but I am actually really looking forwards to the celebrations 
And of course Pete it taking me on holiday somewhere which is all a secret, so i’m very excited about that
Work Stress, energy & budgeting
Posted by Violetsteel in Health, Journal on 16/07/2010
I’m really glad it’s friday. On a friday morning I wake up already feeling happier just knowing the weekend is a few hours away.
It’s been a stressful week at work. Aside from my horrible day on Wednesday, almost everyone on the company has had their work cut to 4 days a week, thus loosing 20% of their income. I have been one of the very few lucky ones not put on short time, but it might only be temporary. But I am definitely grateful. However I do feel guilty that all my colleagues are in a bad situation and currently I am not. I can only hope they don’t hold it against me and work picks up very soon.
I was feeling very run down last night and relaxed and dosed on the couch all evening. Probably related to the stressful week and also my diet. Im trying very hard to restrict my calorie intake, so I’m probably not getting the best varied diet that I should be. But I’m desperate to slim down so I’ll keep at it. I’m taking vitamins and Acai though so hopefully that’ll give me a boost.
I’m working on a very tight budget at the moment as I’ve let Pete take over my finances so I can pay of my debts quicker. I was starting to get very stressed about my finances as I’m not a good money manager, and finally realised I needed Pete’s help.
Cancer is a bastard
Posted by Violetsteel in Journal on 09/06/2010
Life has turned upside down once again. My Aunty Sandra has been very ill for quite some time now and the doctors have done numerous tests on her trying to find out what’s wrong. After being cleared for cancer a month ago, on Wednesday 2nd last week she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s already too severe to treat, being in her bones, lungs & lymph nodes.
On Wednesday my brother had commented on facebook regarding getting bad news about family in the UK so I instantly got worried and messaged him. She said Aunty Sandra was in hospital and Uncle Kevin (One of Sandra & My Mum’s brothers) could tell me more. I phone him up and he told me she has cancer and it really wasn’t good. I realised how bad when he told me there weren’t going to be treating her, just making her comfortable. I cried and phoned my Mum straight away. Kevin had already called her so I knew already that she was aware of what was happening. I blubbed on the phone to her and we chatted about the possibility of her coming over right away to see Sandra, and she said she’d price up tickets. Apparenly Aunty Sadra didn’t know at this point how bad it was as when the doctors came to talk to her in hospital she told them to talk to her daughters Janine & Lorraine because she didn’t want to know. She’d figured out it was cancer already. I then phoned Janine and she was very upset and could hardly talk, so I didn’t talk for long. She told me her and Loz were going with a consultant to tell Sandra about it together the next day. I said I’d visit her on Friday night then. Friday Becky and I arranged to go see her in hospital together. She was in a lot of pain but got us to take her outside in the wheelchair for a cigarette. “Too late now anyway!” she says. Ha! After visiting her I felt somewhat better as before hand I didn’t quite know what to expect, because the first time I visited Ange when she was really ill it came as a huge shock. So I’d been preparing myself for the worst. Friday night Becky came around to ours and I got drunk. It was good.
Saturday my Mum emailed to say she’d be here on Monday, so I called my boss and booked the day off. Saturday night Becky said a lot of the family was around their house after being at the hospital, so I went around there and we all got pissed. I cycled home drunk. LOL.
Sunday was spent cleaning the flat and getting the spare room ready for my Mum’s arrival (had to replace the sodding toilet seat as it broke when I was cleaning the loo!), then visited Aunty Sandra again in hospital. She was scheduled to be released the next day to go home if they had her medication right. Her pain was being better managed but she seemed really nervous about it and kept asking the nurses when her next dose was. She was getting a bit confused and loosing bits of conversations though which was a bit upsetting, but I asked Jane about it and she said it was due to the morphine and not the cancer.
On Monday Pete, Becky & I went to pick up my Mum from Birmingham International Airport. Took her home to bath and have a cuppa then went straight over to the hospital as Sandra hadn’t yet been released. They hadn’t quite got her medication levels right so would only be allowed out on Tuesday. My Aunty Gladys and cousin Jamie with his GF Lou had also come down from Scotland that day and the arrived at the hospital soon after us. Afterwards we all went back to Aunty Sandra’s house to relax and catch up. My Mum spent the night there with Aunty Gladys and Veronica.
Tuesday Pete and I were both back at work. Mum spend the days at Sandra’s as she was being discharged from hospital. I asked for a few days off to spend time with my Mum for the short time she was here, but I was denied the full 3 days I asked for which nearly made my cry at my desk. I’m still seething about that today. After work Pete dropped me off at Aunty Sandra’s before going to nin-jutsu. I spent the evening with Mum, Janine, Lorraine, Andy & the Boys Becky, Kev & Jane, Gladys, Veronica, Jamie, Lou and Tracey, listening to them tell stories about their youth and Nan & Grandad. It was great. Had a nice cuddle with Aunty Sandra before we went home too, telling her how much I love her. The Katharine House Hospice have supplied her with a hospital bed and other equipment so she has oxygen and is all well set up at her home in the lounge, which has been turned into a makeshift bedroom; just like they did when Ange was sick.
At work again today, still in a foul mood and tired. But looking forward to getting home this evening and relaxing with everyone again. I believe we are going around to Kevin and Jane’s for supper and Becky is cooking for us. 
Terminal
Posted by Violetsteel in Journal on 02/06/2010
I found out this evening that my Aunty Sadra has terminal cancer. Fuck. Just fuck.
Dieting
Posted by Violetsteel in Health, Journal on 25/05/2010
In the past month people have started to notice I’ve lost weight. Yaaay! It really makes me feel so good and encourages me to keep at it. Gym tonight again.
Gym
Posted by Violetsteel in Health, Journal on 20/05/2010
I’ve been unhappy with the weight I’ve gained over the past few years and over the last 6 months or so I’ve been working to do something about it. I started by joining My Fitness Pal and started counting my calorie intake. I know this can seem really complicated to most people but this site makes it so simple. You can do literal searches for generic items like “apple” and thanks to other people inputting details for themselves you can also search for things like “bird’s eye simply range – pollock fillet” and all the details are right there for you. Thankfully here in England, nutritional information is listed on every product, so if you can’t find what you want, you can enter it yourself and it’ll be saved for future us and others to use too. If you cook a complicated meal you can detail what’s in it and save it to your “meals” to use again, and it saves your commonly used items to “favourite” for quick adding any time. It makes watching how many calories you consume very easy, and also helps you plan a weightloss program and tracks your progress. Doing this I’ve manages to drop about 4kgs over a couple of months.
Now to kick it up a gear I’ve joined the local gym. I’ve never been much of a gym-goer, but the few times I’ve been so far I’ve really enjoyed it. The machines are great! I can plug in my iPhone and listen to my own music or an audiobook while I work out and the built in tv displays menus, television and information about my workout. Plus it automatically saves my workout to my iPhone and when I get home I can sync it to Nike Running. All this together helps keep me motivated as I can see my progress and set goals on the Nike website.
I’ve only been going 2 weeks but I’ve been twice this week and cycled there and back both times. Thankully the weather has been really nice so hopefully I can keep my motivation up when it’s not so nice. I’m sure there will be weeks where I can’t be bothered but while my motivation is high I’m going to make the most and try keep my eyes on the goal.
Size 8, here I come!
