General Health Improvement - anyone up for joining me?

[JontyDoggle37]

I've realised I've deprioritised my own health - mental and physical - in the last year and I need to do some things to get myself sorted. I've been trying to lose weight but it's not working, mainly because I'm also stressed, too tired, drinking too much wine, etc etc. I also get migraines and heartburn. So - I'm starting a thread on digging in to the root cause and trying to fix from there up. I'm going to try small fixes day by day rather than set myself a big goal. Today's fixes are a long walk, sunscreen and no alcohol. I'll get more into what I think the root causes might be as I go. Anyone up for joining in?

Yes I'll join! I have tedious health problems and medicine is not helping as much as I'd like it to. I need to do more to help myself. My aim is to exercise daily, 40 minutes plus - nothing strenuous, just swimming or going for walks, even when I feel tired.

Hi Molly! What are you going to do today? I'm just about to plaster on the sunscreen and go for the long walk I've got planned.

I'd be really interested to see what you try and what you feel makes a difference. I've got various long termine chronic health conditions - including migraine - and just don't know where to start! There is a book Heal your Headache I've been meaning to buy. I've just started taking Nortriptyline, a very tiny dose, and a side effect seems to be that my IBS has gone quiet. Too soon to know if it's going to help long term but I'm optimistic!
Good luck x

Thanks gleegeek I need to figure out something to improve my sleep, do more stretches and also getting my eyes tested again as I think that is all contributing to migraines...

Well, today has been a good start. 4 mile walk done, quite a bit of water drunk and no alcohol in sight, plus I took the time to plaster myself in sunscreen as well as everyone else. It's a good feeling, taking a first step to feeling healthier.

Well done Jonty, that's a great start to the new healthier you!

I went for a 90 minute walk in the park with my children. Later I did a couple of hours gardening. Now I feel pleasantly tired and very happy with my day.

I would love to join please!!!

I have put on a shocking amount of weight over the last couple of years. I work shifts which doesn't really help. I am very deficient in vit d and iron so am doing the opposite and forcing myself to have some outdoors time with OUT sun cream! Have been on supplements for about 5 weeks and not noticing a lot of difference yet, except that it is easier to get up in the mornings!

Was working a 13 hour shift today so no new 'thing' accomplished today and am on night shift tomorrow but will try and do some gardening tomorrow and maybe a walk with the children before work.

Morning!
Welcome MissDuke hope you get your gardening done today
MollyHuaChua what have you got planned for today?
gleegeek hope the IBS is still silent
Today I'm going to:

• wear sunscreen
• do the exercises I'm supposed to do for my back and shoulder, that I never normally make time for
• drink lots of water
• not drink alcohol
• eat 5 fruit and veg

I still spent over an hour awake in the night, so I'm going I take a Nytol herbal sleeping pill tonight and try to get a decent night in before being back to work tomorrow. Have a good day everyone and good luck on your targets.

Wonderful thread and exactly what I came looking for.

Great to read so far everyone's start out the traps.

I am post-menopausal (no HRT) and have decided I need to begin a gentle everyday improvement schedule re: my health.

I on detoxing from alcohol - I am a bugger for my wine. I gave it all up for almost two years so I am heading for abstinence for some time again.

I have with my DH put together some menu plans as he also needs to do something.

Today and yesterday, taken the pooch for a two hr walk which were 3.5 miles each.

Cutting out the junk we eat. Then saving the cash seperately. I made a Shepherd Pie yesterday and one for today.

Moved from fags to vape. Two days. Saved £9 put away in my savings account.

Can I join please, Jonty?

Hi Mc sounds like you've made a great start! You're welcome to join!

Today was a mixed bag in terms of success - no alcohol (yey!), did my back and shoulder exercises, drank lots of water. Didn't manage five fruit and veg because plans changed on way back from weekend away so I probably only managed two, and I didn't put sunscreen on as didn't end up being outside hardly (not too bad).
Have been mulling, and I think most of the issues I'm experiencing are either directly or indirectly being caused by lack of sleep. Everything from weight gain (overeating to try and get energy from somewhere) to drinking too much wine (no willpower when I'm tired) to lack of confidence at work (feeling tired doesn't make you feel capable). So tonight I'm having a herbal sleeping pill. Tomorrow I'm ringing the health visitor to see if she's got some ideas for getting 3 yr old DS to sleep better, and the dog is not being allowed to sleep on the bed (he often kicks me or otherwise wakes me up).
I've got my exercise clothes out ready to do a workout as soon as I get up in the morning, I've done a meal plan for the week, and my lunch is ready for tomorrow. I've also signed up to RH Fitness on Facebook to motivate me on weight loss and working out.
Tomorrow's goals are to make time for meditation, move steadily through my personal to-do list without stressing, drink lots of water and eat 5 fruit and veg. I'm also going to dig some vitamins out tomorrow to give me a boost.

Morning - exercise done, after a fashion, as DS woke up at 5.20 and joined me, so it wasn't quite as energetic as planned as I was trying to crunches with a. Toddler sat on my stomach. 🙄
Weighed in this morning, at an absolutely horrible high of 10st 13.5. Goal is 9st 12. There's motivation to stick to the plan if ever there was...

Good morning!
I'm impressed by your resolve Jonty and hope you get some great results from your new regime.
I am also just post menopausal (I think! 7 months since last period) and have put on weight, have had insomnia on and off and drank more wine than I should.
So I've gone back to cutting the wine during the week and not over indulging at weekends, drinking more water and lowering my total calorie intake mainly by cutting out the rubbish from my diet. Biscuits, cakes and sweets are my weakness. I've lost 4 pounds in the last week.
I find that simply not buying crap and having healthy alternatives in the house is what really works for me. So almonds and a square (or two) of dark chocolate for snacks if I must.
Good luck to you all.

Ooh can I join please?!

I've put on 2 stone since Christmas (mostly due to medication I'm taking) and I feel so tired and sluggish.

I've deleted Facebook off my phone as I was wasting way too much time on it and I'm going to spend my evenings doing something that's good for me instead of browsing the Internet.

Today's goals: drink a decent amount of water and do some exercise.

Ooh good thread!
I've been drinking too much wine and eating too much crap recently. Also lost my mojo a bit with exercise (and everything else).
Today's goals... drink 2 litres of water. No wine. Do 10,000 steps and 10k on the exercise bike (just done this bit).
Do a face mask before bed.

Impressive start, Jonty!

Welcome ecureil, everstrong and thatitbe - good to see some more people looking to make similar changes.
Thanks Molly!

So, very low grumpy mood today, combination of lack of sleep (DS woke three times in the night and then got up by 5.20) and some work stress - have a deadline to get a pack out tonight, it's prepared by someone else then I have to review and edit it and they are eight hours late providing it so far, which means I've now got to work all evening. On the plus side I've moved lots today as we had a work 'community help' day which I had to do quite a lot of walking to get to and then did gardening for two hours. Quick bit o shopping on the way home for dinner ingredients, then get DS down to sleep, get dinner made, do about two hours work and then go through all the info for the Diet/Fitness Coaching Group I've signed up to - Richie Howey if anyone else has heard of him. And need to be in bed before 10.30 ideally....🙄

Lovely thread, I would like to join too.

My targets are:

• drink more water
• eat veggies or a salad everyday with main meal
• have a spinach and fruit smoothie
• wear sunscreen everyday
• go cycling

Hi, can I join you please?

I have let myself go for years, in fact I never really 'had' myself IYSWIM? I'm only 30 but I am a frumpy, fat and exhausted wreck who lives in a tip. I have chronic health issues, which obviously aren't going to disappear, but I could do a lot more to help myself deal with the symptoms and make myself fitter gradually.

Oh and just to complicate matters I'm 16 weeks pregnant with DC3! :o

This feels like an insurmountable challenge but I have started making little changes gradually. It helps that I now understand why I struggle so much (I have been diagnosed with Aspergers) so I can be kinder to myself (which makes it easier to make good choices) and actually this unplanned pregnancy has made me more determined to sort myself out.

Earlier this year I lost 1st 10lb just by cutting right down on fizzy drinks. I have been told not to actively attempt losing weight now I'm pregnant, but I have been trying to eat better and drink more water (sometimes a struggle as nausea is still bad), and I'm managing a little more walking which is an achievement for me as I avoid it so much and stay in the house more than is healthy. Also I'm back to decluttering a little today. I hope you don't mind me including clutter in here - it really does make me ill.

I'm in! Have various health problems and feel like I'm wading through treacle half the time. But there are tweaks I could make to my lifestyle - instead of chasing a medical explanation.

So my goals are to go to bed earlier, drink more water, and cut down on sugary cakes and snacks. Oh and maybe start doing more exercise. Might look into tai chi as that seems to be favoured by the doctor in the house (tv prog) for de stressing and back pain.

Must be something in the air Jonty as I am grumpy today too. I want to sit on the sofa bed eat a huge bar of chocolate but I'm going to do some yoga instead.

Have been very good with my diet today- no chocolate, no crisps and no biscuits! I think the key is being organised so I've got lunch and snacks to take to work so I am free of temptation.

I have a tai chi DVD misty - haven't done it for ages but I was thinking about digging it out again because it's so gentle and calm. I have to be careful as one of my illnesses (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS) means I can get dizzy standing for too long but I hope to do a little at a time. It takes a surprising amount of strength as well because you keep your body so controlled.

I also repurchased a pregnancy DVD to do as I loved it when I had DD/DS years ago - good old Davina McCall :o it's like having an old friend back. I haven't dared try it yet, I think even the warm up will be too much for me ATM! :(

Also Jonty just noticed you mentioned getting your eyes tested - see if they'll do a field of vision test, it's not generally included as standard but when I was having awful headaches years ago they said poor FoV was a possible cause.

Hello Everyone,
Just checking in... today I walked a mile to the pool, swam for 50 mins then walked home - I feel exhausted now!

Everstrong, yoga sounds great. I did ten minutes of stretching this morning whilst on the phone (not sure that counts as yoga)

Misty9, yes, I am doing little tweaks too. Hope you notice a difference.

Cagliostro - decluttering is def something I should be doing too!

SunEgg, thanks for the sunscreen reminder. Must get some when I next go shopping.

Jonty, don't be grumpy for long. We're all really pleased you've started this thread. There are loads around in January, but this is a much better time of year IMO.

Ecureuil, impressive early morning cycling :-)

ThatItBe, only having healthy food in the home sounds like an excellent strategy.

Mc180768 - so wish I had a little dog to walk too...

MissDuke, this time last year I was vit D deficient too. 6 months of supplements bought my level up nicely so I still take them.

gleegeek, I don't think you need a definite place to start, just do anything, small changes that hopefully become new habits.

Keep going everyone

Well done on your walk/swim!

Yes I agree, January threads often seem doomed to fail somehow. I'm sure the miserable weather doesn't help. I find heat quite exhausting so the height of summer isn't great either but it's a lot better than winter when I feel more depressed than usual! I definitely feel more optimistic at this time of year :)

Mixed day...
Drank loads of water, took my vitamins, haven't had any crisps/sweets/chocolate, did my 10k cycle ride and have done my 10k steps.... however I had a beef pasty for lunch!