Back on Track

Ok here I am after how long? I have been making goals, but not recording them on here. So, here are my goals as of 8/10. I will need to reassess some of them when I hit the 6 week postpartum mark.

Religious Studies

Upstairs by 10:00 to read scriptures

Morning and evening prayers kneeling

Happy Healthy Family

Lighten Up! (Be more fun, less uptight)

Keep your cool (tone of voice) even in the face of screaming etc…

Consistent consequences/rewards

Individual playtime/attention for each child

Cleanliness

Go to bed with the dishes done and house tidy

Service

Daily Primary planning

Do something to help in every house I visit

Water

Keep it up!

Stress Reduction/Hobbies/Me Time

1 hour of crafting per day

Physical Activity/Exercise

Stretches and walking until 6 weeks then retool

Healthy Food/Portions

Food Journal on mypyramid.gov

General Conference

Now that the conference addition of the Ensign has arrived I am going to read one talk a day, with a notebook to record feelings, impressions and ideas that strike me. This is what I can do as a Latter-Day Saint, but I am sure any religion has inspirational speakers that you could study up on to receive guidance for your daily life.

Use It or Lose It

Today's tidbit of wisdom is about using your muscles. Did you know that if you stop using your muscles it takes 96 hours before you start to lose muscle? The good news...if you miss a day or even two of exercising you are ok!! Get back into it. You haven't lost anything. The bad news...if you miss four days...all your hard work is gone!!! So it is true what they say, use it or lose it!

www.pt-1on1.com/assets/bicep.gif

Abdominals

Today's Denise Austin focused on the abdominals. Good old Denise talked about pulling up and in the abs the multiple effects this has on the body. I will go to a bullet system because they make me feel official.

Pulling in the abs:

• Strengthens your core muscles
• Prevents saggy gut
• Improves your posture
• Supports your back

I am sure it does many other things. But as I focus on pulling in my abs, I feel like standing to do dishes is a workout. I definitely see the difference as I sit here at the computer. When I don't make an effort to pull them in, my guy squished forward...not pretty.

So even when you can't fit in an exercise session, pulling in the abs with make you look and feel better. And...it is hard work, trust me.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4616966_hard-abs-doing-crunches-step.html

Weeding

In 30 minutes a 180 lb person can burn:

• 182 calories weeding
• 202 calories general gardening
• 162 calories planting seedlings

Out of this you get:

• Healthy nutritious food
• Time to spend time outdoors breathing fresh air
• To observe nature
  
• To center your chi
• To teach your children and give them hands on learning opportunities
  
• To share the excess, thus serving others
  

Plus there is something soooo satisfying about watching your little seedling emerge and nurturing them to fruition. That probably has something to do with centering your chi.

Yesterday I weeded and gardened for about an hour and didn't think much of it, but I have sore muscles today so it must have done something.

I hereby declare gardening a healthy option.

http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/gardening-as-healthy-exercise-944590.html

Never Again

I will never again bring all three kids to the Dr's or dentist etc... I think I remember having this realization before, but hopefully I remember it now.

For some reason I thought that the boys would be enthralled while watching their sister get her teeth cleaned, but no they were literally hanging off the machinery, running up and down the halls, touching everything.

At one point I was asked not to let them run because there were people with sharp objects walking in the hall. I had to laugh (you know that irritated I think you are ridiculous laugh???) because of course I allow my children to run recklessly.

Anyway under the goal of happy healthy family I now state that for my sanity and their happiness, medical appointments are now special time that me and the patient get to share together.

Movement

I have heard that at the average desk job you burn between 300-400 calories. I figure this is the up and down from the chair, walking to the copier, delivering this or that to co-workers etc...

So I think that as a stay at home mom I can burn about 400 calories, at least, doing laundry, cleaning, playing outside and all the other things I do to stay on top of things.

But I do spend a lot of time down. On the computer, reading books to me or to the kids, knitting. I did some research and found that if you work at a desk, you should aim to get up from your desk every 20-30 minutes.

So I will do the same. Truth be told...I already do that, but now I will do it consciously to make sure that I am not getting sedentary.