Healthier Living Support Thread: PART TWO!

Have fun in the CNA class Michelle - I would love to take one myself, but I don't think I'll have the time or finances either. Oh well . . . I will keep my spirits up until I can get into nursing class - then it will be a huge internal party!!! I got my microbiology kit and textbook the other day and it looks like so much fun - I am excited! That is definitely good for my mental health - I can't wait for classes to start!!! :) I know that's not a physical health topic, but it does 'get me going' mentally - yeay!

Hiya Sarah! You're taking micro this semester, too, eh? I just faxed my registration to the school. Went online to see what textbook I need and the link for the online bookstore was gone! Which is stinky seeing as the real store is never open when I'm within 50 miles of it! Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and give them a call. Hopefully they'll tell me what book it is so I can get it through amazon... hate paying their rates.

congrats on getting into the cna class, michelle! :yelclap: :balloons: as for the yoga classes, arciedee already gave you great advice. be careful doing exercises on your own that you aren't experienced enough in to not harm yourself. i did that years ago in a yoga class, went home trying to copy the instructor, and caused my right arm much pain. now, i want an experienced instructor for every exercise i do...especially at my tender age of fifty-four. :rotfl:

speaking of exercise...just finished my 45 minute walk on the treadmill while watching "young and the restless". worked up quite a sweat, too. i guess that's a good thing since i hardly ever sweat. :uhoh21:

breakfast was applesauce, scrambled eggs, cheese, one slice of cinnamon bread, and orange juice. time for lunch now. will have sliced pears with cottage cheese in it. that's it so far. :)

Hiya Sarah! You're taking micro this semester, too, eh? I just faxed my registration to the school. Went online to see what textbook I need and the link for the online bookstore was gone! Which is stinky seeing as the real store is never open when I'm within 50 miles of it! Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and give them a call. Hopefully they'll tell me what book it is so I can get it through amazon... hate paying their rates.

Cool - perhaps we can keep each other sane through it then. :rotfl: Yeah - I know what you mean, but I let the financial aid person order all of my materials because that way they are paid for by my student loans rather than out of pocket - I wouldn't be able to afford the up-front costs. Are you taking your class online as well? Mine is online and I am all excited about it!!! I am taking Mircro & A&P II (both online) this semester and that is it for my pre-reqs - then . . . on to the wait-list

Congrats on the CNA class Michelle, and the micro class for sarah and arcidee. Micro was one of my favorite classes, which suprised me.

Well, first week of my first semester of clinicals is almost over. I have managed to do well with my food choices. I have been thinking the night before what meals I will need to take with me to school and packing my bag so I have no early morning panic. I made it to the gym Wed and today, 30 minutes on the elliptical and and hour upper body training today..planning on going again on Sat morning for my cardio and lower body work. I needed this week just to prove to myself that nursing school + a healthy lifestyle can co-exsist if I plan well.

Everyone sounds as if they are doing great!

Wow, you're all doing so well, thought I'd join the fun.

Went for a nice bike ride this afternoon, and although the 3-hour diet is not working for me, the portion control recommendations are working for me.

Essentially, the idea was to rev up the metabolism by eating frequently enough to deactivate the body's "starvation" mechanism. So you'd eat within one hour of waking, then q3h, alternating meals and snacks till you got an hs snack just 3 hours before bedtime.

Some fruits and veggies fell into the "carbs" category.

Anyhow, the gist was that you ate:

For meals:

Protein the size of a deck of playing cards

Carbs the size of a Rubic's Cube,

and a Veggie/fruit the size of 3 stacked DVD cases.

3 Snacks of 100-200 calories of anything you want in between.

No eating three hours before bedtime.

All good sense stuff, but those of you who, like me, are "emotional eaters," there has to be some "emotional work" that needs to be done in order to be successful.

So this support is part of it, but my main problem is not with what I'm eating so much as WHY I'm eating so much.

It was suggested to me that I stop and think about exactly what hunger I'm trying to satisfy....

Any thoughts? Feel free to share.

Hi Angie, :)

Great thoughts to ponder! :uhoh21: My body has been in "starvation mode" for so long now, I'd have to consume mega calories to jumpstart my metabolism. :chuckle

I'm not an "emotional eater" per se. Never really have been. When I'm upset about something, I tend to get quiet, curl up in a soft blanket, and chill out alone in bed or on the sofa. If people are around me, and I want alone time because I'm upset, I take a drive in the car while listening to soft music.

When I crave a food or snack, it's because I am really craving it...not because I'm emotional and need something to chew on.

Eating three meals a day is rough for me, let alone eating six small meals plus snacks! :uhoh21: That sounds like a LOT of physical and mental work on my part. :rotfl:

There is a very good book that deals with emotional eating. It is titled "Feeding The Hungry Heart". It really opened my eyes and gave me some coping skills. Another thing I learned (not from this book) is to acknowledge that you have the craving without giving in to it. When you say to yourself "I can't have it, I must not think about it" The craving becomes much more intense and you have to continue to deny yourself. However if you admit to yourself that you want the item and stop there, then it no longer controls your thoughts.

Marylou thanks for the advice. I am an emotional overeater. Sometimes I give in and eat for no good reasons it seems too.

Sarah, good luck with Micro. It's an interesting class.

Princess, have fun with the CNA class. It's the start of a nursing career

Lori, sounds like you are doing great!

Renee, you're jump starting your metablism with the exercise program don'tcha know? :)

I worked today, but brough a chef's salad with the properly weighed meat and soy cheese. :)

.........................Renee, you're jump starting your metablism with the exercise program don'tcha know?.................:)

THAT's RIGHT!!! I forgot all about my exercising working on the metabolism! :chuckle Tomorrow, I'm going to add stretches that I'm familiar with to my home exercise routine. Treadmill then stretches....careful not to do them wrong as I've done in years past. :uhoh21:

Sarah and Arcidee, best wishes to you both in micro.

I am not enjoying it like I thought I would and pretty much have been discouraged from it. Hope I have a change of heart soon. Not so much the subject (more like my instructor)

Thanks everybody for the good "micro" wishes - I think I will like that class - but, I am weird that way.

Marylou, thanks for the advice about acknowledging the craving - I will have to try that - that is one of my hardest obstacles to overcome. I am like Tweety - I will give in for no apparent reason and then feel guilty about it. I think I will give your advice a whirl!!!

Jess, I am so sorry to hear that about your classes - that is disheartening (especially for a pre-nursing student!). Hopefully it is just your instructor and things will get better next semester. Take care and keep your chin up - you have been wanting this for so long, it will be worth it - whatever you do, don't give up!!! You are way to good a person not to go into nursing - you are going to make an awesome nurse!

Thanks everybody for the good "micro" wishes - I think I will like that class - but, I am weird that way.

Marylou, thanks for the advice about acknowledging the craving - I will have to try that - that is one of my hardest obstacles to overcome. I am like Tweety - I will give in for no apparent reason and then feel guilty about it. I think I will give your advice a whirl!!!

Jess, I am so sorry to hear that about your classes - that is disheartening (especially for a pre-nursing student!). Hopefully it is just your instructor and things will get better next semester. Take care and keep your chin up - you have been wanting this for so long, it will be worth it - whatever you do, don't give up!!! You are way to good a person not to go into nursing - you are going to make an awesome nurse!

Thanks for your kind words,

I am in the nursing program already, but I can't fail this class. Monday is a holiday so will use my time wisely to study and study. :)