# brightflashes's health log



## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

First task: Make a plan

*Health Focus Areas*

Physical

Work

Family

Emotional

Spiritual

Social


Plan: Evaluate three areas to work on each week
Goal: Increase happiness and satisfaction
Subgoal: lose 10 lbs in next 3 months, despite holidays 

*Physical* = Sleep Schedule, Workout Schedule, Healthy Dieting, Management of physical issues with Doctor
*Work* = Meeting quota every day of week, keeping schedule, ironically, not overworking.
*Family* = game night, movie night, reading books together, dining together, etc...
*Emotiona*l = emotional medication management, reviewing/analyzing emotional isues
*Spiritual* = Studying to be initiated into the next order of Druidry, memorizing, 8 holiday celebration
*Social* = people-y stuff, ?, something involving talking out loud.

Maintain log weekly until all goals are met


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

Week 1: Physical, Work, Spiritual

Physical goals

3-5 stretching/yoga exercises daily [- day of rest]
3-5 strength exercises every other daily [- day of rest]
Maintain aerobic exercise level (brisk walking, stationary bike, stair exercises)

Work Goal
Continue meeting quota
Try new client reachout method this week
List of Continuing education credit activities/books for 2018

Spiritual Goal
Conduct Samhain ritual both alone and for family
Study at least 3 Gwers and memorize two more triads
Relaxation Meditation/Exercise daily


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

helloooo  I'm glad you made a log and those look like nice goals


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## And1 (Aug 20, 2016)

Best wishes as you reach for each goal and over all have a great time doing it.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

Today

- Went to pdoc, decreased insomnia medication by half (digestion and absorption have improved, so need much less for the same effect)
- Positive pdoc visit.

So far
- Physical goals are in check.
- Work goal has not been achieved, but I have the ability to achieve it this week and I'm not worried about it. Needed the time this weekend to focus on more important things and it seems to be paying off. Tuesday through Friday work week will be fine; probably will have to add just about 1/2 hour each day to make up for lost time today to achieve projected weekly income.
- Spiritual goal is in check.


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## The red spirit (Sep 29, 2015)

brightflashes said:


> *Physical* = Sleep Schedule, Workout Schedule, Healthy Dieting, Management of physical issues with Doctor
> *Work* = Meeting quota every day of week, keeping schedule, ironically, not overworking.
> *Family* = game night, movie night, reading books together, dining together, etc...
> *Emotiona*l = emotional medication management, reviewing/analyzing emotional isues
> ...


*Physical:*









*Work:*









*Family:*









*Emotional:*









*Spiritual:*









*Social:*









*And now...*


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

Today

End of the week and I can say that I "failed" all three challenges. However, this isn't something that has discouraged me and is definitely not something that has me feeling bad. A circumstance regarding one of my meds affected my ability to focus and concentrate which then sort of got everything else off. 

Despite this, I did exercise every day that I could.
I also worked as often as I could.
I also went over spiritual things as often as I could.

I did my best and it might be about right where I was before (only on the opposite end of over-working for work), but I know that this affected my behavior and it put into my consciousness the things most important for the week.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

*Week 2: Physical, Work, Social*

Week 2: Physical, Work, Social

Physical goals:

Sleep schedule between 10 PM and 6 AM +/- 2 hours
Core & shoulder focus when stretching and strength building, continue aerobic exercise


Work goals:

Meet quota for the week
Try new client reachout method this week

Social goals:

Interact with someone 1:1 in a way that otherwise feels uncomfortable daily - one day of rest.

- - - - - - - - - - 

I realize my social goal might seem really weird but I seriously do not interact with people very much at all. Making a specific goal is what will help me direct my social behavior.


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## La Bella Luna (Oct 28, 2017)

brightflashes said:


> I realize my social goal might seem really weird but I seriously do not interact with people very much at all. Making a specific goal is what will help me direct my social behavior.


This is wonderful and well thought out. It doesn't seem weird. Mind, body, and soul must be harmonious and healthy to truly thrive.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

brightflashes said:


> Today
> 
> End of the week and I can say that I "failed" all three challenges. However, this isn't something that has discouraged me and is definitely not something that has me feeling bad. A circumstance regarding one of my meds affected my ability to focus and concentrate which then sort of got everything else off.
> 
> ...


Hey that's OK ... page 1 of a log needs a stumble anyway, then you can compare later and see progress  

I totally have social goals too. I'm an introvert and SO is my weakest instinctual variant...it just falls by the wayside if I don't prioritize it and give myself logical reasons to prioritize it. and I see the ill effects on myself if I don't prioritize it ... I see I still need it ... so every now and then I get motivated again to fix that... lol


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## And1 (Aug 20, 2016)

Good for you on your attitude and cheers to your goals next week!


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

Thanks for the support guys!

- - - - - - - - - - 

Week 2 went great. Weekend has disrupted my sleep schedule a bit, but not worried about it. One lesson I learned is that just because people are supposed to act in certain ways, they don't have to. While my whole life illustrates this point clearly, when I put pressure on myself to socialize, I found it easy to touch base with my siblings, my closest friends. When I went down my list of people to talk to, I got to one and I realized that I just hadn't taken the time to think about why I wasn't talking to him. He and I haven't had a great relationship (he's my ex-husband, for full disclosure). I realized hey, I don't *need* to check in on him every so often. He's someone who is very dependent and I sort of felt like I needed to take care of him a lot of the time. Well, I released myself from that "need" this week and I think that helped me in other ways.


Week 3

I'm tripling down on physical health this week. While I exercise, I'd like to establish a schedule daily for it instead of doing it in the morning one day and in the evening others. I understand that some people need to fit it in whenever they can. However, I work from home and am in control of my own schedule. I hope to be able to pull off doing it in the morning after the kids go to school. We'll see what happens.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

Have established a schedule, just forgot until now that since the kids are out of school next week, I'll probably be postponing the schedule until after the kids go back to school. 

Stretching/Toning/mild strength building in the morning after I wake up.
Brisk walks with the dog every 2 hours to get my "steps" in (and get into prolonged fat-burning zone).
Aerobic exercise three times a week about 1 hour after dinner.

This allows for me to have flexible time to exercise, do a variety of exercises every day, and gives the option of skipping a day if I need more time or if I need a day of rest. 

Work, for now, is between 9-11 and then again at 1-3.
11-1 is lunch/run errands time.
Kids/husband get home at 4, so I get an hour of "down time" before they get home to do any housework, planning, or whatever it is I do when the kids are in school.

Any time in the early morning hours is time to get caught up on work, planning/organizing, breakfast, and herding the kids and their dad to get to their respective school/work. 

Tripling down on my physical activity is sort of a cop-out for my goal organization, but I really prioritize staying in shape and I wanted to get it down AND make certain it was actually doable this week so that I won't need to worry about that in the next few months. It'll just become automatic as I do it daily. 

Starting to think pretty hard about what my goals will be for next week. The American Holiday gives me some extra time with the family and offers a time to reflect on the coming Yule/Midwinter, etc... season.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

It's interesting to me that, after starting this project, some things I thought would be hard (keeping up exercising a bit more rigidly) are actually easy and some things I thought would be easy (updating regularly) would actually be harder than anticipated. I guess that as long as things are on track, I don't feel especially motivated to update.

However, I think updating is part of the process: reflection is important.

This past week, I've had a resurfacing of intense neural pain in my back which has made it impossible for me to keep up with the physical expectations I put on myself and I've become a bit frustrated with the process: not that it's my fault, but because it's frustrating that I have these set backs which I can't control. 

So, I have rested a bit this past week, but I'm still doing the activity that I can. I've continued to walk and stretch. The strength building and aerobics have fallen to the wayside, though, because I just can't take that much strain without setting off enormous pain.

Anyway, I decided to come back to this log and search it for some good things to focus on during this time.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

*Week 4: Physical, Social, & Work*

Week 4

1. Physical 
a. have a blood panel test done by next Tuesday
b. see a doctor about pain management
c. continue to workout daily at a pace which is formed to help my back heal; not make it worse.

2. Social
a. attend a new group tomorrow (the group is for Jungian and Depth psychologists and meets every week)
b. make some Yule/Midwinter crafts with the kids
c. Send out Holiday cards

3. Work - I think I've been slacking in this area lately (maybe because it's hard to think through the pain)
a. exceed quota every day of this week

- - - - - - - - - -


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

*Week 1: Physical, Work, Reflection*

Week 1 (2018)

1 Physical
a. Get wellness check on the 11th
b. Continue adding 3,000 steps daily
c. Maintain sleeping schedule

2. Work
a. Work on M,T, Th, F regular schedule
b. figure out daily, weekly, & monthly quota for 2018

3. Reflect on 2017
a. What worked in 2017?
b. What didn't work in 2017?
c. How to apply lessons from 2017 to 2018

Weight loss goal: -10 to 15 lbs by Spring Break (March 19)


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

The week after my last post here I saw my doctor for my wellness check. I have said previously that I have some risks for heart disease and stroke. Anyway, without going into the specifics, I got lab results back which indicated I needed a big rehaul in some areas of my life - specific to my particular nuances.

First, I needed to lose a bit of weight. Since January 20, 2018, I've lost 12 lbs which is a good amount - nice and healthy. I'm hoping for 3 more off this month to reach my modest goal of 15 lbs. Then, I'll have to check in with my doctor to see what to do next. 

Second, I needed to change my diet - even though it wasn't particularly unhealthy in the first place. It was tough at first, but I have been experiencing a lot less inflammation and issues that I was having before. The one day I "cheated", I threw up worse than I have ever done in my life - including while pregnant. I had no idea my body was so sensitive to the food that I wasn't supposed to eat. I know that's pretty gross, but that experience insured I would NEVER go off my diet without help from my doctor.

I'm very lucky because I'm seeing results and because the first thing we have tried is working. I see my doctor in April, and that probably will be the next time I update this. I'm keeping track of so many things offline and some of it is kinda private that I just wanted to touch base here - especially when I pick up this thread again - and give an update.

- Energy levels up
- Sleep a little bit more difficult
- Over-all feeling of wellbeing
- Less mood disturbance
- Much less chronic pain
- Much less various symptoms
- Blood pressure down
- Activity levels normal: steps, aerobic, and toning/strength building

- Still having sugar cravings because I'm so sweet
- Having a hard time working up appetite for proteins (I was a vegetarian for at least 10 years and even though I eat meat now, I never got in the habit of eating it directly from animals daily)


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

I have successfully lost my first 15 lbs. I am going to continue on the diet and exercise that I'm doing now and check in with my doctor later on in early April to see where I am and what I can add or subtract to help with my weight.

One of the most startling differences I noticed by using my fitbit tracker (I use Alta HR and recommend it) is that since starting this new diet, my heartrate dropped by nearly 20 beats per minute. I had no idea how much of an impact my diet had on my heart rate. It seems that by lowering stress from trigger foods and my diet my heart has gotten much more healthy. I'm sure it has to do with activity and lower inflammation, too. 

I'm still having difficulty with protein. I'm hardly able to eat more than 2 oz at a meal, but I'm getting better. Protein is something that was initially difficult to digest but now is helping my body balance out. 

Progress

- 15 lbs lost
- Energy levels up
- mood stable & strong sense of wellbeing
- More relaxed, less general tension, only a minor pain flare up easily treated with essential oils
- both my blood pressure AND my heart rate are down, the latter significantly.
- Activity levels slightly above normal.
- All previous digestive issues have vanished

potential setbacks

- Sleep is still difficult, but I think adjusting my sleep meds might help. I've always had insomnia and, for me, it's dangerous not to sleep. It can throw my whole week off. I'm getting the right amount of sleep each day, but I'm still having trouble getting to sleep. Will have to check with my pdoc to see about adjusting any meds. 
- I did catch a cold right after posting my last post and it was a pretty bad one. Then again, everyone else in my family had it, too. Sleep & fluids helped and I didn't get so bad that I needed to see my doctor or anything. 
- I'm tracking food allergies which are, by now, extremely obvious to me. Cutting out these foods are sometimes sad for me, but it's all about getting my health back up due to my "issues".

- - - - - - - - - - 

I'm looking forward to continued weight loss. I'd be happy with another 15 lbs, but only if that's what I need - the issues my doctor has identified may be too hard to manage while losing more weight at this point and I'm OK with tha.

I'm really excited about opening the pool, hopefully sooner rather than later. I have always loved swimming for exercise and I didn't get to use the pool last year much at all when we first moved into our new house, so I'm excited about that.

I'm getting a bit more realistic about how much stress/pain to expect. I tend to have these ideals of where I should be which is like completely pain free and no cares in the world. That's just not realistic at my age with kids and all the responsibilities I have with all that.

Especially after seeing my last post complaining about sleep, I think I really need to make that a priority.

Still positive, still working hard on improving my health. I've made so much more progress in the past 3 months than I thought possible and I'm eager to continue.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

congrats on your progress  good hard work becoming visible!


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

This is something I need to remember. I have chronic back pain and was experiencing some pain last night which was preventing me from sleeping. Against my doctor's orders, I took an NSAID. So, for the rest of the night I was throwing up. It's so remarkable how sensitive I am to the things that interfere with my gut health. Just need to remember how important it is to go with my restrictions. 

My back felt better though ... :dry:


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

sorry you had to go through that!


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

After a lot of work and dedication, I am in a very comfortable place with my weight. I still exercise regularly and continue to eat well. And that fitbit I purchased 1 1/2 year ago? I wear it every day and have not regretted the purchase once. Thus ends my health log.


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## openend (Nov 4, 2018)

Brightflashes. You look healthy. Im gonna take your plan and drill into it tomorrow to take advice.


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## contradictionary (Apr 1, 2018)

openend said:


> Brightflashes. You look healthy. Im gonna take your plan and drill into it tomorrow to take advice.


Hey, what happened to this openend. Banned? New Guy? Troll? Doesn't seem to be.


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## brightflashes (Oct 27, 2015)

contradictionary said:


> Hey, what happened to this openend. Banned? New Guy? Troll? Doesn't seem to be.


That was my thought, too. : (


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