I always wish there were a way to push "control-z" afterwards!
Cate's Diary
- Thread starter Cate
- Start date
myleanbaby
New member
I'm so excited for you with the positive impact your walking streak has been having on your physical and emotional wellbeing! I can't even imagine the experience of bush whacking on your land! Happy to hear you are doing so well 
Cate
Long term member
Marsia- I know. I hate leeches! I'm not too bad this morning. A bit stiff & sore only. I fell into more ferns, so they cushioned the blow.
I think I have found my meditation. Walking up here on my own is very relaxing. I need to walk where it is safer for me though, so I'll stick to the proper tracks.
I think I have found my meditation. Walking up here on my own is very relaxing. I need to walk where it is safer for me though, so I'll stick to the proper tracks.
Thank you mlb. How are you doing?I'm so excited for you with the positive impact your walking streak has been having on your physical and emotional wellbeing! I can't even imagine the experience of bush whacking on your land! Happy to hear you are doing so well
Cate
Long term member
I'm having a week off logging my food. It is starting to annoy me & I feel I need a break.
I'm off to see the cardio today, visiting our BIL along the way & on the way home visiting another old friend who has just had a duodenal aorta operated on. Our BIL is not doing well. Cancer sucks.
I'm off to see the cardio today, visiting our BIL along the way & on the way home visiting another old friend who has just had a duodenal aorta operated on. Our BIL is not doing well. Cancer sucks.
I love your new form of meditation! I picture Mary Oliver poems when I see pictures of your land. Here is a little part of one:
In winter
all the singing is in
the tops of the trees...
Hope you get great news at the cardiologist, and sorry to hear about your brother in law.
In winter
all the singing is in
the tops of the trees...
Hope you get great news at the cardiologist, and sorry to hear about your brother in law.
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, Marsia 
I felt really good going in to see the cardio yesterday. We visited our BIL & had a lovely chat with him. He was quite positive about everything even though the chemo is knocking him around. I got my hair cut short again & that felt really good. We did a bit of shopping.
I went for a walk around the streets nearby to get my 2 km walk in before my ap't which was at 3.45 pm. I really have faith in this guy & he is really worried about my BP. He kept stressing the importance of me getting it down. He thinks high BP is a bigger killer than diabetes. I have a referral for a CT scan to see if my aneurysm has grown & a referral to a sleep specialist(?) to see if I have sleep apnoea (I don't think so. G says I don't snore. I think it's his snoring & getting up often that wakes me). He has doubled one of my meds & added another, which I have to start taking at night & incrementally until I get to a certain dose. He also has a lot of faith in the woman GP I see at our local practice. He thinks she is very smart & he has dealt with her a lot. It was a "don't quote me" statement, but I think he thinks she is one of the best there. He suggested that I concentrate on one thing when I see her, ie my BP.
We talked a lot about diet & I asked him about IF, which I had to explain to him. My idea of not eating breakfast & only eating between 12-8 he does not think is a good idea for me, but he thinks having a really good breakfast & lunch, with protein & lots of vegetables & very little in the evening is a much better idea. I think that's what you do, Marsia. How hard do you find that?
We discussed my diet & both came to the conclusion that bread is probably my problem. His is rice. I put on a few kilos when my GP wanted me to eat gluten every day for 3 weeks for a test for gluten intolerance & then I couldn't lose it. In Greece, I ate normal bread most days & put on another 3 kg & haven't been able to lose it.
He kept asking me about salt & how much I consume. I told him I do not add salt to my food & that G is the cook & I will talk to him again about it. I am going to have to stop eating olives & cured meats. G loves corned beef & also adds a lot of sauces to his cooking. I'm sure that's where most of our salt is coming into the diet. Also, bread is very high in salt. As of today, I am cutting out bread. The oatbread I have in the freezer can be eaten by G or the GK's. He also said to cut down on sugar, including honey. Any form of sugar. Maybe I'll skip golf one week to see the nutritionist. I need help. I thought I knew what I was doing.
I came away feeling really scared & disheartened. I feel like I could just cry. Looks like I'm back to logging strictly.
I really need to lose weight. I really, really need to get this BP down.
Streak day 14 (yesterday)
I felt really good going in to see the cardio yesterday. We visited our BIL & had a lovely chat with him. He was quite positive about everything even though the chemo is knocking him around. I got my hair cut short again & that felt really good. We did a bit of shopping.
I went for a walk around the streets nearby to get my 2 km walk in before my ap't which was at 3.45 pm. I really have faith in this guy & he is really worried about my BP. He kept stressing the importance of me getting it down. He thinks high BP is a bigger killer than diabetes. I have a referral for a CT scan to see if my aneurysm has grown & a referral to a sleep specialist(?) to see if I have sleep apnoea (I don't think so. G says I don't snore. I think it's his snoring & getting up often that wakes me). He has doubled one of my meds & added another, which I have to start taking at night & incrementally until I get to a certain dose. He also has a lot of faith in the woman GP I see at our local practice. He thinks she is very smart & he has dealt with her a lot. It was a "don't quote me" statement, but I think he thinks she is one of the best there. He suggested that I concentrate on one thing when I see her, ie my BP.
We talked a lot about diet & I asked him about IF, which I had to explain to him. My idea of not eating breakfast & only eating between 12-8 he does not think is a good idea for me, but he thinks having a really good breakfast & lunch, with protein & lots of vegetables & very little in the evening is a much better idea. I think that's what you do, Marsia. How hard do you find that?
We discussed my diet & both came to the conclusion that bread is probably my problem. His is rice. I put on a few kilos when my GP wanted me to eat gluten every day for 3 weeks for a test for gluten intolerance & then I couldn't lose it. In Greece, I ate normal bread most days & put on another 3 kg & haven't been able to lose it.
He kept asking me about salt & how much I consume. I told him I do not add salt to my food & that G is the cook & I will talk to him again about it. I am going to have to stop eating olives & cured meats. G loves corned beef & also adds a lot of sauces to his cooking. I'm sure that's where most of our salt is coming into the diet. Also, bread is very high in salt. As of today, I am cutting out bread. The oatbread I have in the freezer can be eaten by G or the GK's. He also said to cut down on sugar, including honey. Any form of sugar. Maybe I'll skip golf one week to see the nutritionist. I need help. I thought I knew what I was doing.
I came away feeling really scared & disheartened. I feel like I could just cry. Looks like I'm back to logging strictly.
I really need to lose weight. I really, really need to get this BP down.
Streak day 14 (yesterday)
I´m sorry you feel so disheartened my friend Just to see if I understand correctly: he wants you to get rid of bread, eat less sugar and salt, and if that doesn´t help you can try skipping/reducing dinner? (That last one seems to be the traditional way of losing weight here in Austria.) Did he specify max daily values for the sugar and salt? Ready-made sauces do often contain a lot of one or both of those but with G being a great cook you´ll probably get alternatives as soon as you mention it!
Just to see if I understand correctly: he wants you to get rid of bread, eat less sugar and salt, and if that doesn´t help you can try skipping/reducing dinner? (That last one seems to be the traditional way of losing weight here in Austria.) Did he specify max daily values for the sugar and salt? Ready-made sauces do often contain a lot of one or both of those but with G being a great cook you´ll probably get alternatives as soon as you mention it!Wow, Cate, so sorry the news is a little scary, but I have faith that you can get your BP down!
I eat the biggest meal first, then either a later lunch, or a salad lunch with protein and then a small snack if I need it before my fasting time is up. If I am still getting cravings after that I make either black tea, Pero - coffee substitute that is only 5 calories a cup, or I drink carbonated water. Usually I can tell if I am going to need the small snack at the end and I often make yogurt with berries. I have huge tubs of yogurt in the fridge because I often need a filling snack that is very few calories at the end of my eating window. It is hard at first not to have the carbs and sugar, but once you find nice foods you love just as much, it gets way easier. For instance, my taste buds have changed and I can now have a few almonds and savor and treasure them just as much as how I used to like a treat with sugar. I also am not hard core and I do bake an occasional berry muffin with almond flour and zero calorie sugar when I really really miss bready things. Many keto recipes for bread substitutes have a lot of almond flour and eggs, so are good for you. They are also fattening, so you wouldn't want to eat them every day though.
Anyway, I really really hope the walking will help with the blood pressure and that it comes down quickly for you!!!
I eat the biggest meal first, then either a later lunch, or a salad lunch with protein and then a small snack if I need it before my fasting time is up. If I am still getting cravings after that I make either black tea, Pero - coffee substitute that is only 5 calories a cup, or I drink carbonated water. Usually I can tell if I am going to need the small snack at the end and I often make yogurt with berries. I have huge tubs of yogurt in the fridge because I often need a filling snack that is very few calories at the end of my eating window. It is hard at first not to have the carbs and sugar, but once you find nice foods you love just as much, it gets way easier. For instance, my taste buds have changed and I can now have a few almonds and savor and treasure them just as much as how I used to like a treat with sugar. I also am not hard core and I do bake an occasional berry muffin with almond flour and zero calorie sugar when I really really miss bready things. Many keto recipes for bread substitutes have a lot of almond flour and eggs, so are good for you. They are also fattening, so you wouldn't want to eat them every day though.
Anyway, I really really hope the walking will help with the blood pressure and that it comes down quickly for you!!!
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, LaMa. I feel a little better this evening as I kept myself busy all day, tidying up the house. I hadn't gone for my walk at 3,30 & really did not feel like it at all. I pushed myself out the door & forgot to take my phone, so decided to just go backwards & forwards along our driveway. I won't be doing that again. It was not enjoyable at all. I need to walk in the morning when it's warmer & sunnier. The cardio thinks salt is the biggest culprit with high BP & he wants me to minimise it as much as I can. I'm aiming for 1800 mg a day. He suggested eating less in the evening as a response to my question about doing IF with an eating window between 12-8. He was responding to my questions really, rather than throwing up suggestions. He is very careful & takes time to evaluate his response. I have a lot more respect for him than I do most doctors I have seen.I´m sorry you feel so disheartened my friend
Thanks, Marsia. I needed all of those hugs today! I hope I can get it down & I really hope my aneurysm hasn't grown. I have a CT scan booked for Thursday of next week. I am going to just try to have a substantial breakfast & lunch & a very light snack in the early evening & try not eating anything past 7 pm. I am also cutting down my calories to about 1400 a day, but up to 1600 is allowed. Today I have had 1371 cals.Wow, Cate, so sorry the news is a little scary, but I have faith that you can get your BP down!
I eat the biggest meal first, then either a later lunch, or a salad lunch with protein and then a small snack if I need it before my fasting time is up. If I am still getting cravings after that I make either black tea, Pero - coffee substitute that is only 5 calories a cup, or I drink carbonated water. Usually I can tell if I am going to need the small snack at the end and I often make yogurt with berries. I have huge tubs of yogurt in the fridge because I often need a filling snack that is very few calories at the end of my eating window. It is hard at first not to have the carbs and sugar, but once you find nice foods you love just as much, it gets way easier. For instance, my taste buds have changed and I can now have a few almonds and savor and treasure them just as much as how I used to like a treat with sugar. I also am not hard core and I do bake an occasional berry muffin with almond flour and zero calorie sugar when I really really miss bready things. Many keto recipes for bread substitutes have a lot of almond flour and eggs, so are good for you. They are also fattening, so you wouldn't want to eat them every day though.
Anyway, I really really hope the walking will help with the blood pressure and that it comes down quickly for you!!!
I had oats with almond milk for breakfast (with some chia seeds & a little dried fruit).
I had a tiny bowl of Greek yoghurt (100ml) at about 12
Late lunch was cold corned beef with hot veggies (lots of kale!) & some green tomato pickles. G has been instructed not to buy corned beef again as it's very salty even when you can't taste the salt
After lunch, we had some fruit (an apple, kiwi fruit & banana, all halved).
I had one glass of red wine before dinner.
Dinner was a lamb & veggie soup & I had 2 Ryvitas with some home-made hummus with it.
All in all a good day. I'm currently drinking a pot of herbal tea & I am not going to eat anything else tonight.
I can do this!
Day 15 walking streak
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, Marsia. I could have had the CT scan this morning, but it would mean missing out on golf & I figured 18-holes of golf would be more beneficial. I'm going to try not to think about it, but do the best I can to eat less salt & lose weight.
My walk today will be around our very pretty golf course.
I have enjoyed my >2km walk outside personal challenge & it has also got me over my minimum steps every day, but my feet are hurting more than usual. I may have to mix things up a bit. I am going to set a new monthly challenge, starting tomorrow. I'll think about it during the day today. Getting outdoors for a walk each day I think needs to be in there, so I may impose a minimum time spent outside as part of it. I think that's the key. I am wanting to hop on my bike & am tempted to take it outside, under the verandah. I might give that a go. I also want to do some more gardening & getting ready for the bushfire season. I will get my minimum steps each day, regardless of what I do. The last 2 weeks have been much better for my emotional well-being, with the exception of Monday night. I have bounced back a fair bit & am moving forward again
My walk today will be around our very pretty golf course.
I have enjoyed my >2km walk outside personal challenge & it has also got me over my minimum steps every day, but my feet are hurting more than usual. I may have to mix things up a bit. I am going to set a new monthly challenge, starting tomorrow. I'll think about it during the day today. Getting outdoors for a walk each day I think needs to be in there, so I may impose a minimum time spent outside as part of it. I think that's the key. I am wanting to hop on my bike & am tempted to take it outside, under the verandah. I might give that a go. I also want to do some more gardening & getting ready for the bushfire season. I will get my minimum steps each day, regardless of what I do. The last 2 weeks have been much better for my emotional well-being, with the exception of Monday night. I have bounced back a fair bit & am moving forward again
davisgirl
New member
Ugh, so sorry to hear about the BP concerns. It sounds like this guy is aggressive about remedying it, and you too. I think you’ll lick this... 
Congratulations on the walking streak! There is something about walking in nature that is so grounding. I bet it does wonders for stress.
Congratulations on the walking streak! There is something about walking in nature that is so grounding. I bet it does wonders for stress.
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, davisgirl. I will do my best to lick this. I am so far off being ready to die, so will keep trying to find a way to get it down. The walking streak has done me a lot of good. Being outside in nature is the best remedy.Ugh, so sorry to hear about the BP concerns. It sounds like this guy is aggressive about remedying it, and you too. I think you’ll lick this...
Congratulations on the walking streak! There is something about walking in nature that is so grounding. I bet it does wonders for stress.
Thanks, Marsia. I think being outside as much as possible whilst being active is the key to my well-being. I do feel more positive. My streak snapped me out of my winter blues.
They are getting longer LaMa. Today was a beauty. It started off at -1C, but got up to 14 I think, with no wind. I think I will move the bike outside, maybe on the colder side of the house that has the best view. I'll see how that goes.
I played 18-holes of golf today & am so stiff & sore. Forgetting to take my medication this morning would not have helped. I didn't realise until I got home! My actual golf game was 10 km. I won division 2, but I would not say I played well. Golf is one of those sports where the worse you play, the more exercise you get. I played with just one other woman as we both got sick to death of the other women trying to sort themselves out into their little groups. I enjoyed playing with her. We get on well. I really can't be very bothered with most of the women, but for now, I am. I'll definitely reassess at the end of the year.
This was my game & my day-
Attachments
overlandflyer
Well-known member
my first job as a caddy, standing at the 1st tee watching one of your golfers hook followed by the other one hitting a slice, you knew right away that it was going to be a long day. the length of an average golf course is a bit over 7000 yards, about 4 miles... IF you walk straight down the center of the fairways.
I've just come back after a few days (a week?) offline, I'm so sorry to find you're dealing with all these health concerns. Your doctor sounds good though - really engaged in the whole matter of getting you well/keeping you well.
And your walking, especially in glorious natural surroundings, sounds just terrific, in so many ways - I think it's just good for the soul to see the amazing beauty of trees, for one thing - or stars, when they're seeable!
Your doctor sounds good though - really engaged in the whole matter of getting you well/keeping you well.And your walking, especially in glorious natural surroundings, sounds just terrific, in so many ways - I think it's just good for the soul to see the amazing beauty of trees, for one thing - or stars, when they're seeable!
Cate
Long term member
Me too, LaMa. I think we were both glad that we just went & hit off together. We finished 20 minutes before anyone else & 45 minutes before the rest. We actually got to know one another better, which was good. She is off a lot longer handicap (11 more) than me but has a lot of ability. It was good. I was able to encourage her when she got down about her game. I think it's good that we all take turns playing with her, but it would be good if the few better players did as well.
"your golfers" in my instance, are mostly women well over 70, some in their 80's who are out there on the golf course, pushing their own buggies around. I doubt any of them have ever used a caddy or would want to. I'm one of the youngest, which I find amusing really.
Hi, Marsia. I had a nice warm soup when we got in & we had got the fire going nicely before we hit off. I had also walked over to the clubhouse & put more wood on while we were playing. K (my favourite of all the women) & I get the fire going each week. There are never any sticks & we bring them in from home. There is never wood near the clubhouse & I went & got it from down in the shed before we hit off. It is hopeless out there. The place is a shemozzle. It's quite a hilly course so easy to get the floors in. Not taking my meds in the morning would explain why I struggled to get around yesterday. I will have to be more careful with that.
Thanks, Amy. I bounce back quickly usually & feel fine again today. I'll get on top of this BP if it kills me. JokeI've just come back after a few days (a week?) offline, I'm so sorry to find you're dealing with all these health concerns.
And your walking, especially in glorious natural surroundings, sounds just terrific, in so many ways - I think it's just good for the soul to see the amazing beauty of trees, for one thing - or stars, when they're seeable!
My cardio is good. I'm going to take my BP morning & night for a week & then every second day until I see him next & make notes so that I can see any pattern with it. I'll have the scan next Thursday & then I'll wait to hear back from my cardio. He said he wanted to see me in 2 months to review the CT scan, but I'm sure he would see me earlier if the aneurysm has grown. I'm really just trying not to worry & going to really concentrate on getting my diet right.It is really good for the soul being in nature. I think I'll go for another short walk on our land today, do a little gardening & also ride my bike. I think my August plan is going to incorporate a little of each.
G has gone off to play with a few of his "friends" from the local course, so I have the day to myself, which is nice for a change. I had better get moving soon..