1-4-2011 Thoughts on Exercise and Some More EFT

I realize that I am enjoying blogging so much that it takes a fair amount of my day to report and share my thoughts.  This is all right, of course, while I have this unstructured "free" time.  However, when school starts again on Monday (the 10th), I have a plan and goal to update at least once a week when I weigh in, and, as called when there is time during the week, to write some quick thoughts or strong EFT sessions.  I hope to address some of the key components in my New Plan, such as yesterday's Thoughts on Food, and today's Thoughts on Exercise in my time before classes begin.  I think it will be helpful to save and share my daily menu and results, and any recipes that come up, so we will see how it all comes to fruition!

Turns out it's a good day to talk about how I have felt about exercise throughout my life.  

Basically it boils down to the fact that I'd far rather curl up in bed with a good book than move my body.

(Even though I'd rather curl up in bed than exercise...I deeply and completely love and accept myself...tap, tap, tap)

Ever since I became aware of the need to exercise, I have resisted it.  First of all, from as long as I can remember, if my heart got pumping too hard, I would get a very uncomfortable feeling that I cannot fully describe.  It's most a strange "airy" feeling through my jaw and chin.  So, I tend to keep my heart rate in a comfortable range for my goals, and don't overdo it, because I would also become a bit nauseous with the airy chin feeling.  Also, my knees have provided a great block to getting regular exercise.  I had cartilage removed from my right knee when I was 12 years old (it was torn and stuck), and from my left knee when I was 13.  As a result, I had developed severe arthritis by the time I was 26 years old.  The doctor told me at the time that I was too young for a knee replacement, and the best I could do is bear the pain as long as I can and then consider replacement.  I was in a good amount of pain that restricted my activities until I discovered, or opened up to acupuncture.   I originally tried acupuncture to eliminate allergies (which was very successful), and the acupuncturist "threw in" some extra needles for my knees and hooked them up to electro-stim.  The results were phenomenal!  The pain was all but gone and I could finally hike and walk and ride my bicycle again.  As long as the hills weren't too steep, or too rocky, I was pretty comfortable getting out there.  This has helped me immensely since 2000.

This past April, after a wonderful massage, I awakened the next morning with severe pain in my left knee.  Two days later it swelled.  This prompted visits to the surgeon and the rheumatologist, who x-rayed, and took MRI's of my knee.  The severe arthritis is there, and I have the questionable diagnosis of pseudogout, which is a build up of calcium deposits within the joints.  This wasn't fully confirmed, but it appears I am susceptible to pseudogout flare-ups.  The advice this time was to use my knees as long as I can stand the pain, receive acupuncture to help with the pain (this was cool to hear from the rheumatologist), and then decide when its best for me to have them replaced.  As a result, I am taking glucosamine chondroitin in the form of Joint Juice daily, and monitoring my activities (no steep/rocky/super long hikes), and my exercise has to be as non-knee-weight bearing as possible.  I love to walk in the fresh air, and am slowly getting used to the hills where I now live, however the walking takes a fast toll on my knees.  I am so very grateful for the Tony Little Gazelle that I have in the house to use for cardiovascular workouts.  It is very easy on my knees, and works the entire body, including my arms.

That was a bit of a tangent from my "I hate exercise" story.  But, perhaps, it hasn't been pleasant for me because of the pain and frustration of having knee issues for most of my life.  No wonder I just want to curl up in bed!

Anyhow, yesterday I felt amazing and great before, during and after my elliptical workout (and Five Tibetans, etc.)  I felt great and energized until the headache started later in the day, possibly related to a variety of reasons.  According to My Food Diary, I did not eat enough calories to compensate for my exercise expenditure (which was the same as the day before), also I had not had my usual small dose of caffeine, plus, my eyeballs had an enormous workout the day before with the Brain Integration Technique.   I awakened in the night pretty hungry, even though I felt like I ate and ate yesterday.  I woke up this morning and the headache was gone, but the rest of me feels wonky and those 45 minutes on the elliptical felt at least double that.  This has triggered a bunch of my negative attitude about exercise, which I will proceed to clear with EFT:

EFT:  "Even though I hate exercising..."  "Even though I feel crummy sometimes after I exercise...."  "Even though my knees hurt all the time..."  "Even though my knees and heel hurt more because I'm heavy..."  "Even though I am afraid I am going to hurt myself exercising..."Even though I resist exercise..."

Replaced with:

"I love to move my body"

"I love feeling energized"

"My body is flexible and has a fantastic metabolism"

"I am light as a feather and my knees are healthy"

"I live a balanced life between rest and activity"

"My body loves exercise and feels great!"

Five Tibetans:  15 repetitions (we're getting used to getting up really early again, perhaps tomorrow we will aim for 18 reps)

Alternate nostril breathing:  We almost forgot, but we did about 8 inhalations/exhalations

Exercise:  45 minutes on the elliptical and walking when Richard got home

Meditation:  Lesson 57, A Course in Miracles

Food: My goal is to get enough calories that don't stress my salt maximum and my saturated fat quota.  So far, I am doing pretty well, and am tapping out the negative 'tudes that would lead me straight to the big chunky piece of cheese, or leftover chocolate because of how my body feels.

"Even though I crave the big chunk of swiss cheese in the fridge... I deeply, completely love and accept myself"

Breakfast:

Blue Corn Meal Pancakes: 1 serving

1 tsp. pure maple syrup

Joint Juice

1/2 apple

1 c. Wallaby vanilla yogurt

1 c. Matcha tea

Snack:

Pumpkin Latte, sugar-free

Lunch:

Avocado Alfalfa Jalapeno Almond "Cheese" Sandwich

2 Sans Sucre sugar-free (with stevia) and fat free brownies

Zero calorie Lifewater

Snack:  

2 c. Stevia Chocolate almond drink

Dinner:

1 c. whole wheat pasta

1/4 recipe of low-salt tomato sauce with olives (posted earlier today)

8 spears of steamed asparagus

In spite of my earlier attitude "glitch" with exercise, which I feel far better about at this point after the EFT, this turns out to be a successful day in meeting my goals.  And, tomorrow, I affirm, I will have a far better attitude than I did earlier today, regarding my New Plan!

My Food Diary Summary: