[BlackPup]

So many of us are battling weight gain and exercise and healty eating can improve mood. So this thread is to put your best tips for others to read and also to put your aims and progress on. We've had threads like this before and I think they help.

I've just got an exercise bike and want to ride for 10 km a day this week. 15 km a day the next week and then 20 km a day the week after. This is all in aid of trying to lose the last 10 kg of my med gain and my 10 kg of pregnancy gain. I've also hidden the chocolate!!!

[bipolarLady7]

Wow, good for you for biking so much. Good luck with losing that extra weight.

I have been doing at least 50 sit-ups a day; yesterday I did 150 (50 at a time). It was rainy almost all day yesterday so I didn't take a walk; this morning it was sunny again so I walked for about 15 or 20 minutes with my toddlers.

Eating less food is pretty hard for me so I try to make most of what I eat healthy. I don't know if drinking lots of water helps with weight loss but it sure helps beat the heat so I'm doing that too.

[pink&grey]

I think this is a great idea. We all need to focus on the positive things we can do for ourselves. I'm trying to walk or bike everyday, even if it's just for 10 minutes. Next week I'm pledging to myself that I will go to my company's local office to work for 1 day - to get out of the house and see people for a bit.

I also quit coffee, alcohol & cigarettes for mood & my recently diagnosed heart arrhythmia - so every day I'm focusing on living without those vices while also not going nuts

Good luck to everyone in their healthy endeavors!!!

[pink&grey]

I think this is a great idea. We all need to focus on the positive things we can do for ourselves. I'm trying to walk or bike everyday, even if it's just for 10 minutes. Next week I'm pledging to myself that I will go to my company's local office to work for 1 day - to get out of the house and see people for a bit.

I also quit coffee, alcohol & cigarettes for mood & my recently diagnosed heart arrhythmia - so every day I'm focusing on living without those vices while also not going nuts

Good luck to everyone in their healthy endeavors!!!

I bought some purified high alkaline drinking water. Good stuff. Until we throw away
the chocolate (and I haven't done that yet), it's useless to hide it, I think. Eventually,
you know what's going to happen!

Take care.

[BlackPup]

I'd love to throw away the chocolate but my hubby likes it. But he can eat it in moderation, I can't stop myself once I start, so we reach a compromise I buy it for him but he has to hide it from me

I read somewhere that the good quality 70% chocolate is actually good for you.

Originally Posted by genetic

I bought some purified high alkaline drinking water. Good stuff. Until we throw away
the chocolate (and I haven't done that yet), it's useless to hide it, I think. Eventually,
you know what's going to happen!

Take care.

[BlackPup]

I went for 2 walks and rode 10 km on my bike but ate lots of junk food

I'm the same way about chocolate, Black Pup. It's all or nothing---I think it's the caffeine
in it that I crave. I've read, too, that some chocolate may be good for us.

If you have the same sensitivity, you may want to give up coffee, tea (with caffeine),
and chocolate if you can. There is an article on Doctoryourself.com called
"caffeine allergy" by Ruth Whalen. (Go down the left-hand side index until you see
it and please read it.) It's one of the best explanations of how caffeine is harmful
for those of us who are sensitive to it.

Thanks for this thread. We can all use it, in my view.

Having had plenty of high alkaline (9.5 ph) water during the day yesterday and last night, I slept like a log---no dreams, just quiet, restful sleep and feel fine today. It really does help. (It's purified and then has electrolytes added and it's very high in alkalinity. For those of us who take medications, we need things of this sort which are good for the system.)

[Trippin2.0]

Gosh I hope this thread keeps going, because the type of healthy living I want to engage in is not doable right now... But I'd like to share once I start.

[BlackPup]

Ate way too much sugar today. Away at my parents home - healthy eating will have to wait till I get back home.

[bluewave7]

I've given up alcohol and drugs

That's really great, Bluewave7. You'll begin to feel stronger and more positive as each
day passes, in my view. Keep us updated on your progress.

[BlackPup]

Great job bluewave.

[BlackPup]

My pdoc told me that exercise for at least 20 min improves mood so i should exercise every day. Got back home from a trip to visit my parents and rode 12 km on my exercise bike today. Ate junk food and fast food while I was away though. Planning to eat better now that I'm home again though.
Any ideas of healthy, easy to prepare foods?

[bipolarLady7]

BlackPup, do you have any allergies or preferences?

Grilled cheese
Peanut butter and jelly
Meatloaf (ground beef or turkey, egg or two, ketchup, bread crumbs)
Fruit salad (banana, organic apple, cantaloupe and/or honeydew, strawberries, blueberries or whatever you've got)
Peanut butter on celery

If you're interested, I'll post more. I love sharing recipes

[faerie_moon_x]

I have been on a hunger kick recently. Ever since I cut back my fat (which makes me sick after losing my gallbladder,) I stopped getting sick. But, that has caused me to gain almost 30 lbs. I weigh more now than when I had my baby in 2011.

So, my plan is I want to run the 5k Run For Your Lives as a Zombie next year. I've never run in a race before. So, I'm starting out slow with walking briskly and going to work up to it. So far I'm walking 1 mile every day, and I'm out of breath at the brisk pace. Once I am out of breath, I'll go 2 miles. Slowly working my way up to a jog. There's a lake by my home that is exactly 5k around, so I will start walking that once a week.

Next month I'm going to do a 31 day push-ups and sit-ups challenge to start working on my abs and arms.

My big issue this month is food. I'm constantly hungry at this point for no reason... I am trying not to snack and drink more water instead, but my will power is rather low.

[BlackPup]

Dark heart: look up couch to 5km (c25k.com I think) or there is an ap for phones. It does intervals of jogging between walking.
Thanks bipolar lady. I don't have any allergies. I bought some hommus and carrots for snacks. I'll have to get some celery too. Meatloaf sounds good and easy.

[BlackPup]

I did 12 km on my exercise bike again today and avoided eating chocolate at max brenner(a chocolate shop) today.

[comicgeek007]

I ate breakfast. Gonna do a lot of exercise today.

[BlackPup]

Originally Posted by comicgeek007

I ate breakfast. Gonna do a lot of exercise today.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Be careful not to over exercise. Take care

Originally Posted by BlackPup

I'd love to throw away the chocolate but my hubby likes it. But he can eat it in moderation, I can't stop myself once I start, so we reach a compromise I buy it for him but he has to hide it from me

I read somewhere that the good quality 70% chocolate is actually good for you.

Hi Blackpup
I too have a strong love for chocolate. I know chocolate gives people a feel-good feeling so I was curious to see if there was a link between chocolate and bipolar. I came across an article here on PC entitled ' Chocolate and Mood disorders' by Diana L. Walcutt, PH.D, about the benefits of chocolate and bipolar disorder--something to do with the levels of endorphin and serotonin. I guess a little may not be as bad for me as I initially thought.

I think it all depends on how sensitive one is to prepared chocolate which has caffeine
or theobromine, milk, and sugar in it. I compromise and have only a very small amount
on rare occasions.

The side effects are worse for me than medication side effects!

See http://www.DoctorYourself.com/caffeineallergy by Ruth Whalen. For people sensitive to caffeine the problems can be severe. For others, it must be delightful!

[BlackPup]

Struggling to do my 12km on my bike today but got it done!!!!! Also walked 4 km outside in the beautiful winter sunshine today. It was a gorgeous day.

[Tiger_Lily]

Originally Posted by BlackPup

I did 12 km on my exercise bike again today and avoided eating chocolate at max brenner(a chocolate shop) today.

When I have chocolate I have dark chocolate and 70% cocao. I'm not willing to give up chocolate and wine (or beer,) but I am trying to give up cocktails with sugars such as coke or ginger ale. I not sure what I will do with all my whiskey/rye though. Maybe give it to my cousin or start having it neat (or on the rocks.) For me, I need to keep some of my vices.

[BlackPup]

Tiger Lily: we all need some vices good luck cutting down on the cocktails - could you use diet sodas?

I did 20 km on the bike today and 5 km walking... Feeling really good but worried about keeping motivation up for long enough for the exercise to make a difference to both weight and fitness. I've got so much weight to lose (20kg) I can't imagine staying on track for long enough.