What will you be doing in 2012 to improve your health?
Exercise more, cut out empty foods like soda (regular or diet), eat more fruits and vegetables?

Make it fun, if it's a chore or you feel deprived you won't follow through on it.

I am starting my diet tomorrow. Actually I have been eating some salads the last few days.

I have also started walking and doing minor exercises (nothing too stressful on the breathing).

I also changed my daily vitamin to one for one of those "Silver" type. They say our vitamin needs change when we hit the big 50!

I still have to many goodies in the house from Christmas, so I have to wait at least till Friday.

I want to try and lost at least 10pounds a month.
I will be walking each day as long as it isn't a blizzard and will cutting back on the goodies, wine and pop for sure.

I'll be joining you shortly.

This is so timely for me to return to the site, I love the variety of threads that are new to me. I have been given a deadline by my doctor to get my cholesterol down below the danger level. I was able to avoid many favorites over Christmas but am getting SO tired of the same foods over and over even though I know they will help a lot, especially the high fibre fruits and grains. Adding exercise has helped and I find listening to recorded books on an MP3 player makes going for walks very pleasurable (and takes away from the monotony of housework as well.) I will be trying more recipes to boost my interest in cooking and looking for more variety in the lunch I take to work. I think some concrete menu planning will help in this and stop me from being in the grocery store so often too, I hope so anyway...lol

I joined in a community health challenge for a 110 days. In order to really "see" my progress I'm taking before and after photos, measurements, BMI, weight and height stats. This, coupled with the fact that I am on a team, may make me more accountable.

First goal is 10,000 steps per day. I have to really push to get over 2500. This will be interesting.

Striving, that's awesome. I agree that accountability helps keep you going, good luck! Do you have a food plan to follow?

Had a whopper of a migraine this week. Enough to send me to bed for 2 days which never happens. I've had migraines for 33 years but the last 6 or so have been almost unbearable. The medication I take for it doesn't seem to do anything. On top of it, we got new insurance this week and that medication would no longer be covered.

Made an appt with the doctor to see about the next step. Perhaps there's something else we can try.

The point of bringing this up is a reminder to be proactive about our health and medications. Just because something used to work for us, chances are a change needs to be made.

Kimberly, I hope there is another option for you to try. There have been so many strides made in medicine in the last ten years, maybe it's just waiting for you. Fingers crossed, as my mom went through years of migraines only to find out it was her blood sugar causing them so you just never know.

i get awful caffiene withdrawl headaches, kim are you sure they were all migrains

mary

I have had 3 migraines in my life, since the late 90's. The first two were a couple of years apart and then I had 8 years off before getting one in September. I get some bad dehydration headaches and in the past when I was taking diet pills, I'd get caffeine withdrawal headaches as well as I didn't take the pills on the weekend. Took me awhile to figure that out. But I'd never mistake a migraine for anything else - they were brutal!!! I don't know how people can live with chronic ones.

Right after my second one I started to see commercials for the Excedrin migraine pills so I bought a bottle and would take one anytime I felt something may be worse than a "normal" headache. Didn't take them often but went through 2-3 small bottles in the 8 years. Well one morning I woke up at my bf's with a headache and he doesn't really like taking meds, I figured it was from dehydration and that I'd be fine once I got home. (found out later he did have a couple of Advils kicking around). By the time I got home I knew I was in trouble. It was the day I go to my 3 hr bookkeeping job though and I do payroll, so I took two pills this time and off I went. I lasted 30 mins there and headed home. Had to stop and throw up in a parking lot and spent the rest of the day in bed unable to move. I will say the Excedrin got rid of the bulk of the pain in an hour but not any of the other symptoms. If I had taken the pills right away, who knows? Now I have a few stashed at his place.

I have no idea what triggers this in me as they happen so rarely. But I certainly emphasize with anyone who deals with this - it is VERY painful and disruptive to your daily life!

Kimberly, I hope you can find the cause or at the very least, some meds that work better for you!

If anyone is interested, I found a great App/website for tracking calories, food intake, exercise, weight loss/gain. I put the app on my phone and sync it to the website. It's super easy to enter the food since it's got all major brands, major supermarket brands (including Kirkland and Trader Joe's) or you can enter manual items/amounts.

PM me if you want the info.

Wow, was just doing some reading and saw that the AVERAGE caloric intake for Americans is almost 4000/day. That just blows my mind.

It's so helpful to be aware of what you are eating, how much of it you're eating and how much energy you're expending.

I'll join in, please.

In 2011 I lost a little weight - enough to end the continual pain in my left knee - but am still 177 lbs so need to lose more. Target is to shed 1 lb/week and reach 140 lb in October and then continue on the downward trend but the 140 lb mark is a psychological point of 10 stone (I'm in England where we generally speak of weight in stones and pounds - or kilos if we are younger.)

Main problem is in the saturated fats department - 20g daily limit is often exceeded.

I'm trying to get my weigtht down to help with avoiding Type 2 Diabetes and reducing the risk of various cancers.

Now that the knee pain has gone, I can venture more exercise to help too.

A Warning about migraine (or any other prescription medication) PLEASE check w/the pharmacist before taking any OTC pills like Excedrine (sp?) or other type cold medications, etc.

I don't take any OTC medications.

A very sad thing happened at my husband's work--a young woman (36-years-old) took a prescription medication for migraines & then she also took an OTC medication for a cold & the interaction KILLED HER! She had 2 young children & this could have been prevented if she had the important info. about negative interactions between prescription meds & OTC meds.

The fda.(can't list web sites here) has very useful info. about these interactions. I have also signed up for their updates as they are learning new things about current medications on the market all the time & negative side effects that were unknown previously.

Talk to your pharmacist & doctor & be SAFE!--Suzy

What have you been doing to improve your health lately? Had my physical yesterday and all was super.

My personal goals are below and I'm pleased to say that I am meeting them all.

* 8 hours of sleep per night
* Eat a healthy balanced diet with very little meat. No fast food, no soda, cutting back on sugar and fats.
* Exercise on a regular basis
* Set personal boundaries and stick firmly to them. Do not give in to other people needs when it conflicts with my own.
* Take medications as needed without missing any dosages. Take only those that are absolutely necessary.
* Visit doctor, dentist, eye doctor regularly.
* Remove all stress from life as I am able. Do not worry about something that might happen.