<p> <p>Health Month creates for its users a place to have fun while following rules aimed to better health. Some of these rules revolve around diet and exercise; but there are those rules that are made to maintain mental and emotional (psychological) health and well being. One of my favorite examples is "List thing you're grateful for." I truly believe that expressing gratefulness can lead to greater physical, emotional, and mental health. Taking time out of your day to reflect on the good things you have and to give thanks for these things can ultimately lead to a longer and happier life (some studies support, but not necessarily prove, this idea). Other similar rules are <em>go on friend dates</em>, <em>relax</em>,<em>&nbsp;quality alone time</em>, etc. These things aren't necessarily existing to better your physical health; at least not directly, though you can argue that rules like these can increase happiness and reduce stress, therefore increasing the likelihood someone will eat right and exercise because of the positive attitude change. Having Health Month rules like these can remind us of those things we should do to increase cognitive health and&nbsp;functioning, and change our emotions and attitudes.</p> <p>A couple days ago one of my fellow Health Month-ers and team mate introduced and wonderful idea about Health Month and its&nbsp;benefits; an idea that I had never really thought about till then. She asked if any of us realized just how exciting a new month, even a new week, is because of Health Month. Health Month adds excitement to the beginning of a new month, makes us look forward to the end of the day, and turns the end of the HM week into something that must be celebrated.&nbsp;</p> <p>Before I joined Health Month I am pretty sure that I met the end of each week and each month with a melodramatic sigh of relief, or I complained about time moving too fast, or too slow, and I dreaded my days off because I felt alone with nothing to do. Health Month pretty much gave me something more to look forward too each day. No matter what I had scheduled for any given day, at least I knew that I would have my&nbsp;Health Month rules to follow. I hope that doesn't seem too silly. Kinda even sounds a bit loserly to me. Still, a day with meaning (actual or&nbsp;perceived) is a good day.</p> <p>Either way, there is no denying that&nbsp;Health Month does make the end of a day, a week, and a month way more exciting than normal. There is something about knowing that you made little steps towards a better you, and celebrated little victories, that makes the end of the day, week, or month, that much more special and exciting.&nbsp;</p> <p>With that said you can now&nbsp;consider&nbsp;Health Month as an entity that betters mental health and well being with or without rules that are designed to do so. If&nbsp;Health Month <em>does</em>&nbsp;make your day, week, or month happier and more exciting, than the game is hopefully doing its job in positively transforming the way you cognize and&nbsp;perceive&nbsp;each day, your self, the act of getting healthy, etc.</p> <p>So, once again, thank you&nbsp;Health Month!</p> <p>Your friend in health,</p> <p>Megan</p> <p>(drats! only 543 words! must write more laterz or else I fail the rule!)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://tangentress.posterous.com/health-month-and-mental-health-and-well-being">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://tangentress.posterous.com/health-month-and-mental-health-and-well-being#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p>

<p> <ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; margin: 0px;"> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">There are&nbsp;</span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">10</span></span></strong><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;weeks until Alumni Weekend</span></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I have lost <strong><span style="color: #3333ff;">10</span></strong></span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">pounds since 1/1/11</span></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I have&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">20.6</span></strong></span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">pounds left to lose by 4/15/11</span></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">My body fat percentage decreased <strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">3</span></strong></span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">%</span></span></strong><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></span></strong></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I ran&nbsp;</span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">2</span></span></strong><span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">times this week&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I cross-trained&nbsp;<span style="color: #3333ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">3</strong></span></span><span style="font-size: large; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;times this week</span></li> <li style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large; color: #3366ff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff;">12</span></strong><span style="color: #3333ff;"><span style="color: #000000;">&nbsp;life points on Health Month</span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>I started doing Pilates this week, because I purchased a great deal for unlimited classes for a whole month. I plan to do this three times a week next week. I still plan to box a day or two, and I believe I'll only be able to run twice because of my recent hip flexor stress.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/week-five-progress-report">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/week-five-progress-report#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p>

<p> <p>Yeah I've lost forty pounds.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: xx-large;">40.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">fucking.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">pounds.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">&nbsp;</p> <p>Let's put that in perspective. Here are some things that weigh 40 pounds:</p> <p style="padding-left: 120px;"><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-05/dzsElhJFfkpkHuvtqAIvrCBmtGqpedhanHJeicDvfmcaABpyAyhltBBIuChI/water.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="225" height="225"/> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-05/rznBtnxDoeijazDptuAysGcidjfGccgneAnecgkocEeoCAswbnFwcjevfzod/fish.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="210" height="240"/> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-05/vzxpFpHozfmxHvnDFDhmijGlweDzFtqnroenAgbbdsFkcdnxetoJxCFrdCtr/canoe.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="256" height="192"/> <img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-05/zamcxzvcsJkwcJckddpyAAboAAdplyoixbovymAwkqmapynvJrEpgicdqgqd/terrier.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="257" height="196"/> </p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am prouder than I have about any achievement thus far. I'm not sure why I'm so ecstatic specifically, but I'm riding this awesome feeling as long as I can and am grateful for it. Health Month, training for the Georgia Half Marathon, boxing, eating a reduced-calorie diet and staying consistently hydrated is all I've done. And I'm going to keep doing it, too. Not just until I lose the remaining 20.6 pounds for Alumni Weekend. And not just for the remaining 15 I plan to lose after that. But for as long as I am capable. It's become part of me now. Not a lifestyle; lifestyles change, they ebb and flow, evolve and expire. I know that this is what it takes to be who I want to be, and I'm prepared to do the work.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's so worth it.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/poundin-forties">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/poundin-forties#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p>

<p> <p>You might remember me mentioning that I have been <a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/in-case-of-emergency">writing on my forearm</a> in green Sharpie in order to have an emergency contact number visible when I run. Because I didn't realize how absurd that was until my father laughed at it so hard he started coughing, I had not gotten around to ordering my RoadID bracelet. I knew I wanted to order one, I even have it on my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/1IKKBPCE2YHX3/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go">Amazon wishlist</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">,</span> but I always thought of other ways to spend $20. Not better ways, mind you--but other ways nonetheless. So on Sunday, I went to the website to get started creating my bracelet.&nbsp;</p> <p>The process was very easy to understand, and the website content was very pleasant to read; this company is very obviously owned and operated by men who are doing what they love, and to be able to effectively convey that through the stark, emotionally pallid light of the Internet says a lot about the company.&nbsp;</p> <p>I chose to design a <a href="http://www.roadid.com/Common/LearnMore.aspx?PID=5">Wrist ID Sport</a>, and I was directed to select a color (blue, natch!) I was also asked what size I wanted. Being that I have "freaky chicken wrists" (thank you, Emily) I assumed that I needed to order a Small, but I read the sizing guide so I could write about it here and discovered that Small is likely reserved for children or dogs--per RoadID, most adults are going to wear the Medium/Large size. After that, it was text time.</p> <p>The RoadID sports six lines of text, and next to each box there is a very helpful suggestion as to what to write--and <em>why</em>, which is even more helpful. There are also examples on every tip. The first four-five lines are very straight-forward; your name and/or birthday, the city and state in which you reside (or even city, state and country if you do a lot of international running, you lucky bastard) and two or three emergency contacts. Lines five-six is where there is lots of variance. RoadID suggests adding significant medication allergies, medical conditions, presence of a pacemaker, etc. And if you have room left write something that inspires you! It's perfect for the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--13819-2-1-2,00.html">four word mantras</a> featured in the February 2011 issue of <em>Runner's World!</em></p> <p>I hesitated when it came to my fifth and sixth lines. Having had several knee surgeries, I considered writing that. But frankly, if I'm unconscious, unable to communicate or unresponsive, chances are there are bigger, more life-threatening fish to fry. Same goes for my superficial dermal reaction to penicillin. So I decided to write "MAY BE WITH BLACK DOG" because if I am running with Jack and I am unconscious, I want someone in the rescue party to look for him. Immediately.&nbsp;</p> <p>On line six, I wrote these four words that have become a bit of a mantra for me in the last few weeks:&nbsp;</p> <p>RUN FAST. FINISH STRONG.&nbsp;</p> <p>I was told that I could make changes to text for about 24 hours after I placed my order, just by emailing a company rep, and that I would be notified when my order shipped. On several different occasions, I was invited to communicate for whatever reason I needed or wanted to with the company. So when I had the opportunity, I filled in a COMMENTS section about what RoadID could do better in the future. I wrote a short note about possibly including something for the dog people in the tips/examples for line five.&nbsp;</p> <p>And then something happened.&nbsp;</p> <p>I got an email. It was from Michael T. at RoadID. He said that he'd read my suggestion, and that he identified himself with being a dog lover. He told me what he'd written on his own bracelet, and then offered me an opportunity to make changes if I felt like I needed to.&nbsp;</p> <p>My RoadID was ordered on Sunday, created on Tuesday, shipped on Wednesday and on my freaky chicken wrist on Friday. Upon reading the inserts in the packaging, I found that the company offers a true guarantee--if you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your ID for a full refund without a bunch of flim-flams and bamboozling--and what's more, the stainless steel ID plate has a lifetime warranty! If anything happens to it, send it to them and let them know what you need.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 450px;"><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-04/rlkIAaIJfsdtCjmzcAwFxyrdvfJsyarmnzuelxAmzeajpmtdfFAmriFxntap/photo-99.JPG.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-04/rlkIAaIJfsdtCjmzcAwFxyrdvfJsyarmnzuelxAmzeajpmtdfFAmriFxntap/photo-99.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="669"/></a> </p> <p>The Medium/Large does fit, but it fits on the tightest closure possible, just an FYI. The material is not at all irritating and it's not noticeable after a moment.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 210px;"><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-04/bCkbwCmyptcmppHCJDehGHishmgmAgwcEyadttuFBespqqyJHhmAwofDcfHs/photo-98.JPG.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-02-04/bCkbwCmyptcmppHCJDehGHishmgmAgwcEyadttuFBespqqyJHhmAwofDcfHs/photo-98.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="669"/></a> </p> <p>Verdict? I'll be ordering several products from this efficient, responsible and fun company.&nbsp;</p> <p>My long run of nine miles is on Sunday, and I am looking forward to wearing my new sweet bracelet. The prissy girl in me deep down loves accessories, and though I always thought that "tennis bracelet" was the only sport-related bauble I'd be interested in, I have come to dig running and athletic gear. My rules on Health Month state I will work out five days per week, and I'll admit, even though I love boxing and Pilates, I look forward to the days I get to run. (Who ever thought I'd be <em>that</em>&nbsp;girl?! Me neither.)&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; (5756 KB)<br/> <a href='http://runmmt.posterous.com/i-got-id-roadid-that-is' style='color: #bc7134;'>Listen on posterous</a></p></p> </p> <p><a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/i-got-id-roadid-that-is">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://runmmt.posterous.com/i-got-id-roadid-that-is#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p>

<p>It has been a full month since I’ve started the ‘new me’ project. I’ve been pretty good at sticking to the different elements of my program so far. While I’ve been accurately recording, reporting and tracking the various aspects in of my health the past month, more so than ever before, some of the things have ‘stuck’ and some have gone by the wayside. </p> <p>Things I’ve ditched:</p> <p>Food Photo Blog - This was good initially, it got me in the mode of thinking pretty carefully about what I was about to order because I knew there would be proof for my friends to give me shit about. I was pretty good about taking photos for the first 2 weeks or so, then something shifted in how I was eating and it didn’t seem to make as much sense to keep doing it. I’ll keep it in my back pocket as something I might pick back up in the future.</p> <p>‘Going To The Gym’ - I think one of the big ways we fall off the exercise wagon is that we tie the activity to a place and not a mindset. Over the past month, I’ve moved from thinking of exercise as something I HAVE to do, in a funny clothes, in a special place, for a set amount of time. I’m now just working it in to my life. I started walking to work a couple times a week (It’s about 2 miles each way, 30 min. or 1/2 of a ‘this american life’ podcast), I’m choosing to walk more to the corner store, to dinner, leave myself some space and some time. It’s also giving me more time to think, clear my head, de-program from the day. </p> <p>Things That Are Working:</p> <p>4-Hour Body - This program just works, at least for me. It could be working for a variety of reasons, but the leading one is that I’m able to stick to it and have noticed significant changes in my body over the past 30 days. </p> <p>Health Month - The daily rules keep me honest and keep me thinking about the choices I’m making through out the day. Plus, I’m playing with friends so I’m getting support and motivation.</p> <p>FitBit - This is been good for tracking my overall activity over time. It’s really easy to convince yourself you’re more active than you really are in the day to day world. FitBit can be a harsh realization that you are indeed NOT as active as you’d like to believe.</p> <p>Looking forward, to Feb. I’ll be doing more cycling, continuing 4HB and sticking with health month. I’m liking the changes I’m seeing so far, looking forward to more this month. I’ve also added a wi-fi scale to the mix to help me track my weight easier. We’ll see how that goes.</p> <p>Next up: Measurements & Updating My Before / After Photos, which are still top secret.</p>

January is the hardest month of the year for me.

<p> <p>And by this I mean eleven months to go.</p> <p><span style=""> </span>Can you believe that January is almost over? it was only 31 days ago that all of us were scrambling to finalize the rules we'd be forcing ourselves to follow during what is arguably one of the most scary, depressing, busy, stressful, positive, and life changing months of the year! I can tell you that I pretty much fell under the typical pattern of self destruction that most people statistically do. I had a wonderful first week, where I exercised for an hour almost every day, ate well, and followed all my rules. Then week two I somewhat slowed down due to business in my life. Then week three I pretty much came close to death after I came down with the Flu (my first time ever) and suffered from dangerously high temperatures. The last remaining days for me were spent sulking, recovering, and being gloomy. So, like so many people do in January, I stuck with my New Year's resolutions and promises for the first week, and then slowly fell off the wagon; and falling in slow motion sucks. I know that my failure wasn't <em>entirely</em>&nbsp;my fault, but that doesn't mean that it didn't happen, and that I didn't handle it poorly.&nbsp;</p> <p>However, in February I will be accentuating the positive, eliminating the negative, drinking from a half full glass, and stopping to smell the roses from time to time.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How Embarrassing</strong></p> <p><span style=""> </span>I checked out my report card for January's Health Month, and I had A's and B's all around. As I scrolled my way to the bottom of the page, what did I see? A big fat D. I never get D's; not even when I was in college! Of all things what did I do (or not do) to&nbsp;receive&nbsp;a D?&nbsp;</p> <p>I didn't write.</p> <p><span style=""> </span>You think that I would have written often, and&nbsp;received&nbsp;a better grade for it, with all the different motivations I had for doing so! It being the beginning of a new year, my not working as much, and the fact that I agreed to blog for Health Month, I should have been writing at least every other day. I had plenty of time and reason, but I guess I had absolutely no motivation; which is unfortunate because I like to write and think that I am generally good at it.&nbsp;</p> <p>I grovel at the feet of those I know who wrote 750 words every day for a whole month! Makes me want to do the same. I have a lot going on this month: taxes, new job, wedding planning, continuing the health improvement. I am pretty full of things that I could force myself to write about. And I know that people have suggested I just copy/paste everything I have written anywhere on the internets for that day, not matter what, and it should be 750 or more. But I like to actually <em>write</em>&nbsp;things that are real and meaningful. I tried the "writing the first things that pop in your head, even if the end result is a bunch of three sentence paragraphs about unimportant&nbsp;nonsense&nbsp;that flowed from different locals, like brain meat through a thought grinder."</p> <p>Well, for February's Health Month I did decide to keep the "write 3 pages in a journal" rule, but reduced it to 4 times a week. Hopefully giving myself an extra day to slack, making my assignment to write pretty much every other day during a week, will increase the frequency of qualitative writing sessions.</p> <p>And just to throw it out there, anyone can give you their reasons as to why writing a little bit on a daily basis could be good for anyone. Buster gives us a nice little&nbsp;<a href="http://750words.com/about" target="_blank">explanation</a>&nbsp;over at 750 words. For me, writing every day is a chore; I don't really want it to be, but for now it is a&nbsp;burdensome&nbsp;chore. However, during the times when I am <em>not</em>&nbsp;thinking of writing as such, I consider daily writing as a cathartic process. There is something fun, insightful, and enlightening about logging one's thoughts about something, then (if you're like me) reading over the writing, making edits, reviewing and reconsidering your own thoughts and ideas. I learn more about myself when I work hard to write out how I truly am feeling, but in a nice, structured, way. I don't get any benefit from writing out randomness. I already get frustrated enough by my own inability to filter my thoughts as I try to have discussions with people. Maybe why I love writing so much is because I can express what I want to, but edit myself before sharing with the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>Because I know that writing feels good, and because I know I am incredibly lazy - enough that I avoid doing those things that have pleasant reward - sites like 750 words, with Health Month as an added regulator, help motivate me to tap away at the keyboard keys. Trust me, before Health Month and 750 words I was trying to be a blogger, but I did not write as well or as often. Now I am at least enjoying the process more than before.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A question I want to ask of you</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>How many Health Month players carry over and maintain rules from previous months - rules that are important to you, that are positive for you, or that tie in with new rules - even though you would follow them regardless of if you had them? For example, in my case, I always have "take a multi daily" even though I would likely do so without the rule. I'm also keeping "smoke 0 cigarettes a week" because I quit smoking at the beginning of January, even though I am pretty sure I will not pick up a cigarette ever again. I keep rules like these as a reminder of what I've accomplished, what I need to focus on, and, well, just in case I do break them, I can be penalized for it.&nbsp;</p> <p>I've seen here and there that some people think its wrong to have rules that are pretty much "throw away for extra points" rules; rules that don't mean anything because they aren't challenging you or there to help create and maintain a change in your health. Kinda like a personal trainer having a "exercise for 30 minutes 5 days a week" or a vegetarian having "eat bright veggies every day."</p> <p>Do you have rules like these? If not, do you think it is ok or not ok to have rules like these (and of course it depends entirely on certain rules applying to certain people)?</p> <p>Just thought this was an interesting topic for discussion, much like the "cheating" topic. However, I completely understand that, like the issue of cheating, this regardless of how anyone feels about this issue there is no real way of fixing it, regulating it, monitoring it, or changing the game to fit it. Unfortunately the polar bear can't keep track of everything! And all this doesn't really matter. Its just interesting stuff to think about.&nbsp;</p> <p>I guess I spend too much time thinking about the way other people think and behave. I love being a psychologist.</p> <p>I hope everyone is excited about February! Be happy, don't eat too much valentines day chocolate, and be hopeful for the future, healthier, you!</p> <p>Oh, spread the word that this month is <strong>Fab</strong>ruary!&nbsp;</p> <p>Your friend in health,</p> <p>Megan</p> <p>(1249 words!)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://tangentress.posterous.com/already-off-to-a-great-start">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://tangentress.posterous.com/already-off-to-a-great-start#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p>