Lost my Mojo, Help

[DeejayR]

@ticker63 and @woldsway Welcome and rest assured you're in the right place here. Walking is a great healer. My sister in law writes poetry in her head while walking (Lands End to John O'Groats just completed) (more than one poem, I'm glad to say). Just today I fell into step with a man who lost his confidence recently through dizziness caused by a drug he was taking, and has only just started walking again. He has realised that as stated above every journey starts with the first step and he looks forward to extending his walk a little every day.
One other thing to remember is that after the first step we don't immediately attempt the whole journey. We just take another step. It may not seem much but it's twice as far as yesterday. And it soon adds up.
To travel hopefully is better than to arrive.
I can keep up these gems for ever so this is where I shut up. Good luck to both of you.

 

[ickihun]

Absolutely - swimming works brilliantly especially if weight on the joints is an issue. Unfortunately for me having been a swimmer, water polo player and life guard in my younger days, I find it almost impossible to swim more than a few lengths - I lift weights and walk every day, 2-3 times a day, but I lost practice. Mind you, I could walk around a pool all day long - but not the same thing.
Good luck with the swimming

I miss swimming too @Sean01 . walking is the most i can manage on strong painkillers. I'd love to feel safe around a pool, wobbly legs and feet make me feel so insecure.
Your post has inspired me and reminded me that after bariatric surgery, less pressure on my back may help make swimming or running possible again. I so need it, for mental health too.

 

[woldsway]

@ticker63 and @woldsway Welcome and rest assured you're in the right place here. Walking is a great healer. My sister in law writes poetry in her head while walking (Lands End to John O'Groats just completed) (more than one poem, I'm glad to say). Just today I fell into step with a man who lost his confidence recently through dizziness caused by a drug he was taking, and has only just started walking again. He has realised that as stated above every journey starts with the first step and he looks forward to extending his walk a little every day.
One other thing to remember is that after the first step we don't immediately attempt the whole journey. We just take another step. It may not seem much but it's twice as far as yesterday. And it soon adds up.
To travel hopefully is better than to arrive.
I can keep up these gems for ever so this is where I shut up. Good luck to both of you.

 

[woldsway]

Thanks. Dont stop with your wise words please

 

[Sean01]

I've set up a new thread to get people together and encourage walking. You will find it on my blog. Walking Back to Happiness. If it helps -
find it
join in
spread the word

 

[Patty57]

The following might help - I have lived a life of reboots, restarts and generally learning to get back on the horse - I also had to learn to walk from scratch three times - and each time I came back better - that's the trick

You have drawn a line in the sand by putting up this post. That's a fantastic start. A large part of the battle is realising you have a battle to fight.

You know your weakness (grumpy old man). fair enough - let's use it.

You are angry at everything - I'll assume that's because things are not the way you want and you are no fun to be around (your words) so lets use these two points constructively.

You need to take long walks, proper long walks, ( I assume your health permits) not just down to the news agent, but proper long walks - get out for an hour or so and build it from there (make sure there's a treat at the end of the walk (the half way bit actually, before you turn and head for home. use the time to clear your head and set about solving the world's problems - I do, honestly. I'm a few years younger but things are not quite how I would have them be - so I use the walking time to think things through and walking - it's solitary - you sound like you need your space

and it's a great bit of 'Me' time.

Now the clever bit.

If you set out for your first long walk and it doesn't go according to plan, the whole thing will fail.

Start with a shorter walk, but each day make a conscious decision to go that little bit further/longer and build up - see where it takes you. (My last injury took me from three years on crutches to learning to walk again and then doing the Loch Ness Marathon - objective achieved..

Keep a very basic diary - time, distance covered and for a bit of fun - list the problems you want to sort out - you can always start with Kim and Trump's pi**ing contest, or you could start off with something smaller - have fun with it.

Also - and here's the big one - you are not alone, We all have family issues to one degree or another and trust me, stress is everywhere - your's might be down to different reasons but its all there - I deal with mine by walking. I've spent 6 hours on a treadmill on a Sunday morning and on occasion, I will just get out of the passenger door in the car and just walk home - I don't care where I am. Recently, my wife has learned to stop the car so I can get out safely and sometimes I have to get out the house so quickly, I don't even stop to put anything on my feet. - so we all have stress!

I hope this helps. I hope it made you grin a bit and I hope it has given you some ideas, but mostly, that it has given you hope and ideas.

PS. in a previous sporting life I was a national level junior, my nickname was Phoenix - and trust me I came back from the ashes. Coming back from the ashes is what I do.

T2 Oct 15, met time release, diet and a daft amount of exercise

Thank you for the inspiration. I just visited the forum today as I have been very down over falling off the 'horse' and wondered how to get started again. The walking sounds like a lifesaver and I am going to start tomorrow. I think I just needed a push and you have given that to me. As you say, 'little steps' I'm not going to set impossible goals but ones that I can, hopefully, manage. Thanks again. Maybe you should start motivational speaking.

 

[Sean01]

Thank you for the inspiration. I just visited the forum today as I have been very down over falling off the 'horse' and wondered how to get started again. The walking sounds like a lifesaver and I am going to start tomorrow. I think I just needed a push and you have given that to me. As you say, 'little steps' I'm not going to set impossible goals but ones that I can, hopefully, manage. Thanks again. Maybe you should start motivational speaking.

Hi @Pattsy57 Thank you, Looks like I started!

 

[Olivemay62]

I admit I also feel swamped by the new rules of eating. I walk with a friend three or four times a week just a mile. She can only walk slowly and not far. I was diagnosed D2 about four years ago. Don't test my bloods. Nurse says is 4-5. 4-6 when I see her yearly. Eyes yearly too. Very slight change with them. I buried my head and ignored it on and off. There is no family history and was given the NICE guidelines, which most new science and other diabetics say is completely wrong. I really don't want to go on metformin as I am told I will put on more weight also a problem. I stick to low carb mostly ,twice week sandwich bacon butter 7 seeds granary. Once every month fish and chips. About the same Chinese meal. A friend who also happens to be nd said I was much too strict and with low reading OK to do this. I intend to walk further and more often, getting a middle aged dog in a few weeks. I also have a wine gum evry few days,and maybe a Locorice or small square of 70 dark choc twice a week. I am hoping to lose about two stone, with the dog ,loads of veg and loads of fruit. Hope this hasn't sent you all into snooze mode..very good advice. It's ridiculous really, I did the London Marathon in 1990. I am struggling to cope with this. Any advice would be grateful for. Positive please.

 

[Mike d]

No positives if you don't like reading them ... but at least a wake up call. Stop the fruits and start the testing. Many other thoughts but I'll remain quiet other than to say listen to the other diabetics. They know the game

 

[Sean01]

I admit I also feel swamped by the new rules of eating. I walk with a friend three or four times a week just a mile. She can only walk slowly and not far. I was diagnosed D2 about four years ago. Don't test my bloods. Nurse says is 4-5. 4-6 when I see her yearly. Eyes yearly too. Very slight change with them. I buried my head and ignored it on and off. There is no family history and was given the NICE guidelines, which most new science and other diabetics say is completely wrong. I really don't want to go on metformin as I am told I will put on more weight also a problem. I stick to low carb mostly ,twice week sandwich bacon butter 7 seeds granary. Once every month fish and chips. About the same Chinese meal. A friend who also happens to be nd said I was much too strict and with low reading OK to do this. I intend to walk further and more often, getting a middle aged dog in a few weeks. I also have a wine gum evry few days,and maybe a Locorice or small square of 70 dark choc twice a week. I am hoping to lose about two stone, with the dog ,loads of veg and loads of fruit. Hope this hasn't sent you all into snooze mode..very good advice. It's ridiculous really, I did the London Marathon in 1990. I am struggling to cope with this. Any advice would be grateful for. Positive please.

Keep going. Life is tough. I'm not an expert but wouldn't the fish and chips and Chinese set you back a bit...cravings for carbs etc and memories of the good old days. It would be like being a non smoker but lighting up once a fortnight.

Also if you are eating cleanly or at least more cleanly, than I would guess that your reacting too these high carb meals would be even more noticeable in terms of blood glucose

On the subject of fruit and veg - watch the GI and try to keep it as low as possible. I used to eat about 5 lbs of fruit a day - likely to have contributed to me problem. Now I have a banana (for heart) and lemon in water (for my kidneys) and the only veg I eat is tomatoes and spinach.

There is lots of advice on this site and lots of recipes.

Onwards and upwards and when walking, a few steps further every time it's how I went from crutches for 3 years to doing the Loch Ness Marathon. I see you did the London Marathon a little while back - you have got some serious will power. Dig in - you know what to do.

T2 Oct 15 met time release, diet and a shed load of exercise. Winning.......mostly

 

[Sean01]

@Sean01 I just wanted to say that was an inspirational post! Thank you

You're welcome @mo53
And now I'm taking my own advice again having just had an appendix burst on me! Back in the gym twice a day - gentle stuff, just one foot in front of the other and keep going.

Good luck with your journey.

Sean

 

[hca]

The following might help - I have lived a life of reboots, restarts and generally learning to get back on the horse - I also had to learn to walk from scratch three times - and each time I came back better - that's the trick

You have drawn a line in the sand by putting up this post. That's a fantastic start. A large part of the battle is realising you have a battle to fight.

You know your weakness (grumpy old man). fair enough - let's use it.

You are angry at everything - I'll assume that's because things are not the way you want and you are no fun to be around (your words) so lets use these two points constructively.

You need to take long walks, proper long walks, ( I assume your health permits) not just down to the news agent, but proper long walks - get out for an hour or so and build it from there (make sure there's a treat at the end of the walk (the half way bit actually, before you turn and head for home. use the time to clear your head and set about solving the world's problems - I do, honestly. I'm a few years younger but things are not quite how I would have them be - so I use the walking time to think things through and walking - it's solitary - you sound like you need your space

and it's a great bit of 'Me' time.

Now the clever bit.

If you set out for your first long walk and it doesn't go according to plan, the whole thing will fail.

Start with a shorter walk, but each day make a conscious decision to go that little bit further/longer and build up - see where it takes you. (My last injury took me from three years on crutches to learning to walk again and then doing the Loch Ness Marathon - objective achieved..

Keep a very basic diary - time, distance covered and for a bit of fun - list the problems you want to sort out - you can always start with Kim and Trump's pi**ing contest, or you could start off with something smaller - have fun with it.

Also - and here's the big one - you are not alone, We all have family issues to one degree or another and trust me, stress is everywhere - your's might be down to different reasons but its all there - I deal with mine by walking. I've spent 6 hours on a treadmill on a Sunday morning and on occasion, I will just get out of the passenger door in the car and just walk home - I don't care where I am. Recently, my wife has learned to stop the car so I can get out safely and sometimes I have to get out the house so quickly, I don't even stop to put anything on my feet. - so we all have stress!

I hope this helps. I hope it made you grin a bit and I hope it has given you some ideas, but mostly, that it has given you hope and ideas.

PS. in a previous sporting life I was a national level junior, my nickname was Phoenix - and trust me I came back from the ashes. Coming back from the ashes is what I do.

T2 Oct 15, met time release, diet and a daft amount of exercise

A wonderful post. Thank you

 

[mo53]

@Sean01 sorry to hear about your appendix burst. That must have been quite a shocking time. Glad to hear your on the mend. Good luck with the recuperation.