[WaterRat]

Swim class kicked my butt last night. Only a little sore today but I bet it will be worse tomorrow. I sure am glad I signed up for this, because even though I could swim, I really wasn't doing a very good job of it.

That's how I felt too Jessica. Hope it works out well for you. I feel like I now swim much more "efficiently" if that make sense. I'm working up to longer distances, and at some point I'll have to conquer my fear of somersaulting in the water and learn to do flip turns. Shudder - somersaulting underwater messes with my head.

This has been a dreadful week for exercising. Monday, which I could go to the gym, the high winds/power outages caused them to close. I did what I could with the equipment I had at home. Tuesday, Wed and tonight I have meetings starting at 6, which means no time after work. I did make it at lunch yesterday and did an abbreviated workout again. But today I have a lunch meeting as well. Tomorrow I have square dancing at 7 but I think I'm going to tell DH to go ahead by himself and I'll meet him there so I can work out without feeling pressure to get somewhere by a specific time. Saturday morning is looking to be the next time that I can have a leisurely workout....

And in the "but who's counting" department, I have - including today - 74 more days of work.

Megan - we were posting at the same time. I too have a "normal" thyroid level, am always freezing, and my BP is about the same as yours. My pulse runs higher - high 70s/low 80's Today I have on slacks, socks, underwear, plus a camisole, long sleeved logo-ed polo shirt, plus a fleece vest (also logo-ed) and my arms are still cold.

[Sheila53]

Pat, flip turns always look so easy when other people are doing them, but I hated doing somersaults on land much less in the water. 74 more days of work--awesome! So what's the first thing you're going to do in retirement? Sleep in?

Did everyone's blood pressure and heartrate go down when they lost weight, or have they always been so low? When I was 100 lbs. heavier, my BP was the average 120/80 or whatever. Now when I'm agitated, it makes it up to 100/70, but usually it's 90/60. The lowest recorded was 88/55, which made the nurse take it again. I tend to get lightheaded when I get up when it's that low. I'm a lot colder now than when I was heavier, which works well for me in the summer here. Lots of layers in the winter, though.

I've been doing really well with eating and exercise--my scale reward was 1/2 lb. gain. Hopefully that's just a blip.

My friend from Virginia called and said it was thawing out there. Hopefully things are getting back to normal. I did have to laugh, though, because below freezing is pretty normal here in the winter and it's been balmy at 42. I do hope the orange crop wasn't destroyed.

[alinnell]

When I was younger, my BP was in the 110/70 range, and these days it's more like 120/80 which I'm quite happy about. But heart rate? Who knows. I don't wear my HRM all the time--only when exercising, and it "talks" directly to the machine, so I don't have a wrist watch monitor thing-y. When I first get on the treadmill and switch it on, my HR is just above 100. Walking, with my arms swinging, will bring it up to around 120 (if I do some arm exercising--which I do during walking--will take it up around 130-140). When I do the running part it goes up in the high 160's to low 170's. I was a bit alarmed when I noticed it once above 200! But I've got a weird heart beat...at times (and I can't pinpoint what causes it) I'll notice my heart going like this:
beat...beat...beat..........BEAT...beat...beat...b eat..........BEAT.
There are times when you can SEE it beating hard like that. I've discussed it with my doctor and he thought it was due to caffeine, so I stopped all caffeine for 6 months. No change. So I drink coffee again

[Megan1982]

Originally Posted by Sheila53

Did everyone's blood pressure and heartrate go down when they lost weight, or have they always been so low?

I can't say for sure, but I really think it's always been this way. I lost a big chunk of weight (~205~210 lbs down to ~175) when I was 15-16. I didn't start donating blood until I was 17, and that's when I found out I had very low BP. I don't recall what my BP was before then, though I got yearly physicals. My BP remained the same through my second big chunk of weight loss, 175~140, and I can't say I remember what my heart rate was previous to my 140 weight. I do remember being freezing cold even as a kid during the wintertime. My mom and I would argue about the thermometer, she would keep the house around 65-68 during the daytime in winter. I would be wearing layers of clothes (like 3 sweatshirts and 3 pairs of thick socks) and just be freezing. She'd tell me to "put another layer on" and I'd think she was being cruel b/c I was already layered up, lol.

[iriswhispers]

I always hated somersaults underwater because sometimes I'd get water trapped in my ear... not comfortable!

My normal heart rate is in the 70's or even 80's... pretty fast but I'm still young! Although my boyfriend is only 30 hand has an abnormally low HR for his age... usually in the upper 40's.

[paperclippy]

I don't know if my BP has changed, I never really paid attention before when I was heavy. I never had a doctor complain that it was too high though. Now sometimes it will be high when I go to the doctor's, but usually if they take it again 10 minutes later it's fine. I typically end up about 120/80.

Count me in on the "always freezing" club! Here is the difference (for me at least) between "always freezing" and "thyroid makes me always freezing." Right now, with my thryoid medicated, and similarly before it went out of whack, I am comfortable at about 75-78 in short sleeves. 72-74 I need long sleeves and sometimes I'm cold. Below 72 requires sweaters/layering and I'm usually cold anyway, typically my fingers, toes, and nose. OTOH, when my thryoid was messed up, in my office which was set to 72 degrees, I was wearing long sleeves, a sweater, my winter coat, gloves, and sometimes a hat, and I was drinking tea constantly to stay warm!

Pat, I bet you can't wait for retirement! I can't wait for it, and I have another 38 years to go until I hit 65. Although DH and I are trying to save up so that we can retire at 55 instead, but you never know where that money might need to go instead. As for the flip turns, I was always too scared to try them! Hopefully the swim instructor will teach us. In the meantime so far the biggest thing I've learned is that I have to really pull as soon as my hand touches the water, instead of just kind of coasting along. I like to think that before my swimming was similar to walking. You just kind of go along, and after a while you get tired, but you can increase your endurance. Now it's more like running -- you have to really push off each step/stroke! But I get tired a lot faster doing that so I need to work on endurance.

[WaterRat]

Iris - I wear ear plugs all the time when I swim - and goggles as well so I can wear my contacts. It's the learning not to get water up my nose while flipping (I need to blow out which I do fine while swimming, but somersaulting takes too much thinking about and I forget to blow out). Also I get disoriented while turning and occasionally it feels like I'm not going to come up! Yikes. I hope practice will help. I haven't actually tried the turn which looks fairly easy once you're comfortable with the flipping.

Jessica - you are so right I can't wait!! Someone asked me if I was going to sleep late the first morning, and I told them no, I'm going to get up and enjoy not getting ready for work! I am looking forward to having lots more time options for exercising.

[JayEll]

Hey! I'm off to my retreat tomorrow, and I probably won't be posting. I know you'll all miss me, but try to be brave.

Best wishes,
Jay

[kittycat40]

Originally Posted by JayEll

Hey! I'm off to my retreat tomorrow, and I probably won't be posting. I know you'll all miss me, but try to be brave.

Best wishes,
Jay

Have a wonderful time
K

[Shannon in ATL]

Have a great retreat Jay!

My BP and heart rate has definitely changed as I've gotten in better shape. My BP used to be borderline high enough to need meds, now it is 115/75ish. My resting heart rate has lowered over the last two years. My HRM has a fitness test I perform every three months and it started at around 85 when I first got it, now it is in the 55-60 range depending on how 'rested' I am. And, I am always freezing, too. Have always been cold, but it has gotten so much worse with the weight loss.

Pat - wow! 74 days! We need a little countdown clock.

I can't do a somersault anywhere, much less underwater...

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by JayEll

Hey! I'm off to my retreat tomorrow, and I probably won't be posting. I know you'll all miss me, but try to be brave.

Best wishes,
Jay

Enjoy! Hope you find what you are seeking or just spend some peaceful time.

Dagmar

[Marie]

Meg – you are definitely back. That’s an amazing recovery. I will take your advice on not reading about similar surgeries. I think I was looking forward to trouble. Thanks for the advice, especially that you’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Shannon, thanks for the post.” Constipated forever” – eeks I already have that problem – it’s going to get worse. Ah, I shall take Meg’s advice and just let the process happen.

Dagmar, dogsits are difficult. I don't like doing them either. Especially with the emotions from your father’s surgery. Leave the guilt behind and go forward. The past made it so you couldn’t do the hand holding. You couldn’t do it. No reason to feel guilty.

Megan, I’m glad you didn’t freeze on the boat. Still sounds too cold for me and I live in a wintry place. I do agree there is no such thing as too many yoga pants. My DIL (ah I get to say that without the almost since they’ve now been married 2 whole weeks) and I are going over the mountain next weekend to shop. I was going to get another swimsuit but I’ll just use my ones from last summer and invest in yaga pants.

Allison, if my elliptical was directly under the ceiling fan, DH would hit his head. He said I’d clear by 1”. I use a window fan pointed directly at my chest area.

Michele – hugs to your DD. I’ve read your posts and think we’re twins. I have a low heartrate – 50 as well, low blood pressure (90/55) and low basal body temp (96 degrees). I’m freezing all the time. But all Thyroid test come back normal. I came to the same conclusion as you – I’ll be freezing all the time. When it hits 100 in the summer, I’m usually pretty comfy. My co-workers repeatedly tell me that there’s something wrong with me as I have a space heater 6” away – year round. After a slew of tests last year, I now respond, “I’ve been tested and am perfectly normal. It’s all of you that are abnormal.” Seems to have quieted them some.

Jessica, swimming with good form is a weird utopia as you stretch your muscles and feel lean with the water. I know, I’m a little wacky. I love laps when my arms are reaching farther than I thought they could. So enjoy that class because it is awesome to feel one with nature (usually I am not touchy feely Zen type but I’ve had that feeling often in the last 2 summers).

Pat, the rush of somersaulting in the water (my hypothesis on it is the low blood pressure makes my more lightheaded when flipping over) is sort of cool. Who need drugs for the rush, just play in the pool. So I’m taking a wild stab – are you retiring in 74 (now probably 73) days??? I am green with envy.

Sheila, when I was heavy 20 years ago, I wasn’t freezing all the time and the BP was a tad higher. Losing the weight 20 years ago made me shiver all the time. Weird thing is when I regained the weight, I was still cold. I do think it has to do with the weight loss though. And we’ve been balmy one state west of you for the last few weeks. I even saw worms in the parking lot after a drizzle earlier this week. I worry that Robin Redbreast won’t have wormies for the spring. But not too worried.

Jay, have a wonderful time!

DH and I are bringing DGS to DD in Reno this evening. So while I’m there, I might as well ski, right? Tahoe is just next door. So DH and I are skiing Northstar at Tahoe Saturday and Sunday. I figure this will probably be the last two ski days for the year since the surgery is coming up and I think that will be on a forbidden list as I’m a banshee on skis. I love speed. So I’m looking forward to that and to seeing my beautiful DGS. DD and her ex-partner are in a custody fight and DGS is on the losing end. In 4 months I’ve seen a change in him and it hasn’t been good. But that story is for another day. Today I’m enjoying the fact that I’m going skiing this weekend, will see DGS and DD, and not be working. How can life be better than that? And the casino/resort we’re staying has a Starbucks. I will be in heaven. I know the cals of all my Starbucks faves and can work them into a ski weekend with ease. Also they have an Olympic size indoor pool so I'm going swimming tonight! YEAH!!! I love to swim - I bet you could tell that from my other responses.
Marie

[traveling michele]

Marie-- have fun skiing! That is something I've never tried. One of my best friends is in Silverton. Isn't that near you?

[alinnell]

My DH used the elliptical for the first time today. He did a pre-programmed hill climb that took him up 3 hills in his 20 minutes. He managed to go the whole 20 minutes, so kudos to him for that! He did say that he already felt it and was prepared to be sore tonight and tomorrow.

[paperclippy]

Jay, have fun on the retreat!

Marie, have fun skiing!

I had an eating dream last night. I dreamed that I was at a shop that sold all sorts of food, and I was buying five kinds of ice cream in quart containers, a massive cheesecake, a chocolate cake, and a big loaf of bread (in the dream it was "pineapple" bread, whatever that is supposed to mean). I was sampling everything while I was there too. The weirdest one was the ice cream that looked like chocolate ice cream with mini m&m's in it that was supposed to be some sort of mint.

Is it sad that the only thing that surprised me about that dream is that I was buying a loaf of bread in it? I usually only dream about eating desserts. At least I wasn't hungry when I woke up!