26 th February.

26/02/2007
Got up today to be greeted by ominous dark sky with intermittent breaks of sunshine.
I had intended to go and sit my computer test today but decided more revision was needed.
I always get myself into a bit of a state when exam time comes around; obviously I want to do my best and always think there is time for extra revision.
Just on a whim I decided to check that the disability office had received my new bank details.
I was a little shocked to find that this month’s payment had indeed been sent out to an account of which I had no knowledge.
Fortunately the staff were helpful and later phoned me to tell me the payment had been recovered and would be redirected to the account for which I supplied details.
Such is the joy of transferring bank accounts!

Today is quite pleasant, weather wise, and I think about doing some washing but dismiss the idea deciding to do washing and tidying up later on in the week, may change my mind.
I am not really in the mood for revising but know the importance of being as well prepared as possible,
I’m not really scared of failing just want to get best possible marks.
Today, I feel as I have done most of the week; drained, having very little energy, feeling bloated, fat and inactive.
Nothing changes.
I sit back and try to relax; I hate being wound up, especially when there is truthfully no need to be. Perhaps it’s my own fault, I’ve made my life as simple and stress free as I can possibly make it and as a result small things which crop up are left to perplex me.
I take a quick look through the local papers;
body found hanging in woods, and ten year old knocked down by teenager in stolen car, much of the same.
A helicopter passes overhead and I offer up a silent prayer for anyone at sea;
the presence of a helicopter is usually because of a rescue being mounted.
I listen to the sound of what I presume to be a mini bike and hope the rider meets with an accident.
Meditation sounds in the background are not helping me relax today.
Why I’m so wound up I don’t know.
This month has passed very quickly,
Spring will soon be in the air and the weather will begin to improve.
Soon be time to spend time outside getting exercise, after all I still have nearly two stone to lose!
I make up my mind that March will see me adopting a more positive attitude to my life,
I have set myself goals and need to achieve results or else my life has no meaning.
I have felt like someone in a chrysalis, struggling to escape; wanting to be free but being held back by the slenderest of ties.
Self confidence and self esteem will return slowly but surely, I hope.
My lifestyle, my outlooks on life, expectations and goals have to change and a different, hopefully better person has to be groomed.
I break for an hour’s revision.
Brisk walking burns as many calories as jogging for the same distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone.
As little as one hour a week of aerobic exercises is helpful, but 3 to 4 hours per week are best. Some research indicates that simply walking briskly for 3 or more hours a week reduces the risk for coronary heart disease by 65%.
People who are out of shape or elderly should start aerobic training gradually. For example, they may start with five to 10 minutes of low-impact aerobic activity every other day and build toward a goal of 30 minutes per day, three to seven times a week. (For heart protection, frequency of exercises may be more important than duration.)
People who seek to lose weight should aim for six to seven low-impact workouts a week.
Elliptical trainers, however, may be even better than treadmills for increasing heart rate, calorie expenditure, and oxygen consumption.
even small improvements in physical fitness and activity can prolong life and independent living.

Start low and go slow.

As little as one day a week of resistance training improves overall strength and agility. Strength training also improves heart and blood vessel health.
Inactivity is one of the four major risk factors for coronary artery disease. However, exercise helps improve heart health in people with many forms of heart disease and can even reverse some risk factors, such as some of the effects of smoking.
Studies consistently find that light to moderate exercise is even beneficial in people with existing heart disease.
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise on most -- if not all days.

I spent an hour or so on revision and then as you can see researched exercise.
I have slipped into inactivity over the last 18 months, having barely had an hour’s exercise per month!
I really have neglected my body since the heart attack some years ago, I’ve continued to smoke which undoubtedly has done me more harm judging by its effects on my breathing and damage to teeth and gums.
My overall fitness level is that of a pensioner; I need to get into a routine and quickly before it’s too late!
My energy levels are noticeably low and almost every day I write about feeling lethargic

Exercise is important in keeping lungs healthy. Unfortunately, many people with long-term lung problems are afraid to exercise. This is partly because they are worried that being breathless may be harming them. This isn't true. By gradually building up the exercise you take you can help to improve your breathing and feel better. Even people with severe lung problems benefit a lot from small amounts of exercise so it really is worth keeping as active as possible.

Whilst some people go through life unaffected by smoking, millions do not. Too many people think ‘It will never happen to me’ – until they develop cancer or have their first heart attack.
Despite the difficulties, more smokers are managing to stop every day.
Stopping smoking is likely to be one of the most important things you do in your life.
Research tells us that pulmonary rehabilitation leads to improvements in your ability to exercise. As a result you will probably feel less breathless doing day-to-day activities such as walking up stairs, shopping and dressing. You are quite likely to feel less tired too.
My care worker called and went through the usual avenues of conversation, I still refuse to take the medication despite advice from his superiors, i.e. the doctor..
I break for another revision session.
1. Proteins
Found in milk, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, pulses
The body uses proteins to repair damaged tissue
Remember to trim the fat off meat - too much fat is not good for you
2. Carbohydrates
Found in bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruit and potatoes
They are the easiest form of energy to digest
If they are high in fibre, they help with your bowel function and lower your cholesterol
3. Fats
Found in butter, margarine, olive oil, vegetable oil, nuts
They are mainly a source of energy and vitamins A D E and K
4. Minerals
Found in liver, eggs, meat, fish and dried fruits such as raisins
Milk and cheese are rich in calcium (and vitamin D)
Calcium and vitamin D help with healthy bones and teeth. Iron is important for your blood
Calcium is especially important for people who are on high amounts of steroid treatment
5. Vitamins
A – improves eyesight and helps fight infections - it's found in butter and many dark green vegetables
B – necessary for normal nerve function, good digestion, good appetite and healthy skin - found in wholegrain breads and cereals, meat, fish and dairy products
C – good for fighting infection. The best sources are citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit), strawberries and broccoli
D – helps with healthy bones and teeth. Found in milk and cheese
E – found in whole grain cereals
K – regulates blood clotting - found in cauliflower, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, Soya beans, meat and green tea
If you are overweight, your heart and lungs have to work harder to supply oxygen to your body.
Too much fat makes it more difficult for your lungs to work properly.
Losing weight through diet and exercise will make breathing easier.

It's important to keep the secretions in your lungs thin and easy to cough up. If you don't drink enough, your secretions will be thick and sticky and will increase your chances of an infection. Drinking enough liquids also helps with digesting food and avoiding constipation. Water is your best option.

Losing weight is about eating fewer calories than you burn off in your everyday life. Try to make small but permanent changes to your lifestyle, rather than opting for a dramatic new diet. You may lose weight more slowly, but you'll reduce the chances of regaining it again later.
Most doctors recommend that, on average, you should aim to lose no more than 1kg (2lb) a week.
I’m looking at three or four months dieting to lose what I need! In time for summer?
Will see.
Seems to be a reasonable target, get slimmer for the holidays.

Being too thin or too fat is unhealthy, but good health is about much more than just your weight. It depends on many things, including your family's medical history, your genes, whether you smoke, the type of food you eat and how active you are.

Apparently a BMI of around 25 is desirable and at the moment mine is 26.82. so therefore implementing a regime of regular low impact exercise should be sufficient to burn into the fat reserves.

The aim
If you can't manage 30 minutes a day, anything more than what you're doing now is a step in the right direction.
If you can't manage 30 minutes in one go, two 15-minute sessions are just as good.
If you're doing 30 minutes a day already, keep it up - and do more if you want to.
Remember - anything is better than nothing!

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose lower fat foods and watch your portion sizes. Cut right back on foods and drinks containing a lot of sugar and/or fat. Try not to be tempted by losing weight fast; body fat can only be lost slowly (aim for about 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week).

Hopefully I’ll manage 1. to 1 and a half pounds or more.
Having lived a sedentary lifestyle for so long, the changes I aim to implement are quite drastic and should produce results.

Developing skills to achieve the lifestyle changes needed to reach your realistic goals is the safe and sensible approach.
The energy content of 1lb (0.5kg) of body fat is 3,500 calories. So to lose 1lb a week, a 500 calorie 'deficit' is needed each day (7 x 500 = 3,500). This is best achieved by making small changes to eat fewer calories and be more active. For example, swap a chocolate bar for a banana (save 150 calories) and a small pot of reduced-calorie for standard coleslaw (save 240 calories) and add two 15-minute brisk walks (burn 150 calories) for a 540 calorie deficit.
I, probably as others do skip meals and may go a full day without eating anything, that obviously isn’t the answer on its own or else the weight would have dropped off me, I now realise that if the body doesn’t get regular intake then it tends to store any food received as fat in case of further drought.
Eat regular meals, starting with breakfast.

30 min walk = only 150 calories of fat burned and 3,500 = I lb.!
So a walk everyday would account for 1050 calories, less than half a pound of fat.
A walk plus a reduction of 500 calories per day would result in,
Weekly total of 4550 which is about what is necessary.

If, once you've reached your realistic target weight, you go back to your old eating habits and activity levels, the weight will come back on. It's as simple as that.
I learnt that when having slimmed down to 13 st.7 lbs. With no effort I went on to medication and a period of inactivity which allowed me to gain more than two stones in 12 months.

This means enjoying small amounts of favourite foods without feeling guilty. Or, if you do over-indulge or have a big night out, cutting back a bit or doing more exercises the next day to balance things out.
Getting regular exercise is one of the strongest indicators of long-term success. Not only does it burn calories and increase metabolism-boosting muscle, it also boosts self-esteem and beats stress.
Studies show that simply walking for 30 minutes or so each day, plus some other activities during the week, may be enough.

There are about 100 billion Web pages, and each page holds, on average, 10 links. That's a trillion electrified connections coursing through the Web.

Web pages, by default, are born copyrighted. I hope so.
While almost every artist recognizes that the value of a creation ultimately rests in the value he or she personally gets from creating it (and for a few artists that value is sufficient), it is also true that the value of any work is increased the more it is shared. The technology of search maximizes the value of a creative work by allowing a billion new connections into it, often a billion new connections that were previously inconceivable