Sisters Are Saying Archive
See below for all "Sisters are Saying" entries. Send your information to Penny Yocum Edmondson, Philanthropy Committee Chairman, at philc@vst.alphagammadelta.org today!
Sisters Are Saying, April 2008 It's important for me to remember that small steps help. You don't have to work out seven days a week to increase or maintain physical fitness, especially as you get older. At work, I never take the elevator, but always walk up the four flights to my desk. I park at the far end of the parking lot so I am forced to walk farther. I joined Jazzercise, and I love this program, which includes cardio, weights and stretching. But the best exercise I get is walking with my husband. A long walk with a partner isn't just physical, but emotional and mental. We are away from the phone, computer, television, everything that distracts us in life. We are just on our feet together, and have time to talk about ideas and plans. We come back from a walk relaxed and energized at the same time. Even when our Midwest weather prevents walking outside, we hit the least crowded mall and get on our feet!
Sisters Are Saying, February 2008 My dad recently gave me a little mp3 player that I loaded up with some of my favorite fast-tempo songs. I try to eat a light lunch and then head outside to walk, headphones on, for 20 minutes. The fresh air clears my head, I enjoy keeping pace to the music and sometimes I walk so fast that I can't even sing along! I've become passionate about staying healthy through better nutrition. After my dad suffered from a 5-way heart bypass a few years ago, I learned about the undeniable link between disease and nutrition. Penny adds: Hildy goes on to say that she eats foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Hildy knows that we CAN make a difference in our health if we choose to remove poor foods from our diets and eat nutritious whole foods. Recent lifestyle changes have had some positive effects on my health! Since retiring from the Volunteer Service Team last year, I've gone back into the classroom as a first grade teacher. Spending the day with 20 six-year-olds definitely gets the metabolism going! I also joined Curves last fall and am enjoying watching muscles grow and fat shrink. So far, I've lost 18 inches and nearly 20 pounds. I work out at least four times a week and love it. I have more strength, more flexibility and more energy for my new life!
Sisters Are Saying, January 2008 Prevention! I want to encourage ALL sisters to get regular gynecological check-ups and mammograms. We need to be proactive with our preventive measures. This is part of a healthy lifestyle. I had no symptoms of a health scare recently. If I hadn't gone for my routine check-up, my situation could have been much worse. I try to make heart-healthy meals. When available, I buy the low-sodium versions of items on my grocery list (soups, crackers, snacks). We have switched to whole grains for all breads, cereal and pasta. I serve a healthy portion of a fresh vegetable or salad with "spray on" dressing at each meal. Instead of bringing the entire meal to the dinner table, I leave it on the stove and serve each person a plate with an appropriate size portion of each item. This way, if any of us want seconds on anything, we have to physically get up from the table to get it. It helps control overeating. The only exception is the vegetable. I bring it to the table--I'll let my toddlers eat all the vegetables they want! I bought a large insulated mug that I fill with water and ice at work each day and make sure that I drink it all before I leave. When we eat out, I try to order water or unsweetened tea to drink...this saves money too! I play soccer, frisbee and throw footballs and baseballs with my kids, and this week, I joined Curves fitness club. |
Sisters Are Saying, December 2007 My sister, who is also an Alpha Gam, and I go to the gym six times a week. We do cardio one night and cardio and weights the next. We celebrate by doing "nothing" on that one night off per week. We have learned to eat right by going to Jenny Craig. We have both dropped two and three dress sizes--what fun it was to buy new clothes! I joined Weight Watchers online at the end of the summer to lose some weight that had crept up and was making me feel sluggish. Recording my food, water and dairy intake, not to mention earning activity points, has helped me do a better job of making healthy choices. I'm exercising more often--two to three times per week, my clothes fit better and I feel better, too! I won't claim a great deal of success--it would be greater if I were more consistent! I ride bicycles with my children to and school when weather permits. I have a trailer behind the bike to pull my preschooler, whose school schedule allows her to ride all four 'laps' with me. I am trying to eat better: less red meat, fewer 'white' starches (fiber--not filler!). I am using an MP3 player as my "walkmate" and walk in the gym at church for 30 minutes when I can't get outside. A cordless phone at church also helps me to get some calls returned during my walk without burning ALL my cell phone minutes! I work out with weights once a week. Two to three times is ideal, but anything is better than nothing. Michael and I enjoy doing this together. A note from Penny: Even though Nancy is not consistent in her exercise, she keeps on trying to do SOMETHING. That is one of the keys to a healthier lifestyle. We can’t get discouraged or quit if we fall off in eating habits or exercise. Tomorrow is another day! |
Sisters Are Saying, November 2007 "Since the Volunteer Leadership Conference, I have lost 12 pounds by doing what I call 'back to basics.' I eat cereal with skim milk for breakfast, a small lunch--sandwich and carrot sticks instead of chips--and a basic dinner--meat, salad and a vegetable. Throw in some mild exercise and away go the pounds. Other changes I have made are: I am drinking water instead of high calorie drinks, I eat slowly and stop when I am full even if there is food on my plate and I eat more fruit." "During the summer, I drink a lot of water while I'm sitting at the ball diamonds watching my daughters play softball. During the winter, I find it much more challenging to drink that much water, so I've started the habit of now drinking a full glass of water at the same times during the day. Not only am I staying better hydrated, I'm also finding that this is reducing my caloric intake during meals as I feel more full before I start eating." "I buy seasons of half-hour sitcom DVDs and put them on while walking on the treadmill. Depending on my available time, I watch one, two or even three episodes while walking and it really makes the time fly by. If I am really motivated, I can walk the time of a movie! As far as diet, I find that I eat out most days of the week, so I have started to take home half of my meal. I eat the leftovers for lunch or dinner. I'm saving calories and money!" "I have cut down on Diet Coke to one to two cans a day (way less than in the past) and have replaced them with water. I realized that Diet Coke contains sodium, and I was beginning to notice swelling in my fingers. This is helping with overall weight loss as well as making me feel so much better!" "I am always on the quest to live a healthier lifestyle! In my efforts to do so, I belong to a class at my local YMCA and I make sure to walk there from home to get a jump-start on my exercising. I am blessed to have friends who enjoy walking, so we make it part of our social time to walk to our destination--even if that happens to be lunch!." |
Sisters Are Saying, October 2007: The International Council Edition! "I have made some life changes in my diet and exercise. I have lost about five pounds in three weeks with these changes. Diet-wise, I'm really watching the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in my diet. Exercise-wise, I'm walking for 30 minutes a minimum of three days a week." "I've added some weight resistance to my daily walking." "I am exercising two or three times a week at a fitness center and am trying to develop healthier eating habits: more salads (with dressing on the side), no fried food, more chicken and fish and reading food labels." "Since January, I've participated in a water exercise class three mornings each week. On the days that I don't go to the pool, I go walking with my husband." "One thing that I did after the Volunteer Leadership Conference was to refresh myself on the Diabetes Food Pyramid. I was out of whack in some areas and needed the reminder to help me make healthier choices." "I am personally trying to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into my life four days a week. Surprisingly, it's going better than I thought! I am also eating at least one serving of fruit before I even consider eating something sweet like a candy bar or cookie. Usually the fruit takes care of the sweets craving (usually!)." "I am not really an avid fan of true work outs or exercise, but I do enjoy tennis! So, for the coming year, I committed to playing tennis at least two to three times per week.Tennis can be a good workout and a fun time too! Also, I've been trying to take time to walk my little dog around the block each day. She loves it and I get side benefits without even realizing it!" |
