I drank six cups of water yesterday! Wahoo!
And this morning I tested myself to see how long it takes me to run a mile.... 10 min.


Oh Steeeeeeve..... I'm waiting to see your goal for this week!
Don't make this complicated.... just write down anything and do it!

10 Can-o-potatoes Bicep Curls per day....

GIT-R-DONE!

Drinking Fluids: How much?!

Water: How much should you drink every day?

Water is essential to good health, yet needs vary by individual. These guidelines can help ensure you drink enough fluids.

By Mayo Clinic staff How much water should you drink each day? It's a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.
Although no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.

Health benefits of water

Functions of water in the body

Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.
Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.

How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total. 

Factors that influence water needs

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

• Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, and the duration and type of exercise. During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Also, continue to replace fluids after you're finished exercising.
• Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
• Illnesses or health conditions. When you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, your body loses additional fluids. In these cases, you should drink more water. In some cases, your doctor may recommend oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or CeraLyte. Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
• Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Beyond the tap: Other sources of water

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.
In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

Staying safely hydrated

Generally if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or light yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you're concerned about your fluid intake or have health issues, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's right for you.
To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. It's also a good idea to:

• Drink a glass of water or other calorie-free or low-calorie beverage with each meal and between each meal.
• Drink water before, during and after exercise.

Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who eat an average American diet.

Source Located HERE

Sara's Week #1: April 29-May 5 Goals and Weigh In

Weigh In: 129.8 lbs

My Goals OVERALL right now:

1. Be able to run a half marathon by June 2014
2. Fit in my clothes well 
1. Tone up the arms
2. Lose the love handles
3. Say bye to the thighs
3. Have energy to go do activities and feel good!
4. Emotional/Spiritual Balance
5. Speak Conversational Italian by July 2014 (Don't laugh!! Haha.... oh crap I laughed)

This Weeks GOALS:

1.  Finish my baseline measurements by Sunday
1. Do 1 per day
2. I will do my running measurement at the Park on Tuesday morning and use MapMyRun app to measure the time and distance
2.  Drink 6 cups of fluid per day
1. This is what I have always struggled with so I am starting at a reasonable goal
2. I will drink 2 cups in morning, afternoon, and evening to space it out
3. Keep water bottles filled in fridge for easy grab-and-go
4. Always keep a water bottle near me
5. Will use crystal light or vitamin water in between pure water to keep me interested
6. Will drink a cup of juice to replace 1 cup in the morning for variety

These are my goals for this week! Every week I am going to start my goals on Monday and end on Saturday really so I can post anytime on Sunday. I am going to try to keep these goals up when I start new goals the next week.
Obviously our goals are going to be very different but I look forward to seeing what goals you are going to have to see if I can try any for myself! Plus, I will start posting educational or motivational things that just seems relevant to us. :)

Sara's Baseline Measurements

4/28/13
Weight= 129.8 lbs
Waist Circumference Upright= 32 (<40 for males, <35 for females is optimal)
Blood Pressure= 109/67 (<120/80 is optimal)
Total Cholesterol =  164 (<200 is optimal)
HDL= 64 (>40 in males, >50 in females is optimal)
LDL= 90 (<100 is optimal)
Triglycerides= 48 (<150 is optimal)
TC/HDL ratio= 2.6 (<4 is optimal)
Fasting Glucose= 79 (70-99 is optimal)

*I have 0 risk factors for Metabolic Syndrome:
Abnormal values in each of the above areas counts for 1 risk factor. More than 3 risk factors above constitutes the presence of Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The more risk factors you have, the greater the risk. If you have Metabolic Syndrome, lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.*

Resting Heart Rate=62
Height= 5' 8"
BMI= 19.7 (Calculate your BMI HERE)
BMI Categories:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Mid-arm circumference, both arms, hanging relaxed at your sides= L- 9.5; R-10 (<--- wth?!)
Maximal thigh circumference, both thighs, while standing at ease=L- 20.5; R- 21
Maximum number of consecutive push-ups=32
Maximum number of consecutive sit-ups= 55 (without getting a butt wound...)
Run/walk one mile as fast as you can= 10 min (without having a heart attack?)
Can you touch your toes= yes, barely

Baseline Measurements: What to measure before starting a health program

I found this useful little list of things to measure before starting a health program so you can start seeing results and stay motivated. I am going to try to get as many of these as possible as soon as I can. Luckily, I just had a health assessment done by the U to get a discount on health insurance so I have a lot of my lab numbers. Does IHC do that? If not, I would recommend getting them somehow even if it is just a "checkup" with Mark to see if you can get some gabapentin or something for your feet. I will bring the 'stuff' tonight if you are going to be there or I will just drop them off. ;D

I was thinking we could remeasure these things once a month at the beginning of the month (except weight- I check that weekly usually). Whaddya think?

What to Measure

1. Weight
2. Blood pressure
3. Resting heart rate (first thing in the AM before getting out of bed)
4. Waist circumference (upright and supine)
5. Height
6. Body mass index (Calculate your BMI HERE)
7. Mid-arm circumference, both arms, hanging relaxed at your sides
8. Maximal calf circumference, both calves, while standing at ease
9. Maximum number of consecutive pull-ups (I'm not going to measure)
10. Maximum number of consecutive push-ups
11. Maximum number of consecutive sit-ups
12. Run/walk one mile as fast as you can
13. Maximum vertical jump (stand by a tall wall then jump and reach up as high as you can with one arm, noting the highest point above ground your fingers can reach) (probably not going to measure)
14. Can you touch your toes? Stand up straight, locking knees in extension, then bend over at your waist and touch your toes with your fingertips. If you can touch toes, can you flatten your palms against the floor? If you can’t reach your toes, measure the distance from your fingertips to the floor.
15. Optional blood work for special situations: fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, cholesterols (total, HDL, LDL, sub-fractions)

The particular aspects of fitness these measure are strength and endurance in major muscle groups, cardiovascular and pulmonary endurance, a little flexibility, and a hint of body composition.

You may appreciate an assistant to help you measure some of these.
Record your numbers. Re-test some or all of these periodically. If you’re in fairly poor condition at the outset, you’ll see some improved numbers after a couple or three weeks of a good exercise program. It takes months to build significant muscle mass; you’ll see improved strength and endurance before mass.

Steve's Baseline Measurements and April 29th - May 5th Goals

Okely dokely smokely....Here goes nothing.   I REALLY want this to work this time. Maybe if I put this into the magic GoogleNet it will up my chances.  Aspen say's that because this is "Project Wolverine" that I should be nicknamed the honey badger...I think it's quite fitting.  

Last Known A1c ~ 8.5

Last Tested Blood Sugar Level ~ 185

Last Known Blood Pressure ~ 140 / 95

"Bad" Cholesterol wasn't too bad :)

"Good" Cholesterol wasn't very good. :(

Age = 35

Weight = 241

Height = 5' 11''

Waist = 41"

Bicept = Frickin huge... ha ha, actually it was kind of sad.

Neck = 18"

Chest = ...

SO!  My overall goals are pretty simple.   I want to get off all of the medications that I'm currently on for Diabetes and Hypertension.   I also want the body parts that feel crappy to feel un-crappy so that I can be more active and have more fun with my kids.  I want my Feet, Ankles, Knees, Back, and the rest of the body to not scream at me and wake me up at night and things like that.  As part of this transformation I want to loose about 45 pounds to be closer to my ideal body weight (this is not because I'm vain cause we all know that I'm super hot already...it's really because I think that my feet and back would feel better if I weighed less).  I also want to up my spiritual, mental and emotional health as well.  I feel that all of these are so interconnected that I would never be as successful if I just focused on physical health goals.  I also know that I will fail yet again without Heavenly Father's help.  

My goals for the week of Apr 29th - May 5th

1. I will do a minimum of 30 minutes of activities that increase my heart rate 5 days this week.
2. I will re-commit to the "FoodLoversDiet" because it encourages frequent meals, portion control, whole foods, and is diabetic friendly.  
3. I will loose 2-5 pounds this week
4. I will limit myself to no more than 24oz of soda each day (I know this sounds wussy but I LOVE my soda and this will be a stretch goal for me).  I will also attempt to drink much less soda than this most days.
5. I will read and study a minimum of 1 chapter in my scriptures during 6 days this week
6. I will say at least 2 personal prayers on my knees every day
7. I will work no more than 50 hours this week

p.s. I just watched a news story about Larry H Miller that talked about how he died because of complications caused by Diabetes.  I need to overcome this.

Where We Can Get Information?

I start here:
 NIH- National Institute of Health
 http://www.nih.gov/

"NIH is the nation’s medical research agency—supporting scientific studies that turn discovery into health."

"NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems."

 http://www.nutrition.gov/

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/ National Agriculture Library 

http://www.nel.gov/ Nutrition Evidence Library

ECCLES Library has online Journal resource