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Raise your activity level and lose some pounds

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I was saying on my other blog that I’ve lost some weight in the last two months. Ever since we got our puppy in November my activity level has gone way up and that’s resulted in me losing a few extra pounds.

Since I hadn’t been all that active prior to getting the puppy I’d gained some weight. Also, being on steroids didn’t help either! That’s the trouble with having a chronic illness, Crohns, you can’t do much when you feel lousy! But when you have a puppy you have to go out no matter how bad you feel.

I’ve never been a big eater. In fact, in the last year I generally only finish half or less of my meal when we go out to a restaurant and obviously my portions at home have gotten a lot smaller. So food was never the problem. Lack of activity was! I can’t eat that much because of the Crohn’s either. Rice, boiled or broiled chicken, baked fish, some steamed veggies and nutritional supplements tend to make up 90% or more of my regular diet.

I’d say another month of going on several daily walks with my puppy and I’ll be back to my normal weight or better.

Have you set any goals to become more active or get in better shape this year? If so, what are you doing to achieve your goal?





Strange weather is making me achy

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The weather here in Toronto has been strange lately. We were hit with snow early in the season – November, and now we’re having a warm spell right after a really bad cold spell.

I think all these weather changes are affecting the way I feel. I mean, last week when it was -20 Celsius (-4 F) my knee was aching really bad and now that it’s 14 Celsius (55 F) and raining my knee is aching again. It’s gotta be the weather.

On top of that I think I’m also getting a migraine! But don’t tell my pain doctor (for my Crohns) as she asks me every time I see her if I’ve got migraines. Why I don’t know … maybe I’d fit her “pain profile” better if I did have migraines all the time or something.

Anyone else affected by the weather like this?

I’m enjoying walking around the neighborhood

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Well I’ve been taking lots and lots of walks around the neighborhood with our little puppy lately.

I’m enjoying getting out so much even thought it’s getting so much colder! Plus we had a huge snow storm on Thursday so walking on the un-shoveled sidewalks wasn’t all that much fun. Puppy enjoyed it though. She kind of gallops like a horse through the snow jumping from snow mound to snow mound. It’s really quite cute.

I can’t wait until our puppy gets her third set of shots in early January and I guess her rabies vaccines shortly after that too. She’ll be a little older and since she’ll have all her vaccinations we’ll be able walk further and maybe even go to the park. Certainly by February or early March we should be able to do that anyway.

We live in a nice enough neighborhood but there’s some very nice neighborhoods within easy walking distance and I’d love to walk Midnight around that area. She could get her exercise (me too) and I could spend time looking at all of the luxury homes and everyones gardens.

Midnight was 12 weeks old when we got her November 23rd and she’d only had one set of shots, her first, near the beginning of October. She should have had two sets of vaccinations by the time she was 12 weeks old. So she’s behind.

Because she’s behind in her vaccinations we were only going to let her use the front and back yards at first, but then it snowed. Much earlier this year than the last several and the snow is staying on the ground instead of melting away in a few days. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think with all the snow it’s a little safer to take her for walks just around the block. We aren’t going near the park, nor are we going in any areas that other dogs frequent. I suppose there’s always a chance that she can pick up something, but I’m hoping the snow is covering up all the potential bad germs.

I guess that’s the only real good thing about having a young puppy at this time of year. I know I’m going to dread going out with her several times a day when it’s -10 or -15 Celsius, but as far as her chances of catching any of the bugs that live in the soil or that would likely be in higher concentrations spring through fall she’s safer.

What do you think? Is it safe to take short walks just around the block when there’s snow covering the ground or should we stick to our own property until her vaccinations are finished?

Thanks to travel insurance I could have canceled my trip

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I’m so glad I bought travel insurance when I went to Las Vegas. I knew it was a good idea. I’ve got Crohns and I’d been very sick for about a month and a half before we left for our trip. In fact, I’d even been in the hospital for a bowel obstruction just a few days before we got on our flight!

I shouldn’t have gone on the trip at all given the circumstances, but I went anyway … knowing that I’d purchased the deluxe medical insurance and travel insurance package. I could have canceled my trip and the travel insurance would have allowed me to get a refund since I really was sick and had proof of my illness. Without the insurance I would have lost money if I’d canceled.

As it was I got even sicker while in Vegas. I seriously considered seeing a doctor or going to a hospital!

Once we got home I continued to be sick for about a week longer then I started to feel better. Thats when we got the puppy and now due to lack of sleep and too much activity I think my Crohns is starting to act up again. I can’t seem to win.

Do you purchase travel insurance when you buy your tickets for a flight? Have you ever had to use your insurance?

I’m hoping my new dog will help me get some exercise

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I was just saying in my last post that one of the reasons we just got a puppy was so that I could have some incentive to get more exercise.

I’ve been stuck at home with Crohn’s Disease for two years now. Actually December 4th was the beginning of my third year at home. I hate this. I feel ill all the time and I’m in a lot of pain. This has naturally made me a lot less active than I used to be.

I used to be on my feet for 12 hours a day, constantly moving as I tended to patients in the Emergency Department where I worked. I also walk to and from work. Now that’s not aerobic activity but it certainly did burn calories and kept me busy!

Now my days are spent sitting in front of my desktop computer or using my laptop computer while sitting or lying down on the couch. I don’t eat much food, nor does it stay in me long thanks to the Crohns ( I know TMI), but I’ve gained some weight due to the inactivity. Not a ton, but enough that I’ve recently had to purchase larger clothes sizes much to my dismay. Being on prednisone, a steroid, in the last three months has also caused me to gain a bit more weight.

I must admit that I haven’t been using the elliptical trainer that I got in September either. Also, now that we have the puppy I barely have time to do much else but watch her so I don’t think I’ll be using it anytime soon.

So I need to get active, even if I don’t feel all that up to it. The puppy helps in that department. She’s a ball of energy and I often once I sit down I’ve got to get up two minutes later to see where she’s disappeared to. Labs chew everything so you’ve got to keep a close eye on them … plus she’s not yet fully house trained and still has accidents.

If the doggy diet/ workout doesn’t work maybe I’ll have to try something like Miracle burn, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to work.

Wish me luck!

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