still standing, even if I am standing in the gutter

Motivation:

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."~Oscar Wilde

Diary:
D: chicken soup, crackers, orange, theraflu, water,
B: eggs, sausage, decongestant, orange juice
S: protien bar
L: oatmeal, tea, vitamins
S: ??? see how my body feels.
g: none- still recouping. I will plan on going to the gym tommorow.

Notes:

I am still recovering from the flu after-affects. It is normal that I usually am out for 1 week each winter with the flu. It usually happens in February, however, so I thought that I had missed it this year. I was wrong.

Interesting - on TV I watched a show about heart patients and new techniques that hospitals are using to reduce the cost of recovery. They are starting to send hypnotic tapes to patients who are getting ready for surgery. They are finding that $200 worth of pre-operative mental training for patients saves the hospitals $3000 worth of after-care costs. They are finally starting to wake up to the concept of the mind-body connection, and that treating the entire person, instead of just a collection of body parts, is starting to be fruitful. (Patch Adams, anyone?)

So, I thought this was a good thing for me to watch. It was a good reminder not only for my illness, but also for the overall 2006 Challenge. There are a lot of stressful things in life that could knock me off of my track. I admit fully that I am a moody individual, and get melancholy and even depressed from time to time and this affects the way that I treat myself, consciously and sub-consciously. This can affect my eating habits, exercise routine, my daily schedule, and the way I see the world, my goals.

There are lots of 'reasons', real or imaginary, to feel pitiful about my condition. Being alone and sick is one of them. I appreciate the nice notes, emails, and calls from family and friends, even if I was too weak to pick up the phone, it was good to hear your voices. thanks.

Woah, I can't wait until I feel better and can get back in the gym and in the program. Being sick the last few days has made me feel like an oaf (clumsy simpleton). I have in the past enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in and watch movies on my couch. But this was no fun at all. I was actually in the mood to go walking around and go to work. Maybe this is a good sign. If I can recover from my flu and get back to the gym, I will have made a mental hurdle in my plan. I am looking forward to that.


Found the following on a Family Medicine website:

Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. The following may be physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance:

• Back pain
• Change in appetite
• Chest pain
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Extreme tiredness
• General aches and pains
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Sweating
• Upset stomach
• Weight gain or loss

Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your helath as well as you should. You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious foods or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes.

Try not to obsess about the problems at work, at school or at home that lead to negative feelings. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy when you feel stressed, anxious or upset. It’s important to deal with these negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things in your life too. You may want to use a journal to keep track of things that make you feel happy or peaceful. Some research has shown that having a positive outlook can improve your quality of life and give your health a boost. You may also need to find ways to let go of some things in your life that make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Make time for things you enjoy.

Take care of yourself. To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body by having a regular routine for eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep and exercising to relieve pent-up tension.

more later..

Chazz