Not Complete but Moving Forward!

How can I conclude this class when there are so many unanswered questions? I have learned different topics throughout the semester and if I had to pick my favorite subject it would definitely be on fitness/healthy lifestyle.
Plan A
I can sit here, rambling on and on about all the different areas that were covered and possibly just satisfy for a good grade.
OR
Plan B
I could sit here and explain exactly what I have learned and get a good start on a better healthier life!
OK I have made my decision....I am going with Plan B.
What I have learned and managed to do is this:

•  I am sleeping through the entire night and feeling refreshed in the morning.
• I am keeping track of everything that I eat on a daily basis.
• I am watching how many calories I intake everyday.
• I exercise everyday whether it is walking, weight lifting, dancing, aerobics, or swimming. (I have overcome my fear of water so I am off to a great start.)
• I go to the dentist, doctor regularily and am actually taking care of myself along with helping others in my home.
• I have not kicked the coffee yet, but have cut down the amount I drink everyday tremendously.
• With the recent medical issues in the household, it has taken alot out of me, but am managing my school work, housework, and spending time with family.
• I have learned to keep with the Alternative medicines instead of relying on medicines that will mess up my life.

This video inspired me to try Zumba classes and I do not think I could go on without it in my schedule. So energetic and enthusiasm has kept me interested. Take a look and see how much fun it really is!
I recently weighed myself and almost fell over when I saw that I had gained weight rather than lost this past week. I then decided to take a look at my daily log to find out exactly where I went wrong....Come to find out, I did everything correctly and with what we have all learned about working out is muscle weighs more than fat....and it was just that. I am starting to re-develop my muscles in my legs due to dancing, zumba, aerobics, and walking! Do I feel better now that I know this? Absolutely! After I start losing my areas of much needed sliming (belly, legs, arms, and etc...) I will be trying something of an exotic nature which seems alot of fun and looks like it could really keep me in shape! Take a look:)

And it's not singing!!

Now onto what I feel I have been lacking on during this semester. If I had to pick, it would definitely be some of my questions and replies during the modules. I will improve on this even though it is our last module, but hey I may just learn something for the future!

Feedback on my discussion I would say was thoroughly complete and had an efficient amount of information provided within my replies to others. I spent a great amount of time researching each area and supplied what I thought the others would benefit from including myself. It was not my favorite subject, but had some great points that interested me and kept me from dozing off while reading the text. I have seen many students selling their texts back to the school store and sat there thinking why in the world would they do that? Then it clicked...they do not want because a) They are young and like to party so they want/need the money b) They have no money for gas so they can go out to whatever club/party c) They do not want the book to take up space on the book shelves that are most likely filled with empty cans, magazines, or fashion accesories (female-nailpolish, makeup, hair accesories...male-wallet,comb/brush, and whatever else a college male would have) or d) ALL of the Above!!

I am keeping my book and will have it to look back on in the next years to follow. Who knows I may need it when I transfer to my 4 year college and am sitting there writing on a subject for a health class, or maybe even need it for the summer when I am teaching the cheerleaders about how to stay fit. All I do know for fact is that my money spent on this text was very well spent.

This course being my first on-line class has opened up a whole new world to me. I have had an amazing time during this semester even though I was not in a classroom setting. I have been able to stay home, closer to my family and have been able to take care of myself better. It has inspired me to keep going throughout the summer time and Yep you guessed it- 12 credits , which is 4 courses = ALL on-line!! I have also taken a math course on-line and with taking another math course my first semester, I feel I have learned and benefited more from the on-line math class than I did actually being taught in the classroom. I am sad to be at the end of the semester and this class. Even though I am not finished with my degree yet, I still will miss this class.

Here are a few videos that I listen to while I am typing, working out to, or just relaxing and creating a dance routine.

I could be posting for awhile but do need to end this somewhere. I will keep my healthy lifestyle going and will keep my family doing the same. In the field that I have chosen to go towards Strength and Conditioning Coach and Physical Education Teacher, a healthy lifestyle will help me along the way. The future keeps looking better each day!

Cancer is no friend of mine!

What have I learned so far from this module? Cancer is everyone's enemy! Hearts need to be taken care of, so to speak. OK now let me explain further.

Cancer is everyone's nightmare, but can be helped if the few steps are taken to overcome it. I am not saying there is a cure for cancer because we all know there is not YET! There are many tests and procedures that may be taken in order to prevent or take care of (lack of a better word) a possible ending of a wonderful life. I have lost many friends and family to all different cancers and am now working on preventing this happening to myself. I quit smoking over two years ago, wishing I would have listened to my parents and never started! I understand that peer pressure is one of the major factors of this and am only hoping my son (18 yr old) would just sit there and think about what his future may or may not be like and stop smoking NOW! I know I never listened when i was smoking for those many years and people tend to say "well you never listened, what makes you think he is going to?" Enough is enough with the he/she is a hippocrit and he/she never listened, and I could keep going...Think of your family, your new wife and your beautiful son. Think Healthy and STOP!! Now that I have ranted about smoking, will I develop lung cancer? Possibilities are there, but who says you have to be a smoker to develop lung cancer? My great grandfather passed away of lung cancer and never smoked a day in his life. I have family memebers that have passed away from different cancers, but that does not say I will. My chances are greater due to many factors, but am I going to work on prevention? Absolutely! Motivation was in our last module and after reading these few chapters I believe I have a full force motivational perk. I have a wonderful family that I would love to spend many years with and I want to see each of them grow. Here is a website that I have only scratched the surface of and have much more to read http://www.preventcancer.org/ The information that it provides will hopefully help in the long run.

Now onto Cardiovascular. Sore subject but a serious subject. My dad(RIP 1-26-05 was 56 yrs young) passed away from a massive heart attack after snow plowing.

He was a heavy smoker (3 packs a day) and an everyday drinker, not excessive drinking (didnt drink until he became drunk and puking), but still didnt go a day without drinking. He was becoming overweight after he had surgery on his neck and spine, which did not help matters to get better. Now am I going to pay attention to what I thought were not "problems" definitely will be taking better care of myself and my family, if I can help it.

I have learned much more than I ever thought I would, but this class has opened my eyes to what needs to be done to become healthy again. Here is a website that determines which is better for you. HIIT vs Long duration. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7953793/heart_disease_prevention_hiit_vs_long.html It was interesting and I only wish I knew all this before bad things have happened.

2 words I did not know:

1. Ischemia - an insufficient supply of blood to the heart. Even after going through high school and different health courses and working in a nursing home I have never heard this word. I have only heard people say an insufficient supply of blood to the heart not its "proper name". How does it affect me...it does not affect me or will make my life better, but it will make documenting things easier by using only the word instead of a sentence.

2. Xenoestrogens - environmental chemicals that mimic the effects of natural estrogen; may cause cancer. I may have  heard this word before but never knew what it meant or what it was. Like the other word I stated it really does not affect me but to learn about what it is interests me. I am not a "science" person just some things catch my eye every now and then.  

One word sums it all up!

If I were to choose one improvement at the half way mark of this class, I would definitely have to say it would be from this past week – Motivational Skills –! In learning that all it takes is for me to say “I need and want this” and then ACTUALLY getting up and moving, has helped me take that giant step. What do I want to accomplish before this class is over – well that’s a lot easier said than done, for sure! I want to leave this class with the knowledge of keeping myself and others aware of how fast obesity is taking over, and how to overcome it. Motivational skills knowledge which will help in the future (which I feel is what most are lacking). This is (in my opinion) the key to our healthy lifestyle. Without the motivation, I do not see how you can go through life as I have witnessed myself. I have improved myself physically, mentally, and even emotionally since the start of this semester. I feel more confident about my choices of questions for mods, and I am learning from others. http://www.selfmotivationskills.com/ here is a website that I have read and enjoyed. I now “believe” motivation speakers in person or even reading articles on the web, which I never thought they would or even could change someone’s life, but here I am – Proof -! The skills will not only be helping me with my health, fitness, or even my diet, but it will also help me finish this class knowing “I will be able to complete each mod successfully, I will be able to learn what has been taught, and I will leave this class with the knowledge of being able to take care of my family and myself properly along with others down the road. When I started this mod, I was going to pick my question about over-the-counter meds, but when I sat there and read about motivation (very little section) it struck home. I knew that motivation is what I was lacking, of course it is not completely there yet, but working on it! I am improving more and more as the mods keep coming. I have learned a tremendous amount of information and I feel overwhelmed, but it is slowly adding up to a better me in the end. I know it will take time to understand everything I have learned so far, but keep it coming, so I may succeed!

This is a great video showing people who, if they didn't have the motivation they would not have become who they are or even were, today. I will be the best that I can be everyday and will not breakdown and lose all that I have learned.

2 words that I did not know before this mod:

1. Creatine - a natural substance in skeletal muscle tissue required for muscle contraction, which can also be purchased at as dietary supplement. I never knew that this was a dietary supplement even though I do know alot of vitamins and minerals that we have in our body may be purchased as a supplement when we are lacking.

2. Double blind - which is when neither the person receiving the drug nor the person administering the drug knows whether it is a placebo or the real drug. I often wondered how most of the tests done with medicines have been able to conclude that it works. I have doubs when it came to this due to thinking the people testing it were just stating it worked so the drug company would be able to get the profits from it being sold throughout the world.

Fad Diets are History!

Let me sit and think about what I have exactly learned from this Mod! Well, for starters I will NEVER eat or use artificial sweeteners again! It has been a week since I tried this little experiment and I am only half way to being "normal state". I have learned a lot that I thought I already did know. Did that make sense? Let me rephrase...I thought I was on a great start to my weight loss program that I had initiated myself. Turns out I was going through all the stages, but completely wrong. The diet analysis scared me quite a bit, which now I am in hyper drive to get myself back to my actual age and not 20 years older! I have talked to many people about different diets that they had tried and either succeeded on or failed. Almost everyone that mentioned they do not "diet", but eat 6 times a day(smaller meals and snacks-healthy of course), work out (walking, housework, playing with their kids-games,running,at the gym, swimming), and drink enough water, have had the most luck with losing the weight and keeping it off. Even though I am in Physical Education and am learning the ins and outs, it is not enough to keep me motivated to kick the weight and keep myself fit, so to speak.  http://weightloss.about.com/od/weightloss101/a/101lesson10.htm This website i found has some tips on how to motivate yourself in keeping on track with weight loss. I know I am going to try these motivators along with everything else that has been supplied to me recently. In these two chapters they also list the food pyramid, which everyone should know about and follow. Many of us do not even think about it, we "think" we are doing the right thing for us and our families, but find out we are doing more harm than good.
3 Words that I did not know:
1. body dysmorphic disorder- a preoccupation with an imagined defect in one or more of one's body parts. I myself have imagined my teeth, my waist, my hair, and my height to be different, but I never once thought of going to get these corrected with cosmetic surgery...well minus my teeth(this is more of a have to get this taken care of situation where it is affecting my health rather than a want my teeth to be perfectly white and straight even though they are a little bit yellowed and crooked).
2. linoleic acid- an essential fat that must be obtained from food. I am not sure exactly how this will make my life any better by knowing this word, but with going into Phys Ed. I am guessing I will need to know it!
3. nutraceutical- a dietary supplement intended to prevent or treat an illness or disease. I thought all dietary supplements were just that - dietary supplements, who knew that it is much deeper than just that.
Everything that I have read about so far is basically making my head do completes 360's. With all of the facts that I didn't know about it has made me wonder how in the world am i ever going to be able to get back to normal. I am going to take this one step at a time and will see where it takes me!

At the start of these two chapters, I did not know there were so many different levels of stress. I knew about test anxiety due to suffering from it, but overcoming it day by day! I now know many different ways of trying to reduce my stress along with the rest of my families that may make our home a little bit more friendly. I have found many sites to help with this learning process, but these are my favs for reducing stress:

As for the sleep apnea, disorders i knew a lot about this subject due to my husband going through it right now, but have learned more about it and hopefully will be able to help him get through this easier with the help of different machine's; ie. sound machine, etc. I spent a great amount of time on these two chapters that I feel I have accomplished something for the first time in this class and I am proud of this. I feel with the new learning process I have started and actually understanding how to work the on-line class that I will be able to finish with an abundance of information to help ease myself into my future career, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Physical Educator, and above all raise my family healthy!

This is a pic of my oldest son with his wife and their son (my first grandson!!)

These are my three youngest with their first nephew!

My husband refused his pic to be put on here, but thats ok he is still mentioned in here!

Three words that I did not know:

1.Eustress - stress resulting from pleasant stressors. I never knew there was a such thing as positive stress, I thought it was just called hapiness- who knew, right?

2. Seasonal affective disorder - depressive symptoms that appear in autumn or winter and remit spontaneously in spring. I thought this was merely a myth, but I was proven wrong.

3. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)- charachterized by a powerful urge to move the legs , often described as a creeping, crawling, tingling, or burning sensation. I never knew that this feeling I get ever time I try to fall asleep was actually a parasomnia(which I did know).I have learned many interesting facts that will help improve not only my health,but my families.  

Beginning!

It's the start of a new semester and all new classes. Transition is very bumpy with Add/Drop classes due to family reality, having to take 3 on-line courses due to vehicle problems and so on...Now the question is this, Have I learned anything yet? Absolutely, but not as much as I am planning on learning. One subject that I researched about was Healthy People 2010, I have children and I want to look out for their future!

This gives us a few looks into the future and hopefully will change more lives for the better!

I did not spend as much time as I should have. Is it hurting what I will need to know in the future. The rest of the semester should be a little better for me since things have become less stressful due to the readings about stress. They are actually helping. I thank you for the posts on Yoga!

3 Words I didnt know:
VRT-Virtual Reality Therapy
Autogenic training
Autonomic Nervous System