My annual physical wasn't fun

Okay, so I'm not dying, at least not yet. I had my annual physical today and my doctor isn't happy with me. She asked me what happened, how did I gain so much weight since March 2010 (my last physical).<br /><br />I was 173 pounds in March 2010, and I was 199.4 on the doctor's scales today. She wanted to know why I'd gained so much weight. I didn't have an answer. I honestly don't know what happened. I told her I guess I was eating too much. <br /><br />My doctor is a tiny Asian woman, probably a size 0, really nice and very smart. She's the one that looked at my neck last year and spotted my enlarged thyroid (which resulted in an ultrasound and biopsy of my thyroid).<br /><br />Even though she's sweet, she doesn't mince words when it comes to my health. She told me this was a lot of weight to gain in one year and it was having a very serious impact on my body. My blood pressure was up to 148/88, and she put me back blood pressure medication. <br /><br />In one month I have to go back to see her again so she can see how my blood pressure is doing. She also wants me to wait one month to get all the blood work done for all the other stuff (glucose check, cholesterol and triglycerides, vitamin D and a reactive C protein test for my heart) and she wants to review everything with me.<br /><br />This is a lot more important than my concerns about how I look at this weight or the fact that none of my clothes fit. This is dead serious business. My health is at stake and frankly, I'm a little scared. What if I'm diabetic? Or what if I have a stroke or drop dead of a heart attack, or worse yet, live through a heart attack with a damaged heart? What am I doing to myself?<br /><br />This has really made me take stock of my issues with food and my weight. I guess I thought gaining weight wasn't that big of a deal. So my clothes don't fit or I "feel" fat and ugly. That stuff really doesn't matter that much. My health, that's a different story. Once it's gone, it's hard, if not impossible to get it back.<br /><br />So I'm making some changes. The most immediate is to get decent sleep. I've been failing in this area for years, short-changing myself on sleep almost every night.<br /><br />Of course, there's the eating. I need some sort of plan. I always seem to need a gimmick to get jump started. My new plan is to use the <a href="http://www.bodymedia.com/">Body Media</a>. Someone at work has been wearing one and she swears by it. I haven't ordered it yet, but plan to by this weekend.<br /><br />Last, but not least is my exercise. I've been slacking in the exercise area, going to the gym only three or four times a week, and then not really giving it 110%. I've really just been going through the motions. That has to change.<br /><br />I have a lot more that I want to write about, but I have to be off the computer in two minutes (8:45pm). New rule. Darkened room, and then lights out by 9pm.

My annual physical wasn't fun

Okay, so I'm not dying, at least not yet. I had my annual physical today and my doctor isn't happy with me. She asked me what happen...

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Update

<p>Hello friends & Happy Monday to you! So when I posted last week it was my great intention to post more often than weekly! But life with a newborn doesn’t always allow time for blogging! Speaking of newborn I thought I’d start today’s post with some sweetness! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWWe4xNm6wrJVea87PciID41lnsS2q5O6yYxizz3M9aeSE1eHUX_SYSxOU2YZx1qB5sYqlQJWm0VH3RhO1Zu6lYpWKDD33jQQrSJjCSSIxvmMVLCIwvdIMBTZ4pRWKOGGnm7bJKP8QncP/s1600-h/DSC00288%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC00288" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSkkaqkXmzKOptcs5lPuurgiOjbk8Xu5OABnxLLDjyoraxrzkjwcbccdPp17K1nn6m0B0dqCP2WUztVsLKbMHK35BTC84uj_AigoFH7DddvglJ0gRs-g65Hwo1poICcdVlZiRAe7rItEd/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00288" width="404"></a></p> <p>Ok now back to the purpose of my post, <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2011/07/post-baby-plan.html">post baby plan</a> update! So my first week being cautious about my eats went fairly well. I wouldn’t say I was 100% on track, but baby steps here people! Eventually I hope to get back to photographing my food. I know I make better choices when I have to take a picture before I eat. </p> <p>I got in at least a 30 minute walk 4/7 days last week. I was hoping to do better, but that heat really didn’t help! We started our week out good this week though! By 8 am this morning I had my tennis shoes on, Adelyn strapped in her seat, and we were out the door for a walk! We started early to try to beat this crazy heat. I was dripping when we got back after 30 minutes. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3EWF1BpwMRA4yHgEnTyVpi-Z95er3EXo6l5_FI7zov2wIsozxwe-2aBUESYI0b_sEwxZuR8o6DDXHmZXD9ZHnjzDoxIHE0S2rl7UPZHy5zoATZpJYH64dy-QM47WM8zPFYRpxEUWM70B/s1600-h/DSC00306%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC00306" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSb5l2yAhSjGClEsb5Kg_WPIZ3D1q8pTLLuz5ThTlGme2KaZGqs92bFn73olBkHOnDaymX1KLf3QJcQLHy-OL1SecjfnOivCEYNcNEtzYAqxAhJC8Q3G4HZVDildW96whuiJ3tn4FTZkb/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00306" width="404"></a></p> <p>I stepped on the scale this weekend and……….stayed the same this week. <img alt="Sad smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sadsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGyh66AP69UXaqrnJBTusm-IXFAeF8jLDaj9ll6mkBVnb0aYS1iHCgMCBfnPkzy4T27RfIgfHq5-fSHwhsBiTQ0lxrsM55GH0JVJy6JpOoJFwCzuRu2ouOIExBAPnizHUGK_GSK_9cdl9/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none"> At first I was really bummed, but then I came back to reality. I didn’t put all these pounds overnight and I know they aren’t going to come off like that! I was just quite spoiled those first 3 weeks, losing 35 lbs! So my plan is to continue watching my eats and getting in lots of fruits & veggies. And also trying to get in some walks (weather permitting!). </p> <p>Thanks for your continued support on this journey! Hope everyone has a great week!</p>

Update

Hello friends & Happy Monday to you! So when I posted last week it was my great intention to post more often than weekly! But life with ...

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Reflections on the ICT in the Classroom Conference

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Submitted by Deb Avery</i><br />Sitting in a conference in Botswana this week, I can’t help reflecting on the ICT in the Classroom Conference last week.<br />The conference I am at is packed with huge numbers of workshops, papers and colloquia. Two or three presentations take place one after the other in the same venues – ½ hour or an hour at a time. Nothing is running on time – so people walk in and out all the time. Many of the presentations are being read straight from Academic papers. There is 5 minutes for questioning at the end of each presentation – but no real interaction. And some of the topics are very academic.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtflx56alzEU9DobWoH0VOQkmbTddLP6c9wpzxneBMn1K5vaUbpNSBUQbWYTb3INmfLn23qoEkzUsbHWXfgBseF5r_-dwGkwKZ_L5Uzz48kGPBclPUEQ1L9sebbBbvonJJJKAD1YBTGg/s1600/Gala+dinner+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtflx56alzEU9DobWoH0VOQkmbTddLP6c9wpzxneBMn1K5vaUbpNSBUQbWYTb3INmfLn23qoEkzUsbHWXfgBseF5r_-dwGkwKZ_L5Uzz48kGPBclPUEQ1L9sebbBbvonJJJKAD1YBTGg/s200/Gala+dinner+056.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />I’ve met some great people – people who really know what they are talking about, people who have a great heart for reading, people who really want to make a difference to education in Africa.<br />But, like the Botswana landscape, this conference feels dry. I miss the Twitter backchannel – even the critical comments from some of the conference delegates. I miss the chance to really get my teeth into some new and different tools and methods. I miss the interactivity of most of the presentations – the chance to try and talk and wrestle and learn from colleagues.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE0t8F2Z6bS-MY9zBS2270eSPe-0eQtE_SkKqw081C80dSB_cV0lueTbxJHtp1RXdwel7Kqm2oumABkoqYP46vT4UAyrFSCc5_nTKvZRVKjbqibeuuVGXMxKI0g_GPIofdDDRkQ8Ul1k/s1600/Gala+Dinner+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE0t8F2Z6bS-MY9zBS2270eSPe-0eQtE_SkKqw081C80dSB_cV0lueTbxJHtp1RXdwel7Kqm2oumABkoqYP46vT4UAyrFSCc5_nTKvZRVKjbqibeuuVGXMxKI0g_GPIofdDDRkQ8Ul1k/s200/Gala+Dinner+037.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />I also miss the amazing networking – meeting people who I have only known on facebook or twitter, introducing people who have something to offer one another, just chatting and laughing and dancing – brainstorming new ideas, seeing new ways of doing old tasks, being offered new resources freely and sharing my own ideas even when they seem small and insignificant.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQ8diSGAfkhdf7L2LEwbHKseFhOTphNAy-WZlXoOApaxLS0NrHThkEYTOBoL3xIVW8XVr2VzXdA4EywAJX73pvRVznKlLRq5nMEJCw8MGT5oRNmDj-NntE0qBke4BBiDeHxiZ-s9Vp7Y/s1600/Conference+134.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQ8diSGAfkhdf7L2LEwbHKseFhOTphNAy-WZlXoOApaxLS0NrHThkEYTOBoL3xIVW8XVr2VzXdA4EywAJX73pvRVznKlLRq5nMEJCw8MGT5oRNmDj-NntE0qBke4BBiDeHxiZ-s9Vp7Y/s200/Conference+134.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwtCAVXKV4n55U41XWvmWZrdhXRatEpwtIN9qLSbDfyXKU_XEJPjcFBD_8d_GdRcqKQiJSD3cqx4WjlqBqk3Wv6Svbav18B9_fnSnE4H9zvMsSiFHQXaISYXRqk-v6kLMKHjHyrDaKGw/s1600/Conference+2011+222.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwtCAVXKV4n55U41XWvmWZrdhXRatEpwtIN9qLSbDfyXKU_XEJPjcFBD_8d_GdRcqKQiJSD3cqx4WjlqBqk3Wv6Svbav18B9_fnSnE4H9zvMsSiFHQXaISYXRqk-v6kLMKHjHyrDaKGw/s200/Conference+2011+222.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCo4law5U7YZpBu9QuWV0CK-nOGYG51wJkJ5bpM3R_CttvyJTYOU1jWx1H31ZcTVno2JGd4nh0OFTEue-avu2PGDRQ2hJIOtPfJB4-lij6dgAHH-9PQMvEhGQWiIkyZAQpiZphu5vfwUk/s1600/Gala+Dinner+036.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCo4law5U7YZpBu9QuWV0CK-nOGYG51wJkJ5bpM3R_CttvyJTYOU1jWx1H31ZcTVno2JGd4nh0OFTEue-avu2PGDRQ2hJIOtPfJB4-lij6dgAHH-9PQMvEhGQWiIkyZAQpiZphu5vfwUk/s200/Gala+Dinner+036.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br />What significant things came out for me from the conference?<br />• The power of social networking in the hands of responsible people can be hugely beneficial – being a twitterer doesn’t mean you have to be a twit. Twitter is not just gossip or narcissistic self reflection – it’s a way to keep all your knowledge in one place and connected.<br />• There are a lot of new tools out there – tools that aren’t all about bells and whistles, but are there to make us more productive and give our learners a chance to think a bit more deeply. Some of them are about new ways of doing old things more effectively. <br />• Sharing is what it’s all about. The generosity of people at the conference – from the keynote presenters to the technicians in the labs - is what makes being a teacher so worthwhile. No one ever needs to struggle on alone, because there is always someone to share with, someone’s ideas to build on and someone’s help readily available.<br />• The “T” in ICT is really not “Technology” but “Thinking.” All the things I learnt were about building deeper thinking – for learners, but also for ourselves. Getting hung up on pedagogy and standards is less important than guiding our learners to be critical and creative thinkers and problem solvers. And there’s a lot that we as teachers can learn about thinking, too.<br />• Once every two years is not enough. We need to be engaging in “un-conferences” on a regular basis – discussing, meeting (on line or face to face), challenging, looking for new ways, thinking deeply, collaborating, sharing. And the joy of Web 2.0 tools is that we can do it for the cost of our bandwidth.<br />So let’s join up as Premium Members and reflect on what we learnt at the Conference – just add a comment to this post – and make sure we keep on developing.<br />This is not a dry or dusty academic place to be – it’s vibrant and growing. Let’s make it blossom.</div>

conferences Reflections on the ICT in the Classroom Conference

Submitted by Deb Avery Sitting in a conference in Botswana this week, I can’t help reflecting on the ICT in the Classroom Conference last we...

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