Wednesday Wellbeing Club | 11 August - 24 November | Week 4: Wednesday 8 September 2021

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Welcome!

The Wednesday Wellbeing Club is for anyone who, like me, wants to make some lifestyle changes. It will run every week for fifteen weeks until Wednesday 24 November 2021.

I'm aiming to lose 6kg in that time with the intention of improved health benefits and the opportunity to reduce medication. You might have other health goals - being more active, giving up smoking, getting more sleep.

Each week, we'll check progress against the Rule of Fives I set out in the launch post. You can write your own post each week, or you can just leave a comment on each week's post about how things are going for you.

I've taken the idea from the Saturday Savers Club over on the @eddie-earner account where a group of savers come together to support each other every Saturday.

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The Rule of Fives

I'm using the Rule of Fives as my framework through the time that the Wednesday Wellbeing Club is running. By the end of the fifteen weeks, I am hoping that these will become habits - things I do anyway, without thinking too much about them.

Here is my Rule of Fives for each week:

  • Lose 500g.
  • Enjoy 5 x 30 minute sessions of physical activity.
  • Eat 5 x 80g portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
  • Get 5 nights x 8 hours sleep.
  • Spend 5 x 30 minute sessions of connecting or creating.

(You'll find more detail in the launch post and the back story).

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Let's Check In

Here's a handy little chart to check progress week by week:

GoalThis WeekOverall
Lose 6k0.0Kg 😱2.0k
5 x 30 mins activity😏❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 😏
5 portions fruit and vegetables😏❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 😏
5 nights x 8 hrs sleep😏🙂 🙂 😏 😏
5 creative/connecting sessions❤️🙂 🙂 🙂 ❤️
1. Achieve a more healthy weight

Okay, here we're seeing what happens when I hit a stress-point, usually caused by work. No weight loss this week (but no gain, so that's a good thing). Stress this week was caused by being away from home two weekends in a row, both involving long hours of driving, disrupted routines and, in one case, some emotional demands.

Although I managed to maintain healthy eating (in spite of the absence of vegetables from restaurant menus) and exercise over both weekends, I definitely had a hangover from the demands of the weekends in the days afterwards. I was very tired and struggled with eating properly (too tired to cook) and physical activity.

What I've learned is that I need to watch the load that I'm carrying. Talking it over with Mr P afterwards, we thought that staying in a hotel (rather than with friends) and taking the train rather than driving might help to reduce the load. Things to think about when I'm planning my next trips.

Things to learn 😏

2. Enjoy physical activity

Checking the @susie-saver account, there were three days when I didn't post: so three days when I wasn't up to physical activity or even keeping in control of tracking what was happening. This is the value of tracking, you can check back what was going on and review how different events or experiences affected you, so you plan differently in the future.

The past few days have seen an improvement and I'm back tracking, so not too bad. That's the main thing - to get back on track and keep going.

Keep it up! 😏

3. Eat well

Again, tracking went down the river, lost to sight. I can't remember what I ate, but I didn't feel much like cooking and preparation, so I suspect it was bread and jam a lot of the time 😂. I'm in a NO-BUY month which helped, so no takeaways, just not a great eating week.

I ate well while I was away the second weekend with heaps of vegetables with my Sunday roast - cabbage, tenderstem broccoli, swede and cauliflower cheese - as well as potatoes. I was better at portion control, too, asking for half my Sunday dinner to be boxed and eating it the next day for a late breakfast.

On the way, keep going 😏

4. Sleep more

I'm definitely out of sorts and haven't yet hit my stride with better quality sleeping. This could be the one thing that helps with everything else - stress, eating, physical exercise and, ultimately, weight loss. Good thing it's our tip for this week!

Needs attention! 😏

5. Connect and create

In spite of all the ups and downs, this was good. I've started designing a new vest top based on Dark Academia style, I visited a photographic exhibition as part of my membership package (so no additional cost) and found two more at Tate Britain that I want to visit over the coming months. On Monday, we had our first Needlework Monday Live Chat which was great fun - even sorting out all the technical challenges. I've enjoyed a YouTube video about Norwegian knitwear design. It was fascinating for so many reasons, not least how garments are mended, darned and patched over and over and then made into quilts and mattresses. And on Sunday, I attended an online discussion about Anarcho-Communism vs Big Tent Anarchism as part of this year's Anti-University programme.

On target 😍

How's your week been?

Where are you up to in your wellbeing journey? Just starting? On your way? Achieving lots or wondering how to change things? Let us know in the comments.

Showing up is where it starts - everything else follows 🙂

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2. Hot Wellbeing Tip

Each week we'll explore an aspect of the Rule of Fives. In previous posts we've talked about setting goals and tracking progress, and taking care when you are making changes. This week's tip comes via @stav (extra thank-you EDS tokens in your wallet 😍). We're going to talk about:

Sleep: The Fundamental Well-being Factor?

Sleep has a bit of a bad press and I would say its effect has largely been ignored as a factor in good health. However, the impact of getting enough sleep is profound: people who regularly have less than six hours of sleep a night have a 13% higher mortality risk ie more chance of dying younger or experiencing life-debilitating conditions like arthritis, diabetes and dementia.

On the other hand, enough good quality sleep reduces the risks of obesity, diabetes, cardio vascular disease and inflammation in the body. It reduces road traffic accidents, relationship conflict and days off work. You also feel better and enjoy life more!

So here's a list of guidelines for sleep (disclaimer - they are guidelines only, everyone is different with different needs and sensitivies, so each person needs to find their own balance):

  • Most people need between 7-9 hours sleep each 24 hour cycle. You can supplement 6-7 hours overnight sleep with a nap but keep these to less than hour and before 3pm.
  • Regularity is important - aim to go to sleep and wake at the same time each day, including weekends and holidays.
  • Prepare for sleep by winding down an hour or two before bedtime. A warm (40-42.5 degrees) bath 1-2 hours before sleep can help, as can getting ready for bed (changing your clothes, teeth cleaning etc) before you sit down to watch Netflix. Dim the lights about an hour before sleeping and aim for darkness in your bedroom (an eyemask might help).
  • Cigarettes, alcohol, coffee and food can all affect the quality of your sleep. It varies from person to person but leave several hours between consuming any of these and going to bed.
  • If you experience insomnia, keep to your routine and try not to nap or go to bed earlier than usual or sleep later than your usual time.

Let us know if you try any of these suggestions and how you got on. And if you have any go-to top tips for preventing and managing the challenges of making wellbeing changes, tell us in the comments.

As we say about saving in the Saturday Savers Club - start small and start today. I've chosen a Rule of Fives that set out my plan and will help me - but you might have a Rule of One or any number up to Five. The only thing you need to do is to show up, the rest will follow.

I'll be back next week with my check-in. See you then!

EDS for Comments

Each week there'll be an opportunity to win EDS tokens for comments. I like EDS income tokens, they're a great way to build an extra pay-day for yourself each week. You can see the weekly EDS report on the @eddie-earner account.

Last week, we had comments from @bearmol, @luca1777, @justclickindiva, @missaj, @neumannsalva, @mayorkeys, @bettyayers and @old-guy-photos; @akipponn and bearmol wrote posts, too! They all went into the Wheel of Names for the Wednesday Wellbeing Club.

This week's winners are @missaj and @akipponn - check your wallet!

Wednesday Wellbeing Club
Back Story
Launch and the Role of Setting Goals
Week 1 - Setting SMART Goals
Week 2 - Walking is Good, Brisk Walking is Better
Week 3 - Wellbeing and Taking Care: Prevention and Amelioration

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Saturday Savers Club
I run a savings club every Saturday over on the @eddie-earner account. We're aiming to save £670 ($800) by the end of the year using the 365 day savings challenge. You can join any time of the year and set your own goals and plans (some people are saving Hive, others Bitcoin, some their local currency). We share savings tips and there's a free giveaway every week.

Wednesday Wellbeing Club
I'm hosting a Wellbeing Club on Wednesdays from 11 August until 24 November 2021 in the Natural Medicine community. It's for anyone who wants to make a lifestyle change. We have a weekly check-in and share wellbeing tips, and a weekly giveaway. Here's the back story and the launch post with more information. Everyone is welcome.

First Monday - NeedleWorkMonday Community
Every First Monday of the month, I host a Live Chat for an hour from 7pm for the Needlework Monday Community. Bring your knitting, sewing, crochet (or nothing, that's okay, too), a nice cup of something, and join us for a relaxing hour of chat. Find our more in this post

Three things newbies should do in their first week and, for most things, forever afterwards!

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Look I am here and cheering your progress even if you had in some areas bigger plans, you did not back stepped and could even create a highlight, the needleworkmonday chat 🎉❤️
I hope you will have a bit more time and less driving in the next weeks, so that it is easier for you to follow your rule of five (sounds like a new fantasy novel… 🤔). By the way, so you use a recipe book/app to get inspired if you do not want to cook? I often use paprika app and have a whole section of extrem fast/lazy meals to remind me what I can cook, if I honestly do not want to.

I am still in a headache phase which sadly got a lot worse after Monday (right now its a tad better after medication) and I decided to make less whining one of my five rules, besides less sugar and less omega 6 fat (seems to be the only nutrition study which showed connections to pain levels - perhaps I will write about this someday as it has its own contradictions: Like eating a huge amount of fat fish and flax which both contain too much heavy metals in this dosage). Rest rules are still unclear for me and also in which way to document (starting with one week) I am experimenting with GoodNotes and designing a plan in Procreate… but it could be a bit procrastination:-DDDD
Sending you a hug (and the hope we will talk about dark academia aesthetics next NWM chat)

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rule of five (sounds like a new fantasy novel…

Haha, I know, especially when you start to combine it with Dark Academia! I didn't know about this fashion aesthetic until a week or two ago. I like the fashion aspect but not the emo/goth elements. I'm not sure I would encourage studying by candlelight, although learning is good 😁.

I try to keep a few things in the cupboard for when I don't feel like cooking - white beans that I can dress with oil and lemon juice and a few olives. I usually have sardines and tuna and always home-made bread. I read today you can bake bread in a slow cooker, have you tried it? I must ask @akipponn, too. There's fruit on the side I can eat, that doesn't need much attention, although the bananas are mainly becoming gelato.

I'm sorry about the headache, that is miserable. I have been really grumpy today - someone knocked on the back door to ask me to move my car because there was a delivery ... I stamped out to the car and stamped back to the house! I'm not sure if I am sickening for something because I am so grumpy. But I am practising better sleeping habits, so perhaps I will feel better tomorrow 😂.

We need omega 3 fats is that right? I think our NHS dietary guidelines are one portion a week because, as you say, mercury and other heavy metals. But other guidelines say two or three portions and checking them, I probably eat an average of two or three portions - salmon, mackerel and sardines and sometimes kippers. That reminds me: I bought some chia seeds, but I have no idea what to do with them!

Mm, I think it is a good idea to take a sheet of ordinary A4 paper, draw a grid on it and use a pen or pencil 😁. Start any day, any time. Maybe one week would fill both sides maximum. That way you must select what you write. Designing digital things gives you too many choices, opportunities, possibilities. This is before we start colour-coding ...

Lovely to see you 😍 🤗 ❤️

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Hello @shanibeer. Week 4 already in our Wednesday Wellbeing Club. I see you performed well overall even with a slight decrease in weight loss.

You've already visited my Week 4 Wellbeing post here: https://peakd.com/hive-124452/@justclickindiva/cant-believe-its-week-4-already-wed-september-8-2021-for-the-or-wednesday-wellbeing-club-until-112421. Thanks so much.

Congratulations to @missaj and @akipponn for your win in the Wellbeing Wheel spin.

For sleep, I try to have a warm cup of SleepyTime or Chamomile tea and read a book before bed. Most times though, I end up doing housework well past midnight.

In the food category of my wellbeing progress, I had a bit of a setback. Family dinner with dessert, I overindulged. Instead of packaging up the leftover dessert so that it could leave with family, I kept some.

All decisions are not good ones. I have to take the good with the bad, learn from them, and move on. But that dessert was good. If I have to waste empty calories, the Pineapple Coconut Cake was the place to do it.

So far, I've lost 3 pounds in one month. Not good, and definitely needs to improve. My doctor's visit for my A1C and Diabetes assessment for 2021 will shed some more light on recommended combinations as far as what may work going forward.

Take care everyone.

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Good tips for warm drinks that encourage sleep. I often find things to do about ten pm (they've been there all day), or I become engrossed in knitting and want to do another row, which leads to ten.

Pineapple Coconut Cake does sound delicious, I can see the challenge 😂. But now and then, that's how it is. I try to aim for overall good eating most of the time and don't worry too much about when it doesn't happen. Like you, I try and learn from it and do something differently next time round.

With losing weight, getting the right trajectory (downwards not upwards) is a good first move. I find it takes me several weeks to settle down and get into my groove, psychologically, physically and practically. Then I find it easier to manage changes in routine like visitors and trips.

I think my next health check is November, that will be good timing to see whether these changes have made a difference.

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🥳 as my bro @bearmol would say , thank you for the gift that keeps on giving. I haven’t lost much weight but I could tie my shoe lace with a certain amount of ease yesterday. I was like wow 😮 even a few days of exercise could make me do that in a short time. When this becomes a habit I will definitely be bringing sexy back 😂.

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Nuff respect to you @missaj . Congrats bro. The EDS token is the gift that keeps on giving. Every Monday in fact.

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I could tie my shoe lace with a certain amount of ease

Yes! 😍

I will definitely be bringing sexy back 😂.

Pictures required 😁

So pleased you are seeing results after just a little time, that is great!

Thank you for joining us, good to have you here.

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That was interesting info about sleep. I thankfully never have suffered from insomnia, but I can imagine it would be maddening!

I am impressed how you have been doing overall!

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Thank you and good to see you 🙂.

It was interesting researching sleep - an area I haven't really investigated before. I agree with you about insomnia, it must be difficult. I always find things to do about 10 o clock at night!

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(Edited)

Congratulations on your progress so far. I like the topic choice for research this week. Sleep😴 is certainly up there on the list of things that are vital for our health and wellbeing.

I try to get enough of it every night.

Also congrats to this week’s EDS winners @missaj and @akipponn

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I have been seeing a lot of #wellbeing posts floating around. It gives incentive just reading them and seeing the way people are implementing it into their lives.

Thank you for sharing!

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Hello @dswigle, so lovely to see you 😍.
I needed something a little more structured to help me on my way and a weekly post is ideal. I'm pleased that it resonated with others, too, always nice to have company on a journey.
I think, though, that you are the original #wellbeing person with your lovely flowers and poetry 🙂

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